15-07-2021

thurSday

Dhaka: July 15, 2021; ashar 31, 1428 BS; Zilhaj 4,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.19; N o. 92; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Malaysia shuts

vaccination center

after 204 staff infected

>Page 7

80 to 90pc people

will be vaccinated

by Dec next : Hanif

KUSHTIA : Awami League Joint

General Secretary Mahabubul Alam

Hanif yesterday said about 80 to 90

percent of the country's population will

be inoculated by next December.

"COVID-19 vaccines are being collected

from various sources. Now there

is no problem with vaccines. About 80

to 90 percent of the country's people

will be brought under vaccine coverage

by December next," he told reporters.

Hanif was talking to reporters after a

view-exchange meeting with physicians

of Kushtia COVID-19 Dedicated

Hospital here.

Local administrations have been

asked to ensure that every person wears

mask in coordination with committees

formed at village level to deal with coronavirus

crisis, he said.

The AL joint general secretary said

the Kushtia General Hospital has

enough capacity for the treatment of

COVID-19 patients.

Selim Altaf George, MP, former principal

of Kushtia Medical College and

district BMA president Dr Mustanjid,

Sadar Upazila chairman Ataur Rahman

Ata and superintendent of COVID-19

Dedicated General Hospital Dr Abdul

Momen were, among others, present.

Govt gives

instructions for

cattle market

DHAKA : On the occasion of the

upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, the government

has urged all to follow the following

instructions for proper management

of the cattle markets.

The sacrificial cattle markets should be

set up by maintaining proper hygiene

rules and other government guidelines

alongside online cattle market arrangement,

an official handout said here.

Buyers and sellers should have oneway

movement (separate entrances

and exits) at the sacrificial cattle markets.

Elderly people and children are

discouraged to come the cattle markets.

Concerned authority should take necessary

steps in detecting counterfeit

money in the cattle markets and all

have to follow the proper hygiene rules

in the cattle markets.

All cattle markets should have temperature

measuring instrument, adequate

basin for hand washing, water

and disinfectant soap for public safety.

People need to be encouraged to buy

and sell sacrificial animals online as

241 digital haats across the country

have been added to the www.digitalhaat.net

platform.

Cattle Haats should not be set up in

places where the movement of vehicles

is disrupted. Legal action will be taken

against the violators through mobile

courts. The concerned authority must

ensure safe entry-exit in cattle market

and social distancing.

Animals should be sacrificed at places

designated by the government.

The concerned authorities have to

take necessary steps to remove the

waste within 24 hours after the animalsacrifice.

Zohr

03:55 AM

12:30 PM

04:43 PM

06:55 PM

08:18 PM

5:19 6:50

TBT RePoRT

SPortS

England sweep Pakistan

with James Vince's

century in 3rd ODI

>Page 9

The shops will be open from Thursday subject to conditions. Cleaning is going on. The picture is taken

from New market in the capital on Wednesday.

Photo : TBT

Bangladesh records 2nd highest

single-day COVID-19 cases

Bangladesh on Wednesday reported

12,383 confirmed COVID-19 positive

cases in the past 24 hours, the second

highest in a single day since the pandemic

began. "The pandemic claimed

210 lives in a span of 24 hours, pushing

the nationwide coronavirus death toll to

17,052 so far," Directorate General of

Health Services (DGHS) said in its routine

daily statement.

The official tally showed the virus

infected 10,59,538 people so far while

the daily infection continued to exceed

10,000 mark for several days since July

6. It said 29.14 percent of the 42,490

samples collected in 24 hours were tested

positive while the infection rate was

only 2.30 percent just on February 8

this year as during the late winter season,

the rate started decreasing sharply.

The recovery count rose to 8,97,412

after another 8,245 patients, the highest

number in a single day, were discharged

from the hospitals during the

Power sector in Bangladesh

Surplus generation doesn't

mean disruptions gone

DHAKA : Bangladesh is now capable to

produce more electricity than it consumes.

Yet the consumers are hit by frequent

disruptions in power supply,

even in the capital city, reports UNB.

According to official data, the country

has attained the capacity of generating

over 24,000 MW of electricity a day as

against the current daily consumption

of only 13,000 MW.

Yet, in capital Dhaka, the major hub

of power consumption, and other parts

of the country users suffer from supply

disruptions, a phenomenon blamed on

poor transmission system, faulty distribution

lines, renovation and repair

works.

Official record shows that a consumer

in Desco-covered north-western and

eastern parts of the capital experience

interruptions on of average 13.77 times

a year, while a consumer in the DPDC

areas, south-western and central part of

the city, faces 17.61 interruptions in the

same period.

In technical term, it is called System

Average Interruption Frequency Index

(SAIFI) which is the average number of

sustained interruptions per consumer

past one day.

The DGHS statistics showed of the

people infected from the beginning,

84.70 percent recovered, while 1.61 percent

died.

In the past 24 hours, the combined

figure of coronavirus in Dhaka city and

upazilas of Dhaka district is 3,496 while

as of Wednesday, 5,66,415 out of

10,59,538 were detected alone in Dhaka

district including the capital.

The DGHS said among the total

17,052 fatalities, 8,309 deaths

occurred in Dhaka division, 3,106 in

Chattogram, 1,312 in Rajshahi, 2,008

in Khulna, 506 in Barishal, 604 in

Sylhet, 799 in Rangpur and 408 in

Mymensingh division.

The DGHS said Bangladesh's

COVID-19 confirmed cases crossed

5,000 mark on March 29, 2021, 6,000

mark on April 1, 202, 7,000 mark on

April 4, 2021, 8,000 mark on June 24,

2021, 9,000 mark on July 5 and 11,000

mark on July 6.

during a year. It is the ratio of the annual

number of interruptions to the number

of consumers.

Similarly, the record on System

Average Interruption Duration Index

(SAIDI) shows that each consumer in

Desco area live without power for

367.28 minutes (about 6.12 hours). In

DPDC area, outages occur for 234.53

minutes (about 4 hours) a year.

The figures of SAIFI and SAIDI have

been taken from annual reports 2019-

20 of Desco and DPDC. Energy experts

believe the situation is worse outside

Dhaka.

Dr Md Ziaur Rahman Khan, a professor

of the Department Electrical and

Electronic Engineering of Bangladesh

University of Engineering and

Technolgy (BUET), said SAIFI and

SAIDI have been the two main measuring

indicators to understand the quality

and reliability of a power distribution

network.

According to him, many developed

countries, especially those in Europe,

America and Asia, now maintain the

zero figure in SAIFI and SAIDI in their

power distribution networks.

Public transport

resumed across

the country

Heavy traffic on highways,

passenger's misery

Shafiqul iSlam (Shafiq)

In view of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, the

government has relaxed stern restrictions

on public transport, pre-Eid

trade and commerce, socio-economic

conditions and economic activities in

the country. At the same time, it has

been said that public transport will be

started with half the capacity of passengers

in compliance with the health

rules. The directive was given in a

notification of the cabinet department

on Tuesday. As a result, long-distance

bus service has started from midnight

on Wednesday. Trains, launches and

domestic flights have also resumed

during the day.

Meanwhile, due to the weak and slow

server, passengers have difficulty in

buying train tickets online. After a long

shutdown, the counters of Gabtali,

Sayedabad and Mohakhali bus terminals

in the capital are selling tickets.

Long distance bus counters are open.

With the launch of long-distance buses

after a month and a half, transport

workers are smiling.

According to the government's

instructions, the transports will run

with half of the passengers in compliance

with the health rules.

However, bus passengers will have to

pay double fare. State Minister for

Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury

has said that launch owners and passengers

will be fined if they do not follow

proper hygiene rules during Eid

journey. No passenger will be allowed

to enter Sadarghat without a mask.

art & culture

TW Sainik coming

with new song

>Page 10

Govt to procure 15m doses

of COVID-19 vaccines from

Sinopharm of China

DHAKA : The government will procure

a total of 15 million doses of COVID-19

vaccines from Sinopharm International

of China at a less price compared to the

earlier agreement price in a bid to bolster

the government's drive to vaccinate

the country's people.

The approval came from the 24th

meeting of the Cabinet Committee on

Government Purchase (CCGP) this year

held virtually with Finance Minister

AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting

virtually, Kamal said that the

Sinopharm International would provide

Bangladesh with these vaccines at a

lower price compared to the price mentioned

in earlier agreement.

The finance minister said since this is

a selective purchase, so it is not possible

for the government to reveal the details

of the Procurement. Kamal informed

that the Law Ministry has also given vetting

for this purchase of vaccines.

Joining the briefing virtually, Cabinet

Division Additional Secretary Md

Shamsul Arefin said that the Directorate

General of Health Services (DGHS)

under the Health Services Division

would procure these vaccines from

Sinopharm Int’l under the supplementary

agreement-1.

He informed that in order to meet the

emergency requirements, the

DHAKA : Bangladesh urgently needs to

assess the possible implications of

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to

overcome the challenges during the

post-LDC graduation, eminent economist

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya has

said, reports UNB.

He said the IPR issues should be

actively embed in the country's LDC

transition strategy, looking beyond the

pharmaceutical waiver facility under the

TRIPS Agreement of the World Trade

Organisation.

Now only market access for exports

and pharmaceutical waiver-related

issues are getting overwhelming focus in

the country's LDC graduation discourse,

the distinguished fellow of Centre for

Policy Dialogue (CPD) said in an interview

with UNB on Wednesday.

Bhattacharya said in the post-graduation

phase Bangladesh will have to

maintain standards providing protection

to patents, copyright, industrial

designs and undisclosed information,

among others. The country will have to

Sinopharm International may provide

additional doses of vaccines in addition

to these 15 million doses of vaccines.

Meanwhile, the finance minister said

in another proposal from the Energy

and Mineral Resources Division,

Petrobangla would procure 33.60 lakh

MMBtu LNG from M/S AOT Trading

AG, Switzerland with a cost of around

Taka 436.47 crore. The per MMBtu

LNG would cost $13.069.

He said the meeting approved another

proposal from the Bangladesh

Railway under the Ministry of Railways

for appointing the joint venture of

RITES Ltd India, Aarvee Associates

Architects Engineers and Consultant

Pvt Ltd India as the consultant for the

project for constructing new dual gauge

railway track from Bogura to Shaheed

Mansur Ali Station, Sirajganj with

around Taka 97.56 crore.

Kamal said the meeting approved

another proposal for appointing the joint

venture of M/S Arab Consulting

Engineers Moharram Bakhoum, Egypt;

National Maintenance Cooperation and

Engineering Services, Egypt; Engineers

and Consultants Bangladesh Ltd as the

international consulting firm with

around Taka 39.77 crore under the

Ghorashal Palash Urea Fertilizer Project

being implemented by the Bangladesh

Chemical Industries Corporation.

BD must assess post-graduation

IPR implications:Debapriya

provide remedies against such infringements,

he said. But the IPR-related concerns

remain the most under-stated in

the discussion despite the knowledge

that economy will be the future of the

country and also the world, he added.

Available IPR expertise in Bangladesh

is possibly least mobilised in the context

of articulating smooth LDC transition

strategy, he said pointing to the huge

challenge in case of losing duty-free

quota-free market access and pharmaceutical

waiver during its post-graduation

era after 2026.

"Though important IP-related initiatives

are seen in both the public and

private sectors of the country, these

progressive efforts are yet to be connected

to LDC graduation fallouts,"

said Dr Debapriya, a former

Bangladesh Ambassador to WTO.

He said no IPR issue beyond the pharmaceutical

waiver facility under the Agreement

on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual

Property Rights (TRIPS) has attracted

attention in Bangladesh.

This picture

was taken on

Wednesday in

Gulistan area

of the capital

on the last day

of strict

lockdown to

prevent

corona

infection.

Photo: Star mail

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

2

Preventing Corona

Helal Akbar Chowdhury has

become the role model

Anwar Hossain Bipul, acting chairman of Jashore Sadar Upazila Parishad, has given cash assistance to

more than 200 easybike and van drivers of Chachra Union on behalf of Jessore-3 MP Kazi Nabil Ahmed.

As the chief guest at the Mahidiya Sammilani Mahila Alim Madrasa ground in Chanchra Union on

Wednesday, he handed over cash to the unemployed drivers in a severe lockdown. Photo : Shahid Joy

43 more test positive

for Covid-19 in Bhola

BHOLA : A number of 43 more persons were

diagnosed with COVID-19 positive in the last

24 hours in the district after testing 119

samples at Bhola 250-bed General Hospital

COVID-19 laboratory.

The new positive cases, 26 are in Sadar

upazila, one in Charfashion upazila, three in

Borhanuddin upazila, five in Daulatkhan

upazila, two in Lalmohan upazila and six in

Manpura upazila of the district, civil surgeon

(acting) of the district Dr. Md. Sirajuddin, told

BSS .

Meanwhile, a total of 19 patients recovered

GD- 1119/21 (7x3)

from COVID-19 in the 24 hours in the district.

The total number of infected people in the

district stood at 2,367 while the number of

recovery cases at 2,069, the civil surgeon said.

A total of 26 persons have so far died of

COVID-19 in the district, he added.

Dr. Md. Sirajuddin said infected 22 persons

are now undergoing treatment at Bhola 250-

bed General Hospital, rest of the infected

persons are now undergoing treatment at

home quarantine under the supervision of

doctors from their respective upazila health

complexes. The health expert of the district

urged all to follow the health rules strictly and

use masks to prevent the spread of the lethal

virus. He urged everyone to be more aware to

prevent this lethal infection.

1,280 people get

PM's assistance

in Manikganj

MANIKGANJ : The district

administration distributed

rice among 1,280 poor and

distressed people on the

occasion of holy Eid-ul-Azha

as a humanitarian assistance

from Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina in Ghior upazila of the

district on Tuesday.

Deputy Commissioner

Muhammad Abdul Latif

distributed the rice among

the poor people of nine

unions of the upazila at a

function as the chief guest at

Ghior DN Pilot High School

premises.

RAB-13 arrests

mother killer son

in Gaibandha

RANGPUR : Rapid Action

Battalion (RAB)-13 arrested a

mother killer drug addict son

from village Thansinghapur

Boali in Sadar upazila of

Gaibandha district on

Tuesday night.

"On a tip off, an operational

team of the Crime Prevention

Specialised Company (CPSC),

Gaibandha camp, of RAB-13

arrested him from the

village," said a press release

issued on Wednesday by

Assistant Director (Media) of

RAB-13 Flight Lieutenant

Mahmud Bashir Ahmed.

The arrested person is Md

Sajjadul Haque, 29, of the

same village.

Sajjadul had been a drug

addict for a long time.

He tortured his retired

police member father and

mother Khadija Begum many

times in the past for money to

purchase drugs.

Around 7:30 pm on July 12

last, he inhumanely tortured

his mother, injuring her

critically.

"Critically injured mother

was admitted to a local

hospital in Gaibandha where

she succumbed to her injuries

while undergoing treatments

on the same night," the

release said.

S M AKASH, CHATTOGRAM

The situation in Corona has

taken a terrible turn. Former

Deputy Finance Secretary of

Juba League Central

Committee Helal Akbar

Chowdhury Babor has taken

to the field to face this

situation. He himself

discovered the corona

protection booth. Now this

booth has spread all over the

country beyond Chattogram.

He started the work of

setting up this corona booth,

which he had discovered on

behalf of Alhaj Mohiuddin

Chowdhury Foundation, at

200 points of the city on his

own initiative with the aim of

making masks and hand

sanitizers easily available to

the city dwellers.

Now the booth is being

decorated all over the

country. And that booth is

being given to everyone as a

completely free gift. Shibu

Prasad Chowdhury, who is in

charge of the management of

the booth, said that it costs 12

to 14 thousand taka to build

this booth which is effective in

preventing corona. And for

those who contact us about

this, we make the booth free

and fill the mask and sanitizer

for the first time. However, as

a condition here, they have to

fill the mask and sanitizer

from next time.

Various social and political

parties of the country have

applauded Babar's initiative.

Public health expert and

founder of Chattogram Field

Hospital Bidyut Barua said,

'Masks and hand sanitizers

are the main weapons of

corona resistance. I have

served thousands of Corona

patients since the beginning

of Corona. From my personal

experience I can say that if

people properly wear mask

and sanitize hand, it is not

very difficult to mobilize

Corona.

Appreciating the corona

booth, he said it was a good

initiative, but that

entrepreneurs should not just

sit and build the booth, but

also ensure that the booth is

operating properly and

hygienically.

State Minister for

Information

and

Communication Junaid

Ahmed Palak has set up

Babar's booth in his area.

Inaugurating the booth, the

state minister wrote on his

Facebook that the public will

be able to use masks and

sanitizers through self-help

without the help of a second

person. Everyone will get free

masks and sanitizers from

this booth which is open to all.

Not only Palak, Mohiuddin

Chowdhury Foundation has

donated 10 booths to Narail

MP and former national team

captain Mashrafe Bin

Muturza. He has placed these

booths in ten important

places of his parliamentary

seats.

Barrister Biplob Barua,

Special Assistant to the Prime

Minister and Secretary for

Office Affairs of the Central

Awami League, Shahriar

Alam, Minister of State for

External Affairs, AHM

Kamruzzaman Liton, City

Mayor of Rajshahi and many

others have placed the gift in

their respective areas.

Bangladesh Chhatra League, Fulchari upazila unit brought out a procession yesterday demanding arrest

to the killers of Ashikur Rahman Rocky.

Photo : Rafiqul Islam

yy30

S(21) (226)

GD- 1120/21 (5x4)

GD-1122/21 (10x4)

THURSDAY, JUlY 15, 2021

3

Mutasim Dayan, Director & CEO, Fair Group and Managing Director of Royal Tulip Sea Pearl

Beach Resort & Spa Md Aminul Haq handed over cheques for Tk 6 lacs and 10 lacs respectively

to the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman on

Wednesday with the aim of providing scholarships to meritorious and financially indigent students

of Dhaka University.

Photo: DU Public Relations

Govt allocates nearly

9,500 tonnes VGF rice

for registered fishermen

DHAKA : The government

has allocated over 9,474.62

tonnes of rice under

Vulnerable Group Feeding

(VGF) programme for the

fishermen during the fishing

restrictions period as it

imposed fishing ban this

year in the sea for 65 days

from May 20 to July 23.

"The Ministry of Fisheries

and Livestock (MoFL) has

allocated the food crops for

the registered fishermen

who were refrain from

catching fish during the

government fishing

restrictions period," said an

official release.

The ministry has issued

these VGF food under two

grant orders to the district

administrations on Tuesday.

The food allocations were

distributed among 2,99,135

fishermen families in two

phases locating at 67

upazilas of 14 districts

including the Chattogram

city.

In the second phase, some

9,474.62 tonnes rice will be

distributed among the

registered fishermen

families -where each

fisherman will get 30 kg rice

for 23 days from July 1 to

July 23 period.

Earlier, in first phases, the

government distributed

8,974.05 tonnes rice where

each fishermen family got

40 kg rice for 42 days from

May 20 to June 30, this year.

Besides, the government

also has allocated over 500

tonnes of rice for 25,031

fishermen families in ten

upazilas under Rangamati

and Khagrachhari district

adjacent of the Kaptai lake.

The latest VGF recipient

upazilas are Batiaghata,

Dakop, Paikgacha,Koira,

Dumuria, Degolia and

Rupsha under Khulna,

Mongla, Morelganj and

Saronkhola under Bagerhat,

Ashashuni Syamnagar

under Satkhira, Bashkhali,

Anwara, Mireshsarai,

Swandip, Khornophuly

under Chattogram,

Chattogram city and

Sitakunda, Cox's Bazar

Sadar,

Chokoria,

Moheshkhali, Ukhiya,

Pekua, Kutubdia, Teknaf

and Ramu, Hatia Sadar,

Subarnachar and

Companiganj under

Noakhali, Sonagazi of Feni,

Ramgati, Sadar, Kamalnagar

and Raipur under Lakhipur,

Mehendiganj , Bakerganj,

Hijla, Sadar and Uzirpur

under Barishal, Rajapur of

Jhalokhati, Sadar,

Pathargata, Amtoli and

Taltoli under Borguna,

Sadar, Mathbaria,

Bhandaria, Nazirpur,

Nesarabad, Kaukhali and

Indurkani under Pirojpur,

Sadar, Kalapara, Baufal,

Golachipa, Mirzaganj,

Dhumki, Rangabali and

Dasmina under Patuakhali,

Sadar, Borhanuddin,

Charfashion, Dowlatkhan,

Lalmohon, Tajumuddin and

Monpura under Bhola.

38 held for

selling,

consuming

drugs in city

DHAKA : Dhaka

Metropolitan Police (DMP) in

different anti-drug operations

arrested 38 people on the

charges of selling and

consuming drugs in the city.

The DMP's police and

Hundreds of expatriates protested in front of the Corona Vaccination Center on the second floor of

the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in the capital on Wednesday afternoon, demanding

Pfizer's vaccine.

Photo : Star Mail

Integrated technical, financial

cooperation will expand RE: Nasrul

DHAKA : State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral

Resources Nasrul Hamid has said integrated technical and

financial cooperation will contribute a lot in expanding

renewable energy massively.

"Developed countries' cooperation is needed in evaluation

of renewable energy resources. And it is necessary to

increase the capacity of public and private sectors," he said

while speaking at a side event on "Clean Power and Green

Grids" after inauguration of the Third Ministerial Meeting

of the COP26 Energy Transition council (CoP26 ETC)"

yesterday.

Nasrul Hamid joined the ministerial meeting virtually and

said Bangladesh wants to work in unison with all to

promote clean energy, as coal use in power generation is

reducing.

"Meanwhile, Bangladesh government has cancelled 10-

coalfired power plants having 8,451 MW generation

capacity. Technology requires less use of land for solar

power," he said.

The state minister said desired results could be achieved

with technical and financial support of experienced

countries and the Energy Transition Council to get quality

electricity by mapping offshore wind and marine fuels.

detective units have been

conducting anti-drug

campaign in the city's various

areas, seizing drugs and

arresting drug sellers and

abusers, said a DMP

statement.

As part of the campaign, the

police raided different areas

under various police stations

and detained 38 drug abusers

and recovered drugs from

their possession from 6 am on

July 13, 2021 to 6 am on

Wednesday, it added.

During the anti-drug

campaign, police seized 4,253

pieces of yaba, 705 grams and

102 puria of heroin and

22.505 kg of cannabis and five

litres of local liquor from

them, according to the

statement.

Police filed 25 cases against

the arrestees in this

connection with police

stations concerned under the

Narcotics Control Act.

US politician to help address

Bangladesh's vaccine needs

DHAKA : The United States Connecticut Governor of Ned

Lamont has assured that he would help to address Bangladesh's

COVID-19 vaccination needs to cover its large population.

Lamont, who is an influential Democratic Party leader, made

the assurance is commitment during his meeting with

Bangladesh Ambassador to the US M Shahidul Islam at the

Governor's Residence in Connecticut on July 12, a press release

said here today. During the meeting, the governor agreed to

explore avenues for commercial supply and co-production of

vaccines in Bangladesh with the help of Pfizer global

headquarters for the Central Research Division located in

Connecticut.

Earlier, during a discussion with the Ambassador,

Congressman Larson and Congresswoman Hayes assured their

engagements to further advance Bangladesh-US cooperation

on wide-ranging areas, including trade, commerce, COVID-19

support and Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar.

The House Representative hoped that Bangladesh would

receive a fair share of the COVID-19 vaccines to cover its huge

population. They all vowed to continue to advocate for

promoting the interest of Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi

Diaspora in the USA. They also appreciated Bangladesh's

ongoing socio-economic progress, including women's

empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina, said the release.

Momen leaves for Uzbekistan to

join Int'l connectivity conference

DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr A K

Abdul Momen on Tuesday left here for

Uzbekistan to join an international

conference to be held in Tashkent on

July 15-16.

A number of heads of government

and foreign ministers of nearly 40

countries will join the in-person

conference titled "Central and South

Asia: Regional Connectivity -

Challenges and Opportunities", hosted

by Uzbekistan President Shavkat

Mirziyoyev to strengthen regional

connectivity.

The high-level international

conference is intended to form a

political and expert platform for

multilateral discussion of the mutually

beneficial strategic model - Central Asia

- South Asia -in transport and logistics,

energy, trade, industry, investment,

technological, cultural and

humanitarian domains.

The conference will consist of an

opening ceremony, to be joined by UN

Secretary-General António Guterres, a

plenary session, three breakout

sessions, and a final part.

During the conference, the

Bangladesh foreign minister would

advocate for expediting regional

connectivity as Dhaka has already

emerged as the 'connectivity leader' in

the international arena.

Dr Momen will also hold bilateral

meetings with his Russian, Indian and

Chinese counterparts on the sideline of

the conference.

Apart from bilateral matters, he is

likely to highlight the issue of Rohingya

repatriation during his meeting with

foreign ministers of Russia, India and

China.

"I will give a brief to my Russian

counterpart about the current situation

of the Rohingya crisis as well as the

resolution on human rights violation

against Rohingya that was adopted in

the UN (on Monday)," the foreign

minister told media on Tuesday while

disclosing about his trip.

Momen said he planned the briefing

to his Russian counterpart as recently

the Myanmar army chief visited

Moscow and talked about the arms

deal.

The ongoing 47th session of the UN

Human Rights Council in Geneva

adopted the resolution on "Human

Rights Situation of Rohingya Muslims

and other Minorities in Myanmar"

unanimously for the first time since the

massive influx of Rohingyas from

Myanmar into Bangladesh in August

2017.

Terming the adaptation of the UN

resolution without a vote as a success of

Bangladesh's diplomacy, the foreign

minister said "It's a success … 193

countries of the world solidly said that

human rights were violated in

Myanmar against Rohingyas and

praised Bangladesh (for providing

shelter to the displaced Rohingyas)."

In the resolution, the foreign minister

said, every UN member country also

agreed that Rohingya repatriation is

'very important and all will do work to

materialize the return of Rohingyas to

Myanmar, which is the "number one

priority" of Bangladesh.

In the meeting with his Indian

counterpart, Dr Momen said, he would

also talk about the new UN resolution

and the Rohingya repatriation issues as

New Delhi is now a member of UN

Security Council.

Apart from Rohingya issue, Momen

said that he would also discuss other

bilateral issues between Bangladesh

and India.

About his scheduled meeting with the

Chinese foreign minister, Momen said,

he would also focus the Rohingya

repatriation issue while talking with his

Chines counterpart.

During the meeting, he said, the

Chinese foreign minister would

announce that China allocated one

million more Chinese vaccines for

Bangladesh as a gift.

Momen is also scheduled to hold

meetings with the Uzbekistan President

and the aviation minister on the

sideline of the conference.

The 33rd Meeting of Bangladesh International Arbitration Centre (BIAC) Board was held online via Zoom

courtesy. The meeting was presided over by Chairman, BIAC Mahbubur Rahman. Photo : Courtesy

JS Whip Swapan

visits ailing Prof

Ali Ashraf at

Square Hospital

DHAKA : Awami League

Organizing Secretary and

Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Whip Abu

Saeed Al Mahmood Swapan

on Wednesday visited ailing

Professor Ali Ashraf, former

deputy speaker and chairman

of JS standing committee on

government promises, at

Square Hospital here.

Swapan went to the hospital

at about 1:30pm and enquired

about health condition of the

senior parliamentarian, said a

hospital source.

The Whip stayed at his

cabin for some time and

talked to the physicians

concerned about his health

condition. He urged the

doctors to provide all

necessary treatment.

Professor Ali Ashraf has

been struggling on life support

under the supervision of

specialist doctors in the

intensive care unit of Square

Hospital due to infection of

gallbladder stone related

problems.

He is a five-time Member of

Parliament. He was elected

Deputy Speaker in 2000. He

has served as the Central

Finance and Planning

Secretary of Awami League

(AL) and President of Cumilla

District North unit AL.

Family of the veteran

parliamentarian sought dowa

of the people of the country for

his recovery. Razi

Mohammad Fakhrul,

Member of Parliament for

Cumilla-4 constituency and

Muntakim Ashraf, former

senior vice-president and

director of FBCCI and son of

Professor Ali Ashraf were

present along with Whip

Swapan.

Much of health sector allocation

being looted: GM Quader

DHAKA : Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader

on Wednesday alleged that the country's

medical system is not improving as expected

since a big part of the budgetary allocation

made for the health sector is being plundered,

reports UNB.

"The Covid situation is getting worse day by

day. The lack of medicines and necessary

manpower, including doctors and nurses, has

become acute in hospitals. Many district- and

upazila-level hospitals don't have (central)

oxygen systems, contributing to the gradual

rise in fatality rate," he said.

The Jatiya Party chief said, "The country is

facing such a terrible corona situation due to

the government's negligence. When many

countries in the world spend 5 to 6 percent of

their GDP on medical care, we spend only one

percent. But a huge portion of the allocation in

the health sector is being looted. So, our

medical system is not improving."

He made the remarks while inaugurating a

food distribution programme at Jatiya Party's

Kakrail office on the eve of party founder HM

Ershad's second death anniversary.

Jatiya Party Dhaka south city unit arranged

the programme to distribute food among

10,000 needy people.

GM Quader, also the deputy opposition

leader in parliament, said their party has long

been talking about improving the health care

system in the country. "We need to improve

our medical system instead of enforcing a

lockdown to tackle the Covid situation."

He said the government must provide each

of the genuine poor families with at least Tk

10,000 per month during the Covid period

without considering their political identities.

"Had this been, then the needy people wouldn't

have had to come out of homes and thus the

lockdown would have been effective."

The Jatiya Party chairman said the

government can give good support to the

unemployed people by spending only one

percent of the GDP. "We had repeatedly urged

the government to ensure food and necessary

medicines for the poor before enforcing the

lockdown."

He demanded the government introduce a

palli (rural) rationing system for the extremely

poor people.

Quader said the government is just making

assurances that the necessary vaccines will be

collected. "But they can't say when it'll come,

how it'll come, or from where it'll come. That's

why there's a frustration among people about

corona vaccines."

He said when the entire world is tackling

corona with vaccines, Bangladesh is trying to

contain it with a lockdown. "It can never be a

logical move."

The Jatiya Party chief alleged that people are

not getting proper treatment at public

hospitals. "Corona patients from districts and

upazilas are crowding divisional cities and the

capital. As beds are not available at public

hospitals, patients are being forced to receive

treatment at private hospitals spending huge

money. Those who don't have money are losing

their loved ones, including parents without

treatment. We never wanted such a horrible

situation in the country."

DMP arrests 4 robbers

with police equipment

DHAKA : Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP),

in a special drive, arrested four people for their

alleged attempt to commit a robbery (dacoity)

by impersonating the members of Detective

Branch (DB) with weapons and police

equipment.

DMP's Joint Commissioner (Intelligence-

North) Mohammad Harun-Or-Rashid told the

press conference at the DMP Media Center on

Wednesday, saying that they were arrested

while preparing for a robbery at a check post in

Basila area of Mohammadpur police station

last evening.

The detainees were identified as Md Zahid

Hasan alias Rezaul, Md Manik Bepari alias

Daroga Manik, Md Faruk Hossain alias Nasir

Uddin and Md Rubel Sikder alias Rustam, he

said.

Police also recovered one gun, one machete,

two knives, three DB written jackets, one toy

pistol and cover, one wireless set, one wrench,

one pair of handcuffs with keys, one steel flute

and Taka 60 lakh from their possessions.

THURSDAy, JULy 15, 2021

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Price stabilization and

normalization

The present government in Bangladesh is

seen to be doing a great deal of good things

in different spheres. But in the area of price

stabilization and normalization its successes

need to be greater.

Government must realise that price

normalization depends critically on the

unhindered interaction of economic forces, on

private decisions and other intangibles which

cannot be so drastically regulated or should not

be regulated by authoritative governmental

actions. Government cannot intervene in these

processes rudely and suddenly and achieve

results instantly. If this is attempted, then the

risks of breaking down of the supply chain

become acute which then tend to create more

difficulties for price control from scarcity of the

demanded goods. Thus, government has to tread

the path very carefully while engaging in

activities to normalize prices. But it is also a fact

that price control can be achieved in phases with

tenacious work to that end and correct

application of policies with patience and foresight

at every phase.

The supply of many essential commodities

still largely remains under the grip of a few large

importers . Therefore, the first task in order is to

break the powers of these few importers. But this

must be done with delicacy. Any sudden

wholesale action against the limited number of

large suppliers of essential commodities will

create the ground for them to dabble in more

mischief to disrupt the supply chain. On the

other hand, they would not be able to hold their

stocks for too long as that would mean suffering

losses. Therefore, the best results can be obtained

for now by allowing these importers to do their

business with pressures lifted from them. But this

does not mean that they should not be under

official persuasion to do their business honestly.

Meanwhile, government should go all out to

encourage the alternative importers or ones who

tried their hands in the import business in the

past but failed in the face of syndicated

operations. These people can be swiftly provided

with import licenses and extended other facilities

so that they can quickly make their presence felt

in the import business of essentials. The above

approach can be the most appropriate one in not

creating sudden snags in import operations while

also gradually weakening the influences and

powers of a coterie of large importers.

Side by side, government should promptly

also take the important decision of fully

reactivating the Trading Corporation of

Bangladesh (TCB) and acting on it with real

speed. TCB's operations can be profitable for

itself while providing much comfort to

consumers from stable or reasonable prices.

TCB's activities were winded up over the years

on the plea of free market economy or the

principle that government must not be involved

in business operations.

But this had proved to be am ineffective

decision in the Bangladesh context. Other

countries which are also the practitioners of

market economy, have maintained such state

trading or the capacities to intervene in the

market to create competition with private

businesses or suppliers to restraint unethical

activities on the part of the latter. Therefore, there

would be nothing wrong or inconsistent for

Bangladesh to revive state trading for a while on

a large scale through the TCB to import essential

commodities in bulk and market them in a bid to

break the monopolies of private importers and

put them under a pressure to operate ethically to

survive in business.

Holy Eid-ul-Azha is knocking at the door.

Already, price manipulators or syndicate wallahs

are noted resorting to their old tricks of ripping

people off centering on fabricated accounts of

scarcity and lockdown. Government must not

allow this to happen. Government must realize

that a huge number of people have been again

pushed below the poverty line recently from the

pandemic. It would be very regrettable if these

pandemic hit people with reduced income or no

income are again hit by insensitive and

exploitative business persons.

A Journey Towards Entrepreneurship" is interpreted in Croatian Language

As a nation we are proud that one of

our academic books has been

interpreted into Croatian language

for their startups.10 youngsters of Croatia

were awarded with the book 'Putovanje

prema poduzetnistvu' who joined a Swiss

based project in Croatia organized a Youth

Business Camp at Zagreb, Croatia to gain

knowledge on entrepreneurship. The book

(Putovanje prema poduzetnistvu)is written

by Dr. Md. Sabur Khan in Croatian

language and published in Croatia last

month. It's a praise worthy recognition for

any Bangladeshi writer for interpreting his

book in any foreign language especially in

academic purpose. Thanks can be extended

to Mrs Iva and Mrs Katarina Jagic for their

great efforts in this regard.

The book was first published in English

titled "Handbook of Entrepreneurship

Development"which was unveiled by

Hon'ble President of Bangladesh Mr. Md.

Abdul Hamid at the inauguration of

'Entrepreneurship & Innovation Expo' on 6

November, 2013organized by Dhaka

Chamber of Commerce and Industry

(DCCI) when Dr. Md. Sabur Khan was the

president of DCCI.Getting huge response

and request by the academicians'and

entrepreneurs from home and abroad and

to meet the growing demand of the startups

Dr. Md. Sabur khan elaborated the book

enriching with some more academic

features and curriculumnaming it"A

Journey Towards Entrepreneurship" and

published in English in 2014. Dr. Atiur

Rahman, the then Governor of Bangladesh

Bank unveiled the cover of the book. For the

The Iranian middle class played a

major role in ensuring the success

of the 1979 revolution, showing

solidarity with the rest of Iranian society

and contributing to the movement to oust

the shah's regime and agitate the educated

class - including professors, university

students and members of the intellectual

elite - to action.

The mercantile class and shop owners

also contributed to the overthrow of the

shah's regime through funding

demonstrators and revolutionary clerics.

In addition, on more than one occasion,

members of Iran's business class

announced their role in organizing

general strikes that paralyzed commercial

and public life in the country, putting

tremendous pressure on the regime. This,

along with other factors, ultimately

contributed to the toppling of the shah.

After the revolution, the new Islamic

Republic regime quickly comprehended

the power of the middle class and the

potential threat it could pose to its

survival, especially in light of its failure to

fulfill its numerous pledges made before

and during the revolutionary period.

Spurred by this comprehension, the

post-revolutionary regime systematically

worked to undermine and disempower

the middle class. The regime's certainty

about the need to eradicate the middle

class to ensure its own survival increased

after the events that followed the disputed

2009 presidential election, in which the

incumbent hard-liner Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad won a second term at the

expense of candidates affiliated with the

Green Movement, such as Mir-Hossein

Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. Both have

remained under house arrest ever since.

The Green Movement succeeded in

winning over the middle class, with shop

owners and traders organizing a sizable

MD. ANOWAR HABIB KAzAL

better cooperation of Bangladeshi young

entrepreneurs Dr. Md. Sabur Khan

translated the book in Bangla and the book

was named 'Uddokta Unnoyon O Babsay

Nirdeshona' and was published under

Scholars Publications. The book was

launched by Bangladesh Investment

Development Authority Mr. Kazi Aminul

Islam as chief guest and Mr. Abul Kashem

Khan, President Dhaka Chamber of

Commerce as guest of Honour while Dr.

Quazi Kholoquzzaman Ahmed, Chairman,

Palli Karma Shayak Foundation (PKSF)

presided over the program.

The book is anecessary guide for the

people who want to become entrepreneurs.

The book makes an urgent call for

transformation-the transformation of

society and social attitude-transformation

from job-seeking to job-giving culture, for

economic uplift of the nation on a par with

SDGs. The main objective of publishing the

book is to persuade our young generation to

become entrepreneurs by giving them

proper guidelines and information so that

they can get suitable mental strength. The

book will help our frustrated young

generation to decide how they can be

entrepreneurs and how they will get finance

to start their ventures.

The book is designed especially for the

new startups and for those who want to be

entrepreneurs. It contains introductory

preparation to become successful

entrepreneurs, capacity building, how to

make business plan, how to get registration,

some effective business strategies, DCCI's

support to the upcoming entrepreneurs and

success stories. It also contains a detailed

description of SME products of 38 Banks

and NBFIs. One of the most important

features of the book is that it tells the

magnificent stories of some successful

businessmen in Bangladesh to encourage

the new entrepreneurs. Their success stories

show how with determination and proper

strategies one can go forward to fulfill the

dream in life.

The book reimbursements particular

attention to the startups, the new initiatives

ALEXANDER CASELLA

of business. A favorable environment

supported by the national policy is

necessary for startups to flourish and

sustain. It suggests how startups can attract

venture capital and utilize it for laying

foundation and expansion of business.

There are many models available for the

startups to follow. Of special importance is

the Blue Ocean Model. It entails a market

strategy which focuses on terminating

competition by creating new uncontested

market space and by capturing new

demand. For this, one has to conduct

market research, find out the new demand,

innovate a suitable idea and turn the idea

into a product. But in reality, it is very

difficult to start a new business and succeed

as there are a lot of risks involved. Often an

entrant into business has to start just from

scratch. He/she may feel frustrated looking

around the complexity of business

operations. Can he/she make it at last?

He/she needs inspiration. And the best

inspiration comes from the dictum: "Every

count starts with zero."

We have to create entrepreneurs, who will

provide jobs to others, which ultimately

would refresh our economic engine when

we are on a course of being a middle-income

country. Such an urge has been made by

Md. Sabur Khan, who has recently come out

with the book A Journey towards

Entrepreneurship published by Scholars

Publications.

Md. Anowar Habib Kazal, Senior

Assistant Director (Public Relations),

Daffodil International University

When empires fall: the Crimea consequence

The British Royal Navy destroyer

HMS Defender arrives in Georgia's

Black Sea port of Batumi on June

26 for joint exercises with the NATOaspirant

country's coast guard, days after

Russia claimed it had fired warning shots

at the warship in the coastal waters of

Crimea. Photo: AFP / Seyran Baoryan

The 20th century saw the collapse of

three major empires, the Habsburg, the

Ottoman, and the Soviet empire.

The collapse of the Ottoman Empire

ushered into the Middle East an era of

instability and conflict that endures to this

day. The collapse of the Habsburg Empire

created the conditions that led to the

Second World War. And as for the

collapse of the Soviet empire, it ushered in

a degree of global instability of massive

proportions that we are barely at the

inception of.

The creation of the Soviet Union in 1922

saw the return to the Russian fold of the

various republics that had broken away

when the czarist regime fell in 1917. Thus

the Soviet Union was a Union only in

name. In reality it was the Russian

empire, with Russia at its core, Moscow as

its capital and the Communist Party as its

The book is designed especially for the new startups

and for those who want to be entrepreneurs. It

contains introductory preparation to become successful

entrepreneurs, capacity building, how to

make business plan, how to get registration, some

effective business strategies, DCCI's support to the

upcoming entrepreneurs and success stories.

Iran's middle class marginalized by regime

DR. MOHAMMED AL-SULAMI

general strike, most significantly in

Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar. In

addition, they organized demonstrations

and rallies in which thousands of

protesters loudly condemned the results

of the 2009 election, which they and other

observers believe to have been "rigged."

To counter the power of the middle

class, the revolutionary regime worked to

establish a new loyal political elite and

certain bodies that would safeguard its

interests and fight to ensure its survival.

For example, it created the Islamic

Revolutionary Guard Corps, which

effectively controls Iran's economy and

economic resources, along with the Basij,

and positioned certain credible and

powerful figures close to the supreme

leader. However, beyond this privileged

political elite, the regime still targeted rich

and influential figures, cracking down

hard on them. The economic hardships

endured by Iranians since 2009,

especially due to the severe collapse in the

value of the Iranian currency, led to the

erosion of the middle class on an

unprecedented scale.

Over the past six years, most of those

who were considered to be among the

middle class have increasingly fallen into

poverty, with many factories and

businesses shutting down and many

supreme leader.

The collapse of Nazi Germany enabled

this Russian empire to extend its

dominance to the countries of Eastern

Europe, which became part of its colonial

realm. However, what distinguished this

Russian empire from its imperial

predecessors was its dual makeup. While

it was an extension of the Russian state it

was also the harbinger of an ideology that

laid claim to a universal appeal.

Within this perspective, the Russian

empire under its "Soviet" label achieved a

global reach through its foreign

subsidiaries, namely the numerous

national communist parties throughout

people being laid off. This has put more

pressure on members of the middle class

economically and socially, leading them to

lose their former power and influence on

the Iranian street. Among the signs of the

decline and demise of Iran's middle class

is the fact that more than 90 percent of

Iran's population have applied for the

government's meager assistance

payments in recent years. This put the

regime in an awkward position, leading it

to remove wealthy claimants from its list

of recipients.Those following Iranian

affairs have also observed a steep decline

in the average annual household income

for city dwellers. This has fallen to $2,571

per year ($214 per month), according to

The regime's certainty about the need to eradicate the middle

class to ensure its own survival increased after the events that

followed the disputed 2009 presidential election, in which the

incumbent hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a second

term at the expense of candidates affiliated with the Green

Movement, such as Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi

Karroubi. Both have remained under house arrest ever since.

the black market dollar exchange rate,

forcing many among the middle class to

change their lifestyles. Some, especially in

the capital Tehran, have seriously

considered selling their homes in the

better-off areas to move to more

impoverished neighborhoods, such as

those in south Tehran, simply to survive.

Moreover, the collapse of the Iranian

currency's value and the resulting increase

in burdens facing the business class have

led many of them to cut corners on quality

and commit commercial fraud at

restaurants, markets and other places due

to their inability to increase prices at rates

the world that professed loyalty to their

mother party, the Communist Party of the

USSR.The end result was that the collapse

of the Soviet Union was two implosions in

one: the collapse of the Russian empire on

the one hand and the disintegration of the

ideology that stood at its core, namely the

Marxist model, on the other.

The Russian state that emerged from

In the eyes of the Russian leadership the inroads made by the

United States in Central Europe, the steady deterioration of the

relations between Moscow and Washington and the growth of

anti-Russian sentiment in Ukraine ensured that it was only a

matter of time before Ukraine would become part of NATO.

With the lease of Sebastopol due to expire in 2047, the end

result would be to turn the Black Sea into an American lake.

the ashes of the Soviet Union was a

shattered entity. Never particularly

efficient except for its security apparatus,

the former Soviet state machinery

practically collapsed, leaving the country

in a condition of semi-anarchy.

The only redeeming feature to emerge

commensurate with the new rising costs,

while still being able to attract customers.

Businesspeople and shop owners are well

aware that the vast majority of their fellow

citizens can no longer afford to pay for

non-essential merchandise, especially

imported items, due to their soaring

prices. Consumers, meanwhile, have

become increasingly adept at at-home

repairs and recycling their existing

possessions, such as electronic devices

and clothes, despite their poor quality - a

move that has led to the economic

recession intensifying in some

commercial sectors in the country.

All this adds to the woes of the middle

class, who feel that successive

governments under the theocratic regime

have exacerbated and deepened their

suffering.Some businessmen have called

on the government to release the funds

owed to them in order to implement a

number of state-controlled projects.

However, the massive deficit in the

Iranian budget and the lack of will from

the regime to cover its debts mean these

arrears are unlikely ever to be repaid. The

regime is effectively leaving these

businessmen high and dry, leading them

to declare bankruptcy without recourse to

any state body that could help them

reclaim their losses. Moreover, the current

government's refusal to commit itself to

addressing or resolving the consequences

of the economically disastrous policies

first introduced under Ahmadinejad is

also causing tensions, especially in light of

the emergence of major embezzlement

scandals involving the former president's

aides and close officials.The postrevolutionary

regime systematically

worked to undermine and disempower

the middle class.

Source: Arab news

from this state of turmoil was the

successful repatriation to Russia of the

numerous nuclear warheads that the

Soviet Union had positioned in its former

republics, providing employment to the

thousands of scientists who had been part

of the Soviet nuclear establishment.

Significantly, the denuclearization

process was strongly supported by the

United States. The collapse of the Soviet

Union left the US both economically and

militarily as the only superpower on the

planet. In parallel to the urgency

represented by the denuclearization

program, which successfully ensured that

no nuclear warheads fell into the wrong

hands, Washington was now confronted

with two options regarding its future

relations with Russia.The first would be

based on the assumption that within the

coming half-century or more Russia

would emerge from its despondency as a

regional power with a strong national

identity and a global nuclear reach. Such a

power would have traditional security

concerns resulting in an aversion to

having hostile entities on its borders.

Source: Asia times

tHursDAy, July 15, 2021

5

The pandemic habit that should be kept

JAnE E. BroDy

After a year of obsessive 20-second hand-washings

every time I touched something from outside my

home, I think I should have stocked up on hand

cream, not toilet paper, at the start of the pandemic.

It was certainly not a good time for CVS to

discontinue my favorite product, Healthy Hands

lotion, which could have kept my skin from

resembling sandpaper these many months.

Nonetheless, I don't regret this habit that, along

with consistent mask-wearing and social distancing,

helped me remain hale and hearty while waves of

Covid-19 ravaged New York City. Not only did I stay

free of the coronavirus, I never even got a sniffle

despite daily outdoor exercise and dog walks and a

stubborn refusal to let others do my grocery

shopping.

Now, with many people seeming to have caught a

cold in recent weeks as we get back into the world

and drop our guard, it's a good reminder that we

shouldn't drop the hand-washing habits we learned

during the pandemic.

On average, our hands come into contact with

many hundreds of surfaces a day, exposing them to

hundreds of thousands of microorganisms.

Fortunately, most are innocuous. Still, given that we

touch our faces about 16 or more times an hour,

without proper hand hygiene, we risk the chance of

introducing a not-so-harmless infectious organism,

including the Delta variant of the coronavirus, into

our mouths, noses or eyes.

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention and just about every public health

specialist emphasized repeatedly that handwashing

with soap and water for at least 20 seconds,

or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap

and water are unavailable, is the first line of defense

against the spread of Covid-19.

The agency recommends using clean running

water (warm or cold), plain soap (not antibacterial),

lathering up, then rubbing hands together, front

and back and between fingers. After the 20-second

lather, rinse hands well to remove dirt and germs

and minimize irritation. Then either air-dry for 20

seconds or use a clean towel to dry them; wet hands

are vectors for transferring germs.

Before Covid and the resulting reminders at every

turn of the importance of good hand hygiene,

American hand-washing habits left much to be

desired. In an online survey of 1,000 nationally

representative members of American adults in

2012, 71 percent of respondents said they washed

their hands "regularly," whatever that may mean

As we get back into the world and the germs that inhabit it, we shouldn't drop the hand-washing

habits so many us adopted in the Covid era.

Photo Gracia lam

(maybe only once a day!). Fifty-eight percent said

they'd seen others leave a restroom without

washing; more than half said they did not wash after

being on public transportation, using shared

equipment or handling money, and 39 percent

(most likely a gross underestimate, based on

personal observation) admitted to not washing after

they sneezed, coughed or blew their nose.

Even health care workers have not always been

diligent. A team from Britain and Australia reported

in the Journal of Clinical Nursing last year that "as

nurses, we are aware that hand-washing has not

always been taken as seriously as it should, with

compliance and adherence in clinical settings far

from optimal over time." According to multiple

reports from different countries, before Covid,

compliance with hand-hygiene guidelines among

nurses averaged only 40 percent, the team noted.

"Although this is a simple and lifesaving task, it is

not, regrettably, always undertaken," they wrote.

They urged that the current attention to handwashing

prompted by Covid-19 be continued

throughout communities, as well as among health

care professionals, "once the pandemic is over."

Washing one's hands after using the bathroom is a

universal recommendation, for good reasons. It's

been shown to reduce the incidence of diarrhea by

as much as 40 percent. The coronavirus can be

transferred through stool, and a single gram of

human feces can contain a trillion germs.

Chances are your parents and teachers taught you

to wash your hands before eating. I often recall an

amusing interchange I witnessed at a friend's house

years ago. When she called her 4-year-old son in for

supper and told him to wash his hands, he went

straight to the kitchen sink. "Not there, in the

bathroom," the exasperated mom said, to which the

boy replied, "Is this a sink, or isn't it?"

The Jewish tradition calls for hand-washing

before the blessing that starts a meal, and during

the Passover Seder, hands are washed twice: once

before eating the bitter vegetable dipped in salt

water and again before blessing the matzo. The

Talmud states: "Any food that is dipped into a liquid

requires washing of the hands before it is eaten"

because the liquid could become contaminated and

transfer a noxious organism to the food.

Muslims, who are told they must be clean before

presenting themselves to God, also perform ritual

hand-washing. Each hand (among other body

parts) is supposed to be washed three times before

prayers.

Surgeons, however, most likely win the handwashing

award these days. Surgical gloves did not

exist when the 19th century surgeon Joseph Lister,

whose name was co-opted by the product Listerine,

demonstrated that preoperative disinfection was

the key to preventing infections in surgical wounds.

Hand-washing with soap and warm water, often

with a brush, for five minutes became an accepted

protocol at the end of the 1800s.

However, the introduction of sterile gloves did not

render thorough hand cleansing by surgeons

irrelevant. After surgery, some 18 percent of gloves

have been shown to have tiny punctures that are not

noticed by surgeons more than 80 percent of the

time. And when an operation lasts two hours, more

than a third of the surgeons' gloves are likely to have

holes.

Thus, anyone likely to touch the surgical field is

supposed to scrub up to the elbows and under every

fingernail for five minutes to reduce the risk of

contamination. The goal is to eliminate

microorganisms that inhabit the hands and inhibit

the growth of bacteria under the surgeon's gloves.

Surgeons are taught to use warm water, which

enhances the effectiveness of soap. They're told to

avoid very hot water because it removes protective

fatty acids from the skin, a good lesson for us all.

In an Op-Ed in March on "The Neurology of

Handwashing" in Medpage Today, Dr. James

Santiago Grisolia of Scripps Mercy Hospital in San

Diego described hand-washing as a kind of

neurological sedative. "Washing the hands

resonates deeply within our brain, sounding deep

notes of acting with care and integrity in a dirty,

sometimes dangerous world," he wrote.

To minimize the tedium of watching the clock or

counting to 20 every time you wash your hands,

experts suggested singing the Happy Birthday song

all the way through twice to achieve full ablution.

However, Dr. Grisolia, citing a Covid-19 baby bust

and the fact that in less than a year the pandemic

spread throughout the world, suggested that a more

timely mantra might be to sing the chorus to "It's a

Small World (After All)."

Giving careto adult children

struggling with mental health

the CDC said the more transmissible and lethal variant is spreading rapidly in communities

with low vaccination rates.

Photo: Bryan

Scientists give clue ondelta

variant of coronavirus

APoorvA MAnDAvilli

The Delta variant of the coronavirus

can evade antibodies that target

certain parts of the virus, according

to a new study published on

Thursday in Nature. The findings

provide an explanation for

diminished effectiveness of the

vaccines against Delta, compared

with other variants.

The variant, first identified in India,

is believed to be about 60 percent

more contagious than Alpha, the

version of the virus that thrashed

Britain and much of Europe earlier

this year, and perhaps twice as

contagious as the original

coronavirus. The Delta variant is now

driving outbreaks among

unvaccinated populations in

countries like Malaysia, Portugal,

Indonesia and Australia.

Delta is also now the dominant

variant in the United States.

Infections in the country had

plateaued at their lowest levels since

early in the pandemic, though the

numbers may be rising. Still,

hospitalizations and deaths related to

the virus have continued a steep

plunge. That's partly because of

relatively high vaccination rates: 48

percent of Americans are fully

vaccinated, and 55 percent have

received at least one dose.

But the new study found that Delta

was barely sensitive to one dose of

vaccine, confirming previous

research that suggested that the

variant can partly evade the immune

system - although to a lesser degree

than Beta, the variant first identified

in South Africa.

French researchers tested how well

antibodies produced by natural

infection and by coronavirus vaccines

neutralize the Alpha, Beta and Delta

variants, as well as a reference

variant similar to the original version

of the virus.

The researchers looked at blood

samples from 103 people who had

been infected with the coronavirus.

Delta was much less sensitive than

Alpha to samples from unvaccinated

people in this group, the study found.

One dose of vaccine significantly

boosted the sensitivity, suggesting

that people who have recovered from

Covid-19 still need to be vaccinated to

fend off some variants.

The team also analyzed samples

from 59 people after they had

received the first and second doses of

the AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech

vaccines.

Blood samples from just 10 percent

of people immunized with one dose

of the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer-

BioNTech vaccines were able to

neutralize the Delta and Beta variants

in laboratory experiments. But a

second dose boosted that number to

95 percent. There was no major

difference in the levels of antibodies

elicited by the two vaccines.

"A single dose of Pfizer or

AstraZeneca was either poorly or not

at all efficient against Beta and Delta

variants," the researchers concluded.

Data from Israel and Britain broadly

support this finding, although those

studies suggest that one dose of

vaccine is still enough to prevent

hospitalization or death from the

virus.

The Delta variant also did not

respond to bamlanivimab, the

monoclonal antibody made by Eli

Lilly, according to the new study.

Fortunately, three other monoclonal

antibodies tested in the study

retained their effectiveness against

the variant.

In April, citing the rise of variants

resistant to bamlanivimab, the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration

revoked the emergency use

authorization for its use as a single

treatment in treating Covid-19

patients.

JuliE HAlPErt

Katie Bradeen of Colorado Springs, Colo.,

began to worry about her 20-year-old

son, Ryan, when he came home for

Christmas break of 2020. She said he had

a "gray demeanor" and "he seemed to be

in slow motion."

Though Mr. Bradeen was on campus

for his sophomore year of college, the

social distancing and virtual classes

during the pandemic were challenging,

especially for him as a theater major. The

winter of 2021 "was even more difficult

and excruciating than the fall 2020

semester," he said.

His mother didn't think he'd be open to

a face-to face conversation, so she left a

note on his pillow, written on pink heart

stationery. She said she wouldn't pry, but

was "available to listen anytime he

wants." Mr. Bradeen said that he had

been wanting to get counseling for a

while but his mom's raising the issue

made him feel he had the "thumbs up."

He started therapy early in 2021, and his

mother said she can already see the

difference; there's "more laughter and

jokes, less grumpiness."

Many parents like Ms. Bradeen were

navigating the sticky territory of how to

help young adults with mental health

issues long before Covid-19. But the

pandemic brought greater challenges,

taxing already-vulnerable young adults

even more.

Data from May 26 to June 7 from the

Centers for Diseases Control and

Prevention's Household Pulse Survey

shows that 43.6 percent of adults 18 to 29

experienced symptoms of an anxiety or

depressive disorder in the previous seven

days. The National Center for Health

Statistics partnered with the Census

Bureau on the survey questions, which

are based on self-reporting and are not a

clinical diagnosis; the data are weighted

to be nationally representative.

The American Psychological

Association's 2020 Stress in America

survey found that 34 percent of those 18

to 23 said their mental health has

worsened compared with before the

pandemic, a number higher than any

other generation. Risa Garon, a licensed

clinical social worker in Silver Spring,

Md., and executive director of the

National Family Resiliency Center, has

seen in her practice that the pandemic

has caused many young adults to lose

"the rhythm of living," she said.

Even before the pandemic, many

young people struggled with major

student loan debt, overall economic

uncertainties and unrealistic

expectations of success from social

media, Ms. Garon said. Then Covid-19

hit, with its mandated isolation

disrupting friendships and romantic

relationships. It doesn't always go as well

as it did for Ms. Bradeen and her son. Ms.

Garon said it can be common for adult

children in her practice to brush off a

parent's suggestion that they need help.

David Palmiter, a professor at

Marywood University with a private

practice in Clarks Summit, Pa., and

author of the book "Working Parents,

Thriving Families: 10 Strategies That

Make a Difference," said that if a parent

tries to intervene the wrong way, it could

"drive a wedge in the relationship with

the child."

But there are effective strategies that

can at least open the door to a young

adult receiving help if parents see signs

that their child is struggling.If children

aren't local, Dr. Palmiter said, parents

could arrange a weekly phone call or

FaceTime and wait to establish that

connection before broaching the subject

of getting help.

Ms. Garon said that if parents fear that

a young adult may be suicidal or likely to

harm others, it would be appropriate to

act immediately and call 9-1-1.Parents

should avoid the temptation to lecture,

which comes across as criticism and may

shut down communication, Dr. Palmiter

said. Instead, he suggested a sequence he

called "pain, empathy, question." Start by

asking questions that help parents

understand how the young adult is

hurting, with language like: "How's your

mood these days? You're doing so

much."

The next step, empathy, can promote

more open sharing. If a child complains

that their boss is yelling at them all the

time, don't step in and try to problem

solve. Instead, say, "It's terrible to go into

work and be yelled at when you're

working as hard as you are. I'm sorry

you're experiencing that." Then the

parent can raise the issue of getting

support.

If this does not lead to a child being

more open to help, he said don't fight it.

Instead say, "If you ever change your

mind, I'd be happy to partner with you in

thinking about possible solutions."

Laura Dollinger, of Beaver, Pa., tried

this approach. She began to worry about

the mental state of her daughter Emily

after two distressing events: the breakup

with her boyfriend in November of 2018

and the loss of one of her best friends in a

car accident in February 2019. A straight-

A student, Emily, now 19, said that she

began to push "people away, slept a lot,

skipped classes, and made friends with

people who filled their own voids with

unhealthy things." Concerned about her

daughter, Ms. Dollinger got a

recommendation for a good therapist.

"My mom presented it in a

nonthreatening way; I knew she cared

about me and loved me," Emily Dollinger

said. She took the recommendation and

said her counselor helped her to develop

healthy coping skills, which she used in

dealing with a recent breakup. The

difference therapy made "was night and

day," Laura Dollinger said.

Expert advice on how to gently offer help and compassion.

Photo:

Andrea D'Aquino

THURSDAY, JULY 15 , 2021

6

At midnight on Wednesday, Bangladesh Coast Guard Outpost Shahpuri conducted a special

operation in Jalliapara area of Shahpuri Island under Teknaf Police Station and seized 482

pieces (Andaman Gold and Justice) beer. The operation was conducted on the basis of secret

information under the leadership of Station Commander Lt. Commander M Naimul Haque.

During the operation, the Coast Guard members signaled to stop 2-3 persons whose movement

was suspected. At that time, the traffickers sensed the presence of the Coast Guard members

and fled inside Zhaoban. The Coast Guard then searched Zhaoban and seized 482 pieces of beer

(Andaman Gold and Justice) in 05 plastic bags. The seized beer has been handed over to Teknaf

Model Police Station for further legal action.

Photo : Courtesy

Rajshahi records total 70,257 Covid-19

infections, 1,108 deaths so far

RAJSHAHI : A total of 1,196 more people have

tested positive for Covid-19 in all eight districts

in the division on Tuesday, taking the caseload

to 70,257 while 1,108 deaths were recorded

here so far since the pandemic began across the

country.

With 12 more fatalities from the disease

reported on the day, the death toll reached

1,108, including 476 in Bogura, 199 in Rajshahi

with 108 in its city and 123 in

Chapainawabganj, said Dr Habibul Ahsan

Talukder, divisional director of Health.

The new daily infection figure shows an

escalating trend compared to the previous

day's figure of 1,008, the health department

sources said.

Among the infected people, 47,842 have, so

far, been cured from the lethal virus with 602

new recoveries found on the day.

A total of 9,044 infected patients are now

undergoing treatment at different designated

hospitals here.

Besides, all the positive cases for Covid-19

have, so far, been brought under necessary

treatment while 16,047 were kept in isolation

units of different hospitals for institutional

supervision. Of them, 10,780 have by now been

Ignoring the lockdown in Chilmari of Kurigram, cattle market is going on. Nobody is maintaining

social distance and wear face mask even if there are a lot of people overflowing in the market.

Photo : Golam Mahbub

KHULNA : A total of 1,621 more

people tested positive for Covid-19

while 36 people died of the lethal

virus in last 24 hours till 8 am on

Wednesday in the division, sources

said.

With the new positive cases, the

number of infected patients rose to

76,401, they said.

The total death toll of 1,725

included the highest 452 in Khulna,

followed by 370 in Kustia, 245 in

Jashore, 153 in Jhenidah, 127 in

Chuadanga, 103 in Bagerhat, 85 in

Meherpur 79 in Satkhira, 71 in Narail

and 40 in Magura, said Dr Rasheda

Sultana, divisional director of Health,

on Wednesday.

Among the 36 new fatalities, 11 are

in Kustia, nine in Khulna, seven in

Jhenidah, five in Jashore, two in

Meherpur and one each in

Chuadanga and Satkhira in the

released.

On the other hand, 531 more people have

been sent to home and institutional quarantine

afresh while 437 others were released from

isolation during the last 24 hours till 8 am on

Wednesday.

Of the total afresh positive cases, the highest

376 were detected in Pabna followed by 277 in

Rajshahi, including 228 in its city, 192 in

Bogura, 138 in Sirajganj, 110 in Natore, 48 in

Chapainawabganj, 34 in Naogaon and 21 in

Joypurhat and districts.

With the newly detected patients, the

district-wise break-up of the total cases now

stands at 20,938 in Rajshahi, including 16,839

in its city, 4,590 in Chapainawabganj, 5,382 in

Naogaon, 5,347 in Natore, 3,921 in Joypurhat,

16,370 in Bogura, 6,165 in Sirajganj and 7,544

in Pabna.

A total of 93,246 people have, so far, been

kept under quarantine since March 10 last year

to prevent the community transmission of the

deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

Of them, 82,527 have, by now, been released

as they were given clearance certificates after

completing their respective 14-day quarantine

period.

36 die of Covid-19,

1,621 test positive

in Khulna

division.

The new daily infection figure

showed increase compared to the

previous day's figure of 1,588 said the

health department sources.

"Among the infected people,

48,867 have, so far, been cured from

lethal virus with 756 new recoveries

found," said Dr Rasheda, adding that

a total of 10,206 infected patients are

now undergoing treatment at

different designated hospitals here.

Besides, all the positive cases for

Covid-19 have, so far, been brought

under necessary treatment while

76,806 were kept in isolation units of

Mobile courts fine

85 for violating

lockdown in

Jamalpur

JAMALPUR : District and

upazila administrations in

separate mobile courts fined

85 persons for violating

lockdown enforced to control

covid-19 in the district

yesterday.

District administration

sources said 16 mobile courts

were conducted and Tk

1,15,350 from 85 persons who

violated the health guideline

were realized as fine.

Nine mobile courts realized

Tk 76350 from 58 persons in

district headquarter while two

mobile courts realized Tk

12000 from 10 persons in

Melandah upazila, two mobile

courts realized Tk 7200 from

6 persons in Madarganj

upazila, two mobile courts

realized Tk 5500 from 6

persons in Sarishabari upazila

and one mobile court realized

Tk 14300 from 5 persons in

Bakshiganj upazila.

different hospitals for institutional

supervision. Of them, 50,093 have

been released so far.

On the other hand, 571 more people

have been sent to home and

institutional quarantine afresh while

500 others were released from

isolation during the last 24 hours.

Of the total new positive cases, the

highest 375 were detected in Khulna,

followed by 325 in Kustia, 227 in

Jashore, 164 in Meherpur, 155 in

Bagerhat, 111 in Chuadanga, 96 in

Narail, 87 in Jhenidah, 47 in Magura,

34 in Satkhira.

The total covid-19 patients now

stands at 19,823 in Khulna, 16,206 in

Jashore, 11,197 in Kustia, 5,945 in

Jhenidah, 5,015 in Bagerhat, 4,924 in

Chuadanga, 4,621 in Satkhira, 3,581

in Narail, 2,818 in Meherpur and

2,271 in Magura in the division.

34 more test

positive for

Covid-19 in

Naogaon

NAOGAON : A number of 34

more people were diagnosed

with COVID-19 positive in the

24 hours in the district after

testing 279 samples at

Rajshahi Medical College

Hospital COVID-19 PCR

laboratory and Naogaon 250-

bed Modern Sadar Hospital

COVID-19 rapid antigen

testing centers.

The infection rate is about

12.18 percent in the district,

deputy civil surgeon of the

district Dr. Manjur-A-

Morshed, told BSS.

The total number of

infected persons in the district

stood at 5,348 and the

number of recovery cases

stood at 4,428.

Meanwhile, 67 patients

recovered from COVID-19 in

the 24 hours in the district.

A total of 107 persons have

so far died of COVID-19 in the

district, he added.

Dr. Manjur-A-Morshed said

48 infected persons are now

undergoing treatment at

various hospitals in the

district and rest of the infected

persons are now undergoing

treatment at home quarantine

under the supervision of

doctors from their respective

upazila health complexes.

25 more die in RMCH

Covid-19 unit

RAJSHAHI, July 14, 2021

(BSS) - A number of 25

more people, including ten

female, died at Covid-19

unit of Rajshahi Medical

College and Hospital

(RMCH) during the last 24

hours till 6 am on

Wednesday, taking the

death toll to 248, so far, this

month.

RMCH Director Brig Gen

Shamim Yazdani told

newsmen that 12 of those

were the residents of

Rajshahi, three from

Chapainawabganj, Natore

and Pabna each, two from

Naogaon and one each

from Kustia and Jashore

districts. They were aged

between 21 and 65, he said.

Among the deaths, seven

tested positive for Covid-19,

14 had its symptoms and

four others died after

becoming negative for

Covid-19, he said, adding

that yesterday's fatality

figure was 19.

Yazdani said the hospital

also had counted 25

fatalities caused by Covid-

19 on June 29 last since the

pandemic began.

Some 72 more patients

were admitted to the

designated wards of the

hospital afresh during the

time, taking its number to

500, including 232 tested

positive for Covid-19.

Another 20 patients are

undergoing treatment in

the Intensive Care Unit

(ICU) of the hospital.

There are 454 beds in 14

wards dedicated for the

Covid-19 patients in the

hospital. Two more wards

with central oxygen supply

systems have been added to

the corona unit recently to

cope with the gradually

mounting pressure.

Demand for oxygen has

gradually been rising for

the last couple of months in

the wake of escalation of

patients in the hospital.

At present, over 8,000

liters of oxygen are being

supplied to the Covid-19

patients every day on an

average in the hospital but

the daily oxygen demand

was only 2,500 liters in

around two months back.

But, the oxygen demand

has gone up by around

3,000 liters, particularly in

the last one month.

Yazdani opined over 60

percent of the new Covid-19

patients admitted to the

Covid-19 unit of RMCH are

from villages, reiterating

that awareness among the

villagers is less compared to

the urban people.

Despite symptoms they

hesitate to go for tests.

"Only they are coming to

the hospital when they feel

worse. Then we have

nothing to do for them, they

are dying," he continued.

He said utmost attention

should be given to the

villages along with urban

areas as the fatality rate

among the villagers is more

and the grave situation is

aggravating day-by-day

there.

Apart from the

administration and health

workers,

public

representatives, political

activists and volunteers

should come forward and

work together, otherwise,

the situation may be further

more alarming, he

mentioned.

Doa mahfil was held at Sarishabari in Jamalpur on the occasion of the first death anniversary of Nurul

Islam Babul, chairman of Jamuna Group and daily Jugantar. The program was held at Press Club

Milayatan on Wednesday afternoon at the initiative of Sarishabari Press Club.

Photo : MA Rouf

One more dies

of COVID-19,

48 infected in

C'nawabganj

CHAPAINAWABGANJ :

One more person died of

Covid-19 and 48 were

diagnosed positive with the

lethal virus during the 24

hours till Wednesday

morning, sources said,

reports BSS.

With the new fatality

reported

from

Chapainawabganj sadar

upazila, the death toll

climbed to 123 in the district,

they said.

The fatality included 83 of

Sadar, 26 of Shibganj, eight

of Gomostapur, four of

Nachole and two of Bholahat

upazilas.

On the other hand, the

number of Covid-19 cases

climbed to 4,557 as 48 more

people were detected

positive after testing 396

samples during the 24 hours

in the district while the

infection rate is 12.12

percent, Civil Surgeon Office

sources confirmed. Among

the newly detected patients,

38 are from sadar upazila,

one from Shibganj upazila,

seven from Gomostapur

upazila and two from

Bholahat upazila.

Of the total detected

patients, 2,538 are from

Sadar, 783 from Shibganj,

594 from Gomostapur, 356

from Nachole and 286 from

Bholahat upazilas.

At present, there are 569

Covid-affected patients in

the district and of them, 65

are undergoing treatment in

dedicated Covid hospital

and others at home.

Meanwhile, 3,866 patients

have recovered from the

disease here, the sources

added.

RMP distributes relief to

1,000 more jobless people

RAJSHAHI : Rajshahi Metropolitan Police

(RMP) has provided humanitarian

assistance to 1,000 more jobless and other

distressed people aimed at ensuring their

food security amid the strict lockdown

enforced to contain the Covid-19 spread.

Each of the recipients was given a 24.5-

kilogram food package containing rice, flour,

potato, salt and edible oil so that they can

meet their food demand.

As part of its continuous humanitarian

assistance, the RMP authorities distributed

the food items at Rajshahi Collegiate School

playground on Tuesday afternoon through

maintaining health rules to contain Covid-19

spread.

Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman

Liton attended the distribution programme

as the chief guest with RMP Commissioner

Abu Kalam Siddique in the chair.

RMP Additional Commissioners Suzayet

Islam and Mazid Ali and Deputy

Commissioners Rashidul Hassan, Sazid

Hossain and Saifuddin Saheen were present

on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Liton

expressed his gratitude to the RMP for

standing beside the jobless people and urged

more other government, non-government

and volunteer organizations to remain by the

worst-affected people amid the pandemic.

He said the present government under the

dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working

relentlessly to support the hand-to-mouth

people during the global pandemic.

Liton said all the worst-affected people are

being brought under humanitarian support

so that they can lead their life through

mitigating their financial constraint being

caused by the pandemic.

He, however, urged the recipients to follow

health rules strictly to contain the spread of

the deadly virus.

Md. Shah Alam, Parliament member of Barisal-2 constituency distributed the

corrugated iron sheets among the destitute and helpless families affected by

various natural calamities. Banaripara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ripon Kumar

Saha presided over the distribution ceremony at the Upazila Parishad auditorium

on Tuesday.

Photo : S Mizanul Islam

ThUrSDAY, JUlY 15, 2021

7

Malaysia shut down a mass vaccination center in its worst-hit state Tuesday after more than 200

medical staff and volunteers tested positive for the coronavirus.

Photo : AP

Malaysia shuts vaccination center

after 204 staff infected

KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia shut

down a mass vaccination center in its

worst-hit state Tuesday after more than

200 medical staff and volunteers tested

positive for the coronavirus.

The closure was the first of a

vaccination center and came as the

country's new confirmed infections

breached five figures Tuesday, hitting a

record 11,079.

Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin

stressed that swift government action

had contained the cluster at the Ideal

Convention Center in central Selangor

state.

Khairy, who is in charge of the national

immunization program, said he

ordered the testing of all 453 workers at

the center after two volunteers were

confirmed to have the virus. Khairy

said the 204 whose results were

positive had low viral loads, meaning

the amount of virus in their bodies was

small.

This could be because 88% or 400 of

the workers have already been

vaccinated, he said.

The center was shut for deep

NEW YORK : The COVID-19 curve in the

U.S. is rising again after months of decline,

with the number of new cases per day

doubling over the past three weeks, driven by

the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging

vaccination rates and Fourth of July

gatherings.

Confirmed infections climbed to an average

of about 23,600 a day on Monday, up from

11,300 on June 23, according to Johns

Hopkins University data. And all but two

states - Maine and South Dakota - reported

that case numbers have gone up over the

past two weeks.

"It is certainly no coincidence that we are

looking at exactly the time that we would

expect cases to be occurring after the July

Fourth weekend," said Dr. Bill Powderly, codirector

of the infectious-disease division at

Washington University's School of Medicine

in St. Louis.

At the same time, parts of the country are

running up against deep vaccine resistance,

while the highly contagious mutant version

of the coronavirus that was first detected in

India is accounting for an ever-larger share

of infections.

Nationally, 55.6% of all Americans have

received at least one COVID-19 shot,

sanitization and all its workers are

being isolated. Khairy said it will

reopen Wednesday with a new team of

medical workers.

He urged people who were vaccinated

at the center since Friday to isolate

themselves for 10 days and be tested if

they develop symptoms. He declined to

say how many people had visited the

center since Friday. It has the capacity

to deliver up to 6,000 shots a day.

"This is the first time we had to shut

down a (vaccination center) because of

positive cases but we acted fast. By

shutting it down today and by taking

corrective measures ... we hope the

disruption is only one day and that this

will not hamper the vaccination

process," Khairy said.

He said it would be safe to visit the

center starting Wednesday for

vaccinations.

Khairy said health measures at all other

vaccination centers will be tightened,

but didn't order other workers to be

tested. Selangor, the country's richest

state bordering Kuala Lumpur, is the

worst hit by the pandemic. It accounted

US COVID-19 cases

rising again, doubling

over three weeks

according to the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention. The five states with the

biggest two-week jump in cases per capita all

had lower vaccination rates: Missouri,

45.9%; Arkansas, 43%; Nevada, 50.9%;

Louisiana, 39.2%; and Utah, 49.5%.

Even with the latest surge, cases in the U.S.

are nowhere near their peak of a quartermillion

per day in January. And deaths are

running at under 260 per day on average

after topping out at more than 3,400 over

the winter - a testament to how effectively

the vaccine can prevent serious illness and

death in those who happen to become

infected.

Still, amid the rise, health authorities in

places such as Los Angeles County and St.

Louis are begging even immunized people to

resume wearing masks in public. And

Chicago officials announced Tuesday that

unvaccinated travelers from Missouri and

Arkansas must either quarantine for 10 days

or have a negative COVID-19 test.

Meanwhile, the Health Department in

Mississippi, which ranks dead last nationally

for vaccinations, began blocking posts about

COVID-19 on its Facebook page because of a

"rise of misinformation" about the virus and

the vaccine.

The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, with

the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven

by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and

Fourth of July gatherings.

Photo : AP

for nearly half of Tuesday's new cases,

partly because of increased virus

screening amid a tight lockdown.

The government has struggled to

contain the pandemic, which has

worsened despite a lockdown since

June 1. Total confirmed cases have

soared by 50% since June 1 to 855,949,

while deaths have more than doubled

to over 6,200.

Hospitals especially in Selangor have

been overwhelmed, with some patients

reportedly being treated on the floor

due to a lack of beds, and corpses piling

up in mortuaries.

Vaccinations have picked up, with 11%

of the population now fully inoculated.

At least a quarter of the country's 32

million people have received at least

one dose of vaccine.

The daily vaccination rate surpassed

420,000 doses on Monday, the

national Bernama news agency quoted

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as

saying,

He expressed confidence that the fast

pace of vaccination would help stem

the outbreak.

Power vacuum

rattles Haiti in wake

of president's killing

PORT-AU-PRINCE :

Pressure is mounting on the

man who claims to be Haiti's

leader in the aftermath of the

president's assassination,

with at least two other officials

claiming to be the legitimate

head of government amid a

race to fill the political power

vacuum, reports UNB.

Interim Prime Minister

Claude Joseph, who is ruling

Haiti with the backing of lean

police and military forces, has

pledged to work with the

opposition and allies of

President Jovenel Moise, who

was killed Wednesday at his

private residence.

He faces two rivals: Ariel

Henry, whom Moise

designated as prime minister

a day before he was killed, and

Joseph Lambert, the head of

Haiti's dismantled Senate,

who was recently chosen by a

group of well-known

politicians to be provisional

president.

Meanwhile, a coalition of

main opposition parties

called the Democratic and

Popular Sector presented its

own proposal Tuesday for the

creation of what it called the

Independent Moral

Authority. It would be made

up of human rights activists,

religious leaders, academics

and others who would be

charged with reviewing and

merging all proposals.

Also on Tuesday, members

of Haiti's civil society

announced that they were

working on a proposal for a

smooth transition and

declined to say whether it

supports a specific person to

lead Haiti.

"We don't want them to

reduce us to who should do

what," said Magalie Georges,

a teacher and union leader.

Lambert was supposed to

be sworn in Sunday as a

symbolic act, but the event

was canceled at the last

minute because he said not all

his supporters could be

present.

Bezos' Blue Origin

gets OK to send him,

3 others to space

FLORIDA : Jeff Bezos' rocket

company has gotten

government approval to

launch people into space,

himself included, reports

UNB.

The Amazon founder will

climb atop his New Shepard

rocket next Tuesday in West

Texas, joined by his brother,

an 82-year-old female

aviation pioneer and a $28

million auction winner. It will

be the first launch with

passengers for Blue Origin,

which like Richard Branson's

Virgin Galactic plans to start

flying paying customers in the

months ahead.

The Federal Aviation

Administration issued its OK

on Monday. The license is

good through August. On

Sunday, Virgin Galactic's

billionaire founder Richard

Branson rode his own rocket

plane to space, accompanied

by five company employees. A

specially designed aircraft

carried the winged ship aloft

over New Mexico. The space

plane dropped away, fired its

rocket motor and soared to

53.5 miles (86 kilometers),

before gliding to a runway

touchdown.

Death toll rises to 92 in blaze

at coronavirus ward in Iraq

NASIRIYAH : The death toll from a fire that

swept through a hospital coronavirus ward

climbed to 92 on Tuesday, Iraq's state news

agency reported, as anguished relatives

buried their loved ones and lashed out at the

government over the country's second such

disaster in less than three months.

Health officials said scores of others were

injured in the blaze that erupted Monday at

al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in Nasiriyah,

reports UNB.

The tragedy cast a spotlight on what many

have decried as widespread negligence and

mismanagement in Iraq's hospitals after

decades of war and sanctions.

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi

convened an emergency meeting and

ordered the suspension and arrest of the

health director in Dhi Qar provice, the

hospital director and the city's civil defense

chief. The government also launched an

investigation.

The prime minister called the catastrophe

"a deep wound in the consciousness of all

Iraqis."

Two Iraqi health officials, speaking on

condition of anonymity in line with

regulations, disputed the reported death toll,

saying 88 had been killed.

Authorities at one point said the fire was

caused by a short circuit. Another official

said the blaze erupted when an oxygen

cylinder exploded. The officials were not

authorized to talk to the news media and

spoke on condition of anonymity.

In April, at least 82 people - many of them

coronavirus patients or their relatives - were

killed in a fire at a Baghdad hospital that

broke out when an oxygen tank exploded.

Iraq's health minister resigned over the

disaster.

In the holy city of Najaf, the dead from

Nasiriyah were laid to rest. Mourning

families stood over the coffins at a mosque to

say one last prayer.

Their tears were tinged with anger, with

some saying the disaster could have been

prevented. They blamed both the provincial

government and the central government in

Baghdad.

Ahmed Resan, who witnessed the blaze,

said it began with smoke. "But everyone ran

away - the workers and even the police. A few

minutes later there was an explosion," he

said. He said firefighters arrived an hour

later.

"The whole state system has collapsed, and

who paid the price? The people inside here.

These people have paid the price," Haidar al-

Askari seethed at the scene.

Overnight, firefighters and rescuers - many

holding flashlights and using blankets to

smother small fires - searched through the

ward. As dawn broke, bodies covered with

sheets could be seen laid out on the ground

outside the hospital. Distraught relatives

searched for traces of their loved ones amid

charred blankets and belongings.

Ali Khalid, 20, a volunteer who dashed to

the scene.

The death toll from a fire that swept through a hospital coronavirus ward climbed to 92 on Tuesday,

Iraq's state news agency reported, as anguished relatives buried their loved ones and lashed out at

the government over the country's second such disaster in less than three months. Photo : AP

In Seoul center, North

Korean defectors find

solace with locals

SEOUL : A small group of North Korean

defectors gather at a sleek seven-story

building in Seoul. Together with South

Korean residents, they play the accordion,

make ornaments and learn how to grow

plants. Later, some go out for coffee.

"South and North Koreans gather here,

smile and talk to each other. They ask each

other about their pasts. Some (South

Koreans) say their parents also originally

came from North Korea," said Ko Jeong Hee,

60, a defector who teaches accordion at the

Inter-Korean Cultural Integration Center.

"The atmosphere is really good here."

The center, which opened last year, is

South Korea's first government-run facility

to bring together North Korean defectors

and local residents to get to know each other

through cultural activities and fun. It's meant

to support defectors' often difficult

resettlement in the South, but also aims at

studying the possible blending of the rivals'

cultures should they unify, reports UNB.

Unification is a cherished part of the political

rhetoric of both Koreas, but the difficulties of

creating a single Korea comprised of the

fantastically rich and successful South and

the poor, authoritarian North make the

reality of such a plan deeply complicated.

A Korean unification in the near future

seems highly unlikely. The North, despite

decades of poverty and mistrust of the

outside world, is not politically unstable, and

there have been no meaningful recent talks

on unification between the Koreas.

Exchange programs between the Koreas -

singers, art troupes and basketball matches -

are frozen in the midst of a dispute over

North Korea's continued accumulation of

nuclear weapons. There are also questions

over just how useful the center will be, and

whether many defectors, suffering economic

hardship, will join in events that offer no

chance of profit.

About 34,000 North Koreans have

resettled in South Korea after fleeing poverty

and political oppression at home, mostly in

the last 20 years or so. That's about 0.06% of

South Korea's 52 million people. Upon their

arrival in South Korea, defectors are given

citizenship, apartments, resettlement

money, three months of social orientation

courses and other benefits.

But they come from an extremely

repressive, nominally socialist country

whose estimated nominal gross domestic

product was only one-54th of South Korea's

in 2019. Many are often discriminated

against in the South and struggle to adjust to

their new brutally competitive, capitalistic

lives.

Last year, official data showed defectors'

monthly average wage was about 80% of

South Koreans'. They stuck with a job for

31.6 months on average, less than half the

time spent by South Koreans; and their

school dropout rate was nearly three times

higher. A 2019 survey showed only 9.4% of

South Korean respondents would accept

defectors marrying into their families.

The plight of defectors in the South raises

questions about what would happen if South

Korea had to handle a sudden influx of North

Korea's 26 million people in the event of a

unification on South Korean terms.

"This country has been unable to embrace

those who voluntarily flee North Korea, but

many are shouting for an integration of

South and North Koreans and a unification,"

said defector Son Jung Hoon, who worked as

a human rights activist in South Korea for

years. "That's hypocrisy."

Even the center's establishment has been

contentious. Its opening was delayed for

several years because of protests by local

residents, who worried it would tarnish their

neighborhood's image and lower housing

prices. Center officials say there are no such

complaints any longer.

Churches and civic groups have previously

offered activities involving defectors, often

enticing them with cash. They included a

chorus, camping trips and soccer games with

South Korea-born residents.

Western wildfires

threatening American

Indian tribal lands

BLY : Fierce wildfires in the

northwest are threatening

American Indian tribal lands

that already are struggling to

conserve water and preserve

traditional hunting grounds

in the face of a Western

drought.

Blazes in Oregon and

Washington were among

some 60 large, active wildfires

that have destroyed homes

and burned through close to a

million acres (1,562 square

miles, 4,047 square

kilometers) in a dozen mostly

Western states, according to

the National Interagency Fire

Center.

I n n o r t h - c e n t r a l

Washington, hundreds of

people in the town of

Nespelem on the Colville

Indian Agency were ordered

to leave because of "imminent

and life-threatening" danger

as the largest of five wildfires

caused by dozens of Monday

night lightning strikes tore

through grass, sagebrush and

timber.

Seven homes burned but

four were vacant and the

entire town evacuated safely

before the fire arrived, said

Andrew Joseph Jr., chairman

of the Confederated Tribes of

the Colville Reservation that

includes more than 9,000

descendants of a dozen tribes.

Monte Piatote and his wife

grabbed their pets and

managed to flee but watched

the fire burn the home where

he'd lived since he was a child.

"I told my wife, I told her,

'Watch.' Then boom, there it

was," Piatote told KREM-TV.

The confederation declared

a state of emergency Tuesday

and said the reservation was

closed to the public and to

industrial activity.

THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

8

EU wades into battle over

its green revolution

Corporate Branches of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized Business Development

Conference at virtual platform recently. Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director and CEO of

the bank addressed the program as chief guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing

Director of the bank addressed the conference as special guest. J.Q.M. Habibullah, FCS, Deputy

Managing Director, Md. Altaf Hossain, Abul Faiz Muhammad Kamaluddin, Abu Naser Mohammed

Nazmul Bari & Md. Nayer Azam, Senior Executive Vice Presidents and Miftah Uddin, Executive Vice

President and Khaled Mahmud Raihan FCCA, Senior Vice President of the bank addressed the conference.

Head of 8 Corporate Branches along with Manager Operations, Head of Departments and

Sub-branch In-charges attended the conference.

Photo: Courtesy

US Democrats agree on

$3.5 trillion budget target

WASHINGTON: Top US Senate Democrats

agreed late Tuesday on a $3.5 trillion

package to implement President Joe Biden's

vast plans to fund climate initiatives, health

insurance and human infrastructure

programs like child care, social welfare and

housing, reports BSS.

The huge proposal would direct federal

funds to a sweeping array of projects over the

coming decade that Biden has outlined as his

top priorities but which have encountered

fierce pushback from opposition

Republicans.

All 11 Democrats on the Senate Budget

Committee emerged from an evening

meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck

Schumer to announce they had decided on a

budget number.

"Tonight the Senate Budget Committee

reached an agreement on a fully paid-for

$3.5T topline budget which includes funding

for climate, education, Medicare expansion,

family programs, and more," Senator Mark

Warner said on Twitter.

Schumer added to reporters: "Every major

program that President Biden has asked us

for is funded in a robust way."

The Democrats' aim is to turn the

agreement into a budget resolution that, if it

is able to clear both chambers of Congress,

would allow lawmakers to enact the massive

spending legislation without assistance from

Republicans.

BEIJING : China's exports

spiked more than expected

in June as countries around

the world pushed towards a

pandemic recovery, official

data showed Tuesday, while

imports spiked on the back

of rising commodity costs,

reports BSS.

Demand for China's

goods has risen with the

global rollout of vaccines

and as economically painful

lockdowns to curb the

spread of Covid-19.

Supply disruptions

China exports

post surprise 32pc

spike in June

happening sporadically

with virus resurgences

elsewhere have also

increased reliance on

products from China, where

the outbreak is largely

under control, analysts say.

Chinese shipments

overseas surged 32.2

A budget resolution allows the Democrats

who narrowly control the Senate to

circumvent filibuster blocking tactics that

otherwise require 60 votes to overcome in

the 100-seat chamber, rather than a simple

majority.

Democrats used the same procedural

move in March to pass Biden's $1.9 trillion

pandemic relief package.

The agreement followed weeks of haggling

between the White House, party leaders,

progressives and moderates to make a oncein-a-generation

investment in the United

States.

Details about the sweeping plan, which

Democrats argue is among the largest such

funding efforts in decades, were not released.

The Democratic blueprint also comes as

lawmakers put the finishing touches on a

nearly $1 trillion bipartisan deal focusing on

more traditional infrastructure like roads,

bridges and ports.

Lawmakers have scrambled to finalize the

bipartisan deal-and the larger Democratic

measure that is on a parallel track-in the

coming weeks before Congress breaks for the

summer.

But Republicans made clear Tuesday they

were not impressed with the latest

Democratic plan.

"$3.5 trillion in new spending is $3.5

trillion too much and $3.5 trillion we don't

have," Senator Mike Lee said.

percent on-year last month,

the

Customs

Administration said, much

better than the 23 percent

forecast and also well up

from May.

Import's also exceeded

expectations, rallying 36.7

percent as the cost of key

commodities such as iron

ore, oil and copper surge.

However, growth was below

the more than 50 percent

jump seen in May, which

was the fastest in more than

a decade.

Tokyo stocks open lower

extending US falls

TOKYO : Tokyo stocks

opened lower on

Wednesday after falls on

Wall Street, as investors

weighed how a jump in US

inflation data would affect

monetary policy, reports

BSS.

The benchmark Nikkei

225 index was down 0.74

percent, or 211.64 points, at

28,506.60 in early trade,

while the broader Topix

index slipped 0.54 percent,

or 10.63 points, to 1,957.01.

"Japanese shares are seen

starting with losses after falls

in US shares, with focus

being whether the Nikkei

225 would rebound above

the (psychologically

important) 28,500 mark,"

senior market analyst

Toshiyuki Kanayama of

Monex said in a

commentary.

Wall Street stocks

retreated from records while

the dollar rallied after data

showed the biggest jump in

US inflation in more than a

decade.

The US consumer price

index (CPI) spiked 5.4

percent in the 12 months

ended in June, not

seasonally adjusted, the

highest rate since August

2008, the Labor

Department said.

The dollar fetched 110.67

yen in early Asian trade,

against 110.62 yen in New

York late Tuesday.

Among major shares in

Tokyo, Sony was down 0.20

percent at 11,535 yen and

Hitachi was off 1.23 percent

at 6,742 yen.

Auto giant Toyota rose 1.13

percent to 9,976 yen and

SoftBank Group was up 0.62

percent at 7,682 yen.

ONE Bank Ltd distributed relief materials as a part of its special Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR) program for the Corona pandemic affected underprivileged families at Riverview High School

playground in Rajshahi by maintaining health rules and social distancing recently. A total of 2,150

underprivileged families were given the humanitarian aid. On the first day, 650 households of

Rajshahi city area received the support. The same will be distributed on the following three days in

Paba (500 families), in Puthiya (500 families) and in Godagari Upazila (500 families). Each of them

were given 15 kilograms of rice, two kilograms of flour, five kilograms of potato, lentil, salt, edible

oil, onions , 100 grams of chilly powder and one soap. The District Commissioner of Rajshahi Abdul

Jalil, Additional Deputy Commissioners Nazrul Islam (Revenue) and Shariful Haque

(General),Abdul Mannan Vice-president & Branch Manager Rajshahi of ONE Bank Limited distributed

the packages of relief materials among the families.

Photo: Courtesy

BRUSSELS: The EU unveils a plan

Wednesday to meet its bold green

pledge of carbon neutrality by 2050, at

the risk of triggering an epic political

clash over electric cars and fuel prices,

reports BSS.

The dozen draft legal texts are

intended to transform the European

economy from fossil fuel dependency

to a world of net-zero emissions, low

pollution and battery-powered

transport.

Drawn up by the European

Commission, the EU's executive, the

plan effectively bans the sale of new

petrol-driven cars from 2035, one of

the boldest moves against gas-guzzlers

ever, and one that has already raised

concerns in Paris and Berlin.

The proposals, to be announced by

the European Commission's

environment supremo Vice President

Frans Timmermans, will also seek to

breathe new life into the EU's flawed

Emissions Trading System (ETS), the

world's biggest carbon market, where

industry pays for the right to pollute.

Once announced, the laws will snake

their way through the EU's legislative

system amid high-stakes horse-trading

in the European Parliament and among

the bloc's 27 member states, egged on

by industry lobbyists and green

activists.

The jockeying has already begun,

with powerful interests fighting hard to

win special treatment-or extra timebefore

the constraints of a greener

Europe come into force.

Environmentalists will denounce the

laws as not going far enough-with

Greenpeace already decrying "a

fireworks display over a rubbish dump"

if they go through as proposed.

Some corporations, meanwhile, are

careful to say they would welcome

some of the plans.

Bernard Looney, the CEO of energy

giant BP says that "changes are

necessary" and that his company will

do its part.

Others fear resistance from the

general public, even a continent-wide

replay of the "yellow vests" protests that

erupted in France when the

government pushed through a new fuel

tax in the name of defending the

environment.

The mammoth legislative push is

officially known as the "Fit for 55"

package, as its central aim is to align

existing EU laws and targets with a

deepened 55 percent net emissions

reduction by 2030.

The previous objective was a cut of at

least 40 percent from 1990 levels.

Another pillar will be a carbon levy

that will be paid by non-European

companies at the bloc's external border

to ensure dirtier imports aren't allowed

an unfair advantage.

The levy will be called a "carbon

border adjustment mechanism" and

polluting companies importing goods

into the EU will have to buy carbon

permits, a move likely to antagonise EU

trading partners like Russia, China and

India.

To ease the blow, European rivals of

the importers-industries such as steel,

cement, aluminium, fertilisers and

electricity-would see their existing free

carbon permits phased out.

Sources reported serious infighting at

the European Commission as the final

touches were being put on the

proposals.

Especially sensitive were measures to

impose sustainable and probably more

expensive fuels in public-facing sectors

such as transport, heating and coolingas

well as construction.

Another big battle will come from

airlines over a measure to tax aviation

fuel for intra-European flights. Tourist

destinations such as Spain, Portugal

and Greece will hope to defang the

proposal.

The mainly eastern member states,

such as Poland, which rely on coal, will

resist tighter emissions reduction

targets.

And environmentalists are

unconvinced by plans to promote

natural carbon sinks like forests and

meadows, fearing an effort to conceal a

lack of ambition in cutting emissions

off at the source.

With state-of-the-art banking facilities NRB Commercial (NRBC) Bank Limited launched its services

at Satkhira, Sherpur (Bogra), Chatmohar (Pabna), Saturia (Manikganj), Sreepur (Ashulia).

Chairman of the Bank S M Parvez Tamal inaugurated those 5 sub-branches as Chief Guest through

video conference recently. A M Saidur Rahman, Director and Chairman, Risk Management

Committee, Golam Awlia, Managing Director & CEO, Md. Mozammel Hossain, Company Secretary,

Major (Retd.) Parvez Hossain, Head of Support service and Branches Division joined the ceremony

through video conference. High officials of the Bank and local elites, distinguished clients, businessmen

were present on the occasion. During the ceremony, a Munajat was held seeking divine blessings

of the Almighty for the welfare, progress and prosperity of the Bank.

Photo: Courtesy

Argentina and IMF

make progress in debt

renegotiation talks

BUENOS AIRES : Argentina

made progress in talks with the

International Monetary Fund

on restructuring the country's

crippling debt, the economy

ministry said on Tuesday,

reports BSS.

Economy Minister Martin

Guzman met an IMF

delegation headed by Julie

Kozack, the deputy director of

the western hemisphere

department, during last week's

Group of 20 summit in Venice.

"The technical teams'

meetings provided progress

and understanding on key

issues of the government's

economic program," the

ministry said.

"In particular, concrete

progress was made in

understanding regarding

policies for the development of

the domestic capital market,

tax administration and the

development of sectors that

generate foreign exchange."

The IMF said in a statement

that the meetings from July 8-

12 were "productive," adding

that "discussions focused on

policies to strengthen the

recovery, economic stability,

and job creation."

"In particular, progress was

made in identifying policy

options to develop the domestic

capital market, mobilize

domestic revenue, and

strengthen Argentina's external

resilience," said the IMF. "Our

goal is to support Argentina as

it durably addresses its

economic and balance of

payment challenges.

Since coming to power in

December 2019, Argentine

President Mauricio Macri has

looked to renegotiate several

multi-billion dollar debts he

describes as "unpayable" for a

country of 45 million that has

been in recession since mid-

2018.

US sees biggest annual

inflation jump since 2008

WASHINGTON: The United

States saw its biggest surge in

inflation in more than a

decade last month, according

to government data released

Tuesday, hitting consumers

and challenging the White

House and Federal Reserve

narrative that the price spike

will fade in the coming

months, reports BSS.

As widespread Covid-19

vaccinations allowed the

world's largest economy to

relax pandemic restrictions,

Americans have resumed

spending and traveling but

have faced rising prices for

used cars, gasoline, hotels and

airline fares.

That trend could

undermine already-tentative

support for President Joe

Biden's economic plan,

including his massive jobs and

infrastructure proposals.

The consumer price index

(CPI) spiked 5.4 percent in the

12 months ended in June, not

seasonally adjusted, the

highest rate since August

2008, the Labor Department

said.

While the reopening is a

boon to businesses, they are

facing supply bottlenecks

such as a global shortage of

semiconductors that has

hampered auto production,

and also surges in demand,

including from rental car

companies rushing to rebuild

their fleets.

After sinking in the midst of

the pandemic shutdowns,

energy prices have

rebounded, aided by the

failure of OPEC+ oil

producers to boost output.

Gasoline shot up by an

unadjusted 45.1 percent over

the past year and 2.5 percent

in the month of June, the

report said.

Those eye-popping gains

will intensify pressure on Fed

Chair Jerome Powell, who

faces two days of questioning

by congressional lawmakers

on Wednesday and Thursday.

Powell has repeatedly

insisted that most of the

factors driving the price

spikes, among them the

comparison to the sharp

declines in 2020, will

disappear and inflation will

come down.

But economists are

beginning to question that

view.

In Congress, Powell likely

will find himself defending the

Fed's pledge to continue

providing stimulus to the

American economy until

there has been substantial

progress on lowering

unemployment and getting

inflation to hold above two

percent.

US central bankers at their

policy meeting in June

expressed surprise at the

extent of the price jump, and

with the new data, inflation

hawks will have the upper

hand at the next meeting later

this month, where they are

expected to discuss pulling

back on the Fed's massive

bond-buying program.

Rising prices could also

intensify the dispute over

whether the government

should spend more to help the

economy recover-an

approach Biden and his

Democratic Party are pushing

for.

Republican Senator Mitch

McConnell said inflation is

"raging in our country."

"This is a huge issue," the

Senate opposition leader told

reporters. "Everybody's

talking about it-in grocery

stores, in manufacturing and

businesses, nursing homes,

everybody's experiencing

inflation."

Food prices rose a

comparatively modest 2.4

percent for the year ended in

June, and 0.9 percent in the

month, according to the data.

But even excluding the

more volatile food and energy

prices, "core" CPI over the 12

months to June jumped 4.5

percent, unadjusted, the

biggest increase since

November 1991, the Labor

Department said.

Compared to May alone,

CPI surged 0.9 percent,

seasonally adjusted, with over

one-third of that rise driven by

a 10.5 percent gain in used car

prices.

The White House Council of

Economic Advisers pointed to

temporary factors driving

inflation, and cautioned that

"the recovery from the

pandemic will not be linear."

But economists still say they

expect inflation to start

trending down in coming

months, but noted that price

pressures persist.

The "price gains were

widespread as unleashed

pent-up demand outstrips

diminished supply," said

Kathy Bostjancic of Oxford

Economics.

"We believe this will be the

peak in the annual rate of

inflation," she said in an

analysis, but "price increases

stemming from the reopening

of the economy and ongoing

supply chain bottlenecks will

keep the rate of inflation

elevated."

ThuRSDAY, JulY 15, 2021

9

30-year-old James Vince said scoring a hundred for his country "was one of my dreams

growing up.

"Photo: AP

England sweep Pakistan with James

Vince's century in 3rd ODI

SPORTS DESK

England completed a 3-0 sweep of

Pakistan in their one-day international

series after James Vince's century led

the hosts to a three-wicket victory on

Tuesday, reports UNB.

Vince's first international hundred

led England as they chased down 332 at

Edgbaston and overcame a 158 by

Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

Vince's 102 from 95 balls led a

makeshift side after England's entire

first-choice ODI squad had to isolate

after a COVID-19 outbreak just over a

week ago following the Sri Lanka series.

"I hadn't given up on this moment,

but this time last week I didn't expect it

at all," Vince said.

"I wasn't sure it was going to come.

There was probably a realization I

wasn't going to be in the squad or be

high up in the pecking order so I was

Usain Bolt describes racist

abuse of England trio as

'horrible' and 'unfair'

SPORTS DESK

Eight-time Olympic

champion Usain Bolt told

Reuters that racism has no

place in football or in society

after three England players

faced online abuse following

their penalty shootout defeat

to Italy in the Euro 2020

final on Sunday, reports

UNB.

England trio Marcus

Rashford, Jadon Sancho

and Bukayo Saka, who

missed their spot kicks in the

shootout, were targeted

online in the wake of

England's defeat."You can

be upset at a person for

missing because we are

human, but if you're going to

bring race into it, then it has

no place in football or just in

general," Jamaican Bolt said

in Kingston on Tuesday.

Bolt, who won the 100m

and 200m double at three

consecutive Olympics from

2008 to 2016, described the

racial abuse directed at the

players as horrifying.

Harry Maguire's father

hurt; UEFA investigate

fan violence

SPORTS DESK

England defender Harry

Maguire said his father had

injured ribs and trouble

breathing after being caught

up in the surge when

hundreds of fans without

tickets broke through

security barriers to get into

Wembley Stadium in a bid

to watch Sunday's European

Championship final against

Italy, reports UNB.

UEFA on Tuesday asked

an investigator to study

violence by England fans at

the game. The English

Football Association has

been separately charged

with multiple offenses by

fans before and during their

team's loss to Italy in a

penalty shootout after a 1-1

draw.

delighted I got another opportunity."

The 30-year-old Vince said scoring a

hundred for his country "was one of my

dreams growing up."

"I don't know when the next will be or

if there will be another one, but that

was without doubt one of the best days

I've had," he said.

England was 165-5 in the 24th before

Vince shared a stand of 129 with Lewis

Gregory (77). Vince chipped Haris Rauf

(4-65) to mid-off, and Gregory topedged

a skier with 29 still required.

Craig Overton (18 not out) and

Brydon Carse (12 not out) finished

things off.

England chose to bowl first and

Pakistan's innings was built on Babar's

partnership of 179 with Mohammed

Rizwan, who scored 74 from 58 balls.

Babar reached three figures in 104

balls, getting there with two boundaries

in three balls by pulling Carse (5-61)

with authority and then middling a

compact cut shot.

Rizwan reached a half-century in 42

balls and hit his 158 from 139 balls.

England got the long-awaited third

wicket when Rizwan went after a legside

bouncer from Carse but feathered

a nick through to John Simpson.

Carse picked up two more late

wickets as the visitors moved to 309-5.

On the other end, Babar was on a

career-best 150 not out and survived a

run out attempt in the 48th over.

Saqid Mahmood (3-60) finished his

10 overs with two wickets in as many

balls.

Carse finally ended Babar's

entertaining stay, producing a rare mishit

to Dawid Malan.

The innings ended at 331-9, with six

wickets falling in the last three overs.

Federer withdraws from Tokyo

Olympics after knee injury 'setback'

SPORTS DESK

Roger Federer announced on Tuesday he

has withdrawn from the upcoming Tokyo

Olympics after a "setback" in his recovery

from a knee injury, reports UNB.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion was

knocked out of Wimbledon in the quarterfinals

by Hubert Hurkacz last week.

The 39-year-old Federer, who has never

won an Olympic singles gold medal,

underwent two surgeries on his right knee in

2020."During the grass court season, I

unfortunately experienced a setback with my

knee, and have accepted that I must

withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games,"

Federer said in a statement on social media.

The tennis competitions in Japan are set to

start on July 24, the day after the opening

ceremony. Federer, who turns 40 next

month, pulled out of the French Open after

reaching the fourth round, hoping to get fit

for Wimbledon.

He showed signs of his best during his run

to the quarter-finals, but bowed out tamely,

losing 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 to Poland's

Hurkacz.

That defeat sparked talk among fans and

pundits speculating whether the eight-time

Wimbledon winner would retire, with

Federer saying he "didn't know" if his

Wimbledon career was over.

But on Tuesday, the former world number

one said he was hoping to return to the ATP

Tour later this summer.

"I have already begun rehabilitation in the

hopes of returning to the tour later this

summer," he added.

"I wish the entire Swiss team the best of

luck and I will be rooting hard for the team

from afar."He is just the latest to join a long

list of tennis stars to skip the Olympics.

Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and

Dominic Thiem have all pulled out, while

newly-crowned Wimbledon champion

Novak Djokovic put his chances of playing in

Tokyo at "50/50".

The Games have been badly affected by

Covid. The 2020 edition was delayed by a

year and although it will go ahead, it will

largely be held behind closed doors and with

strict health restrictions in place.

The Olympic singles title is the only major

tournament Federer is yet to win. He has

completed the career Grand Slam and won

the season-ending ATP Finals six times.

He lost in the semi-finals in 2000 in

Sydney and reached the final in 2012, only to

be beaten by Andy Murray in London, just

weeks after edging out the Briton on the

same Centre Court in the Wimbledon final.

Federer did, however, win doubles gold

with Stan Wawrinka in Beijing 13 years ago.

'Need to get in better shape' -

The loss to Hurkacz was only Federer's

14th defeat at Wimbledon in 119 matches,

and the first time he had been beaten in the

tournament in straight sets since a firstround

exit at the hands of Mario Ancic in

2002.

Roger Federer said he experienced a "setback" with his knee during the

grass court season.

Photo: AP

Babar Azam becomes

fastest to reach 14

ODI tons

SPORTS DESK

Pakistan captain Babar

Azam Tuesday became the

fastest batsman to reach 14

One-day centuries, reports

UNB.

The number one ODI

player reached the mark in

his 83rd ODI and in 81

innings in the third one-day

international against

England at Cardiff.

Previously, the record was

with South African legend

HashimAmla who took 87

matches and 84 innings to

reach 14 ODI hundreds.

Next on the list is David

Warner who scored his 14th

hundred in his milestone

100th ODI game which was

his 98th innings in the

middle.

India's ViratKohli took 106

matches and 103 innings to

reach the mark while his

teammate ShikarDhawan

rounds up the top five as he

reached the feat 106 ODIs

and 105 innings.

Colombia's Luis

Diaz named

'Revelation of

Copa America'

SPORTS DESK

Colombia forward Luis Diaz

was named Revelation of the

Copa America on Tuesday

by tournament organisers

the South American Football

Confederation

(CONMEBOL). The 24-year

old Porto player scored two

goals in the third-place

playoff win over Peru and

was the tournament's joint

top goalscorer along with

Lionel Messi. He also scored

a spectacular scissor kick in

Colombia's 2-1 defeat to

finalists Brazil and a goal in

the semi-final against

eventual winners Argentina,

reports UNB.

CONMEBOL had already

selected Messi and Neymar

as joint players of the

tournament before

Saturday's final in which

Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 to

end a 28-year trophy

drought. Diaz was the only

Colombian in the team of

the tournament, alongside

four Argentines (Emiliano

Martinez, Cristian Romero,

Rodrigo De Paul, and Lionel

Messi) and three Brazilians

(Casemiro, Marquinhos and

Neymar).

Ecuadorian left back

PervisEstupinan, Peruvian

midfielder YoshimarYotun

and Chilean right back

Mauricio Isla completed the

line up. The federation also

said it had recuperated.

1.7 million dollars from a

former official caught up in

the FIFA corruption

scandal. The money was

claimed back from former

secretary general, Argentine

Eduardo Deluca,

CONMEBOL said in a

statement.

Asian champions Qatar held by

Panama in Gold Cup opener

SPORTS DESK

Asian champions Qatar were held to a 3-3

draw by Panama in their opening

CONCACAF Gold Cup Group D game on

Tuesday, reports BSS.

Qatar, playing in the championship for

teams from North America, Central America

and the Caribbean as part of their

preparations for the 2022 World Cup, took

the lead three times but were pegged back by

the Panamanians.

The game in Houston was delayed by

nearly two hours after a severe weather

warning.

Qatar took the lead in the 48th minute,

AkramArif sweeping home emphatically

from close range after Pedro Miguel headed

into his path from the edge of the six-yard

area.

Panama equalised in the 51st minute, with

a cleverly worked move from a corner

carving out an opening for Rolando

Blackburn, whose accurate header flew into

the bottom right hand corner. 1-1.

Qatar regained the lead only moments

Qatar and Panama played out a 3-3 draw on Tuesday.

later however when AkramAfif's superb

through ball sent Almoez Ali racing through

on goal.

The 24-year-old striker took his time

before rifling home a low shot into the

bottom corner to make it 2-1 on 53 minutes.

Panama were level within five minutes

however, punishing slack defending by Qatar

when YoelBarcenas's long pass into the area

somehow eluded the defence to find

Blackburn, who prodded home for 2-2.

Barcenas looked to have cost Panama a

share of the spoils in the 61st minute after

conceding a penalty which Hassan Al

Haydos duly converted to make it 3-2.

But Qatar's defence again proved

vulnerable late on, and when Abdiel Ayarza

was bundled over by Abdelkarim Hassan in

the 74th minute, Eric Davis duly stepped up

to level it at 3-3.

Qatar almost snatched victory in the final

minutes of stoppage time when Mohammed

Muntari burst clear of the defence only for a

desperate cover tackle from Harold

Cummings to clear the danger.

Photo: AP

Less is more as Lyles targets

200m gold

SPORTS DESK

Noah Lyles may have abandoned ambitious

plans for an Olympic sprint double, but the

charismatic US star believes less may well be

more as he targets 200m gold in Tokyo,

reports BSS.

After a dazzling performance at the World

Championships in Doha two years ago,

where he stormed to victory in the 200m,

Lyles declared he was planning to take a

crack at the 100m-200m double in Japan.

That bold dream ended abruptly at last

month's US Olympic trials in Eugene, where

Lyles never looked comfortable through the

opening rounds of the 100m before trailing

in a distant seventh in the final.

But he looked more like his old self a week

later in the 200m final, where he surged to

victory in a world-leading 19.74sec to see off

the challenge of Kenny Bednarek and

teenager Erriyon Knighton.

Lyles says rediscovering a sense of "fun"

held the key to his return to form after a

tumultuous year that saw him open up about

his treatment for depression as America

faced a racial reckoning following the death

of George Floyd.

"I went out there and I had fun," Lyles said.

"Another thing I've been struggling to have

this year was some fun on the track. I know

I've said a lot, 'The day I stop having fun is

the day I leave.'

"And I was not having fun this year, and

I did not want to leave. I was like, 'I know

this can be fun.

I just have to bide my time.' Going out

there, it was fun again."

With the 100m off the agenda in Tokyo,

Lyles is free to concentrate on the race that

has always been his strongest suit.

After cruising through the opening rounds

of the 200m at the trials last month, his

sense of relief was palpable.

Depression battle -

"It always feels natural when I come back

to the 200," he said. "I don't have to stress

too hard. I don't have to think about too

much.

"I don't even have to worry about if I get a

good start or not, because I know, whatever

the situation is, I can always come back in my

turn and then slingshot off, be strong in my

finish. It's really a comfortable feeling."

Crowds flock back to British Open

despite coronavirus spike

SPORTS DESK

The British Open returns after a twoyear

hiatus caused by the coronavirus

pandemic on Thursday with galleries of

up to 32,000 fans allowed in to savour

a sight of the world's best golfers at

Royal St George's, reports BSS.

Ireland's Shane Lowry will defend the

Claret Jug in the 149th Open

Championship, but despite the return

of play and patrons, Covid-19 still casts

a shadow over the final major of the

year.

Masters champion Hideki

Matsuyama, two-time major winner

Bubba Watson and former British

Open winner Zack Johnson have all

withdrawn after either testing positive

for Covid-19 or being deemed a Covid

close contact.

Tournament organisers the R&A

recently informed players that the

championship will "operate under

strict government oversight", with

guidelines which prohibit players from

going to bars, restaurants and

supermarkets during tournament

week. They also have to stay in either

approved hotels or private

accommodation, which can be shared

with up to four members of their team,

but not other players.

"I don't have my full team here this

week. I don't have my trainer, don't

have my chef," said four-time major

champion Brooks Koepka.

"The cooking definitely is not as good

with me, (caddie) Rick, my physio, and

my manager, Blake. We're trying our

best, but it's not as good as she would

make it." Spain's Jon Rahm is the

bookies'favourite thanks to his

scintillating form that saw him claim

his first major at the US Open last

month and briefly move to world

number one before being deposed by

Dustin Johnson.

Rahm admitted his surprise at the

size of the galleries given Britain's series

of strict lockdowns and restrictions on

foreign travel.

As restrictions are eased due to the

successful mass rollout of vaccines,

Britain is now experiencing more than

30,000 positive cases a day.

"I did not expect this tournament to

be the first one we're going to have full

crowds, just because of the lockdown

and limitations and all," said Rahm. "I

am very excited. We've missed it."

Fleetwood hoping to end

English wait

Rahm's fine form continued with a

seventh-placed finish at last week's

Scottish Open in his first event since his

US Open win at Torrey Pines.

But he knows only too well how a

coronavirus outbreak can change the

course of an event after a positive test

forced him to withdraw from the US

PGA Memorial tournament in June

when leading by six shots. Tommy

Fleetwood can count on home support

as he aims to become the first English

champion since Nick Faldo in 1992 and

believes players are now used to

dealing with the complexities of

coronavirus protocols.

THURsDAY, JULY 15, 2021

10

TW Sainik coming with new song

Tapan Chowdhury's new song

'Khelaghor' to release on Eid

TBT RepoRT

Tapan Chowdhury is a popular

singer of the country. Tapan is

known for his modern (Adhunik)

songs. He won Best Male Singer

in 1st Meril-Prothom Alo Awards

in 1998.The artiste, who has won

the hearts of millions by his

melodious voice, is coming up

with a new song after a long time.

The title of the track is

'Khelaghor'. National Film

Award-winning music composer

TanvirTareq has written the

lyrics, composed and arranged

the music of the song. The track

has been recorded at the Celebrity

Studio in the capital recently.

'Khelaghor' will be released on

YouTube channel of Dhruba

Music Station on the occasion of

upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.

About the song, Tapan

Chowdhury said, "I had a plan

that I will lend my voice to

Tanvir's lyrics and tune. Finally,

we have recorded the song. The

lyrics of the song are to my

liking. I hope the audience will

also like it."

Tanvir Tareq said, "In this time,

there are many artistes who are

nurturing pure song but

patronizers of this type of song

are rare. I would like to thank

Druba Guha dada for partonising

the song. It is also my first work

with Tapan dada. I believe the

song will stir in the mind of the

audience."

Owner of Dhruba Music

Station (DMS) Dhruba Guha

said, "DMS always respects

creative works. Tapan

Chowdhury is a popular singer of

modern song. Tanvir Tareq has

done a wonderful job. I think,

'Khelaghor' will be a special Eid

gift to the audience."

The song will be released on

DMS YouTube channel with

music video. Al Masud has made

the music video. Actress Quazi

Nawshaba Ahmed will be seen in

the video as model.

The song will also be available

on different apps.

Tapan Chowdhury is a noted

musician of the country. He was

trained by Ustad Priyadaranjan

Sen, Ustad Mihirlala and Ustad

Sanjit Dey. He started his career

with Souls and worked for the

band for 22 years. Later, he

started to work as a solo singer.

Tapan Chowdhury performed

as a playback singer for more

than 300 films.

TW Sainik is basically a

cinematographer. During

childhood he had fascination

about music.

For this reason, besides his

professional activities as a

cinematographer, he dreamt to

be a singer. With this dream, he

once rendered a song titled

'Tumi aamar ghum tobuo

tomai niye swapno dekhina',

which lyrics were written by

Sohel Arman, and tune and

music were composed by

IbrarTipu. Sainik became

popular to all by this song. He

also got appreciation for this

song in and outside the

country.

Later, he rendered many

songs. Then he became sick. A

song of popular band of 80's,

Insight, titled Hey Probhu

Dekha Dao was favourite to

Sainik. Once he dreamt to

render the song.

Partha Majumder came

forward to fulfil his dream.

Sainik lent his voice for the

Bongo, Bangladesh's first and largest video streaming platform,

is premiering a female-focused drama serial titled "Girl's Squad"

for Eid-ul-Azha 2021, reports UNB.

"Girl's Squad" is a comedy drama that shows the complex lives of six

women, portraying their everyday struggles with friendship, love, romance,

and their own aspirations, Bongo said via a press release.

The women at the center of this new serial are played by Samira Khan

Mahi, Nabila Binta Islam, Rukaia Jahan Chomok, Sharna Lata, Jarin

Tasnim Antara, and Samonty Shoumi, alongside popular contemporary

male actors Marzuk Russell and Chashi Alam.

"Girl's Squad" will premiere with 20 episodes. The serial has been written

and directed by Maidul Rakib, and produced by Bongo.

Following the success of Bongo's Based on Books (BoB) series, which saw

critical success during it premier during Eid-ul-Fitr; Bongo has since

decided to not only focus on adaptations from acclaimed literature but to

also focus on making content for all audiences.

"In Bangladesh, conventional dramas and films mostly focus on the story

of a male protagonist and storylines have traditionally revolved around the

'hero', while heroines have mostly played supporting characters.

Thankfully, times are changing and now audiences are demanding to see

better representation on screen," Bongo explained the motif behind the

project. Being the first of many upcoming female-focused content offerings

coming from Bongo, "Girl Squad" will be available for viewers on Bongo's

app on Google Play Store, Apple's App Store, and Bongo Web

(www.bongobd.com) platforms from the day of Eid-ul-Azha.

song under new musical

arrangement. Now mixmastering

of the song is going

on. Alauddin Al Asad

composed lyrics and tunes of

the song. While talking about

the song Sainik said, "During

childhood, I heard the song

Hey Probhu Dekha Dao for

many times.

I have love and affection to

this song. I wanted to render

this song under new

arrangement. As a part of its

continuation, I have lent my

voice for the song. I give thanks

to respected Partha Majumder

Dada. I am grateful to Allah to

keep me well, Alhamdulillah.

The song will be released

before Eid-ul-Azha."

Born in Nilphamari, Sainik's

birthday is on August 1.

Manikganj is his paternal

grandfather's residence. He is

father of two sons. In 2004, he

took part in Benson & Hedges

Star Search contest. As a

cinematographer, he worked

in movies Mayar Jonjal and

Meghroddur Khela.

Bongo brings "Girl's Squad"

for Eid-ul-Azha 2021

'Red Notice' to premiere on

Netflix in November

Netflix's much-anticipated

movie 'Red Notice' starring

Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and

Ryan Reynolds is set to premiere

on the platform in November

this year. Ryan on his Instagram

account shared an update on his

Instagram account. He shared

the first look of him with Gal and

The Rock and wrote, "True story.

They made my entire tuxedo out

of one of @therock's socks. Also,

true… #RedNotice has a release

date of Nov. 12th on @Netflix.

Last piece of gossip: @gal_gadot

is wonderful. And huge thanks to

@rawsonthurber - for creating

this beast of a film."

Former wrestler and American

actor Dwayne on his Twitter

account announced the news,

along with a picture featuring the

sizzling cast. "You're officially on

notice @Netflix's biggest movie

ever #REDNOTICE premieres

in your living rooms around the

globe on NOV 12 FBI's top

Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik

Roshan will be seen together on

the big screen for the first time

in VikramVedha's Hindi

remake. The film producers

have planned to released it next

September.

VikramVedha was a 2017

Tamil neo-noir thriller, starring

R Madhavan and Vijay

Sethupathi. The Hindi remake

will be produced by Neeraj

Pandey under his company

Friday Filmworks in

association with Reliance

profiler. World's most wanted art

thief. And the greatest conman

the world has never

s e e n . . . @ G a l G a d o t

@ V a n c i t y R e y n o l d s

#REDNOTICE," he tweeted.

'Red Notice' is an upcoming

Entertainment and YNot

Studios, the producers behind

the original.

"The Hindi remake with

Hrithik and Saif is in advanced

pre-production stage and will

most likely go on floors next

month. We are looking to

release it on September 30,

2022," a source told PTI.

Madhavan played a cop

named Vikram while

Sethupathi played gangster

Vedha. Pushkar and Gayathri,

who directed the original, will

comedic action thriller drama,

written and directed by Rawson

Marshall Thurber who had

earlier collaborated with Dwayne

in super hit movies like

'DodgeBall', 'We're the Millers',

'Central Intelligence' The movie's

also direct the Hindi remake.

On Friday, Hrithik began

work on Fighter with

DeepikaPadukone. The actiondrama

will be directed by

SiddharthAnand, who

previously worked with Hrithik

in War. He is also working on

fourth instalment of his

superhero franchise, Krrish.

Saif Ali Khan will be seen in

tagline teases an unlikely trio for

the ages: the FBI's top profiler

(Dwayne) and two rival

criminals: the world's most

wanted art thief (Gadot) and the

greatest conman the world has

ever seen (Reynolds).

An Interpol issued 'Red Notice'

is a global alert to hunt and

capture the world's most wanted.

But when a daring heist brings

together the FBI's top profiler,

and two rival criminals, there's

no telling what will happen. The

shooting for the film was halted

in March due to the coronavirus

induced lockdown of the

entertainment industry and

resumed in September.

Producers on 'Red Notice'

include Thurber, Beau Flynn for

FlynnPictureCo and Dwayne

Johnson, Dany Garcia and

Hiram Garcia for Seven Bucks

Productions.

Source: Times Of India

Saif Ali Khan,

Hrithik Roshan

to unite for

VikramVedha

remake

Bhoot Police with Arjun

Kapoor, YamiGautam and

Jacqueline Fernandez. It will

release on September 17 on

Disney+ Hotstar. He is also

reuniting with Tanhaji: The

Unsung Warrior director Om

Raut to play Lankesh in

Prabhas-starrer Adipurush.

Source: Indian Express

H o Roscope

Aries

Spiritual matters could be very

much on your mind, Aries. You

may want to delve into

metaphysical studies and

meditation, but work or family responsibilities

could interfere with making those desires a

reality. Don't let this get you down. Instead, stay

focused on the mundane chores and finish

them. Then you can move on to the really

fascinating matters.

Taurus

A friend may seem in a dark and

gloomy mood and unwilling to talk

about it. Don't force the issue. This

probably has more to do with your

friend's circumstances than with you, Taurus. It's

best if you continue to pursue your cherished goals.

Not only could you advance your interests but you

might also inspire your friend and bring him or her

out of the dumps. Go for the gold.

Gemini

Professional interests might

temporarily interfere with your

social life, Gemini. This might cause

a little friction between you and a

close friend or romantic partner. Your friend is

more apt to want to brood than discuss it with you.

Don't worry. This person will come out of the funk

and be more understanding. Explain the situation

the best you can and then continue with your work.

cancer

Responsibilities to work, family,

or both could temporarily delay

plans for a much-needed

vacation. This could be a bit

depressing, Cancer, but don't let it get you down.

Take care of your responsibilities as quickly as

you can and then move ahead with your plans.

All signs are that this trip is important to you and

should go ahead as scheduled.

Leo

Your financial situation should

continue to expand now, Leo. Believe

in yourself. Don't worry if you hear

rumors that make the future seem

rather grim. This is probably misinformation coming

from unreliable sources. Continue to work toward

your goals. Meanwhile, check out the rumors and find

the real facts. You will probably discover that all is far

better than the gossipers claim.

Virgo

Today it may seem like home and

family responsibilities are interfering

with your social life, Virgo, including a

get-together you really want to attend.

Don't worry. All signs are that something

unexpected will occur at the last minute that makes

it possible for you to proceed with your plans. Try to

take care of your duties as efficiently as you can so

you can enjoy the evening.

Libra

You may wake up feeling strong

and energetic, but as the day

wanes, stress could cause you to

feel tired and worn out. Be careful,

Libra. You could become short-tempered

around others. This won't happen if you avoid

the temptation to go like a house afire first thing

in the morning. Pace yourself and your relations

with others should remain excellent throughout

the entire day.

scorpio

A temporary lack of funds might

interfere with creative projects or

your ability to have fun, Scorpio. You

might encounter an apparent

coolness from a close friend or romantic partner that

you might not understand. Don't make too much of it.

This probably relates more to the person's general

mood than to anything you've said or done. Your

friend should be back to normal in a few days.

sagittarius

If you spend the day at home,

Sagittarius, the walls may seem to

close in around you. Squabbles

over nothing could erupt between

you and other household members, and a lack

of energy could plague you. This is a good day to

get some exercise. Take a walk, ride a bike, or

take a cardio class. This should work off your

frustrations while creating more physical

energy.

capricorn

Today you might be waiting for

a letter or call from a close friend

or love partner, Capricorn. Its

delay could cause a powerful

feeling of gloom. Don't let it spoil your day. The

communication will come, and if not today, then

within a few days. Meanwhile, this is a great

time to try your hand at writing or music. Be

creative while you wait. You might also call

another friend.

Aquarius

Whatever skills or talents you're using

to accomplish your present goals may

seem blocked, Aquarius. This could

give rise to a sense of frustration if you

let it, but don't fall into this trap. If you can't get

motivated, focus on something else, perhaps an

activity you've never tried before. This could get your

mind going again while allowing your other skills to

pick up steam.

pisces

You might feel creative, artistic, and full of

ideas for new projects. However, Pisces,

other responsibilities could keep you from

starting on them. At the same time, your

mind could be so focused on them that your other work

takes longer than it should. Write down your ideas before

they escape, then concentrate on the tasks at hand. Finish

those and then you can pursue what you really want.

11

ThursDAY, JulY 15, 2021

Khulna Deputy Commissioner Md Moniruzzaman Talukder presided over the meeting of

Coronavirus prevention committee yesterday.

Photo : Titas Chakraborthy

Neck rubs, tapped phones: Merkel

has history with US leaders

BERLIN : Neck rubs, pricy dinners, allegations

of phone tapping, awkward handshake

moments. Angela Merkel has just about seen

it all when it comes to U.S. presidents.

The German chancellor is making her 19th

and likely final official visit to the U.S. on

Thursday for a meeting with President Joe

Biden - her fourth American president - as she

nears the end of her 16-year tenure.

Merkel, who turns 67 on Saturday, will be

heading into political retirement soon after

deciding long ago not to seek a fifth term in

Germany's Sept. 26 election.

One of the longest-serving leaders of one of

the closest U.S. allies, Merkel is set for a warm

welcome when she meets Biden during her

first visit to Washington since he took office in

January. Still, contentious issues are on the

table - notably the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

SI

No

Tender/

proposal ID

Name of Work

01 594198 Establishment and

Modernization of BSTI

Regional Offices at

Chittagong and Khulna

(Sub Head , Bag Scanner

and Archway)

running from Russia to Germany, which the

U.S. has long opposed, and Biden's efforts to

convince European allies to drop objections to

intellectual property waivers for sharing

COVID-19 vaccines with the developing world.

It's a fitting coda for Merkel's dealings with

American leaders. A look at some of the highs

and lows over the years:

Merkel came to power early in Bush's second

term and set about repairing relations chilled

by predecessor Gerhard Schroeder's vocal

opposition to the war in Iraq.

She quickly became a close ally, perhaps

finding that the way to the president's heart

was through his stomach. During a visit to

Merkel's parliamentary constituency in

northeastern Germany in July 2006, Bush

couldn't stop talking about a wild boar roast

the chancellor laid on for him.

This is an online Tender where only e-tender will be accepted in e-GP portal and no offline/

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system and from e-GP helpdesk (http://www.eprocure.gov.bd).

GD-1118/21 (5x3)

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Last Selling

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at-11:30 am.

Tender closing Date

& Time

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at- 12:00 pm.

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e-Tender is invited in the National e-Gp system Portal (www.eprocure.gov.bd) for the

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Search ends in

Chinese hotel

collapse that

killed 17 people

BEIJING : The death toll in

the collapse of a hotel in

eastern China was raised to 17

Wednesday as authorities

ended the search and rescue

mission, reports UNB.

The city of Suzhou said on

its social media feed that 23

people had been pulled from

from the rubble of the Siji

Kaiyuan Hotel, which

collapsed on Monday

afternoon. One of those freed

was uninjured and five others

were sent to a hospital for

treatment.

Rescuers used cranes,

ladders, metal cutters and

search dogs to look for

survivors. Most of those killed

were hotel guests.

More than 600 people

including earthquake rescue

teams and 120 vehicles were

mobilized for the operation.

Suzhou city is in Jiangsu

province near Shanghai.

Jiangsu's highest official,

Communist Party Secretary,

Lou Qinjian, visited with

rescuers and victims on

Tuesday, the city said.

Investigators would look

into the cause of the collapse

and police have subpoenaed

the hotel's legal

representatives, managers

and those who worked on the

design and construction of

the building, the posting said.

Some had been placed under

"criminal control measures,"

it said, indicating they were

under some form of detention

or supervision. No numbers

or names were given for those

under such measures.

The three-floor, 54-room

Siji Kaiyuan Hotel opened in

2018, according to Ctrip, a

Chinese online booking app.

Suzhou is a popular tourist

destination known for its

historic canals and traditional

Chinese gardens, as well as a

major business center.

French rush to get

vaccinated after

president's warning

PARIS : More than 1 million people in France

made vaccine appointments in less than a day,

according to figures released Tuesday, after the

president cranked up pressure on everyone to

get vaccinated to save the summer vacation

season and the French economy.

Some bristled at President Emmanuel

Macron's admonition to "get vaccinated!"

immediately, but many people signed up for

shots, accepting that getting injected was the

only way to return to some semblance of prepandemic

life. French government spokesman

Gabriel Attal, noting the latest virus surges

from South Africa to South Korea, and vaccine

shortages in many poorer countries, appealed

to his compatriots Tuesday to "look at what's

happening in the world."

Macron also announced that special COVID-

19 passes will be required starting in early

August to enter restaurants and shopping

malls and to get on trains and planes. The

announcement raised questions and worries

among foreign tourists and as residents of

France planning vacations.

An app that centralizes France's vaccine

appointments, Doctolib, said Tuesday that 1.3

million people signed up for injections after

Macron gave a televised address Monday

night. It was a daily record since France rolled

out coronavirus vaccines in December. People

under age 35 made up most of the new

appointments, Doctolib said.

Macron said vaccination would be obligatory

for all health care workers by Sept. 15, and he

held out the possibility of extending the

requirement to others. Around 41% of the

French population has been fully vaccinated,

though the pace of shots being delivered has

waned as summer vacations approached.

Government spokesman Attal insisted the

vaccine mandate wasn't meant to "stigmatize"

reluctant health workers but to limit risks to

the vulnerable populations they care for.

Some residents said the government's

vaccine push makes them feel safer. At a

vaccine center Tuesday in Versailles, finance

worker Thibault Razafinarivo, 26, said, "I have

a newborn baby at home, and we don't want to

take any risks." A 23-year-old who works in

radiology said she wants to protect her family

and her patients.

Others, though, expressed frustration at the

idea of mandatory vaccines or needing passes

to go to a cafe.

Cuba, Haiti stir fresh political

pressures for US president

WASHINGTON : They are two tiny

Caribbean states whose intractable

problems have vexed U.S. presidents for

decades. Now, Haiti and Cuba are suddenly

posing a growing challenge for President

Joe Biden that could have political

ramifications for him in the battleground

state of Florida.

Cuban demonstrators have taken to the

country's streets in recent days to lash out at

the communist government and protest

food shortages and high prices amid the

coronavirus pandemic. In Haiti, officials are

asking the U.S. to intercede in a roiling

political crisis after last week's assassination

of President Jovenel Moise in a nation

where military and humanitarian

interventions by U.S. presidents from

Woodrow Wilson to Barack Obama have

proved to be politically harrowing, reports

UNB.

Biden is facing increased pressure from

Republican lawmakers for his

administration to step up support of Cuban

demonstrators. And his aides have

demonstrated determined caution in

response to requests for more U.S.

involvement in Haiti.

The administration has come under fire

from both sides of the political spectrum for

its responses to each of the crises, both

unfolding less than two hours' flying time

from Miami. The troubled U.S. history in

both countries has hardened positions,

making virtually any policy decision

politically unpalatable for a president

seeking to toe a middle line.

In the background: How the Biden

administration handles the crises looms

large in electorally rich Florida.

Biden lost the state in 2016 to Donald

Trump, as Republicans improved their

performance while paying special attention

to courting the state's large Cuban

American population and other immigrant

voters, noted Susan MacManus, a Florida

political analyst and professor emerita at

the University of South Florida.

"The caution Biden is showing reflects the

poor showing in 2020 and a desire not to

repeat it," said MacManus, who added that

Haitian Americans are becoming a growing

political force in South Florida. "Democrats

learned in 2020 that country of origin is a

16-yr-old offered

lift in Gaibandha,

raped by two

GAIBANDHA : A 16-year-old

girl was allegedly raped by two

men in the district's Sadar

upazila on Monday night on the

pretext of offering her a lift,

reports UNB.

In her complaint, the girl

claimed that she had a tiff with

her mother over a small issue

on July 12. Later in the evening,

she left her house and went to

Balua Bazar to take a bus to

Dhaka.

As she was waiting near a bus

ticket counter around 7pm, its

in-charge and his assistant

wanted to know from the girl

why she was out on the streets

during lockdown. When the girl

told them that she wanted to go

to the national capital, the duo

immediately offered to arrange

a microbus for her trip. The

unsuspecting girl agreed to go

with them and got into the

vehicle without any hesitation,

police said.

However, the duo allegedly

took her to an abandoned house

in the upazila on the pretext of

wrapping up some unfinished

work before heading to Dhaka

and took turns to rape her.

much more powerful voting cue in Florida

than historical voting affiliation, and

Trump's hammering on socialism proved to

be an effective message."

Indeed, as the situations play out in Cuba

and Haiti, Biden administration officials

have responded cautiously.

The White House on Sunday dispatched

representatives from the Justice

Department, the Department of Homeland

Security and the White House National

Security Council to meet with Haiti's

interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph,

designated Prime Minister Ariel Henry and

Joseph Lambert, the head of its dismantled

Senate, whom supporters have named as

provisional president in a challenge to

Joseph.

White House officials said Haiti's request

for the U.S. to deploy troops was under

review. At the State Department,

spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday he was

not aware that the administration had

rejected any request from Haitian officials

but said the focus was on supporting the

investigation into the assassination rather

than providing military assistance.

3888 14/07/2021

Government of The People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Public Works Department

Office of the Executive Engineer

PWD E/M Division -6, Dhaka.

GD- 1121/21 (6x4)

GD-1117/21 (8x4)

Thursday, Dhaka : July 15, 2021; Ashar 31, 1428 BS; Zilhaj 4, 1442 Hijri

No irregularity in providing govt incentives

to be tolerated, warns Obaidul Quader

DHAKA : Road Transport and Bridges

Minister and Awami League general

secretary Obaidul Quader has asked all

concerned to stay alert so that no one

can indulge in any irregularity while disbursing

government incentives, reports

UNB.

"No irregularity will be tolerated in

this case," Quader said during a briefing

at his official residence on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

announced an incentive package of Tk

3,200 crore for the low-income people

hit hard by the ongoing lockdown

restrictions, and job creation in rural

areas, workers of tourism and transport

workers and day-labourers, the Awami

League general secretary said.

He said there should be maximum

attention to make sure that the real victims

are enlisted for the incentives.

Of the total amount of the incentive

packages, Tk 2,200 crore will come from

the national coffer.

Another amount of Tk 1,000 crore has

been earmarked to provide loans in the

tourism sector with government subsidies,

said Quader.

He said the initiative of easing restrictions

was taken to ease the sufferings of

people during the Eid journeys as well as

ensure the financial safety of the working

people and maintain the pace of the

national economy.

Public transports will operate at their

half capacities across the country from

Thursday as the lockdown restrictions

have been relaxed, he said.

The minister hoped that the transport

owners and workers' organizations

would operate their vehicles in compliance

with the Covid-related conditions

like hygiene rules keeping the current

Corona situation in mind.

Quader warned that legal action will

be taken against the transport owners

for collection of extra fare and non-compliance

of health guidelines.

Combing campaign to be continued

to control dengue : Taposh

DHAKA : Mayor of Dhaka South City

Corporation (DSCC) Barrister Sheikh

Fazle Nur Taposh on Wednesday said

that the combing operation would continue

in the DSCC areas to control

dengue.

"We would continue combing operation...

the number of dengue patients is

now declining and we are hopeful that

through the ongoing combing campaign,

we will be able to make people aware and

through public awareness we will be free

from dengue outbreaks," he said.

Taposh said this while exchanging

views with journalists after inaugurating

an interim waste disposal center at

Tantibazar intersection as part of a weekly

regular inspection program, said a

press release.

Mamata's election case

HC asks top poll panel to

preserve voting machines

NEW DELHI : A higher court in the

eastern city of Kolkata on Wednesday

ordered India's top poll panel to preserve

all voting machines in an election

petition filed by Bengal Chief Minister

Mamata Banerjee over her defeat in

May's assembly polls, reports UNB.

The Kolkata High Court also issued a

notice to Bengal's main opposition

leader Suvendu Adhikari of the

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the

case lodged by Mamata challenging

the election of her former protegeturned-rival

from Nandigram in the

assembly polls.

"Justice Shampa Sarkar asked the

Election Commission of India to preserve

all records, and devices, such as

electronic voting machines and video

recordings, apart from issuing the notice

to Suvendu," Mamata's lawyer Sanjay

Basu told the media.

"We were running the mobile court

through our own two executive magistrates

now we have given the responsibility

of running the mobile court to our

regional executive officers as well," he

said. "Overall, dengue situation is still

under control and all preparations are in

place to deal with it," Taposh said.

Haji Selim MP, Farid Ahmed, Chief

Executive Officer of South City

Corporation, Air Commodore Md Badrul

Amin, Chief Health Officer Brigadier

General Sharif Ahmed and chief engineer

were present, among others. Rezaur

Rahman, Secretary Akramuzzaman, Chief

Property Officer Russell Sabrin,

Supervising Engineer Khairul Baker and

councilors of the concerned wards were

present, among others.

Justice Sarkar took over the case from

another judge against whom the Bengal

Chief Minister had levelled allegations of

"conflict of interest" in the wake of his

alleged links with India's ruling BJP.

But before quitting the case, Justice

Kaushik Chanda had imposed a fine of 5

lakh rupees (7,000 USD) on Mamata

for her "preplanned move to malign a

judge".

On May 2, Mamata single-handedly

pulled off a landslide victory in the

assembly election for the third time in a

row, bucking anti-incumbency and

staving off a massive challenge from

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.

Though her Trinamool Congress

party swept back to power with a

resounding majority, Mamata lost her

own seat in Nandigram to BJP's star

campaigner Suvendu by a thin margin

of 2,000 votes.

Lockdown Breaches

462 arrested

on day 14

DHAKA : Police arrested 462 people

and collected fines of Tk 15,79,500 from

vehicles in the capital city for breaching

the Covid lockdown scheduled to end on

midnight Wednesday, reports UNB.

The arrestees were out on the streets

violating restrictions, said DMP

Additional Deputy Commissioner

(media) Iftekharul Islam.

Meanwhile, mobile courts collected

Tk 1,32,700 as fines from 105 people.

During this time, the Traffic Division

collected Tk 15,79,500 as penalties from

744 vehicles for failing to comply with

coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

In the last 13 days of the strict lockdown,

8,540 people were arrested by police,

2,894 people were fined Tk 37,79,630 by

mobile court and 7,395 vehicles were

fined Tk 1,67,60,275 for flouting curbs.

The 14-day lockdown imposed to contain

an alarming surge in the Covid infections

across the country will end on

Wednesday midnight. The lockdown will

be relaxed during July 15-22 for Eid-ul-

Azha festival, even though both Covid cases

and fatalities continue to hit new records.

Khalid for strict

adherence to health

safety guidelines

DHAKA : State Minister for Shipping

Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury yesterday

urged waterway passengers to follow the

health safety guidelines and other rules

set by the government to contain the massive

hike of the COVID -19 pandemic .

"Cent percent of waterway passengers

must be ensured to wear masks.

Passengers will be fined if they do not

follow the health guidelines and do not

wear masks," he said. The state minister

said this while talking to reporters after

visiting various development works of

Sadarghat Launch Terminal in Dhaka.

He said although the lockdown is

eased, the government's stance towards

ensuring health guidelines is strict.

The state minister expressed satisfaction

over the progress of the development

and cleanliness works at Sadarghat

Launch Terminal.

The number of patients is increasing every day. A relative of a patient is seen taking him to

Dhaka Medical Hospital for admission. The picture is taken from Dhaka Medical on

Wednesday.

Photo: PBA

Farmers of Natore are dreaming with golden fiber. They are passing busy hour to peel the

fiber from stick.

Photo : Star Mail

Telemedicine service to

be launched at 16000

community hospitals:Palak

DHAKA : The government has taken

initiative to introduce telemedicine service

at 16,000 community hospitals

across the country and bring 2000 hospitals

under digital service, said sate

minister for ICT Junayed Ahmed Palak,

reports UNB.

The junior minister came up with the

information while talking at a virtual

seminar on 'Digitalisation of health sector

amid Covid pandemic'.

"The health sector of the country will

be digitised fully and every hospital of

the country will be operated centrally

using technology. The medicine and

diagnosis records will be brought under

an interoperable system through centralised

health management software,"

he said.

Besides, initiatives will be taken to

save the health records of each citizen of

the country in all government and private

hospitals, he said adding that a

project titled 'Digital Health For Nation'

involving Tk 1600 crore will be taken to

this end .

Deaths on maritime migration

routes to Europe soar in first

half of 2021: IOM

DHAKA : At least 1,146 people died

attempting to reach Europe by sea in the

first six months of 2021, according to a

new briefing released by the

International Organization for

Migration (IOM) on Wednesday,

reports UNB.

Deaths along these routes more than

doubled so far this year compared to the

same period in 2020, when 513

migrants are known to have drowned.

The brief sheds light on the ongoing

situation along some of the most dangerous

maritime migration routes

worldwide.

While the number of people attempting

to cross to Europe via the

Mediterranean increased by 58 per cent

between January and June this year

compared to the same period in 2020,

more than twice as many people have

lost their lives.

"IOM reiterates the call on States to

take urgent and proactive steps to

reduce loss of life on maritime migration

routes to Europe and uphold their obligations

under international law," says

IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino.

"Increasing search-and-rescue (SAR)

efforts, establishing predictable disembarkation

mechanisms and ensuring

access to safe and legal migration pathways

are key steps towards achieving

this goal."

Under a pilot project, 30 health services

will be digitalized at Sylhet Osmani

Medical College and later the project will

be implemented in all district and upazila

hospitals, said Palak.

He also mentioned that over 60 lakh

people have received telemedicine services

in the last 16 months through health

service hotline 333 while 98 lakh people

have completed their registration to take

Covid-19 vaccine through 'Surokkha'

app.

Dr. ABM Muksudul Alam, Principal of

Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College

Hospital, Professor Dr Md Sharfuddin,

vice-chancellor (VC) of Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujib Medical University

(BSMMU), Prof. Dr Ismail Khan, Vice

Chancellor of Chittagong Medical

University, Brig. General Brayan

Bankim Haldar, Director of Osmani

Medical College and Hospital,Prof Abul

Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam,

Director General of the Directorate

General of Health Services (DGHS)

joined the seminar.

The analysis, produced by the Missing

Migrants Project at the IOM's Global

Migration Data Analysis Centre

(GMDAC), shows an increase in deaths

coupled with insufficient search and rescue

operations in the Mediterranean

and on the Atlantic Route to the Canary

Islands, and at a time when interceptions

off the North African coast are also

on the rise.

So far in 2021, most of the men,

women and children who died trying to

reach Europe were attempting to cross

the Mediterranean, where 896 deaths

have been documented by IOM.

At least 741 people died on the Central

Mediterranean route, while 149 people

lost their lives crossing the Western

Mediterranean and six died on the

Eastern Mediterranean route from

Turkey to Greece.

In the same period, some 250 people

drowned attempting to reach Spain's

Canary Islands on the West

Africa/Atlantic route. However, that

count may well be low.

Hundreds of cases of invisible shipwrecks

have been reported by NGOs in

direct contact with those on board or

with their families.

Such cases, which are extremely difficult

to verify, indicate that deaths on

maritime routes to Europe are far higher

than available data show.

Mushfiq's parents

test positive for

Covid-19

DHAKA : Bangladesh stalwart

Mushfiqur Rahim's parents have been

tested positive for Covid-19 and they are

being brought to Dhaka for treatment,

reports UNB.

Mushfiq is currently travelling to

Bangladesh from Zimbabwe where he

had gone last month to play a series

against the hosts. It is understood that

after coming to know about his parents'

Covid-19 report, Mushfiq decided to back

home immediately. He is now set to miss

the three-match ODI and T20I series

against Zimbabwe.

He earlier had decided to not play the

T20I series in this tour, instead, have

some days with the family to avert bubble

fatigue. However, he later changed

his decision, had opted to play the whole

series. But now, for this family emergency,

he is going to take a flight to

Bangladesh later (Zimbabwe time).

After winning the one-off Test against

Zimbabwe, Bangladesh are now gearing

up for the three-match ODI series

against the hosts. The ODIs will take

place on July 16, 18 and 20.

After that, both the teams will play a

three-match T20 series as well which

will be played on July 23, 25 and 27. All

the matches will be played at the same

venue- the Harare Sports Club.

Cumilla Victoria College

campus turns into

den of drug dealing

CUMILLA : The Cumilla Victoria College

campus has been closed for over a year

due to the pandemic. About 25,000 students

study in 22 departments of the

degree branch of Comilla Victoria

Government College. Poet Nazrul Islam

Hostel and Nawab Faizunnesa Hall provide

residential facilities to thousands of

students. Besides, several thousand students

live in rented houses in Dharmapur

area, reports UNB.

But the closed campus and dormitories

are now a den for drug addicts and

sex workers. Disregarding police patrols

during the lockdown, drug dealers roam

the college campus to sell drugs.

The closed dormitories are occupied

by sex workers and drug addicts during

night time. College authorities say a

police outpost in Dharmapur is needed

to solve the problem.

According to several reliable sources,

outsiders enter the Kandirpar Higher

Secondary Branch of the college by scaling

the the walls at night and stay there taking

drugs. Sex workers enter the closed building

of the New Hostel in the dark of night.

Drug addicts gather regularly behind

the septic tanks and the toilets of the

degree branch examination building

and Zia Auditorium, in front of the

Motaher Hossain Central Library building,

on the ground floor of Kotha

Bhaban, and in some special rooms of

Science Bhaban-2.

College canteen Cafe-71 runs from

evening to midnight for selling drugs.

Cafe-71 is a regular gathering place for

drug addicts in the city, suburbs and

Kotbari area. They are all expelled members

of Chhatra League (BCL).

15-07-2021

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