09-07-2021 V2

friday

DhAKA: July 9, 2021; Ashar 25, 1428 BS; Zilqad 27,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 89; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Japan to declare virus

emergency lasting

through Olympics

>Page 7

36 more dengue

cases reported

in 24 hrs

DHAKA : Bangladesh reported 36 new

dengue cases in the last 24 hours until

Thursday morning as concern mounted

over the spread of the mosquito-borne

disease during the monsoon, reports

UNB.

The recent spike in dengue cases has

compounded worries as the country

continues to grapple with the devastating

second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 151 patients diagnosed

with dengue are currently receiving

treatment at different government and

private hospitals across the country as of

Thursday morning, according to the

Directorate General of Health Services

(DGHS).

Thirty-six new patients were admitted

to different hospitals in Dhaka in the last

24 hours and none was reported to be

hospitalized outside Dhaka during the

period.

So far, 601 patients have been admitted

to different hospitals with dengue

since January and of them, 450 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.

Padma river

embankment risks

catastrophic collapse

FARIDPUR : Residents of Charbhadrason

upazila in Faridpur are living in fear of

flooding as a large portion of an

embankment along the Padma River in

Haziganj Bazar has developed cracks.

Locals say vast tracts of land in the

upazila could be inundated during the

monsoon if immediate steps are not

taken to protect the embankment from

erosion.

They claim their repeated pleas to the

authorities concerned for the restoration

of the embankment along the

Padma have so far fallen on deaf ears.

The three-kilometre-long embankment

was constructed along the Padma

in MPdangi, Charhaziganj Bazar and

Charhossainpur areas in 2019-20

financial year. Three private firms were

roped in to construct the embankment

at a cost of Tk 144 crore.

But within a year of the construction,

many cracks have developed.

Moreover, portions of the embankment

have already caved in at places, according

to the locals.

Motaleb Hossain, Chairman of

Charbhadrason upazila, said, "Following

the demands of the local people, the

Water Development Board built the

embankment in the area. But we are left

aghast as it has developed cracks within a

year of construction."

Zumma

03:52 AM

01:30 PM

04:43 PM

06:55 PM

08:19 PM

5:16 6:50

SPortS

Kane extra-time goal

takes England into

Euro 2020 final

>Page 9

Despite the strict restrictions, shoppers are flocking to buy TCB products without social distance.

The picture is taken from Azimpur in the capital on Thursday.

Photo : TBT

Secretaries get responsibility

of coordination to execute

govt decisions: Hasan

DHAKA : Information and Broadcasting

Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday

said the secretaries have been given

responsibilities for coordination in

implementing the decisions of the political

government.

"They (secretaries) are working in

coordination with public representatives

in the districts," he told reporters

after addressing the coordination meeting

of Chattogram district through

online from his official residence in

city's Minto Road.

Hasan, also Awami League joint general

secretary, presided over the meeting

while senior secretary of Public

Security Division of the Home Ministry

Mostafa Kamal Uddin conducted it.

Jatiya Sangsad Whip Shamsul Haque

Chowdhury, Chattogram City Mayor

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, former minister

Anisul Islam Mahmud, MP,

Chattogram Divisional Commissioner

Md Kamrul Hasan, Chattogram

Metropolitan Police Commissioner

Saleh Md Tanvir, Dy Commissioner

Mohammad Mominur Rahman and

senior officials of district health department

and others departments took part

in the meeting.

Different decisions in combating the

COVID-19 situation were taken in the

meeting.

Hasan said the secretaries are

responsible for coordination of government

activities. For this, they have been

given the responsibilities of coordination

of government activities in different

districts, he added.

He said the government of a democratic

country is a political government.

The secretaries have been given the

responsibilities of coordination in

implementing the government decisions,

in controlling and combating the

COVID-19, in carrying out relief activities

and others activities during the

pandemic (coronavirus).

Devastating wave of covid-19 infection

BNP places 5 point proposal to Govt

ShAfIqul ISlAM (ShAfIq)

The BNP has demanded to the government

to take five integrated steps,

including the formation of a national

emergency advisory committee to control

the devastating spread of the corona

virus across the country. At a virtual

press conference on Thursday afternoon,

the party's secretary general

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presented

the demand for an all-out plan to the

government. He said the corona situation

in the country was out of control as

a result of the government's indifference

and extreme failure to formulate a science-minded

policy.

He said keeping billions of poor people

in the informal sector at home without

food aid was a violation of human

rights. Public transport is closed. But

industries and mills are open. Due to

the government's tough stance, day

laborers and low-income people have

faced a terrible crisis. In fact, the present

government is arbitrarily collecting

taxes from the poor people.

That is why the government is recklessly

corrupt and misgoverning. However,

food security must be ensured if the

needy people directly affected by the lockdown

are to be kept at home. We clearly

demand that the government should take

a comprehensive plan to implement the

five integrated measures taken by the

BNP to protect Bangladesh from the control

of the global epidemic Corona.

(1) In order to keep the poor people at

home, they have to pay at least TK

15,000/- in cash at one time and deliver

food. (2) People's need to follow hygiene

and use masks to get out. (3) At least 80%

of people need to be vaccinated very quickly.

For this, an integrated and precise roadmap

has to be prepared, presented to the

nation and implemented. The country

needs to take effective measures to produce

vaccines immediately. (4) At present,

corona infected patients need to ensure

comprehensive health care across the

country. For this, necessary oxygen supply,

increase in ICU and corona beds,

essential medical supplies and adequate

doctors/health workers have to be recruited

all over the country. (5) Despite many

delays, a national emergency advisory

committee comprising health experts, all

political parties, NGOs and social organizations

has to be formed.

Dhaka reemerging

as Covid hotspot

as battle plan

'fails': Experts

DHAKA : Though the Coronavirus

spread had come almost under control

in Dhaka nearly a month back, the

national capital is reemerging as the

hotspot for the deadly virus transmission

and fatalities, reports UNB.

Health experts said the highly transmissible

Delta or Indian variant has

speared in Dhaka as the government

took time to stop inter-district transport

services when it was spreading fast

in frontier areas. The high density of

population in the capital and people's

apathy toward wearing masks, and

maintaining health safety rules are also

the major reasons why the virus transmission

is spreading so fast in Dhaka.

They said ensuring speedy contact

tracing, isolation of the infected people

and intensifying the lockdown ensuring

people's involvement are necessary to

break the transmission cycle while better

hospital management, including setting

up field hospitals, can reduce the fatality

rate.

According to the Directorate General

of Health Services (DGHS), over

89,000 Covid cases were identified

while 1421 patients died of the virus in

the past 10 days.

The country reported 11,525 cases on

Tuesday and 11,162 ones on Wednesday

across the country. Of them, 3,715 or

32.23 percent patients were found in

Dhaka city on Tuesday and 3,285

patients or 29.43 percent on Wednesday.

But the Covid positivity rate in Dhaka city

was just 3.45% in early June.

The virus is not only spreading in

Dhaka city, but also in the districts

under the division.

TBT RePoRT

art & culture

Kishwar reaches

Top 5 of Master

Chef Australia

>Page 10

PMO directs to increase

oxygen & beds in the

country's hospitals

TBT RePoRT

The number of COVID-19 cases in

Bangladesh hit a record daily high since

the outbreak of the pandemic with

11,651 new infections being reported in a

span of 24 hours, pushing the nationwide

coronavirus tally to 9,89,219 so far.

"The death toll rose to 15,792 with 199

new fatalities, the second highest number

of deaths in a single day," Directorate

General of Health Services (DGHS) said

in its routine daily statement.

It said 31.62 percent of the 36,850

samples collected in 24 hours, the highest

infection rate in a day, were tested

positive while the infection rate was only

2.30 percent just on February 8 this year

as during the late winter season, the rate

started decreasing sharply.

The recovery count rose to 8,56,346

after another 5,844 patients were discharged

from the hospitals during the

past one day. The DGHS statistics

showed of the people infected from the

beginning, 86.57 percent recovered,

while 1.60 percent died.

In the past 24 hours, combined figure

of coronavirus of Dhaka city and upazilas

of Dhaka district is 3,285 while as of

Thursday, 5,44,867 out of 9,89,219 were

detected alone in Dhaka district including

the city.

The DGHS said among the total 15,792

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has

recently issued a number of directives,

including increasing the supply of oxygen

and increasing the number of beds

in hospitals across the country in the

wake of rising corona virus infections

and mortality. These instructions have

been given to ensure proper treatment

of corona patients.

The PMO's press wing called on the concerned

authorities to ensure strict compliance

with the rules of hygiene for all, so

that no one can come out of the house and

if necessary, they should be segregated.

The PMO also called on the people to

abide by the hygiene rules and guidelines

to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The directive was issued at an emergency

meeting with divisions and

deputy commissioners to find ways to

ensure public health protection and

coordinate ongoing government action

against the Covid-19 infection.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister

Ahmed Kaikaus presided over the meeting

from the PMO. PMO Secretary Tofazzal

Hossain Mia and Health and Family

Welfare Secretary Lokman Hossain Mia

were present on the occasion.

It is noted that the demand of oxygen

has more than doubled across the country

due to the extreme rise of the second

wave of the epidemic corona virus. Now

the oxygen suppliers are struggling.

Producers are under pressure to supply

oxygen. Though there is no oxygen crisis

in the country.

Health department officials said the

demand of oxygen in the country is not

always the same. Demands vary from

time to time. When the number of

patients increases, the demand increases

and when the number of patients

decreases, the demand also decreases.

However, the normal demand was

between 200 and 220 tons. But as the

number of patients grows, so does the

demand. However, it is not clear how

much demand will increase.

At present Linde Bangladesh and

Spectra Oxygen Limited supplying 170

tons of oxygen. The rest of the demand

comes from other companies. The country's

multinational oxygen producer

Linde produces as well as imports liquid

oxygen from India. Their production

capacity is 95 tons. Imports in India

have stopped due to an increase in coronavirus

infections. However, after two

and a half months, the import of oxygen

has resumed. In the last two weeks 778

metric tons of oxygen has been imported

from India through Benapole port.

BD reports highest daily spike

fatalities, 7,936 deaths occurred in Dhaka

division, 2,915 in Chattogram, 1,185 in

Rajshahi, 1,658 in Khulna, 464 in

Barishal, 563 in Sylhet, 707 in Rangpur

and 364 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,

9,000 mark on July 5 and 11,000 mark

July 6.

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

February.

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.

In less than

six months, a

crack has

been appeared

in the house

given by the

Prime Minister

on the occasion

of Mujib Year

at Gosairhat

in Shariatpur.

Photo : Star Mail

fRIDAY, JUlY 9, 2021

2

Jashore Deputy Commission, Police Super and Civil Surgeon briefing journalists after visiting the lockdown implementation

activities.

Photo : Shahid Joy

38 kilogram

ganja seized

in Habiganj

HABIGANJ : Police arrested

four drug peddlers with

around 38 kilograms of ganja

in separate drives in different

upazilas of the district.

Police sources said on

information they conducted a

drive in Temunia area on Old

Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in

Madhobpur in the morning

and held one Liton Rely, 35,

and Mithun Karmakar with

25 kilograms of ganja.

In the afternoon, Rapid

Action Battalion held a man

named Abdul Jolil, 45, with 6

kgs of the cannabis from

Madhobpur municipality

area.

Besides, RAB men in

another drive at

Chunarughat upazila last

night held drug peddler

Shafiq Mia with 9 kgs of

ganja, said Lieutenant

Colonel Md Nahid Hasan of

RAB-9.

1,785 farmers

get incentives

in Panchagarh

PANCHAGARH : Department

of Agriculture Extension (DAE)

on Thursday distributed

agriculture incentives among

1,785 small and marginal

farmers in Debiganj upazila of

the district.

Aiming to increase food

production, DAE distributed

seeds and fertiliser free of cost

under the incentive

programme among the

farmers.

Debiganj upazila chairman

Md Abdul Malek Chistee

distributed the incentives

among the farmers at a

function at the upazila

agriculture office premises as

the chief guest.

Upazila nirbahi officer

(UNO) Prottoy Hasan was

present as special guest while

upazila agriculture officer

Safiar Rahman presided over

the function.

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Kamrul Ahsan starts free

oxygen service activities

Our Correspondent

Kamrul Ahsan Sarkar Russel, convener of

Gazipur Mohanagar Juba League,

inaugurated the free emergency oxygen

service with more than 100 oxygen cylinders

with his own funds to increase the prevalence

of corona in the country. The program was

held at Vogra village of Gazipur mohanagar.

Leaders of almost all the wards of the

metropolis were present at the time.

He started this free oxygen supply service in

Gazipur metropolitan with the noble aim of

providing necessary oxygen to the extremely

poor who are undergoing medical treatment

at their homes in Corona. Initially with more

than a hundred oxygen cylinders, more

cylinders will be added if necessary, he said. If

anyone calls in the hot line from any part of

Gazipur metropolis, the workers of Juba

League will deliver the oxygen cylinder in a

fast time at free of cost. He said that every

leader and activist of Gazipur Metropolitan

Juba League is always accustomed to stand by

the helpless people in any disaster. He

requested to contact in the hotlines-

01713590359 and 01756299943 to get free

oxygen cylinder service. This hotline will be

open 24 hours.

Kamrul Ahsan Sarkar Russel inaugurated the free emergency oxygen service

with more than 100 oxygen cylinders with his funds. Photo: Courtesy

2 remanded for selling

new drug 'Magic

Mushroom'

DHAKA : A Dhaka court has granted one-day remand

to two persons arrested in connection with the recovery

of new drug 'Magic Mushroom' from Hatirjheel area of

the capital.

The arrestees were identified as Nagib Hasan Arnab

and Taifur Rashid Zahid.

As they were produced in the Dhaka Metropolitan

Magistrate's Court yesterday, the investigating officer of

Hatirjheel police station requested to remand them for

three days for proper investigation of the case.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of the accused applied for bail.

After hearing both the parties, Dhaka Metropolitan

Magistrate Shahinur Rahman denied their bail

application and granted them remand for one day.

Earlier on Tuesday night, a special team of RAB-10's

intelligence branch and RAB-10 arrested them from

Hatirjheel area of the capital.

At the time, 120 slices of drug 'Magic Mushroom' and

two bottles of foreign liquor were recovered from their

possession.

Two electrocuted

in Chattogram

CHATTOGRAM : Two

workers were electrocuted to

death at a fishing project in

Haluaghona area of

Sadhanpur village under

Banskhali upazila of the

district on Thursday.

The dead were identified as

Md Shahjahan, 28, son of

Abdus Sobhan and Raihan

Uddin, 19, son of Lockman

Hakim, both hailed from

Satkhania upazila of the

district.

Rakibul Islam, Sub

Inspector of Banskhali thana

told BSS that the victims were

electrocuted at the fishing

project this noon.

Being informed, police

recovered the bodies, he

added. The bodies were sent

to the Chattogram Medical

College Hospital for autopsy,

police said.

First astronauts at China's new

space station conduct spacewalk

BEIJING : Astronauts at China's new space

station conducted their first spacewalk

Sunday, state media reported, as Beijing

presses on with its extraterrestrial ambitions.

It was only the second time the country's

astronauts have stepped out of their craft while

in space.

Three Chinese spacemen blasted off in June,

docking at the Tiangong station where they are

to remain for three months in China's longest

crewed mission to date.

On Sunday morning, two of them exited the

core cabin, said state broadcaster CCTV.

The first, Liu Boming, was transported via

mechanical arm to a work site and the other,

Tang Hongbo, moved by climbing on the

outside of the cabin.

Their mission involves elevating the

panoramic camera outside the Tianhe core

module, as well as verifying the robotic arm's

transfer capability, state media said.

Television footage showed the astronauts

preparing for the spacewalk by donning gear

and conducting health checks while exercising

in the cabin.

The astronauts were later shown opening

the cabin door and exiting the module, in the

first of two spacewalks planned for the

mission-both expected to last six or seven

hours.

The launch of China's first crewed mission in

nearly five years is a matter of huge prestige for

the country, as Beijing marks the 100th

anniversary of the ruling Communist Party

this month with a massive propaganda

campaign.

To prepare, the crew underwent more than

6,000 hours of training.

GD-1107/21 (7x4)

In Juri upazila of Moulvibazar district, 1500 helpless and poor families received food gifts of Prime

Minister. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sonia Sultana inaugurated the food distribution program in 6

unions of the upazila on Thursday.

Photo : Saiful Islam

GD-1108/21 (8x4)

FRIDAY, JUlY 9, 2021

3

Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal paid tribute to Comrade Mubinul Haider Choudhury in the capital city on

Thursday.

Photo : TBT

4 journalists receive Dhaka

Ahsania Mission anti-tobacco

fellowship award

Army conducts free

medical services in

Manikganj

MANIKGANJ :

Bangladesh Army

conducted a free medical

services at Ghior Pilot High

School playground here on

Wednesday.

The medical services

include treatment relating

to gynaecology, eye and

surgical complications.

Apart from raising

awareness of Covid-19

infection, personnel of the

9th Infantry Division of

Bangladesh also

distributed relief among

destitute people at Ghior

Fire Service Station.

Brigadier General of 71

Combined Mechanized

Brigade Md. Nazim

Uddoula, PSC, was present

as the chief guest on the

occasion.

The chief guest said

Bangladesh Army has been

continuing their

humanitarian assistance

for the poor and distressed

in different disaster

periods including COVID-

19 pandemic.

Helpless people are part

of community: IGP

DHAKA : Inspector General of Police (IGP)

Dr Benazir Ahmed on Thursday said the

people rendered helpless during the COVID-

19 pandemic situation are part of the

community.

"About 4 million families are living in

Dhaka city. If every family gives one plate of

food, then 4 million people will get food.

Helpless people in the corona situation are

part of our community. We have to live with

them," he said.

Addressing as the chief guest a function to

distribute food and cash among the helpless

and distressed people at Siddheswari High

School ground yesterday afternoon, Dr

Benazir called upon the rich people to stand

by the helpless people during the COVID-19

pandemic.

"We are currently passing a difficult reality

during the corona pandemic and we will be

able to deal with this disaster under the

leadership of the Prime Minister alike we

defeated the modern weapons- equipped

Pakistan army in 1971 under the leadership

of Bangabandhu," he added.

The IGP said that all must be united this

time and everyone has to come forward from

their respective positions to fight against the

COVID-19.

Bangladesh Shop Owners Association

organised the function with its president

Mohammad Helal Uddin in the chair. DMP

Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam and

FBCCI President Jasim Uddin also spoke on

the occasion as special guests.

Dr Benazir Ahmed said Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina is working tirelessly to keep

running both life and livelihood of the

people.

He said the rich people of society should

also stand by the helpless people side by side

the government's initiative.

Calling on all to be aware of the ongoing

pandemic, the IGP said none should go out

of the house unless there is an urgent need.

"If you want to go outside in case of

emergency, you must wear a mask and

follow the health guidelines. None will step

on streets unnecessarily," he added.

Referring to the rising rate of death from

Covid-19, Dr Benazir said, "We have to take

this decision. Let's work hand in hand, let's

deal with the disaster."

The IGP thanked the leaders of

Bangladesh Shop Owners Association,

businessmen and the wealthy people who

stood by the helpless people alongside the

government initiatives.

DMP Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam

said, "You have to save yourself, none will

save you. You have to protect yourself and

your family. So you have to wear a mask and

follow health guidelines. Then we can

survive." FBCCI President Jasim Uddin said

that everyone should be aware during the

corona period.

DHAKA : Four journalists have

received fellowship awards in antitobacco

journalism from Dhaka

Ahsania Mission, reports UNB.

The names of the journalists -

Masud Rumee (Kaler Kantho), Dolar

Mehedi (71 TV), Jannatul Ferdous

Panna (Amader Natun Somoy) and

Md Akhtaruzzaman (Amader

Orthoniti) - were announced at a

virtual event Wednesday. Lead Policy

Advisor of Campaign for Tobacco-

Free Kids Bangladesh Md Mostafizur

Rahman presided over the

programme.

Secretary of the Ministry of

Information and Broadcasting Md

Mokbul Hossain was the chief guest

and Zafar Wazed, director general of

the Press Institute of Bangladesh, was

a special guest at the ceremony.

Md Mokbul Hossain congratulated

the awardees and called upon them to

prepare and publish regular reports,

emphasising the amendment of the

existing tobacco control laws.

Zafar Wazed said, "Journalists are

doing a lot to raise public awareness

amid the pandemic. I believe their

anti-tobacco activities will continue to

generate public opinion and the

government will step forward to

amend the Tobacco Control Act to

protect public health." In April this

year, Dhaka Ahsania Mission's

Tobacco Control Project called for

applications from the media

professionals for fellowships in antitobacco

journalism with the theme

"amendment of the law is a necessity

to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh."

After preliminary selection, 25

journalists participated in a workshop.

Next, 21 reports of 14 journalists were

published. Of those, four reports were

selected as the best and the reporters

were given fellowship awards.

Fellowship awardees will receive a

certificate and prize money of

Tk20,000. The other participants

who submitted the report will also

receive certificates, according to the

Dhaka Ahsania Mission's Tobacco

Control Project.

BFUJ condemns

RSF report on

Bangladesh's

press freedom

DHAKA : Leaders of

Bangladesh Federal Union

of Journalists (BFUJ)

yesterday condemned a

report of Reporters without

Borders (RSF), a Francebased

organization, on press

freedom in Bangladesh.

They, in a statement, said

that a vested quarter is

involved in hatching such

conspiracy to tarnish the

positive image of the media

of Bangladesh.

BFUJ president Molla

Jalal and secretary general

Abdul Majid said the report

was

misleading,

unacceptable and purposeoriented.

Urging journalists to

remain alert about the

matter, they said that the

RSF report also portrayed

Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina in a wrong way.

The BFUJ leaders said the

journalist-friendly prime

minister is working sincerely

for the betterment of media

and wellbeing of journalists.

Joint efforts needed to tackle

Corona pandemic: Jabbar

DHAKA : Posts and Telecommunications

Minister Mustafa Jabbar yesterday said

cooperation of people from all strata of life is

needed to fight against Coronavirus pandemic.

"Working together with physicians,

administration, public representatives, sociocultural

and voluntary organizations to

improve the existing situation of the

coronavirus infection will lay the foundation of

prevention," Jabbar said while speaking as the

chief guest at a meeting organized by

Netrakona District Corona Prevention

Committee here last night, said a release.

The minister said the role of local

representatives in creating awareness among

people regarding complying with the health

rules, including protection of social distance

and use of masks, is immense.

The minister underscored the need for

short-term, medium-term and long-term

schemes to address the challenges of

Coronavirus, said the release.

Mentioning that the Delta variant has taken

a devastating shape in the neighboring

countries, he advised the agencies concerned

to take special precaution in the border

upazilas to prevent the spread of the Delta

variant.

He said, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

has made every effort to overcome the

catastrophe with utmost success and so far

she has been dealing with the catastrophe

successfully."

Zakia Sultana, secretary of ministry of

industries, was present at the event presided

over by Kazi Mohammad Abdur Rahman,

deputy commissioner of Netrakona district.

State Minister for Social Welfare Ashraf Ali

Khan Khasru, members of the parliament -

Asim Kumar Ukil, Habiba Rahman Khan

Shefali, Netrakona Sadar Municipality Mayor

Nazrul Islam Khan, Local Civil Surgeon,

Principal of Medical College, Superintendent

of Police, BGB CO, various upazila chairmen

and UNOs were present on the occasion.

BEZA executive

chairman pays tribute

to Bangabandhu

DHAKA : The newly-appointed Executive

Chairman of Bangladesh Economic Zones

Authority (BEZA) Shaikh Yusuf Harun

yesterday paid tributes to Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Shaikh Yusuf Harun laid a wreath at the

portrait of Father of the Nation at the

Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in

Dhanmondi-32 here, said a press release.

He also signed the visitors' book kept at the

memorial.

Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed started the Tree Plantation Campaign-2021 through

planting a sapling of Cassia javanica at Dhaka Cantonment.

Photo : ISPR

Rural women empowerment

inevitable for sustainable

development: Indira

DHAKA : State Minister for Women and

Children Affairs Fazilatun Nesa Indira

yesterday said country's women empowerment

and development will be sustainable when the

rural women will integrate themselves with the

economy of the country.

"At least 60 lakh women have already

become skilled on information technology

during the Mujib Borsho ...their expertise will

help to accelerate the economy," she said while

inaugurating an e-commerce marketplace

'laalsabuj.com' at national women organization

conference room here.

"Bangladesh will be truly a digitalized one

through involving the rural women with the

economy of the country. The journey of the E-

commerce marketplace will be a landmark for

the rural women,' she told the function as the

chief guest.

At her inaugural speech, Indira said Father

of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman had taken various steps to establish

equal rights of the women. The overall

development of the women is now being

progressed under the leadership of Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina, she added.

The laalsabuj.com, an E-commerce

marketplace for the products manufactured by

the rural women, has been formed under an

agreement between the Ministry of Women

and Children Affairs and the Ministry of

Commerce.

Regarding the importance of the E-

commerce, Women and Children Affairs

Secretary M Sayedul Islam said the

laalsabuj.com will help to connect the rural

women with the E-commerce for their

commercial dealings during the corona

pandemic.

"The ministry is working to disseminate the

marketplace with target to create one lakh

women entrepreneurs throughout the

country," said the secretary who chaired the

function.

Chairman of National Women Organization

Begum Chemon Ara Taiyab, Bangladesh

Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI)'s Chief

Executive Officer Dr Mohammad Jafar Uddin,

BFTI's Director M Obaidul Azam and E-

Commerce Association of Bangladesh

President Shami Kaiser, among others, spoke

on the occasion.

AL has

contributions to

country's all

achievements:

Quader

DHAKA : Awami League

General Secretary Obaidul

Quader yesterday said all the

country's achievements were

attained under the AL's

leadership.

"The roots of the Awami

League are very deep in the

soil of this country. Both the

geographical independence

and economic emancipation

of the country were attained

under the AL's leadership," he

told a regular press conference

on contemporary issues at his

official residence here.

Quader, also the road

transport and bridges

minister, said the AL is related

to the existence of Bangladesh,

while this relationship is

eternal and none can break it.

Noting that many

conspiracies were carried

out against the AL in the

past, he said those, who had

intrigued to destroy the AL,

were wiped out.

Helpless people are waiting for food. The picture is taken from TSC area of Dhaka

University.

Photo : Star Mail

Bangladesh's leadership in climate

protection getting stronger: Shahab

DHAKA : Environment, Forest and

Climate Change Minister Md Shahab

Uddin has said Bangladesh's role and

leadership in environmental and

climate protection in the South Asian

region will be further strengthened.

"Under the visionary leadership of

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, SACEP

will play an important role in dealing

with the adverse impacts of climate

change in the South Asia," he said this

while newly appointed Director

General of SACEP Md Masumur

Rahman met him at his official

residence in Dhaka last evening, a

ministry press release said.

Shahab Uddin, also the chairman of

the Governing Council of the South

Asia Cooperative Environment

Programme (SACEP) in Colombo, said

the SACEP member countries

(Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka,

Maldives, India, Pakistan, Nepal and

Afghanistan) will work together to

address the adverse impacts of climate

change in the region through mutual

cooperation, technology transfer,

awareness raising and exchange of

experiences.

During the meeting, they discussed

various aspects of climate change in

the South Asian countries and the

role of SACEP.

frIDAy, July 9, 2021

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Friday, July 9, 2021

Zakat can significantly

alleviate poverty

The pandemic is getting worse and people of

small means or hardly any means, they are

finding the going too tough. The date of

observance of holy Eid-ul-Azha is also nearing.

People of some means are seen to be more charitable

now than at other times of the year. Also it needs

underlining that the poverty situation is turning so

bad that government alone cannot be depended on

entirely for deliverance from the deepening poverty.

Now is the time for the resourceful in society to

loosen their fists and give generously to the poor as

supplementary to government's efforts to reduce the

pangs of poverty by fulfilling their moral and

religious duties through Zakat.

But Bangladesh today is also a country where

one comes across rather unwelcome spectacles of

giving Zakat. Many resourceful people are seen

distributing mainly petty cash and clothes among

poor people as a way of discharging their religious

obligation of Zakat. Stampedes are noted sometimes

during the month of Ramadan and before the

celebration of the Eid-ul-Azha which cause tragic

deaths of some of those who scramble in a frenzy to

collect cheap cotton saris or lungis given away as

Zakat. Sad events like these should have galvanized

national thinking about how far such individual

demonstrations of charity would be welcome and

whether better channeling of resources for charity

should be devised and implemented.

As it is, cash and clothes distributed by rich

people in Bangladesh during Ramadan and the Eid

satisfy to some extent for a brief period basic

consumption needs of very poor people. This is not

entirely without value but if the same resources

could be moblised under a single fund or funds and

then utilised to build progressively free feeding

centres, shelters for homeless people, houses,

hospitals, orphanages, skill training centres and

industries to take care of the poor and create skills

in them to earn a livelihood , then the same could

make a bigger and lasting dent in the poverty

situation.

One needs to only recall the example of Prophet

Mohammed (SM) in this connection. A poor

woodcutter who came to the Prophet (SM) for alms

was given an axe by the Prophet. The alms seeker

was advised that he could utilize this tool and make

a living out of it. The recipient of the axe did so and

he no longer had to beg for alms. This should be an

evershining example for Muslim peoples all over the

world. Affluent Muslims should feel an obligation to

carry out their religious duty of giving Zakat. But

they should pay the zakat in a manner to help the

recipient to help themselves. In this way, the

formidable problem of poverty in the Islamic

countries can be effectively addressed .

Policy planners in Bangladesh can think over the

matter and sensitize people here to pay their Zakat

more in this institutional form. But paying the Zakat

institutionally is only one aspect of deriving greater

value from it. The other aspect is paying it in

proportion to one's surplus wealth as was ordained

in the holy Koran. How many well-off people in

Bangladesh actually discharge their Zakat

obligation very exactly ? Very few indeed.

Most of them pay Zakat negligibly compared to

what would be due from them from the estimation

of their wealth. Thus, people should be urged to pay

Zakat not only in token amounts but in amounts

they ought to according to the Koranic instruction.

Imams in their sermons in mosques should

regularly emphasize this factor. Government should

run regular campaigns in the mass media to this

end. Government presently runs a central Zakat

fund but its activities are very limited compared to

the potential.

However, we believe that the size of the centrally

operated Zakat fund can become massive -- over

time -- if resourceful people on a large scale can be

motivated to send their Zakat to it in rightful

proportion to their real wealth. In that case, this

fund will surely grow to be a vast one in size. Next

thing to be considered would be its operation. The

fund will have to be operated by persons with talent,

vision and impeccable integrity of character. If such

persons take up the responsibility of administering

the fund, then it will prove to be a very powerful

agent for poverty alleviation and our social

transformation.

Nonetheless, it is underlined here that this year,

considering the pandemic, people may find merit in

paying their Zakat for the short-term needs of

helping the poor under very distressful conditions

of the pandemic. But once the situation normalizes,

they can reorient themselves to the longer term

vision of the Zakat as discussed above.

Let us ensure nutrition for RMG workers

Almost all sectors around the world

have been affected to some extent

due to Covid-19. Though it is

mainly related to health, economic

activities came to an almost halt due to

its impact.

The Covid-19 has had an

overwhelmingly negative impact on

vulnerable workers in the food system

and the ready-made garment (RMG)

sector. Wage-based workers and farmers

are some of the most devastated by the

pandemic, and they will likely continue

to be vulnerable for many months to

come.

The RMG sector supply chain workers

in low-paid jobs are being laid off due to

businesses unable to operate in

government lockdowns for many

months. The wage-based workers in

Bangladesh, where labor policies are not

fully developed or enforced, were not

provided compensation during the

lockdown and some are losing their jobs.

Female workers are particularly at

most risk due to intra-household food

distribution within the limited food

provision.

According to Business Consultant

organization- LightCastle Partners

research report titled 'Impact of

Coronavirus on Livelihoods of RMG

Workers in Urban Dhaka'(report-2020)

that the RMG workers' household

income has reduced approximately by

31% while increased by 29% of their food

cost. Along with that, the other wagebased

labourers are probably

experiencing the same situation.

This less income and increased food

cost will fling them to consume a lowcost

carbohydrate-based diet.

Due to Covid-19, most of the factories

had faced challenges to get back on track

for their business and are trying to

provide standard wage and nutritious

Though a national problem, leprosy

issue remained neglected for a long

time in the country. Due to

outbreak of Covid-19, leprosy has

reportedly lost its importance more.

Bangladesh's aim to achieve the target of

leprosy-free country seemed uncertain

due to continued negligence to the issue,

though there was a clear-cut directive

from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to

free the country from leprosy by 2030.

National Leprosy Elimination

Progarme (NLEP) is now running with

inadequate budget, causing disruption in

its activities.

Concerned sources said, there was

average financial allocation of Tk.

between 45 lakh to 50 lakh by the

government for anti-leprosy programme

every year in the last five years till the

current year. But due to outbreak of

Corona, anti-leprosy activities by the

government remained almost suspended

across the country in the last two years.

Rights activists working in leprosy

diet at the workplaces.

The crisis has exposed and

compounded the negative impact on

accessing nutritious and safe foods by

the workers in the workplaces as well as

at home. In this situation, the health and

wellbeing of the workers are likely to be

significantly affected.

Standard Group is one of the largest

garments manufacturing companies in

Bangladesh. Standard Stitches Limited

(Unit- 2) is one of the factories of

Standard Group. The total workers'

number is 1500 among them the

mD. S. ISlAm

percentage of female workers is 60 and

they were the most vulnerable group.

Usually, this factory used to provide

usually, this factory used to provide snacks to their

workers when they do overtime. Due to Covid situation

this snack provision is not running, so, there

was no option of providing any food/snacks to the

workers. Even the factory had no option for workers

to give overtime for extra income. Also factory

failed to provide salary timely to the workers.

snacks to their workers when they do

overtime. Due to Covid situation this

snack provision is not running, so, there

was no option of providing any

food/snacks to the workers. Even the

Factory had no option for workers to give

overtime for extra income. Also factory

failed to provide salary timely to the

workers.

As a result, the workers also have a

very limited opportunity to maintain a

ShAbAb TAShrIf ZAmAn

In search of a leprosy free country

sector, including officials of NLEP,

observed that the amount for anti-leprosy

programme is inadequate. Leprosy is a

national problem, but it is yet to get

priority to the concerned policymakers.

Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases in

the world. People with leprosy generally

suffer multiple forms of discrimination.

Leprosy continues to pose serious health

and other problems in the country

although it is curable and-if diagnosed on

time-disabilities resulting from this

disease can be prevented.

According to The Leprosy Mission

International-Bangladesh (TLMI-B),

annually on an average 3500-4000 new

leprosy cases are detected in the country

in the recent years. About 10 percent of

them later turn disabled for their failure to

take timely and proper treatment. The

disease is an infection caused by slowgrowing

bacteria called Mycobacterium

leprae. However, if left untreated, it can

affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of

the nose (nasal mucosa). The nerve

mD. SAZEDul ISlAm

damage can result in crippling of hands

and feet, paralysis, and blindness.

If steps are taken up to identify leprosy

cases in every upazila of the country in

early stage, then anti-leprosy drive would

go speedily. But due to lack of necessary

funds, anti-leprosy activities are being

hampered. Early case detection is very

important in leprosy eradication

programme. If initiative is not taken to

detect new cases and bring them under

treatment timely, the goal of eradicating

leprosy will not be achieved.

Aside from a possible disability, later

detection also increases the likelihood of

leprosy spreading throughout a

community. Multi-drug therapy makes

people non-infectious after just two weeks

of treatment, and so early detection can

reduce the number of cases of leprosy in a

region.

For eradicating leprosy, various

activities such as training, advocacy,

smooth supply of Multi-drug therapy

(MDT) drugs, early case detection,

balanced diet for their daily life due to

limited purchasing capacity. As a result,

several workers especially female

workers became sick after regular

intervals even sometimes they faint on

the floor.The situation demanded that

private sector alongside the government

come forward to mitigate the sufferings

of the workers. The government expects

that the private sector would supplement

its activities on ensuring welfare for the

workers.

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

(GAIN), a Switzerland-based

international development organization,

is one of the organizations that came

forward to address the problem of the

workers amid the pandemic.

In a bid to address the nutritional

requirement of the workers, GAIN

started a project titled 'Nutrition Security

to Vulnerable workers (NSVW)' for the

most of the vulnerable workers.

Standard Stitches Ltd. Unit 2, Savar,

Dhaka applied for the grant to GAIN for

addressing the short-term hunger and

nutrition-related issues of the factory

workers. Before starting the project,

some factory management was not

positive since the snack distribution

process overlapped with worker's

production time. Not only that, but snack

distribution also involves additional

activities that need extra time e.g.,

keeping the floor clean and maintaining

food hygiene.

Finally, Standard Stitches Ltd. (Unit 2)

has completed 50 days of snack

distribution without facing any

complications and trouble. After the end

of the project, Factory management

shared their positive views individually

about the consequence of this project.

The author is a journalist

of a Weekly

The Capricious Nature of Euro 2020

Euro 2020 has surprised us with

every possible mind-boggling

outcome it could catapult at us.

From the shocking French upset against

Switzerland to the edge-of-the-seat thriller

between Spain and Croatia, it has

manifested itself to the football pundits as

one of the most enigmatic and iffy cup

competitions in the history of international

football.

The tension and thrills of international

football had almost dried up in the last

three years. Ever since the French glory in

the 2018 Fifa World Cup, we have not

experienced much heat from the

international actions, and seemed that

club football would eventually start sipping

the energy exuded by international cup

ties. The pandemic further consolidated

the point by pushing back any

international competition supposed to

take place that year. However, Euro 2020,

alongside Copa America, entered the stage

just at that moment to remind the fans of

international soccer that sleepless nights

and relentless debates are back for good.

Even amidst the deadly pandemic, we now

have a reason to smile as our eyes fixate on

the television screen and feast on eyecatching

action. Upon its return after five

long, dreary years, Euro 2020 has

splashed us with a wave of stupendous

football and magnanimous upsets that

makes it one to be remembered for years to

come.

Where do I start with the beauty of the

contest? It has been an eye-opener since

the first day when a rejuvenated Italy

under the guidance of Roberto Mancini

took on tournament underdogs Turkey.

Albeit the first half made me expect

something unexpected from Turkey, in the

end Mancini's men proved their worth by

thrashing the men in red 3-0. The third

match of the tournament appalled all fans

of the sport as Eriksen fell victim to a

harrowing cardiac arrest, but the brave

heartthrob of Danish football came out as

victorious and cheered on for a team that

was brave enough itself to come back even

after the shock. Eriksen's chants worked

like magic as Denmark beat Russia in style

and escaped death in their final match.

And since then, Denmark's performance

has been consistently pleasant and gritty

because of how they led the attack without

their commander in charge of the midfield.

Czech Republic's performance has been

another wonder, with Schick's jawdropping,

otherworldly halfway-line goal

being the potential best goal of the

tournament. The big names in the

tournament served their fans right, with

many legends like Modric, Neuer or

Benzema showing off their flares for one

last time before retirement, and Euro 2020

seemed like a tight series of fixtures that

satiated the fans with artsy football.

However, the surreal drama unveiled

itself fully in the nail-biting Round of 16. It

is drama that accompanied the resilient

Czech Republic's triumph over a bitter

Netherlands team as they were left

distraught in a 2-0 shocker. Any pundit in

the world would've chosen Depay, De Jong

and Wijnaldum to emerge victorious but

instead they got treated by another

quintessential Schick performance that

helped the Czech's register their names in

to the last 8. That was only the kick that

spurred even more shocks, and

heartbreaks followed as the highly fancied

Belgium lay down conundrums in the path

of the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo and

knocked out the defending champions in

another edge-of-seat contest.

Subsequently, we were gifted with another

Drama is nothing unnatural in the realms of professional football.

It has always been there, and it is what enlivens the beautiful

game. As we step into a new generation of football, we are consistently

reminded that it is a game for all to enjoy, and that alludes

to the upset glories Euro 2020 has shown us. Personally, as a fervent

fan of Germany, heartbreak has been relatively new to me.

thriller between Spain and Croatia, which

saw Croatia equalize a two-goal deficit at

the stoppage time to drag the game onto

the extra-time. That very night we

experienced the Swiss glory over a French

team that seemed unstoppable. These

fixtures reminded us of why we love

football- the high stakes and the tense

action that unites family members in the

living room, and eventually the world in

one game.

Drama is nothing unnatural in the

realms of professional football. It has

always been there, and it is what enlivens

the beautiful game. As we step into a new

generation of football, we are consistently

reminded that it is a game for all to enjoy,

and that alludes to the upset glories Euro

2020 has shown us. Personally, as a

fervent fan of Germany, heartbreak has

been relatively new to me. Since the 2018

appall, I've been praying and keeping my

fingers crossed every night Germany took

on a new challenge. I looked up to Havertz,

Kimmich or Muller for a triumph, and was

left overwrought when England knocked

them out. But that's just the reality, and as

we look forward to a stronger comeback,

we realize the contingent nature of the

game and accept the unexpected turn of

events.

Euro 2020 seems wholly unpredictable.

Italy looks formidable, yes, but it is not

conclusive, because one of the central

tenets of the game is the unpredictability of

it. As for me, I hope Spain lifts the famous

old trophy because of the huge proportion

of Barcelona men the Spanish squad

consists of, and I adore Barcelona. Then

again, we cannot elude the likeliness of

Denmark or Ukraine going for glory. Like I

said, football is a game subjected to

discordance, and the Euro 2020 really is

the epitome of this nature of the game. But,

as long as the game unites millions in tears

or joy, it will always remain the world's

game.

Shabab Tashrif Zaman is a

vigorous fan of artsy German and

Barcelonian football. Reach him

out with your Euro predictions at

shababtashrifzaman@gmail.com

monitoring, launching awareness

campaign, follow-up, carrying out regular

contact survey and skin camp are needed

to be done. But these are being hampered

mainly due to lack of necessary funds.

Due to lack of regular survey, initial

detection of leprosy patients is being

hampered, creating problem for checking

the spread of leprosy disease.

Adequate money is needed to make

Bangladesh leprosy free. Skill

development activities of physicians and

employees are being hampered because of

budget crunch. NGOs are detecting more

leprosy cases in their working areas and

the affected people are getting the health

services offered by the government.

It is important to hold regular contact

survey aimed at finding out leprosy

affected people in an area. Besides, it is

important to pursue follow-up, and hold

regular monitoring on the activities of

leprosy eradication programme centrally.

The writer is a freelance journalist

FRIDAy, JULy 9, 2021

5

Russia’s return to Southeast Asia

the "Baker" explosion, part of Operation crossroads, a nuclear weapon test by the United

States military at Bikini Atoll, Micronesia, on July 25, 1946. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense

Nuclear justice for the

Marshall Islands

ZAcHARy ABUZA

After a long absence of

nearly 30 years, Russia is

more involved in

Southeast Asia than it has

been since the Cold War

ended. While the punditry

is obsessed with China's

influence in the region, it's

worth reviewing recent

Russian activities. Russia

will always be a minor

player in the region,

dwarfed by China and the

United States, but

Southeast Asia is a cost

effective place for Moscow

to advance some of

Russia's national interests.

Although its influence in

Southeast Asia is largely

predicated on arms sales,

Moscow has proven to be

adroitly opportunistic,

especially when it

perceives weakness or

disengagement from

Washington.

Southeast Asia is

peripheral to Russia's

security interests, which

entail a buffer around

Russia and frozen conflicts

that it can escalate or deescalate

at will, using

asymmetric force, "little

green men," active

measures, and cyber

operations. While Russia's

security posture has an

implicit recognition of

"spheres of influence," it

clearly sees an opening in

Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia is far

from Russia's borders and

while its security interests

may be peripheral, the

region does have utility for

President Vladimir Putin.

Southeast Asia has proven

to be a very low cost place,

free of prolonged conflicts

that could drag Russia into

another Syria-like

quagmire, to advance five

key Russian interests.

In 1991, following the

collapse of the Soviet

Union,

Russia

relinquished its naval base

in Vietnam's Cam Ranh

Bay. While some face was

saved with the concurrent

U.S. withdrawal from

Subic Bay in the

Philippines, it was still a

humiliating retreat for a

bankrupt Russia. Moscow,

however, continued to

maintain a signals

intelligence facility in the

country.

By 1990, all Soviet

military and economic

assistance to Vietnam and

its two clients, Cambodia

and Laos, ceased. While

sizable at the time, the aid

was largely wasted due to

the economic inefficiencies

of central planning.

Throughout the 1980s,

Russia provided Vietnam

with an average of $1

billion annually in military

assistance and another $1

billion annually in

economic assistance; it

also provided roughly $1

billion a year to the

governments of Laos and

Cambodia, then clearly

satellites of Hanoi.

Nonetheless, Russia had

little to show for its

investments in the region.

Indochina was a blackhole

that Moscow shoveled

rubles into, and

Russia's first foray back

into Southeast Asia came

through arms sales to a

new customer base, in a

desperate attempt to keep

Russian weapons factories

open. Russia began to

supply Malaysia and

Indonesia with fighter jets,

weaning them of their

reliance on Western

armaments.

JON LEtMAN

Just three months after the atomic ruins

of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been

burned into Japan's landscape, U.S.

military and political leaders began

planning a series of atomic weapons tests

in order to study the effects of the bomb

on naval vessels. With World War II over

and a new era of Pacific control ahead, the

United States selected Bikini and

Enewetak Atolls in the northern Marshall

Islands, part of what it called the Pacific

Proving Grounds, as the site of 67 nuclear

weapons tests. These tests played a key

role in setting the stage for global politics

and power struggles for the first 75 years

of the atomic age.

On July 1, 1946, Joint Task Force One

launched Operation Crossroads "Test A"

(Able) when, at exactly 34 seconds past 9

a.m., a B-29 Superfortress dropped a 23-

kiloton plutonium bomb (nearly identical

to the "Fat Man" bomb that destroyed

Nagasaki) over Bikini Atoll. The bomb

exploded 520 feet above sea level, where

242 naval vessels floated in the eastern

lagoon as targets. Operation Crossroads

continued on July 25 with "Test B"

(Baker), the world's first underwater

nuclear detonation. A third test, Charlie,

was cancelled due to radiation concerns.

As described in the military's official

report, whether detonated in the air or

under water, the atomic bomb's end

result would be "death and destruction on

an enormous scale."

Subsequent test names included

Nutmeg, Walnut, Maple, and Rose. More

than a dozen had American Indian tribal

names - Apache, Navajo, and Dakota -

while others were prosaically called Mike,

George, or simply Dog. Early tests were

conducted sporadically - three in 1948,

four in 1951, two in 1952, six in 1954 - but

in the final two years, the U.S. sharply

accelerated the pace. Between May 1956

and August 1958, the U.S. detonated 50

nuclear and thermonuclear bombs, often

just a few days apart. On seven occasions,

tests were carried out on consecutive days

and seven times atomic bombs were

detonated twice in a single day.

The tests were of greatest consequence

to the people whose homeland was

selected for the detonations, which

proved to be catastrophic to the health,

environment, and well-being of the

Marshallese. The 67 tests had a total yield

of 108 megatons - the equivalent of 1.6

Hiroshima-sized bombs being detonated

every day for a dozen years. Testing

irrevocably disrupted life in the Marshall

Islands, introducing generations of

dislocation, disease, and premature

death. Traditional practices were

punctured, whole islands were vaporized,

and a giant poison-filled concrete dome

was left at the edge of a plutonium-spiked

lagoon.

Beginning with 167 Bikini Islanders

who were told that the abandonment of

their islands was "for the good of

mankind and to end all wars," followed

by residents of neighboring atolls, entire

communities were forced to leave their

ancestral homes only to be returned later,

then relocated again and again, causing

profound impacts that continue today.

Seventy-five years after Operation

Crossroads, a new generation of

Marshallese is demonstrating resilience,

determination, and vision, proving

themselves to be global leaders as they

fight for nuclear and climate justice,

determined to save their islands and their

way of life.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong at the Russia-

ASEAN Summit.

Photo: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office

What's Next for Mongolia after

the election?

Visitors watch a screen showing chinese President Xi Jinping speaking next to a communist Party's flag.

Photo: Andy Wong

100 years of the Chinese

Communist Party

MARISSA SMItH

Mongolia is no exception to global

trends of democratic decline. The

country's outgoing president,

Battulga Khaltmaa, elected in 2017,

has repeatedly been criticized for

heavy-handed moves. In 2019 alone,

Battulga removed the head of the

Supreme Court and 17 other judges

and called for the investigation of

predecessor Elbegdorj Tsakhia, while

Battulga himself is suspected of

major corruption while serving as a

minister in a previous

administration. Then, less than six

weeks before the recent presidential

election, Battulga issued an order

banning the ruling Mongolian

People's Party (MPP), the traditional

counterpart to Battulga's Democratic

Party. The MPP has held a

supermajority in the parliament since

2016. A recent MPP prime minister,

Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, went on to be

elected president in the June contest,

raising some fears about all

important political offices being now

held by a single party.

While Khurelsukh won with 67.7

percent of the vote, the largest ever

margin in a presidential election,

voter turnout nationwide was just

below 60 percent, lower than in

previous elections (and as low as 51.2

percent in the populous and

strategically critical Selenge province,

for example). Additionally, a thirdparty

candidate, Enkhbat

Dangaasuren for the Right Person

Coalition (KhUN), won 20 percent of

the vote.

The MPP now controls both the

legislature and the executive, raising

further concerns about the direction

in which Mongolia's democracy is

trending. Although it should be noted

that the MPP-led government has in

recent months implemented

substantial structural changes in

governance and, to a moderate

degree, responded to public

criticisms around the COVID-19

response, it will be under continued

pressure to level the playing field for

opposition parties. This includes

campaign finance reform, and

increasing transparency, both in

party and campaign financing and in

governance processes at large.

The 2020 parliamentary and 2021

presidential elections, while resulting

in major wins for MPP candidates,

took place after the conclusion of

major legislative changes with the

potential to balance out perennially

knotty contradictions in Mongolia's

semi-presidential/semi-arliamentary

system. Somewhat paradoxically, the

MPP is now in control of a political

office, the presidency, that the MPPdominated

parliament spent much of

2019 and 2020 weakening. It is

expected that the MPP, which is

internally divided into various

factions, will move to temper

attempts by Khurelsukh to take too

much power.

tONy SAIcH

When 13 young Chinese men, a

Dutchman, and a Russian met in the

French concession of Shanghai on a hot

July day in 1921, they could not have

imagined that the organization they were

launching, the Chinese Communist

Party, would drive of one of the greatest

revolutionary upheavals of all time. Nor

could they have foreseen that less than 30

years later, the CCP would seize power,

and 100 years later it would lead an

economic superpower that many in

Washington now view as the United

States' greatest rival on the global stage.

What would those early founders have

thought if they gazed upon China today

under the leadership of General Secretary

Xi Jinping?

From its origins, the party sought to

transform the nation's society, economy,

and politics to bring about "wealth and

power." To that extent, they would be

proud of today's CCP but baffled by the

current embrace of capitalism and its role

within the world order. This raises the

question of whether the communist

revolution was one of nationalism or

communism. From its founding, the

answer is both. The young intellectuals

saw Leninism as a vehicle to drive China

toward its rightful place in the world. In

October 2019, Xi Jinping linked his

"China Dream of national rejuvenation"

to the original mission of the CCP, which

was to bring happiness to the Chinese

people and rescue the nation from its

national humiliation at the hands of the

foreigners. He noted that if one never

forgot why one started, then "you can

accomplish your mission."

Yet, from day one, the party also

portrayed itself as providing a radical

break with the past. During the first

decades of the 20th century, critical

intellectuals attacked the Chinese

tradition and its inheritance. A common

slogan was "down with the old Confucian

shop." Traditional practices of authority

and behavior, including sexual mores and

gender roles, were heavily criticized as the

young tried out different lifestyles,

embraced feminism, and demanded

liberation from the repressive institutions

of the household, clan, and religion. The

only way to interpret the world was

through the lens of class and class warfare.

The CCP was part of a global revolution

destined to overthrow the colonial world

order and usher in a new world led by the

representatives of the proletariat. There

would be no place for capitalists,

landlords, or foreign exploiters. Despite

temporary, tactical alliances, class warfare

was the name of the game. Before and

after 1949, landlords were extinguished;

in the 1950s, the foreigners were

expunged, the private business

community squeezed and eliminated. In

the 1960s, Mao Zedong turned his ire on

those within the CCP whom he saw as

taking the revolution back down the road

toward capitalism.

Xi Jinping no longer portrays the party

as representing such a radical break with

the past. Following Mao's death in 1976,

the CCP began to shun his approach to

politics, with the leadership turning to

economic revival. Class reconciliation

replaced class conflict and the CCP began

to rely on private enterprise to deliver the

much-needed economic goods. By the

end of the 1990s, Jiang Zemin

encouraged private entrepreneurs to join

the party now described as representing

the "advanced elements" of society. As a

result, the party today primarily

represents the interests of the new elites

in Chinese society rather than the

proletariat and the peasantry.

Residents cast their votes for the presidential elections at the Bayanzurkh district in Ulaanbaatar,

Mongolia Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

Photo: Saruul Enkhbold

FRIDAY, JULY 9 , 2021

6

1.75 lakh tonnes of summer maize likely

to be produced in Rajshahi division

Agrani Bank Ltd. MD and CEO Md. Shams-ul Islam is handing over 3 modern ICU beds for corona

patients at the 250-bed General Hospital in Moulvibazar. Maulvi Bazar Municipality Mayor

Fazlur Rahman was present at the time. Photo : Alok Kranti

Covid-19 cases speedily cross

30,800 in Rangpur division

RANGPUR : The number of

Covid-19 cases has speedily

crossed the 30,800 mark in

Rangpur division where the

daily positivity rate

continues rising during the

last one and a half months.

Health officials said the

number of Covid-19 cases

rapidly climbed to 30,857 as

744 new patients were

reported after testing 2,619

collected samples at the

positivity rate of 28.41

percent on Wednesday in

the division.

"A total of 11,265 positive

cases, the highest number in

a month from June 7 last

since the outbreak of the

pandemic, were reported in

Rangpur division," Focal

Person of the Covid-19 and

Assistant Director (Health)

for Rangpur division Dr ZA

Siddiqui.

The district-wise break up

of total 30,857 patients now

stands at 6,832 in Rangpur,

1,378 in Panchagarh, 2,218

in Nilphamari, 1,741 in

Lalmonirhat, 2,116 in

Kurigram, 4.235 in

Thakurgaon, 9,874 in

Dinajpur and 2,463 in

Gaibandha of the division.

Meanwhile, six more

patients from Nilphamari,

Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur

died during the last 24 hours

ending at 8 am on Thursday

raising the number of

casualties to 612 in the

division.

"Some 196 Covid-19

RANGPUR : The district administration

distributed money among 154 jobless and

Harijan people affected by the Covid-19

pandemic as humanitarian assistance

from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in

the city in the last two days.

Officials said the humanitarian

assistance in terms of cash money was

distributed among the jobless, distressed,

poor and Harijan people to help them in

tackling the present pandemic situation.

Executive Magistrate of the district

administration Mahmud Hasan Mridha

distributed the money in two separate

functions arranged strictly abiding by the

health directives in the wake of the Covid-

patients, the highest number

in a month from June 6 last

since the beginning of the

pandemic, died in Rangpur

division," said Focal Person

of the Covid-19 and

Assistant Director (Health)

for Rangpur division Dr ZA

Siddiqui.

The district-wise break up

of the 612 fatalities stands at

123 in Rangpur, 214 in

Dinajpur, 109 in

Thakurgaon, 42 in

Nilphamari, 30 in Kurigram,

28 in Panchagarh, 29 in

Gaibandha and 37 in

Lalmonirhat districts of the

division.

The average casualty rate

currently stands at 1.98

percent in the division.

Acting Divisional Director

(Health) Dr Abu Md Zakirul

Islam said a total of 1,69,535

collected samples were

tested till Wednesday, and of

them, 30,857 were found

Covid-19 positive with an

average positivity rate of

18.20 percent in the

division.

Meanwhile, the total

number of healed Covid-19

patients reached 22,224

with recovery of 480 more

infected patients on

Wednesday in the division

where the average recovery

rate currently stands at

72.02 percent.

"The average recovery rate

of Covid-19 infected patients

was 97.55 percent four

months ago on March 9 last

in the division where the

same sharply dropped by

25.53 percent during the

period to 72.02 percent on

Monday," Dr Islam said.

The 22,224 recovered

patients include 5,342 of

Rangpur, 883 of

Panchagarh, 1,760 of

Nilphamari, 1,258 of

Lalmonirhat, 1,394 of

Kurigram, 2,665 of

Thakurgaon, 7,019 of

Dinajpur and 1,903 of

Gaibandha districts in the

division.

Among the 30,857

infected patients, 599 are

undergoing treatments at

isolation units, including 35

critical patients at ICU beds

and 11 at High Dependency

Unit beds, after recovery of

22,224 patients and 612

deaths while 7,829 are

remaining in home isolation.

"Meanwhile, the number

of citizens who got the first

dose of the Covid-19 vaccine

rose to 6,04,188, and among

them, 3,89,354 got the

second dose of the jab till

Wednesday in the division,"

Dr Islam added.

Chief of Divisional

Coronavirus Service and

Prevention Task Force and

Principal of Rangpur

Medical College Professor

Dr. AKM Nurunnobi Lyzu

urged all to abide by the

health directives and remain

at homes to contain further

spread of the Covid-19 virus.

154 jobless, Harijan

people get PM's

assistance in Rangpur

19 pandemic at Zila School ground.

Under the programme, the Executive

Magistrate distributed Taka 1,000 among

each of 84 jobless people on Wednesday

and Taka 500 each among each of the 70

beneficiary Harijan people on Tuesday.

On these occasions, the Executive

Magistrate urged everyone to stay at

homes, regularly wash hands, use masks

One more dies, 44 test

positive for Covid-19

in C'nawabganj

CHAPAINAWABGANJ : One

more person died of Covid-19

during the last 24 hours

raising the total number of

deaths to 120 in the district.

The new fatality has been

reported

from

Chapainawabganj sadar

upazila.

A total of 82 persons of

Chapainawabganj sadar

upazila, 25 persons of

Shibganj upazila, seven

persons of Gomostapur

upazila, four persons of

Nachole upazila and two

persons of Bholahat upazila

have so far died of COVID-19

in the district.

On the other hand, the

number of Covid-19 cases

climbed to 4,401 as 44 more

people were detected positive

after testing 302 samples in

the district during the last 24

hours while the infection rate

is 14.56 percent, Civil Surgeon

Office

sources

confirmed.Among the newly

detected patients, 36 people

are from sadar upazila, two

from Shibganj upazila and six

from Bholahat upazila.

Of the total detected

patients of the district, 2,457

persons are from sadar

upazila, 756 from Shibganj

upazila, 568 from

Gomostapur upazila, 350

from Nachole upazila and 270

from Bholahat upazila.

At present there are 809

COVID-affected patients in

the district and of them 72

patients are undergoing

treatment in dedicated Covid

hospital and others at home.

and abide by the health directives and

hygiene rules to prevent further spread of

coronavirus for safety of their own and

others.

He said livelihoods of the poor, middle

and lower middle-class people, workers

and unemployed people of different

professions during the second wave of the

Covid-19 pandemic have been affected.

"The district administration has stood

beside jobless, destitute, unemployed and

helpless people with humanitarian

assistance of the Prime Minister during

the epidemic situation," he said, adding

that needy people are getting assistance

across the district.

The broken roads are flooded all year round, and sometimes the municipal authorities leave a few bricks

and sacks, but this does not solve the problem. Again the dirty water of the road also comes here and accumulates.

Pedestrians are in trouble. The photo was taken in front of Jaldhaka Pilot High School in

Nilphamari on Thursday.

Photo: PBA

RAJSHAHI : Around 1.75 lakh tonnes

of summer maize yield is expected to

be harvested from 24,440 hectares of

land during the current Kharip-1

season in all eight districts in Rajshahi

division.

Farmers are passing their busiest

time in harvesting the cereal crop with

good yield at present. They have

completed the harvesting of around

sixty-five percent of the cash crop on

an average.

The remaining thirty-five percent is

expected to be completed by end of

this month as the farmers are

intending to cultivate transplanted

aman paddy on the same land after

harvesting maize, he added.

Sirjul Islam, Additional Director of

the Department of Agriculture

Extension, said the farmers are

getting around 6.8 to 7.8 tonnes of

yield from per hectare of land which is

higher to some extent compared to

the previous season.

He said maize farming has been

gaining popularity as many people are

seen humming towards the cash crop

farming as it has been giving them

better yield and lucrative market price

in the region including its vast Barind

tract for the last couple of years.

Agriculturist Islam said the farmers

are being habituated to the potatomaize-transplanted

aman paddy

cropping pattern because they are

getting more benefit from this pattern

in this region for the last couple of

years.

More than 12.58 lakh community

people of 2.66 lakh households are

being motivated and encouraged

towards farming of various lessirrigation

consuming crops including

maize to reduce the pressure on

underground water resources in the

Barind area with intervention of the

'Integrated Water Resource

Management (IWRM)' project.

The project is being implemented in

around 1,280 drought-hit villages in

39 Union Parishads and three

municipalities of eight upazilas in

Rajshahi, Naogaon and

Chapainawabganj districts since

2014, said Jahangir Alam Khan,

coordinator of the project.

Azad Hossain, a farmer of Pirijpur

village in Godagari upazila, has

brought two bighas of land under the

maize farming during the current

season. He along with many other

fellow farmers expects better yield as

suitable weather prevails here now.

Islam got 15 to 17 mounds yield

from per bigha of land and sold at

Taka 600 to 650 per mound in last

harvesting season.

Sohrab Ali, another farmer of

Bagdhani village in Paba upazila, said

he is very happy with cultivating

various less-water consuming crops

like maize. He said he had to face

many troubles to manage water for

irrigation on boro fields but the maize

cultivation takes less water.

He said wheat cultivation on per

bigha of land needs at least Taka

8,000, and the yield is 14 to 16

maunds. On the contrary, maize

farming on one bigha of land needs

Taka 6,500, and the yield is 20 to 25

maunds. So, he cultivated maize on 15

bighas of land this season.

Another farmer Karimul Haque of

Dharmahata village used to cultivate

Boro paddy during the last 30 years.

But, this season, he has cultivated

maize on 10 bighas of land instead of

Boro paddy.

Dr Ilias Hossain, Principal Scientific

Officer of Bangladesh Wheat and

Maize Research Institute (BWMRI),

told BSS that maize cultivation both in

rabi and kharif seasons in the region

has been increasing gradually as the

farmers are showing more interest in

this crop cultivation.

He said there was no scarcity of

seeds this time as huge quantities of

the same were distributed among the

farmers and they timely completed

sowing of maize seeds.

Maize is being used in preparation

of various nutritional foods like cornwell,

corn-flex, poultry, fish and

animal feed and fodder and in several

industrial products as well.

The demand for the crop is on the

rise with the increase of the poultry

and dairy farms as it contains huge

Vitamin-A, he pointed out.

Dr Hossain said maize is highly

beneficial to human health if

consumed, the flour prepared

through crushing 70 percent wheat

and 30 percent maize together.

Executive Director Engineer Md Abdur Rashid greeted the newly appointed Chairman of Barind

Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) Begum Akhtar Jahan on behalf of the officials of the organization.

After that, the union of the organization also extended its best wishes. Photo : Rafiqul Islam

Gaibandha district

administration

conducts 17 mobile

courts

GAIBANDHA : At the

directives of the Cabinet

Division of the government,

the district administration

here conducted drives

through 14 mobile courts in all

seven upazilas of the district

yesterday to halt the spread of

Covid-19.

The courts led by executive

magistrates filed 78 cases

against individuals and

business establishements for

breaching the safety rules of

Covid-19 and opening the

shops violating the

restrictions of lockdown.

Then, the cases were settled

after realizing TK 54,900 as

fine from the accused

instantly.

Besides this, the executive

magistrates of the courts also

distributed quality masks to

the helpless people during the

drives, said SM Foyez Uddin,

executive magistrate of the

district administration.

RAJSHAHI : Police arrested three

persons on charge of their involvement

in making false Covid-19 certificates for

the job seekers overseas from different

areas in Rajshahi city on Wednesday

night.

The arrested persons were identified

as Tareque Ahsan, 41, an office

assistant of Rajshahi Civil Surgeon

Office, Rafiqul Islam, 42, driver of

Rajshahi Chest Disease Hospital, and

his wife Shamsunnahar Shikha, 38.

Jewel Arefin, Deputy Commissioner

of Detective Branch (DB) in Rajshahi

Metropolitan Police, depicted this

while illustrating their malpractice

tactics in a press briefing at his office on

Thursday.

100 fined for defying

strict lockdown

in Bhola

BHOLA : Fifteen mobile

courts of the district

administration fined 100

people Taka 94,500 in six

upazilas, including the

district headquarters, for

breaching Covid-19 safety

rules and violating the

rules of the ongoing

countrywide strict

lockdown to prevent

coronavirus infection.

According to the district

administration sources, a

total of fifteen mobile

teams conducted the raids

in various areas in six

upazilas, including the

district town, and fined 100

people Taka 94,500 for not

wearing masks, not

maintaining social

distance, violating the rules

of the ongoing countrywide

strict lockdown and

moving outside without

any reason.

Meanwhile, four persons

were sentenced to three

days imprisonment for

violating the rules of the

ongoing countrywide strict

lockdown in Sadar upazila.

Executive magistrate of


Yusuf Hasan and upazila

executive magistrate,

assistant commissioner

(land) and Upazila Nirbahi

Officer (UNO) of the six

upazilas led the operation

teams from morning 8 am

to 10 pm on Wednesday.

Executive Magistrate of


Yusuf Hasan told BSS that

the government has

announced a strict

3 held for making fake

Covid-19 certificates

in Rajshahi

On a tip-off, a DB team conducted

raids at their respective locations and

arrested them. They were involved in

making and supplying false certificates

among the overseas job-seekers taking

advantage of their emergency needs.

He said the unscrupulous circle

realized Taka 3,000 to 15,000 from

around 25 to 30 job-seekers each

through keeping them hostage in the

name of giving negative corona reports.

Tareque Ahsan was the kingpin of the

lockdown across the

country to prevent

coronavirus infection.

We are working in the

field since morning, taking

legal action against those

who

disobeyed

government laws without

urgency, leaving the house

without any reason and

driving transport, pickup

vans, motorbikes, and

keeping shops and

businesses establishments

open, he said.

Police, RAB, BGB, Navy

and other law enforcers are

assisting in the operation.

The mobile court will

continue to prevent antilockdown

activities, he

added.

gang and Rafique was his accomplice

and they used to collect lists of the

persons who gave samples for corona

test.

Then Shamsunnahar bargains for

money after contacting the people over

phone saying they tested positive of

Covid-19. Their report will be negative

if they give money and in this way they

collect money through bKash account

for around four months last.

The detective team also seized 100

fake certificates from their possessions.

Jewel Arefin said there are three to

four more people in the gang and they

remain absconding. "We are trying to

bring them to book as soon as

possible," he added.

Japan is set to place Tokyo under a state of emergency that would last through the Olympics, fearing

an ongoing COVID-19 surge will multiply during the Games.

Photo : AP

Japan to declare virus emergency

lasting through Olympics

TOKYO : Japan is set to place Tokyo

under a state of emergency that would

last through the Olympics, fearing an

ongoing COVID-19 surge will multiply

during the Games, reports UNB.

At a meeting with experts Thursday

morning, government officials

proposed a plan to issue a state of

emergency in Tokyo from next Monday

to Aug. 22.

The Summer Olympics, already

delayed ayear by the pandemic, begin

July 23 and close Aug. 8.

The Games already will take place

without foreign spectators, but the

planned six-week state of emergency

likely ends chances of a local audience.

A decision about fans is expected later

Thursday when local organizers meet

with the International Olympic

Committee and other representatives.

Tokyo is currently under lessstringent

measures that focus on

shortened hours for bars and

restaurants but have proven less

effective at slowing the spread of the

coronavirus.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is to

formally announce the emergency

plans later Thursday, hours after IOC

President Thomas Bach was to land in

Tokyo. Bach must self-isolate for three

days in the IOC's five-star hotel in the

Japanese capital before heading to

Hiroshima, where heavy rain is

threatening flooding.

The upcoming emergency will be the

fourth for Tokyo since the pandemic

began and is a last-minute change of

plan made late Wednesday after a

meeting with experts who warned

strongly against the government's soft

approach.

A main focus of the emergency is a

request for bars, restaurants and

karaoke parlors serving alcohol to

close. A ban on serving alcohol is a key

step to tone down Olympic-related

festivities and keep people from

drinking and partying. Tokyo residents

are expected to face stay-home requests

and watch the Games on TV from

home.

"How to stop people enjoying the

Olympics from going out for drinks is a

main issue," Health Minister Norihisa

Tamura said.

Tokyo reported 920 new cases on

Wednesday, up from 714 last week and

its highest since 1,010 on May 13.

The figure is in line with experts'

earlier estimate that daily cases in

Tokyo could hit 1,000 before the

Games and could spike into thousands

in August.

Kazuhiro Tateta, a Toho University

infectious diseases expert, noted an

earlier state of emergency in the

spring came too late to prevent

hospitals in Osaka from overflowing

with patients and said another delay

should not be allowed.

As global COVID-19 deaths top

4 million, a suicide in Peru

AREQUIPA : On the last day of Javier

Vilca's life, his wife stood outside a

hospital window with a teddy bear, red

balloons and a box of chocolates to

celebrate his birthday, and held up a

giant, hand-scrawled sign that read:

"Don't give up. You're the best man in

the world."

Minutes later, Vilca, a 43-year-old

struggling radio journalist who had

battled depression, jumped four stories

to his death - the fifth suicide by a

COVID-19 patient at Peru's

overwhelmed Honorio Delgado

hospital since the pandemic began.

Vilca became yet another symbol of

the despair caused by the coronavirus

and the stark and seemingly growing

inequities exposed by COVID-19 on its

way to a worldwide death toll of 4

million, a milestone recorded

Wednesday by Johns Hopkins

University.

At the hospital where Vilca died on

June 24, a single doctor and three

nurses were frantically rushing to treat

80 patients in an overcrowded,

makeshift ward while Vilca gasped for

breath because of an acute shortage of

bottled oxygen.

"He promised me he would make it,"

said Nohemi Huanacchire, weeping

over her husband's casket in their halfbuilt

home with no electricity on the

outskirts of Arequipa, Peru's secondlargest

city. "But I never saw him

again."

The number of lives lost around the

world over the past year and a half is

about equal to the population of Los

Angeles or the nation of Georgia. It is

three times the number of victims

killed in traffic accidents around the

globe per year. By some estimates, it is

roughly the number of people killed in

battle in all of the world's wars since

1982.

Even then, the toll is widely believed

to be an undercount because of

overlooked cases or deliberate

concealment.

More than six months after vaccines

became available, reported COVID-19

deaths worldwide have dropped to

around 7,900 a day, after topping out at

over 18,000 a day in January. The

World Health Organization recorded

just under 54,000 deaths last week, the

lowest weekly total since last October.

While vaccination campaigns in the

U.S. and parts of Europe are ushering

in a period of post-lockdown euphoria,

and children there are being inoculated

so that they can go back to summer

camp and school, infection rates are

still stubbornly high in many parts of

South America and Southeast Asia.

And multitudes in Africa remain

unprotected because of severe vaccine

shortages.

Also, the highly contagious delta

variant is spreading rapidly, setting off

alarms, driving up case counts in places

and turning the crisis increasingly into

a race between the vaccine and the

mutant version.

The variant has been detected in at

least 96 countries. Australia, Israel,

Malaysia, Hong Kong and other places

have reimposed restrictions to try to

suppress it.

The variants, uneven access to

vaccines and the relaxation of

precautions in some wealthier

countries are "a toxic combination that

is very dangerous," warned Ann

Lindstrand, a top immunization official

at WHO.

Instead of treating the crisis as a "meand-myself-and-my-country"

problem,

she said, "we need to get serious that

this is a worldwide problem that needs

worldwide solutions."

On the last day of Javier Vilca's life, his wife stood outside a hospital window with a teddy bear, red

balloons and a box of chocolates to celebrate his birthday, and held up a giant, hand-scrawled sign

that read: "Don't give up. You're the best man in the world."

Photo : AP

Crews give up hope

of finding survivors

at collapse site

SURFSIDE : Emergency

workers gave up Wednesday

on any hope of finding

survivors in the collapsed

Florida condo building,

telling sobbing families that

there was "no chance of life"

in the rubble as crews shifted

their efforts to recovering

more remains.

The announcement

followed increasingly

somber reports from

emergency officials, who

said they sought to prepare

families for the worst.

"At this point, we have

truly exhausted every option

available to us in the searchand-rescue

mission,"

Miami-Dade Mayor

Daniella Levine Cava said at

a news conference.

"We have all asked God for

a miracle, so the decision to

transition from rescue to

recovery is an extremely

difficult one," she said.

Eight more bodies were

recovered Wednesday,

bringing the death toll to 54,

the mayor said. Thirty-three

of the dead have been

identified, and 86 people are

still unaccounted for.

Miami-Dade Assistant

Fire Chief Raide Jadallah

told families at a private

briefing that crews would

stop using rescue dogs and

listening devices but would

continue to search for their

loved ones.

Rajapaksa family

tightens grip on

crisis-hit Sri Lanka

COLOMBO : A brother of Sri

Lanka's President Gotabaya

Rajapaksa on Thursday

became finance minister,

tightening the family's grip

on power in the South Asian

nation as it confronts

growing economic troubles.

Basil Rajapaksa, 70, took

over the finance portfolio

from another brother, Prime

Minister Mahinda

Rajapaksa.

The 72-year-old president

has put Mahinda in charge

of a newly created but lower

level economic policies and

planning ministry.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, 75,

was the country's president

for a decade up to 2015, and

Basil, who is known as the

family's political strategist,

managed the economy then.

Basil takes charge now

after the economy recorded

a coronavirus-inflicted 3.6

percent contraction for

2020, the worst since

independence from Britain

in 1948. With his entry, the

cabinet headed by Gotabaya

now has five members of the

Rajapaksa family.

Eldest brother Chamal, 78,

is minister of irrigation while

the prime minister's eldest

son Namal, 35, is the youth

and sports minister.

Indonesians ignore

warnings in rush

to buy anti-parasite

drug for Covid

JAKARTA : Indonesians

have ignored health

warnings to stock up on a

"miracle cure" for Covid-19

backed by leading politicians

and social media

influencers, as an out-ofcontrol

virus surge sweeps

the country.

Authorities are reporting

hundreds of deaths every

day as the world's fourthmost

populous nation

struggles with its worst

outbreak since the pandemic

began.

Pharmacies across the

country are running out of

ivermectin, an oral

treatment normally used to

treat lice and other parasitic

infections, thanks in part to

viral social media posts

touting its potential as a

coronavirus treatment.

"Those who come bring a

screenshot showing that

ivermectin... could cure

Covid," said Yoyon, head of a

pharmaceutical sales group

at a market in the capital

Jakarta, who like many

Indonesians goes by one

name.

FrIDAY, JulY 9, 2021

7

Tropical storm kills 1 in Florida,

hurts 10 at Georgia base

SAVANNAH : A weakened but resilient

Tropical Storm Elsa killed at least one person

in Florida on Wednesday and injured several

others when a possible tornado struck a

campground at a Navy base in southeast

Georgia.

The National Hurricane Center said Elsa

still packed 45 mph (72 kph) winds more

than nine hours after making landfall along

Florida's northern Gulf Coast. The storm's

center was sweeping over eastern Georgia by

2 a.m. Thursday. Elsa will move over Georgia

Thursday morning, over South Carolina and

North Carolina later in the day, pass near the

eastern mid-Atlantic states by Thursday

night and move near or over the

northeastern United States on Friday.

Elsa seemed to spare Florida from

significant damage, though it still threatened

flooding downpours and caused several

tornado warnings. The coasts of Georgia and

South Carolina were under a tropical storm

warning. Forecasters predicted Elsa would

remain a tropical storm into Friday, and

issued a tropical storm watch from North

Carolina to Massachusetts.

Authorities in Jacksonville, Florida, said

one person was killed Wednesday when a

tree fell and struck two cars. The National

Weather Service reported 50 mph (80 kph)

wind gusts in the city. The tree fell during

heavy rains and no one else was injured,

according to Capt. Eric Prosswimmer of the

Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department.

"Now is a time to remember ... that

weather is unpredictable," Jacksonville

Mayor Lenny Curry said during a news

conference Wednesday evening as he urged

drivers to stay off the road. "This is really

early in the (hurricane) season. We're just

outside of the July 4th holiday, we've had our

first storm and, unfortunately, we've had a

fatality."

In nearby Camden County, Georgia, a

possible tornado struck a park for

recreational vehicles at Kings Bay Naval

Submarine Base. About 10 people were

injured and taken to hospitals by ambulance,

said base spokesman Scott Bassett. The

extent of their injuries was not immediately

clear. He said some buildings on the base

appeared to have been damaged as well.

Sergio Rodriguez, who lives near the RV

park, said he raced to the scene fearing

friends staying at the park might be hurt. The

area was under a tornado warning

Wednesday evening.

"There were just RVs flipped over on their

sides, pickup trucks flipped over, a couple of

trailers had been shifted and a couple of

trailers were in the water" of a pond on the

site, Rodriguez said in a phone interview.

Cellphone video he filmed at the scene

showed trees bent low among scattered

debris. He said ambulances arrived and

began treating dazed people trying to

understand what had happened.

"A bunch of folks had lacerations and were

just banged around," Rodriguez said. "A

majority of folks were in their trailers when it

happened."

A weakened but resilient Tropical Storm Elsa killed at least one person in

Florida on Wednesday and injured several others when a possible tornado

struck a campground at a Navy base in southeast Georgia. Photo : AP

Haiti's future uncertain after

brazen slaying of president

PORT-AU-PRINCE : An already struggling

and chaotic Haiti stumbled into an uncertain

future Thursday, reeling from the

assassination of President Jovenel Moise

followed by a reported gunbattle in which

authorities said police killed four suspects in

the murder, detained two others and freed

three officers being held hostage.

Officials pledged to find all those

responsible for the predawn raid on Moise's

house early Wednesday that left the

president shot to death and his wife, Martine

Moise, critically wounded. She was flown to

Miami for treatment.

"The pursuit of the mercenaries

continues," Leon Charles, director of Haiti's

National Police, said Wednesday night in

announcing the arrests of suspects. "Their

fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or

will be arrested."

Officials did not provide any details on the

suspects, including their ages, names or

nationalities, nor did they address a motive

or what led police to the suspects. They said

only that the attack condemned by Haiti's

main opposition parties and the

international community was carried out by

"a highly trained and heavily armed group"

whose members spoke Spanish or English.

Prime Minister Claude Joseph assumed

leadership of Haiti with help of police and

the military and decreed a two-week state of

siege following Moise's killing, which

stunned a nation grappling with some of the

Western Hemisphere's highest poverty,

violence and political instability.

Inflation and gang violence are spiraling

upward as food and fuel becomes scarcer,

while 60% of Haitian workers earn less than

$2 a day. The increasingly dire situation

comes as Haiti is still trying to recover from

the devastating 2010 earthquake and

Hurricane Matthew in 2016 following a

history of dictatorship and political

upheaval. Those in Haiti and family and

friends living abroad wondered what is next.

"There is this void now, and they are scared

about what will happen to their loved ones,"

said Marlene Bastien, executive director of

Family Action Network Movement, a group

that helps people in Miami's Little Haiti

community.

She said it was important for the

administration of U.S. President Joe

Biden to take a much more active role in

supporting attempts at national dialogue

in Haiti with the aim of holding free, fair

and credible elections.

Global COVID-19 deaths hit 4

million amid rush to vaccinate

NEW YORK : The global death toll from

COVID-19 eclipsed 4 million Wednesday as

the crisis increasingly becomes a race

between the vaccine and the highly

contagious delta variant, reports UNB.

The tally of lives lost over the past year and

a half, as compiled from official sources by

Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to

the number of people killed in battle in all of

the world's wars since 1982, according to

estimates from the Peace Research Institute

Oslo.

The toll is three times the number of

people killed in traffic accidents around the

globe every year. It is about equal to the

population of Los Angeles or the nation of

Georgia. It is equivalent to more than half of

Hong Kong or close to 50% of New York City.

Even then, it is widely believed to be an

undercount because of overlooked cases or

deliberate concealment.

With the advent of the vaccine, deaths per

day have plummeted to around 7,900, after

topping out at over 18,000 a day in January.

But in recent weeks, the mutant delta

version of the virus first identified in India

has set off alarms around the world,

spreading rapidly even in vaccination

success stories like the U.S., Britain and

Israel.

Britain, in fact, recorded a one-day total

this week of more than 30,000 new

infections for the first time since January,

even as the government prepares to lift all

remaining lockdown restrictions in England

later this month.

FriDAY, JulY 9, 2021

8

Minister's products can be availed

through online purchase

Human life has come to a standstill in the

global pandemic. People have become

housebound. In such a situation, the only

way to be safe is to be aware of the hygiene

rules. Therefore, the Minister Group is

giving special benefits in online

purchasing of various products including

electronics products like LED TVs,

refrigerators, and ACs. This offer can be

availed by ordering at home through cash

on delivery and online payment with easy

installments. It also comes with

Asian markets down over

Fed signal, China tech

crackdown

HONG KONG:Asian markets were broadly

down Thursday after the Fed signalled a

possible inflation-induced policy change,

while concerns lingered over China's

crackdown on tech giants reports BSS.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that

while rising prices were expected as the US

economy recovered from the pandemic, the

inflation jump was higher than expected.

Officials said the US central bank needs to

be ready to pull back on its massive support

programme if this persists, according to

minutes from a June policy meeting.

But it gave no indication that a reversal

was imminent-a stance consistent with

commentary from Fed chair Jay Powell that

did not jolt the market.

US markets appeared ready to set aside

inflation fears-at least for the time beingwith

Wall Street finishing modestly higher

as both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq edged to

records. "It took some time, but the Fed has

finally acknowledged rising inflationary

forces," Louis Navellier, Chairman of

Navellier & Associates, said in a note to

investors on Wednesday.

"That's no small adjustment, but the

market has currently bought into the

'transitory inflation' narrative-until the key

June inflation data rolls in next week."

The strong overnight lead from Wall

Street provided some boost in Asia but

Tokyo was down Thursday morning with

possible gloom on the horizon as the

Japanese government debated further

Covid-19 lockdowns to fight a surge in

infections.

guaranteed gifts and discounts on cash

payments, including toiletries. Besides,

this will also help the consumers to avoid

public gatherings, a press release said.

Minister's Smart and LED TVs are

available at home in installments of only

TK 2,000 with the guaranteed gift.

Moreover, there is a great offer on the

fridge which is a 12-year guarantee on the

compressor. The fridge is available in

monthly installments of only TK 3,000.

And as soon as the customer buys the

Seoul was higher, as was Sydney where

investors did not seem affected by news that

the lockdown in Australia's biggest city

could be extended.

Wellington and Singapore were also

down.

Hong Kong stocks opened lower,

extending losses into a seventh day, on

continued concerns about China's

crackdown on the country's tech giants.

Beijing's shock decision to remove ridehailing

app Didi from online platforms on

national security grounds sparked fears of a

wider regulatory move against firms once

seen as untouchable.

Authorities this week suggested they could

revise rules for Chinese companies listed

overseas-a move that would clip the wings of

major firms such as Alibaba, Tencent and

Bytedance and potentially limit their ability

to attract foreign capital.

Investors were more upbeat in mainland

China, where markets opened up on

indications from Beijing that it would

increase support to business, in part by

expanding the liquidity available to banks.

The triumphant recovery from the

pandemic in the world's second-largest

economy had shown signs of slowing in

recent weeks, with key factory data edging

down in June and factory gate inflation

soaring.

China's State Council said Wednesday

following a meeting that it was prepared to

"use monetary policy tools... to enhance

financial support to the real economy,

particularly to smaller businesses."

fridge, he/she gets Minister's rice cooker

and toiletries products for free. There are

also special discounts on online bookings

of Minister AC. Minister Inverter AC's are

made by the Japanese brand Panasonic

Compressor with a 12-year guarantee and

they can be purchased from the Minister's

online shop with a monthly installment of

only TK 5,000. Moreover, human care

and toiletries products are also available

online as well as in the supermarkets of

the country.

Nagad launch self PIN reset option

The annoying hassle of

forgetting and resetting PIN

number of the customers

finally come to an end as the

dynamic mobile financial

service Nagad has launched

self PIN reset option, a press

release said.

In this digital era of life,

people have several PIN

number for different

services, and it is very

common that people often

forget or mixed up their PIN

numbers. Usually, for

financial services, the

process for restoring or

changing the PIN number is

time consuming.

Earlier, Nagad users had

to contact the help desk via

phone to reset their PIN but

now it is just a few clicks on

the phone. Nagad, the

Mobile Financial Service

arm of Bangladesh Postal

Department, has now

introduced self PIN reset

system to smoothen up the

process and reduce the

hassle of users.

For PIN reset, the user

has to dial *167#. This will

lead to a menu where they

have to press 8 in the

keypad to select the PIN

changing option. In the next

stage the user will find two

other options, 1 for

forgetting PIN and 2 for

resetting PIN. When

pressed 1 the user has to

input his/her national

identity (NID) number and

a confirmation text will be

sent from Nagad. Then the

user will have to input the

birth date.

In the next step, user will

be asked transaction related

questions like if any

transaction were made in

last 90 days, types of

transection and the amount

of last transection. By

completing this step, the

user will be allowed to reset

the PIN number.

Under its recent

campaign, 'Deshi Nagad-e,

Beshi Labh' the MFS

operator has brought a

number of exiting and

innovative solutions to

Canadian bank

robber jailed in

Singapore,

escapes caning

SINGAPORE:A Canadian

man who staged a rare bank

robbery in Singapore has

been sentenced to five years

in jail, but will escape a

caning due to an agreement

that allowed his extradition,

reports BSS.

David James Roach, who

robbed a Standard

Chartered Bank branch in

2016, was extradited to

Singapore last year from

Britain after the city-state

offered assurances he would

not be flogged.

The 31-year-old pleaded

guilty to one charge of bank

robbery and another charge

of money laundering for

taking the stolen money out

of the country.

A court on Wednesday

handed down the jail term

and six strokes of the cane-a

mandatory punishment in

the city-state for robbery.

But Singapore's interior

ministry and attorneygeneral's

chambers said they

were working "through the

necessary procedures to

fulfil the assurance given to

the UK government" that

Roach will be spared caning.

Roach strolled into the

bank and took Sg$30,000

($22,000) after presenting a

threatening note, a rare

robbery in a country with

one of the world's lowest

crime rates.

make the customer

experience better and

smoother. The newly

introduced self PIN reset

service is also a part of

Nagad's continues process

of innovation. In setting the

PIN, the customer has to

make sure that the PIN

numbers are four different

numbers. Moreover, if the

same number is

consecutive, the pin will not

be set.

Nagad Managing Director

Tanvir A Mishuk said, "For

the past few days we have

been working closely on the

PIN resetting issue.

Eventually the service

became available to the

people. Now users will be

more self-sufficient even

resetting their Nagad

account's PIN. If customers

are aware and do not share

their PIN with anyone, no

untoward incidents will

occur as there is no scope to

access Nagad account

without having PIN."

It is to be mentioned that

Nagad never asks for the

PIN number from its users

in any circumstances. So if

the users receive any such

call or request, they should

not entertain.

Tokyo shares

open lower as

virus fears linger

TOKYO: Tokyo shares opened

lower Thursday with investors

wary of possible gloom ahead

as Japan's government

debates imposing further

anti-infection measures,

although strong Wall Street

shares provided some support

reports BSS.

The benchmark Nikkei 225

index fell 0.08 percent, or

23.96 points, to 28,342.99 in

early trade, while the broader

Topix index slipped 0.02

percent, or 0.45 points, to

1,937.23.

Tokyo shares are likely to go

through a period of anxiety

with an impending anti-virus

state of emergency for Tokyo

clouding the outlook, Okasan

Online Securities said in a

note.

"The Tokyo market is

expected to face heavy

resistance," Okasan said.

Still, bargain hunters are

willing to pick up good offers,

providing general support for

the overall market.

"Tokyo is expected to come

under another state of

emergency, posing further

uncertainty for the general

economic outlook," Okasan

said.

The country's leading ICT

company "Synesis IT" is

providing technical assistance

to BTRC in the process of

registering all types of mobile

handsets besides banning

illegal and counterfeit

handsets. In the meantime, all

the active handsets of the

customers in the network have

been automatically registered

with National Equipment

Identity Registrar (NEIR). It

may be mentioned here that,

the

"Bangladesh

Telecommunication

Regulatory Commission" has

reportedly taken up the NEIR

project to prevent the import

of illegal mobile handsets,

reduce the level of theft,

increase national security and

revenue by preventing mobilebased

crime, a press release

said.

The experimental activities

of the National Equipment

Identity Registrar (NEIR)

have started from July 1. The

new mobile phones that will

be added to the network, the

validity of the handset will be

verified through NEIR while

keeping the network active. If

the handset is valid, it will be

registered automatically.

In November 2020, the

Bringing back tradition:

the coalmen reviving a

Cuban swamp

SAN AGUSTÍN: In a remote

swamp in central Cuba, men

hew wood and build large

pyres that smolder for days as

they keep vigil, reports BSS.

They are the coalmen of

Cienaga de Zapata, reviving

an old tradition of making

charcoal-not in industrial

furnaces, but open-air fires.

"It's a little hard, but I like

it," said 59-year-old Daniel

Diaz, his face and clothes

blackened by soot.

He is one of a few dozen

men taking part in a

government-sponsored jobcreation

program to bring

back traditional charcoalmaking

to an area where it

used to be a way of life.

Diaz lives with his family in

a wooden house next to a river

in the Cienaga de Zapata

national park in the

Caribbean's largest wetland.

He is one of few in the project

to have worked in coal

production before-with a

local company Synesis IT

signed an agreement with

BTRC to implement the NEIR

project. According to the

agreement, they have

introduced the National

Equipment Identity Register

(NEIR) system within the

stipulated time.

Meanwhile, there is a huge

career of 33 years behind him.

His house is just a few

meters from the charcoal

fires. Behind him stands a tall

wood pyramid, soon to be

covered in straw and soil for

the combustion process which

takes five or six days to

produce charcoal.

Diaz will keep an eye on the

process "day and night" to

ensure the thick smoke does

not become fire.

As he labors, his nine-yearold

daughter plays in the river

nearby.

Charcoal is made,

traditionally and in modern

times, by heating wood in a

low-oxygen environment.

With some 80,000 tons

sent abroad every year,

mainly to Europe, charcoal is

one of sanctions-stricken

Cuba's largest exports, though

almost all of it is now

produced on industrial scale.

In Cuba, the traditional

"carboneros" of Cienaga de

demand of around three crore

mobile handsets in

Bangladesh every year of

which 25 to 30 percent of

smartphones are imported

illegally. Due to this, the

government loses revenue of 1

thousand to 1 thousand 200

crore. Moreover, the NEIR

system will reduce the level of

Zapata are famous: it is with

them that Fidel Castro spent

his first Christmas after the

revolution of 1959.

Photographs from the time

show the revolutionary leader

surrounded by coalmen and

their families in the region

otherwise known for its

crocodiles.

Over the years, however, the

traditional way of making

charcoal has been largely

abandoned.

Now the government is

seeking to bring it back.

"They had a shortage of

experienced people. So they

came looking for me," said

Orlando Prado, 73, retired

until he was brought onto the

project when it started last

year.

In a large hangar on the

river bank, ancient machines

are being restored to produce

the wooden tools used to

collect and transport the

charcoal produced.

Synesis IT is Assisting BTRC

for mobile phone registration

US raises concerns

about Mexico

energy reforms

MEXICO CITY:The United

States voiced concerns

Wednesday about Mexican

President Andres Manuel

Lopez Obrador's planned

reforms boosting the state's

role in the energy sector,

during talks on a revamped

North American trade deal

reports BSS.

"With respect to the

energy policies that we see

being discussed and

envisioned by the Lopez

Obrador administration, we

are watching very closely,"

US Trade Representative

Katherine Tai told reporters

in Mexico City.

"We are raising our

concerns. We are here to

engage and we will be

exploring avenues for

addressing our concerns,"

she said after talks with

Mexican Economy Secretary

Tatiana Clouthier and

Canadian Trade Minister

Mary Ng.

Tai sidestepped a question

about whether Mexico was

in breach of the year-old

United States-Mexico-

Canada Agreement

(USMCA) following its

recent decision to select

state-run Pemex to operate a

major offshore oil field.

mobile phone theft as well as

various types of mobile phonebased

crimes.

Rupayan Chowdhury,

Group CEO, Synesis IT said,

"We have been able to launch

NEIR within the stipulated

time and it has been

implemented by our own

technology and local skilled

engineers, which we consider

to be a symbol of Bangladesh's

capability in information

technology. We believe that

NEIR will play an important

role in the economy and

national security of the

country.

Aminul Bari Shuvro,

General Manager and Head of

Information Technology and

Infrastructure, Synesis IT,

said, "With the sincere

cooperation of BTRC, we have

been able to successfully

launch the pilot activities of

NEIR on time. This project is a

symbol of Bangladesh's

capability. This capability

proves that, we have kept pace

with the world. I believe that,

the radiant youth and

patriotism that I see among

our young technologists will

lead the way to a truly Digital

Bangladesh.

FRiDAY, JULY 9, 2021

9

England's forward Harry Kane (L) shoots and scores a goal during the UEFA EURO 2020 semi-final

match against Denmark at Wembley Stadium in London on July 7, 2021.

Photo: AP

Kane extra-time goal takes England

into Euro 2020 final

SPORTS DESK

England will play in their first major

tournament final for 55 years after

coming from behind to beat Denmark

2-1 after extra time in front of a

delirious 65,000 crowd at Wembley in

Wednesday's Euro 2020 semi-final,

reports UNB.

MikkelDamsgaard's stunning freekick

after 30 minutes threatened

another semi-final disappointment for

Gareth Southgate's side, three years on

from losing in the last four of the World

Cup.But Simon Kjaer's own goal eight

minutes later and Harry Kane's extratime

winner on the rebound after his

penalty was saved by Kasper

Schmeichel means England will

attempt to win the European

Championship for the first time when

they face Italy back at Wembley in

Sunday's final.

Defeat ends Denmark's fairytale run

to the semi-finals, the furthest they

have been at a tournament since

winning Euro 92.

The Danes' tournament began in

nearly-tragic circumstances when star

midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a

cardiac arrest in their opening game

against Finland.

Kasper Hjulmand's men have since

ridden an emotional wave and played

plenty of slick football in sticking four

goals past Russia and Wales on their

way to the semi-finals.

However, England's huge advantage

Govt. determined to

keep sports free

from doping; Russel

SPORTS DESK

State Minister for Youth and

Sports Mohammad Zahid

Ahsan Russel, MP said the

government has announced

a zero tolerance policy to

keep the sports free from

doping, reports BSS.

"The government has

always been focused on

clean sports and has been

encouraging transparent

and clean sports. Under the

clear direction of Prime

Minister and leader of the

people Sheikh Hasina, the

Ministry of Youth and

Sports is working intensively

to make the sports arena

doping free. We expect

cooperation from various

international organizations.

We are committed to

following the guidelines

given by the World Antidoping

Agency," Russel said

while speaking at a virtual

conference organized by the

World Anti-Doping Agency

(WADA) Wednesday.

The State Minister said

that besides the economic

development of Bangladesh,

the sports sector is also

moving forward at a

breakneck pace. And this

has been possible thanks to

the sports-friendly Prime

Minister who has always

shown interest in sports and

often inspires athletes who

have a sign of success in

their respective fields.

The intense passion of the

Prime Minister towards the

country's sports has taken

Bangladesh to a unique

height in the world sports

arena in recent times.

in having six of their seven matches on

home soil has paid off as they were the

physically fresher side in the latter

stages.

Roared on by the deafening noise

created by the biggest crowd for an

England game in nearly two years, the

hosts came flying out of the traps.

Kane's teasing cross just evaded

Raheem Sterling as he burst in towards

the far post.

Denmark settled after a shaky start

and started to pose a threat themselves

as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg shot straight

at Jordan Pickford before Martin

Braithwaite and Damsgaard saw efforts

fly off target.

Damsgaard stunner -

England were on a national record

run of seven consecutive clean sheets,

but were finally breached in spectacular

fashion by Damsgaard's free-kick that

flew into the top corner.

Any questions over how Southgate's

men would react to falling behind for

the first time in the tournament were

emphatically answered as England

rapidly hit back.

Sterling should have equalised when

he fired straight into Schmeichel's

midriff with just the 'keeper to beat.

Moments later, the hosts were level

when Kane freed Bukayo Saka down

the right and Kjaer turned into his own

net under pressure from Sterling.

Denmark's exertions in being forced

into a 9,000-kilometre (5,592 mile)

round trip for their quarter-final win

over the Czech Republic showed in the

second half as they desperately tried to

keep England at bay.

Penalty controversy -

Schmeichel produced another

stunning save from Harry Maguire's

header low to his right, while Kane

could not get a telling connection in a

goalmouth scramble in the 96th

minute.

Hjulmand made all five of his allotted

substitutions before the 90 minutes

were up to give his side an extra boost

of energy, but they could not get any

forward momentum.

Schmeichel kept his side in the game

in extra time with another agile low

save to his right to deny Kane before

repelling a Jack Grealishpiledriver.

England's pressure finally paid off in

controversial circumstances when

Sterling was awarded a soft penalty for

a challenge by JoakimMaehle in the

104th minute.

Schmeichel even denied Kane from

the spot but the ball fell kindly for the

England captain to sweep home his

fourth goal of the tournament.

Southgate was the fall guy when

England last made it to a Euro semifinal

25 years ago as he missed the

decisive penalty in a shoot-out defeat to

Germany.

But he has the ultimate shot at

redemption come Sunday as

England have the chance to finally

bring a major trophy home after so

many years of hurt.

Roger Federer knocked out

by Hubert Hurkacz in

heaviest defeat at SW19

SPORTS DESK

Roger Federer crashed out of Wimbledon in

the quarter-finals at the hands of Poland's

Hubert Hurkacz on Wednesday, potentially

bringing down the curtain on the Swiss

legend's All England Club career, reports UNB.

Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam title winner

who turns 40 next month, lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-

0 to a player 15 years his junior.

It was only the eight-time Wimbledon

champion's 14th defeat at the tournament in

119 matches and his first straight-sets loss since

an opening round exit against Mario Ancic in

2002. It was also the first time he had lost a set

6-0 at Wimbledon.

"It's super special to have played Roger here,

it's a dream come true," said Hurkacz. "He's

done so many special things here."

World number 18 Hurkacz, 24, had never got

beyond the third round of a Grand Slam before

this Wimbledon. However, boosted by having

defeated world number two Daniil Medvedev

in five sets in the last 16, he was a break up on

a sluggish-looking Federer in the sixth game of

the opening set.

The Swiss star, who underwent two knee

surgeries in 2020, carved out a break for 2-0 in

the second set.

He couldn't hang on and Hurkacz levelled in

the seventh game from 1-4 down before

dominating the tiebreak.

Federer looked off-colour and he was quickly

down 0-2 in the third set before Hurkacz

wrapped up the decider in just 29 minutes.

He is only the second Polish man to reach the

semi-finals at Wimbledon - Jerzy Janowicz

being the other in 2013.

Up next is a clash with Matteo Berrettini of

Italy, who defeated close friend Felix Augier-

Aliassime 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the semifinals

for the first time. The 25-year-old is only

the second Italian to reach the last four after

Nicola Pietrangeli in 1960.

"I noticed the mis-hits, awkward looking

Roger Federer knocked out in quarterfinals as Hubert Hurkacz pulls off

another major upset.

Photo: AP

Umar Akmalapologises

for not reporting

spot-fixing approaches

SPORTS DESK

Claiming to have learnt his

lessons, controversial

Pakistan batsman Umar

Akmal has apologised for

not reporting corrupt

approaches last year, which

led to him being banned for

12 months, reports UNB.

Umar, 30, was last year

suspended by the Pakistan

Cricket Board (PCB) for not

reporting spot-fixing

approaches made to him

before the start of the

Pakistan Super League

(PSL) matches.

"Seventeen months ago, I

made a mistake which

caused damage to my cricket

and career. I learnt a lot

during this time and due to

that mistake Pakistan

cricket's reputation suffered

badly. I ask for forgiveness

from the PCB and from

cricket fans around the

world," said Akmal in a

video released by the PCB on

Wednesday.

Akmal admitted that the

period had been "very

difficult for him".

"Some people approached

me but I was unable to

report the same to the anticorruption

unit, due to

which I had to face a 12-

month ban. I couldn't play

cricket despite being a

cricketer.

Stellar Brazil vs Argentina final

for emergency Copa America

SPORTS DESK

The most improvised Copa America will

have the final most of the fans dreamed of,

reports UNB.

Brazil and Argentina play for the South

American title on Saturday at Rio de

Janeiro's historic Maracana Stadium, one of

soccer's spiritual homes. It should be a

memorable ending to a tournament plagued

by setbacks and moved at the last minute to

one of the countries hardest-hit by COVID-

19.

Neymar's Brazil team, the defending

champions, and Lionel Messi's challengers

have won a combined seven World Cups and

23 continental titles.

The Argentine star wants to lift his first

major trophy with his country, which hasn't

won any since 1993. Messi played and lost

the Copa America finals of 2007, 2015 and

2016 and the 2014 World Cup, the latter

against Germany at the Maracana.

"What I want the most is to win a title with

the national team," captain Messi said after

Tuesday's 3-2 penalty shootout victory

against Colombia in the semifinal.

"We aim high, we managed to get the first

objective, which was to play the final, play

every match. Now we aim higher than ever."

Neymar was ruled out of the 2019 Copa

due to injury. He said after Brazil's 1-0 win

against Peru on Monday that he wanted to

face Argentina in the decider.

"But Brazil wins the final," Neymar

jokingly said. He was one of the players who

expressed concerns about the late decision to

stage the tournament in his country after

Argentina and Colombia were dropped as

co-hosts.

Brazil became Copa America host only two

weeks before the opener.

Messi and Neymar, who won the

Champions League together with Barcelona

in 2015, are good friends. They were on

opposite sides in 2011 when the Catalan

giants thrashed Brazil's Santos 4-0 in the

Club World Cup final.

Argentina and Brazil have faced off more

than 100 times, but only in four deciders.

Argentina won the first of them 2-0 in 1937

for the South American championship, the

predecessor of the Copa. Brazil won the

other three.

Brazil beat Argentina 4-2 on penalties to

win the 2004 Copa after striker Adriano

levelled the game at 2-2 with the last shot in

regular time.

One year later, the two arch rivals met for

the Confederations Cup title in Germany.

The Selecao hammered Argentina 4-1 after

another great display by Adriano, who was

playing alongside Kaka and Ronaldinho.

Argentina was heavy favorite to win the

2007 Copa, but Brazil crushed Messi's hopes

with a 3-0 win in the final.

Brazil also beat Argentina in the previous

Copa. A 2-0 victory in the semifinal came

with goals by Gabriel Jesus and Roberto

Firmino.

Jesus is out of Saturday's final due to

suspension and Firmino may have lost his

place to Lucas Paquet. Argentina hopes to

win its 15th continental title and equal

Uruguay's record tally. Brazil seeks its 10th

South American trophy.

The final will be played in an empty

Maracana due to health protocols.

Argentina and Brazil have faced off more than 100 times, but only in four deciders.

Japan declares

state of emergency

2 weeks ahead of

Tokyo Olympics

SPORTS DESK

Surging COVID-19 cases in

Tokyo have hit a two-month

high that almost guarantees

the Japanese government

will declare a new state of

emergency to start next

week and continue for the

duration of the Tokyo

Olympics, reports UNB.

The pandemic-delayed

Olympics open in just over

two weeks on July 23.

IOC President Thomas

Bach is scheduled to arrive

in Tokyo on Thursday, when

he will be greeted by the

rising cases as he selfisolates

for three days in the

International Olympic

Committee's five-star hotel

in the capital.

A new state of emergency

could lead to a ban even on

local fans. That decision on

fans is expected Friday when

local organizers meet with

the IOC and others.

The present quasi-state of

emergency ends Sunday.

Tokyo reported 920 new

cases on Wednesday, up

from 714 last Wednesday. It

is the highest total since

1,010 were reported on May

13.

Prime Minister

YoshihideSuga met with key

ministers to discuss virus

measures and reportedly is

considering reinstating a

state of emergency in the

capital until Aug. 22. The

Olympics end on Aug. 8.

Photo: File

NBA Finals: Chris Paul

turns back clock to

inspire Suns in Game 1

SPORTS DESK

It took Chris Paul 16 years to make it to the

NBA Finals for the first time in his career.

But when the 36-year-old took to the

Phoenix Suns Arena court for Game 1 against

the Milwaukee Bucks, he turned back the

clock to sink in 32 points and make nine

assists, as the Suns recorded a 118-105 win,

reports UNB.

First time's the charm

Paul, nicknamed 'Point God' for his ability

to read defences, exploit switches and his

awareness for player positioning was on full

display in his first NBA Finals appearance.

He made 12 of his 19 shots, which included

four three-pointers from seven attempts.

Half of his 32 points came in the third

quarter where he scored six of seven field

goals.

Coming into the Finals, only two players

aged 36 or above had scored over 30 points

in a game with a 60 percent shooting success

rate. Paul now joins the illustrious club that

includes the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and

Tim Duncan - winners of six and five NBA

titles respectively. Paul though, who stands

at six-feet tall, is the only point-guard in that

list.

Suns rely on isolation plays

Game 1 was won and lost in the Bucks'

inability to guard Paul and shooting guard

Devin Booker on isolation (one-on-one)

plays. According to ESPN Stats and info

data, both of them were 12-19 when playing

one-on-one against a Bucks player.

Some of those plays started with the Suns

exploiting the Bucks' switching schemes -

when defenders were moving to mark a

different opponent. Both Paul and Booker

routinely targeted Bobby Portis, a 6-foot-10

centre who could only look on as Paul would

blow by him and hit layups.

The Giannis conundrum

A crucial part of this series hinges on the

Bucks' star-player Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Greek centre - a two-time MVP - was

struggling with a hyper-extended knee injury

and was doubtful ahead of Game 1. But the

Bucks played him and the seven-footer

scored 20 points and made 17 rebounds -

numbers that are lower than his usual

scoring averages through this NBA season

and playoffs.

On the other hand, Giannis' free throws

were their usual erratic self and it did not

help that the rest of the Bucks simply

couldn't earn enough trips to the line.

Giannis attempted 12 of the Bucks' 16 free

throws, making seven of them while two

more were added by the rest of his team.

This was in comparison to the Suns, who

scored 25 of 26 free throws. The home team

in fact have scored 87 percent free throws

since the Playoff stage this season - the

highest by any team in NBA Playoff history

with a minimum of 10 games, according to

Statmuse.

Stuck in the Middleton

The lone bright light for the Bucks

yesterday was Khris Middleton and his 29-

point performance. The small forward had

the unenviable task of matching the scoring

of Suns trio Paul, Booker and DeAndre

Ayton - all of whom combined for 81 points

together.

Giannis' injury could be a factor, but the

Bucks' 'big three' can't be a reality if Jrue

Holiday continues to remain absent in these

Playoffs. The point guard scored a measly 10

points and missed all of his four threepointers

attempted.

FRIDAY, JuLY 9, 2021

10

Kishwar reachesTop 5 of Master

Chef Australia

TBT RepoRT

Song of Farooki's web series "Ladies

and Gentleman" released

TBT RepoRT

"Porojibi Shohorer Gaan", a

song for internationally

acclaimed director Mostofa

Sarwar Farooki's debut web

series, "Ladies and

Gentleman", was released

recently, under the banner of

ZEE5.

Popular film-maker Mostofa

Sarwar Farooki has written the

lyrics for a song from his debut

web-series "Ladies and

Gentleman."

The song titled 'Porojibi

Shohorer Gaan' is written by

Farooki, composed by Pavel

Areen, and voiced by Masha

Islam.

Directed by Farooki and

edited by Momin Biswas, the

music video features the

protagonist TasniaFarin,

Maria Nur and others.

The web series Ladies &

Gentlemen revolves around

the life of an ordinary girl, her

emotional journey to become

the voice of each and every

working woman in

Bangladesh.

National Film Awardwinning

actor Nusrat Imrose

Tisha is a producer on "Ladies

and Gentlemen". Alongside

Tasnia Farin and Maria Nur,

the series features Pavel Areen,

Tanvir Hossain, Mamunur

Rashid, Hasan Masood, Partha

Barua, Alexey Kosorukov, and

Iresh Zaker, among others. It

will premiere on ZEE5 on July

9 globally. Bangladeshi

audiences can watch the series

free of cost upon its release.

Farooki is also looking

forward to his forthcoming

film "No Land's Man",

featuring celebrated Indian

actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui

and Bangladeshi singer and

actor Tahsan Khan, among

others.

Bangladesh's Kishwar safely made it to the top 5 of MasterChef

Australia.The top six contestants from the latest season of

MasterChef Australia competed in Martin Benn's Society Service

Challenge on Monday, July 5.

The challenge was followed by a surprise elimination. However,

Bangladesh's Kishwar was declared safe at the end of the round, and

she made it to the top 5 of the 13th season of MasterChef Australia.

The four other contestants are Linda Dalrymple, Pete Camobell,

Justin Narayan and Elise.

A 38-year old Bangladeshi from Melbourne, Kishwar brought

classic local dishes-including "Kala bhuna," "Fuchka-

Chotpoti,""Macher-Jhol" and other delicacies, all the way to

MasterChef kitchen. Kishwar, the mother of two, wants to write a

Bangladeshi cookbook to keep the legacy of her family alive.

In a recent conversation, Kishwar said that she learnt a lot from her

experience in Masterchef's kitchen. "I grasped a better

understanding of my food and saw its significance through the eyes

of all the guest chefs and judges. Also learnt about the value of

seasonal and local ingredients. "My goal right now is to write my

cookbook and be in a professional kitchen," she said.

Raba's two new songs released

TBT RepoRT

The comedian and social media personality, Raba Khan, is now trying her luck at

singing and expanding her influence across new platforms.

Raba, who made a name for herself owing to her hilarious and witty social media

videos, was selected as one of the honorees for Forbes' 30 under 30 Asia Class of

2020. She is known for her satirical videos which attempt to address entrenched

social issues and stereotypes in Bangladesh through comedy. Her controversial

best-seller book Bandhobi caused quite a stir after release because of its casual and

lax use of Bangla language, which has been deemed insensitive by many.

Now, she is demonstrating her singing talents and fans could not be any happier.

Raba has released two new songs, "Moharani" and "Domka Hawa"-in

collaboration with musician Arafat Mohsin.

The YouTuber expressed her hopes of releasing a full album soon. Her new

singles will be available in the coming months on her official channel, "The

Jhakanaka Project" which currently has 281k subscribers.

Raba served as a UNICEF Youth Ambassador to advocate for children's rights in

2018. She started her YouTube channel "The Jhakanaka Project," with her

brother, in 2014.

Kataluna becomes first transgender woman

to compete Miss USA pageant

Kataluna Enriquez made history

when she was crowned Miss

Nevada USA as the first openly

transgender contestant in Las

Vegas.

Last weekend, the 27-year-old

won the hearts of the audience

and judges with her breathe

taking rainbow sequin gown

which she designed to honour

the pride month.

"My win is our win," she

posted afterward on her

Instagram in a message to the

LGBTQ community. "We just

made history. Happy pride."

Her win will allow her to

compete in the upcoming Miss

USA pageant this autumn.

Enriquez, who came in on the

top after going against 21 other

contestants, will represent the

Silver State at the 2021 Miss

USA which will be held on 29

November in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

If crowned Miss USA,

VidyaBalan, Ekta Kapoor, and Shobha

Kapoor are among the 395 film industry

personalities who've been invited to join the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and

Sciences, the governing body behind the

Oscars.

VidyaBalan was recognised for her

performances in 'Tumhari Sulu' and

'Kahaani'. Ekta Kapoor has been recognised

for 'Dream Girl' and 'Once Upon a Time in

Mumbaai', while her mother Shobha has

been recognised for 'Udta Punjab' and 'The

Dirty Picture'.

Other actors who've been invited to join

Enriquez will become the

second trans contestant to

compete for Miss Universe, after

Angela Ponce, who represented

Spain in the 2018 Miss Universe

pageant. The pageant began

allowing transgender

contestants in 2012, reports

Houston Public Media.

Enriquez began her journey in

pageantry in 2015 and has faced

discrimination in all corners

since then. Upon receiving the

news of her being transgender,

she was not allowed a roommate

and a doctor was brought in to

The Academy include Robert Pattinson,

Laverne Cox, Vanessa Kirby, Steven Yeun,

and others. The directors who've been

invited include Cathy Yan, Jonathan Glazer,

Emerald Fennell and more.

The Academy has been in the midst of

sweeping change, mostly around inclusivity

and diversity. The changes were introduced

after harsh criticism that most of the

Academy's voting body is Caucasian, causing

an internal bias in the voting process for the

Oscars.

Source: Indian Express

verify her claims of being a

woman.

But Enriquez told NPR's

Weekend All Things Considered

that her determination to make

history was what motivated her

to keep competing.

"I had a purpose and I had a

dream," she said. "I wanted to

compete on the Miss USA stage.

When I was young, I always

wanted to see someone on the

Miss USA stage - someone like

me. And it just happened to be

that I was the person that I

needed to make history."

As she prepares for the Miss

USA pageant, Enriquez said she

plans to advocate for equality

and mental health.

"My win is not just a win for

the trans community," she said.

"It's a win for all women to be

represented."

Source: Times Of India

Vidya,

Ekta

among

new

invitees at

Oscars

eligible to

vote

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.

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021

11

The Premier Bank Limited, one of the most renowned and well established private commercial

banks in Bangladesh, celebrated World MSME Day 2021 through virtual platform on Sunday, 27 July

2021 to maintain social distancing and safety practices. Husne Ara Shikha, General Manager, SME &

Special Programs Department, Bangladesh Bank attended the program as Chief Guest. M. Reazul

Karim, FCMA, Managing Director and CEO presided over the virtual program while Mohammed

Emtiaz Uddin, SEVP & Head of SME & Agriculture Banking Division hosted the program. In the virtual

celebration the top MSME clients from the 25 highest performing branches of the bank were

awarded in recognition of their steady growth and overall fiscal performance. During the program,

Husne Ara Shikha expressed her appreciation to Premier Bank for achieving all MSME related targets

set by Bangladesh Bank and for arranging such a wonderful program on World MSME Day.

Managing Director and CEO of The Premier Bank Limited, M. Reazul Karim, FCMA said that

Premier Bank has been working continuously towards establishing itself as the most SME friendly

bank in Bangladesh.

Photo : Courtesy

'Changed circumstances' for

Iran nuclear deal: US senator

VIENNA : Stalled efforts to revive the

2015 Iran nuclear deal must address

the "changed circumstances" since the

accord was negotiated, a US senator

from President Joe Biden's Democratic

party told AFP.

"There is a strong, almost universal

desire by Congress... to go beyond the

sunset dates that were included in the

JCPOA," said Senator Ben Cardin,

referring to dates in the deal beyond

which certain restrictions on Iran's

nuclear activity will no longer apply.

The 2015 deal delivered relief from

UN and Western sanctions for Iran in

return for strict curbs on the country's

nuclear programme.

However, it has been slowly

disintegrating since former US

President Donald Trump withdrew

from it in 2018 and re-imposed

sanctions on Iran. That prompted

Tehran to disregard several of the deal's

limits on its nuclear activities. The talks

in Vienna to revive the deal have made

little progress in recent weeks, and

Iran's latest breach was reported by the

International Atomic Energy Agency

Oil on troubled waters:

Row shows Gulf powers

on diverging paths

DUBAI : A startling public

row between Saudi Arabia

and brash neighbour the

UAE has exposed the steadily

diverging paths of once

inseparable allies who are

competing to profit from

what may be the world's last

oil boom, reports BSS.

Wrinkles in relationships

between the Gulf monarchies

are usually resolved behind

palace walls, but a fiery

debate over the future of

global oil production burst

into the open this week.

The United Arab Emirates

has bitterly opposed a

proposed deal by the OPEC+

alliance of oil-producing

countries, slamming it as

"unjust" and triggering a

stalemate that could derail

efforts to curb rising crude

prices amid a fragile postpandemic

recovery.That is a

rare challenge to Saudi

Arabia, the world's numberone

oil exporter-as well as the

Arab world's largest economy

and custodian of Islam's

holiest sites.

But the fault lines were

drawn before this week's

virtual talks. And while

observers say a full rupture is

unlikely, the new competitive

spirit will only intensify.

Saudi Arabia's ambitious

de facto ruler Crown Prince

Mohammed bin Salman and

the UAE's strongman Crown

Prince Mohammed bin

Zayed have long been seen as

the region's power couple,

known by their matching

initials-MBS and MBZ.

(IAEA) on Tuesday. Iran was intending

to produce uranium metal enriched to

20 percent, it said, prompting the

United States to respond by warning

Iran to stop what it called its nuclear

"brinksmanship". "Today is different

than 2015, when these agreements

were negotiated," said Cardin, a

member of the Senate's Committee on

Foreign Relations. "Circumstances

have changed and they require us to

respond to where we are today."

The process of reviving the JCPOA

had to address "issues beyond just

nuclear", he argued-including Iran's

alleged activities in the fields of

"ballistic missiles, terrorism and

human rights".

While not saying that these issues

had to be in the text of any revived

agreement, Cardin added that the US

and its allies needed "to have a pathway

towards resolving Iran's activities".

Iran has rejected any suggestion that

the JCPOA could be changed during

the talks, insisting instead on a US

return to the existing accord. Cardin

was in Vienna as part of a US

congressional delegation for a

programme that included a briefing

from IAEA Director General Rafael

Grossi. In a statement sent to AFP after

the meeting, Cardin said Grossi had

given the delegation "a comprehensive

report on the challenges of monitoring

Iran's nuclear program" and that they

had "a candid discussion about the

status of negotiations". In late

February, Iran limited the IAEA's

access to nuclear sites and a temporary

agreement on the issue of inspections

has since expired, with no indication of

if and when it will be renewed. Also part

of the delegation was Republican

Senator Roger Wicker. He told AFP he

had "voiced opposition" to a possible

return to the JCPOA and that

"virtually" all his Republican colleagues

in the Senate had "a high degree of

scepticism" that Iran intended to keep

to any nuclear-related commitments.

The delegation is in Europe for a series

of engagements including participating

in the Parliamentary Assembly of the

OSCE, which has its headquarters in

Vienna.

Afghan forces deploy to

counter Taliban assault

KABUL : Afghan authorities on Tuesday

deployed hundreds of commandos and

pro-government militiamen to counter the

Taliban's blistering offensive in the north,

that has seen more than 1,000

government troops flee into neighbouring

Tajikistan.

Fighting has raged across several

provinces, but the insurgents have

primarily focused on a devastating

campaign across the northern

countryside, seizing dozens of districts in

the past two months.

Last week, all US and NATO forces left

Bagram Air Base near Kabul-the

command centre of anti-Taliban

operations-effectively wrapping up their

exit after 20 years of military involvement

that began in the wake of the September 11

attacks.

"We are planning to launch a big

offensive to retake the lost territories from

the enemy," Fawad Aman, a spokesman

for the Ministry of Defence told AFP.

"Our forces are being organised on the

ground for this operation."

Hundreds of troops and progovernment

militiamen were deployed in

the northern provinces of Takhar and

Badakshan where the Taliban have

captured swathes of territory, often

without any fighting.

Afghan defence officials have said they

intend to focus on securing major cities,

roads and border towns in the face of the

Taliban onslaught, launched as US and

NATO troops pressed ahead with their

final withdrawal in early May.

The militants' successes have spurred

fears that Afghan forces are in crisis,

particularly now vital US air support has

been massively curtailed by the handover

of Bagram Air Base.

A foreign security analyst said on

condition of anonymity that the Taliban's

attacks in the north were to "crush some of

their old enemies" like the notorious

warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum.

"Last year, the Taliban had attacked

areas near cities like Lashkar Gah and

Kandahar in the south and they were

battered by US air strikes," the analyst

said.

"This time they went for the north and

have achieved tremendous success. The

timing of the assault in the north has been

right given the lack of US air power now."

Belarus opposition

figure Babaryko

jailed for 14 years

MOSCOW : A court in Belarus on Tuesday

sentenced one of strongman Alexander

Lukashenko's leading critics to 14 years in

prison on fraud charges.

"Viktor Babaryko was sentenced to 14

years in a maximum security colony," his

supporters said, using the 57-year-old's

Twitter account.

Former banker Babaryko was arrested in

June last year ahead of a disputed

presidential election that sparked

nationwide demonstrations which gripped

the ex-Soviet country for months.

Babaryko had planned to run in the

presidential race and was considered one of

the strongest opponents to incumbent

Lukashenko, who has been in power for close

to three decades.

Babaryko was accused of receiving bribes

and "laundering funds obtained by criminal

means" when he was head of

Belgazprombank, the Belarusian branch of a

bank belonging to Russian energy giant

Gazprom.

Brazil reports 1,648

more COVID-19

deaths

RIO DE JANEIRO : Brazil

registered 1,648 more

deaths from COVID-19 in

the past 24 hours, bringing

the national death toll to

528,540, the health ministry

said Wednesday.

A total of 54,022 new

infections were detected,

raising the total caseload to

18,909,037, the ministry

said.

Brazil has the world's

second highest COVID-19

death toll, after the United

States, and the third largest

caseload, following the

United States and India.

The South American

country, which is

experiencing a new wave of

infections with hospitals

overwhelmed by patients,

has a mortality rate of 251.5

deaths per 100,000

inhabitants, the ministry

said.

So far, more than 106.2

million doses of COVID-19

vaccines have been

administered nationwide,

and over 27.7 million people

have been fully vaccinated, it

added.

WHO urges 'extreme

caution' in lifting

Covid restrictions

GENEVA : The World Health

Organization on Wednesday

urged "extreme caution" for

countries considering lifting

Covid-19 restrictions,

warning that high vaccination

rates would not stop

transmission of the virus

increasing.

The UN health agency

urged governments not to

squander hard-won gains and

return to scenes of

overwhelmed hospitals and

exhausted health workers.

Asked about England's

plans to ditch most of its

coronavirus restrictions from

July 19, WHO emergencies

director Michael Ryan said: "I

would urge extreme caution

in the complete lifting of

public health and social

measures at this time,

because there are

consequences for that." WHO

figures show that globally,

after a decline in newly

reported cases for seven

consecutive weeks, there was

a slight increase in new cases

in the past two weeks.

Cases jumped 30 percent in

the WHO's European region

over the past week. European

countries have administered

70 vaccine doses per 100

inhabitants, according to AFP

figures. "Making assumptions

that transmission will not

increase because we're

opening up, because of

vaccine, is a false

assumption," said Ryan.

"Transmission will increase

when you open up, because

we don't have vaccines in

everybody... and we're still not

sure to what extent

vaccination protects against

the ability to be infected or

have onward transmission.

"With increased transmission

in the community, we then

put our most vulnerable at

risk again."

GD-1109/21 (4x4)

Saudi prince sees Blinken

in low-key US reception

WASHINGTON : Saudi Arabia's deputy

defense minister met Wednesday with

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a lowkey

visit to Washington focused partly on

Yemen as the United States takes a greater

distance with its ally.

Khalid bin Salman-the younger brother of

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who

US intelligence says ordered the murder of

US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi-was

the highest-ranking visitor from the

kingdom to visit Washington since President

Joe Biden took office.

The State Department said the prince met

senior State Department officials Victoria

Nuland and Derek Chollet and that Blinken

participated in only part of the meetingsimilar

to Prince Khalid's reception a day

earlier at the Pentagon.

Blinken spoke with the prince about

"efforts to achieve a comprehensive,

nationwide ceasefire and transition to a

political process in Yemen," where Huthi

rebels have mounted a deadly offensive, the

State Department said in a statement.

The group also discussed "the need for

economic reform and humanitarian relief for

the Lebanese people and other key bilateral

issues, including human rights," a State

Department statement said.

The prince also met Tuesday with Jake

Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser,

GD-1106/21 (4x3)

who discussed the "US commitment to help

Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces

attacks from Iranian-aligned groups," the

White House said.

As Crown Prince Mohammed retains the

title of defense minister for himself, it would

not be a breach of protocol for Prince Khalid,

his deputy, to lack full-fledged meetings with

cabinet members.

But the lateness of the trip also reflects a

hardening of US attitudes toward Saudi

Arabia under Biden, who took office vowing

to end the carte blanche to the kingdom

granted by his predecessor Donald Trump,

who visited Riyadh on his first foreign trip.

Biden declassified intelligence on the

killing of Khashoggi, who was strangled and

dismembered in the Saudi consulate in

Istanbul after writing critically of the crown

prince, and dialed down US support for the

Saudi offensive in Yemen, which the United

Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian

disaster.Upsetting some fellow Democrats,

Biden stopped short of imposing sanctions

on Crown Prince Mohammed over the

Khashoggi killing, saying it was inevitable to

deal with him.

Trump had condemned the killing of

Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington

Post, but said Saudi Arabia's prolific

purchases of US weapons outweighed

human rights concerns.

Vaccines rushed to Sydney

as outbreak spirals

SYDNEY : Australia's prime minister

announced 300,000 coronavirus vaccine

doses will be rushed to Sydney Thursday, as

the country's largest city struggled to bring a

Delta outbreak under control.

As a citywide lockdown entered its third

week, there were signs of the outbreak

spiralling, with a record increase of 38 new

cases in the last 24 hours.

Scott Morrison said the situation in the city

was "very serious" and urged five million

Sydneysiders not to give in to fatigue and

obey stay-at-home orders.

The outbreak has nearly reached 400

cases, and is spreading quickly across the

largely unvaccinated city, putting Australia's

Covid-zero status at serious risk.

"We have come so far over these last 18

months, and now's the time to keep pressing

forward. Now is not the time to give in to that

frustration," Morrison told reporters in

Sydney.

Police announced they would be bolstering

patrols in the city's southwest to enforce

lockdown rules as case numbers rise.

Despite several outbreaks, Australia has

managed to avoid the worst of the pandemic

through snap lockdowns, intensive contact

tracing, and effectively shutting its borders to

the rest of the world.

After a top New South Wales health official

suggested it might be impossible to bring the

outbreak under control, regional leaders

threatened to cut Sydney off from the rest of

the country.

The premier of Western Australia vowed to

indefinitely extend a ban on travellers from

the city and surrounding New South Wales

"if they don't get it under control".

"I think that's a statement of the bleeding

obvious," Mark McGowan said.

Travel bans between states have become a

regular occurrence in Australia, but the

threat of closing borders until vaccines are

rolled out was a marked escalation.

Around eight percent of Australians have

been fully vaccinated-one of the lowest rates

among rich nations-and widespread

vaccination is not expected to be in place

until the end of 2021. Australian Medical

Association president Omar Khorshid

insisted "there was no alternative to

elimination" and said tighter restrictions

may be needed to stop community spread.

Friday, Dhaka, July 9, 2021, Ashar 25, 1428 BS, Zilqad 27, 1442 Hijri

Nigerian couple

detained for

sneaking into

Bangladesh

SYLHET : A Nigerian couple and their

three-and-a-half year-old daughter have

been detained in Sylhet for allegedly

sneaking into Bangladesh from India,

officials said on Thursday, reports UNB.

The detainees have been identified as

Imnanul Nanmedi Wagawam, 42, his

wife Paul Ibudi Akichukao, 26, and their

daughter.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of intelligence

agencies nabbed the trio from

near the Tamabil land port on Thursday

morning. A laptop, nine mobile phone

handsets, three passports, a driving

licence, an Indian Aadhaar card, a

Nigerian NID card, 1,600 US dollars

and 280 Indian rupees were seized from

the possession of the detainees.

Later, they were handed over to the

Gowainghat police. Parimal Dev, officer-in-charge

of Gowainghat police station,

said the Nigerian couple "are being

questioned".

On June 29, Border Guard Bangladesh

(BGB) detained a 31-year-old Nigerian

national named Onibukuu Staley in Sylhet

for allegedly sneaking into Bangladesh

from India through the Tamabil land port.

No one would die

without food, treatment

during pandemic: Rezaul

DHAKA : Fisheries and Livestock

Minister SM Rezaul Karim yesterday said

that the government has taken extensive

measures to ensure that no one dies without

food and proper medical treatment

during the ongoing pandemic.

"We are facing various disasters

including the coronavirus pandemic...

however, highest priority is given so that

no one dies without food and lack of

proper medical treatment during the

pandemic," he said.

The minister made this remark as the

chief guest while connecting virtually

with a humanitarian aid distribution

programme among the corona affected

people at Pirojpur Sadar upazila from

his official residence at Baily Road.

The government led by Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced

humanitarian aid package for the corona

affected people as the government

remains beside the helpless, destitute

people for protecting them from the

wrath of the ongoing pandemic, he told

the function arranged by the Pirojpur

Sadar Upazila administration.

Deputy Commissioner of Pirojpur Abu

Ali Muhammad Sajjad Hossen spoke at

the function as the special guest, while

Pirojpur Sadar Upazila UNO Bashir

Ahmed chaired the function.

The minister, however, told the function

that initiative has been taken to

keep adequate oxygen supply in the district

in an attempt to face any further

oxygen crisis for the corona infected

patients. "We hope that the local people

would not go outside for the corona

treatment," the minister added.

A total of 675 people from different

professions including - local transport

workers, auto drivers, hotel and shop

workers, sweeper and barbers received

cash as aid under the government

humanitarian aid programme.

Activities of law enforcement forces in Dolaikhal area of the capital in the strict lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Help achieve green

recovery of CVF-V20

countries:Hasina

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina on Thursday placed a five-point

proposal, including the green recovery

of climate vulnerable countries with

support from the developed nations, as

the climate change has brought them to

a threshold, reports UNB.

"Developed nations should facilitate

the green recovery of the CVF-V20

countries. Dedicated support is

required for reducing the cost of capital

and encouraging private sector participation,"

she said while placing her proposals

in the first V20 Climate

Vulnerable Finance Summit.

Sheikh Hasina, also the President of

Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF),

opened the Summit organised by

Finance Ministers of the Vulnerable

Twenty (V-20), joining it virtually from

her official residence Ganobhaban.

"Every country must pursue an

ambitious target to curb Greenhouse

gas emissions to keep the global temperature-rise

below 1.5ºC," she said.

"Fund flow must be predictable, balanced,

innovative and incremental.

Development partners and international

financial institutions should

adopt a user-friendly process of fund

allocation and disbursement. There

must be synergies among various climate

funds," she said in the third proposal.

"Rich nations must help CVF-V20

countries by closing the existing financial

gaps in protecting climate-induced

disasters. Financial support is needed

to introduce smart insurance premium

subsidies and capitalization of insurance

products for CVF countries," said

Hasina, placing the fourth proposal.

"Finally, every vulnerable country

may actively consider adopting a 'climate

prosperity plan' like our 'Mujib

Climate Prosperity Plan.' I request the

international community to provide allout

support to realize our plans," she

said, putting forward the fifth proposal.

The Prime Minister said Earth is in a

dire state. "We must be sensible in our

actions. Let's work together to build a

strong climate resilience world."

She urged the finance ministers,

development partners, international

financial institutions, and multilateral

development banks to find innovative

financing solutions for climate prosperity.

Hasina said the disastrous impacts of

climate change mainly caused by

GreenHouse Gas emissions are loudly

visible around the world. "We must

reverse these for our survival and survival

of our future generations," she

added.

The 48 countries under CVF-V20

account for only five percent of the total

global emission. But they are the worst

victims of the manmade crisis, she said.

Besides, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic

has added new miseries claiming

lives and affecting the livelihoods of

millions. "At this critical juncture of

human history, we must forge a unity

and extend cooperation to face the

ongoing and future crises," said. "The

world community should recognize the

vulnerability of our people, our common

aspirations, the need for technology

transfer, and additional funding to

tackle the impacts of climate change

and the Covid-19 pandemic," said the

CVF president.

Lockdown is going on in the country. Students are playing on one side and businessmen on the other in

the same picture. The photo was taken from Mirzakalu Kazirhat Bazar in Hasan Nagar Union of

Borhanuddin Upazila of Bhola on Thursday.

Photo: PBA

DHAKA : Indian High Commissioner to

Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami has

said India's vast consumer market offers

enormous opportunities for quality food

products from Bangladesh as linkages

between two neighbouring countries

trade bodies are crucial in this regard.

He also emphasized the importance of

finalizing reciprocal arrangements

regarding food safety standards and

rapid upgradation of logistics to

enhance such trade.

The envoy emphasized that the

Comprehensive Economic Partnership

Agreement, which is under active discussion

of both the governments, will be

a game changer for bilateral trade partnership.

Doraiswami was addressing a virtual

conference over India-Bangladesh

Trade Fair on Agri Products on

Wednesday night, said a press release

issued by Indian High Commission

here. The Indian high commissioner

also highlighted Duty-Free Quota Free

Photo: PBA

India offers opportunity

for Bangladeshi food

products:Doraiswami

market access to Bangladesh products

under SAFTA since 2011.

Agricultural and Processed Food

Products Export Development

Authority (APEDA) in association with

Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers

Association and India Bangladesh

Chamber of Commerce and Industry

organized the event, focusing on India-

Bangladesh trade agricultural and

processed food products.

The meet brought together key stakeholders

from respective trade bodies

and governments on a common platform

for strengthening strategic cooperation

between India and Bangladesh in

the agri food sector.

During the conference, an e-

Catalogue for the Virtual Buyer Seller

Meet was released followed by Virtual

Trade Fair B2B meeting and interaction

between exporters and importers.

More than 200 businesses organisations

from both the countries participated

in the event.

South Asia agriculture and food

systems show resilience amid

pandemic, says a global report

DHAKA : The severe health and economic

impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

have disrupted food systems and

upended livelihoods in South Asia, but it

has also led to policies aimed at building

resilient food systems,according to the

2021 Global Food Policy Report.

"The pandemic responses have

demonstrated the power of well-crafted

policies to blunt the impact of major

shocks while laying the groundwork for

stronger, more resilient food systems,"

said the report released on Thursday,

reports UNB.

The highlights of the report were presented

at a virtual event, co-organized

by International Food Policy Research

Institute (IFPRI) South Asia, Indian

Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

and Research and Information System

for Developing Countries (RIS) n

Thursday.

Policy makers and thought leaders

shared their perspectives on COVID-

19's impacts on food systems and discussed

the lessons the report draws

from the current crisis, an IFPRI press

release said.

"We have known for a while now that

there are major problems with our food

systems, that they are unequal and

unsustainable," said Johan Swinnen,

director general of IFPRI. "This crisis

has revealed these problems in a way

that none of us can ignore, but it has also

demonstrated that we have effective

ways to address these problems".

On the Covid-induced lockdown, the

report said ,"Although the lockdowns

helped in containing the infection rates,

they created bigger shocks to national

economies than the pandemic itself."

It added that "To mitigate the impacts

on the economy governments enacted a

wide range of policies aimed at saving

lives, protecting livelihoods and stimulating

economies."

The report highlighted that the countries

in the South Asian region did much

better than the expert predictions in

terms of economic performance, food

price stabilization, and protecting livelihoods.

"However, the report also cautioned

that there's no room for complacency,

which unfortunately turned out

to be true during the second wave that

overwhelmed health systems and significantly

disrupted livelihoods", said

Shahidur Rashid, Director- IFPRI,

South Asia.

Rashid cautioned that the region is

still reeling under the devastating

impact of the second wave, "While vaccinations

have been ramped up and the

caseloads have slowly declined, there

are uncertainties as to how things will

play out in the region for agriculture and

food systems".

The report underscores that the

pandemic has revealed both resilience

and vulnerabilities in South Asian

food systems.

Mamata expresses

gratitude to PM for

sending mangoes

DHAKA : India's West Bengal Chief

Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed

her gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina for sending her mangoes.

In a letter to the Prime Minister on

Thursday, Mamata Banerjee said, "I feel

very good after getting the mangoes sent

by you," according to Prime Minister's

Assistant Press Secretary MM Emrul

Kayas.

She also wrote: "I respect your

endearment and the fragrance of

Bangladesh which remained at the

mangoes. I am really overwhelmed."

Khulna Division records

51 more single-day

Covid deaths

KHULNA : Amid the worsening Covid-

19 situation in Khulna region, health

authorities recorded 51 more deaths in

the division in 24 hours until Thursday

morning, reports UNB.

During the period, 1,732 people were

infected with the deadly virus.

Of the deceased, 21 people died in

Khulna district, 10 in Kushtia, six in

Jashore, four in Narail, three each in

Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Narail and

Magura and one each in Bagerhat and

Meherpur districts, said Dr Rasheda

Sultana, director (Health).

In the Khulna division, the first case of

Covid-19 was detected in Chuadanga on

March 19, 2020.

An analysis of the district-wise covid

data of the divisional health department

shows that Khulna recorded the highest

number of 338 infection cases in the last

24 hours. So far, 17,898 people have

been infected with covid-19 and 369

people died in the district. Besides,

12,172 recovered from the disease.

Overall, 67,531 people have been

infected with the virus in 10 districts of

the division and the death toll from the

virus reached 1,416. Some 44,184 people

have recovered to date in the Khulna

division.

Banks asked to set up

booths in cattle markets

to detect fake notes

DHAKA : Bangladesh Bank (BB) has

asked scheduled banks to set up booths

in the cattle markets ahead of Eid-ul-

Azha to detect fake or forged notes considering

the huge cash transaction.

To this end, the central bank asked the

commercial banks to assign dedicated

officers by July 14, as per a BB press

release issued. The banks must coordinate

with the branches of the central

bank outside Dhaka to set up the

booths, he added.

In absence of any central bank

branch, the banks were instructed to

conduct the operation through Sonali

Bank. The central bank also said the

banks would have to contact with the

local authorities including city corporation,

district offices, municipalities and

the law enforcing agencies to ensure

smooth transaction.

The bank booths must feature the

identification marks of the fake notes of

taka 100, taka 500, and taka 1000

denominations.

Govt working to

resolve water-logging

problem : Farooque

DHAKA : State Minister for Water

Resources Colonel (retd) Zaheed

Farooque yesterday said the government

is working relentlessly to resolve

water-logging problem in the Dhaka-

Narayanganj-Demra (DND) area in the

country. "Two low-lift pumps with a

capacity of 5 cusecs have been set up at

East Lalpur and East Isdair areas.

Besides, all works are going on in the

project areas to resolve water-logging

problem. Excavation work is going on in

the canals of Fatullah area," he said.

He said this in the mini conference

room of the state minister's office after

attending an emergency meeting held at

the Ministry of Water Resources to

resolve the water shortage in the Dhaka-

Narayanganj-Demra (DND) area.

Deputy Minister for Water Resources

AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem said if

the project is implemented, there will be

visible improvement in drainage management.

09-07-2021 V2

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