28-09-2020

monday

DHAkA: September 28, 2020; Ashwin 13, 1427 BS; Safar 10, 1442 Hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.17; N o.179; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

InternatIonal

Morocco faces down

COVID spread with

tough rules

PM's 74th

birthday today

DHAKA : The 74th birthday of Prime

Minister and Bangladesh Awami League

President Sheikh Hasina will be celebrated

across the country today.

Sheikh Hasina, the eldest of the five

children of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman and Begum Fazilatunnesa,

was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj on

September 28 in 1947.

>(Contd. on page-11)

Zohr

>Page 7

4 members of a

family killed in

Dinajpur mudwall

collapse

DINAJPUR : Four members of a family,

including two children, were killed as

part of a mud-wall of their house collapsed

on them at Jhaupara in

Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur district on

early Sunday. The victims were identified

as Swapan, 30, his wife Farzana, 25, and

their two children-Hossain, 7, and

Hasibur, 5, of the village, reports UNB.

Mokhlesur Rahman, officer-incharge

of Parbatipur Police Station,

said the four members of the family

were killed some time at night when the

mud-wall of their house partially collapsed

on them in their sleep. Local people

said the mudslide occurred due to

incessant rains for the last several days as

mud walls are very weak in shear, tension

and compression.

04:35 AM

11:50 PM

04:10 PM

05:53 PM

07:10 PM

5:48 5:50

DHAKA : A writ petition seeking cancellation

of Dhaka South City Corporation's

(DSCC) decision to relocate stray dogs to

Matuail was

adjourned until

Oct 6 by the High

Court on Sunday,

reports UNB.

The bench of

Justice Md

Ashfaqul Islam

and Justice

Mohammad Ali

came up with the

order after hearing

of two separate

time petitions

filed by

both the state

and the petitioner.

Lawyer Sakib Mahbub stood for the

petition and Additional Attorney General

Murad Reza for the state.

Sakib said that DSCC Mayor Sheikh

Fazle Noor Taposh is scheduled to sit

DHAKA : A writ petition was filed

with the High Court on Sunday

seeking its directives to the Ministry

of Health to implement the 25-point

recommendation of the Anti-

Corruption Commission (ACC) after

identifying 11 areas of corruption in

the Health Service Division.

Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat

Hasan and lawyer Md Aminur

Rahman Chowdhury filed the writ

petition, reports UNB.

Two secretaries of the health ministry,

director general of Directorate

General of Health Services (DGHS)

and six others have been made

respondents to the writ.

The writ petition sought a directive

to submit in the form of a report to

the court on what action has been

taken about the recommendations.

The writ was filed attaching reports

published in the newspapers in this

regard.

On January 31, 2019, the ACC

identified 11 areas of corruption in

the health sector and came up with a

25- point recommendation to stop

these. The report identifies various

pockets of corruption in the health

sector including in purchases,

recruitments, promotions, transfers,

assignments, medical treatment, use

art & culture

Hope to give audience

a good movie once

again : Aparna

>Page 8

MC College gang rape

Prime suspect, another

accused arrested

SYLHET : The main suspect and another

accused in the Sylhet MC College gang

rape case were arrested on Sunday morning,

reports UNB.

The arrestees were identified as Saifur

Rahman, son of Tahid of Balaganj upazila

and Arjun Lashkar. Saifur, the prime

accused, was arrested from Noarai Ghat

in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj, said

Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of

Chhatak Police Station. Arjun, listed as

the number 4 accused, was arrested from

Mantala bordering area in Madhabpur

upazila of Habiganj around 4am, said

Madhabpur police OC Golam Dastagir.

A 19-year-old girl was raped by a group

of youths in the college dormitory on

Friday night. The accused were said to be

leaders and activists of Bangladesh

Chhatra League, the ruling Awami

League student front. The suspects tied up

the victim's husband and raped her in a

hostel room on Friday evening. Police rescued

the couple around 10:30pm.

The victim's husband filed a case at

Shah Poran Police Station in the early

hours of Saturday. MC College students

erupted in protests as words about the

incident got out. Chhatra League's

Dhaka University unit staged a protest

rally on the campus in the morning

demanding exemplary punishment for

the rape suspects.

Meanwhile, Awami League's Sylhet

unit leaders demanded resignation of the

MC College principal and superintendent

of the dormitory in connection with the

gang rape.

HC adjourns writ petition over

relocation of stray dogs

in a meeting with the petitioners and

other stakeholders on Tuesday to settle

the issue.

"That is why we, the both parties, filed

time petitions today. The court granted

the petitions and fixed October 6 for the

hearing," he said.

Actress Jaya Ahsan, Avoyaronno, and

Peoples for Animal Welfare filed the writ

petition on September 17.

The writ petition also sought a HC rule

seeking explanation why the DSCC's decision

should not be declared illegal, he said.

Secretaries to the Department of

Livestock Services, Health and Family

Welfare Ministry, Law Ministry and

DSCC were made respondents, Mahmud

said.

DSCC recently started to shift stray dogs

from the city corporation area claiming

that they are spoiling the city. The move

has triggered a heated debate between

animal lovers and those who consider the

street dogs a nuisance, on social media

platform Facebook.

Writ seeks implementation of

ACC's recommendations to

prevent health sector graft

of medical equipment and supply of

medicines. However, as the recommendations

were not implemented

reports were published in the media

in this regard.

Papia's Arms case

Court to deliver

verdict Oct 12

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on Sunday set

October 12 for delivering verdict in an

arms case filed against Narsingdi's

expelled Jubo Mohila League leader

Shamima Nur Papia and her husband

Mofizur Rahman Sumon, reports UNB.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge

KM Imrul Kayes fixed the date after

closing the law-point arguments of both

sides in the case. On June 29, investigation

officer Arifuzzaman, sub-inspector

of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), submitted

charge sheet in the case. Charges

were framed on August 23.

Twelve people were named as witnesses

in the case. Rab raided two flats

belonging to Papia and Sumon on

February 23, a day after arresting them

at Dhaka airport. Counterfeit notes and

foreign currencies worth around Tk 2.5

lakh were seized from them.

sports

Practice under coach

benefits youngster

Yasir Rabbi

>Page 9

naogaon has been flooded again in the last few days due to continuous rains and downpour. the people of these areas

have been affected by the floods for the third time as the Water Development Board did not repair the wreckage in

time. the water of the river Atrai is entering the locality through the three breaches of the flood control dam on the

right bank of jotbazar Point. the picture was taken on Sunday.

Photo: PBA

AG Mahbubey

Alam loses battle

to Covid-19

DHAKA : Attorney General Mahbubey

Alam, who contracted Covid-19 recently,

passed away at a hospital in the capital

on Sunday evening. He was 71,

reports UNB.

The attorney general, who was

undergoing treatment at the intensive

care unit (ICU) of the Combined

Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka

breathed his last at 7:25pm, confirmed

his son-in-law Reazul Haque.

He was hospitalised with high fever

on September 4 and later tested positive

for Covid-19.

Saudi Airlines selling

tickets for 4th day

DHAKA : Saudi Airlines is selling tickets

for the fourth consecutive day to help

expatriate Bangladeshis return to their

workplaces in the kingdom, reports UNB.

People who have already gotten their

tokens are collecting tickets since morning.

Tickets will be given to those holding

tokens 1,401-1,900 on Sunday while

those from 1,901-2,300 will get theirs on

Monday.

Saudi Airlines started issuing tickets

for Bangladeshi expatriates on Thursday

morning, a day after migrant workers

demonstrated in Dhaka for return tickets

to the kingdom.

They came home with return tickets

but could not go back due to a shortage

of Biman flights amid the coronavirus

pandemic.

Migrant workers demonstrated in front

of the Expatriates' Welfare Ministry in

Eskaton, demanding extension of visas

and Iqamas and arrangement of return

tickets to Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday evening, the foreign

minister said Bangladeshi expatriates

will be able to return to their workplaces

as both Biman and Saudi airlines

got permission to operate flights.

AK Abdul Momen said the Saudi government

agreed to extend visas for

those Bangladeshis who want to return

to the kingdom but their visas expired.

He also said the Iqama of

Bangladeshi workers will remain valid

for 24 more days and there will be further

extension, if required.

need better cooperation for

dev of region's people: PM

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

on Sunday emphasised on the need for a

better cooperation with neighbouring

countries for the development of the people

of this region, reports UNB.

"We always think that better cooperation

is needed with the neighbouring

countries firstly for the development of

the people of the region as our foreign

policy is 'friendship to all and malice

towards none'," she said.

The prime minister made the remarks

when outgoing Indian High

Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das called

on her at her official residence

Ganobhaban. After the meeting, PM's

Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed

reporters.

Sheikh Hasina also said that the neighbouring

countries can use Chattogram,

Sylhet and Syedpur airports for their convenience.

Ihsanul Karim said the prime

Robbery and gang rape were

pre-planned: Khagrachhari SP

MD SAju, KHAGRACHHARi CORReSPOnDent

Khagrachhari Superintendent of

Police Mohammad Abdul Aziz said

that the robbery and gang-rape of a disabled

girl at a house in Khagrachhari

district was pre-planned. During the

time, Chattogram Police Range DIG

Md. Anwar Hossain was also present

on the occasion.

He said this at a press conference at

the hall room of the district police

superintendent's office on Sunday

morning. He further said that seven

accused have been arrested in the case

minister and the high commissioner discussed

bilateral issues. The COVID-19 situation

and the protracted Rohingya crisis

also came up during the talks, he said.

Riva Ganguly said the two countries are

working together to combat the virus.

She also appreciated the steps

Bangladesh has taken under the leadership

of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to

contain the pandemic. The high commissioner

lauded Bangladesh's economic

development under the leadership of the

prime minister amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sheikh Hasina said the people of all

classes and professions are working

together during this crisis. She mentioned

that large-scale programmes had been

taken on the occasion of the 'Mujib

Borsho'. "But we couldn't celebrate many

programmes due to coronavirus outbreak,"

she said.

Khagrachhari Superintendent of Police Mohammad Abdul Aziz addressed

a press conference at the hall room of the district police superintendent's

office on Sunday.

Photo: Md Saju

from different areas of Khagrachhari

Sadar, Ramgarh, Guimara and

Chattogram. The arrestees were identified

are Md. Amin (40), Md. Belal

Hossain (23), Md. Iqbal Hossain (21),

Md. Abdul Halim (28), Md. Shahin

Mia (19), Md. Antar (20) and Md.

Abdur Rashid (37).

Khagrachhari District Superintendent

of Police Mohammad Abdul Aziz further

said that the robbery at the house

and the gang-rape of a disabled girl had

taken place as planned.

>(Contd. on page-11)

MondAY, SEPTEMBEr 28, 2020

2

Thousands of students and villagers are crossing the Adakaki Paschim Para village in Belkuchi

upazila of Sirajganj using a bamboo bridge. Every year, the locals make bamboo Sanko at their own

expense for Tk 1.5 to 2 lakh. Photo: PBA

Masking up Bangladesh,

one hashtag at a time

DHAKA : UNDP Bangladesh has

launched a social media campaign with

the hashtag #MaskUpBangladesh to

encourage the use of masks, reports

UNB.

The campaign aims to raise

awareness on the necessity of wearing

masks, said the UNDP on Sunday.

People are encouraged to upload a

photo of themselves in their face mask

with the hashtag to let their friends and

family know that wearing a mask is the

responsible thing to do during this

time, it said.

As the economy reopened and people

had to familiarise themselves with the

new normal, wearing face masks for

GD- 1247/20 (8 x 3)

protection from the coronavirus

became of paramount importance, the

UNDP said.

Wearing a mask, combined with

other preventive measures, such as

frequent hand-washing and social

distancing, can significantly reduce the

likelihood of contracting COVID-19.

BBC reports one unpublished study

by scientists at Arizona State University

that found that if 80 percent of people

wore only moderately effective masks,

it could reduce the number of deaths in

New York by 17-45 percent over a twomonth

period.

Even wearing masks that were just

20 percent effective could cut mortality

by 24-65 percent

in Washington

and 2-9 percent in

New York, if

enough people

wore them.

"The current

crisis is likely to

last long and will

need society-wide

behavioural

change.

Campaigns such

as this one can be

very effective in

bringing about

change as most people like to fit in and

go along with the masses. That's exactly

what we're hoping to achieve through

the 'MaskUp' campaign to keep people

safe and healthy," said Sudipto

Mukerjee, Resident Representative of

UNDP Bangladesh on the campaign.

"#MaskUpBangladesh teaches

people that in this day and age, wearing

a mask is the responsible way to go

about life. The new normal is here, and

we must adapt," he said.

Members of Parliament, US

Ambassador, celebrities, cricket

players, already expressed solidarity

with #MaskUpBangladesh and others

are expected to join.

Covid-19: Bangladesh reports

216 deaths in a week

DHAKA : Bangladesh recorded 216

Covid-related deaths on the 39th

epidemiological week till Sunday

morning, reports UNB.

The country, by the meantime, saw

32 more deaths, 1,275 new cases and

1,714 recoveries from Covid-19 in 24

hours. So far, 5,161 people died due to

the deadly disease, according to an

official release sent by the Directorate

General of Health Services

(DGHS).

Besides, the daily infection

rate in Bangladesh increased

to 11.93 percent during the

period as the new patients

were detected after the test of

10,685 samples. The

mortality rate in Bangladesh

is now 1.44 percent.

With the latest figure, the

number of total cases rose to

3,59,148, which is 18.81

percent of the total tested

population.

The recovery rate from

Covid-19 reached 75.3

percent as 1,714 patients got

cured from the disease

during the period, raising the

number of total recoveries to

2,70,491 since March last.

Currently, there are

83,496 active cases in the

country. Bangladesh is

seeing 2108.83 infections,

1,588.26 recoveries per

million while 30.3 are dying

against the same number.

On the 39th

epidemiological week (Sept

20-26), 10,501 new cases

were detected across the

country and 14,391

recovered, the handout said.

Since March 18, it said,

3,996 men and 1,165 women

have died of the disease in

Bangladesh.

Of the new 32 victims, 23

are above 60 years of age and

six between 51 and 60 years.

So far, 2,566 people have

died in Dhaka division, 1,065

in Chattoram, 337 in

Rajshahi, 433 in Khulna, 187

in Barishal, 228 in Sylhet,

237 in Rangpur and 108

have died in Mymensingh

divisions.

Across the country, 15,721

people are now in isolation

and 44,402 in quarantine.

In Bangladesh, the first

three cases of coronavirus

infection were detected on

March 8 and it crossed

3,00,000 on August 26.

CU's former VC

dies of Covid

infection

CHATTOGRAM : Prof AJM

Nuruddin Chowdhury, former

Vice Chancellor of Chittagong

University (CU), died of

coronavirus infection at a

hospital in Dhaka on Saturday.

He was 70, reports UNB.

Prof Nuruddin breathed

his last around 8 pm at

United Hospital while

undergoing treatment at its

intensive care unit (ICU).

Prof Nuruddin, also

former chairman of CU's

Marketing Department, had

been suffering from

coronavirus infection for the

last few days, said Prof SM

Salamat Ullah Bhuiyan,

dean of the Business

Administration Faculty of

the university.

Prof Nuruddin left behind

wife, one son, two daughters

and a host of relatives to

mourn his death.

His namaz-e-janaza will

be held on the premises of

Chattogram Jamiatul Falah

Mosque after Zohr prayers

on Sunday. Prof Nuruddin

had served as CU's Vice

Chancellor from February

2002 to February 2006.

The death toll from Covid-

19 disease hit 5,129 in

Bangladesh on Saturday

morning, as health

authorities registered 36

more fatalities in 24 hours

across the country.

Md Halimuzzaman

promoted as additional

secretary

TBT Report: Habib Md

Halimuzzaman has

been promoted to the

rank of additional

secretary on Saturday.

The

public

administration ministry

announced the

promotion in an order.

Md Halimuzzaman

worked as a joint

secretary of Public

Security Division of the

Ministry of Home

Affairs for a long time.

He is an official of the

13th batch of the

Bangladesh Civil Service

(BCS) cadre.

In this regard Habib

Md Halimuzzaman said

that he will work for the

people of Bangladesh

with dignity and

honesty. He also

thanked Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina and the

staffs of Public Security

Division for his

promotion.

GD- 1246/20 (5 x 4)

15,000ha cropland flooded

in Kurigram

KURIGRAM : About 15,000 hectares of

cropland has gone under water in nine

upazilas of Kurigram during the fifth

phase flooding triggered by onrush of

upstream water and heavy downpours.

The amount of damage incurred by

farmers was not immediately clear,

reports UNB.

A large-scale destruction of crops could

potentially cause a shortage in the local

market and trigger price hike.

"Damage to crops could increase

further," said Shamsuddin Mia, the acting

deputy director of Kurigram Department

of Agriculture Extension (DAE).

He said it would take them about a week

to estimate the loss.

"A total of 15,000 hectares of cropland

containing Ropa Aman, peanuts,

vegetables, among others, went under

water in the district," Mia said.

60,000 people marooned

Meanwhile, road communication has

been snapped in many parts of Kurigram.

A number of char areas including

Kurigram Sadar upazila, Rajarhat upazila,

Phulbari upazila and Ulipur upazilas were

flooded, marooning 60,000 people.

In some places, people took shelter on

high roads and embankment with their

livestock.

Besides, a number of houses were

washed away by the strong current of

Dharla River while erosion took a serious

turn in many areas, putting houses,

educational institutions, roads and flood

protection dam at risk.

Moinuddin Bhola, a UP member of

Jatrapur Union in Sadar upazila, said the

authorities did not take any action even

after the river gobbled up at least 10

houses in Garuhara village.

Kurigram Water Development Board

Executive Engineer Ariful Islam said

Dharla was flowing 28cm above its danger

level in the morning. Sixteen rivers in the

district are flowing beneath the danger

mark.

"Erosion took a serious turn at 20 points

of Brahmmaputra, Dharla, Dudhkumar

and Teesta rivers and the work to protect

the riverbanks is underway," said Islam.

Flood showed no sign of improvement

in the last couple of days. Kurigram

District Relief and Rehabilitation office

said 12MT rice and 2,000 packets of dry

food were distributed among the flood-hit

people.

Swiss vote on limiting jobs,

residency for EU citizens

Voters in Switzerland cast ballots Sunday

on a nationalist party's proposal to limit

the number of European Union citizens

allowed to live and work in their country,

reports UNB.

The measure, championed by the

populist Swiss People's Party, would give

preferential access to jobs, social

protection and benefits to people from

Switzerland over those from the 27-nation

bloc that surrounds it.

If passed, the proposal would further

strain the rich Alpine's country's deep and

lucrative ties to the EU, of which it isn't a

member. It could also lead to reciprocal

disadvantages for millions of Swiss

citizens if they want to live or work in the

EU.

Roughly 1.4 million EU citizens live in

the country of about 8.2 million, while

around 500,000 Swiss live in EU

countries.

In a similar referendum in 2014, the

Swiss narrowly voted in favor of limiting

access of EU citizens to live and work in

Switzerland. Lawmakers, however,

refused to fully implement the

referendum fearing a hefty impact on

Swiss society and businesses, prompting

the People's Party to get the issue back on

the ballot again this year.

Since the last vote, Switzerland has

witnessed the personal and professional

turmoil that Britain's 2016 referendum to

leave the European Union has caused,

especially for EU citizens in the U.K. and

Britons living on the continent. Britain left

the EU in January, but is in a transition

period until the end of the year.

Recent polls suggest there's less support

in Switzerland to limit free movement

with the EU this time around. A Sept. 7

survey by gfs.bern polling agency found

that more than 60% of respondents were

against it, some 35% backed it and the rest

were undecided.

The freedom-of-movement measure is

being considered alongside nationwide

votes on paternity leave, tax breaks for

child care, purchases of up to 6 billion

francs (about $6.5 billion) worth of new

fighter planes by 2030, and the right to

hunt wolves to keep their population

down.

MondAY, SePTeMber 28, 2020

3

Website 'https://shishuraishob.com/' has been started with the aim of protecting children's rights

and ensuring a beautiful life for them. The announcement was made at a function on Saturday.

Photo : Courtesy

Govt working to conserve marine

biodiversity: Shahab Uddin

DHAKA : The government is

working sincerely to protect the

marine environment and

biodiversity, Environment,

Forests and Climate Change

Minister Md Shahab Uddin said

Sunday, reports UNB.

"The government has declared

1,738 sq km of the 'Swatch of No

Ground' in the South Bay of

Bengal as a Marine Protected

Area. This has helped in the

conservation and breeding of

endangered marine dolphins,

whales and sharks," he said.

Shahab Uddin was speaking at

a webinar as chief guest on

'Underwater Nature Exhibition

and Discussion' organised by

Save Hour Sea on the occasion

of World Tourism Day 2020.

With a view to conserving

biodiversity, work is underway

to declare 1,743 sq km adjacent

to St Martin's Island as a Marine

Protected Area, he said,

according to a ministry

handout.

A number of significant steps

have been taken for the

sustainable management of the

overall aquatic biodiversity in

the Bay of Bengal, especially

dolphin conservation, he added.

Shahab Uddin said the

ministry has declared St

Martin's Island, the area

adjacent to Cox's Bazar-Teknaf

beach and the Sundarbans as

Ecologically Critical Area (ECA)

to protect the coastal areas of

Bangladesh.

Various programmes,

including cleaning activities, are

being carried out in these areas

for environmental protection,

he noted.

"It'll be possible to conserve

the biodiversity of these areas

through proper implementation

of the ECA announced by the

government," he said.

Besides, 52 coastal pollution

hotspots have been identified,

where work is being done to

prevent pollution, he added.

Projects have also been taken

up for sea biodiversity

assessment, said Shahab.

The incumbent government

has been implementing a 100-

year delta plan to build a

developed and prosperous

Bangladesh, the minister said.

"We have to implement

ecotourism and environmental

tourism for our better future,"

he noted.

Cox's Bazar Development

Authority Chairman Lt Col

(retd) Forkan Ahmed presided

over the online exhibition and

webinar while Chittagong

University's oceanography

Professor Dr Mohammad

Muslem Uddin, Prof Dr Kazi

Ahsan Habib of Sher-e-Bangla

Agricultural University, Prof

Raquib Ahmed of University of

Rajshahi, Prof Dr Syed Rashidul

Hasan of Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman Maritime

University, Associate Prof Dr

Dinesh Chandra Shaha of

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman Agricultural University

and blue economy researcher

Dr Dilruba Chowdhury spoke

on the occasion.

The webinar was conducted by

Muhammad Anowarul Hoque,

Secretary General of Save Our

Sea (Marine Conservation).

GD- 1245/20 (8 x 4)

GD- 1244/20 (20 x 4)

MoNDAy, SePteMBer 28, 2020

4

why climate change is back on the agenda

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Monday, September 28, 2020

For focused attention

to skill training

The world media has highlighted how thousands of poverty

stricken people, tempted by criminal middle-men, have

undertaken perilous voyages in ramshackle boats, trying

to enter Thailand and Malaysia as illegal immigrants from

Bangladesh. It has been painful to watch the plight of these

trafficking victims in the electronic media, their dreams shattered,

being rescued from savage detention camps hidden in

the coastal jungles bordering the Bay of Bengal and the Indian

Ocean. Apparently, such human trafficking grew in dimension

over the last three years and targeted Muslim Rohingyas and

their family members trying to escape the harsh discriminatory

living conditions in their country- Myanmar and also

Bangladeshis attempting to illegally enter Thailand and

Malaysia. But many Bangladeshis also continue to be victims.

These middle-men criminals, in Bangladesh, Myanmar,

Thailand and Malaysia appear to have carried out their human

rights violations and nefarious activities basking in the shelter

of corrupt politicians and law enforcement personnel. It would

be fitting to note here that senior law enforcement personnel,

local government officials and corrupt politicians involved in

such matters in Thailand and Malaysia have been relieved of

their duties and taken into judicial custody.

Regretfully this has not happened in Bangladesh. A Dhaka

based paper commented sometime ago that "local representatives

have benefitted from the illegal trade. Some have invested

financially in human smuggling and trafficking operations".

It was also pointed out that such" traffickers and people smuggling

brokers provide manpower and funding for election campaigns".

It has been reported that the scenario with regard to Malaysia

may be on the mend. First came the news on 27June in 'The

Bernama', a state owned newspaper in Malaysia that the

Malaysian government, according to Malaysian Home Minister

Zahid Hamidi, is likely to launch a special drive against illegal

foreign workers working in that country. It was subsequently

reported that after this effort, there would be a move to recruit

500,000 low-skilled migrant workers from Bangladesh. This

would be done under an agreement called Business-to-

Business (B2B) mechanism that will use private

recruitment/employment agencies. Experts think that this

might reduce illegal human trafficking from Bangladesh to

Malaysia. This will be a departure from the earlier agreed

Government-to-Government process. Analysts think that the

association of the private sector in both countries will assist the

process. We have to wait and see.

Nevertheless, one needs to also give serious attention to the

development of semi-skilled and skilled work-force in

Bangladesh. We have to move forward in this area as have

Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. This will be possible only if

we take the right steps to improve not only quality in our educational

system but also associated skills. Skill development

initiatives and vocational training need to be introduced from

the secondary stage in our schools.

In this context it was encouraging to note that Prime Minister

Hasina during her discussion in Dhaka with Yanagisawa

Kyoei, the President of International Manpower Development

of Japan underlined the need for bilateral cooperation between

the two countries in developing the skill factor in Bangladeshi

youth. It was reiterated that development of skills would also

foster the prospect of entrepreneurship among the

Bangladeshis.

It is understood that 1,000 Bangladeshi technical interns will

be receiving training in Japan under the apprenticeship programme.

They will each be given a financial scholarship during

their training tenure. It has also been hinted that those technical

interns who successfully complete their three-year participation

in the training programme will also receive resources

for setting up business ventures after they return to

Bangladesh. One must not forget the multiplier effect of such

assistance.

It would be appropriate at this point to recall some of the

data revealed sometime ago by our Bureau of Manpower,

Employment and Training (BMET). Compared to 2005, by

2014, the percentage in the number of skilled manpower going

abroad has fallen to 36 per cent from 45 per cent. In percentage

terms, the number of professionals was 1.0 per cent of the

exported manpower in 2005. This had fallen to 0.4 per cent in

2014. The rate of semi-skilled manpower however increased by

3.0 percent to 47 per cent in 2014 compared to 44 per cent in

2005.

It is clear that the migration potential with regard to

Bangladesh will continue to grow. Economists have termed

this as normal- given the fact that a transfer is slowly taking

place within our rural hinterland where farmlands with low

productivity agriculture are moving towards higher productivity

industry.

However, this evolving dynamics, which took place also in

Philippines, India and in Sri Lanka were taken advantage of.

Their authorities addressed this evolving scenario and invested

in development of skilled manpower. This is now paying dividends

for them.

We also need to focus and see how citizens from these countries

subsequently made inroads especially in the construction,

health, banking, management and services sectors. They

appear to have succeeded because they initiated programmes

to impart skill training at the grassroots level. We also have to

diversify in a constructive manner and make inroads in the

semi-skilled and skilled sectors. Our overseas workers in

greater number in the skilled categories will earn substantially

greater amounts compared to the unskilled ones. That is why it

has become imperative to give focused attention to ways and

means of increasing all kinds of training in varied skills.

Low skilled jobs will always be available but vocational training

in electrical repairs, para-medical assistance, in plumbing,

in accounting, etc will help us to break through the glass ceiling.

This should be undertaken irrespective of gender. We also

need to learn foreign languages- English, Chinese, Arabic,

Malaysian, Korean and Japanese. This additional factor will

make all the difference. It also has to be a collective effort.

If we can follow this constructive path in the development of

our human resources, we can then avoid shattered dreams that

result from relying on criminals who make fortunes through

human trafficking.

The coronavirus pandemic has

pushed every other issue aside for

the past six months, and for a

while it even silenced young climate

demonstrators, who moved their

protests to the internet.

To be sure, there have been public

protests since March, but they were

about coronavirus measures (for and

against); there were the Black Lives

Matter (BML) demonstrations, a

reaction to the death of George Floyd

and other examples of police violence

against African Americans, most

recently when the officers who shot

Breonna Taylor went relatively

unpunished; and there were anti-BML

demonstrations. Some of these protests

were peaceful, some not. They were a

reflection of polarized Western

societies, and they all had one thing in

common; they were a direct reaction to

something that had happened there

and then.

Climate change is different: It is not a

one-time event highlighting a specific

abuse. It is a bad state of affairs

creeping up on us silently. A world

under lockdown may have impeded the

spread of the virus, but the earth has

still been raging. The were floods, fires

and hurricanes. Before mid-

September, forest fires in California

destroyed an area as large as that

usually affected during the whole

wildfire season. Climate change may be

less immediate than the virus or

societal injustice, but it is real

nonetheless. In the long run it will kill

more people than COVID-19 does; that

may sound tasteless or macabre, but

CONTROLLING the narrative and

sowing confusion and discord in

the ranks of the adversary are

among the major objectives of

information warfare, which, therefore,

must be a carefully calibrated exercise.

Otherwise, the risk of something

backfiring becomes very real.

Social media users will know that

whatever your political or ideological

persuasion, there will be individuals

who will readily agree and those who

will not. And then there will be a third

type - a troll army in huge numbers. This

will inevitably represent the interests of

an institution or political party.

Those in the last category are difficult

to engage with. Their self-righteous

adherence to an agenda is such that

anyone expressing a sentiment contrary

to their worldview is deemed worthy of

contempt, of being called all sorts of

names and being overwhelmed into

silence.

Those who orchestrate such

campaigns, deploying such tools

routinely, must get lulled into a sense of

superiority, as their numerical strength

on social media is considered enough to

overpower anybody expressing dissent.

This would open up room for

miscalculations.

To be honest, not just the drivers of

such handles and content but even

seasoned analysts get thrown off the

scent of the story they are following. For

example, look at the leak this week of the

meeting between the PML-N's

Mohammad Zubair and the army chief.

Nawaz Sharif's address and his

daughter's public statements marked

the end of the PML-N's appeasement

policy.

I can't be sure if the leak was prompted

by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif's onpoint

virtual address to the multiparty

conference (MPC) or Maryam Nawaz

Sharif's statement, following the news of

the Gilgit-Baltistan briefing, for key

the truth often is.

Energized youth cannot be silenced

for long. Last Friday students

demonstrated in more than 3,500

locations worldwide, from Europe, to

Asia, Africa and America, North and

South. The most dramatic image was

that of 18-year-old activist Mya-Rose

Craig standing on an Arctic ice sheet to

alert us to polar melting and rising sea

levels.

There were 400 demonstrations in

Germany, and 21,000 young people

congregated in Berlin alone. Swedish

activist Greta Thunberg, who started

the movement, gathered her

supporters in Stockholm.

In many places, the protest

organizers prescribed masks and

adhered to social distancing rules,

which is more than can be said for

other demonstrations since March,

whatever the cause. The demonstrators

were predominantly young,

understandably so, since they will

inherit this world and they want to live

on an inhabitable planet. Their key

demand was an end to burning fossil

fuels by 2030, which is ambitious to say

the least. Their slogan was "Not one

CorNeLIA Meyer

ABBAS NASIr

degree more!"

It is easy to criticize young climate

activists as too ambitious, but if the

aims of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord

are to be achieved, politicians will have

to be persuaded to legislate for drastic

measures.

It is easy to criticize young climate

activists as too ambitious, but if the

aims of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord

are to be achieved, politicians will have

to be persuaded to legislate for drastic

measures. Paris limits the warming of

the earth to 1.5°C over pre-industrial

levels by the end of the century, and

with current measures we are far from

reaching this goal.

It is the job of the young to be

audacious, just as it is the job of world

leaders to put the demands into

perspective. Seen through that prism,

Thunberg and her supporters have

achieved a lot in a little under three

years.

Last year the climate change debate

dominated elections in many European

countries, with green parties making

considerable headway. Policies have

been influenced too, the "green deal" of

Stage set for final round?

opposition leaders at the ISI Mess,

Islamabad.

After learning of the meeting, she

lashed out at politicians meeting

military leaders clandestinely and said if

there were issues of national security,

parliament was the right forum for a

briefing rather than the mess of a

security agency.

She also said her party was banning

such contacts as per the PML-N

constitution. Therefore, when the leak

came in the shape of a TV interview by

the military spokesman, a number of

analysts termed it a serious setback to

the PML-N, with some of them saying it

marked the collapse of the party's

narrative.

Added weight to their stance was lent

by the statement of the spokesman

when he said the second meeting

between the PML-N leader and army

chief also included the DG ISI and that

the cases against Nawaz Sharif and his

daughter were also discussed.

According to the spokesman, the chief

told the PML-N leader it was up to the

courts to decide that issue as his

institution had nothing to with it. For his

part, Mr Zubair denied seeking any

concessions. Then, Maulana Ghafoor

Haidery appeared in a TV talk show with

his own leak about a meeting with the

army chief.

The JUI-F leader said during his

party's 'azadi march' last year, they were

invited by the army chief for a meeting in

which the latter told them to stay away

from whatever 'we are doing to Nawaz

Sharif' as the matter did not concern

them.

This is where I got the sense that the

spin machine was losing its grasp over

the narrative as a leak which seemed

aimed at discrediting a major opposition

leader was boomeranging and shifting

the focus on to the spin doctors actively

A handful of hawks around the father and

daughter have convinced them that defiance is

what the rank and file in Punjab want, as was

evident in the reaction on the ground to Nawaz

Sharif's MPC address, and that any other option

will risk losing support.

MAtthew SMIth

involved in politics.

The leak also opened the doors to

considerable discussion in the media. At

least for a few hours all controls had

been ignored and participants said

whatever they wanted to about the

appropriateness and desirability of such

meetings and their implications. That

may well turn out to be a flash-in-thepan

moment.

What appears clear, however, is that

Nawaz Sharif's address and his

daughter's public statements marked

the end of the PML-N's appeasement

policy. The 'dealophiles' had been given

months and months to deliver some

space to the party to operate in but

failed.

A handful of hawks around the father

and daughter have convinced them that

defiance is what the rank and file in

Punjab want, as was evident in the

reaction on the ground to Nawaz Sharif's

MPC address, and that any other option

will risk losing support.

A source close to the PML-N duo

insists that they have decided whatever

the consequences they will follow the

new strategy: "They are determined that

European Commission president

Ursula von der Leyen being an

example.

It was a sign of the times when

President Xi Jinping told the UN

General Assembly that China's

carbon emissions would peak before

2030, and that it envisaged becoming

carbon neutral by 2060. Xi's plan

may not have been ambitious

enough, but it was a step in the right

direction. Moreover, momentum is

building, with China, the EU, Japan

and California, and several other

large US states, more or less signing

from the same hymn sheet. In that

sense the young demonstrators have

achieved a lot.

COVID-19, however dire its effects, is

a temporary distraction. We should not

underestimate our young and their

activism, and elected politicians in

particular ignore them at their peril.

Are some of their demands extreme

and unrealistic? That may be the case,

but no movement ever achieved

anything by being timid. We should

expect the climate change agenda to

become front and center again. The

protest organizers may also learn from

COVID-19 responses what maximum

mobilization on a global scale requires.

It will be the job of their elders to put

things into perspective and ensure that

issues such as social justice, economic

development in the Third World and

post-COVID economic recovery are

also taken into consideration, while

trying to achieve climate change goals.

Source: Arab news

the authorities can tear up and burn

Maryam's passport and jail her, they

won't be allowed to use that as leverage

with the father." Brave words.

Nonetheless, there are question marks

over a number of issues. The foremost,

of course, is whether the PML-N has

sufficiently motivated cadres to

transform its formidable electoral

support into street power?

Or will any planned protests, marches

and rallies solely have to rely on

Maulana Fazlur Rehman's JUI-F? And if

that is indeed the case, will the cleric and

his committed followers pack enough

punch on their own to pressurise the

government backers to rethink their

support to the incumbents?

The state of the economy is a major

factor. If the opposition's planned

protests gain momentum, there will

inevitably be concerns regarding the

impact of a long-drawn-out tussle

around the country on economic growth

that has already been hit by the

pandemic. Can this force a change in

thinking?

On the other hand, if the parties in the

main opposition alliance, the Pakistan

Democratic Movement, are unable to

establish a meaningful physical

presence on the ground, then the MPC

speeches and pledges will amount to no

more than bluster.

In such an eventuality, will our

liberties, including whatever little media

freedom there is today, take a serious

hit? Will the human rights situation

worsen and the existing quantum of

provincial autonomy become a thing of

the past?

Among questions galore, what is

becoming increasingly clear is that

Nawaz Sharif and his political heir are

not willing to let the status quo stand

and will do all in their power to alter it.

Source: Dawn

Premier League: Big-spending Chelsea dodge another humiliating loss - just

Frank Lampard's splurging of the cash

seems to have had little effect on

Chelsea's fortunes as they needed to

mount a comeback to rescue a point against

West Bromwich Albion, while last season's

third-placed team - Manchester United -

looked equally lacklustre at Brighton.

Free-spending Chelsea were staring at

another heavy loss following defeat against

champions Liverpool, but salvaged a draw

thanks to a back-from-the-dead escape,

coming from 3-0 down to level the score at

3-3

The record books will show Bruno

Fernandes' 100th-minute penalty secured

the win, but the final whistle had already

gone, only for Kavanagh to insist the penalty

It is easy to criticize young climate activists as too ambitious,

but if the aims of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord are to be

achieved, politicians will have to be persuaded to legislate for

drastic measures. Paris limits the warming of the earth to

1.5°C over pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, and

with current measures we are far from reaching this goal.

be taken, much to the chagrin of Brighton's

players, who had a clear penalty overruled in

the match that also saw the home side strike

the woodwork five times

Referee Chris Kavanagh was the centre of

attention in the Manchester United v

Brighton match

Referee Chris Kavanagh was the centre of

attention in the Manchester United v

Brighton match

Meanwhile, Chelsea's tilt for the title after

spending big in the transfer market has

come off the rails already. One of those new

recruits, Thiago Silva, was given the

captain's armband on his Premier League

debut, but the Brazilian had a nightmare

first 45 minutes as the Blues' defensive

deficiencies were easily exposed.

Callum Robinson pounced on errors from

Marcos Alonso and Silva to fire twice

beyond Willy Caballero, who replaced

liability Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Chelsea

goal.

Kyle Bartley then made it 3-0 to the

Baggies, who had lost their opening two

games back in the top flight.

Chelsea have spent a reported 300 million

pounds to try to close the gap on Liverpool

and Manchester City in the title race and

even a spirited second-half fightback, which

takes them to just four points from their first

three games, could not hide the

embarrassment of his side's defending for

Lampard.

"It's two points lost," said Lampard. "You

can have as many meetings as you want, but

if you make clear mistakes, you give yourself

a mountain to climb."

Mason Mount got the comeback started to

a swerving long-range effort. Substitute

Callum Hudson-Odoi then swept home 20

minutes from time after a neat one-two with

new boy Kai Havertz. Tammy Abraham

secured a point in stoppage time when he

rolled in the rebound after Sam Johnstone

had parried Mount's initial effort.

It certainly looks like two of the preseason

'Big Four' are in for a long campaign

yet again.

Source: Gulf news

MoNDAY, SEPTEMbEr 28, 2020

5

How far are we from

coronavirus immunity?

What if you are better off without the office?

JeSSica poWeLL

in the initial months of the pandemic,

remote work seemed full of upsides:

more flexibility for employees and an

expectation of greater profits,

productivity and retention for their

employers. But what if the long-studied

benefits of remote work look different in

a post-pandemic world? in particular,

what if employee loyalty and engagement

decrease once remote work is no longer

an exception but rather the norm? and

what if that's not a bad thing? What if a

more disconnected work force leads to

changes that could make employees

happier and companies more

compassionate?

i'm a fan of remote work, but it

presents unique challenges in helping

staffs feel connected to their teammates

and the company. in my previous job as

an executive at a large technology

company, i managed teams across

some 40 satellite and home offices. We

relied on email, video conferences and

chat services to help keep our

employees around the world

connected. But if a remote employee

complained about a lack of support

from co-workers at headquarters or felt

disconnected from the larger team, a

manager's advice often had nothing to

do with technology. instead, it was

utterly human: come spend a week

meeting your colleagues.

Since March, millions of white-collar

workers have been living the

disconnected experience of the remote

worker for the first time. early reports

from the corporate world were rosy, as

employees swapped suits for

sweatpants and found new flexibility in

their work and home lives. Many

companies reported higher

productivity than ever before, not

analyzing whether that productivity

was tied to employee flexibility or the

fact that people were locked inside,

terrified of losing their jobs.

We're now seeing the cracks, as

employers and employees start to voice

their concerns about the long-term,

isolating impact of remote work.

Managers have tried creative ways to

bring their staffs together. My friends'

calendars are filled with video

conference happy hours and trivia

nights. an acquaintance told me he

leaves a group video chat open all day

so that the employees at his start-up

can work together as they did in their

open office. i know another boss who

has short but more frequent catch-ups

Photo: Jim Wilson

The pros and cons of remote work

so that she can maintain a bit of banter

with her management team.

But it just isn't the same. the onceweekly

video conference happy hours

held by one friend's San Francisco

start-up have become monthly. even

then, attendance falls with each passing

month. at Facebook, which has said it

expects to make as much as half of its

full-time jobs remote over the next 10

years, people miss the mini-kitchens

and team lunches. one executive there

told me, it's not so much the perks

themselves as it is the connection they

provided. "it's hard to reproduce the

magic," he told me. "people don't want

to spend any more time connecting

over video chat than they have to."

if this continues, it could result in a

permanent change in the employeeemployer

relationship. employees

could become increasingly mercenary,

no longer swayed by the strong social

bonds and physical-world perks of the

office of the past.

For their part, employers could

increasingly view their staffs as little

more than interchangeable work units.

as a manager, no matter how objective

i think i may be, i would probably find

it easier to fire an employee with whom

i had little personal connection.

Spencer Bokat-LindeLL

a few days ago, a friend of

mine became terrified of a

tickle in his throat. He had

come down with a moderate

case of covid-19 back in the

spring, but five months had

passed since his symptoms

had faded, and stories about

reinfection were in the news.

Was it possible he had

caught the virus a second

time, and would it be as bad

as the first?

the number of people who

have died of covid-19 in the

United States has now

surpassed 200,000, but at

least 6.7 million more are

like my friend, somewhere

in the labyrinth of recovery,

unsure of where the disease

has left them. Six months

into the pandemic, what

have scientists learned about

how the body defends itself

against the coronavirus, and

what questions still need

answering? Here's what the

experts are saying.

the immune system

functions as a kind of

consciousness: Like the

mind, the body registers

threats in the moment, and

it remembers them, too.

Some of its memories are

more durable than others,

and not all of them are

salutary. a single bout of

measles, for example, tends

to shield a person for life, but

a papillomavirus infection

may increase a person's

susceptibility to a second.

When the coronavirus

surfaced back in december,

scientists could not be

certain what kind of

impression it would leave.

But as the pandemic wears

on, a clearer picture is

starting to emerge.

according to Helen

Branswell at Stat, experts

believe that absolute

protection against

reinfection is unlikely, but

they have also ruled out the

possibility of the immune

system's falling into

complete amnesia.

"if these experts are

correct, and the worst-case

scenario is off the table,

humans can expect to see a

waning of the threat SarS-

2" - the coronavirus - "poses

to people over time," she

writes. "our immune

systems will know how to

deal with it."

that may sound

surprising amid reports of

coronavirus antibodies

wearing off in a matter of

months. But as two Yale

immunology professors,

Antibodies are only part of the picture.

akiko iwasaki and ruslan

Medzhitov, explain in the

times, "dropping antibody

counts aren't a sign that our

immune system is failing

against the coronavirus, nor

an omen that we can't

develop a viable vaccine."

that's because antibodies

are only one part of the

body's immune response,

and it is normal for them to

decline after an infection has

receded. For long-term

protection, the body also

depends on memory cells

that can lie dormant for

years, even decades, ready to

attack infected cells and

produce new antibodies if

the same pathogen returns.

and for the coronavirus, a

bevy of research suggests

that long-term immunity is

working exactly as it's

supposed to, at least so far.

"although researchers

cannot forecast how long

these immune responses

will last, many experts

consider the data a welcome

indication that the body's

most studious cells are doing

their job - and will have a

good chance of fending off

the coronavirus, faster and

more fervently than before,

if exposed to it again," my

colleague katherine J. Wu

reports.

there is, however, one

wrinkle: at the end of

august, a 25-year-old man

in nevada developed a

second case of covid-19.

that he had been reinfected

was not especially

surprising; another case of

reinfection had been

reported in Hong kong a few

days before. But some

scientists were troubled to

learn that unlike the Hong

kong patient, who was

completely asymptomatic,

the nevada patient had a

worse case the second time

around.

Photo: Johannes Eisele

Harvesting the DNA: the future of policing

It failed to coax cultural assimilation with economic incentive.

adrian ZenZ

Before Xinjiang, there was tibet.

repressive policies tested there between

2012 and 2016 were then applied to the

Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in

northwestern china: entire cities covered

in surveillance cameras, ubiquitous

neighborhood police stations, residents

made to report on one another.

now that process also works the other

way around. Xinjiang's coercive labor

program - which includes mandatory

training for farmers and herders in

centralized vocational facilities and their

reassignment to state-assigned jobs,

some far away - is being applied to tibet.

(not the internment camps, though.)

call this a feedback loop of forcible

assimilation. it certainly is evidence of the

scale of Beijing's ruthless campaign to

suppress cultural and ethnic differences -

and not just in tibet and Xinjiang. i

analyzed more than 100 policy papers

and documents from the tibetan

authorities and state-media reports for a

study published with the Jamestown

Foundation this week. photos show

tibetans training, wearing fatigues.

official documents outline how Beijing is

rolling out for them a militarized labor

program much like the one in place in

Xinjiang: tibetan nomads and farmers

are being rounded up for military-style

classes and taught work discipline,

"gratitude" for the chinese communist

party and chinese-language skills.

More than half a million workers have

been trained under this policy during the

first seven months of the year, according

to official documents. reuters has

confirmed these findings, uncovering

more relevant documents. (the chinese

government has denied the charges,

including that it is enlisting forced labor

in tibet.)

tibet has long posed a particular

challenge for the chinese authorities. the

region is very far from Beijing and

strategically important because of its long

border with india. its people's culture is

distinct, and the devotion of many

tibetans to the dalai Lama, who

simultaneously embodies religious and

political power - with a government in

exile in india - is a double threat in the

eyes of the chinese communist party.

the people of what the chinese

government refers to as the tibet

autonomous region - about 3.5 million,

mostly nomads and farmers scattered

throughout the vast Himalayan plateau -

have resisted its encroachment for

decades. notably, riots broke out in the

capital, Lhasa, in 2008, just weeks before

the olympic Games in Beijing, following

years of tightening restrictions on cultural

and religious freedoms.

Photo: Purbu Zhaxi

China’s plan to assimilate Tibetans

there reportedly have been more than

150 cases of self-immolation carried out

in protest since 2011. the dalai Lama is

85, and the chinese authorities in Beijing

have been trying to shape his succession,

asserting, for example, that Buddhist

reincarnations must "comply" with

chinese law.

this is but one of the many ways in

which Beijing has been doubling down on

imposing state controls over tibetan

traditional ways of life. tibet, like

Xinjiang, nominally is an autonomous

region, yet in 2019, its government

mandated that all tibetan nomads and

farmers be subjected to what some

government directives call "militarystyle"

training for vocational skills and

then be assigned low-skilled jobs, for

example in manufacturing or the services

sector.

Some of the reports i have reviewed,

including one by tibet's ethnic affairs

commission, claim that tibetans' religion

cultivates "backward thinking." the city

of chamdo claims to have "carried out the

transfer of surplus labor force in

agricultural and pastoral areas" in order

to overcome tibetans' purportedly "poor

organizational skills."

according to a major policy paper by

the tibetan regional government, "the

2019-2020 Farmer and pastoralist

training and Labor transfer action

eMiLe dirkS and JaMeS LeiBoLd

For several years now, the police and

other authorities in china have been

collecting across the country dna

samples from millions of men and boys

who aren't suspected of having

committed any crime.

in a report published by the australian

Strategic policy institute last month, we

exposed the extent of the chinese

government's program of genetic

surveillance: it no longer is limited to

Xinjiang, tibet and other areas mostly

populated by ethnic minorities the

government represses; dna collection -

serving no apparent immediate need -

has spread across the entire country. We

estimate that the authorities' goal is to

gather the dna samples of 35 million to

70 million chinese males.

Matched against official family

records, surveillance footage or witness

statements in police reports, these

samples will become a powerful tool for

the chinese authorities to track down a

man or boy - or, failing that, a relative of

his - for whatever reason they deem fit.

the chinese government denies the

existence of any such program, but since

our study's publication, we have

continued to uncover online scattered

evidence revealing the program's

enormous scale, including government

reports and official procurement orders

for dna kits and testing services.

dna is being harvested across the

country: in the southwestern provinces

of Yunnan and Guizhou; in centralsouthern

Hunan; in Shandong and

Jiangsu, in the east; and up north, in the

autonomous region of inner Mongolia.

We have continued to find

photographic evidence that the police

are collecting blood from children,

pinpricking their fingers at school - a

clear violation of china's responsibilities

under the U.n. convention on the

rights of the child. and we have found

fresh proof, including official

documents, showing that dna samples

are also being gathered in major urban

centers. (For a time, the focus seemed to

be largely on rural communities.)

an official report dated June 16,

available on a website of the government

of Sichuan province, details the creation

of a dna database by the public Security

Bureau of the city of chengdu, the

province's capital, and seeks expert

opinion on the creation of a "male

ancestry investigation system."

it documents how 17 public security

offices have collected dna samples from

nearly 600,000 male residents across

the city - that's about 7 percent of

chengdu's male population (assuming

Police officers collecting DNA samples from schoolboys in Yunnan Province.

that roughly half of the city's total

population of about 16.6 million is

male).

the chengdu procurement report

states that building a massive genetic

database about local residents will help

the police "maintain public order and

stability as well as meet the needs of

daily case work." this is of no comfort.

in china, securing the public order

essentially means maintaining the

uncontested rule of the communist

party. dissent is a crime, and police

operations are a key part of the state's

apparatus of repression.

the chinese police are not doing this

work alone. evidence continues to

accumulate that private companies, both

chinese and foreign, are complicit in this

extraordinarily vast, and ominous,

assault on the privacy of chinese

citizens.

in Hunan province, Huangrui

Scientific instruments Ltd. - a company

based in the provincial capital that

produces a range of medical, chemical

and scientific products - has sold to the

public Security Bureau of the city of

Liuyang some 140,000 dna testing kits

produced by thermo Fisher Scientific, a

U.S.-based Fortune 500 company.

that's enough equipment to test roughly

one in five men in the community.

Photo: Collected

MonDAY, SePTeMBeR 28, 2020 6

BCG recovers huge quantity of yaba in Sangu

Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukdar Abdul Khaleque as the chief guest inaugurated

4 water treatment plants in Gourambha union parishad premises in Rampal on

Saturday.

Photo: Titash Chakrobarti

Rampal Power Plant providing pure drinking

water to commoners: KCC Mayor

TiTASh ChAKRoBARTi, KhulnA CoRReSponDenT:

Khulna City Corporation mayor

Talukdar Abdul Khaleque in his

speech as chief guest said that Rampal

power plant has been working to

ensure pure and safe drinking water

for the common people of Rampal

and mongla upazila. The power plant

has established 5 drinking water

installations in last one year in these

two upazilas of Bagerhat district from

where about 1500 villagers are getting

safe drinking water. This has resolved

their drinking water problem caused

due to salinity of water of this region.

moreover, this plant has been

conducting medical camps,

distributing educational kits, and skill

development training in regular basis.

once, the plant comes into electricity

generation, it would be able to do

more development activities for the

welfare of the commoners in the

region as mentioned by the KCC

mayor and Chief Guest of the

inaugural programs of the 4 water

treatment plants on Saturday in

Gourambha union parishad premises

here in Rampal. he lauded the CSR

activities of BifpCl and hoped that

same would continue in the future as

well.

presided over by pD of the power

project, SC pandey, among others,

DpD, md. rezaul Karim, upazila

Chairman moazzem hossain, uno

Shadhan Kumar Biswas, Chairman of

Gourambha union parishadGias

uddin Gazi, Chairman of Rajnagar

union parishad Abdul hannanDablu

and AGm (hR) Shidharthmondal

were present on the occasion.

it may be mentioned that at

present, the project works are going

on in full swing to ensure the progress

and complete the project. Recently,

BifpCl has mobilized about 6

thousand workers from various parts

of the country along with skilled

manpower from india during post

pandemic (covid-19) situation. The

company has been putting its all-out

efforts to cover up the delay caused by

the pandemic. The workers of

Bangladesh consist of not only from

Rampal or this region but also from

different parts of the country. The

large number of workers from across

the country is getting employment

opportunity in the maitree project

and improving their livelihoods and

standard of living as a whole.

BCG Station Sangu

conducted an operation in

Gahira (Ghatkul Ghat) area

under Anwara thana and

recovered 90,000 pieces of

yaba on Saturday night.

The raid was carried out at

the house of a man named

Shukkur on the basis of

secret information, a press

release said.

During the time, sensing

the presence of the Coast

Guard, the yaba traders

fled into the forest on the

south side of Ghatkul Ghat.

After searching the houses,

it was not possible to arrest

anyone. The recovered

yaba tablets have been

handed over to Anwara

police station for further

legal action.

The Bangladesh Coast

Guard has adopted and will

continue to conduct

regular operations in the

areas covered by the Coast

Guard to ensure law and

order, public safety as well

as prevention of

kidnapping, robbery and

drug control.

BCG Station Sangu in a drive recovered 90,000 pieces of yaba

from Gahira (Ghatkul Ghat) area under Anwara thana on

Saturday night.

Photo: Courtesy

Seminar over civil society role

in achieving SDG

RoKiBu hoque Dipu, mAGu-

RA CoRReSponDenT:

A seminar over civil

society role in achieving

SDG was held in magura

on Sunday.

magura district board

chairman pankaj Kumar

Kundu was the chief guest

in the seminar with ADAB

magura district unit

chairman

Kazi

Kamruzzaman in the chair.

ADAB , Khulna regional

coordinator Rezaul Karim

read the main essay in the

seminar. ADAB magura

district unit arranged the

seminar.

A seminar over civil society role in achieving SDG was held in

Magura on Sunday.

Photo: Rokibu Hoque Dipu

Farming Future Bangladesh (FFB) organized a day-long training workshop and view exchange meeting

in Rajshahi on Saturday.

Photo: Rafiqul Alam

Training workshop to develop skills of

agricultural journalists held in Rajshahi

RAfiqul AlAm, RAjShAhi CoRReSponDenT:

farming future Bangladesh (ffB)

organized a day-long training

workshop and view exchange meeting

in Rajshahi on Saturday to enhance the

capacity of media personnel to write

and publish news to motivate marginal

farmers to effectively use agricultural

innovation to achieve sustainable

development goals or SDGs and food

security.

A training workshop on "improving

the Skills of journalists in Agricultural

news" organized for journalists in the

greater Rajshahi region provided

training to 27 journalists on

technological innovations in

agriculture such as biotechnology in

agriculture and climate change and its

impact. journalists from various

national and local dailies, television

and magazines participated in the

training.

The main objective of the farming

future Bangladesh training in Rajshahi

was to provide hands-on training to

journalists on the use of biotechnology

in agriculture and its information and

communication. prominent

journalists, academics, scientists and

experts from various research institutes

of the country's leading media gave

presentations at the workshop. The

training provided an opportunity for

local media workers to exchange views

with renowned journalists and

scientists on the use, problems and

possibilities of biotechnology in

agriculture. As a result, an interaction

of experts has been created with the

participants, which will increase the

awareness of the public on the subject.

md. Arif hossain, executive Director,

farming future Bangladesh, said,

"social acceptance is very important for

the successful application of

agricultural biotechnology. As a result

of social acceptance, the development

and implementation of technology as

well as how farmers and consumers can

benefit from it depends on the release

of accurate information. "

in the keynote address at the

workshop, Shatil Siraj, Associate

professor, Department of mass

Communication and journalism,

university of Rajshahi, said that the

role of mass media in disseminating

information about science is immense.

proper news coverage to increase social

awareness and acceptance of new

technologies will bring positive benefits

to our sustainable and safe food

production. he also emphasized on

organizing more such training

workshops in other districts of

Bangladesh.

later, arrangements were made for

the journalists participating in the

workshop to visit various activities and

labs at the field level.

Govt procures 1.72 lakh tonnes

of boro rice in Rajshahi division

Convener of Gazipur Metropolitan Jubo League, Alhaj Md. Kamrul Ahsan Sarkar Russell and other

members of the Metropolitan Awami Jubo League laid wreaths at the tomb of national hero,

Bangabandhu's close associate Shaheed Moyez Uddin marking his 36th martyrdom anniversary on

Sunday.

Photo: Courtesy

netrakona farmers passing busy times with cultivating T-Aman paddy

neTRAKonA: farmers have been

passing very busy times with cultivating

Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) paddy in

all the ten upazilas of the district during

the current season, reports BSS.

Department of Agricultural extension

(DAe) officials here said a target was

fixed to produce 3.53 lakhs metric tons of

T-Aman rice by cultivating T-Aman

paddy on 1, 34,625 hectors of land in the

district this season.

The farmers have already cultivated the

variety of paddy on 1, 33,275 hectors of

land in the district, they said. The

cultivators are also engaged to activities to

fulfill the cultivation target of T- Aman

paddy. Deputy Director of the DAe,

netrakona, habibur Rahman told BSS

that following instructions of the

government, different state-run

organizations including BADC and BCiC

have supplied improved quality Aman

seeds and fertilizers to the doorsteps of the

farmers. Besides, different commercial

banks including Bangladesh Krishi Bank

and Sonali Bank have disbursed easy term

loans among peasants to make T-Aman

cultivation successful. "if the weather

condition remains favorable, the farmers

will be able to cultivate T-Aman paddy on

the targeted land, even on more land

exceeding the cultivation target," Rahman

said.

RAjShAhi: The government has

procured more than 1.72 lakh tonnes of

boro rice during the recently closed

procurement drive contributing a lot

towards ensuring food security amidst

the novel coronavirus (CoViD-19)

pandemic situation, reports BSS.

As part of the nationwide boro rice

procurement drive that closed on

September 15 last, the government has

procured the food grain from all eight

districts in Rajshahi division despite the

adverse impact of the Covid-19

pandemic.

in addition to the rice procurement,

the government has also purchased

40,665 tonnes of boro paddy from the

same areas at the same times.

Raihanul Kabir, Regional Controller

of food, said they have procured around

1.61 lakh tonnes of boiled rice and 11,348

tonnes of non-boiled sunned (Atap) rice

till the stipulated day.

he said procurement drive of the

newly harvested rice had gone on in full

swing everywhere in the division that

created a high hope of ensuring food

security amid the present adverse

impact of the CoViD-19 pandemic.

Raihanul Kabir said the government

had set a target of procuring 2,39,067

tonnes of boiled rice, 23,664 tonnes of

non-boiled sunned rice and 1,42,495

tonnes of paddy in the division during

the current season. Boiled rice has been

procured at the rate of Taka 36 per

kilogram while non-boiled rice at Taka

35 per kilogram.

Contracts had been signed with 5,370

millers for collecting 2,35,199.76 tonnes

of boiled rice, while 160 other millers for

supplying 21,099.17 tonnes of nonboiled

rice. Besides, 11,352 tonnes of

wheat were procured.

Currently, farmers are now very much

pleased with the present lucrative

market price for the latest harvested

Boro and Aush paddy in the entire

region including its vast Barind tract.

The prevalent selling price rate was over

expectation to the farmers.

After getting the profitable price of

their paddy the farmers are seen

bustling with harvesting of aush besides

farming of transplanted aman paddy

with more attention.

meanwhile, despite the adverse

impacts of both the Covid-19 pandemic

and the flood, Aman paddy

transplantation has exceeded the target

in Rajshahi division creating scopes of

producing additional yield of the food

grain.

The Department of Agriculture

extension (DAe) has set the target of

producing around 22.19 lakh tonnes of

Aman rice from around 7.66 lakh

hectares of land in all eight districts

under the division during the current

season. But, amazingly, the enthusiastic

farmers have brought more than 7.77

lakh hectares of land exceeding the

target by 11,540 hectares braving the

current pandemic and disastrous

situations.

According to the farmers and the DAe

sources, the target has been exceeded as

the farmers are seen humming towards

more paddy farming side by side with

suitable climate conditions with

frequent rainfall.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

7

Leaders to UN: If virus doesn't

kill us, climate change will

A family wears face mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus while enjoying their evening by the

cornice, in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Sept.

Photo : AP

Morocco faces down COVID

spread with tough rules

With air and sea borders closed for

months and eight cities barring people

from entering or leaving, Morocco has

been pulling out the stops to stanch the

spread of coronavirus.

Still, the kingdom on the Atlantic

coast, a magnet for tourists in better

times, has registered more than

110,000 positive cases since March and

has a death toll of 2,041 - the highest

among its North African neighbors,

reports UNB.

Morocco first decreed lockdown

measures on March 20, but has been

gradually easing restrictions. A recent

upsurge in infections, however, has

forced targeted measures. Marrakech,

a major tourist destination, is at a

standstill, while police checks are part

of the scenery in hard-hit Casablanca,

the country's economic powerhouse.

Police are out in the markets, streets,

drug-dealers' haunts and closed-off

Boris Johnson

urges world

leaders to unite

against COVID-19

British Prime Minister Boris

Johnson said Saturday that

the coronavirus pandemic

has frayed the bonds

between nations, and urged

world leaders to unite

against the "common foe" of

COVID-19.

Johnson, who made the

remarks in a prerecorded

speech to the United

Nations General Assembly,

said that, nine months into

the pandemic, "the very

notion of the international

community looks tattered."

"Never again must we

wage 193 separate

campaigns against the same

enemy," he said.

Johnson set out a plan for

preventing another global

pandemic, including a

network of zoonotic research

labs around the world to

identify dangerous

pathogens before they leap

from animals to humans,

reports UNB.

Johnson - who contracted

COVID-19 in the spring and

spent three nights in

intensive care - also called

for countries to share data to

create a global earlywarning

system for disease

outbreaks, and urged

countries to stop slapping

export controls on essential

goods, as many have done

during the pandemic.

Johnson also committed

500 million pounds ($636

million) through the global

COVAX vaccineprocurement

pool to help 92

of the world's poorest

countries obtain a

coronavirus vaccine, should

one become available.

He announced that the

U.K. is boosting its funding

for the World Health

Organization by 30%, to 340

million pounds ($432

million) over the next four

years, and urged world

leaders to acknowledge "that

alarm bells were ringing

before this calamity struck'

and to learn from the

experience.

beaches, with military vehicles

occasionally rolling by. They are a nononsense

signal for citizens to respect

the country's strict orders to contain the

virus. In the northern city of Tangiers,

military vehicles were deployed last

month to help enforce measures there.

Movement between the city and others

was stopped, as it was in Casablanca,

barring exceptional authorizations.

In Casablanca, tough measures to

keep people from leaving town are in

place. Police at blockades focus on

taxis, buses, freight trucks and private

ambulances, vehicles known to be used

by those trying to sneak out of town,

said Karim El Idrani, commander of

the Al Fida police district.

In Rabat, the political capital and site

of the main palace of King Mohamed

VI, police are posted at entrances and

exits - although the city is not closed.

Still, occupants of vehicles venturing

into town are asked to show proof of

residency, or provide authorization if

traveling in from elsewhere, especially

closed-off cities, or risk fines.

The director of epidemiology at the

Health Ministry, Mohamed Lyoubi,

conceded during a webinar that he

expects the situation to worsen over

winter as the flu season overlaps with

the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Many hospitals and test sites for the

coronavirus are expected to reach

capacity," Lyoubi said. "The situation

will also affect the ability of health

authorities to carry out case

investigations and ensure contact

follow-up and monitoring of patients

treated at home."

Morocco's testing program is

increasingly overwhelmed. Long lines

for testing are now common outside

hospitals and laboratories in

Moroccan cities.

Thousands of Israelis protest in

Jerusalem, despite lockdown

Thousands of Israelis gathered outside the

official residence of Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night to

demand his resignation, pressing ahead with

weeks of protests against the embattled

Israeli leader despite a strict new lockdown

order, reports UNB.

With Israel facing one of the world's worst

coronavirus outbreaks, the tough lockdown

rules went into effect Friday, closing many

businesses, banning large gatherings and

ordering people to stay close to home. But

Israel's Knesset, or parliament, was unable

to agree on proposed legislation that would

ban the right to protest.

Netanyahu has pushed hard for a ban on

the demonstrations, claiming they pose a

threat to public safety, and he has threatened

to declare a state of emergency to halt the

unrest. But his opponents accuse him of

using the health crisis as a pretext to put a

halt to weeks of demonstrations against him.

For over three months, thousands of

people have thronged the streets of central

Jerusalem near Netanyahu's residence,

calling on him to step down. Protesters say

Netanyahu shouldn't remain in office when

he is on trial for corruption charges and

accuse him of bungling the response to the

coronavirus crisis. Many of the protesters are

young, educated Israelis who have lost their

jobs because of an economic downturn.

Protesters at Saturday night's gathering

were noisy but orderly, with many standing

in marked spots to conform with social

distancing rules. Protest leaders urged people

to keep a safe distance from one another, and

the crowd stretched for blocks along a main

road as police patrols looked on.

Many of the demonstrators hoisted Israeli

flags. One large banner accused Netanyahu

of "White House laundromat," a reference to

a Washington Post report last week that the

Israeli leader brings bags of dirty laundry

with him to be cleaned when he visits the

White House. Others said "disgrace,"

"ashamed," and "Thou Shalt Not Steal,"

quoting the Ten Commandments before

Sunday evening's start of Yom Kippur, the

Jewish Day of Atonement.

It remains unclear whether parliament will

approve the ban on demonstrations.

Netanyahu's rival and governing partner,

Benny Gantz, has rejected the call for a state

of emergency. The two men formed an

emergency government last May with the

stated goal of combating the virus outbreak.

But their partnership has been hobbled by

repeated infighting.

Late Saturday, Netanyahu released a video

defending the new lockdown, acknowledging

that mistakes "absolutely" were made in

recent months, but saying there was no

choice but to impose the restrictions.

Police ask a protester in a wheelchair to move after security personnel

forcibly cleared the square outside of Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, early Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020,

during a three-week nationwide lockdown in Israel to curb the spread

of the coronavirus.

Photo : AP

In a year of cataclysm, some world

leaders at this week's annual United

Nations meeting are taking the long

view, warning: If COVID-19 doesn't kill

us, climate change will, reports UNB.

With Siberia seeing its warmest

temperature on record this year and

enormous chunks of ice caps in

Greenland and Canada sliding into the

sea, countries are acutely aware there's

no vaccine for global warming.

"We are already seeing a version of

environmental Armageddon," Fiji's

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama

said, citing wildfires in the western U.S.

and noting that the Greenland ice

chunk was larger than a number of

island nations.

This was meant to be the year "we

took back our planet," he said. Instead,

the coronavirus has diverted resources

and attention from what could have

been the marquee issue at this U.N.

gathering. Meanwhile, the U.N. global

climate summit has been postponed to

late 2021.

That hasn't stopped countries, from

slowly sinking island nations to

parched African ones, from speaking

out.

"In another 75 years, many ...

members may no longer hold seats at

the United Nations if the world

continues on its present course," the

Alliance of Small Island States and the

Least Developed Countries Group said.

The main goal of the 2015 Paris

climate accord is to limit the rise in

global temperatures to 2 degrees

Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above

pre-industrial times, but scientists say

the world is on track to soar past that. A

new study found that if the world

warms another 0.9 degrees Celsius (1.6

degrees Fahrenheit), the West

Antarctic ice sheet will reach a point of

Clashes, airstrike

kill 12 militants in

E. Afghanistan

At least 12 militants were

killed and five others

wounded in two Afghanistan

eastern provinces on

Saturday evening,

authorities confirmed


In Logar province, the

Afghan Air Force bombed a

Taliban camp that was used

as a control and command

center for Shafi Ullah, a

Taliban's shadow

intelligence chief for Logar,

killing six militants,

provincial police spokesman

Shahpoor Ahmadzai told

Xinhua. It was not

immediately known

whether Shafi Ullah had

been affected in the sortie,

which took place at 4:55

p.m. local time in Baraki

Barak district of the

province, 60 km south of the

capital Kabul.

In the neighboring Ghazni

province, Afghan security

forces repelled a Taliban

massive attack against the

security checkpoints in

Landa Khil locality of Ab

Band district, forcing the

militants to leave the area,

the provincial government

said in a statement.

India's former

defense minister

Jaswant Singh dies

India's former federal

minister Jaswant Singh died

on Sunday at the age of 82.

He had held crucial

portfolios including defense,

finance and external affairs

ministers from 1998 to 2004

in the government headed

by former Prime Minister

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, reports

UNB.

Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi expressed

his condolences at Singh's

demise, saying he had

strengthened the Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP),

currently the main ruling

party in the country.

"Jaswant Singh Ji served

our nation diligently, first

as a soldier and later

during his long association

with politics. During Atal

Ji's government, he

handled crucial portfolios

and left a strong mark in

the worlds of finance,

defence and external

affairs. Saddened by his

demise," tweeted Modi.

irreversible melting. It has enough

water to raise global sea levels by 5

meters (16 feet).

The Pacific island nation of Palau

hasn't had a single COVID-19 infection,

but President Tommy E. Remengesau

Jr. warns it's the rising seas that will

bring the country down.

"The momentary drop in (carbon)

emissions this year cannot be allowed

to generate any complacency about

global progress," he said, referring to

the sparkling skies that followed

lockdowns to slow the spread of the

virus around the world. Pollution has

crept back up as restrictions ease.

World powers cannot shirk their

financial commitments to fighting

climate change during the pandemic,

Remengesau said, even as economies

are battered.

But few pledges have emerged at the

U.N. gathering, aside from China's

announcement that it aims to have

carbon dioxide emissions peak before

2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by

2060.

The pandemic has muted the U.N.

meeting, with world leaders speaking

not from the podium in New York but

via video from home. That has sapped

the urgency of diplomacy and left

nations wondering just how many

people are listening.

In a year of cataclysm, some world leaders at this week's annual

United Nations meeting are taking the long view, warning: If

COVID-19 doesn't kill us, climate change will.

Photo : AP

Mexico to pursue soldiers, federal

police in abduction probe

Mexico has issued 25 arrest warrants for

those who carried out and knew about the

abduction of 43 students in southern Mexico

in 2014, including for the first time members

of the military and federal police, the

Attorney General's Office announced

Saturday, reports UNB.

"Those responsible for the forced

disappearance of the 43 students in the

south of the country are fully identified" and

will be prosecuted, unlike the manipulation

and cover-up that happened under the

previous administration, said Attorney

General Alejandro Gertz Manero on the sixth

anniversary of their disappearance.

Omar Gomez Trejo, the prosecutor leading

the case of the students from the teachers'

college at Ayotzinapa in Guerrero state, said

one federal police officer was already in

custody.

Gomez said that among those being sought

are "the intellectual and material authors of

the disappearance, and these orders include

police from various municipalities, federal

police, members of the army," as well as

current and former officials from the federal

prosecutor's office and organized crime. He

did not say if that included the office's former

chief, Jesus Murillo Karam, who Gertz

Manero accused of "orchestrating a massive

media trick."

The students' families have long

demanded that soldiers be included in the

investigation. Local police, other security

forces and members of a drug gang abducted

the students in Iguala, Guerrero on the night

of Sept. 26.

It occurred near a large army base and

independent investigations showed

members of the military were aware of what

was occurring. Pursuing soldiers is a

significant move, especially considering

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's

coziness with the armed forces.

"Arrest orders have been issued for

soldiers that will be carried out," Lopez

Obrador said. "He who has participated and

is shown to have done so is going to be

judged, that is an advance, there will be no

cover-up."

The motive for the students' abduction

remains a subject of debate.

On Saturday, Gertz Manero said "the

missing youths were victims who ended up

in the middle of a battle of interests between

drug trafficking forces." Iguala has long been

a critical hub for moving heroin from opium

poppies grown in the surrounding

mountains north to the United States.

He said that in addition to the missing

students, others were killed in the area that

night. "Nearly 80 people were massacred

and hidden in Iguala by the different

criminal groups and their official

accomplices," he said.

Interior Ministry Under Secretary

Alejandro Encinas said that since the search

began for the 43 students, some 245 bodies

have been found in the area. Only 22 have

been identified.

US colleges struggle to salvage

semester amid outbreaks

Colleges across the country

are struggling to salvage the

fall semester amid

skyrocketing coronavirus

cases, entire dorm complexes

and frat houses under

quarantine, and flaring

tensions with local

community leaders over the

spread of the disease, reports

UNB.

Many major universities

are determined to forge

ahead despite warning signs,

as evidenced by the

expanding slate of college

football games occurring

Saturday. The footballobsessed

SEC begins its

season with fans in stadiums.

Several teams in other

leagues have had to postpone

games because of outbreaks

among players and staff.

Institutions across the

nation saw spikes of

thousands of cases days after

opening their doors in the last

month, driven by students

socializing with little or no

social distancing. School and

community leaders have

tried to rein in the virus by

closing bars, suspending

students, adding mask

requirements, and toggling

between in-person and

online instruction as case

numbers rise and fall.

Tension over the outbreaks

is starting to boil over in

college towns.

Faculty members from at

least two universities have

held no-confidence votes in

recent weeks against their top

leaders, in part over

reopening decisions.

Government leaders want

the University of Wisconsin-

Madison to send its students

home. Republican Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis, alarmed

by what he sees as draconian

rules on college campuses,

said he is drawing up a "bill of

rights" for college students.

In Rhode Island, Gov. Gina

Raimondo, a Democrat, this

week blamed outbreaks at

two colleges for a surge of

virus cases that boosted the

state's infection rate high

enough to put it on the list of

places whose residents are

required to quarantine .

MoNDAy, SePTeMBeR 28, 2020

8

Hope to give audience

a good movie once

again: Aparna

TBT RePoRT

Prova, Shajal in new drama

‘easy Love Busy Mon’

TBT RePoRT

Prova and Shajal, the two

famous artists in the Bangladeshi

drama, are to be seen in pairs in

an upcoming Television drama

titled 'Easy Love Busy Mon'.

Directed by Sarder Rokon, the

shooting of the drama has been

completed at a location in the

capital last week.

Talking about the drama,

Shajal said, "I have worked

several dramas under the

direction of Rokon. He always

makes drama with good story.

The story of the drama 'Easy

Love Busy Mon' is also

interesting. I'm very optimistic

about the drama."

DNA of

Tehran is

not good vs

bad: Moshe

Zonder

Prova said, "I always feel

comfortable to work under the

direction of Rokon bhai. He is a

very talented director. He has

made the drama 'Easy Love Busy

Mon' with utmost care. I hope

the audience will enjoy the

drama very much.

Composed by Saifur Rahman

Kajol, the drama will be aired on

a private TV channel soon.

Abdun Noor Shajal is an actor

and model of the country. Shajal

began his career through

modelling before he started

acting on television. In 2004,

Shajal made his acting debut

with the drama 'Tokhono Jante

Baki,'. He got recognition as an

actor in the drama 'Hiraful'

directed by Afzal Hossain. He

also appeared in several films.

Sadia Jahan Prova is a model

and actress. She is also known as

TV serial actress. She showed her

performance in various drama

and tele-film. She came into the

media with a model. In a short

time, she became very popular

with viewers of all classes.

Meanwhile, Prova is regularly

acting in the ongoing serial

drama 'Porer Meye' which is

being aired on NTV. The drama

'Rongbaj' starring Shajal last Eid

garnered much acclaim amongst

the audience. The movie 'Jeen'

directed by Nader Chowdhury is

awaiting release. Puja Chery is

opposite him.

After Fauda, Israeli television is starting to get

a global audience and taking that to the next

level is Apple TV+'s series Tehran. In an

exclusive virtual conversation with

indianexpress.com, creators Moshe Zonder

and Dana Eden discussed the "DNA of

Tehran", how the series balances its politics

and the striking visual resemblance between

Iran and Greece.

Writer and co-creator Moshe Zonder is

known all over the world for his work on

Fauda (as a writer). Moshe shared that aside

from a screenwriter, he has been an

investigative journalist and "always wanted to

cross the border to have the ability to meet

with my enemy, to interview him, to know him

personally." He said, "For example, I went to

the West Bank and Gaza Strip to meet the

Hamas leaders and of course, meeting them

showed me that they are very different from

what I had read about in Israeli press. And that

led me to write the first season of Fauda."

Moshe shared that the "DNA of Fauda" is

also the "DNA of Tehran" and "it is not good vs

bad. It's not that Israel is good, and Iran is

bad." The co-creator said that for him, this was

a chance to write about life in Iran, "the life that

is beyond the headlines in the news."

He added that the story deals with "identity,

nationality, family roots and the tragedy of

immigration. Those things are relevant to

everyone in the world, no matter which tribe or

country they belong to."

The story of Tehran unfolds from two

perspectives. From the Israeli side, we see

Mossad agent Tamar (Niv Sultan) whose

mission in Tehran goes awry, and from the

Iranian side, we see the investigating officer

Faraz (Shaun Toub).

Source: hindianews.comfrom

Popular actress Aparna Ghosh said, "I am preparing for the shooting of the film

'Onteshtikria' which is being funded with government grant. There are plans to

start shooting from October 10. If all goes well, I hope I can give the audience a

good movie once again." Aparna shot this movie for a day at the end of last year.

Then the work has suddenly stopped. If all goes well, Aparna will be in front of the

camera again for this movie next month.

Hosne Mubarak Rumi is directing the movie based on the story of Abdul

Mannan. Aparna further said "My character is a young girl, who falls victim to the

tragedy of 1971. We also meet her in 2019, when she has aged. It is a challenging

part to movie," said Aparna.

The latest movie starring Aparna has been released is 'Gondi'. The actress,

popularly known for 'Bhubon Majhi ', said, "I want to work regularly in films. But

our film is not like before. The number of movies made is also less. Besides, the

situation in Corona has gotten worse."

Web series have become a new medium of entertainment in recent times. The

actress is also working in web series. In the meantime, she has completed a web

series titled 'Sundori'. Regarding web series, Aparna said, "Web series is a new

medium of entertainment. I don't mind doing something good if I am offered.

Discussion-criticism is existent in all media. But we have to focus on the good."

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has been questioned by India's

narcotics board in an investigation linked to the death of actor

Sushant Singh Rajput.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) widened its investigation of

the case on Saturday, questioning Padukone for six hours in

Mumbai.

Padukone was among six people - including two other actresses -

to be summoned for questioning over the case.

Rajput's girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty, was arrested earlier this

month for allegedly buying drugs for him - claims she has denied,

BBC reported.

The case has fuelled months of media coverage and speculation in

India.

Meanwhile, actresses Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor were

questioned separately at another of NCB's offices. Another actress,

Rakul Preet Singh, was questioned on Friday.

None have been accused by the authorities of any wrongdoing.

Source: bbc

Tiger Shroff on a possible

collaboration with BTS

Tiger Shroff, who is basking in

the success of his singing debut

"Unbelievable," during a recent

live session, spoke about being a

fan of BTS and why their music

resonates with people across the

world.

A fan asked the Baaghi actor

when he will collaborate with

BTS, the biggest South Korean

band.

In response to the question,

Shroff said, "With BTS? Meri

toh aukaat nahi hai (I can hardly

even dream of such a thing).

These guys are the biggest

group in the world right now. I

am such a big fan of them. I

recently did a dance vlog on

their song Dynamite. It is such a

feel good song. In times like

these, we need that kind of

vibes. I think the reason their

music transcends boundaries

and goes across the world is

because of their lyrics,

messages, visuals and of course,

their talent. They are such

holistic performers."

Tiger Shroff recently posted a

video of himself dancing to the

tunes of BTS' popular track

"Dynamite." The video received

immense love from his fans and

the ARMY (a term used for

dedicated fans of BTS).

On the work front, Tiger was

last seen in Baaghi 3, which is

currently streaming on Amazon

Prime Video.

Source:

indianexpress.com

Deepika Padukone

questioned six

hours over

Sushant death

H o R o S c o P e

ARIeS

(March 21 - April 20) : A lot of creative

work may need to be finished by today,

Aries. If you're professionally involved with

writing, a deadline may loom. It could be

difficult to get it done because family members and

friends could constantly call and text, which keeps you

from concentrating. The best course of action might be to

go somewhere quiet, like a library, and do your work

there. Think about it!

TAURUS

(April 21 - May 21): What's happening

in your community today that attracts

crowds, Taurus? A parade? A festival

of some kind? Some friends may want

you to go with them, but you hesitate for many

different reasons. Go if you want to but take

necessary precautions. You could meet some

interesting people. If you don't go, find another

way to have fun. You deserve it.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21): You may be too free

with your money right now, Gemini.

You're usually careful with it, but the spirit

of generosity and abundance is definitely

upon you. You're more inclined to be generous with

those you care about. After all is said and done, you

could panic, but don't. You're good at making money. A

little belt tightening later is entirely possible, and it

won't hurt you. Follow your heart - within limitations.

cANceR

(June 22 - July 23): You usually love to

talk, Cancer, but right now you've

probably reached your limit. You've

attended a number of virtual gatherings

and talked to a lot of people over the past week or so,

and now you want to sit quietly at home. If friends or

family members insist on your chatting with them,

don't be afraid to say no. Everyone knows how busy

you've been. Take some time to yourself and relax.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Have you been

indulging in too many goodies, Leo? You

might feel under the weather because of all

this abundance. You probably should take

it easy. Think about reorganizing your priorities. Is a

second piece of chocolate cake more important than your

energy and health? Indulging can be important to your

psyche, but don't forget about moderation - and don't

forget that there are many other ways to indulge.

VIRGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): It has been said

that you can never have too many

friends, Virgo, but today you might

wonder if perhaps you do. Your phone

could be ringing off the hook. One person after

another will be soliciting you for advice and your

famous shoulder to cry on. Be patient. One day you

may need that person to be there for you. Try to

listen and keep your sense of humor about you.

LIBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): A small gathering of

some kind could attract you and your

family tonight, Libra. Perhaps you will

arrange to meet some friends there, if

possible. You may feel good just being out with those

you love, but you're likely to be tired by the end of the

event. Make sure you fortify yourself with nourishing

food during the day. Take care of yourself so you can

have some fun.

ScoRPIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): Too many phone

calls may be on the agenda today,

Scorpio. You might also have a few lastminute

errands to run in your

neighborhood. It won't be easy, probably because of

unexpected delays, closures and traffic. Nonetheless,

your sense of excitement and enthusiasm will help

you tolerate conditions that would normally be very

frustrating. Furthermore, you're having fun! Go to it.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): You may have lost

your usual control of the purse strings

and spent too much money lately,

Sagittarius. Don't worry about it. It's all

been for a good cause. It's nothing you can't handle,

and certainly not enough to bankrupt you. The

situation is only temporary anyway. The financial

picture looks great for you in the months to come.

Make the most of it!

cAPRIcoRN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Generally, you're a very

sociable person, Capricorn, and today

you won't want to slow down. Invitations

to parties, from intimate coffee klatches

to big neighborhood bashes, continue to come in, but

you weigh the pros and cons of attending carefully

now. Saying no goes against your nature because you

don't want to miss anything. But right now, you must

pick the most important to you and leave the rest.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): You and other

members of your household might

suddenly decide to do one more thorough

house cleaning, Aquarius. Usually this

would be a good idea, but today it doesn't really need it,

and you might work too hard and do too much. Do you

really need to clean your closets now? Dust and

vacuum, then spruce it up with some decorations, and

that should be enough for now. Relax!

PISceS

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Too many people

may be making demands on your time

right now, Pisces. Some may have

genuine concerns and need your

assistance, but others have definite agendas that they

really should deal with on their own. Use your intuition

to tell the difference because you won't be able to help

them all. A female friend might have the most urgent

need. If you can only help one, help her.

MONDAY, SePTeMBeR 28 2020

9

Ramos penalty snatches win

for Real Madrid over Betis

Youngster Yasir Ali Rabbi admitted that he was hugely benefited by practicing in Dhaka rather than

Chattogram.

Photo: BCB

Practice under coach benefits

youngster Yasir Rabbi

SportS DeSk:

Youngster Yasir Ali rabbi admitted

that he was hugely benefited by practicing

in Dhaka rather than Chattogram as he

got the coach's assistance here to fix his

problems, reports BSS.

the batsman started individual

training session at his hometown

Chattogram where he said, he lacked

mentor or coach to guide him'.. "I have

been practicing in Chattogram for so long

but I lacked a mentor and coach. the

thing I like most here is that I got the

opportunity to talk to the coach after my

batting," Yasir rabbi said here today.

"I've talked to the coach about what I

want to work on, I've done a few things.

the problem in Chattogram was that I

did not have a pace bowler at all there.

After coming here, I got many good fast

bowlers after a long time. However it

looked a little different initially but as

time went on the batting was getting

better by the grace of Allah. We had a very

good practice session."

terming practice under the biosecure

bubble as exciting one, he said he is

pleased to get the new experience.

"After Corona we start camp for the

national team. We're practicing under a

bio-secure bubble which is a new

experience. But the experience is not bad

because we are really a little scared of

what will happen if we go out, whether we

will be corona-affected or not. We

understood that we will be safe if we get

into the bio secure bubble," he said.

Yasir though is yet to make his debut

for national team in any format of cricket,

he remains the part of national team

camp for quite some time now as the

team management is considering him as

the future prospect of the country. From

his experience of doing camp with the

national team, he termed this camp as

different but effective one.

"I have done national team camp

before but this camp is completely

different. Because such facilities and new

environments have not been given

before. All in all the new experience looks

very good. I liked practicing with

everyone as I used to practice alone for so

long. there is a vast difference in

practicing in groups and alone. I like the

new experience," he concluded.

SportS DeSk:

Sergio ramos scored a late

penalty as real Madrid came from

behind to scrape a 3-2 win against

10-man real Betis, their first La

Liga victory of the season, reports

BSS.

Betis were ahead at half-time after

two goals in two minutes from Aissa

Mandi and William Carvalho

overturned Fede Valverde's opener

for the reigning champions.

But Betis defender emerson, who

is on loan from Barcelona, endured

a nightmare start to the second half

by scoring an own-goal and then

being sent off for knocking over

Luka Jovic after the striker had been

sent clear.

VAr again intervened in Madrid's

favour in the 82nd minute as Marc

Bartra was adjudged to have cleared

with his arm, leaving ramos to chip

in the winning penalty.

Betis were fuming at referee

ricard de Burgos at full-time and

while the red card seemed fair, they

were unlucky to concede the

penalty, with Bartra seemingly

nudged into the ball by Madrid's

Borja Mayoral.

Madrid, though, breathed a sigh of

relief, their opening win secured

having kicked off the season with a

goalless draw away at real Sociedad

last weekend. "I'm not getting into

the referees," said Zidane. "We

suffered of course but in the end we

got the three points."

ramos converting from the spot

felt familiar after his three penalties

during Madrid's run to the title last

term but this was an

uncharacteristically sloppy

defensive display from Zinedine

Zidane's side.

It was the first time they had

conceded twice in the first half of a

league match since Zidane returned

as coach 18 months ago and it would

have cost them had their opponents

been less generous.

Defeat for Betis ends what had

been a perfect start under new

coach Manuel pellegrini, after two

wins out of two against Alaves and

real Valladolid.

"From Madrid's first goal to the

end of the first half we were much

superior," said Mandi. "But we

weren't able to get a clean sheet in

the second half."

Victory for Madrid puts early

pressure on Barcelona, who begin

with Lionel Messi back in the fold at

home to Villarreal on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid also play their first

game on Sunday at home to

Granada. eden Hazard was still

absent in Seville, not even included

on the bench as Zidane continues to

insist the Belgian regain full fitness

before returning to action.

Jovic was given a rare start up

front but the Serb missed a good

chance before going off in the

second half and it would not be a

surprise if he departed before the

end of the transfer window.

Benzema made Madrid's opener,

refusing to give in down the right,

where he wriggled into space and

crossed for Valverde to fire in at the

near post.

ramos should have made it two

but lashed wide from eight yards out

and then Betis found their rhythm,

exerting more and more pressure as

the half wore on.

they equalised when Mandi

climbed above Casemiro to head in

a cross from the excellent Sergio

Canales, who then initiated a second

two minutes later, spreading left to

Nabil Fekir, who laid off for

Carvalho to power through and

drive home.

But Madrid were level three

minutes after the restart as

emerson poked Carvajal's cross into

his own net and then the Betis

defender was sent off, ajudged to

have bundled into the back of Jovic,

who had been put through by

Benzema.

ramos bent the free-kick wide,

Benzema feathered past the post

and substitute Borja scuffed a finish,

only for De Burgos to review and

decide the stumbling Bartra had

diverted the ball away with his arm.

ramos made no mistake.

Valencia's poor start to the season

under new coach Javi Gracia

continued as they were held earlier

to a 1-1 draw by newly-promoted

Huesca. real Sociedad eased past

elche 3-0 while it finished goalless

between Alaves and Getafe.

Cold comfort as Roland Garros

starts in shadow of coronavirus

SportS DeSk:

roland Garros gets underway in

chilly, damp paris on Sunday still in the

grip of the coronavirus which

organisers had hoped they would

escape by unilaterally pushing back the

clay court Grand Slam event by four

months, reports BSS.

opening day will see 2018 champion

Simona Halep start her bid for a third

major while 40-year-old Venus

Williams kicks off her 23rd French

open.

Andy Murray takes on fellow threetime

Grand Slam champion Stan

Wawrinka in the day's marquee tie in a

rematch of their epic 2017 semi-final

duel.

However, it will be an eerily

unfamiliar tournament, even for

defending champion rafael Nadal,

chasing a 13th paris title, and 2016

winner and world number one Novak

Djokovic, as well as Serena Williams,

pursuing an elusive 24th major.

A resurgence of Covid-19 cases

means that only 1,000 spectators will

be allowed into the grounds each day.

In 2019, more than 500,000 people

watched the two-week tournament on

site.

organisers had hoped to welcome

20,000 fans a day but in the space of

just a few weeks, that figure was quickly

downsized to 11,500, then 5,000 before

the French government slashed it to a

1,000 maximum.

"tens of millions of euros have gone

up in smoke," said French tennis

Federation (FFt) marketing chief

Stephane Morel as he mourned the loss

of ticket income.

players, meanwhile, have been

confined to two tournament hotels with

tight restrictions on their movements.

It's at the hotels where they undergo

Covid-19 testing, a source of

controversy and recrimination in the

build-up.

Last weekend, five players due to take

part in men's qualifying were stood

down.

two had tested positive while three

others had been in contact with coach

petar popovic who also tested positive.

popovic told L'equipe it was a

"scandal" and had "(rafael) Nadal been

in our shoes, he would have had the

right to a second or third test".

on Friday, veteran Spaniard

Fernando Verdasco said he was

"outraged and frustrated" after being

withdrawn following one failed Covid-

19 test which he claimed fell between a

steady stream of negative results.

Verdasco said he should have been

allowed a second test.

Inside the grounds of roland Garros,

situated in the prosperous western

district of paris, there are further signs

of the effect of the pandemic.

Normally bustling shops, food outlets

and other commercial stalls have been

shuttered.

Sergio Ramos scored a late penalty as Real Madrid came from behind to scrape a 3-2 win against 10-

man Real Betis.

Photo: AP

Roland Garros gets underway in chilly, damp Paris on Sunday still in the grip of the coronavirus.

Photo: AP

The 'Joytu Sheikh Hasina International Online Chess Championship-2020' was held from

September 24-26 under the management of Bangladesh Chess Federation. The Navy's chess team

won a total of six awards in the Bangladesh category, including 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 11th and 19th position.

The closing ceremony and prize giving ceremony of the competition was held on Sunday at

Hotel Le Méridien in Dhaka. State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell MP distributed

the prizes among the winners as the chief guest.

Photo: Courtesy

Celtics rally to beat Heat, stay alive in NBA playoffs

SportS DeSk:

the Boston Celtics roared back in the

second half to beat the Miami Heat 121-

108 on Friday to stay alive in the NBA

playoffs, reports BSS.

Jayson tatum scored 31 points and

pulled down 10 rebounds and Jaylen

Brown added 28 points as six Celtics

players scored in double figures and

Boston cut the deficit in the best-ofseven

eastern Conference finals to three

games to two.

Goran Dragic led the Heat with 23

points and Duncan robinson added 20

for Miami, who are trying to reach the

NBA finals for the first time since 2014.

With their season hanging in the

balance, the Celtics exploded for 41

points in the third quarter to turn the

tide in a game dominated early by

Miami.

Under solid pressure from the Heat

defense, the Celtics had made just one of

their first 12 shots and connected on just

five of 20 from the field in the first

quarter.

Boston trailed by as many as 12 in the

opening period, which ended with the

Heat leading 26-18.

Miami again built the lead to 12 in the

second period and finished the first half

with a 58-51 lead.

But Boston were beginning to see

some shots fall, and as they turned up

the intensity on both ends of the floor

after the interval Miami had no answer.

the Celtics opened the second half

with a 20-5 scoring run.

Marcus Smart's three-pointer tied it

up at 60-60 and Boston took the lead for

the first time in the contest, 62-60, on

Brown's layup off a feed from kemba

Walker.

Walker's three-pointer with 4:26 left

in the third gave Boston a 10-point lead

and the Celtics took a nine-point edge

into the final frame, when they

continued to pour it on.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

10

Low-cost housing loans

from next week

Marking the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) has celebrated the day of

"Bangabandhu's first Bangla speech at the 29th General Assembly of the United Nations on 25

September 1974" recently at BEPZA Executive Office. Remembering the day, BEPZA organized

a discussion meeting where the UN Speech of Bangabandhu was displayed through digital

screen. A documentary titled 'Osomapto Mohakabbo' on Bangabandhu's life & works and historical

events was also shown in the program.

Photo: Courtesy

Naya Pakistan Housing and

Development Authority (NAPHDA)

Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Anwar Ali Hyder

on Friday said that banks will start

offering loans for the scheme from next

week, reports Gulf news.

He said banks had been facing

problems with providing house financing

on low interest rates but the government

took steps to provide house loans on 5-7

per cent interest rates for which banks

would get a number of incentives.

Addressing a seminar on

"Opportunities in Naya Pakistan Housing

Scheme" organised by the Association of

Builders and Developers (Abad) on

Friday, NAPHDA chairman hoped that

banks would start introducing their

products by next week.

He said the federal government has

taken major steps for Naya Pakistan

housing scheme, including Fixed Tax

Regime for builders and developers, 90pc

tax relief and incentives to private banks

for financing the housing project. These

would boost the construction industry for

providing low-cost houses and open new

employment opportunities.

Naya Pakistan Housing Task Force

Chairman Zaigham Rizvi said banks have

provided only Rs106 billion worth of

housing loans during the last seventy

years which is 0.23 per cent of the GDP.

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)

former chairman Shabbar Zaidi said

construction of low-cost houses is

possible with financing on very low

interest rates. The government will have

to provide free land and financing for the

success of Naya Pakistan Housing

schemes.

Karachi Development Authority (KDA)

Director General Asif Ikram said that

KDA is ready for joint venture with

builders and developers for low-cost

housing schemes, adding that it is trying

to provide free land for the Naya Pakistan

Housing scheme in Sindh.

Meanwhile, HBL Head of Islamic

Finance Salimullah Shaikh and Meezan

Bank General Manager Syed Tanvir

Hussain said banks are ready to provide

80pc financing for low-cost housing

schemes on cheap interest rates.

Sindh Building Control Authority

(SBCA) Director General Ashkar Dawar

said he would provide approvals of

building plans within 10 days besides

ensuring that all relevant departments

would cooperate.

BEPZA & EPZs Celebrate the of Day of

Bangabandhu's First Bangla Speech at UN

Marking the Birth Centenary of the

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh

Export Processing Zones Authority

(BEPZA) has celebrated the day of

"Bangabandhu's first Bangla speech at

the 29th General Assembly of the United

Nations on 25 September 1974" recently

at BEPZA Executive Office.

Remembering the day, BEPZA

organized a discussion meeting where

the UN Speech of Bangabandhu was

displayed through digital screen. A

documentary titled 'Osomapto

Mohakabbo' on Bangabandhu's life &

works and historical events was also

shown in the program, a press release

said.

Executive Chairman of BEPZA Major

General S M Salahuddin Islam BP, SPP,

ndc, psc said that Bangabandhu's speech

delivered to the United Nations on

September 25 was a courageous

utterance and step towards establishing

equitable rights, world peace and justice

for the oppressed, deprived of the rights

of the whole world.

Member (Investment Promotion) of

BEPZA Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan

said that Bangabandhu delivered his

maiden speech at the UN in Bangla

language which had established the

Bangla in a dignified position as a

language before the world forum. Nafisa

Banu, Member (Finance) also delivered

her speech marking the auspicious day.

Among others, Secretary, General

Managers and all levels employees of

BEPZA were present in the program.

Simultaneously, eight EPZs under

BEPZA i.e. Chattogram, Dhaka, Cumilla,

Ishwardi, Mongla, Uttara, Adamjee,

Karnaphuli EPZ and BEPZA Economic

Zone also observed the day in the same

way with due respect.

The Premier Bank Ltd has shifted its Dhanmondi Satmosjid Road Branch to its new location at

House No- 48, (ground floor), Satmasjid Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka recently with a view to providing

modern banking services.Managing Director & CEO of the bank M. Reazul Karim, FCMA inaugurated

the Branch in the new building as chief guest. Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury Chairman, Center for

Renewable Energy Services Ltd. (CRESL) & Director, Centre for Energy Research, United

International University addressed the program as a special guest. Md Abdul Jabber Chowdhury,

AMD; other top Executives of the Bank, Businesspersons, clients and local elites attended the program.

Photo: Courtesy

Agent Banking Branch of Islami Bank has been inaugurated at Baharpur Bazar, Baliakandi Upazila

of Rajbari. Islami Bank Rajbari Branch Manager and Vice President Md. Kamruzzaman inaugurated

the Agent Banking Branch at Khan Market on the main road of Baharpur Bazar on Sunday afternoon.

Photo: Md Moniruzzaman

Australia rolling back banking

regulations to spur economy

Badiur Rahman elects

as Chairman of Board

Risk Management

Committee of AILB

Badiur Rahman has been

elected as Chairman of Board

Risk Management Commitee

of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd.

He was elected unanimously

in the 351st meeting of the

Board held recently.

Badiur Rahman is a

Sponsor Director of Al-Arafah

Islami Bank Ltd. He hails

from a respectable family of

Brahmanbaria

District.Professionally he is a

prominent businessman both

locally and internationally.

Badiur Rahman also is one of

the Directors of AIBL Capital

Market Services Ltd, Central

Hospital Ltd., Human

Resources Development

Company Ltd. Millennium

Information Solution Ltd. and

HURDCO International

School. Badiur Rahman is

associated with many socialwelfare

Commercial Counsellors of

Bangladesh missions abroad

visit Walton Factory

A delegation team of

newly assigned

commercial counsellor of

Bangladesh missions

abroad visited Walton

factory Saturday to gather

more experience and to

further raise their

knowledge on the

domestic export-oriented

potential industries and

their produced goods,

says a press release.

'Today's experiences

and knowledge, gathered

from the visit of Walton

factory, will help them

creating new export

potentials in their

respective missions

abroad through the

positive branding of

'Made in Bangladesh'

labelled products,' they

made the remarks after

visiting Walton factory at

Chandra in Gazipur on

Saturday.

Commerce Ministry's

Deputy Secretary Nahid

afroz led the delegation

team. Among the newly

assigned commercial

counsellors of Bangladesh

missions abroad, Dr. Julia

Moin in Tehran,

Shahedul Akber Khan in

Yangon, Dr. Mizanur

Rahman in Seoul, S. M.

Khurshid-Ul-Alam in Los

Angeles, Shafiul Azam in

Brussels, Bazlur Rashid in

Kunming, China were

present during the visit of

Walton factory. The team

was also included

Commerce Ministries'

Deputy Secretaries

Mirazul Islam Ukil and

Syeda Nahida Habiba.

Earlier, the delegates

were greeted with flowers

by Walton Hi-Tech

Industries Limited

Deputy Managing

Director Alamgir Alam

Sarker and International

Business Unit's President

Edward Kim. After that,

the visiting delegates

enjoyed Walton's

corporate video

documentary and then

visited various production

units like refrigerators,

compressors, televisions,

air conditioners, mobile

phones, computers, SMT,

PCB etc. During the visit,

the commercial

counsellors overwhelmed

witnessing the production

of high quality products

using cutting-edge

technologies, machineries

and equipment in

production line, QC

(Quality Control), testing

and RnD (Research and

Development)

departments in Walton

factory.

Australia plans to roll back "responsible

lending" laws adopted in the wake of the

financial crisis in an effort to spur an

economic recovery from the coronavirus

pandemic, officials said Friday, reports

BSS.

The move sent banking stocks soaring,

but drew sharp criticism from consumer

groups and the opposition Labor Party.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said credit

restrictions imposed on lenders in 2009

had stifled lending and was impeding

efforts to recover from Australia's first

recession in nearly 30 years.

"As the nation strives to recover from

Covid-19, the provision of and access to

credit will be critical to rebuilding every

sector of our economy, from hospitality to

tourism, construction to retail," he said in

a statement. The laws require lenders to

take steps to determine if potential

borrowers will be able to repay their loans

in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the crisis

sparked by the subprime mortgage

meltdown in the US.

But Frydenberg said this "burden of

regulation" had become an obstacle to

economic growth.

"Across time, lenders have become

increasingly risk averse and overly

conservative. As a consequence,

borrowers, irrespective of their financial

circumstances, have faced an ever more

intrusive, difficult and drawn-out

approval process," he said.

"What started a decade ago as a

principles-based framework to regulate

the provision of consumer credit has

evolved into an overly prescriptive,

complex, costly, one-size-fits-all regime

known as responsible lending

obligations," he said.

The conservative government's move

was welcomed by business groups and

sent bank stocks sharply higher, with

National Australia Bank and Westpac

both up more than six percent, ANZ

jumping more than five percent and

Commonwealth Bank up 3.4 percent.

A coalition of consumer groups

however said the step would lead to a

return of the banking misbehaviour that

was slammed by a Royal Commission of

inquiry last year.

The "government's proposed reforms

will remove bank responsibility to

customers, opening up new opportunities

for banks to aggressively sell debt", said a

grouping of four consumer advocacy

organisations.

"Watering down credit protections will

leave individuals and families at severe

risk of being pushed into credit

arrangements that will hurt in the long

term," said Karen Cox, head of the

Financial Rights Legal Centre, calling the

decision to drop responsible lending rules

"a shortsighted fix for a flailing economy".

A spokesman for the Labor Party said

the ditching of the lending regulations

signalled that the government was

backing away from promises to

implement banking reforms

recommended by the Royal

Commission.

Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited Deputy Managing Director Alamgir Alam Sarker and

International Business Unit's President Edward Kim welcome the delegation team of commercial

counsellors of Bangladesh missions abroad to Walton factory on Saturday by presenting them a

flower bouquet.

Photo: Courtisy

MONDAY, SePTeMBer 28, 2020

11

Officer-in-charge of Pangsha Model Police Station Mohammad Shahadat Hossain has called upon all

the Chowkidars / Dafadars under Pangsha Police Station to play a leading role in curbing crime.

During the Police Station Chowkidar Parade held at noon on Saturday, he gave various instructions

to the Chowkidar/Dafadars to keep the law and order situation in the police station area in order to

maintain law and order including prevention of drugs, terrorism, militancy, eve-teasing, women and

child abuse.

Photo: M A Jinnah

Belarus president sworn in at unannounced

inaugural ceremony

President Alexander Lukashenko of

Belarus was sworn in Wednesday to his

sixth term in office at an inaugural

ceremony that was not announced in

advance amid weeks of huge protests of

the authoritarian leader's reelection,

which the opposition says was rigged,

reports UNB.

One opposition leader called the

secretive ceremony "a farce," and

several European countries reiterated

that they don't recognize the results of

the election and refuse to regard

Lukashenko as the legitimate

president. In the evening, thousands of

people took to the streets in the capital

of Minsk to protest the inauguration

and were met with a strong response

from police.

The ceremony was held in front of

several hundred dignitaries at the

ornate Palace of Independence in

Minsk, the state news agency Belta

said. Police and other security forces

blocked off parts of the city and public

transportation was suspended.

Lukashenko, 66, took the oath of

office in Belarusian with his right hand

on the constitution, and the head of the

Central Election Commission handed

him the official ID card of the president

of Belarus.

Modi greets

PM Hasina

on her

birthday

DHAKA : Indian Prime

Minister Narendra Modi has

extended heartiest

congratulations to Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina on

the occasion of her 74th

birthday, reports UNB.

"Outgoing Indian High

Commissioner to

Bangladesh Riva Ganguly

Das handed over Narendra

Modi's letter along with a

flower bouquet to the prime

minister today," PM's Press

Secretary Ihsanul Karim

said.

He said the Indian envoy

handed over the letter when

she paid a farewell call on

the premier at her official

Ganabhaban residence

Sunday morning.

"Please accept my warm

wishes and hearty

congratulations on your

birthday," the Indian Prime

Minister wrote.

Modi added: "Your

(Sheikh Hasina) visionary

leadership has helped

Bangladesh achieve

immense social and

economic transformation,

and equally your

contributions to our bilateral

relations has been extremely

impressive."

The Indian premier

wished Sheikh Hasina good

health and happiness and

many more years in the

service of people of

Bangladesh.

The 74th birthday of

Sheikh Hasina, the eldest

daughter of Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,

will be celebrated today.

"The day of assuming the post of the

president is the day of our victory,

convincing and fateful," he said. "We

were not just electing the president of

the country - we were defending our

values, our peaceful life, sovereignty

and independence." The absence of

public involvement in the inauguration

only proved that Lukashenko lacked a

valid mandate to continue leading the

country, according to his political

opponents and European officials.

"Even after this ceremony today, Mr.

Lukashenko cannot claim democratic

legitimization, which would be the

condition to recognize him as the

legitimate president of Belarus," said

Steffen Seibert, spokesman for German

Chancellor Angela Merkel. He added

that the secrecy surrounding the

swearing-in was "very telling."

Lukashenko has run Belarus, a

former Soviet nation of 9.5 million,

with an iron fist for 26 years. Official

results of the country's Aug. 9

presidential election had him winning

80% of the vote. His strongest

opponent, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,

got 10%.

Tsikhanouskaya, who is in exile in

neighboring Lithuania after being

forced to leave Belarus, says the

outcome was invalid, as have the tens of

thousands of her supporters who

continue to demand Lukashenko's

resignation during more than six weeks

of mass protests. "The people haven't

handed him a new mandate," she said,

calling the inauguration was "a farce"

and an attempt by Lukashenko to

"proclaim himself legitimate."

"I, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, am the

only leader that has been elected by the

Belarusian people. And our goal right

now is to build the new Belarus

together," she said in a video from

Lithuania's capital, Vilnius.

The United States and the European

Union have questioned the election and

criticized the brutal police crackdown

on peaceful protesters during the first

few days of demonstrations. The EU is

pondering sanctions against top

Belarusian officials, but failed to agree

on imposing them this week.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas

Linkevicius called the inauguration "a

farce."

"Forged elections. Forged

inauguration. The former president of

Belarus does not become less former.

Quite the contrary. His illegitimacy is a

fact with all the consequences that this

entails," Linkevicius tweeted.

China Focus: Chinese official pledges to

ensure safety of COVID-19 vaccines

Chinese official pledged to optimize

processes and spare no efforts in putting

COVID-19 vaccines on market as early as

possible while adhering to laws and

regulations and ensuring safety and

effectiveness, reports UNB.

The safety and effectiveness of the

COVID-19 vaccines must comply with

relative standards, pass the process

validation of mass production and set up

controllable quality standards, said Yang

Sheng, an official with the National

Medical Products Administration, at a

press conference in Beijing on Friday.

Up till now, there have been 11 Chinese

COVID-19 vaccines entering clinical

trials, with four in phase-3 clinical trials.

The duration of phase-3 clinical trials

depends on many factors including the

number of participants and the speed of

their participation, said Yang.

Facing the new virus of COVID-19,

China quickly arranged five technical

routes for vaccine development, said

Wang Junzhi, an academician with the

Chinese Academy of Engineering.

This is by virtue of the country's

accumulation in vaccine development

ability, technology and experience over

the years, Wang said.

Chinese vaccine production enterprises

have signed cooperative agreements with

institutions from a number of countries

to jointly implement phase-3 clinical

trials in accordance with the laws and

regulations.

Two inactivated COVID-19 vaccines

developed by the China National Biotec

Group (CNBG) are under phase-3 clinical

trials in the Middle East, with more than

35,000 people inoculated, according to

Wu Yuanbin, an official with the Ministry

of Science and Technology.

The trials in the Middle East have so far

shown good safety and no serious adverse

reactions, Wu said.

Another inactivated COVID-19 vaccine

developed by Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd. is

undergoing phase-3 clinical trials in some

countries in South America and

Southeast Asia in accordance with the

laws, Wu said.

A human chain has been held on the second day of the people of more than

one lakh under villages of 4 unions demanding removal of Sayerkhal Beri

Badh in Satkhira.

Photo : TBT

S. Korea returns

Korean War remains

of 117 Chinese

soldiers

The remains of 117 Chinese

soldiers who died in the

1950-53 Korean War were

returned to China on

Sunday in an annual

repatriation delayed this

year by the coronavirus

outbreak, reports UNB.

South Korea handed

over the remains at a

ceremony at Incheon

airport outside Seoul, and

a Chinese military

transport plane flew them

to Shenyang, a

northeastern Chinese city

near the North Korean

border.

Chinese soldiers fought

on the North Korean side

against U.S.-led forces in

the South during the war

on the Korean Peninsula.

Most of the 117 remains

were found in the

Demilitarized Zone that

separates North and South

Korea. It was the seventh

annual repatriation, and

the largest since the 437

returned in the first one in

2014. In all, the remains of

716 Chinese soldiers have

been sent back.

This year's return,

originally planned for the

spring, was postponed for

several months because of

the spread of COVID-19.

Coal mine

accident kills 16

in southwest

China

A total of 16 people were

killed in a coal mine due to

excessive levels of carbon

monoxide in southwest

China's Chongqing

Municipality, local

authorities said Sunday,

reports UNB.

The accident occurred at

the Songzao coal mine,

which belongs to a local

energy company, in

Qijiang District early

Sunday morning,

according to the district

government.

The burning of belts in

the mine caused carbon

monoxide to exceed the

safety limit, trapping 17

people. Among them, 16

have been confirmed dead,

while the other is being

treated at the hospital.

An investigation into the

cause of the accident is

underway.

Over 500 arrested for

violating COVID-19

rules in Myanmar in

a week

A total of 525 people were

arrested in Myanmar in a

week for violating the

COVID-19 rules, state-run

media quoted Myanmar

Police Force as saying on


From Sept. 19 to 25, the

police charged 26 people for

breaking the COVID-19

rules and filed 73 cases

against 149 people for

violating curfew across the

country.

During the period, a total

of 350 people who did not

wear face masks in public

were also arrested across the

country under the

Prevention and Control of

Communicable Diseases

Law.

The national-level Central

Committee on Prevention,

Control and Treatment of

COVID-19 issued a

nighttime curfew in some

regions and states including

Yangon region to contain the

spread of COVID-19.

At present, some

townships in Yangon,

Mandalay, Bago,

Ayeyarwaddy regions and

Mon state are under the

stay-at-home order as those

townships have recently

seen increasing numbers of

COVID-19 cases.

Police shut down anti-restrictions

protest in central London over

lack of social distancing

Police has shut down an anti-coronavirus

restrictions protest in central London on

Saturday because crowds have not complied

with social distancing rules, reports UNB.

At least three protesters and one police

officer were reportedly injured and treated by

medical staff after they clashed at the antilockdown

protest in Trafalgar Square.

Thousands had gathered in the "we do not

consent" rally to protest against government

rules, with very few wearing masks.

BBC reported police officers penned the

crowd in Trafalgar Square as water and bottles

were thrown at them by demonstrators, while

police removed sound equipment and used

batons against protesters, leaving some with

visible injuries. A Metropolitan Police

statement said that those who stayed could

face criminal penalties because they "have not

complied with the conditions of their risk

assessment and are putting people in danger

of transmitting the virus".

"This has voided their risk assessment and

we have informed the event organisers they

are no longer exempt from the regulations."

The rally came a week after a separate event

which saw more than a dozen officers injured

and more than 32 arrests were made.

Rules in England limit indoor and outdoor

gatherings to six people. Protests are exempt

from the rule-of-six restrictions, but

demonstrators must maintain social distance

and a risk assessment must be submitted by

organizers.

On Friday, London was placed on the

national COVID-19 "watch list" as an area of

high concern. As the coronavirus cases

continue to rise in the British capital, the

On the occasion of World Tourism Day, a horse-drawn carriage walk was

organized at the premises of Kamrangirchar Lohar Bridge in the capital on

Sunday.

Photo: PBA

Money laundering: Top court

denies Destiny MD bail

DHAKA : The Appellate Division on Sunday rejected bail

petitions of Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin in

two money laundering cases, reports UNB.

A four-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud

Hossain, turned down the pleas after a hearing.

"The Destiny MD will have to remain in jail," said Khurshid

Alam, a counsel of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

On August 20, the High Court turned down his bail petitions,

prompting Rafiqul to move the apex court. The ACC filed the

money-laundering cases against Destiny-2000 chairman,

managing director and 20 others. They stand accused of

misappropriating Tk 3,285 crore of the investors' money.

Two districts get new DCs

DHAKA : The government has appointed new deputy

commissioners to two districts-Chapainawabganj and

Shariatpur, reports UNB.

The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gazette

notification in this regard on Sunday, saying the order will

take immediate effect. According to the notification, Md

Monjurul Hafiz, deputy secretary of Energy and Mineral

Resources, has been made Chapainawabganj DC, while Md

Parvez Hasan, deputy secretary of Public Administration

Ministry, the DC of Shariatpur.

mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, warned that

London is "at a very worrying tipping point

right now." Meanwhile, countries, such as

Britain, China, Russia and the United States,

are racing against time to develop coronavirus

vaccines.

The British government's Chief Scientific

Adviser Patrick Vallance said Monday that it is

possible that some vaccine could be available

in small amounts later this year, but it is more

likely that a vaccine will be available early next

year, although that is not guaranteed.

UN chief says nuclear war cannot

be won, must not be fought

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio

Guterres said on Saturday that a nuclear war

cannot be won and must not be fought,

reports UNB.

"The use of nuclear weapons would affect

all states, meaning that all states have a

responsibility to ensure that such deadly

armaments are never used again and are

eliminated completely from national

arsenals," the secretary-general said in his

message on the International Day for the

Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Calling on states that possess nuclear

weapons "to return to real, good-faith

dialogue to restore trust and confidence,

reduce nuclear risk and take tangible steps in

nuclear disarmament," the UN chief said

that "they should reaffirm the shared

understanding that a nuclear war cannot be

won and must not be fought.

Worker killed, 3

injured in Magura

wall collapse

MAGURA : A construction

worker was killed and three

others were injured after a

portion of a concrete wall fell

on them at Collegepara on

Hazi Shaheb road in Magura

town on Sunday, reports UNB.

The deceased was

identified as Roman, 25, son

of Moazzem Ali of Alidhani

village in Sadar upazila.

Ashraf Hossain, officer-incharge

of Sadar Police

Station, said part of a

concrete wall collapsed on

some people while they were

building a drain around

11am.

Roman was killed and

three others were injured.

The injured - Ramjan, 25,

Russel, 26 and Shakil, 27 -

were taken to Magura 250-

bed hospital.

28-09-2020

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