27-09-2021

monday

DhAkA: September 27, 2021; Ashwin 12, 1428 BS; Safar 19,1443 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 151; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Taliban hang body in

public; signal return

to past tactics

>Page 7

SPortS

Real Madrid's

attack stalls in draw

against Villareal

>Page 9

art & culture

Adele makes her

relationship with

Rich Paul official

>Page 10

RT-PCR lab test will start

at airport by Sep 28

ShaFiqUl iSlaM (ShaFiq)

Air Vice Marshal Mofidur Rahman, chairman

of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation

Authority (CAAB), hopes that the RT-PCR

lab test for foreign passengers will start at

Shahjalal International Airport from

Tuesday (September 28). He made the

remarks at a press conference at the conference

room of the Ministry of Civil

Aviation and Tourism at the Secretariat on

Sunday (September 26). State Minister for

Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali,

Secretary Mokammel Hossain, Chairman

of the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation

Hannan Mia was present there.

CAAB Chairman said our friendly country,

the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has

given us a condition. If you want to leave

Bangladesh, you have to take RT-PCR test

inside the airport 48 and 6 hours before

the departure.

Our Ministry, the Ministry of Expatriate

Welfare, the Ministry of Health and the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs have worked

together to create a management inside

the airport. That is being given a test run by

the Department of Health. He said if it is

successful with the test run, we will let the

DHAKA : Commerce Minister Tipu

Munshi on Sunday said that it's possible to

give 50 to 60 per cent money back to the

cheated clients of the Destiny Group and

Jubok by selling the assets of the two companies

which collapsed amid widespread

fraud, reports UNB.

"To my consideration, the cheated

clients can get up to 50 to 60 per cent of

the money back.... But the issue remains

pending with the court for settlement", he

said while addressing a workshop organized

by the Bangladesh Competition

Commission (BCC) for the members of

Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) at the

BCC office in the city.

The BCC organized the event to discuss

the issues for creating a fair competition

environment in the market through

Zohr

04:35 AM

11:55 PM

04:10 PM

05:54 PM

07:10 PM

5:48 5:51

airlines know. Hopefully from the 28th...,

since we have 48 hours to spare. Buy an

airline ticket and have each passenger test

their RT-PCR 48 hours in advance. I hope

the journey will start between two or three

days.

He further said whenever the

Department of Health declares our airport

is ready and tells us the total number of

passengers they can handle, we will let the

airlines know. Hopefully it will be

launched in a day or two.

Air Vice Marshal Mofidur Rahman also

claimed that other airlines from all the

neighboring countries are more interested

in coming to Bangladesh for better management

at the airport. He said our airports

in Bangladesh are limited in size.

Even then, the management that we

have taken, Alhamdulillah so far no infection

has occurred. For which other airlines

from all the neighboring countries are

more interested in coming to Bangladesh.

I can proudly say that the management we

took in Bangladesh in this region during

the pandemic, but everyone in the world

appreciated it.

Meanwhile, after a long movement of expatriates,

a corona testing lab was finally set up at

Hazrat Shahjalal Int’l

Airport.

Work on setting

up the lab was

completed on

Saturday night.

According to airport

sources, the

UAE government

has imposed a ban

on expatriates

undergoing rapid

PCR testing six

hours before

departure.

Destiny, Jubok clients can be

compensated by 50 to 60 pc by

selling assets: Tipu Munshi

implementation of the Competition Law.

Tipu said that he discussed the issue with

the law minister who informed him that the

law ministry has been working on how to

compensate the Destiny and Jubok clients.

As per the estimation by different government

bodies, Destiny and Jubok have about

Tk 7,000 crore assets.

He said debate is now going on whether

there should be new law or the existing law

is enough to deal with the online business

across the country.

The commerce minister's remarks came

against the backdrop of the scepticism that

although the owner of Evaly was arrested

for fraud, it's thousands of cheated clients

might not get money back due to weakness

in the legal and administrative system.

He said there are 30,000 online business

platforms operating in the country.

But the government cannot shut down the

entire business just because of the fraudulence

by 10 to 15 companies.

He said the government wants the e-

commerce sector to run in a more disciplined

way, shrugging off recent anomalies

by some companies.

"The e-commerce sector gained a fast

expansion in the country during the COVID-

19 pandemic period beyond our expectations.

Although some e-commerce companies

have tempted common people in a big

way, the consumers should have remained

more cautious," he said.

Tipu also said, "We don't want to keep

aside our responsibilities. Rather we want

that this e-commerce sector operates in a

more disciplined way,"

Speaking about the BCC he said it is

moving ahead with a specific goal. "It also

needs more association with the concerned

stakeholders to turn itself as a

more proactive entity."

80 lakh people to

be vaccinated on

PM's birthday

DHAKA : Eighty lakh people will be vaccinated

against Covid-19 on Tuesday

under another phase of mass vaccination

campaign, marking Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina's birthday, reports UNB.

"Another mass vaccination campaign

will resume Tuesday. Eighty lakh people

will be brought under the vaccination

programme on the day on the occasion

of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's birthday,"

said Health Minister Zahid

Maleque on Sunday at a virtual briefing.

The vaccine jabs will be administered

from 9 am at 6,000 centres across the

country, he said adding that in the first

two hours women above 50 years and

physically-challenged people will get the

jabs on priority basis.

People will be given vaccine shots at

the centers to be set up at 4,600 unions

and 433 wards of 1054 municipalities

and city corporations. "There'll be three

booths at union level, one at municipality

level and three at city corporation

level centres."

Those who have got registered for vaccination

but failed to get it timely will get

priority during this campaign, said the

minister. "So far, we've collected 5.52

crore vaccine doses and 4.20 crore people

have got vaccines," he added.

Deep depression intensifies

into Cyclone 'Gulab'; Rain

likely across country

DHAKA : Light to moderate rain or

thunder showers accompanied by temporary

gusty wind is likely at many

places in the country as the deep depression

over East Central Bay and adjoining

Northeast Bay intensified into cyclonic

storm 'Gulab'. "The deep depression

moved westwards and intensified into

cyclonic storm 'Gulab' over Northwest

Bay and adjoining west central Bay",

Bangladesh Meteorological Department

said on Sunday in a regular bulletin.

"Light to moderate rain or thunder

showers accompanied by temporary

gusty wind is likely to occur one or two

places over Dhaka, Rajshahi,

Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal,

Chattogram and Sylhet divisions with

moderately heavy falls at isolated places

over southern part of the country," it

added.

Weather may remain mainly dry with

temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere

over the country.

It is likely to move West-

Northwestards further. The axis of monsoon

trough runs through Rajsthan,

Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Centre of the

Cyclone to Assam across Bangladesh.

Titas Gas seeks foreign funding

for installing 1.25 million prepaid

metres in Dhaka city

DHAKA : The country's largest state-run

natural gas distributor is seeking funds

from two major donor agencies to

implement its plan to install 1.25 million

more prepaid gas metres domestic customers

in the capital city, reports UNB.

The financing is being sought from the

Asian Development Bank and Japan

Bank for International Cooperation

(JBIC), official sources told UNB without

specifying the amount as the proposals

are still at a discussion stage.

If the move succeeds, more than half

the total consumers of the state-run

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution

Company will come under the prepaid

gas metre coverage, the sources said.

This will also increase the number of

Titas Gas prepaid metre customers to

about 1.710 million from the existing

460,000, said the official sources speaking

on condition of anonymity.

Titas Gas, the oldest and largest downstream

gas distribution company, has been responsible

for supply of natural gas to Dhaka and its

adjoining districts including Mymensingh,

Netrokona, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Norsingdi,

Manikganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur and

Narayanganj since its founding in 1964.

"But currently the company has been

focusing on just Dhaka city in installing

the prepaid gas meters for household

consumers where it has the largest network",

said a top official of the company.

Over 70 per cent of the total 2.874 million

consumers live in the city, he added.

Official sources said that the government has

been trying to obtain required funding from

Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan

Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

"We've been discussing with the ADB for

long to secure financing for a project to

install 549,000 pre-paid meters while similar

move is in progress with JBIC to get a

support for installing 700,000 prepaid

metres", said a top official of the Titas preferring

not to be quoted.

About the move, State Minister for Power,

Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid

said his ministry has forwarded its proposals

on the issue to the Economic Relations

Division (ERD) of the finance ministry.

"If they clear our proposals, we'll move further

to receive the financial support from ADB

and JBIC to implement new project for the prepaid

gas metering", he told UNB. Official

sources noted that so far the Titas Gas installed

prepaid gas metres in a number of phases.

They informed that initially, some 13,100

prepaid metres were installed in Dhanmondi-

Mohammadpur in 2013-14 area under a pilot

project and then 320,000 prepaid meters

were set up under a Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded project in

Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara,

Uttara, Mohammadpur, Badda, Tejgaon,

Cantonment, Kafrul, Khilkhet, and Mirpur

area during 2016-2019.

Photographers are cleansing the Kuakata sea-beach. Such initiatives were taken on the occasion of World

Tourism Day.

Photo : Star Mail

Nobody is

maintaining

social distance

and hygiene.

The picture

is taken

from a Khulna

Sadar Urban

Dispensary

Female

Center.

Photo : Star Mail

Mumunul asked

to appear before

Cumilla court Dec 23

DHAKA : A Cumilla court on Sunday

asked Mamunul Haque, former joint

secretary general of Hefajat-e-Islam and

Mawlana Khaled Saifullah Ayubi to

appear before it on December 23 in a

case filed over delivering provocative

speech at a mahfil in 2020, reports UNB.

Judge Irfanul Haque Chowdhury of

Cumilla Cognizance Court-7 fixed the

date when the two Hefazat leaders

appeared before the court in the case on

Sunday, said Advocate Nurul Islam, a

counsel of the state.

On December 17, last year, police filed a

case against six people including Mamunul

for organizing a mahfil in Chandina upazila

of the district without the consent of the

local administration and delivering

provocative speech at the mahfil.

On April 18, a joint team of Tejgaon

Division police and DMP's Detective

Branch arrested Mamunul from Jamia

Rahmania Arabia Madrasah in

Mohammadpur in separate cases.

He was remanded for 18 days in six

different cases over rape, vandalism and

Hefazat mayhem. Among them, three

were filed by the district police, two by

the CID, and one by the PBI.

Don't resort to arson

again in name of

movement, Quader

warns BNP

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday

said his party is ready to give a fitting

reply if BNP tries to resort to arson violence

again in the name of the movement,

reports UNB.

Quader, also road transport and

bridges minister, was speaking as the

chief guest at a discussion on the occasion

of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's

birthday to be celebrated on Sunday.

The meeting was organized by the

party's relief and social welfare subcommittee

at the party's central office.

Referring to the BNP's series of meetings

as part of what he alleged the conspiracy,

Quader said, "It seems that

there is a conspiracy to indulge in arson

violence again in the name of the movement."

He sounded a warning saying that if

BNP resorts to violence and disrupt the

development works of Sheikh Hasina,

then "We are ready to give a befitting

reply together with people."

Quader blasted BNP Secretary

General's Mirza Fakhrul for saying that

the prime minister's visit to the US has

not been successful.

"You have no information. You

haven't read the New York Times. Every

statement of the prime minister, including

the speech at the UN General

Assembly, has been praised by the world

leaders," Quader said dismissing

Fakhrul's comments.

MonDAY, SePteMber 27, 2021

2

After being closed for almost a year and half due to the Corona epidemic, the library of Dhaka

University has been reopened for the 4th year and Masters students from Sunday. University Vice-

Chancellor Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman visited the library on the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

GD-1405/21 (6x3)

Mannan urges

all to strengthen

hands of PM

SYLHET : Planning Minister

MA Mannan yesterday urged

all concerned to further

strengthen the hands of

Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina to maintain the

continuity of development

keeping aside differences of

opinion.

The Planning Minister said

this while addressing a

function as the chief guest

marking the distribution of

750 deep tube wells and 750

twin-pit latrines among the

poor families at

Jagannathpur and

Shantiganj upazilas in

Sunamganj today.

Terming this government

of Sheikh Hasina as the "best

government" in the history

of Bangladesh, Mannan said

that no other government in

the past, except this present

Awami League government,

could unleash such a level of

development in the country.

The function was

organized by the Shantiganj

Upazila Administration and

the Upazila office of the

Department of Public Health

and Engineering (DPHE)

held on the premises of

Shantiganj Upazila Complex.

DU reopens library amid huge rush

of students and brief agitation

DHAKA : The Dhaka University on Sunday

reopened its library after about an 18-month

Covid-induced closure amid a heavy rush of

students, some of them trying to force their

entry defying health guidelines and causing

short-lived agitation, reports UNB.

Tension erupted after assistant proctor Liton

Kumar Saha allegedly attempted to slap a

student who tried to enter the science library

building forcefully, witnesses said.

Angered by Liton's behaviour students

mobbed him demanding an explanation from

him.

The students also harassed two campus

reporters and forced them to delete the photos

and videos they shot.

Salman Hossain, a masters student of the

university said, "We stood in line to enter the

library. There were huge crowd. Some of them

tried to enter the science library forcefully."

The situation turned hostile when the

assistant proctor came and attempted to slap

one of our peers DU Proctor Prof Dr AKM

Golam Rabbani, Chief Librarian Nasiruddin

GD-1408/21 (6x4)

_vKzb

Munshi; and General Secretary of Teachers

Association Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan rushed to

the scene and calmed down the students.

Liton said the officials only tried to discipline

the students as there was a heavy rush with

many trying to force their way into the library

building.

Proctor Golam Rabbani said, "Students have

been asked to follow health rules for their own

safety. Former students are not allowed to enter

the library. It's only for regular students.

We look forward to working with students to

keep peace," he said, adding that, "Teachers

serve as guardians for students. Teachers have

the authority to instruct and guide their students.

This is something students should consider."

The library opened only for honours fourth

year and masters students, according to

university authorities. The residential halls will

open on October 5.

The earlier instruction for the students to carry

their Covid-19 vaccination certificates could not

be followed because of the chaos, on-duty

teachers said.

242 dengue patients

admitted in hospitals

in 24 hours: DGHS

DHAKA : A total of 242 fresh

dengue cases were reported

across the country in the last 24

hours.

Of them 185 were admitted

in Dhaka and 57 out of the

capital, a release of the Health

Crisis Management and

Control Room of Directorate

General of Health Services

(DGHS) said here today.

A total of 1043 dengue

patients are undergoing

treatment at different hospitals

and clinics across the country.

Among them, 814 patients

are taking treatment in Dhaka

division and 229 are

hospitalised outside the capital,

the release added. A total of

17,357 patients have been

admitted to different hospitals

across the country since

January this year. Of them,

16,253 patients have returned

home after recovery, DGHS said.

‡kL nvwmbvi g~jbxwZ

MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

wbivc`

GD-1410/21 (9x8)

MOnDAy, SEpTEMBER 27, 2021

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Monday, September 27, 2021

Planning

Dhaka's growth

From a city of some two million people at the time of the

independence of the country, Dhaka's population has

swelled to over 16 million and projections are that four or

five million more people could be added to its population by the

year 2040 making it one of the front rank most populous cities

in the world. Other big cities like Chittagong and Khulna are

going to also expand their population in this period though

probably not on such a big scale as Dhaka. The significant

aspect to note is the pace of urbanisation appears almost

irresistible inBangladesh like it is elsewhere in nearly all the

developing countries.

Decentralisation, local growth centres, etc., have been tried in

the past and could be tested with a new enthusiasm also in the

future. But it is doubtful that the same would put a strong

enough brake on people from coming and settling down in the

urban areas. The urban areas have many appeals -- including

the major one of regular income and higher income-- that the

rural people find as very strong pull factors. Besides, with all the

undesirable sides to rapid urbanisation, this trend, on the

whole, is also the mark of a transitional economy. Primary

produce of agriculture form the major part of an economy at its

nascent stage. Urbanisation marks a major shift of economic

activities from agriculture to industries and services sectors and

their greater contribution to the gross national product (GDP).

Once upon a time, the developed countries of the world today

had the bigger part of their population down in the villages who

produced mainly agricultural goods. Now, nearly 90 per cent of

their population, on average, have an urban existence and

industries and services are their main occupation. But they have

also become wealthier in the process and much improved their

standard of living.

Thus, in the Bangladesh context, there is nothing to be too

apprehensive that the faster rate of urbanisation here is an

abnormality. What should be of concern is not urbanisation

itself but prompt adoption and implementation of policies for

planned urbanisation. Urbanisation need not be perceived as a

fearful or unwelcome phenomenon to afflict Bangladesh if the

same can be better regulated to maintain the quality of urban

life and achieve simultaneously a major transformation of the

economy from its present rural centric nature to a more

industrial or diverse one away from traditional agriculture. In

fact, urbanisation can prove to be a positive civilising and lift-up

process -- economically and socially for the rural folks-- who

would come to cities provided plans are well made and

implemented to receive and absorb the exodus of rural people.

This is the real challenge facing urban planners in the country.

The imperative is to start taking immediately the short and

long term measures to make the most of the urban future.

Keeping distinctly in view the inevitable growth of urbanisation,

planning must be structured to contribute to two basic

objectives : planned growth of the cities to take care of the

environmental and social needs of all sections of people and

expansion of services, opportunities and employment

especially for the rural people. If these twin objectives are

progressively met, then urbanisation would not probably pose

as a serious problem.

On the one hand, regulations and their enforcement must be

very thorough and unsparing so that none can attempt to

violate the goals of planned urbanisation. On the other, much

increased and sustained delivery of various utility services will

have to be extended among the urban poor as well as the

creation of the widest possible economic opportunities for

them. The problems faced by the people of Dhaka are too

apparent such as the slum-like appearances in many of its

sections amid a few islands of planned and comfortable urban

life, its traffic movement related agonies, the conditions of its

basic utility services failing to meet the needs of users of these

services, its environmental decline, hardly any enforcement of

segregation between its residential and commercial or

industrial areas, few places or venues for satisfying the

recreation and aesthetic needs of people, the limitations of the

city to receive smoothly the mass migration to it from the

countryside and a plethora of other ills which cannot be all

stated within the confines of this column. But all of these ugly

sides point inexorably to the very great need to start urgent

planning to secure the future of Dhaka. The plans and their

fastest implementation should have essentially two aspects : to

keep the city livable for its present population and, very

significantly, to plan for the future when the city will have

double its existing population by the year 2040. For ensuring

that the city keeps on being a livable one at that date, efficient

short, medium and long term plans and their speedy

implementation are very urgently required.

The Rajdhani UnnanyanKatripakha (RAJUK) is the main

official organisation which is responsible for Dhaka's planned

existence in all respects. But this body has been faltering in its

tasks for a long time. It has a planning department but it is such

a department in name only. It lacks proper manpower and

expertise to plan for such a vast city with its multi-faceted

problems. It needs urgent revamping to be carried out by the

recruitment of talented urban planners. They should be then

given the freedoms to come up with suitable plans to arrest and

reverse the mess in different areas of life in Dhaka city.

Particularly, RAJUK's planning must be made very thorough

and meticulously implemented keeping in view the swelling

population size of the city.

The present government isduly expected to put the planned

growth and development of Dhaka city very high in its agenda

for actions. Civil society and all other stakeholders need to draw

the attention of the major political parties to the problems of

Dhaka so that the latter feel obligated to include Dhaka's

development prominently in their party manifestos . Thus, on

going to power, they would be under obligations to work to

improve conditions in the city.

Are Justin Trudeau's 'sunny ways' over?

The jejune Canadian prime

minister's cocky gambit to call an

unnecessary election in the midst of

a stubborn pandemic has proven to be a

strategic miscalculation of blunt,

historic proportions.

Like any vapid politician more

interested in seizing a parochial political

dividend than pursuing the national

interest, Trudeau abandoned - faster than

Usain Bolt dashed to Olympic gold - a

flimsy pledge not to hold a national vote

while a lethal virus gripped Canada.

Trudeau had one aim: win a majority.

He failed. Last night's sharp rebuke is the

second time in less than two years that

many Canadians have, in effect, told him

that his youthful, inconsequential sheen

has lost much of its allure. As such, they

were disinclined to grant him the broad

mandate he was, no doubt, confident he

would secure.

So, today, the Canadian Parliament

mirrors, almost to a seat, the Parliament

that was dissolved a touch over a month

ago to satiate Trudeau's irresistible

yearning for the elusive prize of a

majority.

While he may still be prime minister

leading a minority government, Trudeau,

I suspect, understands that the Liberal

Party's only attachment is to absolute rule,

unperturbed or constrained by other

parties it considers little more than

irritating obstacles to its rightful destiny.

Trudeau's defining hypocrisy is that he

claimed to represent a departure from the

old, tired modus operandi. He was the

embodiment of a new kind of politics that

put country over party, people over power,

modesty over hubris.

It was a slick, hollow mirage. Trudeau

was motivated by the petty impulses he

insisted his "sunny ways" were meant to

reject. Canadians may, on occasion, be

somewhat complacent peoples, but they

are not blind.

The lie that Trudeau is became apparent

throughout a short, cynical campaign that

most Canadians did not want and did not

need. On the eve of the election, the

Liberals' abiding cynicism prompted the

party to dangle before voters - like a

confection-filled piñata - what amounted

to a universal day-care plan that was

needed by struggling families years

earlier. Trudeau made more promises

on the seminal test of climate change

when he should have acted long ago

with the urgency the escalating heating

of the earth demands.

If this gratuitous election constituted, as

Trudeau said unconvincingly, a

"referendum" on his handling of the

COVID-19 pandemic, then Canadians

delivered their verdict: the prime minister

scored a C+, edging towards a B.

The "referendum" was code, as I

explained in a column last week, on

whether enough Canadians loved

Trudeau to reward him with two years of

unconditional authority. Turns out that

their affection for him is, to put it

charitably, lukewarm.

The upshot is that Trudeau likely knows

that he is confronting the sunset of his

tenure as Liberal leader. He will be

afforded the opportunity to make a

"dignified" exit within a year or so. All the

while, his possible successors, including

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland

and former Bank of Canada Governor

Mark Carney - who is whispered to be

AnDREW MITROvICA

interested in the job - will quietly design

unofficial leadership plans.

It will be a sad but, frankly, fitting

denouement to Trudeau's facile,

undistinguished career.

As for the pablum-spouting

Conservative Party leader, Erin O'Toole,

denying Trudeau his vaunted majority

and a return to the parliamentary status

quo may not only keep rivals at bay but

permit him to retain his job as opposition

leader for a spell.

O'Toole sought to refashion his party's

identity as a more empathetic, less

draconian version of Stephen Harper's

ugly, retrograde administration.

It was a slick, hollow mirage. Trudeau was motivated by the

petty impulses he insisted his "sunny ways" were meant to

reject. Canadians may, on occasion, be somewhat complacent

peoples, but they are not blind. The lie that Trudeau is

became apparent throughout a short, cynical campaign that

most Canadians did not want and did not need.

ROBERT LEWIS

As I noted, Canadians may be

complacent, but they are not blind.

O'Toole's history as a loyal, faithful

member of the tainted Harper alumni

club, had lots of Canadians doubting his

calculated designs to move the

Conservatives to the so-called "centre" of

the political spectrum.

O'Toole's blatant duplicity on gun

control and his obtuse, shifting views on

social issues had the effect of making

voters wonder what, if any, convictions he

held. This ambiguity also sapped the party

of the surprising momentum it enjoyed as

Trudeau faltered early on.

Traditional, rural Conservatives

supported him. Beyond that, O'Toole

failed to widen his appeal. He is stuck, like

his predecessor, in a sort of political noman's

land, grasping frantically for a route

back to the prime minister's office that is

as far out of reach today as it was

yesterday.

O'Toole will be pressured to re-capture

the insular, xenophobic faction of the

party that defected to the (Pestilent)

People's Party of Canada, led by an

unapologetic anti-reason, anti-humane

demagogue, Maxime Bernier.

That is a prescription for even deeper,

debilitating losses.

The pretend socialist party of Canada,

the New Democratic Party (NDP),

returns, yet again, as the "conscience of

parliament". It is a trite pantomime.

The NDP is a party of cliché. Led by

Jagmeet Singh, it lacks the will to reclaim

- honestly and openly - its fast evaporating

socialist roots in order to appear more

"reasonable".

It has not worked. It will not work.

Singh and the NDP are facing the

proverbial Rubicon: continue being nice

and palatable or finally share, in an

intelligent and unabashed way, the radical

solutions necessary to address the

entrenched, systemic injustices and

inequalities that blight the lives of scores

of Canadians.

If it fails to pursue the latter strategy, the

NDP will slip further into irrelevancy.

Annamie Paul, the Green Party head,

should recognise the inevitable. She needs

to go mercifully away and allow a oncepromising

environmental movement to

regain the ingenuity and enterprise she

has deserted out of a selfish and corrosive

stubbornness.

The intelligentsia insisted this election

was about nothing. That is not true. It was

clarifying. Trudeau and the age of

colourful socks and sophomoric antics is,

hopefully, over soon. Canada needs to get

serious to meet the challenges of these

serious times.

Source: Aljazeera

China may have new leverage in wake of Afghan exit debacle

Huawei chief financial officer Meng

Wanzhou leaves her Vancouver

home to attend a British Columbia

Supreme Court hearing on March 22,

2021. Photo: AFP / Don MacKinnon The

Globe and Mail reported at the end of last

week that the US Department of Justice

(DOJ) has resumed talks with Huawei

Technologies Co and Huawei chief

financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a

possible deferred prosecution agreement

(DPA) that could result in her release from

house arrest in Vancouver, where she is

fighting extradition to the US on bankfraud

charges relating to alleged violations

of US sanctions against Iran.

In Canada, the news raised hopes that

this might open the door for China to

release Canadians Michael Kovrig, a

former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a

businessman, who were arrested in China

only nine days after Meng's arrest in

Canada. Since China denies that the "two

Michaels," as they are known, were held in

retaliation for Meng's arrest, such a swap

likely would need to be handled in a

manner that could provide all sides with

plausible deniability as to any linkage

between the cases. However, for US

President Joe Biden's administration, the

stakes may be much higher as it seeks

China's help with a range of crises. China,

sensing a potential weakening of the US

hand following the rout of the USsupported

Afghan government by Taliban

forces, has in each case taken a firm

stance, demanding that the US first deescalate

its relentless pressure campaign

against China across multiple fronts.

Near the top of China's list has been

Meng's release and the scrapping of

sanctions against Huawei. While it is not

necessarily the case that the resumption of

talks on a possible DPA for Meng was a

direct result of such diplomatic pushback

by China, the potential deal would fit

within the overall framework of the

broader trends in the bilateral

relationship. According to reports, while

the Afghan exit crisis was still unfolding,

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken

spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister

Wang Yi by phone on August 16 to ask for

help to manage tensions in the region.

Wang indicated that China was willing

to work with the US to help "promote the

soft landing of the Afghan issue and avoid

a new civil war or humanitarian disaster …

and not let it become a breeding ground

and shelter for terrorism once again."

However, Wang added an important

caveat and warning: "The US cannot, on

the one hand, deliberately curb and

suppress China to damage China's

legitimate rights and interests, and on the

other hand, count on China to offer

support and coordination."

When former US secretary of state John

Kerry, now US climate czar, met with

senior Chinese officials this month in

Tianjin to discuss coordination on actions

to address climate change, the same

message was communicated: The US

cannot expect cooperation from China

while also attacking it on all sides.

The Chinese side acknowledged that the

two countries have shared interests when

it comes to climate issues, which presents

a less contentious topic for dialogue in

what has otherwise been a highly

confrontational relationship, but again

underscored that the broader context

cannot be ignored. Foreign Minister

Wang presented the Chinese position in

diplomatic but unmistakable terms. "The

US side wants the climate-change

cooperation to be an 'oasis' of China-US

relations," he told Kerry. "However, if the

oasis is all surrounded by deserts, then

sooner or later, the oasis will be

desertified." This was followed by a call

directly between Biden and Chinese

President Xi Jinping, in which the two

leaders tentatively agreed that there was

scope for cooperation on climate change

and restraining North Korea's apparently

renewed nuclear ambitions, among other

initiatives. But once again, Xi pushed back

against the United States' continuing

broad-based attacks on China's interests,

which he said had created "serious

difficulties" for the bilateral relationship,

although some commentators noted that

Xi stopped short of expressly imposing

preconditions to cooperation.

The current tensions in the bilateral

relationship have been brewing for several

years, with a nadir reached in 2020 in the

wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many in

China placed the primary blame on the

anti-China hawks in the administration of

then-president Donald Trump, but while

the new Biden administration has

presented a more diplomatic veneer, it has

still maintained many of the same policies

which China finds objectionable.

US diplomats have privately noted that

the incoming Biden team made it

abundantly clear over the course of the

post-election transition that there would

be no softening in the US stance, which set

the stage for the fiery exchange of insults in

the first meeting of the chief diplomats

from the two sides in Anchorage, Alaska,

in March. The contentious tone was

reconfirmed in meetings held in Tianjin in

late July between US Deputy Secretary of

State Wendy Sherman and her Chinese

counterparts. The State Department

readout of that meeting reads like a

laundry list of complaints from the US

side. Sherman raised US concerns about

"human rights, including Beijing's antidemocratic

crackdown in Hong Kong; the

ongoing genocide and crimes against

humanity in Xinjiang; abuses in Tibet; and

the curtailing of media access and freedom

of the press. She also spoke about our

concerns about Beijing's conduct in

cyberspace; across the Taiwan Strait; and

in the East and South China Seas."

That's just the short list of US qualms.

Other sources of tension include questions

of the origins of the virus that causes

Covid-19, technology disputes,

intellectual-property rights, market

access, and trade imbalances, to name a

few. Not to be outdone, the Chinese side

presented two lists of grievances: the "List

of US Wrongdoings that Must Stop" and

the "List of Key Individual Cases that

China Has Concerns With." The full lists

were not made available publicly, but

Xinhua provided a summary (emphasis

added): "In the List of US Wrongdoings

that Must Stop, China urged the United

States to unconditionally revoke the visa

restrictions over Communist Party of

China (CPC) members and their families,

revoke sanctions on Chinese leaders,

officials and government agencies, and

The current tensions in the bilateral relationship have been

brewing for several years, with a nadir reached in 2020 in the

wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many in China placed the primary

blame on the anti-China hawks in the administration of

then-president Donald Trump, but while the new Biden

administration has presented a more diplomatic veneer.

remove visa restrictions on Chinese

students. "China also urged the United

States to stop suppressing Chinese

enterprises, stop harassing Chinese

students, stop suppressing the Confucius

Institutes, revoke the registration of

Chinese media outlets as 'foreign agents'

or 'foreign missions,' and revoke the

extradition request for Meng Wanzhou."

This specific reference to the Meng case

demonstrates that it ranks at or near the

top of the list of grievances on the part of

the Chinese government.

Moreover, the mention of acts

"suppressing Chinese enterprises" is

unquestionably a reference to the blanket

ban on sale of semiconductor chips to

Huawei, which is viewed by the Chinese

government (and even many outside of

China) as an anti-competitive tactic

designed to knee-cap Huawei in order to

give Western competitors a chance to

catch up and overtake the company in the

5G (fifth generation) technology race.

Consequently, when the US seeks

China's cooperation on Afghanistan,

North Korean nuclear proliferation,

climate change or any other geopolitical

initiative of potential shared interest, and

the Chinese side expressly or tacitly

conditions its support on resolution of

other issues plaguing the broader bilateral

relationship, the Meng and Huawei cases

are at the core, not merely on the

periphery. Viewed against the backdrop

of the overall lists of demands and

counter-demands raised by the two sides,

the Meng and Huawei cases occupy a

unique position as being issues of

consequence while still being capable of

resolution in the near term.

Claims of human-rights violations and

concerns about Hong Kong, Taiwan and

the South China Seas on the part of the US

are particularly thorny and sensitive and

thus not susceptible to quick resolution.

Conversely, easing restrictions on

student visas may be relatively easy to

achieve (although the Biden

administration has not yet revoked the

Trump era rule limiting visas for Chinese

students), but may not have the same

symbolic value to China as would a

resolution of the Meng and Huawei cases.

Moreover, based on evidence adduced

by Meng's legal counsel in the extradition

proceedings, the bank fraud charges no

longer appear to be as solid as originally

portrayed by the DOJ, presumably making

this case even more ripe for an early

disposition by US prosecutors.

Another consideration: Unlike Chinese

(and Canadian) media, which have

provided copious wall-to-wall coverage of

the Meng extradition proceedings, US

news outlets have paid only scant

attention to the case.

This also makes it easier to do a deal with

Meng - her release would be an exchange

of something of high value to the Chinese

side, which likely costs the US side little in

terms of domestic political capital, but

with potentially significant positive

implications for the broader relationship

between the two superpowers. The

question now is whether the Huawei chip

ban would also be up for negotiation in

parallel. The Globe and Mail report

indicated that the discussions with Meng's

legal counsel do not involve having

Huawei, which was also indicted together

with Meng, accept corporate responsibility

for violation of Iran sanctions.

But if China is seeking to exert its

apparent new-found leverage, it may well

insist that the criminal charges against

Huawei be dropped and, in addition, that

the chip ban be rescinded. This would be

challenging, but it would not be without

precedent. In the context of the broader

dysfunctional US-China relationship, the

Meng and Huawei cases appear to present

the lowest-hanging high-value fruit. The

US now looks to be ready to strike a deal to

release Meng. We will wait to see what the

US side is willing to do in respect of

Huawei. In an environment of intensifying

polarization, this may be the best hope to

ratchet down the tensions.

Source: Asia times

MOndAY, SePTeMber 27, 2021

5

UN summit calls for climate-friendly food systems

Dann Okoth

The United Nations has urged the

world to urgently review its food

production and consumption patterns

in order to save the planet, at a

landmark summit beset by controversy

and boycotts. In a keynote speech at the

historic UN Food Systems Summit held

online on Thursday, UN Secretary-

General Antonio Guterres said the

world must adopt natural alternatives

to industrial agricultural practises that

protect the planet as it battles rising

hunger, malnutrition and obesity.

"It is possible to feed a growing global

population and still safeguard the

environment," Guterres told delegates

at the summit, held on the sidelines of

the UN General Assembly in New York.

"It takes the smart, sustainable

management of natural resources -

from farms to fisheries," he added,

urging countries to go to COP26 in

Glasgow with "bold, targeted plans to

keep the promise of the Paris

Agreement".

Sustainable, or climate-smart

agriculture seeks to use techniques such

as using different types of plants sideby-side

to reduce the need for pesticides

and industrial equipment. Guterres

said food systems currently account for

one third of all greenhouse gas

emissions and are responsible for up to

80 per cent of biodiversity loss.

Food systems 'must be climate neutral' says summit's science chief. Collected

Sustainable food systems would be a

major conduit to achieving the UN

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

by 2030, he added. The summit is the

culmination of 18 months of

discussions involving political leaders,

agri-business, communities and civil

society to chart pathways for the future

of food systems across 148 countries.

Its stated mission was to unleash

"ambitious new actions, innovations

and plans" to transform global food

systems and leverage these changes to

deliver progress across all the SDGs.

Science and innovation was hailed as

fundamental to achieving such a radical

shift. Joachim von Braun, chair of the

summit's scientific group, said that

"food systems can and must be climate

neutral", adding: "Most food systems

are not sustainable. Therefore science

must not only address production and

consumption or the value chain, but the

whole food system."

He also emphasised the importance

of indigenous knowledge and human

rights - including the right to food - in

the global food system. The summit was

boycotted, however, by a large number

of civil society groups and scientists

who claimed big agribusinesses had

been integral to the summit process at

the expense of small-scale producers

and indigenous people - which the UN

strongly denied.

Peter Ofware, Kenya country director

at HealthRight International, a nongovernmental

organisation, was

unconvinced that the talks benefited

those most affected by food systems.

"The most severely impacted by food

systems are pregnant women and

young children in poor rural African

settings. I'm exactly not sure how they

were represented at the summit,"

Ofware told SciDev.Net.

"In any event, the poor need

practicable, easy-to-implement policies

that can immediately impact their lives,

not some lofty ideas, discussed at such

exclusive high levels." Michael Fakhri,

the leading UN independent expert on

the right to food, delivered a scathing

verdict on the summit, declaring it had

categorically failed.

"COVID-19 has not been on the

summit agenda. Governments and

businesses have been too slow

responding to the pandemic, pushing

millions of people across the world to

hunger and poverty," he said in a video

posted on Twitter.

Agnes Kalibata, the UN Secretary-

General's special envoy for the summit,

called for more youth and women's

involvement in global food systems,

echoing the slogan "nothing is for us

without us" adopted by young people at

the summit.

"We need to work together all of us,

including women and youth, to

embrace a global food system that

works and benefits all of us," she said at

the summit opening. But investment

will be needed to meet the actions

targeted and scientists have highlighted

the need for accountability mechanisms

to hold governments to account.

Nana Akufo-Addo, President of

Ghana, was one of a number of global

South leaders who pledged to reform

their national food systems to align with

the UN proposals. "Our current food

system does not assure sustainability,

safety, equity, access and health and

must therefore be reformed," Addo

said.

He listed a raft of measures, including

increasing production of climate

resilient varieties of vegetables,

legumes, fruits and bio-fortified cereals

by 40 per cent using sustainable

agricultural methods, and developing

and implementing food-based

guidelines by 2022.

Experts and electricity not needed

for health innovations

dAnn OKOTh

Easy-to-use equipment

including portable

respiratory monitoring

systems and ventilators with

extended battery life are

among a collection of new

health innovations identified

by the World Health

Organization (WHO) to help

manage COVID-19 in lowresource

settings.

The compendium of 24

new technologies also

includes novel, simple items

such as a colourised bleach

additive that allows the

naked eye to detect nonsterilised

surfaces, to help

improve basic hygiene

during the pandemic, says

the WHO.

New technologies are

accelerating access to

healthcare everywhere but

they must be made readily

available in all health

facilities, fairly priced and

quality assured, the health

body stressed.

Adriana Velazquez

Berumen, WHO senior

advisor for medical devices,

said: "WHO has been

collecting innovative

technologies that can be

impactful at places where

there is unstable electricity

and a lack of specialised

health workforce."

She said the WHO had

appointed a panel of experts

to review the technical

specifications, regulatory

compliance, and technical

management of such

innovations.

"Many of the experts are

from low- to middle-income

countries and will provide

more insight into the

emerging technologies as

well as help in collecting

data on the use of such

technologies," she told

SciDev.Net.

The aim of the

compendium is to select and

assess technologies that can

have immediate and future

impact on COVID-19

preparedness and response

and offer solutions to unmet

medical needs, according to

the WHO. It said 15 of the

technologies were already

commercially available in

some countries, while the

rest were still at prototype

stage.

One example cited was a

solar-powered oxygen

concentrator used to treat

childhood pneumonia at a

regional children's hospital

in Somalia's Galmudug

state. Pneumonia accounts

for 800,000 deaths per year

and the WHO estimates that

20 to 40 per cent of these

deaths could be prevented if

oxygen therapy was

COVid-19 has made it harder for many people to access routine health

checks such as blood pressure monitoring.

Photo: rootsofhealth

SAeed KAMALi dehghAn

More than 100 countries face cuts to

public spending on health, education

and social protection as the Covid-19

pandemic compounds already high

levels of debt, a new report says. The

International Monetary Fund believes

that 35 to 40 countries are "debt

distressed" - defined as when a country

is experiencing difficulties in servicing

its debt, such as when there are arrears

or debt restructuring.

However, this figure is a "gross

underestimation", according to the

study, led by the Pathfinders for

Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies,

based at New York University's Center

on International Cooperation.

Unsustainable rising debt levels have

seen inequality widening between

high-income countries and those in the

global south, researchers said. "We

compiled a list of countries that are

labelled as debt-distressed across a

number of criteria, and estimate

around 100 countries will have to

available.

Berumen explains that the

system, which was

developed by a Canadian

entrepreneur, uses battery

and solar power to create

commercial oxygen. She

said the equipment was

particularly useful at a time

when COVID-19 has

accelerated global demand

for oxygen and made

delivery of oxygen supplies

increasingly urgent.

"The concentrator works

to ensure oxygen is given in

healthcare settings where

oxygen is unavailable and

electricity is unstable," said

Berumen. "In this region in

Somalia, for instance, it has

been very effective in

treating childhood

pneumonia.

"It is expected that more

units could be purchased in

the future to support oxygen

delivery and good patient

outcomes." In South Africa,

Tanzania and Bangladesh, a

smartphone app that

enables people to measure

their blood pressure at home

without the need for

additional devices or

equipment is currently being

tested.

Studies are under way to

test the product in different

settings, with a view to using

it more broadly in low-and

middle-income countries,

Berumen said. According to

Anuraj Shankar, lead

researcher at the Eijkman-

Oxford Clinical Research

Unit in Jakarta, Indonesia,

enabling anyone to asses

blood pressure accurately

with an already available

device such as a smartphone

opens the door to personal

monitoring of many acute

and chronic medical

conditions.

"It is a massive leap

forward in technology

toward empowerment for

wellness and crucial in a post

COVID-19 world, Shankar

said. "The synergy with

other point-of-care tests

[tests done with the patient

rather than in a laboratory]

and the transition to digital

health globally means

optimal care for pregnant

women experiencing

hypertension, and will lead

to more healthy mothers

and healthy babies."

eLiZAbeTh MPOFu

Thursday's UN food summit

proposes to help solve the

world's nutrition crisis, with

800 million people going

hungry and 1.9 billion

labelled obese, by better

aligning food systems with

development goals. But it

won't achieve any of this. The

summit was hijacked early on

by powerful corporate

interests - but people are

resisting.

Hundreds of social

movements and civil society

groups across the world

representing small-scale and

subsistence food producers,

consumers

and

environmentalists are

protesting about the summit

for being undemocratic, nontransparent

and focused only

on strengthening only one

food system: that backed by

the big corporations. Civil

society bodies active at the

UN Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO), for

instance, are running a

massive grassroots boycott of

the summit, and there is a

website and several actions

dedicated to it. Grain, a small

nonprofit group campaigning

for biodiversity-based food

systems, shut down its

website and social media in

protest on Thursday and

many other organisations are

holding their own protests

around the world. An online

alternative forum in July,

running in parallel with the

pre-summit meeting in

Rome, attracted about 9,000

participants. This week, even

more are expected.

Even the scientific

community is walking out on

this farcical effort to address

the urgent challenges facing

our food systems. It is

especially concerned about

the summit creating a new

scientific agency to justify its

agenda, undermining existing

UN bodies already

responsible for this work.

Mainstream development

agencies are also starting to

question the wisdom of the

current direction of travel.

More than 100 countries face spending

cuts as Covid worsens debt crisis

reduce budget deficits in this period,

even though the majority are still facing

the third or fourth wave of the [Covid-

19] pandemic," the report said.

"Furthermore, the ability to cancel

this debt is complicated because many

of these countries have taken on debt

under non-concessional terms from

private lenders. The trends in [the

UN's] Financing for Development

(FFD) were entirely insufficient to meet

the SDGs [sustainable development

goals] even prior to Covid-19. Now

there is a full-blown crisis."

Countries falling into debt distress

include Tunisia, which has seen

political upheaval, as well as Zambia

and Ghana, said Faiza Shaheen, lead

A family outside their home in Lusaka, Zambia.

Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi

Small farmers have the answer

to feeding the world

Members of the farmers' basket project pick from a selection of organic

vegetables in el Salvador.

Photo: José Cabezas

The UN Environment system, undermining the It includes the struggle for

Programme has just issued a future of the millions of land and genuine agrarian

scathing nine-point small-scale farmers, fishers, reform that ensures the rights

assessment of the industrial herders, food vendors and to use and manage lands,

food system. In a recent joint processors across the world. territories, water, seeds,

report, three UN bodies In contrast, small farmers'

livestock and biodiversity are

assailed the $540bn movements such as La Via

in the hands of those who

(£396bn) of agricultural Campesina and its allies are

subsidies that governments presenting a very different

produce food and not of the

currently hand out for future. La Via Campesina

corporate sector. La Via

promoting food systems that launched its vision of "food Campesina sees agroecology

are "harmful for the sovereignty" 25 years ago, at as a viable alternative to the

environment and human the 1996 world food summit. industrial food system. It

health". Also, the UN special

rapporteur on the right to

food has rebuked the summit

Food sovereignty is the right

of peoples to healthy and

culturally appropriate food

recognises that small farmers,

including fishers, pastoralists

and indigenous people, who

for its corporate bias and lack produced through make up almost half the

of a human rights framework. sustainable methods and world's population, are

So why is the summit facing their right to define their own capable of producing food for

such widespread opposition? food and agriculture systems.

their communities and

The main reason is that It is based on a model of

feeding the world in a

organisers have given small-scale sustainable

agribusiness a lead role in the production benefiting

sustainable and healthy way.

process and largely ignored communities and the There's no doubt that the

the social movements and environment. Food current global food system

small farmers' organisations

needs a massive overhaul. It

around the world that

is being torn apart by

produce the majority of the

world's food. As a result, the

inequality, environmental

summit will unavoidably

push for an industrialised and

corporate-driven food

sovereignty prioritises local

food production and

consumption, giving a

country the right to protect its

producers from cheap

imports and to control its

production.

author of the report, which is being

launched to coincide with a UN general

assembly meeting of world leaders on

Thursday.

Zambia was the first African county

to default on debt last year during the

pandemic and now has to allocate 44%

of its annual government revenue to

creditors, Shaheen said. Ghana spends

about 37% of its national budget on

debt interest payments.

In 2019, the cost of servicing external

debts in 64 countries exceeded what

they spent on healthcare, she said.

Cameroon spent 23.8% of its budget on

debt payments, compared with 3.9% of

the country's revenue spent on health.

Researchers used a variety of

indicators to identify countries deemed

vulnerable due to rising level of debts,

including their debt-to-GDP ratio, their

debt-to-export ratio, as well as

countries labelled as fiscally vulnerable

by the UN Development Programme.

The country's credit rating and growth

trajectory were compared with its debtservice

burden.

destruction, the climate crisis,

worker and human rights

abuses, all of which were laid

bare by the Covid pandemic.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has brought

to head a debt distress crisis that has

been brewing since the aftermath of the

2008 global recession," said Shaheen.

"The situation is made worse as poor

and middle-income countries are

getting in more debt to buy vaccines, or

having to rely on the UN's Covax, which

only promises 20% of vaccine coverage

by the end of the year," she said.

"The dynamics of global debt, which

mean rich countries can borrow

cheaply and employ huge fiscal

stimulus packages while low and

middle-income countries have to cut

back, mean that global inequalities are

likely to widen."

Shaheen said richer countries had

spent on average about 6.5% of GDP on

Covid-19 fiscal stimulus, which is

almost twice the 3.3% of GDP spent by

countries at risk of abrupt fiscal

consolidation, defined as when

government policies become focused

on reducing deficits and debt, such as

through austerity measures.

MOnDAY, SePTeMBeR 27, 2021

6

Covid-19 cases reach 53,837 with

100 afresh in Rangpur

A white lion has died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur recently. Photo: Rajib Prodhan

RMCH records

five more deaths

in Covid-19 unit

RAJSHAHI: Five more deaths were

recorded at the Covid-19 unit of Rajshahi

Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in the

last 24 hours till 6am yesterday, raising the

fatality to 52 in last seven days of this

month.

The previous day's fatality figure was ten.

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 two of

the deceased were the residents of

Rajshahi, two from Chapainawabganj and

one from Naogaon, he said.

"Of the fresh fatalities, one tested positive

for Covid-19 and four others had its

symptoms," he said.

Twenty-two 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

140, including 50 positive cases.

Sixteen patients returned home from the

Covid-19 unit after being cured during the

time.

Bicycles and

sewing machines

distributed in

Lohagara

IqBAL HASSAN, LOHAGARA CORReSPONDeNT

Bicycles have been distributed among poor

female students and sewing machines have been

distributed among poor women in Lohagara on

Monday. According to sources, bicycles were

distributed among 30 female students and

sewing machines among 60 poor women

upazila Parishad conference room under the

LGSP-3 project organized by Lohagara upazila

Administration.

Narail Deputy Commissioner Mohammad

Habibur Rahman distributed bicycles and

sewing machines as the chief guest. Lohagara

upazila Nirbahi Officer Roksana Parveen

presided over the function while among others,

Additional Deputy Commissioner (General)

Mohammad Fakhrul Hasan, Narail Coordinator

of LGSP-3 Project Farzana Mustahid, Assistant

Commissioner (Land) Rakhi Banerjee, uP

Chairman Kazi Bani Amin were among others

also present on the occasion.

Bicycles have been distributed among poor female students and sewing

machines have been distributed among poor women in Lohagara recently.

Photo: Iqbal Hassan

White lion cub

dies at

Bangabandhu

Safari Park

RAJIB PRADHAN, SReePuR

CORReSPONDeNT

831 more cured from Covid-19 in

Rajshahi division

RAJSHAHI: A total of 831

more people were cured

from Covid-19 in the

division on Monday, taking

the recovery cases to

91,442 since the pandemic

began in March last year,

reports BSS.

A number of 184 more

people have tested positive

for the deadly virus in all

eight districts of the

division on the day, taking

the caseloads to 96,655,

said Dr Habibul Ahsan

Talukder, divisional

director of health.

The new daily infection

figure is one of the everlowest

in the last couple of

weeks since the second

wave hit the country

around five months back.

The previous day's positive

cases were 174 here.

The death toll however

reached 1,625, including

669 in Bogura, 301 in

Rajshahi with 177 in its city,

and 170 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 22,119

were kept in isolation units

of different dedicated

hospitals for institutional

supervision. Of them,

17,884 have by now been

released.

Meanwhile, 137 more

people have been sent to

home and institutional

quarantine afresh while

440 others were released

from isolation during the

same time.

Of the total new positive

cases, the highest 44 were

detected in Natore,

followed by 37 in Rajshahi,

including 33 in its city, 30

in Sirajganj, 28 in Pabna,

23 in Bogura, 18 in

Joypurhat, three in

Naogaon and one in

Chapainawabganj districts.

With the newly detected

patients, the district-wise

break-up of the total cases

now stands at 27,414 in

Rajshahi, including 22,088

in city, 5,524 in

Chapainawabganj, 6,324 in

Naogaon, 8,184 in Natore,

4,529 in Joypurhat, 21,156

in Bogura, 11,104 in

Sirajganj and 12,420 in

Pabna.

A total of 1,10,784 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, 1,07,159 have,

by now, been released as

they were given clearance

certificates after

completing their 14-day

quarantine.

A number of 184 more

people have tested positive

for the deadly virus in all

eight districts of the

division on the day, taking

the caseloads to 96,655,

said Dr Habibul Ahsan

Talukder, divisional

director of health.

The new daily infection

figure is one of the everlowest

in the last couple of

weeks since the second

wave hit the country

around five months back.

The previous day's positive

cases were 174 here.

The death toll however

reached 1,625, including

669 in Bogura, 301 in

Rajshahi with 177 in its city,

and 170 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 22,119

were kept in isolation units

of different dedicated

hospitals for institutional

supervision. Of them,

17,884 have by now been

released.

Meanwhile, 137 more

people have been sent to

home and institutional

A six-year-old African

white lion died at the

Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujib Safari Park in

Gazipur on Friday,

reducing the total number

of lions at the park to 10.

The white lion was found

lying dead on the ground

Friday afternoon, said the

safari park's in-charge and

assistant forest conservator

Tabibur Rahman.

Citing the autopsy report,

he said that the male lion

died of 'heat stroke', adding

that the body of the lion

was buried after the

autopsy.

Another lion, meanwhile,

has also fallen sick and is

under treatment, said the

park project director

Jahidul Kabir, also the

deputy chief forest

conservator.

'The doctors primarily

assumed that the dead lion

died of heat stroke due to

the excessive heat for the

past few days as no injury

mark was found in the

body,' he said.

The kidney and the liver

of the dead lion were

normal but it had gained a

lot of fat, he added.

Gazipur district livestock

officer S M Okil uddin said

that the samples of the lion

were also kept at the

Central Disease

Investigation Laboratory

for further investigation.

quarantine afresh while

440 others were released

from isolation during the

same time.

Of the total new positive

cases, the highest 44 were

detected in Natore,

followed by 37 in Rajshahi,

including 33 in its city, 30

in Sirajganj, 28 in Pabna,

23 in Bogura, 18 in

Joypurhat, three in

Naogaon and one in

Chapainawabganj districts.

With the newly detected

patients, the district-wise

break-up of the total cases

now stands at 27,414 in

Rajshahi, including 22,088

in city, 5,524 in

Chapainawabganj, 6,324 in

Naogaon, 8,184 in Natore,

4,529 in Joypurhat, 21,156

in Bogura, 11,104 in

Sirajganj and 12,420 in

Pabna.

A total of 1,10,784 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, 1,07,159 have,

by now, been released as

they were given clearance

certificates after

completing their 14-day

quarantine.

RANGPuR: The number of Covid-19

cases reached 53,837 with the

diagnosis of 100 cases afresh on

Monday in Rangpur division where the

coronavirus situation continues

improving during the last one month,

reports BSS.

"The 100 new Covid-19 cases were

reported after testing 895 samples at

the positivity rate of 11.17 percent on

Monday," said Focal Person of the

Covid-19 and Assistant Director

(Health) for Rangpur division Dr ZA

Siddiqui.

earlier, the daily positivity rates were

9.79 percent on Sunday, 9.80 percent

on Saturday, 6.88 on Friday, 13.48

percent on Thursday, 12.04 percent on

Wednesday and 12.08 percent on

Tuesday last in the division.

The district-wise break up of total

53,837 patients include 12,221 of

Rangpur, 3,591 Panchagarh, 4,336 of

Nilphamari, 2,700 of Lalmonirhat,

4,562 of Kurigram, 7,293 of

Thakurgaon, 14,372 of Dinajpur and

4,762 of Gaibandha districts in the

division.

"Meanwhile, two more patients died

in Thakurgaon and Gaibandha districts

during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am

A grand reception ceremony was organized by all the workers as Rafiqul Islam Rafiq, General Secretary

of Joypurhat District Motor Sramik Union who has been elected as the Organizing Secretary of the Central

Committee of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation recently.

Photo: Masrakul Alom

Reception

accorded to

workers in

Joypurhat

MASRAKuL ALOM, JOYPuRHAT

CORReSPONDeNT

A grand reception ceremony

was organized by all the

workers as Rafiqul Islam

Rafiq, General Secretary of

Joypurhat District Motor

Sramik union who has been

elected as the Organizing

Secretary of the Central

Committee of Bangladesh

Road Transport Workers

Federation on Saturday.

The ceremony eas held at a

glass couter hall of the city's

zero point. During the time,

President of Joypurhat

District Motor Sramik union

Jahangir Alam Chowdhury,

Acting President Iqbal Hasan,

Organizing Secretary Alamgir

Hasan Alam, Road Secretary

Rashad Ahmed Milon were

among others also present at

the occasion.

Police distribute

relief to flood

victims in

Gaibandha

GAIBANDHA: Police

yesterday handed over food

items to over 200 flood

affected people of different

char areas at Fulchhari

upazila in the district, reports

BSS.

Superintendent of Police

(SP) Muhammad Towhidul

Islam formally distributed the

food material.

He also assured of

providing all sorts of help and

assistance from the district

police during the natural

calamities.

yesterday raising the number of

casualties to 1,211 in the division," he

said

"The average casualty rate currently

stands at 2.25 percent in the division,"

Dr Siddiqui said.

The district-wise break up of the 1,211

fatalities currently stands at 287 in

Rangpur, 79 in Panchagarh, 87 in

Nilphamari, 64 in Lalmonirhat, 66 in

Kurigram, 245 in Thakurgaon, 320 in

Dinajpur and 63 in Gaibandha districts

of the division.

"Since the beginning of the Covid-19

pandemic, a total of 2,62,396 collected

samples were tested till Monday, and of

them, 53,837 were found Covid-19

positive with an average positivity rate

of 20.52 percent in the division,"

Siddiqui added.

Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md

Motaharul Islam said the number of

healed Covid-19 patients reached

49,313 with recovery of 313 more

patients on Monday raising the average

recovery rate to 91.60 percent in the

division.

The 49,313 recovered patients

include 10,072 of Rangpur, 3,241 of

Panchagarh, 4,158 of Nilphamari,

2,486 of Lalmonirhat, 4,293 of

RAJSHAHI: Wide-ranging

promotion of model poultry

farming can be the effective

means of protecting the

public health from various

health hazards through

ensuring safe poultry

products, reports BSS.

To make the poultry

farming and its products safe

and hygienic, all concerned,

including poultry farmers,

traders, buyers, feed

manufactures and sellers

should come forward and

work together.

The observations came at a

workshop titled "Market

Linkage with Consumers,

Buyers and Model Poultry

Farmers to Promote Safe

Poultry Products" at Hotel

Warisan in Rajshahi city

yesterday.

Local unit of Consumers

Association of Bangladesh

(CAB) organised the

workshop in association with

an issue based project on

Food Safety in Poultry Sector

and uKaid and British

Council.

The meeting discussed and

devised ways and means on

how to build a strong linkage

with farmers, buyers and

consumers for the sake of

their mutual interests in

terms of safe poultry

products and safe food.

District Livestock Officer

Dr Julfiker Akter Hossain

and Deputy Director of the

Department of National

Consumers Rights

Protection Apurba Kumar

Adhikary addressed the

workshop as the chief and

special guests respectively

with CAB local unit General

Secretary Golam Mostofa

Mamun in the chair.

upazila Livestock Officer

Dr Monirul Islam, Senior

Vice-president of Rajshahi

Chamber of Commerce and

Industries Masudur

Rahman and Paba upazila

Vice-chairman Wazed Ali

Khan also spoke.

CAB Project Field

Coordinator Mizanur

Rahman gave an overview of

the project along with its

aims, objectives and

implementation strategy

during his keynote

presentation.

He puts forward a set of

recommendations on how to

make the poultry sector safe

and hygienic. using

overrated antibiotics in

poultry feed is harmful for

public health. So, time has

come to look into the matter

with utmost emphasis.

"We have to ensure safe

poultry feed and good

poultry

farming

management," he added.

To this end, utmost

emphasis should be given on

adequate measures of

bringing all the poultry

farmers, traders, feed

manufactures, sellers and

others concerned under

necessary training to

enhance their level of

awareness in this field.

Besides, all quarters like

farmers, hatchery owners,

poultry bird sellers, feed

meal manufacturers and

sellers and the field level

Kurigram, 6,505 of Thakurgaon, 13,891

of Dinajpur and 4,667 of Gaibandha

districts in the division.

Among the 53,837 patients, 141 are

undergoing treatments at isolation

units, including 11 critical patients at

ICu beds and seven at High

Dependency unit beds, after recovery

of 49,313 patients and 1,211 deaths

while 3,172 are remaining in home

isolation.

"Meanwhile, the number of citizens

who got the first dose of the Covid- 19

vaccine rose to 21,21,541, and among

them, 8,45,253 got the second dose of

the jab till Monday in the division," Dr

Islam added.

Talking to BSS, Chief of Divisional

Coronavirus Service and Prevention

Task Force and Principal of Rangpur

Medical College Professor Dr. AKM

Nurunnobi Lyzu said the overall Covid-

19 situation is improving now in

Rangpur division.

"However, everyone should be

careful enough and properly abide by

the health directives, hygiene rules,

wear masks and maintain physical

distance to further contain spread of

the deadly virus in the division," he

added.

Promoting model farming

to ensure safe poultry

food stressed

officers and staff should

work together to this end as

there is no alternative to a

substantial and sustainable

promotion of good poultry

practice.

The discussants

unequivocally called for

promoting bio-safety

measures in poultry farming

for producing safe poultry

meat, mentioning

substantial and sustainable

promotion of bio-safety

measures can be the vital

means of curtailing the

dependence on antibiotics in

the poultry sector. In his

remarks, Dr Julifiker

Hossain said consumer

protection, in the broader

sense, refers to the laws and

regulations that ensure fair

interaction between service

providers and consumers.

The consumers' rights in

the developed nations focus

on the right to information,

choice, redress and

representation but we are

deprived of such privileges,

he mentioned.

He told the workshop that

measures should be taken to

bring all the poultry farmers,

traders, feed manufactures,

sellers and others concerned

under necessary training to

enhance their knowledge in

this field.

All quarters like farmers,

hatchery owners, poultry

bird sellers, feed meal

manufacturers and sellers

and the field level officers

and staff should come

forward and work together

to this end, he said.

mOnDAY, SePTemBer 27, 2021

7

The Taliban hanged a dead body from a crane parked in a city square in Afghanistan on Saturday in

a gruesome display that signaled the hard-line movement's retur to some of its brutal tactics of the

past.

Photo : AP

Taliban hang body in public;

signal return to past tactics

KABUL : The Taliban hanged a dead

body from a crane parked in a city

square in Afghanistan on Saturday in a

gruesome display that signaled the

hard-line movement's return to some

of its brutal tactics of the past.

Taliban officials initially brought four

bodies to the central square in the

western city of Herat, then moved three

of them to other parts of the city for

public display, said Wazir Ahmad

Seddiqi, who runs a pharmacy on the

edge of the square. Taliban officials

announced that the four were caught

taking part in a kidnapping earlier

Saturday and were killed by police,

Seddiqi said. Ziaulhaq Jalali, a Talibanappointed

district police chief in Herat,

said later that Taliban members

rescued a father and son who had been

abducted by four kidnappers after an

exchange of gunfire. He said a Taliban

fighter and a civilian were wounded by

the kidnappers, and that the

kidnappers were killed in crossfire.

An Associated Press video showed

crowds gathering around the crane and

peering up at the body as some men

At least 6 killed

in Houthi attack

in northern

Yemen: official

HAJJAH : At least six people

were killed and more than

20 others injured when

crowds celebrating a public

holiday in the northwestern

Yemeni province of Hajjah

Saturday night were hit by a

ballistic missile launched by

Houthi rebels, said a

government official who

preferred to remain

unnamed.

When the attack occurred,

hundreds of local residents

and soldiers were believed to

be attending an event

marking the 59th

anniversary of the country's

1962 revolution in a public

square in downtown Midi

City, a coastal city under

government control.

So far, Xinhua has no

other sources to confirm the

casualties.

Yemen's 1962 revolution

turned the country into a

republic. Its anniversary is a

Yemeni public holiday that

falls on Sept. 26, and this

year's anniversary was

marked by celebrations held

in government-controlled

cities and provinces.

Yemen has been mired in

a civil war since 2014 when

the Iran-backed Houthi

group seized control of

much of the country's north

and forced the

internationally recognized

government of President

Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi

out of the capital Sanaa.

The government army

recaptured Midi in 2018

after years of fierce fighting

with Houthi rebels.

The Yemeni civil war has

killed tens of thousands of

people, displaced 4 million,

and pushed the nation to the

brink of starvation.

chanted. "The aim of this action is to

alert all criminals that they are not

safe," a Taliban commander who did

not identify himself told the AP in an

on-camera interview conducted in the

square.

Since the Taliban overran Kabul on

Aug. 15 and seized control of the

country, Afghans and the world have

been watching to see whether they will

re-create their harsh rule of the late

1990s, which included public stonings

and limb amputations of alleged

criminals, some of which took place in

front of large crowds at a stadium.

After one of the Taliban's founders

said in an interview with The

Associated Press this past week that the

hard-line movement would once again

carry out executions and amputations

of hands, the U.S. State Department

said such acts "would constitute clear

gross abuses of human rights."

Spokesman Ned Price told reporters

Friday at his briefing that the United

States would "stand firm with the

international community to hold

perpetrators of these - of any such

abuses - accountable." The Taliban's

leaders remain entrenched in a deeply

conservative, hard-line worldview,

even if they are embracing

technological changes, such as video

and mobile phones.

"Everyone criticized us for the

punishments in the stadium, but we

have never said anything about their

laws and their punishments," Mullah

Nooruddin Turabi said in the AP

interview. "No one will tell us what our

laws should

be. We will follow Islam and we will

make our laws on the Quran."

Also Saturday, a roadside bomb hit a

Taliban car in the capital of eastern

Nangarhar province, wounding at least

one person, a Taliban official said. No

one immediately claimed responsibility

for the bombing. The Islamic State

group affiliate, which is headquartered

in eastern Afghanistan, has said it was

behind similar attacks in Jalalabad last

week that killed 12 people.

The person wounded in the attack is a

municipal worker, Taliban

spokesperson Mohammad Hanif said.

Russia says it's in sync with US,

China, Pakistan on Taliban

UNITED NATIONS : Russia, China,

Pakistan and the United States are working

together to ensure that Afghanistan's new

Taliban rulers keep their promises,

especially to form a genuinely representative

government and prevent extremism from

spreading, Russia's foreign minister said

Saturday.

Sergey Lavrov said the four countries are in

ongoing contact. He said representatives

from Russia, China and Pakistan recently

traveled to Qatar and then to Afghanistan's

capital, Kabul, to engage with both the

Taliban and representatives of "secular

authorities" - former president Hamid

Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who headed

the ousted government's negotiating council

with the Taliban. Lavrov said the interim

government announced by the Taliban does

not reflect "the whole gamut of Afghan

society - ethno-religious and political forces -

so we are engaging in contacts. They are

ongoing." The Taliban have promised an

inclusive government, a more moderate

form of Islamic rule than when they last

ruled the country from 1996 to 2001

including respecting women's rights,

providing stability after 20 years of war,

fighting terrorism and extremism and

stopping militants from using their territory

to launch attacks. But recent moves suggest

they may be returning to more repressive

policies, particularly toward women and

girls. "What's most important ... is to ensure

that the promises that they have proclaimed

publicly to be kept," Lavrov said. "And for us,

that is the top priority."

At a wide-ranging news conference and in

his speech afterward at the U.N. General

Assembly, Lavrov criticized the Biden

administration including for its hasty

withdrawal from Afghanistan.

He said the U.S. and NATO pullout "was

carried out out without any consideration of

the consequences ... that there are many

weapons left in Afghanistan." It remains

critical, he said, that such weapons aren't

used for "destructive purposes."

Later, in his assembly speech, Lavrov

accused the United States and its Western

U.S. officials admitted a drone strike in a Kabul neighborhood killed 10

civilians.

Photo : AP

allies of "persistent attempts to diminish the

U.N.'s role in resolving the key problems of

today or to sideline it or to make it a

malleable tool for promoting someone's

selfish interests." As examples, Lavrov said

Germany and France recently announced

the creation of an Alliance For

Multilateralism "even though what kind of

structure could be more multilateral than the

United Nations?"

Hurricane Sam

becomes Category 4

storm far from land

MIAMI : Far from land,

Hurricane

Sam

strengthened into a

Category 4 hurricane in the

Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.

No coastal watches or

warnings were in effect for

Sam, which was about 990

miles (1,595 kilometers)

east-southeast of the

northern Leeward Islands in

the Caribbean Sea on

Saturday night. It was

moving west-northwest at 8

mph (13 kph).

The U.S. National

Hurricane Center in Miami

said Sam had maximum

sustained winds of 145 mph

(230 kph). Forecasters said

Sam could get even stronger

Sunday morning with winds

of 150 mph (240 kph).

Swells from the storm

could cause dangerous rip

current conditions off the

coast of the Lesser Antilles

early next week, officials

said.

Meanwhile Teresa, which

had been a subtropical

storm, faded to a remnant

low Saturday, about 150

miles (240 kph) north of

Bermuda.

India records 28,326

new COVID-19 cases

NEW DELHI : India's

COVID-19 tally rose to

33,652,745 on Sunday, as

28,326 new cases were

registered during the past 24

hours across the country,

showed the federal health

ministry's latest data.

Besides, as many as 260

deaths due to the pandemic

since Saturday morning

took the total death toll to

446,918. Most of the new

cases and deaths were

reported from the southern

state of Kerala.

There are still 303,476

active COVID-19 cases in the

country as there was a rise of

2034 active cases during the

past 24 hours. The number

of active cases has been on

the rise for the past two days,

after falling for several days

in the country.

A total of 32,902,351

people have been

successfully cured and

discharged from hospitals so

far, out of which 26,032

were discharged during the

past 24 hours.

Israeli PM says to meet

Gulf ministers in U.S.

JERUSALEM, Sept 26

(Xinhua/UNB) -- Israeli

Prime Minister Naftali

Bennett said on Saturday

that he will hold his first

meetings with senior Gulf

ministers in New York.

Bennett was set to depart

on Saturday night to the

United States to address the

UN General Assembly on

Monday, his office said in a

statement. On Sunday, he is

expected to meet Bahraini

Foreign Minister Abdullatif

bin Rashid Al Zayani and the

United Arab Emirates

(UAE) Minister of State

Khalifa Shaheen Almarar,

according to the statement.

US, Pakistan face each other

again on Afghanistan threats

WASHINGTON : The Taliban's

takeover of Kabul has deepened the

mutual distrust between the U.S. and

Pakistan, putative allies who have

tangled over Afghanistan. But both

sides still need each other.

As the Biden administration looks for

new ways to stop terrorist threats in

Afghanistan, it probably will look again

to Pakistan, which remains critical to

U.S. intelligence and national security

because of its proximity to Afghanistan

and connections to the Taliban leaders

now in charge. Over two decades of

war, American officials accused

Pakistan of playing a double game by

promising to fight terrorism and

cooperate with Washington while

cultivating the Taliban and other

extremist groups that attacked U.S.

forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad pointed to what it saw as

failed promises of a supportive

government in Kabul after the U.S.

drove the Taliban from power after the

attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as extremist

COVID-19 vaccine boosters could

mean billions for drugmakers

NEW YORK : Billions more in profits are at

stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S.

moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster

shots to shore up Americans' protection

against the virus.

How much the manufacturers stand to

gain depends on how big the rollout proves

to be.

U.S. health officials late on Thursday

endorsed booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine

for all Americans 65 and older - along with

tens of millions of younger people who are at

higher risk from the coronavirus because of

health conditions or their jobs.

Officials described the move as a first step.

Boosters will likely be offered even more

broadly in the coming weeks or months,

including boosters of vaccines made by

Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. That,

plus continued growth in initial vaccinations,

could mean a huge gain in sales and profits

for Pfizer and Moderna in particular.

"The opportunity quite frankly is reflective

of the billions of people around the world

who would need a vaccination and a boost,"

Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said.

Wall Street is taking notice. The average

forecast among analysts for Moderna's 2022

revenue has jumped 35% since President Joe

Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-

August.

Most of the vaccinations so far in the U.S.

have come from Pfizer, which developed its

shot with Germany's BioNTech, and

Billions more in profits are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S.

moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans'

protection against the virus.

Photo : AP

groups took refuge in eastern

Afghanistan and launched deadly

attacks throughout Pakistan.

But the U.S. wants Pakistani

cooperation in counterterrorism efforts

and could seek permission to fly

surveillance flights into Afghanistan or

other intelligence cooperation.

Pakistan wants U.S. military aid and

good relations with Washington, even

as its leaders openly celebrate the

Taliban's rise to power.

"Over the last 20 years, Pakistan has

been vital for various logistics purposes

for the U.S. military. What's really been

troubling is that, unfortunately, there

hasn't been a lot of trust," said U.S. Rep.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois

Democrat who is on the House

Intelligence Committee. "I think the

question is whether we can get over

that history to arrive at a new

understanding." Pakistan's prime

minister, in remarks Friday to the U.N.

General Assembly, made clear there is a

long way to go. Imran Khan tried to

Moderna. They have inoculated about 99

million and 68 million people, respectively.

Johnson and Johnson is third with about 14

million people. No one knows yet how many

people will get the extra shots. But

Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen

expects boosters alone to bring in about $26

billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and

BioNTech and around $14 billion for

Moderna if they are endorsed for nearly all

Americans.

Those companies also may gain business

from people who got other vaccines initially.

In Britain, which plans to offer boosters to

everyone over 50 and other vulnerable

people, an expert panel has recommended

that Pfizer's shot be the primary choice, with

Moderna as the alternative.

Andersen expects Moderna, which has no

other products on the market, to generate a

roughly $13 billion profit next year from all

COVID-19 vaccine sales if boosters are

broadly authorized.

Potential vaccine profits are harder to

estimate for Pfizer, but company executives

have said they expect their pre-tax adjusted

profit margin from the vaccine to be in the

"high 20s" as a percentage of revenue. That

would translate to a profit of around $7

billion next year just from boosters, based on

Andersen's sales prediction.

J and J and Europe's AstraZeneca have

said they don't intend to profit from their

COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

Neo-Nazis are still on Facebook

BRUSSELS : It's the premier martial arts

group in Europe for right-wing extremists.

German authorities have twice banned their

signature tournament. But Kampf der

Nibelungen, or Battle of the Nibelungs, still

thrives on Facebook, where organizers

maintain multiple pages, as well as on

Instagram and YouTube, which they use to

spread their ideology, draw in recruits and

make money through ticket sales and

branded merchandise.

The Battle of the Nibelungs - a reference to

a classic heroic epic much loved by the Nazis

- is one of dozens of far-right groups that

continue to leverage mainstream social

media for profit, despite Facebook's and

other platforms' repeated pledges to purge

themselves of extremism.

All told, there are at least 54 Facebook

profiles belonging to 39 entities that the

German government and civil society groups

have flagged as extremist, according to

research shared with The Associated Press

by the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit

policy and advocacy group formed to

combat extremism. The groups have nearly

268,000 subscribers and friends on

Facebook alone. CEP also found 39 related

Instagram profiles, 16 Twitter profiles and

34 YouTube channels, which have gotten

over 9.5 million views. Nearly 60% of the

profiles were explicitly aimed at making

money, displaying prominent links to online

shops or photos promoting merchandise.

Click on the big blue "view shop" button on

the Erik and Sons Facebook page and you

can buy a T-shirt that says, "My favorite color

is white," for 20 euros ($23). Deutsches

Warenhaus offers "Refugees not welcome"

stickers for just 2.50 euros ($3) and Aryan

Brotherhood tube scarves with skull faces for

5.88 euros ($7). The Facebook feed of OPOS

Records promotes new music and

merchandise, including "True Aggression,"

"Pride and Dignity," and "One Family" T-

shirts.

portray his country as the victim of

American ungratefulness for its

assistance in Afghanistan over the

years. Instead of a mere "word of

appreciation," Pakistan has received

blame, Khan said. Former diplomats

and intelligence officers from both

countries say the possibilities for

cooperation are severely limited by the

events of the past two decades and

Pakistan's enduring competition with

India. The previous Afghan

government, which was strongly

backed by India, routinely accused

Pakistan of harboring the Taliban. The

new Taliban government includes

officials that American officials have

long believed are linked to Pakistan's

spy agency, the Inter-Services

Intelligence.

Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani

ambassador to the United States, said

he understood "the temptation of

officials in both countries to try and

take advantage of the situation" and

find common ground.

MonDAY, SepteMber 27, 2021

8

Primeasia University signed an agreement with Harbin

Science and Technology University of China

Primeasia University (PaU)

and Harbin Science and Technology

University of China

have signed a Memorandum

of Understanding (MoU) on

cooperation in various fields

including education, research,

publication, exchange of academic

information. The signing

ceremony was held in the

hall room of Primeasia University,

Banani, Dhaka

recently, a press release said.

The Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) was

signed on behalf of Harbin

Democratic

leader vows

to avert US

government

shutdown

WASHINGTON: The leader

of the Democratic-controlled

US House of Representatives

vowed Thursday to avert a

looming government

shutdown as federal funds run

out, despite a pledge by

opposition Republicans to

block the move, reports BSS.

Lawmakers have until

September 30 to green-light a

package to fund the

government ahead of the

stoppage, which typically

leads to hundreds of

thousands of workers being

sent home while parks,

museums and other federal

properties and services are

closed.

The House passed a

"continuing resolution" (CR)

Tuesday which would keep

federal agencies open until

December 3 -- a move

supported by Republicans.

But Democratic leaders also

attached a debt ceiling

suspension following

warnings that the Treasury

Department will be unable to

obtain new loans some time in

October.

The debt ceiling is the

amount above which the

country cannot issue new

loans to fund government

agencies and make loan

repayments.

Republicans usually

support raising the debt limit

but have vowed to block any

stopgap funding bill that

extends the Treasury

Department's borrowing

authority this time around.

"Whatever it is, we will have

a CR that passes both houses

by September 30," Speaker

Nancy Pelosi told a news

conference-without giving

details on the plan to break

the deadlock.

Economists estimate that

failure to extend the debt limit

would erase six million jobs

and wipe out $15 trillion of

household wealth, tanking the

economy and threatening a

global meltdown.

Republicans are refusing to

help solve the impasse in

protest at President Joe

Biden's plans for an

"irresponsible" $3.5 trillion

public works package on top

of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure

spending bill that already

passed the Senate with crossparty

support.

Without Republican

backing, however, it is not

clear how the CR will get the

60 votes it needs to advance in

the Senate, where the 100

seats are evenly divided

between the two parties.

WASHINGTON : After an investigation

found she used her senior role at the World

Bank to manipulate data in favor of China,

IMF Managing Director Kristalina

Georgieva on Friday issued a statement

again denying misconduct and rejecting the

report, reports BSS.

"Let me be clear: the conclusions are

wrong. I did not pressure anyone to alter any

reports. There was absolutely no quid pro

quo related to funding for the World Bank of

any kind," Georgieva wrote in a statement.

An independent investigation released last

week found that during her time as World

Bank CEO, Georgieva was among top

officials who pressured staff into changing

data to China's benefit in the 2018 edition of

its closely watched Doing Business report.

The bank has since scrapped the report,

while the US Treasury called the findings

"serious."

In a statement released through US

strategic communications firm SKDK rather

than through the IMF, Georgieva, who took

the top job at the Washington-based crisis

lender in 2019, pledged changes to her

Bangladesh to attract more

foreign investment

State Minister for Planning Dr

Shamsul Islam on Saturday said

Bangladesh is poised for

attracting more foreign

investments, especially from

China, says a press relese.

"Bangladesh as the No.1

country in terms of per capita

income and all human

development indexes in

Southeast Asia is poised for

more attractive and fruitful

investment, especially Chinese

investment," he said while

addressing a webinar titled

"Chinese Investment - Prospects

& Challenges in Bangladesh,"

Science and Technology University

by its President Liu Xia

and the agreement was signed

on behalf of Primeasia University

by Vice Chancellor

(Acting) Professor Dr. Mesbah

Kamal.

Through this agreement,

the two universities will get

mutual cooperation in higher

education (Ph.D., M.Phil,

Masters), research, publication,

exchange of academic

information, exchange of

teachers and researchers,

exchange of students, conducting

joint research activities

etc. Speaking on the occasion

as the session Chair, Vice

Chancellor (Acting) of

Primeasia University, Prof.

Dr. Mesbah Kamal said,

"Bangladesh has a historic

relationship with China. China

is one of Bangladesh's

development partners,

including trade and commerce.

China is a genuine

friend of Bangladesh. So, I

think this agreement will

make the relationship

between the two countries

arranged by Bangladesh China

Chamber of Commerce &

Industry (BCCCI).

Dr Shamsul Alam

underscored the need of

expanding the horizon of

Chinese investment in

Bangladesh, said a press release.

With advanced technology,

human skills, congenial

infrastructure and investment

friendly atmosphere, he said,

"Bangladesh could become the

leading investment destination

of Chinese investment."

BCCCI President Gazi Golam

Mortuza, Senior Vice President

stronger."

Raihan Azad, Acting Chairman

of the Board of Trustees

of Primeasia University, who

is present at the event and

said that signing of the Memorandum

of Understanding

between the two countries as a

milestone in advancing educational

activities. He thanked

all the two universities

involved in this initiative.

Prof. Dr. Md. Nurunnabi

Mollah, Pro-Vice Chancellor

(Designate) and Prof. Dr. Iffat

Jahan, Treasurer (Acting) of

Primeasia University were

present on the occasion.

Prof. Dr. Arifatul Kibria,

Director, Institute of Language

& Culture, and the

Focal Point for Chinese collaboration

in Primeasia University

gave welcome speech

the program while Prof. Dr.

Nashid Kamal, Dean, School

of Business, moderated the

MoU signing ceremony.

All the Deans, Directors,

Chairpersons and Administrative

Heads of Different Sections

of the University were

present on the occasion in

compliance with the Hygiene

Rules. All other teachers, officials

and students participated

virtually.

IMF chief says she 'did

not pressure anyone'

while at World Bank

management style.

"As much as I have strived to be open and

inclusive, I was very sorry to learn that some

staffers felt their concerns were not heard.

Moving forward, I will make sure to be even

more attentive to hearing staff views," she

wrote.

The probe from an outside law firm found

that Georgieva along with her associate

Simeon Djankov, a former Bulgarian finance

minister who created the report, and Jim

Yong Kim, then-president of the bank,

pressured staff to change the calculation of

China's ranking to avoid angering Beijing.

The push came while bank leadership was

engaged in sensitive negotiations with

Beijing over increasing the bank's lending

capital.

Nobel Laureate Paul Romer, who was chief

economist for the World Bank during her

time there and later resigned after raising

separate concerns about the Doing Business

rankings, told AFP "the kind of intimidation

this report describes was real" and said

Georgieva arranged a "whitewash" of his

criticisms.

ATM Azizul Akil David,

Mohsina Yasmin, Executive

Member, Bangladesh

Investment Development

Authority (BIDA), Mahbub Uz

Zanan Ambassador of

Bangladesh to China were the

special guests at the Webinar,

participated as discussants by

Mr Md. Mazadul Hoque,

Economic Analyst, Dr M Abu

Eusuf, Professor of Dhaka

University & Director of RAPID,

Siddiqui Legal Economist & Co-

Convener of Bangladesh

Columnists Forum attended the

event.

Standard Chartered launches SMART Card

Standard Chartered

Bangladesh recently

announced the launch of

Standard Chartered SMART

Credit Card ("SMART Card").

This unique credit card is

designed for the digital-first

lifestyle, offering everyday

benefits centring around convenient

borrowing, digital

rewards and self-service capabilities,

a press release said.

Extensive client research by

the Bank shows that particularly

younger clients prefer

simple borrowing features

available within their card.

They prefer to be serviced digitally

and enjoy rewards for

digital spend. Research has

also shown that COVID-19

has changed the consumers'

spending behaviours, with

consumers becoming more

careful with their expenses

while spending more on

basics than they did prior to

the pandemic. The SMART

Card delivers convenient borrowing,

digital rewards and

self-service capabilities, offering

a range of cash-back, savings

and fee waiver privileges

that are carefully designed to

help clients make the most of

their digital-first lifestyle. This

unique offering is the first

credit card in the market to be

manufactured through a carbon-neutral

process and bears

the Certified Carbon Neutral

logo.

Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Chief

Executive Officer at Standard

Chartered Bangladesh said,

"Smart Card has been conceptualized

by millennials for

those who resonate with the

Eurozone exposure

to Evergrande

'limited': Lagarde

FRANKFURT : European

Central Bank chief Christine

Lagarde said on Friday that

the potential collapse of the

troubled Chinese real-estate

giant Evergrande would

have a "limited" impact on

the eurozone, reports BSS.

Markets plunged at the

beginning of the week by

fears that Evergrande-one of

China's biggest developers in

the crucial property sectorwould

collapse under debts

worth over $300 billion,

taking other companies with

it and serving a blow to the

world economy.

"I have very vivid

memories of the latest stock

market developments in

China that had a bearing

across the world," Lagarde

told news channel CNBC.

"But in Europe and in the

euro area in particular,

direct exposure would be

limited," she said.

The struggles at

Evergrande would have a

"China-centric impact",

Lagarde said, while officials

at the ECB, wary of the

interconnected nature of

markets, were following

developments closely.

The president of

Evergrande Xu Jiayin was

reported by Chinese stateowned

media to have told

group managers on

Wednesday to "make every

effort to fulfil" its payment

obligations.

But market observers are

keeping close tabs on the

battered real estate firm,

with no sign that it had paid

interest to bondholders on a

note due Thursday, though

the group has a 30-day grace

period to stump up before it

is considered in default.

Commenting in the same

interview on the risk of

persistent inflation in the

eurozone, above the ECB's

two-percent target, Lagarde

said the bank expected "a

return to much more

stability in the year to come

because many of the causes

of higher prices are

temporary." "A lot of it has to

do with energy prices," the

former French finance

minister said, as short

supply of natural gas in

Europe has pushed bills up.

Lagarde also pointed to

the end of VAT holidays in

Europe, deployed last year

to mitigate the economic

impact of the coronavirus

pandemic, as a temporary

driver of inflation.

mindset of Millennials. It supports

their digital lifestyle,

affinity towards social causes

and aspirational or growth

mind-set, as this is the first

carbon-neutral card in the

market, provides option to

contribute towards community

projects that support disadvantaged

young people, especially

girls, with visual impairment

and offers privileges

against subscription of knowledge

and lifestyle websites.

Smart Card will evolve based

on clients' behaviour and

feedback. I would like to

thank Visa Card for being our

partner to this unique and

innovative initiative."

Sabbir Ahmed, Head of

Consumer, Private & Business

Walton launches high-quality

affordable soundbars

Bangladeshi technology

products manufacturer

Walton has launched two

models of soundbars under

its sound device brand

'Chorus' for entertainment

lovers. The soundbars with

attractive designs and

features will provide a sweet

and strong sound system

when using it with various

devices including mobile

phone, laptop, tab, television.

The high-quality affordable

soundbars can be operated

through remote control

system staying any corner of

the room, a press release

said.

Modelled as WSB40 and

WSB120, the soundbars have

LCD display as especial

feature. With a capacity of

40W, the 900mm length,

68mm height and 90mm

wide WSB40 model has 4

high quality stereo speakers

with Bluetooth, AUX, HDMI

and USB play mode.

WSB120 model has 120W

of output power with a

subwoofer added as

additional facility, ensuring

comfortable sound quality.

The two soundbars price at

BDT 5,750 and BDT 9,750

respectively are available at

all Walton showrooms across

the country. Customers will

get one year service warranty

on the devices.

Engineer Liakat Ali,

Deputy Managing Director of

Walton Digi-Tech Industries

Limited, said, Walton is

constantly producing and

marketing new products for

its customers. Walton has

earlier also released 3:1

speakers and Bluetooth

speakers in the market that

received huge response from

customers. Walton has

launched these soundbars in

continuation with the

customers' feedback. With

these high quality audio

devices, customers can enjoy

comfortable sound quality

which will add a different

dimension to the

entertainment of their daily

lives.

Bank of England holds stimulus

despite soaring inflation

LONDON: The Bank of England on

Thursday left its record-low interest rate and

vast stimulus unchanged, despite warning

that inflation would rise more than expected

this year on soaring energy costs, reports

BSS.

The BoE opted against following the US

Federal Reserve, which on Wednesday

indicated it would soon start tapering its own

emergency aid.

The BoE's nine-strong monetary policy

committee (MPC) voted unanimously to

hold its key borrowing cost at 0.1 percent, a

statement said.

Policymakers voted 7-2 in favour of

keeping the bank's quantitative easing (QE),

or asset-buying stimulus, at almost o900

billion ($1.2 trillion, 1.0 trillion euros).

However, developments over the past

month had "strengthened" the case for some

tightening of monetary policy in the medium

term, according to the minutes from the

Banking, Bangladesh, Standard

Chartered said, "Standard

Chartered SMART Card

serves the everyday needs of

our young, dynamic clientbase

with everyday benefits.

The unique Card caters to our

evolving lifestyles, providing

great value for money to support

our clients' the daily

spending needs. With the

SMART Card, consumers can

earn big and save more

through everyday spending.

Cardholders can also enjoy

the flexibility of interest-free

instalment to meet unexpected

financial needs or easily

finance their purchases."

This new offering adds

another "first" to the Bank's

legacy of pioneering innovations

that have led the transformation

of Bangladesh's

retail banking industry. Standard

Chartered was the first

Bank in the country to introduce

Credit Cards.

The bank was also the first

to launch ATMs in

Bangladesh to promote alternate

channel banking along

with internet banking solutions

for the retail customers.

Continuing the pioneering

streak, the Bank was the first

to introduce an automated

24-hour call centre. Standard

Chartered is the only multinational

universal Bank in

Bangladesh, offering a full

range of financial services to

cater to its clients' needs.

gathering.

The BoE warned that "considerable

uncertainties remain" over the outlook,

including the end of the UK government's

furlough jobs support scheme next week.

Global central banks are grappling with

when to withdraw ultra-loose monetary

policy and massive stimulus as Covidblighted

economies start to recover.

While BoE tapering could still be some

time off, the bank indicated following its

latest regular meeting that two of its

policymakers "preferred to stop the current

asset purchase programme as soon as

practical" rather than continuing it until

around the end of the year as planned.

"Continuing with asset purchases when

CPI inflation was above 3.0 percent and the

output gap was closed might cause mediumterm

inflation expectations to drift up

further."

MONDAY, SEPTEMbER 27 , 2021

9

Atletico Madrid's Rodrigo De Paul in action against Alaves.

Photo: AP

Real Madrid's attack stalls in

draw against Villareal

SPORTS DESK

With Karim Benzema and Vinicius

Junior finally contained, Real Madrid

saw its five-match winning streak come

to an end with a 0-0 draw against

Villarreal at home in the Spanish league

on Saturday, reports UNB.

It was the first time this season

Madrid was held scoreless after

outscoring opponents 22-8 in its first

seven matches in all competitions. Its 21

goals in six league games was its best

mark since 1987-88.

Benzema and Vinicius Junior had

been carrying Madrid's attack so far,

with at least one of them scoring in five

of the first seven matches. Benzema

leads the league's scoring charts with

eight goals, followed by Vinicius Junior

with five. The draw gave Madrid a

three-point lead over Sevilla, which

earlier Saturday defeated Espanyol 2-0

at home. Sevilla has a game in hand.

Defending champion Atletico Madrid

dropped to third place after a stunning

1-0 loss at then last-placed Alaves.

The visitors had some of the best

scoring chances at the Santiago

Bernabeu Stadium, with goalkeeper

Thibaut Courtois having to make a

couple of good saves. Madrid, unbeaten

in 25 consecutive league matches,

struggled to find the target throughout

the match. "It's a bit frustrating to draw

USA grabs 11-5

edge over Europe

at Ryder Cup

SPORTS DESK

The United States seized a

commanding 11-5 lead over

Europe at the Ryder Cup on

Saturday, with the visitors

needing a record comeback

on Sunday to deny the

Americans the trophy,

reports BSS.

The US squad, boasting

nine of the world's 11 topranked

players, need only

3.5 points in Sunday's 12

final singles matches at

Whistling Straits to reclaim

the Ryder Cup while Europe

need nine points to keep it.

"You know, it's not over,"

said US star Dustin

Johnson, the only 4-0 player

at this year's Ryder Cup.

"We've still got to go out and

everybody needs to play

well. We've still got to get

four points or 3 ½."

There was a sense Sunday

could be a "Wake by the

Lake" for Europe on the

Lake Michigan shoreline as

no team has rallied from

more than a 10-6 last-day

deficit to capture the Ryder

Cup, that coming for Europe

in the 2012 "Miracle at

Medinah."

"Let's see if we can make

history," Spain's Sergio

Garcia said after two wins

with Jon Rahm on Saturday.

"We're not going to give

up, that's for sure. It's going

to be difficult but we're going

to give it our best. We're

going to fight until the end as

hard as we can."

The Americans won a

third consecutive session 3-1

in Saturday foursomes and

split four four-ball matches

to grab their largest two-day

lead in the team golf

showdown since 1975.

at home, but we faced a good team, a

Champions League team," Courtois

said. "We didn't have many clear

chances. They had better ones. It was

important to keep a clean sheet."

ATLETICO STALLS

Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann

were held again as Atletico missed a

chance to regain the lead in its visit to

Alaves. Victor Laguardia scored with a

header off a corner four minutes into

the match to give Alaves its first points

of the season and end Atletico's

unbeaten run. The defending

champions hadn't lost in seven matches

in all competitions this season.

Diego Simeone's team has won only

one of its last four matches in all

competitions, with the only goals during

that run coming from Suarez late in the

2-1 come-from-behind win at Getafe on

Tuesday. Suarez couldn't come through

on Saturday, and Griezmann continued

to disappoint in his return to Atletico

after a two-year stint with Barcelona.

The France forward is yet to score in

eight games with Atletico this season.

Simeone couldn't count on Portugal

forward Joao Felix because of a twogame

suspension for disrespecting a

referee. "Alaves played very well

defensively and deserved the victory,"

Simeone said. "It's normal to go through

difficult moments during the season

and that's probably happening to us

right now." The home victory kept

Alaves from equaling its worst-ever

start to the league after six straight

losses in 2017-18. The win also moved

the team off the bottom of the league.

Alaves hadn't beaten Atletico in the

league since 2003, with eight losses and

four draws in that span.

The only team left without a point to

start the season is Getafe, which visits

Real Betis on Sunday.

SEVILLA MOVES UP

Sevilla moved to second place by

beating Espanyol at home with goals

by Youssef En-Nesyri in the first half

and Rafa Mir near the end of the

match.

Julien Lopetegui's team played a man

down from the 65th after losing

midfielder Thomas Delaney with two

yellow cards after complaining to the

referee.

VALENCIA RALLIES

Valencia rallied late with 10 men to

draw 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao at home,

halting a two-game losing streak.

Bilbao took the lead with a goal from

Inigo Martinez in the 69th but Marcos

Andre equalized five minutes into

stoppage time at Mestalla Stadium.

The hosts had lost Maxi Gomez with

a red card in the 82nd. The victory

moved Valencia to fifth place, while

Bilbao _ enduring a three-match

winless run _ stayed in seventh.

England will bring a 'super strong'

side for Ashes, insists Starc

SPORTS DESK

Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc

said the Ashes mean "as much to English

cricket as it does Australia cricket" and that

the tourists will bring a "super strong" side

for the gruelling tour, reports UNB.

With England set to tour Australia for the

traditional Ashes series in December, there

are concerns in England over the impact of

the lengthy bio-bubble on the health of the

players as the team will be going Down

Under soon after the T20 World Cup in the

UAE. To lessen the mental stress, England

players have sought to travel with their

families for the Ashes, a move opposed by

the Australian government which has

imposed strict travel restrictions on visitors

due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris

Johnson has also stepped in on behalf of his

country's cricketers and has pleaded for the

families to be allowed to travel to Australia

with the players to lessen the stress caused

by staying away from the family during

Christmas.

Cricket Australia is in talks with the

England board and the federal and state

governments to resolve the issue amid fears

that several members of Joe Root-led side

might pull out of the five-Test series.

"I can't think that they wouldn't send a

super-strong team. They might have one or

two players with young families, or have

been on the circuit a fair bit through Covid

times, and don't want to tour. The Ashes

mean as much to English cricket as it does

Australia cricket," Starc told the Seven

Network on Saturday. "Stuart Broad

mentioned the other day, he'd say yes in a

heartbeat, and he's one of their premier fast

bowlers." While pace bowler Jofra Archer

has been ruled out due to an elbow injury,

star all-rounder Ben Stokes too is unlikely to

be a member of the touring side as he has

taken an indefinite mental-health break and

will also be missing the T20 World Cup in

UAE and Oman in October-November.

Australia's cricket team poses with the Ashes Urn after the fourth day of

the fifth Ashes cricket test match between England and Australia at the

Oval cricket ground in 2019.

Photo: AP

Bangladesh

U-19 to travel

Sri Lanka in

October

SPORTS DESK

Bangladesh U-19 cricket

team will travel Sri Lanka in

October this year for a fivematch

one-day series

against their Lankan

counterparts, Sri Lanka

Cricket confirmed, reports

UNB.

Bangladesh will reach Sri

Lanka on October 7. All the

matches will be played

under a strict bio-secure

environment.

While the first match of

the series will take place on

October 15, the other

matches will be played on

October 18, 20, 23, and 35

respectively. The venues for

this series will be confirmed

later.

Bangladesh U-19 recently

played a five-match one-day

series and a four-day match

against Afghanistan at

home. They won the oneday

series 3-2, but lost the

solitary four-day match.

Left-arm Bangladeshi

spinner Naimur Rohman

bagged 13 wickets in the

one-day series with a fivewicket

haul, while

Izharulhaq Naveed, and

Shahidullah Hasani of

Afghanistan bagged 11 and

10 wickets respectively.

Bangladesh's righthanded

batter Aich Mollah

scored 148 runs in five

matches with a hundred

while Mahfijul Islam,

another Bangladeshi batter

scored 100 in as many

matches.

Pele sorry for delay

in hailing Messi for

breaking goals

record

SPORTS DESK

Pele on Saturday praised

"outstanding" Lionel Messi

for breaking his record as

the top goal scorer in a South

American national team but

apologised for the delay in

offering his congratulations,

reports UNB.

Messi's hat-trick in a

World Cup qualifier for

Argentina against Bolivia on

September 9 came just four

days after Brazilian legend

Pele had undergone surgery

for a suspected colon

tumour.

"Hi @leomessi, sorry if I'm

late. However, I didn't want

to pass up the chance to

congratulate you for another

record broken earlier this

month," Pele wrote on

Instagram.

"Your talent when playing

soccer is outstanding! I hope

you achieve even more,

alongside my friends

@k.mbappe and @neymarjr

(at PSG)."

Messi surpassed Pele's

record of 77 international

goals and now boasts 79 in

his career. On Friday, Pele's

daughter said her 80-yearold

father has taken "several

steps" towards recovery

after his operation three

weeks ago.

Panchagarh DSA

emerge champions

in youth girls'

handball

SPORTS DESK

Panchagarh District Sports

Association (DSA) emerged

champions in the 2nd

National Youth U-17 Girls'

Handball competition

beating Naogaon DSA by 27-

15 goals in the final held

today at Shaheed Captain M

Mansur Ali National

Handball Stadium in the

city, reports BSS.

The winners' led the first

half by 13-8 goals.

In the day's final, Mary

and Sanzida was the highest

scorers with six goals each

for Panchagarh DSA while

Suborna and Sumi netted

five goals apiece for

Naogaon DSA.

Federer feels worst is behind

him but not rushing return

SPORTS DESK

Roger Federer says he is "in a really good

place" with his recovery from last month's

knee surgery but clarified that he would not

rush into returning to court, reports UNB.

The 40-year-old Federer, who shares the

men's record of 20 major titles with Rafa

Nadal and Novak Djokovic, had two knee

operations in 2020 that kept him out of the

tour for more than a year.

He returned to action in March but injured

the knee again during the grass court season

and said he needed more surgery in order to

resume playing.

"It was a tough process to take that

decision, just because I already had couple of

knee surgeries last year," Federer told

American former world number one Jim

Courier in an interview at the Laver Cup on

Saturday. "I was really unhappy with how

things went at Wimbledon. I was just

nowhere near where I wanted to be to play at

the top, top level. But I tried my best and at

the end, at some point, too much is too

much. Now I've just got to take it step by

step."Federer reached the quarter-finals at

the All England club but lost in straight sets

to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, failing to win a

game in the third set.

The Swiss, who is a co-creator of the Laver

Cup, made a late decision to travel to Boston

for the fourth edition of the exhibition event

featuring Team Europe and Team World.

Federer has been seen moving around on

crutches and has received thunderous

applause from spectators at the TD Garden

arena during the three-day event concluding

on Sunday.

"I've got to first walk again properly, run

properly and then do the sidesteps and all

the agility work and then eventually I've got

to be back on the tennis court," he said.

"But it's going to take me a few more

months and then we'll see how things are at

some point next year. I've got to take my

time. I don't want to rush into anything at

this point.

"This is also for my life. I want to make

sure I can do everything I want to do

later on. There's no rush with anything,

so I'm actually in a really good place. I

think the worst is behind me. I'm really

happy."

Need to rest... Roger Federer says that he will not be rushing back to play

tennis anytime soon.

Photo: AP

Bengal Runners finishes in

top 50 percentile at Hood to

Coast Relay in USA

SPORTS DESK

Bengal Runners, a Bangladeshi American

12-men team aged between 30 and 50,

finished in the top 50 percentile in the just

recently-concluded 199-mile Hood to Coast

Relay race held on August 27 and 28 at

Oregon in the USA, reports UNB.

The relay race started from Timberline

Lodge at Mt Hood and ended at Oregon

coast seaside. Racers wore a simultaneous

look of joy and relief on their faces as they

made their way across the finish line at the

beach. The Lostboys, a 12-member team (six

men and six women) from Brooklyn Track

Club clinched first place in this prestigious

relay run. The first Hood to Coast Relay took

place on August 7, 1982.

A total of 1100 teams participated in this

race hailing from different parts of the

world and only 867 teams crossed the

finish line. Three Bangladeshi teams

Bengal Runners, Bengal Tigers, and all

women team Joyeeta took part in the relay

race this year. All the Bangladeshi teams

successfully crossed the finish line while

Bengal Runners finished 378th position

among all at a pace of 9 min per mile that

put them in the top 50 percent among the

867 finishing teams. "This is an

outstanding achievement as we are not

professional marathon runners. Even

most of the team members are running for

the first time. This is to set a stepping stone

for our next generation of Bengali

runners," Jalal Uddin, captain of Bengal

Runners, told after completing the relay

run over phone.

"I want to say the new-generation

Bangladeshi relay runners that we are not

extraordinary. If we can do it, you can do

even better. I believe that one of our

Bangladeshi teams will win this relay one

day and run to the finish line raising our flag

high," he said.

The event is known as the Mother of All

Relays around the world because of the level

of difficulties, stress and struggle runners

need to undergo in this longest relay. In this

race, each runner needs to run about 16-18

miles in 3 legs within 20 hours of time span.

Each team has 8 to 12 runners and they

complete the total 199 miles race in relay

style. With few months of practice, and

proper rest in between, it becomes easier to

run these miles.

PSG win without Messi ahead

of Man City showdown

SPORTS DESK

Lionel Messi was again sidelined for Paris

Saint-Germain and in the Argentine's

absence it was Idrissa Gana Gueye and Julian

Draxler who scored as the Ligue 1 leaders

beat Montpellier 2-0 on Saturday, BSS.

Senegal midfielder Gueye crashed a shot

into the roof of the net from 20 metres to give

PSG an early lead at the Parc des Princes and

substitute Draxler added a late second as

Mauricio Pochettino's team maintained their

perfect start to the French season. They have

won eight matches out of eight in Ligue 1 and

are already 10 points clear of second-placed

Marseille, who do nevertheless have two

games in hand. However this was once again

a far from completely convincing

performance from PSG, who in the last week

had scored stoppage-time goals to claim

respective 2-1 wins against Lyon and

struggling Metz. "I don't know if this was a

perfect evening but it was a good evening.

Eight matches, eight victories," said

Pochettino.

His side host Manchester City in the

Champions League on Tuesday looking for

revenge for their defeat at the hands of Pep

Guardiola's side in last season's semi-finals.

"The Champions League is such an

important objective for this club that it's best

to prepare for it by winning and avoiding any

more injuries," Pochettino added.

The hope is that Messi will be able to play

in that match after he sat out a second

straight game for PSG with the knee

problem that led to him being substituted

against Lyon.

MoNDAY, sepTeMBeR 27, 2021

10

Naima wins 'Miss Earth

Bangladesh' crown

TBT RepoRT

This time Umme Zamilatun Naima has won the

Miss Earth Bangladesh crown.The gala round of the

competition was held at a hotel in the capital on

Friday.There, Naima was declared the winner of

Miss Earth Bangladesh 2021.

The 20-year-old environmental science student

at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology

University will represent the South Asian nation at

the 2021 Miss Earth pageant to be held later this

year.

After 'Miss World' and 'Miss Universe', 'Miss

Earth' is considered to be the most important

beauty pageant. Miss Earth Bangladesh

competition is being organized in Bangladesh since

last year.

In the gala round, Miss Air, Fire and Water

Bangladesh were awarded as ShakilaTanha, Pial

Sarkar and Fahmida Zahir Barsha respectively.

Farzan Jahan Preya and Arusha Abida were also

named Miss Beautiful Face and Miss Social Media

Influencer respectively. National Director of the

Adele makes her

relationship with

Rich Paul official

event Nayla Bari and Miss Earth Bangladesh 2020

winner Meghna Alam and Rotary First Lady

Rokeya Farooqi crowned the winners.

According to the organizers of 'Miss Earth

Bangladesh', the selection of 'Miss Earth

Bangladesh' representatives is done by considering

the education, talent, environmental thinking and

presentation style of the contestants as criteria.

The inventor of the Sonalibag invented from jute

Mubarak Ahmad Khan, Professor Abdullah Abu

Sayeed of the World Literary Center, Muqeed

Majumder Babu Chairman of Prokriti O Jibon,

Rotary District 3281 Governor Mutasim Billah

Faruqui, Environmental Protection Organizer

Nayla Bari and environmentalist Dr. SI Khan was

awarded the 'Friends of Nature' award.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan

Mahmud was present as the chief guest. He

thanked the organizers and congratulated the

recipients of the award, saying that the only holder

of the human community, the planet Earth, has no

alternative but to protect its nature and

environment to keep us alive.

Grammy-winning singer

Adele made her

relationship with sports

agent Rich Paul Instagramofficial

by posting a picture

of them together for the

first time on Sunday.

The couple confirmed

their relationship in

August. The black and

white picture was taken on

the red carpet of an event.

Adele has kept her

relationship with Rich Paul

low-key so far.

Adele captioned the

image with just a heart

emoticon. The singer

finalised her divorced with

Simon Konecki earlier this

year. The two share the

custody of their son

Angelo.

Adele and Simon started

dating in 2012, and got

married in 2016. In April

2019, five months after

rumours of breaks in their

relationship had surfaced

in the media; Adele

announced that she had

filed for divorce with

Konecki citing

"irreconcilable differences".

In January this year, the

former couple reached a

settlement in their divorce,

choosing to determine

rights to community

property and debts through

mediation.

Source: Bollywood Hungama

Shooting of Bappy-Mitu's

'Joy Bangla' starts at FDC

TBT RepoRT

Bappy Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi film

actor. He made his debut in 2012, appearing

in Bhalobasar Rong as an actor. After that he

has gifted some popular movies.On the other

hand, model-actress Zahara Mitu came to

limelight through 'Miss World Bangladesh'

competition.

Actress Zahara Mitu on Saturday started

shooting for her upcoming film, titled 'Joy

Bangla', marking her second straight

collaboration with actor Bappy Chowdhury.

Directed by Kazi Hayat, 'Joy Bangla' is an

adaptation of eminent author-academician

Muntassir Mamoon's novel of the same

name. Marking Hayat's 51st directorial

venture, the film won government grants for

the fiscal year 2020-21.

The first phase of the shooting was kicked

off on Saturday on the premises of

Bangladesh Film Development Corporation,

Mitu confirmed. She and Bappy took part in

Roshan, Bubly to

resume shooting soon

TBT RepoRT

Dhallywood stars Ziaul Roshan

and Shabnam Bubly to resume

shooting for their upcoming

action film 'Revenge', following a

delay amid the Covid-19

situation.

They will take part in the

second schedule of the shooting

from October 4, Roshan

confirmed the news on Friday.

Apart from Roshan and Bubly,

the action film features Misha

Sawdagar, Deepa Khandaker,

Sunan, LR Khan Semanto,

Shashi Afroza in various roles,

marking the directorial debut of

film producer Mohammad Iqbal.

The film is being produced under

the banner of Anurag Traders.

Iqbal earlier produced nine films,

the shooting on the first day. "It's a very

delightful collaboration for me to work under

the veteran director Kazi Hayat and

moreover, the film is based on a novel by a

prolific writer like Muntassir Mamoon," said

Mitu. "It feels really good to be on the set

again after nearly one and a half years. The

last time I took part in the shooting was for

'Commando' in India, before the first

lockdown," added the actress. However, the

first-day shooting of 'Joy Bangla' was

interrupted in phases due to heavy rain, she

informed. Produced by Mitu Shikder under

the banner of Tungipara, the film will also be

shot in Dhaka University campus and Pubail

area of Gazipur.

'Joy Bangla' is based on historical contexts

of Bangladesh from 1968 to 1971, stretching

from the historic 1969 Mass Upsurge to the

glorious victory of Bangladesh in 1971.

In the story, Mitu will be seen playing the

role of a college girl while Bappy a university

student. Earlier this year, Mitu and Bappy

including Shakib Khan starrers

'Bhalobaslei Ghor Bandha Jay

Na', 'Password' and 'Bir'.

'Revenge' kicked off its

shooting on June 12 on the

premises of Bangladesh Film

Development Corporation

(BFDC), but the shooting was

postponed after a few days.

Meanwhile, the makers of the

film released its first look posters

featuring Roshan and Bubly in

super intense looks. Roshan told

on Friday that he was

approached for new projects but

yet to be finalised.

The actor is currently getting

ready for shooting of the

government grant-winning

film 'Jamdani' from October 15,

he informed. Directed by

AnirudhoRasel, the film is

expected to be shot mostly in

the JamdaniPalli of Rupganj in

Narayanganj, with some shots

at the BFDC and several

locations around the capital

city. Currently, Roshan is

awaiting the release of several

of his films including Asif Iqbal

Jewel's 'Chokh', IftekarShuvo's

'Mukhosh', Dipankar Dipon's

'Operation Sundarban', Saif

Chandan's 'Ostad', Nader

Chowdhury's 'Jinn', and

were roped in for director Apurba Rana's

upcoming action-thriller 'Jontrona' which

launched shooting in February.

Mitu stepped into the film industry with

the Bodiul Alam Khokon directorial 'Agun'

starring superstar Shakib Khan along with

her, which remains unfinished yet after

launching in 2019. She got Tollywood

superstar Dev in her second film titled

'Commando' the following year, which is still

under construction. Directed by Shamim

Ahmed Roni and produced by Selim Khan,

'Commando' marks Dev's first appearance in

any Dhallywood film.

Mostafizur Rahman Manik's

'Ashirbad', which are delayed

by the existing pandemic

situation.

Asif Iqbal Jewel's directorial

debut, 'Chokh' has Roshan,

Bubly and Nirab Hossain in the

lead roles. Produced by Shapla

Media, the film will be released in

theatres on October 1, for which

an official trailer was released on

YouTube recently which was

appreciated by fans.

Taapsee responds to being

called jobless

TaapseePannu, who was recently seen

in the horror-comedy Annabelle

Sethupathi, was once known for giving

it back to trolls. The actress, in a recent

interview, said that she rarely claps

back at online trolls now and added

that she rarely takes online battles

head-on now.

During the same chat, she also

added that even though a section of

people calls her 'jobless,' her work

diary is full for the next couple of

years.

While interacting with The News

Minute, Taapsee Pannu got candid

and said that she does not really

respond to trolls anymore. The 'Thappad'

actress told the publication, "I ignore most

trolls because most are bots or unleashed in a

coordinated campaign. They have nothing

substantial to offer and get triggered when

you are successful. It gets amusing to watch."

Taapsee Pannu further added, "They call

me jobless, when I don't have time to take up

a film till 2023. But, I'm way too secure to

react to that."

While she refrains from interacting with

trolls, the 'Haseen Dillruba' actress replied to

a netizen criticising her physique. A Twitter

account reacted to a picture showing Taapsee

from the back and wrote, "Ye Mard Ki Body

Walisirf @taapsee Hi Ho Sakti hai (Only

Taapsee can have a manly body like this)."

Replying to this, Taapsee said, "All I will say

is…. Just remember this line and wait for

23rd September :) And advance mein

THANK YOU I really worked hard for this

compliment."

On the work front, Taapsee Pannu has an

interesting lineup that features titles like

'Shabaash Mithu' - a film based on the life of

cricketer Mithali Raj, 'Looop Lapeta' - the

remake of German hit Run Lola Run,

'Rashmi Rocket' - an upcoming sports

drama, 'Blurr' - a project that marks her

maiden production, and Anurag Kashyap's

'Dobaaraa'.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

H o R o s c o p e

ARIes

(March 21 - April 20) : Love and romance

should be going well for you now, Aries.

Something has sparked the detective in

you and you're anxious to probe, inquire,

and seek the truth in every situation. Your grounded,

stable, and practical approach will be your greatest

asset. Make sure to let someone else be the martyr

today. You're the one who needs to take control.

TAURUs

(April 21 - May 21) : The indecisiveness

that you feel regarding certain issues

may be amplified today, Taurus. You

may go to extremes from one side of

the spectrum to the other. Work with

this energy by recognizing the value in both

situations, putting your rational mind aside and

letting your heart be the final judge. Something

beautiful and comforting will probably end up

catching your eye.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : Your thinking

should be clear today, Gemini, and your

sharp focus adept at revealing the truth

of any situation. Your mind may be

intertwined quite delicately with your heart, but the

good news is that they're working harmoniously

together. You're able to stand back and see the rational,

logical side of your feelings as well as the emotional,

tender side of your thoughts.

cANceR

(June 22 - July 23) : Don't leave

anyone behind as you gallivant

through your world today, Cancer.

You're so wrapped up in your

adventures that you're unaware of other people who

could use more attention. In your endless search for

something bigger and better, you may have lost

contact with the wonderful things you already have

in front of you.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Love and romance

are key aspects of the day, Leo. You

should find that things relating to

these aspects of your life are going

well. Your mind is much more penetrating than

usual, and your search for deeper knowledge can

be quenched with less effort than might usually

be required. Your creative spirit is anxious to find

an outlet for adventure.

VIRGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23):You might need

to take a step back today and turn

your attention inward instead of

outward. When it comes to love and

romance, don't rush things. Patience is needed

now more than ever. People are much more

emotional than usual. Don't be surprised if you

or someone you know becomes territorial when

a stranger steps on his or her private turf.

LIBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Your mind is like a

fine sieve that filters even the smallest

details from the whole, Libra. Nothing

escapes your attention today. You're

right on top of the situation whether people realize

it or not. Feel free to take your time and be patient.

Facts may reveal themselves slowly, so don't make a

major decision about something until you have all

the relevant data.

scoRpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : You may feel like

you're sitting on a pincushion when it

comes to issues regarding love and

romance, Scorpio. Don't be surprised if

there's conflict in this part of your life. If you're

involved in a relationship, consider this bump in the

road a challenge that will make you stronger and bond

you more tightly your partner. If you aren't with

someone, it may be for the best.

sAGITTARIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): There could be

some verbal sparring as you tackle the

challenges this new day brings,

Sagittarius. Love is on your side. You'll

find that as long as you stay true to your inner strength,

you'll come through with shining colors regardless of

the events that transpire. Engage in activities and

situations that promote your strengths instead of your

weaknesses.

cApRIcoRN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): You may try to

explain something with your brain today

when the true understanding of the

situation comes only through your heart,

Capricorn. Feel the answer from deep within instead of

trying to decipher it. Sink into the mood of the

environment instead of trying to break it down into

little compartments that you can analyze and

categorize. Consider the whole instead of the pieces.

AQUARIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Your mind is

especially keen today, Aquarius. You'll

find that it communes well with your

anxious heart. Someone may have

recently stepped into your life and now it's time to

engage with this person on a deeper level. It's wise to

take things one step at a time. Don't let your

imagination get carried away. It could be hard to

find the line between imaginary and actual.

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Bask in each

new day, Pisces. Do your best to

spread your sunshine, but don't be

surprised if someone challenges the

way you think. There are stubborn forces out

there working to steer you in the direction that

they'd like you to go. Make sure that you're the

one who remains in control. Keep up your

positive outlook!

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

11

29 more test positive for

COVID-19 in Bhola

BHOLA: A total of 29 people detected

positive for Covid-19 in the district after

testing 163 samples at Bhola 250-bed

General Hospital Covid-19 laboratory during

the last 24 hours till last morning.

Among the newly positive cases, 15 are in

Sadar upazila, two in Daulatkhan upazila,

seven in Charfashion and five in Lalmohan

upazila, Civil Surgeon Dr KM

Shafiquzzaman told BSS.

With the diagnosis of 29 cases, the total

number of Covid-19 cases reached 6,645 in

the district.

Meanwhile, a total of 48 patients

recovered from Covid-19 in the span of 24

Three drug traders held with

phensidyl in Gobindaganj

GAIBANDHA: Gobindaganj Thana Police in a drive arrested

three drug traders with 94 bottles of Indian phensidyl from a

passengers bus at Gobindaganj upazila town on Monday

night, reports BSS.

The arrested are identified as Masud Rana, 26, son of

Hamidul Islam of Dalla Nunamati village and Noor Islam,

21, son of Hafizur Rahman of Dallah Baniakhari village

under Chirir Bandar upazila and Sakib Miah, 21, son of Bablu

Miah of Baraipur village under Kotoali Thana of Dinajpur

district.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of the Gobindaganj Thana Police

halted a Dkaka-bound Passengers bus coming from Dinajpur

in Badhan Patrol Pump area of the upazila town around

10.30 pm and recovered 94 bottles of contraband phensidyl

wrapped in a school bag while searching the passenger's bags

of the bus. Besides, police also held three persons in this

connection.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gobindaganj Thana AKM Mehedi

Hasan confirmed the incident and said a case was filed with

the thana against them under Narcotics Control Act.

Planning Minister MA Mannan, MP, Dr. Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman,

Board of Trustees, Daffodil International University, Professor Md.

Sazzad Hossain, member of the University Grants Commission, Prof. Dr.

M Lutfar Rahman, Vice-Chancellor, Daffodil International University Syed

Ershad Ahmed, president of AMCHAM and Wahid Sharif, President of

BACCO are speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the National Virtual

Conference titled 'Industrial Technology Innovation Management for

Sustainable Economic Development of Bangladesh' jointly organized by

Daffodil International University and Skill Jobs. Photo : Courtesy

GD-1409/21 (8x3)

hours, climbing the total healed patients to

6,117 here, the health official said.

A total of 89 people have so far died due

to Covid-19 in the district, he added.

Dr Shafiquzzaman said infected 10

people are now undergoing treatment at

Bhola 250-bed General Hospital and the rest

are at home quarantine under the

supervision of their respective Upazila

Health Complex doctors.

He urged all to follow the health rules

strictly and use masks to prevent the spread

of the lethal virus and also called upon

everyone to be more aware for preventing

Covid-19 infection.

2 more die, 1 test

positive for COVID-19

in C'nawabganj

CHAPAINAWABGANJ: Two

more persons died of Covid-19

during the last 24 hours raising

the total number of deaths to

154 in the district, reports BSS.

The new fatalities are from

sadar upazila. A total of 104

persons of Chapainawabganj

sadar upazila, 29 persons of

Shibganj upazila, six persons of

Nachole upazila and five

persons of Bholahat upazila

have so far died of COVID-19 in

the district. On the other hand,

the number of Covid-19 cases

climbed to 5,768 as one more

people was detected positive

after testing 39 samples in the

district during the last 24 hours.

29th founding anniversary of daily Juger Alo was observed in Dinajpur.

IU 'D' unit intake

test on Nov 2

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY : The 'D' unit intake test for the

first year honours' courses under 2020-21 academic

session of Theology and Islamic Studies faculty of Islamic

University will be held on the campus in Kushtia on

November 2, reports UNB.

The admission tests of the university's other faculties, will

be held under unified entry test system.

The decision was made at an emergency meeting of IU

central admission test committee with its vice-chancellor

Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam in the chair.

A press release, signed by IU acting registrar M Ataur

Rahman, was issued in this regard Sunday noon.

The admission test will be held separately as there is no

such subjects in other public universities, IU acting

registrar said.

The regular classes and examinations of all departments

will remain closed during the admission test, he added.

The uniform admission tests of 20 public universities will

be held from October 17 to 24 across the country.

On January 23, 2020, the University Grants Commission

decided to introduce a uniform entry test for all public

universities across the country from the academic year

2020-21, aiming at reducing the sufferings of the

admission-seekers and their guardians. The universities

that are taking centralised admission tests are Islamic

University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology,

Khulna University, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and

Technology University, Mawlana Bhashani Science and

Technology University, Noakhali Science and Technology

University, Jagannath University, Comilla University,

Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Jessore

University of Science and Technology, Begum Rokeya

University Rangpur, Pabna University of Science and

Technology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Science and Technology University, Barisal University and

Patuakhali Science and Technology University.

Truck driver,

helper killed in

Sylhet road crash

SYLHET : A truck driver and

his helper were killed as a

truck hit a stationary truck

on Dhaka-Sylhet highway in

Dayamir area of

Osmaninagar Upazila in

Sylhet on Sunday morning,

reports UNB.

The deceased were

identified as truck driver

Kamrul Islam, 50, a resident

of Golapganj upazila and

helper Idris Ali, 42, son of

Hanif Ullah of Nabinbagh

village in Sonadanga upazila

of Khulna district.

Shyamal Banik, officer-incharge

0f Osmaninagar

police station, said when the

driver and the helper were

standing on the road after

parking their truck roadside

a stone laden truck from

Sylhet hit the stationary one

from behind around 5:40

am, leaving the duo dead on

the spot.

The two vehicles were

seized and handed over to

the highway police.

However, the driver of the

killer truck managed to

escape.

Putin nominates

Volodin for speaker

of new convocation

of State Duma

MOSCOW : Russian

President Vladimir Putin has

nominated Vyacheslav

Volodin, chairman of Russia's

lower house of parliament,

the State Duma, for the

speaker of the new

convocation of the State

Duma, TASS news agency

reported Saturday.

At a meeting with leaders of

the parties that were elected to

the lower house of parliament,

Putin said that he believes

Volodin is quite worthy to head

the next, eighth convocation of

the State Duma.

GD-1406/21 (6x3)

GD-1404/21 (9x4)

Photo : Uttam Sharma

9

15th Death

Anniversary

Today (27 September, 2021)

was Prof. Emeritus Dr. M.

Nabi Alam Khan M.B.B.S,

F.C.P.S, F.R.C.S, F.A.C.S Ex.

Prof. & Head of the Dept. of

Cardiac Surgery NICVD & Ex.

Prof. of Thoracic Surgery

NIDCH 15th Death

Anniversary. Relatives &

Admires are requested to

pray for the salvation of the

departed Soul.

mn

Monday, Dhaka: september 27, 2021; ashwin 12, 1428 Bs; safar 19, 1443 Hijri

Mahogany and Neem extract to

curb various insects of paddy field

Tusar KanTi roy

Bangladesh is a major agri-based country. The

agricultural sector contributes 13.51% to the

total GDP of the country. The country today is

self-sufficient in food, but has not been able to

achieve self-sufficiency in safe food production.

At one time the main challenge was to

become self-sufficient in food supply management.

Now that food self-sufficiency has been

achieved, safe food production is being

emphasized. There is no substitute for producing

safe food to give the next generation a

beautiful and livable world.

I have been directly involved in safe vegetable

production for the last 2 years. In continuation

of this, I always research the various

techniques of producing safe vegetables from

the vow of service to the country and the

responsibility of my job. In this situation, one

day when he saw the ripe fruit of the

mahogany tree lying on the ground in his

office premises, he became eager to work with

it. I immediately searched various journals,

books, websites and came to know about safe

crop production by using the medicinal properties

of mahogany fruit, bark and leaves.

Mahogany is a plant of the genusMeliaceae.

The quality of neem as an organic pesticide is

known to all. That is why we use neem in the

case of IPM method of crop. But the use of

mahogany seeds as an organic pesticide is

increasing day by day due to shortage of neem

seeds and adequacy of mahogany seeds. The

fruits of this mahogany usually fall to the

ground. Using it we can easily prepare environmentally

friendly organic pesticides.

Due to non-compliance with the principles

of application of pesticides, random application

without following the prescribed dosage

and non-compliance with the deadline for

harvesting after application of pesticides, various

human diseases and environmental disasters

are increasing day by day.

Mahogany fruit, bark and leaf extract can be

prepared in two ways. First you have to grind

3-3.5 kg mahogany fruits, bark and leaves well.

Then stir the powders in 10 liters of water and

leave it for 4-5 days. Then the mixture should

be sifted through a sieve and mixed with 20

grams of detergent or soap powder. Secondly,

mix 2-3 kg of mahogany fruit, bark and leaves

or 250-300 g of fruit or leaf powder with 5

Razzaque urges all to

keep watchful eyes on

anti-liberation forces

TANGAIL : Agriculture Minister

Mohammad Abdur Razzaque yesterday

urged all the countrymen to keep

watchful eyes on the anti-liberation

forces as they are still hatching conspiracy

against the country.

"They are still hatching conspiracies

to make Bangladesh a state of

Pakistan… So we should resist them,"

said the minister addressing a meeting

of district Awami League at Zila

Parishad Conference Room here this

afternoon.

The Minister also urged AL party

leaders and activists to stand firm

against BNP as the party may try to create

anarchy in the country in the name

of movement regarding the demand of

caretaker government.

Mentioning that AL should be reorganized

by bringing educated young leaders in

the frontline, he also underscored the need

for increasing cultural activities across the

country to save the next generation from

the derailment.

ICRC chief discusses

Rohingya issue with

Foreign Minister

DHAKA : President of the Int’l Committee

of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer

expressed gratitude to Bangladesh, particularly

to Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina for her humanitarian gesture in

providing shelter to the Rohingyas when

they entered Bangladesh after being persecuted

in their homeland by their own

state machinery.

He expressed the gratitude while paying

a courtesy call on Foreign Minister

Dr. A K Abdul Momen on 23 September,

according to a press release.

The foreign minister suggested that

ICRC should work more actively in

Rakhine state with the Myanmar authorities

for the creation of a favorable environment

so that the Rohingyas can go

back to their homeland with dignity, in a

sustainable manner.

liters of water and mix 10 g of mulberry and 5

g of sohaga and boil for 20 minutes on high

heat. Once boiled, it should be cooled. Then I

will mix 20 grams of detergent or soap powder

and add 5 times the amount of water to the

mixture. Good results are obtained by using

the prepared organic pesticide within 2-3

days. If it is applied 3 times in a row for 7 days,

it is possible to control rice mulch, leaf wrapping,

sheaf cutting. It is also possible to control

cauliflower, cauliflower, corn, tomato, bean

and beetle, termites, ants and mosquitoes. The

land on which this pesticide is sprayed is not

infested with rats.

It is also very effective in storing seeds of

various stored grains. Mahogany fruit

residue can be used as fertilizer in the land

during pesticide preparation. If the fertilizer

is applied to the soil, on the one hand, the

health of the soil will be better, on the other

hand, the attack of various soil borne diseases

and bugs will be less.

Pesticides usually have a residual effect on

grains, hay and soil. That is why we have different

times for different groups of pesticides

during harvesting after application of pesticides.

But we do not comply with it, so the

number of our various diseases is increasing

day by day by eating food in the market. The

use of these organic pesticides does not have a

residual effect on the crop. There will be no

harm to the environment. It can be prepared

without any cost. Due to the bitter taste of

DHAKA : Covid-19 in Bangladesh

claimed 21 more lives and infected 980

others in 24 hours till Sunday morning,

reports UNB.

This is the lowest number of deaths

since May 26 when the country reported

17 single-day Covid deaths.

The latest cases were detected after

testing 22,221 samples showing a slight

fall in the daily-case positivity rate from

Saturday's 4.59 percent to 4.41 percent,

said the Directorate General of Health

Services (DGHS).

On Saturday, after more than four

months, the country saw below 1,000

single-day cases, reporting 818 Covid

cases in 24-hour period.

According to the DGHS, the fresh

numbers of deaths and cases took the

mahogany, it acts as a kind of insect repellent.

On the one hand it is like an insect repellent,

on the other hand it makes the insect dull by

creating distaste for the insect. As a result, beneficial

insects located in the land can easily

catch and eat the dull insects. Spraying this

organic pesticide does not cause any harm to

the sprayer. Its use increases the presence of

beneficial insects in the soil and ensures soil

health protection. This saves money by purchasing

harmful pesticides from the market.

As a result, the cost of crop production is

reduced.

Nazmul Islam of Kalikapur village in

Putimari union has benefited by spraying his

prepared mahogany pesticide on his 1 bigha of

paddy land. Adjacent to his land, Ataur

Rahman has used pesticides on mahogany

fruits in the 25 decimals of land without spraying

any pesticides for rice moths and leafwrapping

insects. On the other hand, Abdul

Mannan of the same village has achieved great

success by spraying pesticides on his 1 bigha of

paddy land in the same manner. Yunusa

Begum has succeeded in spraying pesticides

on 16th century land anew. Seeing them, other

farmers are encouraged to use organic pesticides.

In this way we will be able to achieve

self-sufficiency in food as well as self-sufficiency

in safe food.

[The Writer is Agriculture Extension officer,

Kishoreganj, Nilphamari]

Covid's daily death toll falls further

in Bangladesh as 21 more die

country's total Covid-19 fatalities to

27,414 while the caseload mounted to

1,551,351. Meanwhile, the mortality rate

remained static at 1.77 percent.

The recovery rate increased slightly to

97.43 percent with the recovery of 1,312

more patients during the period. So far,

1,511,479 people have recovered from

the deadly virus infections, the DGHS

added.

According to the World Health

Organization (WHO), the daily case

positivity rate remaining at 5 percent or

below for 14 days is considered safe for

mass unlocking.

However, Bangladesh eased its lockdown

restrictions on August 11, even

though public health experts had

warned of Delta variant spread.

Politics to be at stake if 'depoliticisation'

continues : GM Quader

DHAKA :Jatiya Party Chairman GM

Quader on Sunday voiced concern that

both and the politics and politicians

will disappear from Bangladesh if the

ongoing 'depoliticisation' continues,

reports UNB.

"What's going on in the country in

the name of parliamentary democracy

is not democracy as per the constitution,"

he said. Speaking at a programme

at Jatiya Party chairman's

Banani office, GM Quader alleged that

'depoliticisation' is going on in the

country in the name of parliamentary

democracy.

"If this depoliticisation continues,

people will move out of politics, and

then there'll be no politics and politicians

in the country," he observed.

To get rid of depoliticisation, the

Jatiya Party chief said the Election

Commission must be formed by enacting

a law. "The Election Commission

has to be strengthened with ensuring

all its powers as per the constitution."

GM Quader, also the deputy opposition

leader in parliament, said free,

fair, neutral and acceptable polls will

be possible only if all the branches of

the government, including the executive

one, work under the Election

Commission during the election

period.

He said people will start getting the

taste of real democracy once their representatives

are elected through fair

elections.

At the programme, some leaders

who have recently been promoted to

different posts greeted GM Quader

with bouquets. Jatiya Party presidium

members Shahidur Rahman Tepa,

Advocate Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan, advisory

council member Nazneen

Sultana, organisingsecretary Syed

Manzur Hossain Monju and office secretary

MA Razzak Khan were, among

others, present.

Constructions of

upazila fire stations

progressing fast:Kamal

DHAKA : Home Minister

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday

said the constructions of fire service

and civil defence stations in each

upazila are nearing completion.

"The construction work of at least one

fire station in each upazila of the country

is now in the final stage," he said while

speaking as chief guest at a concluding

parade of the 41st Batch Officers

Foundation Course at Mirpur Fire

Service Training Complex in the capital.

The minister said before the Awami

League government took power, there

were only 204 fire stations in the

country, but now the number of fire

stations has increased to 456.

"After completion of the ongoing projects,

the number of fire stations will

stand at 565 and the number of manpower

will increase to 16,000," the home

minister said. "We have started the work

of reforming the organizational structure

of fire service to increase manpower

to 25,000 as per the directives of the

Prime Minister," he said.

Kamal said the Awami League government

has enhanced the capacity of

the fire service by providing the latest

equipment, as such it can now engage

in multidisciplinary services.

As the nature of disasters and accidents

are constantly changing, he said,

adding, "We hope that the fire service

personnel will equip themselves with

the latest knowledge and technology

to handle all kinds of disasters."

IU 'D' unit intake

test on Nov 2

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY : The 'D' unit

intake test for the first year honours'

courses under 2020-21 academic session

of Theology and Islamic Studies faculty

of Islamic University will be held on

the campus in Kushtia on November 2,

reports UNB.

The admission tests of the university's

other faculties, will be held under unified

entry test system.

The decision was made at an emergency

meeting of IU central admission test committee

with its vice-chancellor Professor

Shaikh Abdus Salam in the chair.

A press release, signed by IU acting

registrar M Ataur Rahman, was issued

in this regard Sunday noon.

The admission test will be held separately

as there is no such subjects in other

public universities, IU acting registrar

said. The regular classes and examinations

of all departments will remain closed

during the admission test, he added.

The uniform admission tests of 20

public universities will be held from

October 17 to 24 across the country.

On January 23, 2020, the University Grants

Commission decided to introduce a uniform

entry test for all public universities across the

country from the academic year 2020-21, aiming

at reducing the sufferings of the admissionseekers

and their guardians. The universities

that are taking centralised admission tests are

Islamic University, Shahjalal University of

Science and Technology, Khulna University,

Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and

Technology University, Mawlana Bhashani

Science and Technology University, Noakhali

Science and Technology University, Jagannath

University, Comilla University, Jatiya Kabi

Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Jessore

University of Science and Technology, Begum

Rokeya University Rangpur, Pabna University

of Science and Technology, Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and

Technology University, Barisal University and

Patuakhali Science and Technology University.

Dhaka to receive another

25 lakh Pfizer vaccine

doses today

Munia murder case

DHAKA : The High Court on Sunday granted

a six-week anticipatory bail to Ibrahim

Ahmed Ripon, landlord of the flat where college

student Mosarat Jahan MuniaMunia

had been living, in a case filed over her rape

and murder in the flat in April this year,

reports UNB.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman

Islam and Justice KM ZahidSarwarKajol

passed the order after hearing a petition filed by

Ibrahim seeking anticipatory bail in the case.

The HC granted the bail on condition that

Ibrahim will not leave the country and he

must deposit his passport to the concerned

magistrate court. Advocate Nahid Sultana

Yuthi appeared for Ripon in the court while

Assistant Attorney General Mizanur

Rahman represented the state.

Earlier on September 6, a rape and murder

case was filed against Bashundhara Group

Managing Director SayemSobhanAnvir and

seven others including Ibrahim Ahmed

Ripon over the death of Munia in a Gulshan

apartment. The seven other accused are:

Bashundhara Group's Chairman Ahmed

Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam, Shah Alam's wife

Afroza Begum; Anvir's wife Sabrina Sayem;

DHAKA : Twenty-five lakh more doses

of Pfizer vaccine under COVAX facility

are scheduled to reach Dhaka on

Monday, reports UNB.

A cargo flight of National Airlines, carrying

the vaccine doses gifted by the

USA, will land at the HazratShahjalal

International Airport around 10:15 PM,

said officials at the Health Ministry.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R

Miller and DG of the Director General of

Health Services (DGHS) DrAbul Bashar

Mohammad KhurshidAlam will be present

at the airport to receive the vaccine jabs.

Earlier, Bangladesh received over 1

lakh doses of Pfizer vaccine in the first

phase and 10.03 lakh doses in the second

phase from the US.

With the fresh batch, Bangladesh will

receive a total of 36.04 lakh doses of the

vaccine. So far, the country has received

4.94 crore doses of Astra Zeneca,

Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines under

COVAX facility. Of these, 2,41,97,598 people

got their first dose while 1,60,33,971

the second dose till September 25, according

to the Health Ministry.

Besides, a process to bring 2 crore

doses of Sinopharm vaccine each month

is underway. Apart from this, another

process to procure 24 crore doses of vaccine

through the World Health

Organisation is going on.

Bangladesh started administering the

first doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at

three centres in Dhaka to fight off Covid-

19 on June 21.

The United States said it is committed

to leading the global response to the

Covid-19 pandemic and they will begin

this summer the allocation of 500 million

doses of the Pfizer vaccine it is providing

to Gavi for distribution by

COVAX to countries around the world.?

US President Joe Biden reaffirmed

this commitment by announcing that

his country will donate 80 million doses

of vaccines to support global needs.?

High Court's order for Firoz Rashid's

case suspended for 6 weeks

DHAKA : The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday stayed the order

of the High Court regarding the case against Jatiya Party Presidium Member and MP

Kazi Firoz Rashid for six weeks. Withdrawing or recalling the judgment of quashing

of the case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), the Appellate Division

headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmood in response to the petition brought by Firoz

Rashid suspended it. Advocate Md Khurshid Alam Khan and MK Rahman were the

lawyers for ACC and Firoz Rashid respectively on the occasion.

On behalf of ACC, lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told BSS that Firoz Rashid had filed

a writ petition in the High Court in 2017 seeking quashing of the case.

In January 2019, the High Court dismissed the case and gave its verdict, he said,

adding that later, the ACC felt that some more legal information and arguments needed

to be presented and for this reason, when the verdict was announced, it was not

signed appealing for recall.

At the end of the hearing, the court accepted it, he continued.

On April 6, 2016, the then deputy director of the ACC Zulfiqar Ali filed the case with

the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station against Firoz for grabbing government land

in city's Dhanmondi area.

Flat owner gets anticipatory bail

FariaMahbubPiyasha; Saifa Rahman Mim;

landlord of the flat where the victim was staying,

Ibrahim Ahmed Ripon and his wife

Sharmim Akhter. Munia's sister Nusrat

Jahan Tania filed the case with Dhaka's 8th

Tribunal for Prevention of Women and

Children's Repression.

Earlier on August 19, Dhaka Metropolitan

Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury relieved Anvir

of the charge of incitement to suicide of the

college student.

On July 19, the investigating officer of the

case, Gulshan Police Station officer-in-charge

Abul Hasan, submitted a final report to the

court giving a clean chit to Anvir.

Anvir was not found culpable in the suicide

incitement case of Munia in the final report

submitted by the investigating officer and

asked for his name to be dropped.

On April 26, police recovered the hanging

body of Munia from the flat. Munia's

elder sister Nusrat Jahan Tania filed a case

against Anvir that night accusing him of

incitement to suicide. According to Tania,

her sister Munia was in a relationship with

Anvir who regularly visited her at the

Gulshan apartment.

severe

traffic

jam is

now a

common

view of

Chattogram

city.

Photo :

star Mail

27-09-2021

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?