17-09-2021

Friday, dhaka: september 17, 2021; ashwin 2, 1428 Bs; safar 9, 1443 hijri
The country's tradition is the village market. These self-made wooden doors are being sold at the village market
for Tk 1500-2000. The picture is taken from Gosaibari in dhunat upazila of Bogura on Thursday. photo: pBa
Vaccine equity, Rohingya
crisis, climate change on top
of Hasina's UNGA agenda
DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
is expected to focus on the issues of equity
in vaccine sharing, climate change and
Rohingya crisis at the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA), reports
UNB.
"Covid-19 vaccines should be a public
good without any discrimination," said
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen
on Thursday sharing the key engagements
of the Prime Minister.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M
Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary
Masud Bin Momen were, among others,
present at the press conference.
Prime Minister Hasina leaves here on
Friday morning on a two-week official
visit to attend the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) in New York
and other engagements with a stopover
in Helsinki, Finland.
Dr Momen said the Prime Minister
will address the UNGA on September 24
and she will deliver her speech in-person.
He said Bangladesh will host a side
event on Rohingya crisis where many
countries are expected to voluntarily
join. Dr Momen said there will be a
number of bilateral meetings on the
sidelines of the UNGA. The Prime
Minister is scheduled to leave for New
York from Helsinki, Finland on
September 19 after her stopover there on
September 17-18.
Wrapping up her official visit to New
York, the Prime Minister will visit
Washington DC where she will stay from
September 25 to 30.
Hasina is scheduled to leave
Washington for Dhaka on September 30
and will return home on October 1 after
a stopover in Finland.
This is going to be Prime Minister
Hasina's first overseas visit since the outbreak
of the Covid-19 in March 2020.
Earlier, she addressed the UNGA for
17 times and this would be her 18th joining
the UNGA.
The Covid-19 pandemic has proved to
be the most challenging period the world
has seen since the Second World War,
said the UN Secretary-General on
Tuesday.
Newly sworn in General Assembly
President, Abdulla Shahid of the
Maldives, opened the new 76th session,
noting that his country's flag is "flying at
the highest peak today".
He spoke of near-universal "collective
anxiety" and hopelessness, not all
of which is pandemic-related, saying:
"The narrative must change" and that
the General Assembly "must play a
part in this".
Bandarban tragedy
Bodies of 2 children
found, their mother
still missing
BANDARBAN : Divers from the local
fire service on Thursday morning recovered
the bodies of two children who
were swept away, along with their mother,
by the onrush of hill water at Sainga
Tripura Para in Sadar upazila of
Bandarban district.
The victims were identified as
Krishnabati Tripura, 40, her 12-year-old
daughter Bajerung and five-year-old son
Pradeep. On Wednesday morning,
Krishnabati, along with her two children
and her sister, went to the hill area for
jhum cultivation, said Jagadish Tripura,
a member of ward 3 of Sadar union
parishad. In the afternoon, while they
were returning home, heavy rains lashed
the area. The trio were swept away by
the onrush of the hill water in the local
river while crossing a fountain amid
rains, said Abdul Quader, in-charge of
Milchhari police camp.
Rumabati Tripura, Krishnabati's 16-
year-old sister, however, survived the
tragedy. On information, divers from
the local fire service went to the spot and
conducted a rescue operation. However,
they could recover the bodies of the two
children only yesterday morning.
"Divers from the local fire service
recovered the body of Bajerung from
near the spot around 7am, while
Pradeep's body was fished out of Sangu
river," said Jerin Akter, superintendent
of Bandarban police.
Freedom fighter Chan Miah
yet to receive a govt house
Md. Mekail Mia, kashiaNi upazila
(GopalGaNJ) CoRRespoNdeNT
The movement for independence ended
a long ago. People fought with their
heart and soul to free this country from
the Pakistani oppression. One of such
strugglers is Chan Miah. But how the
country is treating them today? To date,
not a single government house has been
allocated for the heroic freedom fighter
Chan Mia Mollah. With the help of local
people, he got a place in a government's
brick kiln. He built a hut there. That too
is floating in the water today. No help
matched his fate.
It has been reported that Md. Chann
Mia Mollah, son of Jamir Uddin Mollah
of Hatiyara village in Hatiyara union of
Kashianiupazila, took part in the great
liberation war in 1971 when the Father of
the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
started to mobilize country's people. He
took part in the war at Jashore front and
his hometown Bhatiapara after receiving
training from India to liberate the country
from the enemy.
At the end of the war, he did not get
any work and finally started making a
living by ferrying from village to village.
He fell ill within a few days. At that time,
he sold three decimals of land received
from ancestral sources. He became landless.
He leaned in to the old business
again to support his family.
Helpless and helpless, this heroic freedom
fighter came to
KashianiUpazilaSadar. Fifteen or sixteen
years ago, with the help of the local
people, this freedom fighter, known as
Chan Mia, got a place in the government
abandoned Charpingalia brick kiln. He
built a tin house there.
Although there is tin on the roof, it is
fenced with jute sticks due to lack of
money. Somehow, he and his wife started
living with their three children in a
government brick kiln. His two sons Md.
HelalMollah and Al Amin now work as
day laborers. He got his daughter
Champamarried to a pickup driver. The
boys spend the day with their families
somehow. They are struggling to make
ends meet. They do not have the opportunity
to see their parents.
The freedom fighter somehow managed
to run their small family with his
wife Aleya Begum with allowance
money. Heroic freedom fighter Chan
Mia told this reporter, "We, the husband
and wife need medicine worth Tk 4,000
per month.I went door to door for a
piece of government land. I applied to
the upazila administration many times
but got no result.
Finally, four years ago, I bought a
piece of land in my village Hatiyara with
a loan of Tk 3 lakh from Sonali Bank in
favor of the allowance. I have not been
able to repay our loan yet. So, I could not
make any house due to lack. No matter
how many people I went to for a government
house, there was no result."
"I am living in a government place in a
brick kiln. The place is low so the house is
submerged in rain water. Didn't get any kind
of government help till now. Many ordinary
people get houses officially.
University students
can register for
vaccine without NID
DHAKA : University Grants Commission
(UGC) has created a new website for the
university students to register for Covid-
19 vaccine in a bid to get all the students
vaccinated. Using birth certificate, students
who do not have the NID card will
also be able to register for Covid-19 vaccine
with the link, said a press release.
Students have been asked to complete
their registration by September
27 for Covid-19 vaccine using the link
https://univac.ugc.gov.bd.
The UGC also requested the concerned
to provide birth certificates on
priority basis to the university students
who do not have birth certificates.
The regulatory commission of country's
higher education is working to
complete registration of all the students,
teachers, officials and staff of
country's universities for Covis-19 vaccine
by September 30, said UGC
member Professor Sazzad Hossen.
From Sunday, CNG pumps to
stay closed from 6-10pm daily
DHAKA : After a flip-flop, the
Bangladesh government has finally
decided to keep CNG refuelling stations
across the country closed for four hours
daily from Sunday.
The CNG pumps will remain closed
from 6pm to 10pm daily from September
19, the Ministry of Power, Energy and
Mineral Resources said in a notification
on Wednesday night. Earlier, a decision
was taken to keep the CNG refuelling stations
closed for six hours, from 5pm to
11pm from September 15.
The dire condition of JnU
medical centre
NakiBul ahsaN Nishad,
JNu CoRRespoNdeNT
The health providing facility of
Jagannath university is known as
'Jagannath University Modern Medical
Centre'. Any prospective may find the
notion of having modern state of the art
amenities for the sick students.But, in
reality, its daily schedule hamper due to
the unavailability of doctors during
office hours and medical staff members.
Though the sophisticated word is added
to the name plate but the quality of service
is very fragile.
It is learned that the medical centre of
Jagannath University was in a dire condition
earlier. Compulsory medications
for treatment were paracetamol, cold,
and cough. Besides, there was no
machine, no pathology department or
any examination system for an incumbent
patient.
The students went on a hunger strike
for the development of the dilapidated
medical centre. The university administration
took initiative to modernize the
medical centre in the face of the
demands of the students. Construction
of a state-of-the-art medical centre on
the ground floor of the university's 'Rafiq
building' began in December last year.
However, the word 'modern' was used in
the naming, but without any modern
equipment and laboratory.
According to university sources, the
medical centre has some equipment for
first aid but the administration has suggested
setting up facilities for blood
tests, ECG rooms and various medical
equipment, PCR labs and ICUs.
Although there was fund to buy machinery
in the last budget, that money has
been returned to UGC.
It can be seen on the spot that there is
only one doctor for the treatment of the
students in the medical centre. Although
three doctors were appointed to run the
medical centre, two doctors did not
come regularly. This has caused outrage
among the current working doctors and
students.
In this regard, Dr.Mita Shabnam said,
"I am the only attending doctor for
20,000 students. Sometimes the patient
is so stressed that they have to suffer. On
the other hand, the students who come
for treatment also suffer." Asked about
the other two doctors, she said,
"Although the other two doctors have
been appointed, they do not come to the
office regularly.I have to do everything."
The medical centre of Jagannath
University is not only sophisticated in
name but also sophisticated in function
and the student organizations of
the university have demanded to set
up a centre for vaccinating students at
the university.
Ashraful Islam, former convener of
the conference committee of the
Jagannath University Chhatra League
said, "the medical centrehere only in
name. There are questions about the
quality of both physicians and services.
The university has 20,000 students as
well as many teachers, officers, and staff.
We will demand that the medical centre
be kept open till 8 pm for the convenience
of all."
Covid-19
Case positivity rate
falls to 5.98 per cent
TBT RepoRT
The infection positivity rate dropped
below six per cent as Bangladesh logged
51 more Covid-related deaths and 1,862
fresh cases in 24 hours until Thursday
morning. The daily case positivity rate
declined to 5.98 per cent on Thursday, a
slight fall from Wednesday's 6.54 per
cent, said the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS).
However, today's fatalities were higher
than the 35 deaths reported on
Tuesday, the lowest in around three
months. The new numbers pushed the
country's Covid death tally to 27,109
while the caseload climbed to 15,38,203.
Meanwhile the fatality rate remained
static at 1.76 % , said the DGHS.
Electricity Supply Act gets
time extension; Bill passed
SANGSAD BHABAN : The Quick
Enhancement of Electricity and Energy
Supply (Special Provision) Act 2021 was
passed in Parliament on Thursday, aiming
to extend its length of time by another
five years till 2026, reports UNB.
State Minister for Power, Energy and
Mineral Resources Ministry Nasrul
Hamid moved the Bill and it was passed
by voice vote. The tenure of the existing
law is going to expire in 2021.
The cabinet on September 6 approved the
draft of Quick Enhancement of Electricity
and Energy Supply (Special Provision)
(Amendment) Bill, 2021 in order to ensure
uninterrupted supply of electricity and
energy for making Bangladesh a higher
middle-income country by 2030 and a
developed one by 2041.
a boy grazing cows in a green field. The picture is taken from Fatehpur area in Gowainghat
upazila of sylhet.
photo : star Mail
Kaptai Lake's beauty and navigability
clogged by water hyacinth
RANGAMATI : A journey by boat on
the country's largest Kaptai Lake is no
longer a fun, reports UNB.
Boats carrying tourists on a joy ride get
stuck up in the middle of the lake, surrounded
by hills. Locals commuting by
boats complain of wasting productive
hours as the journey gets terribly slow.
For all their sufferings they blame an
unusual culprit: water hyacinths.
The ambience of the man-made lake
is under threat as it has been covered
with the prolific weeds.
The unabated growth of the invasive
aquatic plants is not only hampering
operation of water transports (such as
launches, speed boats and engine
boats) but also threatening fish and
marine resources and polluting its
water.
According to experts and locals the
water of Kaptai Lake has been severely
polluted with water hyacinths. Local
residents are getting infected with various
diseases by using the water of the
lake, they said.
Visiting the area this week UNB correspondent
found a large swathe of the
beautiful lake clogged by water
hyacinths. Seen from a distance, it
looks like a playground full of small
green grass. But no, it's not a playground,
its water hyacinth, he found.
The communication with seven of the
ten upazilas of the district is done
mainly by this lake. Kaptai Lake with an
area of 730 sq km surrounds the district
like a net. Life in Rangamati city is
also being disrupted due to the water
hyacinth accumulated in the lake.
Snakes and mosquitoes have also settled
here. The menace of insects has
also increased.
Especially, the place where water
hyacinth spread the most is the
Sublang Channel. Surrounded by hills,
one has to visit beautiful Subalang
waterfall after crossing this place which
is a must-see destination for tourists
visiting Rangamati.
According to the locals, every year
during the monsoon, water hyacinths
grow because of onrush of water from
the hills along the border and create
garbage in the lake. These water
hyacinths also gather in the town's
lakeshore market places when the
water level of Kaptai Lake rises. As a
result, farmers from far and wide suffer
a lot to sell their products.
A large number of small and big
engine-driven boats from Rangamati
Sadar to Kaptai Upazila Jetighat,
Bilaichhari, Jurachhari, Langdu, Borokol,
Baghaichhari, Farua, Horinchhara and
other places every day. Besides, cargo
boats ply on this route during the weekly
market day.
Moreover, a large number of tourists
cross this route to visit Rangalamati's
Subalang Waterfall and Bilaichhari
Upazila's various springs during this
season. For instance, on September 10,
police rescued seven tourists as they got
stuck in an engine boat in the Kaptai
Lake after they had made a distress call
to the national emergency service number
999. The boat got stuck in a swarm
of water hyacinths near Balukhali and
the propeller of the boat's engine broke
as the boatman repeatedly tried to
restart it.
A boatman Monoranjan Chakma said
these water hyacinths will remain stuck
in the lake until winter.
"So, we cannot operate the boats at
normal speed. Normally it takes 1 hour
20 minutes to an hour and a half to go
by engine boat from Rangamati Sadar
and Kaptai Jetty to Bilaichhari. But
now, it takes 2 hours to two and a half
hours due to this water garbage. This is
a waste of time besides causing untold
sufferings."
The locals complained that despite
the serious situation, the concerned
administration did not take any initiative.
Thus fishermen and boat people
continue to suffer.
The water of Kaptai Lake is largely
used for drinking by a sizeable number
of the hill people. As a result, the residents
are forced to use polluted water
as there is no water purification system.
Therefore, the locals have demanded
that authorities take immediate steps to
remove the water hyacinths form the
lake and clean it.