14-04-2021

Wednesday

Dhaka : april 14, 2021; Baishakh 1, 1428 BS; Ramadan 1,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.18; N o. 10; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

InternatIonal

Muslims start Ramadan

under the shadow

of the coronavirus

>Page 7

sports

West Brom sink Saints

to boost slender survival

hopes, Everton frustrated

>Page 9

art & culture

Fagun Audio Vision with

special programme

'Panchforon'

>Page 10

People's lives come first: PM

Holy Ramadan

begins today

DHAKA : Muslims in

Bangladesh will start observing

the holy month of

Ramadan, the lunar month of

self-purification through fasting

and abstinence, from

today. The moon was sighted

on Tuesday.

Lailatul Qadr, the night of

divine blessing and benediction,

will be observed on the

night of May 9. The National

Moon Sighting Committee took

the decision at a meeting held at

Islamic Foundation's Baitul

Mukarram office.

Muslims are meant to fast

from dawn to dusk during the

lunar month, a time of

restraint and austerity.

This year, maximum 20

people, including two imams,

can attend Tarabi prayers in

mosques. The step was taken

to prevent the transmission of

coronavirus.

Besides, no public gathering

for iftar will be allowed.

On April 6, the Religious

Affairs Ministry asked people

to offer Zohr prayers at home

instead of Jum'a on Friday

considering the current situation

of coronavirus.

Holiday Notice

On the occasion of ‘Pohela

Boishakh, Bangla Nababarsho’

the office of The Bangladesh

Today will remain closed

today (Wednesday).

Therefore, no issue will

be published tomorrow

(Thursday).

Zohr

04:21 AM

12:03 PM

04:30 PM

06:23 PM

07:38 PM

5:38 6:20

RAMADAn

Ramadan Date Sehri Iftar

01 April 14 ---- 06:23 PM

02 April 14 04:14 AM 06:24 PM

03 April 14 04:13 AM 06:24 PM

Homebound people are moving in this way without maintaining social distance. The picture is taken from

Babu Bazar area of the capital on Tuesday.

Photo: PBA

South Asian Govts must ensure equitable

access to COVID-19 vaccines : AI

DHAKA : Governments in South Asia must

ensure that vulnerable groups are not

excluded from access to COVID-19 vaccines,

said Amnesty International, reports

UNB.

It called on the international community

to enable the production of vaccines at the

national-level to address the severe shortfall

in supply across the region.

"As vaccine campaigns have been rolled

out, marginalized groups across South Asia

have been effectively locked out by practical

barriers. South Asia's governments must

ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines

for everyone irrespective of caste, socio-economic

or other status, race, or nationality,"

said Yamini Mishra, Amnesty

International's Asia-Pacific Director.

Mishra said the lack of access to vaccine

supply in most countries across the region

is a real and pressing concern that needs to

be urgently addressed.

"However, this must not provide cover to

these countries to unduly limit access to

vaccines, for example, by not reaching out

to vulnerable groups to tell them how they

can get vaccinated. Who you are and where

Bangladesh's Covid-19

you live should not determine access to the

vaccine."

As vaccination programmes have commenced

across South Asia, groups including

slum dwellers, Dalits, ethnic minorities,

workers including labourers, daily wage

earners, sanitation workers, garment workers

and tea plantation workers, people in

rural areas, prisoners, and internally displaced

people have so far been denied

access due to a lack of awareness and limited

access to technology in most places.

Meanwhile, others including refugees

and migrants have been excluded entirely

from government vaccine campaigns in

many countries for now.

With vaccines in short supply, most countries

in South Asia have not inoculated

more than six percent of their population

with even a first dose, with efforts so far

reaching middle and higher-income

groups.

Amnesty International is calling on governments

across the world to waive provisions

of the global treaty governing rights

and patents on properties including medicines.

69 more die, 6,028 infected

DHAKA : The number of Covid-19 deaths

in Bangladesh fell slightly in 24 hours till

Tuesday morning, after registering a

record breakingsingle-day death count

for the past two days, reports UNB.

The country saw 83 Covid-related

deaths on Monday and 78 on Sunday.

Now the fatalities from Covid-19 rose to

9,891 with the new deaths but the mortality

rate remained static at 1.42 percent for

the fourth consecutive day, the

Directorate General of Health Services

(DGHS) said in a handout.

The deadly virus claimed 568 lives in

January this year, 281 in February and

638 in March. On March 18 last year,

Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus

death, sparking alarm across the country.

During the 24-hour reporting period,

6,028 new cases were recorded in

Bangladesh, pushing up the caseload to

697,985.

The infection rate, however, slipped to

18.29 percent from Monday's 20.59 percent.

As of now, 5,070,788 samples,

including 32,955 in the last 24 hours,

have been tested.

Bangladesh has been seeing a record

number of infections with daily case

count surpassing 7,000-mark earlier this

month before falling significantly on April

10 and April 11.

Meanwhile, 585,966 patients have

recovered, including 4,853 during the last

24 hours, the DGHS said.

Of the deceased, 41 died in Dhaka division,

13 in Chattogram, three each in

Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur and Barishal,

two in Sylhet and one in Mymensingh

divisions.

Till date, 5,717 coronavirus patients

died in Dhaka division, 1,784 in

Chattogram, 535 in Rajshahi, 620 in

Khulna, 294 in Barishal, 342 in Sylhet,

390 in Rangpur and 209 in Mymensingh

divisions.

Of the victims, 7,376 are men (74.57)

and 2,515 women (25.43).

In the wake of the alarming rise in the

Corona cases, the government enforced a

seven-day lockdown from April 5 and the

lockdown was extended by two more

days. And then the government

announced to enforce a "strict seven-day

lockdown" from April 14.

All modes of public transports, including

those of road, river, railway and air,

will remain suspended during this period.

All government, semi-government and

private offices will remain shut.

Pahela Baishakh

today

DHAKA : The nation will celebrate Pahela

Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New

Year 1428, today virtually as the government

has enforced a weeklong stricter

restriction from April 14 to stem the

alarming spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Pahela Baishakh is one of the most

colourful and biggest festivals through

which the Bangalees bid farewell to the

old year and welcome the New Year.

On this occasion, people from all

walks of life wear traditional Bangalee

dresses. Young women wear white

sarees with red borders and adorn

themselves with bangles, flowers, and

tips, while men wear white pyjamas

and panjabi or kurta.

The city people usually start the day

with the traditional breakfast of 'panta

bhat' (soaked rice), green chilli, onion and

fried fish at Ramna Park, Suhrawardy

Uddyan, Dhaka University Campus,

Rabindra Sarobor at Dhanmondi and

other amusement places.

Important buildings and establishments

as well as city streets and islands

are generally illuminated with colourful

lights and graffiti painted on the walls

signifying the arts, culture and heritage

of the country. But this year all programmes

have been cancelled as the second

wave of the global pandemic Covid-

19 has exposed the country into a worsening

state infecting more people and calming

more lives compared to the first wave.

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

on Tuesday urged everyone to follow

health guidelines and celebrate Pahela

Boishakh at home when the nation enters

a strict weeklong lockdown to contain the

upsurge of coronavirus transmission.

"We have to remember that the lives of

the people come first. If (we) survive, we'll

be able to rearrange everything," she said

while addressing the nation on the eve of

Bengali New Year, Pahela Boishakh.

State-owned Bangladesh Betar and

Bangladesh Television (BTV) simultaneously

broadcasted her address. Private television

channels and radio stations also

aired the Prime Minister's speech.

She also urged the countrymen not to be

panicked at the second wave of covid-19

and assured that her government is

always with them. She asked authorities

concerned to take measures to provide

necessary assistance to the poor and lowincome

people.

In her roughly 13-minute speech, the

Prime Minister said that the government

has imposed some restrictions on the

movement of people due to the second

wave of coronavirus last week.

She said the rise in cases compelled the

government to take some tough measures

following the advice of public health

experts.

The prime minister acknowledged that

the strict measures could cause some

issues for the livelihoods of many people.

She reminded everyone that protecting

DHAKA : Inspector General of Police

(IGP) Benazir Ahmed on Tuesday

urged people to strictly follow the lockdown

restrictions to contain the spread

of coronavirus, reports UNB.

"We don't want to see anyone on the

roads and outside home except for

emergency needs from April 14. Please

follow the government rules spontaneously

and we won't be rude with anyone,"

said the IGP while talking to

reporters after inauguratingpolice

movement pass apps in the city.

"We've to control the second wave of

Covid-19 as we did last year, and for this

we've to refrain from unnecessary

movement. Last year, several thousand

people had left Dhaka and now many

people are leaving it for the last two

days, which is unwise," he said.

Benazir also urged people living in villages

to stay home for the next seven

days and follow the government's directives

to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Those who want to go outside should

take the movement pass and return

home as soon as possible, the IGP

added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

the people's lives was the top priority.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that last year

everyone had to face various types of

adverse situations after coronavirus hit.

"As quarantine is one of the ways to resist

this pandemic, for that we've to take some

steps that hadan impact on people's lives

and livelihoods," she said.

She said that last year the government

imposed 62 days of general holiday. It is

yet to open educational institutions. The

Prime Minister said the situation was not

unique to Bangladesh. "Such steps are

being taken wherever the impact of this

deadly virus is intensifying," she said.

Follow lockdown restrictions:IGP

He also emphasised the need for facecovering,

social distancing, handwashing

and raising public awareness to contain

the virus spread.

"Already, 5,000 applications for

movement pass have been submitted in

just one hour and if anyone wants to go

outside Dhaka, he or she will require to

have the pass," the police chief added.

There is no scope to allow more than

one pass for one person.

According to the Police

Headquarters, the movement pass will

be required to go out during lockdown

in the case of emergency or official work

such as getting Covid-19 vaccine jab,

shopping from grocery shops, kitchen

markets and medicine shops; having

medical services, joining agricultural

works, goods transportation, supply,

relief materials supply, burial or cremation

activities and other things under

other categories.

People can apply for a pass through

movement pass.police.gov.bdfrom

Wednesday (April 14) night.

Conditional permission will be granted

for a specified period of time.

Demand of oxygen cylinder is being increased to save life of corona infected people. The picture was

taken from Moghbazar area yesterday.

Photo : Star Mail

wednesday, april 14, 2021

2

Philippines' Duterte says will

'waive' Covid-19 vaccine

MANILA : Philippine President Rodrigo

Duterte said he will "waive" his chance to get a

Covid-19 vaccine, arguing elderly people like

him should not be prioritised.

Just over one million people in the

Philippines have received their first shot since

the beginning of March - a fraction of the

number needed to reach herd immunity in the

country of 110 million.

The slow rollout and limited supply have

fuelled criticism of the government's handling

of the pandemic as a record surge in infections

threatens to overwhelm hospitals in the

locked-down capital and surrounding

provinces.

The vaccination campaign initially targeted

healthcare workers and soldiers, but it has

since widened to include the elderly and those

with co-morbidities. While many world

leaders received their jab in public to

encourage others to get inoculated, Duterte

said he would forgo the opportunity.

"I will waive. Whoever wants to get my slot,

I will give (it to them)," he said in a prerecorded

speech released Monday.

"Let's prioritise those who, once they get a

vaccine, there's a chance that he would live and

live productively," said the 76-year-old, after a

two-week absence from the public eye that

fuelled speculation he had Covid-19.

"Most of the senior citizens are no longer

that productive."

Vaccines have been a frequent topic in

Duterte's often rambling speeches. His

spokesman Harry Roque has previously

walked back on his comments.

6 dead, 3 injured

in south China

traffic accident

NANNING : Six people were

killed and three others

injured in a traffic accident in

the city of Hechi, south

China's Guangxi Zhuang

Autonomous Region, local

authorities said Tuesday.

The accident happened at

around 6:55 a.m. when a

heavy truck suddenly lost

control, ran off the road and

crashed into a villager and a

van carrying eight people.

The injured are receiving

treatment in hospital. Drunk

driving was ruled out after a

preliminary investigation,

and further investigation is

underway.

GD-663/21 (4x4)

GD-668/21 (5x4)

GD-665/21 (6x4)

GD-660/21 (8x4)

WEDNEsDAY, APRIL 14 2021

3

Facebook supports COVID-19

health awareness and vaccine

rollout in Bangladesh

Meghna Insurance Company Limited has given health protective equipment's to the members of Dhaka Reporters

Unity (DRU) on Monday.

Photo : Courtesy

US Congressman Evans,

Congresswoman Scanlon greets

PM, people of Bangladesh

DHAKA : Congressman Dwight Evans

(Democrat-Pennsylvania 2nd District) and

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon

(Democrat-Pennsylvania 5th District) have

congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

and the people of Bangladesh on the

occasion of the 50th anniversary of the

independence of Bangladesh.

They were speaking at the community

reception in Philadelphia on Monday

organised by Bangladeshi American

community to welcome Bangladesh

Ambassador M. Shahidul Islam.

Congressman Evans recalled his visit to

Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazaar in 2019 and

appreciated Bangladesh for hosting over

million Rohingyas who fled genocide in

Myanmar.

Terming herself as a "friend of

Bangladesh", Congresswoman Mary Gay

Scanlon expressed her interest in

strengthening Bangladesh-US cooperation

on wide-ranging issues.

Ambassador Shahidul Islam appreciated

the Bangladeshi American community in

Philadelphia for their leadership role in the

mainstream American society.

He stressed the importance of making

friends in the US society and requested

Congressman Evans and Congresswoman

Mary Gay to help revitalize the

Congressional Bangladesh Caucus to carry

forward Bangladesh-US relations.

Bangladeshi American scientist-turned

politician Dr. Nina Ahmad, President of

the Philadelphia National Organization for

Women Education Fund, also a former

Adviser to President Barack Obama

presided over the community meeting.

Leading community personalities

including Dr. Zia Ahmed, Dr. Ibrul

Chowdhury, Ahsan Naratullah, Sheikh

Islam, Tozammel Haque and Omi Islam

spoke on the occasion.

Ambassador Miller

praises power of young

minds in Bangladesh

DHAKA : US Ambassador to Bangladesh

Earl Miller has congratulated Sylhet's 20

newest graduates of the US State

Department-funded English Access

Microscholarship Programme, reports UNB.

He praised the 10 young women and 10

young men from local madrasas and public

schools for their hard work in completing the

course during the pandemic and encouraged

them to continue their studies to prepare for

the future.

"Bangladesh just marked its Golden

Jubilee - the day when it declared its

intention and ability to chart its own path.

There's no better time to recognise the power

of young minds - like yours - to design the

next 50 years. You can take your new skills

and use them as leaders who will shape the

future of Bangladesh," he said during a

virtual ceremony on Monday.

The English Access Microscholarship

Programme is a rigorous, two-year

interactive programme building a

foundation in English language, American

culture, critical thinking, and leadership

skills for 13-17-year-olds from economicallydisadvantaged

backgrounds and helps them

become more competitive for higher

education and employment opportunities.

Currently, 76 students are participating in

Access programmes in Rajshahi and

Chattogram.

Two hundred additional students will start

the programme in 2021. Since the

programme began in 2004, 1,260

Bangladeshi students have successfully

completed it.

The latest graduating class joins 95,000

other Access programme alumni in more

than 85 countries around the world.

The Access programme is one of US

Embassy Dhaka's many initiatives

during this Golden Jubilee year to

strengthen and expand people-to-people

ties and educational linkages between

the United States and Bangladesh,

enhance the quality of education locally,

and empower Bangladeshi youth

through innovative learning

opportunities, said the Embassy.

On the eve of the start of the holy month of Ramadan and to prevent the

second wave of the Corona epidemic, Dhaka Ahsania Mission as part of

humanitarian assistance in the lockdown distributed food and financial assistance

among disadvantaged people and street children. Photo : Courtesy

DRU receives COVID-19

protection

Meghna Insurance Company Limited has given health

protective equipment's to the members of Dhaka Reporters

Unity (DRU). On Monday, at the Nasrul Hamid Auditorium

of DRU, Meghna Insurance Company's Head of H.R and

Administration, Major Alomgir Hossain (ret.) handed over

10,000 masks as COVID-19 safety equipments to the

President of DRU, Mursalin Nomani and General Secretary

Moshiur Rahman. In the event, Meghna Insurance's Head of

Branch Control Golam Al Mamun, Company Secretary

Abdus Samad, and Backpage PR's Azam Chowdhury were

also present, a press release said.

In the Covid Protection Equipment handover ceremony,

DRU's Vice President, Osman Goni Babul, Joint-Secretary

Arafat Daria, Finance Secretary Shah Alam Nur,

Organization Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel, Office Secretary

Md. Jafor Iqbal, IT & Training Secretary Halim Mohammad,

Guest Secretary Mohammad Naimuddin, Development

Secretary Khalid Saifullah, Committee member M. M. Jasim,

Rahman Aziz, Rafiq Rafi and Nargis Jui were present among

the others.

The leader of DRU expressed their gratitude towards

Meghna Insurance Company Limited over the gesture and

hope to continue to receive such support in the future.

Meghna Insurance Company Limited Chairperson,

Sabrina Rahman said, "Our organization has been helping

the front lines from the beginning of the ongoing Corona

pandemic. Last year, we provided protection equipment's to

the Police force, in sequence to this we have once again come

forward in support, this time for the journalists."

New BGMEA board

takes charge

DHAKA : The new board of Bangladesh Garment

Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) took

charge from the outgoing committee on Tuesday, reports

UNB.

Managing Director of Giant Group Faruque Hassan has

officially taken over as the president of the apex trade body.

The office-bearers of BGMEA will serve for the 2021-23 term.

Other office-bearers of the apex trade body are-Syed

Nazrul Islam (Chattogram), first vice president; SM Mannan

Kochi, senior vice president; Shahidullah Azim, vice

president; Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, vice president

(finance); Miran Ali, vice president; Md Nasiruddin, vice

president and Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, vice president

(Chattogram).

The BGMEA biennial election was held on April 4.

Sammilita Parishad led by Faruque won 24 directors' posts

out of 35 while the opposition panel, Forum, bagged 11 posts.

This year, 1,996 BGMEA members out of 2,314, cast their

votes. Of them, 1,604 votes from Dhaka and 392 from

Chattogram were cast in the election.

SCBA President Khasru

on life support

DHAKA : Former law minister and Supreme Court Bar

Association (SCBA) President Abdul Matin Khasru, MP, was

put on life support at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in

Dhaka this morning as his health condition deteriorated.

Khasru, who was diagnosed with Covid-19, was under

treatment at the hospital from March 16. Recently he became

corona negative but was still under treatment because of the

other complications.

"Khasru sir was put on life support at 11.30am from the

intensive care unit (ICU). He was shifted to a regular cabin on

March 31 as his condition improved. Later on April 6, Khasru

sir was again shifted to ICU as his condition again worsened,"

Advocate Shamim Khan, a member of Advocate Abdul Matin

Khasru Associates, told BSS.

Khasru, a five-time lawmaker from Cumilla-5, gave

sample for Covid-19 test on March 15 and on March 16 he

was diagnosed as coronavirus positive and admitted to

CMH.

He was elected SCBA president for 2021-2022 on

March 11.

Non-govt teachers & employees'

Baishaki allowance transferred

DHAKA : The baishaki allowance for teachers and employees

of the non-government schools and colleges has been

transferred to the head offices of the Agrani and Rupali Bank

and local offices of Janata and Sonali Bank.

The teachers and employees can withdraw their allowances

from the concerned branches of the banks till April 18.

DHAKA : Facebook has partnered with

Bangladesh's ICT Division and the Ministry

of Health and Family Welfare to announce a

campaign to raise awareness about COVID-

19 and help Bangladeshis get vaccinated,

reports UNB.

The campaign aims to increase people's

uptake of preventive health practices and

vaccination intent in the country.

Facebook will take several steps to

holistically support vaccine rollout and the

nationwide awareness campaign towards

safe hygiene practices, particularly given the

recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

By encouraging people to visit COVID-19

Information Center, which is also available

in Bangla, the platform will make it easier for

people to access credible information and

best practices on preventive hygiene

measures.

It also contains modules on mental health

and vaccine safety, and provides easy access

towww.corona.gov.bdfor latest government

directives, said a media release on Tuesday.

Through News Feed notifications,

Facebook will direct people to register for

COVID-19

vaccine

onwww.surokkha.gov.bdand nudge them to

continue wearing masks.

On World Health Day, the social media

platform launched a public education

campaign (www.fightcovidmisinfo.com) to

help Bangladeshis learn how to identify and

combat false information about COVID-19

and related health measures.

The public education modules are

available in Bangla to ensure that it is more

relatable and practical to people in the

country.

"As Bangladesh is seeing a significant spike

in COVID-19 cases like many parts of the

world, it's reassuring to see how health

awareness and safe vaccination efforts have

been ramped up to reach more people in the

country," said Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, who

leads Public Policy for Bangladesh at

Facebook.

"By working closely with the national

health agencies and public health experts,

and using Facebook's scale and speed to

reach people, we are committed to do our

part to help Bangladeshis access credible

information, adopt safe health practices, get

vaccinated and come together as a

community."

In Bangladesh, Facebook has been

working closely with the ICT Division and

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of

Bangladesh throughout the pandemic to

increase awareness on COVID-19 preventive

health practices.

"Today, it has become crucial for us, as a

community, to work hand-in-hand to protect

ourselves as increasing adoption of digital

lifestyle by all walks of society exposes us to

new risks of unprecedented proportions

ranging from identity theft to wrong decision

because of disinformation. I would like to

thank Facebook for taking this broad

measure and we are delighted to be part of

this campaign to promote vaccination, mask

wearing and social distancing to a much

greater population," said Anir Chowdhury,

Policy Advisor of a2i (Aspire to Innovate)

Programme, ICT Division and Cabinet

Division, Government of Bangladesh and

UNDP Bangladesh.

He added, "At a2i, we are constantly

coming up with new innovations and

measures to ease the lives of our citizens

during these difficult times. We look

forward to working with Facebook in

finding newer ways to help the citizens of

our country."

Globally, Facebook has connected over 2

billion people to resources from health

authorities through the COVID-19

Information Center and removed more than

12 million pieces of harmful misinformation

about COVID-19 and approved vaccines

from its family of apps.

5 more services of BIDA come

under online OSS centre

DHAKA : Bangladesh Investment

Development Authority (BIDA) has included

five more services with its online One Stop

Service (OSS) centre to ensure ease and swift

services for the investors in the country.

Power Secretary Md Habibur Rahman

joined the virtual inauguration function of

the services as the chief guest while Member

of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Zakia

Sultana joined as the special guest, said a

press release.

BIDA Executive Chairman Md Sirajul

Islam presided over the function.

The services are: Online VAT Registration,

Electricity Connection of the Dhaka Electric

Supply Company Limited, Electricity

Connection of the West Zone Power

Distribution Company Limited, Electricity

Connection of the Northern Electricity

Supply Company Limited and Providing

Recommendation of the BIDA Second IRC.

Now, BIDA is providing a total of 47

services, including the new five services,

through the online one-stop service portal.

WeDneSDAy, AprIl 14, 2021

4

Bloodshed won't end if world recognizes Myanmar's junta

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Bangladesh : Success in

inclusive digitalization

The efforts of the present government of Bangladesh

(GOB) to use technology to reduce poverty, and

transform the lives of the general population in

Bangladesh has played a key role in its economic growth. The

government recognizes digital inclusion as the only way to

facilitate rural economic activities, and enable rural workers to

capture a larger piece of the economic pie. The government

very carefully designed digital services to ensure they are

relevant for all three groups of Bangladeshi citizens: digital

natives - younger, tech-savvy, generations growing up with

technology; digital adapters - middle-aged individuals who

have adopted technology; and outliers - the minority who stay

away from technology.

The governme nt has made a concerted effort towards achieving

the Digital Bangladesh Vision by 2021, marking the 50th

anniversary of Bangladesh's independence. The Digital Bangladesh

philosophy of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is to protect people's

democracy and human rights, ensure transparency and

accountability, establish justice, and ensure delivery of government

services to the citizens of Bangladesh through maximum use of

technology, with the ultimate goal being the overall improvement

of the daily lifestyle of the general population. The Government has

been proactively pursuing the digital penetration of all government

portals by the year 2023. The country developed the National

Portal in 2014, which now houses over 45,000 websites and

services of different government offices, with about 60 million hits

a month on average. Over 5,000 Digital Centres have been set up

across the country to cover the "last mile" and ensure the various

digital services reach all citizens, addressing the issue of the digital

divide. To ensure interoperability, the Bangladesh National Digital

Architecture was established.Digital services like Smart NID, the

biometric database of unique IDs, fingerprints and iris scans has

been successful in making citizen services run more smoothly, and

negating problems like fake IDs and impersonation. Bangladesh

authorities have issued over 100 million digital IDs to citizens,

which is one of the highest in the world. Machine readable e-

passports were launched early this year to enable faster

immigration processes, greater accuracy, and better data matching

against immigration databases and watch lists.

The "My Village My Town" initiative is one of the notable

examples of the Prime Minister's bottom-up vision. Under the

initiative, modern city amenities are being expanded to every

village of Bangladesh. For the first time in the history of Bangladesh

these marginalized people have been recognized as the centre of

economic activity. Public spaces and urban services are being

designed to make cities more inclusive for women and groups of

people with special needs. Digital services, access to information

and technical and vocational training for less privileged women

have been playing a major role in empowering them.

As part of the Digital Island initiative, Moheshkhali, a remote

and impoverished island of Bangladesh has been turned into the

nation's first "Digital Island". The government connected

Moheshkhali to the mainland by 14 miles of fibre optic cable and

also established an e-commerce centre for the artisans of

Moheshkhali to sell their products and earn a living. The island

will soon be home to a sea port and power plants.

The government plans to replicate this on other remote islands

that dot the country's Bay of Bengal coastline. Fibre optic

connectivity has been established, providing high speed Internet

connectivity. The government plans to roll out the fifthgeneration

cellular network technology (5G) in Bangladesh by

2021, ensuring faster and more reliable internet coverage across

the country. A key component of the government's digital

inclusion strategy is to promote the uptake of mobile money

and other digital payment platforms. Efforts are being made to

boost the popularity of Mobile Financial Services (MFS) to

ensure higher penetration at the bottom of the pyramid.

In recent years, MFS has made a significant impact on reducing

the unbanked population, rural-urban capital flow, and growth of

online e-commerce transactions. In the last five years, growth of

mobile financial services in Bangladesh has skyrocketed, with

bKash leading the way. In 2018, registered users of Non-Banking

Financial Institutions (NBFIs) were more common among the

rural poor than among the adult population as a whole. Mobile

money transfers were the most popular digital use case in

Bangladesh and uptake of mobile money transfers was three times

greater than bank transfers. Digital health services, including

telemedicine, have already been effective in health services

delivery as well as diagnostic, promotive and preventive measures.

From the private sector, many digital health service startups have

come up with innovative solutions including remote diagnostic

capabilities, cloud-based health monitoring systems, web portals

that disseminate basic health information, etc., to help bridge

shortages of trained medical professionals in rural areas. The

country initiated a National Digital Health Strategy last year as

an essential step for using technology to improve the

accessibility, quality and affordability of health services. The

digital health strategy will provide direction for efforts to use

digital technologies in a more coordinated way to further

strengthen the health system.

The government is implementing a number of mega projects

to establish an integrated and uninterrupted communication

network in the country. To capture manufacturing investors

from home and abroad, the government has taken the initiative

to establish 100 special economic zones and 28 IT parks in

various parts of the country; many of these are already

operational or under construction. These economic zones and IT

parks will play an effective role in improving the employment

and quality of life of people in every region of the country.

Bangladesh has experienced tremendous growth in the last

decade under the leadership of our Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina and her ICT Adviser SajeebWazed. Today, we are

experience nearly 8% GDP growth, as one of the fastest growing

economies in the world. Bangladesh was ranked 34th in the

WEF's Inclusive Development Index, 2018. By 2030,

Bangladesh is projected to become the 24th largest economy in

the world. The key factor behind this growth has been smartly

utilizing ICT to spur growth in all sectors.

In light of Myanmar's tense domestic

climate, it is critical to avoid any

course of action that could further

aggravate the situation, which may lead to

more bloodshed, Hui Ying Lee, of the S.

Rajaratnam School of International

Studies, wrote on March 22.

This short sentence does a lot of heavy

lifting so let's break it down. Bear in mind

the comment is a typical argument of

commentators who I have termed

"realists", who in recent weeks have called

on the international community to simply

accept the military junta as legitimate in

order to prevent the crisis from

worsening.

The apparent meaning of this sentence

that foreign governments should avoid

actions that aggravate the junta, by which

"aggravation" means pressuring the

military junta to give up power,

sanctioning it or siding with the

democracy movement. The insinuation

being that it is opposition to the coup that

needs to stop, and it's this opposition that

is escalating the violence.

The second argument being made is

that the situation could soon descend into

civil war, even though Myanmar has been

in civil war for seven decades - and the

military's heavy-handed tactics haven't

stopped it for 70 years.

All of this commentary, however, rests

upon the idea that if the junta is

accepted internationally and the prodemocracy

protesters sense the battle is

lost and give up, then peace and stability

will immediately return to Myanmar -

thereby preventing more bloodshed.

For starters, this argument puts an

enormous amount of trust in a military

that has executed over 700 people since

February 1, including women and

children, according to the advocacy and

monitoring group Assistance

Association for Political Prisoners.

Then there are the thousands who

have been arrested, tortured and beaten

by military authorities. And, of course,

that is on top of the military's genocide

against the Rohingya minority since

2017, if not before.

For the "realists", the bloodshed will

apparently end once the military junta's

legitimacy has been accepted

internationally. At the same time, they

argue that the military's power is

already secure domestically - since the

military controls the guns and the

protesters don't, they say - so the

democracy movement is fighting a

losing battle and ought to throw in the

towel now so they can avoid more

bloodshed.

But notice the "logic" being applied

here. Either the military is fearful of losing

the power it took - which would deny the

"realists" their claim that its authority is

already secure - and has assassinated over

700 people because it is fearful.

Or its power is already secure - as the

"realists" say - and it has therefore

assassinated more than 700 people

simply because it can - and, indeed,

because it is hardwired to stamp out any

dissent through the most brutal of

means, as it was trained to do during its

decades of totalitarian rule.

One cannot have it both ways. If the

military's authority isn't secure, then

why argue for an illegal regime to be

conferred legitimacy so quickly? If the

military's coup is now a fait accompli,

then what reason is there to think the

military junta won't continue its tyranny

even after its "legitimacy" has been

DAvID HUTT

accepted internationally?

Reports from Myanmar do not point to

a regime that genuinely believes it's

fighting for national security. Instead,

they point to a regime that is intoxicated

with power by its sheer ability to decide

who lives and who dies. We've seen

reports of people being burned alive; of

doctors and nurses being brutalized; of

injured protestors being finished off with

a shot to the head.

There are now reports that the military

is charging families US$85 to retrieve the

bodies of relatives killed by security forces

after 82 people were killed Friday in Bago.

Those I describe as "realists" ascribe quite a lot of misplaced good faith in

the junta, which has not shown the slightest sign that it wants to deescalate

the crisis. It is folly to think that once the junta is accepted internationally

and the protests stop, then myanmar straightaway gets back onto

a path towards democracy - as the regime has claimed it intends to do.

None of this suggests a regime that is

eager to temper its brutality for the sake of

how it appears globally.

More to the point, I have yet to see any

of the "realist" commentators even

consider the situation in which the junta is

recognized by the international

community but the pro-democracy

movement doesn't stop its protests.

What happens in such a scenario, when

the bloodshed continues yet the junta's

representatives are welcomed to sit next

to US or European leaders at international

conferences? And, indeed, when the junta

no longer has to worry about its

international reputation?

Moreover, what evidence is there that

the military - which deems protests to

be "riots" - won't unleash its tyranny if

demonstrations erupt again around the

time of another election if the junta is

allowed to engage in a rigged ballot,

which would actually be a mere

Dr. THeoDore KArASIK

plebiscite on its rule?

Those I describe as "realists" ascribe

quite a lot of misplaced good faith in the

junta, which has not shown the slightest

sign that it wants to deescalate the crisis. It

is folly to think that once the junta is

accepted internationally and the protests

stop, then Myanmar straightaway gets

back onto a path towards democracy - as

the regime has claimed it intends to do.

Even the EU foreign policy chief,

Josep Borrell, intimated this

misconception in his latest blog

published on Sunday, in which he

intoned: "We cannot accept that a

democratically-elected government is

overthrown and replaced by military

rule." However, he then wrote that the EU

"has an interest in promoting regionallyled

attempts to mediate and address the

crisis and we should support all forces

inside ASEAN that make this case as

well." Supporting ASEAN, which will

likely accept the junta as legitimate on the

condition it sets out a timetable for

another election that will be rigged in the

military's favor, would effectively mean

passing the buck on the crisis.

Borrell also noted, "We could reinforce

this diplomatic track by offering to

increase our economic ties if Myanmar

returns to the path of democracy: in

addition to more trade, we could offer

good quality investments that could help

the country with a sustainable

development path through state-of-theart

technologies and sustainable business

principles."The road-path lid out here is

too straight and too convenient - and too

trusting of an illegal junta that has shown

zero willingness to constrain itself and

clearly wants to escalate, not deescalate,

tensions despite international

condemnation and opposition. Thinking

its savagery will suddenly dissipate isn't

realism: it's cynicism and credulity.

Source : Asia Times

Vaccine passports the only way out of this pandemic

The issue of the likely use of vaccine

passports in the fight against the

coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is

prompting questions about whether or

not they work. The point of a vaccine

passport is, in theory, to mitigate disease

spread by introducing a system of checks

and balances to bring about herd

immunity. A debate over their perceived

invasion of privacy versus medical

necessity is now playing out in many

countries around the world. At the heart

of the argument is their requirement for

human security.

The requirement to be vaccinated

against certain diseases ahead of travel

and the related documentation is not new.

Proof of vaccination adds a layer of

protection for travelers and for human

security. An individual with proof of their

vaccination is less likely to spread the

pathogen than one who does not. Other

diseases require proof of immunization,

so this issue is about COVID-19 requiring

the same "paperwork." Proof of yellow

fever immunization is already needed for

travel to countries like Ghana and Brazil.

Yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes,

while COVID-19 is transmitted through

the air, but the concept is the same. Thus,

the requirement for a vaccination not only

protects the patient, but also keeps part of

the transmission chain blocked. That

aspect helps protect human security

during travel and in daily life.

While the concept of vaccination for

The recent incident of two brothers

committing suicide after killing

their family members in Texas got

me wondering about, why people get to a

position that they deliberately hurt

themselves?What is the psychology

behind these suicidal tendencies and what

contributes to them thinking of it in the

first place? Well, I have read the suicide

note FarhanTowhid posted on his

Instagram account to understand what

makes him take such step.At first, I

thought it was may be another result of

racial discrimination which was not the

case. As I kept reading, I realized

adolescence indeed is a complicated phase

of a human life and a lot goes on at this

period. The note vividly depicted the

issues he had throughout his life that

made him plan the suicidepact.Depression

played a big role to

this.The way he brought the matter

depression over and over again, it almost

seemed he was also reminding himself of

his depressed condition repeatedly. He

was addictive to Self-harm.He said, it kept

him sane. He conveyed that he was never

concerned with the grades like other kids.

travel is not new, the nature of COVID-19

complicates movement much further.

Yellow fever requirements work quite

well, although the system is not perfect

because the infection itself is not the most

common among travelers. However,

COVID-19 is highly transmissible and

affects every country in the world, their

border controls, and interactions in urban

areas. Having some form of

documentation for human security is

unavoidable. If one argues that not having

a document is part of one's freedoms, then

the definition of human security is

corrupted. Human rights activists are

misusing the definition of human security

and actually making the arguments about

vaccination documents harmful to all

people. Human security is already

corrupted by those seeking to buck the

system because of misperceptions. Old

thinking needs to be replaced by sane

scientific necessity. There are already fake

COVID-19 vaccination cards and other

documents sold online by those taking

advantage of human security

requirements. These criminals are

enabled by the civil liberties debate.

Stopping these instances of fraud is a

major argument for making these

passports digital, but some say such

technology brings up issues of privacy as a

threat to human security. This type of

thinking is backwards when it comes to a

pathogen like COVID-19. Human security

demands that smartphones be available to

all to show vaccination rates and

tabulation. It is extremely important with

The claim that minorities or low-income individuals cannot participate in such technology

is also a bunk argument. Cities and towns have programs that distribute

mobile phones to these parts of society. Homeless people are given mobile phones for

their own safety. Using this technology helps human security and provides the rationale

for keeping documentation about people's medical history, especially vaccinations.

this specific pathogen to tabulate

inoculations for human security purposes.

If you do not collect this type of data, the

pathogen and its mutations may outpace

the vaccination rate.

What does this all mean? It means that

the argument that using vaccine passports

for COVID-19 is only for privileged people

who are fortunate enough to have gained

early access is a highly questionable one,

which masks the need for such measures.

The claim that minorities or low-income

individuals cannot participate in such

technology is also a bunk argument. Cities

Making Sense of Suicide

His concerns were bigger than

that.Farhan got himself stuck into a

cocoon of problems. At one point,he is

disappointed with his friends for not

understanding him, the next moment he

is rationalizing their negligence by

expressing that he is beyond salvation

anyway. It seems his mind is functioning

like a stream of consciousness,

overflowing with multiple thoughts and

feelings at the same time.

Perhaps he tried to put together

himself by fitting into the mold of being

'COOL'. Checking all the criteria; having a

girlfriend, cutting down fat, getting better

at academic area. Still his assertion of

being depressed continued. He was

depressed because his life was perfect. At

SHArmIn rAHmAn

this point I got a little confused because of

his 'existential crisis' he said he was

having. So, I googled it to have a better

understanding of his situation. I found out

that he sure did have this crisis which is

evident from some part of his note. He

tried to find a meaning of life. The result he

found was happiness. He wrote, "If the

I have read the suicide note FarhanTowhid posted on his Instagram

account to understand what makes him take such step.At first, I

thought it was may be another result of racial discrimination which

was not the case. As I kept reading, I realized adolescence indeed is

a complicated phase of a human life and a lot goes on at this period.

only reason to live is for happiness, then

logically, you should not live if you aren't

happy. That make sense right?" However,

itdoes not make sense to me.

I kept on trying to make SENSE and it

reminds me of a TV series I have watched,

13 Reasons Why. "Everything.... affects

everything", this line from Jay Asher's

novel captures a central message of the

series. Hannah Baker's tapes address to

and towns have programs that distribute

mobile phones to these parts of society.

Homeless people are given mobile phones

for their own safety. Using this technology

helps human security and provides the

rationale for keeping documentation

about people's medical history, especially

vaccinations.Countries across the globe

are beginning to use vaccine passports to

allow their citizens to travel once again.

China has unveiled its digital vaccine

passport, which is to be accessed via an

app that allows people to verify their

vaccination status with a scannable QR

code. Japan has announced plans for a

similar digital passport. The EU says it

backs a "Digital Green Certificate," which

would allow citizens who have proof that

they have been vaccinated, received a

negative coronavirus test result or have

recovered from COVID-19 to travel across

all 27 member states.It is extremely

important with this specific pathogen to

tabulate inoculations for human security

purposes. Moreover, with the air transit

system slated to open further over the

coming months, vaccination passports

will become important for international

travel. Australia, Denmark and Sweden

are committed to their implementation.

Dr. Theodore Karasik is a senior adviser to Gulf

State Analytics in Washington, DC. He is a

former RAND Corporation senior political

scientist who lived in the UAE for 10 years,

focusing on security issues. Twitter: @tkarasik

particular individuals who has played a

role in producing the 'snowball effect' that

led to her suicide. At the beginning of the

series Hannah mentioned about butterfly

effect of chaos theory where she describes

how the tiniest incidents contribute to the

ultimate decision of her life. She takes

account on every stare, every word and

every gesture addressing to her.

However, I still am failing to process the

act of taking one's own life. I get it, Farhan

was a very sensitive individual who just

like the Hannah Baker character is

affected by every little details around him

which makes him sad and this sadness

contributed to his depression. He said,is

the person who operates on logic and

makes pros and cons list for every decision

he makes, i.e. their death will bring sorrow

to their family. So, they decided to take the

family with them as well. At the same time,

he is also the person who cannot stand the

plot of The Office after his favorite

character left which also possesses a

significant portion of his suicide note.

The Writer is former student of East

West University, Department of English

WEDNESDAY, APRIl 14, 2021

5

Astra Zeneca vaccine and the question of blood clots

Benjamin Mueller

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine has been deployed against

Covid-19 in at least 115 countries, some of them for several

months now. But it wasn't until a few cases of a rare bloodclotting

disorder - some fatal - emerged within the past

month or so that many European nations began to rethink its

use across all age groups.

Several of those countries, well stocked with alternate

vaccines, have now limited use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford

shot to older people, and a few have stopped using it

altogether. While the incidence of these clotting disorders is

extremely low, regulators and researchers are trying to raise

public awareness of certain symptoms - including headaches,

leg swelling and abdominal pain - especially in younger

people who have been vaccinated.

Public health experts, however, have expressed concern

that publicity surrounding the rare vaccine-related reactions

will fuel hesitancy, a particular problem in Europe. They

continue to emphasize that the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine's

benefits far outweigh the risks. In many nations, it is the only

vaccine available.

Below are some frequently asked questions.A blood clot is

a thickened, gelatinous blob of blood that can block

circulation. Clots form in response to injuries and can also be

caused by many illnesses, including cancer and genetic

disorders, certain drugs and prolonged sitting or bed rest.

Covid itself can trigger serious clotting problems. Clots that

form in the legs sometimes break off and travel to the lungs

or, rarely, to the brain, where they can be deadly.

The clots in recipients of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine

have drawn heightened concern because of their unusual

constellation of symptoms: blockages in major veins, often

those that drain blood from the brain, combined with low

platelet counts. Platelets are a blood component involved in

clotting.

Researchers in Germany and Norway found that vaccine

recipients who developed the clotting disorder had produced

antibodies that activated their platelets and led to the clots.

The scientists suggested naming the unusual reaction

"vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia,"

or VITT.

So far, researchers in Europe have not identified any

underlying medical condition among the vaccine recipients

who developed severe clotting issues that would help explain

their susceptibility.

Some health officials have said that younger people appear

to be at slightly higher risk from the clots. Because those

people are also less likely to develop severe Covid, regulators

said, any vaccine being given in that age group has to clear a

higher safety bar.

As of April 4, European regulators had received reports of

222 cases of the rare blood-clotting problem in Britain and

the 30-nation European Economic Area (the European

Union plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein). They said

that about 34 million people had received the AstraZeneca

In rare cases, an immune reaction has led to antibodies that caused a serious clotting

disorder.

Photo: Reuters

vaccine in those countries, and that the clotting problems

were appearing at a rate of about one in 100,000 recipients.

European regulators said that as of March 22, they had

carried out detailed reviews of 86 cases, 18 of which had been

fatal.British health officials have described a somewhat lower

incidence of cases, perhaps as a result of having begun their

rollout of the vaccine in older people, who they say appear to

be less susceptible.

But they offered evidence this week that the risk of being

admitted to intensive care with Covid exceeded the dangers

of the blood clots in almost every scenario. The only group for

whom they said the risk of the clotting problems outstripped

that of coronavirus-related intensive care admissions was

people under 30 living in a place with low rates of Covid

cases.

People of all ages with a medium or high risk of exposure

to Covid were more likely to suffer serious health problems

from catching the virus than from being given the vaccine,

they said.

Germany, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal and

Spain have recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine be

given only to people over 60. Canada and France have

limited it to those over 55; Australia, over 50; and Belgium,

over 56. Britain, where the AstraZeneca vaccine was

developed, has been its staunchest defender, but announced

on Wednesday that it would begin offering alternative shots

to people under 30.

Denmark and Norway have stopped using the vaccine, and

the Democratic Republic of Congo delayed the start of its

inoculation program.Full vaccination with the AstraZeneca

vaccine requires two doses, but regulators in France have

recommended that people under 55 who have had one dose

get a different vaccine for their second shot. German health

officials have recommended the same for people under 60.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is not authorized for use in the

United States, but the company has said it would seek Food

and Drug Administration review.On Wednesday, the

European Medicines Agency said that the vaccine's labeling

should be revised to include the clotting disorder as a "very

rare" side effect of the vaccine.

In the United States, 300,000 to 600,000 people a year

develop blood clots in their lungs or in veins in the legs or

other parts of the body, according to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention. Based on that data, about 1,000 to

2,000 blood clots occur in the U.S. population every day.

With several million people a day now being vaccinated,

some of those clots will occur in those receiving the shots just

as part of the normal background rates, unrelated to the

vaccine.

In Britain, regulators have said, roughly one in 1,000

people are affected by a blood clot in a vein every year.But

medical experts said it was harder to discern the typical

background rate of the more unusual clotting cases being

observed in small numbers of recipients of the AstraZeneca-

Oxford vaccine. Cerebral venous thrombosis, or clotting in

the brain, has not always been well diagnosed, researchers

have said.

Still, German researchers have said those clots were

appearing more frequently in recipients of the AstraZeneca-

Oxford vaccine than would be expected in people who had

never received the shot.

European regulators had recommended that recipients of

the vaccine seek medical assistance for a number of possible

symptoms, including swelling in the leg, persistent

abdominal pain, severe and persistent headaches or blurred

vision, and tiny blood spots under the skin beyond the area

where the injection was given.

But that set of symptoms was so vague that almost

immediately, British emergency rooms experienced a surge

in patients who were worried that they fit the description. As

a result, some emergency room doctors have asked for more

central guidance about how to handle what they described as

largely unnecessary hospital visits.

German researchers have described specialized blood tests

that can be used to diagnose the disorder, and suggested

treatment with a blood product called intravenous immune

globulin, which is used to treat various immune disorders.

Drugs called anti-coagulants, or blood thinners, can also be

administered, but not a commonly used one - heparin -

because the vaccine-related condition is very similar to one

that occurs, rarely, in people given heparin.

Other vaccines, particularly the one given to children for

measles, mumps and rubella, have been linked to

temporarily lowered levels of platelets, a blood component

essential for clotting.

Lowered platelet levels have been reported in small

numbers of patients receiving the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech

and AstraZeneca vaccines. One recipient, a physician in

Florida, died from a brain hemorrhage when his platelet

levels could not be restored, and others have been

hospitalized. U.S. health officials have said that the cases are

being investigated, but they have not reported the findings of

those reviews and have yet to indicate that there is any link to

the vaccines.

Shortly after the safety concerns emerged last month,

surveys began to show that in Germany, France and Spain, a

majority of people doubted the safety of the AstraZeneca-

Oxford vaccine.

Use of the shot has suffered: Across Europe, 64 percent of

delivered doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine have been injected

into people's arms, markedly lower than the rates for other

shots.But European countries have been able to withstand

restricting use of the vaccine because they have purchased

shots from other makers, too.

The revival of social skills after a

year of isolation

Bonnie Tsui

As we move through the spring of The Great

Vaccination, many of us are feeling cautious

optimism, and also its flip side: creeping

dread.Maybe you have a sense of ambivalence

about how to interact with others again. If you

used to work in an office, you might be worried

about returning to work - but eager to see people

again. Or you find yourself having to confront a

neighbor about a longstanding problem - but

you're out of practice with conflict resolution. (I'm

not sure I remember how to talk to another

human anymore, let alone one I disagree with.)

Whatever the specifics, "there will be new forms

of social anxiety," said Dacher Keltner, a professor

of psychology and the director of the Social

Interaction Lab at the University of California,

Berkeley.

"People are really anxious about being out in

restaurants with friends, or about dancing with a

big sweaty group of people - or even about sharing

a yoga mat," he said. "It's always good to

remember individual differences - there's a lot of

variability. But there will be a lasting societal

legacy around intimacy, the noise that comes with

returning to school, the complexity of the

playground and of work."

Dr. Keltner has studied human behavior and the

biological and evolutionary underpinnings of

emotions for decades, with a focus on "pro-social"

states - behavior that strengthens connections

between individuals - that are especially good for

society. "We're hyper-social mammals - it's our

most signature strength," said Dr. Keltner, a cofounder

of the Greater Good Science Center who

was also a scientific consultant on emotions for the

Pixar film "Inside Out." "It's what sets us apart

from other primates: We help, we laugh, we

collaborate, we assist."

Lately, we've been living our lives siloed away

online, missing many of the essential face-to-face

experiences that are key to human interaction. It's

notable that Dr. Vivek Murthy, the newly

reappointed U.S. Surgeon General, has talked not

only about the physical and economic toll of the

pandemic, but also of "the social recession."

Before Covid, this kind of post-isolation anxiety

was most often suffered by people who re-enter

After a year of virtual gathering, getting back to real-life relationships can

be intimidating.

Photo: Eleni Kalorkoti

the civilian world after prison, wartime

deployment, humanitarian aid work or remote

expeditions. The challenge now is that so many

more of us will be experiencing some aspect of this

all at once, and coming back to social situations

with others who likely have their own fears too. It

is stalled social development, on a societal level.

Debra Kaysen, a clinical psychologist and a

professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at

Stanford University, said that coming back to socalled

"civilian life" can be disorienting, surreal

and difficult - and not just for combat veterans.

Her clinical and research work focuses on anxiety

disorders and trauma, and she has worked on

developing coping strategies for health care

workers dealing with mental health concerns

during the pandemic.

Now, everyone is trying to navigate conflicting

threat levels in a way that used to be specific to

those populations, she said. Cues that used to be

neutral or positive, like being around other

people (I love my friends and family!) are now

associated with threat (my friends and family

might infect me with Covid!). And we are

confronting the challenge of how to turn off that

alarm. "What's a true alarm and what's a false

alarm has gotten more confusing for all of us,"

Dr. Kaysen said.

So how do we relearn how to be together?Give

yourself permission to set small, achievable goals.

And accept that other people are going to have

different responses than you - the friend or family

member who wants to eat inside the restaurant

when you don't, for example, or who is ready to get

on a plane and take a vacation.

Accept that certain activities may feel tough for

awhile. Driving an hour to a meeting. Flying a redeye

to a conference. Attending a family reunion,

say, or four pandemic-postponed weddings in one

month.All of this can prompt you to ask, of your

family or your boss or even yourself: "Is it really

worth the time?" and "Now that I know things can

be different, do I want to go back to my old life?"

Recovering doesn't mean you go back to the way

you were before, Dr. Kaysen said, using kintsugi,

the Japanese technique of repairing broken

pottery with gold, as an analogy for coming out of

hard times with awareness of the change, and

stronger than before. "It's that you create a new

normal, one that's functional and beautiful - and

different."

Dr. Keltner agreed that we may need to "reeducate

ourselves" - "like, how do we hug again?"

Your timing might be off for a hug, or a joke or

even a compliment. "How do you look someone in

the eye so that it's not intrusive? How do you

compliment someone? You might not have done it

for a year."

Rather than be overwhelmed by everything at

once - for example, going to a party where you

have to adjust to greeting acquaintances, eating

with others and attempting to make small talk - all

at the same time - why not take things step by

step? This moment can be an opportunity.

Music therapy is increasingly used to help patients cope with stress and

promote healing.

Photo: John Smith

The healing power of music

Richard Schiffman

"Focus on the sound of the instrument,"

Andrew Rossetti, a licensed music therapist

and researcher said as he strummed

hypnotic chords on a Spanish-style classical

guitar. "Close your eyes. Think of a place

where you feel safe and comfortable."

Music therapy was the last thing that Julia

Justo, a graphic artist who immigrated to

New York from Argentina, expected when

she went to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Union

Square Clinic for treatment for cancer in

2016. But it quickly calmed her fears about

the radiation therapy she needed to go

through, which was causing her severe

anxiety.

"I felt the difference right away, I was much

more relaxed," she said.Ms. Justo, who has

been free of cancer for over four years,

continued to visit the hospital every week

before the onset of the pandemic to work

with Mr. Rossetti, whose gentle guitar riffs

and visualization exercises helped her deal

with ongoing challenges, like getting a good

night's sleep. Nowadays they keep in touch

mostly by email.

The healing power of music - lauded by

philosophers from Aristotle and Pythagoras

to Pete Seeger - is now being validated by

medical research. It is used in targeted

treatments for asthma, autism, depression

and more, including brain disorders such as

Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease,

epilepsy and stroke. Live music has made its

way into some surprising venues, including

oncology waiting rooms to calm patients as

they wait for radiation and chemotherapy. It

also greets newborns in some neonatal

intensive care units and comforts the dying

in hospice.

While musical therapies are rarely standalone

treatments, they are increasingly used

as adjuncts to other forms of medical

treatment. They help people cope with their

stress and mobilize their body's own capacity

to heal.

"Patients in hospitals are always having

things done to them," Mr. Rossetti

explained. "With music therapy, we are

giving them resources that they can use to

self-regulate, to feel grounded and calmer.

We are enabling them to actively participate

in their own care."Even in the coronavirus

pandemic, Mr. Rossetti has continued to

perform live music for patients. He says that

he's seen increases in acute anxiety since the

onset of the pandemic, making musical

interventions, if anything, even more

impactful than they were before the crisis.

Mount Sinai has also recently expanded its

music therapy program to include work with

the medical staff, many of whom are

suffering from post-traumatic stress from

months of dealing with Covid, with live

performances offered during their lunch

hour.

It's not just a mood booster. A growing

body of research suggests that music played

in a therapeutic setting has measurable

medical benefits."Those who undergo the

therapy seem to need less anxiety medicine,

and sometimes surprisingly get along

without it," said Dr. Jerry T. Liu, assistant

professor of radiation oncology at the Icahn

School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

WedNeSdAY, APril 14, 2021

6

Bangladesh Coast Guard Station Pagla in a special operation at Soarighat and Narayanganj seized

3,600 kg jatkas along with a speedboat. Photo Courtesy

66,283 tonnes of

wheat produced in

Rangpur region

Woman brutally

tortured over

dowry in Magura

A housewife was brutally

tortured and later abandoned

allegedly by her husband on

Friday in Magura.

The husband reportedly

broke his wife's arms and legs

and later dropped her

unconscious body off to a

local hospital, reports UNB.

The victim, identified as

Sritma Begum, had bruises all

over her body.

Although the incident had

occured on Friday, the family

of the victim could not gather

the courage to speak up about

it till Monday out of fear and

unawareness.

The incident was exposed

today when leaders of

Magura District Women's

Council and officials of the

District's One Stop Crisis Cell

visited the victim at the

hospital.

The victim's father, a day

labourer, told UNB that he

married his daughter off to

Amir Hossain 17 years ago.

He has been providing dowry

since then.

He also sent his son-in-law

to Oman by mortgaging his

land. The son-in-law came

back from abroad last

January and demanded

money again. He started

abusing and torturing his wife

when his father in law failed

to provide any money.

At one stage of the

altercation on the day of the

incident, son-in-law Amir

GD-667 (3 x 3)

Hossain beat Smriti Begum

with an iron rod and broke

both her arms and one leg.

Besides, he carried out

unspeakable torture on

different parts of her body.

When Smriti fainted, her

husband dropped her off at

Magura Sadar Hospital and

left. While talking to UNB,

the victim said that her

husband and his mother

often used to beat her over

money. When asked by the

reporter, Amir said that a

fight broke out between them

when he asked for the money

he sent from abroad.

RANGPUR : Farmers produced 66,283 tonnes of wheat after

completing its harvest last week in all five districts of

Rangpur agriculture region during this 2020-2021 Rabi

season.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension

(DAE) said farmers produced 328 tonnes of more wheat this

season against the production of 65,955 tonnes from 18,726

hectares of land during the last 2019-2020 Rabi season.

"The DAE had fixed a target of producing 69,630 tonnes of

wheat from 19,550 hectares of land for the region this

season," Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region

Agriculturist Khandker Abdul Wahed told BSS.

However, enthusiastic farmers finally brought 21,160

hectares of land under wheat cultivation getting various

assistance and incentives from the government and exceeded

the fixed farming target by 1,610 hectares or 3.12 percent this

time. "Farming of the less irrigation water consuming cereal

crop of wheat has become popular among farmers as they

achieved excellent production with lucrative prices in recent

years," he said.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development

Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute

(BARI) and other agriculture related organisations extended

assistance to farmers to make the wheat farming programme

successful this time.

"The government supplied quality wheat seeds and

provided latest technologies, training, fertilisers and other

inputs to farmers who finally achieved a better wheat

production this season," Wahed said.

The farmers mostly cultivated high yielding wheat varieties

like 'Bijoy', 'Pradip', 'Sotabdi', BARI Gom25, BARI Gom26,

BARI Gom27, BARI Gom28 and BARI Gom29 using

conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies to enhance

production.

Talking to BSS, Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and

Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur

Rashid said farmers are showing more interest in wheat

farming adopting latest technologies being provided by the

government in recent years.

"Adoption of the CA-based strip tillage and bed planting

methods in sowing wheat seeds using seeder machines

largely increases wheat yield reducing need for irrigation

compared to the full tillage methods and largely saving

labour costs," he said.

In the past, wheat production was being affected due to

adverse impacts of high temperature on its farming from

flowering to ripening stages and late sowing of seeds after

harvesting late varieties of Aman rice and use of low quality

local seeds. "However, farmers are sowing high quality,

disease resistant and stress tolerant varieties of wheat seeds

timely using the lowest cost CA-based technologies after

harvesting short duration Aman rice to get bumper output,"

Rashid said. Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Dr Md

Sarwarul Haque said there was no recurrence of blast disease

this time and farmers got excellent yield rate of 3.29 tonnes

of wheat per hectare in the region.

650 marginal farmers get

agri-incentive in Raipura

NARSINGDI : The Department of Agriculture Extension

(DAE) distributed agriculture incentives in terms of Aush

seed and fertilisers among 650 small and marginal farmers

of 18 unions under Raipura upazila in the district on

Monday.

The incentives were distributed at a function held at the

upazila parishad office premises to assist the small and

marginal farmers in cultivating the crop during the Kharip-

1 season.

Upazila parishad chairman Abdus Sadek distributed the

incentives among the farmers at the function as chief guest

with Raipura Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shofiqul

Islam in the chair.

Upazila agriculture officer Boni Amin Khan, Raipura

Press Club president Mostafa Khan, secretary Nur Uddin

Ahmed and chairmen and members of different unions

were present at the function.

GD-661/21 (13x6)

The World Health Organization on Tuesday called for a halt to the sale of live wild mammals in food

markets to prevent the emergence of new diseases.

Photo : AP

India approves Russia's Sputnik

V Covid-19 vaccine

NEW DELHI : India has authorised

emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V

Covid-19 vaccine, the health ministry

said Tuesday, as infection rates soar to

record highs and some major cities

boost their hospital bed capacity.

Sputnik V is the third vaccine to be

approved by India after the Oxford-

AstraZeneca shot and Covaxin, which

was developed by Indian firm Bharat

Biotech.

The recommendations of an expert

panel (SEC) had been accepted to

authorise its use, the health ministry

said in a statement.

"The SEC recommended for grant of

permission for restricted use in

emergency situations subject to

various regulatory provisions."

G.V. Prasad, co-chair of

pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy's

Laboratories, said his firm was "very

pleased to obtain the emergency use

authorisation".

"With the rising cases in India,

vaccination is the most effective tool in

our battle against Covid-19," he

added.

The South Asian nation of 1.3 billion

people has been battling a huge surge

in virus cases in recent weeks that has

prompted night curfews and a

clampdown on movement and

activities.

India on Monday reported more

than 161,000 new cases - the seventhconsecutive

day that more than

100,000 infections have been

recorded.

In India's financial and film capital

Mumbai, city authorities said Monday

that three more field hospitals, each

with 2,000 beds including 200 for

intensive care, would be built in the

next six weeks.

In the national capital New Delhi,

officials said Monday that the number

of beds for Covid-19 patients would be

ramped up, while 14 larger hospitals

would be turned into dedicated virus

facilities.

The chief minister in New Delhi, has

said that two thirds of new Covid-19

patients were younger than 45.

Sputnik V, backed by the Russian

Direct Investment Fund (RDIF),

already has production agreements in

India to produce 852 million doses.

RDIF chief executive Kirill Dmitriev

said in a statement that the approval

was a "major milestone" after

"extensive cooperation" on clinical

trials of the shot in India.

Experts welcomed the authorisation

but warned that the vaccine was

unlikely to be available for use in the

near-term.

"It's good news as it will boost the

supply of vaccines in India… but it's

not going to do too much for the

current surge (in cases)," virologist

Shahid Jameel told AFP.

Dmitriev told Indian broadcaster

NDTV that the first doses could be

ready by late April or May, with

ramped up production by June.

"We believe by June, we will really

be at good production capacity in

India and will become a very

meaningful player in vaccination

programme in India," he added.

India, home to the world's biggest

vaccine manufacturer, kicked off its

inoculation drive in mid-January and

has administered more than 108

million shots so far.

But the government's ambitious

goal of vaccinating 300 million people

by the end of July has been hit by

reports of stock shortages in some

states and vaccine hesitancy.

The government has also slowed its

export of jabs due to the rise in cases.

Austria's health minister announced Tuesday he would resign as he was overworked and exhausted

managing the coronavirus crisis.

Photo : AP

Iran's Zarif

warns US

against

sabotage,

sanctions

TEHRAN : Iran's foreign

minister warned Tuesday

that "acts of sabotage" and

sanctions will give the

United States no extra

leverage in talks on reviving

a troubled 2015 nuclear deal.

"We have no problem with

returning to implementing

our JCPOA commitments,"

Mohammad Javad Zarif

said, referring to the deal

with major powers, which

Washington quit in 2018.

"But the Americans should

know that neither sanctions

nor acts of sabotage will give

them negotiation tools and

these acts will only make the

situation more difficult for

them," Zarif told a joint

press conference with his

Russian counterpart Sergei

Lavrov.

India records 1,61,736

infections, 879 deaths

NEWDELHI : A total of 1,61,736 new

coronavirus infections have been reported in

a day pushing India's tally of cases to

1,36,89,453, while the national COVID-19

recovery rate dropped further to 89.51 per

cent, according to data updated by the Union

Health Ministry on Monday.

The death toll increased to 1,71,058 with

879 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am

showed. Registering a steady increase for the

34th day in a row, the number of active cases

rose to 12,64,698, or 9.24 per cent of the

total infections.

The active caseload was at its lowest at

1,35,926 on February 12, 2021 and it was at

its highest at 10,17,754 on September 18,

2020. The number of people who have

recuperated from the disease surged to

1,22,53,697, while the case fatality rate has

dropped further to 1.25 per cent, the data

stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-

lakh mark on August 7; 30 lakh on August

23; 40 lakh on September 5; and 50 lakh on

September 16. It went past 60 lakh on

September 28; 70 lakh on October 11; 80

lakh on October 29; 90 lakh on November

20; and the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to the Indian Council of Medical

Research (ICMR), 25,92,07,108 samples

have been tested up to April 12, of which

14,00,122 were done on Monday.

The 879 new fatalities include 258 from

Maharashtra, 132 from Chhattisgarh, 72

each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, 55 from

Gujarat, 52 each from Karnataka and

Punjab, 37 from Madhya Pradesh, 25 from

Rajasthan, 19 each from Tamil Nadu and

Jharkhand, 14 each from Haryana and West

Bengal, and 11 each from Andhra Pradesh

and Kerala.

A total of 1,71,058 deaths have been

reported in the country so far, including

58,245 from Maharashtra, 12,941 from

Karnataka, 12,927 from Tamil Nadu, 11,355

from Delhi, 10,414 from West Bengal, 9,224

from Uttar Pradesh, 7,559 from Punjab, and

7,311 from Andhra Pradesh.

The Union Health Ministry stressed that

more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred

due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the

Indian Council of Medical Research," the

ministry said on its website, adding that

state-wise distribution of figures is subject to

further verification and reconciliation.

WHO urges ban

on sale of live

wild mammals

in food markets

GENEVA : The World

Health Organization on

Tuesday called for a halt to

the sale of live wild

mammals in food markets to

prevent the emergence of

new diseases.

The WHO said that while

traditional markets play a

central role in providing

food and livelihoods for

large populations, banning

the sale of live wild

mammals could protect the

health of market workers

and shoppers alike.

It said some of the earliest

known cases of Covid-19 had

a link to a wholesale

traditional food market in

Wuhan in China, with many

of the initial patients stall

owners, market employees

or regular visitors to the

market.

The interim guidance was

drawn up alongside the

World Organisation for

Animal Health (OIE) and

the United Nations

Environment Programme

(UNEP).

"The guidance calls on

countries to suspend the sale

of captured live wild

mammals in food markets

as an emergency measure,"

the WHO said.

"Animals, particularly wild

animals, are the source of

more than 70 percent of all

emerging infectious diseases

in humans, many of which

are caused by novel viruses.

Wild mammals, in

particular, pose a risk for the

emergence of new diseases,"

it said.

"Traditional markets,

where live animals are held,

slaughtered and dressed,

pose a particular risk for

pathogen transmission to

workers and customers

alike," said the guidance.

It also called on

governments to close

sections of food markets

selling live wild mammals

unless adequate risk

assessments were in place.

Austria health

minister quits

over Covid crisis

'overwork'

VIENNA : Austria's health

minister announced

Tuesday he would resign as

he was overworked and

exhausted managing the

coronavirus crisis.

Rudolf Anschober became

health minister early last

year when his Green party

formed an unlikely coalition

with Chancellor Sebastian

Kurz's conservatives, just

before coronavirus started

spreading rapidly in Europe.

"I've decided to resign

from my job," the 60-yearold

told reporters.

"I'm overworked and

powered out," he said,

adding that 15 months on

the job had felt like 15 years.

He warned the pandemic

was still in full swing and

should not be

"underestimated".

"We are not out of the

woods yet," he said,

becoming emotional as he

thanked friends and

colleagues.

Anschober said he had

suffered circulation

problems.

He had been absent for

work since last week and

also took a week off early last

month when he checked into

hospital.

Anschober had seen his

profile rise rapidly during

the crisis, even eclipsing the

popularity of his boss midlast

year as Austria managed

to keep the pandemic

relatively at bay during the

first wave.

Anschober told AFP in an

interview last year how

helping steer the country

through the pandemic had

been "quite a challenge",

including curtailing

freedoms normally

defended by the Greens,

such as those of movement

and assembly.

Muslims start Ramadan

under the shadow of the

coronavirus

JAKARTA : Surging coronavirus cases in

many parts of the world overshadowed the

start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan

on Tuesday, with festivities curtailed by

contagion fears.

Europe, the worst-hit continent, passed

the threshold of one million coronavirus

deaths, while South Asian countries battle a

spiralling outbreak of the disease that has

crippled the global economy.

Vaccination drives are giving hope to

people fed up with restrictions that are well

into a second year, and India - which is

experiencing a record surge in cases - was

given a boost as it authorised Russia's

Sputnik V Covid-19 drug.

The total number of virus deaths is

approaching 3 million, according to an AFP

tally of official data, as the World Health

Organization warned infections are rising

exponentially despite efforts aimed at

stopping them.

From Indonesia to Egypt, many Muslims

around the world started Ramadan after

religious leaders confirmed the month of

fasting would begin on Tuesday, though

restrictions on worshippers varied from

country to country.

WedneSdAY, APRil 14, 2021

7

Jakarta's newly renovated Istiqlal Mosque

- Southeast Asia's largest - welcomed

congregants for the first time on Monday

night after more than a year of closure

because of the pandemic.

Mohamad Fathi, a resident of the

Indonesian capital, told AFP this year's

Ramadan was happier than in 2020, when

people were banned from taking part in

taraweeh (evening) prayers. "Last year it was

gloomy as we were not allowed to go to the

mosque for taraweeh prayers," he said.

"But this year, I am so happy finally we can

go to the mosque to perform taraweeh

prayers at the mosque although we are under

strict health protocol during the prayer."

The government of the world's most

populous Muslim-majority nation has

imposed limits, with mosques only able to

host congregants at a maximum of 50

percent capacity. Worshippers are required

to wear masks and bring their own prayer

mats.

Several regions in Indonesia have banned

gatherings for fast-breaking and religious

leaders have encouraged people to pray at

home in certain zones where virus cases are

spiking.

Surging coronavirus cases in many parts of the world overshadowed the start of

the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Tuesday, with festivities curtailed by

contagion fears.

Photo : AP

Tehran announces Ramadan

starts Wednesday in Iran

TEHRAN : The Muslim holy fasting month

of Ramadan will begin Wednesday in Iran,

the office of the Islamic republic's supreme

leader announced as the country fights the

region's deadliest coronavirus outbreak.

"The Ramadan month's crescent was not

viewed at dusk on Monday," state news

agency IRNA reported on Tuesday, referring

to the search for a crescent moon that

heralds the start of the holy month.

Therefore "Wednesday, the 25th of

Farvardin, will be the first day of the blessed

month of Ramadan," it added, quoting a

statement from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's

office.

The start of Ramadan is set by both lunar

calculations and physical sightings that

determine when one month ends and

another begins.

During Ramadan, observant Muslims

refrain from eating and drinking from dawn

to dusk, and traditionally gather with family

and friends to break their fast in the evening.

The holy month approaches as Iran is

struggling to contain its "fourth wave" of

Covid-19 infections and deaths, blamed by

officials on a surge in trips made during last

month's Persian New Year holidays.

Total cases have spiked above two million

with overall fatalities at almost 65,000.

On Monday, the health ministry

announced 23,311 new cases in 24 hours, a

new daily infection record.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki on Monday

urged the population to stay at home to pray.

Group prayers should be held only once a

day, "with a minimum number of people, in

the open air, while observing maximum

distance and using masks," he said.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, faced

with a deep economic crisis, on Saturday

announced "aid packages" for the month of

Ramadan intended for "60 million people"

out of Iran's estimated 83 million.

Merkel seizes reins as German

states dither over virus

BERLIN : The German government is

expected to agree Tuesday on controversial

changes to a national infections control law

which would hand Berlin more centralised

power to impose sweeping measures to curb

the raging coronavirus pandemic.

The proposed changes, criticised by some

states, could give Chancellor Angela Merkel's

government the power to impose night-time

curfews and close schools in areas with high

infection rates.

The move aims to end a political tug-of-war

between the federal government and powerful

regions over coronavirus measures, as

Germany remains gripped by a dangerous

third wave of the pandemic which is putting

increased strain on the country's health

system.

Currently coronavirus measures are decided

on in consultation with Berlin and - in theory

- implemented by the federal states.

Yet in many cases, regional leaders have

failed to put in place shutdown measures to

which they agreed with Merkel, with some

even allowing shops and cinemas to reopen.

At a press conference on Monday, Merkel's

spokesman Steffen Seibert said the new law

aimed to create "uniform national" rules.

"The aim is to bring the country as quickly as

possible to a situation with much lower

infection rates at which we can responsibly

ease restrictions with testing," he said.

Regular meetings between Berlin and the

regions to set Germany's coronavirus policies

have been marked by bitter disputes and

spotty compliance in recent weeks.

Most notably, some states have not followed

through on an agreement to row back on the

easing of measures in areas where the sevenday

incidence rate exceeds 100 new infections

per 100,000 people.

The adjusted law set to pass cabinet on

Tuesday would give Berlin the power to

enforce this "emergency brake".

In a draft seen by AFP over the weekend,

measures included a night-time curfew

between 9pm and 5am, the closing of nonessential

shops and restricting private

gatherings to five people from two

households.

The draft would also see Berlin force schools

- usually strictly within the remit of the federal

states - to revert to virtual teaching in most

cases.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 8

19.70 lakh tonnes of winter vegetables

produced in Rajshahi division

Dhaka East, Dhaka North & Chattogram North Zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized quarterly

Business Development Conference through virtual platform on 12 April 2021. Mohammed Monirul Moula,

Managing Director and CEO of the bank addressed the conference as chief guest. Md. Omar Faruk Khan,

Additional Managing Director, Abu Reza Md. Yeahia & Mohammad Ali, Deputy Managing Directors, Md.

Mostafizur Rahman Siddiquee, Md. Siddiqur Rahman, Md. Motiar Rahman, Md. Jamal Uddin Majumder,

Mohammad Shabbir, Md. Mahboob Alam, Mohammod Ullah, Abu Naser Mohammed Nazmul Bari, Mizanur

Rahman, Md. Nayer Azam & G.M. Mohd. Gias Uddin Quader, Senior Executive Vice Presidents addressed the

conference. Senior executives of Head Office, Head of Branches, Manager Operations and In-charge of

Departments under the Zones attended the conference.

Photo : Courtesy

Microsoft buying speech recognition

firm Nuance in $16B deal

Microsoft, on an accelerated

growth push, is buying speech

recognition company Nuance

in a deal worth about $16

billion, reports UNB.

The acquisition will get

Microsoft deeper into hospitals

and the health care industry

through Nuance's widely used

medical dictation and

transcription tools.

Microsoft will pay $56 per

share cash. That's a 23%

premium to Nuance's Friday

closing price. The companies

value the transaction including

debt at $19.7 billion.

Shares of Burlington,

Massachusetts-based Nuance

surged about 16% in Monday

trading. Nuance has been a

pioneer in voice-based artificial

intelligence technology and was

instrumental in helping to

power Apple's digital assistant

Siri. It has since shifted its focus

to health care, including a

product that listens in on exam

room conversations between

physicians and patients and

automatically writes up the

doctor's recommendations,

such as for prescriptions or lab

work.

"This clinical documentation

essentially writes itself, giving

physicians time back to focus

on patient care," Microsoft

CEO Satya Nadella said on a

conference call about the deal

Monday.

Microsoft and Nuance had

already formed a business

partnership in 2019. That

relationship grew during the

pandemic, enabling Nuance to

bring its patient-physician

transcription services into

telehealth appointments using

Microsoft's video conference

app Teams. The Redmond,

Washington, software giant

said that this month's deal will

double its potential market in

the health care provider

industry to nearly $500 billion.

"Put Microsoft and Nuance

together and it allows Microsoft

to go after the exploding health

care market, which is on fire

right now as it's modernizing,

adopting digital engagement

and moving to the cloud," said

Forrester analyst Kate Leggett.

Nuance's products include

clinical speech recognition

software offerings such as

Dragon Ambient eXperience,

Dragon Medical One and

PowerScribe, all of which are

now built on Microsoft's Azure

cloud platform. The companies

said Nuance products are used

by more than 55% of physicians

and 75% of radiologists in the

U.S., and by 77% of U.S.

hospitals. Revenue from its

health care cloud business grew

37% year-over-year in fiscal

2020.

"AI is technology's most

important priority, and health

care is its most urgent

application," Nadella said.

Microsoft also has its own

digital voice assistant, Cortana,

but its use has been limited

compared to similar consumeroriented

systems from

Amazon, Google and Apple.

Nuance has sought to refine its

voice recognition technology

beyond consumer use to better

understand the complexities of

medical jargon.

Aside from health care,

Nuance provides voice-related

Md. Habibur Rahman, Additional Managing Director of Union Bank Limited

inaugurated theShibganj Sub-Branch, Shibganj, Chapainawabganj as the chief

guest through video conference from Head Office, Dhaka with the maintain

health rules. Deputy Managing Director Hasan Iqbal, Md. Nazrul Islam,SEVP

Golam Mostafa and Businessman of Shibganj Md. Ismail Khan Shamim were

present as special guests.Besides, high officials of head office of the bank, local

elite of Chapainawabganj were present at the ceremony. A Doa-Mahfil was also

organized on the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

AI technology in other

products, including security

features that can recognize and

authenticate individual voices

so they can unlock an online

account. Nuance also sells

automated call-center and

customer-service chatbot

services to retailers,

telecommunications firms and

other sectors.

Scott Guthrie, who leads

Microsoft's cloud and AI

division, said Monday that

Nuance's medical industry

expertise could eventually

expand to other uses, such as

interpreting conversations

between financial advisers and

their clients. The transaction is

Microsoft's second largest deal

following its $26 billion

purchase of LinkedIn in 2016.

Last September, it bought video

game maker ZeniMax for $7.5

billion. Leggett said the Nuance

deal fits a push by cloud

computing providers like

Microsoft to supply "industryspecific

AI," or technology

that's tailored to the special

needs of the health industry

and other sectors.

That gives Microsoft access to

a new set of customers, said

Gartner analyst Greg Pessin.

"Right now the CIO is who

they market to, with Office and

Teams and the operating

systems," Pessin said. "This is a

different market, with chief

medical officers and the

doctors.

RAJSHAHI : More than 19.70

lakh tonnes of vegetables were

produced in all eight districts

under Rajshahi division during

the recent past winter season

making all concerned including

farmers, traders and

consumers satisfied amid the

Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Officials said acreage of

winter vegetables is increasing

in the region continuously as a

result of motivational initiatives

by various government and

non-government organizations

to reduce gradually mounting

pressure on groundwater.

The Department of

Agricultural Extension (DAE)

had set the target to bring

86,653 hectares of land but the

farmers had cultivated the

seasonal crops on 92,132

hectares in the region including

its vast Barind tract during the

last winter season.

DAE Additional Director

Sirajul Islam said the vegetable

cultivation has become the best

ways of changing fate of the

farmers in general with

reasonable investment.

Abdul Bari, 42, a farmer at

Karnahar village under Paba

Upazila, said he earned Tk

35,000 after selling red

amaranth from one bigha of

land against the production

cost of around Tk 8,000.

US, IMF push

others to support

Sudan debt relief

WASHINGTON : The

United States and the IMF

on Monday urged other

governments to join in the

effort to provide debt relief

to crisis-hit Sudan.

The US Treasury held a

roundtable with 20

countries to advance

Sudan's efforts to secure

relief on $50 billion in

foreign debt under the

Heavily Indebted Poor

Countries (HIPC) initiative,

created by the International

Monetary Fund and World

Bank.

Treasury official Andy

Baukol highlighted "the

progress Sudan's civilian-led

transitional government has

made in implementing

macroeconomic reforms,"

according to a Treasury

readout of the meeting.

He called on the countries

to "fully support Sudan in its

efforts to reach the first

phase of the HIPC process

by mid-2021, and urged all

IMF members to support

expeditious clearance of

Sudan's IMF arrears."

IMF First Deputy

Managing Director Geoffrey

Okamoto told reporters

Monday that the fund is

actively working to find

more help for the African

nation.

In order to qualify for

relief, countries must

establish a six-month track

record under a "staff

monitored program,"

according to the IMF.

Biden meets with CEOs on

semiconductor shortage,

says US must invest

WASHINGTON : President Joe Biden met virtually Monday

with leading CEOs for a summit on the semiconductor

shortage as he works to build support for his infrastructure bill.

Biden, in brief remarks to a group that included the leaders of

General Motors, Alphabet/Google, and US semiconductor

powerhouse Intel, said the United States must build up its own

infrastructure to prevent future supply crises.

"We led the world in the middle of the 20th century," Biden

said. "We led the world toward the end of the century, we're

going to lead the world again." "I've been saying for some time

now, China and the rest of the world is not waiting. And there's

no reason why Americans should wait," the president said.

"We're investing aggressively in areas like semiconductors and

batteries, that's what they're doing and others, so must we."

The gathering, which is being led by National Security

Advisor Jake Sullivan, National Economic Council Director

Brian Deese, and the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo,

comes as a shortage of semiconductors wreaks havoc on

supply chains in several sectors.

The crunch has badly dented US auto manufacturing, with

General Motors, Ford and other carmakers temporarily

shuttering some factories or reducing production.

He is very much happy over

vegetable farming because he

obtained good yield with a fair

market price within a short

time.Mozammel Haque, 37,

another farmer of Palpur

village under Godagari Upazila,

said not only red amaranth but

also many other short duration

vegetables are produced here.

He has become an icon of

vegetable cultivation in his

locality. His annual earnings

are around Tk four to five lakh

on an average at present.

He has started vegetable

farming with brinjal on only

five decimal of fallow land after

failing to get irrigation water for

Irri-boro farming around five

years back.

His initial income was around

GD–656/21 (7x3)

Memo No.-661

GD–655/21 (7x3)

Tk 15,000 that inspires him to

expand vegetables farming

commercially.

Haque said farmers in the

region are very much happy as

they avail the scopes of

recouping the losses caused by

the adverse impacts of climate

change and Covid-19 after

getting lucrative high price of

vegetables. He added that the

farmers get benefit by farming

vegetables in the region

including its vast Barind Tract.

It brings a smile on marginal

farmers and poor people's

faces, he added.

Besides, he said vegetable

farming on both commercial

and non-commercial basis is

gradually increasing in the

Barind area as many people are

e-Tender Notice

seen humming towards the

farming leaving behind the

high-irrigation consuming

crops. On behalf of the

'Integrated Water Resource

Management (IWRM)' project,

more than 12.58 lakh

community people of 2.66 lakh

households are being

motivated and encouraged

towards vegetable farming to

reduce the pressure on

underground water.

The project is being

implemented in around 1,280

drought-hit villages in 39 Union

Parishads and three

municipalities of eight Upazilas in

Rajshahi, Naogaon and

Chapainawabganj districts since

2014, said Jahangir Alam Khan,

Coordinator of the project..

Date : 12/04/2021

WEDnESDAy, AfRil 14, 2021

9

Pereira converts a penalty to score the opening goal for Sam Allardyce's side.

Photo: AP

West Brom sink Saints to boost slender

survival hopes, Everton frustrated

SPORTS DESK

West Bromwich Albion improved

their slender hopes of avoiding

relegation from the Premier

League as they survived VAR

controversy to beat Southampton

3-0, while Everton's fading top

four bid was damaged by a 0-0

draw at Brighton on Monday,

reports UNB.

Albion saw Mbaye Diagne's

goal questionably ruled out by

VAR early in the first half at the

Hawthorns. But Sam Allardyce's

side recovered from that blow to

sweep into a two-goal lead by

half-time thanks to Matheus

Pereira's penalty and a Matt

Phillips strike. Callum Robinson

sealed West Brom's second

successive win after the interval

as the Baggies built on their

stunning 5-2 victory at Chelsea.

Second bottom Albion move

within eight points of fourth

bottom Newcastle with seven

games left. The Baggies have

scored eight goals in their last two

games, two more than they had

netted in their previous 11

combined, but their unexpected

revival might have come too late

to save them from slipping into

the Championship.

"We have had two very

important wins that are pricking

up people's ears but unfortunately

we have to rely on other people

losing," Allardyce said. The latest

VAR row in a season of problems

with the technology drew a

scathing response from Allardyce.

"I'm afraid so," he said when

asked if VAR is a laughing stock.

"There are too many of us not

being given an opportunity to

express how to make it better."

Ice-cool Pereira -

Southampton's limp display was

the worst possible preparation for

next weekend's FA Cup semi-final

against Leicester. After just four

minutes it looked like being a

frustrating evening for Albion.

Diagne nodded in from closerange

and was flagged

offside, with VAR backing

the onfield call because

television cameras could

not get the right angle to

conclusively prove the

striker was on or offside.

But Pereira was brought

down by Saints keeper

Fraser Forster in the 32nd

minute and the Brazilian

picked himself up to

dispatch the spot-kick.

Phillips got the second

three minutes later when

he converted Diagne's

cross at the far post.

Robinson put the result

beyond doubt in the 69th

minute when he drilled in

from Okay Yokuslu's pass.

Adding

to

Southampton's woes,

Johnstone saved James

Ward-Prowse's stoppagetime

penalty after Conor

Townsend's foul on

Moussa Djenepo. At the

Amex Stadium, Everton

were hoping to close the

gap on fourth placed West

Ham in the race to qualify

for next season's

Champions League. But

Carlo Ancelotti's team

managed only one shot

on target as their

winless run extended to

five games in all

competitions. Brighton

dominated for long

periods and Neal

Maupay and Yves

Bissouma, with a

spectacular overhead

kick, both went close in

the first half. Lewis

Dunk's goalbound flick

brought a fine save from

Everton keeper Robin Olsen

after the break.

England paceman Jofra

Archer cleared to train

again after hand surgery

SPORTS DESK

England pace bowler Jofra Archer has been

cleared to resume light training following

surgery for a freak hand injury with no timeline

for his return to competitive action, the

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said

on Tuesday, reports UNB. Archer underwent

surgery to remove a glass fragment from a

tendon on his right hand after an attempt to

clean his fish tank went wrong. The 26-year-old

sustained the injury at his home in January and

the operation was carried out while he was still

undergoing treatment for a long-term elbow

injury."… Archer has been given the all-clear by

his hand consultant to resume training after his

right hand continues to heal following his

operation," ECB said in a statement. "He will return

to light training this week, working closely with the

Sussex and England men's medical teams. It's

hoped that he will be able to up his intensity with

his bowling from next week.

"No decision has been made as yet on when

Archer is due to return to playing."

Archer's hand injury was managed by England

during their recent test and T20 series in

India.Indian Premier League side Rajasthan

Royals, who first bought the Barbados-born

paceman for 72 million Indian rupees

($955,109) in 2018, said that they were hopeful

he can play a part in the current campaign.

Son row shows game still struggles

with simulation debate

SPORTS DESK

The issue of 'simulation', more colloquially

known as playacting, is one football has long

struggled to confront and it has returned as a

major talking point after Sunday's Premier

League match between Tottenham Hotspur

and Manchester United, reports UNB. Spurs

manager Jose Mourinho and United boss Ole

Gunnar Solskjaer traded barbs over

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min's

reaction to being accidentally caught in the

face by the hand of United midfielder Scott

McTominay. Son fell to the ground clutching

his face and, after United scored from the

resulting attack, was surrounded by his team

mates while he lay on the pitch. In the

meantime, referee Chris Kavanagh was called

to the pitchside monitor by VAR to review the

incident and decided, to Solskjaer's fury, to

disallow the goal.

The Norwegian said the referee had been

"conned" and television pundits lambasted

the decision with ex-Manchester City

defender Micah Richards saying: "It's

embarrassing, this is not football

anymore".Former referee Peter Walton said

the officials had got the call wrong.

Professional Game Match Officials Limited

(PGMOL), the body responsible for match

officials in English professional football, said

the United player's flailing arm "wasn't part

of McTominay's natural running movement

and was careless". Whatever the merits of

those views in relation to the incident and

South Korea international Son's behaviour at

the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where

United won 3-1, the issue of simulation is one

of the most emotive in the game. Whether it

be feigning injury to get a player booked or

sent off, 'diving' to win a penalty, or

exaggerating contact to ensure a favourable

decision, claims of dishonesty inevitably raise

tempers.

Such behaviour is punishable with a yellow

card under the laws of the game, where it is

covered as "attempts to deceive the referee"

yet interestingly such sanctions have become

increasingly rare in the Premier League.

The data suggests the key factor in the

decline has been the absence of supporters

over the past year. "Typically somewhere

between 20 and 30 yellow cards per season

(including second yellows) were being given

for diving prior to lockdown last year. Since

then there have been just four, all of which

were this season," says Simon Gleave, head of

sports analysis at Nielsen's Gracenote. While

the absence of fans, howling their outrage at

a 'dive', may be a key factor, the nature of

simulation has arguably also changed.

Barcelona surpass

Real Madrid to

become world's

most valuable club

SPORTS DESK

Barcelona have leapfrogged

Spanish rivals Real Madrid

to become the world's most

valuable soccer club with a

valuation of $4.76 billion,

according to a list published

by business magazine

Forbes here on Monday,

reports UNB. Real Madrid,

who have topped the list five

times in the past, edged

Barcelona 2-1 in 'El Clasico'

on Saturday but find

themselves second best off

the pitch with a valuation of

$4.75 billion.Forbes said the

average worth of the top 20

clubs has increased by 30%

from two years ago to $2.28

billion despite the Covid-19

pandemic impacting

matchday revenue, which

fell to $441 million last

season-down 9.6% from

2017-18. "The pain is far

from over, with a worsening

decline in matchday revenue

during the current season, as

most of the teams in

Europe's top leagues still

permit few fans to attend

games," wrote Forbes'

assistant managing editor

Mike Ozanian. European

champions Bayern Munich

($4.215 billion) are third on

the list while the Premier

League's 'Big Six'-

Manchester United,

Liverpool, Manchester City,

Chelsea, Arsenal and

Tottenham Hotspur-are in

the top 10. French

champions and last year's

Champions League runnersup

Paris St Germain moved

up to ninth after being

valued at $2.5 billion with a

129% increase in two yearsthe

biggest increase among

the top 10 clubs. According

to Forbes, the world's 20

most valuable soccer teams

are worth an average of

$2.28 billion apiece, an

increase of 30% from two

years ago, the last time we

published the ranking. The

jump comes despite a

decline in revenue caused by

limited attendance during

the pandemic, with buyers

focused on what they see as

still untapped revenue

potential in the sport's

massive global following.

GD-662/21 (13X6)

WeDNesDAY, AprIL 14, 2021

10

Kobori's

health

condition

stable

TBT resporT

Fagun Audio Vision with special

programme 'Panchforon'

TBT reporT

Fagun Audio Vision is up with its annual special

magazine show "Panchforon" on the occasion of

Pohela Boishakh

The magazine show made in the form of a talk

show will showcase two friends discussing various

contemporary issues regarding the society, read a

press release.

Their conversations will be interspaced with

various songs, short plays, and special reports.

Popular actors Mir Sabbir and Saju Khadem will

play the role of the two friends in this year's

"Panchforon".

The show features three main songs. One of them

is performed by Baul artist Shafi Mandal who wrote

and gave tune to the song while Mehedi composed

the music. The music video was shot at beautiful

locations near Dhaka.

Popular musician Bappa Majumder and his

friends gave voice to Kabir Bakul's song. Bappa

composed the tune and music of the song.

Artist Akbar Udasi also performed a song about

Baishakh. Aside from entertainment pieces,

"Panchforon" will also feature some investigative

reports. There is a report on Idris Ali Khan of

Faridpur upazila of Pabna who is a lover of banyan

trees. For the last 33 years, Idris has planted banyan

trees in his village and nearby villages.

There is a report on Dasu Chandra Barman of

Tikil village in Nachol upazila of Chapainawabganj

Sadar. Through Alpana, Dasu has painted the walls

of his house with traditional images from Bengali

culture.

There is also a report on Rezaul Karim Aslam of

Akua village in Sadar upazila of Mymensingh

district, who collects rare indigenous musical

instruments to keep the development and tradition

of folk music alive.

As the show revolves around a special day, it

usually includes short plays on that day's theme.

This year the programme will include some comedy

and parody short plays. The short plays will star

actors such as Ziaul Hasan Kislu, Subhashish

Bhowmik, Kazi Asad, Kamal Bayazid, Amin Azad,

Shelly Ahsan, Binoy Bhadra, Swapan, Nisa, Shahed

Ali, Zahid Sikder, Nazrul Islam, Sajal, Anwar Shahi,

Hashim Masud, Tania, Ira and many more.

Akshaye, Raveena in debut

web series Legacy

Actors Akshaye Khanna and

Raveena Tandon are set to share

screen space as rivals in The

Accidental Prime Minister

director Vijay Gutte's upcoming

drama series Legacy. The duo

was previously part of the

ensemble in JP Dutta's 2003 war

drama LOC: Kargil.

Legacy would mark Khanna's

debut in the digital space.

The Ittefaq actor said he was

thrilled to come on board the

series as it aims to provide

quality entertainment to the

audience.

"It is refreshing to work on the

content that challenges our

boundaries as an industry as a

whole. Given the massive scale of

the show, we are cognizant of the

immense responsibility to deliver

our best to create a content piece

the audience looks forward to.

I'm glad Legacy is going to be my

first web series," Khanna, 46,

said in a statement.

According to the makers, the

show will be mounted on a big

scale with the team intending to

shoot it across multiple foreign

locations. Tandon said the series

presents an "interesting tale of

power struggle" with an engaging

drama at the backdrop.

"It is a fine work of content

articulated interestingly to

resonate with a global audience. I

am excited to be associated with

the show and looking forward to

beginning this journey," she said.

The series would also reunite

Khanna with Gutte after their

2019 political drama The

Accidental Prime Minister. The

director called Legacy an

aspirational project which would

reflect the "dark realities of the

professional world."

Source: Hindustan Times

The current condition of Dhallywood's

legendary actress Sarah Begum Kobori, who

is also an MP from the Narayanganj

constituency, is stable, however she is not

out of danger, confirmed Shaker Chisty, who

has been taking care of her mother all the

time in hospital.

The actress was shifted to the ICU of

Sheikh Russel Gastroliver Hospital in the

Momotaz, leading Bangladeshi

folk singer and MP, has been

conferred an honorary doctorate

by an Indian university, reports

UNB.

According to a post on her

Facebook page on Monday night,

the singer received this honorary

degree from Global Human

Peace University in the southern

Indian state of Tamil Nadu for

her contributions to folk music in

her three-decade-long career.

"Momotaz Begum has been

awarded the prestigious 'Doctor

of Music' by the university's

founder and chairperson Dr P

Manuel on April 10. The degree

was presented to her, honouring

her career and legacy for

numerous achievements such as

being the only music artist with a

world record of 800 music

albums, playing her role as a

singer through upholding the

pride of Bengali music in front of

the entire world, popularising folk

music in the society, achieving

multiple National Awards in

Bangladesh and engaging in

capital's Mohakhali when her condition

deteriorated on April 8 after being

contracted Covid-19.

Giving the latest news of Kobori's

condition, Shaker Chisty said mother's

condition is stable. "She is still in the ICU.

The risk is not completely gone. I urge all to

pray for my mother."

many socio-cultural activities,"

the post read.

Apart from enthralling

Bangladeshi audiences the world

over for the past 30 years,

Momotaz Begum has also been

actively engaged in politics since

Kanye West agrees with Kim Kardashian West that

they should have joint custody of their four children

and neither of them need spousal support,

according to new divorce documents.

West's attorneys filed his response Friday in Los

Angeles Superior Court to Kardashian West's

divorce filing seven weeks earlier, which began the

process of ending their six-and-a-half-year

marriage.

West's filing was virtually identical to Kardashian

West's original petition, agreeing that the marriage

should end over irreconcilable differences, and that

the two should share custody of their children:

North, age 7, Saint, age 5, Chicago, age 3, and

Psalm, who turns 2 next month.

And like Kardashian West's filing, West's asks

that the court's right to award spousal support to

either person be terminated.

The divorce filings bring an impending end to

one of the most followed celebrity unions in recent

decades, between the 40-year-old reality TV

superstar Kardashian West, and the 43-year-old

rap and fashion mogul West.

It was the first marriage for West and the third

for Kardashian West, who has not asked the court

to change her name back to just Kardashian,

though she may still do so during the divorce

process.

Source: Indian Express

It is to be mentioned that Kobori

suddenly suffered from whooping cough

and fever, as a result, she did a sample test

for Covid-19 as per the doctor's

consultation.

On April 5, her Cvoid-19 sample test result

came positive. Later, Kobori immediately

admitted to a hospital in the capital.

Momotaz conferred honorary

doctorate by Indian university

2009. She is currently serving as

a Jatiya Sangsad member

representing the ruling party

from the Manikganj-2

constituency.

She was nominated as a

Member of Parliament by the

Bangladesh Awami League in the

reserved women's seat of the

Ninth National Assembly in

2009. And in 2014 and 2018, she

was elected from Manikganj-2

constituency on Awami League

ticket.

Momotaz hogged limelight

after her stellar performance in

her popular track 'Return Ticket'

on the popular magazine show

Ityadi in 2001. The song was

penned by renowned lyricist

Mohammad Rafiquzzaman and

tuned by Sohail Aziz.

Apart from music and politics,

Momotaz has also been

associated with various sociocultural

activities. Out of her

social responsibilities, she

established an Eye Hospital in her

native village Joymontop in

Singair upazila of Manikganj.

Kanye West agrees with Kim

Kardashian on joint custody

in divorce response

H o r o s c o p e

ArIes

(March 21 - April 20) : There's an

emotional intensity inside you today that's

squirming to find a way out, Aries. Sudden

outbursts are likely, so take care to hold

your temper in check. Surround yourself with good

friends who can support your erratic feelings. Don't be

clingy. Seek friends who are thoughtful listeners, not

permanent crutches. They may be feeling the same strong

tension and don't need an extra burden.

TAUrUs

(April 21 - May 21) : Today may have

some crazy emotional ups and downs,

Taurus. There seems to be an intense

cloud seeping into every part of your day.

Don't try to fool people. They will see right through

you. Bursts of positive energy will pop out of nowhere

to remind you of your more important purpose. Try

not to get so bogged down in the heaviness of the day

that you fail to spot opportunities that arise.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : This day will be filled

with many exciting surprises for you, Gemini.

Approach it with gratitude and you will be

amazed at the number of things that just

naturally seem to flow your way. Your generous heart will be

rewarded in unexpected ways. Old friends are likely to show

up. Open yourself up to conversations. Act spontaneously

and with a great deal of passion.

cANcer

(June 22 - July 23) : There's a larger

trend operating in your life, Cancer. It's

asking you to break the rules and enter a

new realm - a new mindset or way of

living. Today that trend comes into focus, as emotional

outbursts call attention to the changes. Your heart may

want to go one way while your brain wants to go

another. Take deep breaths and infuse a wave of calm

into the situation before you proceed.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Pour yourself a

comforting cup of tea today, Leo. Take

a hot shower or a long bath. In short,

pamper yourself. You may be picking

up on the extra tension of the people around you.

Be conscious of this and make a mental note to

strip away the garbage that others dump on you.

You're a sensitive individual. Pat yourself on the

back and look out for sudden moves from others.

VIrGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): It may be that people

are a bit upset by some of your recent actions or

words, Virgo. The offhand remark you made a

couple weeks ago is catching up to you. What

you may consider friendly, lighthearted sparring may actual do

a bit of damage to someone's sensitive emotions, especially

today. Think before you speak. Others might not have as tough

a skin as they seem to have.

LIBrA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): This is an exciting

day for you, Libra. You can accomplish

quite a bit. Your intuition is especially

acute and your sensitivity is strong.

Computers might irritate you today. It's possible to

get all worked up if your laptop crashes. Save your

work often. Keep in mind that it's just a machine.

Don't let it get the better of you.

scorpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : You might be a bit

jittery, even without caffeine,

Scorpio. Sudden actions may cause

people to freak out, since people will

be on edge in general today anyway. Save the

surprises for another time. If you need to tell your

boss that you're going on vacation for a little

while, now isn't the time. There's a rough edge to

the astral energy. Relax to soothe your soul.

sAGITTArIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Things may be

coming at you from all angles today,

Sagittarius. Sooner or later you will be

forced to take action. It may seem like

the walls of the room are slowly caving in. The

pressure is building and the air is getting stagnant.

Go out for a run. Exercise will help you release some

of that pressure you feel.

cAprIcorN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): You may be excited

about an idea today, Capricorn, but

unfortunately no one else may be. You

spring up with enthusiasm only to

smack into a brick wall. One side of you may be

communicative and witty while the other is

confused. The two sides aren't really connecting well,

so perhaps you should just lay low. Hold on to your

ideas, and save their presentation for a later day.

AQUArIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Much of today will

be a continuation of yesterday, but

with perhaps a bit more intensity for

you, Aquarius. There's an added buzz

in the air, like static on a radio. This background

noise may not provide the best environment to

work in, but you should be able to navigate with no

problem. Tune out the chatter and move on.

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Today is one of those

days when you might feel like four people

have a hold of each of your limbs, Pisces. The

people are tugging and you're getting

stretched in every direction. Someone wants you to go there,

someone wants you to come here. Take some time out for

yourself and clearly state your needs to others. Make it known

what the best situation for you would be.

wednesday, april 14, 2021

11

GD-666/21 (4x3)

Brazil judge halts parts of Bolsonaro's

decrees to relax gun laws

BRASÍLIA : A judge on Brazil's Supreme Federal Court on

Monday suspended parts of four decrees issued by President

Jair Bolsonaro relaxing the country's gun control laws.

Bolsonaro issued the decrees on February 12, and they were

to go into effect Tuesday. Justice Rosa Weber's decision

regarding the decrees will be analyzed by the plenary of the

court from Friday, along with other appeals filed by multiple

groups against the right-wing president's arms policy.

Among other changes, Weber eliminated a section that

increased the number of firearms Brazilian civilians can own

from four to six. The section also would have allowed police

and other security agents to own six to eight guns.

She also removed a section that authorized people to carry up

to two guns in public, instead of one, and another part that

increased the amount of ammunition that hunters and sport

shooters can buy, as well as a section that allowed shooting

organizations and schools to purchase unlimited ammunition.

There is "unequivocal correlation between the facilitation of

the population's access to firearms and the diversion of these

products to criminal organizations, militias and criminals in

general, through robberies or clandestine trade, increasing

even more the general indexes of patrimonial crimes, violent

crimes and homicides," the justice wrote.

Bolsonaro, a former army captain, is an outspoken gunrights

advocate who regularly posts pictures on social media of

himself at the shooting range.

GD-654/21 (4x3)

GD-664/21 (8x3)

GD-657/21 (10x3)

GD-658/21 (10x3)

Wednesday, Dhaka, April 14, 2021, Baishakh 1, 1428 BS, Ramadan 1, 1442 Hijri

Fresh lockdown in Bangladesh

Experts skeptical about

having any great result

DHAKA : A fresh lockdown with

harsher measures is going to be

enforced in the country from

Wednesday in an effort to rein in

Covid transmission, but experts say

the lockdown is unlikely to help

reap any great results for lack of

preparations to implement the

restrictions, reports UNB.

They said a curfew-like situation

must be created during the lockdown

by engaging the members of

the Army and BGB alongside the

regular law enforcers to force people

to maintain health safety rules

and stay indoors.

The experts also opposed the government's

decision to keep mills

and factories open during the lockdown

as they fear it will help the

virus continue to spread.

They said the government should

have provided the destitute, daylabourers

and slum-dwellers with a

specific amount of money to manage

their food and livelihood before

enforcing the lockdown.

On April 5, a nationwide lockdown

was enforced for a week keeping

almost everything open. No positive

impact of the lockdown is visible

as the country witnessed the

highest weekly increase in virus

infections and fatalities with 47,518

new cases and 504 deaths during

the period.

Under the circumstances, the government

on Monday issued a set of

new directives to enforce a sevenday

strict lockdown from

Wednesday shutting all the offices

and public transports. However,

factories will remain open during

the lockdown.

Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director

(disease control) of the DGHS,

said extensive preparations are

needed to implement the lockdown

strictly.

"The big problem is that the government

is going to enforce the

lockdown again without any preparation.

"When you want to keep 17

crore people indoors for seven days,

it's a matter of serious preparation.

A large number of people are supposed

to be engaged in such a move

for its successful implementation,"

he said.

The expert said makeshift shops

should have been made in every

locality so that people can collect

their daily essentials during the

month of Ramadan from there

maintaining health safety rules.

He also said the low-income people

should have been given incentives

to encourage them to follow

the rules of hygiene and stay at

home.

"A slum dweller can't live on

unless he or she earns every day.

We should have made the list of

needy people and provide them

with a certain amount of money so

that they needn't go outside for

livelihood during the lockdown,"

the expert observed.

Besides, Be-Nazir said, a team of

volunteers should be there in every

area to ensure isolation of the family

members of the Covid patients

and help the government implement

its directives and restrictions.

"I personally think the government

has no preparation and wellthought-out

plans to control the

coronavirus transmission. That's

why they're taking whimsical decisions

and enforcing lockdown without

proper plans and preparations,"

he observed.

Hefazat violence in B’baria

60 held, two

more cases

filed

BRAHMANBARIA : Police have

arrested 60 people last 24 hours until

Tuesday and two more cases were filed

over the recent clashes and vandalism

by the supporters of Hefazat-e-Islam

Bangladesh in Brahmanbaria.

The cases were filed on behalf of

United College and Obaidul

Muktadir Chowdhury MohilaCollege

with Sadar Police Station on Monday.

So far 51 cases have been filed and

168 people arrested over the violence.

On March 27, at least five people were

killed and around50 others, including 25

police members, injured in clashes

between members of law enforcement

agencies and locals during Hefazat's

demonstrations at Nandanpur in Sadar

upazila, reports UNB.

They staged the demonstrations

against Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi's visit.

On the next day, during Hefazat's

countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal

protesting police action on their anti-

Modi processions in Dhaka,

Chattogram and other districts,

Hefazat-e-Islam activists set fire to

three buildings including the land

office in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila.

They attacked a Chattogram-bound

train at Talshohor Rail Station in

Brahmanbaria town.

Besides, the hartal supporters also

carried out vandalism in some private

and government establishments

including Zila Parishad building,

municipality building, Police Lines,

Industrial School, Land office,

Alauddin Music Academy, Foirtala

Bus Stand in Sadar upazila.

They also set fire to Alauddin Music

Academy building, land office in

Sadar upazila and Industrial School

building during the mayhem.

The hartal supporters also attacked

Brahmanbaria Press Club and confined

some journalists to the club

building.

On Tuesday, almost all roads of capital city were blocked before starting complete lockdown.

Photo : Star Mail

Soaring veggie prices sour

festive spirit for city residents

DHAKA : As Muslims worldwide

embark on the holy month of Ramadan

amid the Covid pandemic, soaring vegetable

prices in the kitchen markets of

Dhaka threaten to sour the festive spirit

for the residents of the city, reports

UNB.

The prices of aubergine, cucumber,

bitter gourd, ladies finger, zucchini, carrot,

pointed gourd (patal), arum and

green chilihave all drastically shot up

over the past week in the kitchen markets

of the capital, derailing the household

budget of many residents who are

already hit by the Covid-induced economic

slowdown.

While residents blame the government

for its failure to rein in the rates in

the kitchen markets during the festive

season, traders attribute the surge to

short supply amid the Covid pandemic

and rise in demand during Ramadan.

A reality check by UNB on Tuesday

revealed that traders at several city markets

were selling aubergine forTk70-80

a kg, cucumber for Tk80, bitter gourd

for Tk70, ladies finger forTk60-70,

green chili for Tk80, zucchini for Tk60,

carrot for Tk60,pointed gourd forTk60-

65, arum at Tk50-55 and yardlong bean

for Tk60 a kg.

According to the state-run Trading

Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data,

on April 12, the price of each kg of potato

increased by 10.53 percent, onion by

4 percent, garlic by 14.29 percent, local

dried pepper by 11.11 percent and the

imported one by 3.85 percent, ginger by

29.41 percent and a hali egg by 6.90 percent

as compared to the last week.

Similarly, a kg of fine rice was sold at

Tk60-65, medium rice at Tk52-60 and

coarse rice at Tk46-52in the city's

kitchen markets. Besides, flour was sold

at Tk30-45a kg and loose soybean at

Tk122-125a kg on Monday, according to

the data.

It may be mentioned here that

Bangladesh Industries Minister Nurul

Majid Mahmud Humayun said at a

webinaron Sunday thatthe price of

sugar was increased by Tk 3 a kg ahead

of Ramadan.As per the revised rate,

packed and loose sugar now cost

Tk68and Tk 63 a kg, respectively.

Some residents UNB spoke with

claimed that the prices of some vegetables-aubergine,

cucumber, bitter gourd,

ladies finger and green chilliesonTuesday

soared by as much asTk20-

30 a kg in just one day. They heldthe

government responsible for the increasing

veggie prices.

Ashikur Rahman, a resident of

Demra, said, "Thismorning, I was

shocked to see the vegetable prices at

our local kitchen market. On Monday, I

bought akg of aubergineand cucumber

for Tk50. The same items were being

sold forTk70-80a kg today."

Lockdown

8 special parcel

trains to operate

from Wednesday

DHAKA : Bangladesh Railway will

operate eight special parcel trains on different

routes to transport agricultural

goods and other products during the

countrywide lockdown to prevent the

transmission of Coronavirus, reports

UNB.

Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam

Sujon in a press briefing said the parcel

trains will operate alongside the other

freight trains amid the lockdown to keep

people's life uninturrpted.

Bangladesh is set to undergo a "strict

lockdown" from April 14.

The Ministry has taken the decision

for continue transportation of agricultural

goods, he said adding that currently

Bangladesh Railway is transporting

oil, fertilizers and other goods.

Train on Dhaka-Sylhet route will start

from Dhaka at 3:30 pm and the return

train will leave Sylhet at 6:45 am the

next day, on Chattogram-Sarishabari

route train will leave Chattogram at 3

pm and the return train will leave

Sarishabari at 5:30 am the next day.

On Saturday, Monday and

Wednesday the train on Khulna-

Chilahati route will start from Khulna at

3:30 pm and the return train will leave

Chilahati at 3:30 pm on Sunday,

Tuesday and Thursday.

Another train will be operated on Bir

Muktijoddha Shirajul Islam to Dhaka

route on Sunday, Tuesday and

Thursday.

Workers of a garment blocked Dhaka-Mymensing road demanding arrear.

KUSHTIA : Cinema halls in Kushtia

were already struggling due to the dominance

of television, internet, low quality

scripts and backdated infrastructure.

However, Covid-19 and the subsequent

lockdown and associated public

health protocols have acted as the final

nail in the coffin for the film theatres of

Kushtia

Among the 12 cinema halls of Kushtia,

only Banani Cinema Hall was operative

before the pandemic while the rest of the

dream palaces were already filled with

archaic equipment or abandoned all

together.

But sadly, all kinds of activities in the

only active cinema hall of Kushtia came

to a halt since the first Covid-19 lockdown

imposed last year. Now all the

workers involved in this industry have

become unemployed.

Roxy was the first Cinema Hall in the

city. Established at the heart of the city in

the 70's, this movie theatre has been

closed since 2003. Currently, it's being

used as the dumping ground of archaic

equipments and household commodities.

Keya Cinema Hall was also built at a

very busy place of the city. But currently

there is no sign of it. The Cinema Hall

was bulldozed and a corporate building

named Porimol Tower has been built in

its place.

Bani Cinema Hall, which had been

around for almost a decade, is now

being used as a community center.

Azad, a local businessman who used to

run the movie theatre stated that audiences

turned away from cinema halls

due to the dominance of sky culture and

declining quality in movies.

Photo : Star Mail

How Covid-19 brought the curtain

down on Kushtia's cinema halls

He was forced to take the decision of

converting the film theatre to a community

center due to continued loss, he

added.

The story of all the other movie theatres

in the district is more or less similar.

They have been either bulldozed or

renovated to serve a different purpose.

Bokul Hossain, the owner of the

Banani Cinema Hall, which was forced

to suspend its operations following

Covid-19 lockdown, said that it would be

possible to reopen the cinema halls if the

government provide loan assistance and

special incentive packages to the owners

of the movie theatres.

Khalek Bari, an employee of Banani

Cinema Hall said that goodwill of the

government is enough to bring back the

good old days of film theatres in

Bangladesh.

Lockdown : 5,000

people apply for

movement pass

DHAKA : Already 5,000 applications

have been filed for movement pass, a

police clearance that will be needed to

travel during the strict lockdown that

begins Wednesday, reports UNB.

Inspector General of Police Benazir

Ahmed inaugurated the movement pass

app on Tuesday.

"Already, 5,000 applications have been

submitted in just one hour. Anyone planning

to go outside Dhaka will require the

pass," the police chief said.

Conditional permission will be granted

for a specified period of time.

According to Police Headquarters, the

pass will be required to go out during

lockdown in case of emergency.

People going for official work, getting

Covid-19 vaccine jab, grocery shopping,

going to kitchen markets and medicine

shops are eligible for the pass.

Those going to receive medical services,

joining agricultural works, goods

transportation, supply, relief materials

supply, burial or cremation activities

among others, will also require the pass.

A pass can be used once. People will

need separate passes every time they

travel during the lockdown.

To register, one has to visit movementpass.police.gov.bd,and

put his or

her mobile phone number. They will be

redirected to a page where one has to

enter her/his date of birth.

From there, the applicant will be redirected

to another page where detailed

information will have to be entered.

States urged to take decisive, impactful,

measures against Myanmar military

DHAKA : UN High Commissioner for

Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on

Tuesday urged States to take immediate,

decisive and impactful measures to

push Myanmar's military leadership

into halting its campaign of repression

and slaughter of its people.

The High Commissioner called on the

Myanmar military and neighbouring

States to facilitate humanitarian access

to populations in need.

She urged neighbouring States to give

temporary protection to people fleeing

the violence, and to refrain from returning

people fleeing Myanmar at this time,

in accordance with the principle of nonrefoulement.

"We have witnessed yet another weekend

of coordinated bloodshed in many

parts of the country, including the

reported mass killing of at least 82 people

in Bago between Friday and

Saturday. The military seems intent on

intensifying its pitiless policy of violence

against the people of Myanmar, using

military-grade and indiscriminate

weaponry," Bachelet said in a statement

issued from Geneva.

There are clear echoes of Syria in 2011,

she said adding that there too, they saw

peaceful protests met with unnecessary

and clearly disproportionate force.

The State's brutal, persistent repression

of its own people led to some individuals

taking up arms, followed by a

downward and rapidly expanding spiral

of violence all across the country.

The UN High Commissioner for

Human Rights at the time warned in

2011 that the failure of the international

community to respond with united

resolve could be disastrous for Syria and

beyond.

The past ten years have shown just

how horrific the consequences have

been for millions of civilians.

"I fear the situation in Myanmar is

heading towards a full-blown conflict.

States must not allow the deadly mistakes

of the past in Syria and elsewhere

to be repeated."

Over the weekend, credible reports

indicate that Tatmadaw forces opened

fire with rocket-propelled grenades,

fragmentation grenades and mortar fire

in Bago in the south of the country.

Security forces also reportedly prevented

medical personnel from helping

the wounded, as well as charging relatives

a "fine" of roughly USD 90 to claim

the bodies of those who were killed.

Some individuals are also now resorting

to the use of makeshift or primitive

weapons in self-defence.

Clashes between the military and ethnic

armed groups have also intensified

in several locations in Kachin, Shan and

Kayin states, where the military have

been employing airstrikes that have

killed and displaced civilians.

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.

Editorial and News Office: Bangladesh Timber Building (3rd Floor) 270/B, Tejgaon I/A Dhaka-1208. Tel : +8802-8878026, Cell : 01736786915; Fax: + 880244611604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

14-04-2021

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