05-07-2021

Monday

DhAkA: July 5, 2021; Ashar 21, 1428 BS; Zilqad 23,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 87; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Europe in vaccination

race against COVID-19’s

delta variant

>Page 7

SPortS

Argentina beat

Ecuador, to play

Colombia in semifinal

>Page 9

art & culture

Chanchal, Fariain's

Eid drama 'Darkly

Roasted Coffee'

>Page 10

Covid-19

Govt working

relentlessly to deal with

disasters: Farooque

DHAKA : State Minister for Water

Resources Zaheed Farooque on Sunday

said the Ministry of Water Resources is

working to deal with any disaster

including floods and as part of it, maximum

efforts are being made to prevent

river erosion in the country.

"Our engineers are taking action whenever

the dam is damaged somewhere.

Under the direction of Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina, I am doing round-theclock

monitoring activities all over the

country and giving instructions online,"

he said following an emergency meeting

at the ministry's own office room here.

Addl Secretary (Development) Rokon

Ud-Doula and Bangladesh Water

Development Board Director General

Fazlur Rashid were present on the occasion,

a press release said.

Farooque, also the vice-president of

Barishal district Awami League, further

said emergency dam repair work

should be done to prevent irregularities

by forming a committee in which the

concerned deputy commissioner will

also be included.

Meanwhile, when Member of

Parliament (N’ganj-4) Shamim Osman

contacted on Farooque's mobile phone

about water-logging, the State Minister

said waterlogging has occurred on land

outside the Dhaka-N’ganj-Demra (DND)

project area. The State Minister also said

that he will likely to visit the DND project

area in N’ganj next Sunday to find

out the existing problem.

Record 46 die, 1,304

more test positive for

Covid-19 in Khulna

TiTas ChakraborThey

A total of 1,304 more people have tested

positive for Covid-19 in all 10 districts of

the division on Sunday, climbing the

number of infected patients to 60,564.

Death toll from the disease reached

1,214 including the highest 300 in

Khulna, followed by 245 in Kushtia, 169

in Jashore, 102 in Jhenidah, 98 in

Chuadanga, 89 in Bagerhat, 75 in

Satkhira, 57 in Meherpur, 50 in Narail

and 29 in Magura while 46 more fatalities

were reported afresh during the

last 24 hours, said Dr Rasheda Sultana,

divisional director of Health.

The new recorded 46 fatalities were

reported in nine districts--15 each in

Khulna and Kushtia, seven in Jashore,

two each in Chuadanga, Jhenidah and

Magura, and one each in Meherpur,

Satkhira and Bagerhat-in the division till

8.00am on Sunday.

The new daily infection figure also

shows almost an increased trend compared

to the previous day's figure of 539,

the health department sources said.

Zohr

03:47 AM

12:10 PM

04:41 PM

06:54 PM

08:20 PM

5:14 6:50

Bangladesh records

highest death

TbT rePorT

DHAKA : Bangladesh on Sunday recorded

153 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

deaths, the highest number in a single

day since its first detection on March 8

last year while it recorded 8,661 fresh

cases during the same period, the second

highest in a day.

"The country reported 28.99 percent

COVID-19 positive cases, the highest in a

single day as 29,879 samples were tested

in the past 24 hours while the second

highest positivity rate was 28.27 on July 2

," Directorate General of Health Services

(DGHS) said in its routine daily statement.

The official tally showed the virus

killed 15,065 people and infected

9,44,917 so far, it added.

The recovery count rose to 8,33,897

after another 4,698 patients were discharged

from the hospitals during the

past one day. The DGHS statistics

showed of the people infected from the

beginning 88.25 percent recovered, while

1.59 percent died.

In the past 24 hours, the combined figure

of coronavirus in Dhaka city and

upazilas of Dhaka district is 2,943 while

as of Sunday, 5,31,216 out of 9,44,917

were detected alone in Dhaka district

including the capital.

The DGHS said among the total 15,065

DHAKA : Local Government, Rural

Development and Cooperatives Minister

M Tajul Islam on Sunday inaugurated an

online sacrificial cattle market urging

everyone to buy and sell animals through

online to prevent Coronavirus. He purchased

a cow for the holy Eid-ul-Azha

sacrifice after the inauguration of 'DNCC

Digital Animal Hut' organized by Dhaka

North City Corporation and e-Cab, said a

press release.

Speaking as the chief guest on the

occasion, Tajul advised the people to use

the digital platform at the union level to

include all the people of the country in

online animal buying and selling without

going to the market to avoid public

gatherings due to the high incidence of

Corona infection in the country.

"The situation of Covid-19 has become

more dire this year compared to the last

year and we need to be more careful to

fatalities, 7,728 deaths occurred in Dhaka

division, 2,815 in Chattogram, 1,112 in

Rajshahi, 1,436 in Khulna, 439 in

Barishal, 539 in Sylhet, 657 in Rangpur

and 339 in Mymensingh division.

The DGHS said Bangladesh's COVID-

19 confirmed cases crossed 5,000 mark

on March 29, 2021 and 6,000 mark on

April 1, 202, 7,000 mark on April 4, 2021,

8,000 mark on June 24, 2021.

According to month-wise statistics last

year, 51 COVID-19 positive cases were

detected in March 2020, 7616 in April,

39,486 in May, 98,330 in June, 92,178 in

July, 75,335 in August, 50,483 in

September, 44, 205 in October, 57,248 in

November and 48,578 in December.

The beginning of the current year witnessed

a drastic fall of coronavirus cases

in the country but the trend lasted for

only two months - 21,629 cases were

detected in January and 11,077 in Feb.

After the drastic fall of COVID-19 confirmed

cases, the country witnessed

sharp increase of infection as 65,079

cases were reported in March, 2021 and

1,47,837 cases in April.

The country again witnessed a fall in

May, 2021 as it recorded 41,408 cases.

From the beginning of June, 2021, the

country recorded a sharp rise with

1,12,718 cases, the DGHS said.

Tajul urges all to buy sacrificial

animals through online platform

avoid crowds... Last Eid-ul-Azha cattle

market has faced many challenges and

we have succeeded and I believe that

this year too we would be able to deal

with the joint efforts of all," he said.

He said all people need to be involved

in online shopping. Those who do not

know very well about digital technology

or digital transactions need to figure out

ways to integrate into digital platforms.

He also emphasized on running campaigns

to encourage people to increase

online shopping on digital platforms

through the media.

"Livelihood of people including economic

activities has come to a standstill

due to the Corona crisis in different

countries but it has not been able to

make such an impact in our country as a

result of taking multi-dimensional management

under the leadership of Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina," he added.

The erosion of Meghna river at ramgati in Laxmipur has intensified. a two-storey building of a

primary school has gone into river bed.

Photo : star Mail

Dhaka can't take a break

from waterlogging

Intense rains drown

many roads

DHAKA : Heavy monsoon rains on

Sunday brought some sort of relief from

heat in Dhakabut it caused widespread

waterlogging in the capital as usual,

reports UNB.

As there was a low number of vehicles

on the roads due to the ongoing strict

lockdown, no traffic jam was there in

the city because of waterlogging.

The heavy showers that started

around 11 am caused waterlogging in

areas like Green Road, Tejkunipara,

Malibagh, Manik Mia Avenue,

Satmasjid Road and Dhanmondi.

Those who had to come out of homes

to buy essential goods or to meet other

emergency causes were seen wading

through ankle-to-knee deep water.

Officials at the Bangladesh

Meteorological Department (BMD) said

47 millimetres of rain were recorded in

Dhaka city from Sunday 6am to 3pm.

"In the past two days, there has been

little rain across the country except in

the regions like Dhaka, Chattogram and

Rajshahi.It may continue for two to

three days more," said meteorologist

Arif Hossain.

Meanwhile, the BMD in its website

forecast that light to moderate

rains/thundershowers accompanied by

temporary gusty wind are likely to occur

at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi,

Mymensingh, Sylhet and Khulna divisions

and at a few places over Dhaka,

Barishal and Chattogram divisions.

The city dwellers are suffering due to waterlogging caused by the overnight rain. Drivers and

pedestrians are suffering while moving through this water. The picture is taken from New

elephant road in the capital on sunday.

Photo : TbT

Rangpur witnesses the

wrath of coronavirus

azaM Parvez

In the last 24 hours, 18 people have

died in Rangpur division. This is the

highest death ever. The death toll in

the northern division stood at 567 people.

The detection rate in the department

is 43 percent. Which has caused

the authority to

raise their eyebrows.

Meanwhile, doctors

are struggling

to treat the victims

of Covid-19. Civil

Surgeon Dr.

Hiromb Kumar

said the 100-bed

Rangpur

Children's

Hospital was

launched on May

9 last year as a

'Rangpur Corona

Isolation

Dedicated Hospital' for patients with

Covid. In the beginning, there were 10

to 20 patients use to come to the facility,

but the number of patients has been

increasing since last three weeks. The

100-bed hospital now has 101 patients.

Dr. Nur Un Nabi, Head of Rangpur

Corona Dedicated Hospital said,only

Rebooting economy

DHAKA : The government has planned

to upgrade the country's important rural

roads to double-lane ones, aiming to

unlock the untapped potentials of rural

Bangladesh and thus reboot its economy

and ensure improved wellbeing for its

people. To achieve the goal, the government

fixed a target in 2021-22 fiscal to

construct3,140 km of new roads, including

expansion of the core road network,

according to a budget document.

Besides, some 18,500 metres of

bridges and culverts will be expanded

and constructed on those roads in rural

areas, the document shows.

A total of 8,500kilometresofmetalled

roads and 3,800 metres of bridges and

culverts will be maintained to make the

constructed rural road infrastructure

more usable and sustainable.

"As a result of these interventions, the

road network coverage in rural areas

will increase from 36.75 percent to

38.50 percent," reads the document.

Besides, it says, some 130 growth centers

and haat-bazaars will be developed

to stimulate the agricultural economy,

accelerate development, create jobs and

20 doctors are treating so many

patients by shifting their treatment.

Which is much less than required. They

are struggling to provide medical care.

There is no way. Infected patients

should be treated. They must be saved.

Meanwhile, ward 33 (endocrinology)

on the 4th floor of the new building of

RMC Hospital will be officially used to

accommodate corona positive patients

from Sunday. There are 36 beds for

corona positive patients in this ward. If

the patients in the medical hospital are

corona positive, they will get medical

services only here.

BD plans to upgrade rural roads

increase agricultural and non- agricultural

production by strengthening the

supply chain.

Another target has been set to construct

770 km of roads and footpaths

and 250 km of drains in urban areas.

Implementation of these projects will

create direct jobs for 890 lakh mandays

in the current fiscal year, and create

opportunities for huge indirect

employments. The document mentions

that there is no alternative to rural road

development for sustaining the rural

economy and continued development

of the facilities in rural life.

"It's possible to attain all other socioeconomic

targets, such as access to education

and health, employment, poverty

alleviation, women's empowerment

and business ventures by ensuring

improved rural road network."

In 2020-2021, the government expanded

the road network coverage from 35.75

percent to 36.75 percent in rural areas.

Some 63,747 km of rural roads have been

constructed across the country during the

last 12 years of the present govt-from

January 2009 to February 2021.

MoNDAY, JulY 5, 2021

2

The newly appointed Director General of Bangladesh Water Development Board Engineer Fazlur Rashid paid homage to the Father of Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi -32 by laying a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Senior

officials of the board including Additional Director General and Chief Engineer were present at the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

European vacation: car

rentals complicated

and expensive

PARIS: After long months of

lockdowns and curfews Europeans

are looking forward to

jetting off for a bit of sun and

sand-only to find that their

dream vacation risks turning

into a nightmare as no rental

cars are available, reports BSS.

In many areas popular with

tourists cars are simply not

available or subcompacts are

going for a stiff 500 euros

($600 per week).

Car rental comparison websites

show just how expensive

renting a vehicle has become

for tourists this summer.

According to Carigami, renting

a car for a week this summer

will set tourists back an

average of 364 euros compared

to 277 euros two years

ago.

For Italy, the figure is 407

euros this summer compared

to 250 euros in 2019. In Spain,

the average cost has jumped to

263 euros from 185 euros.

According to another website,

Liligo, daily rental costs have

nearly doubled on the French

island of Corsica.

12 more die in RMCH

Covid-19 unit

RAJSHAHI : A number of 12 more people,

including four women, died at Covid-19

unit of Rajshahi Medical College and

Hospital (RMCH) during the last 24 hours

till 6 am on Sunday, taking the death toll

to 415 since May 31 last.

RMCH Director Brig Gen Shamim

Yazdani told newsmen that six of those

were the residents of Rajshahi, three from

Chapainawabganj and one each from

Natore, Naogaon and Pabna districts.

Among the deaths, one tested Covid-19

positive and the rest eleven had its

symptoms, he added.

Yazdani said the hospital had counted a

record number of 25 fatalities caused by

Covid-19 on Tuesday since the pandemic

began.

Some 77 more patients were admitted to

the designated ward of the hospital afresh

during the time, taking its number to 485.

Another 20 patients are undergoing

treatment in the Intensive Care Unit

(ICU).

"We've 405 beds in the Corona

dedicated wards of the hospital," he said,

adding that an additional 48-beded

corona ward with central oxygen supply

system has been launched in the hospital

recently to cope with extra pressure of the

patients. Yazdani opined over 60 percent

of the new Covid-19 patients admitted to

the Covid-19 unit of RMCH are from

villages, clarifying that awareness among

the villagers is less compared to the urban

people.

Despite symptoms they hesitate to go for

tests. "Only they are coming to the

hospital when they feel worse. Then we

have nothing to do for them, they are

dying," he added.

He said utmost attention should be

given to the villages in addition to the

urban area as the fatality rate among the

villagers is more and the grave situation is

aggravating day-by-day there.

Apart from the administration and

health workers, public representatives,

political activists and volunteers should

come forward and work together.

Otherwise, the situation may be

furthermore alarming, he mentioned.

Meanwhile, demand for oxygen has

gradually been rising with surging of patients in

the hospital for the last couple of

months."We're supplying 8,000 liters of

oxygen to the Covid-19 patients every day on an

average in the hospital at present but the daily

oxygen demand was only 2,500 liters in around

two months back," Yazdani said, adding that

the oxygen demand has gone up to around

3,000 liters, particularly in last one month.

Pandemic drives sea freight

prices to record high

LONDON: Container shipping prices have reached record

highs some 18 months after the outbreak of the coronavirus

pandemic which disrupted maritime logistics chains and drove

demand sky-high, reports BSS.

"We are basically running out of vessels and of empty

containers," Alan Murphy, head of the consultancy Sea

Intelligence, told AFP.

"There's been a massive shortage of empty containers, they

are in the wrong place, they are stuck in ports and not in Asia

ready to be loaded." The Freightos Baltic Index, a benchmark

for major shipping routes, has more than tripled in a year to

nearly $7,000 (5,900 euros) for a trip from China to the west

coast of the United States. A trip to Europe has exceeded

$10,000, compared with just $1,600 at the same time last year.

Murphy said the unprecedented situation compounded the

troubles of the last 10 years, which he said had been "really bad

for the shipping lines".

Four snatchers

held in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI : Police arrested

four alleged members of a

snatchers gang on charge of

their involvement in various

criminal activities and

recovered four smartphones

from different areas on

Sunday.

The arrested were

identified as Sohel Hassan,

20, son of Abul Kalam, Amit

Hassan, 21, son of Arif

Hossain, Shakil Sheikh, 19,

son of Suman Sheikh and

Shahed Islam, 30, son of

Aminul Islam.

On a tip-off, a police team

conducted raids at different

areas and arrested them and

seized eight smartphones

from their possessions.

Golam Ruhul Quddus,

Additional Deputy

Commissioner of Rajshahi

Metropolitan Police, said the

arrested persons were

involved in snatching and

other criminal activities.

Many criminal cases are

pending against them with

different police stations, he

added.

A case was recorded with

the concerned police station

in this connection.

Office

Paperfly to deliver rural women

products across Bangladesh

DHAKA : Laalsobuj.com, an online

marketplace driven by rural women under

patron of the Ministry of Women and Children

Affairs, has signed an agreement with

homegrown tech based logistic company

Paperfly to make it their delivery partner,

reports UNB.

Laalsobuj.com Chairman- Sadruddin Imran

and Paperfly Chief Marketing Officer and

cofounder Rahath Ahmed signed the

agreement recently regarding the service

partnership, said a media release on Sunday.

According to the agreement, Paperfly will

deliver the product of laalsobuj.com at buyers'

doorsteps leveraging its strongest doorstep

delivery network across Bangladesh.

From Laalsobuj.com, Director- Rubaiyat Bin

Arif, Chief Operating Officer (COO) -

Mohammad Nazmul Ahsan, Sr. Software

Executive- Md Mahmudul Hasan Khan and

from Paperfly, General Manager, Sales and

Key Accounts- Sazzadul Islam Fahmy and

Executive, Sales and Key and Accounts-

Afsana Yasmin were present among others

during the signing ceremony.

Regarding the partnership with Laalsobuj,

Paperfly Chief Marketing Officer Rahath

Ahmed said this online market place is driven

by the rural women who have a great objective

in social empowerment and Paperfly is proud

to be part of this. Chairman, Sadruddin Imran

said the objective of laalsobuj.com is to make a

significant contribution to the economic

emancipation of women by bringing the

products of millions of women entrepreneurs

across the country to the digital buyers

through e-commerce and thus empower rural

women.

This marketplace is dedicated for rural

women entrepreneurs under TotthoApa

project implemented by 'Jatiyo Mohila

Sangstha' under the ministry.

Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute under

Ministry of Commerce provides technical

support to the ecommerce platform.

With the help of 1,470 dedicated TotthoApas

(women who provide information services),

these entrepreneurs scattered in remote areas

of Bangladesh are showcasing their products

in the marketplace.

Since commencing market launching in

early 2016, Paperfly came into limelight by

introducing doorstep delivery, competitive

price, best in class customer service and

services like 1 hour merchant payment,

Smart Return, Smart Check and much

more. The robust network of Paperfly is

capable of delivering any size of products or

shipments anywhere in Bangladesh, said a

press release.

Putin accuses US of involvement

in UK warship incident

MOSCOW : Russian President Vladimir Putin

on Wednesday accused Washington of

involvement in an incident involving a British

destroyer off the coast of Moscow-annexed

Crimea.

Last week, Russia said it fired warning shots

to ward off the British navy's HMS Defender as

it passed near the Crimean peninsula in the

Black Sea in what it said was a violation of its

territorial waters.

"This, of course, was a provocation-that is

completely obvious," Putin said during his

annual televised phone-in.

"It was complex and was carried out not only

by the British, but also by the Americans."

As his evidence, Putin said that before the UK

ship entered waters claimed by Russia last

week, an "American strategic reconnaissance

aircraft" had taken off from a NATO military

airfield in Greece. He did not provide any more

details.

Britain has defended the ship's route, saying

the HMS Defender was making "an innocent

passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in

accordance with international law".

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in

2014 and claims the waters around the

peninsula as part of its territory. Most countries

do not recognise the takeover and stand behind

Ukraine's claims to the waters.

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MONDAY, JUlY 5, 2021

3

Japan Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki and State Minister for Information and Communication

Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak held a bilateral meeting at the ICT Department. Photo : Courtesy

Ramna police

distributes food

among hungry

people

DHAKA : Ramna division of

Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) yesterday distributed

food among hungry people

following health guideline

strictly.

Assistant Commissioner

of Ramna Division Md

Bayezidur Rahman told

reporters that many people

including floating people,

street children and day

labourers are suffering from

food shortage due to the

ongoing lockdown amid the

coronavirus pandemic.

"Maybe we could not

stand by everyone. But we

want to stay beside these

people every day with as per

our own capacity. To this

end, our Deputy

Commissioner of Ramna

Division Md Sajjadur

Rahman and Additional

Deputy

Commissioner

Harun Aur Rashid took the

initiative to provide foods to

distressed people," he said.

22 arrested on

charges of selling,

consuming drugs

in city

DHAKA : Dhaka

Metropolitan Police (DMP)

has arrested 22 people on

charges of selling and

consuming drugs in the city.

Various units of police

stations and intelligence

under the DMP conducted

anti-drug operations across

the city and arrested 22

people and recovered drugs

from their possession, said a

DMP statement.

During the operation,

police seized 1,411 pieces of

yaba, 337 grams of heroin

and 930 grams of cannabis

from them, according to the

statement.

Bangladeshi migrants among 43

missing as boat sinks off Tunisia

TUNIS : At least 43 migrants, including

Bangladeshis, are missing while 84 were

rescued after a boat heading towards Europe

sankoff the coast of Tunisia on Saturday, the

Tunisian Red Crescent said.

Mongi Slim, head of the organisation, told

The Associated Press that the boat, which

was carrying 127 migrants, left Libya's

coastal city of Zuwara on Friday to cross the

Mediterranean Sea towards Italy.

He said 46 Sudanese, 16 Eritreans and 12

Bangladeshis were among the migrants.

The defence ministry's spokesperson,

Mohamed Zekri, said the 84 migrants were

rescued by fishermen. He declined to

confirm the drowning of the other migrants.

Libya is a frequent departure point for

migrants making the dangerous

Mediterranean Sea crossing. Several

shipwrecks from smugglers' boats carrying

migrants have occurred in recent weeks, as

attempts to reach Europe become more

frequent amid warmer summer weather.

Last week, Tunisian coast guards found

seven bodies on the beaches of Djerba, an

island off the southern coast. They were

buried at the cemetery for migrants in Zarzis,

Tunisia, who perished in the Mediterranean

Sea.

The head of the Red Crescent, meanwhile,

launched an urgent call about the fate of

hundreds of migrants who escaped death as

his organisation has no means to provide

housing.

"The three centres in Zarzis are full and

cannot shelter more people. We also have

380 other migrants in confinement in Djerba

with nowhere to go," Slim said.

Couple held for torturing

domestic help in city

DHAKA : Police arrested a couple

allegedly for torturing a 12-year-old

domestic help from the city's Topkhana

road on Saturday night, said police on

Sunday, reports UNB.

The arrestees are Mohammad Tanvir

Ahsan and his wife advocate Nahid.

A team of Shahbagh Police arrested the

couple and rescued the victim from the

house on Saturday night.

The domestic help, identified as Sweety,

hailed from Mithamoin upazila of

Kishoreganj district. She has been working

there for nine months, said police.

The couple used to torture the girl over

trifling matter,said police quoting the victim.

A neighbour of the couple posted the

image of the victim with several injury

marks, on the social networking site

Facebook on Saturday night and sought help

and legal action.

A journalist found the post and sent it to

the Media and Public Relations Wing of

Bangladesh Police and sought action.

Police took action after one and half hours

of the Facebook post.

Missing Chattogram expat found

dead after 3 days

CHATTORGRAM : The body of a 50-year-old expat, who went missing three days ago in

Chattogram's Fatikchhari, was found Saturday, police said. Abdus Salam returned home

from Oman two months ago. As the expat could not go back to the Gulf country due to the

pandemic, he got into a lot of debt while trying to meet his household expenditure, the locals

said, reports UNB.

The debt burden took a tollon Salam's mental health and he had been ill for the last several

days. Datmara union parisahd member Abdul Hakim said, "Salam had left his housein the

night three days ago. The expat's family could not find any trace of him after that.

Bangladesh Navy working at the coastal area of the country to ensure the lockdown

implementation.

Photo : ISPR

PM takes all

measures so people

get vaccines: Tofail

BHOLA : Member of

Bangladesh Awami League

Advisory Committee Tofail

Ahmed on Sunday said

Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina has taken every step

so that people of the country

avail Covid-19 vaccines.

"Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina has taken measures

so that people of the country

get Covid-19 vaccines…She

instructed everyone of the

country to follow the health

guideline regarding

Coronavirus," he said while

virtually talking with local

administration of Elsha

union parishad regarding

implementation of the

ongoing lockdown, enforced

to check the spread of

Coronavirus.

Urging locals to wear face

mask in order to contain the

spread of Coronavirus, he

said people should go for

Covid test if the find any

kind of symptoms of Corona

infection. The incumbent

Prime Minister, daughter of

Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman, is

providing relief to the

doorsteps of all marginal

people to ease their

sufferings.

Japan keen to work

with Bangladesh for

developing smart city

DHAKA : Japanese Ambassador to

Bangladesh ITO Naoki said his country is

keen to work together with Bangladesh to

develop smart city here.

"We are contributing in many areas

including infrastructure development in

Bangladesh and Japan is now interested to

develop smart city," he said during a bilateral

meeting with State Minister for ICT Zunaid

Ahmed Palak at the latter's office at ICT

Division. The ambassador said Japan and

Bangladesh could work together on how to

develop strategic partnership for widening

the cooperation between the two friendly

countries. "Definitely ICT is now key driver

of economy and JICA can provide support to

development of human resource, enhance

and enrich master plan for 2041 of

Bangladesh," said Naoki.

He assured of looking into the number of

proposals offered by ICT State Minister

Zunaid Ahmed Palak through his

presentation, including the design of a

project, in association with Japan, to

materialize the High-end Computing Centre

in Bangladesh, e-waste management and

discussions on those.

Appreciating the envoy's eagerness to work

for developing smart city, Palak sought

Japan's assistance and cooperation in Prime

Minister's dream programme - 'My Village,

My Town' for ensuring all modern facilities

enjoyed by the city people to the rural people.

"Not only developing smart city, but also

we want Japan's cooperation in making

entire Bangladesh into a smart country,"

Palak said, adding Japan can provide help in

health, education, agriculture, automobile

and other areas.

In his presentation the ICT state minister

said that the government has taken

initiatives to establish Bangladesh-Japan

ICT University with state -of- the- art

innovation center and research and

development facilities to create resources

and expertise befitting to Fourth Industrial

Revolution (Industry 4.0) and Society 5.0.

"We have already sent a proposal to ERD

to establish Bangladesh-Japan ICT

University to fulfill the specifications to

accomplish Industrial Revolution 4.0 and

Society 5.0," he said and added resources

and expertise will be developed as per the

industrial requirements from Japan.

Palak also sought cooperation from Japan

to invest already-built 7 Hi-Tech/IT Parks of

the 39 as the government has created a

business-friendly environment there.

ICT Senior Secretary N M Zeaul Alam,

Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer

Council, Managing Director of Bangladesh

Hi-Tech Park Authority Dr. Bikarno Kumer

Ghose and officials of Japan embassy were

present, among others.

RAB-1 has arrested Mohammad Rubel, 25, in connection with the murder of Joynal Abedin, 60,

in Ashulia.

Photo : TBT

Electricity makes hilly

life safer

DHAKA : Fifty-five-year-old Purno Bushan

Tripura, a resident of Mantri Para under

Vaibonchora union of the Khagrachari

district, expressed her gratitude to Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina for providing them

with various opportunities despite living in a

remote hilly region.

Purno Bushan was involved in farming since

his childhood. Earlier, he along with his family

members had to start working at the crack of

dawn and wrap up before the sunset. Now,

things have changed. Today, they can make

some extra money by working at night, which is

also helping them to save money for the future.

"Earlier, we were scared to go outside at night

in the fear of being attacked by terrorists. But

now, we feel safe at night. As electricity has

transformed, enlightened and energized our

lives," said Purno Bushan, father of three

daughters and one son, with a smiling face. Not

only Purno Bushan, but smiles are seen on the

faces of all dwellers of the Mantri Para as they

have now started getting facilities like the town,

despite living in a remote village of the hilly

district Khagrachari. A total of 45 families of the

Mantri Para have started to enjoy town facilities

through electrification as per the Awami League

election manifesto 'My Village My Town'.

Another dweller of the Mantri Para, Akando

Tripura, received a semi-pucca house from the

government about four years ago. At that time,

the government provided him with electricity

from renewable sources, but around eight

months ago, he received electricity connection

from the national grid.

"Electricity has increased our overall living

standard and made life easier. Earlier, it was

very difficult to go outside the house at night.

Now, we can easily move outside to meet our

necessities. Our children can continue their

studies till late at night. My old mother can

move around the house even at night," said

Akando. Talking to BSS, Chairman of the

Khagrachari Hill District Council Mongsueprou

Chowdhury said the impact of development is

visible in every sphere of lives of the hilly people

as tremendous development works are being

carried out in the three hilly districts-

Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. "The

government has already provided 40,000 solar

panels among the people in remote areas. They

are now using lights, fans and also television,"

he added.

Electricity for all will also be ensured within a

short time as the government has taken another

project, he added.

Project Director (Superintendent Engineer)

of the 'Development of Power Distribution in

Three Hill Tract Districts' project Ujjal Barua

said the government is working to ensure stable

and reliable electricity supply in the three hilly

districts and to improve the socio-economic

status of the population in the Chittagong Hill

Tracts area.

To this end, he informed that the government

has set targets to construct 12 new 33/11 KV

substations, upgrade the four existing 33/11 KV

substations, construct new 1525 km distribution

line, renovate the existing 365 km distribution

line and install 584 new three phase and singlephase

distribution transformers.

Trader killed in city

road crash

DHAKA : A trader was killed and another

injured when a van overturned on a road in

front of Padma Diagnostic Centre in the city's

Kathalbagan area early Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Abdul Aziz, 35,

hailing from Jashore district.

The accident occurred around 12:45 am when

the van,carrying two passengers,skidded off the

roadas the drive triedto save a cat while going to

Karwan Bazar, leaving two people injured,

saidMohammad Abdul Khan, anassistant subinspectoratDhaka

Medical College and

Hospital(DMCH) police camp.

Navy works to

ensure complete

lockdown in sea,

coastal areas

DHAKA : Bangladesh Navy

is conducting operations to

ensure a complete

lockdown in the sea and

coastal areas to assist the

civil administration in

implementing the

government's directives to

prevent coronavirus

infection.

In all of these areas, law

enforcement as well as

naval personnel are

assisting the civil

administration in all

measures taken to prevent

infection, including

preventing unnecessary

movement, wearing masks,

maintaining social distance

and ensuring quarantine,

said a press release.

Meanwhile, six

contingents from

Chittagong Naval Area are

working in Bhola Sadar,

Borhan

Uddin,

Daulatkhan, Char Fashion,

Monpura, Lalmohan,

Tajumuddin, Sandwip,

Hatia, Teknaf, Kutubdia

and Maheshkhali areas.

A total of two contingents

from Khulna Naval Area

are working in Mongla,

Bagerhat, Barguna Sadar,

Amtali, Betagi, Bamna,

Patharghata and Taltali

upazilas.

The Navy has been

conducting these activities

since July 1, 2021 under the

direction of the

government under 'In Aid

to Civil Power'.

MONDAY, JuLY 5, 2021

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Monday, July 5, 2021

Housing finance for

the non affluent in

urban areas

After food, housing is a basic need of

people to be satisfied. While

Bangladesh has made great strides in

increasing food production, the same cannot

be said about meeting this second most

important aspiration in the need hierarchy

of people. A house for the family continues

to be a dream of the non affluent in the

urban population.

The problems of housing in the rural areas

are of a different nature. The preponderant

number in the rural population have some

sort of shelters in their own homesteads

except for the victims of natural disasters

like storms and river erosion. The issues of

housing in the rural areas involve mainly

building better homes or durable structures.

But in the urban areas, it is impossible for

a family of modest means to consider even

buying a piece of land to build a house or to

even pay the down payment for a flat offered

by real estate developers. Dhaka city

presently has a population of about 17

million and nearly 80 per cent of them are

probably semi-permanent residents of the

city. A small segment among them are

blessed with anything like their own homes.

According to various assessments, these

people have no choice but to spend from 40

to 60 per cent of their monthly income on

rented dwellings . This factor alone shows

up the great necessity of policies and their

operationalisation to bring ownership of

houses within the reach of the lower income

segments of people in Dhaka city and other

cities.

It was reported sometime ago about the

arrival of a World Bank (WB) team soon to

carry out a study on the housing situation in

Bangladesh and for the bank to consider a

housing finance programme for the non

affluent in the urban areas. It is not known

to what extent the interest rates on loans

taken from this fund are going to be lower

but understandably the same will need to be

nominal or something like one or two per

cent at most to be of any help to the

borrowers. WB loans to the government for

different purposes, including the building of

infrastructures, carry interest rates no

higher than the proposed rates. Therefore,

there is no reason why this WB provided

housing finance cannot also be disbursed

charging such nominal rates of interest .

Meanwhile, progress is very keenly desired

in the government's pledged commitment to

push down the rate of interest now being

charged by the lone official housing building

body, the House Building Finance

Corporation (HBFC). HBFC loan takers are

many and most of them are only middle

class people. They have been servicing their

loans at interest rates as high as 15 or 16 per

cent for years. The corporation is riddled

with corruption and bureaucracy and in

many cases the loan takers complain very

bitterly that they do not get any service

whatsoever in the proper calculation of their

liabilities with the corporation.

The price of land in urban areas is a very

big disincentive for the non affluent in

seeking to build their homes. Government

will have to take up programmes to sell

government owned lands to non affluent

people far below the market prices for these

segments of people to ever realistically hope

to make their homes on such lands even if

they otherwise get funds at bearable interest

rates to finance construction of houses.

Peace is possible in a Palestine-Israel confederation

Josef Avesar has proved one thing

with his experimental Israeli

Palestinian Confederation (IPC)

plan, which he came up with several

years ago: If you leave it up to the people,

and remove the politicians, the chances

of achieving peace will be so much

greater.

Avesar has shown that, when you

bring Israelis and Palestinians together

on an equal platform of mutual respect,

peace is very possible. You will still have

divisions in a confederation, but it

makes it far easier to bring the majority

of moderate voices together and

neutralize the extremists, who counter

their small numbers with violence and

hate.

I watched this week as 75 members of

the IPC achieved more in a 90-minute

video conference than all of the failed

Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations

since Anwar Sadat's 1979 surrender - a

total of 42 years of tragic turmoil and

heightened frustration.

The IPC has summarized the entire

conflict into one primary goal: To focus

on the principle of equal rights. From

there, Israelis and Palestinians can

disagree on the issues without violence

and work together on the foundation of

a true democracy - that the majority, not

extremist violent fanatics, rules.

Equality is the real issue that is absent

from the relationship between

Palestinians and Israelis. As a

consequence, the idea of a confederation

- in which the two sides come together

with their individual identities and

THE original jurisdiction of the

Supreme Court, of which suo motu

proceedings are a variant, is limited by

the Constitution to the "enforcement of

fundamental rights" for a "question of public

importance".

Around a decade ago, Karachi was a

cesspit. The MQM and ANP were warring

over turf. The PPP had entered the fight by

arming gangsters based out of Lyari. With

the city facing a governance vacuum, it was

ripe for a trial by Chaudhry. The Supreme

Court took suo motu notice. Orders would

be fired across the board, officers would be

suspended, the police would quake in their

shoes before the might of Iftikhar

Chaudhry's justice.

It was doubly beneficial for Chaudhry and

his backers to take on the Sindh

narratives intact, while agreeing to

recognize each other and work together

with one voice to bring about peaceful

change - is very attractive.

In other words, the two-state solution,

in the IPC's mind, is dead. That was

hammered home by Israeli journalist

Gideon Levy, who was a guest speaker

during this week's meeting. Levy noted

that the two-state solution is a dream

that was destroyed by extremists on

both sides and that Israel's government

never intended to implement it or even

support it. The Israeli government

"never meant to go for the two-state

solution," he said.

The IPC believes that, once you

achieve equality, you begin a process - a

chain reaction - that leads to justice,

which then leads to peace. It was

refreshing to listen to the IPC's

members, who have elected their own

separate (Israeli and Palestinian)

"confederated" presidents and

parliament.

The current so-called peace process is

RAY HANANIA

a deception that doesn't exist. The

Israelis live in total denial of the reality of

today's relationship with the

Palestinians. The latter live under a

brutal occupation and apartheid system

that denies them basic rights, but most

Israelis don't care.

The IPC has summarized the entire

Levy and others have acknowledged that the push for a

two-state solution is really just a means of stalling, preserving

the status quo. Israelis hope to strengthen their

apartheid separation policies that deny non-Jews equal

rights, while Palestinian extremists, who have succeeded

in undermining hopes of genuine peace, aim to one

day defeat Israel and impose their tyranny.

conflict into one primary goal: To focus

on the principle of equal rights.

Levy and others have acknowledged

that the push for a two-state solution is

really just a means of stalling, preserving

the status quo. Israelis hope to

strengthen their apartheid separation

policies that deny non-Jews equal rights,

while Palestinian extremists, who have

succeeded in undermining hopes of

genuine peace, aim to one day defeat

Israel and impose their tyranny.

The encouraging aspect of the IPC

gathering of Jews and Palestinians was

that most of them were so hopeful and

respectful. A few voices representing the

old and failed activism joined and

continued to challenge and undermine

The sword of justice

government. It was hitting the weak ruling

PPP where it hurt, in its bread basket of

Sindh. A summary of Supreme Court

activism in Sindh shows vast intrusion into

government functions. There has been a ban

on public land transfers in the province by

the court for nearly a decade on the premise

that the entire bureaucracy is corrupt. The

entire civil structure hierarchy of Sindh's

bureaucracy was upended by the court for

the crime of promoting and positioning

candidates of their choosing. Through a

grossly expanded reading of the Federal

Legislative List, Sindh was told its wellcurated

hospitals belonged to the federation,

which doesn't know what to do with them.

In the process of what seemed to be

Mission Get PPP, provincial supremacy

stands eroded to a point where it is at odds

PEPE ESCOBAR

ABDuL MOIz JAfERII

with the plain meaning of the Constitution.

People continue to suffer from a governance

vacuum which activist judges set out to fix,

and the PPP is under added pressure.

Rather than fighting back on the political

and public front, it perhaps looks towards

dealing with the supposed original backers

of Mission Independent Justice. The people

continue to suffer from a governance

vacuum which activist judges set out to fix.

In this expanded judicial playing field,

entered the current chief justice of Pakistan.

The protections of original jurisdiction

expanded. From being simply angry at the

government, the court became angry at

those apparently facilitated and advantaged

by it through changes to Karachi's master

plan. Rather than considering it a living,

breathing document which summarises the

their efforts, but it didn't work.

Moderates have to forge ahead and see

peace in its true terms. Both sides need

to respect each other. They need to see

the other side as being equal. They need

to compromise and not insist on rigid,

hard-line dictates.

The one-state solution that the IPC

advocates is not the same as that often

advocated by anti-Israeli extremists who

want to take control. What the IPC

advocates is one state in which both the

Israelis and the Palestinians have equal

voices.

It would not be easy to implement a

one person, one vote system and include

not only all the people in Israel but also

all those in Palestine (both within Israel

and in the Occupied Territories). But

Levy was quick to point out that, in the

1980s, no one believed that the people of

South Africa would ever achieve one

person, one vote - an equality that ended

apartheid and opened the door to true

democracy.

The other nice thing about the IPC is

that the dialogue is respectful. While

there are divisions, people disagree

without being disagreeable.

In compromise, not all injustice will be

mitigated and Palestinians and Israelis

will have to live with the fact that history

has imposed some realities that cannot

change. Realism means resetting and

restarting everything, looking forward

rather than always looking back at the

ugly, painful past.

Source: Arab news

The long and winding multipolar road

In Tiananmen Square on the 100th

anniversary of the Chinese

Communist Party, amid all the pomp

and circumstance, President Xi Jinping

delivered a stark geopolitical message:

"The Chinese people will never allow

foreign forces to intimidate, oppress or

subjugate them. Anyone who tries to do

this will find themselves on a collision

course with a large steel wall forged by

more than 1.4 billion Chinese."

I have published elsewhere a concise

version of the modern Chinese miracle -

which has nothing to do with divine

intervention, but has been based on

"seeking truth from facts" (copyright

Deng Xiaoping), inspired by a solid

cultural and historical tradition.

The "large steel wall" evoked by Xi now

permeates a dynamic, "moderately

prosperous society," a goal achieved by the

CCP on the eve of the centennial. Lifting

more than 800 million people out of

extreme poverty - even if detractors point

out that the achievement is based on a 2010

'frugal standard' of an inflation-adjusted

US$2.30 per day - is a historical first.

As in all things China, the past informs

the future. This is all about xiaokang -

which may be loosely translated as

"moderately prosperous society."

The concept first appeared some 2,500

years ago, in the classic Shijing (The Book

of Poetry). With his historical eagle eye,

Little Helmsman Deng revived it in 1979,

right at the start of the "opening up"

economic reforms.

Now compare the breakthrough

celebrated in Tiananmen - which will be

interpreted all across the Global South as

evidence of the success of a Chinese model

for economic development - with footage

being circulated of the Taliban riding

captured T-55 tanks across impoverished

villages in northern Afghanistan.

The Taliban now control nearly the

same amount of Afghan territory they did

immediately before 9/11. They control the

border with Tajikistan and are closing in

on the border with Uzbekistan.

Exactly 20 years ago I was deep into one

of my epic journeys, from Karachi to

Peshawar and the Pakistan tribal areas, on

to Tajikistan and, finally, to the Panjshir

valley, where I interviewed Commander

Masoud - who told me the Taliban at the

time were controlling 85% of Afghanistan.

Three weeks later Masoud was

assassinated by al-Qaeda-linked

commandos disguised as "journalists" -

two days before 9/11. The empire, at the

height of the unipolar moment, went into

Forever Wars on overdrive. Meanwhile,

the Chinese - and the Russians - went

deep into consolidating their emergence,

geopolitically and geoeconomically.

We are now living the consequences of

those opposed strategies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has

just spent three hours and 50 minutes

answering questions, live, from Russian

citizens during his annual "Direct Line"

session. Imagine Western leaders of the

Biden, BoJo, Merkel and Macron kind

attempting to handle something even

remotely similar, non-scripted.

The key takeaway: Putin stressed that

US elites understand that the world is

changing but still want to preserve their

dominant position. He illustrated it with

the recent British caper in Crimea straight

out of a Monty Python fail, a "complex

provocation" that was in fact Anglo-

American: a NATO aircraft had previously

conducted a reconnaissance flight.

Putin: "It was obvious that the destroyer

entered [Crimean waters] pursuing

military goals."

Earlier this week Putin and Xi held a

videoconference. One of the key items was

quite significant: the extension of the

China-Russia Treaty of Good

Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation,

originally signed 20 years ago.

A key provision: "When a situation

arises in which one of the contracting

parties deems that … it is confronted with

the threat of aggression, the contracting

parties shall immediately hold contacts

and consultations in order to eliminate

such threats."

This treaty is at the heart of what is now

officially described - by Moscow and

Beijing - as a "comprehensive strategic

partnership of coordination for a new

era."

Such a broad definition is warranted

because this is a complex multi-level

partnership, not simply an "alliance",

designed as a counterbalance and viable

alternative to hegemony and

unilateralism.

A graphic example is provided by the

progressive interpolation of two

Russian President Vladimir Putin has just spent three

hours and 50 minutes answering questions, live, from

Russian citizens during his annual "Direct Line" session.

Imagine Western leaders of the Biden, BoJo, Merkel and

Macron kind attempting to handle something even

remotely similar, non-scripted.

trade/development strategies, the Belt

and Road Initiative and the Eurasia

Economic Union, which Putin and Xi

again discussed, in connection with the

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

(SCO), which had been founded only

three months before 9/11.

One of the highlights in Beijing this

week was the holding of trade talks among

the Chinese and four Central Asia "stans"

- all of them SCO members.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

attends a meeting of the United Nations

Security Council, via teleconference call in

Moscow, Russia. Photo: AFP

The defining multipolarity road map

has been sketched in an essay by Russian

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that

deserves careful examination. Lavrov

surveys the results of the recent G7, NATO

and US-EU summits prior to Putin-Biden

in Geneva: These meetings were carefully

prepared in a way that leaves no doubt

that the West wanted to send a clear

message: it stands united like never before

and will do what it believes to be right in

international affairs, while forcing others,

primarily Russia and China, to follow its

lead. The documents adopted at the

Cornwall and Brussels summits cemented

the rules-based world order concept as a

counterweight to the universal principles

of international law.

Thus, Lavrov writes: "The West

deliberately shies away from spelling out

the rules it purports to follow, just as it

refrains from explaining why they are

needed."

Dismissing the way Russia and China

have been labeled as "authoritarian

powers" (or "illiberal," according to the

favorite New York-Paris-London mantra),

Lavrov smashes Western hypocrisy:

While proclaiming the "right" to

interfere in the domestic affairs of other

countries for the sake of promoting

democracy as it understands it, the West

instantly loses all interest when we raise

the prospect of making international

relations more democratic - including

renouncing arrogant behavior and

committing to abide by the universally

recognized tenets of international law

instead of "rules."

That provides Lavrov with an opening

for a linguistic analysis of "law" and "rule":

In Russian, the words "law" and "rule"

share a single root. To us, a rule that is

genuine and just is inseparable from the

law. This is not the case for Western

languages … "Rule" is not so much about

the law, in the sense of generally accepted

laws, as it is about the decisions taken by

the one who rules or governs.

In a nutshell: the road to multipolarity

will not follow "ultimatums." The G20,

where the BRICS are represented, is a

"natural platform" for "mutually accepted

agreements."

Russia for its part is driving a Greater

Eurasia Partnership. And a "polycentric

world order" implies the necessary reform

of the UN Security Council,

"strengthening it with Asian, African and

Latin American countries."

Will the unilateral masters ply this

road? Over their dead bodies. After all,

Russia and China are "existential threats."

Source: Asia times

contract between citizens and the

government of how their city is to prosper,

the court instead visualises the master plan

as a rigid exoskeleton, which must define the

boundaries within which the body of the city

must exist, regardless of its increasing size

and shape.

This desire of a reversion to the past was

initially welcomed. The court of Justice

Gulzar started with focusing on the larger

illegalities concerning the changing land use

in the city, which mostly happened to be in

cantonments. The basic position was that

land no longer required for cantonment use

ought to be reverted to the government. It

cannot be repurposed and allotted to the

public, or used for other commercial gain.

Source: Dawn

MondAY, JuLY 5, 2021

5

Does vulnerability index best

gauges aid to small islands

SAEEd KAMALi dEhGhAn

Small island nations on the climate

crisis frontlines have been overlooked

in overseas aid, according to a new

index.

Urging a move away from the current

benchmark of using gross domestic

product (GDP) to measure aid

allocation, researchers from the

Commonwealth secretariat and the

Foundation for Studies and Research

on International Development (Ferdi),

a French thinktank, have developed the

universal vulnerability index (UVI) as

an alternative. GDP, they claim, fails to

reflect the realities nations face,

particularly on climate.

The index highlights the plight of

small-island developing states (Sids),

frequently excluded from development

finance on the basis of relatively high

GDP, while being "often

disproportionately affected by shocks,

as we have seen in Covid", according to

Travis Mitchell, head of economic

policy at the secretariat.

"We are making the point that small

states are very vulnerable and need

support," he said.

The index weighs vulnerability

against resilience, looking at a list of 138

developing countries. The least

developed, primarily in Africa, were the

most vulnerable, but were closely

followed by Sids in the Caribbean and

Pacific. The UVI measures economic,

sociopolitical and environmental

vulnerabilities, using widely available

data.

Measuring vulnerabilities outside

government control, 21 of 34 Sids

assessed were found to have "high

economic vulnerability and very high

vulnerability to climate change", the

report said. Five out of the six most

structurally vulnerable countries in the

Commonwealth are all Sids: the

Maldives, Kiribati, Tuvalu, the

Bahamas and Jamaica.

"One of the most interesting results

from the index is that it we have

evidence to align to the fact that GDP is

not a good reflector of vulnerability,"

said Mitchell. "High middle-income

countries actually show a higher

vulnerability than lower middle-income

countries, according to the index."

The Commonwealth secretary

general, Patricia Scotland, said: "In an

age of big data, complex analysis and

artificial intelligence we cannot rely on

decades-old systems and 18th-century

concepts to guide us but must

fundamentally overhaul the way we

think about development finance.

A village in the small Pacific island nation of Kiribati flooded by the ocean.

"We need to move beyond the thin

analysis that GDP and per capita

income provide us in determining of the

type of support vulnerable countries

should receive, towards a more realistic,

nuanced and comprehensive

understanding of what drives

vulnerability and resilience."

Lady Scotland said the damage

caused by Tropical Storm Erika in 2015

and Hurricane Maria in 2017 on

Dominica showed why GDP did not

reflect a country's vulnerability. Ranked

a middle-income country, Dominica

"would not automatically have access to

the sort of overseas development aid

that it needed", she said.

Scotland described the island states

as canaries in a coalmine. "When the

canaries don't come back, you know the

danger level is really high," she said.

"What we've seen is the small states,

and the least developed countries, are

those canaries, and they're dying."

Jitoko Tikolevu, Fiji's high

commissioner in the UK, said

income-based measures rarely

reflected reality. "The gross national

income of Sids is inflated by

exogenous sources of income, such as

tourism and remittances, which have

all been wiped out by the Covid-19

pandemic," he said.

Photo: Jonas Gratzer

France's president, Emmanuel Macron (centre), during a discussion at the Generation Equality

Forum.

Photo: Ludovic Marin

Billions pledged to tackle gender

inequality at UN forum

Liz Ford

Billions of pounds will be pledged to

support efforts to tackle gender inequality

this week at the largest international

conference on women's rights in more

than 25 years. The Generation Equality

Forum, hosted in Paris by UN Women

and the governments of France and

Mexico, will launch plans to radically

speed up progress over the next five

years.

After two years of consultation between

governments, feminist and women's

rights groups, philanthropic foundations,

the private sector and UN agencies, the

three-day forum takes place amid

concerns the pandemic has exacerbated a

crisis in women's rights.

An estimated 47 million more women

will fall into extreme poverty due to

Covid, according to the World Economic

Forum. And the International Labour

Organization has said unemployment for

women rose by 9 million in 2020

compared to 2019 and is projected to

increase by another 2 million in 2021.

The pattern for men is different - they are

projected to see unemployment decrease

in 2021. "The world has been fighting for

gender equality for decades, but progress

has been slow. Now is the chance to

reignite a movement and deliver real

change," said Melinda French Gates, cochair

of the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation, which announced a new

commitment of $2.1bn (£1.5bn) over five

years to economic empowerment, health

and family planning, and accelerating

women in leadership. "The beauty of our

fight for gender equality is that every

human being will gain from it." French

Gates said that while there has been some

progress since the fourth world

conference on women brought 47,000

activists to Beijing in 1995, nowhere in

the world are women on equal footing

with men. Waves of opposition to

women's rights have emerged, and

structural barriers still exist.

Other pledges of funding, and

legislative changes, will be announced in

six areas: gender-based violence,

economic justice, sexual and

reproductive health rights, climate

justice, technology and innovation and

feminist movements and leadership.

A compact addressing women's role in

peace and security and gender equality in

humanitarian programming is also due to

be unveiled. In response to the pandemic

exacerbating digital inequities, the Global

Fund for Women will launch its System

Reboot campaign to support feminist

technology innovators in the developing

world and to "mobilise technology as a

force for gender justice".

The Ford Foundation, which last year

sold its social bonds to raise cash to help

tackle the economic fallout of the

pandemic, will pledge $420m (£300m)

over five years. Nicolette Naylor, a

programme director at the foundation,

said talk about gender equality had not

been matched by action. "As some parts

of the world start to emerge from the

pandemic, it is essential that gender

equality is at the heart of building back

better. It's time to stop talking and start

funding the organisations that are driving

change and the necessary progress on

global gender equality."

Heads of state from Sweden, Finland,

Argentina, Kenya, South Africa and

Tunisia will join French president,

Emmanuel Macron, and Mexican

president, Andrés Manuel López

Obrador, in person. While online, US

vice-president, Kamala Harris, is due to

speak and former US secretary of state,

Hillary Clinton, is also scheduled to

appear. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,

executive director of UN Women, said the

forum was a reaction to the slowness of

achieving both the Beijing action plan

and the UN's sustainable development

goals, and made more urgent by the

disproportionate impact of the pandemic

on women.

Ethiopia’s stance on protecting human rights

There was a time when a report by Ethiopia's human

rights commission was a staid affair, its findings offering

window-dressing for hand-wringing donors and legal

cover to the government.

Between 2013 and 2017 the commission systematically

"whitewashed human rights violations through

compromised methodologies, dismissing credible

allegations", according to a 2019 Amnesty International

study that accused it of "brazen bias against victims".

But no more. In May the commission published the

latest in a string of important investigations into human

rights abuses in different parts of the country, focused on

detention conditions in police stations across Oromia,

Ethiopia's largest region and home of its Nobel prizewinning

prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.

Officials responded with two press conferences in which

they denounced the commission for what they called

"biased and unbalanced" statements, and threatened to

obstruct its work in future.

It was the latest salvo towards the commission's new

boss, Daniel Bekele, who returned to Ethiopia in 2019

from New York, where he had worked for Amnesty and

before that led the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch

(HRW).

Over the past two years Daniel has beefed up the

commission's investigative capacity, enhanced its legal

autonomy and helped turn it into something approaching

a proper watchdog.

It has won the support of international donors and -

significantly though controversially - teamed up with the

UN's top human rights body for a joint investigation into

alleged atrocities and crimes against humanity in

Ethiopia's war-ravaged Tigray region.

"The commission is increasingly being perceived as a

genuinely independent national human rights

institution," said Daniel, in an interview with the

Guardian.

He points to a number of achievements since he took the

reins. Formally, at least, the body has more independence

from the ruling party in the way that commissioners are

selected, as well as in the hiring and firing of staff.

Previously, almost all commissioners were ruling party

members, but this is no longer the case. Daniel says

practical autonomy - seen, for instance, in the

commission's freedom to make unannounced prison

visits - has improved, helping to secure more access for

political prisoners to lawyers and relatives last year.

"The operational space for the commission to begin its

work in a fairly independent manner [has grown] in the

sense that even with the limited capacity we've been able

to build over the past year we've been able to do

independent investigations and documentation and

reporting, some of which is very critical of government

offices or security officers," he said.

Perhaps most importantly, the commission released a

statement on 26 February, which endorsed the findings by

An id card found in a mass grave of victims allegedly killed in the Mai Kadra massacre in Tigray.

Amnesty on a massacre of civilians in the Tigrayan town

of Axum, which happened shortly after the war between

Abiy's government and the region's ruling party, the

Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), began in

November. The statement confirmed the presence of

allied Eritrean troops in Tigray - then still officially denied

by Ethiopian authorities - and blamed them for the

killings in the city.

Perhaps most importantly, the commission released a

statement on 26 February, which endorsed the findings by

Amnesty on a massacre of civilians in the Tigrayan town

of Axum, which happened shortly after the war between

Abiy's government and the region's ruling party, the

Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), began in

November. The statement confirmed the presence of

allied Eritrean troops in Tigray - then still officially denied

by Ethiopian authorities - and blamed them for the

killings in the city.

The full report published in March provoked outcry

among Ethiopian and Eritrean government supporters,

who had long rejected any criticism of their forces'

conduct in Tigray. On 10 May, a statement from the

attorney general's office contradicted the commission's

findings by claiming that those killed in Axum were in fact

TPLF combatants in irregular fatigues. (A subsequent

statement conceded that at least 40 of those killed were

Photo: Eduardo Soteras

indeed civilians.)

"There are a good number of officials which have

responded positively to our recommendations but

unfortunately some officials have been very dismissive,"

said the commissioner. "It's always very difficult when you

work in a highly politically polarised environment: you

cannot avoid the perception that you are paying attention

to one situation rather than another. We get accused by all

different ethnic groups."

Especially damaging has been the growing perception

among Tigrayans, about 6% of Ethiopia's population, that

the commission is partial towards the federal government

and hostile to the TPLF. Comments by the commissioner

early on in the war significantly downplayed its

humanitarian impact, but the perception is also due to his

personal background: in 2005 Daniel was arrested and

imprisoned for more than two years after he denounced

elections as rigged. At that time the TPLF spearheaded the

federal government as part of a repressive multi-ethnic

coalition called the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary

Democratic Front.

Critics claim this has coloured his perspective on the war

in Tigray, a charge he dismisses: "I personally know that

nothing in my experience would affect my independence -

if anything, it makes me more committed to human rights

work and gives me better insight into the nature of human

rights challenges in Ethiopia."

Yet a report alleging that at least 600 mostly Amhara

civilians were killed in the town of Mai Kadra by a TPLFaligned

militia in November continues to dog the

commission. Critics note that the report - rushed out

within days and seized on by the Ethiopian government -

relied almost exclusively on the testimony of Amhara

witnesses in a place where both Amhara and Tigrayan

people had lived. Tigrayan refugees who fled to camps in

Sudan told reporters and aid workers of attacks on

Tigrayans at the same time.

Daniel had expressed scepticism of such accounts,

suggesting some of the refugees may have been

perpetrators of the massacre and advising caution toward

"some of the narratives emerging". But, after the

commission's own interviews with Tigrayans, he concedes

the report may "come across [as] one-sided".

"It is true there were also reprisal attacks but at the time

we did not have enough information to document and

report on that," he said. "The problem in a polarised

political environment is that the different political actors

tend to pick and choose which of your reports they want to

use to advance their political message."

For now, though, such concerns are secondary. The joint

UN investigation -which includes probing the events in

Mai Kadra among others - will be a litmus test for the

commission's independence as well as the Ethiopian

government's commitment to full accountability. But the

challenges are daunting: many Tigrayans in Ethiopia and

abroad have outright rejected the commission's

participation.

"The Ethiopian government has repeatedly failed to

hold perpetrators of abuses and violent crimes across the

country to account," said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa

director for HRW. "In Tigray, given ample evidence of

atrocity crimes by warring parties, the complexity of the

crimes that need to be investigated, and the importance of

ensuring that the investigations and their outcome are

seen as credible, an impartial, international investigation

is key."

By contrast, the commissioner is adamant that local

participation will aid the investigation and help win

consent for an international investigation at a time of

rising hostility in Ethiopia towards what is seen as foreign

meddling.

"I understand people not having confidence in state

institutions in Ethiopia, because state institutions in

Ethiopia have a history of not being independent or

impartial," Daniel said. "But on the other hand we have

started a process of trying to build independent

institutions and I believe the Ethiopian human rights

commission is one of them.

"It is right that an Ethiopian human rights violation

should be addressed by an Ethiopian human rights

institution, in partnership with our friends and

partners."

MONDAY, jULY 5, 2021

6

Milk production increases

by 1 lac tonnes in Rajshahi

Begumganj Upazila Chairman Shahnaz Begum Naju inaugurated the afforestation in

Nateshwar area of Sonaimuri on Chaumuhani-Chhatarpaiya road. Photo : Manik Bhuyan

8 die of Covid-19, 992 more

infected in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI : A total of 992 more people

have tested positive for Covid-19 in all eight

districts of the division on Saturday, taking

the caseload to 59,302.

With eight more fatalities from the disease

reported on the day, the death toll reached

937, including 419 in Bogura, 173 in Rajshahi

with 96 in its city and 114 in

Chapainawabganj, said Dr Habibul Ahsan

Talukder, divisional director of Health.

The new daily infection figure shows a

surging trend compared to the previous day's

figure of 426, the health department sources

said. Among the infected people, 41,255

have, so far, been cured from the lethal virus

with 729 new recoveries reported during the

time. A total of 6,898 infected patients are

now undergoing treatment at different

designated hospitals here.

Besides, all the positive cases for Covid-19

have, so far, been brought under necessary

treatment while 13,400 were kept in

isolation units of different hospitals for

institutional supervision. Of them, 9,228

have by now been released.

On the other hand, 754 more people have

been sent to home and institutional

quarantine afresh while 295 others were

CHATTOGRAM : NNK

Foundation, the family

charity organization of

Information and

Broadcasting Minister Dr

Hasan Mahmud, has

provided food assistance to

600 needy families of CNG

autorickshaw drivers at

Rangunia upazila on behalf

of him.

The packets were handed

over to the leaders of eight

CNG Autorickshaw Drivers'

Associations maintaining

health rules at Rangunia

Upazila Awami League (AL)

office on Saturday.

The food items were

distributed by the NNK

Foundation, the family

charity organization of the

Information Minister.

Master Abdur Rauf, an

official of the NNK

Foundation, presided over

the function while Rangunia

Municipality AL President

Master Aslam Khan, Upazila

AL Religious Affairs

Secretary Jasim Uddin

Talukder and Councilor

Jasim Uddin Shah, among

others, addressed the

function.

Emrul Karim Rashed,

personnel secretary to

Information Minister,

conducted the function.

Speaking at the

distributing function Master

Abdur Rauf said that food

items were provided to

about 50,000 families in

Rangunia through the

family charity NNK

Foundation at the personal

initiative of the Information

Minister when the outbreak

of the corona virus started

last year.

Now a total of 600 packets

released from isolation during the last 24

hours till 8 am on Sunday.

Of the total new positive cases, the highest

269 were detected in Rajshahi, including 144

in its city, followed by 194 in Bogura, 176 in

Natore, 147 in Pabna, 66 in Sirajganj, 51, in

Naogaon, 49 in Chapainawabganj and 40 in

Joypurhat districts.

With the newly detected patients, the

district-wise break-up of the total cases now

stands at 18,250 in Rajshahi, including

14,701 in its city, 4,300 in Chapainawabganj,

4,739 in Naogaon, 4,102 in Natore, 3,561 in

Joypurhat, 14,379 in Bogura, 4,769 in

Sirajganj and 5,202 in Pabna.

A total of 86,371 people have, so far, been

kept under quarantine since March 10 last

year to prevent the community transmission

of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

Of them, 77,460 have, by now, been

released as they were given clearance

certificates after completing their respective

14-day quarantine period.

Meanwhile, the surge of Covid-19 cases has

been continuing in all eight districts of the

division since the very beginning of the

second wave making the division a hotspot of

the deadly virus.

600 CNG drivers of Rangunia

get food assistance

of food items have been

distributed among the

members of eight CNG

Autorickshaw Drivers'

Association under the

Upazila due to the lockdown

in the first phase.

Each packet contains 25

kg of daily commodities

including rice, pulses, oil,

salt and sugar.

Rauf said the more food

items would be distributed

in phases among the needy

people of different walks of

life in Rangunia who were in

crisis due to the lockdown.

Meanwhile, the CNG

autorickshaw drivers

expressed their gratitude to

the Information Minister for

providing food items in this

difficult time.

49 more test

positive for

COVID-19 in

C'nawabganj

CHAPAINAWABGANJ :

Some 49 more persons

tested positive for Covid-19

in last 24 hours till Sunday

morning, raising the total

number of infection to 4,267

in the district.

A total of 308 samples

were tested here during the

time showing the infection

rate 15.90 percent, Civil

Surgeon Office sources

confirmed.

Among the newly detected

patients, 20 people are from

sadar upazila, one from

Shibganj upazila, four from

Gomastapur upazila, four

from Nachole upazila and

20 from Bholahat upazila.

Of the total detected

patients of the district, 2,366

persons are from sadar

upazila, 743 from Shibganj

upazila, 555 from

Gomostapur upazila, 345

from Nachole upazila and

258 from Bholahat upazila.

A total of 762 patients are

undergoing treatment for

coronovirus. Of them, 75 are

in dedicated Covid hospital

and others at home.

TK 62,900 fined

for health rule

violations in

Gaibandha

GAIBANDHA : District

administration yesterday

conducted 18 mobile courts,

realizing fine Taka 62,900,

filing 90 cases for flouting

health related guidelines

during strict lockdown

announced by the

government to halt the

spread of Covid-19 across

the country.

The courts led by executive

magistrates during their

drives also distributed

quality masks to the people,

said SM Foyez Uddin,

executive magistrate of the

district administration.

The drives were also

operated in the district on

Thursday and Friday to

ensure strict lockdown.

RAJSHAHI : Milk production has

been enhanced by around one lakh

tonnes while dairy farm largely

expanded in the district in last four

years, delighting many people as

fortune maker.

In 2020, around 3.56 lakh tonnes of

milk was produced compared to 2.50

lakh tons in 2016, said Ismail Haque,

District Livestock Training Officer.

Dairy farming has become a

blessing for people because many of

them are doing business for attaining

economic emancipation in the region,

he said.

Rabiul Karim has become an icon in

the field of dairy farming in his

locality at Katakhali Shyamnagar

village, around nine kilometers off the

Rajshahi city, for the last few years.

He started the business with four

cows around six years back leaving

behind his high-salaried job in a

private company. He has 32 cows in

his 'Abrar Dairy Farm' on around four

bigha of land at present.

A former student of the Department

of Accounting and Information

Management in Rajshahi University,

Karim is getting 150 liters of milk

from 13 of the cows on an average

daily at present. After exploring the

existing potentialities, he has become

competent towards making butter

from the unsold milk and selling

those to the food shops and other

restaurants.

Currently, his monthly income has

now stood at around Taka one lakh,

while around Taka 15 to 18 lakh yearly

through selling milk and other milkbased

processed foods.

He has developed high-yielding

grasslands on four bigha of land to

feed the cows. He provides nutritious

food to the cows regularly.

Karim said: "I, myself, prepare the

feeds through mixing maize, wheat

and rice bran and other nutritive

grains and ingredients".

Another dairy farmer Golam Rahid

has started his business after

purchasing a cow at a cost of Taka

10,000 around a decade back. Now,

he has 25 cows producing 120 liters of

milk on an average every day.

Amidst arrangement of high

yielding and high breeding cows, milk

production has been enhanced to a

great extent. He sells the milk at his

farm in Assam Colony area in the city.

Rahid said dairy farming has now

become expensive in the wake of

price-hike of cow's feed items,

medicines and other requisite inputs.

Like Rabiul Karim and Golam

Rahid, many others have become

successful entrepreneurs in this field

contributing a lot towards ensuring

milk and other milk-based processed

foods to the society.

Artificial insemination of cows is

gaining popularity in the region

following significant achievement in

the breed up-gradation method, said

Ismail Haque, District Livestock

Training Officer.

He said the cows are giving milk ten

times more than that of the previous

record due to the cross-breeding.

In both rural and urban areas, the

poor and marginalized people

People are illegally fishing at the Ulubunia river of paikgacha, Khulna.

including women have achieved

tremendous successes in the sector

through getting various assistances

from the government.

Prof Jalal Uddin Sarder of the

Department of Veterinary and

Animal Sciences in Rajshahi

University opined that boosting milk

production and its consumption is

very effective to eradicate the

malnutrition that can stem Covid-19

spread.

Highlighting the enormous aspects

of milk to the nation-building

process, he viewed that milk

consumption is also crucial for both

physical and mental development of

the children.

Prof Sarder mentioned that largescale

promotion of the livestock

sector is very important to remove the

existing protein deficiency alongside

ensuring food security.

In addition to meeting the

nutritional deficit especially meat and

milk demand, the livestock sector has

a laudable contribution to enrich the

soil nutrient which is being declined

gradually due to indiscriminate use of

chemical fertilizers and harmful

pesticides.

He said most of the people suffer

from malnutrition, especially lack of

animal protein getting from milk,

meat and egg.

He revealed that production of huge

amounts of meat through the

indigenous beef-cattle improvement

would supply low cost meat for

people and it will ultimately protect

them from malnutrition.

Photo : TBT

In Rajasthali upazila, the people are following the strictest lockdown as directed by the army, police,

public administration and local government.

Photo : Chauching Marma

On the fourth day of the ongoing lockdown in Bochaganj upazila of Danajpur, the executive

magistrate and assistant commissioner of the mobile court Bikash Chandra Barman conducted

raid at various places of the upazila.

Photo : Sumon Chandra

PANCHAGARH : Commercial

cultivation of Dragon, a kind of

delicious and nutritious fruit, is

gaining much popularity among the

farmers in the district in recent times.

Due to its high market value on the

local and foreign markets, farmers in

Panchagarh are being driven towards

Dragon fruit cultivation, which,

unlike some crops, is commercially

viable.

According to the Department of

Agricultural Extension (DAE),

dragon fruit orchards have been

developed in different areas of the

region. There are three types of

dragon fruit crops - red, white, and

yellow - that are being cultivated in

the region.

Rashed Prodhan, a young

entrepreneur of Noyadigi village in

Commercially

dragon cultivation

gains popularity

in Panchagarh

Boda upazila of Panchagarh district,

has cultivated dragon on three bighas

of land three years back. He got

bumper production from around four

thousand dragon trees in his orchard

and financially benefited with the sale

of the nutritious fruit.

The fruit is being sold at Taka 350

to 400 per kilogram according to size

and quality at present.

After being inspired from Rashed,

Abdus Sadder, a farmer of Kaliaganj

village in Boda upazila, has developed

a dragon orchard on two bigas of

land. He got good results from his

orchard and earned Taka two lakh by

selling a dragon.

Boda Upazila Agriculture Officer

Al-Mamun or Rashid told BSS that

farmers of the district who were once

reluctant for dragon cultivation now

are tending and showing huge

interests to cultivate it.

Many farmers change their fortune

by cultivating dragons. "We are

currently harvesting and selling

dragon fruit online amid the Covid-19

pandemic," said a dragon farmer of

the district, adding that they are

delivering their harvested fruits to

different areas of the capital city

through courier services after

meeting local demands.

monDAY, JUlY 5, 2021

7

Bugs and bird nests: Airlines dust

off planes grounded by Covid

Countries across Europe are scrambling to accelerate coronavirus vaccinations and outpace the

spread of the more infectious delta variant, in a high-stakes race to prevent hospital wards from filling

up again with patients fighting for their lives.

Photo : AP

Europe in vaccination race against

COVID-19?s delta variant

LISBON : Countries across Europe are

scrambling to accelerate coronavirus

vaccinations and outpace the spread of

the more infectious delta variant, in a

high-stakes race to prevent hospital

wards from filling up again with

patients fighting for their lives.

The urgency coincides with Europ e's

summer holidays, with fair weather

bringing more social gatherings and

governments reluctant to clamp down

on them. Social distancing is being

neglected, especially among the young,

and some countries are scrapping the

requirement to wear masks outdoors.

Incentives for people to get shots

include free groceries, travel and

entertainment vouchers, and prize

drawings. The president of Cyprus even

appealed to a sense of patriotism.

The risk of infection from the delta

variant is "high to very high" for

partially or unvaccinated communities,

2 dead, 20 missing

after mudslide rips

through Japan town

TOKYO : A gush of mud

that swept away homes

and cars in a resort

town southwest of

Tokyo left at least two

people dead and about

20 missing, officials

said Sunday.

Ten people were

rescued and as many as

80 homes buried in

Atami, where hundreds

of firefighters, military

troops and three coast

guard ships worked

from daybreak

Saturday to try to reach

those believed to be

trapped or carried away

by the mudslide.

The deluge crashed

down a mountainside

into rows of houses

following heavy rains

that began several days

ago. Bystanders, their

gasps of horror audible,

caught the scene on cell

phone video. Witnesses

said they heard a giant

roar and then watched

helplessly as homes got

gobbled up by the

muddy waves.

The two people

confirmed dead, both

women, had been swept

to the sea and were

found by the coast

guard, said Tatsushi

Ueda, a Shizuoka

prefecture official in

charge of disaster

prevention.

Of the 10 who were

rescued, one suffered

minor injuries. In

Atami, 121 people had

been evacuated, said

Ueda.

Prime Minister

Yoshihide Suga has set

up a task force for the

rescue effort.

Atami is a quaint

seaside resort area in

Shizuoka prefecture,

about 100 kilometers

(60 miles) southwest of

Tokyo. The area that

was hit by the mudslide,

Izusan, includes hot

springs, residential

areas, shopping streets

and a famous shrine.

according to the European Centre for

Disease Control, which monitors 30

countries on the continent. It estimates

that by the end of August, the variant

will account for 90% of cases in the

European Union's 27 nations.

"It is very important to progress with

the vaccine rollout at a very high pace,"

the ECDC warned.

The World Health Organization is

also concerned. The variant makes

transmission growth "exponential,"

according to Maria Van Kerkhove, its

technical lead on COVID-19.

Daily new case numbers are already

climbing sharply in countries like the

United Kingdom, Portugal and Russia.

In the U.K., cases of the delta variant

have increased fourfold in less than a

month, with confirmed cases Friday up

46% on the previous week.

Portuguese health authorities this

week reported a "vertiginous" rise in

the delta variant, which accounted for

only 4% of cases in May but almost 56%

in June. The country is reporting its

highest number of daily cases since

February, and the number of COVID-

19 patients in hospitals has surpassed

500 for the first time since early April.

Reports of new infections in Russia

more than doubled in June, topping

20,000 per day this week, and new

deaths hit 697 on Saturday, the fifth

day in a row that the daily death toll set

a record. Still, "no one wants any

lockdowns," said Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov at a briefing, although

he admitted that the virus situation in a

number of Russian regions is "tense."

In some countries, the virus is

spreading much faster among younger

people. In Spain, the national 14-day

case notification rate per 100,000

people rose to 152 on Friday. But for the

20-29 age group, it shot up to 449.

Taliban seize key

Kandahar district

after fierce fighting

KANDAHAR : The Taliban have captured a

key district in their former bastion of

Kandahar after fierce night-time fighting

with Afghan government forces, officials said

Sunday, the latest area to be seized since US

troops began their final withdrawal.

The insurgents have pressed on with their

campaign to capture territory across

Afghanistan's rural areas since early May

when the US military began the pullout.

The fall of Panjwai district in the southern

province of Kandahar comes just two days

after US and NATO forces vacated their

main Bagram Air Base near Kabul, from

where they led operations for two decades

against the Taliban and their Al-Qaeda allies.

Over the years, the Taliban and Afghan

forces have regularly clashed in and around

Panjwai, with the insurgents aiming to seize

it given its proximity to Kandahar city, the

provincial capital.

The province of Kandahar is the birthplace

of the Taliban, who went on to rule

Afghanistan with a harsh version of Islamic

sharia law until being overthrown by a USled

invasion in 2001.

Panjwai district governor Hasti

Mohammad said Afghan forces and the

Taliban clashed during the night, resulting in

government forces retreating from the area.

"The Taliban have captured the district

police headquarters and governor's office

building," he told AFP.

Kandahar provincial council head Sayed

Jan Khakriwal confirmed the fall of Panjwai,

but accused government forces of

"intentionally withdrawing".

Fighting has raged across several

provinces of Afghanistan in recent weeks

and the Taliban claim to have seized more

than 100 out of nearly 400 districts in the

country.

Afghan officials dispute the claims but

acknowledge that government troops have

retreated from some districts. It is difficult to

independently verify the situation.

The exit of foreign troops from Bagram Air

Base, north of Kabul, has fuelled concerns

the insurgents will ramp up their campaign

to capture new territory.

Bagram Air Base has great military and

symbolic significance, with foreign forces

previously stationed there offering vital air

support in the fight against the insurgents.

Afghan authorities who have taken control

of the base say they will use it to fight

terrorism, and have already re-activated its

radar system.

The Taliban have captured a key district in their former bastion of

Kandahar after fierce night-time fighting with Afghan government forces,

officials said Sunday, the latest area to be seized since US troops began

their final withdrawal.

Photo : AP

ORLY, FRANCE : As travel

picks up this summer,

airlines are dusting off

planes that were grounded

during the pandemic,

checking they are clear of

fungus, bugs and bird nests

before sending them back in

the air, reports UNB.

In Paris this week, a tow

tractor grabbed an Air

France plane that had been

parked outside for a year at

Orly Airport and brought it

to a cavernous hangar where

technicians quickly removed

the tarpaulins.

Like most airlines, Air

France took the

overwhelming majority of its

planes out of service during

the pandemic as travel

restrictions choked traffic to

a trickle.

As much as 80 percent of

its fleet was parked at the

peak of the crisis.

The Airbus A321 at the

Orly hangar will soon have

to make up to seven flights a

day as the summer season

kicks off in Europe and

Covid-weary travellers seek

Tropical storm Elsa

churns past Haiti,

headed for Cuba

PORT-AU-PRINCE :

Tropical Storm Elsa

churned late Saturday off

the southwestern coast of

Haiti, headed toward

Jamaica and eastern Cuba

as forecasters warned of

heavy rains, flash flooding

and mudslides.

The weather system

brought maximum

sustained winds of 65 miles

(100 kilometers) per hour

and was moving northwest

at 17 miles per hour, the US

National Hurricane Center

(NHC) said.

"There are fairly intense

gusts of wind and light rain,

but so far we have not

recorded any damage," said

Jerry Chandler, director of

the Haitian Civil Protection

Agency.

Elsa was the Atlantic's

first hurricane of the season

on Friday, when it was a

Category 1 storm, until

being downgraded on

Saturday afternoon.

The storm was not

expected to change in

strength overnight, with

"some slight strengthening

possible Sunday afternoon

as Elsa approaches the

south-central coast of

Cuba," the NHC said in its

11 pm (0300 GMT Sunday)

update.

India records 43,071

new COVID-19

cases, 955 deaths

NEW DELHI : India saw a

single-day rise of 43,071

COVID-19 infections, which

took the tally of cases to

3,05,45,433, while active

cases have declined to

4,85,350, according to

Union health ministry data

updated on Sunday.

The death toll has climbed

to 4,02,005 with 955 more

fatalities, the data updated at

8 am showed.

The active cases have

further declined to 4,85,350

and comprise 1.59 per cent

of the total infections, while

the national COVID-19

recovery rate has improved

to 97.09 per cent, the

ministry said.

It said active cases have

declined by 10,183 in a span

of 24 hours.

The data stated that

18,38,490 tests were

conducted on Saturday,

taking the total cumulative

tests conducted so far for

detection of COVID-19 in

the country to 41,82,54,953.

The daily positivity rate

was recorded at 2.34 per

cent. It has been less than

five per cent for 27

consecutive days, the

ministry said, adding that

the weekly positivity rate has

declined to 2.44 per cent.

respite in sunny

Mediterranean destinations.

Although planes that were

grounded received regular

maintenance, getting the

Airbus ready to carry more

than 200 passengers per

flight again is not a quick job.

"There are a whole bunch

of systems that were shut

down and haven't been in

operation for a long time

and that we have to retest

and recheck," said Vincent

Rigaudie, one of people

responsible for preparing

Air France aircraft for flight

at Orly.

"We need to check oil

levels in the hydraulics, we

check all of the engine

systems," he added.

Then aircraft are given a

test flight to ensure all

systems are operating

normally before a plane is

given the green light to

return to commercial

service.

In the hangar the size of

several football pitches,

teams of technicians

normally work in shifts 24/7

11 die in Cambodia after drinking

toxic hooch at funeral

PHNOM PENH : Eleven Cambodian

villagers died after drinking rice wine

suspected to be toxic during a funeral, a

police officer said Sunday, adding to the

kingdom's growing recent death toll from

unsafe homemade alcohol.

In the past two months, more than 30

people have died in three separate incidents

across Cambodia from home-brewed rice

wine containing methanol-a highly toxic

liquid that can cause blindness if ingested.

Since Friday, 11 people who attended a

funeral in coastal Kampot province-about

155 kilometres from the capital Phnom

Penh-died while 10 more were hospitalised

after imbibing homemade wine.

to ensure Air France aircraft

are fit to fly.

But the long hibernation of

planes has created its own

sort of problems that

technicians must confront,

Rigaudie explained above

the din of shrieking

loudspeakers meant to drive

away pigeons.

The birds love to make

their nests on parked planes,

particularly on the wings at

the level of the ailerons, and

their droppings are

corrosive.

"They don't need much

room to get inside,"

Rigaudie said.

Two other potential

problems:

the

contamination of fuel tanks

by fungus and insects

blocking air speed sensors.

The tarps protecting the

plane present their own

challenge as humidity can

build up under them.

Bags that absorb moisture

were placed near the fan

blades of the Airbus.

"These are to capture

moisture that can stay inside

the motor for the entire time

it is parked," said technician

Julien Breuzard.

Depending on where a

plane is parked, such as in a

hot and humid city exposed

to pollution, more corrosion

than normal can be

expected.

At Orly, between 200 and

300 hours of work is needed

to take a parked Airbus

A320 family model aircraft

and make it ready to fly

again.

It all starts with a visual

inspection, including using a

micro-camera mounted on a

long flexible tube to get into

inaccessible areas. The

Airbus has a computer

system that detects

malfunctions.

A drone is used to check

out areas high up.

Then equipment is tested

and repaired or replaced if

necessary.

Batteries are reconnected

and interior and exterior

surfaces cleaned before the

plane is ready to take

passengers again.

"The victims suffered dizziness after

drinking the liquor," a police officer told

AFP, adding that samples were collected for

investigation.

Homemade rice wine is popular in rural

Cambodia at wedding parties, village

festivals and funerals as a cheap alternative

to commercially produced drinks.

But there is little regulation of the informal

brewers, and headlines regularly pop up of

mass deaths from a single celebration or

village event.

Last month, at least 15 rice wine brewers

and sellers were arrested, while the health

ministry has renewed calls for people to

avoid drinking contaminated beverages.

Eleven Cambodian villagers died after drinking rice wine suspected to be toxic

during a funeral, a police officer said Sunday, adding to the kingdom's growing

recent death toll from unsafe homemade alcohol.

Photo : AP

Tropical Storm Elsa nears

Cuba amid fears of flooding

HAVANA : Cuba prepared to evacuate

people along the island's southern region on

Sunday amid fears that Tropical Storm Elsa

could unleash heavy flooding after battering

several Caribbean islands, killing at least

three people, reports UNB.

The government opened shelters and

moved to protect sugarcane and cocoa crops

ahead of the storm, whose next target was

Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a

state of emergency in 15 counties, including

in Miami-Dade County where the high-rise

condominium building collapsed last week.

Elsa was located about 175 miles (280

kilometers) east-southeast of Montego Bay,

Jamaica, and was speeding west-northwest

at 17 mph (28 kph). It had maximum

sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph),

according to the National Hurricane Center

in Miami.

The storm killed one person in St. Lucia,

according to the Caribbean Disaster

Emergency Management Agency.

Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy and a 75-yearold

woman died Saturday in separate events

in the Dominican Republic after walls

collapsed on them, according to a statement

from the Emergency Operations Center.

Elsa was a Category 1 hurricane up until

Saturday morning, causing widespread

damage in several eastern Caribbean islands

on Friday as the first hurricane of the

Atlantic season. Among the hardest hit was

Barbados, where more than 1,100 people

reported damaged houses, including 62

homes that completely collapsed as the

government promised to find and fund

temporary housing to avoid clustering

people in shelters amid the pandemic.

Downed trees also were reported in Haiti,

which is especially vulnerable to floods and

landslides because of widespread erosion

and deforestation.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for

Jamaica and from the Haitian capital of

Port-au-Prince to the southern border with

the Dominican Republic. A hurricane watch

was issued for the Cuban provinces of

Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin,

Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba. Some of

those provinces have reported a high

number of COVID-19 infections, raising

concerns that the storm could force large

groups of people to seek shelter together.

Elsa is the earliest fifth-named storm on

record and also broke the record as the

tropic's fastest-moving hurricane, clocking in

at 31 mph on Saturday morning, according

to Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at

the University of Miami.

It is forecast to drop 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20

centimeters) of rain with maximum totals of

15 inches (38 centimeters) across portions of

southern Hispaniola and Jamaica.

MOnDAY, JULY 5, 2021

8

Bikroy-Minister Launched Exceptional

Birat Haat Contest this Eid

Bikroy.com, the largest marketplace in

Bangladesh and the most popular

online platform for buying and selling

farm animals, along with Minister Hi-

Tech Park Limited, have launched the

"Bikroy Birat Haat Powered by

Minister" campaign on the occasion of

this Eid-ul-Adha, for the fifth time. The

campaign, announced on 04th June

2021 in an MoU signing webinar

session, will be live until the night

before Eid, a press release said.

In this webinar Eshita Sharmin,

Managing Director of Bikroy.com;

Sanjoy Biswas, Corporate Sales Lead of

Bikroy.com; and K.M.G. Kibria, Head

of Brand & Communication of Minister

Group were present. Humyra

Standard Bank provides relief assistance to

2300 poor families affected by the Corona

Recently On the occasion of

entering its 23rd year,

Standard Bank Limited has

been providing relief

assistance to the economically

affected poor during the Covid

19 pandemic. Following the

launch of the relief

distribution program

through an online dua-mahfil

on the occasion of the 22nd

founding anniversary of the

bank, since June 12, 2021,

Standard Bank has been

simultaneously distributing

relief among the poor families

in the vicinity of the 23

branches located in the most

affected areas i.e. Kansat,

Rohanpur, Satkhira,

Chapainawabgonj,

Gobindagonj, Pirgonj,

Nilphamari, Atrai, Fulbari,

Saidpur, Hili, Baneswar,

Mohadevpur,

Ramchandrapur, Nimsar,

Nawabgonj, Alamdanga,

Patherhat, Gunagari,

Benapole. So far 2300

families have received Relief

packs, each pack includes 10

kg rice, 2 kg pulses, 1 kg

soybean oil, 1 kg salt, 4 kg

Sharmind Alam, Senior Executive,

Marketing of Bikroy was the moderator

of this webinar.

This Eid-ul-Adha, Bikroy will again

cater to its customers with a vast range

of farm animals just like every year.

More than 2,000 Qurbani cattle ads

have already been listed on Bikroy's site.

This year, Bikroy-Minister has arranged

a different type of competition for both

buyers and members. Participants can

take part in this online contest and win

exciting home and electronics

appliances, worth a total of BDT 6 Lacs,

courtesy of Minister.

In order to participate in the Buyer

campaign, willing customers will have

to perform along with a Qurbani special

potatoes and 1 bar soap. Staffs

of the branches, in

collaboration with the local

people's representatives of the

branch area, selected the

needy families and then

personally went to the houses

of all the needy people and

delivered the relief materials,

a press release said.

The chasings are happy to

receive relief supplies during

this disaster. One of the

recipients, Hamida Khatun, a

resident of Benapole in

Jessore, said that she had

received various assistance

from Standard Bank in the

past and thanked Standard

Bank for standing by her

during this difficult time of

Corona epidemic.

Mentionable that, since the

outbreak of the coronavirus,

Standard Bank has been

working in various ways to

serve humanity and will

continue to do so in the future.

song promoted by Bikroy and share that

video on their Facebook/TikTok or

YouTube - any or all of these platforms,

using #BiratHaat 2021 in the caption.

Participants can also submit the video

link with the same hashtag to the Bikroy

Blog site. Based on the most video views

(Facebook and YouTube) and likes

(TikTok), 29 lucky winners will be

selected. For the Member contest, 3

lucky winners will be selected among

members with the most number of

cattle ads on their shop and with the

most viewed ads with the most

responses. Winners of both contests

will receive a Refrigerator, Smart LED

TV, and many more amazing prizes

from Minister.

At the inauguration of relief

distribution program

Khondoker Rashed Maqsood,

Managing Director of the

Bank, said "Since its

inception, Standard Bank has

stood by the people affected

by any calamity as well as the

socio-economic development

of the country and will

continue to do so in the future

as well and we will be able to

deal with all the disasters with

the efforts of all inshallah".

Samsung brings outstanding Eid-ul-Adha

campaign with a wide range of deals

Samsung Consumer

Electronics Bangladesh has

launched 'Big Offer, Eid

Jombe Ebar' campaign for

Eid-ul-Adha which will end

recently, a press release

said.

Under the campaign,

customers purchasing 55"

or 75" 4K Smart Crystal

UHD TV can win Air

Purifier or Washing

Machine with option of EMI

at 0% interest for 36

months. Customers can also

enjoy cashback up to BDT

100,000 on selected TV

models. Moreover,

customers will benefit from

a 50% discount on Sound

Bar when purchased with

UHD TVs.

Customers will also enjoy

a cashback of up to BDT

15,000 on the purchase of

selected Refrigerators, up to

BDT 14,000 on Washing

Machines, up to BDT

12,000 on Residential Air

Conditioners, and up to

BDT 3,000 on Microwave

Oven.

The campaign will allow

customers to benefit from

exchange offers - up to BDT

23,000 on Refrigerators, up

to BDT 20,000 on

television, up to BDT 14,000

on Air Conditioner, up to

BDT 5,500 on Washing

Machine, and up to BDT

4,000 on Microwave Oven.

On this occasion, Shahriar

Bin Lutfor, Head of

Business, Consumer

Electronics, Samsung

Bangladesh, said, "The

pandemic has altered the

way people celebrate their

Eid now. A percentage of the

population preferred to stay

home to avoid getting

themselves or loved ones

infected with COVID-19.

They are surrounding

themselves with modern

technology. Thus, to

heighten their experiences

and bring innovative

technologies into their lives,

Samsung is proud to bring a

new campaign for the Eidul-Adha."

Customers can also

purchase the products

online from authorized

national distributors'

website, which will be safely

delivered to their home

without any charge. For

more information,

interested customers can

call Samsung 24x7

Customer Service -

08000300300.

Tokyo shares

rise after US

rallies

TOKYO : Tokyo stocks rose

in early trade on Friday

following global rallies on

improving economic data,

while investors awaited the

release of US jobs data later

in the day, reports BSS.

The Nikkei 225 index

opened flat then added 0.18

percent, or 50.29 points, to

28,757.33, while the broader

Topix index rose 0.63

percent, or 12.13 points, to

1,951.34.

The market saw gains after

Wall Street shares advanced

overnight, with the S&P 500

marking a record close for

the sixth straight session.

But after an initial round

of buying, investors in Tokyo

may take a more cautious

stance as they await the

release of US jobs data later

on Friday, Okasan Online

Securities said.

Analysts expect the United

States added 725,000 jobs

and that unemployment fell

to 5.7 percent from 5.8

percent.

A very strong jobs report

could boost speculation the

Federal Reserve will

accelerate plans to tighten

monetary policy.

PRAN-RFL Group, one of the

leading

business

conglomerates of Bangladesh,

has distributed food and

protective equipment among

the 694 families of distressed

trafficking survivors. The

assistance was provided last

week under the Ashshash'

project by Winrock

International in Bangladesh, a

press release said.

Winrock International in

Bangladesh is working with

the distressed trafficking

survivors by providing various

support under the Ashshash'

project. The project is

supported by Swiss Agency for

Development

and

Cooperation (SDC).

PRAN-RFL Group provides

essential food and protective

items across five key-districts

of operations for the

'Ashshash' project - Khulna,

Satkhira, Jashore, Chattogram

and Cox's Bazar.

COLOMBO : Sri Lanka's central bank on

Sunday further tightened controls on the

outflow of foreign currency to combat a

growing cash crunch triggered by the

coronavirus pandemic, reports BSS.

Foreign exchange reserves have

almost halved since late 2019 to $4

billion after the rupee sank to a record

low last year.

The economy has been badly hit by the

spread of the virus and lockdowns in its

worst downturn since independence

from Britain in 1948.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said

overseas investments by local firms

would be suspended for six months.

More use of homegrown

Nagad, more profits

Customers reap the most

benefit by using the postal

department's mobile financial

service Nagad, has been

developed by local

entrepreneurs and young

technologists. Currently

Nagad has now become the

most popular mobile payment

service to the people across

the country in terms of cost

and ease of doing life, a press

release said.

The MFS operator has

recently rolled out a campaign

to highlight the issue under

the slogan "Deshi Nagad e

Beshi Labh"; which means

use homegrown Nagad, get

more. Through the campaign,

ordinary people will

understand the extent of

benefit they can enjoy by

using Nagad and how.

There was a time when

people used to send money to

their relatives through money

orders with high volume of

charges. Now times have

changed and money can be

sent to any part of the country

instantly without any cost.

And receiving the money can

Nurul Afser, Head of

Corporate Brand at PRAN-

RFL Group, said, "As part of

corporate social responsibility,

we have introduced "Pashe Asi

Bangladesh" program. Under

this program, we have

cash it out at the lowest cost.

Not only the sending money

option, now the mobile

financial service of the postal

department is offering

solutions to various financial

problems in keeping with the

time.

If users run out of mobile

balances or internet data, they

can instantly buy various talk

time and internet packages at

the lowest cost from

provided food to 70,000

helpless and poor families so

far who have become workless

during the pandemic."

He also added, "We are

happy to provide support to

distressed trafficking

The amount of capital that companies

and citizens can take out of the island

nation would also be restricted, it added.

Sri Lanka has already banned imports

of luxury goods and cars since last year to

combat the foreign currency outflows.

The government is planning to extend

the import ban to mobile phones,

computers and electronic consumer

goods, local media reported recently.

anywhere. They can carry out

online shopping and pay

utility bills for water,

electricity, gas and internet

without any extra cost. For

insurance premium payment

through Nagad, there is a

cash-back. Customers can

also add money using their

Visa and MasterCard and get

up to Tk 300 cash-back by

paying credit card bills

through Nagad.

Finance Department of the Ministry of Finance and Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for providing investment in building houses and flats for government

officials recently. Md. Ekhlasur Rahman, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and

Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director and CEO of the bank signed the agreement on behalf

of their respective organizations. After the signing ceremony, the agreement was handed over to the

respective division of the bank. Along with Managing Director and CEO of the bank, Muhammad

Qaisar Ali and Md. Omar Faruk Khan, Additional Managing Directors, Abu Reza Md. Yeahia, Deputy

Managing Director, Muhammad Sayeed Ullah, Senior Executive Vice President and Mohd. Enayet

Ullah Siddiquee, Executive Vice President of the bank were present at that time. Photo: Courtesy

PRAN-RFL Group stands by the

human trafficking survivors

Sri Lanka tightens

foreign currency

outflows

survivors under the project.

The new wave of corona is

making people jobless and

helpless. For the reason,

PRAN-RFL Group has been

continuing its food support

program across the country."

The central bank said in a statement

that the restrictions were to "assist and

maintain the financial system stability".

International rating agencies have

expressed concern over Sri Lanka's ability

to service its huge foreign debt.

But central bank governor W.D.

Lakshman has said the country will meet

its debt obligations, which amount to

$3.6 billion in the next six months.

Colombo has also borrowed from

several Asian countries, including

Bangladesh, China and South Korea,

and expects to receive $800 million

from the International Monetary Fund

in August.

MONDAY, JuLY 5, 2021

9

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates.

Photo: AP

Copa America: Argentina beat Ecuador,

to play Colombia in semifinal

SPORTS DESK

Lionel Messi scored one goal and

created two others as Argentina beat

Ecuador 3-0 in Goiania on Saturday to

reach the Copa America semi-finals,

reports UNB.

In Tuesday's last four match, the 14-

time winners will play Colombia, who

beat Uruguay on penalties earlier in the

day. Messi teed up goals for Rodrigo De

Paul and Lautaro Martinez before

firing home an injury time free-kick to

cap a stunning individual performance.

The scoreline was harsh on Ecuador,

who ended the game with 10 men after

Pedro Hicapie's dismissal but had been

competitive throughout.

Argentina made a bright start and

Martinez almost opened the scoring

with a moment of brilliance. He

chipped the ball over goalkeeper

Hernan Galindez and then volleyed

goalwards, only for Robert Arboldea to

block the ball on the line.

Moments later Martinez had a shot

deflected wide and from the resulting

corner, German Pezzella volleyed into

the side netting.

Carlos Gruezo almost gifted

Argentina a goal when his attempted

back pass sent Messi clean through

with only Galindez to beat, but the sixtime

Ballon d'Or winner saw his shot

cannon back off the post.

Up the other end, goalkeeper

Emiliano Martinez had to be alert to

parry a stunning 20-yard volley by

Sebastian Mendez.

Argentina had their own let off seven

minutes from half-time when Pervis

Estupinan crossed from the left and

Enner Valencia's flicked header

narrowly evaded the sliding Alan

Franco at the back post.

Messi takes control -

Two minutes later Argentina were in

front, with Messi the architect.

First he played in Nicolas Gonzalez

on goal but when he was tackled by

Galindez, Messi reacted quickest and

teed up De Paul to score.

There was still time before the break

for Galindez to make an incredible

double save from Gonzalez, before

Valencia somehow headed wide from

six yards out.

After the break, Valencia remained

Ecuador's most likely route back into

the match and the livewire forward's

near post shot hit Martinez's leg before

going behind.

A wicked Estupinan cross was then

almost turned into his own net by

Gonzalez.

Messi came close to killing off the tie

but his curled effort sailed just past the

post, while Aston Villa goalkeeper

Martinez denied substitute Gonzalo

Plata an equaliser with a near-post

block.

Inter Milan forward Martinez finally

ended Ecuador's resistence six minutes

from time from Messi's pass after

Hincapie was caught in possession by

Angel Di Maria.

And Hincapie completed a miserable

few minutes as he was dismissed in

injury time after dragging back

substitute Di Maria when clean

through, with Messi despatching the

free-kick.

Record-breaker Ospina -

Goalkeeper David Ospina was the

hero as Colombia beat Uruguay on

penalties in Brasilia.

Ospina saved two spot-kicks in the

shoot-out on the day he earned his

112th Colombian cap, moving clear of

the previous national record he shared

with the iconic Carlos Valderrama.

He dedicated the victory to his civil

strife-torn country that would have

been one of the twin hosts alongside

Argentina before South American

football's governing body CONMEBOL

moved the tournament to Brazil over

coronavirus pandemic concerns and

social unrest in Colombia.

South Africa take T20 series as Windies

skipper blasts team 'insanity'

South African batsman Quinton de Kock celebrates his half century during

the final T20 international against the West Indies on Saturday. Photo: AP

SPORTS DESK

South Africa capitalised on the

misfiring power-hitters of the West

Indies to claim a series-clinching 25-

run victory in the final T20

International of their five-match

contest at the National Cricket Stadium

in Grenada on Saturday, reports UNB.

Defending a total of 168 for four,

thanks to half-centuries from Aiden

Markram and Quinton de Kock, all the

Proteas' main bowlers made significant

strikes to limit the defending World

T20 champions to 143 for nine despite

a typically flamboyant 52 from opening

batsman Evin Lewis.

Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who

endured a hammering through the first

four matches, bounced back with three

wickets.

Fellow pacer Kagiso Rabada, and

seam bowling all-rounder Wiaan

Mulder, playing in place of injured

speedster Anrich Nortje, took two

wickets each.

However, the outstanding bowling

effort was again produced by Tabraiz

Shamsi, the left-arm wrist-spinner

improving on his previous record

economical figures in the last two

matches by conceding just 11 runs

through his four overs in claiming the

wicket of Chris Gayle.

He was the inevitable choice as 'Man

of the Series' taking seven wickets

across the five matches at the

outstanding economy rate of four runs

per over.

West Indian hopes of coping with an

increasingly challenging run-rate

eventually rested on the shoulders of

their captain Kieron Pollard.

However he was hampered by a leg

injury sustained when scampering a

quick single and when Mulder removed

Pollard and Andre Russell off

successive deliveries in the 15th over,

the match tilted heavily in favour of the

visitors.

'Insanity' -For South Africa, it was a

first T20 International series triumph

for almost two years.

#photo1

It was also the first under the

captaincy of Temba Bavuma and

coaching stewardship of Mark

Boucher.

"This is really a tremendous effort for

our side, and especially for me in just

my first T20 International, it is

something to build on going forward,"

said Mulder.

Pollard was bitterly disappointed

with his team's failure yet again to

chase down a moderate total.

"It looks as is we haven't learnt much

from these matches because we keep

making the same mistakes, and that is

the definition of insanity," said the

captain.

Next up for the home side is a fivematch

series against Australia, starting

next Friday in St Lucia.

"We have to show that we are serious

about our cricket and ready to keep on

improving in the countdown to the

World T20."

Earlier, Markram's highest T20

International score and another halfcentury

from the consistent de Kock set

the pace for South Africa.

Markram's 70 off 48 balls with four

sixes and three fours came as he and de

Kock (60 off 42 balls with two sixes and

four fours) put on 128 for the second

wicket after Bavuma fell without

scoring in the first over bowled by Fidel

Edwards.

That partnership was the highest for

any wicket by South Africa in T20

Internationals against the West Indies.

Bavuma had chosen to bat first on

winning the toss, the first time a

captain opted to do so in this series.

It was a decision no doubt influenced

by the tourists' failure to chase a target

of 168 in the previous fixture two days

earlier, a result which allowed the home

side to pull level at 2-2.

Despite the excellent platform

provided by Markram and de Kock

though, the innings lost momentum

over the final ten overs, especially when

Edwards separated the productive pair

by having de Kock, who tallied 255 runs

in five innings in the series, caught by

Russell at long-on.

Edwards' figures of two for 19 were

the best for the West Indies bowlers

with captain Pollard utilising seven

bowling options, including himself, on

a pitch where run-scoring was again

increasingly difficult as the innings

wore on.

Roger Federer's gift to tennis: A

shot that players love to hit

SPORTS DESK

"Times have changed,"

Roger Federer said this week

as he looked back on his

early days at Wimbledon,

reports UNB.

Serve-and-volley was the

rule then for the men, not

the exception. Points were

shorter but the shots often

slower. Modern string and

racket technology and

modern training methods

have helped all professional

players generate more pace

and spin from extreme

positions, and no shot better

exemplifies the shift than the

one Federer, 39, has

popularized over the course

of his 23-year professional

career.It is best known as the

squash shot, in part because

Federer played squash in his

youth, and it is a lunging

forehand slash, typically

from an open stance.

It is a spectacular shot to

watch and, as Federer once

told me, "a very fun shot to

hit."But it is not typically

good news when you have to

use it."Honestly, it's your

last-resort play," said

Mackenzie McDonald, a 26-

year-old American. "Maybe

your only option."

But in tennis, players

adjust to the challenge and

the risk. As pro tennis has

accelerated, they have

created new ways of

defending, and the squash

shot has become a staple

through the years, perhaps

even more in the women's

game than in the men's.

"For me, that's a sign of the

influence of Fed across the

whole sport," said Brad

Gilbert, an ESPN analyst

and former top-five player,

referring to Federer.

It is also a tribute to Kim

Clijsters, the powerful and

elastic Belgian star whose

trademark was her sliding

forehand slice, often hit out

of a near split.

Clijsters's latest comeback

is on hold for the moment at

age 38, but the shot is not.

Merritt aces to share

PGA lead with

Niemann in Detroit

SPORTS DESK

Troy Merritt aced the par-3

11th hole on his way to

seizing a share of the lead

with Chile's Joaquin

Niemann after Saturday's

third round of the Rocket

Mortgage Classic, reports

BSS.

The 35-year-old American

one-hopped a 5-iron shot

into the cup from 219 yards

for his first hole-in-one at a

US PGA Tour event,

highlighting a five-under par

67 that put him on 14-under

202 for 54 holes at Detroit

Golf Club.

"It was just nice to see it go

in," Merritt said.

Niemann, who hasn't

made a bogey in the first

three rounds, fired a 68 to

share to top spot. Australian

Cam Davis and American

Hank Lebioda were next on

203 and American Brandon

Hagy was on 204.

"The leaders, they're all

pretty close," Niemann said.

"So I know I need to go low

tomorrow to give myself a

chance to win."

England's Tom Lewis, a

two-time winner on the

European Tour seeking his

first US PGA title, had

shared the lead with

Niemann after 36 holes but

shot 71 to share sixth in a

pack of six players on 205.

"There's going to be quite a

few birdies tomorrow and

we've got to make them to

keep pace," Merritt said.

"The mindset will be find

that fairway first, give

ourselves as many looks as

we can.

"I'm reading the greens

pretty well, the feel's pretty

good, so if we can hole a few

tomorrow, I think we'll have

a chance."

Barbora Krejcikova, a

versatile all-court player, put

the squash shot to frequent

and excellent use on clay in

her surprise run to the

French Open title last

month. French veteran Alizé

Cornet deployed it in

winning an acrobatic match

point in the first round of

Wimbledon against Bianca

Andreescu, who likes the

squash shot, too.

On Friday, Ons Jabeur,

perhaps the craftiest of all

the new women's tennis

stars, used it on match point

in her third-round victory

over Garbiñe Muguruza on

Centre Court. Muguruza, a

relentless hitter, struck a

backhand down the line with

authority. Jabeur stretched

to her right and chopped a

forehand crosscourt to get

herself back into a rally that

she ended up winning.

"So many players are

doing it now," said ESPN

analyst Mary Joe Fernandez,

a two-time Grand Slam

singles finalist and former

Fed Cup captain. "It's a

great-looking shot and

effective most of the time,

because it's a hard, good

slice, and it stays low. It's an

added shot. It's definitely

one I didn't have and one I

don't think my generation

had. But it's a way to sustain

the point, and more often

than not, it works."

Players also use it as a

change-of-pace passing

shot. Anastasija Sevastova

called on it often in her

victory last month over

Elena Rybakina in the

quarterfinals of the grasscourt

Eastbourne

International. Rybakina

repeatedly made volleying

errors off the shot.

"It throws players off

guard," McDonald said. "I

feel it's actually harder to hit

a volley off a slice than a ball

with topspin."

The forehand slice has

been around since the

beginning of lawn tennis. It

is the best way to hit a

forehand drop shot, of

course, but it also was long

the favored method for

approaching the net. The

forehand slice stayed low

and often skidded away

from the opponent, making

it difficult to hit a solid

passing shot, particularly

with the wooden rackets and

gut strings of yore.

But the racket frames are

carbon-fiber weapons now

and, most important, the

strings are made of

polyester, allowing players

to take huge cuts at the ball,

even when off-balance, and

still create the spin necessary

to drop the ball, with

topspin, at a net rusher's

feet. The technology can also

help them hit a low, firmer

slice with both the backhand

and the forehand.

"Good luck hitting that

shot at full stretch with gut

string and a wood racket,"

Gilbert said of the squash

shot. "You are making that

once a Christmas."

Although pros normally

lobbed from that extended

position in Gilbert's era,

players did use a version of

the squash shot in the past.

Australian greats Roy

Emerson and Rod Laver

defended with a sliced

forehand on occasion. Paul

Annacone, a former top-20

player who coached Federer,

Switzerland's Roger Federer plays a return during the men's singles third

round match against Britain's Cameron Norrie on day six of the

Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday. Photo: AP

said he recalled Swedish pro

Mikael Pernfors hitting

forehand slices on the run in

the 1980s and the early '90s.

But Pernfors was an

outlier. The difference now

is how much firmer the shot

feels and looks and how well

it can be controlled.

Kane leads England past Ukraine

and into Euro 2020 semi-finals

SPORTS DESK

A buoyant England are looking forward to a

Euro 2020 semi-final before 60,000 of their

own fans at Wembley after Harry Kane

scored twice in a one-sided 4-0 win over

Ukraine in Rome on Saturday, reports UNB.

Kane ended his international scoring

drought by netting in the 2-0 last-16 defeat of

Germany in midweek and he put England

ahead inside four minutes of this quarterfinal

on a sweaty evening in the Italian

capital.

Gareth Southgate's side then put the tie out

of sight with two more goals early in the

second half, one from Harry Maguire before

Kane netted again.

Substitute Jordan Henderson got the

fourth, and as Denmark lie in wait at

Wembley on Wednesday England will be

confident of going on to reach a first ever

European Championship final and even now

claiming a first major international title since

1966.

"We are on the right track for sure, but we

haven't done anything yet. We have got a

massive semi-final to look forward to now at

Wembley. What an occasion, what a

moment to be involved in," Kane said.

The draw here was kind for them, with

Ukraine surely as weak an opponent as they

could hope to face in a quarter-final, a stage

at which they have lost to the likes of Italy

and Portugal in recent European

Championships.

However the statistics are impressive, with

England having come through five games at

this tournament all without conceding a

goal.Some of their play in wide areas was

outstanding, with Raheem Sterling and

Jadon Sancho too hot for Ukraine to handle.

Kane, their captain, had gone close to eight

hours without finding the net for his country

but his opener here was his second in just

eight minutes following the late strike that

secured victory over Germany.

"It was a fantastic performance from

everyone really, the perfect night for us,"

Kane added.

Their display at the Stadio Olimpico was a

step-up in class in the final third to previous

games at the Euro and they will be favourites

at home against a Danish side who played

their own quarter-final against the Czech

Republic on Saturday in distant Baku.

Hat-trick of headers -

This will be the only match England play

away from home in the competition and,

with Italy currently imposing a five-day

quarantine on arrivals from the United

Kingdom, the number of England fans in

Rome was limited.

However, they still made themselves heard

in the crowd of under 12,000.

They had plenty to celebrate, unlike their

Ukrainian counterparts, as Andriy

Shevchenko's team came up short in their

bid to take the country to a first major

tournament semi-final.

"We can be proud. Obviously we didn't get

the result we wanted but we are on the right

track," insisted Shevchenko, who said

England had been "pragmatic".

Ukraine's chances of shocking England

looked dead and buried when they fell

behind early on, as Sterling played in Kane

who poked the ball past Georgiy Bushchan.

Ukraine's giant striker Roman Yaremchuk

forced a save from Jordan Pickford and a

Declan Rice piledriver was kept out by

Bushchan, with England looking

comfortable.

However Ukraine were a different

proposition after injured defender Serhiy

Kryvtsov was replaced by Dynamo Kiev

winger Viktor Tsygankov in the 36th minute.

They finished the first half strongly and

more pessimistic England fans may have

spent the interval reliving their exit from

Euro 2016, when they lost to Iceland in the

last 16 despite also having opened the

scoring in the fourth minute.

They need not have worried.

England scored again less than a minute

after the restart when Luke Shaw delivered a

free-kick from the left for Maguire to head in.

Four minutes after that Sterling supplied

the overlapping Shaw and he crossed for a

rejuvenated Kane to head home.

The Tottenham star nearly had his hattrick,

a stinging volley producing a fine save

from Bushchan.

From Mason Mount's resulting corner

came the fourth goal, another header, this

time from Henderson, the first of five

substitutes sent on by Southgate who would

have been thinking about the semi-final long

before this quarter-final was officially over.

MoNDAY, JuLY 5, 2021

10

JS passes 'Bangladesh Film Artistes

Welfare Trust Bill 2021'

The Jatiya Sangsad (JS) on

Saturday passed 'The

Bangladesh Film Artistes'

Welfare Trust Bill, 2021' in an

amended form, reports BSS.

Information

and

Broadcasting Minister Dr

Hassan Mahmud proposed to

pass the bill and the

parliament endorsed the bill

through voice votes.

Parliament Speaker Dr Shirin

Sharmin Chaudhury was in

the chair.

The bill titled 'Bangladesh

Film Artistes' Welfare Trust

Bill, 2021' was passed in

parliament, aiming to ensure

the welfare of actors and

actresses as well as financial

support to insolvent and ailing

artistes. It specifies the

establishment of trust, office of

the trust, management and

administration, functions of

the trust, appointment and

responsibilities of the

managing director of the trust,

appointment of employees,

funding, accounting and

auditing, decentralisation of

power, authority to make rules

and regulations and other

related matters.

In the process of passing the

bill, Kazi Firoz Rashid, Rustam

Ali Faraji, MujibulHaque, Peer

Fazlur Rahman, Shamim

Haider Patwari and Begum

Raushan Ara Mannan of

Jatiya Party and Harunur

Rashid and Mosharraf

Hossain of BNP took part in

the discussion.

Aamir and Kiran announce divorce

after 15 years of marriage

Actor Aamir Khan and filmmaker

Kiran Rao have announced their

divorce after 15 years of marriage

in a joint statement. The couple

said that they will co-parent their

son, Azad Rao Khan, as well as

continue with their professional

partnership on Paani Foundation

and 'other projects that (they) feel

passionate about'.

"In these 15 beautiful years

together we have shared a lifetime

of experiences, joy and laughter,

and our relationship has only

grown in trust, respect and love.

Now we would like to begin a new

chapter in our lives - no longer as

husband and wife, but as coparents

and family for each other,"

a statement issued by Aamir Khan

and Kiran Rao read.

The statement added that Aamir

and Kiran separated 'some time

ago' and added that despite living

apart, the couple will 'nurture and

raise' their son Azad Rao Khan

together. "We began a planned

separation some time ago, and

now feel comfortable to formalise

this arrangement, of living

separately yet sharing our lives the

way an extended family does. We

remain devoted parents to our son

Azad, who we will nurture and

raise together," the statement said.

"We will also continue to work as

collaborators on films, Paani

Foundation, and other projects

that we feel passionate about. A big

thank you to our families and

friends for their constant support

and understanding about this

evolution in our relationship, and

without whom we would not have

been so secure in taking this leap.

We request our well wishers for

good wishes and blessings, and

hope that - like us - you will see this

divorce not as an end, but as the

start of a new journey," it added.

Aamir and Kiran first met

during the shoot of Lagaan, in

which he played the lead role, and

she was an assistant director on.

They tied the knot on December

28, 2005. Aamir was previously

married to Reena Dutta and has

two children, Junaid Khan and Ira

Khan, with her.

Source: Times Of India

TBT reporT

Fazal-e-Khuda , the famed lyricist of the song "Salam Salam Hajar

Salam" has died from coronavirus infections at a hospital in the

capital on Sunday morning. He was 81.

The prominent lyricist breathed his last at Shaheed Suhrawardy

Medical College and Hospital while undergoing treatment around

4:00am. He has been buried at Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard in

the capital's Mirpur after Namaz-e-Janaza in the presence of family

and relatives on Sunday morning. Writer Anwarul Kabir Bulu

Fazal-e-Khuda, the

lyricist of 'Salam Salam

Hajar Salam' passes away

confirmed the news. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 recently and

admitted to the hospital on Thursday as his condition deteriorated,

he said. He noted that Fazal-e-Khuda's wife, Mahmuda Sultana, also

are being treated at the hospital as she tested positive for the virus.

Fazal-e-Khuda was famous for his patriotic, modern, folk, and

Islamic songs. Some of his notable songs are "Je Deshete Shapla

Shaluk Jhiler Jole Bhashe", "Bhalobashar Mullo Koto, Ami Kichu

Jani Na", and "Kolshi Kaandhe Ghaate Jai Kon Rooposhi", among

others.

The lyricist is the founding director of Shapla Shaluk, an

organisation dedicated to children and teenagers.

Fazal-e-Khuda was born in Banagram of Pabna on March 9, 1941.

His song, "Salam Salam Hajar Salam" made it to the 20 best Bangla

songs of all-time in a 2006 survey by BBC.

Chanchal, Fariain's Eid drama

'Darkly Roasted Coffee'

TBT reporT

National Film Award-winning

actor Chanchal Chowdhury and

actress Faria Shahrin have

paired for a new drama titled

'Darkly Roasted Coffee'.

Written and directed by Ejaz

Munna, the drama will be aired

on NTV on the occasion of Eidul-Azha.

The filming of the drama has

been concluded at different

locations in the capital's Uttara

area recently.

About the drama, Chanchal

said, "The story of the drama is

very nice. Ejaz Munna is an

experienced scriptwriter and

director. He always makes

dramas with utmost care. The

audience who wants to see

Amazon Prime Video has

unveiled the first teaser for its

upcoming film, Cinderalla. A

race-blind take on the beloved

fairytale, Cinderella stars

singer Camila Cabello in the

lead as tortured seamstress

Ella.

The teaser shows Ella the

seamstress, dreaming of

starting her own boutique,

'Dresses by Ella'. There are

quality work, this drama is for

them." Faria shared, "I'm very

happy that I've acted under the

direction of Ejaz Munna.

snippets of a royal ball, a

handsome prince, her

stepmother and stepsisters, a

lot of singing and dancing,

and Billy Porter as the Fairy

Godmother.

The cast includes multiple

actors of colour, in a

reimagining of a fairytale that

has forever been dominated

by white characters. Fans are

eagerly waiting to see Camila

'Darkly Roasted Coffee' is my

first project with him. On the

other hand, Chanchal was my

first co-artiste when I started

as the princess. "I literally love

this trailer so much already,

even though it's 30 seconds

long," wrote a fan. "This movie

looks visually stunning!

Camila Cabello is so talented

and what a brilliant cast

overall. Definitely excited to

see the movie when it is

released in September," wrote

another.

This will also be the first

time that a Black gay actor will

play the Fairy Godmother.

Speaking to CBS News earlier,

he said "It hit me when I was

on the set last week, how

profound it is that I am

playing the Fairy Godmother -

they call it the Fab G Magic

has no gender."

"This is a classic, this is a

classic fairytale for a new

my acting career. It's always

been a pleasure to work with an

actor like Chanchal. He is very

supportive artiste. Overall, I'm

very optimistic about the

project."

Chanchal Chowdhury-acted

last work under Ejaz Munna's

direction was the drama serial

'Shohorai'. 'Shohorai' has got

huge popularity among the

audience.

Meanwhile, Chanchal has

completed the shooting an Eiddrama

serial 'Mughal Family'

directed by DipuHazra.

On the other hand, Faria has

done shooting for the drama

titled 'Sotti Premer Mithhe

Golpo'. The drama has been

directed by Mohammad Rabiul

Sikdar.

Camila Cabello leads

a Bridgerton-style

version of fairytale

generation. I think that the

new generation is really ready.

The kids are ready. It's the

grownups that are slowing

stuff down," he had added.

Frozen star IdinaMenzel

plays the evil stepmother, with

Minnie Driver, Nicholas

Galitzine and Pierce Brosnan

also in the cast. The film is

directed by Kay Cannon and

produced by Leo Pearlman,

James Corden, Jonathan

Kadin and Shannon

McIntosh, and the executive

producers are Louise Rosner

and Josephine Rose.

The film was earlier

expected to release in theatres

in February. It will now be

arriving on Amazon Prime

Video on September 3.

Source: Indian Express

H o roscope

Aries

Your flexible nature may get you

in trouble today, Aries.

Personalities may clash when no

one is willing to lead. Be aggressive

without being manipulative. Keep it light. Don't

try to pin anyone down. Your nature is open and

expansive. Give other people the freedom they

want. Unexpected events may dramatically

change the course of the day, so don't be upset if

things don't go as planned.

Taurus

Things will flow smoothly for you,

Taurus. There's barely a reason for

you to lift a finger. You have the

good fortune of enjoying this day

with very little effort on your part. Keep in mind

that if you decide to get something done, you will

be extremely successful and able to accomplish

quite a bit. You're in sync with today's energy.

Gemini

People aren't going to want to be

quite as intense as you require

today, Gemini. Things are light

and airy. You may find that no one

is in the mood to delve as deeply

as you want to go. Use the day to relax and

release control for a while. Take deep breaths

and long walks. Go for a bike ride or short road

trip. Crazy, unexpected events may crop up

throughout the day. Be prepared for surprises.

cancer

It may be hard for you to make a

decision about anything today,

Cancer. Things may seem wishywashy

and unclear. Don't worry

about it. There is plenty of air to fuel your fire. Be

aware that people may pop up from the past and

unexpected events may disrupt the flow

throughout the day. Best-laid plans are apt to be

broken. Don't sweat it. Just go with the flow.

Leo

Things probably aren't going to go

exactly as you planned today, Leo.

Realize that people may act in

erratic, powerful bursts, especially

when it comes to emotional issues. Your feelings

may be a bit distant, and you may find it hard to

get in touch with what's really going on inside

you. Do your best to maintain a positive attitude.

That's all anyone can ask.

Virgo

Today is an excellent day for you,

Virgo. Events will flow quite

smoothly. The only thing to be aware

of is that your emotions may seem

rather erratic and unwieldy. There's a great deal of

power behind your words and people are sure to

listen. They would be smart to do so. What you have

to say will be right on target with today's energy.

Libra

You may be indecisive today,

Libra. You may not be able to find

solutions you can live with. You

don't need to finalize anything

now. Use this day to lay low and gather data.

People may seem rather insensitive and erratic.

Go with the flow. You have a great deal of

warmth and passion to share. You may find that

a strong, unpredictable force is affecting your

emotions.

scorpio

There is plenty of air to fuel your

fire today, Scorpio. You're able to

get quite a bit done. Multitasking

is key to accomplishing what you

want to do. An element of the unexpected is

likely to add a surprising dimension to the day.

You're able to communicate freely, and you will

likely be on the same page with the people you

meet.

sagittarius

You may need to make some

slight adjustments in order to get

through to people today,

Sagittarius. The pace may be a bit

faster than you'd like. Remember that people

aren't mind readers. They won't be sensitive

enough to pick up on your subtle messages. If

you want to get something across, state it clearly

and succinctly. Feel free to explore the

unconventional and bizarre.

capricorn

Today is an excellent day for you,

Capricorn. You will receive some

bursts of unexpected energy that

help you accomplish whatever it is

you wish to do. You should enjoy a favorable

mood and good relations with others all day.

Enjoy yourself and feel free to indulge in things

that make you happy. Spend time with your

family and let them share in your positive

energy flow.

Aquarius

Things may be moving a bit too

quickly today for you to grab hold

of anything, Aquarius. There's an

element of the unexpected

entering into the equation. Be prepared. The

mood of the day is especially light and perhaps a

bit superficial. People may not be entirely

reliable. If there's something you absolutely

need to do, consider doing it by yourself.

pisces

Enjoy the day today, Pisces. Take

control of the situation and make the

most of whatever comes your way. Do

it with a smile. There's a great deal of

fun-loving, excited energy ready for you to draw upon.

Get your ideas out to others. Communicate your

thoughts. Attend a party or two. You're the epitome of

the social butterfly. Make sure to wear your best attire.

MonDAY, JulY 5, 2021

11

Nearly 200 unmarked graves found at Canada

indigenous school as churches set ablaze

OTTAWA : Another 182 unmarked

graves were discovered at a third former

indigenous residential school in Canada

as two Catholic Churches went up in

flames on Wednesday, with anger

mounting over the mushrooming abuse

scandal, reports BSS.

The Lower Kootenay Band said

experts using ground-penetrating radar

mapping located what are believed to be

the remains of pupils aged seven to 15 at

the former St Eugene's Mission School

near Cranbrook, British Columbia.

Some of the graves are as shallow as

three to four feet (.9 to 1.2 meters), it

said. They are believed to be the

remains of members of bands of the

Ktunaxa nation, which includes the

Lower Kootenay, and neighboring

indigenous communities.

The Catholic Church operated the

school on behalf of the federal

government from 1912 until the early

1970s.

The grim development follows the

discovery of remains of 215 children in

unmarked graves at the former

Kamloops Indian Residential School in

British Columbia in May and 751 more

unmarked graves at another school in

Marieval, Saskatchewan last week.

At a news conference, Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau said these "horrific

discoveries" have forced Canadians "to

reflect on the historic and ongoing

injustices that Indigenous peoples have

faced."

King's Confectionery inaugurated

of Motijheel Outlet

An outlet of King's Confectionery

(Bangladesh) PTE Limited was inaugurated

on recently at Adamjee Court in Motijheel,

the heart of Dhaka. Md. Shamim Miah

Managing Director of the company

inaugurated the outlet, a press release said.

Prominent Personalities and senior officials

of the company were present on the occasion.

GD-1099/21 (7x3)

He urged all to participate in

reconciliation, while denouncing

vandalism and arson of churches across

the country.

"The destruction of places of worship

is not acceptable, and it must stop," he

said. "We must work together to right

past wrongs. Everyone has a role to

play."

In the early morning, two churches

went up in flames amid growing calls for

a papal apology over abuses at Canada's

residential schools.

Police said the fires at the Morinville

church north of Edmonton, Alberta and

the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Church on

Sipekne'katik First Nation near Halifax

in Nova Scotia are being investigated as

possible arson.

"We are investigating it as

suspicious," Royal Canadian Mounted

Police Corporal Sheldon Robb told AFP,

speaking on the fire that gutted the

Morinville church.

Corporal Chris Marshall of the Nova

Scotia RCMP said the same about the

fire that severely damaged the St. Kateri

Tekakwitha Church.

The blazes brought to eight the

number of churches across Canada

destroyed or damaged by suspicious

fires, most of them in indigenous

communities, in recent days.

Several others were vandalized,

including with red paint.

" 'Cultural genocide' -

No direct link has officially been made

Since its inception King's Confectionery

(Bangladesh) PTE Limited has been

providing the height quality cakes and

confectionery items of Bangladesh. King's

confectionery (Bangladesh) PTE Limited has

always maintained the height quality

standards by giving priority to the customer's

choice.

between the church fires and the

discovery of the unmarked graves.

But speculation is rampant, amid

intense anger and sadness triggered by

the burial finds.

"We absolutely recognize the

profound effect the discoveries of the

unmarked graves have had on First

Nations people, and investigators will

bear that in mind," Marshall said.

The damaged churches were built a

century ago, coinciding with the

opening of 139 boarding schools set up

to assimilate indigenous peoples into

the Canadian mainstream.

Until the 1990s, some 150,000

Indian, Inuit and Metis youngsters were

forcibly enrolled in the schools, where

students were physically and sexually

abused by headmasters and teachers

who stripped them of their culture and

language.

More than 4,000 died of disease and

neglect in the schools, according to a

commission of inquiry that concluded

Canada had committed "cultural

genocide." Trudeau last Friday

apologized for the "harmful

government policy" and joined a chorus

of indigenous leaders' calls for Pope

Francis to do the same for abuses at the

schools.

The flag atop parliament has been

lowered to commemorate the pupils'

deaths, and will remain at half-mast for

Canada's national day on July 1, he said

Wednesday.

Former US defense

secretary Rumsfeld

dead at 88: famil

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2021

(BSS/AFP) - Donald

Rumsfeld, the cocksure and

unrepentant defense secretary

who led the United States into

war in Iraq and Afghanistan,

has died, his family announced

Wednesday. He was 88.

In charge of the US military

for most of George W. Bush's

presidency, Rumsfeld was

stubborn and brash, famously

dismissing widespread looting

after US troops captured

Baghdad by quipping, "Stuff

happens."

For millions who took to the

streets to denounce the war in

Iraq, Rumsfeld and vice

president Dick Cheney were

emblematic of what was seen

as excesses in Bush's "war on

terror," including the indefinite

detention of suspects in

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and

the abuse of Iraqis by US jailers

at Abu Ghraib prison.

The former congressman's

brand of hawkish politics

eventually fell from favor as

politicians from both sides

turned on "forever wars," and

the troops he first sent to

Afghanistan after the

September 11, 2001 attacks

will make their final

withdrawal weeks after his

death.

Trump at US-Mexico border, highlights

'dangerous' migrant surge

WESLACO, United States : Donald Trump visited the US-

Mexico border Wednesday, pushing anti-immigrant rhetoric

and rallying his base by warning that "millions" of

undocumented migrants were surging into the country due

to the lax policies of his presidential successor Joe Biden.

The Republican former leader's first fact-finding tour since

leaving the White House comes as the Biden administration

grapples with a migrant surge that Trump blames squarely

on an easing of his "tough but fair" policies that were aimed

at deterring new arrivals.

"Now we have an open, really dangerous border, more

dangerous than it's ever been in the history of our countryand

we better go back fast," the brash billionaire said after

receiving a briefing from sheriffs at the Department of Public

Safety in the small town of Weslaco, Texas.

"Millions of people are coming in," Trump added later in

remarks delivered along the border in Pharr, Texas, part of

his recent ramp-up of public appearances.

Migrant detentions reached their highest level in 15 years

in March, and Biden critics accused the president of

downplaying the situation.

But the numbers are in the hundreds of thousands, not

millions, and many migrants are being returned to Mexico.

Trump was accompanied by Republican Texas Governor

Greg Abbott, who has pledged to finish Trump's wall along

his state's border-but with private donations and not federal

assistance.

Trump was also joined by several Republican members of

Congress, including conservatives Lauren Boebert and Jim

Banks, as they observed an uncompleted portion of the reenforced

metal wall looming over a grassy bluff.

The area is in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the illegal

migration hot spots along the 1,930-mile (3,100-kilometer)

border.

Trump expressed pride in his efforts to build more than

400 miles of border barrier and to tamp down the number of

migrants crossing into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and

California. "We did a hell of a job," Trump said. Most of

Trump's new construction involved bolstering or replacing

existing wall or fencing, with fewer than 50 miles of it being

constructed where none stood previously.

Republican lawmakers have slammed Biden for reversing

Trump programs, including his "remain in Mexico" policy,

which had forced thousands of asylum seekers from Central

America to stay south of the US border until their claims

were processed.

Three soldiers behind

Gabon's failed 2019

coup jailed for 15 years

LIBREVILLE : Three soldiers

behind a failed coup in

Gabon in 2019 have been

sentenced to 15 years' prison,

the prosecutor told AFP on

Thursday.

The three, including

Lieutenant Kelly Ondo

Obiang who was a member of

the elite Republican Guard,

had gone on state television

in January 2019 calling for a

"public uprising" during the

short-lived coup.

Five policemen and a

civilian who were on trial

alongside them were

acquitted, the prosecutor

said, adding the verdict was

handed down overnight.

The defendants had faced

life imprisonment if

convicted.

"My clients are happy, they

made a victory sign to those

present," one of their lawyers,

Jean-Pierre Moumbembe,

told AFP, adding that he had

appealed the verdict.

GD-1098/21 (5x4)

Kulaura woman and her family

facing the ordeal of insecurity

Alok Kanti Dev, Moulovibazar Correspondent

The wife of a BGB subedar from Chandpur

village in Kulauraupazila of Moulvibazar and

the mother of a member of the government's

specialforces are experiencing insecurity at

home with their teenage son after being

tortured by their brothers-in-law. It has been

alleged that her brothers-in-law are trying to

evict her from the house for the sake ofillegally

possessingher property. The victim Salema

Begum has lodged two complaints with

Kulaura police station. According to the

complaint, her father-in-law Abdul Latif sold

22 decimals of land to Salema Begum, wife of

Subedar Abdul Motalib working in BGB in

Chandpur village and the mother of Abdul

Razzak working in government special forces.

Abdul Jalil, the brother-in-law of Salema

Begum, has been occupying 8 decimals of the

sold land for 12 years. At present, her

brothers-in-law Abdul Hannan and Abdul

Mannan, employed in primary schools are

trying to occupy 7 and a half decimals of land.

The brothers-in-law of Salema Begum's have

been torturing herand trying to occupy the

land and houses as her husband and son stays

outside of their home for their call of duty.

An arbitration meeting was held with the

local chairman and dignitaries but the issue

was not resolved. They even continue to

spread propaganda against the children and

her husband. At times, they are sending false

allegations against Salema Begum to different

agencies or offices of the government. On

June 29, Salema Begum brought a

domesticated cow into her house and her

three brothers-in-law beat her and tried to

snatch the cow. Salema Begum was severely

injured in their attack and a finger of her hand

was broken. Salema Begum has filed a case

against her three brothers-in-law at Kulaura

police station on June 21. Salema Begum said

her husband has been supporting her fatherin-law

Abdul Latif for the past 33 years and

she is taking care of her father-in-law. In

November last year, her brothers-in-law

manipulated her father-in-law and confided

him to take side with them. The in-laws are

spreading propaganda and making false

allegations against the husband and children

through various means for the purpose of

embezzling their family property. She is taking

the ordeal of insecurity with her teenage son

and a daughter-in-law.

Britney Spears' father to stay

on as guardian, US court rules

LOS ANGELES : A Los

Angeles court denied

Britney Spears' request to

eject her father from a

guardianship arrangement

that gives him control of her

affairs, US media reported

on Thursday.

The decision comes a week

after the singer made an

impassioned plea to end the

"abusive" conservatorship

during which she said she

has been medicated to

control her behavior,

prohibited from making

decisions on friendships or

finances, and prevented

from having a contraceptive

implant removed, despite

wanting more children.

The Los Angeles Superior

Court ruling made on

Wednesday was in

connection to a request filed

in September by Spears'

lawyer to add wealth

management firm Bessemer

Trust to the conservatorship

and remove her father Jamie

Spears, CNN reported. "The

conservator's request to

suspend James P. Spears

immediately upon the

appointment of Bessemer

Trust Company of

California as sole

conservator of estate is

denied without prejudice,"

Judge Brenda Penny said in

court filings seen by CNN.

The decision did not take

Spears' statement from last

week into consideration.

Spears' father has asked

the court to investigate the

music superstar's

allegations that she was

medicated with lithium and

made to perform against her

will, CNN reported.

The revelation that the

conservatorship is

preventing her from

removing a contraceptive

IUD sparked outrage from

fans and reproductive rights

groups online.

monday, Dhaka, July 5, 2021, ashar 21, 1428 BS, Zilqad 23, 1442 hijri

Philippine military plane

crashes, 17 dead, 40 rescued

Day laborers are waiting for work on the fourth day of a strict lockdown. The picture is taken

from Sanir akhra area of the capital on Sunday morning.

Photo : Star mail

HC asks to arrange

urgent vaccination

for students

studying abroad

DHAKA : A virtual High Court division

bench comprising Justice M Enayetur

Rahim yesterday asked the state representatives

to talk to the Department of

Health and arrange Covid-19 vaccine

for the students studying abroad on a

priority basis.

Deputy Attorney General (DAG)

Samarendra Nath Biswas confirmed the

matter to BSS saying: "As Advocate SK

Jahangir Alam brought the matter to

the notice of the HC bench, the court

asked the lawyers representing the state

in this matter to contact Department of

Health about how these students can be

vaccinated promptly."

The court stated that many students

have already taken admission to various

foreign educational institutions in

August-September sessions and opined

that they need to get vaccinated before

the session begins. An application with

the health department in this regard will

be filed soon, the DAG added.

Hefajat leader

Afendi sent to jail

DHAKA : A court on Sunday sent to jail

Manjurul Islam Afendi, central assistant

secretary general of Hefajat-e-Islam's

recently dissolved committee, in a sabotage

case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate

Sadbir Yasir Ahsan Chowdhury passed

the order as police produced Afendi

before the court after the end of his fiveday

remand in the case and pleaded to

keep him behind the bars till the end of

the probe.

The court on June 28, showed him

arrested in the case filed with the capital's

Paltan Police Station and placed

him on five-day remand.

Hefajat-e-Islam carried out atrocities

in capital's Motijheel, Paltan and adjacent

areas on May 5, 2013, vandalizing

hundreds of vehicles, shops, offices, and

setting those on fire.

Many cases were filed against Hefajat

leaders with Paltan and Motijheel Police

Station in this regard.

BNP, NGOs are not found in

COVID-19 epidemic: Hasan

DHAKA : Information and Broadcasting

Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday

said BNP and NGO personalities who are

always busy criticizing the government

cannot be found beside the countrymen

during the COVID19 pandemic.

"BNP did photo sessions instead of

standing beside the common people in

the beginning of the epidemic. And

presently during the second wave, they

(BNP) cannot be found even with binoculars,"

he said, addressing a function at

Awami League president's political

office in city's Dhanmondi.

AL Relief and Social Welfare sub-committee

organised the function to distribute

health protection equipment including

high flow cannula among different

hospitals in Chattogram, Rangamati,

Bandarban, Nilphamari and Bogura.

AL Joint General Secretary AFM

Bahauddin Nasim, Health Affairs

Secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana and

Organising Secretary Sakhawat Hossain

Shafiq, among others, addressed the

function.

Hasan said some NGO's (non government

organizations) which did photo sessions

by giving something to few people

and sent those pictures to different funders

also cannot be found during the COVID-19

situation. Of them, some are busy in criticizing

the government, he added.

Terming the politics as vow, the minister

said five central leaders of Awami League

died due to Coronavirus. They all stood

beside the common people, he added.

Besides, he said, many leaders and

activists of the party (AL) died due to the

virus while hundreds of leaders have

been infected.

He said about two crore families

received food assistance from the party

(AL) while thousands of people received

health protection materials. But no

other political parties stood beside the

countrymen, said Hasan, also Awami

League joint general secretary.

He said the BNP leaders are now busy

over the health issue of Begum Khaleda

Zia. "They are only telling to send BNP

chief Begum Khaleda Zia abroad. It

seems that they have no concerns for the

health of common people," he added.

Nasim, in his speech, urged all to

remain alert against all ill efforts including

BNP who try to take political benefit

through using COVID=19 situation.

Later, Hasan joined the inaugural

function of a digital market of sacrificial

animals organised by Dhaka North City

Corporation through online.

100 dengue patients undergoing

treatment at hospitals across country

DHAKA : A total of 100 patients diagnosed with Dengue are currently receiving treatment

at different government and private hospitals across the country as of Sunday

morning amid a spike in the mosquito-borne disease during monsoon, reports UNB.

Twenty-nine new patients were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka in 24 hours

until Sunday morning and two patients were hospitalized outside Dhaka during the

period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)..

A total of 98 dengue patients are receiving treatment at 41 government and private

hospitals in Dhaka while two outside the city. So far, 465 patients have been admitted

to different hospitals with dengue since January and of them, 365 have been released

after recovery. Health authorities reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed

dengue-related deaths in 2020. According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases

and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019. Dengue fever was first reported

in Bangladesh in 2000 when it claimed 93 lives. In the following three years, the

fatalities almost fell to zero. However, the mosquito-borne viral infection struck again

in 2018, killing 26, and infecting 10,148 people.

Water levels of major rivers rising in B'putra basin

MANILA : A Philippine air force C-130

aircraft carrying troops crashed in a

southern province after missing the runway

Sunday, killing at least 17 military

personnel while at least 40 were rescued

from the burning wreckage, officials said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

said rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing.

The aircraft had 92 people on board,

including three pilots and five crew and

the rest were army personnel, he said.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules was one

of two ex-U.S. Air Force aircraft handed

over to the Philippines as part of military

assistance this year.

It crashed on landing shortly before

noon Sunday in Bangkal village in the

mountainous town of Patikul in Sulu

province, military chief of staff Gen.

Cirilito Sobejana said.

He said at least 40 people on board

were brought to a hospital and troops

Enough cattle available

in Bangladesh for

sacrifices during Eid: DLS

DHAKA : The country is unlikely to face

any shortage of sacrificial animals during

the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha as there

will be adequate supply of locally-reared

cattle to meet the demand despite

Covid-19 pandemic, according to

authorities.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister

Sham Rezaul Karim said, "There're

more animals in the country than the

number required for the upcoming Eidul-Azha."

"This time there's no need to import

as the number of sacrificial animals is

much higher in the country," he said.

Officials at the Department of

Livestock Services (DLS) said 1.20 crore

sacrificial animals, including 45.47 lakh

cows and buffaloes, are available this

time compared to 1.18 crore last year.

The number of goats and sheep is 73

lakh 35 thousand while that of other

kinds of livestock is 4765.

According to the DLS, some 95 lakh

animals were sacrificed last year against

an estimated 1.1 crore while 1.18 crore

animals were ready for sale.

People involved in the trade said a big

portion of about 14 lakh cows that farmers

rear are for the Eid-ul-Azha markets

of the capital city. But the demand was

low last year due to coronavirus and

floods.

Prices were low at the beginning, but

spiked at the end because of fewer animals

and more buyers. People, however,

are worried about the price of sacrificial

animals this year too because of the bad

experience last year.

Many city dwellers are trying to make

bookings early to avoid the last moment

hassles.

Nurul Islam, who lives in

Jatrabari,used to buy his sacrificial animal

from the makeshift market the day

before Eid.

were trying to save the rest.

The plane was transporting troops

from southern Cagayan de Oro city for

deployment in Sulu, Sobejana said.

Government forces have been battling

Abu Sayyaf militants in the predominantly

Muslim province of Sulu for

decades.

It was not immediately clear what

caused the crash. Regional military commander

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said it

was unlikely that the aircraft came under

fire and cited witnesses as saying that it

appeared to have overshot the runway.

"It's very unfortunate," Sobejana told

reporters. "The plane missed the runway

and it was trying to regain power but

failed and crashed."

Initial pictures showed that the weather

was apparently fine in Sulu although

other parts of the Philippines were experiencing

rains due to an approaching

Shafiqul iSlam (Shafiq)

tropical depression. The airport in Sulu's

main town of Jolo is located a few kilometers

(miles) from a mountainous area

where troops have battled the Abu

Sayyaf. Some militants have aligned

themselves with the Islamic State group.

An air force official told The Associated

Press that the Jolo runway is shorter than

most others in the country, making it

more difficult for pilots to adjust if an aircraft

misses the landing spot. The official,

who has flown military aircraft to and

from Jolo several times, spoke on condition

of anonymity because of a lack of

authority to speak publicly.

The United States and the Philippines

have separately blacklisted the Abu

Sayyaf as a terrorist organization for

bombings, ransom kidnappings and

beheadings. It has been considerably

weakened by years of government offensives

but remains a threat.

People & rickshaw movement increased

4th day of lockdown

429 arrested in Dhaka for

disobeying restrictions

Sunday was the fourth day of a sevenday

strict lockdown announced by

the government. Police, army, BGB

and RAB members are in the field to

implement the lockdown. Check

posts were set up at various places in

the capital since morning. Fines and

arrests are also being made if anybody

go out without an urgent need.

However, those engaged in emergency

services are able to go to their

destination or workplace by showing

their identity cards and informing the

law enforcement agencies while

searching for necessities.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka

Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested

429 people in Dhaka yesterday on the

fourth day of the ban on preventing

the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.

Additional Deputy

Commissioner (ADC) of DMP's

Media and Public Relations

Department Iftekharul Islam told the

media on Sunday.

He said the eight crime and traffic

divisions of the DMP had conducted

309 cases under the Road Transport

Act and imposed fines of Tk

8,69,500 on various vehicles in different

parts of the capital from 3 PM

on Sunday. ADC Iftekhairul said

police checkpoints, searches and

interrogations were conducted

simultaneously in Ramna, Lalbagh,

Motijheel, Wari, Tejgaon, Mirpur,

Gulshan and Uttara areas of the capital

since morning in compliance

with government directives.

Meanwhile, 550 people were

arrested in the capital on the first day

on Thursday and 320 on the second

day on Friday for going out of the

home without any urgent need. A

total of Tk 1,32,395 was collected

from 182 people across the country

on Thursday and Tk 2,15,540 from

213 people on Friday.

Besides, 621 people were arrested

from the capital on Saturday (July 3)

for disobeying government orders.

They were arrested in a joint operation

of eight divisions of the DMP and

a mobile court operation.

On the third day, 346 people were

also fined 1 lakh 6 thousand 450 TK.

On the other hand, on the third day of

the lockdown, RAB has fined 277

people across the country for violating

the ban. The fines were paid by

RAB executive magistrates operating

31 mobile courts across the country.

A seven-day strict lockdown was

announced from July 1. At this time,

instructions have been given not to

go out of home without urgent need.

The instructions also state that if anyone

wants to go out in case of emergency,

he has to wear a mask and

maintain physical distance.

Moreover, all government, semi-government

and autonomous offices are

closed except for emergency services

during the ongoing lockdown. Strict

lockdown will continue till July 7.

RANGPUR : Water levels of the major

rivers continued rising following onrush

of huge water amid monsoon rains

from the upstream in the Brahmaputra

basin during the last 24 hours ending at

9 am on Sunday. Officials of Bangladesh

Water Development Board said water

levels of major rivers might continue to

rise rapidly during the next 72 hours in

the basin where the Teesta, Dharla and

Dudhkumar might create a flash flood

situation during the next 48 hours.

A bulletin of Flood Forecasting and

Warning Center (FFWC) of BWDB on

Sunday said there is a chance of heavy

rainfall in the northern and northeastern

regions and sub-Himalayan West

Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya

states of India in the next 48 hours.

"As a result, water levels of the Teesta,

Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers of the

northern region may rise rapidly at

times during this period creating a flash

flood situation in the Brahmaputra

basin," the bulletin said,

The recorded rainfalls during the last 24

hours ending at 9am on Sunday were

280mm at Cherrapunji, 46mm at Shillong

and 37cm at Dhubri points of the northwestern

Indian states in the upstream.

"Besides, the BWDB recorded 143mm

rainfalls at Dalia and 100m at Jamalpur

monitoring points in the Brahmaputra

basin during the same period," the bulletin

said. Water levels of the Dharla rose

by 15cm at Kurigram, Ghagot by 4cm at

Gaibandha, Brahmaputra by 36cm at

Noonkhawa and 25cm at Chilmari and

Teesta rose by 10cm at Dalia and 3cm at

Kawnia points during the last 24 hours

till 9 am on Sunday.

Besides, water levels of the Jamuna

rose by 16cm at Fulchhari, 17cm at

Bahadurabad and 2cm at Sariakandi

and remained steady at Kazipur and

while fell by 4cm at Sirajganj points

during the period.

However, all of the major rivers were

flowing below their respective danger

marks at all monitoring points in the

Brahmaputra basin at 9am on Sunday.

The Dharla was flowing 76cm below

its DM at Kurigram, Brahmanpara by

128cm at Noonkhawa and 86cm at

Chilmari, Teesta by 10cm at Dalia and

34cm at Kawnia Ghaghot was flowing

below the DM by 157cm at Gaibandha

points at 9 am on Sunday.

Besides, the Jamuna was flowing 112cm

below the DM at Fulchhari, 109cm at

Bahadurabad, 129cm at Sariakandi,

217cm at Kazipur and 127cm at Sirajganj

points at 9 am on Sunday.

On Sunday, the fourth day of the lockdown, people who go out unnecessarily are fined in the mobile court.

Photo : Star mail

05-07-2021

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