14-04-2021

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.
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