02-11-2022

WEDNESDAY
DHAKA : November 2, 2022; Kartik 17, 1429 BS; Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1444 Hijri www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net Regd. No. DA~2065, Vol. 20; No.164; 12 Pages~Tk. 12.00
INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ART & CULTURE
Nine arrested after
Sakkari begins
bridge collapses in
WTA finals with
Parineeti and YRF
India, killing 134
win over Pegula
part ways amicably
Zohr
>Page 7
Extradition Bangabandhu’s killer Nur
Bangladesh requests
Canada to find
alternative way
DHAKA : Bangladesh has requested
Canada to find an alternative way to extradite
Nur Chowdhury, the self-confessed
and convicted killer of Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.
Law Minister Anisul Huq made the request
when Lilly Nicholls, Canadian High
Commissioner to Bangladesh, paid a call
on him at the secretariat on Tuesday.
Huq told reporters that the Canadian
High Commissioner has informed
him that according to Canada’s law
they cannot return a death row convict.
“I have a requested her to find an alternative
way to return Nur as sheltering
a killer is violation of human rights,” he
said.
During the visit they discussed 50
years of friendship between the two nations,
areas of mutual cooperation, importance
of freedom of expression in
democratic societies.
Govt to procure 3 lakh
mts Aman paddy at Tk
28 per kg: Food Minister
DHAKA : The government has set a
target to procure three lakh metric
tonnes (mts) of Aman paddy and five
lakh mts of boiled rice in the upcoming
season. Food Minister Sadhan Chandra
Majumder revealed the matter to
reporters after a meeting of the Food
Planning and Monitoring Committee
at the Secretariat. The procurement
price of Aman paddy has been fixed at
Tk 28 per kg and boiled rice at Tk 42
per kg, he added.
Traffic congestion at
Motijheel as RMG
workers protest
factory relocation
DHAKA : Motijheel and its adjacent areas
witnessed a huge traffic jam on Tuesday
morning as workers of a RMG factory
blocked roads protesting relocation of
their factory to Keraniganj.
According to the workers, the authority
of Olio Apparels Ltd has relocated
the factory from North Kamalapur area
in the capital to Keraniganj without any
prior notice.
At least 400 to 500 workers put
up barricade at different points in
Motijheel area at 8:30 am, hampering
movement of vehicles, said Yasir
Arafat, officer-in-Charge of Motijheel
police station.
This resulted in a huge traffic jam in
the areas and traffic police have been
trying to disperse them from the area, he
said.
Around 1 pm the protesting workers
were seen staging demonstrations from
Kamalapur point to Al Helal crossing
area near Notore Dam College, FM Bajlur
Rashid Assistant Commissioner (traffic-Motijheel
zone) told UNB.
However, police are trying to ease
traffic jam and vehicles started moving
near Shapla Chattar area in Motijheel
around 1 pm, he said.
04:48 AM
11:48 PM
03:44 PM
05:25 PM
06:40 PM
6:03 5:21
Do your best to boost food
production : PM
DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
on Tuesday urged the youth to make
greater efforts at boosting food and agricultural
production to keep Bangladesh
free from any worldwide famine and
economic recession.
“I would like to call upon our youth to
take more initiatives for the production
and processing of food items in their respective
areas. If so, we’ll be able to fulfill
the local demand and also help other
famine-hit countries,” she said.
The premier was addressing the
inauguration of the National Youth
Day-2022 and the ceremony of National
Youth Award-2022 at Osmani
Memorial Auditorium through a virtual
platform from her official residence
Ganabhaban.
She said different international organisations
predicted that the worldwide
famine might hit and many developed
countries are also facing economic
recession now.
“To keep Bangladesh free from it
(the brunt of any global famine and
economic recession), every inch of our
land should be cultivated. Besides, more
steps should be taken to produce food
items and processed food,” said Hasina.
Noting that the youth is a very powerful
force in Bangladesh, she said the
soil of Bangladesh is very fertile and its
biggest power is manpower. “We need to
utilize this power,” she added.
Zakir Hossain from Noakhali Sadar
T20 World Cup 2022
Will Bangladesh strengthen
bowling attack vs India?
DHAKA : For many fans, it was
heart-stopping to see Mosaddek Hossain
come into bowling the last over against
Zimbabwe when Bangladesh had only
16 to defend. But luckily, Mosaddek did
that, and Bangladesh recorded their second
win in the ongoing T20 World Cup
in Australia.
Now, ahead of an important clash
against India, a question is surfacing -
will Bangladesh bring another specialist
bowler to the playing XI?
While addressing the media on Tuesday
in Adelaide, Bangladesh captain
Shakib Al Hasan did not disclose anything
about the combination he is planning
against India. He rather said that
it’s important for Bangladesh to make the
most of the resources they already have.
“We are yet to conduct a team meeting
regarding the combination,” Shakib
said. “It would be wrong if you think Mosaddek
is not a regular bowler. He has a
five-for in T20Is, and he bowls regularly
in the domestic T20s.”
In the three matches of the ongoing
World Cup, Bangladesh played four specialist
bowlers. So Shakib had no choice
Motijheel and its
adjacent areas
witnessed a huge
traffic jam on
Tuesday morning
as workers of
a RMG factory
blocked roads
protesting
relocation of
their factory to
Keraniganj.
Photo : Star Mail
(1st position), Suraiya Farhana Reshma
(2nd) from Sherpur of Bogura and Billal
Miah (3rd) from Araihazar of Narayanganj
received the National Youth Award
under the successful self-employment
category, while Rita Jasmine from Barishal
Sadar (1st) and Abu Russell Huda
(2nd) from Birol of Dinajpur received
the award under the best youth organizer
category.
Besides, successful self-employed
youths and youth organisers received
the award under divisional quota.
On behalf of the PM, State Minister
for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel
handed over the award to the recipients.
Every award winner was conferred
with a crest, a certificate and a cheque of
award money. Youth and Sports Secretary
Mesbah Uddin, and two award recipients
Zakir Hossain and Rita Jasmine
spoke on the occasion.
The prime minister said the country’s
young people and students will
have to keep pace with new technology
and new inventions in science in the
world. “We want to develop our youth
as trained and skilled manpower making
it fit for the 4th industrial revolution,”
she added.
She said her government has been
establishing different institutions including,
hi-tech parks, software parks,
IT training and incubation centres, specialized
labs and union digital centres so
that the youths can get training there.
other than giving the ball to a part-timer
in the death overs.
“I don’t think we lack a bowler,” the
Bangladesh captain added. “If we lack a
bowler, we couldn’t have completed 20
overs. We can think of a few different
combinations. But we are yet to give it a
thought.”
Shakib also didn’t disclose if they
want to take the field with a four-pacer
attack against India under a possibly
overcast condition. Along with Taskin
Ahmed, Msutafizur Rahman and Hasan
Mahmud, Bangladesh have Ebadot Hossain
and Shoriful Islam in the squad.
As the left-arm spinners have a great
record against Indian batters, Bangladesh
may find a place for Nasum Ahmed
who played 27 T20Is so far and bagged
31 wickets with the best figures of taking
four for 10 runs.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Lokesh
Rahul and Hardik Pandya have better
career strike rate than their strike rate
against the left-arm spinners. This stat
might prompt the Tigers to consider Nasum
for the playing XI for Wednesday’s
match.
>Page 9 >Page 10
Test run of a train "track car" began on the 32 km new railway line from Bhanga to near Padma
Bridge under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project yesterday morning.
Photo : TBT
Experimental train
movement on
Padma bridge begins
Md Rafiqul Islam, Shibchar Correspondent
Experimental 'track car' running on 32
km new railway track from Faridpur
Bhanga to Shariatpur Jajira of Padma
Bridge project has been successfully
completed. On Tuesday, the experimental
train left the Bhanga station towards
Padma Bridge. After crossing a total of 32
km railway line with 4 km without stones
and 28 km with stones, they reached the
Jajira end of Padma Bridge with local and
foreign engineers and related people.
Lt. Col. Tauhid, station in-charge officer
of Mawa-Bhanga (Section-1) section
of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project
confirmed the matter and said that for
the first time, the modern railway line has
been laid on the 32 km route. The work on
this route was completed a few days ago.
A Chinese-made Gangcar was test
driven on Tuesday. Being experimental,
the train is run at a somewhat slower pace
throughout, with breaks observed at a few
places. He said that the railway line has
been set up to allow trains to travel at a
speed of 12 km per hour on this route.
Major General Zahid Hasan, Chief
Coordinator of Padma Bridge Rail Link
Project, Project Director Afzal Hossain,
Project Manager Brigadier General Said
Ahmed and others were present at this
time.
According to the engineering sources,
using modern technology, the rail track
is laid perfectly for high-speed rail traffic.
After making sub-ballast of 450 mm thickness,
150 mm heavy stone pieces are first
laid on it and compacted.
Then 25 meter long 'track panels'
weighing 15 tonnes are placed together
on the Chinese track carrier machine. The
first concrete sleeper in the country is sitting
firmly in compaction by throwing 75
mm heavy stone pieces on it.
Once the alignment is corrected by
final tuning, the rail is made suitable for
running by tamping.
Graft case
BNP acting chairman Tarique,
his wife face arrest warrants
Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman
DHAKA : A Dhaka court on Tuesday issued
warrants for the arrest of BNP acting
chairman Tarique Rahman and his
wife Dr Zubaida Rahman in a graft case
filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission
(ACC).
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special
Judge Md Asaduzzaman court passed the
order after taking the chargesheet against
them into cognisance.
The court also directed the officer-in-charge
(OC) of Cantonment police
station to submit a progress report
regarding the arrest warrant on January
5 next year. On June 26, High court ordered
the judicial court to dispose of the
case as soon as possible.
The HC also rejected the couple’s writ
petitions challenging the corruption case
against them for acquiring wealth beyond
Democracy is not safe
under BNP: Quader
DHAKA : Awami League (AL) General Secretary
Obaidul Quader yesterday said the
values of the Liberation War and democracy
are not safe under BNP regime. “The
country’s people are not in any crisis but,
in fact, they are in danger because of the
BNP,” he said in a statement issued protesting
the misleading statement of BNP Secretary
General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Claiming that the people think that the
biggest threat to the country’s independence
and sovereignty is the BNP, the AL
general secretary said the values of the
Liberation War and democracy are not safe
under the reign of BNP as the people are
worried about what BNP would do against
the backdrop of their political bankruptcy.
Responding to a statement of Fakhrul that
the country is in a deep crisis, he said the
country is not in crisis but the BNP is in a
deep crisis.
Quader, also the road transport and
bridges minister, said BNP leaders threaten
their known sources of income and concealing
wealth in their affidavits.
As both of them remained fugitive,
the court rejected the writ petitions of
the duo saying these are not acceptable,
he said. The court also withdrew the stay
order on the trial proceedings of the case
filed against them.
On September 26, 2007, the ACC
lodged a complaint with Kafrul Police
against Tarique Rahman, Zubaida and
her mother Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing
illegal wealth of Tk 4.81 crore and
concealing the information.
In the same year, the High Court issued
a rule suspending the trial proceedings
in the case after hearing a petition
filed by Zubaida. The HC rejected the rule
in 2017 and asked her to surrender before
the court within eight weeks.
everyday to wage a movement but they do
not know who is the leader of their movement.Mentioning
that both BNP chairperson
Khaleda Zia and its acting chairman
Tarique Rahman were convicted, he said
one was convicted for embezzling money of
an orphanage.
Bangabandhu’s daughter and Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina gave Khaleda
Zia the opportunity to receive treatment
staying at her home, thanks to the generosity
of Sheikh Hasina, the AL general
secretary said. He said another person
-Tarique - fled abroad like a coward on
undertakings that he would not do politics,
while the BNP leader is a fugitive
convict in the cases of 10 trucks arms
haul and the August 21 grenade attack.
Quader said Tarique has been living a
luxurious life staying at a safe distance and
throwing sound bombs from there aiming
to boost up his leaders and activists, dreaming
of the assuming the state power.

wedNeSdAy, NoveMBeR 2, 2022
2
BGB held firing competition for 2022
TBT Report
In order to improve the quality
of firing and professional skills
of all levels of Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) soldiers,
'BGB Firing Competition-2022'
has been held at the Small Arms
Firing Range of BGB Sector
Headquarters, Cumilla. BGB
Director General Major General
Sakil Ahmed, SPP, NSWC,
AFWC, PSC attended the finale
of the competition as chief guest
and distributed prizes among
the champion and runner-up
teams.
The BGB Firing Competition
started on 30 October 2022
under the overall supervision of
BGB North-East Region, Sarail
and under the management of
Cumilla Sector. A total of 84
contestants from 07 teams from
5 regions and 02 individual
sectors of BGB participated in
the competition. In this firing
competition held for 03 days,
Chattogram region won the
honor of becoming champion
and Sarail region runner up.
Apart from showing personal
skill in firing, Comilla Battalion
Number-108289 Sepoy Md
Isha Ibn Lemon 1st best firer
and the same battalion number-
85051 La: Md Abdullah Al
Mamun 2nd best firer was
selected. At the beginning of the
closing speech, BGB Director
General paid deep respect to
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, the greatest Bengali
and the father of the nation. He
said that the army built by
Bangabandhu has reached this
stage today through continuous
development under the
patronage of Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina. BGB Director
General said, a trained soldier's
friend is his personal weapon.
So he must have mastery over
this weapon. With patriotism
and morale, every BGB
member is always ready to
make the highest sacrifice for
the needs of the country. And a
big part of this preparation is
developing yourself
professionally. One of the
components of professional
excellence is weapons training
and proficiency in firing. BGB
In order to improve the quality of firing and professional skills of all levels
of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) soldiers, 'BGB Firing Competition-
2022' has been held at the Small Arms Firing Range of BGB Sector
Headquarters, Cumilla.
Photo : Courtesy
Director General congratulated
all the members who
participated in the competition.
He especially applauded the
senior soldiers and women
soldiers who participated.
He expressed his sincere
thanks to all concerned for the
smooth completion of the
competition.
It is to be noted that at one
stage of the program, the
Director General of BGB
himself demonstrated his
expertise in handling weapons
through firing to motivate all
those present.
Senior officials of BGB
Headquarters, Sarail Region,
Cumilla Sector and Battalion,
BGB members of all levels and
firing competitors from
different regions and sectors
were present on the occasion.
After the firing competition,
the BGB Director General
inaugurated the ad hoc 'Border
Guard School of Intelligence' at
a place adjacent to Cumilla
sector. Meanwhile, the BGB
Director General said that the
addition of such a training
institution in the force will play
an important role in bringing
professionalism to the
intelligence activities of the force
and will add a new dimension to
the overall capability. He
expressed hope that this ad hoc
school will be given a complete
form in the future.
For the slum dwellers children, gallery of National Museum of Science and Technology was opened
yesterday. Thirty nine children visited the gallery without ticket.
Photo : Courtesy
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WEDNESDAY, NoVEMBER 2, 2022
3
Professor Dr. Masoud Rashidi Nejad of the University of Kerman and Professor Dr. Mohammad
Sadegh Ghazizadeh of Shahid Beheshti University of Iran called on Dhaka University
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman yesterday at the latter's office of the university.
Photo : Courtesy
8 get life term for
killing schoolboy
in city
DHAKA : A Dhaka court on
Tuesday sentenced eight
people to life imprisonment
for killing a schoolboy in the
city's Pallabi in 2014.
The convicts are Md
Faisal, Md Ashiq, Md
Russel, Md Oli, Saddam,
Rabbi, Imran and Rashid.
Dhaka 7th Additional
Metropolitan Sessions
Judge Tehsin Iftekhar
delivered the judgment.
According to the case,
Mehedi Hasan was called
out of his residence by the
convicts in Pallabi area on
September 30, in 2014.
Later, he was found
unconscious in a
neighbouring building and
was sent to Dhaka Medical
College and Hospital
where doctors declared
him dead.
Mehedi's father Mosharraf
Hossain filed an FIR with
Pallabi police station on the
following day, alleging that
the convicts killed his son as
he obstructed drug peddling
in the area.
On June 12 in 2017, a
chargesheet was submitted
against the convicts. The
court framed charges and
started the trial in the case
on April 1 in 2019.
AL's Science and
Technology subcommittee
to hold
seminar on 4IR
DHAKA : Awami League's
(AL) Science and
Technology Affairs Subcommittee
will hold a twoday
international conference
on 4IR for Emerging Future.
Chairman of the subcommittee
Professor Dr Md
Hossain Mansur will brief
media about the seminar at
AL President's political
office at Dhanmondi at 11am
today, said the party's press
release.
Security beefed up across
the country for Victory Day
celebration
DHAKA : Tight security measures have been
taken across the country for smooth
celebration of the 51st Victory Day on
December 16 next, reports UNB.
"Tight security arrangements will be made
for ensuring peaceful celebration of the
Victory Day. Additional law enforcement
personnel will also be deployed to strengthen
the existing surveillance, especially in
Dhaka," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan
Kamal said. A meeting on law and order on
the occasion of the Victory Day-2022
celebration was held at the ministry
conference room with the home minister in
the chair.
The meeting has taken decision to ensure
smooth celebration of the Victory Day 2022
with due dignity and proper implementation
of the national programmes by the Ministry
of Liberation War Affairs.
After the meeting, he said security
personnel will be vigilant and setting up of
check posts in Dhaka's different points
including the diplomatic zones amid
ensuring tight security on the eve of the
Victory Day.
Besides, stringent security arrangements
have been taken to celebrate the Victory Day
in the district towns across the country, the
minister said. He said necessary security
measures will be taken to ensure safety of the
President, the Prime Minister and members
of the cabinet along with other important
persons during their movement towards
Savar National Memorial by road.
Special arrangements will be made so that
valiant freedom fighters can safely return to
the National Memorial by paying their rich
tributes to the martyrdom at Savar, Kamal
added. He said that special security
measures will be taken on the occasion of
celebration of the Victory Day in Dhaka and
other places of the country. Adequate
number of CCTV cameras and check posts
will be installed at different points of the city
and intelligence activities will be
strengthened across the country.
The meeting also decided to avoid
overhead gates on way to Savar, while roads
will be cleaned and decorated.
Law enforcement forces will take
necessary measures to maintain law and
order and security at metropolitan area,
district headquarters and upazila levels to
smooth celebration of the victory day.
The meeting also advised the leaders of
different cultural organizations to inform
local administration in advance to hold
cultural events on the occasion of the Victory
Day. High quality food will be served in jails,
hospitals, orphanages and old age homes on
the day.
Ambulance, rescue equipment and fire
fighting vehicles of Fire Service and Civil
Defense department will be available at
necessary places including Savar National
Memorial and Parade square during the
combined parade.
In order to prevent the Covid-19
pandemic, the meeting requested all
concerned to follow health guidelines strictly
at the venue of the Victory Day celebration
and wear a mask and go to the event.
The government will also arrange first aid
facility at Savar National Memorial and
other places of events if necessary.
Senior Secretary of the Public Security
Division, Secretary of Liberation War Affairs
Ministry, Secretary of Security Services
Division, IGP, heads of law enforcement and
intelligence agencies and senior officials of
concerned ministries were present in the
meeting.
Bangladesh reports one Covid-19
death, 94 positive cases
DHAKA : Bangladesh yesterday recorded
one Covid-19 death and 94 coronavirus
positive cases.
"Bangladesh reported 3.06 percent Covid-
19 positive cases as 3,074 samples were
tested during the last 24 hours," a daily
statement of the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS) said.
In the past 24 hours, the combined figure
of coronavirus infection in Dhaka district
and the capital is 70 while zero Covid-19
death was reported during the period.
The official tally showed that the virus
killed a total of 29,424 people and infected
20,35,334 so far, the statement added.
The recovery count rose to 19,81,102 after
another 278 patients were discharged from
the dedicated hospitals during the last 24
hours. From the beginning of the pandemic,
97.34 percent Covid-19 patients recovered
among the infected people while 1.45 percent
died, the DGHS statistics showed.
Among the 29,424 fatalities, 12,943
occurred in Dhaka, 5,902 in Chattogram,
2,160 in Rajshahi, 3,735 in Khulna, 993 in
Barishal, 1,353 in Sylhet, 1,429 in Rangpur
and 909 in Mymensingh divisions.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque addressing a program at National Press
Club yesterday.
Photo : PID
Two Iranian
Professors
meet DU VC
Professor Dr. Masoud
Rashidi Nejad of the
University of Kerman and
Professor Dr. Mohammad
Sadegh Ghazizadeh of
Shahid Beheshti University
of Iran called on Dhaka
University (DU) Vice-
Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md.
Akhtaruzzaman yesterday at
the latter's office of the
university, a press release
said.
During the meeting they
discussed various issues
including development of
power sector, mitigation of
power crisis, producing of
skilled human resources and
improvement of power
supply system in
Bangladesh. They also
discussed the possibilities of
undertaking joint
collaborative research
programs on nuclear
engineering and energy
among the University of
Dhaka and different
universities in Iran.
Dhaka University Vice-
Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md.
Akhtaruzzaman stressed the
need for conducting
collaborative research to
achieve Sustainable
Development Goals. He
thanked the Iranian
Professors for their keen
interest in undertaking joint
collaborative research
programs with Dhaka
University.
Experts for community involvement
for sustainable waste management
DHAKA : Environmentalists have suggested
engaging community, enriching knowledge
and bringing positive changes in practices
for developing an integrated sustainable
waste management.
They also stressed on enhancing skills of
local stakeholders on proper waste
management.
The environment experts made the
suggestions at a discussion on the occasion
of releasing a flagship report of Practical
Action titled 'Managing Our Waste 2021: A
view from the Global South' at a city hotel
yesterday. The Practical Action Bangladesh,
an international development organisation,
with the support of GreenTech Foundation
Bangladesh, a local non- profit organization,
published the report and organized the
discussion. Deputy Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Habibun Nahar (MP) attended the
discussion as the chief guest.
Director of the Department of
Environment (Dhaka Region) Md Ziaul
Haque, Waste Management Sectoral Expert
Dr Shafiul Azam Ahmed and Director of
Urban Development Directorate (UDD) Dr
Khurshid Zabin Hossain Taufique attended
the discussion as panelists while Country
Director of Practical Action in Bangladesh Dr
Shawkat A Begum delivered the welcome
address at the event.
Speaking at the discussion, Habibun
Nahar said that waste management is a very
important thing in the current world.
Due to the rapid and continuous increase
of the population, the waste generation is
increasing day by day, she said, adding that
the increasing amount of waste is affecting
the lives of people, especially low-income
people, who are involved in waste
management process.
"When we are looking for efficient waste
management, we must consider the health
status of the workers involved in the
process," Habibun Nahar said.
Strategic Leader of Urban and Energy of
Practical Action in Bangladesh Uttam
Kumar Saha presented the findings of the
report in the discussion while CEO and
Executive Director of GreenTech
Foundation Bangladesh Lutfor Rahman
gave vote of thanks in the event.
Cricketer Al-Amin
gets permanent bail
DHAKA : The High Court on Tuesday
granted Bangladesh national cricket team
pacer Al-Amin Hossain permanent bail in a
domestic violence case filed by his wife.
Judge Begum Mafroza Parvin of the
Women and Children Repression
Prevention Tribunal-8 of Dhaka passed the
order after he surrendered before the court.
Al-Amin surrendered before the court in
the morning and sought bail.
On September 6, a HC bench granted the
cricketer an eight-week anticipatory bail and
ordered him to surrender after expiry of the
bail period. On September 1, cricketer Al-
Amin's wife Israt Jahan lodged a complaint
with Mirpur Model police station against
him over torturing her for dowry. Later,
police registered a case.
According to the case statement, Al-Amin
married Israt on December 26, 2012, and his
wife gave birth to two sons.
Israt also claimed that Al-Amin did not
provide her maintenance and educational
expenses for the two sons for many days, it
said.
LGRD Minister Tajul Islam addressing a discussion meeting as chief guest at the Central Womens
College yesterday.
Photo : PID
DU student allegedly harasses Brac
University student on campus
DHAKA : A Dhaka University student
and activist of Bangladesh Chhatra
League allegedly slapped and harassed
a girl, who is a law student of Brac
University, on the campus during the
early hours on Tuesday.
But the DU student contradicted and
accused the girl of assaulting him.
The incident took place at 3:30 am in
front of Raju Memorial Sculpture on
the DU campus.
The girl was on the campus with two
of her male friends when the incident
took place.
Najmul Islam, a residential student of
Masterda Surja Sen Hall and
postgraduate student of Institute of
Social Welfare and Research of Dhaka
University, said the girl was filming
floating people who were asleep on
footpath. Najmul said that he stopped
along with a friend as he was returning
on a bike to the university dormitory
when he saw the girl and her friends.
He said he asked why the girl and her
friends were filming the floating people
without their permission.
An altercation broke out, prompting
the girl to slap Najmul, he said. Najmul
also retaliated and slapped the girl
back.
In a video posted online it was seen
that the girl using abusive words and
slapping the boy.
According to an audio recorded by a
witness some details have come out.
"After my birthday celebration, I was
standing in front of the sculpture with
my friends and taking pictures. At that
time two boys stopped their bike and
started questioning us using bad words
against me. They teased me and
slapped me when I protested," the girl
was heard in the audio.
Najmul told UNB that the girl also
used abusive words when he
questioned their presence on the
campus during early hours on Tuesday.
He said they were filming the people
who were asleep on the footpaths and
attires of the floating people were not in
order. "When I asked why the girl was
taking pictures of the people without
their consent, she said her father has
the ability to buy the entire DU campus
multiple times," he added.
"When I took my mobile phone to
record her abusive words, she again
insulted me," he said.
"At one point she slapped me, and I
slapped her in return," he said.
The girl filed a complaint with the
Proctor's office on Tuesday.
DU Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani
told UNB that they were investigating
the incident.
"The complainant girl is not our
student, so we have advised her take
legal steps," he said.
HC seeks documents of Gulshan house
occupied by lawmaker Salam Murshedy
DHAKA : The High Court (HC) yesterday ordered the authorities concerned to
submit the documents of a Gulshan house owned by Ministry of Housing and
Public Works but allegedly illegally occupied by former footballer and incumbent
lawmaker Abdus Salam Murshedy.
The court asked Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Chairman
of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and Abdus Salam Murshedy to
submit the documents as affidavit within 10 days.
A High Court division bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice
Khizir Hayat passed the order and also issued a rule asking the respondents to
explain as to why the court shall not declare illegal their 'failure and inaction' in
taking legal steps against Abdus Salam Murshedy.
The court asked Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Chairman
of RAJUK, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman, Dhaka Deputy
Commissioner and Abdus Salam Murshedy to respond the rule within 10 days. It
also set November 13 for passing further order in this regard.
The High Court came up with the order after holding hearing on a writ petition
filed by Supreme Court lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Suman. The petitioner moved
the plea before the court himself, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin
Uddin Manik stood for the state. Senior Advocate Md Khurshid Alam Khan argued
for the ACC.

WEDNESDAY, NOvEmBER 2, 2022
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Bringing back the
transferred resources
I
T
is credibly thought that a nexus of corrupt
politicians-bureaucrats-businessmen and others
smuggled out of Bangladesh huge resources over
the years. Such thoughts were substantiated from
successful investigations by the incumbent
government in Bangladesh that led to even a good
amount of such money being brought back to
Bangladesh from abroad. The money was in an
account that was operated by a son of our former
Prime Minister who is currently living abroad.
Needless to say, the recovered money was part of
the kickbacks he received from so called business
operators when his mother was the PM. He is also
credibly suspected for stashing away further vast
sums of money from his ill gotten riches abroad which
are yet to be detected. Another son of the former PM
has been also charged with similar doings. Besides,
there are other potentates of that past government
against whom cases for illegal money or asset holding
abroad are in different stages
Indeed, the recovery of such resources in this
struggling developing country has been a source of
outrage to its people the majority of whom are not
affluent and lead a simple and honest life of modest
means. They would certainly be very pleased to learn
that stolen money of the state or state's resources
would be recovered and spent on their welfare and the
country's development.
The total amount of smuggled resources is also not
expertly guess-estimated to be a small one. It was
expertly calculated that such smuggled resources
under different regimes in the last 40 years would be
so vast that their substantial recoveries could lead to
an yield that would be enough to meet the entire
expenditures of two consecutive national budgets.
Thus, there should be every incentive to work
spiritedly for the recovery of such resources as the
same would be a big boost for the national economy.
More than a year ago it was observed by a minister
that the process of recovering of such monies is
fraught with many frustrating procedures and
blocking factors. The minister's words of caution
were realistic and nothing irrefutable. But the nation
would like to have more faith in the additional
statement he made at that time that his government
remained steadfast in its aim and actions to get back
the pilfered money.
There is also an opportunity now for developing
countries that have suffered from transfer of their
national resources abroad by members of corrupt
regimes and dictators, to have their resources
returned. It is called the Stolen Asset Recovery
(STAR) programme. The STAR initiative started by
the World Bank, in partnership with UNODC, is
helping developing countries to recover assets stolen
by corrupt leaders. It is designed to build institutional
capacity in developing countries, strengthen the
integrity of financial markets, assist in the asset
recovery process, and monitor the use of recovered
assets. " Bangladesh and other countries stand a good
chance of benefiting a great deal by relying on it and
using its facility intelligently and competently.
But Bangladesh of course has to first establish that
monies of Bangladeshi origin flowed out of
Bangladesh to make claims on the same. Doing of
these things efficiently and coping successfully with
the legal requirements and tangles in the host
countries, may be looked at as hurdles. But the same
are not impossible to overcome.
It is heartening to note that the present government
of Bangladesh has been relatively much more active
to get back the country's pilfered resources.
Bangladesh Bank (BB) is seen to be specially active to
this end. Apart from interacting with the STAR
initiative intensely, BB was trying hard to get the
membership of the Egmont Group that would pave
the way for its getting greater inter-state cooperation
for bringing back the smuggled out resources.
Recently, Bangladesh has got the membership of the
Egmont Group . This was reported in this paper .
Besides, Bangladesh has also formed the Bangladesh
Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU)-- sometime ago--
to strengthen its activities to get back illegally
transferred resources.
Recently the High Court has given Babgladesh
Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) three months to
sign mutual legal assistance (MLA) pacts with 10
countries for obtaining information and proof
required to recover black money stashed abroad.
In a report submitted the Court on Tuesday BFIU
stated that they had advised the Financial Institution
Division (FID) to sign MLA agreenents with at least 10
countries to get necessary help in bringing back
laundered from abroad.
These countries are the USA, UK, Can,ada,
Singapore, Malaysia, the UAE,Switzerland, Thailand
and Hong Kong.
The report further said that BFIU has asked
Bangladesh Bank to recruit manpower for the
proposed Research Cell which will help in identifying
money laundered and recovering the money. The
recruiting process is currently on going.
Disastrous cuts loom, but the Tories have a secret weapon - our weary fatalism
Last Tuesday Rishi Sunak stood behind a
lectern outside Downing Street and
issued a grave warning. The country, he
said, was in the midst of a profound economic
crisis, which would mean "difficult decisions
to come". But lest anyone worry too much, he
was also at pains to portray himself as a
guardian of the public good. "You saw me
during Covid, doing everything I could to
protect people and businesses with schemes
like furlough," he said. "There are always
limits, more so now than ever, but I promise
you this: I will bring that same compassion to
the challenges we face today."
The exact mathematics of the government's
fiscal gap are a matter of conjecture. A
fortnight ago, the reversal by the chancellor,
Jeremy Hunt, of most of the tax reductions
proposed by Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng
clawed back about £30bn, leaving a hole
estimated at £40bn. Midway through last
week, there were reports that things were
looking slightly less dire. Then, amid
continuing whispers about government
departments being instructed to come up
with cuts of up to 15%, rumblings from the
Treasury suggested that Hunt and Sunak are
"exploring" tax rises and spending savings
worth £50bn a year, while hoping they could
avoid economies on quite that scale.
Whatever the spin, bullshit and expectations
management preceding Hunt's mediumterm
fiscal statement on 17 November, one
thing remains clear: there will be cuts.
Out in the real world, there already are. For
the councils who deliver some of our most
basic public services, the austerity that began
in the aftermath of the financial crash of 2008
has never really gone away, and is now biting
with renewed ferocity. Whatever the details
of the fiscal statement, local authorities are
already having to deal with a trying
combination of inflation, increased energy
prices, and the rising need for adult and
children's social care. Because of the eternally
Westminster-focused ways of our politics and
media, the resulting local crises get far too
Politicians of all colours talk about the
United Kingdom having a proud history
of offering sanctuary to those in need and
welcoming immigrants. Priti Patel said it on a
number of occasions when she was home
secretary, and so did Rishi Sunak when
campaigning to become prime minister. So how
can it be that people who fled persecution in
Iran and Afghanistan or bloodshed in Syria are
being detained for over a week, sleeping on
floors and catching diseases such as scabies and
diphtheria? And how can it be that the home
secretary, Suella Braverman, has used such
inflammatory language, accusing them of
"invading" the UK?
It's difficult not to conclude that this is a
situation of the government's own making. Robert
Jenrick, the new immigration minister, has
insisted that there was no way the government
could have predicted the extent of the recent rise in
attempts to cross the Channel. Yet towards the end
of last year officials told ministers to expect as
many as 60,000 arrivals in 2022. The message
little attention, but they are a big part of why
Britain now feels so anxious and exhausted.
Kent county council is facing a £70m
annual "overspend" and warning of deep
cuts. In Lancashire, the gap is £84m. Wirral
councillors have been told to "prepare for the
worst", and get to grips with a financial hole of
about £50m. There is a similar picture in
Birmingham, Norfolk, Hampshire and
countless areas besides. In Sheffield, the city
council is set to cut services by £18m, and is
floating proposals for monthly bin
collections, and the closure of libraries and
recycling centres.
Tellingly, voices warning of a deepening
disaster include those of prominent
Conservatives. The Tory leader of Surrey
county council, Tim Oliver, is the current
chair of the County Councils Network. Last
Thursday, he said that, over the next two
years, £3.5bn will be added to the costs borne
by 40 of England's unitary and county
councils, which threatens to be "devastating
for local services". His message to his Tory
comrades in Westminster was plain: "With
inflation causing multibillion black holes in
our budgets, we need more help, not less."
Here was proof of the profound
disconnection between fiscal economics and
the state of society: the best that can be hoped
for, it seems, is limited cuts, but what most
places need is increased spending.
Millions of people are familiar with what
this means as a matter of lived experience:
JOHN HARRIS
parents of children with special educational
needs, disabled adults who get ever-shorter
care visits, families with no hope of making
it to the top of waiting lists for social
housing. Meanwhile, just about all of us put
up with a more ambient kind of austerity -
parks with broken swings, potholed roads,
endless litter. The decline of local amenities
and services blurs into our view of other
parts of the public sector: we have
increasingly low expectations of the police,
a shared presumption that schools will be
crowded and under-resourced, and an
increasingly ingrained view of the NHS as
something best used only in an absolute
emergency. This is the essence of the public
mood right now, a weary disengagement
Kent county council is facing a £70m annual "overspend" and
warning of deep cuts. In Lancashire, the gap is £84m. Wirral
councillors have been told to "prepare for the worst", and get to
grips with a financial hole of about £50m. There is a similar
picture in Birmingham, Norfolk, Hampshire and countless areas
besides. In Sheffield, the city council is set to cut services by
£18m, and is floating proposals for monthly bin collections, and
the closure of libraries and recycling centres.
was clear. Contingency plans needed to be made to
ensure that resources, capacity and facilities were
in place to respond. After inspecting reception
arrangements in Dover late last year, Charlie
Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, stated that
"contingency planning should ensure there is an
effective response to fluctuating numbers and
rapid mobilisation of resources whenever
necessary".
Looking back now, the government can't say it
wasn't warned. But the lack of ministerial desire to
engage with what they were being told goes deeper
than that. The number of people waiting for an
initial decision on their asylum claim has been
rising year on year since 2010 to more than
100,000 - a consequence of long-term underresourcing,
insufficient caseworkers in place and
poor systems and processes.
A year ago, concerted action was taken to recruit
more caseworkers. But it takes at least a year from
recruitment to training for a caseworker to be up to
speed to do the job well. A plan should have been
put in place well before the Covid pandemic when
ENvER SOLOmON
from a state that no longer provides.
A better government would understand that
as a sign of unsustainable decay, and rethink.
If they were not locked into a view of the world
that events are shredding, the prime minister
and chancellor could rule out spending cuts
and embrace a very different approach:
increase inheritance tax, look at broader forms
of wealth taxation, reinstitute Boris Johnson's
so-called health and social care levy, or simply
put up income tax, not least at the top. The fact
that they won't is a vivid demonstration of the
limits of their "compassion", and two key
aspects of the modern Conservative mind. In
the thinking of Tory technocrats such as Hunt,
public duty now seems to boil down to the idea
that holding high office is all about "tough
the backlog was already quickly growing.
And it gets worse. Unbelievably, there hasn't
been a functional IT casework system. Decisionmakers
have been using spreadsheets. In a report
published in November last year the chief
inspector of borders and immigration, David Neal,
found "inefficient" and "ineffective" workflow
processes and an over-reliance on cumbersome
Excel files were contributing to a failure to keep on
top of decision-making. It is only this year that a
decent IT system has been developed and is now
being put in place.
The picture that emerges is of a government
operation that has been systematically neglected
and under-resourced for many years, with any
attempt to improve it only happening once it was
already deep in crisis.
A year ago, children who arrived here alone were
having to sleep on mats on the floor of a
dilapidated building in Kent because there were
inadequate mechanisms in place to transfer them
quickly into local authority care. We warned, and
ministers were told, that it would happen again
decisions", a belief that one's political fibre has
not been proven unless human need has been
judged to be less important than "efficiency".
This dovetails with that eternal Tory view of
public services as flabby, wasteful and always
deserving of cuts and savings.
The public, it seems to me, is now starting
to understand that such thinking has led to
disaster. Beyond Johnson's misrule and the
calamities created by Liz Truss, that
realisation looks like one of the key reasons
for the Tories' vertiginous drop in the polls -
though running alongside it is a very British
kind of pessimism: a belief that, after 12
years of Tory rule, stagnation is the natural
order of things and hoping for anything else
is a mug's game. Which of those views wins
out will decide our political future. It is a
measure of the Conservatives' predicament
that a grim acceptance of more austerity
and decline is one of the few things that
might give them a flickering hope of
recovery.
A fortnight ago I spent four days in
Grimsby, the former fishing town in
Lincolnshire that voted overwhelmingly for
Brexit - and three years later, returned its first
Conservative MP in 74 years. Walking
around its back streets, I met a man who had
just closed the gym he had been running, due
to impossible electricity bills. As we walked
past shuttered-up shops, he talked about his
sense that life now simply amounted to one
crisis after another. "It's like everybody's
waiting, waiting, waiting," he said. "I've
stopped looking forward to things being over
now: I've just started to accept that you have
to be happy, and deal with the situation."
What he meant was that refusing to believe
that things might get better was the best way
of staying sane. But here, perhaps, was proof
of one of the Tories' most underrated political
assets - that phlegmatic, fatalistic, very
human kind of resilience that makes things
far too easy for the stubborn donkeys who
lead us.
John Harris is a Guardian columnist
Democracy and a regime of apartheid cannot coexist
More than 5.5 million Palestinians may
be getting a new overlord. The
electorate of their occupier, Israel, will
make its choice on Tuesday. This will be
followed by weeks or months of grubby horsetrading,
which may even lead to another ballot in
the spring of 2023.
This will be the fifth Israeli election in less than
four years. While this may be extremely
consequential for Israel's Jewish voters, most
Palestinians merely shrug their shoulders.
The reality is that an electorate of 6.5 million
Israelis - and in particular the 80 percent who
are Jewish - will determine their future. Ten
percent of the Israeli Jewish electorate, the
settlers, do not even live in Israel but in occupied
territory. Here, they can vote while their
Palestinian neighbors cannot.
The Israeli Jewish electorate does not even
bother to debate the fate of these millions of
people whose lives they not only control but
dominate. It is hard to recall when the
Palestinian issue was a central issue in an Israeli
election. In one poll, only 31 percent of Israeli
Jews thought a government should advance a
two-state solution, down from 44 percent in
February 2021. This figure would be even lower
if it was premised on a Palestinian state that was
sovereign, based on the 1967 lines and with a
capital in Jerusalem, the fundamental
components of any viable two-state solution.
Incredibly, Benjamin Netanyahu is the
dominant issue of these elections. It is all about
"Bibi." Who will work with him, who will not.
The Israeli right will get a majority of the Knesset
seats, but a section of that right-wing vote will be
for candidates who refuse to be in a coalition
with Israel's longest-serving prime minister.
The lazy thinking internationally is that
Palestinians must surely prefer Yair Lapid of
Yesh Atid to win. He has called for a two-state
solution after all. He does not utter the racist,
anti-Arab bile of many of his opponents. Surely
he is more trustworthy than his major opponent,
Netanyahu, who will be attempting to fashion a
coalition of the far right for the fifth time.
However, none of the three likely scenarios
would work for Palestinians. A Netanyahu-led
coalition is perhaps the most likely. The second
would be a further election and, in Israeli election
seasons, increasing the oppression of Palestinians
is a vote-winning tactic. The third and least likely
scenario is that Lapid somehow scrapes together
another weak coalition. But any coalition would
likely crumble within a year or two.
How do Palestinians see Lapid's record and
the so-called change coalition? The Palestinian
lived experience during the last 18 months of
coalition government has been horrific. Major
settlement enterprises moved forward. Homes
were demolished. Whole areas such as Masafer
Yatta in the South Hebron Hills are on the verge
of being ethnically cleansed. Gaza was bombed
in August. The level of lethal force used against
Palestinians in 2022 has been the worst since
2015. Nablus, a city with more than 160,000
Palestinian residents, has endured weeks of
army and settler-imposed closure.
Palestinian civil society has been under attack,
with six leading human rights and civil society
CHRIS DOYLE
organizations proscribed as terrorist, as yet
without any evidence according to the EU and
even the CIA.
This coalition also enacted legislation that
strips Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem of
their residency rights based on a "breach of
allegiance to the state of Israel." By the end of
2021, Israel had deprived six Palestinians of
these rights. Of course, Israel also has other laws
it uses to remove such rights, but this is yet
another regressive and discriminatory tool. And
But things could get worse, as a new Israeli coalition could
shift from being right wing to extreme right, containing some
of the most racist anti-Arab elements in Israeli politics, the
neo-Kahanists. This includes the Religious Zionism alliance
of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Netanyahu has
said both would be ministers in his coalition.
yes, Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem
cannot vote in Israeli elections.
But things could get worse, as a new Israeli
coalition could shift from being right wing to
extreme right, containing some of the most
racist anti-Arab elements in Israeli politics, the
neo-Kahanists. This includes the Religious
Zionism alliance of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel
Smotrich. Netanyahu has said both would be
ministers in his coalition.
Ben-Gvir is Netanyahu's equivalent of
Frankenstein's monster. It was Netanyahu's
wheeling and dealing that saw Ben-Gvir get a
Knesset seat in 2021. This time, Ben-Gvir's party
could get 13 or 14 seats. He is an overtly racist
settler, as opposed to being quietly racist. He
supports the transfer of Palestinians and sees
Palestinian citizens as a fifth column. Ben-Gvir
recently said: "They won't have a country nor
Israeli citizenship … I'm against autonomy. I'll
dismantle the Palestinian Authority … they
won't vote in Israeli elections." He will demand
open Jewish prayer on the Al-Aqsa Mosque
compound. Will diaspora Jews sever links with
an Israeli government that includes the likes of
Ben-Gvir? Can they genuinely continue the
fiction that Israel is a credible liberal democracy?
And what about the 1.7 million Palestinian
citizens of Israel? They still suffer from
discrimination, even if it is not as intense as in
the Occupied Territories. The poverty rate in
Israel is three times higher among Palestinians
than among Jews.
However, disillusionment is very strong.
Palestinian voters just do not see their vote as
being able to make a difference. One poll
suggests that the turnout among Palestinian
citizens will be 43.5 percent. It was 44.6 percent
in 2021, whereas the national turnout was 67.4
percent. There is a scenario in which all three
Palestinian parties do not make it past the 3.25
percent threshold, something that would
probably thrust Netanyahu back to the
premiership. The Knesset may be Palestinianfree
as a result. This is not helped by the demise
of the Joint List, which was set up in 2015,
meaning the Palestinian vote is spread thinly
among three different parties.
Of course, the Palestinian parties cannot fight
for equality in Israel. They cannot get rid of the
laws and practices that discriminate against
them. Perhaps most galling of all, Palestinians
will once again have to endure the reiteration of
the myth that Israel is some form of liberal
democracy.
Chris Doyle is director of the Council for
Arab-British Understanding, in London.
Twitter: @Doylech
An 'invasion'? Suella Braverman, this refugee crisis is of the govt's own making
unless there was a rapid overhaul.
The situation with hotels is also a consequence
of long-term neglect. Two years ago, the House of
Commons public accounts committee
investigated the use of hotel accommodation and
said it was very concerned people were not being
placed in more appropriate housing. The
committee said the Home Office "should, within
three months, set out a clear plan for how it will
quickly and safely reduce the use of hotels".
Ministers failed to get a grip of the problem. And
they failed to adequately engage with key
stakeholders including councils and health and
other agencies.
Fast forward to the present and Braverman has
been accused of deciding not to book sufficient
hotel accommodation to ensure men, women and
children were not sleeping on makeshift mats for
days on end in Manston (she denies blocking the
bookings).
Enver Solomon is chief executive of the
Refugee Council

WeDneSDAy, novemBer 2, 2022
5
Things therapists do while feel powerless
Dominique ASTorino
Feeling powerless is a
desperate, overwhelming
sensation, yet one that's very
much embedded in the
human experience ? especially
lately. Many are facing this
crippling, paralyzing reaction,
thanks to war, the pandemic,
attacks on women's rights and
so many more events
seemingly out of our control.
This emotion can affect
anyone, including the
therapists who often help
others work through it. "As a
therapist, a lot of people
assume that I have it all
together, or don't experience
mental health challenges
myself - which couldn't be
farther from the truth," said
Rachel Wright, a licensed
therapist in New York. "Not
only do I have diagnosed
major depressive disorder and
panic disorder, but I also have
times where I feel powerless
and hopeless. While I can
show up for my own clients, I
sometimes struggle to show
up for myself."
Below, Wright and other
therapists share their go-to
coping tips for when they're
feeling powerless. They
practice what they preach.
Wright said therapy is a core
component in mental health
hygiene, and she's not alone in
this belief. Dr. Paul Poulakos,
a board-certified psychiatrist
in New York, pointed out that
therapy can help in situations
when you're feeling hopeless
and are struggling to navigate
that.
"If you are not coping with
your own mental health, it
makes being empathetic very
difficult, as well as burnout
being more probable,"
Poulakos said. "More
specifically, [therapy] can
assist us in reframing our
circumstances and the
negative thinking that often
leaves us feeling hopeless or
powerless."
Poulakos said he cannot
emphasize enough how
important it is to have
boundaries when you're
feeling hopeless. "Learn how
to say no and make sure you
are doing it once in a while,"
he said. "If I ever even start to
feel selfish for saying no to
things, this reminds me to
take inventory and question
whether I'm setting
boundaries."
These boundaries can be as
simple as taking a few
moments to yourself in the
middle of the day, or taking
some time off work. "Whether
it be for a day or for a month,
taking a vacation does not
always need to be an extreme
and costly trip ? sometimes
closing the laptop and
unplugging is all you need,"
Poulakos said.
Identify four activities that
help you to feel "grounded,
connected and happy," said
Forrest Talley, a clinical
psychologist based in
California. For example, yours
could be cycling, interior
design, fostering dogs and
traveling. One of his personal
tools is building something,
like home projects.
Terri Cole, a licensed
psychotherapist and author of
"Boundary Boss," said her
core activities include mindful
movement like yoga, baking,
journaling and getting out in
nature. Therapist Alfiee
Breland-Noble, founder of
The AAKOMA Project and
host of the "Couched in Color"
Spending time doing an activity you love will help you feel more in control
in the moment.
Photo: Thomas Barwick
podcast, also finds that
spending time in nature is
therapeutic and calming, and
says this is one of her first
lines of attack against feelings
of powerlessness. "I set my
intention on being positive,
and find activities for the
remainder of the day that help
me maintain my peace," she
said.
"Exercise is so helpful in
blowing off steam," said Dr.
Alex Dimitriu, a double
board-certified psychiatrist
and founder of Menlo Park
Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine.
Talley said intensive
exercise is one of his "constant
go-to" stress relievers. "When
things even begin to feel over
the top, I'll put extra intensity
into my workouts," he said.
Think: heavy weight training,
HIIT or judo (some of his
favorites).
If that's not your thing, try
some gentle movement, like
walking, biking, swimming or
yoga. Moving your body may
help expel some of the stress
that's physically building up
inside.
It can be easy to doomscroll
into oblivion when there are
events happening in the world
that you have no power over.
Breaks are necessary for
survival. Try spending some
time in a relaxing place where
you don't have access to
constant information.
Dimitriu personally enjoys
sitting in a steam room or
sauna. "These are becoming
[some of] the few places you
can sit without access to your
phone," he said. "I've had
some amazing insights,
peaceful meditation, and
mind relaxation in the quiet
silence of a steam room. The
heat helps, too."
This could be practicing a
skill you know you excel at,
leaning into your spirituality
or faith (which means
something different to
everyone), or reading a book
or poem that speaks to you.
Breland-Noble uses
mantras. Simple phrases with
powerful messages, these
short sentences provide
meaning and hope. "Phrases
like 'The cream always rises to
the top,' 'Remember who you
are,' 'You come from a long
line of proud people who
overcame tremendous odds,'
and 'You are equipped with
everything you need,'" are
some that allow her to find
footing, she said.
Whether it's your partner,
immediate family, best friend
or a wider community, nearly
every therapist recommended
talking to and spending time
with loved ones.
"Spending time with family
is important," said Talley, who
noted that he becomes even
more conscious of the need
for time with his wife and
children when times are
particularly tough.
"Personally, when I feel
powerless or hopeless ?
usually about the state of the
world as opposed to the state
of my life ? I focus on what I
can do," Cole said.
This can include sharing
resources for people, donating
to organizations that make a
difference in the world,
advocating for causes you care
about, posting your thoughts
on social media, and engaging
in thoughtful conversations
with others.
BriTTAny WonG
Caren Gussoff Sumption, a
writer who lives in the Seattle
area, estimates about half of
the people in her
neighborhood are still
wearing masks. That group
includes Gussoff Sumption
and her husband. They both
have chronic health
conditions and take
immunosuppressant
medications, so they're in no
rush to remove their face
coverings.
Not everyone is
understanding. About a
month ago, Gussoff Sumption
was filling up her gas tank in
South Seattle when a man on
the opposite side of the pump
shouted something at her.
As he gestured at her face,
eventually Gussoff Sumption
made out his words: "Mask
mandate is over. You can
breathe free!"
"I just shook my head and
kept pumping my gas but he
kept talking, and all I caught
were snatches, to be honest,"
she said. "But it was obvious
he was trying to explain to
me, like I was a child ? I'm 49
? that omicron was not as
contagious and I didn't have
to live my life in fear."
He wasn't necessarily being
nasty about the mask, but the
comments were unsolicited
and Gussoff Sumption felt
infantilized and more than a
little annoyed because of it.
She said she's not generally
quick on her toes with
comebacks or responses, but
this time was different.
"I raised my palm, and
announced, 'Unsubscribe,'"
Gussoff Sumption said. "It
just fell out. He then, finally,
backed off, and said
something like, 'Fair
enough.'"
It was a well-played use of
internet slang ? and,
increasingly,
an
uncomfortably relatable
experience on the whole. As
we enter the "mask optional"
phase of the pandemic,
comments like "you know you
don't have to wear that in
here" are more and more
common.
Masks have been a political
hot topic throughout the
country since the start of the
pandemic - leading to vocal
opposition and sometimes
even physical confrontation.
As mask mandates have lifted
throughout the United States
How to respond when someone
objects on mask wearing
in the past few months, many
people who continue to wear
a facial covering are
concerned their choice may
lead to a confrontation ?
"mask harassment" as it's
been dubbed. In March, for
example, a video showing
Republican Florida Gov. Ron
DeSantis telling students at a
high school to remove their
masks and stop the "COVID
theater" went viral.
Encounters like these are
snide, though often civil
enough, but some people
have been downright hostile
over others wearing masks. In
April, novelist Elaine Hsieh
Chou tweeted about a
troubling experience she had
one night in her
neighborhood in New York
City.
"Walking home just now,
three men yelled,
'Coronavirus is over' at me
because I was wearing a mask
and then proceeded to make
'Chinese sounds,'" Hsieh
Chou wrote. (Throughout the
pandemic, Asian Americans
have dealt with aggressive
harassment and even physical
assault regardless of whether
they were wearing a mask
because of the coronavirus's
likely origins in Wuhan,
China.)
"What hurts even more is,
as I turned around to stare at
them, they were laughing
while they walked away,"
Hsieh Chou wrote in the
Twitter thread. "They looked
like they were going out for
the night. They are probably
having a great time as we
speak. They have certainly
forgotten me."
Meanwhile, she wrote, "I
am crying, triggered by all the
other times people have
shouted at me in public for no
reason, when I was minding
my own business and just
EXISTING."
Why do so many people feel
compelled to call out mask
usage? During the pandemic,
mask-wearing was the norm
and the expectation. Now that
we're tentatively entering the
endemic phase of the virus,
face coverings are mostly
optional, which only makes
them more of a loaded topic,
said Monica Gandhi, a doctor
and professor of medicine
and infectious diseases at the
University of California, San
Francisco.
"That's because the face
mask has been the most
visible sign of the pandemic,"
she said. If you've long
accepted that and are eager to
move on to the endemic
phase of this virus, a mask is
an unsettling visual reminder
that we may not be out of the
woods yet.
"That's when you get people
feeling compelled to
comment or feeling affronted
by others wearing masks,"
Gandhi said. "The reality is,
we should all be respectful of
each other's risk tolerance
and choices."
If you're concerned about
dealing with unpleasant
remarks about your maskwearing
(or worse), experts in
public health and deescalation
techniques offer
their best advice below for
getting through the next few
months.
First, let's state the obvious:
You're not obligated to explain
yourself. If you don't want to
talk about your reasons for
wearing a mask, it's fine to say
so, said Meg Stone, the
executive director of IMPACT
Boston, a violence prevention
and empowerment selfdefense
program.
"Using a direct, assertive,
respectful tone will give you
the best chance of getting
your point across without
escalating the situation," she
said. "Keep it simple, say
something like, 'I don't really
feel like talking about masks'
and then end the
conversation. Then physically
move away if you can."
if you're concerned about dealing with unpleasant remarks about your maskwearing
(or worse), experts we spoke to have advice. Photo: malte mueller
Best ways to prevent fine lines around the eyes
CAroline BoloGnA
As we age we see changes in our skin, particularly around the eye
area. Wrinkles and fine lines are an inevitable part of getting
older, and have many contributing causes.
"The skin around the eyes is extra thin, delicate and
vulnerable, which is why this is one of the first areas that people
will notice fine lines settling in," Connecticut-based
dermatologist Dr. Rhonda Klein told HuffPost. "Fine lines
around the eyes are caused by a combination of collagen and
elastin loss as well as volume and fat loss ? natural effects of
aging skin."
Frequent usage of the orbicularis oculi muscle around the eyes
tends to create these lines, Dr. Joyce Park, a dermatologist in
Northern California, noted.
"As we squint and emote throughout the years, these repeated
actions cause lines to form," Park explained. "Aging skin is also
less able to hold onto moisture, and dry skin wrinkles more
readily. Additionally, environmental exposures to UV radiation
or smoke over time can cause wrinkling."
These wrinkles and fine lines are completely natural, but they
can be a source of insecurity for many ? even impacting everyday
lives. "When I was a medical student, I rotated at a cosmetic
practice where the female medical assistants refused to laugh or
smile in efforts to prevent the development of crow's feet," said
Dr. Karan Lal of Schweiger Dermatology Group in Hillsborough,
New Jersey.
The good news is you don't have to give up on smiling or
laughing to address wrinkles around your eyes. Below, experts
share their advice for preventing and treating these fine lines.
"One of the things that helps to prevent and treat wrinkles is
retinol," said Dr. Papri Sarkar. , a dermatologist in Brookline,
Massachusetts. "Using a retinol or retinoid cream here helps to
stave off the aging process. I recommend a retinol that's
formulated with the eye area in mind, as it's more sensitive. But
diluting an eye cream with a moisturizer can also do the trick."
Lal also advises retinol and offered a product
recommendation. "There are many retinol-based eye creams,
which can stimulate collagen and prevent the development of
the crepey appearance around the eyes," Lal said. "One such
example is RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream."
New York City dermatologist Dr. Hadley King endorsed
Pond's Rejuveness Lifting and Brightening Eye Cream, which
she advised using nightly. "It contains moisturizing ingredients,
as well as niacinamide to help improve tone and texture, and
retinol to help stimulate collagen," King noted.
"Rubbing the eye area can cause lines and pigmentation,"
Sarkar said. "That's why I generally recommend handling this
area very gently! Don't rub or pick your eyes or the skin around
them." While it's overall best to avoid touching your eye area (or
face in general), we learned from the pandemic that it's not
When it comes to address fine lines, dermatologists sing the praises of products with retinol, peptides
and hyaluronic acid.
Photo: Getty
always easy to do this. Plus, there are daily tasks that require us
to come into contact with our eye areas. In these instances, the
key is to be mindful.
"Use care when washing your face and applying
makeup/products," said Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, an
assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven
Hospital. "Avoid repeated tugging on this delicate skin."
Retinol gets a lot of attention in the skin care world these days.
But when it comes to tackling fine lines, many experts also tout
the benefits of peptides. Peptides are basically short chains of
amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins like
collagen and elastin.
"My recommendation for preventing fine lines is to start using
peptides that will build collagen and relax the muscles that
contribute to fine lines," Lal said. "An affordable product is The
Ordinary's Argireline Solution, which helps reduce muscle
contraction and its effects on the skin. Another great product I
like is Revision's Revox Line Relaxer, which has GABA and other
peptides that help soften those fine lines around the eyes."
King is also a fan of Revision Skincare products, including
DEJ Eye Cream and Revox 7. "One of the only clinically proven
topical products that helps smooth the appearance of expression
lines, this serum contains seven different anti-aging peptides,"
King said of Revox 7. "Their studies show that it softens the
appearance of seven types of expression lines: forehead lines,
glabella frown lines, crow's feet, bunny nose lines, nasolabial
laugh lines, lip lines, marionette lines."
"Sun exposure or UV radiation is another preventable cause of
fine lines and wrinkling," Sarkar said. "Making sure this area
and the rest of your skin is protected is important." Protect
against sun damage by applying a mineral sunscreen with an
SPF of 30 or higher and wearing UV-blocking sunglasses.
"A large, wide-brimmed hat also helps to provide shade to the
eye area and is sometimes easier to keep on than remembering
to reapply sunscreen as often as you need it," Sarkar added. "You
can't really change your genes or stop the years from marching
by, but you can make some important changes to prevent fine
lines," Sarkar said. "Smoking is bad for every organ system,
including the skin. If you're smoking, take this as a signal that it's
time to kick that habit to the curb."
In addition to putting down the cigarettes, Dr. Melanie D.
Palm ? a board-certified dermatologist and medical director at
the Art of Skin MD in Southern California ? emphasized being
kind to your body in other ways and practicing good self-care.
"Appropriate sleep, rest, physical activity, stress management,
and nutrition all play a role in the look of the area around our
eyes and the overall health of our skin," Palm said.
"A good, hydrating eye cream or moisturizer with hyaluronic
acid can help plump the skin around the eyes resulting in fewer
lines," said Dr. Brian Hibler of Schweiger Dermatology Group in
New York City. "I always have patients apply a thick
moisturizing cream at night to the skin around the eyes,
especially if they are also using a topical retinoid, which can be
drying to the skin."
When choosing a product, talk to your dermatologist to
determine the best options for your skin type. King
recommended No7 Youthful Eye Serum, which contains
hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, and Olay Total Effects Eye
Transforming Cream, which is "rich in moisturizing ingredients
and antioxidants, as well as niacinamide."
Make sure you're staying hydrated as well. In addition to the
other health benefits of drinking water, it's great for the skin.
"Although this is a temporary cause, dehydration or dry skin can
also cause undereye lines to be more pronounced," Sarkar
noted.
"If the wrinkles have already formed, you can consider Botox
in the crow's feet area to soften the lines," Park suggested.
Botox is a neuromodulator, which can relax the muscle
activity in areas of the face and thus soften the lines created by
muscle movement and reduce their appearance at rest. Other
common neuromodulators include Dysport, Xeomin and
Juveau. Younger people are increasingly turning to Botox
treatments for so-called prejuvenation ? minimizing movement
and treating wrinkles before they are fully formed to prevent
deep creases.
"It is normal to have expression around the eyes, but if we can
relax the muscles so that the movement is not as strong or
dynamic, we can reduce the appearance and onset of these lines
and prevent them from becoming etched deeper into the skin, at
which point they become more difficult to treat," Hibler said.
King recommended trying dermal fillers if Botox doesn't offer
satisfactory results. "If the lines were etched in and do not
sufficiently disappear after a neuromodulator, then a superficial
filler like Belotero can create great results," King said. "This may
be approximately $700-1,500."

WeDnesDay, noVeMbeR 2, 2022
6
a discussion meeting was held on the occasion of the 149th birth anniversary of sher-e bangla aK
fazlul haque in barisal university.
photo: courtesy
Discussion meeting held in BU
A discussion meeting was held on the
occasion of the 149th birth
anniversary of Sher-e Bangla AK
Fazlul Haque in Barisal University.
On October 31, at 7.30 pm, this
discussion meeting was held in Shere
Bangla Hall of the University.
Barisal University Vice-Chancellor
Professor Dr. Md. Sadequl Arefin was
present as the chief guest in the
meeting. In the speech of the chief
guest, the Vice-Chancellor said that
the students should know about the
biography of Sher-e Bangla AK Fazlul
Shibchar observes
National Youth
Day
MD. Rafiqul islaM, shibchaR
coRResponDent:
National Youth Day was
celebrated at Shibchar in
Madaripur. On Tuesday
organized by Shibchar
Upazila Administration and
Upazila Youth Development
Department, a rally was
taken out at Shibchar
Upazila Parishad square
from 10 am. Later, a
discussion meeting was
organized at the local Elias
Ahmed Chowdhury
Auditorium. Later, the youth
loan certificate was
distributed.
Shibchar upazila nirbahi
officer Md. Rajibul Islam
presided over the ceremony
where Abdul Latif Molla,
chairman of Shibchar
Parishad was present as the
chief guest. Member of
National Committee of
Bangladesh Awami League
and Wartime Seven Police
Station Area Commander
Muslim Uddin Khan,
Shibchar Upazila Parishad
Bhai Chairman BM Ataur
Rahman and Shibchar
Upazila Jubo League
President Elias Hossain
Pasha were present as special
guests. About 200 people
including officials of various
departments of Shibchar
Upazila administration,
leaders of various youth
organizations were present.
3 traders fined
for using plastic
wrap in products
M R nayan, KuMaRKhali coRResponDent:
A mobile court has fined
three grocery store traders 6
thousand taka for the crime
of using plastic wrap in
products in Kumarkhali,
Kushtia. The court was
conducted at Kumarkhali
Municipal Tahbazar on
Tuesday. Upazila Assistant
Commissioner (Land) and
Executive Magistrate Md.
Shahidul Islam led the
mobiel court. At that time,
the chief director of the
district education
department Sohrab Uddin
was present.
Upazila Assistant
Commissioner (Land) Md.
Shahidul Islam said,
because of the use of plastic
wrap in products instead of
jute wrap, three
businessmen named Md
Abdul Momin, Md. Shafiqul
Islam and Daniam have
been fined 6 thousand taka.
And there is a strict warning
not to use plastic wrap.
Haque. After reading his biography,
the students should play an
important role in building the
Bangladesh of the future. The special
guest at the event was Treasurer
Professor Dr. Mohammad
Badruzzaman Bhuiyan and Dean of
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Professor Dr. Md. Mohsin Uddin.
General Secretary of Barisal
University Teachers' Association Dr.
Abu Zafar Mia, Principal of Sher-e
Bangla Hall, Abdul Baten
Chowdhury, Bangabandhu Hall
Principal Arif Hossain, Sher-e Bangla
Hall Resident Teacher and English
Department Chairman Yasif Ahmed
Faisal, Resident students Shariful
Islam Niloy and SM Shamim Hossain
spoke among others.
Resident teacher of Sher-e Bangla
Hall and Assistant Professor of
Geology and Mining Department,
Hasnat Zaman, conducted the
program where Resident teachers,
assistant resident teachers, students
and officials of Sher Bangla Hall were
present.
Rallies, discussion meetings and check distribution were held on the
occasion of national youth Day celebration at patnitala in naogaon.
assistant commissioner (lands) azizul Kabir, Vice chairman abdul
ahad, Women Vice chairman Khadijatul Kobra Mukta, youth
Development officer Mozammel haque, officials, employees of various
departments, journalists and sudhijan attended the meeting under the
chairmanship of upazila nirbahi officer (uno) Rumana afroz, organized
by patnitala upazila administration and youth Development
Department on Monday. at this time, 8 lakh youth loan checks were
distributed among 14 entrepreneurs.
photo: h.M. shahriar
AC land office ransacked
by unknown thieves
MasuDul hasan MasuD, bhuapuR coRResponDent:
An incident of violent theft took place by
cutting the window grill of the chief assistant
(cum-account keeper) room of the Upazila
Assistant Commissioner (Land) office next
to the Bhuapur police station in Tangail and
breaking the lock of the Gobindashi Union
(Land) office room inside the land office.
This incident happened on Monday night.
Chief Assistant (Accounts Keeper) of
Land Office Mahmudul Islam filed a case
at Bhuapur Police Station as the plaintiff in
the theft incident on Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier in the morning, the Deputy
Commissioner of Tangail Md. Ataul Gani,
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ishrat Jahan and
Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC)
Mohammad Faridul Islam visited the spot.
However, the police could not arrest any of
the thieves in this incident. Abdul Muslim
Khan, the night watchman of the office,
said that around 1:30 last night, I blocked
the main gate of the land office and fell
asleep on the balcony of Ac land sir's office.
When I woke up in the morning around 8
o'clock the sweeper China Begum came to
clean the office and opened every office
room. Then I saw the window grill of Nazir
sir's office room cut, papers scattered.
Then I reported the incident to Humayun,
the chainman of the office.
In this regard, the plaintiff's chief assistant
(cum-account keeper) Mahmudul Islam said
that at some point in the night, a group of
thieves entered my office room and
ransacked important documents and other
furniture, broke the drawer of the office table
and stole 25 thousand 300 taka.
He also said that he also broke the lock of
the neighboring Gobindasi Union (Bhoomi)
office room and messed up the documents.
They also tried to break the locks of other
cupboards.
executive Magistrate Md shahidul islam managed the mobile court in
Kumarkhali town tahbazar.
photo: M R nayan
Yaba, phensidyl
recovered in
C'nawabganj
chapainaWabGanJ:
Members of Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) recovered
8,000 pieces of contraband
yaba tablets and 96 bottles of
phensidyl in two separate
drives last night and early
yesterday, reports BSS.
BGB sources said, acting
on a tip-off, a patrol team of
BGB from Sonamasjid
Border Out Post (BOP)
conducted a raid in
Tohakhana area in Shibganj
upazila of the district about
200 yards inside
Bangladesh territory from
border pillar No. 185 around
11.45 pm and found 8,000
pieces of yaba tablet in an
abandoned condition.
Besides, another team of
BGB from Chakpara BOP
conducted a raid in
Namochakpara area in the
upazila about 300 yards
inside Bangladesh territory
from border pillar No.
183/4-S around 1.30am and
found 96 bottles of
phensidyl.
Polls in Hazrabari
municipality in
Jamalpur tomorrow
JaMalpuR: The election
commission has completed
all preparations to hold the
polls of Hazrabari
municipality in Melandah
upazila in the district amid
peaceful atmosphere on 2
Nov, reports BSS.
According to election
office sources, 4 candidates
including Awami League
(AL) and Islami Andolan
Bangladesh nominated
candidates will contest for
the mayoral post in the
municipality.
The candidates are
Samsuzzaman Suruj(AL),
Saiful Islam(Islami Andolan
Bangladesh), Md Manjurul
Haque Manju(Independent)
and Maksudul Hasan Suman
Hazari(Independent).
Besides, 39 candidates for
nine ward councilor posts
and 16 candidates for three
reserved ward councilors
will contest in the polls.
A total of, 14,864 voters
including 7,457 female will
franchise their voting rights
in 54 booths of 9 centers
from 9 am to 4 pm in the
polls tomorrow.
District Election Officer,
Golam Mostafa said the
voting will be held through
EVM method.
He said during vote
members of district
administration, Ansar,
police, RAB and BGB will be
deployed to maintain the
law and order. Beside each
center will be monitored
through close circuit
camera.
National Youth
Day observed
in Banaripara
s Mizanul islaM, banaRipaRa
coRResponDent:
National Youth Day - 2022
was celebrated in
Banaripara upazila on
Tuesday. The program of the
day included youth rally loan
distribution, certificate
distribution among trainees
and discussion meeting.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer
Ripon Kumar Saha presided
over the discussion meeting
at Upazila Parishad
Auditorium on the initiative
of Upazila Administration
and Youth Development
Department. Upazila
Women Vice Chairman
Syeda Taslima Hossain
Flora, Youth Development
Officer Md. Rafiqul Islam,
Journalist S. Mizanul Islam,
Primary Teachers
Association Secretary Md.
Zahid Hossain and others
participated in the
discussion. At the end of the
discussion, 1 lakh 20
thousand taka were awarded
to the two for selfemployment
and certificates
were distributed to 30
trainees.
Muktagacha Press Club celebrates
39th anniversary
M. yousuf, MyMensinGh coRResponDent:
Journalism is the mirror of the nation. If
proper journalism is going on, all the good
and bad of the nation will be reflected in that
mirror. Therefore, as journalism is helpful
for democracy, free and objective journalism
can play a strong role in the overall progress
of the society and the state. Abida Sultana,
Additional DIG of Mymensingh range said
this in the speech of the chief guest at the
39th founding anniversary of Muktagacha
Press Club in Mymensingh on Monday.
Additional DIG Abida Sultana,
Mymensingh Range of Police, was the chief
guest at the event presided over by FMA
Salam, President of Muktagacha Press Club.
General Secretary of Press Club M. Idris Ali
was the special guest, Muktagacha upazila
Nirbahi officer AKM Lutfor Rahman, officer
in-charge Muktagachha police station
Mahmudul Hasan, International Visitor of
Worldvision from Switzerland Ms. Amy, Ms.
Noem, Mr. Thomas and Worldvision
Bangladesh Senior Manager Raju William
Rosario. Among others, Muktagacha Press
Club Publicity and Publication Secretary
Mahbubul Alam Ratan, Member Manonesh
Dash, M Yousuf, Worldvision Officer
Namrata Howie spoke.
Additional DIG Abida Sultana said that
the role of journalists is very important in
the overall development of the state.
Through accurate and objective
journalism, all the good and bad of the
society comes out.
The participation of journalists in various
social activities including child marriage ban
is very positive. Mrs. Amy said, there is a lot
of work being done in Bangladesh for multifaceted
development in various categories
including prevention of child marriage. It is
very good to know that the field level
journalists of this country are also doing a lot
of work on various social issues in addition to
their profession. Children here are also
working to stop child marriage. There has
been a lot of awareness among people here.
In issues like child marriage, parents or
specific people should be made aware and
work collectively. After the discussion, the
cake of Muktagacha Press Club's foundation
anniversary was officially cut. Officials,
members of the press club, journalists of
various media participated in this along with
the guests.
39th founding anniversary of Muktagacha press club was held in
Mymensingh on Monday.
photo: M. yousuf
Taka 8.47 crore to distribute
as incentives among 73,870
farmers in Khulna region
Khulna: The Government will distribute
special incentives worth about Taka 8.47
crore among 73, 870 small and marginal
farmers of Khulna agriculture region during
the current season, reports BSS.
Each farmer will get incentive against one
Bigha (33 shatoks) land to enhance the Rabi
Crops production during the current season,
official sources said here today.
The Department of Agriculture Extension
(DAE) of the Khulna Zone has been
completing list of farmers of the region to
distribute the incentives.
Officials of the DAE said the incentives, in
terms of seed and fertilisers, will be
distributed among the beneficiary farmers
to assist them in cultivating eight varieties of
crops during the current Rabi season.
"Of those, distribution of Agriincentives
for wheat, maize, mustard,
groundnut, BT brinjal and Boro rice crops
to be completed by this month while
distribution of summer (sesame) 'Tiil' and
moonbeam will end by December," said
Md Hafizur Rahman, Acting Additional
Director of the DAE Khulna regional
office.
Under the programme, each of the
beneficiary farmers will receive one to 20-kg
seed of different crops, 10 to 20-kg Diammonium
Phosphate (DAP) and five to
10-kg Muriate of Potash (MoP) fertiliser free
of cost to cultivate crops on one Bigha of
land.
The incentives will be distributed to assist
Taka 3, 87, 26,400 among 26,970 small and
marginal farmers of Khulna. One farmer
will get Taka 1,435 for each Bigha land. Taka
1, 95, 59,700 will be distributed among
11,350 farmers.
One farmer will get Taka 1,723 for each
Bigha land. Taka 1, 24, 25,300 will be
distributed among 18,000 farmers.
One farmer will get Taka 690 for each
Bigha land and Taka 1, 39, 88,600 crore will
be distributed among 17,550 farmers. One
farmer will get Taka 797 for each Bigha land,
the DAE official said.
Hafizur Rahman said, farmers will get
incentives as per rules by the Ministry of
Agriculture. They will get seed and fertilizers
from authorized dealers of the government.
"We have already formed a monitoring
and rehabilitation committee in each
upazila to be distributed government
incentives headed by UNO and Upazila
Agriculture Officer of its member secretary,"
he said.
Farmers of the region are now very busy
for producing Rabi crops, vegetables
aftermath of cyclone 'Sitrang', he said
adding that government has taken various
steps to increase the production in the
agricultural sector.
national youth Day - 2022 was celebrated in banaripara upazila on
tuesday.
photo: s Mizanul islam

wedneSdAy, nOveMber 2, 2022
7
Search and rescue work is going on as a cable suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi town of western
state Gujarat, India, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022. The century-old cable suspension bridge collapsed into
the river Sunday evening, sending hundreds plunging in the water, officials said. Photo: AP
Nine arrested after bridge collapses
in India, killing 134
MORBI : Police in western
India arrested nine people on
Monday as they investigated
the collapse of a newly repaired
143-year-old suspension
bridge in one of the country's
worst accidents in years,
officials said. The collapse
Sunday evening in Gujarat
state plunged hundreds of
people into a river, killing at
least 134, reports UNB.
As families mourned the
dead, attention turned to why
the pedestrian bridge, built
during British colonialism in
the late 1800s and touted by
the state's tourism website as
an "artistic and technological
marvel," collapsed and who
might be responsible. The
bridge had reopened just four
days earlier.
Inspector-General Ashok
Yadav said police have formed
a special investigative team,
and that those arrested include
managers of the bridge's
operator, Oreva Group, and its
staff.
"We won't let the guilty get
away, we won't spare anyone,"
Yadav said.
Gujarat authorities opened a
case against Oreva for
suspected culpable homicide,
attempted culpable homicide
and other violations.
Germany postpones decision
on mandatory speed limits
BERLIN: Germany is
postponing politically
sensitive decisions on
reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in the transport
sector until 2023 amid strong
opposition from one
governing party to the idea of a
universal speed limit, officials
said Monday, reports UNB.
The libertarian Free
Democratic Party, which
controls the Transport
Ministry, has long blocked the
introduction mandatory
speed limits seen in most of
Germany's neighbors.
Experts say that limiting
speeds on highways to 120
kilometers per hour (74.5
mph) would save 2.6 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide
a year. A limit of 100 kmh (62
mph) would more than
double the savings, according
to Germany's Environment
Agency. Those annual savings
would make a significant
contribution to closing the
remaining emissions gap in
Germany's transport sector of
118-175 million tons by 2030.
GD-1757/22 (8x3)
GD-1765/22 (5x3)
GD-1762/22 (5x2)
cvwb-228/2022-2023
GD-1759/22 (6x3)
GD-1758/22 (8x3)

WednesdAY, november 2, 2022
8
Bank Asia Disburses Loans to
Fresh Entrepreneurs
Bank Asia Limited has disbursed loans to
fresh entrepreneurs aiming to facilitate
the ongoing entrepreneurship
development initiative for enhancing
their business activities, a press release
said.
The loans were disbursed to eight
entrepreneurs, who were obtained a
month-long training earlier, at a
'Conference on Entrepreneurship
Development Program & Open Loan
Disbursement Ceremony' held at the
Bangladesh Bank Training Academy
(BBTA) in Dhaka on October 29, 2022
where 90 per cent entrepreneurs were
Food banks are a ‘lifesaver’ as
UK feels cost of living crisis
LONDON: "This absolutely
has been a lifesaver to me,"
says Michael Cox. The 51-
year-old hasn't eaten in two
days and so finally resolved to
visit one of Britain's growing
number of food banks
providing basic items to
those in need, reports BSS.
"I had no money. So I'll give
it a try," said Cox who before
the current cost of living crisis
had never before needed to
ask for help feeding himself.
Hundreds of people on
Monday queued in front of
the food bank in Hackney in
east London armed with a
coupon allowing them to
collect a basket of three days'
worth of food.
Each receives a mix of
goods tailored to their needs
and family size, with many of
the items donated by
members of the public.
Rising food and energy
prices in Britain have seen
inflation soar.
The figure went over 10
percent in September, the
highest of any G7 country,
putting yet more pressure on
women.
Abdur Rouf Talukder, Governor,
Bangladesh Bank, was the Chief Guest
and Md. Ekhlasur Rahman, Executive
Project Director, SDCMU, SEIP, was the
Special Guest of the ceremony.
The conference was presided over by
Abu Farah Md. Nasser, Deputy Governor
of the Bangladesh Bank (BB).
Among others, Adil Chowdhury,
President & Managing Director (current
charge), Md. Shaminoor Rahman, SEVP
& Head of MSME, B M Shahidul Haque,
Head of Bank Asia Institute for Training &
Development (BAITD) and Md. Nasimul
already stretched household
budgets .
"Now with the cost of living
crisis, people... can't pay their
bills and buy food. They have
to choose one. We are
noticing more and more of
that, unfortunately," said
food bank supervisor Johan
Ekelund.
Sidoine Flore Feumba, a
graduate nurse, who receives
government benefit
payments, says she could no
longer afford to feed her
three children and heat her
home as well.
"Life now is quite difficult.
I'm on a universal credit,
which is not quite sufficient
for my own living, because
inflation is rising quite
quickly.
"So I found that that the
food bank was my last option
to make my ends meet," she
said.
Ekelund said he was
worried about the arrival of
the cold weather and the
prospect of sky-high
heating bills suddenly
starting to land on people's
doormats.
"I'm really worried for this
winter I think it's going to be
a horror show," he said.
Last Saturday, the food
bank in Hackney registered
record numbers of people
coming forward for help,
with demand now roughly
double that of the pre-Covid
period.
A new food bank-which
will open on Friday evenings
and cater for those in full
time work-will open in
December.
The situation is something
completely new, said Tanya
Whitfield, Hackney food
bank's head of services.
A particular rise in the cost
of basics was also making the
situation even worse, she
said.
"Everyone sees pasta as a
cheap option, it's no longer a
cheap option," she said.
The price of vegetable oil
has gone up by 65 percent in
a year while pasta is up 65
percent, two items the prices
for which have risen the
fastest according to
Haque, Head of Cox's Bazar Branch of
Bank Asia Ltd, were present at the
ceremony.
Earlier in June 2022, Bank Asia, in
association with Bangladesh Bank,
organized a month-long
'Entrepreneurship Development
Program' funded by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), for SME
entrepreneurs at Cox's Bazar.
The training program is under the Skills
for Employment Investment Program
(SEIP) of the Ministry of Finance along
with SME & Special Programmes
Department of the central bank.
experimental research
published by the Office for
National Statistics on
Tuesday.
Millions of Britons have
been reduced to skipping
meals, according to a recent
poll by the consumer
association Which?
It said half of UK
households were cutting
back on the number of meals
they ate, citing a survey of
3,000 people.
The situation of those on
benefits was precarious, with
many saying they are
having to choose between
eating and heating.
"The number of people
coming and asking for food
that they don't have to cook is
'shocking'," said Whitfield.
"And it's frightening that
those requests are going up
every single week."
Another consequence of
the cost of living crisis is that
people have less money to
give to others.
"At this time of the year
we're normally quite busy
with school and church
harvest collections and
donations," said Whitfield.
But this year schools were
preferring to skip the harvest
festival collections "because
so many parents are
struggling and they don't
want to put that added
pressure on families", she
said.
With many families who
would normally donate to
food banks now forced to
focus on their own needs,
food bank worker Andrew
Wildridge said they were just
hoping for the best ahead of
Christmas.
"Hopefully we could get an
increase in the donations," he
said, adding however that the
pattern since before the
pandemic was for demand to
double and donations to
halve.
Australia lifts rates
to near-decade high
as inflation soars
SYDNEY :Australia's central
bank raised borrowing on
Tuesday to their highest level
in almost a decade as it tried
to rein in soaring inflation but
brushing off calls to be more
aggressive, reports BSS.
The Reserve Bank of
Australia's 25-basis-point
move marks the seventh
consecutive increase and is in
line with a global effort to
temper price rises fanned by
soaring energy and food
costs.
"As is the case in most
countries, inflation in
Australia is too high,"
governor Philip Lowe said in
a statement after the
decision, which leaves
borrowing costs at 2.85
percent, their highest level
since April 2013.
Markets had expected the
25 basis point rise, but there
were vocal calls for a 50-point
lift to tame an increasingly
painful cost of living crisis,
with inflation hitting 7.3
percent last month on the
back of a spike in fuel and
food costs.
"A further increase in
inflation is expected over the
months ahead, with inflation
now forecast to peak at
around eight percent later
this year," the bank said.
But with many homeowning
Australians feeling
the pinch from rising interest
rates, the central bank faces a
difficult balancing act in the
months ahead.
Hong Kong
stocks jump more
than 3pc in
morning trade
HONG KONG : Hong Kong
stocks rallied more than
three percent in the morning
session Tuesday ahead of a
key Federal Reserve policy
meeting later in the week,
reports BSS.
The Hang Seng Index
jumped 3.31 percent, or
486.53 points, to 15,173.55.
The rally is in line with a
surge across Asia as
investors await the Fed's
announcement on
Wednesday, with hopes it
will hint at a slowdown in
the pace of rate hikes.
Tech firms were among
the biggest winners-led by
Alibaba and Tencent-on
bargain-hunting after a hefty
sell-off saw some of the
market's biggest firms
plunge this year, while Xi
Jinping's tightened grip on
power in China added to
fears of another crackdown
on the sector.
Asian markets extend
rally as bargain-buyers
boost Hong Kong
HONG KONG : Asian markets rose again
Tuesday, building on the strong start to the
week as traders look ahead to the Federal
Reserve's policy decision, hoping it will signal
a more dovish approach to fighting inflation,
reports BSS.
While Wall Street suffered a pullback from
a recent rally, the mood in Asia remained
optimistic while bargain-buying also
provided some much-needed support to
Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The Fed is widely expected Wednesday to
announce a fourth straight 75-basis-point
rate hike as it tries to rein in runaway prices,
which has led to worries it will tip the world's
top economy into recession, sending stocks
tumbling.
But a report last month suggesting officials
are looking to dial down the pace of increases
has sparked a rally in risk assets over the past
week, helped by signs other central banks are
also trying to take a step back.
"Fifty basis points or 75 basis points in
December is ultimately less important than
the path (Fed boss Jerome) Powell lays out
for next year," said Stephen Innes at SPI
Asset Management.
"If push comes to shove, the Fed probably
does not want to see the market pricing cuts
as soon as the hike cycle finishes, so I expect
the rhetoric to be targeted here."
Data showing eurozone inflation hit a
record 10.7 percent last month-fanned by a
Bankrupt Sri Lanka's
inflation dips to 66 pc
COLOMBO: Inflation in crisis-hit Sri Lanka
dipped marginally for the first time in 12
months but prices were still an eye-watering
66 percent higher than a year ago, official
data showed Monday, reports BSS.
The island nation of 22 million people has
suffered months of extreme economic
hardship with severe shortages of essentials
including food, fuel and medicines.
The Department of Census and Statistics
data showed October inflation was nearly
four percentage points lower than the record
69.8 percent in September.
Food inflation which had also reached a
record high for the 12th consecutive month
in September at 94.9 percent moderated to
85.6 percent in October.
The department did not give reasons for
the slowdown in inflation, but authorities
had reduced fuel prices twice in October,
cutting prices by 20 percent.
However, the price of petrol is still double
the amount before the start of the crisis late
last year, while diesel-used commonly for
public transport-is still three and a half times
more.
Sharp price increases for both food and
fuel has led to a drop in demand and queues
for petrol and diesel and cooking gas have
sharply reduced in recent weeks.
The World Bank has warned that the
economy could shrink by 9.2 percent this
year, worse than the 8.7 percent contraction
the central bank of Sri Lanka had forecasted.
An unprecedented downturn forced the
government to default on its $51 billion
foreign debt in April and go to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a
bailout. Blackouts, chronic fuel shortages
and high prices triggered months of political
unrest, ultimately forcing the president
Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and
resign in July.
The IMF has tentatively approved a fouryear,
$2.9 billion bailout to help Sri Lanka
reorganise its finances, subject to an
agreement with its creditors.
It had also asked the government to
contain spiralling inflation and address
corruption as part of efforts to salvage the
troubled economy.
Saudi Aramco posts 39pc jump in
third-quarter profits: Tatement
RIYADH :Saudi Aramco on Tuesday
announced a 39 percent increase in thirdquarter
profits, the latest financial results
boosted by higher oil prices resulting
largely from Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
reports BSS.The energy giant's net income
totalled $42.4 billion, up from $30.4
billion during the same period last year,
and was "primarily driven by higher crude
oil prices and volumes sold", it said in a
filing with the Saudi stock exchange.
Employees of SGS will receive
insurance from MetLife
41.9 percent rise in energy costs-drove home
the fine line banks must walk in battling
rising prices while trying to cushion fragile
economies.
That came as other figures showed
manufacturing around the world is shrinking
owing to the spike in prices and borrowing
costs.
"A global manufacturing contraction is
here," said OANDA's Edward Moya.
"Factory activity is taking a big hit as China
struggles with Covid, Europe is headed
towards a recession, and as the US economy
finally feels the impact of inflation and Fed
tightening."
In early trade, Hong Kong led the gains,
jumping more than three percent thanks to a
bargain-buying surge in beaten-down tech
giants including Alibaba and Tencent.
Shanghai climbed more than one percent,
along with Singapore and Seoul, while Tokyo,
Sydney, Taipei and Bangkok. However,
Jakarta and Wellington edged lower.
Investors are also keeping tabs on the
earnings season, with Japanese giants Toyota
and Sony among the big-name firms
reporting.
The announcements come after a number
of US companies have surprised with betterthan-expected
results, suggesting they are
holding up despite the tough trading
environment. Australia lifts rates to neardecade
high as inflation soars
Tokyo stocks open higher with eyes on earnings
TOKYO : Tokyo stocks opened higher
on Tuesday, shrugging off US falls, as
investors awaited earnings reports by
major Japanese firms including
Toyota, reports BSS.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index
was up 0.13 percent, or 36.14 points,
at 27,623.60 in early trade, while the
broader Topix index added 0.22
percent, or 4.23 points, to 1,933.64.
The dollar fetched 148.70 yen in
early Asian trade, against 148.72 yen
in New York and 147.92 yen in Tokyo
on Monday, after Japan's finance
ministry said it spent $43 billion in
October to bolster the yen's value.
Wall Street stocks fell on profittaking
overnight, following
disappointing Chinese and European
data and with investors looking
ahead to a key Federal Reserve
decision.
"Attention is on Toyota's earnings
report, due during trading hours, and
Sony's report after the market close,"
said senior market analyst Toshiyuki
Kanayama of Monex. A wait-and-see
attitude may also grow ahead of the
Fed's policy decision on Wednesday,
analysts said.
Markets are expecting the US
central bank to make another 0.75
percentage point interest rate hike in
its latest aggressive move to combat
inflation.
But there will be much focus on Fed
Chair Jerome Powell's tone at a press
conference following the decision.
Hopes that the Fed could soon
moderate its stance in light of
weakening economic data have lifted
stocks in recent weeks.
Toyota was up 0.49 percent at
2,069.5 yen, Honda was up 0.98
percent at 3,406 yen and Nissan was
up 0.40 percent at 476.3 yen. Sony
Group was up 1.02 percent at 10,090
yen. Panasonic was up 0.52 percent
at 1,070 yen after revising its full-year
net and operating profit forecasts
downward.
ANA Holdings was up 0.86 percent
at 2,916 yen, after the airline revised
up its annual forecasts for net and
operating profit, as well as sales.
Bridgestone was down 0.52 percent
at 5,334 yen, after the tyremaker said
it is looking for a local buyer for its
assets in Russia, citing uncertainties
and supply problems.
SGS Bangladesh Limited has
selected MetLife to provide
insurance for its employees
and their dependents
(spouse and children)
against accidents, disability,
loss of life and medical
emergencies, a press release
said.
SGS is one of the world's
leading product and service
quality inspection and
certification companies. The
company has a network of
2,700 offices and
laboratories globally, and it
has been operating in
Bangladesh since 1974.
SGS Bangladesh has
selected MetLife as an
insurance provider because
of the insurer's customized
solutions, online claims
settlement service, faster
payment of insurance claims
and financial strength.
MetLife started offering
insurance services for
corporates in Bangladesh
from 19## and SRG was the
first corporate client for
MetLife Bangladesh.
Today, MetLife provides
insurance protection to over
270,000 employees and their
dependents of more than
800 organizations.
An agreement signing
ceremony has recently been
held between SGS
Bangladesh and MetLife
Bangladesh.
Mohammad Abdur
Rashid, Country Manager,
SGS Bangladesh Limited and
Ala Ahmad, Chief Executive
Officer, MetLife Bangladesh
signed the contract on behalf
of their respective
organizations. Other senior
officials were also present in
the event.

WeDneSDAY, noveMber 2, 2022
9
Antonio Conte (C) clashes with referee Danny Makkelie during last Wednesday's draw.
Ukraine football
federation asks FIFA
to remove Iran from
World Cup
SportS DeSk
The Ukrainian football
federation urged FIFA on
Monday to remove Iran
from the World Cup next
month, alleging human
rights violations and
supplying the Russian
military with weapons,
reports UNB.
The call was made three
weeks before Iran is due to
face England in the first
Group B game in Qatar. The
group also includes the
United States and Wales.
The
Ukrainian
federation's executive
committee did not ask for
Iran to be replaced at the
tournament by the Ukraine
team which lost to Wales in a
European playoff final in
June.
Atthaya Thitikul
rises to No 1 in
women's world
golf rankings
SportS DeSk
Thai teenager Atthaya
Thitikul reached No 1 in the
latest Rolex Women's World
Golf Rankings released
today, supplanting Jin
Young Ko at the top, reports
UNB.
Thitikul becomes the 16th
different player to reach No 1
as well as the second player
from Thailand to do so.
Ariya Jutanugarn was No 1
for 23 total weeks between
June 2017 and March 2019.
Ko, who spent 152 total
weeks atop the rankings,
dropped to No 2.
Thitikul is also the second
player to reach the No 1
ranking in her LPGA Tour
rookie year, after Sung Hyun
Park in November 2017.
At 19, she is only the
second player under age 20
to reach No 1, joining Lydia
Ko.
"It means a lot for my
team, my family, my
supporters and myself. It is
such an honour to have my
name at the top amongst the
biggest names of the game,"
said Thitikul. "It is very
special to get to the top but it
is much harder to retain it. I
still have a lot to learn from
all the legends and current
players both on and off the
course. I will continue to
work hard for my family, my
team, my fans and my
country."
In 2017, Thitikul became
the youngest to win a
professional golf
tournament when she took
the Ladies European
Thailand Championship
title as an amateur at 14
years, four months and 19
days. Thitikul was also the
No 1-ranked amateur for 12
weeks in 2019 when she was
16.
After winning four times
on the Ladies European
Tour from 2017-21, Thitikul
has won twice on the LPGA
tour this season: the JTBC
Classic in March and the
Walmart NW Arkansas
Championship in
September.
Spurs 'in a different
world' without Conte
for Marseille trip
SportS DeSk
Tottenham assistant Cristian
Stellini said on Monday the
team are in a "different world"
for this week's crucial
Champions League trip to
Marseille with coach Antonio
Conte serving a touchline ban,
reports BSS.
Italian Conte was shown a
red card during last week's
draw with Sporting Lisbon for
his reaction after an injury
time goal was disallowed.
Spurs head to southern
France knowing they will
reach the last 16 if they avoid
defeat to the 1993 winners on
Tuesday.
"It's a change that's difficult
but we have to prepare
ourselves all together before
the match," Stellini told
reporters.
"It's a totally different world
because normally the days
before the game, Antonio will
do all his preparation himself,
alone.
"But now, we have to do this
all together so it changes
everything. We have to work
on the strategy and this can
become complex," he added.
The north London outfit
will come up against former
Arsenal attacker Alexis
Sanchez as well as Matteo
Guendouzi, Nuno Tavares
photo: File/Ap
and Sead Kolasinac, who have
also spent time at the
Emirates Stadium.
Chile's Sanchez lost one
derby between the sides in
seven meetings.
"Beating Spurs every time
was a great joy," Sanchez told
reporters.
"It was very special and
those are memories that I
hold dear to my heart," he
added.
Marseille will reach the next
round if they win the fixture.
"Every single player has
motivation to play and win,"
Sanchez said.
"We all want to bring the
victory back," he added.
Tragedy convinced Pakistan
cricket great Akram to
ditch cocaine habit
SportS DeSk
Pakistani cricket legend Wasim
Akram says it took the death of
his first wife Huma to spark
him into finally kicking his
addiction to cocaine which had
replaced the thrill of playing
when he retired, reports UNB.
The 56-year-old former pace
bowler and a key member of
the Pakistan side that won the
1992 World Cup told the
Sunday Times it was Huma
who "found me out" and
advised him to seek help.
However, that did not work,
Akram said an interview to
promote his new
autobiography "Sultan: A
Memoir", because "the doctor
was a complete con man" and
he returned to taking cocaine.
It took Huma's death aged
just 42 in October 2009 to
finally persuade him to give it
up.
Akram-who took over 400
wickets in 104 Tests-said "the
culture of fame in south Asia is
all-consuming, seductive and
corrupting" and he fell into that
trap after he retired in 2003.
"It was a substitute for the
adrenaline rush of competition,
which I sorely missed, or to take
advantage of the opportunity,
which I had never had.
"My devices turned into
vices."
Akram-who was diagnosed
with diabetes when he was 30 -
- said he first took cocaine when
he was offered some at a party
in England.
"My use grew steadily more
serious, to the point that I felt I
needed it to function," he said.
'Facility was brutal'
Huma lived between
England and Lahore with their
two sons, Tahmoor and Akbar,
but felt isolated as Akram's
media commitments took him
all over the world.
"It (cocaine) made me
volatile," he said.
"It made me deceptive.
Huma, I know, was often lonely
in this time . . . she would talk of
her desire to move to Karachi,
to be nearer her parents and
siblings.
"I was reluctant. Why? Partly
because I liked going to Karachi
on my own, pretending it was
work when it was actually
about partying, often for days at
a time."
Akram agreed with Huma he
needed help after her
"discovering a packet of cocaine
in my wallet."
"I couldn't control it," he said.
"Four (lines) would become a
gram, a gram would become
two.
"I could not sleep. I could not
eat. I grew inattentive to my
diabetes, which caused me
headaches and mood swings."
Akram said rehab in Lahore
proved a total failure, not least
because the doctor placed
dollar signs ahead of curing his
patients.
"This facility was brutal: a
bare building with five cells, a
meeting room and a kitchen,"
he said.
"The doctor was a complete
con man, who worked
primarily on manipulating
families rather than treating
patients, on separating relatives
from money rather than users
from drugs."
Far from cured, he resumed
his habit as "the lure of my
lifestyle remained" and
indulged in it at the 2009
Champions Trophy.
However, it was to be the
final rush as two weeks after the
tournament finished Huma
died of mucormycosis, a rare
fungal infection. The tragedy
finally convinced Akram to give
up cocaine.
Atthaya thitikul is the second player from thailand to reach first
place in the world rankings.
photo: Ap
Penalty point in
Mexico leaves
Gasly close to a
race ban
SportS DeSk
Pierre Gasly will have to stay
out of trouble until May -
well into next season - after
Sunday's Mexico City Grand
Prix left the AlphaTauri
driver just two penalty points
away from a Formula One
race ban, reports UNB.
The Frenchman, who is
joining Renault-owned
Alpine at the end of the year
as replacement for Fernando
Alonso, now has 10 points on
his licence with 12 in a 12-
month period triggering an
automatic suspension.
He was given a five second
penalty and a point on his
licence on Sunday for leaving
the track and gaining an
advantage, forcing Aston
Martin's Lance Stroll off as
well, without giving back the
place.
Gasly, who finished 11th,
said he had not been told to
give back the place and
would have a discussion
about what to do differently
to avoid future points.
"I don't feel like I've been
that dangerous over the last
12 months, and it would be a
shame to get a race ban for
slowing down a bit too much
behind the safety car and a
couple of track limits
(breaches) this year," he told
reporters.
The Frenchman suggested
there might be changes to
the penalty points rules next
year that could get him off
the hook.
"I think they're working on
it and probably for next year,
there are going to be
changes. That's good to
hear," he said.
Gasly has had penalty
points in Spain (2), Austria
(3), Japan (2), the United
States (2) and Mexico (1) -
four of them for collisions,
two for speeding during red
flag conditions, and two for
being more than 10 car
lengths behind the safety car.
The other two were for
exceeding track limits
repeatedly and going off and
gaining an advantage.
Sakkari begins
WTA finals
with win
over Pegula
SportS DeSk
Maria Sakkari beat Jessica
Pegula 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in the
opening round-robin singles
match of the WTA Finals in
Fort Worth, Texas
yesterday, avenging her loss
to the American in the
Guadalajara final eight days
ago, reports UNB.
For Sakkari, who reached
the semifinals of the 2021
WTA Finals, the victory over
world number three Pegula
marked her first top-five win
of the year.
The first set lasted 71
minutes - a minute longer
than their entire
Guadalajara final - and
Sakkari secured it on her
third set point of the
tiebreak with a forehand
passing shot.
The Greek raced out to a 3-
0 lead in the second set
before Pegula battled back,
saving a couple of match
points and holding serve to
force another tiebreak.
However, she was unable to
send the match to a deciding
set.
"It's never easy against
Jess. She's an amazing
player, she's very confident
right now," world number
five Sakkari said. "I knew it
was going to be extremely
tough but I fought hard and
trusted my game."
In the day's other singles
match, world number two
Ons Jabeur, who reached
her first two major finals at
Wimbledon and the US
Open this year, is facing No 7
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
Three matches of Premier
Handball decided in opener
SportS DeSk
Three matches of Cute Premier Handball
League were decided on the opening day
(Tuesday) at Shaheed Captain M Mansur Ali
National Handball Stadium in the city,
reports BSS.
On the day, Menzis Krira Chakra beat
Surjodoy Krira Chakra by 39-28 goals after
leading the first half by 21-12 goals in the
inaugural match, Jurain Janata Club beat
Arambagh Krira Sangha by 42-29 goals after
dominating the first half by 17-10 goals and
Flame Boys Club defeated Dhaka Mariners
Young's Club by 29-23 goals after leading the
first half by 18-9 goals.
Earlier, State Minister for Youth and
Sports Mohammad Zahid Ahsan Russel,
MP, formally inaugurated the week-long
meet as the chief guest while sponsor
Mousumi Industries Limited's chairman
Kazi Razib Uddin Ahmed Chapal and
Hannan Group's chairman Shamsuddin
Maria Sakkari gestures during her match against Jessica pegula in the
WtA finals in Fort Worth.
photo: Ap
Win against India will be called
an upset: Shakib Al Hasan
SportS DeSk
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan knew that if they win
against India, it will be called an upset but he is less bothered
about it as his only target is to win the match in a bid to stay
alive for the semifinal race of the T20 World Cup, reports BSS.
Bangladesh indeed need to beat both of the subcontinent
rivals, firstly India and then Pakistan whom they will meet on
November 6. Both of the matches will be held in Adelaide
Oval, a venue in which they beat England in 2015 ODI World
Cup to move to the Quarterfinal for the first time in their
history.
In T20 World Cup also, they have now the chance to move
to the knock out stage for the first time but definitely it will be
a tough call. In this World Cup itself, Bangladesh though won
two matches, they actually didn't have any victory in the
second or main round of the tournament before that other
than a victory against West Indies in 2007 in the inaugural
edition.
"India are the favourite team, they came here to win the
World Cup. We are not favourites, we didn't come here to win
the World Cup," Shakib said here today.
"We know it very well that if we win against India, it will be
called an upset. We will try to play our best cricket, and try to
make an upset," the world's number one all-rounder
remarked.
Even though it's a crucial game to stay alive in the semifinal
race, Shakib is reluctant to see this match any differently.
"As I said before the first match in the World Cup, every
match is important for us. We want to play with the same
mentality. We don't want to worry about which country we're
playing against in which situation. We just want to enjoy that
moment. So we will have the same plan."
were present there as the special guests.
Bangladesh Handball Federation's (BHF)
general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor,
league committee's chairman Sheikh
Bahauddin Litu and BHF's treasurer and
league committee's secretary Jahangir
Hossain, among others, were present at the
opening ceremony. A total of nine clubs, split
into two groups, are taking part in the league,
organised by BHF.
After group phase matches, the placedeciding
matches will begin from November
6 while the top two teams from each group
will qualify for the final slated for November
7 at the same venue.
participating teams:
Group A - Arambagh Krira Sangha, Dhaka
Mariners Young's Club, Prime Sporting
Club, Flame Boys Club and Jurain Janata
Club.
Group B - Narinda Pragati Boys Club,
Bangla Club, Surjodoy Krira Chakra and
Menzis Krira Chakra.
Wimbledon win huge confidence
boost in tough year, says Djokovic
SportS DeSk
Novak Djokovic said his
Wimbledon triumph gave
him a much-needed boost of
confidence during a tough
season and that it laid the
platform for a strong finish
to the year, reports UNB.
Djokovic was deported
from Australia in the leadup
to the year's first Grand
Slam in January for not
being vaccinated against
Covid-19. The Serb then
struggled to hit top form and
only began showing
glimpses of his best at the
end of the clay season.
The 35-year-old then beat
Australian Nick Kyrgios in
the Wimbledon final to bag
his 21st Grand Slam crown
before winning trophies in
Tel Aviv and Astana and
arriving in France primed to
defend his Paris Masters
title this week.
"The first part of the year
with everything that
happened in Australia, I felt
challenged, very much
emotionally, mentally off the
court, and it was affecting
my game," Djokovic said.
"I was finding my way to
that desired level and that
happened towards the end of
the clay season. Wimbledon
always comes at the right
time in my career. When I
need that huge confidence
boost and big title,
Wimbledon is always there."
Djokovic has won the
Paris title six times,
including in his last two
appearances in 2019 and
2021, and said coming back
always brings him good
memories.
"At this level, it's
important to have a good
feeling on the court and
good memory of coming to a
place where you have done
well, because tennis is a
game of fine margins that
decides who is going to take
a win in the match," he
added.
"Often, how you feel
mentally, whether you're
fighting with your demons
inside in a good or bad way
affects the end result. Here, I
always felt good."
Pogba to miss World
Cup after failing to
recover from surgery
SportS DeSk
France midfielder Paul
Pogba will miss their World
Cup title defence after failing
to recover from knee surgery
in time for next month's
tournament in Qatar, his
agent said yesterday, reports
UNB.
Pogba had an operation on
a damaged meniscus in
September but his agent said
that, following a medical
review, he would not be able
to return to the Juventus
squad or join up with France
before the Nov 20-Dec 18
World Cup.
"Following yesterday and
today's medical review in
Torino and Pittsburgh, it is
extremely painful to inform
(you that) Paul Pogba will
still need recovery time from
his surgery," his agent
Rafaela Pimenta said.
"For this reason, Paul will
not be able to join the
Juventus squad before the
World Cup break nor the
French national team in
Qatar.

WEdNEsdAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2022
10
Keya, Apu to star
in ‘Kathgolap’
TBT REPORT
Sabrina Sultana Keya came
into discussion several times
for acting in cinemas and
television dramas and for
performing as model in TV
commercials for last two
decades. On the other hand,
this time popular face of the
small screen, Rashed Mamun
Apu is passing best time in his
career now. Apu also acted in
movies. For the first time,
Keya and Apu worked
together in a cinema titled
'Kathgolap'. Directed by Sajjad
Khan, Apurbo Rubel wrote
story of the movie.
While talking about acting
in the movie, Rashed Mamun
Apu told this correspondent,
"In this movie, I played role of
a person named Raihanul
Karim. After taking part in the
shooting of this movie and
completed my shooting. I have
liked my character in the
movie. For the first time, I
shared the screen with
popular film actress Keya. She
is very much co-operative and
she had intention to portray
her character properly in the
movie during shooting. I hope
viewers will enjoy the movie."
In the beginning of her
acting career, Keya had a
glamorous presence on the
screen in Montazur Rahman
Akbar's movie 'Kothin Bastob.'
Still now she has maintained
her same glamorous presence
on the screen. For this reason,
directors and producers are
showing their keen interest to
cast her in their works.
Keya informed that she has
already finished shooting of
movie 'Jol Joshna,' directed by
Mehedi Hasan. Now she is
busy with acting in her new
movie 'Kathgolap.' She said,
"My character is absolutely
different from my acted other
movies of recent time. In my
long time career in the silver
screen, I got huge loves from
my fans. I want to step
forward with their loves. I am
grateful to directors and
producers as they are keeping
full confidence on me and they
are taking me in their present
works."
Few days ago, Keya finished
shooting of Salman Jashim's
movie 'Poraner Poran.' Keya
starrer movies 'Bonolata,' 'Yes
Madam,' 'Kotha Dilam,'
'Shimana,' and 'Monafik' are
waiting to get release dates,
said the actress.
Meanwhile, Rashed
Mamun Apu starrer and
Raihan Rafi directed movie
'Damal' was released last
Friday. Apu played a pivotal
role in the movie. He has
already finished shooting of
Jakir Hossain Raju's 'Chador,'
while he is going to start
shooting of Chayanika
Chowdhury's movie
'Prohelika' and Bondhon
Biswas' 'Laal Saree,' said the
actor.
Ray Fisher responds to former DC
films head stepping down
Justice League star Ray Fisher
responds to former DC Films head
Walter Hamada stepping down,
celebrating the exec's departure from
the studio.
After two years of criticizing the
studio executive, Zack Snyder's
Justice League star Ray Fisher is
opening up about former DC Films
head Walter Hamada stepping down.
Following years of working on the
stage, Fisher found his breakout film
role as Cyborg within the DC
Extended Universe, debuting as the
character with a cameo in Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice before
going on to largely appear in both the
theatrical and alternate cuts of Justice
League.
While reception was divided on his
first appearance and the theatrical
cut of the latter, Fisher scored
widespread praise for his
performance in Zack Snyder's
Justice League, an extended version
of the film edited together after
years of fans campaigning for it.
Despite this positive reception,
Fisher's time in the DCEU was
seemingly short-lived when he began
accusing Joss Whedon, whom
rewrote and reshot much of the
theatrical version of Justice League, of
toxic behavior on the set, as well as
Hamada for protecting the former
Avengers director.
Multiple other of his stars would
later step forward in his defense,
including Gal Gadot, who recalled
Whedon threatening her career, while
Fisher offered detailed accusations
about Whedon's attempts to minimize
Cyborg's story in the film. Whedon
would also see his former Buffy the
Vampire Slayer cast and crew speak
out against him, and release a letter
defending himself, which ultimately
fell on deaf ears, leaving many in
Fisher's support to turn their
attentions towards Hamada, whom he
accused of defending Whedon and
other high-ranking studio executives
involved.
This week not only brought the
release of Dwayne Johnson's Black
Adam, but also saw DC Films head
Walter Hamada step down from his
position at the studio. Ray Fisher, who
had been vocal in his criticism
regarding the studio exec,
subsequently took to his Twitter to
celebrate Hamada's departure, once
again calling him out for his efforts to
"protect his toxic and discriminatory
colleagues," and sharing his hopes to
never deal with him again.
Given the intensity of headlines
surrounding both Fisher and Hamada
in the years since the Zack Snyder's
Justice League star took to accusing
him of being a dangerous enabler,
Fisher's elation about the former DC
Films head is largely understandable,
namely those who have supported
him throughout his search for justice.
The question for many audiences
now is whether Fisher could make a
return to the DCEU as Cyborg now
that Hamada has left, given the actor
has stated multiple times he refused
to be a part of any Hamadaassociated
production.
Some may already be speculating
about his possibly showing up in next
year's The Flash movie, given he was
originally intended to reprise his role
for the multiverse-based story, and
Ezra Miller recently returned to set for
additional photography.
Source: Collider
'Rupali Guitar Award' announced
by Chattogram Musicians Club
TBT REPORT
Bangladesh lost one of its biggest
rockstars on October 18, 2018. This was
the day legendary rockstar, Ayub
Bachchu passed away.
In memory of the legend, a special
programme was organised on Sunday
evening, at a convention Centre in
Moghbazar. The programme was
organised by the Chattogram
Musicians Club, Dhaka. After reading
the Quran in the afternoon, a
discussion-centered around Ayub
Bachchu's life and career-was held in
the evening.
Kumar Bishwajit; Partha Barua of
Souls; Naquib Khan of Renaissance;
Foad Nasser Babu of Feedback; Labu
Rahman; Hamin Ahmed, president of
Bangladesh Musical Bands Association
(BAMBA); Syed Shahid of Doorbin,
TBT REPORT
Acclaimed Bangladeshi
musicians Avishek
Bhattacharjee and Rakat
Zami released the first
Halloween-themed album
in Bangladesh yesterday
(Oct 31). The 4 track horrorthemed
album titled 'Pett
Kata Shaw (Original Motion
Picture Soundtrack)' is now
available on distrokid.com
and Spotify.
Avishek
a n d
along with other famous artists were a
part of this discussion event.
At the event, popular musician and
actor Partha Barua announced a special
award that had been created in memory
of Ayub Bachchu.
The current president of Chattogram
Musicians Club, Syed Shahid said, "The
'Rupali Guitar Award' will be given every
year from now on in memory of Ayub
Bachchu. Details about the award will be
revealed in a few days. We believe this
award will help to inspire musicians from
all over Bangladesh."
Shamim Ahmed, the current general
secretary of Chattogram Musicians Club
and manager of LRB, said, "Ayub Bachchu,
son of Chittagong, is an indelible name in
the history of Bangladeshi music.
Through this award, he will continue to
live on forever.
Avishek, Rakat releases first Bangladeshi Halloween album
Rakat were also the
composers behind the
recent popular Nuhash
Humayun helmed horror
projects like the Chorki
original 'Pett Kata Shaw'
and Hulu original
'Foreigners Only.' Their
Halloween album is also the
compilation of the original
soundtracks the duo created
for the series 'Pett Kata
Shaw,' which received rave
reviews for its eerie
soundscape and background
score.
Announcing the release of
the milestone album,
Avishek took to Facebook
and wrote, "Happy
Halloween everyone! It is
our great morbid pleasure to
let you all know that Rakat
Zami & Me are releasing
four exclusive original
soundtracks of the series
'Shaw,' directed by my
brother Nuhash Humayun
on the eve of Halloween."
"This is the first time in
Bangladesh we are releasing
not any song but exclusive
sounds of Bengali horror.
Enjoy your Halloween with
the horrors of our sound," he
added.
Rakat also wrote on his
Facebook account, "Hey
everyone! So, after months
of contemplation, we're
finally releasing the
soundtracks for our work on
'Pett Kata Shaw' on Spotify
on 31st of October!"
"The album contains 4
tracks for each episode. Each
soundtrack is a compilation
of all the sounds that gave
the episodes their unique
identity. Hope you will enjoy
it!" he continued
Parineeti and YRF part
ways amicably
Parineeti Chopra had made her acting
debut with Yash Raj Films' Ladies vs
Ricky Bahl.
Parineeti Chopra is one of the
leading actresses in the film industry,
and right from her first movie -
Maneesh Sharma's Ladies vs Ricky
Bahl - has been associated with
Yash Raj Films (YRF), and its
talent management wing. They
have collaborated on many projects,
including Habib Faisal's Ishaqzaade
and Maneesh's Shuddh Desi Romance.
Pinkvilla has now heard that the actress
is moving out of YRF's talent management
agency, however it's all done amicably.
"Parineeti and YRF go back a long way, and
the production house is like a home for her. So
there is no animosity involved here. She
wanted to explore other avenues, and is
moving to another talent management
agency," informs a source close to the
development. Before becoming an actress,
Parineeti was a part of YRF's marketing and
public relations division, and had even won the
Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for
Ladies vs Ricky Bahl.
Meanwhile, Parineeti will next be seen in
filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya's Uunchai,
alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher,
Boman Irani, Neena Gupta and Sarika. While
sharing Uunchai's trailer recently, Parineeti
had written on Twitter, "A feeling that can't be
put in words. An energy that will stay with me
for a lifetime. It's special. It's #Uunchai!"
Parineeti is also a part of Capsule Gill with
Akshay Kumar.
Yash Raj Films on the other hand has Shah
Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John
Abraham starrer Pathaan, Salman Khan and
Katrina Kaif's Tiger 3, and Aamir Khan's son
Junaid Khan's debut movie - Maharaja - in the
pipeline.
Source: Hindustan Times
H O R O s c O P E
ARIEs
Some close friends could turn you on to a new
interest or perhaps a group you might want to join.
Intellectual stimulation through those closest to
you could open the way to new plans and
innovations. You might want to try combining artistic interests
with technology, Aries, perhaps expanding your knowledge of
photography, computer graphics, or filmmaking. Success and good
fortune through such activities are strongly indicated.
TAURUs
Sudden, unexpected news could arrive
today, perhaps by mail or phone. You
could host a virtual group meeting of
some kind. A lot of exciting information
and stimulating conversation could take
place, Taurus, bringing fresh ideas that spark new
interests. Expect a very busy but productive day,
looking ahead toward the future rather than back
toward the past.
GEMINI
Short journeys in your neighborhood,
perhaps connected with a group you're
associated with, could take up a lot of
your time today, Gemini. Fascinating
and stimulating emails or calls could
arrive. Books and magazine articles could provide
information that sends you in a new direction in
some way. Write down your ideas! You will want to
remember them all.
cANcER
Technology could pave the way for you to
greatly increase your income, possibly
through new skills or investments. This is
likely to be a very positive development,
setting the stage for future financial success. Some
unusual, interesting dreams could come your way,
bringing unexpected revelations about you and your past
- and possibly your future. Write them down! They could
hold important messages for you from your higher self.
LEO
A surprising revelation, either from
within or from sources like books, the
Internet, or communications from others
could set you in an entirely new direction.
You will have an increased sense of freedom, as well as
a clearer and more progressive outlook. You might
consider some pretty heavy changes in your life, Leo,
but don't make any final decisions or arrangements
today. Wait before putting your ideas into action.
VIRGO
Discoveries made through occult sciences
such as astrology or numerology could
see you embrace some rather
revolutionary ideas about yourself, the
world, and life. You could become involved with a
group associated with metaphysical studies or take an
online class or workshop of some kind. This could
mean a new direction for you in some way, Virgo. It
might greatly enhance your life and thinking.
LIBRA
Sudden lucky breaks could come your
way today, Libra, possibly through
friends or groups with which you're
involved. A long-term goal you've been
working toward might bring unexpected but
wonderful results. Virtual group activities,
particularly those involving social or political issues,
could take up a lot of your time. This promises to be
a busy, productive day. Expect the unexpected!
scORPIO
Today you might feel the desire to break
free from your daily routine, Scorpio,
particularly regarding career matters.
You might consider developing a
business of your own, one that would give you a lot
more freedom than you currently have. This is a good
day to start looking into it. You might find that there are
more possibilities out there than you expected.
sAGITTARIUs
A sudden and unexpected opportunity
to take a journey by air could come your
way today, Sagittarius. This might be
something you've wanted for a long
time finally manifesting. Certainly, adventure is in the
air, although it might be mental adventure as much as
physical. Some information could come your way that
catapults you into a new and exciting field of interest.
This promises to be a thoroughly stimulating day.
cAPRIcORN
Technology could pave the way for you to
greatly increase your income, possibly
through new skills or investments. This is
likely to be a very positive development,
setting the stage for future financial success. Some
unusual, interesting dreams could come your way,
bringing unexpected revelations about you and your past
- and possibly your future. Write them down! They could
hold important messages for you from your higher self.
AQUARIUs
The unexpected need to take a journey
by air or spend a lot of time working
could bring about an inconvenient
separation from your partner. While the
reasons for this situation and the projected outcome
are very positive, it can cause a temporary upset in
your relationship. Don't worry about it. The upset will
pass, particularly when the desired results are
attained. Concentrate on the matter at hand.
PIscEs
Is your workplace upgrading its
equipment? Are you in the process of
increasing your technology skills?
Today's planets show that success and advancement
through technology are definitely in the offing for
you, Pisces. If you've been thinking about purchasing
a computer, do it today if you can. Whatever your
goals, you can harness current innovations to help
them along. Give it some thought!

wEDnESDAy, novEMBER 2, 2022
11
The 33rd Annual General Meeting of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company Ltd.
(BAPEX) was held on Monday at BAPEX Board Room, BAPEX Bhaban (Level-6), 4 Kawran Bazar,
Dhaka. The Shareholders and the Members of Board of Directors of the company attended the meeting
presided over by Md. Mahbub Hossain, Chairman of BAPEX Board and Senior Secretary, Energy
& Mineral Resources Division, Govt. of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The Audited Financial
Statements for the fiscal year 2021-2022 of the company was approved by the Shareholders at the
meeting. During the financial year the total Income and Expenditure of the company was Tk. 669.55
crore and Tk. 485.01 crore respectively. Company's profit before tax was Tk. 184.54 crore and it was
626% higher than previous year. During the year the company has deposited Tk. 243.23 crore as government
revenue to the national treasury. In the meeting the honourable Shareholders and the
Members of the Board of Directors expressed their satisfaction in the overall activities of the company
during the period and provided valuable suggestions and guidelines on various issues for the
better functioning of the company.
Photo : Courtesy
Record inflation puts the squeeze
on Eurozone economies
FRANKFURT : - Inflation hit a new record
in the 19 countries that use the euro
currency, fueled by out-of-control prices for
natural gas and electricity due to Russia's
war in Ukraine. Economic growth also
slowed ahead of what economists fear is a
looming recession, largely as a result of those
higher prices sapping Europeans' ability to
spend, reports UNB.
Annual inflation reached 10.7% in October,
the European Union's statistics agency,
Eurostat, reported Monday. That is up from
9.9% in September and the highest since
statistics began to be compiled for the
eurozone in 1997.
Natural gas prices skyrocketed in the wake
of the invasion of Ukraine as Russia throttled
back pipeline supplies to a trickle of what
they were before the war. Europe has had to
resort to expensive shipments of liquefied
gas that come by ship from the U.S. and
Qatar to keep generating electricity and
heating homes.
While liquid gas succeeded in filling
Europe's storage for the winter, the higher
prices have made some industrial products
such as steel or fertilizer expensive or simply
unprofitable to make. Consumer spending
power has been drained at shops and
elsewhere as more income goes to pay for
fuel and utility bills and as basics such as
food become more expensive.
Natural gas prices for short-term
purchases have eased recently but remain
high on markets for coming months,
suggesting that costly energy may be a
persistent drag on the economy. A survey of
professional forecasts last week by the
European Central Bank showed expectations
for inflation next year rose to 5.8% from
3.6% predicted three months ago.
The inflation outbreak has been an
international phenomenon, sending price
increases to near 40-year highs in the U.S. as
well.
Eurostat figures showed prices for food,
alcohol and tobacco have increasingly joined
energy prices as a major contributor, rising
13.1%, while energy prices rose an
astronomical 41.9% from a year earlier.
Govt to procure 5
lakh tonnes of
boiled rice: Sadhan
DHAKA : Food Minister
Sadhan Chandra Majumder
yesterday said the
government will procure
around three lakh metric
tonnes of Aman paddy and
five lakh metric tonnes of
boiled rice this year.
The minister disclosed
this responding to a query
from journalists after
attending a meeting of the
Food Planning and
Monitoring Committee held
in the cabinet room of the
secretariat here.
As the government has
fixed the target and price of
the items, the Aman paddy
will be procured at Taka 28
per kilogram (kg) while rice
at Tk 42 per kg, he added.
Agriculture Minister Dr
Muhammad Abdur
Razzaque.
Dhaka district AL pays tribute
to Bangabandhu
DHAKA : The newly-formed Dhaka
district unit of Awami League paid a
rich tribute to Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial
Museum in the city's Dhanmondi
yesterday, reports BSS.
President of Dhaka AL Benzir
Ahmed and its General Secretary
GD-1761/22 (6x4)
Poniruzzaman Torun placed a wreath
at the portrait of Bangabandhu this
afternoon.
Representatives of the former
committee of Dhaka AL and leaders
of AL-affiliated organisations were
present.
Earlier, AL general secretary
Obaidul Quader announced the
names of Benzir and Poniruzzaman
as president and general secretary
respectively of the Dhaka AL during
the triennial council of the unit on
Saturday.
Thousands of Awami League
activists and leaders were present at
the event held at Sher-e-Bangla
Nagar's old trade fair ground.
GD-1760/22 (10x4)

Wednesday, Dhaka : November 2, 2022; kartik 17, 1429 Bs; rabi-us-sani 6 , 1444 Hijri
The Bangladesh Today employees strike a pose with the pro VC of DU prof. Dr. A. s. M.
Maksud kamal.
photo : TBT
DU Pro-VC visits
TBT office
TBT Desk
Prof. Dr. A. S. M. Maksud Kamal, Pro-Vice
Chancellor (Academic), University of
Dhaka, visited the office of The
Bangladesh Today on Tuesday evening.
He was received by Md. Jobaer Alam,
Acting Editor of The Bangladesh Today
with the office staffs.
During the visit, he exchanged views
with the staff of the newspaper and
encouraged them to work sincerely. Later
he discussed with the Acting Editor on
various contemporary issues.
Tainted foods have
flooded market, says
health minister
DHAKA : Food adulteration has
increased alarmingly across the country,
said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on
Tuesday.
"Almost all the foods we eat are adulterated",
he said while addressing an
opinion exchange meeting at the
Directorate of Health Services in the
capital's Mohakhali.
Basic food items, including rice, pulses,
spices, fish and vegetables have toxic
chemicals and other harmful additives,
he said. As a result, ailments like cancer
and Kidney diseases have doubled
across the country.
"In developed countries, no compromises
are made to poison food, no matter
how powerful a company is. But
adulterated food is being served everywhere
in our country. So, where do people
go? What will we eat? It won't be
allowed anymore," the minister warned.
"Creating awareness among people is
a must to stop food adulteration. We've
taken various steps in this regard," the
minister said. "If we want to give a
healthy life to our next generation, these
adulterated businesses must be stopped
now", he said.
"We are going to form some field level
teams to prepare a specific report on
this. Later, we will sit with the higher
authorities and resolve it very soon," the
minister said.
Director General of the Department of
Health Prof Dr ABM Khurshid Alam,
Director (Administration) Prof Dr Md.
Shamiul Islam Sadi and other
Directorate of Health officials were present
at the meeting.
DHAKA : BNP's democracy meant carrying
out torture and oppression on opposition
party as BNP-Jamaat government
used to foil Awami League rally through
charging batons and firing tear-gas, Prime
Minister's ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb
Wazed Joy said.
He came up with the comment in a facebook
post from his verified account this
evening. A photograph of a news item of
Dainik Janakantho was also attached with
the post.
Joy said after assuming power in 2001,
BNP-Jamaat government started launching
oppression and tortures on Awami
Despite remittance dropping in Oct,
grew up 2.03 pc in last 4 months
DHAKA : The inward remittance inflow to
Bangladesh decreased by 7.4 percent in
October to USD $1.52 billion compared to
the same month of last year, reports UNB.
But the remittance inflow increased by 2.03
percent in the first 4 months of the current
fiscal year compared to the last FY 21.
According to Bangladesh Bank (BB)
data, Bangladesh received inward remittance
of $7.19 billion in July-October of FY
23 while the figure was $7.05 billion in the
same time of FY 22.
It shows remittance grew up by 2.03
percent in this time, despite the drastic fall
in remittance inflow in September and
October this year.
The BB spokesperson Md Abul Kalam
Azad told in order to increase inflow, the
central bank has increased the exchange
rate of US dollars for remittance.
In addition to 2.5 percent hassle-free
incentive for remittance, several banks
also provide additional incentives to
attract foreign exchange, he said.
SANGSAD BHABAN : The Bangladesh
Small and Cottage Industries
Corporation (BSCIC) Bill, 2022 was
placed in Parliament keeping a provision
of two years in prison and a maximum
fine of TK50,000 for providing
false information for borrowing money
from the corporation.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid
Mahmud Humayun placed in the
House and it was sent to the respective
Parliamentary Standing Committee
for further examination. The
Committee was asked to submit its
report within 30 days.
The Bill says that if anyone damages
or replaces any border wall the punishment
will be maximum six months of
imprisonment or maximum Tk one
lakh as fine or both. If anyone creates
obstacles in any work of the BSCICappointed
developer or contractor then
the punishment will be the same.
BNP's democracy means launching
torture on opposition : Joy
League leaders and workers.
Even they opposed Awami League in
holding any peaceful rally or programme,
he mentioned.
And even the government used to carry
out subversive acts by 'marginal terrorist
group' under the banner of 'Jatiayatabadi
Bastuhara Dal' and fire tear-shell by police
personnel, he said. This pathetic incident
was portrayed with picture in a report
published in the Dainik Janakantho on
March 29, 2002, he said.
The report suggested that police dispersed
workers at Awami League's peaceful
rally at Muktangan by firing teargas
Apart from this, the banks will not
charge any fee for remittance collection
from now on. At the same time, in the current
reality of foreign exchange reserves,
banks have to open LCs with dollar
resources from their own sources, the BB
said to the commercial banks
However, according to the new decision,
from now on, if the income of expatriate
workers, including doctors, engineers,
lawyers, and nurses is sent through the
bank, the maximum rate will be Tk 107.
Besides, it has been asked to increase its
own exchange house outside the country
to encourage remittance collection directly
through banks by reducing the dependence
on foreign exchange houses. In this
case, the central bank will provide the necessary
assistance.
In the meeting, it was asked not to
charge any kind of charge to induce remittances
through official channels at this
time of dollar crisis. Banks have promised
to implement these decisions.
BSCIC Bill placed in JS
aimed at streamlining small
and cottage industries
For illegal land grabbing and construction
of infrastructures the punishment
will be the same also. If anyone transfers
any plot illegally then the punishment will
be one year of imprisonment (maximum)
or fine of Tk 50,000 (maximum) or both.
The Bill will make the industrial entities
under the BSCIC more effective.
The proposed law will promote women
entrepreneurs as the existing law, 1957 is
outdated. The Bill said that the
Corporation can take necessary steps to
create women entrepreneurs in industrial
sector and give them protection.
As per the proposed law, the authorised
capital of the Corporation will be Tk 3000
crore while the paid up will be Tk 2637.22
crore. There will be a 16-member board of
directors for the Corporation and chairman
of the entity will be the president.
The Corporation will have 10 directors
and the government will appoint all the
directors.
shells in three times, he said.
Amid the situation, Sheikh Hasina addressed
the rally and later police members
carried out indiscriminate and heavy baton
charge on leaders and workers and
emptied the venue of the rally.
During the time, some hired marginal
terrorists along with police carried out
attacks on Awami League leaders and
workers. The terrorists were coordinated
under the banner 'Jatiyatabadi
Bastuhara Dal' patronised by a lawmaker
who was a syndicate member of
member of BNP government's alternative
power house Hawa Bhaban.
Tk 1893 crore unpaid as electricity
bill by govt ministries, depts
SANGSAD BHABAN : State minister for
power Nasrul Hamid on Tuesday said the
power department will get Tk 1893 crore
as unpaid electricity bill from various ministries
and departments of the government
till September this year, reports UNB.
He also said that considering the average
daily production of 2300 million cubic
feet of gas, it will be possible to use the remaining
gas for nearly 11 years (10.8
years).
Hamid said that the power division will
get maximum amount Tk 905.21 crore
from local government department and
Tk 395.68 crore from the ministry of disaster
management.
In response to a query from ruling
Awami League MP Md. Mozaffar
Hossain, he said by strengthening supervision
and implementing various activities
at the field level, it has been possible to reduce
the amount of electricity bill in arrears
in the past few years.
He said that the government has taken
Govt to procure
5 lakh tonnes of
boiled rice : Sadhan
DHAKA : Food Minister Sadhan Chandra
Majumder yesterday said the government
will procure around three lakh metric
tonnes of Aman paddy and five lakh metric
tonnes of boiled rice this year.
The minister disclosed this responding
to a query from journalists after attending
a meeting of the Food Planning and
Monitoring Committee held in the cabinet
room of the secretariat here.
As the government has fixed the target
and price of the items, the Aman paddy
will be procured at Taka 28 per kilogram
(kg) while rice at Tk 42 per kg, he added.
Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad
Abdur Razzaque, Commerce Minister
Tipu Munshi, Health Minister Zahid
Maleque and State Minister for Disaster
Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur
Rahman were present, among others, on
the occasion.
Industry-Design Bill
placed in JS to protect
intellectual property rights
SANGSAD BHABAN : The Bangladesh
Industry-Design Bill, 2022 was placed in
Parliament in a bid to protect the intellectual
property rights of industrial design,
reports UNB.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid
Mahmud Humayun placed in the House
and it was sent to the respective
Parliamentary Standing Committee for
further examination. The Committee was
asked to submit its report within 30 days.
A registrar office will be there to issue or
cancel patents of any single inventor or
joint inventors of any technological innovation
under the proposed law.
The Bill is enacting by splitting the
Patents and Designs Act, 1911 as there is a
huge number of diversified affairs under
the century-old law.
There is also a provision in the draft law
that the owners will get compensation,
and such cases will be dealt with by civil
courts.
various initiatives including setting an annual
target for reducing in the Annual
Performance Agreement (APA), holding
inter-ministerial meetings for collection of
dues from different government organisations,
preparing list of bill defaulters and
taking steps to recover them and disconnecting
electricity, if necessary, to collect
the unpaid electricity bills.
He also said that all the customers are
being brought under prepaid/smart meter
to reduce the arrears in electricity bills.
In response to a query from AL MP
Shahiduzzaman Sarker, the state minister
said according to the latest (July 1, 2022)
estimate, the amount of proven and potential
recoverable gas reserves in the
country is 28.59 trillion cubic feet.
From the beginning of gas production to
till June 30, 2022, the cumulative amount
of gas in the country is 19.53 trillion cubic
feet.
Currently the remaining recoverable reserves
are 9.06 trillion cubic feet.
sporTs Desk
Considering the current average daily production
of 2300 million cubic feet of gas
from the gas field, it will be possible to use
the remaining gas for 10.8 years (nearly 11
years).
The mentioned time may be increased
or decreased if daily rate gas production is
decreased and if gas production is increased
following invention of new gas
field, he added.
In response to another question, the
state minister said that since Bangladesh
needs to import LPG, if the price does not
decrease in the international market, there
is no opportunity to reduce the price of
LPG in the domestic market without government
subsidy.
In response to Nizam Uddin Hazari's
question, the state minister said that from
the financial year 2009-10 to 2021-22,
$28.3 billion have been invested in the
electricity sector.
Of this, $9.73 billion have been invested
in the private sector for electricity.
england see off New Zealand by 20 runs in an excellent all-round
performance.
photo: Ap
England beat NZ to boost T20
World Cup semi-final hopes
England batting first in a must-win a day-night
match, the nagging fear that they hadn't quite
mustered the final flourish they required, New
Zealand rebuilding after two early wickets: all
night at the Gabba, the spectre of Abu Dhabi in
last year's T20 World Cup semi-final was hard
to escape. But escape it England eventually did.
They leave Brisbane with a 20-run victory that
was altogether more fraught than the final margin
suggests - and their World Cup hopes not
just alive, but also in their own hands.
As Jos Buttler walked off, he could salute his
best day as England T20 captain. His 73,
marked by stunning flat-batted shots against
pace, had underpinned England's 179-6.
Shrewd, flexible captaincy - backing up the welcome
promotions of Moeen Ali and Liam
Livingstone with the bat by opening the bowling
with Moeen, and then whisking Sam
Curran into the attack in the fifth over to exploit
Finn Allen's early vulnerability against left-arm
pace - then helped to ensure England closed out
the win. There was even time for a terrific catch,
diving to his right to dislodge Devon Conway.
Deep into New Zealand's pursuit of 180 - 13
runs more than they had required last year -
Buttler must have feared that it would all feel
very different. Last year, England had failed to
defend 57 runs from the last four overs when
New Zealand had six wickets in hand. This
time, after Glenn Phillips's consecutive sixes
against Adil Rashid had transformed the feel of
the chase, New Zealand needed 57 runs from
the last five overs with seven wickets still in
hand. It was hard not to think that, for the second
consecutive T20 World Cup, English hopes
would be ended by a clinical New Zealand run
chase.
Lose in Brisbane, and England would have
required an extraordinary upset by Afghanistan
over Australia in Adelaide if their final Super 12
game with Sri Lanka was not to be a morbid
exercise in futility.
Mark Wood was among the bowlers to suffer
a chastening night in Abu Dhabi. But in the 16th
over, he provided a wonderful distillation of the
eternal value of pace: Jimmy Neesham, the
scourge of England in the UAE, was defeated by
a back of a length delivery that he could only top
edge, aiming to hit to the longer side of the
ground. Daryl Mitchell, who hit an undefeated
72 that night, was greeted by two deliveries of
express pace and could not score a run. The
16th over had yielded just three runs.
The administration has made extensive security arrangements for the third election of Fatikchhari
Municipality. The election is going to be held today.
photo : TBT