25-10-2022

tuesdAy, OctOber 25, 2022

2

A disaster management committee meeting was held on Monday in the upazila parishad hall,

organized by the upazila administration in Naogaon's Atrai.

Photo: Omar Faruk

TCB starts

selling sugar at

TK 55 per kg

DHAKA : The state-run Trading

Corporation of Bangladesh

(TCB) on Monday started selling

sugar at a subsidized rate at

some 11 important and crowded

places of the capital.

People were seen in long

queue this afternoon to buy

sugar at Taka 55 per kg from

the trucks of TCB braving the

inclement weather and incessant

rain.

Such operation of the TCB has

been kept open for all people as

the interested ones alongside the

TCB family card holders can avail

sugar from such operation paying

only Taka 55 per kg. But, any

consumer can buy highest 1 kg of

sugar.

According to a press release, the

TCB trucks are selling sugar at Malibagh

Railgate Super Market, adjacent

road to the Mugda Medical

College, New Market, Mirpur 10

Circle, Rampura Bazar, Motijheel

Shapla Chattar, Mohammadpur

Townhall Bazar, Shantinagar

Bazar, Uttara Azampur Bazar,

Kawranbazar TCB Square, and at

Khamarbari in Farmgate.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of

National Consumer Rights Protection

is holding a meeting on

Monday with the mill owners,

refiners, wholesale and retail

businessmen to keep the supply

and price of sugar stable.

PM to open development

schemes at Payra Seaport

on Thursday

PATUAKHALI : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina will inaugurate some development

projects at Payra Seaport on Thursday to

equip it with better facilities for smooth

operations.

The development projects include-capital

dredging of the port, inauguration of eight

ships and vessels, inauguration of the first

terminal and construction of a six-lane

approach road and a bridge.

The disclosure came at a preparatory

meeting of the Payra Seaport Authority in

Patuakhali. State Minister for Shipping

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury chaired the

meeting.

"PM Sheikh Hasina has built the Payra

Seaport to develop the long-neglected

southern region of Bangladesh. I'm already

witnessing a surge in economic activities in

this region brought about by this seaport,"

Khalid said.

Through the capital dredging of the seaport's

Rabnabad channel, a 75km-long,

100-125meter-wide and 10.5meter-deep

channel will be created.

Once operational, a total of 40,000 tons of

cargo or 3000 container-laden ships will be

able to dock. The channel will cost an estimated

Tk 5,000 crore and will be built by

Belgian dredging company-Jan De Nul.

Among the eight vessels to be inaugurated

on Thursday, two are pilot vessels, two are

heavy duty speedboats, one is a buoy laying

vessel, one is a survey boat and two are tugboats.

These ships and vessels will help the

port authority to monitor the arrival and

departure of foreign ships and maintain the

channel.

Once the construction of the first terminal,

the six-lane highway and the bridge is

completed, a total of three foreign ships carrying

containers or bulk cargos will be able

to dock simultaneously at the Payra Seaport.

The terminal will cost Tk 4,500 crore

and will be opened for operation in December,

2023.

The 6.35km-long, six-lane approach road

is being built by the Roads and Highways

Department (RHD). Spectra Engineers

Limited has been given the responsibility of

the construction at a cost of Tk 655 crore.

The road will also be opened to traffic in

December, 2023.

A 1,180 meter-long bridge is being built

over the Andharmanik river to transport

goods of the Payra Seaport. The bridge

will cost Tk 780 crore and will be constructed

over a period of two and a half

years.

Muhibur Rahman Muhib, Member of Parliament

(MP) from Patuakhali-4 constituency

and Rear Admiral M Sohael,

Chairman of Payra Port Authority, among

others, were present at the meeting.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Payra

Seaport on November 19, 2013.

Dengue death

toll rises to 118

as 5 more die

DHAKA : Five more deaths

from dengue confirmed in 24

hours till Monday morning

raised this year's fatalities from

the mosquito-borne disease in

Bangladesh to 118.

During this period, 903 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, one

from Mymensingh and another

from Khulna division

With this the Dengue death

toll from Dhaka rose to 70, it

stood at four in Khulna and at

three in Mymensingh.

The dengue death toll

remained unchanged at 36 in

Chattogram division and at five

in Barishal division.

Of the new patients, 575 were

admitted to different hospitals

in Dhaka and 328 outside it,

according to the Directorate

General of Health Services

(DGHS). A total of 3,482

dengue patients, including

2,290 in the capital, are now

receiving treatment at hospitals

across the country.

The Directorate has recorded

31,966 dengue cases and

28,650 recoveries so far this

year.

GD-1715/22 (6x3)

Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited

(A Company of Petrobangla)

Birashar, Brahmanbaria

ÒM¨vm RvZxq m¤ú`Ó-Gi AcPq

†iva K‡i RvZxq `vwqZ¡ cvjb Kiæb|

ˆbwZKZv I mZZv

Rxe‡b Av‡b cweÎZv

-RvZxq ï×vPvi †KŠkj

reference no.28.10.1213.806.00.325.22 Date : 23.10.2022

e-Tender Notice

evsjv‡`k moK cwienY K‡c©v‡ikb

cwienY feb, 2 ivRDK GwfwbD

XvKv-1000|

`icÎ weÁwß

28.10.1213.876.09.024.22(Civil)

GD-1719/22 (8x4)

GD-1716/22 (12x4)

TUeSDAY, OCTOBeR 25, 2022

3

Dhaka University Model United Nations Association observed 77th UN Day yesterday. DU VC Prof Dr

Md Akhtaruzzaman addressing the program as chief guest.

Photo : Courtesy

Want fair investigation over RU

student's death: MP Badsha

RAJSHAHI : Rajshahi-2

lawmaker and president of

Rajshahi Medical College

Hospital

(RMCH)

management council Fazle

Hossain Badsha has called for

exhuming the body of deceased

Rajshahi University student

MGM Shahriar for autopsy.

He made the demand while

speaking in a press briefing at

his office in Hargram of

Rajshahi city on Sunday

afternoon.

He also demanded a highlevel

investigation by the

Ministry of Home Affairs over

the death.

Badsha, also the general

secretary of Bangladesh

Workers Party, said that an

emergency meeting of the

hospital management council

has been called on October 26.

"After that, we will send a letter

to the Ministry of Home Affairs

to investigate the incident,"he

added.

LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam inaugurated the Clean-up Campaign at

the south plaza of National Parliament yesterday on the occasion of UN

Day.

Photo : PID

Family of late US Senator Kennedy

to visit Bangladesh Oct 29-Nov 5

DHAKA : Family members of late US

Senator Edward M. 'Ted' Kennedy,

who visited independent Bangladesh in

February, 1972, are scheduled to arrive

Dhaka on October 29.

"Yes, they are coming," Foreign

Minister AK Abdul Momen told UNB

on Monday.

Officials said they will be visiting

Bangladesh marking the 50 years of

Bangladesh-US relations.

When approached, a Spokesperson

at the US Embassy in Dhaka termed it

a "historic visit" and said Edward M.

Kennedy, Jr., son of late US Senator

Edward M. Kennedy and nephew of

late US President John F. Kennedy,

and his family will be in Bangladesh to

mark a "milestone" of the yearlong

celebration of the 50th anniversary of

Bangladesh-US relations.

They will meet Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister

AK Abdul Momen.

His accompanying family members

He also questioned the role of

some teachers during the

incident.

The MP said, we had a

meeting with the Intern

Doctors Association at noon.

We requested them to call off

their strike considering the

patients. They called off their

strike after a fruitful meeting

and they joined their work from

Sunday afternoon, he added.

Earlier, in the day, the

students of Rajshahi University

brought out a procession

protesting the death of their

fellow student on the campus.

They also took position in front

of the main gate of Rajshahi

University to press home their

nine-point demand including

arrest of those involved in the

attack on students and those

who made lapses in attending

to Shahriar.

Later, the interns of Rajshahi

Medical College and Hospital

also brought out a procession

protesting a scuffle between the

RU students and medical

interns. They also threatened to

continue their strike if the

authorities concerned would

not take any effective measures

in arresting the attackers and

ensuring a healthy atmosphere

for work.

On Wednesday night,

Shahriar, the fourth-year

student of the university's

marketing department, died

after allegedly falling off the

roof of Shaheed Habibur

Rahman Hall.

After Shahriar fell off the roof

of Shaheed Habibur Rahman

Hall of the university on

Wednesday night, some

students took him to RMCH

where he was declared dead on

arrival.

A five-member probe body

has been formed to look into

the incident.

Two complaints have been

lodged over the incident.

include Dr. Katherine "Kiki" Kennedy

(wife), Dr Kiley Kennedy (daughter),

Teddy Kennedy (son), Grace Kennedy

Allen (niece), and Max Allen (nephew).

Under the auspices of the US

Department of State's Speakers

Program, Kennedy will speak at Dhaka

University to commemorate the legacy

of his father as a staunch advocate for

Bangladesh's fight for independence

and will visit the banyan tree his father

planted to symbolize the friendship

between the United States and

Bangladesh.

As a lawyer and advocate for civil

rights of individuals with disabilities, he

will also deliver a lecture on disability

rights at the Edward M. Kennedy

Center for Public Service and the Arts.

During the one-week visit to

Bangladesh, the Kennedy family will

visit various cultural attractions and

meet with civil society representatives,

US government-sponsored exchange

programme alumni and Bangladesh

Prize Giving

Ceremony

of 'LitFest

6.0' held

at BUP

The Final Round and Prize

Giving Ceremony of

'Literature Festival- 6.0' was

held on Monday at Bijoy

Auditorium of BUP. The

LitFest 6.0 was organized by

BUP Literature and Drama

Club (BUPLDC) under the

supervision of the

Department of English,

Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences, a press release

said.

The fest started on 21

October 2022. The purpose

of the fest was to create a

platform for literary

enthusiasts to develop their

thinking power, explore

their creativity and to

promote Bengali literature

in the world.

In the fest, around 300

contestants from 26

renowned universities

participated in 11 different

segments. Names of them

are Pop Quiz, Lit Quiz,

Recitation of Poetry,

Storytelling, Parody

Presentation, Stage Drama

etc.

Pro-VC of BUP Professor

Dr. Khondoker Mokaddem

Hossain was present as the

Chief Guest and distributed

the prizes among the

winnersin the fest, BUPLDC

Advisor and Dean of FASS

Brig Gen Mohammad

Shamsul Arefin, ndc, pscalso

chaired the session.

Associate Professor Dr. Md.

Mohoshin Reza, Chairman

of the Department of

English moderated the

programme.

Among others, BUP

Senior Officers, EC

Members, Faculty

Members, Students, and

Invited Guests were present

in the ceremony.

government officials.

In February, 1972, Senator Ted

Kennedy spoke to the students at

University of Dhaka and said, "You

know while some governments do not

yet recognise you, the people of the

world do recognise you, and they

recognise all you have accomplished

here in the name of freedom from

tyranny and oppression.We are

brothers in liberty, and no man, no

policy, no government can change that

fact."

Senator Kennedy planted a banyan

tree on Dhaka University's campus as a

living tribute to friendship, resilience,

and hope, and it stands.

Senator Ted Kennedy during his

1972 visit to Dhaka also said, "The

struggle of the people of Bangladesh

evokes the greatest memories of our

past."

Bangladesh and the United States

have been "strong enduring partners"

for the past five decades.

Two including

railway security

staff arrested with

marijuana in Ctg

CHATTOGRAM : Sleuths

of

Chattogram

Metropolitan Police's

Detective Branch (West)

two alleged drug peddlers

including a security staff of

the Bangladesh Railway

with marijuana from the

Chiattogram railway

station area on Saturday.

The arrestees are Imrul

Kayes and Sohel.

Manager of Chattogram

Railway Station Ratan

Kumar Chowdhury said

that Imrul Kayes came to

the station to perform the

duties of the Nazirhat

bound demu train on

Saturday evening. At that

time, some people

identified as DB in white

clothes took him away. But

he doesn't know why Imrul

was taken away.

Ali Hossain, deputy

commissioner of police

(West) said Imrul used to

sell cannabis through Sohel

for a long time.

On Saturday evening,

police arrested them while

sharing money for the sale

of marijuana, he added.

"Two kg of cannabis were

also recovered from their

possession," said the

officer.

RAJSHAHI : Integrated

approach can be the best

way of reducing preventable

child mortality besides

minimizing their illness and

disability coupled with

promoting healthy growth

and development of children

less than five years of age.

Every day, scores of

children with potentially

fatal illnesses are taken by

their caregivers and health

workers so there are no way

but an integrated approach

to reduce the illness and

mortality.

Child health specialists

came up with the

observation while

conducting the third day's

technical sessions of a fiveday

long training titled

"Integrated Management of

Childhood Illness (IMCI)" in

Rajshahi Medical College

and Hospital (RMCH).

Public

Health

Improvement Initiative

Rajshahi (PHIIR) project of

DASCOH Foundation

organized the training

aimed at preparing a

resource pool on IMCI at

seminar hall of ward

The Final Round and Prize Giving Ceremony of 'Literature Festival- 6.0' was held on Monday at Bijoy

Auditorium of BUP.

Photo : Courtesy

Dhaka-New York flights

to resume soon, hopes

CAAB chairman

DHAKA : The Civil Aviation Authority of

Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M

Mafidur Rahman has expressed the hope that the

Dhaka-New York direct flights would resume soon.

He aired his hope when the US Ambassador to

Bangladesh Peter Haas paid a courtesy call at his

office on Sunday at 4pm.

During the meeting, the launch of air

communication between the two countries,

especially the Dhaka-New York flight, was

discussed. The CAAB chairman sought the US

ambassador's intervention and cooperation to

implement category 1 of the Federal Aviation

Authority. The US ambassador assured full

cooperation regarding the resumption of Dhaka-

New York flights.

Discussions were also held on enhancing mutual

communication and cooperation between the

aviation sectors of the two countries.

Ambassador Haas said that the United States

will assist Bangladesh in order to develop skilled

manpower in the aviation sector of Bangladesh.

Integrated approach

stressed to reduce

preventable child mortality

number 11 supported by the

Swiss Red Cross.

All the senior and junior

teachers and doctors of the

Department of Pediatrics of

RMCH and Rajshahi

Medical College are taking

part in the training.

Head of the Pediatrics

Department Prof Belal

Uddin, Assistant Prof Dr

Naznin Parvin and

Consultant Dr Syeda Nasifa

Islam conducted the

sessions.

In his remarks, Prof Belal

Uddin said children brought

for medical treatment

coming from marginalized

and other low-income

families are often suffering

from more than one

condition. At the first level of

primary health care services,

diagnostic supports such as

laboratory and radiology

services are commonly

limited or non-existent.

He opined that WHO and

UNICEF designed the IMCI

strategy to improve access

and quality of care for

newborns and children in

primary health care services

aims at improving health

ICMAB delegation

meets CAG

DHAKA : A delegation of the Institute of

Cost and Management Accountants of

Bangladesh (ICMAB) headed by its

President Md. Mamunur Rashid called

on Comptroller and Auditor General of

Bangladesh (CAG) Mohammad Muslim

Chowdhury at his office yesterday.

The ICMAB President apprised the

Comptroller and Auditor General of

Bangladesh about the role of cost and

management accountants on the

matters of public interest, financial

management, accounting and auditing.

He also sought help from the CAG of

Bangladesh for further development of

the ICMAB and CMA profession, said a

press release.

In response, CAG Mohammad

Muslim Chowdhury assured to provide

all out support and assistance to

ICMAB. Former SAFA and ICMAB

President AKM Delwer Hussain,

director Mirza Mostafa Walid and chief

accounts and finance officer of CAG

Office Mohammad Ruhul Quddus were

present, among others, in the meeting.

With the financial assistance of Kuwait Society for Relief (KSR), Society for Islamic

Training Center Bangladesh (SITCB) organized a 10-day-long workshop on vegetable

and fish farming recently at Arial Beel Training Institute at Muksudpur

Union under Dohar upazila in Dhaka.

Photo : Courtesy

worker skills, improving the

health system and

improving family and

community practices.

Main thrust of the strategy

is to strengthen prevention

and management of

common childhood

illnesses, including in the

newborn period, and

support children's healthy

growth and development.

As a whole, IMCI is

imperative to achieve the

Sustainable Development

Goal target 3.2 of reducing

child mortality to at least 25

or less deaths per 1000 live

births by 2030.

The PHIIR Project is being

implemented in five upazila

health complexes, 42

UH&FWCs and 110

Community Clinics under

Bagmara, Charghat and

Tanore upazilas in Rajshahi

and Porsha and Sapahar

upazilas in Naogaon

districts.

The project is intended to

improve the health of the

targeted population with

special focus on maternal,

neonatal and child health at

primary health care level.

Workshop

on vegetable,

fish farming

held

With the financial

assistance of Kuwait

Society for Relief (KSR),

Society for Islamic

Training Center

Bangladesh (SITCB)

organized a 10-day-long

workshop on vegetable and

fish farming recently at

Arial Beel Training

Institute at Muksudpur

Union under Dohar

upazila in Dhaka.

A total of 175 men and

women participated in the

workshop.

DoharUpazilaNirbahi

Officer

(UNO)

MobasherAlam distributed

certificates, saplings and

bags among the

participants as the chief

guest at the closing

ceremony.

Upazila Agriculture

Officer Mohammad

MamunYakub, Fisheries

Officer MstLutfunnahar,

Dohar Assistant

Commissioner (Land) SM

Mostafizur Rahman and

SITCB officers were also

present.

At the closing ceremony,

speakers appreciated KSR

and SITCB and urged them

to arrange such workshop

across Bangladesh.

Dr Gazi MdJahirul Islam,

Director General, KSR,

Bangladesh office,

inaugurated the workshop

on October 8. SITCB

Director Md Abdul Quddus

conducted the inaugural

function and closing

ceremony.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

A realistic view on

fighting corruption

What the realistic view ought to be is

that corruption in Bangladesh has not

become unusually thicker in recent

times. It is a systemic problem that the country

has suffered from for a long time under

different governments.Corruption or the depth

of it or its pervasiveness has a long history in

this land.

If a body like the Transpareny International

Bangladesh (TIB) existed in the eighties,

specially during the rule of the autocratic

government, then that body would also likely

find Bangladesh as a very seiously corruption

riddled country.Bangladesh was ranked as the

most corrupt country on earth in the list of

corrupt nations published by Transparency

International Bangladesh ( TIB) on 18 October,

2005. This was the fifth year in a row that

Bangladesh had topped the corruption

perception index of TIB.

The corruption issue was overplayed by a

section of media to imprint in voters' mind

during last year's national elections as if the

incumbent government in Bangladesh has been

the most corrupt. As it is, Bangladesh has

climbed far up the ladder in corruption

perception specially under the present

government. After the abysmal record of

corruption as the most corrupt country for five

consecutive years in 2005, Bangladesh in the

corruption perception index stood at number

143 among 180 sampled countries in 2017

whereas its ranking in 2005 was 180th or at the

very bottom of the list. Thus, it is irrefutably

proved that Bangladesh's corruptions have

substantially decreased in recent years

propaganda to the contrary notwithstanding.

Now, instead of mud slinging with the

corruption issue, what should be important on

the part of everyone concerned is to contribute

to the clamour that the country needs

institutional reforms or effective institutional

mechanisms set up in various spheres as the

best antidote against corruption. The Anti

Corruption Commission lacks abilities in

different ways to be able to strike at corruption

with greater sustainable effectiveness.

Therefore, the imperative is to empower it

adequately with unflinching political resolve

behind such a move.Government needs to

realize that people in general did not approve of

the manner in which the ACC functioned under

previous governments-- sometimes acting

oppressively against corruption suspects and in

others not succeeding in establishing the guilts

charged against the suspected ones. Thus, ACC

earned a bad name for both gross inefficiency as

well as for unduly harassing individuals or

institutions. But these sad aspects have not

meant that people want the ACC's zest for

fighting corruption was turned off. They are

only for ACC doing its work properly under the

present government that would seem not

arbitrary and lead to successful prosecution.

Thus, it would be a mistake for the

government to think that people have no

appetite for the ACC or its activities. Any action

seen as deliberately weakening the ACC,

therefore, will only erode esteem for the

government in the conception of the rank and

the file of the people. The notion will build that

now in power the ruling party only wants to

protect corruption. That could be telling on

them in future voting contests. Government

needs to bear all of these considerations in

mind.

Government departments spawn the most

corruption in Bangladesh and the

parliamentary committees could play a very

important role by putting into sharp focus such

corruption and building up the pressure for

tough measures against the same.

The creation of an ombudsman was

suggested long ago to handle cases of

corruption alleged by members of the public.

But such an ombudsman has not been

appointed. Clearly, the outcry to strengthen

institutional capacities against corruption

needs to be louder from the media and civil

society. They should pile up enough pressure on

the political parties to go for the above reforms

and more at the earliest.

Planned farm management can remove the gloom of

the educated youth and put smiles on their faces

Due to the global

economic recession,

not only getting a

government or private

job, but getting a job

advertisement has

become a golden deer

today. Thousands of

educated young

people have been sweating for a long time to

fulfill the dream of their parents, brothers and

sisters, and they have not been able to get a job.

In the midst of the global economic recession

and the corona epidemic, the pilgrims who

want to fulfill their dreams are disorientated

and tired today. Those who thought that after

completing their education, removing the

concentrated darkness of sorrow, the world will

be bright with the light of happiness, today they

are locked in four walls under the terrible

clutches of Corona. Students today are truly out

of luck as job advertisements have stopped.

According to International Labor Organization

(ILO) data, one in four youth in Bangladesh is

unemployed (27.39%). Educated youth are

affected in three ways in the long-running

epidemic. On the one hand unemployment,

education and training are also disrupted.

Students who used to earn two-four paisa by

private tutoring and ride sharing, are closed

today due to the fluctuation of oil prices in the

global market. On the one hand, the students

today are lost way thinking about the bloodshot

eyes of some people in the society and the

cursed life of unemployment. Today there is no

one to guide the wayfarers who have lost their

way. On the one hand, due to less advertisement

of government jobs, retrenchment of workers in

private jobs, return of expatriate brothers to the

country, the employment situation is in a state

of chaos today. In such a situation, it is really

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 co-opted 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 long-standing

member of Al-Maliki's Dawa party) will be solely

accountable to Al-Maliki and his paramilitary

Hashd allies who 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

Iran has been stepping up its drone game

and devoting considerable resources to a

domestic drone program. Some of these

drones are armed, others have only a

reconnaissance role, some - such as the

Mojer-6 drone shot down by an American

fighter jet last week over Iraqi Kurdistan - can

do both.

Tehran also has an inventory of so-called

"suicide drones," such as the Shahed-136,

which are packed with explosives and

crashed into a target instead of returning to

base. The end result of Tehran's efforts has

been an extensive inventory of drones that

has allowed it to project power across the

Middle East at a relatively low cost. These

drones have also been used by Iran's proxies

across the region, such as the Houthis in

Yemen.

Last week's Iranian drone and missile

strikes in northern Iraq were part of a

growing trend. Other recent strikes have hit

civilian targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE,

and last month Iranian drones operated by

difficult to say what is going to happen to the

pilgrims who wish to fulfill their dreams.

Suffering a lot of pain and suffering when the

target unemployed educated youth dream of

becoming an entrepreneur, thousands of

questions nestle in their minds. The dream that

was cherished at one time dies, burdened by

thousands of questions hidden in the darkness

of one's mind. Educated youth who want to

fulfill their dreams create many excuses in their

minds to push back their dreams. I am a simple

person, it is not possible to be an entrepreneur

with me. Who will pay so much money, can I?

In these thousands of questions, one step

forward and three steps back, the dream of

becoming an entrepreneur disappears.

Thinking about the fate of lakhs of educated

unemployed youth, I decided to say something

as a former student of Bangladesh Agricultural

University to give strength to the mind as the

main weapon of becoming an entrepreneur.

Hopefully this register will serve as a tool for

their financial thinking to become better

entrepreneurs and fulfill their family's dreams.

As an animal husbandry graduate I would say

that only integrated farm management can free

the educated youth from the scourge of

unemployment. I think educated youth are not

able to become entrepreneurs easily due to lack

MD. NAzMUL HASAN

of proper guidance and scientific knowledge. It

is very important to know some things before

becoming an entrepreneur.

1. It should be ingrained in the mind to hear

how the small entrepreneurs succeeded in

rearing chickens, fattening cows, and integrated

farming of fish and ducks.

2. You should hear how the farmers coped

with the difficult situations and see how some

people are successful today and increase your

desire and courage.

3. If you want to see yourself as a successful

entrepreneur, you need to have a clear and

steady mind. One should attend the Livestock

Students who used to earn two-four paisa by private tutoring

and ride sharing, are closed today due to the fluctuation of oil

prices in the global market. On the one hand, the students today

are lost way thinking about the bloodshot eyes of some people in

the society and the cursed life of unemployment. Today there is

no one to guide the wayfarers who have lost their way.

Tehran's proxies attacked US forces in Syria.

Last October, US and Syrian opposition

forces were targeted by a drone attack on Al-

Tanf base in southeastern Syria. At least five

drones armed with bombs attacked both the

US side of the base and the side housing

Syrian opposition fighters. Luckily, there

were no casualties.

The Iranian drone threat now extends

beyond the region, and into Ukraine, where

Tehran is now supplying them to Russia. It is

no secret that Russian-Iranian military

cooperation has been occurring for years.

Russia's stockpile of drones has become

increasingly depleted by surprisingly effective

Ukrainian air defenses.

Also complicating matters for Russia is the

impact of international economic sanctions

that make importing the required

component parts to manufacture drones

more challenging. As it becomes more

difficult for Russia to replace its battlefield

loses in Ukraine, Moscow will lean on Tehran

to fill the gap. Always in need of money, and

LUKE COFFEY

Exhibition Fairs and Fairs organized by WAPSA

to cross the Hundred Hills and spark the

imagination.

4. Advice should be sought from experienced

Animal Husbandry Officers and Veterinary

Surgeons employed in Government and Private

sector. Also read various books related to animals.

5. You cannot be a good leader if you think

only in your mind. His movement and farreaching

thoughts should have a positive

mindset. For this purpose, one should watch the

events of KrishiDivanishi, KrishiogJeevan,

Krishi Katha, Soil and Man and DiptaKrishi etc.

Which will sharpen the positive thoughts

hidden in his mind like steel.

forever dependent on Russian diplomatic

support on the global stage, Iran is more than

happy to oblige.

Iranian Mojer-6 drones have already been

shot down in Ukraine, and last week

Ukraine's main port city of Odesa came

under attack by Shahed-136 suicide drones.

According to a Ukrainian spokeswoman,

"about two dozen" Iranian drones have been

spotted in the skies above Ukraine in recent

weeks, and at least half were shot down.

The Iranian drone threat will not be going

away soon. To mitigate its impact, in both the

Middle East and Ukraine, three things must

be done.

First, the US needs to increase its air

defense cooperation with the Gulf states. Not

only would this counter Iran's drones, it could

also be an important and much needed

confidence building measure between

regional countries and the White House. It

could also jumpstart the proposed Middle

East Strategic Alliance concept. This idea was

first proposed by the Trump administration

6. You have to overcome hundreds of hurdles

and gain knowledge as well as hope yourself to

be the best agricultural entrepreneur. So to

acquire this related knowledge training in

poultry farming, fisheries and cattle rearing

should be done in various term workshops of

the Youth Development Department and under

the One House One Farm scheme.

7. Many people think that I don't have that

much money. Can I do business? The dream of

becoming an entrepreneur is destroyed in the

bud by being burdened with such thousands of

questions. Remember, becoming an

entrepreneur doesn't require huge sums of

money, it just requires sheer willpower and

desire. So with little capital you too can become

a great agri entrepreneur. Besides, some

government projects and bank support can

build a little seed of your dream. Through the

One Home One Farm scheme, incentives and

financial assistance to new entrepreneurs to set

up farms are aimed at. Moreover, the

Employment Bank, PravasiKalyan Bank,

Pallisanchaya Bank and Bangladesh Krishi

Bank etc. provide loans on easy terms.

So the dream should not always be confined

in the depths of the mind, it should make itself

blossom through good care. And you have to

awaken the latent talent hidden within you.

Remember that no path in life is smooth.

Crossing the blood-stained road, climbing the

mountain of obstacles, showing thumbs to the

blood-colored eyes of some people in the society

and saying that it was my dream to become an

entrepreneur, all I want. That dream guides my

hope today.

The writer is a Agriculturist, Manager, Dhaka

Breeders & Hatchery Limited and Former

Student, Faculty of Animal Husbandry,

Bangladesh Agricultural University.

A new era of paramilitary supremacy in Iraq

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

BARIA ALAMUDDIN

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 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

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.

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.

At that moment, the Hashd, Hezbollah and

the Houthis should ensure that their bags are

packed and plane tickets purchased; because

once their Iranian masters have been

vanquished, nobody will be there to protect

them from public wrath for the damage they

have wreaked upon their respective homelands'

sovereignty, stability and identity.

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.

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.

The Iranian drone threat and how to counter it

as a way to deepen US engagement in the

region while increasing burden sharing. For a

number of reasons, it never got off the

ground. Perhaps the growing aerial threat

from the Iranian drone and missile strikes

will restore it to the agenda.

Second, more needs to be done to reduce

the Iranian drone threat to Ukraine. The US

and its allies should be providing more

advanced air defense systems to Ukraine,

such as the Patriot missile system. While

some progress has been made to bolster

Ukraine's air defenses, more can be done.

Also, Middle Eastern countries that have a lot

of experience dealing with Iranian drones,

such as Israel, should be working closely with

Kyiv to share intelligence and best practices

to defeat these drones.

Finally, the Biden administration and its

European allies should pull out of the talks

with Iran in Vienna over its nuclear program.

Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson

Institute. Twitter: @LukeDCoffey

TUESDAy, oCToBEr 25, 2022

5

viNAyAK PrASAD

The most common source of

plastic pollution in our

environment is not bottles,

plastic bags or food wrappers,

but cigarette butts. Smokers

stub out nearly 800,000

metric tonnes of cigarettes

every year, enough butts to

cover New York's Central

Park. They are in every

country on the planet, from

city streets to rubbish tips,

rivers and beaches.

Cigarettes contain singleuse

plastics because they are

engineered

and

manufactured that way. Butts

take a decade to degrade,

releasing more than 7,000

toxic chemicals into the

environment. Wildlife is also

at risk: researchers found

partly-digested cigarette

butts in 70% of seabirds and

30% of sea turtles sampled

for one study.

If cigarettes were treated

appropriately as single-use

plastics, they could

theoretically be banned.

It's not just cigarettes

leaving a plastic trail. In

South Asia, smokeless and

chewing forms of tobacco

such as gutka and khaini are

sold in plastic pouches,

millions of which litter the

environment.

Vaping, electronic tobacco

and nicotine products are

creating a new wave of

pollution, from the mining of

materials for batteries to

metal and plastic waste

leaching into soil and water.

In a report last year, the US

Environmental Protection

Agency highlighted how

lithium ion batteries are

entering municipal waste

systems as consumers

incorrectly dispose of

electronic tobacco and

nicotine products in the

household bin, because

they're branded "disposable".

The problem is global.

Despite pledges from tobacco

companies that they will

eventually stop selling

cigarettes, 6tn are produced

every year. And

manufacturing, sales and

waste from electronic tobacco

and nicotine products are

increasing globally as tobacco

giants seek to replace lost

revenue as smokers quit or

die.

The industry uses a range

of corporate social

responsibility initiatives to

paint itself green. Clean-ups,

anti-littering campaigns and

other gestures distract the

public. Partnerships with

environmental institutes and

ministries on reforestation

and forest preservation

projects mask how growing

tobacco crops lead to

deforestation and

desertification in countries

like Brazil and Tanzania.

Plastic pollution by tobacco companies

Smokers stub out nearly 800,000 metric tonnes of cigarettes every year. Photo: Emmanuel Dunand

In Mali and Senegal in west

Africa, the industry-led

Project Waterfall sought to

improve access to water. A

similar initiative in Burkina

Faso aims to provide

drinking water, even though

the country's laws prohibit

tobacco-sponsored

initiatives. The last time the

government evaluated

tobacco use among the

population was 2013, when

almost one quarter of all men

were smokers.

In the US, around a fifth of

adults smoke, while slightly

less than a fifth of adolescents

use e-cigarettes. The tobacco

industry has funded

conservation organisations

that include Keep America

Beautiful, the National Fish

and Wildlife Foundation and

the Center for Watershed

Protection.

In the Philippines, where

more than 40% of men

smoke, the tobacco industry

has partnered with

government agencies on

environmental projects,

including a river clean-up

and an anti-littering

campaign. If countries have

ratified the WHO framework

on tobacco control (a global

health treaty) - and most

have - this type of partnership

is in violation. The treaty

obliges government not to

interact with tobacco

companies other than when

strictly necessary. This, of

course, doesn't stop tobacco

companies from wooing

policymakers.

There are two main goals of

public relations activities for

tobacco companies. The first

is that, from a regulatory

perspective, they need to be

able to manufacture, sell and

profit from products that

damage the environment. If

electronic cigarettes were

regulated out of the hands of

children, it would not only

protect them from addiction,

but also protect the

environment.

The second is to portray

themselves as sustainable to

investors. British American

Tobacco has featured on Dow

Jones Sustainability Index

for 20 years now and Philip

Morris on the Climate

Disclosure Project's A List.

An industry that creates

nearly 800,000 metric

tonnes of toxic waste a year

from cigarette butts sits oddly

with environmental

sustainability. There's no

escaping the reality: tobacco

waste continues to

accumulate because these

addictive products are not

environmentally friendly but

are designed to hook new

customers and perpetuate

consumption.

This could change. A UN

plastics treaty is on the table,

offering a global mechanism

to tackle the lifecycle of

plastics. Many authorities

around the world - including

India, Rwanda and the US

state of California - have put

in place or are considering

policies to ban single-use

plastics. These policies

should include the plastic

waste coming from tobacco

and nicotine products,

including electronic

products.

Governments should also

require the tobacco industry

to clean up the waste that

results from its products and

pay for the environmental

damage. And they can

implement the WHO treaty,

which has provisions to help

governments protect

themselves from being the

targets of industry-sponsored

PR campaigns.

Governments, investors

and the global community

should refuse to accept the

tobacco industry's

greenwashing sleight of

hand. Despite sustainability

claims, its new portfolio of

products could end up

further polluting in terms of

energy consumption,

materials and waste.

MSF expresses sorrow for using

images of child rape survivor

DAviD BATTy

The international president

of Médecins Sans Frontières

has apologised for publishing

photographs of a teenage

rape survivor from the

Democratic Republic of the

Congo on its website,

following criticism that the

images were unethical and

racist.

Dr Christos Christou also

announced that the medical

charity had tightened its

guidelines on photographing

vulnerable minors, such as

survivors of sexual abuse,

requiring that they should

not be identified visually or

by name.

He said the new rules also

clarified that anyone aged

under 18 could not, on their

own, give informed consent

to be photographed. The

measures come in response

to concerns raised about the

orphaned 16-year-old girl

from DRC, who the aid

organisation said had given

consent to the publication of

photos that showed her face

and mentioned her real first

name.

In a statement published

on MSF's website, Christou

wrote: "We acknowledge that

the publication of these

images was a mistake, and

we are sorry. We must always

MSF's international president, Dr Christos Christou, said the medical

charity should have protected the 16-year-old girl shown in the photographs.

Photo: MSF

avoid exposing, exploiting or

endangering victims of

violence and abuse. And we

must ensure that our vital

work of bearing witness to

suffering and abuse does not

cause further harm.

"The revised [guidelines]

requires that we change the

name and obscure the visual

identity of minors who are

victims of abuse, exploitation

or who are suffering from a

highly stigmatised

condition."

He acknowledged that in

the case of the girl from DRC,

who had been gang-raped by

armed men two months

before the photoshoot, MSF

should have done more to

protect her.

"As an orphan, she had no

parent or guardian to

support her," Christou wrote.

"We recognise that we should

have taken additional steps

to protect this survivor's

identity, considering her

status as a minor."

He also said that MSF

would review its contacts

with photographers and

photo agencies to address

concerns raised in an open

letter signed by doctors,

photographers and human

rights activists that the

medical

charity

commissioned, published

and allowed the sale of

photographs that

endangered and exploited

vulnerable black people,

including children.

Christou's announcement

was welcomed by the

organiser of the letter, Ben

Chesterton, director of the

UK film production company

Duckrabbit.

John Bartlett

The Chilean state has

apologised to a woman who

was forcibly sterilised by

doctors because she was HIV

positive.

The woman, known only as

Francisca and then 20, was

diagnosed with HIV in March

2002 while pregnant with her

first child. But while she was

under anaesthesia during a

Caesarean section, doctors at

a public hospital performed a

surgical sterilisation on the

grounds that it would be

irresponsible for an HIVpositive

woman to have more

children. When Francisca

woke up after the operation,

she was informed by a nurse

that she had been sterilised

without her consent.

"This act of reparation

reaffirms the Chilean state's

commitment to attempting to

repair the damage caused by

the actions of its employees,"

said Antonia Urrejola, Chile's

Chile government apologizes

for forced sterilization

foreign affairs minister, who

presented the formal apology

alongside President Gabriel

Boric on Thursday afternoon.

"It also underlines this

administration's commitment

to making sure that women's

reproductive rights and sexual

and reproductive autonomy

are not affected in the way

they were in [Francisca's]

case."

In 2020, the UNAids

programme estimated that

there were 77,000 people

living with HIV in Chile.

According to the organisation,

women living with HIV are

more likely to be victims of

violence while undergoing

reproductive health

procedures.

Social and economic

inequalities also exacerbate

the risks for women.

Francisca lived in a poor rural

community and had never

had access to sexual or

reproductive education.

She had received no

guidance as to the risks,

advantages, and alternatives

of sterilisation, despite a legal

requirement for informed

written consent from the

patient.

In 2007, Francisca filed a

criminal complaint against

the doctor, who claimed to

have obtained verbal consent,

and her case was dismissed a

year later when a court ruled

President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, right, and the Minister of Foreign

Affairs, Antonia Urrejola, in Santiago, Chile. Photo: Alberto valdés

that it did not constitute a

crime.

Two years later, the case

was brought to the Inter-

American Commission on

Human Rights by the Center

for Reproductive Rights and

Vivo Positivo, two

organisations acting on

Francisca's behalf.

On 3 August 2021, the

Chilean state signed a

settlement accepting its

responsibility.The agreement

made Chile responsible for

compensating Francisca for

the damages caused,

providing a housing subsidy

and healthcare for both her

and her son, and committing

to raise awareness of HIV and

reproductive rights.

"I receive the apology

offered to me by the Chilean

state… [but] it must be clear

that I was not the only one,"

Francisca said at the time.

"I am happy to know that

my case can serve to end

stereotypes about people

living with HIV, and to

improve healthcare for other

women." Reproductive rights

have only recently liberalised

in Chile.

Until 2017, abortion was

criminalised in all

circumstances, even when it

was necessary to save the

woman's life. It is now legal in

three cases - when the

mother's life is at risk, in the

event of a nonviable

pregnancy, or if the pregnancy

resulted from a rape.

SArAh JohNSoN

Every day on the respiratory

ward at one of Kyrgyzstan's

biggest hospitals, Aidai

Temiraly Kyzy, a 24-year-old

nurse, puts on the music and

leads her patients in the Kara

Jorgo, the national dance of

the central Asian country.

This involves a range of

body movements and leaves

everyone smiling - but Kyzy is

not doing it for fun. The

session is part of a treatment

programme offered to people

with severe chronic

obstructive pulmonary

disease (COPD) - a common,

preventable and treatable

lung condition.

"Almost all patients, before

doing this, complain of

shortness of breath, a cough

and say they have no physical

aptitude," she says. "But, even

on the second or third day,

the improvement is

noticeable. Physically, they

can do more.

"I've seen patients with

really low mood transform

and, by the end, they smile

and are so grateful," says

Kyzy.

COPD develops from

midlife onwards; symptoms

include breathlessness, a

chronic cough, often with

phlegm, and tiredness. It is

usually caused by smoking,

but also by air pollution.

There is no cure, and if left

untreated it can lead to

premature death. If detected

early, it can be treated and

managed.

It is one of the top three

causes of death worldwide,

and 90% of deaths occur in

low- and middle-income

countries. Globally, there are

3 million deaths a year from

COPD but this number is

expected to rise to 5.4 million

by 2060, according to the

latest report from the Global

Initiative for Chronic

Obstructive Lung Disease.

"In Kyrgyzstan, COPD is a

very serious problem," says

Prof Talant Sooronbaev,

director of the National

Centre of Cardiology and

Internal Medicine, located in

Bishkek, the capital city.

Although official figures put

the prevalence at between

30,000 and 40,000 cases, he

cites research that suggests

up to 200,000 people, out of

Detection of chronic lung disease lies below radar

Nurse Aidai Temiraly Kyzy dances the Kara Jorgo with patients.

a population of about 6.5

million, have the disease.

"We have patients who

don't understand why they

have a cough, or problems

with breathlessness. They

Photo: Collected

don't visit health services and

remain undiagnosed," he

says.

The number of sufferers is

expected to rise. Sooronbaev

says the country has more

than 500,000 smokers, and

there is widespread indoor

pollution caused by people in

mountainous and remote

regions heating their homes

with wood, dung or coal

during long and harsh

winters.

Sooronbaev decided to act.

Treatment for COPD in many

countries involves prescribing

oxygen, inhalers and

antibiotics, which patients

have to buy. In Kyrgyzstan

this can cost more than a

monthly salary. Sooronbaev

and his team started

experimenting with

pulmonary rehabilitation, a

physical exercise programme

designed in 2016 for people

with lung conditions, as part

of an EU-funded research

project called Fresh Air.

Over the years, the

programme has evolved, and

incorporated patient

feedback. Now it is being

adopted by Kyrgyzstan's

health ministry, and is

already in place in three

hospitals and two GP

surgeries. It runs for six

weeks, with a couple of twohour

sessions a week. Added

to lectures, dietary

information and patient

support groups is a regime of

physical

exercise

incorporating elements of

volleyball - which is popular

in Kyrgyzstan - walking,

cycling on exercise bikes, and

dance. The idea is that

patients can continue with

what they are taught

afterwards at home.

Dr Azamat Akylbekov, a

pulmonologist in Bishkek,

has seen the transformative

effect. "I remember one

woman who was 63," he says.

"She cried because she had

severe shortness of breath,

coughed all the time, was

dependent on oxygen, and

took a lot of strong antibiotics

and inhalers. She was really

depressed." She was invited

to take part in the programme

and the results surprised him.

"Afterwards, she was like a

flower - she smiled and her

body language was more

active. That sticks in my

mind."

TUeSdAy, oCToBeR 25, 2022

6

Cremation diwali festival was held in Barishal amid tight security on Monday.

Photo: Zihad Rana

Cremation Diwali festival held in Barishal

ZIhAd RANA, BARIShAl BUReAU:

Subcontinent's biggest Cremation

Diwali festival was held in Barishal

amid tight security. On this occasion,

Hindu devotees lit candles and lamps to

pray for the peace of the souls of the

deceased relatives at the Barishal

Crematorium in Kauniya of the city on

Sunday evening. Like every year, people

have gathered at the crematorium to

pray for the peace of their souls.

Relatives believe that offering prayers

at the graves of the deceased will bring

peace to their souls. Along with this

time, many of the dead's favorite foods

are offered in the grave. So someone

lights candles and lamps in the graves of

relatives. Still others make offerings of

the deceased's favorite food to wish for

remembrance and peace of mind.

The graves of those whose relatives do

not live in the country have been

marked with different colors by the

committee. Besides, candles, incense

sticks and lamps are lit on the evening of

Diwali festival at the initiative of the

3 Titas staff attacked

in Gazipur

GAZIPUR: At least three

members of Titas Gas

Transmission and

Distribution Company

Limited were wounded as

some assailants attacked

them while they were

disconnecting the illegal gas

connection of a garment

factory in Gazipur's

Kaliakoir, reports UNB.

The injured officials are --

Atiur Chowdhury, assistant

engineer of Titas Chandra

region, deputy assistant

engineer Sabinur Rahman

and manager Mustafa

Mahabub.

Freedom Fighters

get smart ID card

in Manda

ShAZZAdUl TUhIN, MANdA

CoRReSPoNdeNT:

Digital certificates and smart

ID cards have been

distributed among the brave

freedom fighters of Manda

upazila of Naogaon.

On Monday in the hall of

Upazila Parishad under the

chairmanship of Upazila

Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md.

Abu Bakkar Siddique,

Chairman of Upazila

Parishad Emdadul Haque

Molla formally handed over

certificates and smart ID

cards to the brave children.

Women Vice Chairman of

Upazila Parishad Mahabuba

Siddika Ruma, Upazila

Social Service Officer

Shakeel Ahmed, Upazila

Public Health Assistant

Engineer Enayet Hossain,

former Commander Hero

Freedom Fighter Afshar Ali

Mondal, valiant Freedom

Fighter Khoda Box and their

children were also present.

On this day, certificates

and smart cards were

distributed among 152 brave

freedom fighters of the

upazila.

In addition, digital

freedom fighter certificates

have been distributed

among 113 heirs of the

deceased brave freedom

fighters.

cremation committee. However, apart

from traditional religious people, many

people come to crematorium to see the

Diwali celebrations. Meanwhile, like

every year, relatives have come from

India, Nepal and other parts of the

country to light lamps and candles at

their relatives' graves.

The leaders of the cremation

committee said that the

crematorium is located on 5 acres

and 59 Shatak land in the 200-yearold

city of Kaunia. Where there are

about 70 thousand graves and

tombs. Candles are lit at tombs

during this festival which has been

going on for almost two hundred

years. CC cameras have been

installed in the crematorium area to

ensure security in this crematorium

of 70,000 graves. Law and order

forces including Metropolitan Police

and RAB are working in undercover

to control law and order. One

hundred volunteers of the

cremation protection committee are

also performing their duties. Tamal

Malakar, general secretary of Barisal

Crematorium Preservation

Committee, said that apart from the

law and order forces, own volunteers

are also engaged in the overall security

of crematorium. However, due to

Covid, everything is being done

according to health rules. On the other

hand, Barishal Metropolitan Police

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad

Zakir Hossain Majumder said that all

measures have been taken to make

this religious event smooth. He said,

the entire crematorium area is

covered with security blanket.

Meanwhile, Barishal Metropolitan

Police Commissioner Saiful Islam and

departmental and district

administration officials inspected the

security activities during the festival.

Incidentally, poet Jibananda Das's

father Satyamananda Dasgupta,

grandfather Sarbananda Dasgupta,

anti-British leader revolutionist Deven

Ghosh, Manorama Basu Maasima and

many famous people are buried in this

crematorium.

four country land port Banglabandha has been declared closed for 2 days

on Monday and Tuesday due to Kali Puja.

Photo: Asraful Islam

Banglabandha land port

to stay closed for 2 days

ASRAfUl ISlAM, TeTUlIA CoRReSPoNdeNT:

On the occasion of Kali Puja, the Hindu

Bengali religious festival of India, four

country land port Banglabandha has been

declared closed for 2 days on Monday and

Tuesday. Import-export activities are closed

since Monday morning. However, transit of

passengers through the immigration check

post will be normal.

On Monday morning, Banglabandha

Import Exporter Group General Secretary

Kudrat E Khuda Milon said that on the

occasion of Kali Puja celebration, the Fulbari

Exporter and Importer Welfare Association

and Fulbari 2 Border Local Truck Honors

Welfare wrote a letter, according to the

coordination decision of the two countries,

the port's import-export activities will be

closed for two days. Import-export

operations of the port will be operational

from Wednesday morning.

Port officials said that despite the closure

of import and export, customs and port

activities will continue.

Banglabandha Immigration Officer-incharge

Nazrul Islam said that even if the land

port's import-export activities are closed for

two days during Kali Puja, the immigration

will continue to be normal.

digital certificates and smart Id cards have been distributed among the brave

freedom fighters of Manda upazila of Naogaon. Photo: Shazzadul Tuhin

Barguna ready to

face the cyclone

'Sitrang'

BARGUNA: Barguna

district administration has

completed all the

preparations to face the

impending severe cyclone

'Sitrang', reports BSS.

District Commissioner

(DC) Habibur Rahman said

that 642 cyclone shelter

centres are being prepared

in all coastal upazilas of the

district.

It has been drizzling in the

district since last night.

Meanwhile, the district

administration in an

emergency meeting this

afternoon has taken up brisk

preparations comprising all

public utility departments

and relevant agencies to

cope with any eventuality of

the cyclonic storm Sitrang.

People of the coastal

upazilas of the district are

expected to take shelter in

those cyclone centres.

Earlier, leaves of all

officials, employees, doctors

and nurses of the areas have

been cancelled and kept

ready to face any eventuality

of the Sitrang, Habibur

Rahman, deputy

commissioner, told BSS.

A total of 8,460 volunteers

with health workers have

been kept ready apart from

the district administration

monitoring the overall

situation round the clock,

DC said.

The six upazilas

administration are

campaigning in the areas to

inform people of the

precautionary measures to

deal with the severe cyclone.

The DC also said a total of

25 tonnes of rice, 1000

cartons of dry food, 700

packets of biscuits and 190

bundles of tins are ready.

SSC candidate becomes

symbolic SP in Kurigram

BAdShAh SAyKoT, KURIGRAM CoRReSPoNdeNT:

Kurigram's SSC candidate struggler Ila

Barshan performed symbolic duties as a

superintendent of police for one hour.

Kurigram Superintendent of Police Al Asad

Md. Mahfuzul Islam welcomed her with

flowers and seated her in his seat and

handed over the responsibility to the newly

appointed symbolic Superintendent of Police

through the girls takeover ceremony.

On Sunday officials of government and

private institutions, journalists of various

print and electronic media, civil society

leaders, teachers, parents and members of

district SCTF were present during the

handover of responsibility.

After taking charge, the newly appointed

Superintendent of Police Ila Barshan

presented the recommendations of the

police to take effective measures to prevent

child marriage and child abuse in Kurigram

district. The Superintendent of Police has

also assured that those recommendations

will be implemented as far as possible by the

police. Later NCTF president Kho. M.

Zakyul Islam Rudra presided over and Yes

Bangladesh Kurigram district branch

president KM Rezwanul Haque Nurnabir

moderated the program where Additional

Superintendent of Police Ruhul Amin,

Kurigram Police Station Officer-in-Charge

Khan Md Shahriar, editor of daily newspaper

Mahfuzar Rahman Khandkar, Guardian

Ismail Hossain Badal and others spoke.

An adolescent, girl child or young woman

is supported to take on a leadership role

through the unique 'Girls Takeover'

programme. It boosts her confidence and

makes her committed to fulfilling his

dreams. The Girls Takeover program was

launched from the belief that girls can

change their lives, the society around them

and the people in society if they get equal

opportunities and equal rights.

On the occasion of International Day of the

Girl Child 2022 and World Children's Week,

the event was organized by the nongovernmental

organization Yes Bangladesh in

collaboration with Plan International

Bangladesh, Aparajeya Bangladesh, Youth for

Change and District Police Administration.

Kurigram's SSC candidate struggler Ila Barshan performed symbolic

duties as a superintendent of police for one hour. Photo: Badshah Saykot

Sonagazi prepares for cyclone Sitrang

JABed MAMUN, SoNAGAZI CoRReSPoNdeNT:

Due to the impact of Cyclone Sitrang,

moderate and heavy rains with gusty

winds have continued in Sonagazi since

Sunday night. As a result of the strong

winds, there has been extensive

damage to Aman paddy and vegetables.

The Meteorological Department has

asked to show danger signal number 7

from Monday morning to evening.

All preparations have already been

taken by the upazila administration. 43

cyclone shelters have been prepared for

the shelter of people in 9 unions of the

upazila. Four unions have been

identified as high risk.

In addition, educational institutions,

public and private multi-storied

buildings will also be kept ready if

necessary. Apart from this, safe shelter

has also been arranged for domestic

animals.

Feni Deputy Commissioner has

ordered all government department

officials to stay at work by canceling

their leave. Feni Deputy

Commissioner Abu Salim Mahmud

ul Hasan held an exchange meeting

with members of the Upazila Disaster

Management Committee, public

representatives, journalists, officials

of various government departments

in the conference room of the Upazila

Parishad in the morning. In the

meeting, he allocated 10 tons of rice,

400 packets of dry food, 400 kg of

chira, 400 kg of puffed rice, 400

packets of biscuits, 200 kg of jaggery

and two lakhs in cash for the people

of the affected areas. After the

meeting, he visited Charkhondkar of

the riverside Sonagazi Sadar Union

and South East Charchandia village

of Char Chandia Union. Upazila

Health Department has formed 3

medical teams to provide post

cyclone emergency services.

Red Crescent, Police, Fire Service and

CPP members are miking the public in

coastal areas to go to safe shelters or

cyclone shelters.

Apart from this, the workers of local

voluntary organizations are also

campaigning about the severity of the

disaster and preparing to help the

victims after the disaster.

Sonagazi is prepared to tackle cyclone Sitrang with rationed food, shelters for

people and animals and medical teams.

Photo: Jabed Mamun

Char people expanding pumpkin

cultivation to change fortune

RANGPUR: After getting repeated

bumper output with lucrative prices in

recent years, many people are expanding

pumpkin cultivation on char land and

dried-up riverbeds to change fortunes in

Rangpur agriculture region this season,

reports BSS.

Officials of the Department of

Agricultural Extension (DAE) said char

people and farmers affected by recent

floods are farming pumpkins with other

winter crops adopting mixed-relay and

intercropping methods to reap more

profits. "Char residents, farmers and

riverside people are sowing seeds of

pumpkin and other Rabi crops on char

lands and dried-up riverbeds,"

Additional Director of the DAE for

Rangpur region Mohammad Shah Alam

said. The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural

Research Institution (BARI), RDRS

Bangladesh and other NGOs are

extending assistance to char people to

promote crop cultivation on sandy char

lands and dried-up riverbeds this time

like in the previous years. Responding to

the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina to bring every inch of land under

crop farming amid the global crises

caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and

Russia-Ukraine War, char dwellers are

bringing more char lands under crop

cultivation.

Tender plants of pumpkin are

growing superbly amid favorable

climatic conditions on char lands

predicting its bumper production this

season to bring more profits to char

people and make them self-reliant.

"Harvest of early varieties of pumpkin

will begin from late November next on

char lands and dried-up riverbeds where

sowing of seeds of winter crops,

including vegetables, still continues in all

five districts of the region," Alam added

According to officials of RDRS

Bangladesh, Solidarity, Plan Action

Bangladesh and other NGOs, many char

and riverside families have changed

fortunes through farming pumpkins

with other crops on dried-up riverbeds

and char lands in recent years.

Char people are cultivating pumpkins

on more char lands and silted-up beds of

the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dudhkumar,

Teesta, Dharla, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other

rivers to complete harvesting of the

crop by May next before the start of the

rainy season. Talking to BSS, Anwar

Hossain, Abdur Razzaque and Mahbub

Alam of Char Paschim

Mohipur village in Gangachara upazila

of Rangpur narrated their success stories

of winning poverty through farming

pumpkins with other crops in recent

years.

They are expanding cultivation of

pumpkin with other crops like onion,

garlic, banana, vegetables, green chili,

squash, potato, brinjal, sweet potato and

other Rabi crops on the sandy char lands

and dried-up riverbeds this season.

TUESdAy, OCTObER 25, 2022

7

The world faces the prospect of more tension with China over trade, security and human rights after Xi Jinping awarded himself

a third five-year term Sunday as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

Photo : Internet

World faces tension with China

under Xi Jinping's third term

BEIJING : The world faces the prospect

of more tension with China over trade,

security and human rights after Xi

Jinping awarded himself a third fiveyear

term Sunday as leader of the ruling

Communist Party.

Xi has tightened control at home and

is trying to use China's economic heft to

increase its influence abroad.

Washington accused Beijing this

month of trying to undermine U.S.

alliances, global security and economic

rules. Activists says Xi's government

wants to deflect criticism of abuses by

changing the U.N.'s definition of

human rights.

POLITICS: Xi calls for the "great

rejuvenation of the Chinese nation"

based on reviving the ruling party's role

as an economic, social and cultural

leader in a throwback to what he sees as

a golden age after the 1949 revolution.

ECONOMY: By 2035, the

Communist Party wants economic

output per person to match a

"medium-level developed country," Xi

said in a report to the congress. That

suggests doubling output from 2020

levels, according to Larry Hu and

Yuxiao Zhang of Macquarie.

Passenger ship

catches fire in central

Indonesia, rescue

operation underway

JAKARTA : A fire broke out

on a passenger ship in the

waters off East Nusa

Tenggara province in

central Indonesia on

Monday as the evacuation

of passengers and crew

members was underway,

head of the provincial

search and rescue office

said.

"Rescue operation is

underway. Our personnel

are attempting to rescue the

crew and the passengers of

the ship," Putu Sudayana

told Xinhua by phone.

The ship, named Shantika

Lestari, caught fire when it

was sailing in the waters off

Kupang city, the capital of

East Nusa Tenggara

province, according to

Richard Pelt, a senior

official of the provincial

disaster management and

mitigation agency.

The ship, which departed

from a seaport in Kupang

city, was heading to the Alor

district of the province, he

told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, however, the ruling party is

building up subsidy-devouring state

industry and tightening control over

entrepreneurs who generate wealth

and jobs.

TECHNOLOGY: Xi promised to

"build China's self-reliance and

strength in science and technology." He

gave no details, but earlier efforts to

reduce reliance on the West and Japan

by creating Chinese sources of

renewable energy, electric car,

computer and other technology have

prompted complaints Beijing violates

its free-trade commitments by

shielding its companies from

competition. American officials worry

Chinese competition might erode U.S.

industrial leadership.

SECURITY: Xi says "external and

internal security" are the "bedrock of

national rejuvenation." In a speech that

used the word security 26 times, he said

Beijing will "work faster" to modernize

the party's military wing, the People's

Liberation Army, and "enhance the

military's strategic capabilities."

FOREIGN RELATIONS: Beijing

increasingly uses its economic muscle

as the biggest trading partner for all of

its neighbors as leverage in politics and

security. China blocked imports of

Australian wine, meat and other goods

after its government called for an

investigation into the origins of

COVID-19. Beijing tried unsuccessfully

to persuade 10 Pacific island

governments to sign a security pact this

year, but is making inroads with some.

COVID: Xi gave no indication

China's severe "Zero COVID" strategy

might ease despite public frustration

with its costs. While other countries

are easing travel curbs, China is

sticking to a strategy that has kept

infection rates low but shut down

major cities.

CLIMATE: Xi promised a "proactive

and steady" approach to reducing

climate-changing carbon emissions,

but at the same time the ruling party is

increasing coal production to avert a

repeat of last year's power shortages

and blackouts. A Cabinet official said

annual coal output will rise to 4.6

billion tons in 2025. That would be

12% more than 2021. Xi said in a 2020

speech to the United Nations that

China's emissions should peak in 2030

but didn't say at what level.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday it's up to Ukraine to

decide the time and terms of peace with Russia, and he cautioned that the

end of war "can't be the consecration of the law of the strongest. Photo : AP

Macron: Ukraine to decide time,

terms of peace with Russia

ROME : French President

Emmanuel Macron said

Sunday it's up to Ukraine to

decide the time and terms of

peace with Russia, and he

cautioned that the end of

war "can't be the

consecration of the law of

the strongest."

Speaking at the opening of

a three-day peace

conference in Rome,

Macron said the

international community

will be there when the

Ukrainian government

chooses that time.

"To stay neutral would

mean accepting the world

order of the strongest, and I

don't agree with this,"

Macron said at the

conference organized by a

Catholic charity with close

ties to the Vatican.

There is concern that

support from Ukraine's

allies in Europe might be

eroded due to soaring

energy costs with the

approach of winter.

Pope Francis is scheduled

to conclude the Cry for Peace

conference, sponsored by

the Sant'Egidio Community,

with a speech Tuesday at the

Colosseum.

Throughout the war that

began with Russia's invasion

of Ukraine eight months

ago, the pope has warned

against an arms buildup. But

he has said Ukraine has the

right to defend itself.

While Italy's new premier,

far-right leader Giorgia

Meloni, is a staunch backer

of helping Ukraine defend

its sovereignty, her coalition

allies have pro-Russia

sympathies.

In the evening, Meloni and

Macron met privately in

Rome for talks.

The premier's office said

the two agreed to work

together "on the big,

common challenges on the

European level and in the

respect of reciprocal

national interests." The two

discussed the need to give

"rapid and common

responses" to the problems

of high energy costs, support

for Ukraine, the difficult

economic moment and

managing migrant flows, the

statement said.

Russian warplane

falls on building in

Siberia; 2 pilots die

MOSCOW : A Russian

warplane slammed into a

residential building in the

Siberian city of Irkutsk on

Sunday, killing both

crewmembers, authorities

said. It was the second time

in less than a week that a

combat jet crashed in a

residential area in Russia,

reports UNB.

The Irkutsk region's

governor, Igor Kobzev, said

the Su-30 fighter jet came

down on a private, two-story

building housing two

families. He said that there

were no casualties on the

ground as the building's five

residents were out at the

moment of the crash.

He said the residents

would be offered temporary

accommodation and

compensation.

The cause of the crash

wasn't immediately known

and an official probe has

started. On Oct. 17, an Su-34

bomber crashed near an

apartment building in the

Sea of Azov port of Yeysk

and exploded in a giant

fireball, killing 15 and

injuring another 19.

The crashes might reflect

the growing strain that the

fighting in Ukraine has put

on the Russian air force.

The United Aircraft

Corporation, a statecontrolled

conglomerate of

Russian aircraft-making

plants, said in a statement

that the plane in Sunday's

incident came down during

a training flight before its

delivery to the air force. The

jet carried no weapons

during the flight.

38 rebels killed

in past week in

Badakhshan

province: official

FAIZABAD : Security forces

have killed 38 rebels and

arrested 78 others in the

recent cleanup operations in

Afghanistan's northern

Badakhshan province,

provincial head of the

information and culture

department Qari Maazudin

Ahmadi said Monday.

"During cleanup

operations in Shiwa,

Arghanj Khwa and Ragh

districts over the past one

week, 38 armed rebels have

been killed and 78 others

arrested," Ahmadi told

reporters.

The official added that

three members of the

security forces were killed

and five others injured in the

operations.

In the meantime, the

state-run Bakhtar news

agency reported that two

commanders of the rebels,

namely Bahrudin and Abdul

Hamid, were among those

killed during the one-week

operations.

Lebanon lawmakers

fail to name president

for fourth time

BEIRUT : Lebanon's parliament failed

Monday for a fourth time to elect a

successor to President Michel Aoun, with

lawmakers divided over a candidate

opposed by the powerful Hezbollah

movement.

Already governed by a caretaker cabinet,

crisis-hit Lebanon is hurtling towards an

imminent power vacuum, with just days

before the current president's term

finishes at the end of the month.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri called

for another vote on Thursday in the hope

of overcoming long-running arguments.

A total of 50 lawmakers in Lebanon's

128-seat parliament left their votes blank,

many from the Iran-backed Hezbollah

and its allies.

Their rivals mostly backed lawmaker

Michel Moawad, whose father Rene

Moawad was a former president.

He has emerged as a frontrunner since

parliament first met to name a president

last month.

But Moawad, who won 39 votes on

Monday, was still was far short the 86

ballots needed-two-thirds of seats-to win.

University professor and activist Issam

Khalife took 10 votes, cast by independent

lawmakers who emerged from a mass

2019 anti-government protest movement,

as well as others.

But the required quorum was lost

before a second round could be held, after

some lawmakers walked out-a recurring

scenario in past votes.Moawad's

supporters accused Hezbollah and its

allies of obstructing a second round of

voting to negotiate with other blocs,

effectively preventing the election.

"No bloc in parliament can impose a

president, not Hezbollah nor anyone

else," said Elias Hankash, a lawmaker

from the Kataeb Party that supports

Moawad.

Hankash accused lawmakers who left

parliament of "systematic disruption",

because there were not enough

lawmakers to make a vote legitimate.

Under Lebanon's longstanding

confessional power-sharing system,

the presidency is reserved for a

Maronite Christian.

Aoun was elected in 2016 after a

more than two-year vacancy at the

presidential palace, as lawmakers

made 45 failed attempts to name a

candidate.

Since late 2019, Lebanon has been

crippled by an economic crisis, dubbed

by the World Bank as one of the worst

in recent history.

Economic meltdown has pushed

most Lebanese into poverty.

Talks with the International

Monetary Fund to unlock billions of

dollars in loans have stalled, as

Lebanese leaders have been unable to

enact substantial reforms demanded by

the lender and donor countries.

A Russian warplane slammed into a residential building in the Siberian

city of Irkutsk on Sunday, killing both crewmembers, authorities said. It

was the second time in less than a week that a combat jet crashed in a residential

area in Russia.

Photo : Internet

Aid slowly reaches Nigerian

flood victims

AHOADA : Along a highway

engulfed by dark waters,

Nigeria residents load dozens

of boats full of food to bring

assistance to the victims of

the country's worst floods in a

decade.

Waiting by the waterside,

past the many halfsubmerged

trucks, Bolaji

Phillips looks on next to his

vehicle, which is filled with

cassava flour, rice and

noodles.

"My wife and I consulted

and decided to withdraw our

savings, the little we have, to

do something for the people,"

the 40-year-old said.

Aid is slowly coming to

southern Nigeria after the

biggest floods since 2012

killed more than 600 people

and affected nearly three

million others, according to

official figures.

Many have fled their

homes, including to

overcrowded displacement

camps. The others,

completely cut off from the

world, remain in

communities swallowed by

the waters.

Efforts now focus on

passing the damaged and

partly impassable highway

linking Rivers and Bayelsa

states-among the two most

devastated regions.

Near the town of Ahoada,

volunteers and NGOs are

doing vital work until official

aid slowly reaches the most

destitute.

"The damage is enormous.

The government has not

done much so far. We are

totally alone," said Winner

Written, a 32-year-old

entrepreneur among those

helping out.

"We are just individuals

trying to help one another."

Over the weekend,

volunteers loaded precious

fuel in yellow jerrycans onto

the boats heading to flooded

villages.

Rivers State authorities

have allocated one billion

naira ($2.3 million) to help

victims, especially around

Ahouda, one of the worst hit.

The United States said it

has donated $1 million in

humanitarian aid.

Rescue officials said they

have started delivering

12,000 tonnes of food across

the country after the aid was

approved by President

Muhammadu Buhari.

But on the ground, few

have seen the results of these

efforts so far.

Supplying food is almost

impossible, hampered by

strong currents or waters that

are strewn with obstacles or

choked with vegetation, and

aid coordination is hindered

by lack of mobile coverage in

remote areas.

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited has opened 61st sub-branch at Sheker Bazar, Monohardi of Narsingdi on

Monday, 24 October. Director of the Bank Md. Anowar Hossain inaugurated the new sub-branch as the

Chief Guest. Prominent Businessman Enamul Hoque Khan Dolon was present as the special guest in the

occasion. Managing Director and CEO Farman R. Chowdhury presided over the ceremony. Among

others Monohordi Upazila Chairman Saiful Islam Khan, Former Director of the Bank Md. Ashik

Hossain, Senior Executive Vice President Engr. Md. Habib Ullah, Executive Vice President Manir

Ahmad were also present on the occasion. A large number of local people and well-wishers were

present in the inauguration ceremony.

Photo : Courtesy

The 246th meeting of the Board Audit Committee of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited held recently at

Corporate Head Office of the Bank by maintaining proper hygiene and social distance. The meeting

was presided over by Ekramul Hoque, the Chairman of Board Audit Committee of the Bank. On the

other hand, the Director of the Bank and Member of the Committee Abdul Halim participated in this

meeting through digital platform (with a Video Conference). Among others the Director and member

of Board Audit Committee Md. Moshiur Rahman Chamak,the Independent Directors & Member of

the Committee K.A.M. Majedur Rahman and Nasir Uddin Ahmed, the Managing Director & CEO

Mosleh Uddin Ahmed and the Company Secretary of the Bank Md. Abul Bashar were also present in

the meeting.

Photo : Courtesy

Philips to cut

4,000 jobs as

losses deepen

THE HAGUE : Dutch

medical

device

manufacturer Philips said

Monday it will cut 4,000

jobs as another massive

penalty for faulty sleep

respirators pushed it into

loss.

The 1.3-billion-euro

($1.28 billion) charge for

the defective machines

pushed the firm into a net

loss of the same amount,

the company said in a

statement.

China GDP

grows 3.9pc

year-on-year

in 3rd quarter:

official data

BEIJING : China's

economy grew 3.9 percent

year-on-year in the third

quarter, according to

official data released

Monday, beating

forecasts.

The data, published six

days later than scheduled,

showed higher growth

than the 2.5 percent

predicted by a panel of

experts surveyed by AFP.

Last Monday, China

delayed the release of the

third-quarter growth

figures-along with a host

of other economic

indicators-as the country's

leaders gathered to hand

President Xi Jinping a

historic third term.

Beijing's National

Bureau of Statistics

announced that the

release of the economic

data would be

"postponed" without

specifying a reason or

timeline for the figures to

be released.

China had been expected

to announce some of its

weakest quarterly growth

figures since 2020, with

its economy hobbled by

Covid-19 restrictions and

a real estate crisis.

Eurozone downturn deepens,

Germany heads for recession

BRUSSELS : Economic

activity in the eurozone

plummeted further in

October and Germany, the

EU's top economy, looks

headed for a recession, a

closely watched survey

showed Monday.

The S&P Global Flash

Eurozone purchasing

managers' index (PMI) fell

to 47.1 for October, down

from 48.1 a month earlier, as

soaring inflation and high

energy prices buffeted

Europe.

A reading below 50 signals

an economic contraction.

While the 19-nation

eurozone looked likely to

contract in the fourth

quarter, the picture was

worse in Germany, where

the PMI dropped to 44.1,

from 45.7 in September.

That was the lowest

reading since the first

business shutdowns in

Germany when the COVID-

19 pandemic hit.

The data adds "to the

growing signs of an

impending recession in the

eurozone's largest

UK doomed without Brexit

rethink, warns Tory backer

The UK is "doomed" and on a path to being

"the sick man of Europe" because of the way

Brexit was negotiated, according to a long-time

Tory backer.

Guy Hands, who runs private equity firm

Terra Firma and has been a Brexit critic,

warned the UK faces higher taxes, lower

benefits and a possible International Monetary

Fund bailout. His comments come after a

tumultuous period sparked by the minibudget,

reports BBC.

But Mr Hands suggested the problems facing

the UK go back much further.

"The reality is when they did Brexit, they had

a dream. And the dream was a low-tax, lowbenefit

economy," he told the BBC's Today

programme. Outgoing Prime Minister Liz

Truss had tried to push through those policies,

but it had not worked, he said. "Once you

accept that you can't actually do that, then the

Brexit that was done is completely hopeless,

and will only drive Britain into a disastrous

economic state," Mr Hands said.

"So I think [if] the Tory party can own up to

the mistake they made and how they

economy," S&P Global

Market Intelligence

economics associate director

Phil Smith said.

Both manufacturing and

services in Germany were

showing accelerated rates of

shrinkage, though that had

yet to feed through into jobsshedding,

the survey

showed.

German businesses were

"deeply pessimistic" about

the year-ahead outlook.

In France, the secondbiggest

economy in the EU,

the economy is stagnating,

with a PMI of 50 compared

with 51.2 in September.

Although France is

suffering less than other

countries in Europe from

rising inflation, rising prices

are still putting pressure on

consumers, leading to a

severe fall in factory orders.

Across the eurozone, the

PMI indicated that factory

output had dropped for the

fifth consecutive month, at a

rate unseen since the worst

of the pandemic.

Supply congestion and

shortages had eased a bit,

against a backdrop of

flagging demand. While

input demand had slumped,

rising energy bills and wage

pressure kept costs high.

A eurozone-wide recession

"is looking increasingly

inevitable," S&P Global

Market Intelligence chief

business economist Chris

Williamson said.

"The region's energy crisis

remains a major concern

and a drag on activity,

especially in energy

intensive sectors."

The PMI data came ahead

of a Thursday meeting of the

European Central Bank's

governing board that is

expected to deliver a big

interest rate cut in a bid to

cool inflation.

Inflation in the 19-nation

eurozone stood at nearly 10

percent in September, five

times the ECB's target of two

percent.

The German economy,

whose energy-hungry

industries relied heavily on

Russian gas before the war,

is now forecast to shrink by

0.4 percent in 2023.

negotiated Brexit and have somebody leading

who actually has the intellectual capability and

the authority to renegotiate Brexit, there is a

possibility of turning around the economy, but

without that the economy is frankly doomed."

He added that the Conservative Party was, in

his view, not fit to run the country.

"I think it's got to move on from fighting its

own internal wars and actually focus on what

needs to be done in economy and admitting

some of the mistakes they've made in the last

six years which have frankly put this country on

a path to be the sick man of Europe," he said.

Liz Truss's mini-budget, unveiled on 23

September, was blamed for causing turmoil on

the financial markets.

Sterling plunged to a record low against the

dollar and government borrowing costs rose

sharply in the aftermath of the statement,

which promised major tax cuts without saying

how they would be paid for.

The IMF also openly criticised the UK

government over its tax cutting plans, warning

that the measures were likely to fuel the costof-living

crisis.

BGMEA calls for

Italian investment in

Bangladesh's emerging

industrial sectors

DHAKA : The Bangladesh

Garment Manufacturers

and Exporters Association

(BGMEA) has called on Italy

to encourage its

businessmen to invest in the

emerging industrial sectors

of Bangladesh, including the

non-cotton textile sector.

BGMEA President

Faruque Hassan met with

the newly appointed Trade

Commissioner and Director

of Trade Promotion Office of

the Italian Embassy

Alessandro Liberatori in

Dhaka Saturday.

They discussed possible

avenues for strengthening

development cooperation

and boosting bilateral trade.

The BGMEA president

said Bangladesh and Italy

have huge potential to derive

mutual trade benefits that

are yet to be tapped.

Faruque and Alessandro

talked about how

Bangladesh could increase

its apparel export share in

the Italian market, especially

in the high-end product

segment.

BGMEA Director Asif

Ashraf was also present at

the meeting.

Colombians

protest

against tax

reform bill

BOGOTÁ : Thousands of

Colombians rallied

nationwide Saturday against

a proposed reform that

would raise taxes on the

upper classes to pay for

social programs.

The legislation is being

pushed by President

Gustavo Petro, the South

American country's first

elected leftist president.

"Today, we ask the

government to take into

account the productive

sector of the country, to

understand that tax reform

is not needed in the way they

are doing it," businessman

Alvaro Aparicio, 58, told

AFP in Bogota.

Wearing white and waving

the national flag, people also

took to the streets in Cali,

Barranquilla, Medellin and

other cities against the bill

pushed by Petro, who took

office in August.

Congress is debating the

reform, which would raise

taxes on the upper classes to

finance programs to fight

poverty and inequality.

Meanwhile, Colombia like

other countries around the

world is enduring high

inflation, as well as an

historic devaluation of the

peso against the dollar.

Unemployment stands at

10.6 percent.

Petro campaigned on a

platform of raising taxes on

the rich, stopping oil

exploration and distributing

fertile land among landless

farmers.

Former right-wing

president Ivan Duque

(2018-2022) faced massive

protests in 2019, 2020 and

2021.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2022

Pound gains as Rishi

Sunak leads race to

become PM

The pound has gained on

the dollar as Boris Johnson

dropped out of the Tory

leadership race, leaving

Rishi Sunak as the favourite

to become prime minister.

On Monday morning,

sterling was trading at

around $1.13, reports BBC.

Meanwhile, government

borrowing costs dropped as

the markets opened after the

weekend.

Former chancellor Mr

Sunak is now the only

candidate backed by more

than 100 Tory MPs, the level

required to take part in the

ballot of party members.

Johnson, who claimed he

had the support of 102 MPs

although only 57 MPs did so

publicly, dropped out after

saying he would be unable to

unite his party.

Commons leader Penny

Mordaunt remains in the

race but is some way off

securing 100 backers. The

deadline is 14:00 BST on

Monday.

Last month, sterling

plunged to a record low

against the dollar and

government borrowing costs

rose sharply in the aftermath

of outgoing Prime Minister

Liz Truss's mini-budget.

Investors were spooked

after then-Chancellor Kwasi

Kwarteng promised major

tax cuts without saying how

they would be paid for -

something Mr Sunak

warned about during this

summer's Tory leadership

contest.

Last week, new Chancellor

Jeremy Hunt withdrew

almost all of Ms Truss's tax

cuts in a bid to stabilise the

financial markets but they

have remained jittery.

On Friday, the pound fell

as low as $1.11 and

government borrowing costs

rose amid continued political

uncertainty and fresh

warnings about the UK

economy.

On Monday, government

borrowing costs fell back

following Mr Johnson's

decision.

The interest rate - or yield -

on bonds due to be repaid in

30 years' time dropped to

3.9%, making government

borrowing cheaper. They

had hit 5.17% on 28

September after the minibudget

and a subsequent

pledge by Mr Kwarteng to

announce more tax cuts.

Mr Hunt - who is backing

Mr Sunak - is scheduled to

set out the government's

economic plan for taxes and

spending on 31 October.

He has warned the

government is facing

"decisions of eye-watering

difficulty".

But on Monday, financier

and long-term Tory

supporter Guy Hands said

the Conservative Party was

not fit to run the country and

risked having to ask the

International Monetary

Fund (IMF) for a bailout.

"I think it's got to move on

from fighting its own

internal wars and actually

focus on what needs to be

done in economy, and

admitting some of the

mistakes they've made in the

last six years which have

frankly put this country on a

path to be the sick man of

Europe," said Mr Hands.

He warned that the UK

was headed for higher taxes,

reduced public services and

higher interest rates which

would "eventually" lead to a

bailout from the IMF "like

we were in the 70s".

8

Ishaq Dar refuses

tax waiver on IT

exports

ISLAMABAD: The government

has dismissed an IT

industry's demand for

waiving a 'negligible' tax on

its services to support the

sector's faltering exports but

agreed to provide maximum

facilitation, including

exemption from audit by the

tax authorities. Presiding

over a meeting of the IT

sector on Sunday, Finance

Minister Ishaq Dar observed

that the effective tax rate on

the sector was about 0.25

per cent, which was

"peanuts". He said people

should develop the habit of

paying taxes on their

incomes instead of seeking

exemptions. A tax of Rs2.5

on exports of Rs1,000 is

"nothing", Mr Dar said. He,

however, promised that IT

professionals exporting their

services would not be sent

tax notices by the Federal

Board of Revenue (FBR) and

their tax returns would not

be subjected to audit to

minimise their revenue cost.

Moreover, he also directed

the FBR to set up a unit

where dedicated officers act

as a one-window facility and

handle refund and tax credit

cases of the IT sector to

reduce hassle.

Finance Minister Dar is

the chairman of the Prime

Minister's Task Force on

Informa tion Technology

and Telecom. The meeting

of the task force was also

attended by IT Min i ster

Syed Aminul Haque, Special

Assistant to Prime Minister

(SAPM) on Youth Affairs

Shaza Fatima Khawaja,

SAPM on Finance Tariq

Bajwa, State Bank Governor

Jameel Ahmed, Finance

Secretary Hamid Yaqoob

Shaikh, IT Secretary Mohsin

Mushtaq, and chairpersons

of the FBR and the Pakistan

Telecommunication Authority.

Dhaka Central, East & Chattogram North Zone along with Corporate

Branches of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized quarterly Business

Development Conference on October 23, 2022 on virtual platform.

Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director & CEO of the Bank

addressed the conference as chief guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Md. Omar

Faruk Khan & J Q M Habibullah, FCS, Additional Managing Directors, Md.

Altaf Hossain, Md. Nayer Azam, Md. Siddiqur Rahman, Mohammad Jamal

Uddin Mazumder, Engr. A F M Kamaluddin & Mohammed Shabbir, Deputy

Managing Directors, Mohammod Ullah, Mahmudur Rahman, Mizanur

Rahman, Md. Maksudur Rahman, G.M. Mohd. Gias Uddin Quader, A.S.M.

Rezaul Karim, Md. Rafiqul Islam & Miftah Uddin, Senior Executive Vice

Presidents, Md. Mahbub-a-Alam, Md. Aminur Rahman, Mohammed Kutub

Uddin, A.T.M. Shahidul Haque, Bashir Ahamed, Md. Gakir Hossain,

Ahmed Zubayerul Huq, Mohammad Nurul Hossain & Abdul Naser,

Executive Vice Presidents, Md. Abu Sufian, Khaled Mahmud Raihan &

Mohammad Ehsanul Islam, Senior Vice Presidents attended the program.

Branch incumbent, Investment in-charge and sub-branch in-charge of the

branches under the Zones attended the conference. Photo : Courtesy

Prime Bank's AML & CFT Division organized a day-long training and awareness program on "AML &

CFT Compliance" at a local conference hall in Dhaka City recently. The program was inaugurated by

Md. Arifuzzaman, the Director of BFIU as the Chief guest. The program was chaired by Md. Ziaur

Rahman, DMD & CAMLCO of Prime Bank. Md. Iqbal Hossain, SEVP & Deputy CAMLCO of Prime

Bank delivered welcome speech in the program. A total number of 117 officials including BAMLCOs

of 19 branches of Dhaka region-2 of Prime Bank participated in the program. Md. Masud Rana,

Additional Director of BFIUand officials of AML & CFT Division of Prime Bank conducted the daylong

sessions as Resource Persons. The program consisted of 04 (four) sessions covered various

important topics related to combating money laundering and financing of terrorism. An evaluation

test for the participants was held at the end of the training program.

Photo : Courtesy

Southampton's Stuart Armstrong celebrates after scoring the equalizing goal against Arsenal at St.

Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern england.

photo: Ap

Arsenal held as Armstrong rescues

draw for Southampton

SportS DeSk

Arsenal dropped points for only the

second time this season as Stuart

Armstrong's equalizer forced the Premier

League leaders to settle for a 1-1 draw

against Southampton on Sunday, reports

UNB.

Mikel Arteta's side went in front

through Granit Xhaka's first-half strike at

St. Mary's.

But Armstrong levelled after the

interval as Arsenal paid the price for

failing to convert several chances to

increase their advantage.

It was a rare slip from the Gunners,

who had won nine of their 10 previous

league games this season, with their only

defeat coming at Manchester United.

The end of Arsenal's eight-game

winning run in all competitions leaves

them two points clear of second-placed

Manchester City with both having played

11 games.

While Arteta will be frustrated that

Arsenal squandered the lead given to

them by Swiss midfielder Xhaka, it is a

tribute to his team's unexpected rise this

Australia 'hard

to stop' despite

opening defeat:

Marsh

SportS DeSk

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh

said on Monday that

defending champions

Australia were confident of

bouncing back from their

opening defeat at the T20

World Cup declaring: "Our

best is the best in the world",

reports BSS.

The hosts suffered a

crushing loss by 89 runs to

New Zealand in the

tournament opener on

Saturday and face Sri Lanka,

who won their first match of

the Super 12, in Perth on

Tuesday.

Marsh said Australia would

keep faith with the same

eleven to turn their fortunes

around.

"I think that we've got a lot

of confidence in our group

that once we get on a roll we're

going to be very hard to stop,"

Marsh told reporters.

"Obviously we didn't start

well the other night, but we've

got great self-belief.

"We know our best is the

best in the world. So

hopefully, we can turn it

around against Sri Lanka.

"(It's) the nature of the

tournament. You lose one

game, your back is up against

the wall. Hopefully we play

well, get past that. Then we

move on to England."

The Perth-born Marsh said

conditions on his home

ground would give Australia

an edge over Sri Lanka, who

are largely dependent on their

spin attack.

"We know these conditions

very well. And the stadium

should suit us more than

them," said Marsh.

Marsh backed the team's

quick bowlers Josh

Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc

and Pat Cummins, who were

expensive against New

Zealand, to come good at

Perth.

season that failing to take maximum

points ranks as a disappointment.

Arsenal have already proved they are a

force to be reckoned with as they chase a

first title since 2004 and they started in

vibrant mood on the south coast.

Bukayo Saka's cross was inches away

from Gabriel Magalhaes before Gabriel

Martinelli caused havoc in the

Southampton defense with a direct run

that ended with Xhaka's powerful drive

repelled by Gavin Bazunu.

Xhaka turned provider moments later

when he teed up Martin Odegaard for a

low strike that whistled wide from the

edge of the area.

Arsenal were in complete control and

Xhaka delivered the goal their pressure

merited in the 11th minute.

It was a smooth move as Saka's

backheel sent Ben White away down the

right flank and his cross reached Xhaka,

who crashed a blistering strike into the

roof of the net from 12 yards.

Arsenal had never lost when Xhaka

scored, a sequence stretching to 17

games.

Gabriel Jesus was inches away from

doubling Arsenal's lead when he shot into

the side-netting from Odegaard's pass.

Bazunu left Jesus frustrated again just

before half-time as the Brazilian reached

Odegaard's lofted pass for a volley that

the Saints keeper blocked at point-blank

range.

Mohamed Elyounoussi's last-ditch

tackle stopped Jesus in his tracks after the

Arsenal striker sprinted clear on goal.

But, for all their territorial dominance,

Arteta's team couldn't land the knockout

blow an they were hit with a sucker punch

in the 65th minute.

Elyounoussi slipped a clever reverse

pass through the heart of the Arsenal

defense and Armstrong timed his run

perfectly to slot a composed finish past

Aaron Ramsdale.

With Southampton suddenly in the

ascendancy, Joe Aribo tested Ramsdale

with a low shot and Romain Perraud

swivelled to drill wide.

Odegaard thought he had won it in the

79th minute when the Dane smashed

home from Kieran Tierney's cross but the

goal was disallowed because the ball had

run out of play.

'No chance' Halep purposely

took drugs, says former coach

Cahill

SportS DeSk

Darren Cahill, a renowned

coach who helped Simona

Halep to Grand Slam glory,

said Monday there was "no

chance, none, zero," that the

former world number one

purposely took drugs,

reports BSS.

The Romanian was

provisionally suspended at

the weekend for taking the

banned substance

roxadustat after she

provided a sample at the US

Open.

Halep insisted she would

"fight until the end" to prove

her innocence with the

result "the biggest shock of

my life".

The 2018 French Open

and 2019 Wimbledon

champion is the highestprofile

player to fail a drugs

test since Maria Sharapova

in 2016.

Australian Cahill, who

guided Halep to world

number one in 2017 and her

Roland Garros crown in a

six-year alliance, leapt to her

defence in a lengthy

Instagram post.

"Firstly, and most

importantly, there is NO

chance Simona knowingly

or purposely took any

substance on the banned

list. None. Zero," he wrote.

"She is an athlete that

stressed about anything

prescribed to her by a

medical professional (which

was rarely), or about any

supplement that she used or

considered.

"Simona wore out the

words 'please double check

this, triple check this to

make sure it's legal, safe and

permitted. If you are not

sure, I'm not taking it'."

He said they both strongly

believed in the International

Tennis Integrity Agency

(ITIA) testing programme

Simona Halep with her former coach Darren Cahill.

and would often discuss the

number of times she was

tested.

"She did it without

complaint, with the

reassurance of knowing

other athletes were being

tested just as frequently.

"Competing against clean

athletes was important to

her. It's important to

everyone and while the

system is not perfect, it

works."

He added that her

integrity was "faultless",

ending: "I stand with Simo."

The ITIA, which oversees

tennis' anti-doping

programme, said it had

informed her on October 7

of her provisional

suspension.

It said Halep had

exercised her right to have

her 'B' sample analysed,

which confirmed the

presence of roxadustat.

photo: Ap

Lydia Ko wins

her first LPGA

title in South

Korea

SportS DeSk

New Zealand's Lydia Ko fired

a 65 on Sunday to capture her

18th LPGA Tour title at the

BMW Ladies Championship -

and her first in South Korea,

the country of her birth,

reports UNB.

The 25-year-old's sevenunder

par final round gave her

a four-shot victory over

American Andrea Lee at Oak

Valley Country Club.

Ko carded eight birdies with

just one bogey to capture the

$300,000 winner's check

after finishing on 21-under

267.

"I feel so proud to be born in

Korea," Ko, whose family

moved to New Zealand when

she was four, told reporters.

"I think because of that, I

really wanted to win here,"

she said.

"This week my relatives are

here, my direct family is here.

And I wanted to win it for

them as well."

World No. 5 Ko became the

fifth LPGA player this season

to have multiple victories, and

it was the first time she had

achieved the feat since 2016.

"This week, more than ever,

I said I really, really want to

win in Korea, and I think

maybe that was a good

mindset or I was hypnotising

myself to try to get it done,"

Ko said.

"Every time I come back to

Korea, even though I play

under the New Zealand flag,

so many people support me

and I think that is such a

boost," she added.

"It's such an unreal setting

and we don't play in many

atmospheres like that."

Ko started the final round

one shot behind the 54-hole

leader, Thailand's Atthaya

Thitikul, at 14-under. But

Atthaya, ranked second in the

world, stumbled to a round of

74 to finish sixth, missing out

on her chance to overtake

South Korean Ko Jin-young

and become the new world

No. 1.

The Thai would have

jumped to the top of the world

rankings with at least a

fourth-placed finish.

South Korea's Ko Jinyoung,

who was the defending

champion, withdrew before

the third round after shooting

80 and 79 on Thursday and

Friday.

It was her first tournament

after two months out with a

wrist injury.

'Champions

Trophy Football

Tournament'

held at REB

SportS DeSk

Bangladesh Rural

Electrification Board

(BREB) organized 'REB

Champions Trophy Football

Tournament-2022'. In order

to participate in the said

tournament, 04 (four)

football teams formed as

'Oddamo REB', 'Shotobhag

REB', 'Agrogam REB' and

'Alokita REB' participated.

In the first round, '

Shotobhag REB' won by 2-1

and in the penalty shoot-out,

' Oddamo REB' won by 3-0.

In the final between the two

winners of the knock-out

stage, the 'Shotobag REB'

team won by a margin of 1-0.

The top scorer of the

tournament was Rashed of

the 'Shotobhag REB' team

and the goalkeeper Shahjalal

of the ' Oddamo REB' team

was selected as the best

player. At the end of the

match, Mr. Mohang Salim

Uddin, Honorable

Chairman of REB handed

over the champions trophy

to the winning team.

Besides, medals were

handed over to the team

managers, coaches and

players of the 4 participating

teams.

tueSDAY, oCtoBer 25, 2022

9

Qatar mistreated LGBT

people ahead of World Cup

SportS DeSk

Security forces in Qatar arbitrarily arrested and abused

LGBT Qataris as recently as last month, Human Rights

Watch (HRW) said today, in the run-up to hosting

football's World Cup which has put a spotlight on human

rights issues in the Gulf Arab state, reports UNB.

Homosexuality is illegal in the conservative Muslim

country, and some football stars have raised concerns over

the rights of fans travelling for the event, especially

LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say

Qatari laws discriminate against.

A Qatari official said in a statement that HRW's

allegations "contain information that is categorically and

unequivocally false", without specifying.

Organisers of the World Cup, which starts on Nov 20

and is the first held in a Middle Eastern nation, say that

everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or

background, is welcome, while also warning against

public displays of affection.

"Freedom of expression and nondiscrimination based

on sexual orientation and gender identity should be

guaranteed, permanently, for all residents of Qatar, not

just spectators going to Qatar for the World Cup," HRW

said in a statement.

The organisation said it had interviewed six LGBT

Qataris, including four transgender women, one bisexual

woman and one gay man, who reported being detained

between 2019 and 2022 and subjected to verbal and

physical abuse, including kicking and punching.

They were detained without charge in an underground

prison in Doha, HRW said, and one individual was held

for two months in solitary confinement.

"All six said that police forced them to sign pledges

indicating that they would 'cease immoral activity'," it

said, adding that transgender women detainees were

mandated to attend conversion therapy sessions at a

government-sponsored clinic.

Qatar does not "license or operate 'conversion centres'",

the Qatari official said.

One of the transgender Qatari women interviewed by

HRW told Reuters on condition of anonymity that she was

arrested several times, most recently this summer when

she was held for several weeks.

Authorities had stopped her due to her appearance or

for possessing make-up, the woman said, adding that she

had been beaten to the point of bleeding and had her head

shaved.

The behaviour centre she was mandated to attend told

the woman she had a gender identity disorder and

accused her of being transgender in search of "sympathy

from others".

"The last thing I want is sympathy, I just want to be

myself," she said.

New Zealand's Lydia ko fired a 65 on Sunday to capture her 18th LpGA

tour title at the BMW Ladies Championship and her first in South

korea, the country of her birth. photo: Ap

Former coach defends

Simona Halep over

failed drugs test

SportS DeSk

Simona Halep's former coach Darren Cahill said that there is

"no chance" the two-time Grand Slam champion had

knowingly taken a prohibited substance after she was

provisionally suspended for failing a drugs test, reports UNB.

Halep, ranked ninth in the world, was tested during the US

Open and both her A and B samples confirmed the presence

of roxadustat, the International Tennis Integrity Agency

(Itia) said on Friday.

Cahill, who worked with Halep for six years and guided her

to her first Grand Slam title - the 2018 French Open - said the

Romanian's integrity was "faultless".

"Firstly, and most importantly, there is no chance Simona

knowingly or purposely took any substance on the banned

list. None. Zero," Cahill wrote in a post on Instagram.

"She is an athlete that stressed about anything prescribed

to her by a medical professional (which was rarely), or about

any supplement that she used or considered…

"We both believe in the Itia testing programme and would

often discuss the number of times she was tested, both at

tournaments and randomly. She did it without complaint,

with the reassurance of knowing other athletes were being

tested just as frequently."

Former world number one Halep, who also won

Wimbledon in 2019, described the ban as the "biggest shock

of her life" and denied knowingly taking any banned

substance.

"Due process will now follow to reveal answers to many

questions. As Simona said, the hardest match of her life starts

now," Cahill added.

"I believe in her. I always have and can honestly say never

more than right now on this particular issue."

Halep's suspension means that she cannot compete in or

attend any sanctioned events organised by the governing

bodies of tennis.

McIlroy regains

No 1 world

ranking with

CJ Cup win

SportS DeSk

Rory McIlroy of Northern

Ireland shot a final round 67

at The CJ Cup in South

Carolina to defend his title at

the tournament and return

to No 1 in the Official World

Golf Ranking today in

Ridgeland, South Carolina,

reports UNB.

McIlroy officially will be

back to No 1 today for the

first time since July 18,

2020.

He surpassed Scottie

Scheffler, whom he also

defeated at the Tour

Championship in

September to win the FedEx

Cup title.

"I've worked so hard over

the last 12 months to get

myself back to this place,"

McIlroy said.

"I feel like I'm enjoying the

game as much as I ever have.

I absolutely love the game of

golf and I think that when I

go out there and I play with

that joy, it's definitely

showed over these last 12

months."

McIlroy broke away late

with birdies at holes 12, 14,

15 and 16 at Congaree Golf

Club, highlighted by a 13-

foot birdie putt at the 14th

and a 22-footer at the 16th.

He bogeyed his final two

holes but still finished at 17-

under 267 and beat Kurt

Kitayama by one stroke.

"There was sort of four of

us in it the whole day and I

think the birdie on 14 was

the real turning point for

me," McIlroy said.

"It's a really tough par 3.

To make 2 there felt like I

picked up at least a shot and

a half on the field."

McIlroy also won the CJ

Cup in 2021 when it was

held at The Summit Club in

Las Vegas.

Spurs need more

signings to compete,

says Conte

SportS DeSk

Tottenham Hotspur

manager Antonio Conte said

his squad lacks the depth to

challenge for both the

Premier League and

Champions League titles,

and that they need a couple

more transfer windows to be

able to compete on two

fronts, reports UNB.

Spurs were without

injured forwards

Richarlison and Dejan

Kulusevski for today's 2-1

defeat by Newcastle United,

while Cristian Romero and

Pierre-Emerick Hojbjerg

were left out of the squad

due to fatigue.

They host Sporting in the

Champions League on

Wednesday before taking on

Bournemouth in the

Premier League on

Saturday.

"My only worry in this

moment is that we have to

try to keep the fingers

crossed that we don't have

injuries because we are not a

team with a squad depth to

face competition like

Premier League and

Champions League," Conte

told reporters.

"But this is not something

against the club, we knew

this situation.

TUEsdAY, OcTOBER 25 2022

10

Sacha Baron Cohen is reportedly in

talks to play Mephisto in the Marvel

Cinematic Universe beginning with

the upcoming Ironheart Disney+

series.

Sasha Baron Cohen is reportedly in

talks to star as the villainous Mephisto

in the MCU, starting on Ironheart.

Since Phase 4 began, the MCU has

continued to expand with more films

as well as TV shows helping flesh out

the beloved franchise. While they are

in the midst of The Multiverse Saga,

one character that many have

continued to speculate about making

his MCU debut is the super-villain

Mephisto. As Phase 4 is getting close to

its end, with Black Panther: Wakanda

Forever as the last film before Phase 5,

more films and shows are coming in

2023 and beyond, which leaves the

door open for Mephisto's potential

arrival.

Theories primarily began on

WandaVision where some believed

that the MCU was getting ready to

introduce the Marvel demon. While

WandaVision never saw that come to

fruition, it hasn't stopped theories

about Mephisto eventually making his

way into the interconnected universe.

So far, Marvel Studios president Kevin

Moushumi

Hamid to star in

‘Noya Manush’

TBT REPORT

Former Lux Superstar contestant Moushumi Hamid has been simultaneously

active on the television and films. The actress recently signed a new film,

"Noya Manush", which is to be directed Rana Boyati.

The story revolves around the people living in the char areas of

Bangladesh. Moushumi played Sujala in this film, where she will be seen

opposite renowned actor Rawnak Hasan. Noted playwright Masum Reza

wrote the screenplay of the project.

"The audience will be able to discover me in a new avatar, and I am

hopeful for this film," the actress said. The director shared that people

who live in 'char' area often struggle with their lives. The plot revolves

around the game of breaking and building of lives of these people.

The film also casts Ashish Khandokar, Badruddouza, Shoron Saha,

Parvin Paru, and child artiste Ushashi. Hundreds of people native to

the char will also be seen on screen.

Sacha in talks to play MCU's Mephisto

Feige hasn't made any clear indication

that the MCU will introduce Mephisto,

leaving many to think that he is

planning to bring in the character in

some form of fashion.

However, it appears Mephisto might

finally be on his way to the MCU as

Deadline reports that Sasha Baron

Cohen is reportedly in talks to portray

the character for Ironheart. Rumors

first emerged last week that the actor

was set to portray the iconic villain on

the upcoming Disney+ series,

Ironheart, which recently wrapped

filming. At the time of writing, Marvel

Studios and Cohen's representatives

have refused to comment if he is

playing Mephisto or even starring in

Ironheart, which premieres in late

2023 as part of Phase 5.

While Ironheart may seem an

unexpected choice to introduce

Mephisto, there is a crucial character

that could serve as a major factor in

why the Disney+ series will feature the

vicious demon. One of Ironheart's

main players is Parker Robbins, a.k.a.

The Hood, who will be portrayed by

Anthony Ramos and star as at least

one of the villains in the series. In the

comics, The Hood ends up getting his

powers from Dormammu, but ever

since the rumored casting of Cohen

being tapped as Mephisto emerged, a

running theory has suggested that the

demon will be the one to grant

Robbins his abilities. While it would be

a departure from the source material,

it would make sense, given how

audiences have continued to expect

Mephisto to be a crucial villain in the

MCU.

While Ironheart may seem an

unexpected choice to introduce

Mephisto, there is a crucial character

that could serve as a major factor in

why the Disney+ series will feature the

vicious demon. One of Ironheart's

main players is Parker Robbins, a.k.a.

The Hood, who will be portrayed by

Anthony Ramos and star as at least

one of the villains in the series. In the

comics, The Hood ends up getting his

powers from Dormammu, but ever

since the rumored casting of Cohen

being tapped as Mephisto emerged, a

running theory has suggested that the

demon will be the one to grant

Robbins his abilities. While it would be

a departure from the source material,

it would make sense, given how

audiences have continued to expect

Mephisto to be a crucial villain in the

MCU.

Source: Collider

‘Din: The Day’ row: Ananta sends legal notice to Morteza

Dhallywood actor-businessman

Ananta Jalil has sent a legal notice to

his film "Din: The Day" director -

Iranian filmmaker Morteza

Atashzamzam - following a suave

exchange of verbal blows between

them surrounding the real budget of

the movie, reports UNB.

The notice from Ahammad Jonaed

and Partners, on behalf of Ananta, was

sent to Morteza on September 4, the

actor-producer wrote on social media

Saturday night.

Earlier, Morteza had threatened to

sue Ananta for inflating the budget of

the movie saying it was worth Tk100

crore.

In August, the Iranian filmmaker

accused Ananta of breaching the

conditions of the movie's agreement

through a post on his Instagram.

Later, through another Instagram

post, he revealed that the budget of

Din: The Day was $500,000, which

amounts to about Tk4 crore. However,

Ananta brushed it aside. Recently, Din:

The Day was released in Malaysia in

September and Ananta announced

that the film would be released in

Singapore in January next year.

After that, Morteza took to

Instagram on Saturday writing: "Mr

Ananta, you have released the film in

Malaysia after Bangladesh without my

Masud Tutul’s ‘Nosto

Chele’ receives huge

response

TBT REPORT

Vocalist Masud Tutul's song 'Nosto Chele' has received a lot

of response on social media after its release. The song was

recently released on the Star T Music YouTube channel.

The song was penned by SD Sajal and music was

composed by Akash Mahmood, a popular composer of the

time. The music video is directed by Ashique Mahmood.

The video of the song shows how a boy turns into a spoiled

brat due to neglect of love. The music video stars Parag

Biswas, Aliza Zaman Tara, Sajjad Shezu and GMC Sohan.

In this context, Masud Tutul said, the song is my favorite

permission as the producer and

director of the film. And now you have

announced plans to release it in

Singapore."

"Fortunately, soon your fraud will be

exposed in the court of Iran, and then I

will collect my dues from you through

the honourable court of Bangladesh."

The director also shared photos from

the official signing ceremony between

Ananta and him and wrote: "During

your second visit to Tehran, the

agreement for the film between you

and me was written and signed in front

of the national flags of the two

countries. According to Iranian policy,

the agreement was written in the

mother languages of both parties

(Bangla and Persian)."

In response, Ananta wrote on his

Facebook: "Backed by miscreants and

anti-national groups in Bangladesh,

Iranian director Morteza

Atashzamzam of Din: The Day recently

presented incorrect and fabricated

information regarding the making of

our film, which was published in some

of our media."

"For these reasons and also for

defaming me, I sent a notice to him on

September 4. He has not yet

responded to me personally."

"Morteza will have to answer to the

International Court of Justice for these

lies, and the Bangladeshi miscreants

involved in it will not be spared."

song, this is my first work with dear Akash Mahmud, all in

all I am optimistic about the song. Hope the song will go far.

Since its release, the song has been getting a good response

from the audience. Seeking everyone's love and blessings.

When asked, Akash Mahmud said, the song is great

overall. Masud Tutul has sung the song beautifully. The song

has a social message.

Kantara should be India’s next

Oscar submission: Kangana

Kangana Ranaut has once again praised Kantara and said

that the film should represent India at the Oscars next

year. She had watched the film on Thursday.

Kangana Ranaut has said Kannada film Kantara

should be India's entry at the Oscars next year. She said

India needs the right representation and Kantara is

once such film which the world must watch.

Kantara is directed by Rishab Shetty who also

stars in the film as a Kambala champion who

comes to loggerheads with an upright

DRFO officer played by Murali

(Kishore). Taking to Instagram

Stories on Friday, Kangana wrote,

"I feel #Kantara should be India's

entry to Oscar next year, I know

year is yet to end and there may be

better films coming, but more than Oscar

India needs the right representation globally... this

land of mysteries and Mystics one can't understand

one can only embrace it .... India is like a miracle... if

you try and make sense of it you will only get

frustrated but if you surrender to the miracle you

can also be one .... Kantara is an experiential reality

which world must experience .. @rishabshetty77."

Kangana had watched the film on Thursday

and had shared her review in a selfie video

recorded on her way home. She said in the

video, "I have just come out watching Kantara

with my family, and I am still shaking. What an

explosive experience. Rishab Shetty, hats off to

you. Writing, directing, acting, action brilliant,

unbelievable!" She further added, "What a fine

blend of tradition, folklore, indigenous issues.

Such beautiful photography, action.

This is what is cinema, what films are for.

I heard so many people in the theatre say

that they had never seen anything like

this. Thank you for this film. I don't think

I will recover from this experience for

another week."

Kantara also stars Achyuth Kumar,

Pramod Shetty and Sapthami Gowda.

Kantara released in theatres on

September 30 but after the

phenomenal response, it was also

released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil

and Malayalam two weeks later.

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.

tUeSDAy, OctOBeR 25, 2022

11

Armed forces to

evacuate people

from remote areas

DHAKA : State Minister for

Disaster Management and

Relief Enamur Rahman has

said that the Army, the Navy

and the Coast Guard

members will evacuate

people from hard-to-reach

areas as cyclone Sitrang is

heading towards

Bangladesh.

The state minister said

this during a press briefing

at the ministry's conference

room at the Secretariat on

Monday.

"We've requested the

representatives of the

armed forces and the Coast

Guard to assist us in

relocating people from

danger zones to the safe

cyclone shelters and they've

agreed. The volunteers of

the Fire Service and the Red

Crescent are also working

alongside volunteers of

Cyclone Preparedness

Program (CPP) to ensure

safety to the affected

people," Enamur said.

Replying to a question, he

said that Sitrang is a severe

cyclonic storm and it is

unlikely to turn into a very

severe or super cyclone like

Sidr in 2007.

"We've prepared a total of

7,030 cylcone shelters in 15

coastal districts where

around 25 lakh people can

be accommodated. In each

of these districts, we've

allocated Tk 5 lakh and

supplied daily essentials like

rice and lentil so that people

can eat cooked food.

Besides, dry foods like

biscuits have also been

made available so that

people may not suffer from

hunger," Enamur said.

Asked when Sitrang will

hit Bangladesh, the state

minister said that the

impact will be between

6:00am to 7:00am on

Tuesday morning.

"The Met office has

hoisted danger signal 7 in

various coastal districts

including Bagerhat, which

may go up to signal 10. We'll

ensure the safety of people

and their cattle, but we can't

assure that the agricultural

and fisheries resources will

remain unaffected,"

Enamur added.

GD-1718/22 (3x3)

BTRC asks operators to keep

telecommunication uninterrupted

in coastal areas

DHAKA : Bangladesh Telecommunication

Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on

Monday asked mobile operators and

internet service providers to ensure proper

service in coastal regions as Cyclone Sitrang

approaches.

A BTRC notice in this regard said as the

cyclone located in the north Bay is rapidly

moving toward the coastal region, power

supply is being hugely disrupted.

The notice was sent to all mobile phone

operators, tower-company operators,

Nationwide Telecommunication

Transmission Network operators (NTTN),

Internet Service Provider Association of

Bangladesh (ISPAB), and International

Internet Gateway Association, Bangladesh

(IIGAB).

Cyclone Sitrang is likely to disrupt

people's lives causing huge sufferings and

telecommunication will become their only

means of communication during the

disaster, it said.

In this situation, BTRC asked the

telecommunication operators and internet

service providers to arrange portable

generators and take other emergency

measures to provide uninterrupted and

quality service in cyclone hit regions.

Cyclone Sitrang is likely to intensify

further, move in a north, north-easterly

direction and cross Barishal-Chattogram

coast near Khepupara by midnight or early

Tuesday, the latest Met office bulletin said.

Meanwhile Association of Mobile

Telecom Operators of Bangladesh

(AMTOB), in a statement, said that due to

the powerful cyclone Sitrang, they have

experienced power outages in several areas

in the southern part of the country.

"Mobile operators are doing their utmost

to keep the network up and running by

using batteries and generators wherever

possible. Considering telecom service as an

emergency public service, we urge the

Power Division and other concerned

authorities to ensure uninterrupted

power," it said.

DMP arrests 56 for

consuming, selling

drugs in city

DHAKA : As part of the anti-drug drive in the

capital, members of the Dhaka Metropolitan

Police (DMP) has arrested a total of 56 people

on charges of selling and consuming drugs

during last 24 hours till 6am, Monday.

According to a release issued by the DMP,

police conducted the operations against the

drug sellers and consumers in different areas

under various police stations of the capital.

They also detained a total of 56 drug traffickers

and recovered huge drugs from their

possessions from 6am of October 23 to 6 am,

on Monday.During the anti-drug drives, police

seized 7.250 kilograms of cannabis (ganja),

5,174 pieces of yaba tablets, 63 grams of heroin,

04 bottles local made liquor.

District Detective (DB) Police arrested two drug dealers from Saltha in

Faridpur. On Monday a team of DB Police raided the divisional area of

Atghar Union of Saltha Upazila and arrested them. At this time, 1007 peices

yaba tablets were recovered from the drug dealer. Photo: Md. Shofiqul Islam

1150

Nine dead and 47

wounded in attack on

south Somalia hotel

MOGADISHU : Nine people

were killed and 47 wounded

Sunday in an attack on a

hotel in Kismayo, southern

Somalia, claimed by the Al-

Shabaab Islamist group, the

region's security minister

said.

The port city is the latest to

be hit following a recent

resurgence of attacks by the

Al-Qaeda-linked group,

which has mainly targeted

the capital Mogadishu and

central Somalia.

Sunday's assault began at

12:45 pm (0945 GMT) when

a booby-trapped car

rammed the entrance of

Hotel Tawakal. It ended

around 7:00 pm after the

attackers were killed by

security forces.

Among the casualties were

students leaving a nearby

school, Jubaland security

minister Yusuf Hussein

Osman told reporters. All

four attackers, including the

suicide bomber, were killed,

he added, reports BSS.

"The first one detonated

himself and the (remaining)

three were killed by the

security forces", he said,

confirming an early police

statement.

"This is not a government

target," police officer

Abdullahi Ismail said. "It is

just an ordinary, civilianfrequented

hotel."

Farhan Hassan was

outside the hotel when the

attack happened. "A suicide

bomber drove a vehicle into

the entrance of the hotel

before the gunmen entered

the building," he said.

Al-Shabaab claimed

responsibility for the sixhour

attack, saying members

of the federal government of

Jubaland, where Kismayo is

located, were meeting in the

hotel at the time.

HSBC, DHL ink deal

to support local

Bangladeshi students

DHAKA : HSBC and DHL

recently signed a

Memorandum

of

Understanding (MoU),

offering various benefits for

students who wish to study

abroad.

Tanmi Haque, Country

Head of Wealth and Personal

Banking, HSBC Bangladesh

and ASM Shakil, Senior

Director, Commercial, DHL

Worldwide Express (BD) Ltd

signed the MoU on behalf of

their respective organisations,

said a press release received.

Under the direction of Nilphamari Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman,

Dimla police station has conducted a traffic awareness campaign to prevent road accidents simultaneously

like other police stations of the district.

Photo: Mohinul Islam Sujon

GD-1717/22 (7x4)

GD-1720/22 (8x4)

evsjv‡`k moK cwienY K‡c©v‡ikb

cwienY feb, 2 ivRDK GwfwbD

XvKv-1000|

`icÎ weÁwß

Tuesday, Dhaka : October 25, 2022; Kartik 9, 1429 BS; Rabi-ul-Awal 28 , 1444 hijri

Due to the impact of Cyclone Sitrang, the capital city witnessed heavy rain from early morning on Monday.

The residents of the city suffered due to waterlogging in different areas of the city. Photo : Star Mail

Flood protection

embankment is at

risk in Bagerhat

BAGERHAT : Local authorities in

Bagerhat district on Monday said that

vulnerable people would be evacuated

to cyclone shelters to save lives as cyclone

Sitrang was approaching towards

Bangladeshi coast with a forecast

to hit the country by early Tuesday.

The government has kept a total of

344 cyclone shelters ready in nine upazilas

of the coastal district, which can

accommodate around two lakh people

along with their cattle.

Mohammad Azizur Rahman,

Deputy Commissioner (DC) of

Bagerhat, said that they were working

to ensure that the impact of the cyclone

could have minimum damage.

"We've taken allout preparations to

face Sitrang by keeping dry food, medical

teams and rescue teams ready," he

said.

In the district's Sharonkhola,

Mongla, Rampal and Morelganj upazilas,

the local administration has been

asking people to go to the nearest cyclone

shelters through loudspeakers.

Heavy rains have been reported in

the district.

Mongla Meteorological Department

has recorded 29mm rain from 6:00am

to 9:00am on Monday morning.

Rising water has started to inundate

the low-lying areas, while high tide was

impacting the Sundarbans.

The Mongla Seaport is also bearing

the brunt. All kinds of loading and unloading

of goods at the port have been

suspended, while vessels have been

asked to stay close to the shore.

A 30km-long embankment that protects

Bagerhat from high tide is currently

at risk too.

According to Bagerhat Water

Development Board (WDB), at least

100km of areas could go under water if

Sitrang damages the embankment.

"The wind is blowing at a speed of

62kph within 54km of the cyclone centre,

which has the possibility of reaching

88kph. We've asked the Mongla

Port authorities to hoist cautionary signal

no 7," said Amaresh Chandra

Dhali, Officer (acting) of Mongla Met

Office.

AL men will stay beside

people in facing

Sitrang:Quader

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said

the leaders and workers of the ruling AL

and its associated bodies will remain

beside the coastal people in addressing the

Cyclone Sitrang.

"AL President and Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina has instructed the leaders

and activists of Awami League and its affiliated

organisations to stand by the people

alongside the government aiming to deal

with the Cyclone Sitrang," he said in a

statement.

As per the instructions of Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina, all administrative

preparations have already been taken

from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to

address the situation emerged from the

Cyclone Sitrang, he said.

He added that a round-the-clock monitoring

cell has been opened to this end.

Quader said following the directives of

the premier, round-the-clock communication

is being maintained with 19 neighbouring

districts.

Coastal people are being evacuated to

safe shelter centres to deal with the disaster,

while the administration and volunteers

have been kept ready to address all

possible situations, he said.

The AL general secretary said AL

President Sheikh Hasina has instructed

the leaders and activists of the party and its

affiliated organisations to provide all-out

support to the administration in sending

coastal people to shelter centres within the

shortest possible time and ensuring their

presence at the centres.

At the same time, she stressed the need

for continuing all-out efforts on an urgent

basis to ensure safe shelter, food aid and

medical care for the affected people during

the adverse weather, he said.

Quader said several teams remain prepared

under the leadership of the AL subcommittee

on relief and social welfare to

help the cyclone victims. Under the leadership

of this team, the necessary assistance

will be reached out to the affected people

through the AL men, he said.

Quader asked the party leaders and

workers and general people of the coastal

region, if necessary, to contact the AL

monitoring team to this end.

AL President's Office's Monitoring Cell

phone numbers are: 02-223367880, 02-

223367882, 01773266666, 01915555830

and 01711582475.

The intelligence Branch (DB) of the DMP arrested 10 members

of a fraud ring that stole Tk 11 crore by offering magnetic pillars,

coins and gold bars.

Photo : Star Mail

Govt suggests cutting 80pc ripe

paddy to minimise cyclone brunt

DHAKA : The Agriculture Ministry has

suggested cutting Aman rice, which is 80

percent ripe, to minimise the possible

brunt of the approaching cyclonic storm

Sitrang. The direction was given along

with a set of directives in a preparatory

meeting of the ministry at its conference

room with Agriculture Secretary Md

Sayedul Islam in the chair.

Leave of all officers and employees of

offices and organisations under the ministry

has been canceled and they have

been asked to stay in office constantly to

face the urgent situation.

Control rooms should be opened at

agriculture department offices at district

and upazila levels to keep communication

round the clock.

Farmers should be given necessary

suggestions to take pre-cautionary measures

and face the post-cyclone situation.

Deputy assistant agriculture officers

and agriculture officers will have to stay

at the field level to observe the situation

and provide suggestions to agriculture.

They will have to submit report urgently

to the ministry after examining the

post-cyclone damages. Post-cyclone

rehabilitation plan should be kept readied

as farmers can be provided with assistance

within the quickest possible time.

Measures should be taken immediately

if water enters agricultural fields in the

coastal areas.

Agriculture officers should make constant

coordination with district and

upazila administration. Sluice gates

should be operated to prevent entrance

of saline water in cornfields.

Measures should be taken quickly if

saline water enters due to higher tidal

surge. The Agriculture Department will

keep communication with the Water

Development Board regularly to this end.

Agriculture Department Additional

Secretary Rabindrasri Barua and other

concerned officials were present at the

meeting.

Heavy rains disrupt

life in Dhaka,

commuters suffer

DHAKA : Torrential rains triggered by

Cyclone 'Sitrang' threw normal life out of

gear and caused sufferings to city dwellers

on Monday.

Bangladesh Metrological Department

recorded 28 mm rains in 9 hours till 12

pm. People, especially office and school

goers, struggled to reach their destinations

amid the rain due to lack of public transport

in the morning.

However, there was no report of traffic

congestion and water logging till filing of

this report at 1:30 pm.

Auto-rickshaw drivers and rickshawpullers

are charging extra fares from passengers.

The number of private vehicles

on the roads was also low.

Md Ashraf, operations manager of Alif

Paribahan, told UNB that the number of

passengers is relatively low.

Joint Commissioner Traffic (North)

Abu Raihan Mohammad Saleh traffic situation

is almost normal in the city.

The day labourers and other lowincome

people were seen passing idle time

due to lack of work. Many preferred to stay

indoors due to torrential rain that started

on Sunday night.

Cyclone Sitrang

Electricity supply

snapped in

Patuakhali

PATUAKHALI : Power supply in

Patuakhali district has been snapped since

yesterday noon as many electric poles

were uprooted during a storm due to the

impact of cyclonic storm Sitrang.

Mohammad Mainuddin Razzaque,

executive engineer of West Zone Power

Distribution Company Limited, said a

bout of moderate to heavy rains lashed the

district in the morning, uprooting many

electric poles. Besides, electric wires in

several areas have been snapped, disrupting

power supply.

According to the local weather observatory

centre, the Met Office has recorded

89.5 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, till 9 am,

Monday. Payra port has been asked to

hoist local cautionary signal no 7.

The local administration has taken all

preparations to tackle the storm and 703

cyclone centers were opened.

All educational institutions and high rise

buildings have been kept ready to shelter

people. The local administration has allocated

300 metric tons of rice and Tk 2.27

lakh cash.

Local health department has formed 72

medical teams to provide medical services

to the people. The movement of all kinds

of water vessels during Cyclone Sitrang

remain suspended in the district.

ZihAD RAnA, BARiShAl BuReAu

South Asian subcontinent's biggest crematorium

Diwali festival was held in Barisal

amid tight security. On this occasion,

Hindu devotees lit candles and lamps to

pray for the peace of the souls of the

deceased relatives at the Barisal

Crematorium in Kauniya of the city on the

evening of October 23. Like every year,

people have gathered at the crematorium

to pray for the peace of their souls.

Relatives believe that offering prayers at

the graves of the deceased will bring peace to

their souls. Along with this time, many of the

deceased's favorite foods are offered as well.

So someone lights candles and lamps in the

graves of relatives. Still others make offerings

of the deceased's favorite food to wish

for remembrance and peace of mind.

The graves of those dead have been marked

with different colors by the committee.

Besides, candles, incense sticks and

lamps are lit on the evening of Diwali festival

at the initiative of the cremation committee.

However, apart from traditional

religious people, many people come to crematorium

to see the Diwali celebrations.

Meanwhile, like every year, relatives have

come from India, Nepal and other parts of

the country to light lamps and candles at

their relatives' graves.

The leaders of the cremation committee

said that the crematorium is located on 5

acres of 59 decimals of land in the 200-

year-old city of Kaunia. There are about 70

thousand raw and seasoned tombs.

Candles are lit at tombs during this festival

which has been going on for almost two

hundred years. CC cameras have been

BD-Switzerland bilateral

trade exceeds $1 billion

DHAKA :Dr. Mohammad Afroz Jalil,

Country Manager of Roche Bangladesh Ltd.

has been elected President of the Switzerland

Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and

Industry (SBCCI) for 2022-2024.

Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh,

Nathalie Chuard, conveyed best wishes to

SBCCI and shared her experience on

Bangladesh and potential business opportunities.

"This year has been significant for both

Switzerland and Bangladesh. We are celebrating

the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations

and our bilateral trade surpassed the $1

billion mark for the first-time last year,"

Ambassador Chuard was quoted by the

SBCCI as saying.

Terming SBCCI as a member of "

Switzerland" in Bangladesh, she also said

that together much more can be done to

strengthen the bilateral economic ties and

address questions related to business climate.

Saad Omar Fahim, Director of Clarichem

Limited, has been elected Secretary General

while Tarun Patwary, Country Manager of

Kuehne + Nagel, was elected as treasurer of

the bilateral chamber of commerce.

Vice President from the investor group is

Abdur Rashid (Country Manager of SGS

Bangladesh Ltd.), and Vice President from

the agent group is Vidiya Amrit Khan

(Director of Tutelar Oil Services Co. Pvt.

Shahab Uddin calls for protecting

dolphins, aquatic ecosystem

DHAKA : Environment, Forest and

Climate Change Minister Md Shahab

Uddin on Monday urged all concerned to

come forward to protect the dolphins of

the country.

"The government has prepared the

Dolphin Action Plan and declared nine

dolphin sanctuaries to conserve the country's

dolphins," he said while speaking at a

discussion organised at the Department of

Forest here marking the International

Freshwater Dolphin Day-2022.

The theme of the day of this year is

"Protect the dolphins, protect the aquatic

ecosystem".

Speaking as chief guest, Shahab Uddin

said seven dolphin conservation teams

have been formed in the Sundarbans area,

while appropriate training has been

imparted to the concerned forest personnel.

Dolphin conservation programme is

going on under SUFAL project, he said,

adding that dolphins should be protected

to keep the river and aquatic biodiversity

installed in the crematorium Deepali area

to ensure security in this crematorium of

70,000 graves. Law and order forces

including Metropolitan Police and RAB

are working in plain clothes to control law

and order. One hundred volunteers of the

cremation protection committee are also

performing their duties.

Tamal Malakar, general secretary of

Barisal Mahashamshan Raksha Committee,

said that apart from the law and order

forces, volunteers are also engaged in the

overall security of Shashman. However, due

to Covid-19 pandemic, everything is being

done according to health rules. On the other

hand, Barisal Metropolitan Police Deputy

Ltd.).

The rest of the EC members are Abdul

Matin Chowdhury (MD of New Asia Ltd.),

Debabrata Roy Chowdhury (Director -

Legal, RSA, Corporate Affairs and Company

Secretary at Nestle Bangladesh Limited),

Julian A. Weber (CEO, Secure Link Services

BD Ltd), Iqbal Chowdhury (CFO -

LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Ltd.), Hedayet

Ullah (Managing Director, Syngenta

Bangladesh Limited), Saiful Islam

(Chairman and M.D - Daffodil Trading Ltd),

Mohammad Abul Hasnat (CEO - Hasnat

Enterprise and Swiss Elegance), and

Sontosh Chandra Nath (MD and CEO-

Alpha Vision Limited).

The new Executive Committee (EC) was

announced at the 11th Annual General

Meeting (AGM) of the SBCCI held recently at

a city hotel.

At the event, Dr. Jalil shed light on the

present global economic situation.

"As we are in a post-pandemic period and

Russia-Ukraine war is on, we need to

demonstrate our indomitable character," he

said, expressing his commitment to maintain

the chamber's vigorous efforts to speed

up bilateral trade between Bangladesh and

Switzerland.

SBCCI's advisor Naquib Khan lauded the

organization's initiatives and recalled the

50th anniversary of Bangladesh and

Switzerland's diplomatic relations.

of the country healthy.

The environment minister said the

Wildlife (Conservation and Safety) Act

2012 has a provision of imprisonment of

up to three years or a fine of up to Taka

three lakhs or both for killing whales or

dolphins.

"This law is being implemented. A

Marine Protected Area has been declared

covering an area of 1,738 square kilometers

of Swatch of No Ground area in the

Bay of Bengal for the conservation of dolphins.

"In order to involve the people in dolphin

conservation, various school-colleges

and community-based dolphin awareness

activities are being conducted and dolphin

fairs are being arranged," he said adding

that the government is working sincerely

to save the aquatic species.

Shahab Uddin said the number of dolphins

in the Sundarbans has increased significantly

as a result of the government's

activities.

Barishal crematorium hosts largest Diwali

festival in the Indian sub-continent

South Asian subcontinent's biggest crematorium Diwali festival

in Barisal.

Photo : TBT

Commissioner Mohammad Zakir Hossain

Majumder said that all measures have been

taken to make this religious event go

smoothly. He said the entire crematorium

area is covered with a security blanket.

Meanwhile, Barisal Metropolitan

Police Commissioner Saiful Islam and

departmental and district administration

officials inspected the security activities

during the festival. Incidentally, poet

Jibananda Das's father Satyamananda

Dasgupta, grandfather Sarbananda

Dasgupta, anti-British leader revolutionist

Deven Ghosh, Manorama Basu

Maasima and many famous people are

buried in this crematorium.

25-10-2022

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?