29-10-2020

Thursday, Dhaka, October 29, 2020, Kartik 13, 1427 BS, Rabi-ul Awal 11, 1442 Hijri
‘Always be ready for
facing any threat’
Gazipur workers
block road,
vandalise factory
GAZIPUR : Workers of a sweater factory
in Gazipur blocked the road protesting
the factory authority's decision to
retrench workers, reports UNB.
Vehicular movement on the Dhaka-
Tangail Highway remained halted for
more than an hour on Wednesday
morning as agitated workers blocked
the road. Rafiqul Islam of Basan Police
Station said the workers of Diganta
Sweater Factory have been demonstrating
demanding an end to minimising
workers from the factory.
On Wednesday morning, when the
workers went to the factory they noticed
some lights and machinery of different
sections were broken. They alleged the
authorities concerned vandalised them
to falsely implicate workers.
Later, they demonstrated inside the
factory and vandalised valuables.
They also blocked the Dhaka-Tangail
Highway, disrupting vehicular movement
on the busy road. At one stage, they brought
out a procession and broke into the 'Coast to
Coast' factory and carried out vandalism.
The window panes, computers, and
machines were vandalised. The protesters
also damaged 10 vehicles in the area.
Ten people, including a number of
passers-by, were injured during the
incident. On information, police went
to the spot and brought the situation
under control.
DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina on Wednesday asked the
Bangladesh Army to be always ready for
facing any threat from home and abroad
to protect the sacred Constitution and
sovereignty of the motherland, reports
UNB.
"For protecting the sacred
Constitution and sovereignty of the
motherland, you have to be ever ready to
face any threat from inside and outside
keeping the unity intact," she said.
The Prime Minister said this while
delivering her speech in a programme
raising flags of eight units and organisations
of Bangladesh Army. She joined
the programme, which took place at
Sheikh Hasina Cantonment, Lebukhali
in Patuakhali, virtually from her official
residence Ganobhaban.
She said that Bangladesh Army is the
symbol of confidence and trust and they
have to step forward through gaining
the trust of the people.
She mentioned that as the members
of the Army, the first need for army personnel
is professionalism and training.
"And to attain this desired standard of
this professionalism, you all have to be
skilled professionally, imbued with religious
and social values, maintain honest
and benignant life," she said.
The Prime Minister hoped that members
of the Army will sincerely discharge
their responsibilities maintaining the
key driving forces of the Army including
confidence in upper leadership, mutual
trust, compassion, brotherhood, dutifulness,
responsibility and above all, maintaining
discipline.
She said that the government wanted
that members of the armed forces would
perform their duties towards the country
and its people with responsibility,
dutifulness and affection to the motherland.
Reiterating the foreign policy of the
country, which was introduced by
Father of the Na tion Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 'Friendship to
all, malice to none', she said that
Bangladesh does not want war with anyone,
rather it wants friendship with all.
"With these friendly relations, we
want to develop Bangladesh socioeconomically,"
she said.
But she firmly said that if Bangladesh
is attacked at any time, the government
wants to maintain its preparation for
facing that attack.
"We want to be ready like that way, we
want peace and friendship, we don't
want enmity and war, because we've
already witnessed the destructiveness of
war, we're the victims of war, we don't
want to engage in that type of conflict
DHAKA : Attorney General AM Amin
Uddin yesterday said that the people's
confidence in the judiciary is increasing
due to speedy disposal of cases and
announcement of verdicts.
Referring to the drug and child rape
cases disposed in Khulna and
Bagerhat courts, the Attorney General
said, "The settlement of these case
ensuring proper facilities to the parties
as per the law is a milestone for us.
This is increasing people's trust in the
judicial service."
He also said that measures will be
taken to expedite the hearing of all the
cases pending in the High Court, including
Rifat murder case.
"As soon as Paper Book is ready, steps
will be taken to ensure that the appeals
and death references of the accused in
the Rifat murder case are heard expeditiously
on priority basis," he added.
On October 4, the death reference of
six accused, including Ayesha Siddika
Minni, reached the High Court.
On September 30, the Barguna
District and Sessions Judge's Court convicted
six accused and gave them death
sentence, and acquitted four others.
The convicts were Rakibul Hasan
again," she said.
She said that Bangladesh wants to go
through the path of prosperity keeping
its journey on the path of peace.
Sheikh Hasina said that economic
development and prosperity of the
country are the main goals of the government
and it has been working restlessly
towards that direction.
The Prime Minister said the government
has taken all necessary steps to
develop Bangladesh Army as capable of
facing geo-political and military challenges
of the 21st century.
In this regard, she mentioned that the
government has been implementing
forces goal-2030 that was formulated
following the Defense Policy of the
Father of the Nation.
Praising members of the army for
their integrity and responsibility in facing
various natural disasters and
humanitarian crises, she asked them to
continue their efforts in the days ahead.
The Prime Minister also appreciated
the role of the army in facing the
COVID-19 pandemic and said members
of the army are lauded for creating mass
awareness on coronavirus.
About the national standard, the
Prime Minister said, it is a matter of dignity
and pride for any battalion or unit of
the forces to receive the national flag.
Railway authorities have started a drive to evict illegal establishments in Narsingdi. The drive started at 10 am on
Wednesday after the rescue drive was halted due to the Corona crisis.
Photo: PBA
Speedy disposal of cases
increasing people's
confidence in judiciary : AG
alias Rifat Faraji, Al Qayyum alias
Rabbi, Mohaiminul Islam Sifat, Rezoan
Ali Khan Hridoy alias Tiktak Hridoy,
Mohammad Hasan and Ayesha
Siddique Minni.
Mohammad Musa, Rafiul Islam
Rabbi, Mohammad Sagar and Kamrul
Hasan Saimun were given acquittal
from the case.
The Attorney General said that on
October 28, for the first time in the country's
judicial administration, a district
court in Khulna announced verdict in a
drug case within three working days.
The verdict sentenced the only accused
in the case, Mohammad Samrat, to six
months' rigorous imprisonment for keeping
Marijuana and another six months'
rigorous imprisonment for possession of
contraband Yaba tablets.
Besides, the accused has been sentenced
to one more month rigorous
imprisonment for non-payment of a
fine of Tk 10,000, he added.
AM Amin also said that a district court
has sentenced a rapist to life imprisonment
in a child rape case at Mongla in
Bagerhat on October 19. The trial of the
case has been completed in seven working
days.
Children and teenagers are risking their lives at Patenga beach in Chittagong to serve travel enthusiasts. Accidents
can happen at any time.
Photo : Star Mail
Covid-19 infected
Habiganj-3 MP Zahir
airlifted to Dhaka
DHAKA : MP of Habiganj-3 Advocate
Md. Abu Zahir, who was infected with
Covid-19, was brought to Dhaka on
Wednesday by MI-helicopter of
Bangladesh Air Force, reports UNB.
The MP was undergoing treatment in
Habiganj . He has been airlifted to
Dhaka following deterioration of his
condition, said a press release of ISPR.
Later, he was taken to Combined
Military Hospital, Dhaka for better
treatment. Bangladesh on Wednesday
announced the detection of 1,493 new
coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours
and 23 more deaths.
The country's caseload stands at
403,079 with 5,861 fatalities.
With the recovery of 1,610 patients,
the total number of recovered patients
jumped to 319,733. The current recovery
rate is 79.32 percent.
The fatality rate in Bangladesh is 1.45
percent, the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS) said.
Dhaka-M’singh
rail link restored
GAZIPUR : Train communication on the
Dhaka-Mymensingh route remained
suspended for nearly two hours after a
derailment at Dhirasram Station in
Gazipur on Wednesday, reports UNB.
Dhirasram Railway Station Master
Helal Uddin said the engine of the Dhakabound
'Commuter Express' train from
Jamalpur veered off the track around
10:30am, snapping train communication
on Dhaka-Mymensingh route.
Arelief train from Joydebpur went to
the spot and salvaged the train around
noon. A number of trains were stranded
at Joydebpur and Tongi stations after
the derailment. Train communication
resumed on the route around noon.
Govt forming policy
to safeguard poultry,
dairy industries
DHAKA : Fisheries and Livestock
Minister SM Rezaul Karim on
Wednesday said that the government is
formulating a policy to safeguard the
poultry and dairy industries of the country,
reports UNB.
He made the remarks at a meeting
with the Animal Health Companies
Association of Bangladesh (AHCAB)
and Bangladesh Agro Feed Ingredients
Importers and Traders Association
(BAFIITA) at the secretariat. Poultry
and dairy industries will be provided
with the highest benefits in the policy, he
said, adding that the government will do
its best to help the sector develop.
"Covid-19 has damaged many industries
of the country. There is no alternative
to the advancement of the poultry
and dairy industries to run the rural
economy and alleviate poverty," he said.
He urged AHCAB and BAFIITA representatives
to operate trade activities
with responsibility after making the
market economy stable.
Trump makes frenetic election
push in states that highlight
his Covid denial
President Donald Trump's final sprint to
shore up states he won four years ago
led him Tuesday into the epicenter of
America's quickening viral surge in
Wisconsin, as the state's record single
day spikes in Covid-19 cases and deaths
crystalized his administration's failures
that could end his political career.
A week from the night when
America could learn the identity of its
next President-depending on prolonged
mail-in voting counts and possible
legal challenges-Trump greeted a
crowd, packed together, with few
masks worn. He did so as Badger State
hospitals are critically understaffed
and facing the threat of being overwhelmed
by Covid-19 patients. But on
a chill fall night, the President wove an
alternative reality he bets will win him
reelection, reports CNN.
Trump's three-state swing Tuesdayhe
also visited Michigan and Nebraskareflected
the sleight of hand he's using a
week from Election Day, creating a false
impression that the pandemic is all but
over as it gets worse each day.
"We are turning the corner. We are
rounding the curve, we will vanquish the
virus," Trump said in West Salem,
Wisconsin, as the US piles up record
numbers of new infections that have
added half a million new cases in the last
week alone.
More than 226,000 Americans have
died. The current death rate is 800 per
day, and experts warn the trend is only
increasing ahead of a grim winter.
But in his closing election pitch,
Trump is denying the disastrous impact
of the gravest challenge facing the country,
holding potential superspreader
events that put his own supporters and
anyone they meet at risk and yet again
prioritizing his political survival above
his duty to guard public health.
While Trump complained in
Wisconsin that all the media talks about
is "Covid, Covid, Covid," the state's
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers warned
Tuesday: "There is no way to sugarcoat
it, we are facing an urgent crisis and
there is an imminent risk to you and
your family."
Andrea Palm, Secretary-designee of
Wisconsin's Department of Health
Services, warned: "The increasing cases,
and our increase in deaths today are the
largest single day increases we've seen
throughout the course of this pandemic.
We must take significant and collective
action."
Public disquiet about the
President's handling of the worst
public health crisis in 100 years has
contributed to a situation in which
Trump appears to be struggling to
hang on to states like Wisconsin,
which he won in 2016, and is seeking
to shore up Michigan, Pennsylvania,
North Carolina and Iowa.
With more than 68.5 million
Americans having voted so far -- surpassing
half the total votes four years
ago -- time is running out to change the
dynamics of a race in which he is trailing
Democratic nominee Joe Biden in key
battlegrounds.
Cabinet body okays Dhaka Wasa's supply
network improvement proposal, 3 others
DHAKA : The Cabinet Committee on
Public Purchase has approved 4 procurement
proposals of Tk 428.98 crore including
a contract awarding for Dhaka
WASA's network improvement project.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal
presided over the meeting, reports UNB.
According to a proposal placed by the
Rural Government Division, a contract
of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage
Authority (WASA) was awarded to
Germany's Ludwing Pfeiffer Hochund
Tiefbau GmbH and Co. KG, as lowest
bidder for rehabilitation of 163.95 km of
water supply pipe in Mods Zone-7 at a
contract value of Tk 164.09 crore.
The contractor will also do the job of
operation and maintenance for one year
under the contract with commissioning
of 7 District Metered Area (DMA).
Another proposal of the LGED
approved by the Cabinet body is
appointment of a project implementation
consultant for Rural Connectivity
Improvement Project.
A joint venture of 1. Development
Design Consultants Ltd. Bangladesh, 2.
GITEC-IGIP GmbH, Germany, 3. Dev
Consultants Limited, Bangladesh and 4.
Resource Planning and Management
Consultants (Pvt.) Ltd. Bangladesh won
the contract at a cost of 88.75 crore.
The committee gave its nod to a proposal
to award a contract to a bidder for the
civil works of New Dhaleswari-Pungli-
Turag-Bangshi-Buriganga River System
Project (2nd amendment) of Lot-3 under
the Buriganga River Restoration project
for at a contract value of Tk 50.62 crore.
A tender proposal of the Roads and
Highways Department to award a contract to a
joint venture of 1. Ataur Rahman Khan Ltd.,
and 2. Mahabub Brothers (Pvt.) Ltd., for upgradation
of existing road from Monihar to Murali
to 4-lane at Palbari-Daratana-Manihar-Murali
Highway received nod from the committee.
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