16-09-2021

thurSday
DhAkA: September 16, 2021; Ashwin 1, 1428 BS; Safar 8,1443 hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 141; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
international
UN officials says
rural Afghans have
critical need for aid
>Page 7
Bangladesh on
track to get 24
crore Covid jabs
by April : Momen
DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul
Momen on Wednesday sounded hopeful
regarding collection of Covid-19 jabs, saying
Bangladesh is on track to get 24 crore
vaccines either in March or April next
year, reports UNB.
"Vaccine doses are coming under the
COVAX facility, as gifts and from other
sources," the Foreign Minister told
reporters on the sidelines of the 'Fifth
International Conference on Inclusive
Business' organised by the Dutch-Bangla
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(DBCCI) in Dhaka.
Dr Momen said that Bangladesh needs
26 crore vaccine doses and some jabs
would be produced at home too.
"However, here is no update on vaccine
cooperation with Russia due to the Covid-
19 situation there."
Dr Momen said that half of the 16 crore
people are young, while 2.22 crore people
have already been vaccinated. "Despite
significant vaccination in Bangladesh, the
United Kingdom kept Bangladesh in the
red list which is very unfortunate," he said.
Earlier, Dr Momen reiterated
Bangladesh's call to remove the country
from the red list, terming the British government's
decision as "unfair and discriminatory".
"It's unfair and it's discrimination
(to Bangladesh)," he said, while talking
to a small group of journalists at his
office on Monday.
Referring to sufferings of more than
7,000 British-Bangladeshis currently
stranded in Bangladesh, Dr Momen said
the UK government is doing disservice to
its own citizens. "The UK government
gave an argument that the vaccination rate
is low in Bangladesh, but Bangladesh says
that the UK is allowing people from other
countries having lower vaccination rate,"
he added.
Bangladesh's per
capita foreign debt now
stands at Tk 24,890
SANGSAD BHABAN : Finance Minister
AHM Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday
said the per capita foreign debt of
Bangladesh citizens is now Tk 24,890,
reports UNB.
The minister revealed this information
in parliament while replying to a
tabled question from Awami League MP
Didarul Alam from Chittagong-4.
The finance minister said the current
foreign debt now stands at US dollar
49,458 million.
According to the Bureau of Statistics,
the total population of the country is
169.31 million. And, in that context, the
per capita foreign debt is now 292.11 dollars.
If one dollar is equivalent to Tk 85.21,
it stands at Tk 24,890, the minister said.
Replying to another query from
Didarul Alam, he said the amount of
loan agreements with various development
partner countries and institutions
as of June 30 is $ 95,908.34 million.
Of the total amount, $59,458 million
have been disbursed while $46,450.34
million are under the process of disbursement,
he said.
Zohr
04:30 AM
12:00 PM
04:20 PM
06:07 PM
07:30 PM
5:44 6:03
Man Utd dealt shock
Champions League loss as
Lukaku boosts Chelsea
School Sinha murder reopening case in Bangladesh
SPortS
>Page 9
Children at greater
risk in Delta-hit areas
DHAKA : As millions of children
returned to classrooms amid the growing
concern of the possible third wave of
Covid-19, experts fear that any laxity in
maintaining health protocols and
guardian's lack of awareness can put the
kids at risk of infections, reports UNB.
They said children in the areas where
the virus infection rate is still over 15 percent
are highly vulnerable to the deadly
virus.
The experts ring the alarm bell as the
extremely transmissible Delta variant has
been taking its toll on children in different
countries, including the USA, where
children went back to schools in person.
They said though the performances of
most of the school authorities still look
good when it comes to maintaining
health safety rules, the guardians seem
unaware of the looming danger of pandemic
since they are seen crowding outside
of different schools, even many of
them without masks, risking their own
health and that of their children.
The analysts said the authorities have
to ensure that health guidelines are consistently
followed without any laxity.
Besides, they said, the school authorities
should motivate the guardians to
maintain social distancing and health
safety rules when they gather outside of
the gates.
More than 5 million of children have
tested positive for Covid-19 in the USA
since the start of the pandemic. Of
them, 750,000 confirmed pediatric
cases were detected last month while
52,000 in the first week of this month
alone following the reopening of
schools, according to the American
Academy of Pediatrics and the
Children's Hospital Association.
An outbreak of the Delta variant of
Covid-19 that is thought to have begun in
a primary school at Putian in China's
southeast continues to grow, prompting
authorities to impose measures, including
travel restrictions and school closures,
Al Jazeera reports on Tuesday.
The suspected source of the outbreak is
the parent of a child at the Putou Primary
School, who returned to China from
Singapore.
Satellite city to be built on the banks
of Jamuna: Khalid Mahmood
Shafiqul iSlam (Shafiq)
State Minister for Shipping Khalid
Mahmud Chowdhury has said that a satellite
city will be set up on the banks of the
Jamuna river if it can be brought under
proper management. At the same time,
the industries established along the river
banks have to be removed. Otherwise they
will have to face a difficult situation. He
made the remarks at the BSRF Dialogue
on Wednesday (September 15) at the
Secretariat's Media Center.
Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters
Forum (BSRF) hosted the dialogue at the
secretariat. The program was presided
over by the president of the organization
Tapan Biswas and conducted by the general
secretary Masudul Haque.
The state minister said a consultation
was underway with the World Bank to
bring the river Jamuna under proper
management, naming the project the
Jamuna Economic Corridor. If we can
implement the project, we will not only be
able to collect millions of hectares of land
here, but also provide a solution to the erosion
of the Jamuna. Satellite city will be
built on the land that will be collected. But
the work will be long-term. People will be
protected from floods and river erosion.
An action has also been taken with the
river Teesta. Activities are also going on
with them.
Mentioning the immense importance of
the shipping sector in expanding international
trade, the state minister said the
seaports have been made much more efficient.
As a result, the shipping sector has
played an important role in the economy
during the Corona period. Besides, the bay
terminal will be built by 2024.
If this is done, the ship will be able to
anchor 24 hours a day. However our purpose
was to make a deep seaport. In the
meantime it is going on in Matarbari. The
director of this project has been appointed.
I will be able to finish it in 2024.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said that if
the opportunity given by the government
to remove the industrial establishments
along the river is not properly evaluated,
many difficult situations may have to be
faced in the coming days. He told
reporters that not all the people occupying
the river are big mafia, but there are ordinary
people. "We want to give some time
to the industries that have sprung up
along the river," he said. Cause, it has a lot
of investment from industry owners. No
one in Bangladesh has ever thought that a
river has its own place.
The
development
and
beatification
works of
Ramna
Park in the
capital are
nearing
completion.
Photo: PBa
art & culture
Fahmida lends voice
in new song 'Tomar
Duchokh Cheye'
>Page 10
hygiene is strictly maintained inside the schools but outside it is crowded with guardians. hygiene is neglected there.
The picture is taken from motijheel ideal School and College in the capital on Wednesday.
Photo : Star mail
DAP to be finalised
by January : LGRD
minister
DHAKA : The Detailed Area Plan
(DAP) that will guide the future construction
of buildings in Dhaka city,
the use of land and demarcation of
canals and flow areas is expected to
be finalized in next few months,
LGRD minister Tajul Islam said on
Wednesday.
He made the remarks at a meeting
of the technical committee on DAP
held in the ministry's conference
room.
"In order to finalize the DAP, we
have already met with all stakeholders
such as urban planners and architects.
If everything goes well, the DAP
will be finalized and published in the
form of a gazette by next December or
January," he said.
The minister agreed that many
buildings with faulty designs have
been constructed over the years tarnishing
the beauty of the capital and
putting the lives of its residents at
risk.
He also conceded that many of such
buildings were established occupying
government lands and canals.
The minister warned that under no
circumstances can these be allowed to
happen again.
Buildings must be constructed in
accordance with the design and building
codes, he said adding that engineers
and all other relevant authorities
must play a proper role in ensuring
the rules.
Pori Moni's remand
HC 'not satisfied' with explanation
of lower court judges
DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul
Momen on Wednesday sounded hopeful
regarding collection of Covid-19 jabs, saying
Bangladesh is on track to get 24 crore
vaccines either in March or April next
year, reports UNB.
"Vaccine doses are coming under the
COVAX facility, as gifts and from other
sources," the Foreign Minister told
reporters on the sidelines of the 'Fifth
International Conference on Inclusive
Business' organised by the Dutch-Bangla
Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(DBCCI) in Dhaka.
Dr Momen said that Bangladesh needs
26 crore vaccine doses and some jabs
would be produced at home too.
"However, here is no update on vaccine
cooperation with Russia due to the Covid-
19 situation there."
Dr Momen said that half of the 16 crore
people are young, while 2.22 crore people
Bangladesh inks TIFA deal
with Australia
DHAKA : Bangladesh on Wednesday inked
a framework on trade and investment with
Australia to provide a platform for institutionalised
economic interactions and to
open newer opportunities for trade and
investment between the two countries.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and
his counterpart Australian Minister for
Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan
Tehan signed the Trade and Investment
Framework Arrangement (TIFA) at a virtual
function, said a press release.
A Joint Working Group (JWG) will be
formed under TIFA, with due representations
from relevant sectors and sub-sectors.
The JWG is expected to offer a mechanism
to take forward discussion to realise
fuller potentials of trade and investment.
While speaking at the signing ceremony,
Tipu Munshi said "I am profoundly happy
that TIFA has been signed in the year
while Bangladesh is celebrating Golden
Jubilee of her Independence and the birth
centenary of the Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman."
He said "We would expect the TIFA to
address all relevant questions including
retention of the DFQF treatment for
Bangladesh in the post LDC graduation
and trade liberalization and creating conducive
atmosphere for greater trade in
services and flow of investment."
have already been vaccinated. "Despite
significant vaccination in Bangladesh, the
United Kingdom kept Bangladesh in the
red list which is very unfortunate," he said.
Earlier, Dr Momen reiterated
Bangladesh's call to remove the country
from the red list, terming the British government's
decision as "unfair and discriminatory".
"It's unfair and it's discrimination
(to Bangladesh)," he said, while talking
to a small group of journalists at his
office on Monday.
Referring to sufferings of more than
7,000 British-Bangladeshis currently
stranded in Bangladesh, Dr Momen said
the UK government is doing disservice to
its own citizens. "The UK government
gave an argument that the vaccination rate
is low in Bangladesh, but Bangladesh says
that the UK is allowing people from other
countries having lower vaccination rate,"
he added.
Tipu Munshi invited his Australian
counterpart to visit Dhaka soon.
Minister Tehan warmly accepted the
invitation and promised to visit
Bangladesh next year with a trade and
Investment delegation.
"The Morrison Government is working
to energize and expand the trade and
investment relationship between Australia
and Bangladesh, to support jobs and business
opportunities in both countries,"
Tehan said.
He assured Bangladesh of the continuation
of DFQF treatment pending next
review which is not scheduled in the foreseeable
future.
"Australia has the potential to meet
Bangladesh's increasing education, training
and energy needs. And we offer world
class expertise, in agriculture and infrastructure
development", he added.
Bangladesh Australia bilateral trade has
grown six times over the past decade,
reaching A$2.6 billion last year. RMG,
agriculture, food and education services
were key drivers of this growth. Despite
not being an elaborate and legally binding
agreement, TIFA can help add new tradable
items from both sides and facilitate
bilateral trade and investment. Australia
proposed to host the inaugural meeting of
the JWG in early 2022.

ThursDAY, sePTeMber 16, 2021
2
Seminar on ‘Sustainable Aquaculture
Enterprise in Bangladesh’ at DIU
A seminar on 'Sustainable Aquaculture Enterprise
in Bangladesh' was held at Daffodil International
University on Wednesday on the virtual
platform. The keynote speech was given by Professor
Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam Sarder, Department
of Fisheries, Biology and Genetics, Bangladesh
Agricultural University (BAU).
The discussants of the session were Professor
Dr. Mohammad MahfujulHaque, Department of
Aquaculture, BAU, Professor Dr. Ali Raza Faruk,
Department of Aquaculture, BAU, Dr. Mohammad
BodrulMunir, Lecturer, University Malaysia
Sarawak, Md. Anisur Rahman, CEO, Arman
Feeds and Fisheries Ltd, Abdul Kader Tarafder,
CEO, Sornolata Hatchery and Fishery. The meeting
was presided over by Professor Dr. Prof. Dr.
S.M. MahbubUlHaqueMajumder, Pro Vice
Chancellor, DIU and Vote of Thanks were given
by Professor Dr. Md. Bellal Hossain, Associate
Dean, FAHS, DIU.
The speakers highlighted the prospects and
challenges of aquaculture and aquaculture enterprises
in Bangladesh. They also mentioned the
K…DK-46
GD-1338/21 (9x3)
challenges of making aquaculture enterprises
sustainable in Bangladesh. Some of the challenges
are lack of knowledge, inefficient supply
chain management, poor quality of fish and lack
of diversification of fish products. The session
was conducted by Professor Dr. Mohammed
Masum Iqbal, Dean, Faculty of Business and
Entrepreneurship, DIU.
Caption: Professor Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam
Sarder, Department of Fisheries, Biology and
Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University
(BAU). Professor Dr. Prof. Dr. S.M. MahbubUl-
HaqueMajumder, Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor
Dr. Mohammed Masum Iqbal, Dean, Faculty of
Business and Entrepreneurship, DIU, Professor
Dr. Mohammad MahfujulHaque, Professor Dr.
Ali RazaFaruk, Department of Aquaculture,
BAU, Md. Anisur Rahman, CEO, Arman Feeds
and Fisheries Ltd, Abdul Kader Tarafder, CEO,
Sornolata Hatchery and Fishery are seen at the
seminar on 'Sustainable Aquaculture Enterprise
in Bangladesh'
Inception
meeting of
AyD project
held
TBT REPORT
An inception meeting of Adolescent
and youth Development
(AyD) Project of Dhaka
Ahsania Mission has been held
on Wednesday. Biraj Chandra
Sarkar, Deputy Director, youth
Development Directorate; Adil
Mottakin, Divisional Social
Services Office and Jamal Nasr
Khan, youth Development
Officer were present as guests
in the meeting. Apart from this,
among others, representatives
of project implementing agency
and donor agency were also
present.
Ariful Islam, technical officer
of the Adolescent and youth
Development Project, said the
two-year project would be
implemented in Dhaka and
Narayanganj districts with the
financial support of Educo
Bangladesh.
He further said that through
this project, 1000 adolescents
and youths between the ages of
11-24 years will be organized
and made suitable for the realization
of their rights. Through
technical training, opportunities
for their efficient and safe
entry into work will be created.
Above all, the main goal of this
project is to develop these
teenagers and youths as carriers
of developing countries
through social empowerment.
Central Shariah
Board wins an
int’l award
Central Shariah Board for
Islamic Banks of Bangladesh
(CSBIB) has got 'Islamic
Finance Advocacy Award-
2021' from London-based
Global Islamic Finance Awards
on Tuesday. The award was
given in the 11th GIFA Award
giving Ceremony held virtually
in London. Prof. Humayun
Dar, Ph.D. Chairman of the
GIFA gave the welcome speech.
A brief introduction to Central
Shariah Board and its activities
were presented in the ceremony,
a press release said.
The persons who contributed
to get the award include board's
current Chairman, Vice-Chairman,
Executive Committee
Chairman, Fiqh Committee
Chairman, Secretary General,
board's all members and all
member institutions. On the
other hand, the institutions
who contributed to get the
award and jointly works with
CSBIB include Bangladesh
Institute of Bank Management
(BIBM), Bahrain-based
AAOIFI and Malaysia-based
ISRA. This Global recognition
is both prestigious and inspiring
for Central Shariah Board.
More than 70 institutions
and persons around the world
were given awards in the ceremony.
Over 1 million people
enjoyed the ceremony through
various platforms.
An inception meeting of Adolescent and Youth Development (AYD) Project of Dhaka Ahsania
Mission has been held on Wednesday.
Photo : Courtesy
Jashore man who
suffered bomb
injuries dies in Dhaka
SHAHID JOy
A 38-year-old man, who suffered
severe injuries 'while
making bomb' at his house in
Rajghat area of Abhaynagar
upazila in Jashore district died
at Dhaka Medical College and
Hospital on Tuesday night.
The deceased is Rafiqul
Islam Shappa, son of Ibrahim
Molla of the upazila.
AKM Shamim Hasan, officer-in-charge
of Abhaynagar
Police Station, said Rafiqul sustained
injuries in fingers, eyes,
face, chest and legs as a bomb
went off while he was making it
around 12 am on Monday.
The roof of the house was
blown away and cracks developed
on the walls following the
blast.
The injured was first taken to
the Upazila Health Complex
from where he was transferred
to Khulna Medical College
Hospital as his injuries were
critical.
BCIC-127, Date: 15.09.21
GD-1337/21 (5x4)
GD-1339/21 (5x4)

ThUrSDAY, SePTeMBer 16, 2021
3
To take part in United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, 75 members of Bangladesh Navy left
Chittagong on Wednesday.
Photo : Courtesy
Safety of citizens being ensured
in Rangpur city: RpMP Chief
RANGPUR : Rangpur Metropolitan Police
(RpMP) Commissioner Abdul Alim
Mahmud yesterday said RpMP has been
ensuring safety of citizens and law and order
since its inception three years ago to fulfill
the people's aspirations.
"We are providing legal services to the
citizens in a hassle-free manner at the
earliest possible times," the RpMP Chief said
this while addressing a press conference
arranged here before celebration of the third
founding anniversary of RpMP tomorrow.
He said the RpMP has taken zero tolerance
principle against drug trading and drug
abuse and none would be spared, including
police members, if found involved in taking
or trading drugs, harassing or implicating
any citizen with false charges or committing
any other types of crimes.
He discussed tremendous successes
achieved by RpMP in maintaining law and
order, arresting criminals, establishing
traffic rules, beat policing, community bank,
police training school, closed circuit cameras
and other triumphs in the metropolis.
"Members of RpMP have engaged
maximum efforts as front liners since the
beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and
distributed tens of thousands face masks,
hand sanitisers and other health safety
materials and relief goods among affected
people," Alim said.
During the last one year alone, RpMP
seized huge contraband drugs, including
177.35 kgs of ganja, 8,757 pieces of Yaba
tablets, 1,547 bottles of phensedyl, 64.58
grams of heroin, 114 litres of fermented wine
totally worth Taka 54.40 lakh.
"The Traffic Division of RpMP realised
Taka 5.97 crore as government revenue
through filing 34,648 cases adopting
digitised e-traffic prosecution without any
incident of harassment of the traffic rules
violators during the last one year," he said.
Besides, RpMP has unearthed motives of
many clueless and sensational criminal cases
and brought the criminals under the law of
land during the last one like in the previous
two years.
RpMP has launched an attractive archive,
first booth of Community Bank in Rangpur
division, Police Women's Welfare
Association, Metropolitan Ambulance
Service and published the book
'Muktijuddher Smriti Kotha' to inform the
young generations about the true national
history.
"Aiming at implementing the
government's Vision 2021 and Vision 2041,
RpMP will continue efforts and strengthen
its activities for law and order and
implement future work plans to make
independence meaningful for every citizen,"
the RpMP Chief said.
Additional Commissioner of Police of
RpMP Md Mehedul Karim, its Deputy
Commissioners Police (Detective Brach)
Kazi Muttaki Ibnu Minan, Abu Bakar
Siddique (City Special Branch), Maruf
Ahmed (Crime), Md Mohidul Islam
(Headquarters and Admin), Md Menhajul
Alam (Traffic) and high ranking police
officials.
55 held for
selling,
consuming
drugs in city
DHAKA : Members of plain
clothes and intelligence
agencies of Dhaka
Metropolitan Police (DMP)
arrested 55 people on
charges of selling and
consuming drugs in the city.
According to a DMP
statement issued, in
separate anti-drug
operations of the DMP's
police arrested drug
paddlers and abusers and
seized banned and illegal
drugs from the city's various
areas.
As part of the anti-drug
campaign, the police raided
different areas under
various police stations and
detained 55 drug abusers
and recovered drugs from
their possession from 6 am
on September 14, 2021 to 6
am yesterday, it said.
Police seized 155 grams
and 297 puria (Small
packet) of heroin, 3.600
kilograms of cannabis
(ganja), 10 phensidyle and
6,449 pieces of yaba, from
them, according to the
statement.
Police filed 39 cases
against the arrestees in this
connection with police
stations concerned under
the Narcotics Control Act.
5th international conference on inclusive business was held at a city hotel on Wednesday.
Photo : Courtesy
Awami League
secretariat
meeting
Saturday
DHAKA : A meeting of
Awami League (AL)
secretariat will be held at
10.30am on Saturday at
the party's central office
in Bangabandhu Avenue
here.
AL General Secretary
and Road Transport and
Bridges Minister Obaidul
Quader will preside over
the meeting, said a press
release signed by AL
office secretary Barrister
Biplob Barua on
Wednesday.
Quader has requested all
concerned to attend the
meeting in due time.
Four to die in Shariatpur
Samad Master murder case
DHAKA : A special tribunal here sentenced
four people to death and another nine to life
imprisonment in a case lodged over murder of
Abdus Samad Azad alias Samad Master,
headmaster of Chikandi Saraf Ali High School
in Shariatpur, in 2010, reports BSS
Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 judge Md
Monir Kamal pronounced the judgement,
sentencing Nuruzzaman Khan, Jahangir
Matobbar, Julhas Matobbar and Chan Miah
to death. The court also fined them Taka 20
thousand each.
The convicts, who have been sentenced to
life imprisonment are- Abdul Halim Mollah,
Ajijul Matobbar, Faruk Khan, Ajhar
Matobbar, Mijan Mir, Akter Gazi, Jalil
Matobbar, Emdad Matobbar and Lal Miah.
The court also fined them Taka 20 thousand
each and to suffer six-month imprisonment in
default.
According to the case documents, Samad
Master had contested in the union parishad
(UP) election and was defeated by then UP
Chairman Abdul Halim Mollah by a small
margin. As Abdus Samad Azad again wanted
to contest in the next election, Abdul Halim
Mollah began to threatening him. Samad
Master was ultimately hacked to death on
January 15, 2010. Five others were injured in
the indiscriminate firing of the killers during
the killing.
Samad Master's widow later filed the case
with Palong Police Station in Shariatpur
against 30 people including then chairman
Abdul Halim Mollah and former chairman
Ajibor Ali. Investigation officer and Palong
Police Station sub-inspector Shahidul Islam on
August 14, 2010, filed charge-sheet against 17.
The complainant of the case, however, filed
a naraji (no confidence) petition against the
charge-sheet, making new IO sub-inspector
Sultan Mahmud to reinvestigate and filed
fresh charge-sheet against 19 on May 11, 2011.
Shariatpur Senior Sessions Judge Court on
January 20, 2016, framed charges in the case.
The case was transferred to Dhaka Speedy
Trial Tribunal-3 for quick disposal on April 9,
2018.
World Ozone Day today
DHAKA : The World Ozone Day will be
observed in the country as elsewhere
across the globe today with the theme
"Montreal Protocol-Keeping us, our
food and vaccines cool".
On the eve of the day, President M
Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina yesterday gave separate
messages on the occasion urging all to
take concerted efforts to help protect
the ozone layer to save the
environment.
In his message, the President laid
emphasis on united efforts of all to
invent environment-friendly
technology ensuring its proper use in
all sectors, in line with the Montreal
Protocol.
"I think the celebration of this day
will play a very positive role in raising
public awareness about the ozone
layer's importance and sustaining the
existence of all living things in the
world and above all protecting human
health as well," he hoped.
The head of the state added that the
Montreal Protocol adopted by the
United Nations in 1987 is a landmark
step in protecting the ozone layer.
Over the past 35 years, the use of
ozone depleting substances has been
significantly reduced through the
implementation of the Montreal
Protocol, he said.
In addition to protecting the ozone
layer, the protocol is making a
significant contribution to tackling
global warming, climate change and
the development of energy-efficient
technologies, he said, adding that the
use of advanced and environmentally
friendly technology, especially in airconditioning
and refrigeration devices
used for storing food and medicine is
on the rise.
"Besides, the importance of modern
technology-based refrigeration devices
in the prevention of corona antidote
amid the pandemic is immense," he
continued.
In her message, Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina called upon the
government as well as the private
sector to come forward to protect the
life-sustaining environment by creating
mass-awareness, doing afforestation,
carrying out existing laws and
regulations, and using environmentfriendly
alternative technologies.
Referring to recent COVID-19
(Coronavirus) pandemic, she said it has
devastated the world economy, but
simultaneously the longtime lock down
helped reduce air pollution to almost
zero turning the Earth into a dark green
planet and rebuild the ozone layer.
In this context, the premier also
mentioned different pragmatic steps of
her government to protect the
environment and protect the ozone
layer.
She said, "After the formation of
three successive governments since
2008, we have taken various effective
steps to restructure the ozone layer. We
have already banned the use of most
ozone depleting substances in the
country, including HCFC (Hydro
Chlorofluorocarbon)."
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest
Bengali of all time, was very sensitive in
maintaining the balance of the
environment and he focused on the
forestry and coastal green belt across
the country, among other
responsibilities, Hasina mentioned.
The prime minister added: "After the
formation of the Awami League-led
government in 1996, we adopted a
comprehensive plan to ensure proper
implementation of the Montreal
Protocol."
Besides, the incumbent government
is working tirelessly to fully implement
the Paris Agreement to stop
greenhouse gas emissions, she said.
Both the president and the premier
wished the overall success of all the
programmes taken on the occasion of
'World Ozone Day-2021'.
Special programmes will be aired on
various electronic media including
Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh
Betar.
The Montreal Protocol was signed in
the Vienna Convention for the
protection of the ozone layer on
September 16, 1987 and it came into
force on January 1, 1989.
Bangladesh has been observing the
day since 1990 following signing of the
protocol in the same year.
The 'Dev Memorial Lecture' was virtually held on Wednesday. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor
Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman was the chief guest at the event.
Photo : Courtesy
Bangladesh
reports 1,901
fresh cases, 51
deaths from
COVID-19
DHAKA : Bangladesh on
Wednesday reported 1,901
COVID-19 cases while the
coronavirus claimed
overnight 51 lives.
"The country reported
6.64 percent COVID-19
positive cases as 28,615
samples were tested in the
past 24 hours," Directorate
General of Health Services
(DGHS) said in its routine
daily statement.
In the past 24 hours,
combined figure of
coronavirus of Dhaka city
and upazilas of Dhaka
district is 1,101 while 14
COVID-19 deaths were
reported during the same
period.
The official tally showed
the virus killed 27,058
people and infected
15,36,341 so far, it added.
The recovery count rose
to 14,90,541 after another
3,873 patients were
discharged from the
hospitals during the past
one day.
The DGHS statistics
showed of the people
infected from the
beginning 97.02 percent
recovered, while 1.76
percent died.
The DGHS said among
the total 27,058 fatalities,
11,767 deaths occurred in
Dhaka division, 5,479 in
Chattogram, 2001 in
Rajshahi, 3,510 in Khulna,
925 in Barishal, 1,223 in
Sylhet, 1,333 in Rangpur
and 820 in Mymensingh
division.
Detectives arrest fugitive
drug dealer in Natore
DHAKA : A fugitive drug dealer wanted in
several drugs-related cases has been arrested
in Natore district, police said on Wednesday.
Mohammad Arif, who went into hiding
last month, was nabbed by the Detective
Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on
Tuesday night from Atua area of Boroigram
police station in the district,
Arif faces several drug-related cases filed
with different police stations in capital
Dhaka, said Additional Deputy
Commissioner of the DMP (media)
Iftakhairul Islam.
Earlier on August 23 police detectives
Man held for
running illegal
telecom setup
in Dhaka
DHAKA : A joint team of Rapid Action
Battalion-2 (RAB) and Bangladesh telecom
regulator arrested a man for allegedly
running an illegal telecom setup in the
capital's Lalmatia area, reports UNB.
The arrestee has been identified as
Shafiqul Islam (40), a resident of
Brahmanbaria.
Shafiqul was nabbed from a house on
Zakir Hossain Road in Lalmatia on Tuesday
evening, following a tip-off that he had been
selling international voice calls bypassing
the legal gateway for the past 18 months.
Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP)
components worth Tk 30 lakh, including
three sim-boxes of 512 ports, two sim-boxes
of 256 ports, seven laptops, five modems,
one switch and 900 Teletalk sim cards,
were seized from his house.
Shafiqul told interrogators that his fourmember
gang had been in the illegal
telecom business for nearly one-and-a-half
years.
The four would sell maximum talktime
worth Tk 2.30 lakh per day, causing losses
to the tune of Tk 7 crore to the state
exchequer, said Bangladesh
Telecommunication Regulatory
Commission officials.
arrested a female drug dealer known as
Parvin along with 220 grams heroin (brown
sugar) from Rayer Bazar area of
Mohammadpur in the city, Iftakahirul said.
He said police investigation found that Arif
was owner of the recovered heroin.
A case was filed with Mohammadpur
Police station in connection with recovery of
heroin in which Arif was also shown as an
accused. Since then Arif was in hiding.
Police claimed that Arif has long been a
wholesale heroin dealer bringing in the drug
from the bordering areas of Rajshahi for sale
in Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country.
MoU signed
between LGED's
CReLIC, four
organizations
DHAKA : A memorandum of understanding
(MoU) was signed between the Climate
Resilient Local Infrastructure Centre
(CReLIC) under Local Government
Engineering Department (LGED) and other
four organizations aiming to exchange data,
knowledge and experience on climate change
and develop and implement joint research,
reports BSS.
The four bodies are: Housing and Building
Research Institute (HBRI), Centre for
Climate Change and Environmental
Research (C3ER), Bangladesh Centre for
Advanced Studies (BCAS) and Asian
Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).
LGED's CReLIC Director (Additional
Chief Engineer) AKM Lutfar Rahman,
HBRI Principal Research Officer Md
Akhter Hossain Sarkar, C3ER's Emeritus
Professor Ainun Nishat, BCAS Executive
Director Atiq Rahman and ADPC
Executive Director Hans Guttman signed
the agreement on behalf of their respective
sides at a signing ceremony held at the
LGED's office in city's Agargaon area, a
press release said here today.
All parties will work together to develop
climate-tolerant infrastructure and implement
the country's overall delta plan, it added.

ThurSDay, SePTeMBer 16, 2021
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Possible Reconciliation Strategies
for the Tourism Industry of
Bangladesh in the Contemporary
and Post-viral World.
The novel corona virus (COVID-19) has created a significant impact
with international travel bans affecting over 90% of the world
population and extensive restrictions on public gatherings and
community mobility, tourism mainly comes to a halt in March 2020.
Especially Tourism is at a risk to assess to counteract pandemics because
of restricting mobility and social distancing. International, regional and
local travel restrictions immediately affected national economies,
including tourism systems, i.e. international travel, domestic tourism,
day visits and segments as diverse as air transportation, cruises,
conveyance, accommodation, cafés and restaurants, conventions,
festivals, meetings, or sports events (Tourism policy responses to the
corona virus (covid-19) 2020). With international aviation rapidly has
been slowing down as a result of the crisis, and lots of countries imposing
travel bans, closing borders, or introducing quarantine periods,
international and domestic tourism declined precipitously over a period
of weeks. Countries scrambled to return travellers home, which within
the case of important outbound markets involved many thousands of
citizens altogether parts of the world.
Within countries, the virus affected virtually all parts of the hospitality
value chain. The impact of cancelled events closed accommodations, and
pack up attractions became immediately felt in other parts of the
availability chain, like catering and laundry services. Restaurants had to
shut also, though, in some countries, a switch to take-away/delivery sales
allowed some to continue operations. The scenario of the worldwide
tourism system moved from over-tourism (e.g. Dodds & Butler, 2019;
Seraphin et al., 2018) to non-tourism within the space of months,
intensely demonstrated by blogs and newspaper articles showing
popular tourism sites in 'before' and 'after' photographs (Condé Nast
Traveller, 2020). While some commentators already speculate on "What
will travel be like after the Corona virus", with some unrealistically
optimistic perspectives already having proven wrong (Forbes, 2020), the
overall belief is that tourism will rebound because it has from previous
crises (CNN, 2020). However, there's much evidence that COVID-19 are
going to be different and transformative for the tourism sector (Gössling,
Scott, & Hall, 2020). Governments only begin to know that, unlike other
business sectors, tourism revenue is permanently lost because unsold
capacity - as an example in accommodation - can't be marketed in
subsequent years, with corresponding implications for employment
within the sector (Bakari, A rapid appraisal of covid-19 on global
tourism). In the perspective of Bangladesh, we've 12-15 international
chain five-star hotels. Besides we've quite 600 three and two-star rated
hotels and motels and lots of small hotels and homestays are providing
service in every corner of Bangladesh that isn't on the list. These services
are providing livelihood to many thousands of individuals (The impact of
COVID-19 in the tourism and hospitality industry of Bangladesh 2020).
Tourism experts assume if the lockdown situation continues like this,
Bangladesh will need to face an economic loss of quite three billion BDT.
Research shows that half 1,000,000 people that are directly or indirectly
employed within the tourism and hospitality industry, are at the risk of
losing their jobs (The impact of COVID-19 in tourism and hospitality
industry of Bangladesh 2020). To sum up, the tourism industry of
Bangladesh, also because the whole world goes to face an enormous
disaster and this disastrous situation will continue till the COVID-19
situation normalizes (The impact of COVID-19 in tourism and hospitality
industry of Bangladesh 2020). The government of Bangladesh has
announced a stimulus package to support the tourism sector, where
banks will provide loans at 9 per cent interest. The government will bear
4.5 per cent interest and therefore the remaining 4.5 per cent are going to
be borne by the business. The government will provide 30 billion (BDT)
capital for the COVID-19 affected industries and repair sector institutions
through four packages (Dhaka Tribune, 2021).
Tourism Industry in Bangladesh: Tourism brings numerous benefits
and advantages to hosting a country or a community, but mostly it
depends on its nature and how it is defined and structured. Tourism
significantly contributes towards the complete growth and development
of a country by bringing numerous economic values and benefits as well
as helping in build a country's brand value, image, and identity. It is also
a wide-ranging industry, which incorporates the hotel industry, the
transport industry and a variety of additional industries or sectors. It is
vital to know that the tourist industry is linked to movement to different
locations, based not only on leisure, but also business, and a few
additional travel motivators.
Transportation, tour operators, travel agents, and accommodation are
mainly the sectors of tourism supply and these are examined and the
importance of cross?country integration between firms is highlighted.
Tourism depends greatly on an authentic socio-cultural and unrestrained
natural environment. (Horaira, 2018).
The tourism industry is a multifaceted industry that comprehends a
wide range of businesses, organizations, and government agencies. They
collectively work at different levels to deliver different tourism products
and packages. They contribute at all levels as vice-versa from initial
destination marketing through to the ground level to ensure the overall
holiday experience of the customer.
The tourism Industry is also classified as a tertiary industry that
provides service for a charge. There are four characteristics of tourism,
and these are intangibility, perishability, inseparability, and heterogeneity
that are in contrast to those of physical products that are produced,
stored, later sold, and stilled later consumed. The tourism industry is well
known and distinguished with a combination of different activities and
services that offer transportation, accommodation, food, shopping,
attractions, and entertainment and hospitality services to travellers. All
these mooted activities can increase the economic development process
by creating jobs, developing infrastructure and entrepreneurial skills,
improving the balance of payments, earning foreign exchanges, and
export revenues (Cook, Yale, & Marqua, 2006).
Oxford Economics and WTTC jointly produced an annual research
report in 2017 that indicates Travel and Tourism to be one of the world's
largest sectors, aiding over 307 million jobs and generating 10.4% of
global GDP. According to WTTC report the direct contribution of Travel
& Tourism to GDP of Bangladesh was BDT421.4bn (USD5.3bn), 2.2% of
total GDP in 2016 and is forecast to rise by 6.2% in 2017 and to upturn by
6.1% pa, from 2017-2027 to BDT 806.6bn (USD10.2bn), 2.1% of total
GDP in 2027. The tourism industry not only plays as a growth driver for
a country, but also for the economy, and social progress. Tourism has
evident impacts in several industries directly, and much more indirectly
through tourism spends.
Hence, tourism plays an important role in a country, for a community,
for the society, for the economy, for growth and development, nature and
environment, and the world. Moreover, tourism helps in understanding
the cultural diversity, geographical, and historical facts of different
regions and communities. Thus, tourism plays a major role in the social,
cultural, economic, and environmental development of a nation.
How Covid-19 left its mark on the tourism industry of Bangladesh
COVID-19 has created a significant impact
with international travel bans affecting over
90% of the world population. An extensive
restriction on public gatherings and
community mobility, tourism mainly comes
effect in March 2020. Especially Tourism is at
a risk to assess to counteract pandemics
because of restricting mobility and social
distancing. International, regional and local
travel restrictions immediately affected
national economies, including tourism
systems, i.e. international travel, domestic
tourism, day visits and segments as diverse as
air transportation, cruises, conveyance,
accommodation, cafés and restaurants,
conventions, festivals, meetings, or sports
events. With international aviation rapidly
slowed down as a result of the crisis, and lots
of countries imposing travel bans, closing
borders, or introducing quarantine periods,
international and domestic tourism declined
precipitously within a period of weeks.
Countries scrambled to return travelers home,
which within the case of important outbound
markets involved many thousands of citizens
altogether parts of the world.
Within countries, the virus affected virtually
all parts of the hospitality value chain. The
impact of cancelled events, closed
accommodations, and pack up attractions
became immediately felt in other parts of the
availability chain, like catering and laundry
services. Restaurants had to shut also, though,
in some countries, a switch to takeaway/delivery
sales allowed some to continue
operations. The scenario of the worldwide
tourism system moved from over-tourism to
non-tourism within the space of months,
intensely demonstrated by blogs and
newspaper articles showing popular tourism
sites in 'before' and 'after' photographs (Condé
Nast Traveller, 2020). In the perspective of
Bangladesh, we've 12-15 international chain
five-star hotels. Besides we've quite 600 three
and two-star rated hotels and motels and lots
of small hotels and homestays are providing
service in every corner of Bangladesh that isn't
on the list. These services are providing
livelihood to thousands of individuals.
Tourism experts assume if the lockdown
situation continues like this, Bangladesh will
need to face an economic loss of quite BDT
three billion. Research shows that half of
1,000,000 people that are directly or
indirectly employed within the tourism and
hospitality industry, are at the risk of losing
their jobs. To sum up, the tourism industry of
Bangladesh, also because the whole world
goes to face an enormous disaster and this
disastrous situation will continue till the
COVID-19 situation normalizes.
The government of Bangladesh has
announced a stimulus package to support the
tourism sector, where banks will provide loans
at 9 per cent interest. The government will
bear 4.5 per cent interest and therefore the
remaining 4.5 per cent are going to be borne
by the business.
The government will provide 30 billion
(BDT) capital for the COVID-19 affected
industries and repair sector institutions
through four packages according to a report
MOhaMMaD aBu hOraIra
published by Dhaka Tribune.
Tourism brings numerous benefits and
advantages to hosting a country or a
community, but mostly it depends on its
nature and how it is defined and structured.
Tourism significantly contributes towards the
complete growth and development of a
country by bringing numerous economic
values and benefits as well as helping in build
a country's brand value, image, and identity. It
is also a wide-ranging industry, which
incorporates the hotel industry, the transport
industry and a variety of additional industries
or sectors. It is vital to know that the tourist
industry is linked to movement to different
locations, based not only on leisure, but also
business, and a few additional travel
motivators. Transportation, tour operators,
travel agents, and accommodation are mainly
the sectors of tourism supply and these are
examined and the importance of
cross?country integration between firms is
highlighted. Tourism depends greatly on an
authentic socio-cultural and unrestrained
natural environment.
Oxford Economics and WTTC jointly
produced an annual research report in 2017
that indicates Travel and Tourism to be one of
the world's largest sectors, aiding over 307
million jobs and generating 10.4% of global
GDP. According to WTTC report the direct
contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP of
Bangladesh was BDT421.4bn (USD 5.3bn),
2.2% of total GDP in 2016 and is forecast to
rise by 6.2% in 2017 and to upturn by 6.1% pa,
from 2017-2027 to BDT 806.6bn (USD
10.2bn), 2.1% of total GDP in 2027. The
tourism industry not only plays as a growth
driver for a country, but also for the economy,
and social progress. Tourism has evident
impacts in several industries directly, and
much more indirectly through tourism
spends. Hence, tourism plays an important
role in a country, for a community, for the
society, for the economy, for growth and
development, nature and environment, and
the world. Moreover, tourism helps in
understanding the cultural diversity,
geographical, and historical facts of different
regions and communities. Thus, tourism plays
a major role in the social, cultural, economic,
and environmental development of a nation.
The Tourism industry in Bangladesh has
largely developed based on the major cities i.e.
Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar,
Khulna and tourist destinations in Bangladesh
along with other destinations. Moreover, Cox's
Bazar is understood as the tourism capital in
Bangladesh. Most of the tourism
infrastructure and superstructures are
developed in these cities and these cities
largely contribute to the tourism economy.
Both the inbound and outbound tourism
market has increased significantly in the last
few years. International inbound leisure travel
trips tourists' arrival in Bangladesh recorded
1.02 million tourists in 2017 and also recorded
0.83 million in 2016. Bangladeshi residents'
outbound leisure trips are projected to be
approximately 2.6 million trips by 2021,
compared to the 2016 estimate of 2.3 million.
The pandemic has an adverse effect on
inbound tourism in and outbound Bangladesh
due to the corona virus (Covid-19).
Outside the general public health sphere
tourism has become one of the most public
faces of COVID-19 within the international
media. The character of the tourism system
means tourism has both contributed to the
spread of the disease and experienced the
repercussions of the disease alongside all parts
of the tourism value and provides chains. The
disease's global proximity and consequently
the necessity of classic disease control within
the sort of quarantine, reduced mobility and
isolation have had a dramatic effect on
international and domestic tourism alike
alongside a variety of sector-specific impacts,
including transport, travel and booking
agencies, hospitality, restaurants, conventions
and events, and attractions.
Hotels around the world face cancellations
of bookings because of the pandemic crisis. As
a result, the Hotel industry lost US$ 150
billion, mostly affecting the workers within the
industry. So, the impacts of the COVID-19
outbreak on the hospitality industry are often
evaluated using room booking cancellations
and therefore the status of hotel industry
workers. The hotel industry altogether world
regions recorded a huge drop by the
worldwide revenue per available room, e.g.,
Asia (-67.8%) and Europe (-61.7%). Also, the
worldwide occupancies in countries decreased
significantly in March 2020, from 20% to over
70% worldwide (UNWTO, 2020a).
The COVID-19 pandemic should cause a
critical reconsideration of the worldwide
volume growth model for tourism, for
interrelated reasons of risks incurred in global
travel also because of the sector's contribution
to climate change. The success stories of the
Tourism Industry has been denominated by
all dominant tourism organizations -
UNWTO, ICAO, CLIA, or WTTC - as growth
in tourism numbers.
Above all, the COVID-19 crisis should be
taken as an opportunity to review and
reconsider the tourism's growth approach,
and to query, the relevance of more arrivals
suggested substantial benefits. This ought to
start with an analysis of the positive outcomes
M. SaDMan SafI PrOTIk
of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, as
we have been experiencing various declines in
demand, airlines have begun to replace old
and inefficient aircraft. Video conferences, a
missed opportunity to reduce transport
demand for years, has become widely adopted
by home office workers, including students
forced into distance learning, and business
travelers avoiding non-essential air travel. A
considerable number of business travelers will
welcome opportunities to fly less. Notably,
even high-level exchanges, like the G20
Leader's meeting on 26 March 2020, has for
the primary time been organized through
video conference. After months of these new
work arrangements, for how many
organizations and workers will perceive the
benefits of continued or partial adoption?
More generally, views on mobility can also
have changed in everyday contexts, as
countries without full lockdown responses
appear to possess seen a big rise in cycling and
outdoor activities.
The tourism industry is an umbrella
industry networked with many other sectors
within the economy including hotel,
community-level operations, education,
financial, agriculture, medical, travel and
transportation, construction, land, retail, and
the other way around. Because the whole
world is suffering from this COVID 19
pandemic, the tourism sector is one of the
foremost victims of it. So, it's time to debate
about the difficulty and is available up with
realistic recovery initiatives. Therefore, a few
realistic recovery strategies for the tourism
industries in Bangladesh within the post-viral
world and can be:
Smart quarantine and tracing tools (digital)
could be used to mark healthy and risk-free
travelers, such as tolls like introducing onarrival
Smart SIM (Subscriber Identification
Module) and Mobile Apps for international
travelers. World Tourism Organization
(UNWTO), concerning special attention, has
already launched several practices to save the
essentials of the tourism industry at present.
The special campaign named "#Travel
Tomorrow ?, has become the common thread
that runs through the World Tourism
Organization's response to the current crisis,
highlighting the enduring values of tourism.
E.g. "By staying home today, we can travel
tomorrow". Sharing current and happening
issues and knowledge's on tourism with
necessary stakeholders globally and locally.
Re-branding of tourism destinations after
the pandemic situation highlighting the
positive elements during the outbreak.
Hoteliers, travel agents and other service
providers should continuously keep in touch
with key travelers and customer base during
the outbreak to sustain linkage. Community-
Based Tourism (CBT) should be properly
encouraged with adequate resources to
mitigate and recover from outbreaks.
The Writer is Associate Professor,
College of Tourism and Hospitality
Management (CTHM)
International University of Business
Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT)
The ramifications of the violation of law on virtual platforms
The Internet has
become one of the
most accessible tools in
the 21st century.
Adolescents, young
people, old people are
all living extremely
busy time in the virtual
world today.Social media is a new aspect of
our modern life.Popular social media
includes Facebook, Messenger, Instagram,
Twitter, Viber, YouTube, WhatsApp, Emo,
Snapchat, WeChat and many more. The
most popular and pioneer among these is
"Facebook". Facebook is probably the
biggest addiction discovered in the history
of the world.Due to the availability of
information technology, cyber-crime is on
the rise in the country with the increasing
use of internet and smartphones among
people of different ages and classes.And
with that, cyber-crime seems to be on the
rise.
While trying to control technology with
ease, some people are unknowingly being
controlled by it. Today the world has
become a handful with the touch of
technology. Which is called "Global Village"
in the language of technology. "Global
Village' is a social or cultural system based
on information and communication
technology where people from all over the
world live in a single society. In fact, the
social system that is formed through the
process of globalization is the world village.
However, in order to keep pace with the
times, someone is getting involved in the
web of delusion again and again. And so, the
digital transformation of crime is on the rise.
The alarming thing is that all the horrible
crimes are increasing in Bangladesh using
various social media apps. Gambling,
pornography and human trafficking are not
excluded. The biggest fear is that our
teenagers are getting involved in it.
Bangalore police in India have arrested five
The tourism industry is an umbrella industry networked
with many other sectors within the economy including
hotel, community-level operations, education, financial,
agriculture, medical, travel and transportation, construction,
land, retail, and the other way around. Because the
whole world is suffering from this COVID 19 pandemic.
Bangladeshis after a video of a gang-rape
and torture of a woman went viral recently.
One of them is the A V Hridoy known as the
'Tik-Tok Hridoy'. According to the police
interrogation, the rapist Hridoy and his
group were committing the crime of
trafficking women by showing the
temptation to work on the Tik-Tok app.
Hridoy and his gang worked as an
organized women's trafficking cycle behind
making the Tik-Tok video. Rafi, known as
the 'Boss Rafi' of the Hridoy's group, said in
a confession in court that Rafi was
introduced to Tik-Tok Hridoy two years
ago. He then trafficked more than 50 young
women to India through Hridoy. CID
recently found another organized online
criminal cycle. The criminal cycle was using
a gambling app called 'StreamKar' to
smuggle money out of the country. They
used some other online currencies,
including Bitcoin, to gamble. According to a
study, at least 80 to 90 crore BDT a month
is going out of Bangladesh for in-app
purchase of extremely violent and terribly
addictive PUBG/FREE FIRE games.Also,
following the recent death of a Dhaka
University student, police have for the first
time found the deadly drug LSD in
Bangladesh.Communication about this
drug is also done through social media.
Multiple groups of drug users and suppliers
have been found on Facebook groups.
The Cyber Crime Awareness Foundation,
a non-governmental organization dedicated
to raising awareness about cybercrime and
the safe use of technology, has released a
research report on cybercrime in the
country.From there, it is known that about
52% of the complaints come from women
The most affected are 18- to 30-year-old
girls. As a percentage which is about 74
percent. A large part of the complaints is
related to Facebook There are horrific
allegations ranging from ID hacks to super
imposed pictures and pornography.Despite
being a victim of harassment, 30 percent of
victims do not know how to take legal action
against it. Of the rest, 25 per cent
complained to law enforcement but did not
think it would be of any benefit, the report
said. The first Information and
Communication Technology Act(ICT Act)
was enacted in Bangladesh in 2006. This
law was amended in 2013. The only cyber
tribunal in the country was set up in Dhaka
that year.The question that may come to our
The alarming thing is that all the horrible crimes are increasing
in Bangladesh using various social media apps. Gambling,
pornography and human trafficking are not excluded. The
biggest fear is that our teenagers are getting involved in it.
Bangalore police in India have arrested five Bangladeshis after a
video of a gang-rape and torture of a woman went viral recently.
mind is, "What is the law & punishment for
cyber-crime?" If any offensive picture or
video of a private moment is taken, captured
and disseminated through any electronic or
internet or social media without notice, then
in accordance with the incident, under
Section 57 (2) of the Information and
Communication Technology Act, 2006
(Amendment 2013) Individuals can take
legal action. The punishment is 7 to 14 years
in jail and a fine of up to BDT 1 crore.In
addition, if evidence is found that the victim
in the photo or video has been raped, then
legal action can be taken under Section 9 (1)
of the Women and Child Violence
Protection Act, 2000(Nari o Sisu Nirjatan
Daman Ain,2000). In this case medical
report will be required.In addition, since the
law of our country prohibits the
manufacture, storage, marketing, carrying,
purchase, sale, possession or display of
pornography, to take legal action under
Section 6 (2) of The Pornography Control
Act, 2012 on the basis of the content of the
video.
Also, "The Digital Security Act,2018"
specifies the amount of punishment for
many crimes.According to Section 25 of
"The Digital Security Act,2018", if someone
uses a website or digital media to intimidate
anyone, he or she may face three years in jail
or BDT 3 lakh fine.
As per Section 29, if a person publishes
information with the intent to defame
someone, he or she will face three years in
jail or BDT 5 lakh fine or both.Article 21 of
this Act states that if a person conducts or
aids in any kind of propaganda and
propaganda against the Liberation War of
Bangladesh, the spirit of the Liberation War,
the Father of the Nation, the national
anthem or the national flag through digital
means, then such act shall be an
offense.And the punishment for this is
imprisonment for not more than 10 (ten)
years, or a fine of not more than BDT 1 (one)
crore, or both. We have something to do to
avoid these crimes. These are not exchange
anything personal online, do not share
social media passwords with anyone,
reduce public Wi-Fi usage, do not give any
picture of yourself or family to the public,
not taking pictures or videos of private
moments and preventing anyone from
taking them, don't shop with credit or debit
cards at any unsecured store or online shop.
The writer is a student of Law at the
North South University

THuRSdAY, SePTeMBeR 16, 2021
5
Francine Niyonsaba becomes first athlete
with DSD to break world record
SeAN INgLe
Track and field history was
made in Zagreb on Tuesday
night as Francine Niyonsaba
became the first athlete who
has identified herself as
having a difference of sex
development (DSD) to
officially break a world
record. The Burundian did it
in style, shattering the old
2,000m best by more than
two seconds as she crossed
the line in 5:21.26. While the
2,000m is not run frequently,
Niyonsaba's performance will
inevitably reignite the debate
over athletes with DSDs,
given they are barred from
competing internationally
between 400m and 1600m
unless they take medication
to reduce their high
testosterone.
Niyonsaba, who won the
silver medal over 800m at the
2016 Rio Olympics before
moving up in distance due to
the World Athletics rules, has
had an astonishing year -
winning the Diamond League
title at 5,000m and running
the fifth-fastest outdoor
3,000m time ever.
But in Croatia she produced
the cherry on the cake. Going
through halfway in 2:41.37
Francine Niyonsaba has set a new world record in the 2,000m in Zagreb.
Photo: Maja Hitij
OLIveR LAugHLANd
At a gas station in Mesa,
Arizona, more than 2,300
miles from where the twin
towers fell on 9/11, stands a
permanent reminder of long
reaching trauma. A memorial
constructed with speckled
white marble and black tile
marks the spot where Balbir
Singh Sodhi was shot and
killed, becoming the first
American victim of a fatal
hate crime in the aftermath of
9/11.
It was 15 September,
almost 20 years ago, that
Sodhi, a Sikh immigrant from
the Indian Punjab, was fatally
shot in an act of racist hate as
he planted flowers around
the parking lot of his new
business to commemorate
the victims of the terror
attacks in New York.
The gas station has
remained largely as it was
then. It is still owned by the
Sodhi family and Balbir's son,
Sukhwinder Singh Sodhi,
now 48, is here every day
managing the staff, handling
the checkout, balancing the
books and working 60 hours
a week. He tries to keep his
eyes away from the
memorial. "The pain is still
there," said Sukhwinder. "I
miss him every day."
On Wednesday, as has
happened for the past 19
years, members of the Sodhi
family, other organizers in
the Sikh and Muslim
communities, interfaith
groups and others will gather
to remember the man who
was shot and killed here.
Even after two decades the
memories are still raw. Not
only is the Sodhi family's
journey a story of grief,
trauma, struggle and
forgiveness, it is also one
achingly resonant with many
immigrant families in post
9/11 America.
Balbir Singh Sodhi moved
to the United States in the
late 1980s with a number of
his brothers, who left the
Punjab after a series of anti-
Sikh pogroms following the
assassination of Indira
Gandhi. They had all believed
in the basic premise of the
American dream: with hard
work and dedication they
could find stability and
economic prosperity.
The gas station, opened
only a year before his death,
became a symbol of the
family's toil. Balbir built the
business himself with money
he had saved since arriving in
the US. In the year he
operated it, he became
known for his generosity,
handing out free candy to
children who came in and
spoiling his own kids and
many nieces and nephews.
It was a senseless act of
violence that took Balbir. A
white gunman named Frank
Roque, 42 at the time, began
his rampage in the early
afternoon. First he shot
Balbir dead, mistaking his
turban for an indication of
Muslim faith. Then, 20
minutes later, he shot at
another gas station, aiming
for a Lebanese-American
clerk. He missed. The final
stop was to the place he used
to live, then the home of an
Afghan-American family. He
missed again.
Shortly after, he was
arrested and reportedly
shouted: ''I stand for America
all the way,'' as he was placed
in handcuffs. Former
colleagues testified at trial
that Roque had long made
racist remarks in public and,
on the day of 9/11, had told a
co-worker using racist slurs
that he planned so-called
reprisal attacks.
"We should round them all
up and kill them. We should
kill their children, too,
because they'll grow up to be
like their parents," Roque
said.
Rana Sodhi, Balbir's
younger brother, has always
remained steadfast that his
brother's death should unify
the community against
hatred. He continues to speak
in schools, colleges and other
venues around the country,
discussing the peaceful tenets
of Sikhism and telling the
story of his brother's life and
death.
"Even after 20 years, it
seems like yesterday," he
said, sitting at his home in
Mesa, next to a mantle that is
decorated with drawings of
his brother and photographs
of his many public
appearances - including with
former president Barack
Obama - made in the
aftermath. "I know it is still
sad for us. We lost our
brother. But his death
brought a lot of positivity, to
bring the community closer
to each other. Bringing
people closer together."
But just as the 9/11 attacks
became a turning point in the
scope and scale of
international terror, the
murder of Balbir Sodhi Singh
marked the beginning of a
pronounced wave of anti-
Islamic and anti-immigrant
hate in America.
US government data on
hate crimes is notably spotty,
put Niyonsaba on pace to
break the world record of
5:23.75, set indoors by
Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba in
2017. The 28-year-old then
powered to glory with a final
lap of 63 seconds to break the
record. While Niyonsaba is a
popular athlete, others in the
sport including the two-times
400m Olympic champion
Shaunae Miller-Uibo have
questioned why World
Athletics does not extend its
rules regarding DSDs to other
events.
In 2019, the court of
arbitration for sport (Cas)
ruled that 46 XY DSD athletes
"enjoy a significant sporting
advantage … over 46 XX
athletes without such DSD"
due to their biology.
Cas added: "Individuals
with 5-ARD have what is
commonly identified as the
male chromosomal sex (XY
and not XX), male gonads
(testes not ovaries) and levels
of circulating testosterone in
the male range (7.7-29.4
nmol/L), which are
significantly higher than the
female range (0.06-1.68
nmol/L)."
How a Sikh family resolved to carry
on their American dream
A memorial marks the place where Balbir Singh Sodhi was fatally shot on
15 September 2001 by Frank Silva Roque. Photo: Caitlin O'Hara
but in the year after 9/11,
targeted crimes against
Muslims increased by 1,700
percent nationally, according
to the FBI. So too did hateful
acts against Sikh Americans,
with advocacy groups
reporting 300 incidents
against the religious minority
in the month after September
11.
Sodhi's killing shocked
minority communities
throughout Arizona. Azza
Abuseif, the executive
director of Arizona's chapter
of the Council on American
Islamic Relations [Cair]
recalled hearing of the
murder for the first time as a
young, recently arrived
immigrant.
"It set off a lot of fears," she
said, pointing out that Sodhi
was targeted because of his
clothing. "Muslim men don't
usually dress in traditional
clothing in the workplace but
a lot of women have lived in
fear since 9/11."
Abuseif started her job as
executive director just a few
months ago. Cair's offices are
unmarked and she sits in a
room with the blinds closed.
On her first day in the new
office she recalled scanning
the room for escape routes in
case of an active shooter.
"I don't want to say I live in
fear," she said. "But I worry
for my family because of my
line of work." She will attend
the memorial service for
Balbir Singh Sodhi on
Wednesday, a marker of
collective interfaith
mourning.
Arizona has long been a
hotbed of post 9/11
Islamophobia and antiimmigrant
hatred that only
intensified over the four years
of the Trump presidency.
Armed protest outside the
city's main mosque in the
suburb of Tempe became a
regular fixture. In 2018 two
women were charged with
breaking into the Islamic
Community Center of
Tempe, where they recorded
themselves stealing a Quran
and making Islamophobic
slurs.
The state's gun laws, which
permit open carry without a
license, are viewed as causes
for increased concern among
minority communities here.
During a recent Friday prayer
at the mosque attended by
the Guardian, armed guards
provided security as
worshippers entered to pray.
They have been present at
every Friday prayer since
9/11, Islamic Center officials
said.
If the people of Miami, Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai, Lagos, Bangkok and New York are not concerned,
they should be.
Photo: Mario Tama
Rain fell on Greenland's ice sheet
for the first time ever known
KIM HeACOx
Many people believed he
couldn't do it. Ski across the
Greenland ice sheet, a vast,
unmapped, high-elevation
plateau of ice and snow?
Madness.
But Fridtjof Nansen, a
young Norwegian, proved
them wrong. In 1888, he and
his small party went light and
fast, unlike two large
expeditions a few years
before. And unlike the others,
Nansen traveled from east to
west, giving himself no option
of retreat to a safe base. It
would be forward or die
trying. He did it in seven
weeks, man-hauling his
supplies and ascending to
8,900ft (2,700 meters)
elevation, where summertime
temperatures dropped to -49F
(-45C).
Last month, for the first
time in recorded history, rain
fell on the highest point of the
Greenland ice sheet. It hardly
made the news. But rain in a
place historically defined by
bitter cold portends a future
that will alter coastlines
around the world, and drown
entire cities.
The Greenland ice sheet
contains four times more ice
than all of Earth's other
glaciers and ice fields
combined, outside Antarctica.
The largest island in the
world, Greenland is more
than 36,000 times the size of
Manhattan, and ice covers
most of it, in many places
thousands of feet thick. As
carbon dioxide and methane
accumulate in our
atmosphere, causing our
Christopher Nolan to make drama
about the father of the atomic bomb
BeNjAMIN Lee
Christopher Nolan has
confirmed that his next film
will be a drama about the
development of the atomic
bomb. In a deviation from his
work with Warner Bros, the
director will head to Universal
Pictures for the drama which
is believed to have a budget of
around $100m. Nolan had
been in discussions with a
number of studios, also
including Sony, Paramount
and MGM, and ultimately
decided against Warners.
The film will focus on US
physicist J Robert
Oppenheimer who was
among those credited as the
"father of the atomic bomb"
for his involvement in what
was known as the Manhattan
Project, which produced the
first nuclear weapons during
the second world war.
According to Deadline,
frequent Nolan collaborator
Cillian Murphy is being eyed
for a role.
The as-yet-untitled project
follows Nolan's sci-fi thriller
Tenet which was met with
mixed-to-positive reviews in
planet to heat (the six
warmest years on record have
been the last six), the ice sheet
disintegrates. Greenland lost
more ice in the past decade
than it did in the previous
century.
Massive summertime
meltwater rivers now flow
over the ice sheet where, in
Nansen's time, no signs of
surface water could be found.
If the people of Miami,
Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai,
Lagos, Bangkok and New
York are not concerned, they
should be. The great
Greenland ice melt is a
climate crisis sword of
Damocles for all coastal, lowlying,
densely populated
areas. No other single factor
will probably contribute more
to sea level rise over the next
few decades.
A consortium of climate
scientists writing two years
ago in Nature, a prestigious
scientific journal, concluded
that if Greenland continues to
melt, in one bad-case scenario
after another, tens of millions
of people could be in danger of
yearly flooding and
displacement by 2030 - less
than nine years from now.
And by the end of this
century, when Antarctica,
which contains vastly more
ice than Greenland, also
enters a phase of catastrophic
melting, the number of
annual flood-prone people
could reach nearly half a
billion. It's more than
farewell, Miami. It's goodbye,
Florida.
The assumption that land
will always last is no longer
valid. "Land is about the only
Christopher Nolan at Cannes.
thing that cannot fly away,"
the English novelist Anthony
Trollope once observed. True.
But it can go bone dry - or
drown.
After Nansen's Greenland
expedition, he oversaw the
construction of a small
wooden ship named Fram
("Forward"), designed to
enter the Arctic pack ice in an
attempt to reach the north
pole. Later, he mentored the
explorers Roald Amundsen,
Robert Falcon Scott and
Ernest Shackleton. His final
act, however, was his most
inspiring. As high
commissioner for refugees for
the League of Nations, he
devised a passport to
repatriate thousands left
homeless after the Great War,
and was awarded the 1922
Nobel peace prize.
Nansen did what
humankind must now do. He
transcended himself. He
respected science, and cared
deeply for others. In the face
of great challenges today, we
can - and must - do the same.
A good example is Jason
Box, who Jeff Goodell, in his
2017 book The Water Will
Come, describes as "a
maverick scientist and
Greenland ice junkie who got
a lot of attention in 2012 when
he publicly predicted just
weeks before the summer
melt season that Greenland
would experience a recordbreaking
year for ice melt".
Raised and educated in
Colorado, Box suspected that
soot from wildfires in the
American west and Canada,
and from coal-fired power
plants in the industrial north,
2020. It was his ninth film
with Warner Bros, including
two that were co-distributed
by other studios. Nolan's
previous film about the
second world war, the
acclaimed drama Dunkirk,
won three Oscars and made
over $520m at the global box
office. Nolan was outspoken
about his frustration with the
studio's controversial dayand-date
deal with HBO Max
that meant that the entirety of
their 2021 slate would also
premiere on the streaming
platform. He referred to it as
"the worst streaming service"
in a statement to the
Hollywood Reporter.
"Warner Bros had an
incredible machine for getting
a film-maker's work out
everywhere, both in theaters
would enter the atmosphere
and travel far. When it settled
in Greenland, the soot would
darken the ice sheet and make
it absorb, not reflect, solar
energy. The result: the ice
sheet would melt like
gangbusters. Which is exactly
what has happened.
In 2014, Box was stunned to
find the ice sheet so dark. He
has since said that humanity's
burning of fossil fuels has
probably set in motion nearly
70ft of sea level rise. A bold
prediction, and not out of
character for Box, who has
spent more than a year on the
ice.
"I like ice because it's
nature's thermometer," he
told Goodell. "It's not political.
As the world heats up, ice
melts, it's simple. It's the kind
of science that everyone can
understand." While science,
endeavoring to avoid
alarmism, can be overly
cautious, science isn't the
problem. Disinformation and
a lack of political will are the
problems.
To save the Greenland ice
sheet - and Florida - will
require a Nansen-esque
transformation on steroids,
something inspired by, but
much larger than, President
Franklin D Roosevelt's New
Deal.
To begin, we need to elect
representatives who respect
science, and accept the
magnitude of what we're up
against. If they do not, they
must be defeated.
It's time to put our planet
first. A little more than a
thousand years ago, back
when the world seemed large
and wondrous and unknown,
the Vikings settled Greenland.
For every one person alive on
earth back then, there are 25
today, most of us trapped in a
fossil fuel economy that has
given us great prosperity but
now must be replaced. By
what?
and in the home, and they are
dismantling it as we speak,"
he wrote. "They don't even
understand what they're
losing. Their decision makes
no economic sense, and even
the most casual Wall Street
investor can see the difference
between disruption and
dysfunction." Filming is
expected to begin at the start
of 2022.
Photo: daniele venturelli

ThURSDAY, SePTeMBeR 16, 2021
6
Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard Station Teknaf in a drive a smuggler along with 84,000 pieces
of yaba from an area adjacent to Katabunia of Sabrang Union under Teknaf Police Station on
Wednesday. Photo : Courtesy
View exchange
meeting to
prevent river
accidents held
at Bijoynagar
S M JAHIRUL ALAM, BIJOY-
NAGAR ORRESPONDENT
A view exchange meeting
has been held to prevent
river accidents and to
increase publicity and public
awareness in all the
waterways of Bijoynagar
upazila on Monday.
The meeting was held at
the conference room of
upazila parishad and was
chaired by Upazila Nirbahi
Officer AH Irfan Uddin
Ahmed. Among others,
Upazila Chairman Nasima
Mukai Ali, Upazila Awami
League President Advocate
Zahirul Islam Bhuiyan,
General Secretary Advocate
Tanvir Bhuiyan, Vice
Chairman Mahmudur
Rahman Manna, Upazila
Assistant Commissioner
(Land) Rabeya Afsar Saima
were among others present
at the occasion.
BCG detains 1 along
with 84,000 pieces
of yaba in Teknaf
Bangladesh Coast Guard
Station Teknaf conducted an
operation in the area
adjacent to Katabunia of
Sabrang Union under
Teknaf Police Station and
arrested 01 smuggler along
with 84,000 pieces of yaba
on Wednesday morning, a
press release said.
Lieutenant Commander
Amirul Haque, a media
officer at the Bangladesh
Coast Guard headquarters,
said this at noon on
Wednesday. He said a
special operation was
conducted in the area under
the leadership of Station
Commander Teknaf Lt.
Commander M Naeem ul
Haq on the basis of secret
information. During the
operation, a man with a
black bag was seen walking
along Jhauban in the area
adjacent to Katabunia Ghat
in Sabrang Union under
Teknaf Police Station. When
the man's movements
seemed suspicious, Coast
Guard members signaled
him to stop.
Later, when the suspect
realized the presence of the
Coast Guard members and
tried to flee leaving the bag,
the Coast Guard members
were able to chase and arrest
Md. Amin, 50. A search of
the bag led to the seizure
of874,000 yaba tablets. The
arrested yaba smuggler
Mohammad Amin, 50, is the
son of late Kashem Ali of
Sabrang Kachubunia in
Teknaf.
The arrested yaba
smugglers and the seized
yaba have been handed over
to Teknaf Model Police
Station for further legal
action, he said.
A view exchange meeting has been held to prevent river accidents and to
increase publicity and public awareness in all the waterways of Bijoynagar
upazila recently.
Photo: SM Jahirul Alam
Bi-monthly coordination meeting on
upazila NGOs was held at Banaripara
S Mizanul Islam, Baparipara Correspondent
A bi-monthly coordination
meeting on Banaripara
Upazila NGO was held on
Wednesday 15 September at
10.30 am.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer
Ripon Kumar Saha presided
over the meeting.The meeting
was conducted by Upazila
NGO Coordinator & Senior
Journalist S Mizanul
Islam and was attended by
BDS Manager ATM Mostafa
Sardar, Lipi Gharami of
BRAC, Mohsin Mia of
Nagrik Udyog, Sukantha
Sadhak of Uddipan, Rahim
Sikder of Boru Bangladesh
and Asa's Kaniz Akter, Zakir
Hossain of Codec is one of
them.The meeting discussed
the situation of Covid-19,
loan disbursement, social
activities.
RMCH records
four more
fatalities in its
Covid-19 unit
RAJSHAHI: Rajshahi
Medical College Hospital
(RMCH) recorded four
more fatalities at its Covid-
19 unit in the last 24 hours
till 6am yesterday, taking the
death toll to 96 so far this
month, reports BSS.
The previous day's death
figure in the unit was six
while on Wednesday, it was
just two, which was the everlowest
since the second
coronavirus wave hit the
region around six months
back.
Earlier, the number of
casualties was 340 in
August, 566 in July and 405
in June, health officials said.
RMCH Director Brigadier
General Dr Shamim Yazdani
told newsmen that one of
the deceased was a resident
of Rajshahi, while two were
from Naogaon and one from
Natore districts.
"Of the fresh fatalities, all
the four tested positive for
Covid-19," he said.
Thirteen more patients
were admitted to the
designated Covid-19 wards
of the hospital in the last 24
hours, raising the total
number of admitted patients
to 121, including 40 positive
cases.
Twenty-two patients
returned home from the
RMCH Covid-19 unit after
being cured during the time.
Yazdani said twenty five
people were diagnosed with
Covid-19 after testing 644
samples in Rajshahi's two
laboratories on Tuesday,
showing 1.41 percent
positivity rate against 7.47
percent on Monday.
The fresh positivity rate
among the tested samples in
two laboratories is the everlowest
since the second wave
of the virus hit the region in
March last.
A bi-monthly coordination meeting on Banaripara Upazila NGO was held on
Wednesday.
Photo: S Mizanul Islam
2 regional offices
of Mymensingh
City Corporation
inagurated
MD ALI AHSAN, MYMENSINGH
CORRESPONDENT
Offices of Mymensingh City
Corporation Region 2 and
Region 3 have been
inaugurated. Mayor of
Mymensingh City
Corporation Ikramul Haque
Titu inaugurated the office
of Ward No. 9 of Kalibari
and the office of Ward No.
25 on Tuesday.
On the occasion of the
inauguration, a view
exchange meeting was
organized at the premises of
Region 3 office. The event
was moderated by
Mymensingh City
Corporation Chief Executive
Officer Mohammad Anayar
Hasan. The event was
attended by Panel Moyor,
Secretary Rajib Kumar
Sarkar, Heads of
Departments and Branches
of City Corporations, local
dignitaries and journalists
from print and electronic
media.
47 more test positive for
Covid-19 in Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI: Forty-seven more people were tested positive for
Covid-19 in all eight districts of the division on Tuesday, taking
the caseload to 97,387 since the pandemic began in March last
year. The new daily infection figure is the lowest-ever since the
second wave of the pandemic hit the country around six months
back as the number of positive cases reported here yesterday
was 97, reports BSS.
Meanwhile, the recovery count rose to 92,962 in the division
after another 115 patients were discharged from the hospitals on
the same day. The death toll reached 1,644, including 678 in
Bogura, 307 in Rajshahi with 183 in its city, and 171 in Natore,
as three fresh cases of fatality were reported during the period,
Dr Talukder added.
Besides, all the positive cases for Covid-19 have, so far, been
brought under treatment while 22,348 were kept in isolation
units of different dedicated hospitals for institutional
supervision. Of them, 18,699 have been released.
Meanwhile, 95 more people have been sent to home and
institutional quarantine afresh while 131 others were released
from isolation during the same time. Of the 47 new cases, 13
were detected in Bogura, followed by nine each in Sirajganj and
Pabna, five in Natore, four each in Rajshahi and Naogaon, two
in Chapainawabganj and one in Joypurhat districts.
With the newly detected patients, the district-wise break-up of
the total cases now stands at 27,613 in Rajshahi, including
22,254 in city, 5,561 in Chapainawabganj, 6,344 in Naogaon,
8,247 in Natore, 4,563 in Joypurhat, 21,328 in Bogura, 11,189 in
Sirajganj and 12,542 in Pabna.
A total of 1,11,641 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, 1,08,442 have, by now, been released as they were
given clearance certificates after completing their 14-day
quarantine.
Offices of Mymensingh City Corporation Region 2 and Region 3 have been inaugurated.
Photo: Md Ali Ahsan
Rangpur records zero Covid
death for 3rd straight day
RANGPUR: For the third consecutive day, no
Covid-19- related death was reported in
Rangpur division during the last 24 hours
ending at 8 am yesterday, reports BSS.
Health officials said the number of fatalities
remained steady at 1,218 in the division as
the Covid-19 situation has improved
significantly during the last five consecutive
weeks.
"Earlier Rangpur division witnessed the
last Covid-19 casualty free day on May 16 last
and zero Covid death was recorded on
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
consecutively," Focal Person of the Covid-19
and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur
division Dr ZA Siddiqui said.
The district-wise breakup of the 1,218
fatalities stands at 290 in Rangpur, 79 in
Panchagarh, 87 in Nilphamari, 65 in
Lalmonirhat, 66 in Kurigram, 246 in
Thakurgaon, 322 in Dinajpur and 63 in
Gaibandha districts of the division.
The average casualty rate currently stands
at 2.24 percent in the division.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases
reached 54,302 as 51 new patients were
diagnosed after testing 848 samples in
Rangpur division at the daily positivity rate of
6.01 percent on Tuesday.
Earlier, the daily positivity rates were 5.50
percent on Monday, 5.43 percent on Sunday,
8.59 percent on Saturday, 8.18 percent on
Friday, 10.37 percent on Thursday and 7.07
percent on Wednesday last in the division.
"The district-wise break up of total 54,302
patients include 12,277 of Rangpur, 3,672 of
Panchagarh, 4,360 of Nilphamari, 2,717 of
Lalmonirhat, 4,596 of Kurigram, 7,399 of
MANIKGANJ: No fresh Covid-19-
related death was reported in the
district during the last 24 hours for the
fifth consecutive day on Wednesday,
district health department sources said,
reports BSS.
The district recorded five percent
Covid-19 positivity rate as eight fresh
cases were reported after testing 160
samples at the Colonel Maleque
Medical College PCR Lab during the
last 24 hours till last morning.
Among the newly detected patients -
Thakurgaon, 14,461 of Dinajpur and 4,820 of
Gaibandha in the division," he added.
Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md
Motaharul Islam said a total ofb2,68,693
collected samples were tested till Tuesday,
and of them, 54,302 were found Covid-19
positive with an average positivity rate of
20.21 percent in the division.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the
total number of healed Covid-19 patients
reached 50,724 with recovery of 233 more
patients on Tuesday in the division. The
average recovery rate currently stands at
93.41 percent in the division.
The 50,724 recovered patients include
10,488 of Rangpur, 3,336 Panchagarh, 4,262
Nilphamari, 2,560 Lalmonirhat, 4,425
Kurigram, 6,780 Thakurgaon, 14,125 in
Dinajpur and 4,748 Gaibandha districts in
the division.
Among the 54,302 patients, 83 are
undergoing treatments at isolation units,
including 10 critical patients at ICU beds and
two at High Dependency Unitbbeds. With
the recovery of 50,724 patients and 1,218
deaths 2,277 are remaining in home isolation
currently.
"Meanwhile, the number of citizens who
got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine rose
to 23,36,806, and among them, 13,89,175 got
the second dose of the jab till Tuesday in the
division," Dr Islam said.
Chief of Divisional Coronavirus Service and
Prevention Task Force and Principal of
Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr AKM
Nurunnobi Lyzu said everyone should
sincerely abide by the health directives to
prevent further spread of the deadly virus.
No COVID-19
death reported in
Manikganj for 5th
consecutive day
one is from Manikganj Sadar upazila,
three from Ghior Upazila, one from
Shibalaya upazila, two from Singair
Upazila and one from Harirampur
Govt distributes
houses to 100
homeless
families in
Gaibandha
GAIBANDHA: The
government has handed
over houses to 100 homeless
families at Uttar
Dighalkandi in Saghata
upazila of the district,
reports BSS.
The semi pucca houses
were distributed to them
after a lottery yesterday as
Upazila Chairman MD
Zahangir Kabir, Upazila
Nirbahi Officer (UNO)
Sarder Mostafa Shine and
Upazila
Project
Implementation Officer
Engineer Mithun Kundu
were present.
The houses were
constructed under the
Ashrayan project of the
Prime Minister (PM)'s office
at the direct supervision of
Bangladesh Army.
After getting the houses,
all beneficiaries are happy
and expressed their
gratefulness to the
government.
One more dies,
2 infected with
Covid-19 in
C'nawabganj
CHAPAINAWABGANJ:
One more person died of
Covid-19 and two were
infected with the lethal virus
during the last 24 hours till
last morning in the district,
reports BSS.
The new fatality was
reported from Shibganj
upazila, raising the total
death cases to 156 in the
district.
The fatality included 104
in Sadar upazila, 31 in
Shibganj upazila, 10 in
Gomostapur upazila, six in
Nachole upazila and five in
Bholahat upazila.
The number of Covid-19
cases climbed to 5,805 as
two more people were
detected positive after
testing seven samples in the
district during 24-hour
span. The daily positivity
rate stood at 28.57 percent,
civil surgeon office sources
confirmed.
At present, there are 67
Covid-affected patients in
the district and of them, 37
patients are undergoing
treatment in dedicated
Covid hospital and others at
home.
Meanwhile, 5,582 patients
with 34 new have recovered
from the disease here, the
sources added.
Upazila of the district.
With the newly detected cases, the
number of coronavirus (COVID-19)
infected patients stands at 8,128 after
testing 43,954 samples in the district,
said Medical Officer of Manikganj Civil
Surgeon Office Dr. Rafiqun Nahar
Banna.
Besides, the number of cured patients
from the lethal virus stood at 7,487 in
the district, the medical officer said.
The death toll from the virus stands at
125 in the district, so far.

THuRSDAY, SePTembeR 16 , 2021
7
Four million Afghans are facing "a food emergency" and the majority live in rural areas where $36
million is urgently needed for the coming months to ensure the planting of winter wheat, feed for
livestock.
Photo : Internet
UN officials says rural Afghans
have critical need for aid
UNITED NATIONS : Four million
Afghans are facing "a food emergency"
and the majority live in rural areas
where $36 million is urgently needed
for the coming months to ensure the
planting of winter wheat, feed for
livestock, and cash assistance for
vulnerable families, the elderly and
disabled, a U.N. official said Tuesday,
reports UNB.
Rein Paulsen, director of the Food
and Agriculture Organization's Office of
Emergencies and Resilience, told
reporters at U.N. headquarters in a
video briefing from Kabul that 70% of
Afghans live in rural areas and there is a
severe drought affecting 7.3 million
Afghans in 25 of the country's 34
provinces. These vulnerable rural
communities have also been hit by the
pandemic, he said.
Paulsen said 4 million Afghans are
facing a humanitarian emergency,
characterized by "extreme gaps in food
consumption, very high levels of acute
malnutrition and excess mortality."
He said agriculture is "indispensable"
to the Afghan population. He said it
accounts for just over 25% of the
country's GDP, directly employs some
45% of the work force, "and most
importantly it provides livelihood
benefits for fully 80% of the Afghan
Ex-jihadi bride asks
UK for forgiveness,
aims to return home
LONDON : A British woman
who ran away from home at
age 15 to join the Islamic State
group in Syria has asked for
forgiveness and appealed to
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
to let her come home.
Shamima Begum was one of
three east London schoolgirls
who traveled to Syria in 2015.
She has said she married an IS
member from the Netherlands
and had three children, all of
whom have died.
Now 22 and living in a
refugee camp in Syria, Begum
has sought to return home, but
the British government
revoked her citizenship on
national security grounds.
Begum has fought
unsuccessfully in the British
courts to have her U.K.
passport restored, reports
UNB.
"I know there are some
people, no matter what I say or
what I do, they will not believe
that I have changed, believe
that I want to help," she told
broadcaster ITV.
"But for those who have even
a drop of mercy and
compassion and empathy in
their hearts, I tell you from the
bottom of my heart that I regret
every, every decision I've made
since I stepped into Syria and I
will live with it for the rest of my
life."
Addressing Johnson, she
said: "I think I could very much
help you in your fight against
terrorism because you clearly
don't know what you're doing."
Begum, who wore a gray
tank top and a baseball cap,
rather than the black clothes
and hijab in which she was
once seen, said she had been
misled into thinking she was
going to Syria to live in an
"Islamic community" and
didn't commit violence.
population." Many vulnerable families
rely on livestock for food, he said, but 3
million animals are at risk as a result of
the drought leaving inadequate pasture.
Paulsen said the winter wheat planting
season-the most important in
Afghanistan-is threatened by
"challenges of the cash and banking
system" as well as challenges to markets
and agricultural items.
Since the Taliban takeover on Aug. 15,
fears have grown that Afghanistan
could face economic collapse. Many
banks have been closed, those that are
open have limited cash withdrawals,
and prices for staples have increased.
"More than half of Afghans' daily
calorific intake comes from wheat,"
Paulsen said. "The crop is simply
indispensable in food security terms"
and farmers must start to plant now.
"FAO has resources in place to
support an extra 1.25 million Afghans
but much more is needed," he said.
"The seeds can't wait, the farmers can't
wait. This window is requiring an
urgent scale and support for donors
now." He said the FAO's package of
wheat, fertilizer and support for a single
farmer costs $150. "For $150 a family
of seven Afghans will produce 1.2
million tons of wheat-they'll produce
enough wheat to give them cereal and
flour for an entire 12-month period,"
Paulsen said. That $150 is "incredibly
impactful, very cost effective - and
again, (it) underscores why it's
imperative that we don't miss this
winter wheat season," he added.
He also said more than 400,000
Afghans are displaced from their
homes, mainly from rural areas, "and
those numbers are rising." He said
keeping farmers in their fields and
herders with their flocks is critical to
preventing a deepening displacement
crisis.
If agriculture collapses further,
Paulson warned, it will drive up
malnutrition, increase displacement
and worsen the humanitarian situation.
FAO in 2021 has supported nearly 2
million Afghans with livelihood and
cash assistance, Paulsen said. He said
the $36 million that the FAO needs
urgently for the winter farming season
was part of the U.N.'s emergency appeal
for $606 million. At a conference in
Geneva on Monday, donors pledged
$1.2 billion - double the amount sought,
which Paulsen called encouraging.
FAO hopes the pledges will fully fund
the $36 million needed, but Paulsen
noted that they are only promises for
now and donors need to quickly provide
the cash.
North Korea fires 2 ballistic
missiles off east coast:Seoul
SEOUL : North Korea fired two ballistic
missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South
Korea's military said, two days after the North
claimed to have tested a new missile in its first
weapons test in six months, reports UNB.
The two ballistic missiles launched from a site
in central North Korea flew toward the waters
of the Korean Peninsula's east coast on
Wednesday afternoon, South Korea's Joint
Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
The statement said South Korean and U.S.
intelligence authorities are analyzing more
details about the North Korean launches. It said
South Korea has boosted its anti-North Korea
surveillance posture.
Japan's coast guard confirmed the missiles
both landed outside Japanese Exclusive
Economic Zone in the waters between Japan
and the Korean Peninsula. No ships or aircraft
reported damage, the Coast Guard said.
North Korea said Monday it tested a newly
developed cruise missile twice over the
weekend. North Korea's state media described
the missile as a "strategic weapon of great
significance," implying they were developed
with the intent to arm them with nuclear
warheads. According to North Korean
accounts, the missile flew about 1,500
kilometers (930 miles), a distance that is
capable of reaching all of Japan and U.S.
military installations there.
Many experts say the North Korean test
suggested North Korea is pushing to bolster its
weapons arsenal amid a deadlock in nuclear
diplomacy between Pyongyang and
Washington. The latest launch came as Chinese
Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Seoul for
meetings with South Korean President Moon
Jae-in and other senior officials to discuss the
stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North.
Talks between the United States and North
Korea have stalled since 2019, when the
Americans rejected the North's demand for
major sanctions relief in exchange for
dismantling an aging nuclear facility. Kim's
government has so far threatened to build hightech
weapons targeting the United States and
rejected the Biden administration's overtures
for dialogue, demanding that Washington
abandon its "hostile" policies first.
The North's resumption of testing activity
is likely an attempt at pressuring the Biden
administration over the diplomatic freeze
after Kim failed to leverage his arsenal for
economic benefits during the presidency of
Donald Trump.
South Korean television broadcast file footage in report about the North's
latest test with ballistic missile.
Photo : Internet
Afghanistan's
women soccer
team players
enter Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD : Members
of Afghanistan's women
soccer team and their
families arrived in Pakistan
after fleeing their country
in the wake of the Taliban's
takeover, local media said
Wednesday.
It was unclear how many
Afghan women players
and their family members
were allowed to enter in
Pakistan.
According to Pakistan's
information minister
Fawad Chaudhry, the
Afghan women soccer
players entered in Pakistan
though the northwestern
Torkham border crossing
holding valid travel
documents.
"We welcome
Afghanistan women
football team," Chaudhry
tweeted, providing no
further details.
However, Pakistan's
English-langue The
DAWN newspaper
Wednesday reported that
the Afghan female
footballers were issued
emergency humanitarian
visas following the Taliban
takeover of Kabul. The
Taliban reportedly don't
want women to participate
in sports.
The Taliban has not
commented, but an official
confirmed that under the
government's interpretation
of Islam, women are not
allowed to play any sports
where they could
potentially be exposed. The
official was not authorized
to speak with media before
any official announcement
by the government.
Last week, the Taliban
announced an all-male
interim government for
Afghanistan stacked with
veterans of their hard-line
rule from the 1990s and
the 20-year battle against
the U.S.-led coalition.
The move seems unlikely
to win the international
support the new leaders
desperately need to avoid
an economic meltdown.
Hurricane battered Louisiana
braces for Nicholas drenching
POINTE-AUX-CHENES : Residents of
southern Louisiana still recovering from
Hurricane Ida just weeks ago were bracing
Wednesday for expected heavy rains as
Nicholas crawls across parts of the state from
Texas. Nicholas made landfall as a hurricane
early Tuesday on the Texas coast, dumping
heavy rain even though it was quickly
downgraded to a tropical storm and later a
depression. But forecasters said Nicholas
could stall over storm-battered Louisiana and
spread life-threatening floods across the Deep
South over the coming days. In a state still
recovering from Category 4 storm Ida weeks
ago - as well as Category 4 Laura a year ago -
Nicholas and its potentially heavy rain bands
were unwelcome news.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards warned
residents to expect flash flooding and to take
the storm seriously despite its lack of hurricane
status. "This is a very serious storm,
particularly in those areas that were so heavily
impacted by Hurricane Ida," Edwards said.
Galveston, Texas, recorded nearly 14 inches
(35 centimeters) of rain from Nicholas, the
14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic
hurricane season, while Houston reported
more than 6 inches (15 centimeters). The New
Orleans office of the National Weather Service
said late Tuesday that as much as 10 inches (25
centimeters) of rain could fall in parts of
Louisiana, with some areas seeing particularly
intense periods of 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8
centimeters) of rainfall per hour.
In the small Louisiana community of Pointeaux-Chenes,
Ida peeled open the tin roof of
Terry and Patti Dardar's home, leaving them
without power and water for more than two
weeks since. Nicholas made the damage that
much worse, soaking the upstairs. But it also
Palestine calls on donor countries
to cover UNRWA's budget deficit
RAMALLAH : Palestine on Tuesday called on donor countries
to cover the deficit in the budget of the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to
continue providing its services.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a
statement that he met with UNRWA Commissioner-General
Philippe Lazzarini in Ramallah and discussed the importance of
helping the UN agency to overcome the deficit in its budget,
reports UNB.
GD-1342/21 (6x4)
provided them with badly needed water, which
their son Terren and grandchildren collected
in jugs and poured into a huge plastic
container through a strainer. From there, a
pump powered by a generator brought the
water inside.
His mom, Patti, said the family didn't have
anywhere else to go after Ida, so members
were doing their best during Nicholas.
"We ain't got no other place," she said. "This
is our home."
Gov. Edwards said Nicholas will complicate
an already difficult recovery from Ida in
southeast Louisiana. He noted that 95,000
electric customers were still without power
more than two weeks after Ida hit. And he said
the new storm could mean some who had
regained power might lose it again. Homes
already badly damaged by Ida were not yet
repaired to the extent that they could
withstand heavy rain, Edwards added.
Energy companies working to restore power
to remaining areas in the state said
Wednesday that they were watching Nicholas
closely but didn't expect it to affect their
restoration times.
A spokesman for Entergy Louisiana said
Nicholas so far has not caused any delays to
previously announced times to restore power.
Crews cannot operate when lightning is within
10 miles (16 kilometers) and can't put bucket
trucks in the air at winds greater than 30 mph
(50 kph), said Jerry Nappi. But once
conditions improve they would quickly resume
work.
Joe Ticheli, manager and CEO of South
Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association,
said he did not anticipate that Nicholas would
significantly slow its work to restore power
after Ida.
Residents of southern Louisiana still recovering from Hurricane Ida just
weeks ago were bracing Wednesday for expected heavy rains as Nicholas
crawls across parts of the state from Texas. Photo : Internet

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
8
NRBC Bank launched its banking services at Mirer Bazar, Pubail, Gazipur. Member of the Parliament
Gazipur-5 and former State Minister of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz
Chumki inaugurated the Sub-branch as Chief Guest recently. S M Tarikul Islam, Deputy Commissioner
(DC) of Gazipur attended the ceremony as Special Guest. Forhad Sarker, SVP of NRBC Bank presided
over the inaugural ceremony.Chief Guest Meher Afroz Chumki said, development of mass people is the
main goal of the present government. Banking sector has played a vital role in the development of all
indicators. He said, NRBC Bank will ascend to strong position through transparency, effective services
and latest technologies Board Bazar Branch Manager Md. Mamun Hossain, Incharge of Mirer Bazar
Sub-branch A F M Masudur Rahman and distinguished clients, businessmen, local elites were present
on the occasion. During the ceremony, a Munajat was held seeking divine blessings of Almighty for the
welfare, progress and prosperity of the Bank.
Photo: Courtesy
S. Korea fines Google
almost $180m for
market abuse
SEOUL : South Korea's antitrust watchdog
fined Google nearly $180 million on
Tuesday for abusing its dominance in the
mobile operating systems and app markets,
it said, the latest in a series of regulatory
moves against tech giants around the world,
reports BSS.
The penalty came weeks after South
Korea passed a law banning major app store
operators such as Google and Apple from
forcing software developers to use their
payment systems, effectively declaring their
lucrative Play Store and App Store
monopolies illegal.
And last week a US judge ordered Apple
to loosen control over its App Store
payment system in an antitrust battle with
Fortnite maker Epic Games.
Google and Apple dominate the online
app market in South Korea, the world's 12th
largest economy and known for its
technological prowess.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission
(KFTC) has investigated Google since 2016
for allegedly preventing local smartphone
makers such as Samsung Electronics from
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple
CEO Tim Cook strode
through a slickly produced
video Tuesday to launch a
new iPhone, with few hints
of the exceptional string of
troubles facing his
company including policy
reversals, a spyware attack
and legal fights, reports
BSS.
Cook-from an empty,
darkened auditoriumraved
over upgraded
cameras, brighter screens
and new features for some
of the Silicon Valley giant's
other devices like the iPad.
"These are the best
iPhones we've ever
created," Cook said, noting
Apple's work to design the
"very best products and
Embattled
Apple unveils
new iPhone
services to enrich people's
lives."
Yet a head-spinning
series of problems have
occupied the recent public
discussion of one the
world's most valuable
companies.
Due to a long and loud
fight over its online app
marketplace, a judge
ordered Apple last week to
allow developers to
sidestep its hefty
commission on purchases.
customising its Android OS.
It said Google hampered market
competition through an "antifragmentation
agreement" preventing
smartphone makers installing modified
versions of Android, known as "Android
forks", on their devices.
"Because of this, device makers could not
launch innovative products with new
services," the KFTC added in a statement.
"As a result, Google could further cement
its market dominance in the mobile OS
market."
It fined Google 207.4 billion won
(US$176.8 million) and ordered the global
tech giant to take corrective steps.
Google has maintained that its Play Store
commissions charged are standard in the
industry and fair compensation for building
safe marketplaces where developers can
reach people around the world.
The Play Store had revenues of almost 6
trillion won ($5.2 billion) in 2019,
accounting for 63 percent of the country's
total, according to data from Seoul's science
ministry.
It has also delayed a plan
to scan its customers'
devices as part of a child
abuse prevention move,
after privacy advocates
howled over the risk of
opening a backdoor for
government surveillance.
And then Monday it was
forced to roll out an urgent
fix after cybersecurity
researchers found a
weakness that allowed
Pegasus spyware to infect
Apple devices without
users so much as clicking a
malicious message.
That said, Apple still
possesses massive reach in
the digital world and
beyond, and manages to be
worth over $2 trillion.
Shirin Akhter
promoted as
MD of BKB
Veteran banker Shirin
Akhter joined Bangladesh
Krishi Bank (BKB) being
promoted as Managing
Director recently, a press
release said.
She worked as Managing
Director on current charge in
the bank since July 31, 2021.
She joined Agrani Bank as
Senior Officer in 1988
through BRC and worked as
Deputy Managing Director
in BKB since 16 September,
2019. She completed her
Post Graduate Degree with
honors from the University
of Dhaka in Political Science,
MBA from Stamford
University, Dhaka and LLB
degree from Bangladesh Law
college. As part of foreign
tours she travelled USA, UK,
Canada, India, Ireland,
Thailand, Singapore,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi
Arabia and Bhutan. She is
the eldest daughter of late
Ayesha Rahman who was
the founder General
Secretary of Bangladesh
Mohila Awami League,
Mohammadpur Thana of
Dhaka and late Khalilur
Rahman, former Assistant
Director of Bangladesh Bank
(BB). She was born in a
respectable Muslim family
under Char Bhadrashan
upazila of Faridpur district.
The Premier Bank Ltd has been honored by National Board of Revenue (NBR) as one of the highest taxpayers
in banking sector for 2020-21 fiscal year. M. Reazul Karim, FCMA, Managing Director & CEO the Premier
Bank Limited received the letter of recognition from Fazle Kabir, Governor of Bangladesh Bank at a program
held in a city hotel on Tuesday. Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Muneem, Chairman, NBR; Sayed Abul Hashem FCA,
FCMA, Deputy Managing Director & CFO, The Premier Bank Ltd; Md. Alamgir Hossain, Member, (Tax Policy)
and Mohammad Golam Nabi, Member, (Tax Administration and Human Resource Management) of the NBR
and Md. Iqbal Hossain, Commissioner (Tax), Large Taxpayers Unit along with high officials of Finance
Ministry, NBR & different institutions were present on the occasion.
Photo: Courtesy
As pandemic roils economy, more
US workers call it a day
WASHINGTON: Prior to the
coronavirus pandemic, Antonio
Fernandez, 64, had envisioned staying in
his job at Chevron in Houston for
perhaps another five years, reports BSS.
"I probably think I had five more years
to work, at least," Fernandez said of his
role with the oil giant. "I wasn't looking
forward to being retired."
But as with so many other things, the
pandemic is remaking the playbook for
when to retire in the United States.
Retiring older had been a clear trend in
the pre-pandemic era of the world's
largest economy, sometimes due to
preference, but often out of necessity.
Some have opted to stay employed into
their 70s to maintain benefits in a
country where healthcare costs are
notoriously high. In other cases, people
were forced to keep working after their
savings were hit by the 2008 financial
crisis.
But since the spring of 2020, millions
over the age of 65 have exited the
workforce, often earlier than expected.
In June alone, more than 1.7 million
more older workers than expected
retired, said Teresa Ghilarducci, a
scholar on labor and retirement at the
New School For Social Research in New
York.
After being laid off last fall, Fernandez
applied for other jobs, but was not
successful.
"I have mixed feelings," he told AFP,
bKash has distributed 15,000
books to 27 organizations
including schools, voluntary
organizations working for
underprivileged and
disadvantaged children. Few
privately-run libraries were
also included. bKash
collected these books from
visitors, writers and readers
at Bangla Academy Book
Fair, also donated from its
own fund, and distributed
through non-profitable
organization Obhizatrik
Foundation, a press release
said.
The books have been
distributed to cultivate the
habit of reading various
books alongside textbooks
among underprivileged
children. This initiative also
brings opportunity to read
more books for the readers of
privately-run libraries.
These books have been
distributed in various nonprofitable
organizations and
libraries such as: Spreeha,
APON Foundation, Shishu
Polli Plus, Switch Tahmina
Banu Bidyaniketan, Whistle
Bangladesh, Isha Lalbagh
Pathagar, Diganta
Foundation, Aparajeyo
Bangladesh, Friday School,
Ignite Foundation,
Tokhhoshila School, Mojar
School, Born to Smile,
Prochesta and Obhizatrik
UK unemployment
dips ahead of
furlough ending
LONDON : British
unemployment dipped in
July as the economy
reopened further, official
data showed Tuesday, but
the outlook remains clouded
with the government's
furlough jobs support
scheme ending soon, reports
BSS.
Unemployment dropped
to 4.6 percent in the three
months to the end of July
compared with 4.7 percent
in the second quarter, the
Office for National Statistics
(ONS) said in a statement.
Vacancies are meanwhile
at a record high with certain
sectors including road
haulage and hospitality
seriously affected by a
shortage of staff owing to the
virus outbreak and Brexit.
At the same time, the
number of UK workers on
payrolls has rebounded
above pre-pandemic levels,
the ONS added Tuesday.
The UK government's
furlough scheme that has
kept millions of private
adding that the company mainly kept on
lower-paid staff, a shift from its approach
to earlier rounds of downsizing.
"In the end, even though it does not
feel fair, it's not a bad outcome for those
like me fortunate enough to have enough
years of service and being relatively close
to retirement to receive a lump sum
pension boosted by the low interest
rates."
Departing early was also a difficult for
Brenda Bates.
After 43 years of work at a nursing
facility in Florida, her job became much
more taxing during the pandemic when
she was required to wear a mask and
goggles.
Bates suffered a transient ischemic
attack, a stroke-like incident with
lingering effects. After struggling for
breath during a swim, Bates discussed
options with her husband.
"We made the decision to do it for my
health," Bates said.
"Before the pandemic I thought I
would work at least till I was 65 to get
Medicare," she told AFP. "I love my job
so I expected to stay as long as I really
wanted to."
Bates is far from alone in departing
earlier than she expected.
Whether due to fears of an unsafe
workplace or job loss amid the economic
upheaval, "millions of older workers are
simply retiring and often earlier than
they are ready," Ghilarducci said.
Foundation's schools.
Mir Nawbut Ali, Chief
Marketing Officer of bKash
said, "bKash will remain
engaged with such initiatives
of nurturing reading habit
among children in future."
Ahmed Imtiaz Jami,
Founder of Obhizatrik
Foundation, said, "This
initiative of bKash has been
praised by all for cultivating
reading habit among the
children. Integrated effort
like this by corporate and
non-profit organizations has
set a good example."
In a similar initiative in
2020 Book Fair, bKash
collected books from visitors,
readers and writers, donated
from its own fund and
distributed 7,500 books
among the underprivileged
children under book
distribution program.
The relationship of bKash
with books is remarkable. As
a responsible corporate
organization of the country,
bKash is engaged with
Bishwo Shahitto Kendro's
book reading program since
2014. Till now bKash has
provided 253,600 books to
3.2 million students from
2,900 educational
institutions to nurture the
habit of reading books
among next generation.
To spread the ideals of the
great leader Bangabandhu
"It's scary," said Bates, who now works
as an independent contractor for a
company that does placement for senior
living.
"You're giving up a very good salary
and all your benefits. One day you have
nothing left."
While most of the departures involve
workers 65 and older, more workers over
55 without a college degree are also
leaving jobs, Ghilarducci said.
Retirements of Black workers without
a college diploma increased by 9.2
percent, while white workers with the
same education profile saw a 7.5 percent
rise, she said.
One risk from the early retirements is
an uptick of poverty among the senior
population.
At the same time, some older workers
are actually in a relatively good position
to retire-at least compared to earlier
crises.
"During the global financial crisis there
was obviously a very large number of
people that had lost their entire
retirement savings, and 10 years after
they could not retire," said Jacob
Kirkegaard, a fellow at the Peterson
Institute for International Economics.
"Right now the situation is exactly the
opposite," said Kirkegaard, noting that
the stock market has risen during the
pandemic, along with housing prices,
which sank after the 2008 market
crash.
bKash distributes 15,000 books to 27
organizations for underprivileged children
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
among the students, bKash
also distributed 20,000
copies of graphic novel
'Mujib' in 500 Bengali and
English medium schools
across the country in the year
of Mujib's birth centenary
and the golden jubilee of the
independence
of
Bangladesh.
In addition, bKash has
been offering cashback at
book fair for the last eight
years to encourage people to
buy books. Country's leading
MFS provider has also been
working with Bangla
Academy as the key sponsor
of Ekushey Book Fair for the
last four years.
Asian markets struggle for traction
ahead of US inflation data
HONG KONG : Investors trod cautiously in
early Asian trade Tuesday as they awaited US
inflation data that could play a key role in
determining when the Federal Reserve will
start winding down its market-supporting
monetary policy, reports BSS.
The first gain for Wall Street's S&P 500 and
Dow after a five-day losing streak was not
enough to spur a broad advance in Asia, though
Tokyo was on course to clock its highest finish
in more than 30 years on hopes for fresh
stimulus.
Experts are also keeping an eye on China
after authorities tightened their grip on the tech
sector as part of a wide-ranging regulatory
crackdown against private enterprises.
But the main event this week is the release
later Tuesday of US consumer price data,
which comes days after figures showed the cost
firms pay at the factory gate had risen last
month at a record pace owing to a jump in
demand as well as supply and labour shortages.
That report put pressure on the Fed to begin
tapering its ultra-loose monetary policy as soon
as November.
Expectations are for the consumer price
reading to come in above five percent, with
analysts warning that a reading well above that
could force the central bank's hand in order to
prevent inflation from spiralling out of control.
OANDA's Edward Moya said uncertainty
over the reading would keep traders on the
sidelines for now.
"Investors don't want to have massive
positions before the inflation data as the risks
are to the upside as Covid inflation continues to
hamper supply chains," he wrote in a
commentary.
"If inflation comes in hotter-than-expected,
taper expectations could shift from December
to November."
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington
and Taipei all fell but Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul,
Manila and Jakarta rose.
Confidence has also been knocked by fears
about another coronavirus flare-up in China,
with dozens of positive cases in Fujian province
forcing authorities to carry out mass tests and
shut down public transport in one county.
The news has led to talk that leaders could
reimpose tough lockdown measures to prevent
the spread of the disease, a move that dealt a
blow to China's economy when another
outbreak occurred earlier this year.
"Another round of lockdown restrictions due
to China's elimination strategy threatens to
further weaken momentum after surprising
softness" in recent services and manufacturing
data, said National Australia Bank's Tapas
Strickland.

ThURSDAY, SePTeMBeR 16, 2021
9
Manchester United slumped to a shock 2-1 loss at Young Boys despite a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo
in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.
Photo: AP
Man Utd dealt shock Champions League
loss as Lukaku boosts Chelsea
Sports Desk
Manchester United slumped to a shock
2-1 loss at Young Boys despite a goal
from Cristiano Ronaldo in their
Champions League opener on Tuesday,
while Chelsea kicked off their title
defence by beating Zenit, reports BSS.
Robert Lewandowski struck twice
for Bayern Munich as the German
heavyweights inflicted a 3-0 defeat on
Barcelona at Camp Nou in their first
European game since the departure of
Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo, the leading scorer in
Champions League history, bagged his
135th goal in the competition after 13
minutes in Bern, but Swiss champions
Young Boys hit back after the sendingoff
of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The United defender saw red for a
dangerous tackle on Christopher
Martins before half-time. Nicolas
Moumi Ngamaleu equalised in the
second half before Jordan Siebatcheu
snatched the winner with the final kick.
"It's the first game in the group.
We've got many games to bounce back
and we must do," said United captain
Harry Maguire. "We'll try and pick up
Malinga retires
from T20Is to end
playing career
Sports Desk
The 38-year old had earlier
retired from Tests in 2011
and ODIs in 2019, and
franchise cricket in January
this year
Veteran Sri Lankan fast
bowler Lasith Malinga has
announced his retirement
from T20I cricket, thus
bringing an end to his long
and illustrious playing
career.
The 38-year old had
earlier retired from Tests in
2011 and ODIs in 2019, and
franchise cricket in January
this year, and has now called
it quits in the shortest
format after being
overlooked for the Sri Lanka
squad for the upcoming T20
World Cup.
Malinga, who has not
played competitive cricket
since March last year,
announced his T20I
retirement on his YouTube
channel Tuesday, having
won the 2014 T20 World
Cup and ending with 107
wickets, currently the
highest in T20Is.
"Today is a very special
day for me. I want to thank
each and everyone who
supported me throughout
my T20 journey. Today I
decide I want to give 100%
rest for my T20 bowling
shoes. I want to thank the Sri
Lankan cricket board and
team members. And
Mumbai Indians cricket
team, especially the team
owners and officials," said
Malinga.
I would also like to thank]
the team members and staff
at Melbourne Stars, Kent,
Rangpur Riders, Guyana
Warriors, Maratha Arabians
and Montreal Tigers. When
I played with you all, I got
many experiences through
my cricketing journey.
three points in our next game and build
momentum from there."
United host Villarreal in two weeks.
The Spaniards, who beat Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer's men in last season's Europa
League final, drew 2-2 at home to
Atalanta in the other Group F match.
Remo Freuler gave Atalanta the lead
but Villarreal responded with goals
from Manu Trigueros and Arnaut
Danjuma. Robin Gosens popped up
with a late equaliser.
Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock
for Chelsea after 69 minutes at
Stamford Bridge to earn the holders a
1-0 victory over Zenit, whose
Krestovsky Stadium in Saint
Petersburg is the venue for next May's
final. Lukaku headed in Cesar
Azpilicueta's cross to give Thomas
Tuchel's team a winning start in Group
H. "The guys who are there to score
regularly for their teams are so
important because one goal changes
the whole momentum of the match,"
Tuchel said of Lukaku.
Juventus top the section after the
opening round following their 3-0 win
away to Malmo of Sweden.
Alex Sandro headed Juve ahead and
Paulo Dybala converted a penalty
before Alvaro Morata notched a third
for a side that has picked up just one
point from three games in Serie A.
Bayern stretched their record
unbeaten away run in the Champions
League to 19 games by sweeping aside
Barca in the first meeting between the
clubs since the Germans triumphed 8-
2 in a one-off quarter-final last year.
Thomas Mueller put Bayern on top
on 34 minutes and Lewandowski
netted twice in the second half to send
Julian Nagelsmann's side top of Group
E. "We came to win this game and we
knew that we had to show respect to
Barcelona," said Lewandowski.
"When you play at the Camp Nou
against them they are always
dangerous. But we had this game under
control and we showed we were here
for the three points."
Dynamo Kiev had to settle for a 0-0
draw at home to Benfica after Ukraine
international Mykola Shaparenko's
injury-time effort was ruled out for
offside.
Pakistan take fresh guard
for first home N.Zealand
series in 18 years
Sports Desk
Pakistan's new backroom team are seeking
an immediate impact when their one-day
international team face a largely secondstring
New Zealand in a home series for the
first time since 2003 this week, reports BSS.
International cricket in Pakistan was
suspended in the aftermath of terror attacks
on the Sri Lanka side in 2009 and heavy
security surrounds the first of three one-day
internationals in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Former captain Ramiz Raja has vowed to
transform the sixth-ranked ODI team after
being appointed chairman of the Pakistan
Cricket Board on Monday after a shake-up in
the team's backroom staff.
His elevation came just a week after head
coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach
Waqar Younis stepped down for personal
reasons. Former off-spinner Saqlain
Mushtaq replaced Misbah while former allrounder
Abdul Razzaq was appointed his
assistant. Raja also announced that
Australian great Matthew Hayden and South
African Vernon Philander have been
recruited as batting and bowling coaching
consultants ahead of the Twenty20 World
Cup next month. Top-ranked New Zealand
are without many of their top players -- who
are instead heading to the UAE for the
Indian Premier League -- including captain
and leading batsman Kane Williamson, and
pace bowling trio Trent Boult, Tim Southee
and Kyle Jamieson.
But Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is not
taking his opponents lightly, despite the raft
of missing star names. "It would have been
nicer had their best team come," said Babar,
who scored a brilliant hundred in the last
ODI between the two teams in the 2019
International cricket in Pakistan was suspended in the aftermath of
terror attacks on the Sri Lanka side in 2009.
Photo: AP
World Cup at Edgbaston."But whatever the
composition of their team we will play to our
best and win the series." New Zealand have
won 12 of their last 15 ODIs against Pakistan,
but their inexperienced side has just suffered
a 3-2 Twenty20 series defeat in Bangladesh
under stand-in skipper Tom Latham.
Conditions in Pakistan will be a new
challenge for New Zealand, who last toured
Pakistan 18 years ago.
Defending champs Ulsan
oust Frontale on penalties
to reach ACL last eight
Sports Desk
Holders Ulsan Hyundai
booked their place in the
Asian Champions League
quarter-finals with a 3-2
penalty shoot-out win over
Kawasaki Frontale on
Tuesday, following a tense
0-0 draw, reports BSS.
Substitute Yoon Bit-garam
dispatched the decisive spotkick
for the South Koreans,
after goalkeeper Cho Hyunwoo
had saved at full stretch
from Frontale's Akihiro
Ienaga.
Ulsan were joined in the
last eight by Nagoya
Grampus, who beat Daegu
FC 4- 2 thanks to a hat-trick
from Polish striker Jakub
Swierczok.
Ulsan's Round of 16 match
against J-League champions
Frontale pitted the first
round's top scorers against
its meanest defence.
Frontale finished the
group stage with 27 goals
from six matches, while
Ulsan conceded only one.
There was little between
the two teams in a tight first
half, with Oh Se- hun forcing
a save from Kawasaki
goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong
with the best opportunity.
Clear-cut chances were
few and far between, and it
was no surprise when the
match went to penalties.
Frontale's Tatsuya
Hasegawa and Joao
Schmidt and Ulsan's Won
Du-jae and Lee Dong-jun all
missed their kicks, before
Cho dived to his left to deny
Ienaga.
Substitute Yoon then
buried his penalty past Jung
to start the celebrations.
"We knew it would be a
tough match so we were
prepared for it go to
penalties," said Cho.
Bournemouth move level
with West Brom at top
of the Championship
Sports Desk
Bournemouth moved into a
share of theblead at the top
of the Championship with a
2-1 win over QPR on
Tuesday as West Brom were
held 0-0 at home by Derby,
reports BSS.
Bournemouth and QPR
were two of three teams in
the division still yet tovlose
prior to the encounter at the
Vitality Stadium, but the
visitors made a poor start on
the south coast.
Jaidon Anthony robbed Tob
Dickie and fired home after
12 minutes to open the
scoring. It was 2-0 before
the break when Anthony
picked out Dominic Solanke
inside the area and the
former Liverpool forward
found the net. Sam
McCallum pulled one back
after the interval for QPR
but they could not find an
equaliser as they fell to sixth.
"In the first half we were
clinical but they put us
under immense pressure in
the second half and we had
to show another side to us,"
said Bournemouth boss
Scott Parker.
"We have seen tonight that
every game in this league is
different and that
sometimes you have to grind
it out." West Brom also
remain unbeaten and at the
summit but with an identical
record to Bournemouth
after they were held to a
goalless draw by Wayne
Rooney's Derby.
The Baggies had plenty of
chances but could not find a
way past Kelle Roos and
may lose top spot if Fulham
win at Birmingham on
Wednesday.
Huddersfield leapfrogged
QPR to sit fourth in the table
after an excellent 3-0 win at
Blackpool.
Josh Koroma got the ball
rolling for the Terriers with a
stunner early into the
second half and Matty
Pearson and Jonathan Hogg
joined him on the
scoresheet.
Blackpool have dropped
into the bottom three after
Reading beat Peterborough
3-1 score to move out of the
relegation zone.
Lewandowski at the double as
Bayern outplay Barca again
Sports Desk
Bayern Munich gave Barcelona a brutal
demonstration of how far their opponents
have fallen by strolling to a 3-0 win in the
Champions League on Tuesday, with Robert
Lewandowski scoring twice in a rout at
Camp Nou, reports BSS.
Without Lionel Messi for a first European
campaign since 2003, Barca were
outplayed by Bayern, who might have
scored more but in the end settled for three
thanks to Thomas Mueller's deflected opener
and Lewandowski's double.
When Lewandowski made it two before
the hour, the possibility of another
humiliation in the mould of last year's 8-2
defeat by the same opponents in Lisbon felt
very real.
Instead, Bayern delivered perhaps an
even louder message about the gulf in class
by easing off in the latter stages, as Barca's
fans expressed their anger, dismay and
finally a sense of resignation.
"It is what it is," said Gerard Pique. "We are
what we are, that's the reality."
"We could have been better," said Bayern
coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Barcelona failed to muster a single shot
on target, made fewer passes - once almost
unheard of at Camp Nou - and have now
conceded 10 goals in their last three
European homes.
Sergi Roberto was on the end of the
loudest whistles from the home supporters
and it was impossible not to wonder if the
criticism came in part from disappointment
at his lack of progress down the right flank,
where Messi once created so much.
"They (the whistles) hurt me a lot because
I know him, he's a spectacular person," said
Pique. "And people need to remember he's
not a winger."
Ronald Koeman's own position has come
under scrutiny in recent weeks and his 5-3-2
formation, that defies Barcelona's attacking
traditions, will not have strengthened his
hand.
Yet the bottom line here was the lack of
quality in the Barcelona line-up - coming
after their turbulent summer of sales - which
was inferior to Bayern's in every department.
"We obviously wanted to compete better
but it's what we have," said Koeman. "I can't
fault the effort of the players."
Mueller has seven goals in six
appearances now against the Catalans while
Lewandowski has scored in 18 consecutive
matches.
Nagelsmann's strong start in charge
continues with a sixth consecutive victory -
but Bayern will face tougher Champions
League opposition than this, perhaps even in
Group E, where Benfica and Dynamo Kiev
began with a draw.
In true underdog fashion, Barca flew into
Bayern early on, eager to impress themselves
physically on an opponent they perhaps
knew would be technically superior.
Bayern Munich gave Barcelona a brutal demonstration of how far their
opponents have fallen by strolling to a 3-0 win in the Champions League on
Tuesday.
Photo: AP
Gosens rescues Atalanta with
late point at 10-man Villarreal
Sports Desk
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said he
was "satisfied" after Germany's Robin
Gosens claimed a late equaliser in Tuesday's
2-2 draw at 10-man Villarreal in the
Champions League, reports BSS.
Gosens' effort in the final 10 minutes kept
the Italians above Manchester United in
Group F after the English club lost to Young
Boys earlier in the day, in the first game of
this season's competition.
French midfielder Francis Coquelin was
shown a red card in the closing moments for
Villarreal, last season's Europa League
winners, after pulling Teun Koopmeiners'
shirt. "I am satisfied, we played against a
great team. We played really well for the first
30 minutes We were strong enough to keep
the ball possession because if you lose the
ball too many times against them, they can
punish you," Gasperini told Sky Italia.
"We hoped to win it when we went one
man up, then, in the end, Juan Musso saved
us," he added.
Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo praised
his side's reaction to Coquelin's dismissal
before Gerard Moreno had an injury-time
header blocked on the line. "We are leaving
with a bittersweet taste because we wanted
victory," Parejo told Movistar.
"I think the team gave everything. With
one less player the team believed in victory
until the end, but it could not be."
Villarreal coach Unai Emery started
Argentina pair Geronimo Rulli and Juan
Foyth after last weekend's La Liga trip to
Alaves was postponed following the
extended international window for South
American World Cup qualifiers.
Gasperini made four changes from
Saturday's Serie A loss to Fiorentina as Juan
Musso, making his competition debut aged
27, was picked ahead of Marco Sportiello in
goal. Atalanta, making just their third
appearance in the Champions League, were
rewarded for their early control of the game
as Switzerland midfielder Remo Freuler
opened the scoring after just six minutes.
Colombia forward Duvan Zapata held the
ball up well in the box and his lay-off was
slightly deflected by Etienne Capoue before
Freuler hit home. The Italians' dominance of
the game at Estadio de la Ceramica,
witnessing its first Champions League group
game since December 2011, stopped seven
minutes before the break.
Don't boycott men's cricket, former
Afghan women's chief pleads
Sports Desk
International cricketers should support
Afghanistan's men's team, not punish them
by boycotting matches if the Taliban bars
women from playing, the former director of
the women's side said, reports BSS. Tuba
Sangar, who fled the country for Canada
shortly after the fall of the country to the
hardline Islamist group, warned that sports
sanctions would damage the game at the
grassroots -- including for women and girls
."It's not a good idea to boycott the male
team. They did a lot for Afghanistan -- they
introduced Afghanistan to the world in a
positive way," Sangar told AFP on Tuesday.
"If we don't have a male team any more,
there would be no hope for cricket overall,"
said the 28-year-old, who was the director of
women's cricket at the Afghanistan Cricket
Board from 2014-2020. Australia's cricket
chiefs threatened to cancel a historic maiden
Test between the two countries -- set to take
place in November -- after a senior Taliban
official went on television to say it was "not
necessary" for women to play.
During their first stint in power, before
being ousted in 2001, the Taliban banned
most forms of entertainment -- including
many sports -- and stadiums were used as
public execution venues.
Women were completely banned from
playing sport. But the sport has become
immensely popular over the past few
decades, largely as a result of cricket- mad
Pakistan across the border.
This time round, the hardline Islamists
have shown they do not mind men playing
cricket, pulling together a match in the
capital Kabul shortly after foreign forces
withdrew.

THURSDAY, SepTeMBeR 16, 2021
10
Fahmida
lends voice
in new song
'Tomar
Duchokh
Cheye'
TBT RepoRT
Popular singer Fahmida Nabi has lent her voice to a
new song titled 'Tomar Duchokh Cheye' recently.
Razib Bhoumik has written the lyrics and tuned the
song. The recording of the song has already been
completed at a studio in the capital.
About the song, Fahmida Nabi said, "The lyrics,
composition, music arrangement of the track are
amazing. The song will be released with music
video on a YouTube channel soon. I hope the
audience will like the song."
Fahmida Nabi is a popular singer of the country.
She is the daughter of late singer Mahmudun Nabi
and the elder sister of singer Samina Chowdhury.
Her music career which started in 1979 has
spanned over three decades. She sings primarily
classical and modern Bengali songs.
Besides that, she sings Rabindra Sangeet and
Nazrul Sangeet. Her first album is Tumi
Tulonahina. Fahmida Nabi won the National Film
Award as the Best Female Playback Singer in 2007
for her song 'Lukochuri Lukochuri Golpo' in
Bengali film titled 'Aha'.
Fahmida Nabi is also a music composer.
Prominent singer Sayed Abdul Hadi, Shakila Zafar,
Samina Chowdhury, Bappa Mazumdar and others
have lent their voice to Fahmida's composition.
Aniston's 'awkward' TV interview
makes viewers cringe
Hollywood star Jennifer
Aniston recently had an
awkward exchange on a British
TV show when the host made
her visibly upset by clumsily
interrupting her comments and
accusing her of not being a
morning person. According to
reports, the former 'Friends'
star was on 'The One Show' on
Wednesday when she got cut
off by presenter Jermaine Jenas
while discussing what it was
like filming Season 2 of her
Apple TV plus drama, 'The
Morning Show', in which she
stars alongside Reese
Witherspoon.
During that part of the show,
the look Aniston gave him could
have stopped a clock and it also
brought social media to a
standstill as people debated
whether Jenas was in the wrong
or Aniston was overreacting.
The cringe-fest began as
Aniston appeared remotely on
the chat program with
Witherspoon and got to talking
about what it was like to film
scenes in the early-bird hours of
the morning.
Aniston said, "I learned the
slow burn that it is. It's a very
vampire state of life and mind
that you guys live in. Everybody
comes alive in the middle of the
night, and it's a slow-moving
train." She added, "I got there at
5 in the morning and the
hallways were quiet and people
are just slowly waking up, and
then all of a sudden, the train
starts moving and it gets crazier
and crazier. It's utter chaos."
That's when Jenas interrupted
Aniston to ask Witherspoon a
question while insinuating that
Aniston doesn't like getting up
early.
"Reese, I've got to be honest
with you, Jennifer's pretty
much sold it to me that she's
not a morning person," he said,
at which Aniston appeared
stunned.
"Did I sell that to you?'"
Aniston uncomfortably asked,
to which Jenas responded, "A
little bit, a little bit." She
snapped back saying, "Did I get
a good deal?"Jenas, a former
English soccer player, then
laughed awkwardly and tried to
move forward with his
conversation with Witherspoon,
abruptly saying, "So, what
about you, Reese?"
Source: Times Of India
Khijir Hayat's upcoming
war film 'Ora 7 Jon'
TBT RepoRT
Actor-director Khijir Hayat Khan, who is
famed for films like 'Ostittey Amar Desh',
'Jaago' and 'Mr Bangladesh', is now looking
forward to kick-off his upcoming directorial
venture titled 'Ora 7 Jon'.
Aiming to present the glorious history of
the 1971 Liberation War to the new
generation, the film will be shot in several
parts of Sylhet, which were under Sector 5
during the war, Khijir said.
The cast of the film will be announced next
week, he further said.
As the project is titled 'Ora 7 Jon', the story
of the film revolves around a squad of seven
freedom fighters, aged between 22 and 40
years, and their dedication to the battlefield
during the war against then West Pakistan.
Khijir confirmed that he would be seen as
one of the seven fighters in 'Ora 7 Jon'. Khijir
himself also wrote story, script and dialogue
for the film.
"War film is one of my favourite genres. I
TBT RepoRT
Noted Bangladeshi filmmaker
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury's
'Rickshaw Girl' has been selected
for screening in Mill Valley Film
Festival in North America. It will
mark the second international
screening of the film. Director
Amitabh Reza Chowdhury has
confirmed the news on his
verified Facebook account.
The film is based on the
acclaimed novel by Mitali Perkins.
The screenplay of the film is
jointly written by Naseef Faruque
Amin and Sharbari Z Ahmed.
The film portrays the story of
Naima, who wants to earn money
for her poor family but finds that
her unparalleled artistic talent is
useless. When her father falls
seriously ill, Naima feels
compelled to leave her little
hamlet for Dhaka. In the major
city, she disguises herself as a boy
and works as a rickshaw puller.
Amitabh Reza wrote in his
Facebook post, "The Mill Valley
Film Festival is very important for
those who were involved in
making the film 'Rickshaw Girl'.
Bollywood's livewire star Ranveer Singh is in Hyderabad to attend
the launch of actors Ram Charan and Kiara Advani's upcoming film.
Along with Ranveer, filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli and megastar
Chiranjeevi were also seen attending the mahurat event. The
much-anticipated film is tentatively called 'SVC 50'.
In a string of pictures, Ranveer is seen talking to Ram. In other
images, the 'Padmaavat' star is seen posing with the film's
director Shankar and the cast of the film.
What caught the eye at the grand launch, which took place at
the Annapurna Studios, was Ranveer's double ponytail look,
which has gone viral on social media. Kiara took to Instagram
to share her excitement about the film.
"Excitement level beyond for my First Pan India film. My
heart is filled with gratitude to be directed by the one and
only @shankarshanmughgaru, my wonderful costar
@Always Ram Charan produced by #DilRajugaru. With
your blessings, love and good wishes our film has begun,"
Kiara tweeted alongside the poster of the film.
The movie reportedly also features Anjali, Jayaram,
Naveen Chandra and Sunil.
Other details related to the film are still under wraps.
Source: Flip Board
have watched most of the prominent war
films from around the world over many
years. If I talk about my filmmaking career,
I will say that the time has come to make the
war film that I had always wanted. I am now
more experienced and still with a youthful
spirit," Khijir said.
"'Ora Egaro Jon' was the first film on our
Liberation War. I am making 'Ora 7 Jon'
marking the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's
independence and intending to showcase to the
young generation the indomitable spirit of our
freedom fighters on the battlefield," he added.
"The new generation usually loves to
watch war films made from various film
industries of the world, including
Hollywood. I hope they will welcome 'Ora 7
Jon' as well," he said further.
Meanwhile, the director took to his social
media handle to share a thematic poster of
the film with the tagline 'Mora Ekti Ful-ke
Bachabo Bole Juddho Kori'.
Khijir Hayat Khan began his career as a
The novel 'Rickshaw Girl' written
by Mitali Perkins is hugely
popular in North America. As a
result, the audience of this region
has been waiting for a long time
to see the film made from the
novel. That's why producer Eric J
Adams paid special
attention to
the
filmmaker in 2007 with the film 'Ostittey
Amar Desh', based on the heroic sacrifice of
Bir Sreshtho Matiur Rahman during the
Liberation War. Khijir also acted in the film.
In 2010, he directed another film titled
'Jaago', said to be the first-ever sports drama
in Bangladesh. Eight years later, Khijir
produced the film 'Mr Bangladesh', where
he also appeared as the protagonist.
The war film 'Ora 7 Jon' is expected go on
floors by the end of September.
'Rickshaw Girl' selected for
Mill Valley Film Festival
Kiara gears up for her first
pan-India film 'SVC 50'
audience when it came to making
it. Though the film is set against
the backdrop of Bangladesh, still
most of its dialogues are in
English. Earlier, the film was
selected for Durban Int'l Film
Festival. I congratulate all of the
members who were involved in
the making of 'Rickshaw
Girl'."
The film 'Rickshaw
girl' features Novera
Ahmed in the lead
role. It also stars
Naresh Bhuiyan,
Allen Shubhro
Gomes,
Momena
Chowdhury,
and
Champa.
H o R o S C o p e
ARIeS
(March 21 - April 20) : You may have
been worried about money lately, Aries.
Today a family member could make an
expenditure that you view as
unnecessary and irresponsible. Before you become
angry know that all may not be as it seems! If you look
at the situation objectively, you may see that you aren't
in dire financial straits and the expenditure didn't take
that much out of the family coffers.
TAURUS
(April 21 - May 21) : Today you might
find it necessary to turn down an
invitation to a social event, Taurus, and
the host might for some reason seem
offended. Your friend is probably overworked and
stressed and apt to overreact to just about any
situation. Relax a little. Explain things to your
friend and then propose that you get together at
another time. That's all you can do now.
GeMINI
(May 22 - June 21) : You may run into
trouble if you penetrate too deeply
today, Gemini. Keep things light and
energetic if you can. Ironically, the
harder you push to get something done, the more
roadblocks you're apt to encounter. Things will
flow easily if you're willing to let them. Give up
some control and let a more whimsical energy
lead the way.
CANCeR
(June 22 - July 23) : An event could
find a current or potential love partner
paying a lot of attention to others,
Cancer. You might feel neglected and
unloved, as though your friend is doing this to hurt
you. This probably isn't the case. Your partner is just
trying to be sociable and doesn't realize that it upsets
you. Do some mingling. Your friend might have the
same reaction as you and come running!
Leo
(July 24 - Aug. 23): Do you sometimes
go about things backward, Leo? Are
you caught up in the rat race of trying
to have more money and security with
the idea that eventually you'll earn the freedom to do
what makes you happy? The happiness factor
actually works in reverse. You must first be who you
are and then take the necessary actions in order to
have what you really want.
VIRGo
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): An angry call
from someone who lives far away might
catch you off guard today, Virgo. In your
mind, the person has no reason to be
angry and is blowing things out of proportion. They
probably won't listen to reason. Say as calmly as you
can that you'll get in touch tomorrow and then hang
up. Give this person time to calm down before even
trying to straighten things out.
LIBRA
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Today you should
take action in areas where you usually
keep quiet, Libra. The more you explore
your mind, the safer you'll feel in your
external reality. Be confident of your dreams. This is
a day to connect with others about the things that feel
most pleasurable. Indulge and enjoy. Take action.
You have everything you need to make it all start
working for you.
SCoRpIo
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : A minor quarrel or
separation could take place with a love
partner, Scorpio, probably over
something that seems trivial. It's likely to
get your dander up to the point where you may never
want to see this person again. Go for a workout or
brisk walk to clear your head, get the endorphins
going, and view the situation more objectively. Then
phone your friend and work it out.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Too much stress
from overwork could have your nerves
on edge today, Sagittarius. When
someone makes an offhand remark,
you might see insult where none is intended. Don't
get so jumpy that you imagine traitors behind every
door. Work alone if you can, and take a walk to clear
your head. This will put you in a better frame of
mind and a more relaxed space.
CApRICoRN
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Squabbles may
break out among members of your
group, Capricorn. You might wonder
what the big deal is since what they're
arguing over seems rather silly. Apparently it's
important to them! If you feel up to it, get your
friends out of their emotional chaos and view the
subject more objectively. It might not calm them
down, but at least you'll have done something!
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Someone may skip
out on responsibilities today, Aquarius,
causing extra tasks to fall to everyone
else, including you. This might stir up
some anger and resentment and it's definitely going
to cause more stress. Delegate tasks if you can. Put
yours in order of urgency and then take them one at
a time slowly and carefully. If the less important
ones have to wait until tomorrow, so be it!
pISCeS
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : If you've been
planning to set off on a trip soon,
Pisces, make a list of what you need to
do beforehand and check off each
task as you complete it. Otherwise you might
panic at the last minute because you've forgotten
something important. Stay calm even if it seems
impossible. You're less likely to forget anything if
you stay focused.

ThursDAY, sEPTEmbEr 15, 2021
11
CmP’s West DC and DC Traffic collaborate
to free walkways in the Chattogram
IqBAl HOSSAIN, CHATTOGrAm
Unusual traffic congestion is a
common sight in Chattogram
city. Abdul Warish, DC of
Policegave a preliminary
warning and asserted that the
police had jurisdiction to take
action against the occupants if
the sidewalks were not cleared
in Chattogram city. If such
incidents are observed
anywhere, the police will take
action in this regard under the
existing law.
roads are the property of
the government, so everything
will continue for the said
purposes only.
A traffic sergeant, Sakhawat
who came to investigate said
that they suffered the most
due to the illegation
occupation of this road. Due
to which traffic jam is created.
They are facing a lot of
problems due to these illegal
occupations while working to
reduce traffic congestion.
major accidents can happen
at any moment as street
vendors put their goods on the
street illegally. Keeping in
mind the issue of this
accident, due to the activities
of both the DCs, the
occupation was evicted and
now the road is free from
occupation. When the matter
came to the notice of Traffic
DC west and DC West on
September 7, they first
warned to remove the goods
and later if they did not
remove the goods, they would
take necessary steps to
remove the goods and clear
the road. It is to be mentioned
that a journalist named
rezaul lost his life in April last
year due to the dilapidated
condition of the road at the
corner of Kacha road.The
journalist was going to collect
news on a motorcycle on such
a day last year.
Actually this type of action
should be taken by the city
corporation, the authority
responsible for it but they
have nothing do something
about the matter. When this
reporter of The Bangladesh
Today, raised the matter to
the ward councilor (12) of the
city corporation, Nurul Amin
kalu. The councilor said they
recently brought this issue to
the concerned authority, they
take an action against the
occupants with in few days.
He aslo thanked to police DC
to take an action about the
matter.
The main road is already
filled with various ditches and
the sidewalks of the roads are
already occupied, now the
occupants are occupying the
road again. Ordinary
pedestrians in the area say
that this image can be seen
not only in Eidgah
Kacharastar but also at
Dewan Hat, mansurabad,
Eidgah, Bau-Bazar, Abulbiri,
Pahartali, Alangkar. As
evening falls, the sides of the
road become illegal stations of
buses and trucks. Pedestrians
say that after a while, they will
get back to their previous
form. We are also interested
to know where the solution
lies.
Justice Department
seeks order against
Texas abortion law
WASHINGTON : The Justice
Department has asked a
federal court in Texas to stop
the enforcement of a new
state law that bans most
abortions in the state while it
decides the case. The Texas
law, known as SB8, prohibits
abortions once medical
professionals can detect
cardiac activity - usually
around six weeks, before
some women know they're
pregnant. Courts have
blocked other states from
imposing similar restrictions,
but Texas' law differs
significantly because it leaves
enforcement to private
citizens through civil lawsuits
instead of criminal
prosecutors.
The law went into effect
earlier this month after the
Supreme Court declined an
emergency appeal from
abortion providers asking that
the law be stayed.
In Tuesday night's
emergency motion in the U.S.
District Court for the Western
District of Texas, Austin
Division, the Justice
Department said "a court may
enter a temporary restraining
order or a preliminary
injunction as a means of
preventing harm to the
movant before the court can
fully adjudicate the claims in
dispute."
‘Buy AKASH & Go to T20 World Cup’
campaign air ticket prize handed over
Three quiz winners have
won Dhaka-Dubai-Dhaka
air tickets by buying new
connections in the first week
of 'Buy AKASH & Go to T20
World Cup' campaign. In
addition, ten customers got a
32-inch Samsung Smart TV.
Country's only legal DTH
(Direct-to-Home) service
provider AKASH has
launched this mega campa
ign on the occasion of the
upcoming ICC T20 World
Cup 2021, a press release
said.
The prizes were handed
over to the winners of the
contest at the Head office of
AKASH in Dhaka.
Beximco Communication's
Chief Operating Officer
manoj Kumar Dobhal, Chief
Financial Officer md.
luthfor rahman, Head of
marketing & Business
Development muhammad
Abul Khair Chowdhury and
Head of Sales & Distribution
Shah mohammad maksudul
Ganiwere handed over the
prizes.
'Buy AKASH & Go to T20
World Cup' campaign first
week air ticket winners are
mohammed Anwar from
Sylhet, mD. mazahar
Hossain Khan from Dhaka
and Al Amin from
Chattagram. Two winners of
the campaign from Dhaka
A.B.m Noman Hossain and
Imtiaj Ahammed Joney
respectively won received32''
Samsung smart TV.
In this six-week campaign
starting from September 1,
three quiz winners will get
Dhaka-Dubai-Dhaka air
ticket every week. The next
ten winners will get a 32-
inch Samsung Smart TV.
Along with, if the customers
buy AKASH during the
campaign and recharge it by
October 17, every customer
will get taka 200 cashback.
The campaign is going to
continue till 12th of October
2021.
AKASH is being enjoyed
with the highest quality
pictures and sounds in 64
districts of the country.
Along with customers could
buy AKASH connection
from any retail point in the
country.
Jamuna Electronics unveiled the latest technology
of energy saving washing machine in an ordinary
ceremony recently. Photo : Courtesy
GD-1341/21 (10x4)
GD-1340/21 (12x4)

Thursday, dhaka: september 16, 2021; Ashwin 1, 1428 Bs; safar 8, 1443 hijri
Online news portals
registration is ongoing
process: Hasan
DHAKA : Information and Broadcasting
Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday
said registration of online news portals is
a continues process and the directive of
the High Court on this issue is helpful in
bringing discipline.
"Registration of online news portals is
an ongoing process. And there is no rule
that any online news portals or newspapers
will not be published in future
except the existing registered news portals
or newspapers," he told newsmen at
his office at Secretariat.
Hasan said the order of the High Court
is very much crucial in this regard. Those
online news portals, which are not performing
their jobs appropriately and
publishing untrue and false news,
spreading rumours for assassination of
others characters, are not acceptable, he
added. "The order will be helpful in this
regard," he said.
He said his ministry will close some
online news portals within the stipulated
time after getting written copy of the
court. "At the same time, we will present
the issue to the court that it is an ongoing
process and registration is going on
through a process. We will also produce
before the court that closing all the news
portals without scrutiny in together is
how much logical," said Hasan, also
Awami League joint general secretary.
Earlier, the minister joined a function
of unveiling the cover of the book
'Sheikh Hasina'ke Nibedito Ekguccha
Kabita' translated in Turkish language
Md. MekAIl MIA, kAshIAnI uPzIlA
(GoPAlGAnj) CorresPondenT
Kashiani upzila, sits on the mid-western
region of Bangladesh is a connecting
point of Dhaka and Khulna. People of
this upazilla are suffering from lack of
medical facilities. This is due to lack of
medical equipment, infrastructure problems,
indifference of doctors, nurses,
and other administrative staff. As a
result, patients are being sent to Zila
hospitals in Golapganj and Faridpur.
According to new sources,upazila's31-
bed county hospital was upgraded to
100 beds on January 1, 2020. To dated
octors, nurses and staff have not been
recruited for the augmented capacity.
The allocation of medicine has not been
through online organised by Peace a-
Harmony.
In his speech, he said Bangabandhu's
daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
is playing a unique role for establishing
peace and harmony not only in
Bangladesh, but across the globe.
He said the world media recognised
her as the 'Mother of Humanity' for giving
shelter to Rohingya refugees.
Turkey Ambassador to Dhaka
Mustafa Osman, Asia Pacific Institute of
Ankara Director Dr M Nazmul M
Nazmul Islam, poet Azizur Rahman
Aziz, poet Anis Mohammad and poet
Izfandior Arion, among others,
addressed the function with
Muktijuddha Academy Trust Chairman
Dr Abul Azad in the chair.
Replying to another query over a comment
of BNP leader Rizvi Ahmed, the
minister said it is a question that why
BNP has inclination to foreign countries.
"They rush to embassies when anything
happens in the country and when anyone
suffers from fever they want to send
him or her abroad. Why they incline to
foreign countries," said Hasan.
He said Begum Khaleda Zia didn't get
any bail from court. Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina has shown her unprecedented
generosity to Begum Zia by
releasing her (Begum Zia), who is a convicted
accused for embezzling the money
of orphans, he added. For this, Hasan
said, they (BNP) should give thanks to
the Prime Minister.
increased; the operation is running from
the existing budget approved for the 31-
bed hospital.
Kashiani and the outlying town of
Alfadanga are home to about three million
people. Apart from this, a large portion
of Dhaka-Khulna highway and a
regional highway runs through the
upazila. Patients suffering from road
accidents often need to come to this hospital
for treatment.
There is a severe scarcity of necessary
medication especially the drugs for acidity.
The medical staff usually sit and
leave as per their wish. Many come only
three or four days a week whereas they
should be present for at least five days on
rotation basis.
Film
actress
Pori Moni on
Wednesday
appears
before
dhaka chief
metropolitan
magistrate
in a drug
case.
Photo : TBT
Payra Bridge to
be opened in
Oct : Quader
BARISHAL : The Payra Bridge over the
Payra River in the Lebukhali area of
Barishal district will be opened to traffic in
October, Road Transport and Bridges
Minister Obaidul Quader said Wednesday,
reports UNB.
"The Payra Bridge in the Lebukhali area is
like another Padma Bridge for the people of
the southern region, and the bridge will be
opened totraffic next month," he said.
The Minister said this while inaugurating
as many as 11 bridges in three districts
virtually from the office of the additional
chief engineer of Barishal Roads and
Highways division.
"75% construction work of Bekutia Bridge
in Pirojpur district is complete, while the
government has approved the construction
work of Nalua-Baherchar Bridge in ECNEC.
We should introduce a culture of completing
work within stipulated time and that too
after maintaining quality," he said.
Quader iaugurated 11 bridges, involving
Tk 83,23,98,000, in Barishal division.
The bridges include 28.78m-long
Babuganj Bridge, 31.828m-long Khasherhat
Bridge, 31.828m-long Nababer Haat Bridge,
31.828m-long Kauria Bridge and 15.74mlong
Khasherhat Bridge in Barisal district.
Besides, 44.02m-long Gurudhan Bridge
in Jhalakati district, 69.898m-long
Kheyaghat Bridge on Kathalia-Koikhali-
Banaihat Road, 44.02m-long Banglar Jar
Bridge on Paran Talukdarhat-Borhanuddin-
Charfashion-Charmanika regional highway
in Bhola district, 44.02m-long Debichar
Bridge on Debirchar-Najirpur-Lalmohon-
Mangalshikdar-Tajumuddin regional
highway were inaugurated.
Two more bridges -- 63.798m-long
Hetalia Bride on Charkhali-Tushkhali-
Mathbaria-Patharghata Road and 75.978mlong
Madarsi Bridge on the same road in
Pirojpur district-were also inaugurated.
Kashiani hospital faces many crisis
Residential Medical Officer (RMO)
Dr. Md. Omar Ali said they receive a
fixed number of drugs for the outpatient
department. If the number of patients is
big enough, they have nothing to do. The
have to manage it from the yearly allocation
of resources.
On the other hand, not having a house
dental surgeon causing the equipment to
ruin disproportionately. And the affiliated
technicians grabbing this opportunity
by running rampant businesses in their
private chamber.
Though there are two ambulances,
only one driver is employed. One ambulance
is in use and the other is left in the
garage. Patients do not receive an ambulance
when needed. As a result, ambulance
is being hired with extra money.
Though there are scope for doing digital
X-ray, ECG, blood, and various other
tests technicians suggest the patients to
conduct the test outside. Testing elsewhere
costs a lot of money. According to
new sources, 20 out of 17671 corona
patients have died in the hospital. 56
patients are taking care in 10 isolation
beds of the hospital. The doctor Subrata
Saha informed that 45 doctors, nurses
and staff have been affected so far while
treating Covid patients.
Dr. Tapas Biswas, the caretaker said
that though the bed has increased but
the absence of human resources
capacity barring them to provide quality
services.
GD–1336/21 (5X4)
School closure
50,000 students may have
dropped out in Kurigram
KURIGRAM : As students across the
country are back to classrooms after one
of the world's longest Covid closure,
many of them missed their peers with
officials concerned in Kurigram fearing
that at least 50,000 kids may have
dropped out due to early marriage and
poverty in the district, reports UNB.
Teachers and concerned officials gave
this observation to UNB as school reopened
on Sunday after nearly 18 months amid a
festive atmosphere and calls for maintaining
Covid health guidelines.
District Secondary Education Officer
Shamsul Alam said, "We inspected 5
schools in Kurigram Sadar on Sunday.
Around 13 % of students have dropped
out from these institutions during school
closure. As many as 63 girls were victims
of child marriage."
According to "our assumptions, the
total number of school dropouts in the
district would be around 50,000," he
said adding "We have directed the concerned
individuals to present an exact
figure as soon as possible."
After a reality check at the schools in
different upazilas of the district including
Ulipur and Kurigram, the UNB correspondent
reported that the number of
absentees was 20-25 % on average in all
the institutions.
TITAs ChAkroBArTy, khulnA
CorresPondenT
The correspondent added that most of
the students dropped out due to economic
reasons and a significant amount
due to early marriage.
After talking to parents, teachers and
other related individuals, the reporter
estimated that as many as 91 girls were
married from Kurigram Girls High
School, Ghogadaha Maleka Begum Girls
High School, Kanthalbari Girls High
School and Barullah Girls High School .
A teacher at Kurigram Girls' High
School, seeking anonymity, said 30 girls ,
including 12 of the 10th grade, got married.
Jannatun, a SSC student of Jatrapur
Girls' High School in Sadar Upazila said
," Five of my classmates have been
forced to tie knots by their parents."
Irene, another 10th grader said, "Our
parents treated us as if we were a burden
that needed to be offloaded as soon as
possible. We were not allowed to go outside
the walls of our homes. Taking private
tuition was totally out of option."
"Although many of my friends wanted
to study and had big dreams, they became
victims of child marriage," she added.
The acting headmaster of this school
Abdul Mannan said, "If we observe for a
week, we will know how many children
have dropped out. We will find out the
reasons for this. "
Rebel candidates likely to
complicate the outcome
Khulna UP elections
Tensions peak in Khulna on the occasion
of upcoming Union Parisad (UP)
elections as 11 rebel candidates planning
to give hard times to the candidates
who got the nomination from
the party. Rebel candidates are continuing
their election campaign by disobeying
the party's decision. The party's
responsible leaders have claimed
that most of the rebel candidates are
controversial.
According to the sources, in the first
phase of the upcoming Union
Parishad elections, there is one rebel
candidate in each union of Khulna
along with the party nominated candidate
of Awami League.
Repeatedly, the responsible leaders
of the party verbally instructed the
rebel candidates to withdraw from the
elections but they did not respond.
After that, at the extended meeting of
the party on September 11, it was decided
to temporarily expel 11 rebel
candidates from their respective party
posts who were contesting against the
party candidate (Boat). Influential district
and upazilaAwami League leaders
are also among those who have
been suspended.
Meanwhile, many of these expelled
leaders are controversial. Some are infiltrators.
Some are accused in murder
cases, have allegation of destroying the
Sundarbans or have affiliation
withJamaat-BNP. There have also
been several scuffles between supporters
of the party and the rebel candidates
in Senhati Union in South
Bedkashi and Senhatiupazilas of
Dighalia in Koira district.
Several supporters of the party and
rebel candidates in these two unions
have already been injured. A press
conference has been organized at
Khulna Press Club on Thursday on behalf
of party candidate Md Kamal
Uddin Siddiqui Helal of Gazirhat
Union of DighaliaUpazila alleging various
threats and intimidation.
District Awami League general secretary
AdvocateSujit Kumar Adhikari
said, there is no one outside the party
decision. He called upon all to accept
the party's decision to make the forthcoming
Union Parishad elections free,
fair and peaceful.
The dead trees on both sides of the
Ishwardi-Pabna highway are standing
as death traps. These trees can be
broken by a slight wind and fall on
the road, which can lead to major
accidents.
Photo: PBA
Opposition
MPs slam
mismanagement,
politics in
health sector
SANGSAD BHABAN : Opposition
MPs on Wednesday sharply criticised
the government for mismanagement
in the health sector, particularly politics
by physicians and high fees in private
hospitals, reports UNB.
They came up with their harsh remarks
while taking part in discussions
on the Medical Colleges (Governing
Bodies) (Repeal) Bill 2021 in
Parliament. In response to their criticisms
of doctors for their involvement
in politics, Health and Family Welfare
Minister Zahid Maleque said all citizens
have the right to do politics.
Joining the discussions, Jatiya Party
MP Kazi Firoz Rashid (Dhaka-6) said
BNP had formed DAB (Doctors'
Association of Bangladesh) and AL, coming
in power, formed Swachip
(Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad).
"We would have been happy had he
(Health Minister) incorporated a provision
in this bill that the doctors and scientists
wouldn't be allowed to do politics,
but he didn't," Firoz Rashid said.
He said if the physicians do politics,
what would be the job of politicians!
"Meritorious students study medical
courses. But get deprived of medical
services if they do politics," said Firoz.
BNP MP Harunur Rashid
(Chapainawabganj-3) said the health
system is still in a sorry state even after
the 50 years of the country's independence.