31-07-2022

sunday
DhAkA: July 31, 2022; Srabon 16,1429 BS; Muharram 1,1444 hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.20; N o. 83; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
InternatIonal
Tunis summons US
envoy over criticism
of constitutional vote
>Page 7
Mirsarai tragedy
Gateman suspended,
FIR filed
CHATTOGRAM : Bangladesh Railway on
Saturday suspended gateman Saddam
Hossain for "dereliction of duty" in connection
with the Mirsarai train accident
that left 11 people dead.
Besides, sub-inspector Zahirul Islam
filed a complaint against the gateman,
Saddam, with the Chattogram Railway
Police in the morning, following which an
FIR for negligence was lodged against the
railway staff, Superintendent of
Chattogram Railway Police, Hasan
Chowdhury, said. "Stern action will be
taken against Saddam if he is found guilty
in the probe committee report," he said.
Eleven people were killed and six others
injured when a speeding express train
rammed into the microbus carrying the
tourists at a level crossing in Mirsharai
upazila on Friday.
Wheat price falling as
India lifts embargo
DHAKA : The price of wheat has gone
down by Tk4-5 per kilogram as supply
issues eased on the back of India resuming
exports through the Hili land port in
Dinajpur. The traders said they bought
wheat at Tk36-37 per kg on Saturday,
which was Tk 40 -41 per kg last week.
Mustafijur Rahman, general secretary of
the Hili land port export-import group, told
UNB that the price of wheat decreased due
to increased supply recently. India imposed
an embargo on wheat export to maintain
supply of the food grains in their domestic
market on May 13.
The wheat import allowed by India under
the previous LCs since May 29 this year. The
importers who opened LCs to import wheat
through railway containers now have to
import it by road due to some problems with
the railway line, Mustafijur said. The traders
said the price of wheat increased to Tk1600
per maund, from Tk950 only before the
Ukraine-Russia war. One maund equals
more or less 40kg.
Bangladesh's second staple is wheat and
the annual consumption of these grains is
nearly 8.5 million tonnes, which is
increasing by 5 to 6 percent per year.
Until January of fiscal year 2021-22,
India supplied 66 percent of the wheat
Bangladesh imported. Of the rest, 15 percent
was from Ukraine, 7 percent from
Russia, 6 per cent from Canada, and 5 percent
from Australia.
Crane operator dies
as KSRM Steel Mill
crane catches fire
CHATTOGRAM : A 40-year-old man was
burned to death in a fire that broke out at
a crane in the KSRM steel mill in
Chattogram Sitakunda on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Md
Mohiuddin, son of Zaheer Ahmed of
Dakshin Masjidda Dhupapara Pukurpar
village of Kumira Union of the Upazila. He
was a crane operator of the steel mill.
Kumira Fire Service Station Officer Md
Feroze said Mohiuddin died on the spot
after the factory's loading crane caught fire
Saturday noon. On information, a fire tender
was rushed to the spot. After the flames
were doused, the firemen recovered the
charred body of the man, he added.
Zohr
04:04 AM
12:10 PM
04:43 PM
06:47 PM
08:10 PM
5:26 6:44
sports
Vos wins stage 6, extends
lead in women's
Tour de France
>Page 9
Combating human trafficking
Dhaka seeks smooth transfer
of technological innovations
DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul
Momen has said developed countries and
the international partners need to ensure
smooth transfer of the latest technological
innovations to the developing countries to
effectively combat the human trafficking
in persons.
He said human traffickers equipped with
technology can do greater harm but the government
agencies and relevant stakeholders
can undo the efforts of the trafficker effectively
with the help of technology.
"We need to keep in mind that human
trafficking is trans-boundary crime and
the traffickers may possess better technology
than it is available in a particular country,"
he said. Momen was speaking at
National Consultation on "Combating
Human Trafficking in the Context of Use
of Technology and its Abuse" at a city hotel
on Saturday.
To end human trafficking, Momen said
they need a comprehensive view of it. "We
must ask, why young men and women, in
the first place, become victims of the dangerous
route of trafficking. We know why."
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan
said trafficking in persons is a serious
human rights violation and the government
has a zero-tolerance policy on this.
"We are actively taking steps to fight this
horrific crime," he said. The fight against
trafficking requires multi-stakeholder
engagement. "We will continue to work
tirelessly to increase awareness around
human trafficking utilizing the digital
space," he added.
The scourge of human trafficking has
expanded into cyber space as a result of
the expansion of technology use around
the world, which in turn has been accelerated
by the COVID-19 pandemic and the
transition of our daily lives to online platforms.
It is imperative that efforts to combat
Most of the
roads in
Chattogram's
low-lying areas
are damaged by
continuous
rains and
water-logging.
Locals are
struggling to
move. The
photo was
taken on
Saturday.
Photo :
Star Mail
human trafficking are coordinated both
online and offline.
The theme of World Day Against
Trafficking in Persons 2022 is "Use and
Abuse of Technology," and focuses on the
role of technology as a tool that can both
enable and combat human trafficking.
To mark the day, the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MoHA) and the Counter
Trafficking in Persons Technical Working
Group (CTIP-TWG) of the Bangladesh
UN Network on Migration (BDUNNM)
organized the event.
The consultation explored recent
human trafficking trends in the context of
COVID-19 and its aftermath and the trafficking
in persons in cyberspace.
Participants at the consultation called
on the government of Bangladesh (GoB),
international partners, the private sector,
and civil society actors to focus their efforts
on advancing a robust, rights-based
approach aimed at preventing the
exploitation of individuals by trafficking
networks and shrinking the space in which
they operate.
Bangladesh is a source, transit, and destination
country for women, men and
child victims of human trafficking.
Bangladesh, though still ranking at
"Tier 2", the US State Department's
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report
2022 highlights significant progress in
responding to TIP in Bangladesh
through joint efforts of Government and
non-government partners.
Due to the global economic contraction,
job losses and difficulties earning livelihoods
have amplified the risk of trafficking.
In addition to root causes of human
trafficking reportedly intensifying,
Bangladesh has experienced an increase
in the form of digital abuse and exploitation,
with traffickers rapidly adjusting to
the changing landscape.
Quader sees BNP's call for movement
to topple govt as delirious talk
DHAKA : Awami League General
Secretary and Road Transport and
Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday
said BNP's call for movement to
oust the government is nothing but a
delirious talk.
"BNP could not wage any movement
to free their party chairperson. Now they
are talking about ousting the government
through movement. This is nothing
but absurd comments," he said while
briefing reporters on the contemporary
political issues at his official residence.
Quader said BNP's own leaders and
workers have become frustrated over the
party's call for movement to oust the
government.
About BNP's call to people to wake up,
he said the people remain awake and
none is sleeping rather the BNP leaders
themselves are in deep sleep.
He said the BNP leaders utter highsounding
words as they would have to
say something.
Everyone knows about BNP's capability
in reality, he said.
About BNP's comments over throwing
away AL by just pushing, he said
Awami League was not born using the
gun barrel rather its root is in very deep
in this soil.
BNP remains too far from the people's
expectations and their position is very
vulnerable to people, he added.
art & culture
Tisha returning on
big screen with
'Roktojoba'
>Page 10
The namaj-e-janaza of five people who were killed by the train in Chattogram's Mirsharai has been held.
Thousands of people from different parts of Hathazari participated in the janaza. Photo : Star Mail
11 victims of Mirsharai
accident laid to rest
CHATTOGRAM : Eleven people, who
died in a train-microbus collision while
returning to their homes after visiting
Khayachhara waterfall in the hills of
Mirsharai upazila on Friday, were laid
to eternal rest. Around 10:30 am, namaze-janaza
of five of the deceased was held at
Khandakia Government Primary School
ground in Amanbazar area of ??Hathazari
Upazila. Hundreds of people from the
area participated in the funeral prayer at
Khandakia Govt Primary School ground.
Besides, the namaz-e-janaza of six other victims
was also held in their respective villages.
The mortal remains of all the 11 people-nine
students, one teacher and the microbus driver-were
handed over to their families on
Friday after all the legal procedures from Ctg
Medical College Hospital. The tragedy
occurred when a microbus was hit by a
Mahanagar Prabhati train while it was crossing
the nearby railway crossing on its way back
from a visit to Mirsharai Khayachhara waterfall
at around 1.30 pm on Friday.
Meanwhile, the railway police last night
filed a case against Gateman Saddam in the
death of 11 people in the microbus in the
Mirsharai train collision. Assistant sub
inspector (ASI) of police Zaheer filed the case
under section 304 CRP police station on
charges of causing death due to negligence.
The deceased are four teachers and six students
of Amanbazar RJ Coaching Center
and the driver of the microbus. They are:
teacher Mustafa Masud Rakib Khan,19, son
of Motaher Hossain, teacher Ziaul Haque Sajib,
22, son of Abdul Hamid, Md. Mohammad
Hasan, 17, son of Md Elias Bhutto, Moshab
Ahmed Hisham,16, son of Mozaffar Ahmed,
teacher Wahidul Alam Jisan, 23, son of Jane
Alam, Sagar,17, son of Parvez , Iqbal Hossain
Maruf, 17, son of Abdul Mabud, teacher
Ridwan Chowdhury, 22 son of Badsha Chy,
Tasmir Hassan ,17, son of late Parvez, Md.
Mahim , 17, son of Mansoor Alam and
microbus driver Gholam Mustafa Niru 26,
son of Hazi Md Yusuf Ali.
Mirsarai tragedy
Untimely deaths of indomitable
youths, their dreams
DHAKA : Jiaul Haque Shajib, 22, known
as 'Master Shajib', even being a drop out
from college due to economic crisis dared
to take up teaching profession by opening
a coaching center just three months
before the tragic train accident in
Mirsharai upazila in Chattogram that
claimed his and ten more young lives.
On Friday, eleven people, all aged
between 20 to 30, died after a speeding
express train hit the microbus carrying
them at a level crossing in Mirsharai.
Seven of them were SSC and HSC examinees,
while three of them were young
teachers from a coaching center named 'R
and J Private Care' and another was the
microbus driver.
The whole locality of Amanbazar area of
Hathazari upazila wore a grim look
Saturday when those youths who were full
of life just one day ago on their way to
Khoiyachora waterfall had returned to be
laid to rest forever.
Hundreds of people crowded
Khandakia Chamadia Government
Primary School to attend the Namaz-e-
Janaza and to bid adieu to the youths of
Khandakia village for the last time.
"My son used to say he will take all the
responsibilities of the family as he grows
up. He was fulfilling our dreams despite
all the obstacles but that accident
snatched Shajib from us. Now how will we
live without you dear!," cried Shajib's
father, Hamid, a middle aged man who
works as a retail shop staff in the village.
Shajib was a meritorious student of
Omar Gani MES College's Math
Department but in 2018 his dream to
SAVAR : Education Minister Dr Dipu
Moni yesterday said we need to be frugal
to face the upcoming global financial crisis.
Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine,
the price of fuel has gone up all over the world
which causing load shedding. There will be
more pressure on the global economy ahead.
This step has been taken to deal with the situation.
We all need to be frugal.
The minister made these remarks while
speaking as chief guest at the prize given ceremony
of 8th National Math Olympiad-
2022 organized by Jahangirnagar
University Science Club (JUSC).
Addressing the program, the minister
said, we have been able to continue the
education program even during the
Corona epidemic because of being Digital
Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina has done many impossible things
for the country.
acquire higher education shattered after
his father could not admit him to second
year due to shortage of money.
However, Shajib's indomitable spirit
toward education and life made him look
forward as he continued to support his
family by giving tuition to local students.
As he was valued for his merit and
teaching skill Shajib decided to open a
coaching center loaning Tk 50, 000 along
with two more youths named Wahidul
Alam Jishan, 23, and Redwan
Chowdhury.
In just two months, they managed to
repay Tk 10,000 of the loansas their
dream initiative 'R and J Private Care," a
coaching center at Jugirhat College Road
area got good response from SSC and
HSC examinees aiming to excel their
results.
Two days ago Shajib and the other two
teachers planned to take some of their students
to see the natural beauty of
Khoiyachora waterfall to get some relaxation
before they sit for their board exams,
said Shajib's family.
On Friday, at 6 am they started for their
destination on a rental microbus driven
by Golam Mostafa Niru,26, from the
Aman Bazar area. After visiting the waterfalls
they started their journey back home
around 1:30 pm.
But as they near Bara Takia station' rail
crossing which was unmanned then,
Chattogram-bound Mahanagar Provati
express from Dhaka ploughed through
the microbus, dragging it around a kilometre
down the railway track, where the
train also stopped.
Dipu Moni asks to be frugal to face
upcoming global financial crisis
She has been able to do all these things
because of she has courage, wisdom and
foresight. All this has become possible
because we got the visionary statesman
like Sheikh Hasina.
Thanking the organizers of Math
Olympiad, Dipu Mani said that
Jahangirnagar University is an example
among all universities in Bangladesh.
Along with education, culture and science
are practiced in this university. Many
reputed teachers and world famous scientists
are also here.
We want the learning process to be
enjoyable. The joy of learning is lost among
the students. We want to bring it back.
Students will learn by knowing. The new
education curriculum is focused on that,
said the minister. The main responsibility
of the teachers is to make students interested
for knowledge.

SUNDAy, JUly 31, 2022
2
Three motorcyclists
killed in Chuadanga
road accident
CHUADANGA:
Three
motorcycle riders were killed
and another was injured in a
head-on collision between
two motorcycles in the
municipality area here
yesterday, reports BSS.
The deceased were
identified as Tunu Hossain
Anand, 23, Mithu, 22, and
Haider, 28. Tunu and Mithu
were the residents of
Chuadanga municipality area
while Haider was an
inhabitant of Sirajganj
district. He worked as a
medical sales representative.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of
Sadar Thana Mahbubur
Rahman said the accident
occurred this noon in front of
district Department of Youth
Development office on
Chuadanga-Jhenaidah
Highway. Tunu and Mithu
were declared dead at
Chuadanga Sadar Hospital
while Haider died while
undergoing treatment at the
hospital.
Three killed in
Chandpur
road accident
CHANDPUR: Three people
were killed and another was
injured in a road accident in
Bagra Bazar area under
Chandpur Sadar upazila last
night, reports BSS.
The deceased were
identified as Masud Patwari,
50, and Zakir Hossain Liton
Hazari, 45, and Ripon Gazi,
35, all of them residents of
Kachiara village in Faridganj
Upazila Sadar of the district.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of
Chandpur Model Police
Station Md Abdur Rashid
said the accident occurred
when the
three passengers
were coming towards
Chandpur by a rickshaw and
a cylinder-laden truck
coming from the opposite
direction collided head-on
around 10.30pm in the area,
the trio were dead on the spot
and rickshaw driver
Khorshed Sheikh was injured
The injured was taken to
Chandpur General Hospital,
he said. Police seized the
truck and arrested its driver,
the OC added.
Rohingya
mother-son held
in Sitakunda
CHATTOGRAM: The
members of Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB) today
arrested a Rohingya women
and her son with eight gold
bars and huge ornaments
from Jangal Chalimpur area
under Sitakunda Upazila of
the district, reports BSS.
Lieutenant Colonel M A
Yusuf, Commanding Officer
(CO) of RAB-7 disclosed the
information to the journalists
this afternoon. The arrested
people are-Sofura Khatun, 68
and Azmot Ullah, 24.
The RAB team also
recovered a pair of bangles,
three ear rings, three gold
rings and four lockets from
their possessions.
The arrested woman and
her son are involved in gold
smuggling.
Day-long Rabindra, Nazrul and Shakespeare carnival Bangladesh University was held at Bangladesh
University.
Photo : Courtesy
President visits Bangabandhu
Military Museum
DHAKA : President M Abdul Hamid
yesterday visited the Bangabandhu Military
Museum at Bijoy Sarani in the city yesterday
evening.
The 'Bangabandhu Military Museum' was
built on 10 acres of land on the west side of the
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo
Theater at Bijoy Sarani in the capital.
A world-class architecture, the museum
exhibits the country's military history,
heritage, various weapons and ammunitions,
success stories, particularly its incredible
valour and bravery throughout the Liberation
War.
On his arrival at the museum, the President
was received by Principal Staff Officer (PSO)
Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman and
senior officials of the Armed Forces Division.
The President was apprised of a brief
history of the establishment of Bangabandhu
Military Museum.
After the briefing, the museum authority
presented a crest to Abdul Hamid. The
President also presented a crest to the
Bangabandhu Military Museum Authority.
The museum has six separate parts,
including designated galleries for Bangladesh
Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air
Force.
President Hamid, Commander-in-Chief of
the Armed Forces Division, along with his
family members and entourage visited
various rooms of the Bangabandhu Military
Museum and installations there.
In the evening, the head of state enjoyed the
"Light and Sound Display" near the fountain
in the museum premises.
The President also signed the visitors' book
kept at the designated table in the President's
corner of the Bangabandhu Military Museum.
The President also attended a photo session
there.
President's elder son Rezwan Ahmmad
Taufiq, MP, secretaries concerned to the
President and senior officials concerned
accompanied the President during the visit.
Blinken, Russian top diplomat
speak about Griner, Whelan
WASHINGTON- Secretary of State Antony
Blinken spoke by phone to Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday in the highestlevel
known contact between the two sides since
Russia invaded Ukraine, with Blinken urging
Russia to accept a deal to win the release of
American detainees Brittney Griner and Paul
Whelan, reports BSS.
Russian officials gave no public hint whether
Blinken had made any headway, only issuing a
chiding statement afterward urging the U.S. to
pursue the Americans' freedom through "quiet
diplomacy, without releases of speculative
information."
U.S. officials have in recent days publicized
their efforts to get back Griner, a WNBA star, and
Whelan, a corporate security executive, whose
cases have drawn widespread national attention.
While the direct outreach to Russian officials
allows the Biden administration to show it is
going all out to try to free the two U.S. citizens, it
also risks undermining a core U.S. message to
allies abroad: that isolating Russia diplomatically
and economically will ultimately force Russia to
pull its troops from Ukraine.
Blinken did not provide details of Lavrov's
response to what he had previously called a
"substantial proposal" for Russia to release
Whelan and Griner. Blinken had publicly
requested the call and revealed the existence of
the offer to Russia. People familiar with the offer
say the U.S. wants to swap Whelan and Griner for
convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Blinken described the call as "a frank and direct
conversation" centered primarily on the detained
Americans.
"I urged Foreign Minister Lavrov to move
forward with that proposal," he said. "I can't give
you an assessment of whether that is any more or
less likely."
Blinken also said he had pressed Lavrov on the
importance of Russia following through on an
agreement to allow Ukrainian grain shipments to
leave the Black Sea and warned him of
consequences should Moscow move ahead with
suspected plans to annex portions of eastern and
southern Ukraine.
Blinken said he told Lavrov that the world will
"never recognize" any annexation of Ukrainian
territory, which he said would "result in
significant additional costs for Russia."
He declined to comment on how Lavrov replied
to his messages. "I don't want to characterize any
of Foreign Minister Lavrov's responses."
In its statement afterward, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said Lavrov "strongly suggested" to
Blinken "returning to a professional dialogue in
the mode of quiet diplomacy" on any efforts at
American detainees' release.
Lavrov also repeated Russia's vows to keep
fighting until it has achieved its aims in Ukraine,
renewed complaints that U.S. and NATO support
to Ukraine was prolonging the conflict, and
accused the U.S. of not yet keeping up its end of
agreements on the grain shipments from
Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said.
Brace for more
showers in 24
hours!
DHAKA : More rains are likely
to lash Bangladesh in the next
24 hours, the weather
department has said.
"Light to moderate rain or
thunder
showers
accompanied by temporary
gusty winds is likely to occur at
many places over Rangpur,
Mymensingh and Sylhet
divisions, and at a few places
over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna,
Barishal and Chattogram
divisions with moderately
heavy to heavy falls at places
over the country," it said.
A mild heat wave is
sweeping through the districts
of Jashore, Kushtia and
Satkhira, and it may continue,
the department said in its
weather bulletin.
Day and night temperatures
may remain nearly unchanged
over the country.
The axis of monsoon trough
runs through Rajasthan,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
and West Bengal to Assam
across central parts of
Bangladesh.
One of its associated
troughs extends up to the
Northwest Bay. Monsoon is
fairly active over Bangladesh
and weak elsewhere over the
North Bay.
Nagad selects MetLife as employee
insurance provider
DHAKA : Nagad, the mobile financial service
arm of the Bangladesh Post Office, has
selected MetLife to provide its employees
with the financial protection of insurance,
reports BSS.
As a result, employees of Nagad and their
dependents (spouse and children) will be
financially protected against accidents,
disability, medical emergencies and loss of
life.
For selecting the employee insurance
provider, Nagad has taken into
consideration MetLife's customized
solutions, online claims settlement service,
faster payment of insurance claims and
financial strength, said a press release.
In Bangladesh, MetLife provides insurance
protection to over 2,70,000 employees and
their dependents of more than 800
organizations.
An agreement signing ceremony in this
regard was held recently between Nagad and
MetLife Bangladesh. Rahel Ahmed, Chief
Executive Officer; Maruful Islam Jhalak,
Executive Director; Sheikh Aminur Rahman,
Chief Marketing Officer, Shaharear Sayeed,
Director, Human Resources and
Students demand establishment
of medical college in
Panchagarh
DHAKA : Students of various
educational institutions of Dhaka who
hail from Panchagarh have demanded
setting up of a medical college and
hospital in Panchagarh.
They formed a human chain in front of
the national Museum at Shahabagh in
the capital around 12pm on Saturday.
Majharul Houqe Prodhan, parliament
member of Panchagarh -1, Mahbubur
Rahman Faruki, joint secretary to Road
Transport Division, Dhaka University
unit Chhatra League General secretary
Saddam Hussein, among others, joined
the programme.
"The demand for establishment of a
medical college and hospital in
Panchagarh is not something new. We
have been demanding for it since a long
time," MP Majharul Islam said.
"I raised this demand at the National
Parliament in the presence of the Prime
Minister but it has not been
implemented yet. Presently Panchagarh
Sadar Hospital has 250 beds. Another
medical college can be established. The
people of Panchagarh still have to go to
different places for better treatment," he
added.
Administration; Md. Tanvir Islam Khan,
Deputy General manager, Organizational
Development & HR Operations of Nagad,
and Ala Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer;
Jafar Sadeque Chowdhury, Additional
Managing Director; Nafis Akhter Ahmed,
Chief Corporate Business Officer from
MetLife Bangladesh along with other senior
officials were present at the ceremony.
"Nagad is enhancing people's life with
innovative and accessible mobile payment
solutions. Because of our employees' efforts,
we are able to successfully serve over 6 crore
customers in the country. We want to make
sure that our employees remain protected
against life's uncertainties and that's why we
have partnered with MetLife Bangladesh,"
said Rahel Ahmed, CEO of Nagad Ltd.
"MetLife's strong employee insurance
solutions allow organizations to select
insurance solutions based on their unique
needs. We are glad to welcome Nagad family
to our growing number of corporate clients
who want the best financial protection for
their employees," commented Ala Ahmad,
Chief Executive Officer, MetLife
Bangladesh.
Mahbubur Rahman said, "Patients are
usually referred to Rangpur, Dinajpur or
Dhaka from Panchagarh. Many people
die on the way from Panchagarh or many
do not get treatment due to financial
constraint."
Plantation drive to commemorate
1971 Liberation War
NARAIL : Strange it may appear, but a wellknown
politician in Narail district has
embarked on a plantation drive to
commemorate the 1971 Liberation War,
reports UNB.
BM Bartak Ullah, the chairman of Khashial
Union Parishad of Kalia upazila, intends to
plant 1971 saplings in the upazila-at least
71 in each ward-with financial assistance
from his friends.
The politician kicked off the drive on Fridayplanting
saplings along Borodia-Kalia Road
leading to Khashial union. Students of many
educational institutions of the union also took
part in the programme. "The aim is to
commemorate the Liberation War," said BM
Barkat.
Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigosthi and Bangladesh Mohila Parishad Sunamganj district unit organized
an hour-long human chain program at Alfat Uddin Square (traffic point) of the city. Photo : AK Milon
GD-1305/22 (8x4)

SuNDAY, JulY 31, 2022
3
BRAC Bank to disburse Tk 80 cr
to entrepreneurs of SME
Clusters without collateral
the 'A' unit examination for the 2021-2022 academic year of the 22 general and science and technology universities
of the country was held on Saturday. Dhaka university Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman
visited a admission test center held in Dhaka university.
Photo : Courtesy
Bangladesh reports
three Covid-19 deaths,
349 positive cases
DHAKA : Bangladesh on Saturday
reported three Covid-19 deaths while it
recorded 349 coronavirus positive cases
during the period.
"Among the Covid-19 fatalities, two
deaths were recorded in Chattagram
division while one death was recorded in
Sylhet division," a daily statement of
Directorate General of Health Services
(DGHS) said. Bangladesh reported 6.64
percent Covid-19 positive cases as 5,256
samples were tested in the last 24 hours,
the release added.
During the past 24 hours, the
combined figure of coronavirus infection
in Dhaka district and the capital city is
247 while no Covid-19 death was
reported during the period.
The official tally showed that the virus
killed 29,288 people and infected
20,04,892 so far, the statement added.
The recovery count rose to 19,41,542
after another 763 patients were
discharged from the dedicated hospitals
during the past one day.
From the beginning of the pandemic,
96.84 percent Covid-19 patients
recovered among the infected people
while 1.46 percent died, the DGHS
statistics showed.
Among the 29,288 fatalities, 12,888
occurred in Dhaka division, 5,887 in
Chattogram, 2,148 in Rajshahi, 3,730 in
Khulna, 987 in Barishal, 1,334 in Sylhet,
1,421 in Rangpur and 893 in
Mymensingh divisions.
Dr. Milad Sadrkhanlou, Deputy Secretary, D-8 tteN and Mohammad Nuruzzman, group Ceo of Daffodil
Family are exchanging Mou documents between them at Corporate office of Daffodil group. Photo : Courtesy
EC holds dialogue
with AL, JaPa today
DHAKA : The Election
Commission (EC) is all set to
begin dialogue with the ruling
Awami League (AL) and
Jatiya Party (JaPa) today.
Today is the last day of the
ongoing dialogue of the EC
with the political parties on
the occasion of the
forthcoming 12th National
Assembly elections.
The Awami League
delegation will participate in
the dialogue at the Election
Commission Office under
the leadership of party's
General Secretary Obaidul
Quader on Sunday at 3 pm.
Prior to the dialogue,
Awami League will submit
the audited account report
of 2021 calendar year at the
EC office at 10 am. On the
day, Jatiya Party led by its
Chairman GM Quader will
also hold a dialogue with the
EC from 11 am to 1 pm.
US assistant secretary Sison
to visit Bangladesh soon
DHAKA : US Assistant Secretary of State
for International Organization Affairs
Michele J. Sison will travel to India,
Bangladesh, and Kuwait on August 2-10.
Sison will have consultations on a range
of U.S. multilateral priorities, including
combating food insecurity, advancing
global health, addressing human rights
and humanitarian needs, peacekeeping
and peacebuilding, and support for
Rohingya refugees.
Her meetings with senior government
officials will focus on opportunities to
deepen our cooperation at the United
Nations, and U.S. support for the
candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to
DIU and Daffodil Family
sign MoU
Aiming to extend mutual cooperation in
research, technology and innovation a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
signed among Daffodil International
University (DIU), Daffodil Family and D-8
Technology Transfer and Exchange Network
(D-8 TTEN), Iran. In this regard a D-8 TTEN
delegation visited Daffodil International
University recently.
During the signing ceremony Dr. Md
Sabur Khan, Chairman of Daffodil Family
joined through Online and guided the
prospects and cooperation in Research,
Technology, Entrepreneurship Development
and Innovation between the two countries.
Dr. Milad Sadrkhanlou, Deputy Secretary,
D-8 TTEN and Mohammad Nuruzzman,
Group CEO of Daffodil Family signed the
MoU on behalf of their respected
organizations.The Mou signing ceremony
was attended by Rasoul Rajaei,
Administrative Official, Md. Jahir Uddin,
become the next Secretary-General of the
International Telecommunication Union,
according to the US Department of State.
In meetings with civil society leaders,
the Assistant Secretary will exchange
ideas on how the United States and other
countries can collaborate on achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals.
Sison was sworn in as Assistant
Secretary of State for International
Organization Affairs on December 21,
2021. She served as U.S. Ambassador to
Sri Lanka and Maldives (2012-2014), U.S.
Ambassador to Lebanon (2008-2010),
and U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab
Emirates (2004-2008).
One dengue patient dies, 85
patients hospitalized in 24 hrs
DHAKA : One dengue patient died
while 85 new dengue patients were
admitted to different hospitals across
the country during the past 24 hours
(till 8am Saturday). "As many as 72
dengue patients were hospitalized in
Dhaka city and 13 patients admitted to
different hospitals outside Dhaka
during the past 24 hours," a press
release of the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS) said.
"Nine people died from dengue
disease between January 1 and July 30.
The first death from dengue was
reported on June 21, this year," the
daily statement of the DGHS said.
With the new cases, the total number
of dengue patients this year rose to
2,580 while some 2,239 patients were
released from the hospitals.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne
illness that occurs in tropical and
subtropical areas of the world.
Outbreak of the disease is usually
seasonal, peaking during and after
rainy seasons.
Managing Director of BVC, Jafar Ahmed
Patwary , General Manager, Daffodil
Computers Ltd., Reyed Mia, Senior
Administrative Officer of Daffodil
International University and other high
officials of Daffodil Family, DIU and BVCL.
D-8 TTEN delegation visited Daffodil
International University campus at Daffodil
Smart City at Ashulia and paid a courtesy
visit and holds a discussion meeting with
Professor Dr. M. Lutfar Rahman, Vice-
Chancellor, Professor Dr. S.M. Mahabubul
Haque Mojumder, Pro Vice Chancellor,
Professor Dr. Mostafa Kamal, Dean,
Academic Affairs, Professor Dr. Masum
Iqbal, Dean, FBE and other distinguished
high officials of DIU.
Earlier,the delegates joined the D-8
summit organized by the Govt of the People's
Republic of Bangladesh at Dhaka on the day
before yesterday. Bangladesh is the current
Chair of D-8 (https://developing8.org/)".
DHAKA : BRAC Bank has partnered
with SME Foundation to provide
easy term loans to entrepreneurs in
SME Cluster to help small trades
recover from the impact of the
pandemic.
The BRAC Bank and SME
Foundation signed an agreement at a
hotel here on July 27, 2022 in this
regard.
After successfully implementing
the two phases of Covid-19 stimulus
package, the SME Foundation has
formed a revolving loan facility
amounting to Tk 300 crore with the
fund from the government's stimulus
package channeled through the
foundation.
Out of the total revolving fund,
BRAC Bank alone will avail Tk 80
crore, which will be disbursed to the
entrepreneurs at various SME
Clusters and other areas of the
country at a subsidized rate of 4
percent.
BNP has no
ability to oust
govt: Razzaque
DHAKA : Agriculture
Minister Dr Muhammad
Abdur Razzaque has said
BNP does not have the
ability to oust the Awami
League (AL)-led government
as it (BNP) has no soil under
its feet.
"BNP will not be able to
push down the government
of Awami League. Since
2013, BNP has been pushing
(the AL led government)
sometimes along with
Jamaat and sometimes with
Hefazat but BNP was not
able to budge the
government. Rather, BNP
itself has fallen on its face
while pushing the
government," he said.
Razzaque, also AL
Presidium Member, made
the remarks while
addressing the triennial
conference
of
Kamrangirchar's Ward
Numbers 55, 56 and 57 units
of AL and Kamrangirchar
Police Station on the
Kamrangirchar Government
Hospital premises as the
chief guest on Friday.
He said that Tarique
Rahman, son of Ziaur
Rahman who played a role
in the conspiracy to kill
Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu
Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, is
hatching conspiracy from
abroad. But, Awami League
leaders and activists will deal
with this conspiracy strictly,
he added.
AL presidium member
Advocate Md Kamrul Islam,
organizing secretary Ahmed
Hossain, Dhaka South City
unit AL president Abu
Ahmed Mannafi and its
general secretary Humayun
Kabir also spoke on the
occasion, among others.
Battery-run
rickshaw puller
killed in city
accident
DHAKA : A battery-run auto
rickshaw driver was killed
being hit by an anonymous
vehicle in Asad gate area of
Mohammadpur in the city
Saturday.
Then deceased was identified
as Monir Sheikh, 40,
hailing from Tongi Bari
upazila of Gopalganj district,
said Abdur Rashid, Sub
Inspector of Mohammadpur
police station
The accident occurred early
in the morning and his
body was found lying in
front of Nabil Paribahan bus
counter on Mirpur road near
Asad Gate, he said.
"Efforts are on to identify
the vehicle and the driver
that is responsible for the
accident. The body has
been sent for autopsy," said
the SI.
An entrepreneur can avail a
maximum of Taka 30 lakhs
repayable within three years. They
will not need any collateral. BRAC
Bank will give priority to women
entrepreneurs in this loan facility,
said a press release.
Earlier in the fiscal year of 2020-21
and 2021-22, in stimulus package
spearheaded by SME Foundation,
BRAC Bank successfully disbursed
Taka 80 crore to the cottage, micro,
small and medium enterprises
(CMSMEs) across the country.
At the signing ceremony,
Industries Minister Nurul Majid
Mahmud Humayun, State Minister
for Industries Kamal Ahmed
Mojumder, Financial Institutions
Division Secretary Sheikh
Mohammad Salim Ullah, SME
Foundation Chairman Dr. Md.
Masudur Rahman; SME Foundation
Managing Director Dr Md. Mafizur
Rahman, high officials of different
on Saturday, human rights Foundation's Central Secretary general and
election Monitoring Forum Chairman Prof. Abed Ali paid a courtesy call
on former Foreign Minister Pradip kumar gyali at his residence in
kathmandu, Nepal.
Photo : tBt
BNP does politics of falsehood,
says Bahauddin Nasim
DHAKA : Awami League
(AL) Joint General
Secretary AFM Bahauddin
Nasim yesterday said
spreading falsehood is the
politics of BNP.
"Telling lies is the only
politics of BNP. BNP has
no shame, they (leaders of
BNP) have forgotten the
past in moments. They are
promoting power saving
policy as power crisis. As
long as the war between
Ukraine and Russia
continues, we will have to
go through crises more or
less. It is not a crisis of
Awami League-led
government or Sheikh
Hasina's government. It is
a crisis happening in the
world today. This crisis has
created various problems
across the globe," he said.
He said this while
addressing a conference of
Pallabi Thana Awami
League and wards number
2, 3, 5, 6 and 91 under the
AL's jurisdiction, as the
chief guest here.
Bahauddin said about 20
thousand crores of money
was looted in power section
during the BNP regime, he
said, adding that the then
State Minister for Power
Anwarul Talukder of the
BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami
government openly told
the people that.
When Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina was in
power back in 1996, there
was 4,500 megawatt power
banks and NBFIs were present.
BRAC Bank's Managing Director
and CEO Selim R. F. Hussain spoke
at the signing ceremony and signed
the agreement on behalf of the bank.
The bank's Deputy Managing
Director and Head of SME Banking
Syed Abdul Momen was also present.
Welcoming the soft loan
arrangement for the SMEs, BRAC
Bank's Managing Director and CEO
Selim R. F. Hussain said: "As an
SME-focused bank, we are
committed to ensuring easy access to
finance to the grassroots
entrepreneurs. Given the pandemic,
we have redoubled our efforts to
provide much-needed funds to the
CMSME entrepreneurs,"
He said, "We believe this
subsidized credit from SME
Foundation will rejuvenate the
cluster-based industries and help
them take productivity to the prepandemic
level."
BD is ahead in maintaining balanced
diplomatic relations : Former
Foreign Minister of Nepal
S M AkASh, ChAttogrAM BureAu
The current government of
Bangladesh has been
successful in developing
balanced diplomatic
relations. Bangladesh now
leads South Asia in terms of
commercial and economic
success. Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina's boundless
morale and courage is one of
the reasons behind the
success of Bangladesh.
Nepal-Bangladesh
relationship is multidimensional,
Nepal
government will work more
closely with Bangladesh to
develop this relationship.
Bangladesh's peace and
order and political harmony
programs have a
considerable impact on
South Asian countries.
Former Foreign Minister of
Nepal Pradip Kumar Gyali
said that the Nepal
government hopes that the
upcoming twelfth
parliamentary elections of
Bangladesh will be peaceful
and acceptable.
On Saturday July 30,
SAARC Human Rights
Foundation's Central
Secretary General and
Election Monitoring Forum
Chairman, Prof. Abed Ali
paid a courtesy call on
former Foreign Minister
Pradip Kumar Gyali at his
residence in Kathmandu,
Nepal, President and
Constituent Member of
SAARC Human Rights
Foundation's Nepal Branch
Md. Nazir Mia, Member of
Muslim Commission and
the general secretary of the
organization is Advocate
Mahamadin Ali. And after
the meeting, the former
foreign minister received the
greetings and gifts sent by
the SAARC Secretary
General.
The former foreign minister
of Nepal praised the activities
of SAARC Human Rights
Foundation and expressed his
interest in participating in any
international event organized
by this organization.
generation capacity, but
when BNP-Jamaat came to
power, it (power
generation capacity) came
down to 3,500mw, he said.
They inaugurated a
power plant that shut
down within an hour which
is still a matter of shame for
nation, he added.
With Member of
Parliament of Dhaka 16
Constituency and Pallabi
Thana unit of Awami
League President Elias
Uddin Molla in the chair,
the conference was
addressed, among others,
by AL Dhaka City North
Unit President Sheikh
Bazlur Rahman and
General Secretary SM
Mannan Kochi.

sunDay, July 31, 2022
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Sunday, July 31, 2022
Sustain advances in
RMG sector
It is a realistic view that Bangladesh now stands a unique
opportunity of achieving the number one RMG (ready
made garments) band in world market if it can
successfully carry out some ongoing reforms and
upgradation in the RMG sector. It will be another milestone
Bangladesh can achieve on the way of achieving full fledged
mid income country status .
Cheap but hard working honest labour, cheaper gas and
power helped develop Bangladesh grow into a preferred
brand of ready Made Garments (RMG) in the world market.
In our usual visits to shopping malls in Northern America,
Western Europe, Middle Eastern countries and even in
Australia we come across made in Bangladesh quality
garments products almost everywhere.
But some incidents of fire and building collapse with
special mention of Tajrin Garments and Rana plaza dented
Bangladesh Garment sector reputation quite a bit. But as far
as competitiveness and quality Bangladesh RMG is still
number two band just behind China in world market. With
China intending moving out of low end RMG products
gradually, Bangladesh stands a huge opportunity of claiming
the Number One band if we can make some very critical
reforms and upgrading of our RMG industry. This prospect
has further heightened with the recent Chinese
announcement of withdrawl of all tariff restrictions on the
entry of Bangladeshi made garments products in the vast
China market.
Let us try to assess what are the present challenges and
what needs to be done?
Some quarter believes USA keeping suspended GSP from
Bangladesh RMG will cause major impediments. But the
continued growth of RMG export even after US withdrawal
of GSP proves the apprehension wrong. USA is only part of
Bangladesh market of RMG. Bangladeshi RMG is still
enjoying preferred brand advantage in EU Countries ,
Canada , Eastern European countries and in some Middle
eastern countries.
The important state visit of PM Hasina to China among
other milestone achievements of potential China
Bangladesh cooperation and collaboration also achieved
major stepping stones in RMG sector.
Bangladesh and China have agreed on setting up modern
self-contained garments village on the outskirts of Dhaka
city at Gazaria. In addition to that China will have an
exclusive Chinese industrial zone where Chinese investors
will also set up export oriented RMG factories and products
will be exported as Bangladesh brand. Even the Japan visit
has also opened avenues of Japanese investors making
Bangladesh their preferred locations for setting up
industries including RMG.
There is no denial that enabling environment for RMG
and competitive edge of Bangladesh RMG in world market
led to mushrooming of RMG industry of RMG factories in
the city centers of Dhaka and Chittagong cities and suburbs.
Many foreign nationals working in Bangladesh RMG sector
hardly cared for providing minimum working environment
and facilities of low earning RMG workers. After a few
hiccups present government is desperately trying to address
the issues of RMG sector bringing discipline and creating
accountability. In the recent past high powered committees
have conducted surveys and auditing and implementation
process of their recommendation is in place.
For better control and management all RMG factories
from the heart of the major city centres should be phased out
and relocated to properly planned RMG villages having
better organized and reliable utility services , world class
safety and security arrangements , accommodation , health
care facilities of RMG workers. Minimum wages and fringe
benefits must be reviewed. RMG workers getting at least
US$ 250-300 will not cause much reduction of profits of
huge earning of RMG owners.
For security and safety of RMG workers and the industry
a special police unit as RMG Police or in a larger concept
Industrial police unit can be created. It may have a sub unit
named RMG Intelligence unit for surveillance of possible
subversive activities in our RMG industry. All foreigners
working in RMG must have valid work permits and their
records must be maintained and monitored.
We must appreciate the RMG boom has done a great work
in our poverty alleviation as a special section of village girls
are now self-dependent and supporting their families as
well. They must get due respect from society. Facilities like
day care center, community clinic, adult education, etc. can
be set up in the special garments village for them.
Sajib Wazed IT adviser of PM Hasina is in a mission of
digitizing different key sectors of Bangladesh. One of his
prime objectives must be digitizing RMG sector which is the
major revenue earner for Bangladesh. Let all RMG factories
be digitalized and reliable database created and preserved of
all RMG related data and information. This will enable
centralized monitoring of all RMG related business and
commercial operations including safety and security. The
information among others must include data base of all
workers and executives working in RMG including their
nationality, salary and benefits. Some officials of each RMG
must be trained to introduce IT facilities in each RMG.
Bangladesh Foreign missions and Ministry of Foreign
affairs must work to promote to expand RMG market access
in countries which may be potential new buyers.
Government may consider a preferential special pricing of
gas and electricity for export oriented RMG factories and
Tax holidays and other benefits for modern RMG units for a
given time. Bank loans of easier terms should be considered
as incentives for owners for relocating the RMG from
existing locations to properly set up RMG villages. Export
credits and other facilities may be thought of. Also
government can encourage investors in setting backward
and forward linkages of RMG industries for achieving more
self-reliance.
Opportunities have emerged for Bangladesh in achieving
number one RMG status now. We must grab it with both
hands. Let China, Korea, Japan be our partners in progress
in achieving this dream.
Strict tobacco control laws are needed to protect
the environment and animal diversity
MILLIONS of cigarette and bidi
residues are spreading in nature
every day. Environmental
pollution is also caused by the smoke
generated during tobacco drying and
cigarette smoking. Basically, tobacco
companies are getting away with not having
specific policies. And so environmental
pollution is happening constantly.
According to a report by the World Health
Organization (WHO), one and a half million
adults in Bangladesh smoke cigarettes. 5.3
million people eat bidi. And 2.2 million
people consume smokeless tobacco.
According to WHO estimates, 12.3 million
cigarettes are consumed in Bangladesh
every day. An equivalent amount of
cigarette filters are thrown away as garbage.
And 7 crore 20 lakh bidis are consumed
every day, that is, the same amount of
indigestible parts are being thrown away as
garbage. As such, every day 19.5 million
cigarette-bidi residues are mixed in the
nature.
Cigarettes or bidis are made from tobacco
leaves. These leaves are dried in the oven
(tandoor). According to the Policy Research
on Development Options (UBINEG)
estimate, 240 maunds of wood are required
for each tandoor in one season.
Tobacco is responsible for 31 percent of
Bangladesh's deforestation, according to
Tobacco Atlas, a US-based database on
tobacco.
Dr. Arup Ratan Chowdhury, the founder
of Manas organization, said that a lot of
wood has to be burnt in the production of
Andromeda and Milky Way
Galaxy will collide in 4.5
billion years. It is a phrase
that a lot of us have heard.
What a lot of us haven't
heard about is the galaxies
that have already collided, and merged
with our Milky Way Galaxy already as
well as how they shaped our galaxy.
Recently, astronomers have
identified a galaxy called Gaia Sausage or
also known as Gaia-Sausage that had
merged with our galaxy around 10 billion
years ago and shaped it the way it is
today.
In 2013, GAIA spacecraft was
launched by ESA to study our galaxy's
stars. In GAIA's study of roughly 30,000
stars, it was discovered that around half a
billion of the stars in our Milky Way
Galaxy had a stretched orbit not
following the Milky Way's orbit. The
tobacco. Moreover, the irreparable damage
to the health of the soil and water in tobacco
cultivation is the reduction of soil fertility
due to the chemical fertilizers used in
tobacco. A large amount of toxins are
released from the tobacco plant. which
pollutes the water and causes severe
damage to aquatic flora including fish.
At the same time, he added, due to
tobacco farming for a long time on the
hillsides, fertilizers and chemicals mixed
with water used in tobacco cultivation and
cultivation are directly falling into the river.
This is seriously polluting Halda water.
Moreover, tobacco cultivation is responsible
for 31 percent deforestation in the country.
Therefore, it is very important to gradually
reduce tobacco cultivation and to stop
tobacco cultivation completely through
strict laws.
According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), around 1.5 billion
hectares of forest have been destroyed
worldwide since 1970 due to tobacco
cultivation and production. Which is
responsible for 20 percent increase in
Milky Way Galaxy and Its Merged Galaxies
orbit's shape was like a sausage, therefore
giving it the name sausage galaxy.
Another group of astronomers studying
the GAIA data discovered that a certain
group of stars had a low metallicity
compared to the rest of the Milky Way
Galaxy's star's metallicity. Stars in their
earlier phase have a low metallicity
compared to that of their later phases,
this is assumed by astronomers to be
because of the merge with Sausage
Galaxy. The merge has contributed by
giving The Milky Way Galaxy 50% of its
stellar halo, 20% dark matter, and five
hundred million stars. This merge is
considered to be the most recent big
merging event in our galaxy.
Another much more interesting
example of a similar galaxy is a satellite
galaxy called Sagittarius Galaxy. The
Sagitarrius Galaxy is currently around
80,000 light years away, which has not
PInkEy IbRahIm
SAFWAN IBNE HAKIM
greenhouse gases annually. Globally, 3.5
million hectares of land are destroyed by
tobacco cultivation every year, which
accounts for five percent of the global
deforestation. Apart from this, one tree is
burnt to make 300 cigarettes. That is, 14
grams of carbon dioxide is produced in the
manufacture of one cigarette.
Dr. arup Ratan Chowdhury, the founder of manas organization,
said that a lot of wood has to be burnt in the production of
tobacco. moreover, the irreparable damage to the health of the
soil and water in tobacco cultivation is the reduction of soil
fertility due to the chemical fertilizers used in tobacco.
WIllIam aTkIns
Environmentalists feel that there is a need
to formulate specific policies to prevent
environmental damage. And they urged the
Department of Environment to come
forward in this regard.
In this regard, Monirul H Khan of
Jahangir Nagar University Department of
Zoology said that tobacco chemicals mixed
with water are having a bad effect on
animals. Even many fish species are going
extinct.
According to the research, in Cox's Bazar
and Bandarban, about 85 thousand metric
tons of firewood has been used in the drying
(curing) of tobacco leaves in one year. For
this, 29 lakh mature trees are cut annually.
The hills are becoming treeless due to
collection of these timbers from the local
yet completely merged with the Milky
Way and is still in the process of merging.
By studying and analyzing the star
stream left behind by the Sagitarrius
Galaxy, astronomers found stars of 3
different age groups and deduced that the
Sagitarrius Galaxy merged with the Milky
Way 3 times, based on the age of the stars.
The first time was around 6 billion
years ago, then 2 billion years ago and the
last time was a billion years ago. Each
time it passed through, it left a stream of
stars on its tail which astronomers have
studied to find out more about the
satellite galaxy and the merging events.
The merge with Sagittarius played a
major role in our stellar disc mass, as it
caused a ripple effect on our galaxy that
caused our galaxy's still clouds and gases
to move around, which boosted the star
formation of the Milky Way and as well as
gave birth to newer ones. It is said that
forests. There is a high risk of flash floods
and landslides.
Also, discarded cigarette filters are also
one of the causes of environmental
pollution. In the fiscal year 2020-21, a total
of 71 billion cigarettes were produced in the
country. It takes about a decade for
discarded cigarette filters to mix with
nature. More than seven thousand
chemicals are released from these filters.
That could wipe out many beneficial
organisms, say environmentalists.
Executive Director of Pragya ABM Zubair
said, the 2013 Amendment Act does not
have any strict restrictions on tobacco
companies. Although the Tobacco Control
Act mentions the formulation of special
policies (Section 12) to discourage tobacco
cultivation, no such policy has yet been
enacted. Therefore, if this issue is fully
included in the proposed law to protect the
environment and public health, the
responsibility of the tobacco company will
increase and environmental pollution will
decrease.
Not only cigarettes, smokeless tobacco
products like jorda, gul are also sold in plastic
bags and polythene packets, which are very
harmful to the environment. Articles 17 and
18 of the World Health Organization's
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
(FCTC) deal with environmental protection
from the harmful effects of tobacco
cultivation and alternative employment for
tobacco farmers and workers.
(The writer is a freelancer.)
A new nuclear power station needs a vast supply of water
Last week, the government gave the goahead
for a new nuclear power station
to be developed on the Suffolk coast.
Providing low-carbon electricity for about
6m homes, Sizewell C will stand alongside
two existing stations, Sizewell B and the
decommissioned Sizewell A. I live close
enough to see the 60-metre tall, white
dome of Sizewell B almost every day. When
I want to torture myself, I look at developer
EDF's "construction phase visualisations"
of the 1,380-acre building site, with its
towering spoil heaps and forest of cranes,
and wonder if this is what it will take to save
the planet.
What might not have been immediately
obvious in the coverage of the government's
decision was that the Planning
Inspectorate, tasked with assessing such
projects, had recommended that
permission be refused. The problem, the
examiners explained, was fairly simple:
EDF couldn't say exactly where it would
obtain one of the main substances needed
to make a nuclear power station work, that
substance being water.
As well as uranium, a reactor of the kind
EDF plans to build needs water in very
great volumes. Saltwater will do for part of
the process, which is one reason why
nuclear power stations are usually built
beside the sea. But fresh or "potable" water
will also be needed - first, to cool the two
reactors, and then, just as importantly, to
cool the irradiated fuel once it has been
removed from the reactors. For this,
absolutely pure water is essential. Sizewell
B uses about 800,000 litres of potable
water per day; Sizewell C, with its twin
reactors, will need more than 2m litres per
day, and as much as 3.5m litres per day
during construction.
Last September, during the closing
hearings of the six-month public
planning examination, the question of
just where the developer was going to get
the water to run Sizewell C, let alone build
it, was becoming urgent. Those who had
raised concerns about precisely this issue
more than 10 years earlier would have
been forgiven for feeling frustrated. As
one of the driest parts of the country,
Suffolk is described by the Environment
Agency as "seriously water stressed". By
2043, eight years into Sizewell C's 60-
year operating life, the agency anticipates
a water deficit in the county of more than
7m litres a day. Northumbrian Water,
which operates locally as Essex and
Suffolk Water, had made it clear to EDF
that there was not enough local
groundwater for either construction or
operation. EDF's plan, therefore, was to
build a pipeline to bring water from the
River Waveney, 18 miles away on the
Norfolk border. During at least the first
two years of construction, while the
pipeline was being built, EDF planned to
install a temporary desalination plant on
the site to turn saltwater from the sea into
fresh.
Then, in August, the water company
broke the news that its abstraction licenses
dictating how much water it could extract
from the Waveney, granted by the
Environment Agency, were likely to be
reduced by up to 60% to safeguard
downstream levels. It subsequently
confirmed that the Waveney did not, after
all, have the capacity to supply water for for
any of the 10-year construction phase.
Desalination, opponents of the project
noted, was a solution EDF itself had
discounted in January 2021 "due to
concerns with power consumption,
sustainability, cost and wastewater
discharge". And yet, desalination, with all
the problems it had set out (including
discharging millions of litres a day of saline
concentrate and phosphorus into the North
Sea), remains EDF's "fallback" solution for
running the station, as well as building it, if
another source can't be found.
What might not have been immediately obvious in the coverage of the
government's decision was that the Planning Inspectorate, tasked with
assessing such projects, had recommended that permission be refused. The
problem, the examiners explained, was fairly simple: EDF couldn't say
exactly where it would obtain one of the main substances needed to make a
nuclear power station work, that substance being water.
Northumbrian Water has since confirmed
that: "Existing water resources (including
the River Waveney) will not be sufficient to
meet forecast mains water demand,
including the operational demand of
Sizewell C."
For his part, the secretary of state, Kwasi
Kwarteng, has a "reasonable level of
certainty" that 2m litres of water a day will
be found from elsewhere by the time the
reactors are ready to be switched on.
Perhaps, as Northumbrian Water has
suggested, by piping it in from Essex
(though Essex isn't overburdened with
water); or by reducing household wastage;
or by reusing effluent. It will be for the
Environment Agency, the Water Services
Regulation Authority, Natural England and
the Office for Nuclear Regulation to ensure
that everything is done properly at such
time as a water source - some kind of source
- is settled upon.
The more I look at those mock-ups of the
building site, the more they seem like a
metaphor for another kind of despoilment.
Given the government's stated intention to
build a fleet of new nuclear power stations
across the country, it's not just people who
live in Suffolk who have reason to wonder
what the secretary of state's decision to
wash his hands of Sizewell C's water
problem says about the resilience of the
systems we entrust with safeguarding our
environment. Still, the foundations will be
laid, I suppose, and the cranes will rise, and
after 10 years and £20bn (by EDF's
reckoning), Sizewell C will be built. And
when the time comes for its reactors to go
critical, there will be water, because if there
isn't, Suffolk will have a new tourist
attraction to rival Framlingham Castle: the
most expensive white elephant in human
history. What this fait accompli means for
Suffolk's rivers and seawater, let alone for
the county's householders and farmers, are
not questions that will be answered before
building begins. It's enlightening, in this
context, to consider that the past six
months have been the driest in Suffolk for
more than a quarter of a century, and the
driest in England since 1976.
"The secretary of state disagrees with the
examining authority's conclusions on this
matter," Wednesday's decision letter states,
"and considers that the uncertainty over the
permanent water supply strategy is not a
barrier to granting consent to the proposed
development." During last year's planning
hearings, two stories kept coming back to
me: the biblical account of Moses in the
desert, making water gush from a rock by
striking it with his staff; and the Brothers
Grimm tale in which a giant clasps a stone
in his fist, and crushes it until, finally, water
is forced out.
William Atkins is the author of The
Immeasurable World: Journeys in
Desert Places and The Moor
our sun was forming when Sagitarrius
Galaxy first collided with the Milky Way
and passed through its disc, this had
boosted the Sun's formation. Due to this,
many astronomers assume that we and
the solar system wouldn't exist without
the satellite galaxy's merge. The next
merge with the satellite galaxy and our
galaxy is expected to happen in the next
100 million years.
Without these merging events, our
night sky may not have been as bright
and interesting as it is today. Our
universe is a never-ending ball, full of
mysteries and interesting things. As long
as it exists, astronomers will keep on
coming up with more and more
discoveries and theories, enriching our
knowledge.
(The Writer is a student of Sydney
International School)

SuNDay, July 31, 2022
5
the simple task of doing chores is now linked with a reduction in the risk of developing dementia.
Photo: Momo Productions
Follow these simple tasks to offset risks of dementia
JilliaN WilSON
New research is offering some actionable
steps we can take to protect our minds
from memory loss. A large UK-based
study published this week in the
American Academy of Neurology's
medical journal found that physical and
mental activities ? such as doing
household chores, exercising or visiting
loved ones may help lower the risk of
dementia. The roughly 11-year study
followed 501,376 people in the UK who
self-reported their physical and mental
activities at the beginning of the
experiment: how often they visit with
friends, their education level, how often
they climb stairs, how they commute to
work, and more.
The study found certain activities were
associated with a lower risk of dementia.
People who frequently exercised had a
35% lower risk, people who frequently
did household chores had a 21% lower
risk and people who visited daily with
family and friends had a 15% lower risk.
And while dementia risk factors also
include things that are out of our control
? like aging and genetics ? the research
underscores that there are behaviors
within your power to either reduce your
risk of dementia or delay the condition,
Dr. Scott Turner, director of the memory
disorders program at Georgetown
University Medical Center, told HuffPost.
The study does come with a few
caveats: The findings are a correlation,
not necessarily a direct link. Another
limitation is that because people reported
their own physical and mental activities,
there's always a chance that some people
forgot about activities they engaged in or
reported them incorrectly.
"More research is needed to confirm
our findings. However, our results are
encouraging that making these simple
lifestyle changes may be beneficial," study
author Dr. Huan Song of Sichuan
University in China, said in a statement.
Overall, the results are good news,
considering more than 5 million people in
the United States live with dementia - and
that number is only expected to grow.
Whether through physical activity, social
activity or mental activity, putting your
brain to work can help delay dementia
onset or reduce the risk altogether.
Chores double as both a physical and
mental activity (and can even sometimes
be considered exercise, Turner noted).
Visits with loved ones are a social activity
that also requires mental stimulation,
and physical activity requires mental
dedication, too.
Turner said that people who develop
visual or hearing problems could be at a
higher risk of dementia if they don't
address the problem by getting glasses or
hearing aids. When you can't hear or see,
he explained, "you're depriving your
brain of sensory input, and you need to
keep your brain stimulated" to help
reduce your risk of dementia.
Another risk factor for dementia is
diabetes, Turner noted, and there are
lifestyle patterns you can follow to reduce
your risk of diabetes. These include
exercising, following a healthy diet and
maintaining an ideal body weight
throughout your lifetime.
So, not only does exercise help slash
your risk of dementia, but it also helps
slash your risk of diabetes, which, in itself,
puts you at risk for memory loss.
Turner stressed that no matter your
age, it's never too late to start following
some of these lifestyle recommendations.
And that can be as simple as doing some
extra vacuuming around the house or
going for a walk with your neighbor, for
example. "I recommend doing as much
as possible with lifestyle [changes] to
avoid and prevent dementia," he said.
"And, of course, prevention is better than
treatment." For those who already have
memory problems or dementia, Turner
said lifestyle changes that require
physical, social or mental activity are still
beneficial. You can help slow down the
progression of dementia by keeping your
brain stimulated. This is why puzzles are
a popular activity among people with
Alzheimer's disease.
"If someone does develop memory
problems, then they certainly should seek
evaluation starting with their primary
care provider," Turner said. He stressed
that some very treatable things cause
memory problems, like sleep apnea and
Vitamin B12 deficiency. But any
neurological changes should be evaluated
so you get the proper treatment plan.
BrittaNy WONg
In the wake of the Supreme
Court overturning Roe v.
Wade, conversations about
male hormonal birth
control have never been
more vital. As it is, the
options for men wanting to
prevent pregnancy are
scant ? use a condom,
depend on the very
undependable pull-out
method, or get a
vasectomy. (After the Roe
news, there was a flurry of
articles about men rushing
into urologist's offices to
get a vasectomy. But
doctors caution not to get
the snip if you're
considering "undoing it"
later: While vasectomies
can technically be reversed,
it's expensive and doctors
say your chances for a
successful reversal
decrease every year after
you've had the procedure.)
The good news is that the
demand for the male pill
exists. One 2016
multinational study found
that over 50% of men
would be willing to try a
male contraceptive
method.
Scientists have been
trying to develop a male
version of the pill for
decades, with many starts
and stops along the way.
Most recently, researchers
at the University of
Minnesota created a birth
control pill for male mice,
which was shown to be
99% effective in preventing
pregnancy.
Still, what works for mice
doesn't necessarily work
for men. Urologist Amin
Herati told The New York
Times he would be "very
skeptical" about any
developments on this
method until human data
is presented, since there
are big differences in how
human and mice genes
interact and their
reproductive systems.
While it may be a while
until a male birth control
method is approved by the
Food and Drug
Administration and put on
the market, the desire for it
seems to be growing.
HuffPost recently asked
men how likely they were
to use hormonal
contraceptives if they were
to become available to
them.
The popularization of
male birth control
Some men told us they
were eager to share the
burden of contraception
with the women in their
lives. Some single men said
they just want a say in their
reproductive futures. We
also asked them if they'd
take it if it had some
unpleasant side effects
(like the headaches, weight
gain, nausea and lowered
sex drive some women
experience with the pill)
and how they feel about
contraceptives being
framed as a "women's
issue."
All medications have side
effects. Any man on this
planet who complains
about a headache because
of his birth control
methods needs to
reexamine whether the sex
is worth it. Is this the
woman you want to be tied
to for the rest of your lives?
If she gets pregnant, it
takes two parents to raise a
child. Will you be there for
every Christmas concert,
soccer game, volunteer at
schools, and be a taxi
service when they need
rides? If not, take a simple
pill and use a condom as
backup. I did that until I
had my three children and
was mentally ready for kids
and could financially afford
them.
It's not just a woman's
job. It's both people's
responsibility to take
precautions. All my past
partners had to do was say
"wrap it up" and I did.
When it came time to stop
having children, I went for
the vasectomy instead of
her going to have her tubes
tied. The surgery and
recovery was nothing. I
was back to working the
next day. She wouldn't
have been able to.
It's not rocket science. No
one can question we want
the sex much of the time. If
we want it, we have to
respect what our partners
want to do with their
bodies and lives.
Man up, guys. Take
control of your futures
while having your fun. I
have three male children
below 26 and they know
how important this issue is
to me. I've lost a child and
had to make the difficult
decision whether to abort a
baby with less than a 10%
chance of living and may
have caused horrible issues
for my wife. It's the hardest
decision I've ever had to
make, and a simple pill
could have prevented it.
I'm currently considering
getting a vasectomy as I
already have three kids and
it seems like more of a sure
thing. But I'm concerned
with potential side effects.
Vasectomies have so much
misinformation online
about it making you like a
eunuch but then there are
real potential issues like
long-term chronic pain.
I think that my younger
self definitely grew up
thinking contraception is
the woman's responsibility.
I think men shouldn't force
that responsibility on
women but I really doubt
men will step up and take
charge of contraception
anytime soon. And for that
reason I think male
contraceptives will largely
be a commercial failure
when it comes to market.
I'm currently considering
getting a vasectomy as I
already have three kids and
it seems like more of a sure
thing. But I'm concerned
with potential side effects.
Vasectomies have so much
misinformation online
about it making you like a
eunuch but then there are
real potential issues like
long-term chronic pain.
I think that my younger
self definitely grew up
thinking contraception is
the woman's responsibility.
I think men shouldn't force
that responsibility on
women but I really doubt
men will step up and take
charge of contraception
anytime soon. And for that
reason I think male
contraceptives will largely
be a commercial failure
when it comes to market.
One 2016 multinational study found that over 50 percent of men would be
willing to try a male contraceptive method.
Photo: Shana Novak
Julie KeNDricK
If you check the weather on
your phone frequently,
you've probably been seeing
lots of orange and red bars
on those daily temperature
predictions. We don't need
to tell you that it's hot out
there. But does temperature
affect how much sunscreen
you need? And, if the UV
index is also high, what does
that mean for your skin?
Even though both the
temperature and the UV
index can be higher in the
summer, meteorologist
Sven Sundgaard explained
that air temperature and the
UV index are not tied to one
another directly.
"That 'UV' stands for
ultraviolet radiation," he
explained. "The index,
which runs from a low of 1 to
a high of 11+, is a good
indication of how quickly
you can get a sunburn. The
higher the number, the
quicker the burn, so more
precautions should be
taken."
The index, which is
compiled by the
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), is calculated
on a next-day basis for
dozens of cities across the
United States. The EPA
considers 6-7 on the UV
index to be "high risk."
To track your risk of skin
damage, pay attention to the
index and the time of day,
not necessarily the
temperature. "The highest
sun angle, or strongest sun,
happens midday, which is
between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
for most places," Sundgaard
said. "But the high
temperature of the day
usually occurs between 3
p.m. and 6 p.m. on a sunny
day. You may be most
uncomfortable from the
heat at 5 p.m., when it's 95
degrees, but the sun is
actually stronger at 11 a.m.
and you'll burn more
quickly then. You can burn
nearly 1.5 times faster at 11
a.m. versus 5 p.m."
"There's a misconception
that UV index is a measure
of heat," said dermatologist
Angela Kim. "UV index is
actually a measure of
intensity of the sun's
emitting energy."
Dermatologist Arash
Akhavan weighed in: "High
heat doesn't always mean
there's a high UV index. In
fact, the UV index can be the
exact same on a very hot day
and a cold day."
Dermatologist Rebecca
Marcus added, "There isn't a
clear and definite link
between heat and UV and
an increased risk of skin
cancer vs. UV radiation
alone. But if you're
considering the difference
between a sunny day in the
winter vs. the summer, then
yes, we need to be more
vigilant about sunscreen in
the summer, because the
sun is stronger in summer
and the UV index is higher,
meaning that there's greater
potential for damage."
And if temperature isn't
necessarily a factor, why are
there more sunburns during
a scorching-hot summer?
"Higher temperatures can
bring about behaviors that
involve higher risk for
burns, like going to the
beach or pool," said Nava
Greenfield, a board-certified
dermatologist at Schweiger
Dermatology Group in New
York City. "When that
behavior is combined with a
high UV index, it can make
burns more likely."
In addition, higher temps
bring risk factors of their
own. "Heat stroke is more
common in high
temperatures,"
dermatologist
said
Sandy
Is it necessary to wear more sunscreen
on super hot days?
Does a hot day make you more likely to get burned? let's talk about all the factors involved.
Skotnicki. "It often leads to
sunburns because people
get groggy from heat stroke
and forget their sunscreen."
Wondering how the index
was developed?
"It's calculated using a
person with a Fitzpatrick
Skin Type 2 as a reference
point," Marcus said. "That's
a type of skin that's fair,
burns easily and tans
minimally. When the UV
Index is low, this 'reference'
person would have a low
risk of burning when
exposed to peak sun
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
for one hour. As the UV
index increases, so does the
risk."
Those index numbers are
worth
watching,
dermatologists said.
Photo: Karan Kapoor
"The higher the index, the
more those damaging rays
are penetrating the
atmosphere," Skotnicki
said. "Those rays cause
oxidation damage to our
cellular genetic material and
DNA."
If you want to check on
the UV index but don't have
a smartphone handy, try
this trick: "If your shadow is
taller than you are, the UV
index is likely low," Kim
said. "If your shadow is
shorter, the UV index is
likely high, and you should
seek shade and wear
sunscreen SPF 30+ or
higher."
Kim went on to explain
that there are three types of
UV rays.
"UV-C is mostly blocked
by the ozone layer, so UV-A
and UV-B are the ones we
talk most about," Kim said.
"As long as it's light out, UV-
A can affect your skin. UV-B
generally affects your skin
late morning and early
afternoon times like 10 a.m.
to 4.p.m."
According to experts,
none of these rays are
friends for your skin.
"UV-A penetrates deeper
into skin, causing
hyperpigmentation and
lines and wrinkles by
breaking down collagen and
elastic fibers," said
dermatologist Loretta
Ciraldo, founder of Dr.
Loretta skin care. "Its role in
causing melanoma is also
becoming more evident.
UV-B specifically causes the
death of skin cells in the
upper layer of the skin,
causing redness, burning
and peeling. We believe it's a
major cause of squamous
cell carcinoma of the skin."
All this talk of UV
radiation made us wonder
why sunscreen is our most
frequent go-to for
protection. What does it do
for us, anyway?
"Sunscreen helps protect
the skin from UV damage,
which, over time, can lead to
skin
cancer,
hyperpigmentation,
melasma, rosacea and
premature aging,"
dermatologist Nkem
Ugonabo explained.
"We dermatologists
actually use the term
'photoaging' to describe the
role UV radiation plays in
the development of
wrinkles, age spots, rough
texture and sagging,"
Ciraldo said. "In addition to
helping to prevent skin
cancer, sunscreen also helps
to prevent unwanted aging
changes in the face, neck,
chest and hands."
If you think getting a
sunburn now and then is no
big deal, think again.
"Having even one
blistering sunburn can
double a person's risk of
developing deadly
melanoma," Kim said.
Even if you're not seeing
damage now, that doesn't
mean it won't show up
someday.
"Some sun damage can be
repaired by the skin cells,
but, because your skin cells
have memory, some
damage doesn't become
apparent for 10 to 20 years,"
Greenfield said.
When the UV index is at
least 6 or 7, reach for that
tube of sunscreen.
"It may not be as effective
for as long as it typically is
when the UV index is very
high," Greenfield said. Heat
can play a role in
reapplication needs, too.
"When it's super-hot out, we
need to wear more
sunscreen because we're
sweating it off," Kim said.
No matter what the
season, sunscreen is always
a good idea. "It should be
applied every day,
regardless of whether it
'feels hot' or not," Ugonabo
said. "Even on cloudy days,
up to 80% of the sun's
harmful UV rays can
penetrate the clouds."

SUNdAy, JUly 31, 2022
6
Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) conducted the first year admission examination for the second time on
Saturday.
Photo: Shahid Joy
JUST admission
exam held
Shahid Joy, Jashore
Correspondent : Jashore University
of Science and Technology (JUST)
conducted the first year admission
examination for the second time along
with other universities in a fair and
seamless cluster system. 3 thousand
861 students appeared for admission
test in 'A' unit on the first day of cluster
system admission test. Among them,
more than 96 percent of students have
appeared in JUST, the exam officials
said.
According to the GST integrated
admission test website, the
examination of the students who have
passed from science department was
held in 'A' unit on Saturday. Admission
test will be held from 12:00 noon to
1:00 p.m. for the students who have
passed the humanities section on
August 13, 'B' unit and commerce
section on August 20, 'C' unit.
JUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr.
Md. Anwar Hossain said, we have
received news from all over Bangladesh
A development and exchange meeting was held on Monday evening in Banaripara.
Case filed against gateman
Saddam Hossain in Ctg
CHATTOGRAM: Chattogram district police
filed a case against Saddam Hossain, a
Bangladesh Railway (BR) gateman, for
negligence his duty at the rail crossing that
resulted in the deaths of 11 people while a
train rammed into a microbus in Mirsharai
upazila of the district on Friday, reports BSS.
Mohammad Jahir, assistant sub-inspector
of Chattogram Railway Police, filed the case
against Saddam Hussain, who is now in
police custody, on Saturday.
The case was filed under Section 304 of the
Penal Code on charges of deaths due to
negligence, Chattogram Railway Police
Superintendent Hasan Chowdhury said.
Khorshed Alam, sub-inspector of
Sitakunda Police Outpost in-charge, asked to
submit the report after investigation.
Police detained Saddam Hussain, the sole
suspect, for questioning after the incident.
The railway authorities said that the
gateman was appointed temporarily.
As many as 11 people including teachers
and students of a coaching centre were killed
and six others injured in a collision between
a microbus and a Mahanagar Prabhati train
at the Khoiyachhora Waterfall Rail Crossing
around 1:30 pm on Friday.
Truck driver and assistant killed
in Habiganj road accident
HABIGANJ: A truck driver and his assistant
were killed as another truck hit their truck in
Bahubal Upazila of the district early yesterday
morning, reports BSS.
In-charge of Shaistaganj Highway Thana
Salah Uddin said the identity of the deceased
could not be known immediately.He said the
accident occurred at Baganbari on Dhaka-
Sylhet Highway at around 5 am. As the driver
and the helper were doing repairing works
underneath the truck parking it on the
Annual tea tasting was held in Sreemangal on Saturday by Bangladesh Tea
Board.
Photo: Sayed Ahmed
- the second batch test was completed
very smoothly. Two candidates with
special needs and one seriously ill
examinee participated in JUST Center,
we ensured their necessary facilities. At
the same time, he expressed his sincere
thanks and gratitude to all concerned
including Jashore District
Administration, Police Administration,
JUST Chhatra League, Journalists'
Association, Support Organizations for
successfully completing the admission
test of JUST.
Photo: S. Mizanul Islam
1.25 kg heroin seized
in C'nawabganj
CHAPAINAWABGANJ:
Members of Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB) seized 1.25 kg
of heroin from
Chapainawabganj sadar
upazila last night, reports BSS.
On a tip-off, an operation
team of RAB-5 from
Chapainawabganj camp
conducted a raid at Bablabona
village under Sundarpur
union of the upazila at around
9 pm and found the heroin in
an abandoned condition, RAB
sources said.
Annual Tea Tasting of
Bangladesh Tea Board
held in Sreemangal
Sayed Ahmed, Sreemangal
Correspondent : The annual
tea tasting of Bangladesh Tea
Board was held at Sreemangal
in Moulvibazar. It was
inaugurated by Bangladesh Tea
Board Chairman Major General
Md Ashraful Islam, NDC, PSC,
at the tea tasting room of
Bangladesh Tea Research
Institute on Saturday.
Acting Director of Bangladesh
Tea Research Institute Md.
Ismail Hossain presided over
the event where Acting Director
of Project Development Unit Dr.
AKM Rafiqul Haque was
present as a guest.In the event,
representatives of tea gardens
located in different parts of the
country were present with their
produced tea and participated in
the tasting. Acting director and
chief scientist of Bangladesh.
300 bitter gourd plants
cut down by miscreants
in Morrelganj
M Palash Sharif, Morrelganj
Correspondent: In
Morrelganj of Bagerhat,
miscreants cut down 300
fruiting gourd trees
belonging to farmer Raju
Molla (28). Affected
farmer Raju Molla said
that his family cannot
survive by leading a
mosque on a salary of
4,500 taka. So for 15/20
years, the adversaries
ended everything by
providing sustenance for 5
people of the family
including old and sick
parents. The opponents
ended everything. This
time, I got a good yield by
cultivating gourds in 10
cut fields at my father's
house.
Development
and discussion
meeting held
in Banaripara
S. Mizanul Islam,
Banaripara
Correspondent: A
development and exchange
meeting was held on
Monday evening in the
auditorium of Rupali Life
Insurance's Banaripara
service cell. DMD
Development and
Administration Md.
Mozammel Hossain was the
chief guest on the occasion.
Barishal Divisional Office
GM Shaheen Mohammad
Masum presided over the
meeting. Special guests
Banaripara Service Cell
DGM (Development) S.
Mizanul Islam, AGM Syed
Nuruzzaman Palash,
Mahinur Begum,
Accountant A.Mannan
participated in the
discussion.
Human chain formed
in Sunamganj
AK Milon, Sunamganj Correspondent :
"Stop Communal Terrorism to Protect
Education, Culture and Humanity" protest
meeting and human chain held in Sunamganj
to demand proper investigation and justice of
these series of well-planned communal attacks,
including attacks on houses, temples,
vandalism of idols, arson, attacks on minority
Hindu community's houses, temples, etc. On
Saturday at noon, Bangladesh Udichi
Shilpigoshti district branch and Bangladesh
Mohila Parishad Sunamganj district branch
organized an hour-long human chain program
at Alfat Uddin Square (traffic point) of the city.
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Sunamganj
District Branch President Gauri Bhatracharya
and Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshti District
Parliament General Secretary Jahangir Alam
moderated the human bandh, District Udichi
Vice President Ramendra Kumar De Mintu,
Sunamganj District Women's Parish Vice
President Sanchita Chowdhury, Bangladesh
Communist Party Sunamganj District Branch
President Ed. Enam Ahmed, District Youth
Union President Abu Taher Mia, District
Student Union President Asad Mani etc. spoke
at this time. President of Sunamganj District
Women's Parishad Gauri Bhatracharya and
District CPB President Advocate Enam Ahmad
said, we want to speak from the place of Bengali
conscience, the Teesta river, the land of SM
Sultan, Narail was known to the world in a
different way. But today the world knows in a
different way about the atrocities like attacks on
teachers, killing of shoe garlands, attacks on
several houses of Hindu community, attacks on
temples, vandalism and arson and sexual
harassment in the birthplace of SM Sultan and
the fertile ground of culture and harmony. They
said that when the people of Sylhet Sunamganj,
Sylhet division were affected by the floods,
when people were fighting for their livelihood as
well as safe shelter, then some class of people in
the society jumped to attack, kill, lie on the
minority teachers of communal harmony and
Miscreants cut down 300 fruiting bitter gourd trees in Morrelganj on
Saturday.
Photo: M Palash Sharif
1400 meter road inaugurated
in Mahadevpur
M. Shakhawath Hossain, Mahadevpur
Correspondent: Inauguration and
discussion meeting of 1400 meter herring
bone bond road was held in Mahadevpur of
Naogaon on Saturday in Hasanpur
Purbapara village of upazila.
Alhaj Md Salim Uddin Tarafder Salim,
Member of Parliament of Naogaon-3
(Mahadevpur and Badalgachi) Constituency
spoke as the chief guest in the discussion
meeting held at the ground of Hasanpur
Government Primary School under the
chairmanship of Joint General Secretary of
Upazila Awami League SM Jahangir Alam
Tota. Upazila Parishad Chairman Ahsan
Habib Bhodan, Mahadevpur Police Station
people were arrested and sent to jail, attacks on
houses and temples of minorities and arson
were born in various places including Narail of
the country.
In 1971, at the call of the Father of the Nation,
Bangabandhu, against the oppression of the
Pakistan government, seven and a half million
people, who were identified as Bengalis, took
part in the liberation war risking their lives to
establish a red and green Bangladesh on an
independent land. At that time, three million
martyrs sacrificed their lives in exchange for the
honor of two million mothers in the
independent Bangladesh; today one after
another incident of communal violence is
happening. They said that the attack on the
teachers at the behest of whom, the attack on
the houses in the Hindu village and the burning
of the houses did not come to the notice of the
government. Why did the Bengali nation not
have to see the incident of communal attack
today on the golden jubilee of independence,
even if the communal groups have been
attacking for 50 years of independence? They
said that two hundred years ago, people who
took part in the movement against the colonial
rule of the British had no religious identity, in
the language movement of 1952, there was no
religion and ethnic identity. We had only one
identity that we are Bengalis. We still believe in
the spirit of the liberation war of 71, Hindus,
Muslims, Buddhists and Christians have been
living together in this country. But the
communal groups are gradually increasing
their strength and are continuing to attack
well-planned minorities on the pretext of
insulting religion in different parts of the
country, as a result of these attacks, we
remembered where was the spirit of our
freedom war in 71, where men, women,
Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians,
our entire population was identified as we are
Bengalis. But several years ago in Narayanganj,
a teacher was harassed by a privileged child of
a political family.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Azam Uddin
Mahmud, Mahadevpur Sadar UP Chairman
Syed Hasan Tarafdar Shakeel, Upazila
Awami League Senior Vice President Golam
Noorani Alal, Vice President Badiuzzaman
Badi, Upazila Awami League Joint General
Secretary Babul Chandra Ghosh,
Organizing Secretary Anwar Hossain
Mondal, Emdadul Haque, Finance
Secretary Alhaj Moazzem Hossain, Hafiqul
Haque Bakul and others were present as
special guests. Among others, brave
freedom fighter Abdul Mannan, Union
Awami League Vice President Abdul
Hannan spoke at the event moderated by
Kudrat e Khudar.
1400 meter road was inaugurated in Mahadevpur on Saturday. Photo: M. Shakhawath Hossain

SunDAy, JuLy 31, 2022
7
Tunisian President Kais Saied meets with Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi.
Tunis summons US envoy over
criticism of constitutional vote
TUNIS : Tunisia's foreign ministry
summoned the US charge d'affaires
on Friday to denounce
"unacceptable" statements by
American officials criticising this
week's constitutional referendum and
the country's political development,
reports BSS.
The ministry said in a statement
that it had called Natasha Franceschi,
currently the top official at the US
embassy, to its headquarters over
recent remarks by Secretary of State
Antony Blinken and American
ambassadorial nominee Joey Hood.
In the statement, foreign minister
Othman Jerandi slammed the
"unacceptable interference in internal
national affairs" and expressed
"amazement" at the US officials'
criticism, which he said did not "at all
reflect the reality of the situation in
Tunisia".
Iran flooding
kills 24 people
in two days
TEHRAN : Two days of
flooding near the Iranian
capital have killed at least 24
people and another 19 are
still missing, officials said on
Friday, reports BSS.
"Because of strong rain and
floods in the village of
Emamzadeh Davoud to the
west and the Firouzkouh,
Roudehen and Damavand
regions east of Tehran, 24
people are dead," a Red
Crescent statement said.
"A search and rescue
operation for 19 missing
persons is ongoing," it added.
The flash flooding near
Tehran, in the foothills of the
Alborz mountains, comes
less than a week after floods
in the normally dry south of
Iran left 22 people dead.
Largely arid Iran has
suffered from repeated
drought over the past decade,
but also from regular
flooding after torrential
rainfall.
In Firouzkouh east of the
capital 10 people lost their
lives, 12 were injured and 16
are missing, Tehran
Governor Mohsen Mansouri
told state television.
He said the area "suffered
the most damage because of a
mountain landslide".
A preliminary official toll
on Thursday put the number
of dead at seven with 14
missing in Emamzadeh
Davoud, a tourist destination
just outside Tehran, and the
Damavand region.
On Friday, Interior
Minister Ahmad Vahidi told
state television the flooding
had hit 18 provinces, among
them Alborz, Isfahan,
Markazi, Tehran and Yazd.
He said that in Yazd in
central Iran, "roads were
flooded, especially in the old
city", a UNESCO world
heritage site.
The Red Crescent warned
people in an SMS message
sent on Thursday to avoid
rivers and mountainous
areas until Monday.
A few hours earlier, Jerandi had
met with President Kais Saied, who
expressed his "rejection of any form
of interference in the internal affairs
of the country".
Saied was referring to statements,
mainly from US officials, criticising
the recent referendum on a new
constitution, which was approved
Monday by nearly 95 percent of
voters, albeit with a turnout of just
30.5 percent.
The new constitution grants almost
unlimited power to the president, and
Saied's rivals had called for a boycott
of the vote.
Blinken on Thursday voiced
concerns that the "new constitution
could weaken Tunisia's democracy
and erode respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms".
Noting the low turnout, he added:
"An inclusive and transparent reform
process is crucial going forward to
begin to restore the confidence of the
millions of Tunisians who either did
not participate in the referendum or
opposed the new constitution."
Hood, meanwhile, told the Senate
Foreign Affairs Committee in a
hearing on Wednesday that Tunisia
had recently "experienced an
alarming erosion of democratic
norms and fundamental freedoms".
"President Kais Saied's actions over
the past year to suspend democratic
governance and consolidate executive
power have raised serious questions,"
he added.
The US has been increasingly
critical of Saied, who dissolved
parliament and seized control of the
judiciary and the electoral
commission on July 25 last year,
arguing the country was
ungovernable.
Democratic Del. Danielle Walker of Monongalia County speaks to a crowd
protesting a sweeping abortion ban bill making its way through the West
Virginia Legislature at the state Capitol on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 in
Charleston, W.Va.
Photo: AP
WVa delays chance to pass 1st
new bill since abortion ruling
CHARLESTON: West Virginia lawmakers
passed up the chance Friday to become the
first state to approve new legislation restricting
access to abortions since the U.S. Supreme
Court's ruling last month removing its
protected status as a constitutional right,
reports BSS.
The Republican-dominated Senate adopted
its version of a bill along with amendments,
one of which removes criminal penalties for
physicians who perform illegal abortions. Late
Friday night the House of Delegates, which
passed its bill Wednesday, refused to concur
with the Senate amendments, instead asking
for a conference committee to iron out
differences among the bills.
Both chambers then adjourned until they are
called back sometime next month.Several
GOP-led states had "trigger" abortion bans in
place in advance of the court ruling, but West
Virginia lawmakers are taking action because
of legal uncertainty over whether a ban from
the 1800s that was upended by the 1973 Roe v.
Wade decision could be enforced now.
As in other states dominated by socially
conservative lawmakers, there's not much
question about whether abortion will be
banned generally now that states have the
power to do so - but whether the ban will apply
to pregnancies caused by rape or incest.
In South Carolina, a ban without the
exceptions has been introduced. In Arkansas,
outgoing GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson would
prefer to add them to the ban that's already in
effect, but he has balked at asking lawmakers
to address the issue in a special session.
The high-profile example of a 10-year-old
rape victim in Ohio, a state without an
exception for rape in its abortion restrictions,
who traveled to Indiana for an abortion has
amplified the debate.
Tension over the question gripped the
Indiana Senate in a session that began
Thursday and finally wrapped up after
midnight. A final vote there is expected
Saturday on the bill, which includes exceptions
for rape and incest.
The West Virginia bill, which some
lawmakers have complained was not vetted by
any Senate committees, would ban abortions
except in case of rape or incest.
The Senate approved an amendment
sponsored by a physician, Kanawha County
Republican Tom Takubo, that removes
criminal penalties of three to 10 years upon
conviction for any medical provider who
performs an abortion.
Takubo said the bill already would subject a
physician to the difficult loss of their license for
performing an illegal abortion. He also said
West Virginia already has problems retaining
medical professionals, and if the criminal
penalties are retained it could have a chilling
effect on the practice.
Another approved amendment offered by
Greenbrier County Democrat Stephen
Baldwin would allow a minor to report a rape
to someone covered as a "mandated reporter,"
such as a pastor or school counselor, who
would be required to report the case to
authorities. The House version requires law
enforcement to be directly contacted.
Photo: Tunisian Presidency
Elon Musk fires
back at Twitter
in court battle
WASHINGTON : Elon
Musk on Friday filed claims
against Twitter as he fights
back against the tech firm's
lawsuit demanding he be
held to his $44 billion
buyout deal, reports BSS.
Musk's counter-suit was
submitted along with a legal
defense against Twitter's
claim that the billionaire is
contractually bound to
complete the deal he inked
in April to buy Twitter, the
Chancery Court in the state
of Delaware said in a notice.
The 164-page filing was
submitted as being
"confidential," meaning the
documents were not
accessible by the public, the
notice indicated.
Rules of the court,
however, require Musk to
submit a public version of
the filing with trade secrets
or other sensitive
information redacted.
A judge has ordered a fiveday
trial over Twitter's
lawsuit against Musk to
begin on October 17.
The Tesla boss wooed
Twitter's board with a
$54.20 per-share offer, but
then in July announced he
was "terminating" their
agreement on accusations
the firm misled him
regarding its tally of fake and
spam accounts.
Twitter, whose stock price
closed at $41.61 on Friday,
has stuck by its estimates
regarding accounts run by
software "bots" rather than
people, and argued that
Musk is contriving excuses
to back out of the contract.
The social media platform
has urged shareholders to
endorse the deal, setting a
vote on the merger for
September 13.
Ukraine's Zelensky calls
prison strike 'deliberate
Russian war crime'
KYIV : President Volodymyr
Zelensky said Friday the
shelling of a prison in the
separatist-controlled east
holding Ukrainian
servicemen was a "deliberate
Russian war crime" that had
claimed more than 50 lives,
reports BSS.
"Today I received
information about the attack
by the occupiers on Olenivka
(the prison's location), in the
Donetsk region. It is a
deliberate Russian war
crime, a deliberate mass
murder of Ukrainian
prisoners of war. More than
50 dead," he said in his daily
address.
Russia and Moscowbacked
separatists had
earlier on Friday accused
Kyiv's forces of striking the
jail, saying dozens of people
died and scores were
wounded.
Ukraine denied targeting
civilian infrastructure or
prisoners of war.
Russian television showed
what appeared to be
destroyed barracks and
tangled metal beds.
16 dead in Kentucky flooding,
toll expected to rise
JACKSON : Search and rescue teams were
using boats and helicopters on Friday to look
for survivors of flash floods caused by
torrential rains which killed at least 16 people
in the Appalachia region of eastern
Kentucky, reports BSS.
Andy Beshear, governor of the southcentral
US state, warned that the death toll
from the severe flooding was likely to "get a
lot higher."
Beshear said six of the 16 confirmed dead
were children including four from the same
family.
Kentucky National Guard helicopters, Fish
and Wildlife boats and a flotilla of volunteers
were scouring flood-hit areas on Friday for
residents stranded on rooftops and even
clinging on to trees.
Hundreds of people have been rescued by
boat since the flooding began Wednesday
evening and there have been about 50 aerial
rescues using National Guard helicopters, he
said.
With many roads washed out "we still can't
get to a lot of people," the governor said.
"The current is so strong it's not safe for
some of those water rescues that we need to
do."
The impoverished Appalachia region of
eastern Kentucky has had flash flooding
previously, Beshear noted, "but we've never
seen something like this."
"Folks who deal with this for a living, who
have been doing it for 20 years, have never
seen water this high," he said.
"Some people's houses were completely
swept away in the middle of the night while
they were sleeping."
Some areas reported receiving more than
Elon Musk on Friday filed claims against Twitter as he fights back against the tech
firm's lawsuit demanding he be held to his $44 billion buyout deal. Photo: Reuters
Sri Lanka police arrest man
for stealing president's flags
COLOMBO : - Police said Saturday they
arrested a Sri Lankan trade union leader who
allegedly took two official flags from the
deposed president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's
palace and used them as a bedsheet and a
sarong, reports BSS.
Tens of thousands of people, incensed by the
island nation's economic crisis, stormed
Rajapaksa's residence and seafront office
earlier this month, forcing the leader to flee the
country and later resign.
The man's arrest on Friday night comes after
a social media post showed him using one of
the official presidential flags as a bedsheet and
the other as a sarong, a police officer told AFP,
on condition of anonymity.
"We identified him from the videos filmed
and posted by his son," the officer said.
"He told investigators that he burnt one flag
and we have recovered the one he used as a
sarong."
The man was remanded in custody for two
weeks pending further investigations, the
officer added.
Sri Lanka's 22 million people have endured
months of lengthy blackouts, record inflation
and shortages of food, fuel and petrol.
Rajapaksa had been blamed by protesters for
mismanaging the nation's finances and public
anger had simmered for months before the
mass demonstrations that forced his ouster.
Soon after protesters overran the
Presidential Palace, there were social media
posts of them frolicking in the presidential pool
and bouncing on four-poster beds inside the
sprawling compound.
The nearby Temple Trees compound, the
official prime minister's residence, was also
overrun on the same day and protesters had
removed televisions and other valuables.
Police said an inventory was being taken at
the colonial-era buildings which are
repositories of valuable art and antiquities.
But protesters also turned over to
authorities around 17.5 million rupees
($46,000) in crisp banknotes that had been
found in one of the presidential palace's
rooms.
Rajapaksa's successor, Ranil
Wickremesinghe, has vowed a tough line on
"trouble-makers" and police have arrested
several protest leaders in recent days.
Parliament extended a state of emergency
this week, giving the military sweeping powers
to maintain order and detain suspects for long
periods.
The military last week demolished a protest
camp outside the president's office that had
campaigned for Rajapaksa's ouster-a move
that drew international condemnation
accusing troops of using excessive force on
unarmed demonstrators.
Uber courts drivers by
letting them pick rides
SAN FRANCISCO :Uber on Friday said it will
let drivers in the United States see trip details
before deciding whether to accept them-a
new feature long sought by drivers, reports
BSS.
A common lament by drivers at the appsummoned
ride platform has been that they
have to accept a request before learning
where trips will take them, or how profitable
they will be.
"Our new trip request screen makes it
easier for drivers to decide if a trip is worth
their time and effort by providing all the
details-including exactly how much they'll
earn and where they're going-upfront," chief
executive Dara Khosrowshahi said in a blog
post.Revealing details only once a driver had
eight inches (20 centimeters) of rain in a 24-
hour period.
The water level of the North Fork of the
Kentucky River at Whitesburg rose to a
staggering 20 feet within hours, well above
its previous record of 14.7 feet.
The weather forecast for the next several
days calls for a brief respite over the weekend
with heavy rain predicted to resume on
Monday.
Disaster declaration -
Many roads resembled rivers and mangled
cars and trucks littered the landscape or
floated in muddy brown floodwaters.
Some houses were almost completely
submerged in low-lying areas with just their
rooftops visible.
Kayla Brown, 29, and Joe Salley Jr., 56,
residents of Perry County, told the Lexington
Herald-Leader that the fast-rising flood
waters trapped them in their mobile home.
"It was like a wave coming at you out of the
ocean," Salley said.
Neighbors came to their rescue after their
trailer was knocked off its foundations.
Four young children ranging in age from
one and a half to eight years old were swept
away from their parents in hard-hit Knott
County, the Herald-Leader reported.
Brittany Trejo, the siblings' cousin, told
the newspaper their parents were rescued
after clinging to a tree for eight hours.
"They managed to get to a tree and... held
the children a few hours before a big tide
came and washed them all away," Trejo
said.The eastern Kentucky flooding is the
latest in a series of extreme weather events
that scientists say are an unmistakable sign
of climate change.
accepted a trip was seen as a way to ensure
riders would get picked up promptly, and not
be snubbed because they were headed to
locations deemed undesirable by drivers.
But Khosrowshahi said drivers have made
it clear that they want more flexibility and
choice.Uber said the new feature, called
Upfront Fares, was tested in several cities
and was a success with drivers while
resulting in shorter wait times for
passengers.The ride-sharing firm will also
shift from sending drivers a single ride
request at a time, to letting them pick from a
list of detailed passenger requests in an area.
Uber is engaged in a long-term effort to
prove that its business model is socially and
economy viable.

FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022
8
Mercantile Bank held "Half Yearly
Business Review Conference-2022"
The "Half Yearly Business Review
Conference-2022" of Mercantile Bank
Limited was held at Bank's Head Office
on virtual platform yesterday.The Head
of 151 branches, In-charges of 25
Uposhakhas, Zonal Heads and Head of
Divisions participated in the
conference. Morshed Alam M.P.,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of
the bank was the chief guest while
Managing Director & CEO Md.
Quamrul Islam Chowdhury presided
over the conference, a press release
said.
A. S. M. Feroz Alam, Vice Chairman;
Md. Anwarul Haq, Chairman,
Executive Committee; M. Amanullah,
Chairman, Risk Management
Committee; M. A. Khan Belal,
Chairman, Mercantile Bank Securities
US House passes bill
to boost domestic
chip manufacturing
WASHINGTON : The US
House of Representatives
passed a bill on Thursday to
boost domestic production of
semiconductors, the indemand
microchips that
power everything from
smartphones to cars and
weapons, reports BSS.
The CHIPS Act was
approved by the House in a
243-187 vote with 24
Republicans joining
Democrats and now goes to
President Joe Biden for his
signature.
Biden had lobbied strongly
for passage of the bill, which
will increase US
competitiveness with major
chip-maker China. He
welcomed its approval, saying
it will "lower the costs of every
day goods."
"And, it will create highpaying
manufacturing jobs
across the country and
strengthen US leadership in
the industries of the future at
the same time," the president
said in a statement.
"By making more
semiconductors in the United
States, this bill will increase
domestic manufacturing and
lower costs for families," he
said. "And, it will strengthen
our national security by
making us less dependent on
foreign sources of
semiconductors."
The legislation provides $52
billion to increase domestic
semiconductor production
and more than $100 billion
over five years for research and
development.
The CHIPS Act was passed
on Wednesday in the Senate
by a rare bipartisan vote of 64
to 33, with 17 Republicans
joining hands with Democrats.
Global semiconductor
supplies were disrupted by
fallout from Covid-19
shutdowns, sparking
widespread shortages of the
chips-many of which are made
in Asia.
Worldwide chip shortages
notably slowed production of
new automobiles last year,
causing prices to increase.
Passage of the CHIPS Act by
the House came shortly after a
lengthy telephone call between
Biden and Chinese President
Xi Jinping.
China criticized details of the
bill earlier Thursday.
Foreign ministry
spokesman Zhao Lijian said
that while the act "claims to be
aimed at improving the
competitiveness of US
technology and chips, (it)
contains provisions that
restrict normal scientific and
technological cooperation
between China and the United
States.
Ltd. and Mohammad Abdul Awal
Director spoke as special guests in the
conference.
Bank's Chairman thanked the heads
of branches, Uposhakhas and divisions
for their courageous presence facing
Corona Pandemic to ensure banking
services. He expected that the
executives and officers of the bank
could devote themselves to uphold the
bank to the top with innovative
thinking and persevering effort. He also
delivered a strategic work plan to reach
the Bank's expected business target for
the rest of the year with effective and
efficient management.
Md. Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, MD
& CEO of Mercantile Bank Ltd. advised
the Executives & Officers to ensure best
possible customer services with latest
technology based banking. He also
urged his colleagues to reach the
Mercantile Bank services to the
unbanked and underprivileged
population to make Mercantile Bank as
an "Enlightened Bank". Besides this,
the CEO suggested his teammates to
reach Mercantile Bank's 'Agent
Banking' and 'Islamic Banking
Window' services to the customers. He
also emphasizes to use the Bank's own
Digital Banking app 'MBL Rainbow' for
all kind of banking services.
Mati Ul Hasan, AMD, Md. Zakir
Hossain, Adil Raihan, Shamim Ahmed,
Hasne Alam and Md. Mahmood Alam
Chowdhury DMDs were also present.
Tapash Chandra Paul, PhD, Chief
Financial Officer of the bank
moderated the Business Session.
LankaBangla Finance signs agreements
with SME Foundation
Under the incentive package announced by
the government, an agreement has been
signed with LankaBangla Finance Limited
to distribute loans at the entrepreneurial
level from the 'revolving fund' made up of
discounted funds administrated by
Honorable Prime Minister in favor of the
SME Foundation. The signing of the
agreement was held recently at the Padma
Hall of Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in
Dhaka, a press release said.
In accordance with this agreement, a
'Revolving Fund' has been constituted in the
SME Foundation as per the advice of the
Finance Department. Entrepreneurs of
potential sectors, sub-sectors and clusters,
clientele groups, members of associations
and chambers and women entrepreneurs
will get loans from the revolving fund under
the credit wholesaling program of the
foundation.
Sheikh Mohammad Salim Ullah,
Secretary of the Financial Institutions
Department of the Ministry of Finance was
present as the chief guest at the contract
signing ceremony under the chairmanship
of SME Foundation Chairman. Professor
Dr. MD Masudur Rahman. Khairuzzaman
Mozumder, Additional Secretary of Finance
Division, Ministry of Finance; AKM Sajedur
Rahman Khan, Deputy Governor
Bangladesh Bank; Khwaja Shahriar,
Managing Director of Lankabangla Finance
Limited; Md. Kamruzzaman Khan, Head of
SME of Lankabangla Finance Limited and
officials of various banks and financial
institutions were present as a special guest.
Earlier for expansion of the loan program
in rural areas under the Financial Incentive
Package targeting Cottage & SME industries
to improve the quality of life of marginalized
people in rural areas during the Novel
Corona Virus situation (COVID-19) in
2020-21 and 2021-22, two financial years in
favor of the SME Foundation, a total of 300
(three hundred) crores of taka were
disbursed in two phases, which were
successfully distributed at the
entrepreneurial level before the specified
time.
Malawi claims $300 bn in mining
taxes from US company
LILONGWE : Malawi is claiming over $300
billion from United States company Columbia
Gem House for unpaid taxes on minerals
extracted from the country and exported to the
United States, the attorney general told AFP
Friday, reports BSS.
A July 26 letter from Malawi's attorney
general Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda to Columbia
Gem House accused the firm of evading duty
on sales of rubies and sapphires mined at its
Chimwadzulo Mine in Ntcheu, Malawi from
2008.
In an interview with AFP on Friday,
Nyirenda confirmed he authored the claim
letter."I confirm, it's from me," he said.
In the letter, Nyirenda alleges Nyala Mines
Limited, a Columbia Gem House subsidiary,
paid taxes of just $600 against projected $24
billion revenues from their Malawian
operation.He demanded the company pay
Malawi's government $309,600,000,000 in
taxes."Nyala Mines Limited and Columbia
Gem House breached (the law) when they
failed to disclose all income realised from the
investment and when they engaged in trade
mispricing and improper transfer pricing
techniques," the letter reads.Nyirenda said
Malawi could seek to prosecute Nyala Mines
Limited and Columbia Gem House and their
officers, along with anyone implicated in tax
evasion or export fraud schemes.
"It is Malawi's position that you dishonestly
changed the name of the mining company to
Nyala Mines Limited to disguise the origin of
the company, that is, so that the new name of
the company sounded local to avoid suspicion
and detection," Nyirenda wrote.
He accused both Nyala Mines and Columbia
Gem House of dishonestly exporting ruby and
sapphire from Malawi, and profiting by not
paying taxes and royalties due.
"I, therefore, demand from you the payment
of the said sum of US$309,600,000,000 plus
interest at the commercial lending rate from
the date the said taxes and royalties fell due to
the date of payment within 30 days," the letter
says.
There was no immediate comment from
either Nyala Mines Limited or Columbia Gem
House.
S&P cuts Ukraine
debt rating, saying
default near certain
WASHINGTON : S&P
Global Ratings on Friday cut
Ukraine's long-term debt
grade by three notches,
saying the recently
announced plan to defer
payments means a default is
"a virtual certainty."
The agency lowered the
rating to "CC" from "CCC+"
after the government
proposed deferring
payments on all external
debt obligations by 24
months, reports BSS.
The ratings outlook
remains negative which
"reflects our view that
Ukraine is likely to
implement its debt
restructuring plans, which
we consider tantamount to a
default," the statement said.
A group of Western
countries last week gave
their green light to Kyiv's
request to postpone interest
payments on its debt and
called on other creditors to
do so as well.
The governments said the
postponement of the debt
service would allow it to
prioritize funding for the
war effort.
The group, which includes
Britain, France, Germany,
Japan and the United States,
called on other countries
which have lent money to
Ukraine to join in the effort,
as well as bondholders.
S&P said private
bondholders have been
asked to vote on the
proposal by August 9.
The ratings agency noted
that the plan "does not
include any debt haircuts
and offers some
compensation
to
bondholders" but still would
consider the country in
default.
Spain inflation
hits 38-year high
in July: data
MADRID : Inflation in
Spain in July reached its
highest level in 38 years,
fuelled by runaway food
and energy prices, official
data showed on Friday,
reports BSS.
Consumer prices rose by
10.8 percent on an annual
basis this month, up from
10.2 percent in June and
the fastest rate since
September 1984, the
national statistics institute
INE said in a statement.
Like most of its
European neighbours,
Spain is battling an
unprecedented surge in
inflation as a result of the
economic fallout from the
war in Ukraine and the
reopening of economies
after coronavirus
lockdowns.
Already on Tuesday,
Economy Minister Nadia
Calvino warned that
inflation constituted "the
main challenge for the
Spanish economy."
Lenovo Launches ThinkCentre
Neo Desktops for Modern
Workspaces in Bangladesh
Lenovo, the global
technology leader, today
announced its new
'ThinkCentre neo' portfolio
of desktop computers in
India which includes
ThinkCentre neo 50s,
ThinkCentre neo 50t, and
ThinkCentre neo 30a 24.
ThinkCentre is known for
its enterprise-oriented
desktops, and this latest
range of "neo" machines
offers up to 14%
performance boost over the
previous generation. They
aim to enhance everyday
productivity with better
power management, spacesaving
design, and smarter
workplace collaboration
features, a press release
said.
ThinkCentre neo 50s is a
small form factor desktop
and ThinkCentre neo 50t is
a tower desktop, and both
of them offer benchmark
performance and high
responsiveness while
managing heavy-duty work.
They are powered by the
latest 12th Gen Intel®
Core processor, with
Intel® graphics, up to
64GB DDR4 memory, and
high-speed USB ports for
enhanced productivity and
effective collaboration at
the workplace. The
desktops are equipped with
the Intelligent Cooling
Engine (ICE 5.0) which
automatically adjusts the
CPU activity according to
the users' work modes, and
saves more than 20kw/u
power. It ensures an
immersive visual
experience with a 23.8-inch
FHD display featuring
super-slim bezels and also
has an anti-glare panel with
TÜV Low Blue Light and
Low-Frequency Flash
certifications, to reduce eye
fatigue during continuous
work. This desktop helps in
better workplace
collaboration with the AI
Meeting Manager for smart
online meetings, and the
Smart Voice technology for
customized audio and AIbased
noise cancellation to
filter out undesirable
background noise. It also
offers ThinkShield
solutions for end-to-end
data security, and an
optional Smart Cable Clip
to physically protect the
device against thefts.
Naveen Kejriwal, General
Manager, Overseas
Marketing - Consumer,
Commercial & Tablets, said
"At Lenovo, we work hard
to provide the newest, most
cutting-edge technology
that increases employee
productivity while lowering
expenses for businesses.
Our most recent
ThinkCentre neo desktop
computers are another step
in the right path. Extreme
multitaskers, company
executives,
and
ecopreneurs all find these
machines intriguing since
they are small, highperforming
machines with
cutting-edge workplace
collaboration features."
These latest business
desktops have a stylish and
modern design, with a
unique terrazzo finish for a
contemporary look.
ThinkCentre neo-50s is
built with 85% Post-
Consumer Recycled
Content (PCC), 90% Post-
Industrial Recycled Content
(PIC), and a painting-free
raw material.
The European Society for Quality Research (ESQR) has awarded Standard
Bank Limited with "The Quality Choice Prize 2022" in Gold category.
Honorable Managing Director & CEO of the bank Khondoker Rashed
Maqsoodreceived the award at the presentation ceremony of "Quality
Choice Prize 2022"held recently on July 2022 at the AC Hotel by Marriott,
Barcelona, Spainwith the attendance of representatives from 35 countries
and 43 award-winning companies in the presence of theinternational business
community. After receiving the award Maqsood; in his speech
thanked the ESQR authority for nominating Standard Bank for the prestigious
prize. He said "this award will inspire us to enhance our efforts in
coming days for ensuring service excellence in our organization".The
ESQR's Quality Choice Prize, run by the European Society for Quality
Research (ESQR), recognizes the companies, organizations, public administrations
with ethics and initiatives that demonstrate exceptional success
in quality management and that maximize the full potential of their services
through quality-oriented practices.
Photo: Courtesy
Chattogram North & South Zone and 2 corporate branches of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited
organized a webinar on 'Compliance of Shari'ah in Banking Operations' on 30 July 2022, Saturday
on virtual platform. Professor Dr. Md. Salim Uddin, FCA, FCMA, Chairman, Executive Committee of
the bank addressed the webinar as the chief guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing
Director was present as the special guest. Mufti Mohammad Muhibbullahil Baqee, Member of
Shari`ah Supervisory of Committee of the bank, addressed as the key discussant. Md. Shamsuddoha,
Executive Vice president of Shari'ah secretariat addressed the program. Presided over by Meah Md.
Barkat Ullah, Head of Chattogram South zone, Mohammad Nurul Hossain, Head of Chattogram
North also attended the program. Executives and officials under Chattogram north & south zone and
Agrabad & Khatungonj Corporate Branches attended the webinar.
Photo: Courtesy

SUNDAY, JUlY 31, 2022
9
Newcastle United's Chris Wood celebrates scoring their first goal with Jacob Murphy during the
pre-Season friendly between Newcastle United and Atalanta.
Photo: AP
Getting the right players matters most, not
the speed getting in players: Newcastle chief
SPoRTS DeSk
Eddie Howe admitted he has a dose of
transfer frustration just seven days
before Newcastle United head into
Premier League battle, reports UNB.
The Magpies recorded an impressive
1-0 win over Serie A side Atalanta at St.
James' Park on Friday evening thanks
to a Chris Wood penalty.
And while Howe was content with
what he saw from his current crop, he
has revealed that he had hoped for
better news on a frontline recruit
before now.
"I probably wouldn't have hoped to
have been in that situation but that's
the transfer window," Howe said.
"As I've said many times, there's no
certainty on anything. You want to get
business done early but time in
management has told me that rarely
happens and we have to be adaptable.
"The most important thing is we get
the right players, not the speed in
which we get the players in.
"We're working hard behind the
scenes to try and make that happen."
Howe continued: "I think there is a
slight frustration but not aimed at
anyone from our side. It's just an
understanding of the window and the
mechanics that go into making
transfers happen.
"There's a frustration that you want
to build your team and get the cohesive
nature working quickly.
"We hope we can do something but I
think we've shown tonight we do have
strength in depth."
Howe used the final weekend of the
summer to split his United squad into
two groups - and made sure all but one
of those players got 90 minutes under
their belt.
Kieran Trippier captained the side as
Nick Pope made his home debut and
fellow summer capture Sven Botman,
as well as Callum Wilson, Bruno
Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin,
sat it out. All will start against Bilbao
on Tyneside on Saturday afternoon.
United got off to a bright start
against their Italian foes with
youngster Elliot Anderson architectin-chief,
but had Pope to thank for
keeping things level, as he made a
sharp reaction save to deny Luis
Muriel.
In stark contrast to pre-season in
2021, Newcastle look fit and sharp,
implementing a new high press
brought in by Howe this summer.
And that high press, again led by
Anderson and Miguel Almiron, started
to win possession high up the pitch.
It was the youngster, coined the
Geordie Maradona by former manager
at Bristol Rovers, Joey Barton, who
created the opportunity for New
Zealander Wood to score from the
spot.
A short corner by Sean Longstaff saw
Anderson given the chance to create -
his quick feet were far too swift for the
visiting defense and he was felled in
the area. A clever move by a player
who looks to have a chance of making
his mark on the Premier League this
season.
Wood, who struggled for goals last
season, made no mistake from the
spot, sending Marco Sportiello the
wrong way for 1-0.
After the break, creator almost
turned scorer as Anderson produced a
crafty Cruyff turn on the edge of the
area before cracking left-footed toward
the bottom corner, only for the
outstretched Sportiello to deny.
The visitors threw on fresh legs
galore into the second 45 and it began
to tell as their influence increased, but
it was United who came closest to
adding to their lead as Almiron was
denied again by the impressive
Sportiello low down as he went in
search of goal seven of the summer.
While Almiron has looked good for
United, the star of the show is surely
Anderson, who has gone from heading
out the door to the Championship to
in-with-a-shout in the Premier League
this season.
And while the focus is on transfers,
the young lad from the banks of the
Tyne - Whitley Bay to be precise -
might well save the Public Investment
Fund of Saudi Arabia a pretty penny
this summer, should his performances
continue.
That doesn't stop Howe wanting
more, however.
And one name heavily linked with
United in recent days has been
Maxwell Cornet.
The Burnley forward, who can also
play left-back, has a reported
$21.3million release clause in his
Burnley deal.
Pendrith edges ahead of Finau for Rocket
Mortgage Classic lead
SPoRTS DeSk
Canadian rookie Taylor
Pendrith, making up for
lost time after a broken rib
sidelined him almost four
months, fired a 7-under par
65 on Friday to take a oneshot
lead in the PGA Tour
Rocket Mortgage Classic in
Detroit, Michigan.
Pendrith, chasing a first
US tour title, started the
day tied for the lead with
Tony Finau. With eight
birdies and one bogey at
Detroit Golf Club his 15-
under par total of 129 put
him one in front of the
American, who is coming
off a victory in the 3M Open
in Minnesota last week.
"I think today especially I
hit my driver really well, hit
a lot of fairways," said
Pendrith, who found 13 of
14 fairways. "And my
wedges were good. The
distances were pretty
consistent and gave myself
a lot of nice birdie putts."
He jumped out of the gate
with birdies at the first four
holes, rolling in an 11-footer
to start his round before
giving himself a tap-in at
the second.
Pendrith drained six- and
seven-foot birdie putts at
the third and fourth and
made another short one at
the seventh, picking up
three more birdies coming
in.
"The putter was great as
well," Pendrith said. "But if
you can get it in the
fairways here you can kind
of attack."
Finau rolled in a 19-foot
birdie putt at the second,
then didn't find another
birdie until the 10th, where
he drained a 10-footer.
That and a par save at 11
jump-started his round. He
birdied the 12th, 13th and
14th, then briefly grabbed a
share of the lead with a
birdie at 17, his bogey-free
66 giving him a 14-under
total of 130.
American Lee Hodges
was alone in third after a 66
for 132. Cameron Young,
Russell Henley and Stewart
Cink were tied for fourth on
134.
"Anytime you win, you
breed confidence," Finau
said. "I was just happy to
carry that confidence from
last week right into this
week."
Pendrith, ranked 237th in
the world, missed about 16
weeks after he was
diagnosed with a stress
fracture in a rib.
He'd optimistically hoped
the injury would keep him
off the course less than half
that time, especially since
he'd played well early in the
year.
"To have to sit out for
almost four months after
that really sucked, but
honestly, couldn't really do
much about it," Pendrith
said. "Just tried to stay
patient and know that it's
going to heal and I'll be
back at some point."
Taylor Pendrith makes a birdie putt on the fourth hole during the second
round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament. Photo: AP
Four wounded
in grenade
blast at Afghan
cricket match
SPoRTS DeSk
A grenade blast during a
match at Afghanistan's main
cricket stadium wounded
four spectators and briefly
halted the game on Friday,
officials and police said,
reports UNB.
The explosion happened
at a match between Pamir
Zalmi and Band-e-Amir
Dragons in the country's
domestic T20 league, held at
the Kabul International
Cricket Stadium.
Hundreds of people were
at the match on Friday, the
weekly holiday in
Afghanistan.
Kabul police spokesman
Khalid Zadran said the blast
was caused by a grenade,
adding that the game was
halted for a few minutes.
It injured four spectators,
said the Afghanistan Cricket
Board's chief executive
Naseeb Khan.
"The players, staff
members and foreigners are
all safe," he said on Twitter,
without offering details.
A top United Nations
official, Ramiz Alakbarov,
who was present at the
stadium condemned the
"atrocious attack," a UN
statement said.
"Today's blast is yet another
harrowing reminder of the
terrifying and sudden violence
that the population in
Afghanistan continues to be
exposed to," Alakbarov, UN
Humanitarian Coordinator
for Afghanistan, said in a
statement.
While levels of violence in
Afghanistan have fallen
since the Taliban's takeover
of the country in August last
year, the jihadist Islamic
State group has carried out
several bombings and gun
attacks in recent months.
This year's edition of the
Shpageeza Cricket Leagueits
eighth season-is the first
such tournament since the
Taliban seized power.
Vos wins stage 6, extends lead
in women’s Tour de France
SPoRTS DeSk
Marianne Vos of Team Jumbo-Visma kept a
firm grip on the leader's yellow jersey on the
women's Tour de France with victory in
Friday's sixth stage between Saint-Die-des-
Vosges and Rosheim, reports UNB.
The 35-year-old Dutch rider edged out
Team UAE Emirates' Marta Bastianelli and
Lotte Kopecky of Team SD Worx in the
sprint for the line at the end of the 128.6km
stage.
Lorena Wiebes, who won the opening
stage in Paris and triumphed again in
Thursday's stage five, finished 7min 34sec
behind her compatriot Vos after suffering a
nasty fall, along with Kopecky and Alena
Amialiusik, 24km from the finish.
It was a second stage win and fifth podium
in the six stages of the Tour for Vos who
extended her lead by 10 seconds. She is now
30 seconds ahead of Valcar's Italian rider
Silvia Persico and Katarzyna Niewiadoma of
Canyon/SRAM with two stages to come.
"It was quite a difficult race," said Vos.
"We had a good situation with Anna
Henderson in the breakaway. It was a big
breakaway and a strong chase, and (we had)
the Cote de Boersch two times which caused
some action... and it was also stretched out
on a pretty difficult descent.
"The rest of the girls, they kept me in the
front, kept me constantly out of the wind.
"They did a perfect job to keep me in front
and keep the speed really high until the last
corner and then I was in a good position.
"I also felt I was coming from the back so I
hoped I could keep it to the line."
Saturday's seventh stage could provide a
big shakeup as the Tour heads into the
mountains for the first time with three big
climbs and a 3,000 meters rise in altitude
between Selestat and Le Markstein in the
east of France.
The race ends on Sunday with a grand
finale up the iconic La Super Planche des
Belles Filles.
Another Dutch rider, Movistar's Annemiek
van Vleuten, a three-time winner of the Giro
d'Italia and time trial gold medallist at the
Tokyo Olympics, is lurking just 1min 28sec
behind Vos.
All the breakaways on the Tour so far have
come to nothing and the Alsace wine route
on Friday was equally unforgiving as the
riders took on four categorized climbs.
Trek-Segafredo pair Audrey Cordon-Ragot
and Elisa Longo Borghini led a breakaway
group of 14 riders which built a gap of two
minutes before being largely chased down on
the final climb with 10km to go.
The last survivor Marie Le Net was caught
in the descent to Rosheim, four kilometers
from the finish.
Vos positioned herself perfectly in the final
sprint and had too much power for
Bastianelli and Lopecky.
Team Jumbo Visma's Dutch rider Marianne Vos (C) celebrates as she
crosses the finish line to win the 6th stage of the new edition of the
Women's Tour de France cycling race.
Photo: AP
England's summer of love for the
Lionesses reaches Euro 2022 finale
SPoRTS DeSk
England manager Sarina Wiegman has
fulfilled her goal of using Euro 2022 to
fuel the nation's passion for women's
football and victory in Sunday's final
against Germany would consummate the
burgeoning love affair, reports UNB.
A tournament that has smashed
attendance records will get a fitting finale
with a crowd of 87,000 expected at
Wembley to set a new high for a final at a
European Championship in either the
men's or women's game.
Anticipation is reaching fever pitch in
England as the Lionesses look to end
their wait to win a first major
tournament.
Wiegman's team are unbeaten in 19
games since the Dutch coach, who led the
Netherlands to Euro glory on home soil
five years ago, took charge in September.
On top of a sold-out Wembley, a crowd
of 7,000 is set to congregate to watch the
final on big screens in London's Trafalgar
Square.
There have even been calls from
leading politicians for a national holiday
"day of celebration" should a 56-year wait
for either England's men or women to
win a major football tournament come to
an end at the weekend.
Outgoing Prime Minister Boris
Johnson encouraged England to "bring it
Sharma, Karthik lead India to 68-run
win against West Indies
SPoRTS DeSk
India extended their white ball
dominance over the West Indies with a
comprehensive 68-run victory in the
opening fixture of a five-match T20
International series at the Brian Lara
Stadium in Trinidad on Friday, reports
UNB.
Fresh from a 3-0 sweep of a One-Day
International series at Queen's Park
Oval, the tourists were at their most
dominant in posting a formidable 190
for six batting before easily restricting
the home side to 122 for eight in reply.
home," while Prince William expressed
the pride of the nation.
"We believe in you and will be with you
all the way!" the Duke of Cambridge said
on Twitter.
Such support for the sport shows how
far women's football in England has come
since it was banned by the Football
Association for nearly 50 years until 1970.
England's presence as a force in the
women's game has long been on the
cards. The Lionesses faltered at the
semifinal stage in each of the last three
major tournaments.
At club level, the riches of the men's
Premier League have allowed the big
clubs to invest heavily in turning the
Women's Super League into a destination
for the world's best players.
"For English women's football this is a
great moment. It's not only a month's
work, this is years and years of work,
investment, passion and commitment,"
said Arsenal women's Swedish manager
Jonas Eidevall.
Fittingly it is Germany, the European
nation that for so long led the drive in
professionalism and standards for
women's football that stand in the way of
England's history bid.
Germany have never lost in any of their
previous eight finals at the Euro,
including a 6-2 thrashing of England in
Captain Rohit Sharma, one of a
handful of first-choice players rested
from the ODI matches, laid the
foundation for his team's total with a
top-score of 64 off 44 balls with seven
fours and two sixes highlighting the
opener's composed effort.
Dinesh Karthik then gave the innings
important late impetus with an
unbeaten 41 off just 19 balls, his
unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 52
with Ravi Ashwin in the last four overs
seeming to drain the West Indies'
enthusiasm in the sweltering midday
the 2009 final.
"It's a classic game," said Germany boss
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. "It will be an
incredible final."
The hope for many is that the impact
lasts long after the final whistle under the
Wembley Arch.
Former Arsenal and England striker
Ian Wright called on the authorities to
seize the momentum of goodwill around
the game to ensure girls have just as
much access to football as boys in
schools.
The return of a European
Championship final to the home of
English football just 13 months after the
climax to Euro 2020 was marred by
chaotic scenes and violence as supporters
stormed the turnstiles also offers
women's football the chance to show how
its culture differs from the men's game.
Of the 488,000 to have attended
matches at Euro 2022 so far, 47 percent
have been female with nearly 100,000
children, according to figures released by
UEFA.
"You can see the audience is children
and happy people," said Sweden manager
Peter Gerhardsson in the aftermath of his
side's semifinal defeat.
Wiegman got her wish for a nation to be
hooked. Now they are waiting for one
more win.
heat.
Karthik's contribution earned him the
man of the match award.
"The way we finished off the innings
was great because we needed to hang in
there and get more than just a par score,"
said Sharma after the match in paying
tribute to Karthik's late surge.
"We also want keep on trying different
things at various stages of the innings to
improve our overall game."
Pacer Alzarri Joseph claimed two
expensive wickets but Akeal Hosein was
by far the pick of the Caribbean bowlers.

sUNdAY, JULY 31 2022
10
Tisha returning on big screen
with ‘Roktojoba’
TBT REPORT
Popular actress Nusrat
Imroz Tisha has been
absent from the acting
arena for a long time due to
maternity. But before
taking a break, she did
some work. One of them is
a movie called 'Roktojoba'.
Directed by Niamul Mukta,
this movie has recently
received censor clearance.
Tisha played the lead role in
it.
About acting, Tisha said,
'This is a good story movie.
That's why I played it with
interest. Apart from this,
everything from its
construction to other
aspects was also beautiful.
So the audience will be
interested in it. I am
optimistic about the success
of the movie'.
Lutfor Rahman George,
Shilpi Sarkar Apu, Raj,
Joyita Mahalanbeesh etc.
played other roles in this
movie.
The director said that it
will be released in theaters
next September.
Meanwhile, another movie
starring Tisha is awaiting
release. It is Bangabandhu's
biopic 'Mujib: The Making
of a Nation ' directed by
Indian filmmaker Shyam
Benegal. Apart from this,
Tisha has started acting in
another movie named
'Dhaka 2040' directed by
Dipankar Dipon. But its
work is not over yet. After a
break, Tisha said that she
will return to acting this
year.
Shakira refuses to settle with Spanish
prosecutor to end tax fraud case
Latin American superstar Shakira
has rejected a settlement offered
by the prosecutor in her 14.5-
million-euro Spanish tax fraud
case and is now a step closer to
going to trial, her media team said
on Wednesday.
The Colombian singer - who has
sold more than 80 million records
worldwide with hits such as Hips
Don't Lie - has always met all of
her tax obligations, a statement
said. She considers the case "a
total violation of her rights," it
said.
"The singer is fully confident of
her innocence and therefore does
not accept a settlement," the
statement said. The terms of the
proposed settlement were not
disclosed. The prosecutor's office
in Barcelona did not reply to a
request for comment.
Shakira is accused of failing to
pay up 14.5 million euros ($14.7
million) in tax income between
2012 and 2014, a period in which
Shakira's representatives say she
did not live in Spain.
The 45-year-old singer - dubbed
"the Queen of Latin Music" - says
she moved to Barcelona in 2015,
where she lived with FC Barcelona
soccer club defender Gerard
Pique. They have two children and
recently separated.
Shakira says even though her
legal team disagreed about the
alleged debt, she paid the 17.2
million that the Spanish tax office
claimed she owed so she has had
no outstanding debt with the tax
authorities for many years.
The court still has to formally
send her to stand trial and set a
date.
Source: Collider
Habib with new film on Selina Hossain’s ‘Japito Jibon’
TBT REPORT
Habibul Islam Habib is one of the
popular playwrights, directors and
producers of the country. As a director,
Habib has earned huge acclamation for
his short films. Habib is now making a
film based on noted writer Selina
Hossain's novel 'Japito Jibon' with the
same title. The shooting of the
government- funded film is likely to
begin in September this year.
About the film, Habib said, "The story
of the film 'Japito Jibon' is based on the
Partition of Bengal in 1947 and the
Language Movement in 1952. Selina
Hossian depicts the scenario of Bengal
Partition and Language Movement
be released in theatres on February 21 in formed a drama group named
wonderfully in her novel 'Japito Jibon'. I
2023," Habib added.
'Prekkhapat' with his friends and
hope the story of the film will touch the
'Japito Jibon' is the second film of relatives. The play 'Lately he is a
audience heart."
Habib. His first movie 'Ratrir Jatri' Gentleman' was brought by the theater
"Hopefully, the shooting of the film will
starring Moushumi and Anisru Rahman troupe. The play is written and directed
begin in September. Now, the preshooting
activities, including selecting
Milon was released in 2019.
by Habibul Islam Habib. The play was
Actually, Habib is a short film and well received by the audience. Then, he
cast and locations are going on. Already,
drama maker. He started working as a came up with another anti-authoritarian
we have received fund for the film from
director in the nineties. In that time, he drama 'Around the Barricade'.
information ministry. I hope the film will
‘Oh My God’
now streaming
on Bongo
TBT REPORT
OTT platform Bongo is now steaming
the Bangla dubbed Indian Tamillanguage
romantic fantasy film 'Oh My
Kadavule' under the titled 'Oh My God'.
Ashwath Marimuthu directed the film,
and the story was written by him too.
The story revolves around two
childhood friends, Anu and Arjun,
decide to get married.
Arjun the story's protagonist is a
confused carefree young man who has a
close friendship with Anu & Mani. One
Day in a friendly drinking session Anu
out of the blue, asks for the hand of
Arjun & that's the start of a rocky road
of marriage.
At first, Arjun feels nothing wrong
with being hitched to Anu. But then
suddenly realize that he has no
romantic feelings for Anu by heart.
Now how will he resolve the tangled
relationship? When Arjun struggled
with Anu, his childhood crush Meera
entered their life. Little did
He knew what would come in his
bittersweet life of loveless marriage! If
you want to know what happened, How
God came to rescue Arjun, or for Anu,
you have to watch the movie of the
week, on Bongo.
Director Ashwath Marimuthu said,
"Half of life's troubles start with getting
married. And the other Half is trouble
after marriage. So, this time, our story is
about the dilemma of an unclued young
man getting accidentally married and
looking for a second chance to back out
of the mistakes. And his urge for a
second chance in life is responded to by
God Himself (God's role played by Vijay
Sethupati). What will happen next?
Watch Bongo to enjoy the hilarious,
fun-packed romantic comedy with a
pinch of fantasy 'Oh My Kadavule aka
Oh My God."
Russo Brothers would love to see Priyanka as new ‘Captain Marvel’
Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently the biggest yet
most loved film franchise. Over the years many
superheroes were introduced and among them was
Captain Marvel. The character helped some women
connect with her and find her inspirational. Currently,
Brie Larson portrays the role but Russo Brothers feel this
Bollywood beauty will be perfect if the studio ever needs a
replacement.
Brie's character was first introduced in the 2019 film
and later she appeared in a number of projects. Most
recently she appeared at the end of Ms. Marvel. She will
be next seen in The Marvels along with Iman Vellani's
Kamala Khan and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau.
Coming back to the topic, Anthony and Joe Russo aka
the Russo Brothers were recently in India for the premiere
of their latest Netflix film The Gray Man featuring
Dhanush, Chris Evans, and Ryan Gosling. Dancer &
Content Creator Awaz Darbar's video is now going viral
where he asked them to choose between Deepika
Padukone and Priyanka Chopra as the new Captain
Marvel.
Without any hesitation, The Russo Brothers were quick
to choose Priyanka Chopra and said, "We have to pick
Priyanka. (We are) Huge fans, big fans. We are very good
friends. We are working on a project. We are producing a
show, Citadel."
This is not the first time when Avengers: Endgame
directors have appreciated PeeCee. Earlier talking with
The Indian Express, they said, "She's an incredible star. I
mean I think she has been amazing. We just had a table
read of the show a couple of days ago and it was fantastic."
Meanwhile, The Russo Brothers recently announced
The Gray Man spin-off with Ryan Gosling. While
Priyanka Chopra will be seen in two Hollywood projects
that include, Ending Things and It's All Coming Back
along with a Hindi film, Jee Le Zaraa with Katrina Kaif
and Alia Bhatt.
Source: Bollywood Hangama.
H O R O s c O P E
ARIEs
Today your intellectual and
expressive abilities should receive a
boost from the planets. It's an
excellent time to organize your thoughts about
presenting a project to a possible collaborator,
engage in trade, or write. In terms of your
private life, it's also a good time to examine the
latest events, certain aspects of which are still
partially misunderstood.
TAURUs
Overall, the forecast for today is fairly
good. The aspects seem to favor figuring
out the meaning of all that's transpired
over the past several weeks. It's an
opportunity for you to take a leisurely look at the
distance you've covered moving toward your goals.
Since it's an auspicious day for social activities, why not
get together with friends and discuss the latest events
with them?
GEMINI
Have you felt somewhat lost for the past
few days? The fog may lift today and
enable you to situate yourself at last.
You're probably eager to settle a
question that has nagged at you and interfered with
your judgment. However, you should be patient,
especially if it has to do with emotional matters. Try
to understand, but don't take immediate action.
You'll be more objective beginning tomorrow.
cANcER
You may have been feeling somewhat
disillusioned. Perhaps you lost sight of
your goals or misplaced your faith in
yourself. You'll feel some relief
beginning today. This is an opportunity to end what
has been a somewhat apathetic and moody phase
and begin a new one that's based on work and
meditation. As you can imagine, this new phase will
be much more fulfilling!
LEO
You might be tempted to settle certain
matters by radical means. The
visionary part of you means you're
painfully aware of the world's wrongs.
You see no reason not to take action to correct them.
But the forces in play are so powerful that you can't
expect to institute a new order in one day. If you
have an emotional question to resolve, it would be
better to wait a few days before making a decision.
VIRGO
Today will be fairly calm in terms of
outside events, but your inner world is
likely to be in a rush of activity. Today you
wish you could find the solution to your
heartaches as well as your career predicaments. You'd
like to achieve some supreme understanding of the
events that took place over the past month. First you
must force your brain to slow down. Haste makes
waste, as you know!
LIBRA
You have a lot of thinking to do about
your professional goals, Libra. You'll go
over the elements to see if there isn't
some way to approach things differently.
Are there new paths you could try or ways to improve
things? Your mind will go a thousand miles a minute
today. Those who spend time with you may be totally
exhausted by the end of the day because of all the
questions you ask!
scORPIO
You just can't do everything at once,
Scorpio. How do you expect to reduce
your stress and recuperate while at
the same time continue to be a
superstar performer in every area of your life?
Don't pressure yourself to perform today. If you do,
you're likely to deplete your reserves even further.
Take it easy, rest, and relax! You've earned this
little break.
sAGITTARIUs
This is a good moment to adapt your logic
and reason to reality, Sagittarius. If you
don't, you're going to run into some
intellectual problems. Everyone knows that you find new
ideas plentiful, but unless you have plans to be a novelist,
link your thinking to reality. The "pie in the sky" thinking
that you engage in isn't particularly useful to the rest of
us living here in the real world.
cAPRIcORN
It's going to be a little difficult talking
to you today, Capricorn. You, who can
be easily influenced by others, will be
listening to and criticizing everything
that people say. Nothing emotional or vague is
going to get into your head. It's as if you've installed
an extremely fine filter that lets in only what you
allow. You're going to appear to be a real expert.
Don't show off too much!
AQUARIUs
Have you been reviewing your family
history lately, Aquarius? Of special
interest is your cultural background.
What educational, social, and religious
environment were you born into? What are its
values? In the end, do you feel a strong affinity with
them now or are those views different from the ones
you hold? These are interesting avenues of thought
for you today.
PIscEs
It's time to elevate your sense of self,
Pisces. You're just as good as anyone
else, so why don't you believe it? The
problem is that you're very sensitive
about having an ego. Even though you know
everyone does, you punish yourself for its existence!
This is a noble idea, but it doesn't do you any good.
You'll never be perfect and neither will anyone else.
What are you worrying about?

SUnday, JUly 31, 2022
11
Students of Jahangirnagar University formed a human chain at Shahbag intersection in the capital on Saturday demanding the establishment
of a medical college and hospital in Panchagarh, a town with immense potential in the north.
Photo : Star Mail
US rules out summer COVID boosters
to focus on fall campaign
WASHINGTON : U.S. regulators said Friday they are no
longer considering authorizing a second COVID-19 booster
shot for all adults under 50 this summer, focusing instead on
revamped vaccines for the fall that will target the newest viral
subvariants, reports BSS.
Pfizer and Moderna expect to have updated versions of
their shots available as early as September, the Food and
Drug Administration said in a statement. That would set the
stage for a fall booster campaign to strengthen protection
against the latest versions of omicron.
The announcement means the U.S. won't pursue a
summer round of boosters using the current vaccines for
adults under 50, as some Biden administration officials and
outside experts previously suggested. They had argued that
another round of shots now could help head off rising cases
and hospitalizations caused by the highly transmissible
omicron strains.
Currently, all Americans age 5 and over are eligible for a
booster shot five months after their initial primary series.
Fourth doses of the Pfizer or Moderna shots - a second
booster - are recommended for Americans 50 and older and
for younger people with serious health issues that make them
more vulnerable to COVID-19.
The FDA urged eligible adults who haven't been boosted to
get their extra shot now: "You can still benefit from existing
booster options and leave time to receive an updated booster
in the fall," the agency said in a statement.
The White House has also emphasized that getting a fourth
dose now won't impact anyone's ability to get omicrontargeted
shots once they're made available - although how
long its been since their last dose will play a role in how soon
they're eligible.
Two omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are even more
contagious than their predecessors and have pushed new
daily cases above 125,000 and hospitalizations to 6,300.
Those are the highest levels since February, though deaths
have remained low at about 360 per day, thanks to
widespread immunity and improved treatments against the
virus.
The subvariants are offshoots of the strain responsible for
nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. this year.
All the COVID-19 vaccines given in the U.S. until now have
been based on the original version of the virus that began
spreading across the country in early 2020.
In June, the FDA told the vaccine makers that any boosters
for the fall would have to combine protection against
omicron BA.4 and BA.5 and the original coronavirus strain.
Both manufacturers have been speeding their production
and data gathering to have those so-called bivalent vaccines
ready for the fall. The FDA and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention would have to sign off on revamped
Monnujan Sufian
pays tribute to
Bangabandhu
TONGIPARA : State Minister
for Labour and Employment
Begum Monnujan Sufian
yesterday paid rich tribute to
Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman by placing a
wreath at his mausoleum at
Tungipara in Gopalganj.
After laying the wreath, the
state minister stood in solemn
silence for sometime as a
mark of profound respect to
the memory of the Father of
the Nation.
Later, she offered doa
seeking eternal peace of the
departed souls of
Bangabandhu and other
martyrs of the August 15
carnage.Higher officials of
Gopalganj district
administration and local
Awami League leaders were
present at the time.
shots before their launch.
The U.S. has a contract to buy 105 million doses of the
Pfizer combination shots once they're ready, and 66 million
of Moderna's version. But how soon large amounts would
become available isn't clear. The government contracts
include options to purchase 300 million doses each, but
reaching that total will require more funding from Congress,
the Biden administration said.
As for timing, getting a booster too soon after the previous
dose means missing out on its full benefit - something
policymakers will have to take into consideration when
rolling out revamped shots.
The White House has at times been frustrated by the pace
of decision-making at the FDA and CDC, most notably last
summer, when the regulators took weeks to decide whether
to authorize the first booster dose for U.S. adults. Privately,
West Wing officials believe the delay cost lives, preventing
optimum protection amid the delta and omicron surges, but
also fed into doubts about vaccine and booster effectiveness
that impacted their uptake.
In recent weeks, some of those frustrations have bubbled
up again, as regulators considered whether to recommend a
fourth shot for all adults, not just those at highest risk from
the virus. Some in the White House believe that the
additional dose would have helped somewhat with the
rapidly spreading BA.5 subvariant, and also lift the
confidence of anyone worried that their protection had
waned.
Domestic help falls to
her death in Kafrul
DHAKA : A domestic help fell to her death from a sevenstorey
building in Dhaka's Kafrul area on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Tania, 20, daughter of
Shamsul Haque from Chattogram's Ramgarh area.
According to Hasanuzzaman Reza, the girl's employer,
Tania had been working at his house for a very long time.
"Tania had some mental issues, but I'm not sure whether
she has committed suicide or not," said Reza.
Bacchu Mia, In-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital
(DMCH) police outpost, said that Tania was brought to the
hospital in a critically injured condition, where the on-duty
doctors declared her dead at about 8:15pm.
"The body has been kept at the hospital's morgue. Kafrul
police station has also been informed about the matter.
Police is quizzing an individual over the incident," said
Bacchu.
Sariakandi upazila chairman Rejaul Karim Montu addressing a validation meeting yesterday.
Two killed
in Noakhali
accidents
NOAKHALI : Two people
were killed in separate road
accidents in Noakhali
district in the small hours of
Saturday, police said.
The identities of the
deceased, both in their 40s,
could not be known
immediately.
Saiful Islam, a subinspector
with Chandraganj
Highway Police, said the
first accident occurred at the
busy Begumganj
intersection and the second
one near Begumganj Eye
Hospital on the Feni-
Laxmipur regional highway.
The bodies have been kept
in the morgue of Noakhali
General Hospital, said SI
Saiful.
Madrasah boy dies
after eating biscuits
in Jashore
JASHORE : A 13-year-old boy
died and six others of the same
madrasah fell sick, after
allegedly eating biscuits in
Sharsha upazila of Jashore on
Friday.
The deceased was identified
as Mahin, a student of Ashraful
Madaris Qawmi Madrasah in
Narayanpur.
Of the injured, Mamunur
Rashid, 10, was admitted to
Jashore General Hospital in
critical condition.
Hafez Maulana Anarul
Islam, a teacher of the
Madrasa said that the students
were sleeping after having
lunch. In the afternoon, they
fell sick after eating biscuits
brought by a student's
guardian. Later, the injured
were taken to the Upazila
Health Center where doctors
declared Mahin dead on
arrival.
Photo : Rafiqul Islam
North Korea reports no
new cases for first time
since Covid outbreak
SEOUL : North Korea reported zero fever
cases on Saturday for the first time in more
than two months since it confirmed its first
Covid-19 infections in May, reports BSS.
"There were no new fever patients
reported" over a 24-hour period from
Thursday evening, the state-run Korean
Central News Agency said, marking the first
time the isolated country had reported no
new cases since it began tallying numbers in
May.
While it has maintained a rigid
coronavirus blockade since the start of the
pandemic, experts have said that massive
Omicron outbreaks in neighbouring
countries meant it was only a matter of time
before Covid snuck in.
North Korea has recorded nearly 4.8
million infections since late April, KCNA
said, adding "99.994 percent" of them had
fully recovered with just 204 patients under
treatment.
Apparently due to a lack of testing
capacity, North Korea refers to "fever
patients" rather than "Covid patients" in
case reports.
The country has one of the world's worst
healthcare systems, with poorly-equipped
GD-1306/22 (5x3)
hospitals, few intensive care units, and no
Covid-19 treatment drugs or mass testing
ability, experts say.
Pyongyang announced its first
coronavirus cases on May 12 and activated a
"maximum emergency epidemic prevention
system", with leader Kim Jong Un putting
himself front and centre of the government's
response.
North Korea has not vaccinated any of its
roughly 25 million people, having rejected
jabs offered by the World Health
Organization.
The North said in late May it started
seeing "progress" in controlling the
outbreak but experts have cast doubts on
the claim, citing the country's crumbling
health infrastructure and unvaccinated
population.
WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan
said last month he assumed the situation in
North Korea was "getting worse not better",
though he acknowledged Pyongyang had
provided very limited information.
South Korea previously offered to send
vaccines and other medical aid to the North
to help it deal with its coronavirus outbreak.
Pyongyang has not officially responded.
Pilgrimage over, but long journey ahead:
Pope ends penitent Canada trip
IQALUIT : Pope Francis ended his trip to
Canada Friday as he began-by apologizing to
Indigenous survivors of Catholic-run schools
where for decades children were abused, after
meeting with Inuit people in the Canadian
Arctic, reports BSS.
The six-day "penitential pilgrimage" that
took the pontiff from Alberta in western
Canada to Quebec and then the far north
allowed him to meet many of Canada's First
Nations, Metis and Inuit people, who for
years had been awaiting his plea for
forgiveness.
While many of them welcomed the gesture
by the 85-year-old, who spent much of the
trip in a wheelchair due to knee pain, they
also made clear that this was only a first step
on a journey of reconciliation.
The pope wrapped up his journey in the
capital of the vast northern territory of
Nunavut, Iqaluit, which means "the place of
many fish."
Residents greeted him there with
traditional performances including
drumming and throat singing, on a stage set
up to resemble an Inuit summer homeevoking
whale ribs, sod and stone-beneath a
cool, overcast sky.
Francis met with survivors of the schools,
then told a crowd of around 2,000 mainly
Indigenous people that their stories "renewed
in me the indignation and shame that I have
felt for months."
"I want to tell you how very sorry I am and
to ask for forgiveness for the evil perpetrated
by not a few Catholics who contributed to the
policies of cultural assimilation and
enfranchisement in those schools," he said.
As he spoke, Inuit people in the crowd
could be seen hugging and holding hands.
Some wiped away tears. Later, a handful of
people shouted "Thank you!" and "We love
you!" as the pope was wheeled off the stage.
From the late 1800s to the 1990s, Canada's
government sent about 150,000 children into
139 residential schools run by the Catholic
Church.
Many were physically and sexually abused
at the schools, and thousands are believed to
have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect,
in what a truth and reconciliation
commission later called a "cultural genocide."
Residents in Iqaluit, a community of just
over 7,000 people and where small houses
line the rocky ocean shore, have listened
closely to the pope's words throughout his
trip.
"He did apologize, and a lot of people don't
seem to be happy with it, but he took that
step to come to Nunavut ... and I think that's
big," lifelong Iqaluit resident Evie Kunuk, 47,
told AFP.
The pope's reception in Canada has been
"a little bit lukewarm," admitted Quebec
resident Steve Philippe, 52, who had
travelled to Iqaluit to see the pope.
"Maybe expectations were too high... but I
think it's a step in the right direction,"
Philippe said.
After the event was over, the leader of the
world's 1.3 billion Catholics was taken to the
airport where Inuit people performed one
last ceremony.
Francis then boarded his flight back to
Rome, during which he is expected to hold a
press conference.
'Brilliant light' -
Throughout the trip, Indigenous people
have spoken of a "release of emotion" at
hearing the pope's words.
But many have warned it was only the
beginning.
Some have called for Francis to rescind the
Doctrine of Discovery, the 15th century papal
bulls that allowed European powers to
colonize any non-Christian lands and people.
Demands were also made for him to allow
Indigenous people access to records
documenting what happened in the schools,
and to return Indigenous artefacts currently
held in Vatican museums.
Others have pointed out that while the
pope repeatedly apologized for what he said
individuals in the Church did, he did not seek
forgiveness for the role of the institution
itself.
And many have observed that the pope did
not specifically mention or apologize for the
sexual abuse of First Nations, Metis and
Inuit children in the schools.

Sunday, Dhaka : July 31, 2022; Srabon 16, 1429 BS; Muharram 1, 1444 Hijri
Hurricane lamp procession appears to have
changed BNP's electoral symbol:Hasan
NILPHAMARI : Information and
Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud
yesterday said BNP's procession with
hurricane lamps seems that whether
the electoral symbol of the party has
been changed to hurricane lamp.
"The countrymen remain in fear
whether BNP's hurricane lamps would
turn into patrol bombs as they earlier
hurled patrol bombs on innocent people,"
he said, addressing the triennial
conference of Awami League Jaldhaka
upazila unit of the district.
The minister said the next general
elections will be held in due time and
"we want the elections to be held in a
festive mood with the participation of
all parties. We hope that BNP will take
part in the polls."
Hasan said the train of elections
would not wait for anyone. The trains of
2014's and 2018's elections didn't wait
for anyone, he said, adding the train of
2024's polls also would not wait for
anyone.
In fact, he said, BNP is afraid of polls
as they got only five seats in 2018's elections.
For this, they are afraid of elections
and spreading confusion over the
polls, said Hasan, also Awami League
joint general secretary.
The minister urged BNP to go to the
masses instead of spreading confusion.
He said the win of Awami League in
the next election is must as the party is
well organised all over the country
under the dynamic leadership of AL
President and Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina. Steps are being taken against
troublemakers inside the party, he
added.AL Nilphamari district unit president
Dewan Kamal Ahmed inaugurated
the conference with Jaldhaka upazila
unit acting president Professor
Golam Mostafa in the chair.
AL central organising secretary
Shakhawat Hossain Shafiq, deputy publicity
secretary Aminul Islam Amin,
executive members Advocate Hosne
Ara Lutfa Dalia, Advocate Safura
Begum and Abdul Awal and AL district
unit general secretary Advocate
Mamtazul Haque, among others,
addressed the conference.
Pfizer vaccines
for children
reach country
DHAKA : The country yesterday received
first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines for
children. A total of 15 lakh 2 thousand 400
doses of specially prepared Pfizer vaccine
arrived here.
The director of the health department,
M Shamsul Haque, confirmed the matter.
The vaccine developed by Pfizer-
BioNTech - are meant for kids aged 5-11
years, Dr Shamsul Haque, member secretary
of the Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment
Committee of the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS) said.
"We plan to start this school-based vaccination
from next month," Dr Haque
said, adding, "But the vaccination starting
date yet to fix."He said, "It will be finalised
at the policy-making stage. Hopefully, vaccination
will be possible next month."
He said that vaccination will be given in
the capital at the beginning.
"After sending to school, we have children
in the community who do not come
to school, we will campaign for them and
vaccinate them," he added.
The government announced the decision
to vaccinate 5 to 11-year-old last April.
With the help of the Ministry of
Education, the work of preparing the list of
children is going on through the concerned
educational institutions.
The number of children of this age in the
country is about 4 crore 40 lakh.
Coal production suspended
as 90 mine workers
contract Covid in Dinajpur
DINAJPUR : As many as 90 workers of
Barapukuria Coal Mine have tested positive
for Covid-19, prompting the management
of the state-owned company to halt
production from Friday afternoon.
Of these 90 workers, 50 are Chinese.
Besides, 400 other workers of the
mine, have been asked to remain in
home isolation, officials said on
Saturday, adding that production
would resume after 10 days.
Engineer Saiful Islam Sarkar, a manager
of the mine, said that coal lifting work
from the 1306 phase started on July 26 on
a trial basis and till Friday, "we were able
to lift 5,000 metric tonnes of coal".
However, 40,000 metric tonnes of coal
are in stock, which will be used to aid
power generation, said Saiful.
12th bi-annual CSO meeting
Foreign secretary highlights
implementation of IORDA-DDI
DHAKA : Foreign Secretary Masud Bin
Momen has highlighted the implementation
of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
Development Agency-Dhaka Development
Initiative (IORDA-DDI) to promote regional
integration, economic and sustainable development
in the region.
The initiative by IORA chair Bangladesh
aims to establish an IORA development
agency to facilitate tangible national or
regional-level developmental projects.
Masud Bin Momen was delivering the
concluding remarks on the final day of the
two-day 12th bi-annual meeting of the
Committee of the Senior Officials (CSO) of
IORA held in Cox's Bazar Friday.
Around 50 delegates from 21 IORA members
attended the meeting. Masud Bin
Momen led the Bangladesh delegation.
The foreign secretary emphasised the role
of IORA in promoting sustainable growth
Bangladesh taste 17-run defeat
to Zimbabwe in 1st T20
DHAKA : Sikandar Raza and Wessly
Madhevere made a mockery with
Bangladeshi bowlers to help Zimbabwe
secure a 17-run victory in the first T20
game of the three-match series at Harare
Sports Club yesterday.
Raza blasted a an unbeaten 65 off just
26, smashing seven fours and four sixes
while Madhevere who retired hurt in the
last over scored 67 off 46, sending the ball
across the rope for nine times as
Zimbabwe racked up a hefty 205-3, their
second highest T20 total in their history.
Their highest T20 total of 236 came
against Singapore earlier this month in the
qualifying tournament for the 2022 T20
World Cup. The bowlers then backed up
their excellent batting by restricting
Bangladesh to 188-6 even though interim
captain Nurul Hasan Sohan tried his best,
smacking a 42 not out off 26.
No other batters of the Bangladesh
team, which is formed without any senior
players for this series, could show the
resolve which Sohan demonstrated.
But the damage was done in bowling
Wessly Madhevere and Sikandar Raza scored fifties.
and balanced development for regional and
global development and security.
He urged the IORA members to formulate
and implement projects for economic cooperation
relating to trade facilitation and liberalisation,
promotion of investment, and scientific
and technological exchanges.
Masud Bin Momen underscored the significance
of developing ocean economies
that are sustainable, equitable and resilient.
Mentioning the blue recovery as integral to
this process, he urged all to prioritise this
opportunity for a blue stimulus. The meeting
discussed the progress made to date under
the six priority areas and two cross-cutting
and financial issues of the association.
Member states also discussed preparations
for upcoming events and meetings of
IORA's institutional mechanisms as well as
the association's engagement with its international
partners and special programmes.
after Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine
chose to bat first. Bangladesh may be without
any senior players but their bowling
line up comprised with Taskin Ahmed,
Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam and
spinner Nasum Ahmed was their first
choice attack.
But these bowlers were completely
incompetent against a comparatively inexperienced
Zimbabwe side. Mustafizur
Rahman, considered as one of the best
bowlers in T20 format, gave away 50 runs
in his four overs although he took two
wickets. Taskin and Shoriful conceded 42
and 45 runs respectively in their four overs
and went wicketless.
Mustafizur gave Bangladesh the breakthrough
in the third over, dismissing Regis
Chakabva for 8. Mosaddek then took the
key wicket of Ervine after he scored 21 as
Zimbabwe were left to 43-2 after the first
powerplay.
Madhevere and Sean Williams added
56 runs for the third wicket to lay a solid
platform before Mustafizur undid the latter
with a slower for 33.
Photo : Internet
Walkways on the banks of the Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakshya and Balu rivers around the capital
Dhaka have been constructed to prevent re-occupation. The walkway built on the banks of Turag
River has lost its beauty due to lack of maintenance. The photo was taken from Barabazar area of
Mirpur Embankment in the capital on Saturday.
Photo : Star Mail
Anisul calls for
speedy justice
to people
DHAKA : Law, Justice and Parliamentary
Affairs Minister Anisul Huq yesterday laid
emphasis on ensuring speedy justice to
the people of the country.
Addressing to the judges, the minister
said: "If there is a delay in the trial of the
case, the justice cannot be ensured properly.
Don't let this happened. You all
judges will increase rate of the case-disposal
also."
Anisul, as the chief guest, was
addressing a reception programme at a
city restaurant organized by Bangladesh
Judicial Service Association officials to
express their gratitude to the minister
for making Md Golam Sarwar full secretary
at the Law and Justice Division.
They also greeted the newly posted secretary
at the function.
He believed that if judges keep good
relationship with lawyers, the rate of settlement
of cases will increase and the judiciary
will be strengthened further.
With the association's President
AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan in
the chair, the programme was
addressed, among others, by Law
and Justice Division Secretary Md
Golam Sarwar, Joint Secretary and
Secretary General of the
Association Bikash Kumar Saha
and Dhaka Metropolitan Session
Judge KM Imrul Kayesh.
350 sued over
Thakurgaon UP
polls violence that
left infant dead
THAKURGAON : A case was filed against
350 people on Saturday over violence after
announcement of election results of
Bachor UP in Ranisankail Upazila of
Thakurgaon when a nine-month old was
shot dead allegedly in police firing.
The case was filed against 350 anonymous
people at Ransankail police station
upon receiving a complaint from the presiding
officer of the polling center Md
Khatibar Rahman.
On Wednesday evening, when results of
Bachor UP election were announced at VF
Junior High School polling center, supporters
of a defeated candidate attacked
police.
At one point of the clash police fired bullets
to take control of the situation.
Unfortunately Suraiya Akter Asha, who
was on her mother's lap at that time was
shot in the head.
After the incident, enraged locals
besieged some police members including
Officer-in-Charge of Ranisankail police
station SM Zahid Iqbal for few hours at
Khutiatuli area.
Later additional police members rescued
them and sent two cops to hospital.
On Thursday, a three-member probe
body was formed by Thakurgaon district
administration over the incident
with district magistrate Ramkrishna
Barman as its head and additional
superintendent of police Mirza Tarek
and district election officer Saiful Islam
as members.
The committee was asked to submit a
report within seven days.
Uptick in migrants heading home as
world rebounds from Covid : IOM
DHAKA : Global migration, which
had decreased by almost 27 percent
during the Covid-19 pandemic, has
begun to rebound to pre-pandemic
levels, according to a recent report by
the International Organization for
Migration (IOM).
In 2021, the IOM assisted 49,795
migrants to return to their countries of
origin, representing an increase of 18
percent from the previous year, the
UN migration agency's "Return and
Reintegration Key Highlights 2021,"
published Thursday, said.
Yitna Getachew, head of the
agency's Protection Division, said
noteworthy in the report is the continued
trend of increasing returns from
transit countries in other host regions
outside Europe.
In 2021, Niger was the largest beneficiary
of the IOM's efforts to assist in
dignified returns, with the UN agency
helping 10,573 head home. Niger's
beneficiaries dramatically overshadow
any nation in Europe. However,
Europe's accumulated beneficiaries
still outnumber Niger.
The bedrock of assisted voluntary
return programmes are reintegration
schemes, which provide opportunities
to returnees and promote sustainable
development, the IOM said.
In 2021, the IOM offices in 121 countries
supported 113,331 reintegration
activities at the individual, community,
and structural levels.
Overall, the top three countries,
including both host and countries of
origin, that provided reintegration
support in 2021 were Germany,
Nigeria and Guinea.
Human trafficking increased
using social media
SafIqul ISlaM (JaMI)
Human traffickers have entered the
cyber space, using various lures to traffic
people. Recently, human trafficking has
increased using various social media
including Facebook and TikTok. This
trend has increased especially during
the pandemic corona. They are also
smuggling the country's money through
illegal banking channels. Punishment of
traffickers must be ensured to prevent
human trafficking.
In addition, the developed countries of
the world should come forward to prevent
human trafficking. The speakers said
these things at the event organized by IOM
(International Organization for
Migration) on the occasion of 'World Anti-
Trafficking Day' at Hotel Intercontinental
on Saturday (July 30).
At the event, Foreign Minister AK Abdul
Momen said that human trafficking using
information technology is increasing day
by day. We can use technology to prevent
human trafficking. Four steps are essential
to prevent human trafficking. Awareness
raising, appropriate action by law enforcement
agencies, identification of risk areas
and detection and operation of human
The support consisted mainly of
social and economic assistance, as well
as reintegration counselling.
The aims of these multi-dimensional
schemes are to ensure a level of economic
self-sufficiency, social stability
and psychological well-being to make
further migration a choice rather than
a necessity.
US, Russia top
diplomats hold
'frank' first talks
since war
WASHINGTON : The top diplomats of the
United States and Russia spoke Friday for
the first time since the Ukraine war, with
Secretary of State Antony Blinken describing
a "frank" exchange as he pushed to free
two Americans, reports BSS.
Blinken initiated the call with Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov, whom he had
shunned as early as a few weeks ago, as he
pressed Russia to accept an offer to free
prisoners. "We had a frank and direct conversation.
I pressed the Kremlin to accept
the substantial proposal that we put forth
on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney
Griner," Blinken told reporters.
President Joe Biden has faced growing
public pressure to find a way home for
Griner, a basketball star jailed for transport
of cannabis oil, and Whelan, a former
Marine jailed on espionage charges he
denies. Blinken declined to characterize
Lavrov's reaction, saying, "I can't give you
an assessment of whether I think things
are any more or less likely."
traffickers.
Speaking as the chief guest at the
event, Home Minister Asaduzzaman
Khan Kamal said that the government
is showing a zero-tolerance policy
against human trafficking. Rohingyas
are a burden for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh wants their safe return.
Robert Chatterton Dixon, the British
High Commissioner assigned to
Bangladesh at the event, said, "Just as
traffickers are doing their work using
technology, we can use technology to
speak out against it." Stating that the
number of trafficking has increased
due to the epidemic, he said that trafficking
is one of the problems in
Bangladesh like other countries. We
are helping and advising Bangladesh
in various ways to prevent trafficking.
We have trained nearly 30,000
women in anti-trafficking.
Ambassador of Switzerland to
Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard, Abdus
Sattar Isov, Chief of IOM's Bangladeshi
Migration Representative, Senior
Secretary of Public Security
Department of Ministry of Home
Affairs Akhtar Hossain and others also
spoke at the event.