03-11-2022

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ART & CULTURE

>Page 7 >Page 9 >Page 10

Indian pacer

Arshdeep

Singh

celebrates

after

picking up a

wicket against

Bangladesh in

a T20 World

Cup 2022

match.

Photo : UNB

ThRusDAy, NOveMBeR 3, 2022

2

Multi-sectoral annual nutrition action meeting of Nilphamari District was held on

November 02, 2022, Wednesday at the DC`s Conference Room, Nilphamari, organized

by the District Nutrition Coordination Committee in collaboration with the

Joint Action for Nutrition Outcome (JANO) Project.

Photo: TBT

Bangabandhu always thought about

Bangalees’ self-respect: AG

DHAKA : Attorney General AM Amin Uddin

yesterday said Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman always

thought about the self-respect of the Bangalee

nation and that is why he formulated

Bangladesh's constitution within 11 months of

independence.

"Bangabandhu formed a committee right

after independence for formulating the

constitution. The constitution was adopted on

November 4, 1972. Formulating the

constitution so fast for a country which came

into being through a war, is rare in the history.

It was a unique achievement of Bangabandhu,"

he said. The attorney general said this while

addressing a discussion on 'Jail killing, rule of

law and constitution' at the National Press Club

here this noon. Organized by Bangladesh

Awami Swechchha Sebok League, the

discussion was presided over by its Legal

Affairs Secretary Dr Ohidur Rahman Tipu and

2 more held over

Thakurgaon Matsyajibi

League leader murder

THAKURGAON: Detectives arrested two more accused from

Dinajpur's Phulbari upazila on Monday night in a case filed over

the killing of a Matsyajibi League leader in Thakurgaon, reports

UNB.

The arrestees are--Manik Ali, 28 and Kubbat Hossain, 25, of

Haldibari Bazar area of Bhanor Union of Thakurgaon's

Baliadangi Upazila.

They were sent to jail on Tuesday, said sub-inspector Sultan

Ali, investigating officer of the case.

With these, police have arrested 8 people so far in this

connection, he added.

Police made the arrest after conducting a drive in the area,

said the officer.

On September 3, a clash broke out between UP Chairman

Rafiqul Islam and Jubo League leader Sayed Alam at Haldibari

Bazar of Bhanor Union of Baliadangi Upazila over derogatory

remarks on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Sayed Alam's

brother Shakil Ahmed died during the clash.

Later, a murder case was filed at Baliadangi police station

following a complaint lodged by victim's brother Sayed Alam

accusing 20 people including UP Chairman Rafiqul Islam.

conducted by deputy-legal affairs secretary Adv

Jishan Mahmud. "The background for

formulating the constitution began through the

1952 language movement. After the killing of

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with

most of his family members on August 15, 1975,

and four national leaders on November 3, 1975,

the constitution of 1972 went through a lot of

changes," Attorney General AM Amin Uddin

further said. He also said the defeated forces of

1971 were involved in the plot behind the killing

of Bangabandhu in 1975, adding, "That

conspiracy is still going on. So, all the people

who believe in the spirit of Liberation War,

should resist the plotters jointly."

Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul

Karim addressed the function as chief guest,

while Bangladesh Awami Swechchha Sebok

League acting president Gazi Mesbaul Hossain

Sacchu and general secretary AKM Afzalur

Rahman Babu were special guests.

Multi-sectoral district annual nutrition action

plan 2022-2023 workshop held in Nilphamari

NILPHAMARI CORReSPONDeNT

The multi-sectoral annual

nutrition action meeting of

Nilphamari District was held

on November 02, 2022,

Wednesday at the DC`s

Conference Room,

Nilphamari, organized by the

District

Nutrition

Coordination Committee in

collaboration with the Joint

Action for Nutrition Outcome

(JANO) Project, a press

release said.

The meeting was presided

over by Khandakar Yasir

Arefin, Deputy Commissioner

and the President of District

Nutrition Coordination

Committee, Nilphamari.

Along with Member

Secretary, District Nutrition

Coordinating Committee Dr.

Md. Zahangir Kabir, Civil

Surgeon, Nilphamari and the

Member Secretary of District

Nutrition Coordination

Committee, Nilphamari,

JANO project officials

including Golam Rabbani,

Manager-Multi-Sectoral

Governance of JANO project

were also present in the

meeting. The multi-sectoral

annual district nutrition

action plan 2022-2023 of

Nilphamari district was

presented at the meeting

where the 2022-2023 annual

nutrition action plan of 6

Upazilas, 8 ministries, 10

GD -1769/22 (5x4)

departments, 59 Unions, 5

development partner

organizations of Nilphamari

were mentioned. In the

workshop, the departmental

head and representative of

district level presented the

nutrition related action plan

of their respective

departments. The total

allocation for the action plan

is 783750581 (Seventy eight

crores thirty seven lakh fifty

thousand five hundred eighty

one taka). Dr. Md. Zahangir

Kabir, Civil Surgeon,

Nilphamari and Member

Secretary, District Nutrition

Coordinating Committee,

Nilphamari and Dr. Abu

Hena Mostofa Kamal,

Upazila Health and Family

Planning Officer and Member

Secretary, Upazila Nutrition

Coordinating Committee,

Nilphamari Sadar,

Nilphamari presented the

Upazila nutrition planning

process. Khandakar Yasir

Arefin, Deputy Commissioner

said to achieve nutritional

goal need joint effort by multi

sectorial department as well

as civil society organization.

He also said the importance

of awareness regarding our

food habit. Dr. Md. Zahangir

Kabir, Civil Surgeon said this

is not matter of single

department where

engagement and active role of

the department under NPAN-

2 can be addressing the

nutrition issue.

JANO project is funded by

the european Union and cofunded

by the Austrian

Development Cooperation

and is being implemented by

CARe Bangladesh, Plan

International and eSDO.

gywRee‡l© ¯^v¯’¨ LvZ

GwM‡q hv‡e A‡bK avc

2030(2)

GD -1767/22 (7x4)

GD -1771/22 (10x4)

THURSDAY, NoVEMBER 3, 2022

3

Professor Dr. Russell Thompson of the University of Melbourne, Australia called on Dhaka

University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman yesterday at the latter's office of the

university.

Photo : Courtesy

Acting Country Director of Bhutan Dandan Chen paid a courtesy call on LGRD Minister Tajul Islam

yesterday.

Photo : PID

President, PM pay homage

to four national leaders

DHAKA : President M Abdul Hamid and Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid rich tributes

to four national leaders on the occasion of the

Jail Killing Day, recalling their immense

contributions to the War of Liberation and the

nation, reports UNB.

On the eve of the day, in separate messages,

they also prayed for eternal peace of the

departed souls of the four national leaders.

In his message, President Abdul Hamid said

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman's close aides four national

leaders - Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed,

Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM

Qamaruzzaman-were brutally killed by antiliberation

forces inside the Dhaka Central Jail on

November 3, 1975.

"I pay deep respect to their memories," he

added.

Noting that the country's independence was

achieved under the leadership of Bangabandhu,

the undisputed leader of the Bangalee Nation

and the architect of Independent Bangladesh, he

said Bangabandhu proclaimed independence of

Bangladesh on March 26, 1971 and eventually

the Liberation War started at his call.

When Bangabandhu was imprisoned in

Pakistan jail during the Liberation War, the

president said in absence of Bangabandhu the

four national leaders made an outstanding

contribution in forming the Mujibnagar

Government, devising war strategy and tactics,

carrying out administrative activities,

conducting the Liberation War, carrying on

diplomatic efforts and keeping an eye on

refugees to turn the Liberation War into a

people's war in 1971.

"The nation will always remember the

contributions of the four national leaders with

due respect," the President added.

The head of the state said the anti-liberation

clique brutally killed the four national leaders

inside the Dhaka Central Jail on November 3 in

1975 in continuation to the assassination of

Bangabandhu and most of his family members

on August 15 in 1975 to make the nation

leaderless alongside jeopardizing the

independence and sovereignty of the country.

Hamid said the aim of the perpetrators of the

killings was to give rise to undemocratic

autocracy in the country as well as to erase the

spirit of Liberation War from the minds of

young generation. "But design of the killers did

not come out successful," he said, adding Father

of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman and his ideology will remain alive as

long as Bangladesh exists.

The President said Bangabandhu had a dream

to build a happy and prosperous "Sonar

Bangla".

"Everybody would make contribution from

their respective positions to materialize the

unfinished dream of Bangabandhu and this

would be our pledge on the Jail Killing Day," he

added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her

message, termed the November 3 (Jail Killing

Day) a stigmatized day in the history of

independent Bangladesh, saying such killing in

the jail (a secured place) is unprecedented in the

world's history.

She said the killing of the four national leaders

were the sequel to the assassination of the

Father of the Nation and most of his family

members.

Through the hateful killings of Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujib and four national leaders, the

defeated forces of Liberation War and anti-state

cliques wanted to erase the name of Bangladesh

Awami League forever from the soil of

Bangladesh, destroy the spirit of Liberation War

and make the nation leaderless, she added.

"The purpose of the killers was to break the

state structure of the non-communal

democratic Bangladesh and undermine our

independence achieved at a huge cost," the

premier said. The anti liberation forces started

the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy after

August 15 in 1975 and proclaimed indemnity

ordinance to save the self-confessed killers,

Sheikh Hasina said.

She said Ziaur Rahman, after grabbing the

state power illegally, had killed the democracy

by imposing martial law, dissecting the

constitution, awarding the killers through

rehabilitating them with jobs in Bangladesh

missions abroad instead of bringing them under

trial and giving citizenship to the anti-liberation

elements and war criminals.

The direct and indirect patrons of the 1975's

conspirators and killers grabbed the state power

for the next 21 years, the head of the government

said, adding that the illegal rulers distorted the

history of the great Liberation War and pushed

the country backwards.

"Bangladesh Awami League won the elections

in 1996 and formed the government after long

21 years and started the trial of Bangabandhu

murder. But the BNP-Jamaat coalition

government stopped the trial proceedings of

case after assuming power in 2001," Sheikh

Hasina said.

The countrymen again voted the AL to win the

elections of December 29, 2008 by a huge

margin, she said, adding the AL government

after ascending the state power has achieved

significant success in establishing justice in the

country by eliminating the politics of revenge.

Bangabandhu's

books featured

on Korean TV

network

DHAKA : Two books of

Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman were

featured on KBS, a public

broadcasting station of the

Republic of Korea.

On October 21, the KBS

1Telivisiuon (TV) introduced

Bangabandhu's

autobiography 'The

Unfinished Memoirs' and

official biography-

'Bangabandhu, The People's

Hero', which were published

in Korean translated version

through a special

documentary titled 'Reading

Culture in Young Koreans',

said a press release.

At this time, a scene from

the Book Launching

Ceremony of 'The Unfinished

Memoirs', which was held at

the Lotte Hotel in Seoul to

commemorate the 100th

anniversary

of

Bangabandhu's birth, was

also broadcast.

The documentary explained

that these books served as an

introduction to Bangladesh's

Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman to the

Republic of Korea.

Morae-al LLC, a startup

that succeeded in publishing

Bangabandhu's books in

Korea, said that it will

continue to make efforts to

introduce Bangladesh to

Korea through various media.

It also said, in particular, the

coming 2023 will be a

meaningful year for both

countries as it will mark the

50th anniversary of the

establishment of diplomatic

ties between Korea and

Bangladesh.

The members of Morae-al

LLC announced that they plan

to focus on the history of

Bangladesh's struggle for

'freedom' and 'sovereignty'

and the remarkable

achievements of its economic

development.

Australian

Professor

meets DU VC

Professor Dr. Russell

Thompson of the University

of Melbourne, Australia

called on Dhaka University

(DU) Vice-Chancellor Prof.

Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman

yesterday at the latter's office

of the university, a press

release.

During the meeting they

discussed various

environmental issues

including climate change,

global warming and disaster

management. Vice-

Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md.

Akhtaruzzaman wanted to

know from Australian

Professor about the research

model of Melbourne

University in order to make

Dhaka University as a

research based educational

institution. They also

discussed the possibilities of

undertaking joint

collaborative academic and

research programs on

environment and disaster

management between the

University of Dhaka and the

University of Melbourne.

Later, Australian

Professor Dr. Russell

Thompson delivered keynote

speech in a special

seminar on 'Disaster and

Climate Resilience through

Collaboration and Research'

at Nabab Nawab Ali

Chowdhury Senate Bhaban

of DU. The Department of

Disaster Science and

Climate Resilience of DU

organized this seminar.

Pro-Vice Chancellor

(Academic) of DU Prof. Dr.

A S M Maksud Kamal

presided over the event

while State Minister for the

Ministry of Disaster

Management and Relief Dr.

Md. Enamur Rahman, MP

addressed it as chief guest.

Secretary of the Ministry of

Disaster Management and

Relief Md. Kamrul Hasan,

ndc and Director General of

the Department of Disaster

Management Atiqul Haque

addressed the seminar as

special guests. Dean of the

Faculty of Earth and

Environmental Sciences

Prof. Dr. Md. Zillur Rahman

gave vote of thanks.

Bank official killed

in city road crash

DHAKA : A bank official was killed as a lorry ran over him in

the capital's Jatrabari area on Tuesday night.

The deceased was identified as Aftab-e -Alam,45, of

Shimulhati village of Kishoreganj district. He was a principal

officer of Pubali Bank's Islampur branch.

The lorry hit Alam on his way home in Shanirakhra area of

Jatrabari around 9:30 pm, leaving him dead on the spot, said

Mostafizur Rahman, sub-inspector of Jatrabari police

station.

Police recovered the body and took it to Dhaka Medical

College Hospital morgue for an autopsy, added the SI.

Police arrested the driver and seized the lorry, he said.

AL local govt nomination

board joint meeting Friday

DHAKA : The joint meeting of Awami League Local

Government Public Representative Nomination Board will

be held at Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina's official

Ganabhaban residence Friday afternoon.

AL's Local Government Public Representative Nomination

Board President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will chair

the meeting to be held 4 pm, said a press release signed by AL

office secretary Barrister Biplob Barua.

Party's General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges

Minister Obaidul Quader urged all concerned to remain

present at the meeting on time following health guidelines,

said the press release.

Workshop on ‘Cutting Edge

Innovations in the Technology

Sector’ held at BU

The workshop on "Cutting Edge Innovations

in the Technology Sector'' was held on

Wednesday at Bangladesh University (BU)

permanent campus, Mohammadpur,

Dhaka. Chris Burry, Co-Founder and Co-

CEO, US Market Access Center Inc. and

Global Ambassador, UC Berkeley Sutardja

Center for Entrepreneurship and

Technology graced the program as chief

guest while acting Vice chancellor of BU

Prof. Dr. Mesbah Kamal was in the chair.

Director, Dr. Quazi Taif Sadat and Md.

Sadiq Iqbal, Associate Professor, CSE

department were the core representatives

from Bangladesh University and delivered

their speeches on different perspectives

regarding innovations and technology.

Rubaiyat Shaimom Chowdhury, Assistant

Professor, Business faculty facilitated the

whole program.

Bangladesh University Vice Chancellor

Prof. Mesbah Kamal spoke on digital

innovations, technology management &

entrepreneurship development and the

importance of introducing these subjects in

DMP arrests

47 for selling,

consuming

drugs in city

DHAKA : The members of the

Detective Branch (DB) of the

Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) in several anti-drug

raids arrested a total of 47

people on charges of selling

and consuming drugs during

the last 24 hours till 6am

Wednesday, reports BSS.

The DB in association with

local police carried out the

drives simultaneously at

different parts of the

metropolis from 6am of

November 1 to 6am yesterday,

according to a DMP release.

In those separate anti-drug

raids, police seized huge drugs

from their possessions.

During the anti-drug raids,

police seized 10,694 pieces of

contraband yaba tablets,

89.940 kilograms of cannabis

(ganja), 151 grams of heroin,

120 bottles of phensidyle

syrup and 20 drug injections

from their possessions, the

release added.

educational sector in Bangladesh.

Sadiq Iqbal delivered his speech on

modern technological innovations and its

impact on human life. Taif Sadat talked

about Speaker Chris Burry's profile and how

students can learn from his work and

experience.

Chief guest Chris Burry lectured on various

aspects of digital innovations, his

entrepreneurial journey, success strategy of

developing a startup, learning process to be a

successful entrepreneur from continuing

failure experiences. Also mentioned, how the

human mind and body are dependent on

technology like Artificial Intelligence

Augmented Reality & Machine Learning.

In the last part of the program, there is a Q

& A session. Chief guest Chris Burry enjoyed

the insightful questions from students and

faculties and satisfied them with lively

answers.

All Heads of the departments, faculty

members, high officials of the university and

a huge number of students were present in

the program.

The workshop on "Cutting Edge Innovations in the Technology Sector'' was held on Wednesday at

Bangladesh University (BU) permanent campus, Mohammadpur, Dhaka.

Photo : Courtesy

Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh paid a courtesy call on Information and Broadcasting Minister

Dr Hasan Mahmud at his office room yesterday.

Photo : PID

THURSDAy, NOvEmBER 3, 2022

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Consolidating advance

in power sector

There has been certainly very notable

improvement in power supply. When load

shedding used to be awful during summer time

some ten years ago, the agonies from load

shedding have gone on progressively

decreasing in recent years. In recent summer

seasons, people in the country experienced

much relief from load shedding compared to

the past.

In the beginning when the present

government took over, a number of quick

rental power plants were set up to satisfy

emergency needs. Later the regular plants

have increased from 27 to 138 producing

enough power to meet the total demand. From

4,942 mw power production in 2010, total

production of power has substantially

increased to 23,548 mw at present. This has

been a tremendous increase no doubt.

Besides, government retains the capacity to

produce a much greater amount of power if it

wants to depending on demand. Thus. from a

situation when a potential subscriber had to

wait years before getting a connection,

nowadays miking is heard in some places of the

country inviting subscribers to take connection

at the soonest. Electricity coverage now

includes 95 percent of the country's villages

with only 3 per cent left out.

But the experience in the power sector

during recent years has been also something

like two steps forward marked by a step

backward . The benefit from producing

additional power was seen curbed also by the

intermittent breakdowns of the ageing

machinery in the older plants.

According to media reports most of the

country's gas-fired power generating plants

have become too old and are unfit to properly

utilize their allocated amount of gas. Thus, the

gas at times had to be sent back for uses in

other sectors. The country has five power

plants aged over 40 years, 11 plants within 31 to

40 years, 23 plants within 21 to 30 years, and

19 plants within 11 to 20 years. But the

maximum acceptable lifetime of any power

plant is 20 years. Thus, tripping or technical

glitches in power plants often hamper

electricity generation.

So, it should be pretty obvious that the

overhauling, repairs and maintenance of the

older plants should be addressed with no less

priority than establishing new generation

capacities. If this is done, the benefits arising

from new generation capacities will be

sustainable as the total amount of power

production will continue to rise from older

plants not malfunctioning or operating

efficiently and not breaking down frequently

needing repairs. Thus, advances in the power

sector will stand a chance of being

consolidated.

The very old power plants in Bangladesh are

seen retaining their operational life with

relatively lower costs and their thorough

overhauling would not involve amounts to be

considered as prohibitive either, according to

experts. The older plants were generally set up

in the seventies by the Russians and they can

be invited to address the tasks of overhauling

and repairing them. Not only the Russians

have exclusive expertise in this field, they can

be persuaded to do the works under their

bilateral technical assistance programme or

the cost may be covered by a long term and

easy repayment loans from them.

No less important is to seek a comprehensive

improvement of the transmission lines which

are found to be rickety in many places. Power

supply with efficiency and without waste can

be ensured only through an efficient

transmission and distribution system. There

are other forms of system losses that should be

also effectively addressed. All kinds of power

saving lights and equipment will have to be

popularized. All of these activities-taken up

actively under a planned framework-will

contribute towards conserving power and

guard against waste as the output of power

will gradually go up from increased power

generation.

It is also imperative to give a spur to plans

and activities to increase production of solar

power, wind power and power from other

renewable sources. Power production from

these sources need to be a priority just like

power production from the conventional

sources.

Ubuntu in education will help us create a better nation

The noble cry of

revolution

and the

growth of ideas that

have more impact

on this article on the

Ubuntu philosophy

in education have

left me both

humbled and honoured. All my work and

study within the educational community of

the socio-pedagogical system have led me to

this point. It challenges us in countless

possible ways. What you know, your

information is what you know, but it is also a

transformation, a new form of matter and

energy. Education is crucial for both

personal and societal development. The

great thinkers and their progressive concepts

must thus be understood by all educators

who offer knowledge and a road to selfrealisation

because these are essential for

their development into morally good

academics in a global society. This short

article seeks to investigate the positive effects

on education of incorporating Ubuntu

philosophy into the education system, which

will help individuals become not only more

confident but also more moral citizens.

Rene Descartes is commonly referred to as

the first contemporary philosopher. "I think,

therefore I am," he famously said, is credited

with laying the groundwork for how we

perceive our sense of self. But what if there is

a different way to think about personal

identity? What if a non-Western philosophy

contradicts this emphasis on the individual?

" Ubuntu begins with what I refer to as a

relational type of personhood. In a nutshell,

this means that you are who you are because

of the people around you. Ubuntu, in its

most basic form, refers to the belief that the

relationships shared by community

members are more important than the

debates and disagreements among those

members. After interacting with other

people, a person becomes a person. Nobody

in our world is fully formed when they are

born. We would not know how to think,

move, speak, or behave as humans if we did

not learn these things from other people. We

need the company of other people to

maintain our humanity.

In recent years, there has been a greater

emphasis on Ubuntu in education to

improve the nation. Ubuntu is a philosophy

that emphasises the value of community and

connection. Ubuntu is frequently rendered

as "I am because we are." This means that we

are all connected and require one another to

be whole. Ubuntu is also about compassion

and teamwork for the greater good. This

philosophy applies to many aspects of life,

including education. Ubuntu in education

can help us build a better nation by teaching

our children to put others first, to be

compassionate, and to collaborate for the

greater good. We create a better countryby

applying Ubuntu to our education system or

raising a generation of Ubuntu-minded

people.Ubuntu must be more than just a

philosophy to be genuinely effective in

education. It must be integrated into the

curriculum and taught so that students see

themselves as part of a larger community.

Ubuntu can help us build a better nation by

teaching students to put others first, to be

tolerant of different cultures, and to

collaborate for the greater good. In Africa,

the Ubuntu philosophy is widely practised.

Ubuntu is about creating a caring and

compassionate society. Ubuntu is also about

building an inclusive culture, one that is

equitable and just and one that is peaceful

and harmonious. It is also about building a

sustainable community. These are excellent

philosophical messages that can help our

young minds grow confidently.

When we look around the world today, we

see a lot of violence and hatred. This is

mainly due to a lack of a sense of community

among the population. As a result, it is

critical to understand Ubuntu's philosophy

better, which should be taught in schools to

build a prosperous and moral nation with a

growth mindset. Ubuntu is a philosophy that

guides people to think of others first. Ubuntu

is about working together to make life better

for everyone. When people put others before

themselves, they are more likely to

collaborate for the greater good. In

education, Ubuntu is about forming a

community of learners dedicated to working

together to achieve common goals. It

promotes community, cooperation, and

respect as values. When we teach our

children these values, we teach them how to

collaborate to achieve common goals.Nelson

Mandela explained the African spiritual ethic

of Ubuntu to South African journalist Tim

Modise in 2006: "A traveller through a

country would stop at a village, and he didn't

have to ask for food or water." When he

comes to a halt, people feed and entertain

him. That is one aspect of Ubuntu, but there

will be others. Ubuntu does not preclude

people from enriching themselves. So, the

question is, "Are you going to do it to help the

community around you improve?"

I am convinced that Ubuntu in education

will help us build a better nation and that it is

the foundation of a strong nation. This

statement is based on the Ubuntu

philosophy, which promotes the values of

community, humanism, and collectivism.

These values are essential in a nation's

development because they promote the

concept of togetherness and the common

good. Furthermore, Ubuntu is founded on

the importance of respect. This is critical for

a nation's development because it ensures

DR P R DATTA

that everyone is treated with dignity and that

all voices are heard. Ubuntu in education will

help us build a better nation by providing

that the next generation is well-educated and

understands the value of cooperating for the

common good. We can create a generation of

leaders committed to working for the benefit

of all and understand the importance of

cooperation and respect by teaching Ubuntu

in our schools. Education is the bedrock of

any society, and it is only through education

that we can build a better future for our

country. The Ubuntu philosophy has the

potential to be very influential in our

educational system. The Ubuntu philosophy

can assist us in breaking down barriers

created by racism, prejudice, and

I am convinced that Ubuntu in education will help us

build a better nation and that it is the foundation of a

strong nation. This statement is based on the Ubuntu

philosophy, which promotes the values of community,

humanism, and collectivism. These values are essential

in a nation's development because they promote the

concept of togetherness and the common good.

JOHN P RUEHL

discrimination. We can learn to see each

other as equals and work together to

improve our country. Ubuntu in education

can help to raise a generation of young

people who understand their

interconnectedness with the rest of the

world.

Our children are the future of our country,

and it is our responsibility to provide them

with the best opportunities for success. We

can build a society based on the principles of

sharing and caring for one another by

incorporating Ubuntu into our educational

system. This will help foster a sense of

community and belonging and encourage

students to accept responsibility for their

own and their community's actions. Ubuntu

in education can also help promote social

justice by encouraging students to consider

how they can help make their community a

better place. Ubuntu in education can also

help to foster a sense of global citizenship by

encouraging students to consider how they

can help to make the world a better place.

Students can develop the skills needed to

collaborate for the common good by learning

about Ubuntu and working together to

promote its values.Furthermore, Ubuntu

can help to foster a sense of community in

schools. Students learn the value of

teamwork and cooperation by working

together to achieve common goals. This can

help them prepare for the workplace, where

collaboration is essential for success.

Ubuntu has potential. The importance of

community in Ubuntu's philosophy cannot

be overstated. "I am because we are," says

the first principle of Ubuntu philosophy. This

means that we are all interconnected, and

our success is dependent on the

community's success. We cannot be truly

happy or fulfilled unless our community

thrives. The second principle of Ubuntu's

philosophy is that people should work

together for the greater good. The Ubuntu

philosophy encourages people to put others

before themselves and to collaborate.

Ubuntu is frequently translated as

"humanity to others." The Ubuntu

philosophy is also founded on the following

fundamental principles: Humanity requires

that we treat others with dignity and

compassion. Integrity requires being honest

and truthful in our actions and interactions

with others. Justice requires that we treat

others fairly and equitably. We should be

kind, compassionate, and respectful to

others. Dignity: We are all deserving of

respect and deserve to be treated with

dignity. Compassion: We should show

kindness to others even if they do not

deserve it. Ubuntu: We are all

interconnected, and our actions affect

others.

The three fundamental tenets of Ubuntu

philosophy, truth, justice, and love are

essential for creating a harmonious and

equitable society. Each of these ideas is

significant in and of itself, but

combined,they make a genuinely

compassionate and respectful community of

all its members. The truth is that the Ubuntu

philosophy is difficult, to sum up in a few

words. The philosophy is founded on several

key concepts that are important in their own

right, but when combined, they form a

philosophy that is both unique and

inspiring. Ubuntu is all about community. It

is the belief that we are all interconnected

and cannot be truly happy or fulfilled unless

we work to build a supportive, caring, and

peaceful community. Compassion, humility,

respect, and a commitment to service are

critical components of Ubuntu's philosophy.

Compassion is the understanding that we

are all in this together and that we rely on

one another. It is the realisation that we are

all interconnected and that our actions

impact others. Compassion is the desire to

assist others and alleviate their pain.

Humility is accepting that we are not the

centre of the universe and do not have all the

answers. As this discussion comes to a close,

it is essential to summarise the main points

that have been raised. The concepts of

humanity, compassion and respect for

others are central to Ubuntu's philosophy.

These values are based on the belief that we

are all interconnected, and that happiness

and fulfilment can only be obtained by

working together. Ubuntu also emphasises

the value of community and living in

harmony. Ubuntu values compassion and

kindness and believes we should treat others

the way we would like. Ubuntu also

emphasises the importance of community

and believes that when we work together, we

are stronger. It is a community and

collaboration-based philosophy.

The Writer is Educator, author, and

researcher and Executive Chair, Centre for

Business & Economic Research, UK

Why support for Ukraine could dwindle in late 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelensky is counting on firm support

from the West as the war with

Russia drags on, but there are no

guarantees. Photo: President of Ukraine

Since February 24, Ukraine's armed

forces have successfully defended much of

their country. But without US assistance,

the Ukrainian military campaign would

have likely foundered months ago.

Since the Russian invasion, the US has

provided the lion's share of military aid to

Ukraine, alongside enormous financial and

humanitarian assistance. With the US

midterm elections to be held on November

8, both President Joe Biden's

administration and Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelensky fear that these

channels of support for Ukraine will

diminish significantly.

The economic effects of the Russian-

Ukrainian conflict, such as higher energy

prices, have taken their toll on American

voters, and recent polling shows that US

support for the war is waning, especially

among Republicans. According to Pew

Research Center, the belief that the US is

providing too much support to Ukraine

surged among Republicans and

Republican-leaning independents from 9%

in March to 32% in September.

While the US economy is in a relatively

good state compared with much of the rest

of the world, Republicans have exploited

domestic economic concerns to undermine

Biden and the Democrats for months.

And though many influential

Republicans, such as Senator Lindsey

Graham, continue to voice strong support

for Ukraine, others aligned with the Tea

Party movement and former US president

Donald Trump form the Republican Party's

increasingly vocal "isolationist wing."

The influence of this populist group has

been reflected in the growing split between

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

and House Minority Leader Kevin

McCarthy, with the two of them recently

sparring over the issue of Ukraine aid.

In May, 57 Republican members of the

House of Representatives voted against the

$40 billion aid package to Ukraine, and in

mid-October, McCarthy warned that the

US is "not going to write a blank check to

Ukraine." If election polls predicting a

Republican House majority prove correct,

future aid packages to Ukraine are likely to

face greater resistance in Congress.

Support for the North Atlantic Treaty

Organization and Ukraine among Trumpleaning

Republicans has traditionally been

low. Trump derided NATO throughout his

2016 presidential campaign and

presidency, and his July 2019 phone call

with Zelensky led to the first official efforts

to impeach him.

Florida's Republican governor and

Trump ally Ron DeSantis was also

comfortable enough to ignore calls to pull

his state's $300 million investments from

Russia shortly after the war began.

Unfortunately for Kiev, Democratic

support for Ukraine has also fallen,

according to the September Pew Research

Center poll, as anxiety over the economy,

access to abortion, and other issues have

mounted.

Another Pew Research Center poll from

October found that the economy is the top

issue for voters heading into the midterm

elections. Biden's explanation of rising

inflation as "Putin's price hike" on gasoline

has only reinforced the notion in some

voters' minds that US-led sanctions

targeting Moscow and support for Kiev

have been partly responsible for their

economic pain.

And on October 24, 30 members of the

progressive caucus in the US House of

Representatives sent a letter to President

Biden urging him to hold direct talks with

And on October 24, 30 members of the progressive caucus in

the US House of Representatives sent a letter to President

Biden urging him to hold direct talks with Russia and end the

war. While the letter was retracted the next day, it further

demonstrated Ukraine's falling support with the left in the US.

Russia and end the war. While the letter

was retracted the next day, it further

demonstrated Ukraine's falling support

with the left in the US.

Any significant drop in American

assistance to Ukraine - the US provided

more than €52 billion in military,

humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine

from January 24 to October 3 - will severely

impact the latter's ability to defend itself.

According to Christoph Trebesch, head of

the team compiling the Kiel Institute for the

World Economy's Ukraine Support

Tracker, "The US is now committing nearly

twice as much as all EU countries and

institutions combined."

The UK has led major European efforts to

defend Ukraine and is on track to train up

to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its own soil

this year. But the UK is experiencing

political destabilization after the death of

Queen Elizabeth II in September and the

resignation of two prime ministers in less

than two months. These events have

inhibited the British government's ability to

form a coherent foreign policy and expand

its support for Ukraine.

Furthermore, the UK has its own

disputes with the European Union

regarding Brexit and is unlikely to rally

many of the EU states to join its efforts to

support Ukraine without strong US

coordination.

The EU has sent billions of euros of

financial aid to Ukraine since the beginning

of the conflict, but far less humanitarian

and military aid. Bilateral military aid from

Ukraine's most important EU suppliers -

France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland -

fell significantly since the end of April, with

no new military pledges being made in

July. Large-scale European military

assistance only resumed after the launch of

the successful Ukrainian offensive that has

reclaimed much territory since early

September. Yet around the same time (on

September 5), EU foreign-policy chief

Josep Borrell warned that member states'

weapons stocks were "severely 'depleted'"

after months of providing Ukraine with

arms, reinforcing perceptions of the EU's

inability to provide long-term military

support to Kiev.

On October 17, the EU formed its own

military training program for Ukrainian

soldiers. France declared it would train

2,000 on its soil, while other EU members

will train another 13,000 Ukrainian

soldiers. Though they are unlikely to match

NATO-led initiatives, the latest round of

EU sanctions against Russia, which were

approved on October 5, demonstrate

Europe's commitment to keeping pressure

on Russia.

John P Ruehl is an Australian-American

journalist living in Washington, DC. He is

a contributing editor to Strategic Policy

and a contributor to several other foreignaffairs

publications.

thuRSDAY, nOVeMbeR 3, 2022

5

AI drives quest for new antivirals

to fight outbreaks

A handful of medicine in form of capsules and tablets.

Improve antibiotics access

to beat silent pandemic

RAnjIt DeVRAj

Better access to antibiotics and antiviral

medicines could slow down the spread of

drug resistance in the global South,

according to a new study released

recently.

Following decades of careless exposure

to antibiotics, superbugs are now

widespread and, according to the World

Health Organization, represent a "global

crisis that threatens a century of progress

in health".

The new Access to Medicine

Foundation paper argues that

antimicrobial resistance is rising faster

than predicted. The non-profit research

organisation says better access to

antibiotics and antifungals is "especially

urgent" in low- and middle-income

countries.

"The idea that increased access to

antibiotics can help fight antimicrobial

resistance may sound paradoxical,"

Jayasree K. Iyer, chief executive officer of

the Foundation, told SciDev.Net.

"However, shortages of essential

medicines in low- and middle-income

countries lead to patients receiving no

treatment or less effective alternatives,

giving bacteria and fungi opportunities to

develop resistance."

Worldwide, an estimated 4.95 million

deaths associated with bacterial

antimicrobial resistance occurred in 2019

with more than one million people dying

as a direct result, according to analysis

published in The Lancet.

Antimicrobial resistance is developing

into a "silent pandemic" that kills more

people than malaria and HIV/AIDS

combined, with the worst-hit regions in

Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the

Foundation.

Iyer said that making antibiotics and

antifungals accessible in low- and

middle-income countries was

particularly challenging for generic

medicine manufacturers. "They face thin

profit margins, resource-intense

registration procedures and fragile

supply chains," she said.

"Also, while pharmaceutical companies

expect governments to clarify demand

levels and prioritise stewardship

measures, governments expect

companies to first communicate which

antibiotics or antifungals will be

introduced into their health systems,

leading to a mismatch in expectations."

Stewardship refers to actions which

promote the responsible use of

antimicrobials, whether at an individual,

national, or global level.

The Foundation's paper uses case

studies to illustrate how pharmaceutical

companies can steer around such

complex challenges and make antibiotics

and antifungals more widely available.

"Our research shows that innovative

approaches from drug makers are

possible and can really make a difference

to the people most at risk from resistant

infections," Iyer said.

Wider product registration, technology

transfers, and public-private

partnerships that aim to deliver

sustainable supplies are among tools

available to companies to increase drug

availability. In many cases, implementing

these tools requires government and

multinational organisations to work

alongside drug companies.

In Nigeria, Sanofi and local

manufacturer May & Baker Nigeria have

used technology transfer and partnership

to produce half a million boxes annually

of the off-patent broad-spectrum

antibiotic metronidazole (Flagyl), used to

fight intra-abdominal infections.

Photo: Marco Verch

Similarly, in India, local company Cipla

responded to calls from hospitals by

registering and distributing the generic

reserve antibiotic colistin in the country

under tight stewardship.

In 2021, when an epidemic of

mucormycosis (black fungus) broke out

in India as a result of poorly-regulated

COVID-19 therapies and the failure of

basic healthcare, the Indian government

requested Cipla to rapidly scale up

manufacture of the antifungal,

amphotericin B.

Leena Menghaney, a lawyer with

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in New

Delhi, said the issue of microbial

resistance in a country like India was

"complex and begins with proper

diagnosis and treatment of disease and

the existence of a properly functioning

public health delivery system - this was

borne out by the mucormycosis epidemic

in the middle of the COVID-19

pandemic".

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria and other

international health organisations have

partnered with companies to address

access to drugs for HIV/AIDS,

tuberculosis and malaria. Despite being

donor-driven and less sustainable in the

long term, these partnerships were able

to consistently implement stewardship

programmes for essential medicines, the

Foundation said.

"Ensuring that such initiatives move

from being the exception to the norm,

supported by excellent stewardship

measures to help prevent the spread of

resistant infections will require

commitment and partnership from all

sides," said Marijn Verhoef, director of

operations and research at the

Foundation.

SAM OtIenO

Research into drugs to

treat mosquito-borne

flaviviruses such as Zika

and dengue as well as

COVID-19 will benefit

from a major funding

boost, says a group of

international scientists

using artificial intelligence

to discover new oral

antivirals.

A research consortium

led by the non-profit

COVID Moonshot has

been awarded more than

US$68 million from the

US National Institutes of

Health (NIH) to discover

and develop globally

accessible and affordable

novel oral antivirals to

combat COVID-19 and

future pandemics.

The development comes

as monkeypox outbreaks

have been declared around

the world, raising concerns

about the rapid spread of

such viruses. Monkeypox

is a viral disease that the

World

Health

Organization says has

emerged in at least 23

countries where the

disease is not regularly

found since 13 May.

The open-science

COVID Moonshot was

established in 2020 with

the objective of developing

a safe, globally accessible

and affordable antiviral pill

for COVID-19.

The consortium has

created the Artificial

Intelligence-Driven

Structure-Enabled

Antiviral Platform (ASAP)

to build an antiviral

discovery pipeline using

structural biology,

machine learning and

computational chemistry.

The Drugs for Neglected

Diseases initiative (DNDi),

a founder of COVID

Moonshot, says that the

initial three-year phase of

the ASAP project will aim

to produce preclinical

candidates against viral

families that have been

historically neglected by

the market, with an initial

focus on coronaviruses.

ASAP will also address

flaviviruses, responsible

for large endemic diseases

such as dengue and Zika,

DNDi says.

Rachel Cohen, executive

director of DNDi North

America, told SciDev.Net

that the consortium was

committed to ensuring

"equitable and affordable

access to any antivirals that

may be developed as a

result, especially in Africa,

Asia, Latin America".

Cohen said that if

preclinical antiviral

candidates had been ready

for clinical trials in humans

when COVID-19 struck in

late 2019, millions of lives

might have been saved.

She believes equitable

access to antivirals in lowand

middle-income

countries should be a

global priority.

"In our view, there can be

no geographic restrictions

in who would be able to

access novel antivirals, and

they must be affordable for

both the individuals who

need them and the health

systems that serve them,"

said Cohen.

Francisca Mutapi, codirector

of the Global

Health Academy at the

University of Edinburgh in

Scotland, says that any

development that supports

the production of

accessible drugs for

infectious diseases is

welcome for low- and

middle-income countries,

which carry the highest

global burden of infectious

diseases.

But Mutapi, who is not

involved in the project, told

SciDev.Net the consortium

should include members

from low- and middleincome

countries,

particularly Africa.

"Africa needs to be

growing its capacity to

discover and produce

drugs and vaccines not

only for Africa, but to

contribute solutions for

global health security,"

said Mutapi.

Babatunde Salako,

director general of the

Nigerian Institute of

Medical Research, said he

hoped the AI-driven

platform would help

increase the weaponry

available to the world's

medical workforce to fight

emerging diseases. But he

said capacity would need

to be increased in the

global South before lowerincome

countries could

take advantage of the

project's developments.

Molecular view of a key component of the SARS-CoV-2 virus called MPro (Green Grey) with drug site

targets identified (yellow).

Photo: Collected

DAnn OkOth

Proposals under discussion at the World Trade

Organization (WTO) to temporarily waive

intellectual property rights on COVID-19

vaccines are hanging in the balance as vaccine

equity campaigners call for the draft document

to be torn up.

The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual

Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver was intended to

allow COVID-19 vaccines to be manufactured in

developing countries without infringing patents

held by big pharmaceutical companies, mostly

in the global North.

Only 16 per cent of people in low-income

countries have received a single vaccine dose,

compared to 80 per cent in high-income

countries, according to the World Health

Organization.

A waiver was first proposed by India and South

Africa in October 2020 and a new draft

agreement was circulated in early May this year

after negotiations between the two proposers

and the European Union (EU) and the United

States. The forthcoming WTO ministerial

conference in Geneva on 12-15 June was

expected to finally broker a deal on the waiver.

But civil society organisations under the

umbrella of the People's Vaccine Alliance have

termed the process "flawed" and "untenable".

"As civil society we disapprove of the WTO text

that is being rammed through in undemocratic

process where we have been given arbitrary

deadlines to arrive at some consensus agreement

that's not really meaningful," said Fatima

Hassan, founder of the South Africa-based

Health Justice Initiative, at a virtual briefing

organised by the Alliance to comment on the

texts of the negotiations last week.

At the centre of the controversy is an EU

attempt to introduce amendments to the WTO

text that critics see as out of step with the original

India-South Africa proposals made at the

beginning of the pandemic.

The text focuses on use of the compulsory

licensing system, whereby governments can

permit the manufacture of vaccines and other

medicines without infringement of intellectual

property (IP) rights during an emergency such as

a pandemic.

The draft text is seen by opponents as too

COVID-19 vaccine patent

should get waiver

narrow in scope because it covers only vaccines

and fails to include treatments, diagnostics or

other COVID-19 technologies, the news

conference heard.

"What we have actually is one of the most

obscene scenarios in this pandemic where for 18

months we have been told the waiver would not

make significant difference to manufacturing

capacity and production or knowledge sharing,

but 18 months later-with gross vaccine apartheid

A patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines was first proposed by South Africa and India in October 2020.

and injustice-we have a situation where a

handful of countries are trying to limit the waiver

to only vaccines," said Hassan.

There are also concerns that proposed new

wording might prevent China and some other

Photo: GovernmentZA

partly industrialised countries capable of

producing vaccines from exporting to countries

that need them.

Switzerland and the United Kingdom were

singled out for introducing new wording to the

text that seems to "smack of an attempt to further

delay any kind of consensus on a vaccine waiver,

including further narrowing the flexibilities in

the original WTO text," according to Hassan.

"It's not a credible text. It should not be agreed

to by countries in the global South," Hassan said.

"We have asked South African and Indian

governments not to sign onto this text because

it's a worse deal which will tie our hands for

future purposes."

She challenged countries from the global South

to "step up and propose textual amendments to

uphold the original proposals made by India and

South Africa, which includes waivers for

vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and medical

technologies.

A UK government spokesman said the

negotiations were "complex, sensitive and must

remain confidential" but added: "We must be

clear that the UK is not seeking to delay a

consensus and is working with international

partners to ensure the best possible outcome,

which avoids any unintended legal or policy

consequences."

None of the countries involved have yet

endorsed the document which was released by

the WTO director-general.

Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel laureate and

economics professor at Columbia University, US,

told the virtual briefing that the current

intellectual property framework was "a failure"

and called for the draft text to be rejected.

"No-deal is better than a bad deal," he said.

"There's too much ambiguity in the WTO text,

and some of the proposals are a step backwards

which do not prepare us for the next pandemic."

He said that two years into the pandemic and

after 20 million deaths, the WTO barriers

remained an obstacle to global production as well

as access to COVID-19 vaccines medicines and

tests.

"There would have been an increase in supply

had the IP been waived in line with South Africa

and Indian proposals at the beginning of the

pandemic," he added.

thuRSdAy, noveMbeR 3, 2022

6

the police of Sarail police station arrested two members of the online gambling

gang.

photo: Md Alamgir Mia

Fear of security breach at railway station

MAzhARul iSlAM RAnA, ChAttoGRAM

City CoRReSpondent:

During the removal of floating hawkers

in the CNG parking area next to the

Chattogram new railway station, former

railway employee Md.Kamal Parvez

Badal has been accused of obstructing

government work and threatening RNB

members in charge. Chattogram

Railway Security Force (RNB) has sent

a letter to 3 offices fearing a security

breach at the railway station in this

incident. RNB sources confirmed that

the letter was sent to Chattogram CRB

Railway Security Force, Chattogram

Railway Superintendent of Police and

Chattogram Divisional Railway

Manager on Tuesday.

Reportedly, on October 31, RNB

members went to remove hawkers

floating around the new station CNG

parking area as part of routine work.

Meanwhile, an illegal occupier named

Mehdi Hasan prevented the removal of

the temporary shop by showing the

strength of the party's. At one stage the

man got into an argument with the RNB

members on duty and abused them.

Later, the RNB members forcibly

evicted the illegal occupants from the

place. After half an hour, in the

afternoon, some local people under the

Inaugural class

of novice rovers

held at Pabna

Edward College

Abdul hAMid KhAn, pAbnA

CoRReSpondent:

Inaugural class of Rover

Scouts from Government

Edward College was held

with great enthusiasm.

Edward College Principal

Professor Dr. Humayun

Kabiram Jumdar was the

chief guest at the inaugural

class of newly admitted

Rover Companions for the

academic year 2021-2022 at

the Edward College Rover

Scout Den on 1st November.

Editor of College Rover

Professor Belal Hossain

presided over the occasion

where Edward College

Teacher Council Editor Dr.

Md. Aminulhaq, Head of

Department of Sociology Dr.

Shaukat Ali Khan, District

Commissioner Md. Ashraf

Ali, General Editor of

Bangladesh Environment

Movement (Bapa) Pabna

District

Branch,

Distinguished Journalist -

Columnist Abdulhamid

Khan, RSL Mohd Nurul

Alam, RSL Mahfuzulbari,

RSL Asmaul Husna etc was

present as special guests.

RSL Md Robiul Karim,

physical education teacher

of Edward College,

conducted the program as a

whole.

In the speech of the chief

guest, the president of Pabna

Rover Scout Group and the

principal of Edward College,

Professor Dr. Humayun

Kabiram Jumdar said, those

who scout rover are the

golden soldiers of the future.

Rovers will make the people

as efficient as they will be the

leaders of the society and the

country through the work.

The chief guest mentioned

that the trained force was an

alternative to build

Bangabandhu's Sonar Bangla.

leadership of Kamal Parvez Badal

entered the RNB Chowki room.

They entered there and threatened

the members of RNB and tried to create

a chaotic environment by chanting

chaotic slogans. When the officer in

charge (OC) was informed over the

phone, he sent some officers for

immediate security. After the incident,

Kamal Pervez Badal and during the

discussion with the OC along with the

policemen present admitted that the

situation arose due to a

misunderstanding and at that time left

with the organized party.

Sources also said that the former

railway employee Kamal Parvez Badal

who led the procession formed a

terrorist force with some floating

teenagers of rising age. And with them

have been carrying out immoral

activities around the station area for a

long time. Many times during this time,

he with his organized group obstructed

the government work and threatened

the employees on duty with various

threats. The latest example is

yesterday's incident. Therefore, it will

not be possible to ensure the safety of

the station area and the safety of railway

assets unless necessary legal measures

are taken against the terrorist forces

formed under the leadership of Kamal

Parvez Badal on an urgent basis. A

general diary has been made of this

incident. According to local sources,

after the evening of the CNG parking

next to Chattogram new railway station,

the ganja party is held. In addition, the

former employee of the railway Kamal

Parvez Badal also indulged in immoral

acts with juveniles in the station area.

The officer in charge of Railway

Security Force Chattogram Railway

Station Mohammad Aman Ullah Aman

confirmed that letters have been sent to

three offices for fear of security

disturbance at the railway station. He

said that as soon as they entered the

main entrance of the station area, the

occupiers were illegally occupying and

running the shop there.They are given

away. Even on the day of the incident,

RNB members were performing their

duties as part of regular work. At that

time, when the floating hawkers placed

in the empty space of the railway station

were to be removed, an illegal occupant

named Mehdi Hasan prevented the

removal of the shop by showing the

strength of the party's power. Later

some people led by former railway

employee Mo Kamal Parvez Badal

entered to our office and threatened the

RNB members. Therefore, a letter has

been sent to three offices for fear of

security disturbance at Chattogram

railway station in this incident.

during the removal of floating hawkers in the CnG parking area next to the

Chattogram new railway station, former railway employee Md.Kamal parvez

badal threatened Rnb members in charge. photo: Mazharul islam Rana

police in a drive arrested 9 suspected robbers from Gazipur's tongi area

on tuesday night.

photo: unb

9 'robbers' arrested in Gazipur

GAZIPUR: Police in a drive arrested 9 suspected robbers from Gazipur's Tongi area on

Tuesday night, reports UNB.

The arrestees are Shafiqul Islam Babu,19, Abdur Rahman Ashiq,18, Tauhid,28, Shorov,19,

Alamin,25, Iman,21, Arif,19, Yasin,19 and Shakil,19. They hail from different areas in Tongi.

Tipped-off, a team of police conducted a drive from Tongir Station Road to Abdullahpur

Bridge area and arrested the nine robbers along with sharp weapons including knives, said

Ashraful Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Tongi East Police Station.

During preliminary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they are active members of

an organised robbers' gang. They have been involved in looting valuables from bus

passengers and pedestrians in Tongi Bazar and Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for a long time,

he added. A case was filed in this regard, added the OC.

Protest rally

held in

Sarishabari

M. A. Rouf, SARiShAbARi

CoRReSpondent:

Demonstrations and protest

rallies were held in

Jamalpur's Sarishabari

demanding the withdrawal

of the case filed by the police

against Moinul Hossain, the

leader of Truck and Tanker

Owners Association. On

Tuesday evening, the

Tarakandi Jamuna Sar

Karkhana Regional Branch

of the Truck and Tank Lorry

Owners Association

organized a protest rally.

At this time, a protest

procession came out from

the Tarakandi Railway

Station area and gathered in

the protest rally by circling

the various roads of the

Tarakandi Jamuna Sar

Karkhana area.

Leaders of Tarakandi

Truck and Owner

Association Aminul Islam

Bachchu, Kamal Hossain,

Iqbal Hossain Latif and

Mintu Hasan etc spoke in

the program.

The speakers in the protest

meeting complained that

there was a clash between

the two sides of the local

Awami League over the

spread of dominance in the

Jamuna Sar Karkhana. On

his way back home after

work, the police arrested

member of Mohakhali,

Tangail and Jamalpur Bus

Owners Association, leader

of Tarakandi Truck and

Tankoli Association,

Chairman of Taqwa

Transport, Moinul Hossain.

Owners association

protested the arrest and

demanded unconditional

release. The speakers also

warned that if Moinul

Hossain is not released

within the next three days, a

large movement will be

formed in the Tarakandi Sar

Karkhana area.

Income tax opens

information

service month in

Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI: Income tax

zone launched a month-long

information service centre at

its office premises here

yesterday aimed at

extending necessary support

to the taxpayers in terms of

submitting their tax return

for the current 2022-23

financial year, reports BSS.

Income

Tax

Commissioner of the zone

Nuruzzaman Khan said they

have launched the service

centre for the taxpayers so

that they can submit their

tax return smoothly and

correctly. He said they have

introduced the month-long

centre for welfare of the

taxpayers similar to the tax

fair which is also not being

held this year like the

previous two years caused

by Covid-19 pandemic.

Talking to BSS here today

Commissioner Khan said

the taxpayers will get

support of filling up their

return forms accurately side

by side with submitting

those properly. Instantly,

they will also get receipt

copies. Apart from this, the

taxpayers who are interested

to submit E-return will avail

facilities in separate booths

in the centre.

Police arrest online gamblers

in Sarail

Md AlAMGiR MiA, SARAil CoRReSpondent:

The police of Sarail police station

arrested two members of the online

gambling gang from inside Abu Saeed's

grocery store in Sarail, Brahmanbaria.

The arrested are Jalal Miah (32) son of

Abdul Basir Miah of Sarail Upazila Sadar

Union, and Hasan Ali (38), son of

deceased Abul Kashem of Dakshin

Arifail village of the same union.

On Wednesday, Sarail Police Inspector

Md. Shehabur Rahman confirmed the

matter. He said that some gamblers

gambled in a novel manner on mobile

phones through online applications from

within the grocery store of Abu Saeed on

the road to Naogaon from Bazar under

Sarail police station on Tuesday night.

Jalal Mia and Hasan Ali were arrested as

they are destroying the image of the

country along with destroying the youth

society. Cash-Tk 6310 and an Oppo A16e,

Samsung Galaxy A30 mobiles were

recovered from them while gambling in a

fancy way on mobile phones through

online applications.

The investigation officer also said that a

case has been filed against the arrested in

Sarail police station.

inaugural class of Rover Scouts from Government edward College was

held with great enthusiasm.

photo: Abdul hamid Khan

Khoksha upazila CL president's

brother sustains bullet injuries

KHOKSHA: The younger brother of

Kushtia's Khoksha upazila Chattra League

president sustained bullet injuries in an

attack by unknown assailants over a childlike

election to a union parishad at the

upazila on Tuesday night, reports UNB.

The injured is Abdul Awal Kanak Khan, 25,

younger brother of the upazila unit Chattra

League President Shimul Ahmed Khan and

son of Bakkar Khan of Malishia village under

Joyantihazara union in the upazila.

Kanak sustained the bullet in his neck on

his way to home at his village around 9pm

leaving him critically injured.

He was rushed to Kushtia General

Hospital where he was undergoing

treatment. Locals said a heated environment

had been prevailing in the upazila over a Byelection

to a union parish between

supporters of the AL-nominated candidate

and rival individual for the past few days.

President Shimul in a Facebook post from

his personal account alleged that local

lawmaker Barrister Selim Altaf George and

the upazila unit AL President Babul Akter

were behind the attack.

The lawmaker, however, denying the

Two arrested over hoarding

OMS rice in Khulna

KHULNA: Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)

members arrested two people for illegally

hoarding 14,000kg rice meant for poor

people under the government's Open Market

Sale (OMS) programme in Khulna on

Tuesday morning, reports UNB.

The arrestees are Nadim Ahmed, son

of Hashem Sheikh from the district's

Sonadanga area and Rabiul Islam, son of

Abul Khaleque from West Baniakhamar

area.

Among the arrestees, Nadim is the owner

of the warehouse where the rice was kept.

According to Rab, the elite force had kept

some rice warehouses in the city's Barmashil

road area under their watch after receiving

the information that some unscrupulous

traders were selling the government's OMS

allegation claimed that he had no

involvement with the attack and condemned

it. Syed Ashiqur Rahman, officer-in-charge

of Khoksha police station, said though

electoral campaign got stopped, infighting

among supporters of the candidates were

going on. An effort is on to nab the

miscreants in this connection, he said.

Drug peddler held with 5.2-kg

hemp in C'nawabganj

CHAPAINAWABGANJ: Members of Rapid

Action Battalion (RAB) detained an alleged

drug peddler with 5.2 kgs of hemp from

Chapainawabganj town on 1st Nov, reports

BSS.

The detainee was Md Jewel Rana, 32, of

Uzirpur village under Shibganj upazila in the

district.

RAB said, acting on detective information,

an operation team of RAB-5 from

Chapainawabganj camp conducted a raid at

Biswaroad intersection in the town at around

9 pm and held Jewel Rana with the hemp.

rice in the black market at high rates instead

of selling to the poor at low rates.

"Nadim and Robiul were unloading

the rice from government-sealed sacks

and putting it inside some unmarked

sacks when Rab caught them redhanded.

During the drive, we recovered

100 sacks of 50kg rice and 390 sacks of

25kg rice from them. We've also lodged a

complaint against them in this regard,"

said Tahan Chakma, Senior Assistant

Superintendent of Police (Senior ASP) of

Rab-6 (Khulna).

Lt. Colonel Mohammad Moshtaque

Ahmed, Director of Rab-6, said an

investigation has started to find out how

some rice traders are getting OMS rice and

who are assisting them in this practice.

Rapid Action battalion (Rab) members arrested two people for illegally hoarding 14,000kg

oMS rice.

photo: unb

THURSdaY, NoVeMBeR 3, 2022

7

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced he will attend the UN climate change conference,

reversing an initial decision not to go because of "pressing domestic commitments.

Photo : Internet

UK's Sunak U-turns and says he

will go to COP27 in Egypt

LONDON : UK Prime Minister Rishi

Sunak on Wednesday announced he

will attend the UN climate change

conference, reversing an initial decision

not to go because of "pressing domestic

commitments".

"There is no long-term prosperity

without action on climate change.

There is no energy without

investing in renewables," he wrote

on Twitter.

"That is why I will attend @COP27P

next week: to deliver on Glasgow's

legacy of building a secure and

sustainable future."

Sunak's original decision not to

attend the gathering in the Red Sea

resort of Sharm el-Sheikh drew the ire

of environmental campaigners.

But a U-turn was hinted at on

Tuesday when his spokesman said

the decision was "under review" and

after reports that Boris Johnson

Moscow doesn't

care if the world

goes hungry: US

WASHINGTON : The

United States on Tuesday

accused Russia of deciding

to let the developing world

"starve" after pulling out of a

UN-brokered deal with

Ukraine to export grain.

The body overseeing the

July deal, also negotiated by

Turkey, said that grain

exports will halt as of

Wednesday after Russia

over the weekend

announced a pullout.

"Any decision by the

Kremlin to disrupt this

initiative is essentially a

statement that Moscow

doesn't care," State

Department spokesman

Ned Price said.

"Moscow doesn't care if

the world goes hungry.

Moscow doesn't care if

people starve. Moscow

doesn't care if the world's

food insecurity crisis is

compounded," he told

reporters.

Price said that the United

States backed efforts by UN

Secretary-General Antonio

Guterres to revive the pact

and will do whatever "he

deems useful for us" to do.

"Any decision by the

Kremlin to disrupt this

initiative is essentially a

statement that Moscow

doesn't care," State

Department sp

Russian President Vladimir

Putin has demanded security

guarantees from Ukraine,

which he invaded in February,

after he accused Kyiv of using

the grain corridor to attack

Russian ships in Crimea.

Price a day earlier accused

Russia of "extortion" with the

demand. Asked Tuesday if

the United States would

support changes in the

arrangement, Price said,

"The initiative was working."

He pointed to UN figures

that nearly 10 million

metric tonnes have been

shipped, helping ease

global food prices that had

soared after the invasion of

Ukraine, a global

breadbasket. Price said that

"every single ounce" of food

benefited the world's

hungry.

would attend. Johnson, who hosted

last year's COP26 meeting in Glasgow,

on Tuesday night confirmed he would

be in Egypt after receiving an invitation

from the hosts.

That led many political

commentators to conclude Sunak

would be forced into going, to avoid

being upstaged by his controversial

predecessor.

There has been bad blood between

the pair since Sunak triggered

Johnson's downfall by quitting as his

finance minister in July.

Johnson blamed Sunak for causing

the resignation of dozens of others in

government and pointedly supported

Liz Truss in the race to replace him.

Truss's short-lived tenancy in

Downing Street ended last month

after just 49 days in which her

unfunded tax cuts triggered turmoil

in the financial markets.

Sunak, appointed on October

25, has to clear up the fiscal mess,

but campaigners said the

environment should not be

sacrificed as a result.

During his tenure, Johnson

championed renewable energy as the

key to a greener UK economy and its

quest for net zero carbon emissions by

2050.

The Green Party's only MP in the UK

parliament, Caroline Lucas, called

Sunak's announcement a "screeching

U-turn".

"But what an embarrassing mis-step

on the world stage," she tweeted. "Let

this be a lesson to him-climate

leadership matters.

"Now he urgently needs to

increase UK ambition on emission

reduction targets & pay what we

owe to global climate funds," she

tweeted.

Veteran Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on the cusp of

returning to power Wednesday, with initial election results showing his

alliance with the extreme right taking a narrow lead. Photo : Internet

Netanyahu scents election

victory with far-right allies

JERUSALEM : Veteran Israeli politician Benjamin

Netanyahu appeared on the cusp of returning

to power Wednesday, with initial election

results showing his alliance with the extreme

right taking a narrow lead.

With around 84 percent of the vote counted at

0755 GMT, according to the Central Elections

Committee, Netanyahu could be set for a dramatic

comeback.

"We are close to a big victory," he told supporters

of his right-wing Likud party at a rally early

Wednesday. But his main rival, caretaker Prime

Minister Yair Lapid, told his own supporters in

Tel Aviv that "nothing is decided", and that his

centrist Yesh Atid party "will wait patiently... for

the final results". The two rivals are vying for a

majority coalition in Israel's 120-seat parliament,

with initial results putting Netanyahu's bloc

ahead after the country's fifth election in four

years. The former premier is buoyed by the rise of

the extreme-right Religious Zionism bloc of Itamar

Ben-Gvir, which made major gains and is

expected to emerge as the third-largest party.

"Netanyahu wants a decisive victory; Lapid

hopes for a tie, Ben-Gvir celebrates," read the

front page of Israel's influential Yediot Aharonot

newspaper, as rivals of Israel's longest-serving

premier hold their breath.

But small parties whose seats could play a crucial

role in coalition talks are teetering on the edge

of the electoral threshold. The margins appear

wafer-thin and previous elections have

shown that slight adjustments during the

count can make or break a government.

Ecuador declares emergency after

5 police officers gunned down

GUAYAQUIL : Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of exception in two

provinces Tuesday, after at least five police officers were killed and prison guards taken hostage in

the latest wave of attacks in the deadly gang war consuming the country. The state of exception

and nightly curfew in the coastal provinces of Guayas and Esmeraldas will be in place for 45 days,

and allows the government to limit freedom of assembly and movement. Officials said organized

crime groups launched at least 13 attacks with explosives and firearms against police and oil

installations in response to a transfer of inmates from Guayas 1 prison. The prison authority also

reported that "shots were fired inside" the facility. Located in the southwestern port city of

Guayaquil in Guayas province, the prison was one of the main scenes of a series of prison massacres

that have left about 400 inmates dead since February 2021.

War and peace

collide in Ukraine's

recaptured ruins

BILOZIRKA : The two Ukrainian

women sat laughing on a

sunny bench during a day-long

lull in Russian shelling and

argued about what it feels like

to be in a war.

The ruins of their village of

Bilozirka stretched along a rutted

road beyond which lay

trenches and artillery pieces

locked in Ukraine's battle for

Kherson.

The Russians have been firing

salvos from the south end of

the road ever since being routed

and retreating from the village

in the first month of war in

March.

The Ukrainians have been

trying to press a more recent

counteroffensive past the Russian

positions into areas around

the Crimea peninsula the

Kremlin seized in 2014.

Anzhelika Borysenko was

telling her older friend that anyone

could get used to anythingeven

in a full-scale war that few

could believe would break out.

The 20-year-old mother of

two had spent March trying not

to be noticed by Russian soldiers

who set up camp in a

school on the opposite side of

the road. She had spent the

subsequent months of Russian

shelling either hiding in cellars

or calculating a safe time to nip

out in search for water and

food. "At first, all you thought

about was when it would finally

end. But now, this feels normal.

We got used to it," Borysenko

said of the war.

Natalia Popesko frowned

and hinted that her younger

friend was missing the point.

"Personally, I feel dead

inside," the 38-year-old said.

"We didn't get used to it. We

simply came to accept that

this is real."

N. Korea fires 23 missiles,

one close to S. Korea

SEOUL : North Korea fired at least 23 missiles

Wednesday, including one that landed close to

South Korea's waters in what President Yoon

Suk-yeol said was "effectively a territorial invasion".

It also fired an artillery barrage into a maritime

"buffer zone", in what experts said was part of an

"aggressive and threatening" response by

Pyongyang to the large-scale joint air drills the

United States and South Korea are currently conducting.

One short-range ballistic missile crossed the

Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border,

prompting a rare warning for residents on

the island of Ulleungdo to seek shelter in bunkers.

Seoul's military said it was the "first time since

the peninsula was divided" at the end of Korean

War hostilities in 1953 that a North Korean missile

had landed so close to the South's territorial

waters. "President Yoon pointed out today that

North Korea's provocation is an effective territorial

invasion by a missile," his office said in a statement.

One of the missiles landed in waters just 57

kilometres (35 miles) east of the mainland, the

military said, adding it was a "very rare and intolerable"

incident. Pyongyang fired a total of seven

short-range ballistic missiles and 16 other missiles,

including six ground-to-air ones, Seoul's

military said.

North Korea also conducted an artillery barrage,

firing into a maritime "buffer-zone" set up in

2018 in a bid to reduce tensions between the two

countries, during an ill-fated bout of diplomacy.

The huge volley of launches were "provocations

against South Korea," said Go Myong-hyun, a

researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they lead up to a

nuclear test," he added.

South Korea, for its part, said it had fired three

air-to-ground missiles into the sea towards the

north of the two countries' maritime boundary.

President Yoon called a meeting of the National

Security Council, ordering "swift and stern

measures so that North Korea's provocations pay

a clear price".

South Korea closed some air routes over the

East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan,

advising local airlines to detour to "ensure passenger

safety in the routes to the United States

and Japan".

North Korea fired at least 23 missiles Wednesday, including one that

landed close to South Korea's waters in what President Yoon Suk-yeol

said was "effectively a territorial invasion".

Photo : Internet

Israel's Netanyahu appears to

hold lead in election

JERUSALEM : Former Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to hold a

narrow lead early Wednesday in Israeli

elections, according to exit polls, potentially

paving the way for a return to power thanks

to a boost from an extreme right-wing ally

known for inflammatory anti-Arab comments.

The exit polls were preliminary, and the

final results could change as votes are tallied.

However, they pointed to a continued

rightward shift in the Israeli electorate, further

dimming hopes for peace with the

Palestinians and setting the stage for possible

conflict with the Biden administration

and Israel's supporters in the U.S.

Tuesday's election was Israel's fifth in less

than four years, with all of them focused

largely on Netanyahu's fitness to govern.

On trial for a slew of corruption charges,

Netanyahu is seen by supporters as the victim

of a witch hunt and vilified by opponents

as a crook and threat to democracy.

The vote, like past elections, was tight.

The exit polls on Israel's three major television

stations all predicted that Netanyahu

and his hard-line allies would capture 61 or

62 seats in parliament, giving him the

majority in the 120-seat parliament needed

to govern.

But the polls showed a small Arab party

close to crossing the threshold required to

enter parliament - a development that

could erase his slim majority.

Elections officials worked through the

night tallying votes. In the early hours of

Wednesday, 13% of ballots had been counted,

and the final outcome remained

unclear.

If Netanyahu's allies emerge victorious, it

could still take weeks of negotiations for a

coalition government to be formed. Continued

deadlock and a new round of elections

are also a possibility.

Speaking in Jerusalem in the middle of

the night, Netanyahu asked his supporters

to have patience and said Likud was "on the

verge of a very big victory."

Perhaps fearing that Arab voters would

deny him victory, Netanyahu tweeted allegations

of violence and vote tampering at

Arab polling stations. He provided no evidence,

and the country's nonpartisan Central

Elections Committee dismissed the

"baseless rumors."

Netanyahu later said he was "asking for

total electoral purity because that's the basis

of democracy."

Arabs make up some 20% of Israel's population

and have been a key factor in blocking

Netanyahu in recent elections. But this

time around their vote was split among

three different factions, each of which was

at risk of falling below the threshold, which

would mean those votes were wasted.

Netanyahu was Israel's longest-serving

prime minister, governing for 12 consecutive

years - and 15 years altogether - before

he was ousted last year by a diverse coalition

led by the centrist Yair Lapid.

But the coalition that Lapid cobbled

together, which included the first Arab party

ever to join a government, was ravaged

by infighting and collapsed after just one

year in power. Those parties were poised to

capture just 54 seats, according to the polls.

Lapid, addressing supporters early

Wednesday, insisted that the race was not

decided.

"Until the last envelope is counted,

nothing is over and nothing is final," he

said.

The night's strongest showing was by

far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir's

Religious Zionism, which emerged as the

third-largest party. At an all-male campaign

gathering in Jerusalem, religious

men wearing Jewish skullcaps and waving

Israeli flags danced in celebration.

Ben-Gvir is a disciple of a racist rabbi,

Meir Kahane, who was banned from parliament

and whose Kach party was

branded a terrorist group by the United

States before he was assassinated in New

York in 1990.

Kahane's agenda called for banning

intermarriage between Arabs and Jews,

stripping Arabs of Israeli citizenship and

expelling large numbers of Palestinians.

Denmark PM to try to form new

government after election win

COPENHAGEN : Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was

in a strong position to remain in power after her Social

Democrats won the most votes Tuesday in Denmark's

election and a center-left bloc in Parliament that backs

her appeared set to retain a majority by just one seat.

The result was preliminary and based on the assumption

that a vote count in Greenland expected early

Wednesday would give the autonomous Danish territory's

two seats to the center-left bloc.

"I am so thrilled and proud. We have gotten the best

election result in 20 years," Frederiksen told supporters

early Wednesday in Copenhagen.

Despite the success, Frederiksen, who heads a Social

Democratic minority government, said she would resign

as prime minister and try to form a new government with

broader support across the political divide, something

she had said suggested before the election.

"It is also clear there is no longer a majority behind the

government in its current form. Therefore, tomorrow I

will submit the government's resignation to the queen,"

said Frederiksen, adding that she would meet with other

parties about forming a new government.

Frederiksen was forced to call the vote earlier this

month amid the fallout from her government's contentious

decision to cull millions of minks as a pandemic

response measure. The cull and chilling images of mass

graves of minks have haunted Frederiksen since 2020

and eventually led to cracks in the center-left bloc.

The Social Democrats remained Denmark's top party

with 28% of the vote, but it remained unclear long into

the night whether the center-left parties together would

reach the 90 seats needed for a majority in the 179-seat

Parliament. Exit polls suggested they would fall short,

but the decisive seat flipped at the very end of the vote

count.

Before that former Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen

appeared set to become kingmaker. His newly

formed centrist party won 9% of the vote for 16 seats,

according to the preliminary results.

Lokke Rasmussen said he too wanted to Mette Frederiksen

to try to form a government but he would not

point at her "as prime minister."

A two-time government leader who lost the 2019 election

to Frederiksen and abandoned the center-right Liberal

party following an internal power struggle, Lokke

Rasmussen, wouldn't say whom he would back as the

next prime minister or whether he saw that role for himself.

"I know for sure that Denmark needs a new government,

" he told jubilant supporters in Copenhagen. "Who

is going to sit at the end of the table we do not know."

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022

8

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited inaugurated its 390th Branch at Sarail in Brahmanbaria on

Wednesday. Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director & CEO of the bank inaugurated the

Branch as chief guest. Md. Omar Faruk Khan, Additional Managing Director of the bank, Md. Ariful

Hoque Mridul, Upazila Nirbahi Officer & Md. Abu Hanif, Vice Chairman of Sarail Upazila Parishad

attended the program as special guest and Md. Maksudur Rahman, Senior Executive Vice President

addressed the welcome speech. Presided over by Shahidullah Majumder, Head of Cumilla Zone, Md.

Doulat Khan, Head of Sarail Branch thanked the audience. Md. Abdul Jabber, Chairman of Sarail

Union Parishad, Babul Meah & Thakur Dhan Biswas, Business persons and Samsunnahar Sultana

Hoque, a Teacher addressed on behalf of clients and well-wishers. Executives & employees of the

bank, clients, well wishers and local elites were present on the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

Export earnings

in July-Oct fetch

7.01pc growth

DHAKA : The export earnings

in the first four months (July-

October) of the current fiscal

year (FY23) witnessed a

growth of 7.01 percent

fetching $16,853.51 million.

The export earnings during

the same period of the last

fiscal year (FY22) were

$15,749.48 million.

According to the latest

statistics of the Export

Promotion Bureau (EPB), the

overall export earnings during

this four-month period,

however, were 3.25 percent

lower than the strategic export

target of $17,420 million.

The EPB statistics also

showed that the single-month

export earnings witnessed a

fall of 7.85 percent bagging

$4,356.62 million.

Data showed the export of

RMG items witnessed a

growth of 10.55 percent

during the first four months of

the current fiscal year (FY23)

totaling $13,952.34 million.

During this four-month

period, the export of leather

and leather products

witnessed a healthy growth of

17.42 percent bagging

$428.46 million followed by

knitwear $7,725.12 million,

woven garments $6,227.22

million and home textile

$434.16 million.

‘Law and order returned’

Hong Kong’s US-sanctioned

leader tells bankers

HONG KONG : Hong

Kong's US-sanctioned

leader said political stability

and business confidence has

been restored following the

crushing of democracy

protests as he opened a

summit on Wednesday

attended by global bankers

including leading Wall

Street executives.

The Asian business hub is

hosting a week of highprofile

events after years of

political unrest and

pandemic travel curbs

tarnished the city's businessfriendly

reputation, sparked

an exodus of talent and

battered its economy,

reports UNB.

The marquee event at the

Four Seasons hotel was

heralded by city leader John

Lee as proof that the

previously shuttered

metropolis is back in

business.

"We were, we are and we

will remain one of the

world's leading financial

centres. And you can take

that to the bank," Lee told

delegates.

A former security chief

who took office this year, Lee

is among the Chinese

officials sanctioned by

Washington for cracking

down on rights in Hong

Kong after huge democracy

protests. Blacklisted

individuals are unable to

hold accounts with the same

banking giants attending the

summit.

Most of the city's political

opposition are either behind

bars or have fled overseas

since those protests.

"Social disturbance is

clearly in the past and has

given way to stability, to

growing business and

community confidence in

Hong Kong's future," Lee

said in his summit speech.

"Law and order has

returned. The worst is

behind us."

Among those speaking at

the summit were Goldman

Sachs head David Solomon,

Morgan Stanley CEO James

Gorman, Blackrock

president Rob Kapito and

JP Morgan Chase

counterpart Daniel Pinto.

But their presence is not

without controversy.

Last week, the leaders of

the bipartisan US

Congressional-Executive

Commission on China called

on Wall Street executives

not to attend, accusing them

of "whitewashing human

rights violations" and giving

political cover to Lee.

The row illustrates the

tightrope faced by

multinationals in Hong

Kong, which is both a

lucrative business gateway

for China and a flashpoint in

increasingly tense relations

between Beijing and

Western powers.

In his speech Lee said the

city has an "irreplaceable

connection" to mainland

China for global businesses

"as the centre of economic

gravity in the world shifts

eastward".

The summit comes at a

time of uncertainty over

China's economy under

President Xi Jinping.

Xi, who secured a normbreaking

third term last

month, has overseen

regulatory crackdowns

clipping the wings of some

major Chinese companies

and is still sticking to a strict

zero-Covid strategy.

First Security Islami Bank Ltd. organized a daylong Meeting with Managers of the DhakaNorth Zone

of the bank. Syed Waseque Md Ali, Managing Director of the Bank presided over the meeting. Among

others, Abdul Aziz and Muhammad Mustafa Khair, Additional Managing Director(s), Md. Zahurul

Haque and Md. Masudur Rahman Shah, Deputy Managing Director(s), Khundker Shamim Ahmed,

Zonal Head of Dhaka North Zone, Divisional Heads of the Head office the bank were participated in

the program. The meeting reviewed the operational performances of individual branches and delivered

directions to attain targets set for the upcoming period.

Photo : Courtesy

Fed poised for further US rate hike

as political pressure mounts

WASHINGTON : US central bankers

are expected to announce another steep

interest rate hike Wednesday as they try

to prevent soaring inflation from

becoming ingrained, but politicians are

piling on the pressure in the final days of

the midterm elections.

The Federal Reserve has embarked on

an aggressive campaign to cool the

economy this year as inflation surged to

its highest rate in decades, squeezing the

budgets of American families and

propelling economic issues to the top of

voter priorities.

To raise borrowing costs and lower

demand, the central bank has cranked

up the benchmark lending rate five times

this year, including three straight hikes of

0.75 percentage points.

Many analysts expect the Fed to adopt

a fourth straight three-quarter point hike

on Wednesday, and all eyes are on signs

that it could shift to a less hawkish stance

in the coming months.

"There's a growing belief that the

central bank will signal a desire to ease

off the brake over the following few

meetings," said Oanda senior market

analyst Craig Erlam in a note.

But it will be challenging for Fed Chair

Airbnb reports sunny summer

as travel rebound persists

SAN FRANCISCO : Airbnb on Tuesday

reported its highest quarterly profits ever,

confirming that the travel industry

continues its pandemic recovery in the face

of historic inflation.

In the third quarter, the home rental

platform saw its net profit climb 46 percent

year-over-year to $1.2 billion-a result that

would have been even higher without the

negative impact of foreign exchange rates,

the California-based company said.

"Guest demand remains strong," it said,

arguing that new revenue growth will stay

strong in the long term and trips to nonurban

areas "are here to stay as millions of

people have newfound flexibility in where

they live and work."

"At the same time, we've also seen

recovery of urban and cross-border travel,

which comprised the vast majority of our

business before the pandemic," Airbnb

said.

The company noted that the number of

Jerome Powell to tell markets that the

policy-setting Federal Open Market

Committee (FOMC) has begun mulling

a step-down from its current path.

"Markets will likely interpret any

comments about a downshift in

tightening as dovish, signaling the end of

the rate hiking cycle," said economist

Rubeela Farooqi of High Frequency

Economics in an analysis.

And if inflation continues to remain

strong, the Fed could press on with "a

series of half-point hikes, rather than

further slowing the pace of increases,"

she added. With its deliberations ending

at midday, the FOMC is expected to

announce its decision at 1800 GMT

Wednesday.

Powell's press conference after the

meeting will be closely watched for clues

on how much further he thinks the Fed

must go before declaring victory in the

inflation fight.

As central bankers walk a tightrope

fighting inflation while avoiding tipping

the economy into a recession, politicians

are ramping up pressure on Fed officials

amid growing worries of a downturn.

Senator Sherrod Brown, the

Democratic chair of the Senate Banking

new "hosts"-people listing properties on its

site-is also rising.

"Just like during the Great Recession in

2008 when Airbnb started, people are

especially interested in earning extra

income through hosting," the company

said.

In the third quarter of 2022, Airbnb said

it recorded nearly 100 million overnight

stays and experience bookings-such as

guided tours -- 25 percent more than the

same period last year.

Its quarterly revenue jumped 29 percent

to $2.9 billion, beating market

expectations.

Airbnb says it expects its revenue to

continue growing in the fourth quarter.

The platform expects revenue of between

$1.80 billion and $1.88 billion during the

holiday season, a range slightly below what

analysts were hoping for.

The company's stock lost more than 5

percent in after-hours trading.

Committee, urged the Fed last month to

show commitment to its multi-pronged

legal mandate-of promoting maximum

employment, stable prices, and

moderate long-term interest rates in the

economy.

"For working Americans who already

feel the crush of inflation, job losses will

make it much worse," Brown said in a

letter to Powell.

Democratic senators including

Elizabeth Warren also expressed

concern this week over the Fed's rate

hikes, as President Joe Biden's party

faces growing voter frustration over high

inflation.

"It may come too late to avoid a

recession but the Fed has been very clear

from the start that while a soft landing is

the desirable and attainable outcome,

getting inflation under control is the

primary focus," said Oanda's Erlam.

As higher rates take the heat out of

economic momentum, there is likely to

be "moderation in the labor market

before a mild recession in (the first half

of) 2023 brings about more marked

change," said economist Matthew

Martin of Oxford Economics in an

analysis.

Manchester Arena's

weapon scanning

tech questioned

Some of the world's biggest

venues, including Manchester

Arena, are using weapons

scanners "incapable" of

detecting some large knives,

reports BBC.

Evolv, a company that sells

artificial-intelligence (AI)

scanners, claims they can

detect all weapons.

But documents shared with

BBC News by research firm

IPVM suggest they may fail to

detect certain types of knives,

as well as some bombs and

components.

Evolv told BBC News it had

told venues of all "capabilities

and limitations".

Marion Oswald, of the

government's Centre for Data

Ethics and Innovation, told

BBC News: "There needs to be

more public information and

more independent evaluation

of these systems before they

are rolled out in the UK.

Mercantile Bank Limited distributed loan among entrepreneurs at a ceremony arranged at

Bangladesh Bank Training Academy in Dhaka recently after conducting a month-long training

course at Khulna under the Skills for Employment Investment Program (SEIP) tranche-3 Project of

Bangladesh Bank. Abdur Rouf Talukder, Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Abu Farah Md. Nasser,

Deputy Governor of BB and Md. Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, Managing Direcor & CEO of Mercantile

Bank handed over the dummy cheques to the trained entrepreneurs. Md. Ekhlasur Rahman,

Executive Director, SEIP Project, BB, Senior officials of BB and Ministry of Finance, Mohammad

Faruque Ahmmed, SVP & Head of SME, Md Nazrul Islam, FVP and Md. Rezaul Islam, FAVP of MBL

were also present in the ceremony.

Photo : Courtesy

Rabbithole becomes the Champion of

‘BASIS National ICT Awards-2022’

'Rabbithole', popular sports

and entertainment online

platform, has won the

Championship in 'Mass

Media and Entertainment'

category at the BASIS

National ICT Awards-2022

in recognition of providing

innovative services in the IT

sector of the country. The

award was presented to the

organization at the fifth

edition of BASIS Awards,

held at a five-star hotel in the

capital on Monday (October

31) night. In addition to

winning the BASIS National

ICT Awards-2022 this year,

'Rabbithole' has also been

selected for the international

competition of the APICTA

Awards. APICTA Awards are

known as the Oscars of the IT

sector in Asia-Pacific region.

Ziauddin Adil, Honorary

Consul of Congo (DRC) and

Co-founder and Managing

Director of Rabbithole,

received the award on behalf

of Rabbithole. Nazmul Alam

Swarup, Head of Operations-

Rabbithole, Ahsanul Hasan,

Partnership General

Manager- Rabbithole, along

with other officials were

present at the time.

As the Chief Guest of the

occasion, the Honorable

State Minister, ICT Division,

Junaid Ahmed Palak,

delivered a video message.

Under the chairmanship of

President of BASIS, Russelle

T Ahmed, NM Zeaul Alam

PAA, Senior Secretary, ICT

Division, and President of the

Federation of Bangladesh

Chambers of Commerce and

Industry (FBCCI), Md

Jashim Uddin were also

present during the occasion.

To recognize innovative,

visionary product and service

projects that have impacted

the country's IT sector, a total

of 68 awards were presented

in 36 categories at this year's

event. The best awarded

projects will participate in the

international competition of

APICTA Awards, known as

the Oscars of the Asia-Pacific

IT sector.

To mark this achievement,

Ziauddin Adil, Co-Founder

and Managing Director,

Rabbithole, said, "Rabbithole

has established itself as a

timely and trusted OTT

platform across the country

by providing quality sports

and entertainment content to

the audience. This award

from BASIS will motivate the

Rabbithole team to further

expand our scope of

services."

Bangladesh Association of

Software and Information

Services (BASIS), the

national trade body for

Software & IT Enabled

Service industry of

Bangladesh, has been

organizing the ICT Awards

annually to recognize and

motivate the country's

promising IT products and

services.

Besides, 'Rabbithole' is a

prominent name in the

Bangladeshi entertainment

and sports world. It is also

known as the 'home of digital'

of cricket, the nation's most

popular game. The journey of

this platform began in 2017

through live broadcasting of

the matches of Bangladesh

national team. Following

that, Rabbithole quickly

gained popularity among all.

Viewers can watch live cricket

national team games and

other popular cricket sports

events such as, ICC

tournaments, BPL, IPL, DPL

etc. from Rabbithole app and

website. Moreover, sports

lovers from all over the

country can directly enjoy

Europe's main football league

- English Premier League and

other interesting leagues,

Spanish league, Italian

league, French league.

tHUrSDAY, NoveMBer 3, 2022

9

Bayern's Benjamin pavard (second left) heads in to score their first goal of the game during the Champions League

Group C match.

photo: Ap

Swiatek cruises

to win over

Kasatkina

SportS DeSk

World number one Iga

Swiatek opened her seasonending

WTA Finals

campaign Tuesday with a

straight sets victory over

Russia's eighth-ranked

Daria Kasatkina, reports

BSS.

Polish star Swiatek, who

has enjoyed a stellar year

that included Grand Slam

singles titles at the French

and US Opens, eased to a 6-

2, 6-3 victory in 1hr 22min at

Fort Worth's Dickies Arena

in Texas.

The 21-year-old is the

heavy favourite to add to her

tally of eight tournament

victories at this week's eightplayer

tournament.

Against Kasatkina on

Tuesday, the three-time

Grand Slam champion was

quickly into her stride,

racing to a 3-0 lead after an

early break of serve.

Swiatek wrapped up the

first set in just 37 minutes

after securing another break

of serve in the eighth game.

The second set followed a

similar pattern, as she

grabbed an early break to

take control for a 3-0 lead

before closing out the set.

Swiatek is aiming to atone

for her disappointing display

at last year's finals, held in

Guadalajara, when she failed

to qualify for the semi-finals.

The tournament features

two groups of four players

who play in a round-robin

format, with the top two in

each group advancing to the

semi-finals.

England's Walker,

Phillips likely to be

fit for World Cup

SportS DeSk

England internationals Kyle

Walker and Kalvin Phillips are

likely to recover from their

injuries before the World Cup

begins in Qatar later this

month, Manchester City

manager Pep Guardiola said

today, reports UNB.

Walker underwent groin

surgery in early October,

while Phillips has been

sidelined due to a shoulder

problem. The pair are racing

against time to be fit before

England begin their World

Cup campaign against Iran in

Group B on Nov 21.

England, who will also face

Wales and the United States

in their group, reached the

semifinals at the 2018 World

Cup in Russia.

"It's likely (they can be

ready), the way they recover,"

Guardiola told reporters.

"I don't know intentions for

Gareth. He spoke with the

players and doctors regularly.

They know better than me.

What I hear in the dressing

rooms is that they can be

ready."

Asked if Walker and Phillips

are desperate to return,

Guardiola replied: "I would

say yes. You don't play a

World Cup every week."

Bayern close group stage

with 2-0 win over Inter

SportS DeSk

Bayern Munich completed a

perfect group stage by beating

fellow qualifiers Inter Milan

2-0 thanks to goals from

Benjamin Pavard and Eric

Maxim Choupo-Moting in

their final Group C game,

reports UNB.

Bayern ended top on 18

points, eight ahead of secondplaced

Inter with both teams

having already reached the

knockout stage.

Barcelona finished third on

seven points, eliminated in

the group stage and having to

settle for a Europa League

place for the second year in a

row.

With Bayern and Inter

having nothing riding on the

game, it was an affair that

won't live long in the memory.

Having won their last six

games in all competitions and

with Group C top spot already

secured, Bayern's Julian

Nagelsmann rested several

regulars and Inter were better

at the beginning.

They pressed the hosts early

and complained about a

handball inside the area by a

Bayern defender at the

beginning of the first half, but

the referee, after checking the

pitch-side monitor, decided

there was no infringement.

Inter could have scored first

in the 27th minute if Lautaro

Martinez had not missed a

sitter. Robin Gosens made a

great run down the left and

delivered a perfect low cross

to the Argentine who

ballooned his close-range

finish over an empty goal.

In the very next move,

Pavard did score for Bayern

with a header from a perfectly

placed Joshua Kimmich

corner. Bayern took control

but only extended their lead

midway through the second

half when Choupo-Moting

drilled an unstoppable longrange

strike into the top right

corner.

The Cameroon striker has

six goals and two assists in the

last five games for Bayern in

all competitions.

German pubs garner

support over World

Cup screening boycott

SportS DeSk

Two pub owners in Germany will not be

showing matches from the Qatar World Cup,

saying they took the decision from "an

ethical standpoint" given the Gulf state's

record on human rights, reports UNB.

Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to

host the World Cup, has come under intense

international pressure for its treatment of

foreign workers and restrictive social laws.

Disquiet over the country's human rights

record has led to calls for teams and officials

to boycott the games at the Nov 20 to Dec 18

tournament.

"Too many human rights were violated -

and from an ethical standpoint, I can't justify

it," Fanny Delaune, owner of "Babel" sports

bar in Bonn, told Reuters.

"Some understand it and others will watch

anyway but ultimately, it's my bar and my

decision." Tobias Epping, who owns "Die

Wache" bar in the city, will also do the same.

"Not just me but also my regular

customers who I asked to vote on Facebook

and Instagram decided not to show the

World Cup because there was a point when

we said 'enough'," he said.

"The number of workers killed went

beyond 15,000, stadiums are air conditioned

during times like these, and you can't even

drink a beer which for me as a bar owner

obviously is a part of it: no. We can no longer

support that." "From an economic point of

view: was this a smart decision? Probably

not. But at least you can go to a bar with a

clean conscience…"

A Guardian newspaper analysis in Feb

2021 concluded 6,500 South Asian migrants

had died in Qatar since 2010 and the

International Labour Organisation has said

Qatar is not adequately reporting worker

deaths. The Supreme Committee for

Delivery and Legacy (SC), Qatar's World Cup

organisers, have disputed claims that

thousands of people died during the

preparations for the tournament.

Qatar's government has said its labour

system is a work in progress, but denied a

2021 Amnesty report that thousands of

migrant workers were still being exploited.

A female fan, who did not share her name,

said she would support the boycott by the

bars. "Even if Qatar had great stadiums and

fantastically paid workers, in any case, a

World Cup during the (European) winter is

stupid," she said.

"But in this case, it's totally unacceptable. I

don't feel like watching and I fully support a

boycott. I won't be watching."

The SC, which has promised a carbon

neutral World Cup, says the stadium

cooling systems require about a fifth of the

energy typical to cool spaces of the same

size, such as airport terminals or closed

baseball fields.

The World Cup will be held in late autumn,

when Qatar's summer heat has subsided and

temperatures usually fall to mid-20°C.

A 2021 Guardian newspaper analysis concluded that 6,500 South

Asian migrants had died in Qatar since 2010.

photo: Ap

Bangladesh

U-15 girls

thrash

Bhutan 8-0

SportS DeSk

Bangladesh U-15 girls'

football team opened their

Saff U-15 Championship

campaign with a resounding

8-0 win over Bhutan at

Birshrestha Shaheed Sipahi

Mohammad Mustafa Kamal

Stadium in Dhaka Tuesday,

reports UNB.

The girls in red and green

are aiming to win the

regional age-level

competition for the second

time after 2017 when they

had also hosted the event.

India, who are not taking

part in this year's

tournament, won the other

two editions.

Substitute Sauravi Akanda

Prity bagged a hat-trick for

Bangladesh while Umehla

Marma netted a brace.

Thuinuye Marma, vice

captain Mosammat Joynob

Biri Rita and Kanon Bala

Rani Bahadur also scored

one each.

The home side will take on

the other side of the

competition, Nepal, this

Saturday at the same venue.

RESULT

Bangladesh U-15 8

(Umehla 7, 75, Thuinuye 22,

Joynob 28, Kanon 50,

Sauravi 68, 73, 90+1)

Bhutan U-15 0

Olympics cash

boost for UK's

break dancers

aiming for Paris

SportS DeSk

British breakers will be

backed to the tune of

£135,000 (US$155,722.50)

by UK Sport in their quest to

qualify for the Paris

Olympics in 2024 when

break dancing makes its

Games debut, reports UNB.

Breaking GB, the body

with responsibility for taking

breakers to the Olympics,

will use the funds to help

around seven athletes on

their qualification journey.

Breaking is the latest

freestyle sport to be

introduced at Olympics

following the debut of BMX

freestyle and skateboarding

at the Tokyo Games.

"We're stoked with the

award of the UK Sport

investment fund, to support

our gifted B-Girls & B-Boys

in their preparation towards

Paris 2024," Oliver 'Hooch'

Whittle, president at

Breaking GB, said in a

statement.

"This is just the beginning

of a journey of development

and growth for our sport.

The fact that Breaking will

be taking its place alongside

the other freestyle sports on

the Place de la Concorde at

the Olympic Games will be

one of the most iconic

moments in our history and

will showcase Breaking at

the very highest level to the

world."

Britain excelled in Tokyo

in BMX freestyle with

Charlotte Worthington

winning gold in spectacular

fashion and Declan Brooks

taking a bronze.

Funding body UK Sport

says the support for

Breaking GB shows its

commitment to a wider

range of sports.

"We saw the immense

success of new freestyle

sports in Tokyo, including

skateboarding and BMX

Freestyle which captured the

imagination of the public

and produced some of the

iconic sporting moments of

the Games," Kate Baker,

Director of Performance at

UK Sport, said.

"Breaking has the

potential to produce

similarly memorable

moments in Paris."

Manchester is hosting the

2022 World DanceSport

Federation (WDSF)

European Breaking

Championships on Nov 5-6.

Djokovic beats Cressy

in straight sets at

Paris Masters

SportS DeSk

Defending champion Novak Djokovic

started his chase for a record-extending 39th

Masters title by beating Maxime Cressy of

the United States 7-6 (1), 6-4 in the second

round of the Paris Masters on Tuesday,

reports UNB.

In the first meeting between the two,

Cressy saved three break points in the eighth

game but then hit two double-faults in the

tiebreaker, which Djokovic won with an ace.

Cressy also double-faulted at 4-4 in the

second set to hand two break points to

Djokovic, who broke with a forehand return

winner. The Serb converted his first match

point with a backhand volley.

After lifting trophies in Israel and

Kazakhstan, Djokovic stretched his winning

streak to 10 matches since a loss at the Laver

Cup in September. He will next play Karen

Khachanov or Marc-Andrea Huesler.

Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev and Hubert

Hurkacz stayed in contention for the two

remaining spots at the ATP Finals.

Rublev cruised past John Isner 6-2, 6-3 in

the second round while Hurkacz edged wildcard

entry Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (5), 6-4 in

the first round.

The seventh-seeded Rublev beat Isner for

the first time in four meetings. Isner dropped

serve twice in the opening set and Rublev

capitalized on three forehand errors by the

American to break for a 3-1 lead in the

second.

"From the baseline I was feeling really

confident," Rublev said. "As soon as I was

returning or the ball was in the game, I feel

like I have always advantage, I was not even

nervous."

Isner hit 11 aces, but Rublev did not face

any break points and proved the better

player in rallies, making only five unforced

errors to 13.

Rublev currently occupies the last ATP

Finals spot ahead of Fritz and Hurkacz.

Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Stefanos

Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev

and Djokovic have already qualified for the

eight-man tournament.

Hurkacz served 20 aces, including on both

set points, and saved all eight break points he

faced. Hurkacz hit a forehand return winner

at 5-4 in the second set to convert his only

break point of the match.

In other first-round matches, No. 14 seed

Pablo Carreno Busta ousted Albert Ramos-

Vinolas 6-3, 6-3, French qualifier Corentin

Moutet stunned Borna Coric 3-6, 6-3, 6-4,

Daniel Evans overcame Brandon Nakashima

6-3, 3-6, 6-4, Jack Draper beat Arthur

Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4, lucky loser Fabio

Fognini defeated Arthur Fils 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4),

6-2, and Tommy Paul dispatched Roberto

Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves during the men's singles match against US'

Maxime Cressy on day two of the Atp World tour Masters 1000 - paris

Masters (paris Bercy) - indoor tennis tournament at the AccorHotels

Arena in paris.

photo: Ap

Salah and Nunez secure

Liverpool win but Napoli

claim top spot

SportS DeSk

Late goals from Mohamed

Salah and Darwin Nunez

earned Liverpool a 2-0

victory over Napoli

yesterday but it was not

enough to deny the Italians

top spot in Champions

League Group A, reports

UNB.

Both teams had already

sealed a knockout-stage

spot, but first place in the

group, and a potentially

more favourable last-16

opponent, was still up for

grabs, with Liverpool

needing to beat Napoli by

four goals or more to sneak

to the summit.

The first half felt like an

encounter where both

teams' main priority had

been fulfilled, but the game

sprang to life early in the

second when Leo Ostigard

thought he had put Napoli

in front, only for his header

to be ruled offside after a

VAR check.

With nothing to lose and

top spot out of reach

Liverpool did at least

manage to secure victory

on the night, with Salah

prodding home at the far

post five minutes from

time, before Nunez added a

second in stoppage time.

Napoli's 4-1 demolition of

Liverpool in their group

opener in September

proved crucial in the end,

as they finished on 15

points, the same as

Liverpool, but with a better

goal difference in clashes

between the pair.

"That was the reaction I

wanted to see," Liverpool

coach Juergen Klopp said

after seeing his side

struggle domestically so far

this term.

"We don't doubt our

quality, I don't think

anyone doubts that, but

part of the problem is we

show inconsistency.

"It was the worst possible

start to this group with the

performance against

Napoli. They deserved the

first place in the group."

When the draw was

made, few would have

tipped Napoli to be group

winners ahead of last

season's finalists Liverpool,

but Luciano Spalletti's

team have been in

sensational form right from

the start of the campaign.

Napoli travelled to

England unbeaten in all

competitions all season,

having won their last 13

games in a row - a run

stretching back to before

their humiliation of

Liverpool in September.

They took a more

reserved approach from

the off at Anfield, happy to

sit back and invite pressure

from the hosts.

Nigerian striker Victor

Osimhen, who had scored

six goals in his previous

four games in all

competitions, should have

done better from a good

position in the first half,

before Liverpool countered

and Thiago Alcantara

brought a fine save out of

Alex Meret in the away

goal.

The game needed

something to ignite it, and

Napoli's overturned opener

did just that, with the

Italians frustrated by how

long the decision took to

make.

Liverpool stepped it up a

gear after that, with Nunez

making a real difference

when he came off the

bench.

It was the Uruguayan

whose header was saved

before Salah prodded in,

and he showed his

poacher's instincts at the

death to tap home, a goal

awarded following another

lengthy VAR review.

Salah has now scored 43

Champions League goals

and is just one goal away

from equalling Didier

Drogba as the top scoring

African player in the

competition.

"We are proud of getting

through such a difficult

group, not only getting

through but topping it,"

Spalletti said.

"I think we kept the game

very even; we created

chances for ourselves, we

suffered in moments.

"We were playing a giant

like Liverpool at Anfield. I

can only say well done to

my players."

THURsdAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022

10

Shooting of Bubly’s

‘Prohelika’ begins

TBT REPORT

Noted director Chayanika

Chowdhury has start shooting of her

second movie titled 'Prohelika' on

Thursday in Sylhet. For the first time,

Dhallywood's actress Shobnom

Bubly will pair up with celebrated

actor of the small screen Mahfuz

Ahmed in this movie.

As a pair, Mahfuz and Bubly will

come on the screen which was

confirmed in April. Then director

Chayanika Chowdhury took

necessary preparations for making

this movie. Last week she visited

various locations in Sylhet and gave

an announcement that she will

shoot the movie in Sylhet. As a

part of its continuation,

Chayanika Chowdhury and her

team left Dhaka yesterday. After

starting her journey to Sylhet,

Chayanika wrote on her

Facebook post: "Dream comes

true, so going to. Keep us in your

prayers."

Actor Mahfuz Ahmed informed

that yesterday morning he left

Dhaka for Sylhet to take part in the

shooting of the movie. He said, "We

will take part in shooting for two

weeks at a time in Sylhet."

While taking Mahfuz Ahmed and

Bubly as a pair in her movie

'Prohelika,' director Chayanika

Chowdhury told this correspondent

that she wanted to take Mahfuz in her

directorial first movie. But she didn't

get him. This time she got the

opportunity. She took Bubly because

she will be appropriate for her

character in this movie.

Through 'Prohelika,' Mahfuz will

stand in front of the camera after a

long time. He last acted in a drama

titled 'Sare Tin Khana Chithi' in

2018. His acted last movie 'Zero

Degree' was released in 2015.

Mahfuz Ahmed started his working

career with journalism. He worked as

a cultural journalist at Purnima

magazine. In 1989, he acted in a

small appearance in BTV's popular

drama 'Kon Kanoner Phul.'

Then he got popularity to act in

some dramas directed by late

Humayun Ahmed. In 1999, he first

acted in Humayun Ahmed's movie

'Srabon Megher Din.' It was his

debut in the silver screen.

Later, he acted in movies

'Dui Duari,' 'Joyjatra,'

'Megher Pore Megh,' 'Laal

Sabuj' and others.

It is noted that

Chayanika Chowdhury's

first directed movie was

'Bishwosundori' where

Siam Ahmed and Pori

Moni played two lead

roles. This movie got

several numbers of

national awards. With

her second movie

'Prohelika,' Chayanika

has huge expectation.

Pantho Shahriar wrote

story, dialogues and

script of 'Prohelika.'

Travis gives statement on cheating

on Kylie with rumoured ex Rojean

Travis Scott and Rojean Kar were

reportedly first romantically linked

back in 2013. Keeping up with the

Kardashian-Jenner family just got a

whole lot more complicated, courtesy

of Kylie Jenner's boyfriend Travis

Scott! The 31-year-old musician has

been accused of cheating on the 25-

year-old billionaire with Rojean Kar, a

27-year-old supermodel. For the

unversed, the pair have been

romantically linked together way

before (2013!) Scott and Jenner's love

story began. Kar's name was also

brought up during Travis and Kylie's

brief breakup in 2019, with

speculations going rife of the two

getting involved. Back then, both had

denied the rumours.

A few days back, Rojean Kar's

Instagram Story reawakened the

cheating rumours. In the video

shared, we see what appears to be the

set for a music video shoot with Travis

Scott spotted in the background. "I'm

directing obvi," Rojean captioned the

IG story with a wink emoji. When The

Shade Room posted Kar's story

alongside one of Travis' photo on set,

the supermodel allegedly commented

and proceeded to delete: "I didn't

even realize he was there. Y'all need to

stop perpetuating this s**t."

Travis Scott took to his Instagram

Stories to clap back at the cheating

allegations: “Lot of weird shit going

on. An uninvited person was sneaking

photos on, what was supposed to be, a

closed set while i was directing a

video. I'm saying this for the last time.

I don't know this person. I've never

been with this person.

So please stop with the continuous

cyber games and the fictional

storytelling."

An agitated Rojean Kar didn't take

Travis Scott's statement very lightly.

According to The Shade Room,

Roejan gave a lengthy statement on

her IG Stories. In the video, Kar hit

back: "Okay, so what we're not going

to do is we're not going to lie on me

because…I've been good. I posted

whatever f*****g Story you guys

wanted me to post. I pretended I

didn't know you, went along with

whatever f******g narrative you guys

wanted to no matter how much

bulls**t I got from it. But to say you

don't know me and you've never been

with me, when you've definitely been

with me, when everyone's seen you

with me, when I have pictures and

videos of you with me…c'mon. C'mon,

sir," via Just Jared.

Insisting that she was invited to the

MV shoot where Travis Scott was,

Rojean Kar stated that she never

shows up uninvited anywhere,

claiming to have never taken a "sneak

picture" in her life. However, Kar goes

on to admit that she shouldn't have

posted the video and that it was

absolutely "messy."

Source: Collider

‘Hawa’ gets overwhelming response

at Bangladesh Film Fest

The ongoing Bangladesh

Film Festival in Kolkata,

Chanchal Chowdhury, the

lead actor of 'Hawa', is

soaking in the overwhelming

audience response to the

movie, reports The Economic

Times.

'Hawa', shown free of cost,

had a full house during its two

screenings at Nandan, a

government-sponsored film

and cultural centre in

Kolkata, on the 4th

Bangladesh Film Festival,

which began on 29 October.

'Hawa,' directed by

Mejbaur Rahman Sumon,

tells the story of a group of

fishermen who find a

beautiful young woman in

their net while fishing in the

middle of the sea.

'Hawa' stars Chanchal

The eleven-day Ganga-

Jamuna Cultural Festival

2022 concluded at the

Bangladesh Shilpakala

Academy (BSA) in the capital

on Monday, reports UNB.

Known as a marquee

cultural and drama event in

Bangladesh, the festival's

closing ceremony took place

at the BSA's National Theatre

Hall in the night.

Cultural Affairs Secretary

Abul Mansur joined the

closing ceremony alongside

Ganga-Jamuna Sangskritik

Utsab Parshad convener

Ghulam Quddus, Sammilita

Sangskritik Jote Vice-

President Jhuna Chowdhury,

Bangladesh Dance Artistes'

Association President Minu

Haque and more.

Chowdhury, Nazifa Tushi,

Sariful Razz, Shohel Mondol

and others.

The line of people stretched

for half a kilometer, while a

portion of the audience sat on

the auditorium floor to watch

the film. Following the

overwhelming public

response, the number of

screenings of the film in the

festival was upped from four

to five.

"Our greatest reward is to

get the love of the Kolkata

audience. Feeling so happy

that Hawa was watched by

the film-loving people on this

part of the border as well.

This success reaffirms that

there is no division among

Bengali audiences," Chanchal

Chowdhury told the media on

the sidelines of the inaugural

After the closing ceremony,

theatre group Loko Natyadal

presented 'Tapaswi o

Tarangini,' directed by

Liaquat Ali Lucky.

Also, Nattokendro

showcased 'Punnah' at the

BSA's Experimental Theatre

Hall, Ethic presented

function on Saturday (29

October) night.

However, he regretted that

the film could not be

commercially released in

theatres in Kolkata.

"Apart from Dhaka, Hawa

was screened in many other

places. But it did not happen

'Rajdrohi' in the BSA's Studio

Theatre Hall, and Sylhetbased

Kathakali presented

'Che'r Cycle' at the Nilima

Ibrahim Auditorium of

Bangladesh Mahila Samity in

the capital.

From October 21 to

October 31, the Ganga-

in West Bengal. I understand

there are certain

complications which

prevented its release,"

Chanchal added.

The film will be screened

again today (November 2), a

Bangladesh Deputy High

Commission official said.

Ganga-Jamuna Cultural Festival 2022 concludes

Varun to join

Shraddha's

Stree 2 as

Bhediya

With Stree 2, Amar Kaushik will take the

Dinesh Vijan horror universe forward.

He has locked the script and will start

pre-production post-Bhediya release.

In 2018, Amar Kaushik made his

directorial debut with the Shraddha

Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao starrer

Stree with Dinesh Vijan as a producer.

The horror comedy proved to be a

blockbuster and opened the floodgates

for this genre in the Hindi Film Industry.

Ever since then, there have been

enough conversations about a sequel to

Stree, but there was no concrete

outcome to the same. And now,

Pinkvilla has exclusively learnt that

Amar Kaushik, who is gearing up for

Bhediya with Varun Dhawan and Kriti

Sanon, has locked the script of Stree 2

and is all set to reunite with Shraddha

Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao on the

sequel early next year.

"Amar and his team of writers have

been working on the script of Stree 2 for

a while now, and they have finally locked

a subject that takes forward the legacy of

the first part. They are well aware of all

the expectations and hence, despite

pressures from all ends to make a

sequel, were in no hurry to make Stree 2.

The script has shaped up well and the

team is now all set to take the film on

floors early next year," revealed a source

close to the development.

While prep work is going at the

moment on paper, the pre-production

begins post the release of Bhediya in

November. "The idea is to take it on

floors in the first quarter of 2023," the

source informed adding further that

Stree and Bhediya will be a part of the

Jamuna Sangskritik Utsab

Parishad hosted the 11-day

cultural festival at the BSA's

National Theatre Hall,

Experimental Theatre Hall,

Studio Theatre Hall, National

Music-Dance-Recitation

Auditorium, Open Stage, and

Bangladesh Mahila Samity's

Nilima Ibrahim auditorium.

A total of 122 troupes from

Bangladesh and India

performed at the cultural

festival. Three Indian troupes

-Aneek, Naye Natua - and

dance troupe Chhandey

Chhandey Halisahar

enthraled the audience at the

festival.

Also, 80 performers

presented solo performances

at the festival.

same universe.

"Shraddha has made a brief

appearance in a song of Bhediya and

now, Varun Dhawan too is expected to

have a role to play in Stree 2. The story of

Bhediya eventually leads to Stree and

that would set the ball rolling for

Maddock's unique horror-comedy

universe," the source added.

Apart from Stree and Bhediya, Dinesh

Vijan is also making a Vampire Film

with Ayushmann Khurrana and

Samantha, and this one too is going to

be a part of the horror-comedy universe.

"Three's a company, that started with

Stree. Amar is creatively involved in the

Vampire Film too, which kicks off next

year," the source concluded.

Source: Hindustan Times

H O R O s c O P E

ARIEs

Some close friends could turn you on to a new

interest or perhaps a group you might want to join.

Intellectual stimulation through those closest to

you could open the way to new plans and

innovations. You might want to try combining artistic interests

with technology, Aries, perhaps expanding your knowledge of

photography, computer graphics, or filmmaking. Success and good

fortune through such activities are strongly indicated.

TAURUs

Sudden, unexpected news could arrive

today, perhaps by mail or phone. You

could host a virtual group meeting of

some kind. A lot of exciting information

and stimulating conversation could take

place, Taurus, bringing fresh ideas that spark new

interests. Expect a very busy but productive day,

looking ahead toward the future rather than back

toward the past.

GEMINI

Short journeys in your neighborhood,

perhaps connected with a group you're

associated with, could take up a lot of

your time today, Gemini. Fascinating

and stimulating emails or calls could

arrive. Books and magazine articles could provide

information that sends you in a new direction in

some way. Write down your ideas! You will want to

remember them all.

cANcER

Technology could pave the way for you to

greatly increase your income, possibly

through new skills or investments. This is

likely to be a very positive development,

setting the stage for future financial success. Some

unusual, interesting dreams could come your way,

bringing unexpected revelations about you and your past

- and possibly your future. Write them down! They could

hold important messages for you from your higher self.

LEO

A surprising revelation, either from

within or from sources like books, the

Internet, or communications from others

could set you in an entirely new direction.

You will have an increased sense of freedom, as well as

a clearer and more progressive outlook. You might

consider some pretty heavy changes in your life, Leo,

but don't make any final decisions or arrangements

today. Wait before putting your ideas into action.

VIRGO

Discoveries made through occult sciences

such as astrology or numerology could

see you embrace some rather

revolutionary ideas about yourself, the

world, and life. You could become involved with a

group associated with metaphysical studies or take an

online class or workshop of some kind. This could

mean a new direction for you in some way, Virgo. It

might greatly enhance your life and thinking.

LIBRA

Sudden lucky breaks could come your

way today, Libra, possibly through

friends or groups with which you're

involved. A long-term goal you've been

working toward might bring unexpected but

wonderful results. Virtual group activities,

particularly those involving social or political issues,

could take up a lot of your time. This promises to be

a busy, productive day. Expect the unexpected!

scORPIO

Today you might feel the desire to break

free from your daily routine, Scorpio,

particularly regarding career matters.

You might consider developing a

business of your own, one that would give you a lot

more freedom than you currently have. This is a good

day to start looking into it. You might find that there are

more possibilities out there than you expected.

sAGITTARIUs

A sudden and unexpected opportunity

to take a journey by air could come your

way today, Sagittarius. This might be

something you've wanted for a long

time finally manifesting. Certainly, adventure is in the

air, although it might be mental adventure as much as

physical. Some information could come your way that

catapults you into a new and exciting field of interest.

This promises to be a thoroughly stimulating day.

cAPRIcORN

Technology could pave the way for you to

greatly increase your income, possibly

through new skills or investments. This is

likely to be a very positive development,

setting the stage for future financial success. Some

unusual, interesting dreams could come your way,

bringing unexpected revelations about you and your past

- and possibly your future. Write them down! They could

hold important messages for you from your higher self.

AQUARIUs

The unexpected need to take a journey

by air or spend a lot of time working

could bring about an inconvenient

separation from your partner. While the

reasons for this situation and the projected outcome

are very positive, it can cause a temporary upset in

your relationship. Don't worry about it. The upset will

pass, particularly when the desired results are

attained. Concentrate on the matter at hand.

PIscEs

Is your workplace upgrading its

equipment? Are you in the process of

increasing your technology skills?

Today's planets show that success and advancement

through technology are definitely in the offing for

you, Pisces. If you've been thinking about purchasing

a computer, do it today if you can. Whatever your

goals, you can harness current innovations to help

them along. Give it some thought!

ThURsDAy, NOveMbeR 3, 2022

11

BUET VC congratulates the Champion

Team of VLSI design competition

Vice-Chancellor of

Bangladesh University of

Engineering and Technology

(BUET) Prof. Dr. Satya

Prasad Majumder had a

courtesy call with the

Undergraduate Team of

Electrical and Electronics

Engineering (EEE)

Department of BUET, which

secured the champion

position at the Very Large

Scale Integration (VLSI)

Design Competition

organized at United

International University,

Dhaka, a press release.

On Monday at the office of

the Vice-Chancellor of BUET

the mentor of the champion

team Dr. ABM Harun-ur-

Rashid, Professor,

Department of Electrical and

Electronic Engineering

(EEE), Prof. Dr. Quazi Deen

Mohd Khosru, Dean, Faculty

of Electrical and Electronic

Engineering and Dr. Abdus

Salam Akanda, Professor,

Department of Mechanical

Engineering and Director of

Advisory, Extension and

NIAGARA FALLS : In the US

border town of Niagara Falls,

residents accustomed to the

soothing roar of the famous

waterfalls recently discovered

a much less pleasant sound:

the "haunting hum" of bitcoin

mining farms.

"I get four hours of sleep,

maybe, because of that

constant noise," said

Elizabeth Lundy, an 80-yearold

retired hairdresser. "I can

hear the noise even through

the storm windows."

On a sunny October

morning, a mechanical

whirring could be heard

clearly on Lundy's front

porch. The noise turned to a

deafening din as one walked

two blocks toward Buffalo

Avenue where the US bitcoin

miners operate.

Bitcoin mining farms have

multiplied in the United

GD-1768/22 (5x3)

Research (DAERS) were

present on the occasion.

A total of 26 teams from 9

public and private

universities in the country

participated in the

competition. Only 15 teams

were selected for the final

States since China halted this

activity in 2021. The United

States is now emerging as a

global leader in the industry.

Attracted by the cheap

hydroelectric power available

in Niagara Falls, Blockfusion

took up residence at a former

coal factory there in 2019,

followed by US Bitcoin in

2020, which operates from a

former sodium plant.

US Bitcoin installed

hundreds of noisy fans

outside, needed to cool the

thousands of computer

graphics cards that heat up as

they solve the complex

equations required to earn

them cryptocurrency.

"It sounds like a 747 jet,"

said Frank Peller, a 70-yearold

resident who lives in a

brownstone more than a mile

from this crypto mining

operation.

round. A cheque of BDT

2,00,000 (two lac) and a

trophy were awarded to the

BUET team that won first

place in the competition.

Level 4 students Saleh

Ahmed Khan, Saimur

Rahman Arnab and Kaniz

In Niagara Falls, bitcoin mining

brings a new roar to town

"It's the loudest in the

morning, at night and if

there's high humidity and a

breeze," he added.

He once could sit in his

backyard and hear the roar of

Niagara Falls more than two

miles away. But now, "you

can't hear it at all" and you

can't avoid "the roar of bitcoin

mining every day."

Bryan Maacks, who lives

closer to Buffalo Avenue,

described a "haunting,

vibrating hum"-a vexing throb

that has run through his

house day and night since last

winter.

"It's very mentally daunting.

It's like having a toothache for

24 hours a day every day,"

Maacks, 65, said.

He said he wears

headphones all the time and

uses a fan to block out the

noise to get to sleep.

Costa Rica ends search for downed plane

carrying German fitness billionaire

SAN JOS : Costa Rican authorities on Tuesday

ended the search for the plane in which

German billionaire Rainer Schaller and his

family were traveling, nearly two weeks after it

crashed in the Caribbean.

The small plane-carrying six people-flew

from Mexico on October 21 and disappeared

from radar as it was trying to land at the

airport in the eastern Costa Rican province of

Limon.

A source with the public security ministry

had told AFP that "Schaller, adult male, 53

years old" and five others were listed as being

on the aircraft.

The next day, the remains of a minor and an

adult were found 28 kilometers (17 miles) off

Limon's coast, as well as several parts of the

aircraft fuselage and personal belongings like

bags and backpacks.

"After 11 days of continuous operation, the

different institutions of the Ministry of Public

Security, Air Surveillance, Coast Guard and

land police have concluded (the search efforts)

as no more evidence has been found," said Vice

Minister of Public Security Martin Arias in a

video released to the press.

Fatema Supti were in the

champion team of BUET.

On this occasion, the

champion team was

congratulated by the

Honorable Vice-Chancellor

Prof. Dr. Satya Prasad

Majumder.

Bangladesh

reports 183

more Covid

cases, zero

death

DHAKA : Bangladesh

reported 183 more Covid

cases in 24 hours till

Wednesday morning.

The total fatalities

remained unchanged at

29,424 as no death was

reported during the period.

With the new infections, the

caseload rose to 2,035,517,

according to the Directorate

General of Health Services

(DGHS), reports UNB.

The daily case test positivity

rate dropped to 4.81 per cent

from Tuesday's 5.01 per cent

as 3,802 samples were tested

during the period.

The mortality rate

remained unchanged at 1.45

per cent and the recovery rate

rose to 97.34 per cent.

In September, the country

reported 40 Covid-linked

deaths and 13,251 cases.

Bangladesh registered its

highest daily caseload of

16,230 on July 28 last year

and its highest number of

fatalities of 264 on August 10

the same year.

Digital healthcare stressed

for achieving universal

health coverage

DHAKA : Health experts yesterday laid emphasis on

introducing digital healthcare in both urban and rural

settings for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

It is a huge challenge for Bangladesh to provide quality

health services to the people but introduction of digital

healthcare system is a time befitting option to bring all people

under better healthcare services, they told a discussion in the

conference room of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro here.

Chairman of CMED Health Limited Prof Khondakar A

Mamun made a presentation at the discussion while CMED

Chief Operating Officer Md Ashraf Dawood, journalists from

different media outlets spoke at the roundtable.

In his presentation, Mamun said in the wake of the

alarming rise of non-communicable diseases, the people of

the country particularly in rural areas have limited access to

healthcare facilities. Developing innovative ideas using

medical devices could open easier ways for commoners to get

better treatment facilities at the quickest time, he said.

Mamun said there is a huge potentiality of technologybased

healthcare facilities through adjusting it with the

upcoming Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

He classified three key areas-community based services,

digitization of pharmacies and workplaces-for introducing

digital healthcare services at a very reasonable cost.

Sumaiya Mutiatur, an official of CMED, said Palli Karma-

Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) is implementing different

projects of digital healthcare facilities at 65 unions in the

countries. Nearly 17 lakh people are receiving treatment

facilities under these projects. The CMED is providing its

supports to implement these projects aiming to promoting

digital healthcare services, she added.

Other speakers said Bangladesh lacks efficient medical

professionals, which is ultimately creating an obstacle to

provide proper healthcare services to the people. Digital

healthcare services could play an important role in providing

quality treatment facilities to the people living both in urban

and rural areas, they added.

AL local govt nomination

board joint meeting Friday

DHAKA : The joint meeting of Awami League Local

Government Public Representative Nomination Board will

be held at Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina's official

Ganabhaban residence Friday afternoon.

AL's Local Government Public Representative Nomination

Board President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will chair

the meeting to be held 4 pm, said a press release signed by AL

office secretary Barrister Biplob Barua yesterday.

Party's General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges

Minister Obaidul Quader urged all concerned to remain

present at the meeting on time following health guidelines,

said the press release.

Palestinian killed in West

Bank after wounding

soldier with car

JERUSALEM : Israeli troops killed a Palestinian on

Wednesday after he seriously injured a soldier with a van,

authorities said, as votes were counted in an Israeli general

election.

The army said the man was "neutralised" in the shooting at

the Maccabim checkpoint, near the Israeli town of Modiin.

The Palestinian health ministry later confirmed he had been

killed.

"The assailant got out of his vehicle with an axe to attack

the officer, who fired at the attacker and neutralised him," the

army said. "The officer was seriously injured and taken to

hospital."

The Palestinian health ministry identified the dead man as

Habas Rayan, 54.

The attack came as early results from a Tuesday general

election in Israel gave a narrow lead to veteran right-winger

Benjamin Netanyahu at head of an alliance with religious

parties and the far right.

Kazakhstan seizes jewels

worth $230 million from

ex-leader's nephew

ALMATY : Kazakhstan's

anti-corruption agency said

Wednesday it had seized

jewels worth more than

$230 million, in a case

involving the nephew of exleader

Nursultan

Nazarbayev.

"As a result of operationalsearch

activities, exclusive

gems and precious stones

worth 230 million US

dollars" were seized, the

agency said in a statement.

The agency gave no details

on what kind of stones were

seized.

It confirmed to AFP the

jewels were found as part of

a new investigation against

businessman Kairat

Satybaldy, a nephew of

Nazarbayev.

Palashbari Thana Police of Gaibandha District has become a peoplefriendly

police from great independence and sense of responsibility

towards the state. Under the leadership of police station officer-in-charge

Masud Rana and OC investigation Diwakar Adhikari, the overall investigation

is going on relentlessly. Palashbari police station has become a people-friendly

police as all the police officers and policemen continue to fulfill

their duties.

Photo: Md Asraful Islam

GD-1770/22 (9x3)

Nazarbayev, now 82, ruled

the Central Asian country

from 1991 until 2019.

Satybaldy was arrested in

March and charged with

embezzlement from

n a t i o n a l

t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s

operator Kazakhtelecom

and "other crimes

undermining state security."

He was handed a six-year

prison term in September.

Satybaldy is the first

member of the Nazarbayev

family to be arrested.

The anti-corruption

agency also said Wednesday

that $300 million that he

had invested abroad will be

"soon be given to the budget

of Kazakhstan."

In January 2021, more

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iscyi †K›`ªxq KvivMvi|

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than 230 people were killed

in riots in the Central Asian

country, their cause are still

mysterious.

Current President

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

had estimated that they were

the result of a plot from

abroad, saying "terrorists"

wanted to take power,

without ever providing

evidence to this claim.

Tokayev, who is running

for re-election on November

20, has since undertaken to

strengthen his position and

weaken that of his

authoritarian predecessor.

The capital Astana, which

was renamed in honour of

Nazarbayev in 2019,

regained its original name in

September.

thursday, dhaka : november 3, 2022; Kartik 18, 1429 Bs; rabi-us-sani 7 , 1444 hijri

prime Minister sheikh hasina visited the Bangabandhu study Center at BCs

administration Center after inaugurating the center.

photo : pId

Serve people with devotion,

change their fate : PM

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

on Wednesday asked a team of the newly

appointed public servants to devote themselves

for changing the life of the people.

"All have to indulge with patriotism, you

have to devote yourselves to change the

fate of the people of the country," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while

addressing the certificate-giving and closing

ceremony of the 124th, 125th and

126th Law and Administration Training

Courses at Bangladesh Civil Service

Administration Academy in capital's

Shahbag area, reports UNB.

She also directed them to identify themselves

as "the servants of the public."

"I want that you will serve the people

aiming to advance the country towards

development," she said.

She reminded them that a country

needs to concentrate on developing communication

infrastructure, health, agriculture,

education, power systems to build it

as a developed and prosperous one alongside

taking welfare programmes for the

people.

"I believe our new officers act accordingly,"

she added.

The Prime Minister also asked the new

officials to prepare themselves for the

transition in 2041 as the government has

fixed the deadline to transform the country

into a developed one by then.

"Many things depend on the new officials

of the administration and they will

have to advance with appropriate plans,"

she said. The new officials of the administration

have the scope to change the fate of

the commoners, she said adding that her

government puts priority on developing

the country from the grassroot level.

Quoting from the speech delivered by

Bangabandhu in 1972, the Prime Minister

said that the government officials will have

to dedicate themselves for delivering services

and give priority on the national interest

rising above all.

She mentioned that patriotism and

sense of self dignity of the government

officials is very important.

Hasina put emphasis on educating the

people and creating employments for the

youths and said that her government has

opened the private sector.

She mentioned that no nation can

achieve desired development unless both

male and female can advance together in a

society.

Pointing out Covid pandemic and the

Ukraine-Russia war followed by sanctions

and countersanctions, the Prime Minister

renewed her call to increase production to

ensure food and nutrition security in the

country. She said that the government has

been able to keep the wheels of the country's

economy running despite Covid-19

pandemic.

Hasina, however, mentioned that people

around the world including developed

countries like the United States and other

countries in Europe have been suffering

due to the Ukraine war.

Risky ways of supplying gas in cylinders

Petrobangla body for strong safety

rules to prevent disasters

DHAKA : A technical committee of

Petrobangla recommended formulating

separate safety and security guidelines to

allow any private company to supply gas

from Bhola to local industries as CNG

(compressed natural gas).

"We've submitted our report to the top

management of Petrobangla recently", a

member of the committee, preferring

anonymity, told UNB.

He said the committee also recommended

involvement of the Department

of Explosive in ensuring compliance of

certain security protocols. The committee

also wants strong monitoring by the

RPGCL to ensure specific procedures in

gas transportation for motor vehicles.

The state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas

and Mineral Corporation, or Petrobangla,

formed the committee last month after

three local CNG refuelling companies

expressed their interest to carry natural

gas in CNG form from Bhola to Dhaka in

trucks and covered vans.

Each truck or covered van will have a

good number of gas cylinders, each having

90-kg gas containing capacity.

These companies-Intraco CNG, Super

CNG and Oblivious-submitted separate

proposals to the Sundarban Gas Company

Limited (SGCL), a Petrobangla subsidiary

responsible for distribution of natural gas

from Bhola field to the southern and eastern

parts of the country.

The SGCL forwarded the proposals to

Petrobangla for the decision.

Receiving the proposals, the

Petrobangla formed a 4-member technical

committee, headed by director (planning)

to examine the proposal and recommend

follow-up actions.

A senior official from Rupantarita

Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL)

was also kept in the committee as currently

this company is responsible for import

of gas through liquefied natural gas (LNG)

and also for issuing permission for setting

up CNG stations.

Another member of the committee said

that ensuring safety is a must. Otherwise,

it will be impossible to check anarchy and

risk in this business as the gas will be carried

through highways.

The issue of the supply of gas from

Bhola came to the focus following the

Prime Minister's Energy Advisor Dr

Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury's recent

assurance to a gathering of top business

leaders to supply such gas within 2-3

months.

Petrobangla officials said that when the

country has been experiencing a nagging

gas crisis, the Bhola gas field has surplus

production capacity which remains

unutilised due to supply mechanisms.

The gas field's production capacity is 170

million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) while

it produces 90 MMCFD.

China's Xi meets

Pakistan's Shahbaz

BEIJING : Chinese President Xi Jinping

met with Pakistani Prime Minister

Shahbaz Sharif in Beijing on Wednesday,

says UNB.

China has always viewed its relations

with Pakistan from a strategic and longterm

perspective and prioritized Pakistan

in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi told

Sharif, who is on an official visit to China.

China appreciates Pakistan's firm will

for friendly cooperation with China and

appreciates its support on issues related to

China's core and major concerns, Xi said.

China will firmly support Pakistan's

efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty,

territorial integrity, development interests

and national dignity, he said.

China sympathizes with the Pakistani

people who have suffered from the devastating

floods and will provide additional

emergency assistance to help Pakistan in

post-disaster reconstruction, Xi said.

Xi briefed Sharif on the important

outcomes of the 20th National Congress

of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

He pointed out that China will continue

to adhere to the basic state policy of

opening-up and continue to provide

new opportunities to Pakistan and other

countries with China's new development.

He called on the two sides to advance

the construction of the China-Pakistan

Economic Corridor with greater efficiency

and welcomed Pakistan to expand its

export of high-quality agricultural products

to China.

Russia rejoins key

deal on wartime

Ukrainian grain

exports

KYIV, Ukraine : Diplomatic efforts salvaged

a wartime agreement that allowed

Ukrainian grain and other commodities to

reach world markets, with Russia saying

Wednesday it would stick to the deal after

Ukraine pledged not to use a designated

Black Sea corridor to attack Russian

forces, reports UNB.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a

statement that Ukraine formally committed

to use the established safe shipping

corridor between southern Ukraine and

Turkey “exclusively in accordance with the

stipulations” of the agreement.

“The Russian Federation believes that

the guarantees it has received currently

appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation

of the agreement,” the ministry

said, adding that mediation by the United

Nations and Turkey secured Russia’s continued

cooperation.

Russia suspended its participation in

the grain deal over the weekend, citing

allegations of a Ukrainian drone attack

against its Black Sea fleet in Crimea.

Ukraine did not claim responsibility for

the attack, which some Ukrainian officials

blamed on Russian soldiers mishandling

their own weapons.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan said the renewed deal would

again come on stream Wednesday,

prioritizing shipments to African

nations, including Somalia, Djibouti

and Sudan.

That’s in line with Russia’s concerns

that most of the exported grain had ended

up in richer nations since Moscow and

Kyiv made separate agreements with

Turkey and the U.N. in July.

BNP is the father of politics of

revenge : Obaidul Quader

DHAKA : Claiming that Awami League

does not believe in the politic of revenge,

Awami League (AL) General Secretary

Obaidul Quader yesterday said BNP is the

father of such politics, reports UNB.

"The August of 1975 gives testimony

that who does the politics of revenge. The

August 21 grenade attack proves who does

the politics of revenge," he told a press

briefing at the Setu Bhaban here.

Quader, also the Road Transport and

Bridges Minister, said the name of the AL

is the name of the efforts to move forward

together against the BNP's politics of

revenge. Bangabandhu's daughter, Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina, rushed to the

BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's

house to express sympathy over the grief

of losing Khaleda Zia's son as the AL president

wanted to create a trend of liberal

politics, he said.

Reminding the BNP leaders of such

kindness, the AL general secretary questioned,

"Did you remember how inhumanly

behaviours you showed then?"

"Begum Zia was invited to Ganabhaban

ahead of the elections, in what language

did you reply? Even so, Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina held dialogues with BNP

for two times," he said.

Quader said Sheikh Hasina had showed

generosity to the BNP considering the

DHAKA : Bangladesh is now putting out

the welcome mat for brands and retailers

nearly a decade after the Rana Plaza disaster

in Bangladesh, where 1,321 factory

workers were killed in a tragic building collapse

due to a lack of safety precautions.

An event in November in Dhaka, called

Made in Bangladesh Week, will be one of

the largest gatherings of the Bangladesh

apparel industry and its global partners.

Big global brands attending include Puma,

Marks & Spencer and Primark.

Sharon Edelson, a senior contributor of

the world renowned American business

magazine Forbes, wrote this article highlighting

the potentials of Bangladesh's

apparel industry ahead of the mega event.

In her article, Sharon cited that there

has been tangible example of improvement

in the country's apparel industry

including improved sustainability over the

last one decade following that tragic Rana

Plaza building collapse incident.

According to the article published on

Tuesday, the CEO of the Bangladesh

Apparel Exchange, Mustafiz Uddin, has

been pushing for progress in the

Bangladesh apparel industry. Mustafiz

owns a factory called, Denim Expert, and

has been flying the flag for Bangladesh and

interest of the country and its people at the

time when BNP hatched plots to remove

the AL. The AL president has given

Khaleza Zia to receive treatment staying at

her home by releasing her from the prison,

he said.

Responding to a statement of BNP secretary

general Mirza Fakhrul Islam

Alamgir that the government is worried

about the Zia family, the AL general secretary

said everyone knows the history of

misrule and corruption of the Zia family.

Terming the BNP's politics as the politics

of fleeing away on undertakings, he said

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is

now in exile as he was convicted in various

charges, including corruption, looting and

misdeeds, and he does not have the

courage to return home.

About the BNP's habit and culture of

finding fault in everything with the government,

Quader said the court issued an

arrest warrant against Tarique Rahman

and his wife in a graft case.

"It is a legal process. There is no government

interference here," he added. The

AL general secretary said that the Anti-

Corruption Commission (ACC) filed cases

against many people of the ruling AL and

the probes are under against some of

them. The ACC is playing an independent

role in this regard, he said.

BD apparel industry looks inward as 10th

anniv of Rana Plaza tragedy nears: Forbes

also pushing for positive progress.

"The Rana Plaza tragedy was a big

inflection point for a lot of people," said

the Bangladesh RMG industry

spokesperson. "We're approaching that

10-year anniversary. I guess it's time to

open the doors of the industry to the

world and show some of the progress

that's been made but also talk quite candidly

about the work that still needs to

be done across the industry, and of

course, the industry is thinking about

other sourcing nations as well.

"What we've got is quite a unique opportunity

and Mustafiz is fantastic in terms of

access," said the spokesperson. "He's pretty

much happy to fully open the doors in

terms of transparency, whether to provide

factory tours or speaking to workers.

There's also another association that he's

doing the event with, the BGMEA, the

industry association".

"What Mustafiz is really keen on doing

is driving transparency, so those sorts of

things don't happen, and he's really pushing

for more of that," the spokesperson

said. "The level of improvements the company

made from 10 years ago are quite

substantial, but that's not to say that

there's still more that needs to be done.

Fear of security breach at Chattogram railway station

Mazharul IslaM rana, CIty Correspondent (ChattograM)

a view of Chattogram's new railway station.

During the removal of makeshift hawkers

in the CNG parking area next to the

Chattogram's new railway station, former

railway employee Md. Kamal

Parvez Badal has been accused of

obstructing government work and

threatening RNB members in charge.

Chattogram Railway Security Force

(RNB) has sent a letter to 3 offices fearing

a security breach at the railway station

in this incident.

RNB sources confirmed that the letter

was sent to Chittagong CRB Railway

Security Force, Railway Superintendent

of Police and Chattogram Divisional

Railway Manager on November 1.

Reportedly, on October 31 around

4pm, RNB members went to remove

hawkers floating around the new station

CNG parking area as part of routine

work. Meanwhile, an illegal occupier

named Mehdi Hasan prevented the

removal of the temporary shop by showing

the strength of the party's power. At

one stage the man got into an argument

with the RNB members on duty and

abused them. Later, the RNB members

forcibly evicted the illegal occupants

from the place. After half an hour that is

around 4:30 in the afternoon, some

local people under the leadership of

Kamal Parvez Badal they entered the

RNB Chowki room.

They entered there and threatened the

members of RNB and tried to create a

chaotic environment by chanting chaotic

slogans. When the officer in charge

(OC) was informed over the phone, he

sent some officers for immediate security.

After the incident, Kamal Pervez

Badal and during the discussion with

the OC along with the policemen present

admitted that the situation arose due

to a misunderstanding.

Sources also said that the former railway

employee Kamal Parvez Badal who

led the procession formed a terrorist

force with some floating teenagers of rising

age.And with them have been carrying

out immoral activities around the

Printing work of

textbooks to start from

today : Dipu Moni

DHAKA : The printing work of textbooks

will start from Thursday with aim to distribute

those among students on the first

day of 2023, said Education Minister Dipu

Moni on Wednesday.

"We want to distribute textbooks on

time as well as maintaining their quality,"

the minister told reporters in reply to a

question at the Secretariat, reports UNB.

"Now if paper pulp is not available, then

we have to provide paper even if it is secondary

pulp. There will some differences

in the quality of paper, but we have to

ensure acceptable quality," she added.

Dipu Moni said it is not possible to

check all 35 crore textbooks. "We try our

best to maintain the quality as much as

possible." The govt celebrates textbook

festival on the first day of every year to distribute

new books among students which

was not held in the last two years due to

Covid pandemic.

Now the pandemic is under control, the

government wants to return to the old tradition,

said the minister.

On October 29, Dipu Moni said textbooks

will be distributed at schools countrywide

on the first day of 2023.

Defaming PM

Chamber Judge

stays bail to Rajbari

Mahila Dal leader

DHAKA : The Appellate Division on

Wednesday stayed the bail the High Court

granted to Sonia Akter Smrity, a Mahila

Dal leader of Rajbari, in a case filed over

posting 'offensive' content on facebook

against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,

reports UNB.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate

Division M Enayetur Rahim passed the

order after hearing the plea of the state

side. The court stayed the bail order till

November 7.

The court also said that the hearing on

the state's plea will be on top of the cause

list of the Appellate Division.

Senior lawyer AJ Muhammad Ali and

Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal appeared

for the petition in the court while

Additional Attorney General Sheikh

Mohammad Morshed for the state.

On Tuesday, the High Court granted

interim bail to Smrity in the case.

Smrity, wife of Md Khokon Mia of No 3

Beradanga area of Rajbari Sadar, is a

member of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal's

Rajbari district unit and founder president

of Rajbari blood donors club.

Police arrested Smrity on October 4 in a

case filed under the Digital Security Act

(DSA) for posting offensive status on

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on

Facebook .

Arefin Chowdhury, member secretary

of Rajbari district Bangabandhu

Sangskritik Jote, lodged an FIR

against her.

photo : Courtesy

station area for a long time.Many times

during this time, he with his organized

group obstructed the government work

and threatened the employees on duty

with various threats.

The latest example is this incident.

Therefore, it will not be possible to

ensure the safety of the station area and

the safety of railway assets unless necessary

legal measures are taken against the

terrorist forces formed under the leadership

of Kamal Parvez Badal on an urgent

basis. A general diary has been made of

this incident.

03-11-2022

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