20-10-2020
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tuesday
DhAkA : October 20, 2020; kartik 4, 1427 BS; Rabi-ul Awal 2, 1442 hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.17; N o.198; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
InternatIonal
Why rape horrors
continue unabated
in India
>Page 7
art & culture
Script of 'Arai
Mon Swapna'
fascinated me: Moutushi
>Page 8
sports
Shoriful elated to
learn so many things
from seniors
>Page 9
Finish RNPP housing
graft probe in
6 months: HC
DHAKA : The High Court on Monday
ordered the authorities concerned to
complete investigations into three graft
cases filed over the purchase of furniture
and other household items for
Green City housing project under the
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP)
Project, reports UNB.
The bench of Justice Md Nazrul
Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed
Sohel also adjourned the bail petition of
Engineer Shahiful Islam, an accused in
the cases, for six months.
Advocate Syed Ahmed Reza stood for the
petitioner while Advocate Khurshid Alam
Khan stood for ACC and Deputy Attorney
General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented
the state. On August 17, the HC
issued a rule asking the government to
explain why Shahiful should not be
granted bail in the cases.
Suspended DGHS
staff Abzal sent to
jail in graft cases
DHAKA : A Dhaka court yesterday sent
to jail Abzal Hossain, suspended staff of
Directorate General of Health Services
(DGHS), in two cases lodged over amassing
illegal wealth of Taka 36 crore.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special
Judge KM Imrul Qayesh passed the order
as Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)
produced the accused before the court
and pleaded to keep him behind the bars
till the conclusion of probe in the two
cases. The court on September 2 placed
him 14-day remand in the two cases.
Earlier on August 26, Abzal surrendered
before the court and pleaded for
bail. After holding hearing on his pleas,
the court sent him to jail. ACC deputy
director Md Toufikul Islam on June 27,
2019, filed the two cases against Abzal
and his wife Rubina Khanam.
DB arrests four
with fake currencies
worth Tk 49 lakh
DHAKA : Members of Detective
Branch (DB) of the Dhaka
Metropolitan Police (DMP) in an
overnight drive has arrested four persons,
including two women, from a
house at Nurjahan Road under
Mohammadpur Police Station in the
city for their alleged involvement in
making counterfeit money.
"Fake currencies worth about Taka 49
lakh were recovered after raiding a house
on the second floor of a six-storey building
of Nurjahan Road in Mohammadpur
area," Gulshan Division DC of police M
Mashiur Rahman told BSS.
Zohr
04:44 AM
11:50 PM
03:52 PM
05:33 PM
06:50 PM
5:57 5:30
In just eight days, another span was added to the Padma Bridge on Monday. As a result, 4.9 km of
the bridge became visible.
Photo : Star Mail
Wear masks to avoid
Covid's second surge: PM
DHAKA : In the wake of Covid-19
resurge in many European and
American countries, Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged all
to follow health guidelines and use
face-masks in public places and gatherings,
aiming to prevent the possible
second wave of the pandemic in
Bangladesh, reports UNB.
The Prime Minister made the call
while presiding the weekly Cabinet
meeting held virtually.
She joined the meeting through a
videoconference from her official residence
Ganobhaban, while other cabinet
members joined it from
Bangladesh Secretariat.
"We all should use masks... no one
should go to public places, gatherings,
mosques and other festivals,
including upcoming Durga Puja,
without wearing masks under any
circumstances.
The Prime Minister and the
Cabinet expressed the hope that it'll
be enforced in tighter way," said
Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul
Islam at a press briefing after the
meeting.
He said the Prime Minister asked
all to be more careful against the pandemic
saying that though the second
wave of Covid is an uncertain matter,
the massive use of masks can reduce
the risk of infection.
The Cabinet Secretary said many
people are seen somewhat relaxed
over the use of masks. The government
has already asked the Islamic
Foundation to make people aware by
the imams of mosques-at least after
Zohr and Magrib prayers-over the
use of masks in public places and
gatherings, he said.
He said the infection rate will
decline automatically if everyone
uses mask.
"There should be a slogan at
mosques, markets and all other
places that no one should come without
wearing mask," Khandker
Anwarul Islam added.
BNP fails to understand
people's mindset: Quader
DHAKA : Awami League General
Secretary and Road Transport
and Bridges Minister Obaidul
Quader yesterday said the failure
of BNP lies in their inability and
inaptness to understand the language
of people who are now
made engaged in any decisionmaking
process through strengthening
democracy.
He was addressing a virtual press
conference on contemporary issues
from his official residence on parliament
premises.
Quader said the government of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is
working tirelessly to give democracy
an institutional shape side by
side with strengthening it. Now
people are being engaged in any
decision-making process, he said.
He said BNP is beating about the
bush over the recent by-elections
and they could not come out from
their traditions of falsifying any fact
and raising allegations after any
polls.
Mentioning that BNP does not
stick to in any issue, he said there is
no way to hold an interim parliamentary
election as the polls will be
held following the constitution.
The AL general secretary said if
BNP wants to go to power through
any undemocratic way, the people
will resist them.
He urged BNP to stay beside people
instead of wasting time in
hatching conspiracy and creating
unrest.
The minister said the Election
Commission is a constitutional
institution and it is acting independently.
Cooperation of all political
parties is needed to strengthen
the EC, he said.
He said if BNP places their constructive
criticism without making
criticism as a whole, EC may take
measures.
Quader said BNP's calling of hartal
boycotting the results of by-polls
is like giving programme against
people's verdict.
If BNP destroys people's peace
and comfort, Awami League along
with the people would resist them,
he added.
Why journalist Kajol
should not be granted
bail, HC asks
DHAKA : The High Court on Monday
issued a rule asking the government to
explain why photojournalist Shafiqul
Islam Kajol should not be granted bail
in a case filed under the Digital Security
Act (DSA), reports UNB.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur
Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur
Rahman issued the rule and asked the
investigation officer of the case to
appear before the court on Nov 12 with
all documents.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua stood for
Kajol while Deputy Attorney General
Mohamamd Sarwar Hossain Bappi
represented the state.
The journalist had gone missing on
March 10, a day after the case was filed
by the Awami League's Magura-1 MP
Saifuzzaman Shikhor.
Kajol and 30 others, including
Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman
Chowdhury, were accused in the DSA
case for publishing and sharing an article
on Facebook regarding expelled
Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima
Noor Papia.
Two other cases were filed against
Kajol at Kamrangirchar and
Hazaribagh police stations under the
DSA on March 10, 11.
After his 53-day disappearance, Kajol
was detained by Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) at the Benapole border
on May 3 and was produced before
a Jashore court the same day.
Rohingya Atrocities
Netherlands for ensuring
justice through ICJ
DHAKA : The Netherlands has reiterated
its commitment to help ensure justice
and accountability for the atrocities
committed against Rohingyas by the
Myanmar authorities, reports UNB.
Foreign Minister of the Netherlands
Stef Blok in a letter to his Bangladesh
counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen conveyed
it saying they will help to ensure
justice through the International Court
of Justice (ICJ).
Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh Harry
Verweij on Sunday met Foreign Minister Dr
Momen st State guesthouse Padma and
handed over the letter, said the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs on Monday.
On September 2, the Netherlands
and Canada said States parties to the
Genocide Convention must resolve to
prevent genocide but also, critically, to
hold perpetrators in Myanmar to
account.
"Canada and the Kingdom of the
Netherlands reiterate their call to all
states parties to the Genocide Convention
to support The Gambia in its efforts to
address these violations," the two countries
said in a joint statement.
Francois-Philippe Champagne,
In quickest verdict, Bagerhat
rapist gets life term
BAGERHAT : In the quickest trial in the
country, a Bagerhat courton Monday
sentenced a man to life imprisonment in
a child rape case within seven working
days after framing of charges, reports
UNB.
The verdict was pronounced following
huge protests against the growing rape
incidents across the country and demand
for capital punishment for rapists.
Amid the widespread protests,an ordinance
has been promulgated by the
President allowing death penalty as the
highest punishment for rape instead of
life term imprisonment.
The convictin this case is Abdul
Mannan Sarder, 50, a resident of
Makordong village in Mongla upazila.
The court also fined him Tk 20,000
and he will have to serve one year more
imprisonment if he fails to pay the
money.
Bagerhat Women and Children
Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 Court
Judge and Sessions Judge Md. Noor-e-
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, and
Stef Blok, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands, issued
the statement regarding intention to intervene
in The Gambia v. Myanmar case at
the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
During his meeting with Dr Momen, the
Dutch Ambassador mentioned it.
The envoy assured continued
humanitarian support from the
Netherlands for Rohingyas who took
shelter in Bangladesh.
The Ambassador laid emphasis on
justice and accountability issues for a
sustainable solution to Rohingya crisis.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh is giving
much importance to safe and dignified
repatriation of Rohingyas.
He sought an effective role from the
Netherlands though coordination with
the European Union so that Myanmar
creates a safe environment in Rakhine
State for Rohingya repatriation.
On Sunday, Bangladeshcautioned
that if the Rohingya issue is not
resolved immediately, radical elements
can take advantage of the displacement
and "regional and international security
would certainly be jeopardised."
Alam announced the verdict, said Ranjit
Kumar Mondal, assistant public prosecutor
(APP) of the tribunal.
The court framed charges on October
13 afterpolice submitted a chargesheet on
October 11.
The judge on Sunday heard the arguments
of the lawyers from both sides-the
plaintiff and the defendant-in the case.
The court then fixed Monday (October
19) forannouncing the verdict.
According to the case statement, Abdul
Mannan Sardar called a seven-year-old
girl to his house on October 3alluring her
with a promise to give biscuits and then
raped her.
Later, the girl's uncle filed a case
against Abdul Mannan with Mongla
Police Station under the Women and
Children Repression Prevention Act.
Station sub-inspector of Mongla Police
Biswajit Mukherjee, who is also the
investigating officer of the case, submitteda
chargesheet against Abdul Mannan on
October 11.
The rubber of the two 'expansion joints' of Demra Sultana Kamal Bridge has completely lifted. Major accidents
can happen at any time if not repaired quickly.
Photo: PBA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020
2
Bangladesh Chhatra Union organized a human chain program in front of Bangladesh National
Museum to meet its various demands.
Photo : TBT
Global coronavirus cases approaching 40 mn
Global coronavirus cases are
approaching the 40 million-mark
amid resurgence of infections across
Europe, reports UNB.
According to the latest tally of John
Hopkins University (JHU), the total
coronavirus cases reached
39,884,616 as of Monday morning.
Besides, the global death toll was
registered 1,112,535 while 27,418,921
recovered.
The US saw its tally of coronavirus
cases surpass 8.1 million, followed by
India and Brazil, which over 7.4
million and 5.2 million registered
coronavirus cases, respectively.
Italy has announced a new raft of
measures to tighten restrictions amid
a surge in coronavirus cases, reports
the BBC.
The moves came as Italy recorded
its highest daily infection rate for the
second day in a row.
Another 11,705 new cases were
announced on Sunday, beating the
previous record, which came a day
earlier on Saturday, of 10,925.
12 hurt in Khulna
clash between
cops, jute mills
workers
KHULNA : At least 12 people,
including three policemen,
were injured in a clash
between police and former
jute mill workers on Khulna-
Jashore highway in Khulna
city on Monday morning,
reports UNB.
Under the banner of
Sammilito Nagorik Parishad,
the workers blocked the
highway in front of Eastern
gate of Atara Industrial area
around 11am to press home
their 14-point demand
including reopening of 25
state-run jute mills soon.
Police came to the spot
after a few minutes and tried
to remove them from the
highway, triggering the clash.
At one stage, police charged
batons and fired teargas
shells to disperse them from
the road, leaving nine
workers injured, said Kudrate-Khuda,
convener of the
parishad.
One of the injured workers
was admitted to Khulna
Medical College Hospital.
At one stage, the
demonstrators hurled brick
chips at the law enforcers,
leaving three of them injured.
However, law enforcers
managed to disperse them
from the highway and
brought the situation under
control, according toKhulna
Metropolitan Police (KMP)
Additional deputy
commissioner (North) Sonali
Sen.
Besides, police arrested
four workers from the spot.
The government decided to
shut down the 25 state-run
jute mills under Bangladesh
Jute Mill Corporation
(BJMC) by providing cent
percent dues of some 25,000
workers of the mills.
Italy was the European nation
hardest hit at the start of the
pandemic. It has now recorded
414,000 confirmed coronavirus
cases. Its 36,500 deaths place it
second to only the UK in Europe.
A number of nations have
strengthened their approach to
coronavirus as the "second wave" of
infections continues to increase.
There have been at least 722,400
confirmed cases of coronavirus in the
United Kingdom, according to Public
Health England. As of Sunday
evening, 43,646 people had died.
France saw a record number of new
cases on Saturday at 32,427 and
there was close to another 30,000 on
Sunday.
Switzerland on Sunday reacted to a
sharp increase in infections by
making the wearing of face-coverings
in indoor public spaces compulsory
from Monday. Gatherings of more
than 15 people in public are also
banned.
The Czech Republic said on Sunday
it would wait two weeks before
deciding on whether a full lockdown
was needed. The country currently
has the highest coronavirus infection
rate in Europe and has closed most of
the hospitality sector and moved
schools to distance-learning.
Ireland is set to announce tighter
restrictions on Monday. A minister
said a localised policy had not been
sufficient and implied the cabinet
was looking at a "level four" approach
that would close all non-essential
businesses.
Germany hit a daily record of new
infections on Saturday and
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged
people to stay at home and avoid
travel where possible.
In the Netherlands, PM Mark
Rutte admitted he should have given
better advice to the royal family after
they cut short a trip to Greece amid
public anger that they were
holidaying shortly after the
government had introduced a partial
lockdown.
Industries Secretary for setting up
dedicated light engineering
research center
DHAKA : Industries Secretary KM Ali Azam
yesterday underscored the need for setting
up a dedicated light engineering research
center for the development of light
engineering industry.
"Bangladesh Industrial and Technical
Assistance Center (BITAC) would set up a
research center under the Ministry of
Industries. It will have to recruit talented
manpower as well as introduce advanced
technology. In order to attract talented
engineers and researchers to work in this
organization, it is necessary to guarantee
higher salary structure, special incentives
and other financial benefits," he said.
KM Ali Azam gave the instruction while
presiding over an inter-ministerial meeting
to review the progress of implementation of
the recommendations identified by the
Ministry of Industries in the development of
light engineering.
Additional Secretary of the ministry Md
Helal Uddin highlighted the progress of
implementation of the recommendations
made for the development of NDC light
engineering industry.
Speakers at the meeting called for setting
up of dedicated industrial parks to
accelerate the ongoing development
activities in the light engineering industry,
providing low cost funds and financial
incentives for entrepreneurs, training of
skilled workers and managers through
training, marketing of manufactured goods,
development of subcontracting industries
and legislation.
Speaking on the occasion, Ali Azam said
light engineering is the most promising
industrial sector in Bangladesh at the
moment.
The importance of the light engineering
industry has increased a lot this year as
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has declared
it as the 'Product of the Year', he added.
In order to achieve the goal of
industrialized Bangladesh, he said planned
development of this industrial sector has to
be done.
To this end, he said it is necessary to build
dedicated industrial parks and research
institutes as well as increase advanced
training facilities.
Jago Bangladesh Garments Sramik Federation formed a human chain in
front of National Press Club yesterday to pay the arrear. Photo : TBT
3 others in critical
condition
CHATTOGRAM : One of the
men, who suffered severe
burns in an explosion in
Chattogram's Double
Mooring area, succumbed to
his injuries on Sunday night,
reports UNB.
The deceased was
identified as Shah Alam, 38,
son of Adam Ali Khan of the
area. He had suffered 100
percent burns.
Sadip Kumar Das, officerin-charge
of Double
Mooring Police Station, said
the explosion took place on
Saturday night when Shah
Alam was working on the
water tank of the house of
one Belal Khan. Four
people-Alam, Md Babul, 35,
Sabuj Mia, 17, Najrul Alam,
60 -- were injured in the
blast.
They were taken to
Chattogram Medical College
Hospital.
Of the injured, Alam,
Babul and Sabuj were
shifted to Sheikh Hasina
National Institute of Burn
and Plastic Surgery where
Alam died on Sunday night.
Sources say the other three
have suffered 85 percent
burns.
Police said it is unclear
what sparked the explosion
but suspect that an electric
short-circuit or accumulated
gas inside the tank might
have caused the blast.
Bank branches
to remain closed
on Tuesday in
election areas
DHAKA : Bank branches
will remain closed on
Tuesday inparts ofthe
country where elections
and by-elections todifferent
upazila and union councils
will be held on the day, said
a Bangladesh Bank
circular.
It said the measures were
taken in accordance with
the declaration of the
general holiday by the
Election Commission on
the occasion of elections in
those areas.
An ECgazette notification
shows that by-elections to
chairman, vice chairman
and female vice-chairman
posts will be held at
Daudkandi upzila while
vice-chairman election at
Dinajpur Sadar upazila and
chairman election at
Jessore Sadar upazila,
South Matlab of Chandpur,
Jamalganj of Sunamganj,
Shibchar of Madaripur,
Sarankhola of Bagerhat,
Paikegachha of Khulna and
Manda upazila of Naogaon
district on Tuesday.
General election will be
held at 10 union councils
and by-election to vacant
posts of chairman of 41
union councils in different
districts will be held on
October 20.
Worker killed in
Kushtia falling
from underconstruction
building
ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY : A
construction worker was
killed after falling from an
under-construction building
of Islamic University in
Kushtia on Monday
morning, reports UNB.
The deceased was
identified as Monirul Islam,
26.
Dr. Poresh Chandra
Barman, proctor of the
university, said that Monirul
fell down from the fourth
floor of the underconstruction
building of
Business Faculty while he
was working there around
9am and died on the spot.
On information, police
recovered the body, said
Mostafizur Rahman, officerin-charge
of Islamic
University Police Station.
All sectors get Prime
Minister's assistance during
corona pandemic: Tofail
BHOLA : Awami League Advisory council
member Tofail Ahmed yesterday said Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has given assistance
to all sectors during the corona virus
pandemic. "Common people including poor,
even Imam and muazzin of the mosques
were not excluded from the support
provided by the Prime Minister during the
onslaught of the COVID-19", he said in a
video conference as the chief guest while
distributing Prime Minister's special
financial assistance cheque here.
Tofail said, there is no such a place where
the Prime Minister does not enhance
support, adding that even the newsmen also
get the support from the PM.
Bhola press club president M Habibur
Rahman chaired the progrmme.
Talking about per capita income, the
senior ruling party leader said, "Our per
capita income is now more than India-which
was more than us[Bangladesh] but now has
been dropped due to the pandemic -it has
possible due to Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina."
He said : "we had handed over the Awami
League flag to Sheikh Hasina in 1981 ..and
she has been leading the party since then
with utmost honesty and integrity. She has
turned the country into a dignified state", he
added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina faced
attempt to murder for 21 times and huge
repression and torture has also been carried
out on her, Tofail said. "Once the country
was inferior one, but now Bangladesh has
become a wonderful emergence to the
people across the world", the former
minister mentioned.
Bhola-2 constituency lawmaker Ali Azam
Mukul, Bhola-3 lawmaker Nurunnabi
Chowdhury Shaon, Zila Parishad Chairman
Abdul Momin Tulu, Sadar Upazila parishad
chairman M Mosharref Hossen and district
Awami League Organizing Secretary Mainul
Hossen Biplob, among others, spoke on the
occasion.
Bhola Press Club General Secretary
Amitabh Roy Apu moderated the function.
Later, the Awami League leader
distributed around Taka 7.50 lakh among 75
newsmen.
Thai authorities seek to censor
coverage of student protests
Thailand's embattled prime minister said
Monday that there were no plans to extend a
state of emergency outside the capital, even
as student-led protests calling for him to
leave office spread around the country.
Police, however, indicated they were
working to censor coverage of the
demonstrations, reports UNB.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's
government has already issued a decree that
bans public gatherings of more than four
people in Bangkok, outlaws news said to
affect national security and gives authorities
broad power to detain people.
None of that has been able to keep the
mostly young protesters from gathering en
masse across Bangkok the past five days to
push their demands, which also include
constitutional changes and reform of the
monarchy. On Sunday, rallies spread to at
least a dozen provinces outside Bangkok.
Prayuth told reporters the state of
emergency will remain only in Bangkok for
now.
"I want to ask them for a few things: Don't
destroy the government and private
properties and don't touch the monarchy,"
Mominul Haque Majumder, Treasurer of Daffodil International
University hands over the cheque to Mr. Hamidul Islam, Father of Md.
Yeasin Ali, student of Software Engineering Department. Mr. Rezaul
Karim Masud, Senior Assistant Director (F&A) was also present during
handing over the cheque.
Photo : AP
GD- 1367/20 (4 x 3)
Prayuth said of the demonstrators.
Nevertheless, police said Monday that
there were pushing forward with ways to flex
their power, including seeking to invoke
censorship measures to restrict reporting on
the protests.
Deputy police spokesman Kissana
Phataracharoen confirmed that police are
forwarding a request to the appropriate
agencies to take action against information
providers that give what he called "distorted
information" that can cause unrest and
confusion in society.
Under existing laws, the National
Broadcasting and Telecommunications
Commission and the Ministry of Digital
Economy and Society are empowered to ban
broadcasts and block internet content. Police
themselves can also do so under the
emergency decree, which went into effect
Oct. 15, a day after protesters heckled a royal
motorcade in once unthinkable scene in a
country where the monarchy is protected by
strict laws and treated with reverence.
Kissana spoke after a leaked copy of the
censorship request, officially termed an
order, circulated on social media.
TuesdAY, OCTOBeR 20, 2020
3
Bam Ganatantrik Jote organized a human chain program in the capital city yesterday demanding the
announcement of lowest wage in government and non-government jute mills.
Photo : TBT
3rd World statistics day
to be observed today
DHAKA : The third World Statistics
Day 2020 will be observed in the
country today with the theme
"Connecting the world with data we can
trust" reflecting the importance of trust,
authoritative data, innovation and the
public good in national statistical
systems, reports BSS.
On the eve of the day, President M
Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina expressed their
happiness that Bangladesh is going to
observe the day for the third time like
other countries across the globe.
President Abdul Hamid in his
message said, "Statistics is a determiner
of development and progress. The
statistics has an immense importance
in determining the pace and nature of
all socio-economic activities and
formulating development plans".
Basically, the accurate statistics is a
prerequisite for effective planning, he
said, adding that the extensive use of
statistics in quantitative and qualitative
measurements is noticed in all
economic, demographic and social
sectors.
Noting that the use of accurate and
timely statistics is essential for the
development and progress of any
country, which is also not different for
developing countries like Bangladesh,
Hamid said the application of accurate
and timely statistics in every sector can
transform the country into a developed
country fast from a developing one.
The government of Bangladesh is
very much sincere for modernization of
the national statistics system and its use
for the development activities, the
President said, adding, "I am happy to
know that the Statistics Act 2013 and
related national strategies have been
GD- 1366/20 (10 x 3)
formulated for the development of the
national statistics system".
He hoped that the observance of the
World Statistics Day will increase the
use of statistics in all sectors of the
country accelerating the pace of
economic development.
In her message, Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina said one of the prime
conditions for the development of the
country is to adopt the right plan while
timely and accurate statistics is required
for the proper planning.
The more accurate statistics helps the
policymakers formulate plans and
make decisions easily, she said, adding,
"Our government is committed to
collect and publish the necessary,
timely and quality statistics for making
information based decisions and plans
in all areas".
The government is always striving to
use modern technology in
data processing and
identification, provide the
right data to meet the
challenges of globalization
and make statistical activities
timely and expeditious, the
premier said.
"I believe that accurate,
reliable and timely statistics
serve as the basis in
formulating sustainable
development plans and
making decisions and help us
understand the changing
world," Sheikh Hasina said,
adding the importance of
statistics has increased
further in saving lives from
the coronavirus epidemic
and overcoming it.
The Prime Minister urged
planners, policy makers,
academics and researchers
who are working tirelessly for
the sustainable development
of the country to make the
best use of the existing
statistics.
"I think celebrating the
World Statistics Day is a
unique opportunity to make
people aware about the
importance of statistics," she
said. The President and the
Prime Minister wished
success of all the
programmes of the day.
At the 41st Session of the
United Nations Statistical
Commission, in February
2010, proposed celebrating
20 October 2010 as World
Statistics Day.
Acknowledging that the
production of reliable, timely
statistics and indicators of
countries' progress is
indispensable for informed
policy decisions and
monitoring implementation
of the Millennium
Development Goals, the
General Assembly on 3 June
2010 adopted a resolution,
which officially designated
20 October 2010 as the first
ever World Statistics Day
under the general theme
"Celebrating the many
achievements of official
statistics."
In 2015, with a resolution,
the General Assembly
decided to designate 20
October 2015 as the second
World Statistics Day under
the general theme "Better
data, better lives," as well as
to celebrate World Statistics
Day every five years on 20
October.
BRAC seeks stay
on Jaha Alam's
compensation
order
DHAKA : Brac Bank Ltd on
Monday filed a petition with
the High Court seeking a stay
on its previous order asking
the bank to provide Tk 15
lakh as compensation to Jaha
Alam, reports UNB.
Anisul Hasan, a lawyer of
Brac Bank, filed the petition
and said it would likely be
placed before the Chamber
Judge. Alam languished in
jail for three years instead of
the real accused in a case filed
by the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC) for
misappropriating Sonali
Bank money. On Sept 30, the
High Court asked BRAC
Bank to give Tk 15 lakh to
Jaha Alam as compensation
within a month.
Two officials of the bank
were blamed for the
incident.
The court also asked the
ACC to be vigilant so that
such mistakes do not happen
in the future as people have a
lot of expectations from the
ACC, said the ACC lawyer.
On February 12, the court
kept the matter as a case
awaiting verdict (CAV)
completing hearing on the
rule asking the government
to explain why directives
should not be given to
provide compensation to
Jaha Alam in the loan default
case filed by ACC.
Hailing from Tangail, Jaha
Alam languished in jail for
years in 33 cases instead of
real culprit Abu Salek
involving embezzlement of
Tk 18 crore from Sonali Bank.
The HC took cognizance of
the matter following a
newspaper report that an
innocent man was suffering.
It passed a suo moto order
following the newspaper
report.
Jaha Alam was released on
bail granted by the apex court
on February 3 this year.
7 'teen gang
members' held
in city
DHAKA : Members of Rapid
Action Battalion (Rab)
arrested seven members of a
teen gang along with drugs
and sharp weapons from
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of
the capital, reports UNB.
The arrestees are
Mohammad Sagar alias
Roman, 19, Hatem Ali, 19,
Muktaruzzaman, 19, Rakib
Shikdar, 20, Alamin
Hossain, 19, Hridoy, 16 and
Jibon, 16.All of them are
members ofnotorious teen
gang 'Parvez group'.
GD- 1368/20 (6 x 4)
HC warns deputy jailor
over releasing inmate with
unsigned vakalatnama
DHAKA : The High Court (HC) yesterday
accepted unconditional apology sought by
Dhaka Central Jail deputy jailor Khandaker Al
Mamun for releasing an inmate, who was
granted bail but filed an unsigned vakalatnama
with the jail authorities, reports BSS.
A High Court division virtual bench of Justice
Md. Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed
Sohel passed the order as the jail official
appeared before the court and sought
unconditional apology.
The court also asked jailors and deputy
jailors to write their full names while signing
the vakalatnama of the inmates. The jail
authorities also directed to maintain a registrar
book for this purpose.
The court also scrapped bail of the accused
Mizanur Rahman Kanak and ordered him to
surrender, deputy attorney general AKM Amin
GD- 1365/20 (8 x 3)
Uddin Manik said.
The High Court on June 15 granted bail to
one Mizanur Rahman Kanak, accused in two
cases lodged over loan forgery, but as the
affidavit wing of the High Court was closed at
the time due to corona pandemic, the court had
directed to submit all the necessary documents
after affidavit, within one week of resuming the
court operation.
The accused later submitted his
vakalatnama, which had no signature of the jail
officials. The court then asked the defence to
submit the document with jail official's
signature. And the defence did accordingly.
The court then wanted to know how the
accused, who was out of jail on the bail,
managed to collect jail official's signature, and
on October 11 passed an order, asking the jail
official to appear before the court.
TuESDAY, ocToBEr 20, 2020
4
confrontation and continuity
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
GDP indicates
impressive economic
performance
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its
October 2020 report, titled, World Economic
Outlook: A Long and Difficult Ascent, notes that
Bangladesh has overtaken India in terms of per capita
GDP scoring US$ 1888. Notably, in 2015, just five years
ago, India's per capita GDP was around 40 percent higher
than Bangladesh. The focused and visionary plans,
actions, and the hard work of the Sheikh Hasina
government and the people of the country made possible
such success for Bangladesh.
The impressive economic success of Bangladesh has
become a matter of discussion in the Indian media and
beyond. It is also seen that while many countries in the
world including the developed ones are experiencing
negative growth due to COVID-19 global pandemic,
Bangladesh is experiencing positive growth that also
becomes a matter of celebration for Bangladesh. In this
context, it becomes crucial to investigate the rise/
emergence of Bangladesh as an economic power house.
The decades long severe discrimination against former
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) by erstwhile West Pakistan
economically, politically and structurally led to the
independence movement in East Pakistan under the
leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Finally, after nine-months of War of Independence,
Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation-state in 1971.
The 1971 War exacerbated the situation. The United
Nations estimated the reconstruction cost in/of
Bangladesh at US$938 million. In such a scenario,
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the
nation took the leadership to rebuild the country, and to
make it a 'Shonar Bangla' (Golden Bengal). In fact, it was
a daunting task. Even at this stage, many raised questions
about the viability and stability of Bangladesh as nationbuilding
in a new state was not an easy task.
For instance, during his visit to Dhaka in 1974, Henry
Kissinger termed Bangladesh as a 'bottomless basket'.
Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson defined the newly born
state, Bangladesh as 'international basket case'. However,
Bangabandhu was able to overcome those predictions
and speculations through his visionary leadership.
On October 4, 2019, the incumbent Prime Minister of
Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina wrote that "Beyond selfsufficiency,
we are now the fourth-largest in rice
production, second-largest in jute production, fourthlargest
in mango production, fifth-largest in vegetable
production and fourth-largest in inland fisheries in the
world'. Since 2009, Bangladesh has been achieving more
than 6 percent growth. The country graduated to a lowermiddle-income
nation in 2015 while in 2018 it met the
UN criteria for graduating from the 'least developed
country' status by 2024.
Bangladesh is one of the key players in the global textile
industry. This is, in fact, tremendous achievements for
Bangladesh. Behind such achievement, the visionary
leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina played a
crucial role along with the hard work of the tens of
thousands of farmers, factory workers, garments workers,
and other classes of people in the country. Bangladesh
has been awarded 'South-South Award' in 2013 for
making remarkable progress in poverty alleviation. If one
looks at few forecasts, according to a study of UK-based
firm PwC, Bangladesh will be 23rd largest world economy
by 2050. In addition, the Goldman Sach forecasts
Bangladesh as one of the countries in 'N11' after BRICS
who will dominate the future world economy.
Bangladesh has the potential to become the economic
hub in South Asia which requires regional and global
economic cooperation. Under the leadership of Sheikh
Hasina, Bangladesh is preparing 100 special economic
zones for major investors which will create employment
opportunities for millions along with increased economic
growth that can contribute immensely to the overall
socio-economic development of Bangladesh. To attract
foreign direct investments, Bangladesh enacted One-Stop
Service Act in 2018 to provide all the required services to
investors from the same point. In addition, Bangladesh
offers the most liberal and congenial investment regime
in South Asia. Notably, the GDP of Bangladesh has grown
from US$102 billion in 2009 to US$302 billion in 2019.
One can also note that foreign direct investment has also
increased from US$ 700 million in 2009 to US$ 3613
million in 2018. In 2018, Bangladesh was the second
recipient of FDI in South Asia.
After coming to power in 2009, the Sheikh Hasina
government set several targets for Bangladesh, i.e. to
achieve the status of a middle-income country by 2021,
accomplishing the SDG goals by 2030, becoming a
developed country by 2041, and executing a delta plan by
2100. Thus, one can argue that under the visionary
leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh
is moving forward with specific targets in mind. Many
argue that Bangladesh can be a developed nation by 2041
if the current political stability in the country under
Sheikh Hasina regime continues along with the supports
from the major development partners. One of the major
strengths for Bangladesh is among its more than 170
million people more than 60 per cent are energetic and
dynamic youths who can contribute immensely to the
overall development of the country.
The world needs to know that Bangladesh is no more an
'international basket case'.
IT'S relatively easy to understand why
so many observers remain cynical
about the possibility of any change in
the logic of power in Pakistan.
Mainstream political parties here,
especially those advocating for change,
are ossified, dynastic, and self-serving.
These very traits make them too illequipped
to push through any
substantive transformation. On the other
end, those actors who control the state
have no incentive to give up their control.
In this impasse, it's hard to see a clear
route to greater constitutionalism - ie the
simple act of power being exercised
according to formally agreed rules.
The frequently unstated premise here
is that constitutionalism is a desirable
end-goal. Alongside normative and
moral arguments which favour it as an
end-goal in itself, largely instrumental
ones are now also worth making. The
literature on law and development has
achieved some degree of consensus in so
far that it says stable, inclusive and rulefollowing
institutional arrangements are
generally considered good for
development. They facilitate wealth
creation, redistribution, and attainment
of 'expressive' needs.
Even a cursory look at Pakistan's ruling
arrangements - whether civil, military, or
hybrid - would confirm that stability,
inclusiveness, and rule-following are not
their most obvious traits. Personalised
rule constantly holds intra-party
factional intrigue at bay; military elites
provide guarantees for repeated
concessions till the moment they don't;
the bureaucracy switches between total
submission and complete indifference. In
most cases, exogenous events -
inflationary pressures, geostrategic
considerations, global corruption
scandals - throw arrangements into
disarray, but very rarely change the
underlying logic and hierarchy of rule.
The exogenous moment this Monday is
non-existent economic growth and
inflationary pressure. The opening is
further provided by the fact that the
ruling party only has a limited amount of
political capital to spend in some parts of
the country.
The government faces no immediate
threat to its stability. The PM can rest
easy.
The fact that growth had to be halted
out of necessity - one induced by the
previous PML-N government's
macroeconomic policies - and that
inflationary pressures are in some part
related to supply-side shocks out of the
government's control bears little
meaning here. Perceptions of
incompetence and indifference are
enough to resuscitate political
mobilisation. The PML-N's gambit in
particular relates to the possibility of local
body polls. A year or so of transacted
silence has given way to a strategy of
noise.
And so the present wave of opposition
uMAir JAVED
YouSEF Al-BENYAN
protests, punctuated by Nawaz Sharif's
extremely categorical speech, is an
attempt to leverage these exogenous
circumstances to create political space for
parties currently outside the ruling
arrangement. That is the extent of its
ambition; at this moment, this ambition
is arguably in service of
constitutionalism, but dispassionate
analysis requires us to look beyond
fleeting moments.
The government faces no immediate
threat to its stability. Its position in KP is
remarkably secure - a fact that is down to
both performance-based and political
legitimacy and one that often goes
unheralded. In Punjab, the coalition is
brokered by higher authorities and will
remain in place till they deem fit. At the
centre, the numbers are well-tilted in
their favour. The prime minister can rest
easy.
If anything it's the opposition that will
now have its work set out for itself.
Outcomes of confrontation between
political actors are determined by the
resources available to each. Amorphous
popular support is good to capture
headlines, fill stadia, and run hashtags,
but insufficient in the face of a wellresourced,
extremely organised, multidecade-long
incumbent. The test that
PML-N faces is not dissimilar to what it
has faced in the past: its leadership has
chosen a particular trajectory for its
politics, and has to ensure that the party
stays in line.
If there is internal factionalism over
strategy, it has to be ironed out. If there
are legislators with doubts, they have to
be coerced or cajoled into falling in line.
Anything short of this, and it all starts
going extremely pear-shaped.
On the other hand, the true incumbent
faces a more familiar task. It just needs to
curate a forward bloc or two ahead of the
Senate elections; if there are local
government polls before it, it needs to
ensure that the ruling party retains the
upper hand in key localities in north and
central Punjab. This can be done through
a variety of ways, but, short of actual
manipulation, mopping up dissident
opposition politicians is usually the most
reliable one.
For anyone interested in the usual
factional intrigue that high politics ends
up being in this country (which if our TV
channels are anything to go by, is a lot of
people), these are the trends worth
watching out for in the next few months.
Short of another drastic change in its
political strategy, PML-N is on a
conflictual path against the incumbent,
and even the most generous assessments
of its organisational capacity would
currently place it as under-equipped to
deal with the challenge. Let's see if this
assessment holds true in the months
ahead.
Source: Dawn
Embracing leadership at home and on the global stage
Twenty years ago, a series of crises in
emerging markets created the need
to expand the G7 to the G20 - a
ministerial group representing the largest
and most systemically important
economies - in order to provide a broader
perspective and better coordination on
international economic policy.
In the wake of the 2008 global economic
crisis, the leaders of those G20 countries
convened to identify steps that would
restore stability to the global economy -
and did so successfully.
The focus of the G20 expanded in the last
decade through the creation of
engagement groups to establish a dialogue
with civil society on a wide range of topics
from the environment to gender equality to
social justice. One such group, Business 20
(B20), serves as the voice of global
business to the world's largest economies.
In this year's G20 Presidency of Saudi
Arabia, I have been fortunate to chair the
B20, which identifies the most pressing
priorities impacting all business - large and
small - in the developed and developing
world.
This has been a fantastic opportunity,
not only for business leaders such as me,
but also for the Kingdom overall. Saudi
Arabia is the first Middle Eastern country
to be bestowed with the distinct privilege of
hosting the G20 and B20 and it comes at
one of the most challenging times in
modern history, given the coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) pandemic. One could
view this as unfortunate timing for Saudi
Arabia, but I believe just the opposite.
The world's eyes will be on our country in
the coming months for the B20 and G20
summits as global political and business
leaders gather virtually to discuss a host of
important issues. At the top of the list will
be how the public and private sectors can
best address the health and economic
fallout resulting from the COVID-19 crisis.
This is no small order. But Saudi Arabia
has never been one to shy away from
challenges, whether it be managing major
health issues such as MERS (Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome) or creating a new
economic blueprint for one of the youngest
populations in the world.
In line with the B20's past contributions
we are confident we will put forth
recommendations that, if adopted, will be
critical to helping to restore and
reinvigorate the global economy. In fact,
we came together as a group early on in the
pandemic to create a dedicated COVID-19
initiative, tapping global business leaders
for their insights on how to best navigate
the crisis and restore the economy at a
regional and global level.
Over the past nine months, I have had
the good fortune to partner with several
Saudi business leaders who serve as chairs
of the B20 taskforces and the Women in
Business Action Council. Working with
them, their co-chairs and the 650 plus
This has been a fantastic opportunity, not only for business leaders such as me,
but also for the kingdom overall. Saudi Arabia is the first Middle Eastern country
to be bestowed with the distinct privilege of hosting the G20 and B20 and it
comes at one of the most challenging times in modern history, given the coronavirus
disease (coViD-19) pandemic. one could view this as unfortunate timing
for Saudi Arabia, but i believe just the opposite.
FrANciS WilkiNSoN
members of the B20, representing every
conceivable business sector from all
corners of the world, we have identified 25
priorities for the global business
community.
Interestingly, when we first developed
these priorities the pandemic was on no
one's radar, but they remain every bit as
critical in importance. The priorities cover
a wide swath of issues, including the need
for increased digitalization, managing
climate change, fair and equal trade,
healthy supply chains to move critical
goods and services across borders and the
eradication of corruption. All these
priorities were developed with several
factors in mind, including alignment with
the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), increased
participation of women in the global
economy and creating an environment for
MSMEs to prosper.
The presidency and impending summits
have helped to raise the profile of the
Kingdom, providing a voice not only for
Saudi Arabia but also for the Middle East
region and developing countries overall.
Also, it comes at a time when the Kingdom
is pursuing its Vision 2030 goals, which in
many ways align with the priorities we are
putting forth, demonstrating we can in fact
lead by example.
The Vision 2030 reform plan's focus on
preparing the next generation for the
workplace of the future, boosting the
participation of SMEs in the economy and
delivering equal opportunities for women
are a representative sample of the
Kingdom's alignment with B20 Saudi
Arabia. With one of the youngest
populations in the world (50 percent under
the age of 25) and women playing a strong
role (50 percent of university graduates are
female), we must focus on the future to
build a better world for the next
generation.
However, we cannot tackle these
challenges with a "go it alone" strategy. As
business leaders, we need to engage with
governments, civil society and multilateral
institutions to lay out a road map to
success.
Source: Arab news
Elections 2020: What a Biden presidency would look like
It's also possible that Biden might succeed
in having an awful lot of his political cake and
eating it, too.
US politics has changed dramatically over
the past four years. Persistent problemspublic
investment shortfalls, soaring
inequality, rural stagnation, the threat of
environmental catastrophe, a burgeoning
underclass not making decent wagesremain.
To many in the party, especially the
Bernie Sanders/Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
wing, these problems have only grown more
acute.
On the moderate side of Biden's coalition,
which tends to be older and (and larger), the
crisis of Trumpism has superseded all
others. President Donald Trump's attacks on
democracy, rule of law, decency and
competence pose an existential threat to the
prosperity and stability of the US Sanders
and AOC have acknowledged as much, with
AOC explicitly citing the need to vote for
Biden to allow democracy to "live another
day."
Trump Vs Biden: Michigan offers a
glimpse of America's 'White Salafis'
US Elections 2020: No more presidential
debates a possibility
And so the present wave of opposition protests, punctuated by
Nawaz Sharif's extremely categorical speech, is an attempt to
leverage these exogenous circumstances to create political space
for parties currently outside the ruling arrangement. That is the
extent of its ambition; at this moment, this ambition is arguably
in service of constitutionalism, but dispassionate analysis
requires us to look beyond fleeting moments.
US Elections 2020: What happens when
Presidential debate is cancelled
Repairing the federal government will be a
painstaking task. It will not, however, be a
highly contentious one. There is no
constituency in the Democratic Party for
appointing hacks or grifters to high office, or
for emulating Attorney General William
Barr's transformation of the Department of
Justice into a chop shop where the law is
dismantled in pursuit of partisan obsessions.
A public display of honesty, proficiency
and ethics will buy Biden a lot of leeway. His
election alone would help restore
democracy, though more will have to be
done to protect it. Similarly, a competent
attack on Covid-19 "- if it's not too late "- will
generate political as well as economic
confidence.
If Democrats fail to take the Senate,
Biden's policy agenda is doomed "- no matter
how many hosannas to bipartisanship he
sings. The party that preferred a looming
depression to Democratic success in 2009
will likely be more extreme and vindictive in
2021. Bipartisan progress may be possible in
some areas, but not on big-ticket items such
as green energy and expanded health
insurance. Even with a Democratic majority
it's hard to see how transformative
legislation can be passed without first
eliminating the filibuster, enabling the
Senate to operate with simple majorities.
A Democratic Senate majority would
empower the most conservative Democrats
"- Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten
Sinema of Arizona and some newcomers
from purple states "- as the deciding votes.
Manchin's state has had double-digit
unemployment much of the year; Sinema's
has regularly experienced triple-digit
temperatures. Democrat Mark Kelly is
leading this year's Senate race in Arizona
while calling for "massive investments" in
renewable energy.
It's unclear what precisely such moderates
would oppose in a $2 trillion investment to
overhaul the US energy sector, create jobs
and combat climate change. Biden's green
new deal can be contrasted with AOC's green
new deal and portrayed, correctly, as the
moderate option. (Manchin's coal miners are
not going back to the mines no matter what
colour the deal is.) Likewise, Biden's plan for
a public option for Obamacare will be the
moderate alternative to Sanders' Medicare
for All.
Losses on the left will take the form of hefty
half loaves; the rhetoric deployed by Sanders
and AOC can make the repast easier (or
more difficult) to digest. In any case, young
Americans accustomed to paralysis and drift
would witness action on a scale they've never
seen. Police reform and a $15 minimum
wage are policies that unite Democrats and
have special salience to the Sanders/AOC
ticket. And a Biden intervention in the
housing market, with subsidies for first-time
home buyers and new protections and
supports for renters, will target the needs of
a rising generation bludgeoned by debt,
pandemic and Trump. How many
Democrats will balk at such support?
Across a range of issues, Biden's policies
are less than the Sanders/AOC ticket
demands but more than anyone previously
imagined possible. Just as Lyndon Johnson's
Texas drawl helped make a lunge toward
racial equality less threatening to Whites,
Biden's moderate demeanour can help sell
costly investments to the financially secure.
Source: Gulf news
TUeSdAY, OCTOBeR 20, 2020
5
Is electric car green at
maximum mileage?
Researchers in Australia blamed climate change for the loss.
MaRIa CRaMeR
the great Barrier Reef, one of the
earth's most precious habitats, lost half
of its coral populations in the last
quarter-century, a decline that
researchers in australia said would
continue unless drastic action is taken
to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Researchers studied coral colonies
along the length of the reef between
1995 and 2017 and found that almost
every coral species had declined. Colony
sizes were smaller; there were fewer
"big mamas," or older large corals that
produce baby corals; and there were
fewer of those babies, which are vital to
the reef's future ability to breed.
"Our results show the ability of the
great Barrier Reef to recover - its
resilience - is compromised compared
to the past, because there are fewer
babies, and fewer large breeding
adults," Dr. andy Dietzel, the lead
author of the study, said in a statement.
the study was published on Wednesday
in the journal Proceedings of the Royal
Society. Dr. Dietzel and other
researchers from the aRC Center of
Photo Internet
The Great Barrier Reef has lost half its corals
this year, roughly a quarter
of the vast Pantanal wetland
in Brazil, one of the most
biodiverse places on earth,
has burned in wildfires
worsened by climate change.
What happens to a rich and
unique biome when so much
is destroyed?
the unprecedented fires in
the wetland have attracted
less attention than blazes in
australia, the Western United
States and the amazon, its
celebrity sibling to the north.
But while the Pantanal is not a
global household name,
tourists in the know flock
there because it is home to
exceptionally high
concentrations
of
breathtaking wildlife:
Jaguars, tapirs, endangered
giant otters and bright blue
hyacinth macaws. like a vast
tub, the wetland swells with
water during the rainy season
and empties out during the
dry months. Fittingly, this
rhythm has a name that
evokes a beating heart: the
area.
flood pulse.
the wetland, which is larger
than greece and stretches
over parts of Brazil, Paraguay
and Bolivia, also offers unseen
gifts to a vast swath of South
america by regulating the
water cycle upon which life
depends. Its countless
swamps, lagoons and
tributaries purify water and
help prevent floods and
droughts. they also store
Photo: Maria Magdalena
untold amounts of carbon,
helping to stabilize the
climate.
For centuries, ranchers
have used fire to clear fields
and new land. But this year,
drought worsened by climate
change turned the wetlands
into a tinderbox and the fires
raged out of control. "the
extent of fires is staggering,"
said Douglas C. Morton, who
leads the Biospheric Sciences
excellence for Coral Reef Studies in
queensland, australia, measured
changes in colony sizes as a way of
understanding the capacity of corals to
breed.
Bleaching - a process in which corals
expel algae and turn white as water
temperatures rise - contributed to steep
losses of coral colonies in the northern
and central great Barrier Reef in 2016
and 2017. the southern part of the reef
was also exposed to record-setting
temperatures in early 2020, according
to the researchers, who cited climate
change as one of the major drivers of
disturbances to the reef.
"there is no time to lose," the
researchers said in their statement. "We
must sharply decrease greenhouse gas
emissions aSaP." "We used to think the
great Barrier Reef is protected by its
sheer size - but our results show that
even the world's largest and relatively
well-protected reef system is
increasingly compromised and in
decline," one of the researchers,
terence hughes, said in a statement.
the decline of "branching and tableshaped
corals," which provide critical
habitats for fish, was especially
pronounced, the researchers said.
"these were the worst affected by
record-breaking temperatures that
triggered mass bleaching in 2016 and
2017," Professor hughes said. "the
changes to the Reef are shocking," he
added on twitter.
he lamented what he saw as a lack of
attention to the study from government
leaders in australia, the world's biggest
coal exporter. the government has
resisted calls to reduce carbon
emissions even as heat waves, drought
and fires continue to reveal the
country's vulnerability to climate
change.
the great Barrier Reef, which
supports a vast array of marine life, has
between 300 and 400 coral species and
stretches for thousands of kilometers
across the australian coast. "You can
literally see it from space," said Deron
Burkepile, a professor in the
department of ecology, evolution and
marine biology at the University of
California, Santa Barbara.
How wetland turned inferno
A dead heron in the Baía dos Guató Indigenous
laboratory at the naSa
goddard Space Flight Center
and studies fire and food
production in South america.
"When you wipe out a quarter
of a biome, you create all
kinds of unprecedented
circumstances."
his analysis showed that at
least 22 percent of the
Pantanal in Brazil has burned
since January, with the worst
fires, in august and
September, blazing for two
months straight. naturally
occurring fire plays a role in
the Pantanal, in addition to
the burning by ranchers. the
flames are usually contained
by the landscape's mosaic of
water. But this year's drought
sucked these natural barriers
dry. the fires are far worse
than any since satellite
records began.
the fires are also worse than
any in the memory of the
guató people, an Indigenous
group whose ancestors have
lived in the Pantanal for
thousands of years.
PaUl StenqUISt
they only look like conspicuous
polluters. a new breed of electric
performance cars, including Porsche's
taycan and the tesla Model S P100D,
shows how environmentally minded
fans of horsepower might square their
circles.
a supercar with a carbon footprint
that seems closer to a jet engine's than
to a Prius's may feel irresponsible in the
face of climate change. But what about
electric vehicles that can keep pace with
or even outperform the likes of
lamborghini?
the tesla Model S can sprint to 60
miles per hour in slightly more than two
seconds, making it one of the quickest
machines on the market. Is it notably
cleaner than a comparably fast
gasoline-fueled car like the BMW M5,
which is powered by a fuel-hungry 617-
horsepower twin-turbo V8?
the numbers say yes. the tesla is
convincingly the green choice, but
there's more to the story. even small,
less powerful electric vehicles haven't
always been cleaner than the most
efficient gas-powered autos. a 2012
article in the new York times
summarized a report from the Union of
Concerned Scientists that found the
environmental benefits of subcompact,
modestly powered electric cars like the
nissan leaf depended on where they
were charged.
at the time, many states still relied
heavily on coal-fired plants for
electricity, and the investigators found
that in some areas, electrics were no
cleaner than efficient gasoline-powered
cars when factoring in the emissions
resulting from electricity generation.
e.V. technology has advanced
considerably since then, and electricity
generation in america has shifted, as
well. the latest report from the Union
of Concerned Scientists, in a February
article by David Reichmuth, its senior
vehicles engineer, is much more
optimistic than the one eight years ago.
after analyzing all emissions - including
those from fossil fuel production, along
with conventional vehicle tailpipe
emissions and power plant emissions -
the group found that electric vehicles
were responsible for about 10 percent
less overall emissions in 2018 than they
were just two years earlier. emissions
generated during vehicle and battery
production or in the mining of lithium
for e.V. batteries were not part of the
calculation.
In this study, the average electric
vehicle in the United States was found
to be responsible for emission levels
equivalent to those generated by a
gasoline vehicle that gets 88 miles per
gallon. In areas where a lot of coal is still
burned to make electricity, the electric
vehicle m.p.g. equivalency number can
fall to as low as 49 miles to a gallon, but
those areas are few and less densely
populated than regions with clean
power.
OK, but what about electric supercars
like the Model S and taycan? Since they
produce mammoth horsepower,
doesn't it follow that their emission
levels are high as well? "a very
powerful electric performance
automobile is less efficient than a
hyper-efficient e.V. but still far cleaner
than a comparably powerful car that
burns gasoline," Mr. Reichmuth said in
a telephone interview. he added that a
Model S driven in California, which has
some of the nation's cleanest electrical
power, is about equivalent to a gasoline
vehicle that achieves 120 m.p.g. In
other words, in an area with relatively
clean electric plants, this extremely
powerful machine can be cleaner than
even the most efficient gas car.
the numbers Mr. Reichmuth cited
assume that the Model S is driven
responsibly. With the throttle held
wide open, a Model S will gobble up the
watt-hours. While tesla doesn't
provide data for aggressive driving,
some tesla owners have explored the
extremes. One estimate on tesla's web
forums claims that at full throttle the
car will use about 869 watt-hours of
electricity per mile and have a range of
about 88 miles on a full charge. In
simple terms, that means driving 30
miles at full throttle would require
about the same amount of electrical
energy that an average american home
uses in one day.
Driving at wide-open throttle at
length would quickly heat the tesla's
battery, triggering electronic safeguards
that would slow the vehicle. So the
tesla isn't going to take on gasoline
rivals in an endurance race. But its funto-drive
factor is very high, and in short
sprints, it is nearly unbeatable. In one
2016 drag race captured on Youtube, a
Model S takes on a 707-horsepower
Dodge Challenger hellcat, and emerges
the victor.
the taycan, according to Car and
Driver magazine, is rated even quicker,
but the magazine editors recorded
identical 70 MPge power consumption
with both cars on a 300-mile trip at 75
miles an hour. (MPge is an acronym for
miles per gallon equivalent, and it's the
government's way of quantifying the
efficiency of electric vehicles. the
environmental Protection agency,
officially, pegs the tesla at 97 MPge
combined city and highway driving,
and the Porsche at 68 MPge
combined.)
the discrepancy in the tesla and
Porsche e.P.a. ratings is likely due to
the structure of the test and appears to
indicate that the tesla has an efficiency
advantage over the Porsche in stopand-go
city driving. no gasolinepowered
high-performance car can be
driven anywhere near as economically
as the tesla or Porsche electric.
a comparison of e.P.a. ratings
suggests that the least economical
gasoline-powered cars emit more than
twice the emissions of the most
economical gas car. For example, the
Mitsubishi Mirage g4, with its threecylinder
engine, is e.P.a. rated at 35
m.p.g. combined, while a Ford Shelby
gt 500 Mustang earns a 14 m.p.g.
combined rating.
the spread between the electric
extremes is much narrower. the
hyundai Ioniq electric, one of the most
efficient electric vehicles, is e.P.a. rated
at 122 MPge, yet the tesla Model S
Performance car earns a 98 MPge
rating. Choosing a high-performance
e.V. over a mild-mannered electric
comes with much less of an efficiency
penalty.
the way e.V.s are charged adds to
their worth. When asked if electric cars
were overtaxing the electrical grid, Mr.
Reichmuth said, "a high-performance
e.V. is not like an appliance with a cord
that draws electricity in real time."
he added, "Oftentimes, they are
plugged in at night. So a highperformance
model is going to be
plugged in longer, but it doesn't take
more power at any one time." Consider,
too, that charging stations are turning
to renewable power sources like solar,
in combination with a battery storage
system. tesla has promised that its
Supercharger high-speed charger
network will eventually be powered
exclusively by renewable energy.
It's all good news for performance
enthusiasts. now you can go fast and go
green. You may have to play to an
artificial soundtrack, but play you can.
The Tesla Model S and the Porsche Taycan give environmentally conscious speedsters an outlet
for their desires.
Photo: Collected
Kenneth Chang
For decades, physicists have
dreamed of discovering a material that
could effortlessly convey electricity at
everyday temperatures, a feat that
would save gargantuan amounts of
energy and revolutionize modern
technology.
Writing in the journal nature, a team
of researchers announced on
Wednesday that they have done just
that. they have made a
superconductor that works at 58
degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of
a cool autumn day.
this material is still far from
practical, produced in only minute
quantities and under immense
pressures usually found closer to the
earth's core. But the scientists hope
that with further experimentation they
can devise a variation of their material
that remains a superconductor even
after that pressure is removed.
"Ultimately, we want to bring the
pressure to almost ambient pressure,
to actually have an actual application,"
said Ranga P. Dias, a professor of
physics and mechanical engineering at
the University of Rochester and the
senior author of the nature paper.
Shanti Deemyad, a professor of physics
at the University of Utah who was not
First room-temperature superconductor invented
involved with the research, said, "It's a
very robust study, very beautifully
done."
the first superconductors observed
by scientists lost their electrical
resistance only at ultracold
temperatures, a few degrees above
absolute zero, or minus 459.67
degrees, the lowest possible
temperature. In the 1980s, physicists
discovered so-called high-temperature
superconductors, but even those
became superconducting at
temperatures far more frigid than
those encountered in everyday life.
the latest research is an outgrowth of
predictions decades ago that hydrogen,
the lightest of elements, turns into a
metal and then a superconductor,
possibly at room temperatures, when
sufficiently squeezed. But pure
hydrogen is difficult to work with.
three years ago, Dr. Dias, then a
postdoctoral researcher at harvard,
and Isaac Silvera, a harvard physics
professor, reported that they had
produced the long sought metallic
form of hydrogen.
that claim, not yet reproduced, is
It conveys electricity in the climate of a crisp fall day.
Photo: University of Rochester
still viewed skeptically by many.
Scientists also started looking at
hydrogen mixed in with another
element. the bonds between the atoms
of the other element might help
compress the hydrogen together.
In 2015, Mikhail eremets, a physicist
at the Max Planck Institute for
Chemistry in Mainz, germany,
reported that hydrogen sulfide - a
molecule consisting of two hydrogen
atoms and one sulfur atom - turned
superconducting at minus 94 degrees
Fahrenheit when squeezed to about 22
million pounds per square inch. that
was a record warm temperature for a
superconductor at the time.
"that's, I would say, the gamechanging
paper that sort of set the
tone," Dr. Dias said. Dr. eremets and
other scientists subsequently
discovered that lanthanum hydride - a
compound containing hydrogen and
lanthanum - reached a
superconducting temperature of
minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit at
ultrahigh pressures.
Dr. Dias's group looked at a mixture
of three elements: hydrogen, sulfur
and carbon. With three elements, the
scientists were able to adjust the
electronic properties to achieve the
higher
superconducting
temperatures.
TUeSDAY, OCTOBeR 20, 2020 6
MP Rimon holds view exchange
at Betagi Press Club
Md MoHsiN KHaN, BeTagi CorresPoNdeNT:
Barguna-2 MP alhaj shawkat
Hasanur rahman rimon as the chief
guest held a view exchange meeting
with the convening committee of
Betagi Press Club on Monday.
The meeting was held at the
conference room of the Upazila
Parishad under the chairmanship of
the convener of the Press Club saidul
islam Montu and Member secretary
shamim sikder moderated the
occasion. among others, Upazila
Chairman Md. Maksudur rahman
Forkan, Mayor of Betagi
Municipality aBM golam Kabir,
Municipal awami league President
Babul akhter, general secretary
Hadisur rahman Panna, UP
Chairman Nazrul islam, Press Club
joint convener swapan Kumar dhali
and Md. Mohsin Khan were also
present at the occasion.
Congratulating the new convening
committee, MP shawkat Hasanur
rahman rimon said one should not
be made a member of the press club
if he/she has a newspaper card. The
image of the press club will be
brightened if the new post is given by
looking at the conduct and justice of
the journalist. The committee will
present an ideological committee in
the future and will continue to strive
to bring back the past traditions of
the press club, he said.
In observance of the 57th birthday of Sheikh Russel, Jubo League organized a cake cutting ceremony in
Madarganj on Sunday.
Photo: Julfikar Bablu
Jubo league celebrates sheikh russel's
57th birthday in Madarganj
Barguna-2 MP Alhaj Shawkat Hasanur Rahman Rimon as the chief guest addressed a view exchange
meeting with the convening committee of Betagi Press Club on Monday. Photo: Md Mohsin Khan
relief, health safety items
distributed in Pirganj
JUlFiKar BaBlU, MadargaNJ CorresPoNdeNT:
Madarganj Upazila awami Jubo
league celebrated 57th birthday of
sheikh russell, the youngest son of
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
sheikh Mujibur rahman, in the
upaizla. Marking the occasion, a
discussion meeting, prayers and cake
cutting ceremony were held.
The discussion meeting was held at
the party office of Bangladesh awami
Jubo league in Madarganj on sunday
evening. Madarganj City awami Jubo
league President Mahbub Hasan
Minhaj chaired the occasion while
general secretary Hasanuzzaman
sagar moderated the occasion.
Madarganj Upazila awami league
general secretary and Upazila
Chairman obaidur rahman Belal
spoke as the chief guest at the
programme while among others,
Madarganj Upazila awami league
Vice President Babu arun Kumar
saha, organizing secretary raihan
rahmatullah rimu, Upazila awami
Jubo league President Faridul islam
and general secretary shafiqul islam
were also present at the occasion.
after the discussion, the party
leaders and activists cut a cake on the
occasion of sheikh russell's 57th
birthday. Besides, this program has
been carried out in 6 unions of
Madarganj upazila on the initiative of
awami Jubo league.
BisHNU roy, PirgaNJ CorresPoNdeNT:
relief and health safety items have
been distributed among 800
vulnerable, helpless, miserable and
extremely poor families and
awareness campaigns and leaflets
have been distributed and
employment assistance has been
provided to the unemployed in
Pirganj upazila.
Bishnupada roy, co-operative
chairman of Hope Bangladesh,
presided over a discussion on the
issue at the adP office premises in
Niamatpur in the upazila on Monday
morning. Former MP of Thakurgaon-
3 constituency and president of
Upazila awami league imdadul
Haquewas the chief guest at the
occasion while among others, Kyung
yub lee (Korea), Bangladesh Country
director of the organization, Hesik
Park (Korea), director of education,
ekramul Haque, Chairman of
syedpur UP, anil singh, co-ordinator
of the organziation, Zulfiqar alam,
president of the union awami league
and gaziur rahman, UP member,
among others spoke on the occasion.
at the end of the discussion, various
ingredients including rice, pulses,
sugar, salt, oil, soap were distributed
to prevent corona infection.
Relief and health safety items have been distributed among 800 vulnerable, helpless, miserable and
extremely poor families in Pirganj upazila on Monday.
Photo: TBT
A mobile court has sentenced a drug peddler named Tania Begum to two years in prison in Gopalganj. The
woman was arrested along with 139 pieces of yaba tablets from Chandradighlia area of Sadar upazila by the
Gopalganj Narcotics Control Department on Monday and handed over to a mobile court. Later, mobile court
judge and executive magistrate Sheikh Salauddin Dipu sentenced the woman drug dealer to two years in jail and
ordered her to be sent to jail.
Photo: S M Nazrul Islam
dipankar Talukder MP inaugurates various
development projects in langadu
oMor FarUK MUsa, laNgadU
CorresPoNdeNT:
dipankar Talukder, MP,
Chairman of Parliamentary
standing Committee on
Ministry of Food and MP
from rangamati, has laid the
foundation stone of a Tk 10
crore development project
for various educational
institutions in langadu
Upazila which is funded by
the education engineering
department.
during the visit, he laid the
foundation stone of the 4-
storey building of the iCT
department of langadu
government Model College
at a cost of Tk 3.5 crore on
sunday. after inspecting the
Bangabandhu Corner built
in the college, dipankar
Talukder MP said in an
exchange meeting at the
office of the principal of the
college that the present
government has done a lot
for the development of
education in the hills. This
college has been nationalized
in view of the long standing
demand of the upazila
residents. Hopefully, the
Police 'obstruct'
BNP procession
in Tangail
Md Nasir UddiN, TaNgail CorresPoNdeNT:
Police allegedly obstructed BNP
procession in Tangail, who were
protesting vote rigging and
demanding re-election. as part of
the BNP's central program on
Monday morning, the Tangail
district BNP tried to take out a
procession from the city's secluded
shaheed Minar.
at that time the police obstructed
the procession. later, BNP held a
brief rally there. district BNP
general secretary advocate Farhad
iqbal gave a short speech at the
rally. during the time, district BNP
vice-presidents sadequl alam
Khoka, ataur rahman Jinnah,
Mahmudul Haque sanu and Ziaul
Haque shahin were present on the
occasion.
Moreover, leaders of allied
organizations including district
Jubo and Chhatra dal leaders were
also present at the rally.
Dipankar Talukder, MP, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Ministry of Food and MP from Rangamati, has laid the foundation stone of a Tk 10
crore development project for various educational institutions in Langadu Upazila
on Sunday.
Photo: Omor Faruk Musa
students of this educational
institution will be able to
work for the development of
the country by getting
quality education.
during the time, langadu
army Zone Zone
Commander lt. Col. Miraj
Haider Chowdhury,
langadu Upazila Parishad
Chairman abdul Barek
sarkar, Upazila Nirbahi
officer Mainul abedin,
rangamati Public College
Principal Tasaddik Hossain,
rangamati education
al celebrates sheikh russel's
57th birthday in rangpur
raNgPUr: awami league (al) and
its associate bodies celebrated the 57th
birthday of shaheed sheikh russel, the
youngest son of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu sheikh Mujibur
rahman, in the city on sunday night,
reports Bss.
leaders and workers of the district
unit of al and its associate bodies
attended limited-scale programmes
arranged for celebrating the birthday
maintaining health directives of the
government in the wake of the
coronavirus (CoVid-19) outbreak.
They also placed wreaths at the
portrait of sheikh russel followed by a
discussion, milad and doa mahfil at its
office at night. They prayed for eternal
peace for the departed souls of sheikh
russel and other martyrs, including the
architect of the country's independence
Bangabandhu sheikh Mujibur
rahman.
Presided over by President of district
al Mamtaz Uddin ahmed, its general
secretary advocate reazul Karim razu
engineering department
executive engineer ashikur
rahman, , Upazila Vice
Chairman sirajul islam
Jhantu and Women Vice
Chairman anwara Begum
were among others also
present at the occasion.
addressed the discussion as keynote
speaker.
Vice-presidents of district al Mazed
ali Babul and Utpal sarker, its Joint
general secretary Motahar Hossain
Mandal Mowla, organising secretary
Wazedul islam, office secretary amin
sarker, Publicity secretary latifa
shawkat, leaders of Jubo league,
swechchasebak league, Mohila al and
Chhatra league addressed the
discussion.
advocate reazul Karim razu said the
conspirators assassinated sheikh
russel mercilessly and brutally aiming
at reversing independence and
sovereignty of the newly liberated
country through eliminating
Bangabandhu's blood from this soil.
strongly condemning assassination
of Bangabandhu and most of his family
members, including russel on august
15, 1975, he said Bangladesh and
Bangabandhu are inseparable and no
conspiracy would succeed to destroy
the country's independence.
TUESDAY, OCTOBEr 20, 2020
7
UN arms embargoes on Iran
expire despite US objections
Not just in Bangladesh, women are at risk everywhere. In neighbouring India, for
instance, a woman is raped every 15 minutes. This isas per the official government data,
asunder the many more such crimes that just go unreported due to the fear and stigma
surrounding sexual violence.
Photo: UNB
Why rape horrors continue
unabated in India
Not just in Bangladesh, women are at
risk everywhere. In neighbouring
India, for instance, a woman is raped
every 15 minutes. This isas per the
official government data, asunder the
many more such crimes that just go
unreported due to the fear and stigma
surrounding sexual violence, reports
UNB.
In fact, nothing has changed even
seven years after the brutal and fatal
gang rape of a 23-year-old medical
student on a moving bus by six men in
Delhi that shocked the nation and
forced the country's government to
frame stricter anti-rape laws, as Indian
daughters continue to face sexual
assaults. In just the past month, a 19-
year-old lower caste woman was raped
in the northern Indian state of Uttar
Pradesh's Hathras district, 200 kms
from the national capital, allegedly by
four men from the upper caste. After
fighting for her life for two weeks, she
Armenia, Azerbaijan
blame each other for
truce violations
Despite a second attempt at
a cease-fire, Armenia and
Azerbaijan traded
accusations Sunday of
violating the new truce in
their destructive conflict
over the separatist region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, reports
UNB.
The latest truce, which was
announced Saturday and
took force at midnight, was
the second attempt to
establish a cease-fire since
heavy fighting between
Armenian and Azerbaijani
forces broke out in Nagorno-
Karabakh on Sept. 27. The
fighting and shelling has
killed hundreds of people -
both combatants and
civilians - and marks the
biggest escalation of a
decades-old conflict over the
region in more than a
quarter-century.
The fighting, involving
heavy artillery, rockets and
drones, has continued
despite repeated calls for
cessation of hostilities
coming from around the
globe. It also raises the
specter of a wider conflict
that could draw in Russia
and Turkey and threaten
Caspian Sea energy exports.
Armenian military officials
on Sunday reported artillery
shelling and missile strikes
by Azerbaijani forces in the
conflict zone overnight. In
the morning, "the enemy
launched an attack in the
southern direction," and
there were "casualties and
wounded on both sides,"
Armenian Defense Ministry
spokeswoman Shushan
Stepanian said.
Azerbaijan's Defense
Ministry, in turn,
maintained that Armenian
forces used mortars and
artillery in the conflict zone
overnight despite the ceasefire
and in the morning
attempted attacks in several
directions. The ministry
accused Armenia of using
large-caliber weapons to
attack the positions of the
Azerbaijani army.
died at a hospital inDelhi. Her
tormentors were arrested only after the
case sparked protests across India.
In 2014, shortly after Prime Minister
Narendra Modi came to power, his
government pledged a "zero tolerance"
policy on violence against women. And
indeed it introduced death penalty for
child rapists, for the first time in this
country, and even raised the minimum
jail term for rapes against those above
12 years.
However, activists say little has
changed on the ground. "India still
continues to be one of the world's most
dangerous countries,where rapes and
sexual violence are common. Last year
alone, an average of 87 cases of rapes
were reported daily, as per the National
Crime Records Bureau," says Manisha
Ranjan, a Delhi-based women rights
activist. In a patriarchal society like
India, rape has always been a taboo and
never a real issue to be discussed on
public platform. After the 2012 Delhi
gang rape, attempts were made to raise
people's consciousness about the plight
of the woman and the justice that's
often delayed on "frivolous grounds".
"But the quest for justice is often
marred by questions around the rape
survivor's marriage or lack of it that she
may have to suffer due to the trauma
undergone. 'Who will marry her?' is the
question that is of most concern in
maximum cases instead of justice, if the
rape survivor is unmarried," says Tripti
Sharma, a lawyer.
What's worse is when a rapist comes
forward to marry his prey. "This further
delays the legal process, as the rape
survivors in India are usually seen as
outcast, a burden on her family. So, an
offer of marriage-irrespective of
whether the woman is ready to marry
the person who violated her-is often
accepted by the survivor's family,"
arma adds.
Shoppers wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
with their purchased goods walk through the capital city's popular
shopping mall in Beijing, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. China's shaky economic
recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is gaining strength as consumers
return to shopping malls and auto dealerships while the United States and
Europe endure painful contractions.
Photo: AP
China’s economy accelerates as
virus recovery gains strength
China's shaky economic recovery from the
coronavirus pandemic is gaining strength
as consumers return to shopping malls and
auto dealerships while the United States
and Europe endure painful contractions,
reports UNB.
The world's second-largest economy
expanded by 4.9% over a year ago in the
three months ending in September, official
data showed Monday. Retail spending
rebounded to above pre-virus levels for the
first time and factory output rose, boosted
by demand for exports of masks and other
medical supplies.
The recovery is broadening out and
becoming less reliant on government
stimulus, Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital
Economics said in a report. He said growth
is "still accelerating" heading into the
present quarter.
China, where the pandemic began in
December, became the first major
economy to return to growth after the
ruling Communist Party declared the
disease under control in March and began
reopening factories, shops and offices.
It is the only major economy that is
expected to grow this year while activity in
the United States, Europe and Japan
shrinks. The Chinese economy expanded
by 3.2% over a year earlier in the three
months ending in June, rebounding from
the previous quarter's 6.8% contraction, its
worst performance since at least the mid-
1960s.
The economy "continued the steady
recovery," the National Bureau of Statistics
said in a report. However, it warned, "the
international environment is still
complicated and severe." It said China
faces great pressure to prevent a
resurgence of the virus.
Authorities have lifted curbs on travel
and business but visitors to government
and other public buildings still are checked
for the virus's telltale fever. Travelers
arriving from abroad must be quarantined
for two weeks.
Last week, more than 10 million people
were tested for the virus in the eastern
port of Qingdao after 12 cases were found
there. That broke a two-month streak
with no virus transmissions reported
within China.
Industrial production rose 5.8% over the
same quarter last year, a marked
improvement over the first half's 1.3%
contraction. Chinese exporters are taking
market share from foreign competitors that
still are hampered by anti-virus controls.
A decade-long U.N. arms embargo on
Iran that barred it from purchasing
foreign weapons like tanks and fighter
jets expired Sunday as planned under
its nuclear deal with world powers,
despite objections from the United
States, which insists the ban remains in
place, reports UNB.
While Iran says it plans no "buying
spree," it can now in theory purchase
weapons to upgrade military
armaments dating back to before its
1979 Islamic Revolution and sell its own
locally produced gear abroad.
In practice, however, Iran's economy
remains crippled by broad-reaching
U.S. sanctions, and other nations may
avoid arms deals with Tehran for fear of
American financial retaliation. The
Trump administration has warned that
any sales of weapons to Iran or exports
from Iran will be penalized.
The Islamic Republic heralded the
end of the arms embargo as "a
momentous day for the international
community ... in defiance of the U.S.
regime's effort." The Trump
administration, meanwhile, says the
expiration is moot since it reimposed all
U.N. sanctions on Iran, including the
arms embargo, via a clause in the
nuclear deal Trump withdrew from in
2018, a claim ignored by the rest of the
world.
"Today's normalization of Iran's
defense cooperation with the world is a
win for the cause of multilateralism and
peace and security in our region," Iran's
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif wrote on Twitter.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
flatly rejected the expiration.
"The United States is prepared to use
its domestic authorities to sanction any
individual or entity that materially
contributes to the supply, sale, or
transfer of conventional arms to or from
Iran, as well as those wto ho provide
technical training, financial support and
services, and other assistance related to
these arms," he said in a statement.
"For the past 10 years, countries have
refrained from selling weapons to Iran
Millions more
virus rapid tests,
but are results
reported?
After struggling to ramp up
coronavirus testing, the U.S.
can now screen several
million people daily, thanks
to a growing supply of rapid
tests. But the boom comes
with a new challenge:
keeping track of the results,
reports UNB.
All U.S. testing sites are
legally required to report
their results, positive and
negative, to public health
agencies. But state health
officials say many rapid tests
are going unreported, which
means some new COVID-19
infections may not be
counted.
And the situation could get
worse, experts say. The
federal government is
shipping more than 100
million of the newest rapid
tests to states for use in
public schools, assisted
living centers and other new
testing sites.
"Schools certainly don't
have the capacity to report
these tests," said Dr. Jeffrey
Engel of the Council of State
and
Territorial
Epidemiologists. "If it's done
at all it's likely going to be
paper-based, very slow and
incomplete."
Early in the outbreak,
nearly all U.S. testing relied
on genetic tests that could
only be developed at hightech
laboratories. Even
under the best
circumstances, people had
to wait about two to three
days to get results. Experts
pushed for more "point-ofcare"
rapid testing that could
be done in doctors offices,
clinics and other sites to
quickly find people who are
infected, get them into
quarantine and stop the
spread.
Beginning in the summer,
cheaper, 15-minute tests -
which detect viral proteins
called antigens on a nasal
swab - became available.
The first versions still
needed to be processed
using portable readers.
under various U.N. measures," Pompeo
said. "Any country that now challenges
this prohibition will be very clearly
choosing to fuel conflict and tension
over promoting peace and security."
Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador,
Dmitry Polyansky, responded to
Pompeo with a tweet urging the U.S. to
help Middle East peace by not
provoking Iran. "And please change
words 'sanctions' and 'punishment' in
your vocabulary to 'dialogue' and
'engagement'. That would help a lot!
Make US respected again!", he added.
Sunday's expiration of the arms
embargo was, in fact, the proximate
cause for the U.S. decision last month to
move forward with the so-called
"snapback" of international sanctions in
Iran. The Americans tried
unsuccessfully to get the U.N. Security
Council to extend the embargo but
suffered a humiliating defeat when only
one country on the 15-member panel
supported it. In response, the
administration announced that it had
invoked "snapback" - a mechanism
provided for in the Security Council
resolution that enshrined the nuclear
deal that allows any participant in the
accord to restore U.N. sanctions if they
determine Iran is not complying with its
terms. The rest of the council, however,
rejected U.S. standing to trigger
snapback, saying it had lost its right to
do so when Trump pulled our of the
deal. The United Nations banned Iran
from buying major foreign weapon
systems in 2010 amid tensions over its
nuclear program. An earlier embargo
targeted Iranian arms exports.
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency
predicted in 2019 that if the embargo
ended, Iran likely would try to purchase
Russian Su-30 fighter jets, Yak-130
trainer aircraft and T-90 tanks. Tehran
also may try to buy Russia's S-400 antiaircraft
missile system and its Bastian
coastal defense missile system, the DIA
said. China also could sell Iran arms.
An Iranian clergyman stands next to missiles and army troops, during
a manoeuvre, in an undisclosed location in Iran. A decade-long
U.N. arms embargo on Iran that bared it from purchasing foreign
weapons like tanks and fighter jets expired Sunday, Oct. 18, 20202, as
planned under its nuclear deal with world powers, despite objections
from the United States.
Photo: AP
Trump, Biden go on offense
in states they're trying to flip
President Donald Trump and Democratic
rival Joe Biden went on offense over the
weekend, as both campaigned in states they
are trying to flip during the Nov. 3 election
that is just over two weeks away, reports
UNB.
Trump began his Sunday in Nevada,
making a rare visit to church before a
fundraiser and an evening rally in Carson
City. Once considered a battleground,
Nevada has not swung for a Republican
presidential contender since 2004.
The rally drew thousands of supporters
who sat elbow to elbow, cheering Trump and
booing Biden and the press. The vast
majority wore no masks to guard against the
coronavirus, though cases in the state are on
the rise, with more than 1,000 new
infections reported Saturday. The president,
as he often does, warned that a Biden
election would lead to further lockdowns and
at one point appeared to mock Biden for
saying he would listen to scientists.
"He'll listen to the scientists. If I listened
totally to the scientists, we would right now
have a country that would be in a massive
depression," Trump said.
Biden, a practicing Catholic, attended
Mass in Delaware before campaigning in
North Carolina, where a Democrat has not
won in a presidential race since Barack
Obama in 2008.
Both candidates are trying to make inroads
in states that could help secure a path to
victory, but the dynamics of the race are
remarkably stable. Biden enjoys a significant
advantage in national polls, while carrying a
smaller edge in battleground surveys.
Earlier in the day, Trump sat in the front
row at the nondenominational International
Church of Las Vegas as the senior associate
pastor, Denise Goulet, said God told her
early that morning that the president would
secure a second term.
"At 4:30, the Lord said to me, 'I am going
to give your president a second win,'" she
said, telling Trump, "you will be the
president again."
Trump spoke briefly, saying "I love going
to churches" and that it was "a great honor"
to attend the service. He dropped a wad of
$20 bills in the collection plate before
leaving. The message was far different in
both style and substance later in the day,
when Biden attended a virtual discussion
with African American faith leaders from
around the country.
Biden held up a rosary, which he said he
carries in his pocket every day, and described
it as "what the Irish call a prisoner's rosary"
since it was small enough to be smuggled
into prisons. "I happen to be a Roman
Catholic," Biden said. "I don't pray for God to
protect me. I pray to God to give me strength
to see what other people are dealing with."
Earlier, at a drive-in rally in Durham,
North Carolina, Biden focused heavily on
promoting criminal justice changes to
combat institutional racism and promised to
help build wealth in the Black community.
He noted that Trump had said at one of his
rallies that the country had turned the corner
on the pandemic.
"As my grandfather would say, this guy's
gone around the bend if he thinks we've
turned the corner. Turning the corner?
Things are getting worse," Biden said.
In addition to public polling that indicates
Biden has an edge, the former vice president
enjoys another considerable advantage over
Trump: money.
Trump raked in $12 million during a
fundraiser Sunday afternoon at the Newport
Beach home of top GOP donor and tech
mogul Palmer Luckey, which also featured a
performance by the Beach Boys.
But over the past four months, Biden has
raised over $1 billion, a massive amount of
money that has eclipsed Trump's onceoverwhelming
cash advantage.
That's become apparent in advertising,
where Biden and his Democratic allies are on
pace to spend twice as much as Trump and
the Republicans in the closing days of the
race, according to data from the ad tracking
firm Kantar/CMAG.
Though Trump has pulled back from
advertising in Midwestern states that
secured his 2016 win, he's invested heavily
elsewhere, including North Carolina, where
he is on pace to slightly outspend Biden in
the days ahead.
In Nevada, which Trump came close to
winning in 2016, Democrats are set to
outspend Trump in the closing days by a
more than 3-to-1 ratio.
Trump's visit to the state is part of an
aggressive schedule of campaign events,
where he has leaned heavily into fear tactics.
Trump's Carson City rally was held at an
airport with a golden scrub brush-covered
hill providing a dramatic backdrop. He
relived fond moments from his 2016
campaign against Hillary Clinton, revisited
his long-running feud with NFL players and
went on an extended rant about water
management policy, which he blamed for
people having to "flush their toilet 15 times."
He also added to his litany of hyperbolic
attacks against Biden, claiming that, if Biden
were elected, he would mandate new
lockdown measures that would make Carson
City "a ghost town" and "the Christmas
season will be cancelled."
TUeSDAY, oCToBeR 20, 2020
8
Shakib’s ‘Bir’
and ‘password’
to re-release in
theaters again
Script of ‘Arai Mon Swapna’
fascinated me: Moutushi
TBT RepoRT
Popular actress Moutushi
Biswas has made a comeback
after a long time with the short
film titled 'Arai Mon Swapna'
directed by Abu Shahed Emon.
The story of the short film is
based on the Corona pandamic
situation in the country. It
mainly focuses on the struggle of
a low-income family. Fazlur
Rahman Babu has acted
opposite to Moutushi in the
short film.
"I haven't done any shooting
for a long time," Moutushi said.
The shooting was stopped for a
long time due to Corona. Then
when the work started again, I
went back to work with this short
film. In fact, I did the short film
in the fascination of the story.
The story is about the crisis that
Corona has brought to the
people. I want to say about
Fazlur Rahman Babu. He has
done great job. I have become his
fan again. It's like being
fascinated. The director has also
done the job with great care. The
audience will be able to say the
rest. ' The short film was released
on October 17 on the online
platform Bing. Raunak Hasan,
Deepak Sumon and others have
also acted in it.
"OTT platforms are as popular
in our country as they are around
the world," she said. Its
popularity has increased
especially in lockdown.
Television and YouTube as well
as viewers are taking this
medium very well. '
The busyness of the stars has
returned as before again. After a
long hiatus due to Corona,
everyone has started acting
again. However, many have not
yet returned to work regularly.
Popular actress Moutushi
Biswas has recently done job
after eight months. However, she
did not return to work with any
drama or movie.
Surfer Bethany Hamilton
expecting Baby No. 3
Bethany Hamilton will now have
to teach three kids to ride the
waves! The surfer revealed in an
Oct. 17 Instagram video that she
is expecting her third child with
husband Adam Dirks.
In the video, Bethany and her
two kids, Tobias, 5, and Wesley,
2, play around in the ocean in
their paradise home of Kauai,
Hawaii. The 30-year-old holds
her pregnant stomach while
perched on a surfboard. In the
next part of the video, she and
the kids walk across a log, which
has "Tobias," "Wesley," and "?"
written across it. The rest of the
video is a glimpse into Bethany's
family life, which includes
Tobias surfing the ways
(impressive!) and Bethany
snuggling up to Adam on the
beach.
Bethany was 13 when she was
attacked by a tiger shark while
out surfing with a friend. She lost
her arm in the attack.
Determined to return to the
ocean, Bethany began surfing
again less than one month later.
In 2004, Bethany released
the book Soul Surfer: A True
Story of Faith, Family, and
Fighting to Get Back on the
Board. In 2011, it was adapted
into a movie, starring
AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany.
In a fun twist, the real Bethany
did all of the actress' stunt
surfing in the film.
The devout Christian has
released a total of nine books,
most recently the 2018
children's book Unstoppable Me.
A documentary, titled Bethany
Hamilton: Unstoppable, was
released the same year.
Shortly before revealing her
third pregnancy, Bethany
gushed over her husband Adam
in an Instagram post.
Source: eonline.com
TBT RepoRT
It was learned that the movie
'Bir' starring Shakib Khan is
going to re- released all over the
country. The 50th film 'Bir'
directed by Kazi Hayat was
released in February this year.
Besides, Shakib's 'Password'
movie will also be released.
Producer Iqbal said the hall has
opened after a lomg time due to
Corona.
He said that he plans to rerelease
two of his films 'Bir' and
'Password' in the next two
TBT RepoRT
Popular actor Zahid Hasan and actress
Shirin Shila have reunited in a new short
film 'Chan Miar Aknti Bodol'. It is directed
25 years of
DDLJ: Bronze
statue of Shah
Rukh and
Kajol
A bronze statue of actor Shah Rukh Khan
and Kajol will be unveiled on Dilwale
Dulhania Le Jayenge's 25th anniversary in
London's Leicester Square. The statue will
depict a part of the scene that was shot in
Leicester Square.
The statue of SRK's Raj and Kajol's
Simran will be in the company of nine other
equally iconic cinema giants like Harry
Potter, Laurel and Hardy, Bugs Bunny,
Mary Poppins, Mr Bean, Paddington,
Fridays. First the movie Bir will
be released and the password
next week.
Iqbal thinks that if he gets
Shakib's movie is screened
again in theaters after Corona,
the audience will come back
again which is very urgent at the
moment.
Shakib and Bubli have acted
in it along with Misha Saudagar,
Nadeem, Jadu Azad and others.
The movie 'Password' directed
by Malek Afsari was released in
2019 on the occasion of Eid.
Shakib Khan, Shabnam
Bhubali, Emon, Misha
Saudagar, Amit Hasan, Don and
others have acted in different
roles in it.
The cinema hall was closed for
about seven months due to
Corona. Eventually it was
allowed to open. The cinema
hall has been open since
October 16 with the permission
of the government. However,
by Sheikh Selim. Zahid and Shirin Shila
have recently taken part in its shooting.
Zahid Hasan said, work of quite a different
story is going on. It feels good to act here. I
hope the audience will like it too.
Wonder Woman, Batman and Gene Kelly in
Singin' in the Rain. "It's fantastic to be
adding such titans of international cinema
as Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to our trail.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is one of the
most successful and important Bollywood
films of all time, and it's exciting to be able
to bring to the trail the first film that actually
features Leicester Square as a location. This
statue is a fitting tribute to the global
the condition is that the hall
must be run in accordance with
the hygiene rules. The number
of seats will also be limited.
However, the launch of the
controversial Hero Alam's
movie has drawn a lot of
criticism from the film industry.
Two films of Shakib Khan are
being re-released this time to
cut that criticism.
Zahid-Shila
reunites in
short film
‘Chan Miar
Aknti Bodol’
Shirin Shila said, this is a short film of a
very funny story. I am working with Zahid
Hasan here. So working together with
him feels better. I believe the audience will
enjoy it. It is learned that 'Chan Miar
Aknti Bodol' will be aired on RTV as a
special short film.
popularity of Bollywood and the cultural
bridges that cinema can help build, and
we're in no doubt it will attract fans from all
around the world," said Mark Williams,
Director of Destination Marketing at Heart
of London Business Alliance. Directed by
Aditya Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajolstarrer
Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
released on October 20, 1995.
Source: indianexpress.com
H o R o S C o p e
ARIeS
(March 21 - April 20) : There should be
no doubt in your mind about which
way to proceed, Aries. Don't let selfdoubt
sneak into the picture. Your
mind is sensitive and alert, so trust it. Take the lead
when you feel confident about a situation. Make
sure to eat plenty of protein-rich foods. They'll help
stabilize and bring you another step closer to the
realization of your dreams.
TAURUS
(April 21 - May 21): Your rock-star
attitude may be getting a bit old now,
Taurus. People aren't going to
continue to listen to your demands for
attention. Every person in the world is special, so
try not to act as if you're the only one who is. Help
a child assemble a new toy today or help a friend
pick out a new shirt. Do something for others
instead of always expecting things for yourself.
GeMINI
(May 22 - June 21): Your ship is finally
coming into port after being out in
rough seas for so long, Gemini. It's
time to dock the boat for a while.
Relax and explore the area. There is nothing
wrong with getting off your vessel for a while. You
may not even realize how much you've missed
solid ground until now. Remember what it's like
to be stable again.
CANCeR
(June 22 - July 23): You may still be on
something of a high from the last
couple weeks. You will definitely be
tempted to let the good times
continue to roll, Cancer. Think about ways you
can keep them rolling while still maintaining
good judgment. Don't let things get too out of
control today. It's important that you maintain a
bit of stability at all times.
Leo
(July 24 - Aug. 23): Communicate
from a centered space today, Leo.
Fortunately, the nature of the day caters
to your needs and desires. You shouldn't
have to work too hard to get what you want. Things
should come to you naturally. You may wonder why
you got stressed out before over what now seem to be
small issues. Consciously release the worry and
concern that are still stored in your body.
VIRGo
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Work toward
achieving a better unity between you and
the people around you, Virgo. It could be
that certain people in your circle of friends
somehow feel alienated in one way or another. Perhaps
they don't feel like they fit in with the rest of the group.
Remind yourself and others that everyone is unique
and that all should be equally accepted despite
individual differences.
LIBRA
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): You will feel much
better about yourself if you get
things done today, Libra. Like a meal
that tastes good but isn't necessarily
good for you, you might enjoy this day by being
lazy, but you won't feel so good when night
comes and you realize that you haven't
accomplished anything. Use the day productively
so you have a sense of fulfillment by tonight.
SCoRpIo
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): You might
consider taking a rest today, Scorpio.
Like a sailboat on the ocean, you've
been taxed lately by all the turbulence.
The pressure on you has been tremendous. Think
about pulling your sails to half-mast in order to take
a break. You may not be going as quickly as before,
but you will find that this is exactly the rest you need
in order to complete the voyage.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Your thinking is apt
to be quite clear and rational today,
Sagittarius. This is especially important
since others will be looking for your
thoughts and opinions on a certain matter. People will
know that they can get a straight and honest answer from
you, so don't disappoint them. Think through each
situation clearly before you offer your advice. You will
find that it's worth the effort.
CApRICoRN
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): By being around
negative and flip people, you might
inadvertently pick up these habits. Be
careful about your associates,
Capricorn, because you will find that others judge
you according to the company you keep, especially if
you start talking like them. Make sure to maintain a
respectful attitude and proper manners no matter
who your company is.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19): You may feel like the
world is caving in on you in many
ways today, Aquarius. It could be
that you've recently dug your own
little cave to crawl into and be safe from the
outside world. Realize that the deeper you dig in
unstable terrain, the more unsteady the walls. If
you aren't careful, it's likely to come crashing
down on top of you.
pISCeS
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Remember that you
can only remain in charge as long as
the others around you support your
personality and leadership abilities,
Pisces. Avoid mutiny by taking care of the people in
your world instead of simply trying to run their
lives. Gain respect with kind words and a sensitive
attitude rather than by enforcing harsh rules and
regulations that restrict and aggravate.
TuESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020
9
Lanzini stunner seals remarkable
Hammers comeback
As a part of Tamim XI in the ongoing BCB President's Cup, Shoriful's performance has been
superb and impressed many.
Photo: BCB
Shoriful elated to learn so
many things from seniors
SportS DeSk:
Manuel Lanzini's last-gasp stunner
sealed a remarkable comeback from
West Ham to earn a 3-3 draw against
tottenham in a thrilling London derby
on Sunday, reports Ap.
Jose Mourinho's men were in complete
control from the moment Son Heungmin
opened the scoring inside a minute,
with Harry kane's quickfire double
seemingly confirming the victory after
only 16 minutes.
However, Fabian Balbuena's header
and a Davinson Sanchez own goal set up
a nervy finish, and Lanzini's incredible
strike secured a point for the visitors at
the death, putting a huge dampener on
Gareth Bale's Spurs return.
Back in the dugout for the first time
since testing positive for coronavirus in
late September, West Ham boss David
Moyes would have hoped to see his team
build on the two convincing premier
League wins earned in his absence.
Instead, the Hammers lasted just 45
seconds before conceding, kane
dropping into midfield before clipping
the ball over the top for Son, who cut
inside Balbuena with ease to dispatch a
low shot into the far corner.
things went from bad to worse shortly
after, as kane nutmegged Declan rice at
the edge of the box before sending a shot
through the legs of Angelo ogbonna and
beyond a helpless Lukasz Fabianski.
And, while the visitors had a couple of
promising moments in the aftermath of
that second goal through the industrious
Michail Antonio, they simply could not
keep Spurs at bay at the other end.
Consequently, they were 3-0 down
after 16 minutes, kane grabbing his
second with a powerful header from
Sergio reguilon's cross to the back post.
to their credit, West Ham attempted
to produce a positive response to an
opening quarter of an hour that had all
but ended their hopes of taking anything
from the game, but any potential
openings they worked were often wasted,
while tottenham continued to look
dangerous on the counter.
even when the visitors did manage to
finally create, they were wasteful, not
least when pablo Fornals somehow
contrived to head a deflected Antonio
cross over from close range shortly after
the restart.
For their part, Spurs looked
understandably happy to simply sit on
their lead and attempt to manage the
opposition threat, with counter-attacks
their main source of chances in the
second period.
And it was one such quick break that
almost led to kane grabbing his hat-trick,
the england striker clattering the post 10
minutes from time with a fine left-footed
effort from distance.
Spurs brought on Bale but his second
debut did not end how he would have
hoped, as there proved to be a sting in the
tail for the hosts.
their grip on the game seemed to
loosen when Balbuena headed in from a
dangerous free-kick delivery from the left
wing and that was quickly followed by
Sanchez's own goal, the defender
inadvertently heading Vladimir Coufal's
cross beyond Hugo Lloris in the Spurs
net.
And, after Bale has missed a glorious
opening, Lanzini completed the
comeback in the fourth minute of injury
time as he smashed a marvellous longrange
effort beyond a despairing Lloris to
make it 3-3.
SportS DeSk:
Shoriful Islam, the member of the
World Champion Under-19 team,
expressed his contentment to share
the dressing room with senior
players, stating that he has been
learning so many things from them,
which enriches him in many ways,
reports BSS.
"Sharing the dressing room with
senior players is a learning curve. I
have been learning so many things
from them which enriched my
experience," he said here on
Sunday.
As a part of tamim XI in the
ongoing BCB president's Cup,
Shoriful's performance has been
superb and impressed many. He
has already been dubbed as the
future prospect of Bangladesh
cricket after grabbing 4-37 against
Nazmul XI in the previous match.
His performance earned him the
man of the match award, which was
a special recognition given the
tamim XI was bolstered with the
bowlers like Mustafizur rahman,
Saifuddin and others.
Mustafizur rahman also snapped
up 3-15 in a measly bowling show
but Shoriful gave breakthroughs in
vital moments to help the side win
the game.
Shoriful, however, credited the
senior players for his superb
performance, saying that they are
always ready to help him.
"the senior players have been
very nice to me. I have always come
up with many questions and they
answered with great patience. My
questions don't irritate them, rather
they are ready to help me always,"
he added.
"tamim bhai has been helping me
always. He is talking to me and
always charges me up. During
bowling, he gave me many tips and
helped me understand the
psychology of the batsmen. off the
field, he is taking care of me. I'm
very grateful to those people," he
remarked.
At the same time, Shoriful said
senior bowlers like Mustafizur
rahman, Saifuddin had already
given him various tips to hone his
bowling skill.
"to share a dressing room with
Mustafizur and Saifuddin also is
very helpful for me since I am a
pacer. Mustafizur bhai and
Saifuddin bhai have been giving me
many tips of bowling. they are
inspiring me as well," he concluded.
Liverpool rocked as Van Dijk faces
months out with serious knee injury
SportS DeSk:
Liverpool will be without Virgil van
Dijk for a number of months after
confirming that the defender suffered
serious knee ligament damage in
Saturday's Merseyside derby, reports
Ap.
Van Dijk was forced off just 11
minutes into the reds' 2-2 draw at
everton on Saturday following a
reckless challenge from Blues
goalkeeper Jordan pickford.
He was sent for a hospital scan
immediately after the game, and visited
a specialist on Sunday to ascertain the
full extent of the issue.
the news which came back was
devastating for the premier League
champions. Van Dijk has suffered
damage to his anterior cruciate
ligament, which will require surgery
and will keep him out of action for an
extended period.
Liverpool have refused to give an
exact timeframe for his recovery, with
club sources refusing to rule out the
possibility of the 29-year-old returning
to action before the end of the season.
the club's medical staff believe his
exceptional attitude and mentality will
give him every chance of reducing the
lay-off time.
What is certain, though, is that Van
Dijk will miss the majority of
Liverpool's premier League title
defence, as well as the bulk of their
Champions League campaign. It is
shattering news for Jurgen klopp, who
was left distinctly unamused by
pickford's challenge - as well as the fact
the everton man was not shown a red
card for such a reckless lunge.
reds captain Jordan Henderson
revealed that the england number one
had sought him out at the final whistle,
asking him to pass on an apology to
Van Dijk, but Liverpool have contacted
the premier League asking it to review
the application of VAr during the
game, having been further incensed at
seeing a winning goal, scored by
Henderson, ruled out for a
questionable offside against Sadio
Mane.
the two points dropped, though, pale
into insignificance when compared to
Van Dijk's injury. the Dutchman has
become a totemic figure at Anfield
since arriving from Southampton for
£75 million ($97m) in January 2018, a
player klopp knows will be impossible
to replace at the heart of his defence.
Van Dijk had, prior to this weekend,
played every minute of Liverpool's last
74 league matches, helping them
record the best defensive record in the
division in each of the last two seasons.
In 2019, he was the pFA player of the
Year, and finished second in the Ballon
d'or voting to Lionel Messi.
Now, Liverpool must hope that Joe
Gomez and Joel Matip, who made his
own return from injury against
everton, can remain fit and healthy.
Both have had issues throughout their
reds career, but both will now need to
step up if Liverpool are to maintain the
standards shown across the past two
campaigns. the pair, remarkably, have
never started a game together at centreback
in their time at the club.
The Dutchman damaged his anterior cruciate ligament against Everton on Saturday and will now undergo
surgery, leaving the Reds devastated.
Photo: AP
Tottenham raced into a 3-0 lead after 16 minutes but were pegged back by West Ham in a
remarkable finish capped by an injury-time stunner.
Photo: AP
Cricketers
give samples
for corona
test again
SportS DeSk:
the cricketers and other
stakeholders who are
involved with the BCB
president's Cup underwent
for Covid-19 test once again
on Sunday, reports BSS.
the result of the test will
be available tomorrow
(Monday). the players and
other staff have now been in
a bio-secure bubble at Hotel
Sonargaon.
BCB officials said samples
for the corona test were
taken from a total of 126
people including the players,
coaching staff, team bus
driver, helper, staff of Hotel
Sonargaon. earlier, all those
people underwent the
corona test on october 9,
just two days before the start
of the tournament. then two
people who are not under
jurisdiction of BCB returned
positive and they were sent
to isolation.
Meanwhile, the BCB has
sent 10 cricketers and two
supporting staff of the under-
19 team to isolation. they
have been kept in isolation at
the BCB academy after
showing corona symptoms.
the rest are in BkSp. the
BCB has decided to suspend
the camp of the Under-19 due
to the postponement of the
Asia Cup. So far, the BCB has
not had to face anything big
on the corona issue.
Concerned authorities said
that the BCB is benefiting
after splitting the stadium
area into red and green zones.
Ferguson caps super start
with super finish
SportS DeSk:
Lockie Ferguson made an
immediate impact in IpL 2020
as his sensational bowling in
the Super over, and the match
figures of 3 for 15 before that,
helped kolkata knight riders
bounce back from two big
defeats. kkr posted 163 and a
half-fit Andre russell failed to
defend 18 in the final over to
take the content into a oneover
shootout, reports
Cricbuzz.
Ferguson knocked out SrH
in just three balls. David
Warner, who made unbeaten
47, was bowled on the first
delivery and Abdul Samad was
bowled on the third. rashid
khan had to defend two but
kkr polished things off in four
balls.
When SrH ended the
powerplay at 58 for no loss,
needing 106 off 96, it seemed
the openers had ensured an
easy passage for the middleorder
to ace the chase. Instead,
the introduction of Lockie
Ferguson in the seventh over
turned the game on its head.
the pacer, after his first three
overs, had figures of 3-0-8-3.
Ferguson, playing his first
IpL 2020 game, struck with his
first ball as kane Williamson
cut one straight to third man.
priyam Garg failed to read a
slower ball and was knocked
over while Manish pandey was
nipped out with a perfect
yorker. From 58 for no loss to
82 for 4 in the 12th over, SrH
were gasping for air.
As IpL teams continued to
read too much into match-ups,
SrH decided to rejig the
batting order. Williamson
underwent a fitness test before
the game and was struggling
on the field throughout
because of a hamstring strain.
With his constraint, he was
pushed up to open and take
advantage of the powerplay.
His 19-ball 29 did help the
team get to a brisk start but
SrH were guilty of protecting
Warner given his record
against Ferguson.
Garg failed and that put
pressure on Jonny Bairstow to
accelerate, who fell trying to up
the ante. Warner walked out at
No. 4 - having last batted in the
middle order in 2014 - but
kkr used kuldeep Yadav to tie
him down.
pat Cummins picked a
wicket after 24.2 overs in this
IpL as he ended Vijay
Shankar's 7 off 10. Samad then
gave the innings some muchneeded
impetus with a six and
a boundary against Cummins
and Varun Chakravarthy
respectively. Ferguson's 18th
over went for just seven as SrH
were left needing 30 in the final
two. Mavi dismissed Samad
and Warner was able to hit his
straps only in the final over.
russell leaked boundaries on
the second, third and fourth
ball as the equation came down
to two off the final ball. Warner
missed a simple flick on the
final ball and was able to collect
just one leg-bye to tie the
contest.
At the end of the 14th over,
kkr were 96 for 3 and were in
danger of managing a belowpar
total. Dinesh karthik,
assigned a finishing role this
game, smashed 29 off 14 to
help the side finish big. kkr
scored 52 in the last four as
eoin Morgan and karthik
scored unbeaten 58 for the fifth
wicket. Morgan (34 off 23) too
played his part and ensured 16
in the final over against Basil
thampi.
Heading into the final over,
Morgan was scoring at a strike
rate of 105.88. karthik,
meanwhile, was smashing
them at 207.14. While the last
over assault did improve
Morgan's figures, the impact
innings came from the former
captain.
kkr need some addressing
at the top of the order. rahul
tripathi has looked out of sorts
after his match-winning
innings against Chennai Super
kings but a bigger concern is
Gill's conservative play. the
opener has scored at a strike
rate of 113.91 so far in nine
games and that's hurt kkr's
chances at the top. Nitish rana
made 29 off 20 but Gill's 36 off
37 nullified rana's impact.
After a three-day break, SrH
will take on rajasthan royals
on october 22 in Dubai. kkr
stay at the same venue and play
royal Challengers Bangalore a
day earlier.
Brief scores: kolkata knight
riders 163/5 in 20 overs
(Shubman Gill 36; t Natarajan
2-40) tied with Sunrisers
Hyderabad 163/6 in 20 overs
(David Warner 47*; Lockie
Ferguson 3-15). kkr won the
contest after the Super over.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020
10
Lagarde says 'crucial' EU virus
recovery plan succeeds
European Central Bank chief Christine
Lagarde said Monday it is "crucial" that
the EU's 750-billion-euro coronavirus
recovery plan succeeds and that the
promised funding is disbursed, reports
BSS.
"If (the money) is not targeted, if it
disappears into the administrative
machinery and does not reach down into
the real economy to drive our countries
toward the digital and green (economy),
then we will have missed a historic
opportunity to change direction,"
Lagarde said in an interview with Le
Monde published on the newspaper's
website. The plan, unprecedented in its
scope and commitments, was agreed by
European Union leaders in July but has
since been held up in the European
Parliament by disputes over whether
payments should be linked to strict
implementation of EU rights policies by
member states such as Poland and
Hungary.
Asked whether she was concerned that
the rescue funds might be delayed and
arrive too late, Lagarde said: "The
European Commission's objective is to
be able to disburse the money at the
beginning of 2021 and that absolutely
has to be kept to.
"It is now up to the member states, who
have to submit their recovery plans -
some are already done - and up to the
Commission, which must review them
quickly," said Lagarde, a former French
finance minister and head of the
International Monetary Fund before
taking over at the ECB. "Political leaders
also must move quickly," she said.
"It is crucial that this exceptional plan,
which broke important taboos (on the
EU's role) in several countries, should be
a success," Lagarde added.
The key breakthrough in the EU
package came from Germany and its
agreement to borrow money and spend it
collectively to help states whose weak
finances it had up to then deemed to be
an insuperable obstacle to such joint
action and responsibility.
Sylhet Zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd organized a webinar on 'Compliance of Shari`ah in
Banking Sector' recently. Professor Dr. Md. Sirajul Karim, Director of the bank addressed the program
as chief guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director of the bank addressed the
program as special guest. Dr. Muhammad Saifullah, member of IBBL Shari`ah Supervisory
Committee addressed the webinar as chief discussant. Sikder Md. Shehabuddin, Head of Sylhet Zone
presided over the program while Md. Shamsul Huda and Md. Shamsuddoha, Executive Vice
President of the bank addressed the program. Head of branches, executives and officials under
Sylhet Zone attended the webinar.
Photo: Courtesy
Audi Bangladesh launched new
Audi Q7. Quattro reloaded!
German Ambassador to
Bangladesh Peter
Fahrenholtz, Managing
Director of Audi
Bangladesh Saad Nusrat
Khan and Marketing
Manager Sheetal Taslim
were present on the virtual
launching program, a
press release said.
The Audi Q7 has been
the most popular Audi
model for Bangladesh and
it is also the best seller in
its segment. This large
SUV turns technology into
motion and features the
new design of the Q family.
Given the significance, the
design changes of the Q7
are all about making a
powerful statement. The
Audi Q7 got an all-round
update - both visually and
technically. It is bigger,
better and loaded with
numerous new technology
and features. While
redesigning the Q7, the
designers brought in cues
from the flagship model
A8 L and Q8. In addition
to its superior class leading
spaciousness, the new Q7
is more dynamics, cutting
edge while providing high
levels of comfort.
The newly designed
octagon-shaped Single
frame grill gives it a
powerful, robust, and very
progressive look. The new
Q7 comes with a 3.0 liters
V6 turbo charged engine
with MHEV (Mild hybrid
technology). It produces
340 hp and 500 Nm of
torque. The Audi Q7 is
coupled with an eightspeed
tiptronic and the
permanent all wheel drive
Quattro transmission.
Here are five highlights
of the Audi Q7.
1. The Audi Q7 has
two large touchscreens
that provide haptic and
acoustic feedback which
are fully customizable.
2. The available
matrix LED lights both
front and rear offer high
level of clarity, sharpness
increasing visibility and
road safety.
3. It has four-zone
automatic air conditioning
with rear touch screen
control.
4. The Audi Q7
comes standard with a
power door closer which is
ever so convenient and
comfortable.
5. The available
adaptive air suspension
has 6 configurable ride
preference including off
road mode for going
through various different
terrains in Bangladesh.
The standard features
also include contour
ambient lighting package,
Bose 3D Advanced Sound
System, 20" alloy, dark
tinted glass, panoramic
glass sun roof and comfort
key.
The Audi Q7 will be
available in Bangladesh at
BDT 1.58 CR from Audi
Bangladesh - Progress
Motors Imports Limited,
the
authorized
representative of the Audi
brand in Bangladesh. All
vehicles will come with an
unlimited mileage
warranty of 2 years,
available up to 5 years and
all after sales will be
provided by Audi Service
located also in Tejgaon.
Anisuzzaman Chowdhury Ronny, Chairman, Executive Committee of United Commercial Bank Ltd
(UCB) recently attended at a courtesy meeting with Professor Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam, Chairman,
Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC). Among others Director of UCB Professor
Dr. Md. Jonaid Shafiq, Managing Director of UCB Muhammed Shawkat Jamil and other senior officials
were also present at the meeting. Chairman, Executive Committee of UCB assured that as a
financial institution UCB is very much concerned about the sustainable growth of Capital Market.
Accordingly, UCB will always assist BSEC for the development of Capital Market. In the courtesy
meeting, they discussed on the scenario of Capital Market and expressed their eagerness to mutually
working on the development of the Capital Market.
Photo: Courtesy
Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited Director Raisa Sigma Hima is presenting a flower bouquet to Greek
business partner Georgios Tziallas at the inauguration of television shipment to Greece at Walton
Corporate Office board room in the capital recently.
Photo: Courtesy
Walton expands LED TV
business in Balkan Region
A Trust Deed Registration Ceremony of the Open-end (Growth) Mutual Fund "ICB AMCL
Shotoborsho Unit Fund" was held recently, between 'Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB),
Asset Management Company Limited (a subsidiary of ICB) and ICB Capital Management Ltd (a subsidiary
of ICB), at the Board Room of ICB, Head Office, BDBL Bhaban (Level-14), 8, RAJUK Avenue,
Dhaka- 1000. on behalf of the birth centenary of the greatest Bengali of all time, great architect of
independence, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.The initial size of the
Fund is Tk. 20.00 (twenty) crore and the face value is Tk. 10.00 (ten) per unit. The Honorable
Chairman of ICB Dr. Mojib Uddin Ahmed was virtually present in the ceremony. Md. Abul Hossain,
Managing Director of ICB, Md. Zakir Hossain and Md. Refat Hasan, Deputy Managing Directors of
ICB and General Managers of ICB, Chief Executive Officers of ICB Asset Management Company
Limited and ICB Capital Management Limited were present in the ceremony. Photo: Courtesy
Bangladesh's electronics giant
Walton is going to enter into the
Greece market through dispatching
the first consignment of its LED TV
export that would be another
milestone for Walton in expanding the
export markets of 'Made in
Bangladesh' labelled electronics in the
European markets, says a press
release.
After starting TV export to Western
and Central Europe, Walton recently
partnered up with one of the leading
Greek retailer to initiate its export
operation in Greece, which is the
largest economy of European Balkan
region.
This new market expansion will help
Walton to gradually penetrate into
other Eastern European countries too,
Walton officials made the remark at a
programme titled 'Expanding Export
Market To Greece' held at the Walton
Corporate Office's board room in the
capital recently. At the event, the first
shipment of LED TV export to Greece
was officially inaugurated.
The inaugural ceremony was
attended, among others, by Walton
Hi-Tech Industries Limited Director
Raisa Sigma Hima, Walton's Greek
business partner Mr. Georgios
Tziallas, Walton International
Business Unit (IBU) President Edward
Kim, Walton TV's Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) Engineer Mostafa
Nahid Hossain and Walton's
European business head Engineer
Tauseef Al Mahmud.
Speaking at the event, Walton's
Greek business partner Georgios
Tziallas said, "I am really very happy to
see all the state-of-the-art production
facilities of Walton Television and
really appreciate their efforts to
maintain a rigorous QC policy."
Walton's European business head
Mr. Tauseef Al Mahmud said, Greece
is an important business hub for the
Southeastern Europe, and being a high
potential electronic market, we
strongly believe our partnership will
yield some great results in the near
future. Moreover, targeting the
forthcoming Black Friday and
Christmas sale this November, the first
phase of television product shipment
from Bangladesh will start from next
week.
This year Walton is exporting
various 32" television models to
Greece, and this particular television
category contributes around 35
percent of the total TV market demand
of Greece. Customers will be
immensely benefited through high
quality made in Bangladesh products.
Walton TV CEO Mostafa Nahid
Hossain Ovi says, 'During this
Pandemic situation, Walton came up
with innovation marketing strategies,
adapted new sales channels to ensure
steady and sustainable growth of the
export market operation.
Furthermore, pricing strategies is also
being adjusted to create value and
satisfy international customers.
Walton's IBU President Edward Kim
said, Walton is committed to adjust to
local needs of individual international
market, both in terms of software and
hardware. Through Walton's
partnership with the leading European
electronics companies and retailers, it
aims to establish Bangladesh as one of
the top electronic product
manufacturers in global market.
Eventually market expansion into the
European region will not only help
grow Bangladeshi electronics business
globally but also help unlock new
channels to market other type of
electronic goods as well.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020
11
A protest rally and a human chain was held at the initiative of Bangladesh Postal ED Employees Union,
Noakhali branch demanding 10 points including triple increase of current allowance in the district on
Sunday. The hour-long protest and human chain was held in front of the main post office of the district.
During the time, Noakhali District Branch President Shah Newaz Chowdhury, General Secretary
Nurul Islam and other leaders of the organization addressed the program. Photo: Manik Bhiuan
Myanmar urged to stop crackdown against
peaceful anti-war protesters
Myanmar authorities should
immediately end an ongoing
crackdown against peaceful anti-war
protesters, said Fortify Rights on
Monday, reports UNB.
Since September 11, Myanmar
authorities arbitrarily detained 15
human rights defenders, including 14
members of the All Burma Federation
of Student Unions (ABFSU), for
protesting the government and the
ongoing war in Rakhine and Chin
states. Between October 2 to 9, courts
in Mandalay Region sentenced two
ABFSU members to five years in
prison, one to one year in prison, and
another to one month with hard labor,
all for their involvement in legitimate,
peaceful activities.
On October 20 and 21, courts in
Mandalay Region are scheduled to
consider additional charges against
Kyaw Thiha Ye Kyaw, 24, and Soe Hla
Naing, 23-the two aforementioned
ABFSU members already sentenced
to five-year prison terms.
At least nine of the other detained
protesters are scheduled to appear
before the Chan Aye Thar-Zan
'Ratnagarbha'
Maichara
Begum passes
away
S M Akash, Chattogram
C o r r e s p o n d e n t :
'Ratnagarbha' Maichara
Begum, wife of the late
writer-researcher Shafiqul
Quader Chowdhury,
daughter of the traditional
Manumiaji Bari of
Chattogram, and the owner
of the Manumiaji Zamindar
Bari, died in her home at 5
am on Sunday.
She was 75 years old at the
time of her death. She was
the mother of two
daughters and two sons.
Her eldest daughter Nishat
Kaderi is the principal of
Jaipur Hat Cadet College,
youngest daughter is Israt
Kaderi, eldest son is Sohail
Qaderi Saikot who is
working at an key position
at United Nations in
headquartered in Geneva
and youngest son, Rumel
Qaderi, is employed as a
marine engineer. Her
younger son-in-law Nurul
Amin MSc is the former
chairman of Patiya
Kusumpur Union and elder
son-in-law is Nazrul Islam .
She was buried at the
Dargah local cemetery after
Janazah at the Manumiyaji
Zamindar's house in
Banshkhali after Maghrib
prayers on Sunday.
It is to be noted that that
she is the grandmother-inlaw
of Mirza Imtiaz,
Executive Editor of Daily
Priyo Chattogram and
Editor-in-Chief of News
Chattogram. 'Priyo
Chattogram' and 'News
Chattogram' family are
deeply saddened by the
death of Maichara Begum
and extend their deepest
condolences to the bereaved
family.
Township Court in Mandalay on
October 22. "There is a coordinated
crackdown against peaceful protesters
unfolding right now," said Ismail
Wolff, Fortify Rights Regional
Director. "The crackdown is aimed at
incapacitating and silencing human
rights defenders and student activists.
The charges should be dropped, and
the Myanmar Government should
free all political prisoners
immediately."
The four convicted ABFSU
members and at least four of the other
detained protesters are currently
imprisoned in Obo Prison in
Mandalay Region.
According to ABFSU-a nationwide
student organization with a long
history of political activism-at least 16
of its members are currently in hiding.
The arrests appear to be in response
to an anti-war leaflets and poster
campaign launched by ABFSU in
Mandalay in early September.
For example, on September 11, the
day after protesters distributed antiwar
material in the Zay Cho Market,
Yadanabon University, around the
Mandalay moat, and elsewhere in
Mandalay, Chan Aye Thar-Zan
Township police in Mandalay briefly
detained and charged ABFSU
member Myo Chit Zaw, 21, and filed
charges against 12 others for failing to
notify the authorities in advance of the
September 10 protest.
Two days later, on September 13,
police briefly detained and charged
ABFSU Central Executive Committee
members Soe Hla Naing and Kyaw
Thiha Ye Kyaw on the same charges.
Despite the arrests, between
September 11 and October 9, ABFSU
members continued to conduct more
than 12 leafleting and poster
campaign activities in townships
throughout Mandalay and in other
regions.
ABFSU members distributed
material with slogans saying, "Oppose
murderous fascism" and
"Dictatorships must fail" and calling
for the government to lift mobile
internet restrictions in Rakhine and
Chin states, where the Myanmar
Army and Arakan Army are engaged
in an ongoing armed conflict.
U.S. House speaker sets 48-hour deadline
to approve relief package before election
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on
Sunday that White House and congressional
lawmakers must reach an agreement in 48
hours if they want to pass a new COVID-19
relief package before the presidential election
in November, reports UNB.
"The 48 only relates to if we want to get it
done before the election, which we do," Pelosi
said in an interview with ABC News.
"We're saying to them, we have to freeze the
design on some of these things. Are we going
with it or not and what is the language? I'm
optimistic because, again, we've been back
and forth on all of this," she said.
Asked about whether Americans are going
to get pandemic relief before Nov. 3 Election
Day, Pelosi said that depends on the Trump
administration. "The fact is that we cannot-the
heart of the matter is to stop the spread of the
virus," she said. Pelosi and Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin have been negotiating a new
COVID-19 relief package for months, with the
most recent call on Saturday night resulting in
"some encouraging news on testing,"
according to Drew Hammill, spokesman and
deputy chief of staff for the House speaker.
"There remains an array of additional
differences as we go provision by provision
that must be addressed in a comprehensive
manner in the next 48 hours," Hammill
tweeted Saturday night. "Decisions must be
made by the White House in order to
demonstrate that the Administration is
serious about reaching a bipartisan
agreement that provides for Americans with
the greatest needs during the pandemic,"
Hammill said.
During a virtual conference hosted by the
Milken Institute on Wednesday, Mnuchin
said that it would be difficult for the White
House and Democrats to reach a deal on a
comprehensive COVID-19 relief package
before the presidential election, as the two
sides were still far apart on certain issues.
Gobindaganj police officer in charge AKM Mehedi Hasan has been awarded
as Gaibandha district's best officer in charge again. District
Superintendent of Police Md Touhidul Islam on Monday handed over the
award to him for his active role in curbing various crimes including violence
against women, theft, robbery, fraud and deception in the month of
September 2020 at monthly coordination meeting. During the time, officers
of the district police were also present at the time. His colleagues congratulated
him for getting the award.
Photo: Rafiqul Islam
Madrasah teacher held
in Joypurhat for
sexually assaulting 4
students
JOYPURHAT : Police on
Sunday night arrested a
madrasah teacher from
Muzahidpur village in
Joypurhat sadar upazila for
sexually assaulting four girl
students, reports UNB.
The arrestee is Abdur
Rashid, 46, a teacher of
Muzahidpur Noorani
Madrasah and son of
Noyamoddin of the village.
Police arrested Rashid
from his house at the village
at night, after the father of
one of the victims filed a case
with sadar police station,
said Md Shahriar Khan,
officer-in-charge of the
police station.
According to the case
statement, the teacher took
the girls in a room of the
madrasah in the morning
and assaulted them sexually.
As the girls started
screaming, locals rushed in.
Sensing d anger, the
madrasah teacher fled the
scene, said the OC adding
that police managed to
arrest him from his house.
Woman killed
in Netrakona
road crash
NETRAKONA : A woman
was killed as a truck hit her in
front of a school in Netrakona
district town on Monday
morning, reports UNB.
The deceased was
identified as Shirin Akhter,
55, wife of Siddikur Rahman.
Shirin fell down from a
rickshaw in front of Datta
High School as the truck hit
the vehicle around am ,
leaving her dead on the spot,
said Md Tajul Islam, officerin-charge
of Netrakona
Model Police Station. Police
seized the truck but the driver
managed to flee the scene.
Dhaka, Thimphu
hopeful of signing
PTA soon
DHAKA : Bangladesh and
Bhutan have planned to sign
aPreferential Trade
Agreement (PTA) soon to
deepen trade ties between the
two countries, reports UNB.
The issue was discussed
when newly-appointed
Bhutanese Ambassador
Rinchen Kuentsyl met State
Minister for Foreign Affairs
M Shahriar Alam on
Monday.
Both sides laid emphasis on
exploring ways to boost trade
between the two countries
and expressed the hope to
sign the PTA soon. They
discussed ways to enhance
cooperation in education,
health and ICT sectors.
The State Minister drew
attention to the Bhutanese
Ambassador for getting
technical support regarding
vegetables processing unit to
be set up in Bangladesh. The
Bhutanese Ambassador
showed interest in this
regard.
The two sides also
discussed plans to celebrate
50 years of Bangladesh's
Independence together
through joint programmes.
SC upholds HC bail
for former lawmaker
AKMA Awal, wife
DHAKA : The Appellate
Division of the Supreme
Court (SC) on Monday
upheld a High Court order
that granted bail to former
Pirojpur-1 lawmaker AKMA
Awal and his wife Laila
Pervin in two graft cases.
A four-member apex court
bench headed by Chief
Justice Syed Mahmud
Hossain passed the order,
dismissing two pleas filed by
A n t i - C o r r u p t i o n
Commission (ACC) against
the High Court order.
Morales aide claims victory
in Bolivia's election redo
Evo Morales' party claimed victory in
Bolivia's presidential election as official
results trickled in from Sunday's highstakes
redo of last year's annulled ballot that
saw the leftist leader resign and flee the
country, reports UNB.
More than nine hours after polls closed,
barely 6% of all ballot boxes had been
counted and they showed Morales'
handpicked successor, Luis Arce, trailing a
conservative rival.
But with a private quick count of sampled
polling stations favoring Arce by a wide
margin, even interim President Jeanine
Anez - an archrival of Morales - recognized
that the socialist movement looked set to
return to power in what looked to be a
major jolt to South America's beleaguered
left.
"I congratulate the winners and I ask
them to govern thinking in Bolivia and in
our democracy," Anez said on Twitter.
Bolivians have long been accustomed to
quick preliminary results in presidential
elections. But after allegations of fraud and
days of unrest marred last year's ballot,
newly installed electoral authorities had
been appealing for patience, reminding
voters that they have up to five days to
declare a winner.
While voting was peaceful, the long wait
Sunday night for results fueled speculation
that something was awry. Adding to
intrigue, publication of two exit polls was
also withheld after private pollsters said
they didn't trust their own survey results.
Morales broke the tense silence by
declaring Arce the winner. Later, two
pollsters said a quick count of official tally
sheets at select polling stations showed Arce
had garnered more than 50% of the votes,
compared to 31% for former President
Carlos Mesa, the top finisher of four rival
candidates.
"We've recovered our democracy,"
Morales said in brief remarks from exile in
Argentina. "Lucho will be our president."
Appearing a few minutes later, Arce took
a less strident tone and appealed for calm,
saying he would seek to form a government
of national unity.
"I think the Bolivian people want to retake
the path we were on," Arce declared around
midnight surrounded by a small group of
supporters, some of them in traditional
Andean dress in honor of the country's
Shibchar Upazila Parishad
by-election today
Rafiqul Islam, Shibchar Correspondent: Shibchar
Upazila Parishad by-election is set to be held today (October
20). All preparations have already been completed for free,
fair and neutral election. Meanwhile, election equipment is
being distributed in the Upazila Parishad on the occasion of
the election.
Ballot boxes, ballot papers and other election materials
have been sent to the polling centers since Monday morning.
According to sources, two candidates are contesting in the
by-election of Shibchar Upazila, among them Bangladesh
Awami League nominee Latif Mollah and Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) nominee Nadira Mithu Chowdhury.
According to Shibchar Upazila Election Office, the polling
will be held in 513 polling booths in 101 polling stations as per
the schedule announced on September 15. The total number
of voters in 19 unions and 1 municipality of the upazila are
264,500. Among them 137890 are male voters and 126605
are female voters.
Meanwhile, since Monday morning, additional magistrates
have been appointed to maintain law and order, law
enforcement including BGB is inspecting various areas,
police and Ansar forces are going to the center with ballot
baskets and necessary materials along with the officers in
charge of polling.
In this regard, District Election Officer and Returning
Officer Md. Moniruzzaman said, "We have already
completed all the work of Shibchar Upazila Parishad byelection.
All members of law enforcement including BGB,
RAB, police, Ansar and executive magistrate are ready for the
election."
It is to be noted that after the death of Shamsuddin Khan,
chairman of Shibchar Upazila on June 10, the post of
chairman of Shibchar Upazila Parishad became vacant.
Indigenous roots.
The early official results favored Mesa, a
former journalist and historian, with 49%
compared to 33% for Arce.
Prior to voting, polls showed Arce ahead
but lacking enough votes to avoid a
November runoff, where conservative
voters would've likely rallied behind Mesa.
To win in the first round, a candidate needs
more than 50% of the vote, or 40% with a
lead of at least 10 percentage points over the
second-place candidate.
Arce, who oversaw a surge in growth and
reduction in poverty as Morales' economy
minister for more than a decade, would face
an uphill battle trying to jumpstart growth
this time.
The coronavirus, which led authorities to
postpone Sunday's election twice, has hit
the impoverished, landlocked Bolivia
harder than almost any other country on a
per capita basis. Nearly 8,400 of its 11.6
million people have died of COVID-19.
Arce also faces the challenge of emerging
from the long shadow of his former boss,
who remains polarizing but whose support
enabled the low-key, UK-educated
economist to mount a strong campaign.
Morales was barred from running in
Sunday's election, even for a seat in
congress, and faces prosecution on what are
seen as trumped-up charges of terrorism if
he returns home. Few expect the
sometimes-irascible politician to sit by idly
in a future Arce government.
Bolivia, once one of the most politically
volatile countries in Latin America,
experienced a rare period of stability under
Morales, the country's first Indigenous
president.
A boyhood llama herder who became
prominent leading a coca grower's union,
Morales had been immensely popular while
overseeing an export-led economic surge.
But support was eroding due to his
reluctance to leave power, increasing
authoritarian impulses and a series of
corruption scandals.
He shrugged aside a public vote that had
set term limits, and competed in the
October 2019 presidential vote, which he
claimed to have narrowly won outright. But
a lengthy pause in reporting results fed
suspicions of fraud and nationwide protests
followed, leading to the deaths of at least 36
people.
Ballot boxes, ballot papers and other election materials have been sent to
the polling centers since Monday morning marking the Shibchar Upazila
Parishad by-election which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
Photo: Rafiqul Islam
India's COVID-19
tally surpasses
7.5 mln
India's COVID-19 tally
surpassed 7.5 million mark on
Monday, reaching 7,550,273,
as 55,722 new cases were
registered the past 24 hours,
said the data released by the
health ministry, reports UNB.
The total death toll rose to
114,610, as 579 deaths took
place across the country due to
the pandemic since Sunday
morning. This is the first time
in nearly three months when
the per day new cases fell
below 60,000, and per day
deaths below 600.
Still there are 772,055 active
COVID-19 cases in the
country, even as 6,663,608
people have been successfully
cured and discharged from
hospitals. Monday is the third
consecutive day when the
number of active COVID-19
cases has fallen below
800,000-mark. "India's active
cases have fallen below
800,000 after 6 weeks and
continue to slide further
down," tweeted the federal
health ministry.
Tuesday, Dhaka, October 20, 2020, Kartik 4, 1427 BS, Rabi-ul Awal 2, 1442 Hijri
COVID-19 hospital facilities
expanded for Rohingyas,
locals in Cox's Bazar
DHAKA : UNHCR, the UN Refugee
Agency, in collaboration with Sadar
Hospital and the government of
Bangladesh, inaugurated the expansion
of medical services for patients with
severe COVID-19 symptoms in the Cox's
Bazar district Sadar Hospital on
Monday, reports UNB.
The event was attended by the
President of the Hospital Management
Committee and MP Shaimum Sarwar
Kamal, Superintendent and Assistant
Director of Sadar Hospital Dr. Rafik-Us-
Saleheen, Principal of Cox's Bazar
Medical College, a Representative of the
Superintendent of the Police, the RRRC
Health Sector Coordinator, as well as
UNHCR Senior Operations Coordinator
Hinako Tokiamong others.
In June 2020, the first Intensive Care
Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Unit
(HDU) were opened in Cox's Bazar, with
UNHCR support.
The ICU currently has a capacity of 10
beds with 11 ventilators and 2 portable
ventilators, and 8 HDU beds available
for those with severe symptoms.
This expansion will significantly
expand the capacity to respond, with 20
additional beds for patients with severe
symptoms, said the UN refugee agency.
In addition to the 20 extra beds,
UNHCR has also provided support for
the refurbishment of the new ward, as
well human resources support, with 43
new staff who have been recruited,
including 10 medical doctors, 15 staff
nurses, a Senior Nurse, an Infection
Prevention and Control Supervisor, 8
cleaners and 8 ward staff. Medication
Covid-19
and specialized equipment including
beds, walled oxygen, oxygen pumps,
infusion and syringe pumps and specialized
medical Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) have also been provided.
"We will always remember the support
provided by UNHCR and the UN
organisations for both refugees and for
our people. Nobody can progress without
support and the will to work together,"
said MP Shaimum Sarwar Kamal.
Since the ICU and HDU were opened on
June 20th, 124 patients in need of critical
care support have been admitted and
received care in the Sadar Hospital ICU.
This includes both refugees referred
from the camps, as well as local
Bangladeshi communities.
UNHCR and the entire humanitarian
community is continuing to work handin-hand
with the Government of
Bangladesh to both prevent and respond
to cases of COVID-19 in Cox's Bazar district.
So far, 14 Severe Acute Respiratory
Infection Isolation and Treatment
Centres (SARI ITCs) have also been
established for the treatment of those
with moderate to severe symptoms.
"The coronavirus pandemic has presented
a huge challenge globally. UNHCR
is grateful for the strong partnership with
the Government of Bangladesh in combating
the virus. We will continue to work
together to ensure the best care possible
for those who suffer from COVID-19 in
Cox's Bazar District, both refugees and
local communities" said Hinako Toki,
Senior Operations Coordinator for
UNHCR, Cox's Bazar.
Bangladesh reports 1637
new cases, 21 deaths
DHAKA : Bangladesh has recorded 21
more deaths from Covid-19 in 24
hours untilMonday morning , pushing
up the fatalities to 5681, reports UNB.
Health authorities also reported
1,637 new cases, taking the caseload to
390,206.
Currently, there are 84,607 active
cases in the country, said a handout of
the Directorate General of Health
Services (DGHS).
Bangladesh reported its first cases
on March 8 and the first death on
March 18. The cases reached the
300,000-mark on Aug 26 while the
death toll exceeded 5,000 on Sept 22.
The fatality rate is 1.46 percent.
So far, 21,78,714 samples have been
tested -- 15,146 in the last 24 hoursand
17.96 percent of them have turned
out to be positive. Bangladesh's recovery
rate is steadily increasing with
1,627 new recoveries. So far, 305,599
patients have recovered with a recovery
rate of 78.32 percent, the health
authorities said.
According to the latest tally of John
Hopkins University (JHU), the total
coronavirus cases reached 40,050,902
as of Monday afternoon.
Besides, the global death toll was
registered 1,113,750 while 27,418,921
recovered. The US saw its tally of
coronavirus cases surpass 8.1 million,
followed by India and Brazil, which
over 7.4 million and 5.2 million registered
coronavirus cases, respectively.
Of the total victims, 4,357 are men
and 1,303 are women. Among the latest
victims, 13 are above 50 years of
age and one other is aged between 31
and 40 years.
Deputy Director General of Bangladesh Coast Guard, Commodore M Anwar Hossain was present
during the 4th Regional/ Zonal Commander's Level Meeting between at BCG and ICG which was
held through a video conference at BCG Base Mongla on Monday.
Photo: Courtesy
'Commander Level
Meeting' between
BCG and ICG held
The 4th Regional/ Zonal
Commander's Level Meeting was
held between at Bangladesh Coast
Guard and Indian Coast Guard
through a video conference at BCG
Base Mongla on Monday. The meeting
was held based on an agreement
signed between the Bangladesh Coast
Guard and the Indian Coast Guard
aimed at enhancing regional cooperation,
developing mutual relations,
exchanging training and maintaining
friendly and fraternal relations
between the two countries, a press
release said.
During the time, Deputy Director
General of Bangladesh Coast Guard,
Commodore M Anwar Hossain,
(ND), NGP, PCGM, ndc, afwc, psc,
BN was present. Senior officials of
Bangladesh Coast Guard were also
present during the time.
Representatives of the Indian Coast
Guard Regional Headquarters,
Kolkata and the Indian Coast Guard
Headquarters participated on behalf
of the Indian Coast Guard.
At the occasion, the representatives
of the two countries discussed on various
important issues. The two forces
also discussed the role of the Coast
Guard in preventing human trafficking,
smuggling of drugs and illegal
fishing at international borders.
In addition, mutual cooperation on
training issues in the development of
professional skills of Coast Guard
members of both countries was discussed.
As a result of the meeting, the
Coast Guard of both countries is
expected to play a leading role in
curbing crime in the waters of the two
countries and developing bilateral
relations.
Dhaka-Vienna air connectivity
draft agreement gets Cabinet nod
DHAKA : The Cabinet on Monday
approved the draft of an air services
agreement to be signed with Austria for
direct flight operations between Dhaka
and Vienna, reports UNB.
The approval came from the weekly
Cabinet meeting held virtually with
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the
chair. The PM joined the meeting
through a videoconference from her
official residence Ganobhaban, while
other cabinet members joined from the
Secretariat.
"If the direct flight operation is introduced
between Dhaka to Vienna, the
trade, business and labour market as
well as cooperation in industrial, health
and defence sectors will be expanded
between the two countries. Besides, the
air communication with other
European countries will be easier,"
Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul
Islam said at a press briefing after the
meeting.
There are headquarters of some international
agencies in Vienna, Austria's
capital. So, this air connectivity is important
for Bangladesh, he said.
The agreement titled 'Air services
agreement between the Austrian
Federal Government and the government
of the People's Republic of
Bangladesh' has been framed following
the standards of International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the secretary
said.
According to the proposed agreement,
the number of passenger and cargo
flights can be fixed through negotiation
between the countries and the air agencies
nominated by two countries can
operate seven passenger and cargo
flights a week under an MoU to be inked
on the signing date of the main agreement,
he added.
83pc cabinet decisions implemented
In the meeting, a report on the implementation
progress of the decisions of
the cabinet was placed, said the Cabinet
Secretary. The report shows that some
83 percent of the decisions taken by the
cabinet since January 2019 have already
been implemented.
The cabinet held 48 meetings and
took 427 decisions till September 2020
during the current government formed
through the 2018 general election. Of
the decisions, 354 (82.9pc) have already
been executed and the remaining decisions
are under implementation.
The implementation rate of the cabinet
decisions was 92.25 percent in 2019,
which is higher than 68.64 percent in
2020.
The cabinet took 258 decisions in 2019
and 238 were implemented, while it took
169 decisions in 2020 (till September 30
last) and 116 were executed.
Besides, 37 laws have been enacted
and 33 other laws are under the enactment
process getting clearance of the
Cabinet during the period starting from
January 2019.
Moreover, the Cabinet approved 17
policies, guidelines, strategies and action
plans as well as endorsed or ratified 19
bilateral and international agreements
or protocols in the time.
Is solar power
the solution to
Bangladesh's
growing energy
needs?
DHAKA : Solar power could well be a
solution to Bangladesh's energy
woes, reports UNB.
This inference can be drawn from a
new study suggesting that 40,000
MW of electricity in Bangladesh
could be easily generated from solar
energy by 2041, if an action plan is
prioritised. In such a scenario, solar
energy would constitute 50 percent
of the country's installed capacity.
However, the study says that at
least 8,000 MW of solar power could
be generated by 2041 in case of "as
usual business case scenario", and
25,000 MW in a "medium case scenario".
The study, titled 'National Solar
Energy Action Plan 2021-2041', was
conducted by the Sustainable and
Renewable Energy Development
Authority (Sreda) in collaboration
with the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP).
The existing Power System Master
Plan stipulates for 35 percent power
generation from imported LNG (liquefied
natural gas), some 35 percent
from imported coal, 15 percent from
renewable energy, 10 percent from
nuclear energy and five percent from
petroleum oil by 2041, when the
country's generation will reach
60,000 MW.
Polls in over 200
local bodies today
DHAKA : Elections and by-elections
to more than 200 local bodies-Zila
Parishad, Upazila Parishad and
Union Parishad - will be held on
Tuesday, reports UNB.
The balloting will start at 9pm and
continue till 5pm without any break.
Among the local bodies, regular
elections will be held to one Upazila
Parishad (Daudkandi of Cumilla) and
15 Union Parishads in different districts,
said SM Asaduzzaman,
Director (Public Relations) of the
Election Commission on Monday.
Besides, by-polls will be held in
seven Zila Parishads, eight Upazila
Parishads and 177 union parishads,
he said.
The 15 union parishads where regular
elections will be held are three
unions each in Rangpur Sadar
Upazila and Lohagara Upazila of
Chattogram, two each in Bhangura of
Pabna and Madhukhali of Faridpur,
one each in Kalapara of Patuakhali,
Lalmohan of Bhola, Chuadanga
Sadar, Rupganj of Narayanganj and
Fatikchhari of Chattogram.
By-polls to chairman posts will be
held in 41 Union Parishads.
Rajshahi to get a river port
to boost trade with India
Police clashed with closed state jute mill workers in Khulna. At least 20 workers were injured in the clashes on
Monday morning.
Photo : Star Mail
RAJSHAHI : Ariver port is going to be
set up in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi
district within a month,aiming to easetransportation
of goods throughwaterways
with India, reports UNB.
Goods will be brought to Sultanganj of
the upazila from Maya Port of
Murshidabad in India via the Padma
River. Chairman of the Bangladesh
Inland Water Transport Authority
(BIWTA) Commodore Golam
Sadeqrecently visited Sultanganj, a possible
site in Godagari upazila, to start the
activities ofthe proposed river port.
He also visited the border area in the
Padma River in a speedboat and
exchanged views with officials of the
local administration and public representatives.
Speaking at the meeting, the BIWTA
chairman said both the countries would
be benefitted from the launch of the
waterway throughGodagari. "Today we
inspected everything, including the navigability
of the river," he said.
The BIWTA chairman went on saying,
"There're huge potentials...we want to
launch this waterway on an experimental
basis within a month."
Joint Secretary of the Ministry of
Shipping Muhidul Islam and Upazila
Chairman Jahangir Alam were present
at the meeting.
Meanwhile, upazila chairman
Jahangir Alam said oncegoods used to
be transported between the two countries
through Godagari which was closed
a long time ago.
He said jute products used to go to
India through this way at that time and
those products could be sent again once
the waterway is launched.
"Huge fish are produced in Rajshahi.
These fish can also be exported to India.
This will benefit Bangladesh economically,"
Jahangir Alam said.
Sources at BIWTA said India and
Bangladesh have agreed in principle to
resume trade through the waterway on
the Padma River. BIWTA officials are
now inspecting the infrastructures of the
waterway. BIWTA officials say the
launch of the waterway will boost the
country's trade with India as huge goods
can be transported through this waterway.
Though a 78-km waterway from
Rajshahi to Dhulian in Murshidabad in
West Bengal wasapproved earlier, there
has been no follow-up action.
Now, BIWTA has taken the initiative
to shorten the new route from
Sultanganj in Godagari upazila of
Rajshahi to the Maya River Port.
The distance of this route is only 18
kilometers. During the dry season, 200-
300 tons of goods can be transported in
each cargo.
During monsoon, transportation
ofgoods will be a bit difficult due to
strong current in the river.
BIWTA has already requested the
National Board of Revenue (NBR) to set
up a customs office at Godagari.
According to the sources,
Murshidabad's 'Pakur Pathar' is being
used in big projects like Rooppur
Nuclear Power Plant. It is a very good
quality stone.
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Executive Editor : Sheikh Efaz Ahmed, Managing, Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka.
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