10-06-2021

thurSday

DhAkA: June 10, 2021; Jaistha 27, 1428 BS; Shawal 28,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 64; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

UN urges action to end

AIDS, saying COVID-

19 hurt progress

>Page 7

SPortS

Euro 2020 warm-up:

Spain's young debutants beat

Lithuania 4-0, France win 3-0

>Page 9

Dhaka world's 4th

worst liveable city

art & culture

Nisho, Mehazabien's

drama 'Ghotona

Shottya' to release soon

>Page 10

Covid-19 in Bangladesh

Daily cases cross

2,500-mark; 36

more die

DHAKA : As Covid cases have been on

an alarming rise, Bangladesh recorded

2,537 new cases in 24 hours until

Wednesday morning, taking the total

caseload to 8,17,819.

The virus claimed 36 more lives

during the period that pushed up the

number of fatalities to 12,949, said a

handout of the Directorate General of

HealthServices (DGHS).

The number of infections and

deaths are on the rise in different

frontier districts amid fearexpressed

by expertsthat these districts will

face a serious healthcare crisisas

theirhospitalsare not equipped well

to face anyworsening situation.

Health authorities detected the new

casesafter testing 20,584 samples during

the period.

The daily infection rateincreased to

12. 33 percent from Tuesday's 12.12

percent while the mortality rate

remained static at 1.58percent.

So far, 7,57,569 people have recovered

from the disease with 2,267 new

ones. Among the deceased, the highest

10 people died in Khulna division.

The deadly virus claimed nine lives

in Rajshahi division, six in Dhaka, six

in Chattogram, six in Khulna, four in

Rangpur and one in Sylhet divisions.

GDP growth would

be higher than govt's

estimate : Kamal

DHAKA : Finance Minister AHM

Mustafa Kamal yesterday said the GDP

growth of the country would be even

higher than the government's target,

not only the World Bank's projection.

"Amid the recent pace of the economy,

we will be on top of the rest of

South Asia and Southeast Asia in terms

of GDP growth," he told reporters after

a virtual meeting of the Cabinet

Committee on Government Purchase

(CCGP).

"We believe that we will be able to

achieve the projection we have made in

FY 2021-22," he added. The government

has set a target of 7.2 per cent

GDP growth for the fiscal 2021-22.

The finance minister further said that

in the current trend of the economy, the

target for this financial year will be

higher than the target of 6.1 per cent.

Replying to a question, Kamal said

the government cannot accept any data

if they are not released by institutions

like Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

(BBS) or Bangladesh Institute of

Development Studies (BIDS).

Zohr

03:44 AM

12:05 PM

04:37 PM

06:49 PM

08:14 PM

5:10 6:45

DHAKA : Bangladesh capital Dhaka

has ranked the fourth least liveable

city in the world, according to the

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)

annual global survey, reports UNB.

The worldwide league table ranks

140 cities on a range of factors,

including political and social stability,

crime, education and access to

healthcare.

Dhaka has been ranked 137thamong

140 cities with 33.5 points. It

scored 55 in stability, 16.7 in healthcare,

30.8 in culture and environment

, 33.3 in education and 26.8 in

infrastructure.

The Bangladesh capital ranked the

third worst liveable city in the Global

Liveability Index 2019 and the

2ndworst in 2018 Index. As the world

continues to grapple with the coronavirus

pandemic, the metropolitan city

of Auckland in New Zealand has been

named the most liveable city globally

by EIU.

That's largely due to the country's

successful handling of Covid-19

which allowed schools, theatres,

restaurants and other cultural attractions

to remain open during the survey

period from Februray 22 to

March 21, 2021, according to the

EIU.

Bangladesh universities nowhere

in QS World University ranking

DHAKA : No university of Bangladesh

- neither public nor private-has found

any place at the top level of

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World

University ranking of 2022, reports

UNB.

The positions of Dhaka University

(DU) and Bangladesh University of

Engineering and Technology (Buet)

remained unchanged at 801-1000,

a very abysmal show at the global

stage.

Besides, Bangladesh's two top private

universities-Brac University and

North South University - have got

their places at 1001-1200. QS does not

assign specific positions for universities

rated below 500.

But the universities in India and

Pakistan have greatly outclassed

those in Bangladesh as eight Indian

and three Pakistani universities found

their positions in the top 500.

New Zealand implemented a strict

nationwide lockdown for several

weeks last year to slow the spread of

the virus. It also shut its international

borders to most travellers.

Asia-Pacific cities dominated the

top 10 rankings this year, even as the

pandemic caused overall livability

around the world to decline.

The top 10 most livable cities in the

world, and their scores according to

The Global Livability Index 2021,

are: Auckland, New Zealand (96.0),

Osaka, Japan (94.2), Adelaide,

Australia (94.0)

Wellington, New Zealand (93.7),

Tokyo, Japan (93.7), Perth, Australia

(93.3), Zurich,Switzerland (92.8),

Geneva, Switzerland (92.5),

Melbourne, Australia (92.5), Brisbane,

Australia (92.4).

The livability index ranks cities

based on more than 30 qualitative and

quantitative factors across five broad

categories: stability, health care, culture

and environment, education and

infrastructure.

Due to the pandemic, the EIU added

new indicators such as stress on

health-care resources as well as restrictions

around local sporting events, theatres,

music concerts, restaurants and

schools.

Twenty-six Asian universities were

named in the global top 100 in the latest

ranking like the previous year.

Two universities of Singapore - the

National University of Singapore and

the Nanyang Technological

University - are there at the 11th and

12th spots respectively in the global

ranking.

Massachusetts Institute for

Technology (MIT) earned the top spot

for the 10th consecutive time. It was followed

by the University of Oxford,

Stanford University, University of

Cambridge, and Harvard University, in

the top five.

QS evaluates 1,300 universities

across the world according to six metrics:

Academic Reputation, Employer

Reputation, Faculty/ Student Ratio,

Citations per faculty, International

Faculty Ratio, and International

Student Ratio.

Flouting rain, people seen in queue to buy TCB goods. The picture was taken from the capital city.

Photo : Star Mail

SC acquits 16 convicts

of Naogaon Togor

chairman murder case

DHAKA : The Appellate Division of the

Supreme Court (SC) yesterday acquitted

16 people sentenced to life imprisonment

in a case lodged over 1994

murder of Hashem Reza alias Togor

chairman in village Keshail under

Badalgachi upazilla in Naogaon.

An Appellate Division virtual bench

headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud

Hossain passed the judgement.

Deputy Attorney General Biswajit

Debnath took part in the hearing for the

state, while Sarwar Ahmed moved the

case for the convicts.

According to the case documents,

Togor chairman was gunned down in

village Keshail under Badalgachi

upazilla in Naogaon on June 3, 1994.

His brother Abul Hasnat Chowdhury

filed the case with Badalgachi Police

Station. A lower court concerned on

July 10, 2005, sentenced main accused

Dr Nurul Islam to death and another 18

to life imprisonment. All the convicts

but one, filed appeals against their conviction.

The High Court on November

21, 2011, commutted the death sentence

of Dr Nurul Islam to life imprisonment

and upheld the sentences of

the other 17 convicts.

"Dr Nurul Islam was freed from jail

after getting presidential clemency on

March 18, 2013, and has already died

on March 14, 2021.

In Chittagong, Freedom Fighter Shamsuddin Ahmed was threatened with death. Ignoring police barriers,

the heroic freedom fighters and the general public rallied in this connection.

Photo : Star Mail

Master plan taken to eliminate

waterlogging: Mayor Tapos

ShAFIqul ISlAM

The Mayor of Dhaka South City

Corporation (DSCC) Barrister Sheikh Fazle

Noor Tapos said that the ongoing work to

alleviate waterlogging is short-time. I am

trying to keep the flow of water right with

the existing capacity and infrastructure. We

are getting some benefits from what we

have done so far. At the same time we need

to be successful in medium term activities

and undertake long term activities. He was

speaking to reporters after inaugurating the

Shaheed Sheikh Russell Park at Jatrabari in

the city on Wednesday (June 9).

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said,

Extensive work or Mega plan has been done

as per the action plan to eliminate waterlogging.

In the initial stage, our short-term task

is to clean up the piling wastes. So that there

is an opportunity for water drainage and

water flow. We have undertaken some

medium term activities, that is, infrastructure

development will be done where it is

needed.

In the meantime, we have completed the

tender, our work is going on, he said. We

have undertaken infrastructure development

activities worth about TK 103 crore.

Next time it will be long term.

Bangladesh's road to digitalisation

59 hill unions to get broadband internet

DHAKA : Fifty-nine unions under the

country's three hill districts-Bandarban,

Rangamati and Khagrachhari-will get

permanent broadband internet connectivity

soon as the Cabinet Committee on

Economic Affairs approved a proposal in

principle in this regard on Wednesday,

reports UNB.

As per the proposal, Bangladesh

Computer Council will implement the

project through Bangladesh Army

awarding it a contract through direct

procurement method (DPM).

"The BCC will award the contract to

the Bangladesh Army to implement the

project," said Shamsul Arefin, additional

secretary to the Cabinet Division,

while briefing reporters on the decisions

of the Cabinet body.

The project was awarded to the

Bangladesh Army considering the security

risk and other relevant impediments

in installing the optical fiber in

remote areas of the hill tracks, he

added.

The scheme will be implemented

under the project titled, 'Broadband

We are formulating a master plan. Under

that, we have to undertake long-term activities.

That would be highly planned. Due to the

unplanned development of Dhaka city, the

city does not have the capacity to absorb the

rainfall during the monsoon season. That is

why waterlogging occurs as soon as it rains.

The DSCC mayor said the building would

not be allowed to be built in any way in the

playground and open space. The Prime

Minister has instructions in this regard,

which I have also brought to the notice of

all. Hopefully, those who have built houses

by occupying playgrounds and open spaces

so far will give it up soon. Ward-11 has no

play area. The evicted place has to be rescued

and a playground has to be built.

He further said, We inaugurated this

park in the name of Shaheed Sheikh Russell

at Jatrabari intersection. A pleasant atmosphere

has been created here. So the people

of this area can have a good time in the

open. Earlier, he inaugurated the

Secondary Waste Transfer Station (STS) at

Shantinagar adjacent to the city's CID

office, inspected the WASA sewer from

Malibagh junction to Chanmari and later

inspected the waterlogging activities of Kazi

Alauddin Road.

Connectivity Setup at the telecommunication-deprived

areas' of the BCC under

the Information and Communication

Technology Division.

However, the figure of the contract

was not disclosed at this stage of

approval. But it might be revealed when

the project will gain be placed for the

final approval of the Cabinet

Committee of Public Purchase.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee

on Public Purchase approved 11 proposals

of different departments under

different ministries involving Tk

2,579.30 crore of which Tk 890.62

crore will be spent from the national

exchequer while the remaining funds

will come as loans by different financing

agencies.

The committee approved a proposal

of the Public Security Division of Home

Ministry to procure a"Vehicle Mounted

Mobile Interceptor and related services"at

a cost of Tk 56.56 crore fromToru

Group Limited, Switzerland, whose

local agent is Smart SCM Solution,

Dhaka.

Thursday, June 10, 2021 2

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Govt's purchase committee

approves 11 proposals

DHAKA : The Cabinet

Committee on Government

Purchase (CCGP) yesterday

approved 11 proposals

involving around Taka

2,579.30 crore.

Among those, six proposals

are of the Road Transport

and Highways Division, two

of the Local Government

Division, one of the Public

Security Division, one of the

Water Resources Ministry

and one of Labour and

Employment Ministry,

reports BSS.

The approval came from

the 20th meeting of the

CCGP held virtually with

Finance Minister AHM

Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

After the meeting,

Additional Secretary of the

Cabinet Division Md

Shamsul Arefin said the

meeting has approved the

proposal of the Dhaka WASA

for awarding the package no.-

3.1 to China Geo-Engineering

orporation, China under the

project for Dhaka

Environmentally Sustainable

Water Supply (DESWS) with

a cost of around Taka 589.31

crore.

He said the committee also

approved the variation

proposal of the Dhaka WASA

to appoint the joint venture,

KUNHWA-DDC-FCEA and

Vernacular Consultant

Limited, for another 39

months under the project of

the DESWS at a cost of Taka

2.71 crore.

He mentioned that the

committee also approved

another proposal of the

National Telecommunication

Monitoring Centre under the

Public Security Division for

awarding the Smart SCM

Solution, Dhaka, a local agent

of the Toru Group Limited,

Switzerland, for procuring

vehicle mounted mobile

interceptor and related

services at a cost of Taka

65.56 crore.

Obituary

Butterfly Group founder and

Chairman M.A. Mannan

breathed his last breath at 4

A.M in the morning on 9th,

June 2021. He was 78 years

old. (Inna lillah… raji'un)

M.A Mannan was more

than a businessman, he was

known for his inspiring

persona, his social activism

and as a trailblazer in his field.

He is one of the pioneers

responsible for the

monumental growth of the

electronic industry in

Bangladesh.

His first namaz-e-janaza

was held at Azad Mosque in

Gulshan 2 and the second

namaz-e-janaza was held

after Asr prayers in a school

field situated in his home

town Sripur, Gazipur.

2 confess crimes in case over trafficking girl to India

DHAKA : Two accused in a

case lodged over human

trafficking and pornography,

filed by a young girl who was

trafficked to India and

managed to return home

recently, have confessed

their crimes before a court

yesterday.

Mehedi Hasan Babu and

Mohiuddin gave statements

under section 164 before the

court of Dhaka Metropolitan

Magistrate Devabrata

Biswas.

Earlier the police

produced Mehedi Hasan

Babu, Mohiuddin and Abdul

Kader before the court. As

the first two wanted to give

confessional statements,

police pleaded to record

their statements. The court

also sent the other accused

to jail, allowing a plea of the

police.

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Earlier on June 8, Dhaka

Metropolitan Magistrate Md

Mamunur Rashid placed

two other accused Amirul

Islam, 32, and Abdus Salam

Molla, 36, on five-day

remand each in the case. The

two were arrested from the

bordering area of Satkhira

on June 7.

The girl, who managed to

escape her ordeal in India

after 77 days in captivity and

returned home, filed the case

with Hatirjheel Police

Station against 12 on June 1.

The accused are Rifadul

Islam Hridoy, Anis, Abdul

Kader, Mehedi Hasan Babu,

Mohiuddin, Harun, Bokul,

Sobuj, Rubel, Sonia, Akil and

Dalim.

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ThuRSDAY, JuNE 10, 2021

3

On Wednesday, Additional Secretary Selim Reza addressing a workshop organized by CPD. Photo : Courtesy

ACC files case against 17 people

including 16 AB bank officials

DHAKA : Anti-Corruption

Commision (ACC) on Tuesday filed a

case against a total of 17 people,

including 16 officials of AB Bank, on

corruption charges and embezzlement

of money, reports UNB.

Deputy Director ( Public Relation)

of ACC Muhammad Arif Sadeq told

UNB that from 2014 to 2017, these

officials worked together to prepare

work orders by abusing their power

for fraudulent purposes.

They withdrew TK176 crore using

these fake documents and by giving

seven illegal bank guarantees without

the approval of the office was

embezzled too.

A case has been registered against 17

people, including 16 officials of AB

Tourism master plan

formulation resumes

after pandemic: Mahbub

DHAKA : State Minister for

Aviation and Tourism M

Mahbub Ali yesterday said

that the work of formulating

'Tourism Master Plan' will

resume when the surge of

COVID-19 pandemic will go

down.

"We have started the work

of formulating the master

plan for overall development

of Bangladesh tourism that

was halted due to pandemic.

We will start it as soon as it

(spread of COVID) will go

down," he said, reports BSS.

He was speaking at a

workshop on feasibility of

the planned project of

"Make tourism zone

including building the

Sheikh Hasina Tower at

Khurushkul in Cox's Bazar'

at Hotel Shoibal in Cox's

bazar, a press release said

here. The state minister said

the tourism industry around

the world was hit hard due

to the pandemic and

Bangladesh is not out of

that.

"We are working to help

the tourism industry recover

from the huge lose due to the

pandemic," he added.

Bank for committing a punishable

offense under Section 47

(48/47/471/09/109) and Section 5 (2)

of the Prevention of Corruption Act,

1948 by embezzling.

The accused in the case areproprietor

of Ershad Brothers

Corporation Ershad Ali, former

Exrcutive Vice- President (EVP) and

branch manager (now retired) of AB

Bank A. B. M Abdus Sattar, former

AVP and Relationship Manager

Abdur Rahim, SVP and former

Relationship Manager Anisur

Rahman, AVP Ruhul Amin and

Shahidul Islam, EVP and Head of

CRM at head office Wasika Afrazi ,

former VP Mufti Mustafizur Rahman,

former SE VP and head of CRM (now

Grameenphone contributes

Tk 31.4 crore to Labour Fund

DHAKA : Amid the global pandemic, Grameenphone (GP)

contributed around Tk 31.4 crore to the Bangladesh Labour

Welfare Foundation Fund under the Ministry of Labour and

Employment.

A five-member delegation led by Grameenphone's Chief

Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Syed Tanvir Husain handed

over the cheque to State Minister for Labour and Employment,

Begum Monnujan Sufian at the ministry Tuesday.

At the cheque handover ceremony State Minister for Labour

and Employment and the Chairman of Bangladesh Labour

Welfare Foundation Begum Monnujan Sufian said, "The

government has formed a foundation fund under the

Bangladesh Labor Act for the welfare of working people. During

this disastrous time of coronavirus, around two thousand

workers have been provided assistance worth Tk 6.25 crore

from this fund,"

GP CHRO Syed Tanvir Husain said, "We believe that our

humble contribution to the labour welfare fund will inspire

many others to come forward and stand by the workers in

need."

Around 165 local, foreign and multinational companies,

including Grameenphone, have been regularly contributing a

certain portion of their dividends to this fund which is

increasing every month.

Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment K.M.

Abdus Salam, Director General of Bangladesh Workers Welfare

Foundation Begum Jebunnesa Karim, Shakila Zerin Ahmed,

Director of Workers Welfare Foundation, Director-General of

the Department of Labour Gautam Kumar, Grameenphone's

Head of Regulatory Affairs Hossain Sadat, HR Business Partner

and Circle HR Head Yeasir Mahmood Khan, Grameenphone's

Industrial Relations Head K M Sabbir Ahmed and Md.

Asaduzzaman a member of Grameenphone's Industrial

Relations Department were present among others at this event.

Young Director Parban Roy in action at 'Panchali'.

retired) Salma Akhter AVP OCRM

Member of Head Office Mohammad

Emarat Hassan Fakir, former

Principal Officer, AB Bank (currently

Principal Officer of Mutual Trust

Bank) Touhidul Islam , member of

SVP and CRM of AB Bank Shamim-e-

Mershed, member of VP and CRM of

the same bank at head Office

Khandaker Rashed Anowar, member

of AVP and CRM Sirajul Islam, VP

and Member of Credit Committee of

AB Bank Mohammad Mahfuz-ul-

Islam, , former DMD and MD (now

retired) and Head of Credit

Committee of AB Bank Ltd ( Head

Office) Moshiur Rahman Chowdhury,

former MD (now retired) AB Bank

Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury.

DIU student Parban

Roy's Short Film

'Panchali' in 'Italy's DI

Cefalu Film Festival'

Italy's DI Cefalu Film Festival

has been officially announced

that young Director Parban

Roy's 'Panchali' will be

screened as a semi-finalist in

this year's DI Cefalu Film

festival, a press release said.

Parban Roy is a student of the

Department of Multimedia and

Creative Technology of Daffodil

International University

directed 'Panchali' and was

assisted by Shahriar Tanvir

Rifat and Bappi Das, students

of the same department of

Daffodil International

University.

The short film "Panchali" has

been already screened at the

14th International Children's

Film Festival Bangladesh 2021

and the 3rd Bangladesh Short

and Documentary Film

Festival 2021.

In the short film 'Panchali',

the director Parban tried to ask

to change the parental

relationship with the children

and even though today's

children talk about changing

this tradition of becoming

parents in the future, but it is

not happening.

Photo : Courtesy

Lower courts allow

bail to 60,489

accused through

virtual hearing

DHAKA : Lower courts and

tribunals across the country

in the last 38 working days,

have granted bail to 60,489

accused after hearing their

pleas virtually.

Confirming the matter to

BSS, Supreme Court

spokesperson and High

Court Division Special

Officer Md Saifur Rahman

said the lower courts and

tribunals across the country

in the last 38 working days

have disposed of 1,17,691

bail pleas and allowed bail to

60,489 accused.

"Of the total number of

accused who were granted

bail since April 12 through

virtual hearing, 974 were

juvenile," he added.

The lower courts and

tribunals on June 8 disposed

of 2,638 bail pleas and

allowed bail to 1,235

accused.

NSEF demands banning

exhibition of tobacco products

by amending the current law

The current 'Smoking and

Usage of Tobacco Products

(Control) Act, 2005'

prohibits the advertisement

of tobacco products.

However, the existing law

does not specifically prohibit

the display of tobacco

products in sales outlets.

And taking this opportunity,

the tobacco companies are

mainly promoting their

products through the

exhibition of their products

in the point of sales. The

National Shop Employees

Federation (NSEF)

demands to amend the

current law, a press release

said.

The speakers made the

demand at a joint meeting of

Dhaka Ahsania Mission with

National Shop Employees

Federation at Shyamoli on

June 9. The meeting was

chaired by National Shop

Employees Federation's

President Rafiqul Islam and

was addressed by MA Gani,

office secretary of National

Shop Employees

Federation, MD. Mukhlesur

Rahman, assistant director

of health sector of Dhaka

Ahsania Mission and

Mohammad Shariful Islam,

coordinator of tobacco

control project.

During the exchange of

views, MA Gani, office

secretary of the National

Shop Employees

Federation, said, "I demand

the government to ban the

display and retail sale of

tobacco products in the sales

outlets by amending the law

to build a tobacco-free

Bangladesh by 2040 as

announced by Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina."

President of the National

Shop Employees Federation

Rafiqul Islam said there are

8 million Shop Employees in

the country. As a result, all

these employees cannot

avoid health risks due to

tobacco and tobacco

products. In addition, I

believe that the use of

tobacco will be greatly

reduced if the display of

tobacco products and the

sale of single stick cigarettes

or bidis are stopped. And for

this I am strongly

demanding to make

necessary amendments to

the law.

A joint meeting of Dhaka Ahsania Mission with National Shop Employees Federation at

Shyamoli of the capital city yesterday.

Photo : Courtesy

Street Children Activists Network (SCAN) Bangladesh organized a "Meet the Press" event held

virtually on Wednesday.

Photo : Courtesy

Scan’s ‘Meet the Press’

Call to start the activities of the epartment of

Children for the rehabilitation of street children

Street Children Activists

Network (SCAN)

Bangladesh has demanded

that the Department of

Children allocate special

funds for the rehabilitation

of street children and start

the activities of the

Department of Children as

soon as possible. Scan

thanked the government for

increasing the allocation to

the Ministry of Women and

Children Affairs in the

national budget and called

for ensuring proper

implementation of the

budget.

The demand was made at

the "Meet the Press" event

held virtually on

Wednesday. SCAS

Chairman Jahangir Nakir

presided over the function

and SCAN General Secretary

Moniruzzaman Mukul

delivered the keynote

address. In the program

conducted by journalist

Nikhil Chandra Bhadra,

Matilda Tina Vaidya of KNH

Germani, Jasmine Prema of

Social Welfare and

Development Organization

(SCAS), Aftabuzzaman of

Apon Foundation, Nazneen

Shabnam of Dhaka Ahsania

Mission, also delivered a

speech.

Taking short-term and

long-term measures to

protect street children in

achieving the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs),

conducting a survey to

gather all necessary

information about street

children, coordinating

public and private street

child protection activities

and setting up cooperation

booths, It is recommended

to form one stop crisis

response unit for children,

formulate a policy for

smooth conduct of street

child activities at

government and private

level and form a cross sector

body with all including

government agencies, nongovernmental

organizations

and street children.

Referring to the proposed

budget for the next financial

year, the speakers said that

the food crisis of the street

children and other

sufferings have increased in

this corona period. They are

now living inhumane lives.

Considering all these

aspects, besides allocating

budget, it is necessary to

make a definite action plan

to ensure a bright future for

the street children. It is

important to start the

activities of a separate

department especially for

children. And special

allocation has to be given in

favor of the department. At

the same time registration of

street children should be

ensured. Effective steps

should be taken to stop the

sources of street children.

ThurSDAy, JunE 10, 2021

4

Buckle up for safety

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Supervising

public works

There are rules to be observed in

designing structures, for land use and

proper building process and these

were set out in the Bangladesh National

Building Code (BNBC). But ironically, the

BNBC's worst violators in many cases are

found to be the government's own bodies

which should have set the standard really

that all others, specially private developers,

would then feel obliged to follow out of a

concern of being judged as violators of the

law. But the unconcern or incapacity of the

government's construction bodies in these

respects are not only adding to substandard

construction activities of often vital projects

throughout the country, the same also

provide encouragement to private sector

builders to treat legal requirements in

construction rather casually.

Poor construction activities by

government bodies not only lead to erection

of weak and undependable buildings and

other structures, the same also cost the

public purse huge amounts for

reconstruction and maintenance. For

instance, the Facilities Department of the

Education Ministry is responsible for large

scale construction of school buildings and

the like . But time and again newspapers

reported the very poor quality of its

construction activities in many cases.

School houses built by this department

reportedly collapsed in some places soon

after the completion of their construction

and had to be rebuilt ; others were found

with leaking roofs and other features of bad

construction.

The lack of expertise and devotion needed

for proper construction form only one side

to the problems faced by these government

building organisations. Certainly the

government's building agencies must

increase their own abilities to supervise

their work better including the capacities to

carry out basic maintenance work or to

audit well on regular basis their

construction works. But the absence of such

capacities or their presence in

inconsequential forms show up that more

than any other factor, corruption

is the biggest factor for non observance of

building procedures or using inferior

construction materials deliberately so that

unscrupulous employees of these

departments can make pecuniary gains for

themselves and split the gains with

contractors engaged in these public works.

Thus, adequate

supervision of the affairs of these

government's building bodies has become

indispensable. This is extremely important

to ensure that structures built with public

finance are durable enough in the first place

that should prevent wasteful drain of

precious resources on reconstruction or

spendings on partial reconstruction which

are sought to be passed off as maintenance

activities. Besides, supervision is also

acutely needed to ensure fulfillment of other

requirements in the areas of design, land

use, environment, etc.

It is unacceptable that Bangladesh, a

middle income developing country, has no

viable mechanism in place to ensure that

scarce resources spent on account of its

public works are being truly well spent.

When the hard economic realities demand

that all spending of public resources ought

to show endeavours toward their optimum

utilsation, the present spectacle of wasteful

application of resources in the domain of

public works in this country appears to be a

mockery of the economic and ethical

principles. Thus, the institution of a proper

and motivated regulatory body to supervise

public works seems to be the imperative.

The installation and proper use of

seatbelts for adults and child

restraint systems inside vehicles

have been the most important motor

vehicle crash safety innovation that has

contributed to a reduction in mortality

around the world. Road traffic injuries

are a critical, yet often overlooked,

public health issue that necessitates

collaborative actions to be effective and

viable. Road traffic systems are the

most important and complicated, and

thus the most dangerous, of all the

systems with which people must deal

daily. Road Traffic Collisions (RTC) are

a primary cause of death, claiming the

lives of over 1.3 million people every

year, half of them is between the ages of

15 and 44. Over 50 million disjointed

patients may suffer further injuries as a

result of this. It is, however, frequently

avoidable. Rising vehicle collision safety

has lately resulted in a reduction in

fatality rates.

Being buckled up during a crash

serves to keep one safe and secure

inside the car; being ejected totally from

a car is almost always fatal. It works by

maintaining a more static motion in the

passenger despite a quick stop or shift

in speed car. The seat belt usually stops

this from happening. When the vehicle

hits something or is hit by something,

its inertia change that is an object's

tendency to move until something

works against the motion of that object.

Without the seat belt, occupants can be

thrown into various parts of the interior

of the car, or completely out of the car.

When properly worn, a seat belt

distributes the braking force across the

wearer's pelvis and rib cage. Because

these two sections of the body are the

sturdiest part and help to reduce the

impact of the accident on the body. The

seat belt is comprised of a webbed

fabric that is sturdy but flexible enough

to allow for a small amount of

Dr. TASnIm mEhbubA bAnDhAn

movement but to protect a person in a

crash it needs to be a tight fit with a little

stretch.

According to WHO, statistics show

that seat belts save breathes and when

used properly by reducing the chance of

fatal injury to front-seat passengers by

45% and the risk of moderate-to-critical

injury by 50%. For those riding on the

rear seats of the vehicle throughout

crash motor vehicles, rear seat belts

have 73% higher chances of preventing

fatalities. Moreover, children,

seemingly to be buckled 92% of the

time once adults within the vehicle use

seat belts and on the contrary 72% of

the time once adults seem to be

neglected it. Of the 22,215 passenger

vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 47%

were not wearing seat belts. Seat belts

saved an estimated 14,955 lives and

could have saved an additional 2,549

people if they had been wearing seat

belts, in 2017 alone.

Child restraints in automobiles are

used in a wide range of countries;

however, they are mostly limited to

high-income countries. The child

restraint system functions similarly to

adult seatbelts. The usage of restraint is

determined by the child's age and

weight: rear-facing chairs are best for

young infants, while forward-facing

restraints are best for infants and

toddlers, and older children; booster

seats with seatbelts are beneficial. Child

restraints (car seats and booster seats)

can reduce infant and toddler mortality

in automobile accidents by 71% and

54%, respectively.

The present 'Road Transport Act-

2018', only stated in the sub-section of

the first part of section 49, "the

passengers must follow the prescribed

provisions regarding seatbelt

fastening". In this section, though it is

According to Who, statistics show that seat belts save

breathes and when used properly by reducing the

chance of fatal injury to front-seat passengers by 45%

and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50%. For

those riding on the rear seats of the vehicle throughout

crash motor vehicles, rear seat belts have 73% higher

chances of preventing fatalities.

prescribed to wear seatbelts and this

'passenger' means only the front seat

passenger. Nevertheless, people from

the back seat get injured more in case of

a road accident. This is a serious issue

that can cause a way more critical

situation. However, it is recommended

that, through this law, for all drivers,

including the front and rear-seat

passengers a usable seatbelt should be

ensured. Along with this, the use of seat

belts by all the vehicle occupants sitting

in the vehicle would be a must at any

cost. It could be brought under

consideration to make the replacement

of seatbelts is mandatory, as some

vehicles do not have seatbelts for

drivers and passengers as well. It would

be a must that, if all the passengers are

not properly secured with seat belts

fastened and in a failed case of ensuring

proper and restrained behavior of all

passengers in compliance with traffic

laws the driver as well as the passengers

of the vehicle should be made

responsible.

ELLEn LAIPSon

In addition there is no mention about

the child restraint system as in child seat

inside the vehicle in RTA- 2018 whereas

it is a very critical issue for the death of

the children while road accidents.

According to the international best

practice guidelines for the movement of

children, a child has to sit in a suitable

place and safety management in the car

consistent with his age, shape, and

weight. An adult's seatbelt does not

provide adequate protection to a child.

Therefore, children should be given the

best protection by taking appropriate

measures considering their vulnerable

position. It is explicitly recommended

that all children of certain age, especially

those under 12 years of age, be required

to comply with certain provisions of the

CRS-Child Restraint System.

The Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM)

has begun working on road safety

issues by concentrating all of its efforts

on introducing the section on child

restraint systems. DAM has taken

initiatives for the first time on road

safety issue in Bangladesh through

sensitizing the responsible personnel

from ministry and relevant

departments to amend the Road

Transport Act-2018. This year's UN

Global Road Safety Week (May 17-23)

was commemorated by DAM under the

slogan "Streets for Life". "We demand

safe seats for us in motor vehicle,"

children participating in "Social Media

Solidarity" organized by Dhaka Ahsania

Mission, Health Sector asked on the

occasion of UN Global Road Safety

Week 2021 (May 17-23) on 19 May

2021. This is the first initiative that has

been raised by children in Bangladesh

for the child restraint system.

The writer is an advocacy

officer (policy) of the health

sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission.

Privately owned elementary schools are at risk!

Elementary education in

Bangladesh is significantly framed

inprivate educational institutions.

The majority of our primary schools are

devoid of government facilities compare

to only 38,033 government schools.

Usually,private schools are entirely run

by the tuition fees of their students.

However, everything was going on

smoothly until the unprecedented

COVID-19 pandemic entered the

scene.A number of the non-govt.

primary educational institutions have

already been shut down and an alarming

number of the figure are at risk under the

three major traumatic issues.

Around 95% of the private schools

commenced distance learning back in

April 2020 and they have been trying

their level best to conduct online

teaching while maintaining the

standard. Despite the educators' heart

and soul efforts, most of the parents do

not seem to be happy. As a result, an

increasing number of guardians have

stopped paying tuition fees for their

children.And unfortunately, the

proportion is climbing up day by day.

Consequently, teachers are being paid

Diplomacy is back in Middle East, with or without US

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu (right) and US Secretary of

State Anthony Blinken arrive for a

joint press conference in Jerusalem on

May 25, 2021, days after an Egyptbrokered

truce halted fighting between

the Jewish state and the Gaza Strip's

rulers Hamas. Photo: AFP / Menahem

Kahana

One of the tenets of President Joe

Biden's administration is the return to

diplomacy, as part of how the US

positions itself after the "forever wars" in

Iraq and Afghanistan. Returning to the

Paris Agreement on climate, reopening

negotiations on US participation in the

Iran nuclear agreement, and visiting allies

to show respect for them and the value of

alliances are all part of the plan.

It's also about restoring confidence and

a central role for the US State Department

- filling long-vacant senior positions and

putting career diplomats in many of the

key policy jobs.

But there's a lot of diplomacy going on

in key regions in which the US is not the

key player, or even involved. Is that a sign

of the contraction of American power?

Other countries may be taking up the

slack where they see a vacuum of

leadership, or they may take the initiative,

knowing that their interests in a particular

SubornA rAhmAn Sony

less, half or not at all at some

institutions! Most of these schools do not

have their own campuses and they run

their works in rental buildings. Hence,

the authorities are failing to pay in rent

and everything is in a dreadful condition

at present.

Distance learning is solely dependent

on electronic devices, for example,

smartphones and computers. All

electronic goods set to get expensive

amid short supplies since the COVID-19

pandemic hit the world.Supply is still

tight and shortages of some parts are

likely because the global economy is

restarting.As the global business is

tremendously affected by the horrible

pandemic, vendors are supplied with a

conflict are quite different from America's.

Will the Biden administration try to

reverse the trend with its "We're Back"

message?

Let's take the most recent case, the

diplomacy to achieve a ceasefire between

Israel and Hamas over Gaza. The

Egyptians, according to most accounts,

coordinated with Hamas and Israel.

President Biden acknowledged that his

calls to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu were in support of Egyptian

efforts, not the primary diplomatic

initiative. He thanked the Egyptian

president for his successful diplomacy in a

call on May 25.

Of comparable consequence for the

region is the dialogue between the Saudis

and Iranians brokered by Iraq. While the

Iraqi government is playing it down, it

appears that the good offices of Iraqi

intelligence, rather than the Foreign

Ministry, may deserve the credit. Still,

such a channel could pave the way for a

more open diplomatic process.

It's quite a turnabout, considering that

Iraq was such a wounded, weak party for

years after the US invasion of 2003. Now,

it is rebounding and finding that its

unique ties to Iran provide it some clout

and credibility in facilitating a deescalation

of tension between Riyadh and

smaller number of products than their

demands.The outbreak of the

coronavirus has especially

increasedsmartphone prices due to a

disruption in the supplychain and many

people are still unable to get one for their

children's educational purpose.About

10% of the parents are estimated to have

Around 95% of the private schools commenced distance

learning back in April 2020 and they have been

trying their level best to conduct online teaching

while maintaining the standard. Despite the educators'

heart and soul efforts, most of the parents do

not seem to be happy.

smartphones, but not all of them have

access to a WiFi connection. It takes a lot

of money to buy mobile internet data to

attend four classes a day - each spanning

around 25/30 minutes.

It has been around one and a half years

our young learners are away from their

schools which are considered as their

second homes. Being an overpopulated

developing country, the majority of our

Tehran.

During the long saga of Syria's civil war,

Turkey has positioned itself as a

prominent diplomatic player, mostly

related to its border and its abiding

security obsession with preventing

Kurdish ascendence as an independent

political actor.

Often, Turkey's efforts have been at

odds with US interests in the region, and

sometimes it has aligned itself as the

junior partner of Moscow. In fact, when

Turkey joined the Astana process trying to

negotiate a settlement of Syria, it was

noted in Washington that a NATO ally

was working with Moscow and Tehran.

This seemingly worked at cross-purposes

to the process the UN and US had worked

for years to implement.

Another unexpected sign of smaller

powers playing more weighty diplomatic

roles is Eritrea's efforts to smooth tensions

between Sudan and Ethiopia. Over

decades, Eritrea had been the victim of the

more powerful Ethiopia's hegemonic

designs, but such dynamics have changed,

because of Ethiopia's need for Eritrean

support in its struggle against the

powerful Tigrean minority.

Eritrea seized the opportunity to

demonstrate its skill at balancing its

stronger neighbors and proving it can be a

children are devoid of mental and

physical recreation and most of our

educational institutions have been

meeting up the needs of both recreations

along with compulsory education.A

multitude of extra-curricular activities

keeps our pupils alive both physically

and mentally all year round. But online

classes can only meet up the minimum

requirements of regular education and

nothing extra can be added to this virtual

continuation. As a consequence, our

young learners are being ill both

mentally and physically.

A nationwide lockdown has been

prolonged till 16 June. Young learners

have been apprehending a new normal

as the vaccination process is going on the

full swing. Though the second shot of

vaccine has been initiated, schools are

still closed. Children are tremendously

eager to back to their schools. A dream to

be in the classroom is floating in the eyes

of every young learner. Will the nongovt.

school teachers be able to bring

their students back to their classrooms?

The writer is a senior English teacher

at Child Heaven School in Uttara.

wily sovereign player in regional relations.

This does not mean that Eritrea will

embody high ideals of statesmanship, but

it does demonstrate that diplomacy is an

attribute of national power and influence

quite separate from military force.

In each of these cases, the US appears to

be observing and supporting, not taking

the lead. The new cautious realism of the

US national-security enterprise may be

comfortable with regional states taking

the lead on conflict resolution within their

regions.

In theory, that has long been desirable,

embedded in many presidential speeches

about regional responsibility. President

Barack Obama certainly believed that

solutions to regional problems would be

more durable and legitimate if led by the

people most directly affected.

In practice, however, many countries

with competent diplomatic personnel still

prefer to wait for a sign of American

intentions, or believe that large summits

and regional conferences simply cannot

happen without US organizational skill

and political clout.

And one should not assume that these

middle powers (Eritrea is an outlier) are

new to the diplomacy business.

Source: Asia times

ThurSdaY, JuNE 10, 2021

5

Saying goodbye to millennial lifestyle subsidy

KEViN rOOSE

A few years ago, while on a work trip in Los Angeles, I hailed an

Uber for a crosstown ride during rush hour. I knew it would be

a long trip, and I steeled myself to fork over $60 or $70. Instead,

the app spit out a price that made my jaw drop: $16.

Experiences like these were common during the golden era of

the Millennial Lifestyle Subsidy, which is what I like to call the

period from roughly 2012 through early 2020, when many of

the daily activities of big-city 20- and 30-somethings were being

quietly underwritten by Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

For years, these subsidies allowed us to live Balenciaga

lifestyles on Banana Republic budgets. Collectively, we took

millions of cheap Uber and Lyft rides, shuttling ourselves

around like bourgeois royalty while splitting the bill with those

companies' investors. We plunged MoviePass into bankruptcy

by taking advantage of its $9.95-a-month, all-you-can-watch

movie ticket deal, and took so many subsidized spin classes that

ClassPass was forced to cancel its $99-a-month unlimited plan.

We filled graveyards with the carcasses of food delivery start-ups

- Maple, Sprig, SpoonRocket, Munchery - just by accepting their

offers of underpriced gourmet meals.

These companies' investors didn't set out to bankroll our

decadence. They were just trying to get traction for their startups,

all of which needed to attract customers quickly to establish

a dominant market position, elbow out competitors and justify

their soaring valuations. So they flooded these companies with

cash, which often got passed on to users in the form of artificially

low prices and generous incentives.

Now, users are noticing that for the first time - whether

because of disappearing subsidies or merely an end-ofpandemic

demand surge - their luxury habits actually carry

luxury price tags.

"Today my Uber ride from Midtown to JFK cost me as much

as my flight from JFK to SFO," Sunny Madra, a vice president at

Ford's venture incubator, recently tweeted, along with a

screenshot of a receipt that showed he had spent nearly $250 on

a ride to the airport. "Airbnb got too much dip on they chip,"

another Twitter user complained. "No one is gonna continue to

pay $500 to stay in an apartment for two days when they can

pay $300 for a hotel stay that has a pool, room service, free

breakfast & cleaning everyday. Like get real lol."

Some of these companies have been tightening their belts for

years. But the pandemic seems to have emptied what was left of

the bargain bin. The average Uber and Lyft ride costs 40 percent

more than it did a year ago, according to Rakuten Intelligence,

and food delivery apps like DoorDash and Grubhub have been

steadily increasing their fees over the past year. The average

daily rate of an Airbnb rental increased 35 percent in the first

quarter of 2021, compared with the same quarter the year

before, according to the company's financial filings.

Part of what's happening is that as demand for these services

soars, companies that once had to compete for customers are

now dealing with an overabundance of them. Uber and Lyft

have been struggling with a driver shortage, and Airbnb rates

reflect surging demand for summer getaways and a shortage of

MoviePass was overwhelmed when it allowed subscribers to see movies in theaters as often as once

a day for $10 a month.

available listings.

In the past, companies might have offered promotions or

incentives to keep customers from getting sticker shock and

taking their business elsewhere. But now, they're either shifting

subsidies to the provider side - Uber, for example, recently set up

a $250 million "driver stimulus" fund - or doing away with them

altogether.

I'll confess that I gleefully took part in this subsidized economy

for years. (My colleague Kara Swisher memorably called it

"assisted living for millennials.") I got my laundry delivered by

Washio, my house cleaned by Homejoy and my car valet-parked

by Luxe - all start-ups that promised cheap, revolutionary ondemand

services but shut down after failing to turn a profit. I

even bought a used car through a venture-backed start-up called

Beepi, which offered white-glove service and mysteriously low

prices, and which delivered the car to me wrapped in a giant

bow, like you see in TV commercials. (Unsurprisingly, Beepi

shut down in 2017, after burning through $150 million in

venture capital.)

These subsidies don't always end badly for investors. Some

venture-backed companies, like Uber and DoorDash, have been

able to grit it out until their I.P.O.s, making good on their

Photo: Vincent Tullo

promise that investors would eventually see a return on their

money. Other companies have been acquired or been able to

successfully raise their prices without scaring customers away.

Uber, which raised nearly $20 billion in venture capital before

going public, may be the best-known example of an investorsubsidized

service. During a stretch of 2015, the company was

burning $1 million a week in driver and rider incentives in San

Francisco alone, according to reporting by BuzzFeed News.

But the clearest example of a jarring pivot to profitability

might be the electric scooter business. Remember scooters?

Before the pandemic, you couldn't walk down the sidewalk of a

major American city without seeing one. Part of the reason they

took off so quickly is that they were ludicrously cheap. Bird, the

largest scooter start-up, charged $1 to start a ride, and then 15

cents a minute. For short trips, renting a scooter was often

cheaper than taking the bus.

But those fees didn't represent anything close to the true cost

of a Bird ride. The scooters broke frequently and needed

constant replacing, and the company was shoveling money out

the door just to keep its service going. As of 2019, Bird was losing

$9.66 for every $10 it made on rides, according to a recent

investor presentation. That is a shocking number, and the kind

of sustained losses that are possible only for a Silicon Valley

start-up with extremely patient investors. (Imagine a deli that

charged $10 for a sandwich whose ingredients cost $19.66, and

then imagine how long that deli would stay in business.)

Pandemic-related losses, coupled with the pressure to turn a

profit, forced Bird to trim its sails. It raised its prices - a Bird now

costs as much as $1 plus 42 cents a minute in some cities - built

more durable scooters and revamped its fleet management

system. During the second half of 2020, the company made

$1.43 in profit for every $10 ride.

As an urban millennial who enjoys a good bargain, I could -

and frequently do - lament the disappearance of these subsidies.

And I enjoy hearing about people who discovered even better

deals than I did. (Ranjan Roy's essay "DoorDash and Pizza

Arbitrage," about the time he realized that DoorDash was selling

pizzas from his friend's restaurant for $16 while paying the

restaurant $24 per pizza, and proceeded to order dozens of

pizzas from the restaurant while pocketing the $8 difference,

stands as a classic of the genre.)

But it's hard to fault these investors for wanting their

companies to turn a profit. And, at a broader level, it's probably

good to find more efficient uses for capital than giving discounts

to affluent urbanites.

Back in 2018, I wrote that the entire economy was starting to

resemble MoviePass, the subscription service whose irresistible,

deeply unprofitable offer of daily movie tickets for a flat $9.95

subscription fee paved the way for its decline. Companies like

MoviePass, I thought, were trying to defy the laws of gravity with

business models that assumed that if they achieved enormous

scale, they'd be able to flip a switch and start making money at

some point down the line. (This philosophy, which was more or

less invented by Amazon, is now known in tech circles as

"blitzscaling.")

There is still plenty of irrationality in the market, and some

start-ups still burn huge piles of money in search of growth. But

as these companies mature, they seem to be discovering the

benefits of financial discipline. Uber lost only $108 million in the

first quarter of 2021 - a change partly attributable to the sale of

its autonomous driving unit, and a vast improvement, believe it

or not, over the same quarter last year, when it lost $3 billion.

Both Uber and Lyft have pledged to become profitable on an

adjusted basis this year. Lime, Bird's main electric scooter

competitor, turned its first quarterly profit last year, and Bird -

which recently filed to go public through a SPAC at a $2.3 billion

valuation - has projected better economics in the years ahead.

Profits are good for investors, of course. And while it's painful

to pay subsidy-free prices for our extravagances, there's also a

certain justice to it. Hiring a private driver to shuttle you across

Los Angeles during rush hour should cost more than $16, if

everyone in that transaction is being fairly compensated. Getting

someone to clean your house, do your laundry or deliver your

dinner should be a luxury, if there's no exploitation involved.

The fact that some high-end services are no longer easily

affordable by the merely semi-affluent may seem like a worrying

development, but maybe it's a sign of progress.

Many people have a vivid ‘mind’s

eye,’ while others have none at all

CarL ZiMMEr

Dr. Adam Zeman didn't give

much thought to the mind's

eye until he met someone

who didn't have one. In

2005, the British neurologist

saw a patient who said that a

minor surgical procedure

had taken away his ability to

conjure images.

Over the 16 years since

that first patient, Dr. Zeman

and his colleagues have

heard from more than

12,000 people who say they

don't have any such mental

camera. The scientists

estimate that tens of millions

of people share the

condition, which they've

named aphantasia, and

millions more experience

extraordinarily strong

mental imagery, called

hyperphantasia.

In their latest research, Dr.

Zeman and his colleagues

are gathering clues about

how these two conditions

arise through changes in the

wiring of the brain that join

the visual centers to other

regions. And they're

beginning to explore how

some of that circuitry may

conjure other senses, such as

sound, in the mind.

Eventually, that research

might even make it possible

to strengthen the mind's eye

- or ear - with magnetic

pulses.

"This is not a disorder as

far as I can see," said Dr.

Zeman, a cognitive scientist

at the University of Exeter in

Britain. "It's an intriguing

variation in human

experience."

The patient who first made

Dr. Zeman aware of

aphantasia was a retired

building surveyor who lost

his mind's eye after minor

heart surgery. To protect the

patient's privacy, Dr. Zeman

refers to him as M.X.

When M.X. thought of

people or objects, he did not

see them. And yet his visual

memories were intact. M.X.

could answer factual

questions such as whether

former Prime Minister Tony

Blair has light-colored eyes.

(He does.) M.X. could even

solve problems that required

mentally rotating shapes,

even though he could not see

them.

I came across M.X.'s case

study in 2010 and wrote a

column about it for Discover

magazine. Afterward, I got

emails from readers who

had the same experience but

who differed from M.X. in a

remarkable way: They had

never had a mind's eye to

begin with.

I forwarded the messages

to Dr. Zeman, who surveyed

21 of my readers. In a 2015

report on those findings, he

and his colleagues proposed

that those readers all shared

the same condition, which

the researchers called

aphantasia. I reported on

this second study for The

New York Times, as did

other journalists at their

own publications. The

growing attention turned

Dr. Zeman's trickle of emails

into a torrent.

To better understand

aphantasia, Dr. Zeman and

his colleagues invited their

correspondents to fill out

questionnaires. One

described the condition as

feeling the shape of an apple

in the dark. Another said it

was "thinking only in radio."

The vast majority of

people who reported a lack

of a mind's eye had no

Thomas Ebeyer of Kitchener, Ontario, created a website

called the aphantasia Network. Photo: angela Lewis

memory of ever having had

one, suggesting that they

had been born without it.

Yet, like M.X., they had little

trouble recalling things they

had seen. When asked

whether grass or pine tree

needles are a darker shade of

green, for example, they

correctly answered that the

needles are.

On the other hand, people

with aphantasia don't do as

well as others at

remembering details of their

own lives. It's possible that

recalling our own

experiences - known as

episodic memory - depends

more on the mind's eye than

does remembering facts

about the world.

To their surprise, Dr.


were also contacted by

people who seemed to be the

opposite of M.X.: They had

intensely strong visions, a

condition the scientists

named hyperphantasia.

Joel Pearson, a cognitive

neuroscientist at the

University of New South

Wales who has studied

mental imagery since 2005,

said hyperphantasia could

go far beyond just having an

active imagination. "It's like

having a very vivid dream

and not being sure if it was

real or not," he said. "People

watch a movie, and then

they can watch it again in

their mind, and it's

indistinguishable."

Based on their surveys, Dr.


estimate that 2.6 percent of

people have hyperphantasia

and that 0.7 percent have

aphantasia.

Now Dr. Zeman and Dr.

Pearson are studying an

even larger swath of people

who experience extremes of

mental imagery. One of the

original 21 people with

aphantasia who were

studied by Dr. Zeman,

Thomas Ebeyer of

Kitchener, Ontario, created

a website called the

Aphantasia Network that

has grown into a hub for

people with the condition

and for researchers studying

them. Visitors to the site can

take an online psychological

survey, read about the

condition and join

discussion forums on topics

ranging from dreams to

relationships. So far, more

than 150,000 people have

taken the surveys, and over

20,000 had scores

suggesting aphantasia.

"This really is a global

The staging of the song "Me and the Sky" for an installment of the Offstage event series involved

dozens of people across two continents.

Photo: aCMN

Sarah Bahr

Broadway is coming

back to Australia

In March, Zoe Gertz, an Australian

actress, was asked if she would be

interested in singing the soaring

anthem "Me and the Sky" for an

episode of its Offstage event series,

which examines the theater industry

during its pandemic hiatus. The

number is from the Australian touring

production of the 9/11 musical "Come

From Away."

After teams worked on in-house

music and stage direction, Ms. Gertz

belted the ebullient anthem to the

rafters of a simple stage at Her

Majesty's Theater in Melbourne, sans

audience but backed by six musicians

and five castmates of the production's

female ensemble. And it all came

together in just over two weeks.

"I am suddenly aliiiiiive," Ms. Gertz

sang with an irrepressible smile as she

told of her character's love for flying.

The sentiment seems to be

spreading. Broadway's reopening will

now occur in August. In Australia,

"Frozen," "Hamilton" and "Harry

Potter and the Cursed Child" were

running at or near full capacity in

Sydney and Melbourne for months

(though masks were still required)

until a recent lockdown in Melbourne

put shows in that city on hold again.

The performance for the Times event

served as both a reminder of theater's

vitality during the pandemic and a

preview of the energy to come.

The musical number began to take

shape in early March after The Times's

theater reporter, Michael Paulson,

suggested recording a special video of

the inspirational song for the Offstage

series, which streamed live on April 29

and is still viewable by Times

subscribers.

"We wanted a song that was both

good and would make sense out of

context for people who hadn't seen the

show," Mr. Paulson said. "It's also a

song that works without a very

elaborate band or orchestra and is

essentially a solo number."

The four-and-a-half-minute track

chronicles the tale of the real-life

American Airlines pilot Beverley Bass,

who was among the pilots with planes

full of passengers who were diverted to

Newfoundland on Sept. 11, 2001.

"One of the many emotions captured

in this song is Beverley having to come

to terms with the job she loves being

put on hold, and not knowing when

she might fly again," said Rachel

Karpf, the director of programming at

The Times who helped plan the event

with Beth Weinstein and Rachel

Czipo. "We saw some parallels to the

experience of theater workers in

Australia and around the world this

past year, as their industry was

brought to a near-total standstill by the

pandemic."

Ms. Karpf said the Events team

began discussing ideas for the episode

in early January with Mr. Paulson;

Scott Heller, then The Times's theater

editor; and Damien Cave, the Sydney

bureau chief. Mr. Cave and Mr.

Paulson were working on a story about

the return of Broadway shows in

Australia, which has been much more

successful at containing the virus than

the United States.

"Last year, I spent a lot of time

writing about things falling apart," Mr.

Paulson said. "This year, I'm writing a

lot about putting things back together

- and Australia is the first place where

that's happening on a large scale."

For the "Offstage" number, Mr.

Paulson said he had hoped that an

American audience would connect

with the intimate setup of a bare stage

and just a few instruments, which he

likened to a cabaret performance.

Still, approximately 35 people,

including a Melbourne production

crew, were needed to stage the

number. The cast and crew were tested

weekly during rehearsals, and

microphones and instruments were

cleaned before and after each use. The

performance was the theater's first

since March 2020.

ThURSDAY, JUNe 10, 2021

6

Six people were detained by the BGB while crossing the Satkhira border illegally. One of the

detainees is a human trafficker and the other six are Bangladeshi nationals returning to India.

Photo : Motiar Rahman Modhu

7 more die of Covid-19, 641

test positive in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI : A total of 641 more people have

tested positive for Covid-19 afresh in all eight

districts of the division on Tuesday, climbing

the number of infections to 39,745.

Death toll from the disease stands at 616,

including 322 in Bogura and 95 in Rajshahi

with 61 in its city, while seven more fatalities

were reported afresh on the day, said Dr

Habibul Ahsan Talukder, divisional director

of Health Dr Talukder. The daily infection

figure shows a slight declining trend

compared to the previous day's figure of 673,

said the health department sources.

"Among the infected people, 32,642 have,

so far, been cured from the lethal virus with

110 new recoveries found on Tuesday," said

Dr Talukder, adding a total of 4,087 infected

patients are now undergoing treatment at

different designated hospitals here.

Besides, all the positive cases for Covid-19

have, so far, been brought under necessary

treatment while 9,059 were kept in isolation

units of different hospitals for institutional

supervision. Of them, 7,480 have by now

been released.

On the other hand, 239 more people have

been sent to home and institutional

quarantine afresh while 90 others were

released from isolation during the last 24

hours till 8 am Wednesday.

Of the total new positive cases, the highest

353 were detected in Rajshahi, including

300 in its city, followed by 88 in Naogaon, 65

in Chapainawabganj, 44 in Natore, 42 in

Joypurhat, 23 in Bogura, 13 in Sirajganj and

Pabna each.

With the new detected patients, the

district-wise break-up of the total cases now

stands at 10,705 in Rajshahi, including 8,711

in its city, 2,851 in Chapainawabganj, 2,626

in Naogaon, 1,984 in Natore, 2,084 in

Joypurhat, 12,449 in Bogura, 3,793 in

Sirajganj and 3,253 in Pabna.

A total of 74,810 people have, so far, been

kept under quarantine since March 10 last

year to prevent community transmission of

the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

Of them, 72,133 have, by now, been

released as they were given clearance

certificates after completing their respective

14-day quarantine period.

Meanwhile, a total of 4,09,574 people

received second doses of COVID-19 vaccines

in the city and eight districts of Rajshahi

division since the nationwide second dose

vaccination began on April 8 last.

Of them, 64 people including 27 female

took the second dose of jab in two districts of

the division on Tuesday, Dr Talukder told

BSS.

He said 54 including 24 female in

Chapainawabganj and 10 people including 3

female in Bogura received the vaccines on

the day.

113 more test

positive for

Covid-19 in Ctg

CHATTOGRAM : A total of

113 more people have tested

positive for Covid-19 in last 24

hours till Tuesday evening in

the district, reaching the total

infection 54,334 as the

infection rate is 9.73 percent.

The daily infection shows a

slight reduction compared to

the previous day's figure of

129, as the recovery rate

continuously increasing in the

district, Dr Sheikh Fazle

Rabbi, civil surgeon of

Chatogram told BSS.

Among the newly infected

patients, 66 are from

Chattogram city and 47 from

different upazilas of the

district. The health experts

reissued their urge to dwellers

to strictly follow health rules

and use masks due to

continuous increasing of

corona infections here.

With one death reported on

Tuesday, the number of

fatalities due to COVID-19

reaches 632, Dr Rabbi said.

"Among the fatalities, 450

were from port city and the

rest 182 were from different

upazilas of the district," he

said,

SKS Foundation's SHOMOTA Project

being run at four unions of Gaibandha

GAIBANDHA : A development project

namely Strengthening Gender Equality

and Social Inclusion in Wash in

Bangladesh (SHOMOTA) is being run

at four unions of the district, creating

positive impacts to the project

beneficiaries.

SKS Foundation, a local reputed nongovernment

organisation, in

partnership with World Vision

Bangladesh is implementing the

SHOMOTA project at Gidari and

Mollarchar unions under Sadar upazila

and Kanchipara and Urya unions

under Fulchhari upazila in the district

from September, 2018 for the welfare

of the women, children, and the

persons with disabilities of the unions

with the financial support of

Department of Foreign Affairs and

Trade (DFAT), Australia while Centre

for Disability Development,

Bangladesh is providing technical

assistance.

To improve gender and disability

inclusive wash in schools and

communities is the goal of the project,

said an official.

The purposes of the project are to

Change agents at community, school

and UP level have the drive and ability

to support inclusive MHM and ODF

behavior change in schools and

communities, he also said.

Besides this, to ensure improved

equitable access to and use of WASH

facilities and services in schools and

communities and increased leadership

and participation of women and people

with disabilities in household,

community and school decision

making are other purposes of the

project, the official added.

A press briefing, organised by the

project, was held at Uttar Gidari under

Gidari union of Sadar upazila after a

group of journalists of national dailies

including the national news agency

visited the project command areas.

In the function, Hasina Parvin,

district Coordinator of the project

briefed the journalists about the

development works of the project.

She said a total of 68956 peoples-

26,946 females, 26,675 males, 7521

girls and 7814 boys- of the project

command areas have been targeted to

bring under the project as its

beneficiaries.

Many welfare activities had already

been done for the targeted people in the

project command areas, the district

coordinator mentioned.

A number of hand washing stations

had been set up for the people of all

ages at important places of the project

areas side by side with distributing

4,700 units of hand sanitizers to the

people to halt the spread of corona at

the initiative of the project during the

ongoing corona pandemic, she

continued.

Apart from this, 479 sanitary latrines

and 580 tube wells had been set up at

the project areas to ensure a good

hygienic environment and supply pure

drinking water to the people of the

project command areas to save them

from various diseases, she mentioned.

The inhabitants of a ward of

Mollarchar union had been brought

under cent per cent coverage of hand

washing after conducting the

motivational activity or campaign to

people of the ward by the project

officials and the staff, she termed.

"As many as 109 families have

prepared monthly health management

and they are also inspiring the other

families," Hasina Parvin said, adding

that the disable well-protection

committee was also formed in the

upazilas each through advocacy by the

project and bases on its

recommendations a number of persons

with disabilities are getting disability

allowance per month to live without

economic crisis.

The adolescent girls of the project

areas are being aware about their

reproductive health by the female staff

of the project so that they could keep fit

clean physically during their periodical

time, she concluded.

All the project officials and field level

staff of the project, local public

representatives and civil society

members were present on the occasion.

Using swallow machine, sands being extracted at different areas of Palasbari upazila.

Photo : Gaibandha Correspondent

A total of 1,000 poor, distressed an helpless families got foodstuffs as gifts from the King of the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in Jaldhaka upazila of Nilphamari district on Tuesday afternoon.

Photo : Jaldhaka Correspondent

557 more test positive for COVID-19 in Khulna

KHULNA : With detection of 557 more

positive cases in last 24 hours till this

noon, the total number of COVID-19

infected patients now reached 37,512 in

the division, said an official report.

"We received 1385 samples in Khulna

Medical College Hospital (KMC) and

other several samples in Jashore and

Kushtia laboratories in the last 24

hours till Wednesday and 557 persons

have been diagnosed with COVID-19

positive," Assistant Director (Health) of

Khulna division Dr. Ferdousi Akhter

said.

The health official said among the

newly detected COVID-19 patients, 143

are in Jashore, 108 in Satkhira, 80 in

Khulna, 68 in Bagerhat, 67 in Kushtia,

29 in Narail, 19 in Chuadanga, 17 in

Jhenidah, and 13 each in Magura and

Meherpur districts in the division.

The district-wise break-up of the

COVID-19 patients now stood at 10,979

in Khulna, 7,699 in Jashore, 5,321 in

Kushtia, , 3,010 in Jhenaidah, 2,117 in

Chuadanga, 2,109 in Satkhira, 1,956 in

Narail, 1,928 in Bagerhat, 1,292 in

Magura and 1,101 in Meherpur

districts. Dr Ferdousi said the

whereabouts of the persons, who came

in contact with COVID-19 patients,

were brought to notice and they were

asked to remain in home isolation so

that the virus cannot spread further.

Meanwhile, a total of 32,419 have

been cured from coronavirus as 109

more people were discharged from the

Dedicated Corona Isolation Hospitals

in all 10 districts of the division in the

last 24 hours.

The recovery rate now stands at

86.42percent in the division.

"Among the total 37,509 coronavirus

infected persons, 4,801 are undergoing

treatment at isolation units of different

hospitals as 32,419 have recovered and

690 died while the rest are undergoing

treatment in isolation at their

respective homes in the division," Dr

Ferdousi said.

With the 10 more death reported, the

total number of fatalities now reached

690 in the division. The death includes

four in Bagerhat, three in Khulna, two

in Kustia and one in Jashore in last 24

hours in the division.

Among the fatalities, 191 are in

Khulna, 122 in Kushtia, 84 in Jashore,

64 in Chuadanga, 57 in Jhenidah, 51 in

Bagerhat, 48 in Satkhira, 27 in Narail

and 23 each in Magura and Meherpur

districts in the division.

Dr Ferdousi also said a total of 78,994

people were put in quarantines since

the beginning of the COVID-19

outbreak in Khulna division.

1,000 distressed

families get

gifted foodstuffs

in Jaldhaka

RANGPUR : A total of

1,000 poor, distressed an

helpless families got

foodstuffs as gifts from the

King of the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia (KSA) in

Jaldhaka upazila of

Nilphamari district on

Tuesday afternoon.

Officials of Jaldhaka

upazila administration said

the foodstuffs were

distributed at the initiative

of donor organisation 'King

Salman Humanities Aid

and Relief Center' among

the helpless families of

different unions of

Jaldhaka upazila as

humanitarian aids.

Jaldhaka Upazila

Parishad Chairman Abdul

Wahed Bahadur

distributed the foodstuffs in

a function arranged at

Jaldhaka Government

Model Pilot High School

ground in Jaldhaka upazila

town as the chief guest.

Jaldhaka Upazila Nirbahi

Officer Mahbub Hasan,

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of

Jaldhaka Thana Mostafizur

Rahman, Headmaster of

Jaldhaka Government

Model Pilot High School

Aminur Rahman and

representatives of the

donor agency Abdullah

Khaled and Fateh Alfeshani

attended the function.

Public Relations Officer of

Bangladesh Branch of the

International Organisation

for Relief Welfare and

Development and

Chairman of Abu Rezwan

Foundation Abdul Bari and

its Secretary Sadequl Islam

were also present.

ICT becomes boon for

rural expectant mothers

in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI : Information

and Communication

Technology (ICT) has

become boon for expectant

mothers in the region amid

the nationwide lockdown

caused by the present

Covid-19 pandemic.

On behalf of a nongovernment

organization,

need-based steps were

taken to reach the

emergency messages to

pregnant mothers about

ensuring safe and

institutional delivery best

using ICT.

Sabana Khatun, 20, a

pregnant mother of

Nichupara village under

Bagmara Upazila, is getting

expert messages about

antenatal care (ANC),

postnatal care (PNC) and

neonatal care through

BanglaSMS regularly since

beginning of her pregnancy.

"SMS teaches me how to

prevent complexities

related to pregnancy

following the health rules

amid the Covid-19

pandemic situation," she

said, adding that she is

happy with the online

healthcare services.

Another pregnant

mother, Tazmin Khatun,

22, wife of Umed Ali of

Khapara village in Tanore

Upazila, told BSS that the

messages have taught her to

ensure safe delivery through

abiding by the health rules

during the crisis period.

She appreciated the

government for flourishing

the ICT sectors as many of

the grassroots people,

including the expectant

mothers, are deriving total

benefits of those in various

livelihood and productive

purposes.

Like Sabana and Tazmin,

many other pregnant

mothers are availing the

modern services for

protecting their personal

and newborn health from

coronavirus infection.

Public

Health

Improvement Initiative

Rajshahi (PHIIR) Project

has been sending the

emergency messages to the

expectant mothers and

others concerned since the

second round lockdown

began bringing a new

dimension in the primary

healthcare service sector.

Monzur Morsed,

Chairman of Porsha Upazila

in Naogaon district, said the

messages help expectant

mothers during the

pandemic.

Counseling to pregnant

women in hard-to-reach

areas over phone and

WhatsApp, especially those

whose delivery date nears

on pregnancy care and birth

preparedness plan has

become crucial amid the

Covid-19 challenges.

Abdur Rahman, Upazila

Family Planning Officer of

Sapahar, said the SMS

venture has been

contributing a lot towards

facing the existing

challenges.

DASCOH Foundation has

been implementing the

PHIIR project with

financial support of Swiss

Red Cross (SRC) at five

upazila health complexes,

42 Union Health and

Family Welfare Centres and

110 Community Clinics at

Bagmara, Charghat and

Tanore upazilas in Rajshahi

and Porsha and Sapahar in

Naogaon.

"We are using phone,

email and BanglaSMS, for

sending the messages to the

target group people," PHIIR

Project Manager Tozammel

Haque said.

Web-based technologies

like whatsapp, facebook

messenger, zoom and skype

are also being used for the

purpose, he added.

Twelve types of SMS were

sent to 7,535 health service

providers and 494 pregnant

mothers and others

concerned during the

adverse situation of the

pandemic.

"We have also transferred

a bundle SMS package

valued at Taka 200 to 34

Family Welfare Visitors

each for regular

communication with

pregnant mothers whose

expected date of delivery is

in June and July," he added.

Giving an overview of

their activities Tozammel

Haque told BSS that the

PHIIR project is intended to

improving primary health

care and mother, neonatal

and child health.

ThUrSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021

7

The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a declaration Tuesday calling for urgent action to

end AIDS by 2030, noting "with alarm" that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and

pushed access to AIDS medicines, treatments and diagnosis further off track.

Photo : AP

UN urges action to end AIDS, saying

COVID-19 hurt progress

UNITED NATIONS : The U.N. General

Assembly overwhelmingly approved a

declaration Tuesday calling for urgent

action to end AIDS by 2030, noting

"with alarm" that the COVID-19

pandemic has exacerbated inequalities

and pushed access to AIDS medicines,

treatments and diagnosis further off

track.

The declaration commits the

assembly's 193 member nations to

implement the 18-page document,

including reducing annual new HIV

infections to under 370,000 and

annual AIDS-related deaths to under

250,000 by 2025. It also calls for

progress toward eliminating all forms

of HIV-related stigma and

discrimination and for urgent work

toward an HIV vaccine and a cure for

AIDS.

Without a huge increase in resources

and coverage for those vulnerable and

infected, "we will not end the AIDS

epidemic by 2030," the assembly

Melbourne's

4th pandemic

lockdown to

end Friday

MELBOURNE : Australia's

second-largest city will

emerge from its fourth

pandemic lockdown

Friday.

But some restrictions will

remain and the 5 million

residents of Melbourne

won't be allowed to travel

to regional centers in

surrounding Victoria state,

reports UNB.

State officials say the

lockdown is being ended

after two weeks following

only one new coronavirus

case being detected in the

latest 24-hour period

linked to the Melbourne

cluster. The new case

brings the number of

infections in the cluster to

68.

Children will be able to

return to school Friday and

travel restrictions will be

changed to allow

Melbourne residents to

travel up to 25 kilometers

(16 miles) for non-essential

reasons rather than 10

kilometers (6 miles).

warned, reports UNB.

It said the coronavirus pandemic has

created setbacks in combating AIDS,

"widening fault lines within a deeply

unequal world and exposing the

dangers of under-investment in public

health, health systems and other

essential public services for all and

pandemic preparedness."

While the international investment

response to the pandemic is

inadequate, it is nonetheless

unprecedented, the assembly said.

The response to the coronavirus by

many nations has demonstrated "the

potential and urgency for greater

investment" in responding to

pandemics, underscoring "the

imperative of increasing investments

for public health systems, including

responses to HIV and other diseases

moving forward," it said.

The assembly adopted the resolution

at the opening session of a three-day

high-level meeting on AIDS by a vote of

On 1st overseas trip,

Biden to assure allies

and meet Putin

WASHINGTON : Set to embark on the first

overseas trip of his term, President Joe

Biden is eager to reassert the United States

on the world stage, steadying European

allies deeply shaken by his predecessor and

pushing democracy as the only bulwark to

rising forces of authoritarianism.

Biden has set the stakes for his eight-day

trip in sweeping terms, believing that the

West must publicly demonstrate it can

compete economically with China as the

world emerges from the coronavirus

pandemic.

Building toward his trip-ending summit

with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Biden will

aim to reassure European capitals that the

United States can once again be counted on

as a dependable partner to thwart

Moscow's aggression both on their eastern

front and their internet battlefields.

The trip will be far more about messaging

than specific actions or deals. And the

paramount priority for Biden, who leaves

Wednesday for his first stop in the United

Kingdom, is to convince the world that his

administration is not just a fleeting

deviation in the trajectory of an American

foreign policy that many allies fear

165-4, with Russia, Belarus, Syria and

Nicaragua voting "no."

Before the vote, the assembly

overwhelmingly rejected three

amendments proposed by Russia.

They would have eliminated

references to human rights violations

that perpetuate the global AIDS

epidemic and a "rights-based"

collaborative approach by UNAIDS, the

U.N. agency leading the global effort to

end the AIDS pandemic They would

also have dropped references to

reforming discriminatory laws,

including on the age of consent, on

interventions to treat HIV among

intravenous drug users including

"opioid substitution therapy," and on

"expanding harm reduction programs."

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie

Byanyima welcomed the declaration's

adoption and told the assembly it "will

be the basis of our work to end this

pandemic that has ravaged

communities for 40 years."

irrevocably drifted toward a more

transactional outlook under former

President Donald Trump.

"The trip, at its core, will advance the

fundamental thrust of Joe Biden's foreign

policy," said national security adviser Jake

Sullivan, "to rally the world's democracies

to tackle the great challenges of our time."

Biden's to-do list is ambitious.

In their face-to-face sit-down in Geneva,

Biden wants to privately pressure Putin to

end myriad provocations, including

cybersecurity attacks on American

businesses by Russian-based hackers, the

jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny

and repeated overt and covert efforts by the

Kremlin to interfere in U.S. elections.

Biden is also looking to rally allies on their

COVID-19 response and to urge them to

coalesce around a strategy to check

emerging economic and national security

competitor China even as the U.S.

expresses concern about Europe's

economic links to Moscow. Biden also

wants to nudge outlying allies, including

Australia, to make more aggressive

commitments to the worldwide effort to

curb global warming.

At least 17 people have been killed and more than five others injured in a head-on collision

between a bus and a three-wheeler in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said on

Wednesday.

Photo : AP

WTO panel considers easing

protections on COVID-19 vaccines

GENEVA : Envoys from World Trade

Organization member nations are

taking up a proposal to ease patents and

other intellectual property protections

for COVID-19 vaccines to help

developing countries fight the

pandemic, an idea backed by the Biden

administration but opposed in other

wealthy countries with strong

pharmaceutical industries.

On the table for a two-day meeting of

a WTO panel opening Tuesday is a

revised proposal presented by India and

South Africa for a temporary IP waiver

on coronavirus vaccines. The idea has

drawn support from more than 60

countries, which now include the

United States and China.

Some European Union member

states oppose the idea, and the EU on

Friday offered an alternative proposal

that relies on existing World Trade

Organization rules. The 27-nation bloc

said those rules currently allow

governments to grant production

licenses - such as for COVID-19

vaccines or therapies - to manufacturers

in their countries without the consent of

the patent holders in times of

emergency.

At stake in the meeting is whether the

various sides can move toward drawing

up a unified text, a key procedural step

that could unlock accelerated

negotiations. Inside observers

cautioned, however, that a major

breakthrough was not expected.

Even optimistic supporters

acknowledge an IP waiver could take

months to finalize because of solid

resistance from some countries and

WTO rules that require consensus on

such decisions-meaning a single

country among the 164 members could

scuttle any proposal. Even if adopted,

ratification would also take time.

Advocacy groups, emboldened by the

support the United States announced

last month, have increasingly pushed

the plan and insisted it would not be as

difficult to carry out as detractors would

say.

Doctors Without Borders, a Nobel

Peace Prize-winning humanitarian

agency, faulted the European Union,

Switzerland, Norway and other

holdouts on the IP waiver idea Monday

for employing alleged "delaying tactics."

Pharmaceutical companies insist that

an IP waiver could dampen the

incentive for researchers and

entrepreneurs to innovate and say

vaccine-sharing by rich countries would

be a much faster way to get shots to

health workers and at-risk populations

in the developing world.

The World Health Organization has

repeatedly inveighed against unequal

access to vaccines, noting that rich

countries scooped up supplies well in

excess of the need of their own

populations while developing countries

have obtained only a small fraction of

the doses so far distributed and injected

worldwide.

Envoys from World Trade Organization member nations are taking up a proposal to ease patents

and other intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines to help developing countries fight

the pandemic, an idea backed by the Biden administration but opposed in other wealthy countries

with strong pharmaceutical industries.

Photo : AP

17 killed in

India road

crash

NEW DELHI : At least 17

people have been killed and

more than five others

injured in a head-on

collision between a bus and

a three-wheeler in the

northern Indian state of

Uttar Pradesh, police said on

Wednesday, reports UNB.

The accident occurred in

Kanpur district on Tuesday

night when the passenger

bus was heading towards the

national capital from

Lucknow, the capital of

Uttar Pradesh.

"There was a collision

between two vehicles, after

which the bus overturned.

While 17 people were killed

on the spot, the five injured

have been admitted to a

local hospital," Inspector

General of Kanpur Police

Mohit Agarwal told the local

media.

The victims were

occupants of both the

vehicles, police said.

Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi has

expressed his condolences to

the families of the deceased.

He has also announced a

compensation of Rs 2 lakh

each for the families of those

killed in the accident.

"Prime Minister

@narendramodi has

announced an ex-gratia of

Rs 2 lakh each for the next of

kin of those who have lost

their lives due to a tragic

accident in Kanpur, Uttar

Pradesh. Rs. 50,000 would

be provided to those

injured," the Prime

Minister's Office tweeted.

A probe has been ordered

into the accident, Agarwal

said.

Road accidents are very

common in India, with one

taking place every four

minutes. These accidents are

often blamed on poor roads,

rash driving and scant

regard for traffic laws.

Indian government's

implementation of stricter

traffic laws in recent years

have failed to rein in

accidents, which claimed

over 100,000 lives every

year.

'This IS INSANE': Africa

desperately short of

COVID vaccine

CAPE TOWN : In the global

race to vaccinate people

against COVID-19, Africa is

tragically at the back of the

pack.

In fact, it has barely gotten

out of the starting blocks.

In South Africa, which has

the continent's most robust

economy and its biggest

coronavirus caseload, just

0.8% of the population is

fully vaccinated, according to

a worldwide tracker kept by

Johns Hopkins University.

And hundreds of thousands

of the country's health

workers, many of whom

come face-to-face with the

virus every day, are still

waiting for their shots.

In Nigeria, Africa's biggest

country with more than 200

million people, only 0.1% are

fully protected. Kenya, with

50 million people, is even

lower. Uganda has recalled

doses from rural areas

because it doesn't have

nearly enough to fight

outbreaks in big cities.

Chad didn't administer its

first vaccine shots until this

past weekend. And there are

at least five other countries in

Africa where not one dose

has been put into an arm,

according to the Africa

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention.

The World Health

Organization says the

continent of 1.3 billion people

is facing a severe shortage of

vaccine at the same time a

new wave of infections is

rising across Africa. Vaccine

shipments into Africa have

ground to a "near halt,"

WHO said last week.

"It is extremely concerning

and at times frustrating,"

said Africa CDC Director Dr.

John Nkengasong, a

Cameroonian virologist who

is trying to ensure some of

the world's poorest nations

get a fair share of vaccines in

a marketplace where they

can't possibly compete.

The United States and

Britain, in contrast, have fully

vaccinated more than 40% of

their populations, with

higher rates for adults and

high-risk people. Countries

in Europe are near or past

20% coverage, and their

citizens are starting to think

about where their vaccine

certificates might take them

on their summer vacations.

The U.S., France and

Germany are even offering

shots to youngsters, who are

at very low risk of serious

illness from COVID-19.

Poorer countries had

warned as far back as last

year of this impending

vaccine inequality, fearful

that rich nations would

hoard doses.

In an interview,

Nkengasong called on the

leaders of wealthy nations

meeting this week at the G-7

summit to share spare

vaccines - something the

United States has already

agreed to do - and avert a

"moral catastrophe."

"I'd like to believe that the

G-7 countries, most of them

having kept excess doses of

vaccines, want to be on the

right side of history,"

Nkengasong said. "Distribute

those vaccines. We need to

actually see these vaccines,

not just ... promises and

goodwill."

Others are not so patient,

nor so diplomatic.

"People are dying. Time is

against us. This IS INSANE,"

South African human rights

lawyer Fatima Hasan, an

activist for equal access to

health care, wrote in a series

of text messages.

The Biden administration

made its first major move to

ease the crisis last week,

announcing it would share

an initial batch of 25 million

spare doses with desperate

countries in South and

Central America, Asia and

Africa.

Ventilator suspected as fire kills

three at Russian hospital

MOSCOW : Three people have died in a fire at a hospital in

the Russian city of Ryazan, investigators said Wednesday,

with local authorities suggesting the blaze was caused by a

faulty ventilator.

The fire broke out in the intensive care unit of a state

hospital in Ryazan, about 200 kilometres (120 miles)

southeast of Moscow, at around 3:30 am local time (0030

GMT) on Wednesday, the local branch of the Investigative

Committee said in a statement.

Three people died from carbon monoxide poisoning and

seven others were hospitalised, it said.

A probe has been launched on suspicion of "causing death

by negligence". Investigators said the cause of the fire was

being established, but the governor of Ryazan region said it

was likely caused by a ventilator. "In one of the wards of the

intensive care unit there was a patient in serious condition on

a ventilator," governor Nikolay Lyubimov told state TV.

"Apparently, the ventilator caught fire," he said.

Lyubimov said that the ventilator was of Chinese origin. It

was not adapted for use in Russia and was not protected

against "voltage surges and short circuits", he said.

State news channel Rossiya 24 reported that one of the

hospital's nurses was in serious condition with burns

affecting 70 percent of her body.

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021

8

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized Business Development Conference of its Agent Banking

Outlets under Rajshahi and Khulna Zone through virtual platform recently. Mohammed Monirul

Moula, Managing Director and CEO of the bank addressed the conference as chief guest. Muhammad

Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director addressed the program as special guest. Md. Mahboob Alam,

Senior Executive Vice Presidents, Md. Abdus Salam and Md. Mizanur Rahman Mizi, Executive Vice

Presidents addressed the program. Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Deputy Managing Director presided over

the conference while A.S.M. Rezaul Karim, Executive Vice President addressed the welcome speech.

Head of Branch, In-charge and officials of Agent Banking Outlets under Rajshahi and Khulna Zone

attended the Conference.

Photo: Courtesy

Stocks mark

time after Yellen

rate comments,

G7 tax plan

NEW YORK: Global equities

marked time while the dollar

dipped Monday after US

Treasury Secretary Janet

Yellen downplayed fears over

the prospect of higher interest

rates triggered by a spike in

inflation, reports BSS.

Investors also weighed

moves over the weekend by

the G7 group of wealthy

nations towards an eventual

global minimum corporate

tax rate aimed firmly at tech

giants seen as not paying

enough.

Wall Street ended mostly in

the red, though the tech-rich

Nasdaq gained ground, while

London and Paris closed

barely positive and Frankfurt

lost a sliver after Asia had

finished mixed.

US oil prices sneaked above

$70 per-barrel for the first

time in two-and-a-half years

as the pandemic-hit global

economy pushes on with its

recovery, but then retreated

later in the session.

"Inflation remains squarely

in focus and the largest

potential source of investors'

angst and market volatility

this week," noted Neil Wilson,

chief market analyst at

Markets.com.

"Until the Federal Reserve

is more vocal about tapering,

investors will be happy to

continue buying the dips in

stocks and sell the rips in the

dollar," remarked Fawad

Razaqzada, market analyst

with ThinkMarkets.

Asian markets mostly

down as investors jostle

before inflation, ECB

HONG KONG: Investors trod a cautious

line Wednesday in Asia with focus firmly on

the release of US inflation data later in the

week, which could have a huge bearing on

the Federal Reserve's plans for monetary

policy, while the European Central Bank's

latest meeting will also keenly watched,

reports BSS.

Global markets have essentially been in a

holding position this month as traders try to

determine the outlook for central banks'

policies in light of the surging economic

recovery, with concerns that a spike in prices

will force them to taper ultra-loose monetary

programmes.

Officials continue to pledge that any sharp

rise in inflation will only be temporary and

they will maintain their accommodative

position until the economy is well on the

recovery track, but investors remain

susceptible to data.

That makes Thursday's consumer price

index (CPI) figures crucial, observers say,

with anything above the 4.7 percent forecast

likely to ramp up expectations the Fed will

tighten policy earlier than expected.

"The tight trading ranges seen so far this

month reflect the cautious mood in the

market ahead of the inflation numbers," said

Fiona Cincotta of City Index.

"Whilst the Fed reassures that this spike in

inflation is temporary, policy makers will

need to be out in their droves to calm the

market."

Thursday also sees the ECB's decision on

policy, with analysts not expecting any

changes yet but looking for any shifts in its

outlook as the recovery presses ahead.

"It's an opportune time for a thorough

review given the improved state of both the

economy and the vaccination rollout, factors

that are so closely intertwined and now

working more clearly for the positive," said

National Australia Bank analyst David de

Garis.

"While there's no denying the better run of

data and generally at or better than expected

economic outcomes, prudence around the

pandemic, including from variants, also

argues for a degree of policy caution with a

still very accommodating stance of monetary

policy."

In a sign of the effects of a low base of

comparison with last year and surging

commodity prices, data out of China on

Wednesday showed the producer prices

index rocketed to nine percent last month, a

13-year high and faster than estimated.

Still, the key CPI reading was below

forecasts and indicated that costs were yet to

be passed on.

After a tepid lead from Wall Street, Asian

markets were mostly down but fluctuated

through the morning.

Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore,

Seoul and Taipei slipped, though Shanghai,

Wellington, Manila and Jakarta edged up.

Oil prices built on the previous day's gains

of more than one percent after a report said

US stockpiles likely fell last week as the

world's top economy continues to pick up

pace.

WTI pressed on after breaking $70

Monday for the first time since October

2018, while Brent is at a two-year peak.

Hopes for a further rise in demand were

given a further boost after the United States

eased a travel warning for dozens of

countries including European nations and

Japan as vaccinations allow people to return

to a semblance of normality.

United Commercial Bank Ltd (UCB) signed Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with Bangladesh

Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) at the Head office of BEZA recently. The MoU event was presided by

Paban Chowdhury, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority. Mohammed Shawkat

Jamil, Managing Director, UCB graced the event as Special Guest. The MoU was signed to establish a new

UCB branch at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar. Among others, Deputy Managing Director of UCB

N. Mustafa Tarek; Deputy Managing Director of UCB Habibur Rahman; Deputy Managing Director of UCB

ATM Tahmiduzzaman FCS; Executive Vice President of UCB Md. Sekander-E-Azam; Executive Vice

President of UCB Md Khirkil Nowaz; Mohammed Erfan Sharif (Additional Secretary) Executive Member,

Planning & Development, BEZA; Abdul Azim Chowdhury, (Additional Secretary), Executive Member,

Administration & Finance, BEZA; Md. Ali Ahsan, (Additional Secretary) Executive Member, Investment

Promotion, BEZA; Md. Shoab, (Joint Secretary), Secretary, BEZA Executive Board; Md. Moniruzzaman,

Joint Secretary, General Manager, (Investment Promotion), BEZA Mohammad Hasan Arif, Joint Secretary,

General Manager, (Administration and Finance), BEZA and Doyananda Debnath, Joint Secretary, General

Manager, (Planning & Development), BEZA were also present at the event.

Photo: Courtesy

US eyes possible

trade deal with

Taiwan: Blinken

WASHINGTON : The United

States will soon start

discussing a trade deal with

Taiwan, Secretary of State

Antony Blinken said Monday,

risking Beijing's wrath,

reports BSS.

"I know we are engaged in

conversations with Taiwan, or

soon will be, on some kind of

framework agreement,"

Blinken said at a

congressional hearing in

Washington. "And those

conversations should be

starting," he stressed. He said

that US Trade Representative

Katherine Tai would be the

one to offer any details on

these future negotiations.

The possibility of a US trade

deal with Taiwan is likely to

infuriate Beijing, which sees

the democratic, self-ruled

island as part of its territory

which is to be seized one day,

by force if necessary, and

rages at any diplomatic

attempts to recognize it as an

independent nation.

Though Washington

severed diplomatic relations

with Taipei in 1979 to

recognize Beijing as China's

sole official representative, the

United States remains

Taiwan's most powerful ally

and its top arms supplier.

AIBL signs MOU with International

Standard University

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd ( AIBL) has

signed Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) with International Standard

University recently. Md. Shafiqur

Rahman Deputy Managing Director of

the Bank and HTM Quader Newaz,

Treasurer (In Charge) of the University

signed the MOU on behalf of their

respective organizations, a press release

said.

Under this agreement, customers of Al-

Arafah Islami Bank and their children

will get special discounts on admission

and tuition fees for higher education at

the International Standard University. In

addition to managing all types of

accounts with the bank, the students will

Mercantile Bank Ltd signed MoU with Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority at BEZA head office in the

capital recently. Under this agreement, Mercantile Bank will participate in tree plantation at Mirsarai

Economic Zone Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar as Corporate Social Responsibilities of the

bank. Paban Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of BEZA presided over the program while Md. Quamrul

Islam Chowdhury, Managing Director & CEO of Mercantile Bank was the special guest. Mohammad Hasan

Arif, General Manager of BEZA and Adil Raihan, DMD of Mercantile Bank signed the MoU on behalf of

their respective organizations. Md. Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, CEO of Mercantile Bank states that MBL

family feel proud contributing environmental protection by tree plantation. Senior officials from both the

organizations were also present on the occasion.

Photo: Courtesy

China's factory

prices soar in May

but consumers

avoid cost surge

BEIJING : China's factory

gate inflation rose at the

highest rate in over a decade

last month, official data

showed Wednesday, as the

world's second-largest

economy worked to contain a

surge in commodity prices,

reports BSS.

Factories so far seem to be

absorbing costs rather than

passing them on to

consumers as domestic

demand recovers from the

strict coronavirus lockdowns

imposed last year.

The producer price index

(PPI), which measures the

cost of goods at the factory

gate, exceeded expectations to

spike 9.0 percent on-year in

May, said the National Bureau

of Statistics.

This marks its highest jump

since September 2008.

In particular, prices in the

oil and natural gas extraction

industry rose 99.1 percent

from a year ago, said NBS

senior statistician Dong

Lijuan.

"PPI is definitely a concern,"

said UOB economist Ho Woei

Chen.

Metal prices started to rise

earlier this year with a

recovery in construction as

well as steel demand for the

car industry, she said, adding

that recent operation curbs in

major steel-producing city

Tangshan drove also steel

prices higher.

World Bank warns uneven

global recovery leaving

poor nations behind

WASHINGTON: Fueled by widespread Covid-

19 vaccinations in advanced nations, the world

economic recovery has picked up speed, but

the upbeat outlook obscures a worrying

picture in poor nations, the World Bank said

Tuesday, reports BSS.

The global economy is now expected to grow

5.6 percent this year, 1.5 points faster than

projected in January - the fastest postrecession

bounceback in 80 years, according to

the latest Global Economic Prospects (GEP)

report.

However, the bank warns that many

countries, especially poor nations, are being

left behind and will take years to return to their

pre-pandemic levels.

"The near-term resumption of growth

cannot make up for the misery that the

pandemic has inflicted on the poorest and its

disproportionate impact on vulnerable

groups," World Bank Group President David

Malpass said.

"Globally coordinated efforts are essential to

accelerate vaccine distribution and debt relief,

particularly for low-income countries."

And while inflation is not seen a major

factor, rising prices create another challenge

for policymakers, especially in emerging

markets, as they try to restore order in their

economies and manage rising debt levels.

The World Bank cut its forecasts for about

40 percent of emerging markets and

developing nations, and without the boost

from China's massive economy, those

countries will expand by only 4.4 percent.

The report also cuts the forecast for lowincome

countries for this year and next, and

the group is expected to expand by only 2.9

percent, the slowest growth in two decades

other than 2020.

"By the end of this year, more than 100

get special benefits in any transaction

including salary, tuition fees.

Deputy Managing Director of the Bank

Shabbir Ahmed, Md. Mahmudur

Rahman, Abed Ahmed Khan, Executive

Vice President and Dhaka South Zonal

Head Monir Ahmed, Head of BPMD

Mollah Khalilur Rahman and Mohakhali

Branch Manager Jasim Ahmed were

present on the occasion.

K Ahmed Alam Dean of the University,

Oli Ahad Tagore Chairperson of Business

Administration, Associate Professor Md.

Lutfar Rahman, Director Admission Md.

Gias Uddin and Assistant Director PR

Md. Raisul H. Chowdhury were also

present in the occasion.

million people are expected to have fallen back

into extreme poverty," the World Bank

cautions.

"This is a tale of two recoveries," World Bank

economist Ayhan Kose told AFP, noting that

most economies will not return to prepandemic

levels until 2023 and beyond.

The United States will see growth it has not

experienced in decades of 6.8 percent - more

than three full points higher than in January -

while China will expand 8.5 percent and India

by 8.3 percent, according to the report.

"You have countries that have the means to

vaccinate, and those that have not made

enough progress," he said. "It's like the best of

times for advanced economies and the worst of

times for these low-income countries."

The critical piece is ensuring all countries

have wide access vaccines, said Kose, head of

the GEP group.

So far only 0.3 percent of people in low

income countries have received at least one

dose of the vaccine.

"It is going to be absolutely essential to

vaccinate, vaccinate rapidly and vaccinate

everywhere," he said. "We are really running

behind."

But he said global growth in 2022 could

speed up if vaccine distribution ramps up, to

five percent from the 4.3 percent currently

forecast.

Meanwhile, US inflation has spooked

financial markets, as investors worry the spike

in prices in the early stages of the recovery

could prompt the Federal Reserve and other

central banks to move more quickly to raise

borrowing costs.

That would have ripple effects throughout

the rest of the world, where governments and

businesses have seen debt increase and debt

ratings fall.

ThuRSDAY, JunE 10, 2021

9

Spain's Javier Puado celebrates after scoring Spain's fourth goal during the international friendly

match against Lithuania at the Butarque Stadium in Leganes, on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain,

Tuesday .

Photo: AP

Euro 2020 warm-up: Spain's young debutants

beat Lithuania 4-0, France win 3-0

SPORTS DESK

Spain's group of young debutants beat

Lithuania 4-0 in a warm-up match for

the European Championship on

Tuesday, reports UNB.

The Spain team was made up of

players from the under-21 squad, as

well as its coach, after captain Sergio

Busquets tested positive for COVID-19.

From the 20 players called up for the

match, 19 had never played for the

senior national team.

The friendly counted as a first-team

match, with players getting caps and an

official debut for coach Luis de la

Fuente with the main squad.

De la Fuente named 10 debutants

plus Bryan Gil in the starting lineup.

The last time Spain had 10 debutants

for a senior international was in 1941,

against Portugal, after the team had not

played since Spain's Civil War broke

out in 1936.

Valencia defender Hugo Guillamón

got Spain off to the perfect start in the

third minute and Brahim Díaz doubled

its lead in the 24th before Abel Ruiz had

a penalty saved by Lithuania

goalkeeper Tomas Švedkauskas.

Juan Miranda curled in a free kick

nine minutes into the second half and

fellow substitute Javi Puado capped a

great night for the youngsters in the

73rd.

Euro 2020 starts Friday. Spain will

play its first game on Monday against

Sweden in Seville. Luis Enrique has

until Saturday to make changes to his

squad because of injuries or COVID-19.

BENZEMA CONCERN

Karim Benzema's return to

international soccer continues to go

awry as the France forward limped off

injured in his team's 3-0 victory over

Bulgaria. Benzema had a penalty saved

and hit the post last week in his first

appearance for France in nearly six

years.

He lasted just 41 minutes on Tuesday

before being forced off. But France

coach Didier Deschamps - with whom

Benzema had a fallout over the player's

alleged role in a sex-tape scandal - has

brushed off concerns, indicating that it

is just a dead leg.

Benzema's replacement, Olivier

Giroud, scored a late double in the final

seven minutes to secure victory for the

world champions after Antoine

Griezmann had opened the scoring in

the 29th.

The 34-year-old Giroud has now

scored 46 goals for France, just five

behind Thierry Henry's all-time record.

The Czech Republic beat Albania 3-1,

while Iceland drew 2-2 in Poland and

Hungary was held to a 0-0 by Ireland in

Budapest.

The Irish players were booed by a

section of Hungarian supporters for

taking a knee before kick-off to support

the sport's anti-racism campaign.

"The fact it was booed is

incomprehensible," Ireland manager

Stephen Kenny said. "It's disappointing

and it doesn't reflect well on Hungary,

really.

"Our players wanted to do it. It's an

important stance and I commend them

for taking that stance."

The incident followed the England

team being booed at home by some

fans for making the anti-racism gesture

during two warmup games.

England will cope with social media

storm, says Black Caps star Boult

SPORTS DESK

Trent Boult believes England will be

able to cope with the distraction of

their social media storm when they

face New Zealand in the decisive

second Test on Thursday, reports BSS.

England's Ollie Robinson was

suspended after racist and sexist

tweets posted by the paceman in 2012

and 2013 emerged during the first Test

at Lord's.

The controversy escalated on

Monday when the England and Wales

Cricket Board revealed they were

investigating a second unidentified

England player for posting "historic

offensive material" on social media.

British Prime Minister Boris

Johnson and Culture Secretary Oliver

Dowden criticised the ECB's hardline

stance as the row rumbled on.

But the spotlight will be on Joe

Root's side, who stood together in a

'moment of unity' against all forms of

discrimination just before the

Robinson news broke.

Asked if the issue would put England

at a disadvantage when they face New

Zealand at Edgbaston, Black Caps

seamer Boult said: "I don't think they

will be too distracted. There are a few

things going on the sidelines.

"I'm sure they will be on the ball.

They will be desperate to put in a good

performance.

"These guys have played a lot of

cricket. They are tremendous at home.

I think they can put those things on the

sideline and focus on the game."

While he would not criticise

Robinson, Boult admitted cricketers

must be careful what they say on social

media with the eyes of the world on

them at all times.

"I can't speak for the other guys but

social media can be a difficult world at

the moment," Boult told reporters.

"You can approach anyone around

the world. In terms of our profession as

sports people you are in the limelight

non-stop. You have to be careful with

what you are putting out there I

suppose.

"We are obviously leaders in the

world, role models for a lot of kids and

fans around the world. There is a lot of

accountability. It's a tricky one, you

have to very careful."

'Been a long time' -

After the drawn opening match, New

Zealand can earn a first Test series win

in England since 1999 if they emerge

victorious at Edgbaston.

That would be the ideal preparation

ahead of their clash with India in the

inaugural World Test Championship

final at Southampton from June 18.

"There is an opportunity to win a

Test series in England. It's been a long

time. Looking forward to the

challenge," Boult said.

"I thought the guys played

tremendously well at Lord's. The boys

are gelling nicely and hopefully it will

be a big week."

Boult missed the first Test after

opting to spend time with his family

following the Indian Premier League's

suspension.

The 31-year-old is expected to start in

Birmingham after joining the squad

late last week.

"I'm here now and excited at the

prospect of playing. I'm dying to get out

there," Boult said.

"I've been playing non-stop through

the New Zealand summer and the IPL.

The body feels good."

Black Caps coach Gary Stead said

skipper Kane Williamson's left elbow

injury is being monitored and a

decision will be made on Wednesday

about his availability.

Trent Boult believes England will be able to cope with the distraction of their social media

storm.

Photo: AP

French Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas ends Daniil

Medvedev run to book last four spot

SPORTS DESK

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat world

number two Daniil Medvedev in

straight sets on Tuesday to advance to

the French Open semi-finals for the

second straight year and end the

Russian's surprise run on the Parisian

clay, reports UNB.

The Greek got revenge for his

Australian Open semi-final loss to the

Russian this year and improved his

Grand Slam quarter-final record to 4-0

with a 6-3 7-6(3) 7-5 win that teed up a

last-four clash against Germany's

Alexander Zverev. "It was a very close

match and we both served pretty well,"

Tsitsipas said. "It was intense.

"I was playing against one of the best

guys on the tour. I had to keep up the

intensity and elevate my game

throughout the entire match. I am

happy to keep repeating, trying to go

further."

Medvedev, who squandered two set

points in the second set and only

converted two of his eight break points,

had not won a single match at the

French Open prior to his run to the last

eight this year.

Yet having finally found his feet on

the red dirt, he had few chances against

the 22-year-old Tsitsipas, who has had

a superb clay season so far.

Tsitsipas, a winner in Lyon and

Monte Carlo on clay this year,

wrongfooted the Russian to convert his

first break point for 3-1 lead as he

comfortably held serve in the first set.

Medvedev, who made 44 unforced

errors in the match, almost twice as

many as the Greek, saved a Tsitsipas set

point at 5-2 but the fifth seed wrapped

it up a game later with a volley.

Tsitsipas then won 11 straight points

to break the Russian again early in the

second set and cruise to a 3-1 lead.

Yet his opponent launched a

comeback, bagging his own first break

en route to a three-game run.

Medvedev improved his first-serve

percentage and even carved out two set

points but his opponent saved them to

hold and force a tiebreak.

Tsitsipas survived his second set

wobble to clinch it with a volley on his

first set point.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas shakes hands with Russia's Daniil Medvedev after the match. Photo: AP

Women's Football:

Bashundhara hands

20-0 drubbing to

Nasrin DA

SPORTS DESK

Bashundhara Kings earned

massive 20-0 goals victory

over Nasrin Sports Academy

in the "Women's Football

League 2020-21" at the

floodlight Bangabandhu

National Stadium here

Tuesday evening, reports

UNB.

With the day's well

merited victory, star studded

Kings topped the league

table with all-win record

securing full 21 points from

straight seven matches.

Krishna Rani Sarkar and

Sabina Khatun made double

hattrick scoring six goals

each, Ritu Porna scored a

hattrick with three goals,

Monika Chakma netted two

while Sanjida Khatun and

Shamsunnahar scored one

each for the winners.

Kumari Sumi Rani of

Nasrin SA scored a suicidal

goal.

The day' s other match

between Kanchijhuli

Sporting Club and Cumilla

United Club ended in 1-1

draw at the same venue

Tuesday afternoon.

Rozina Akhter put Cumilla

United ahead in the 13th

minute while Amena

Khatun leveled the margin

for Kanchijhuli SC in the 71st

minute.

Sabrina Akter Soma of

Kanchijhuli SC got marching

order after receiving two

yellow cards in the match.

SPORTS DESK

Mushfiqur Rahim became the first

Bangladeshi player to get nomination

for International Cricket Council's

(ICC) newly inducted player of the

month award, reports BSS.

The ICC today announced the

nominees for May's ICC Player of the

Month Awards to recognise the best

performances from both male and

female cricketers across all forms of

international cricket.

The Bangladesh's wicket-keeper

batsman gets nomination along with

Pakistan's fast bowler Hasan Ali and Sri

Neymar helps Brazil to perfect

six in WC qualifying

SPORTS DESK

Neymar scored one goal and created the

other as Brazil maintained their perfect start

to World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 win over

Paraguay on Tuesday, reports BSS.

Substitute Lucas Paqueta sealed the win

deep into injury time in Asuncion as Brazil

opened up a six point lead at the top of South

America's single qualifying group after a

sixth win out of six.

Paraguay's first defeat saw them drop out

of the automatic qualification places.

Brazil got off to a quick start with less than

four minutes on the clock.

Gabriel Jesus, recalled to the starting lineup,

crossed from the right and although

Richarlison missed his attempted volley,

Neymar was unmarked at the back post to

bobble the ball past goalkeeper Antony Silva.

Paraguay did not crumble, though, and

center-back Omar Alderete forced an

incredible save out of goalkeeper Ederson

with a blockbuster drive from 30 yards.

Miguel Almiron also found space in the

box but his shot was deflected behind by

Eder Militao. In between, Silva was out

quickly to smother a chance for Richarlison.

The Everton forward thought he'd

extended the lead just before halftime with a

brilliant dipping volley, but he was denied by

an offside flag.

Paraguay had a strong start to the second

half as Ederson saved a Gustavo Gomez

header but Marquinhos should have

doubled the visitors' advantage when he

somehow headed Neymar's cross wide from

four yards out.

Brazil had chances to kill the game off on

the counter but Neymar screwed an effort

wide and Gomez did brilliantly to block

Richarlison's shot.

But in injury time, Neymar played in

Paqueta on the right to send a precise leftfoot

finish just inside the far post.

Lanka's left-arm spinner Praveen

Jayawickrama. Their performance in

the month of May had got them the

nomination.

In May Mushfiqur Rahim played one

Test and three ODIs against Sri Lanka.

He helped Bangladesh win their first

ODI series against Sri Lanka by scoring

125 in the second ODI.

In this period Hasan Ali of Pakistan

played two Tests against Zimbabwe

where he took a total of 14 wickets.

From Sri Lanka's camp, debutant

Praveen Jayawickrama played one Test

against Bangladesh, where he took a

total of 11 wickets at 16.11. He bowled

Argentina blow two-goal lead -

Miguel Borja scored four minutes into

stoppage time to rescue a 2-2 draw for

Colombia in a World Cup qualifier against

Argentina in Barranquilla.

Argentina were off to a flying start, helped

by woeful home defending, to move 2-0 up

inside eight minutes through goals by

Cristian Romero and Leandro Paredes.

But Colombia's substitutes turned the

game around in the second half as Luis

Nuriel netted from the spot and then Borja

snatched a point at the death.

"We went out to press, we scored two goals

but unfortunately we couldn't hold on, I

think we were tired," said Argentina forward

Lautaro Martinez.

Argentina remain unbeaten in second

place while Colombia are just outside the

automatic qualification spots in fifth.

The visitors will be kicking themselves,

though, after a fast start and having the

better chances throughout.

Three minutes in, Romero rose highest to

head home a Rodrigo De Paul free-kick from

wide on the right that made it all the way to

the edge of the six yard box. A few minutes

later, Lionel Messi picked out Marcos Acuna

and his rasping left-footed drive was

deflected inches past the corner of post and

crossbar.

Colombia failed to fully clear the resulting

corner and following some pinball in the box,

Paredes was able to run past four players,

find space and shoot low into the corner

across goalkeeper David Ospina.

Argentina were well on top and Ospina had

to save a fierce drive from Martinez on 27

minutes, with Nicolas Gonzalez putting the

rebound a whisker past the post.

Colombia finally came alive in first half

stoppage time but Muriel's shot was blocked

by Nicolas Otamendi, while Duvan Zapata

blazed over.

Mushfiqur nominated for ICC

Player of the Month Awards

Sri Lanka to victory in the second Test

against Bangladesh with the best match

figures by any Sri Lankan bowler on

Test debut. ICC also announced the

names of three women cricketers for

their performance in May with allrounder

Kathryn Bryce from Scotland,

Gaby Lewis and Leah Paul of Ireland

making the shortlist.

An ICC statement said the three

nominees for either category are

shortlisted based on on-field

performances and overall

achievements during that month (the

first to the last day of each calendar

month).

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021

10

Nisho, Mehazabien’s drama 'Ghotona

Shottya' to release soon

TBT REPORT

Afran Nisho and Mehazabien

Chowdhury is one of the most

popular pairs on the small

screen. The duo has paired up

once again for a new drama titled

'Ghotona Shottya'. In the drama,

Nisho will be seem as a driver

while Mehazabien will play a

housemaid.

The play has been directed by

popular director Rubel Hasan.

Scripted by Moinul Shanu, the

drama has been made under the

banner of CMV.

The story of 'Ghotona Shottya'

revolves around two neighbours

TBT REPORT

The European Union (EU) in Bangladesh

launched the very first film festival in

Bangladesh on Wednesday titled "Bangladesh

European Union Film Festival (BEUFF)", in

partnership with all European Union Member

States Embassies in Dhaka: Germany, France,

Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Spain,

as well as the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and

the Alliance Française de Dhaka.

Making the occasion of the 50 years'

celebration of Bangladesh's independence and

the friendship between the EU and

Bangladesh, the maiden edition of BEUFF is

showcasing a total of 21 films and will virtually

run till June 30.

The festival is featuring 7 Bangladeshi films

from young aspiring filmmakers, 7 EU feature

films, and 7 international short films on

climate change. All the films will be screened

on the online platform Festival Scope and

available free of cost to all audiences residing

in Bangladesh.

Furthermore, all seven European movies

will be subtitled in Bangla to eliminate the

barriers of languages, according to the

European Union (EU).

It also says that the festival will unfold a new

chapter in the EU's cultural exchange with

Bangladesh and further shed light on vital

issues such as education and skill

development, climate change adaptation, food

and nutrition security, good governance, safe

migration and sustainable reintegration of

TBT REPORT

Hridoy Hasan, a well-known face

on social media at present. as well

as a digital creator and an

entrepreneur. He has already

become a celebrity by making

awareness videos along with

business. He promotes various

images of the society on his

YouTube channel and Facebook

page.

He has three YouTube channels

and three Facebook pages, where

he highlights the happenings in the

society. The total number of

subscribers to his three YouTube

channels - about 1.5 million.

And the total number of

followers of his three Facebook

pages - more than 3 million. As a

result, the talented man received

r e f u g e e s ,

empowerment of

women and girls:

EU's priorities for

d e v e l o p m e n t

cooperation in

Bangladesh.

A dedicated

w e b s i t e

(www.beuff.org) was

launched at 12 am on

June 9th, allowing

the audiences access

to all films and other

information related

to the festival.

The festival's side

events will also

i n c l u d e

m a s t e r c l a s s e s ,

questions/answer

sessions with directors, discussions on gender

representations in cinema, having a strong

focus on women's issues and climate change.

The implementing partners of BEUFF are

Particip GmbH, RedOrange Media and

Communications and Goopy Bagha

Productions Limited.

‘The Family Man 2’ creators

dismiss criticism over Samantha

Creators Raj Nidimoru and

Krishna DK have brushed aside

criticism of painting actor

Samantha Akkineni in brown

face, in the recently released

second season of Amazon Prime

Video's 'The Family Man'. They

said that every decision was

made in service of the character,

and that they are responsible

filmmakers.

In an interview, the director

duo said that it isn't like they got

an actor of a different race to

play Raji, the Sri Lankan Tamil

rebel who takes on Manoj

Bajpayee's Srikant Tiwari in

season two.

Raj told Film Companion,

"This whole thing comes in the

context of beauty, when you're

trying to say dark skin is not

beautiful and fair skin is

beautiful... This is not that

context, number one. There is

no context of skin beauty in this.

We are all shades of brown.

Now, the idea is that if each

one is a shade of brown, so it's

not about getting a different race

to play this (character). It's not a

race thing either. These are the

two contexts where it should be

named Bilkish and Mukul. They

always cheat their owners.

Bilkish wastes her owner's food

and uses their cosmetics while

Mukul steals car's fuel and

carries other passengers on his

owner's car. Incidentally, Bilkish

and Mukul developed a love

affair. But they face tragic

consequences.

About the play, Rubel Hasan

said, "Though the story of the

drama starts with lie and theft,

later it turns on a humanitarian

story. Nisho bhai and

Mehazabien apu have merged

with the characters completely. I

looked down upon, and that's

where the main problem is. And

we are well aware of it; it's not

like we are irresponsible

filmmakers, to propagate

something of that kind."

He added, "Here, we are

trying to get the character of Raji

right. We want her to speak it,

we want her to look it, we want

can say the audience will be

amused by their acting once

again."

'Ghotona Shottya' will be

released on CMV's YouTube

channel soon, said producer of

the drama, SK Shahed Ali Pappu.

Afran Nisho and Mehazabien

Chowdhury starrer singleepisode

drama 'Mohabbat' has

been well accepted by the

audience. Directed by Rubel

Hasan, 'Mohabbat' was released

on the YouTube channel of CMV

on April 10. Till June 8, nine

million viewers enjoyed the

drama.

her to be that action girl who can

land the punch; someone who

can be physically fit and take on

a guy double her size. That's our

main challenge. So if you look at

what she wears... She's a soldier,

she's a weather-beaten girl,

there's no time for worrying

about self-care. If you're a

solider in the Himalayas, your

A Digital Creator and

Entrepreneur: Hridoy Hasan

Popular West Bengal actress,

Trinamool Congress MP Nusrat

Jahan who is always in the news

recently came into news by

becoming a mother - such

rumors have been circulating in

the Tolly industry since Friday.

The actress is 6 months pregnant

and her husband Nikhil Jain is

not aware that she is pregnant.

Meanwhile, Nusrat's husband

Nikhil Jain said he filed a "civil

case" against the actress when he

found out that her wife Nusrat

"wanted to be with someone else".

Regarding this content Nikhil

said, "The day I found out that

Nusrat wanted to stay with

someone other than me, I filed a

civil case. The case will be heard

in court next July." Nikhil,

however, informed that Nusrat is

likely to bless with a newborn on

First-ever Bangladesh European Union

Film Festival (BEUFF) kicks off online

face is going to be red, that's the

makeup."

DK said, "In a way, it's the

character, right. And the

character demanded that she

had to be fit, because she's a

military person. And what did

Samantha do for the role? She

actually trained..."

Source: Indian Express

three of his first YouTube awards,

the Silver Play Button Award, for

his three YouTube channels.

I am overjoyed to receive this

recognition from YouTube. "In the

beginning, I thought I would get so

much love from people in such a

short time," he said. And the

audience will love me and my

works so much. All the time I

wanted to do something

exceptional. And we are working

accordingly in phases.

In 2017, my first video was

uploaded from my first YouTube

channel (Shopno Chowa Tv). Then

I started working as a video maker

on YouTube regularly from 2018,

then my journey to another new

YouTube channel started. The

name of the channel (SC TV) then I

ARIES

(March 21 - April 20) : You may feel

nostalgic as you look through photo

albums, rearrange furniture, and

remember past times, Aries. Your mind will touch on

emotional events that you may not have fully dealt

with at the time they happened. Old feelings that you

thought were gone could well up and bring tears to

your eyes. Honestly face these feelings now instead of

stuffing them back down for another decade.

TAURUS

(April 21 - May 21) : You could

be operating based on an

assumption that's only a partial

representation of the truth. In

your effort to think about only the good side of

the situation, Taurus, you may not see the

entire truth. There's a downside to everything.

Feelings of anger, frustration, and even

loneliness may go along with it.

GEMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : If you're

experiencing emotional upheaval,

Gemini, you may take heart in

knowing that other people are

going through their own emotional turmoil as

well. You will know that you aren't alone in your

quest for emotional stability. Share your feelings

with others instead of shutting them up inside. It

will help you feel better.

cANcER

(June 22 - July 23) : You may

feel like someone's giving you

the third degree, Cancer. You

sense that you're being accused

of something and that you need to defend

your feelings and actions. Try not to fall into

this trap. Don't let self-doubt sneak into the

situation just because someone else questions

your way of life. No one but you fully

understands your situation.

LEO

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Today may

be filled with "I told you so!" You

could find fault with others who

haven't dealt with the truth of a

situation. Be careful about

accusing someone of the very thing that you're

guilty of, Leo. Penetrating emotions will cut to

the heart of the matter, and there will be no way

to escape the hole you dig for yourself. Don't

criticize others when until you take an honest

look at yourself.

VIRGO

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Most of the time

you deal with the facts, Virgo. Facts

are things you can grasp, categorize,

and make rational sense of.

Unfortunately, today some of your facts may be

challenged by one of the things you fear most -

intense emotions. The ensuing friction is like

dealing with apples and oranges.

create another YouTube channel

under my own name, whose name

(Hridoy Hasan) I started working

with Facebook pages from 2019, I

created three Facebook pages with

the same name of my three

YouTube channels. Then began the

work of uploading regular

awareness videos on YouTube and

Facebook. Besides, I have done

many kinds of dramas for my own

channel. Where I have also acted

myself. But now I am working on

Social Awareness, focusing on

various happenings in the society,

which is still going on.

InshaAllah as long as I am alive,

and as long as Allah Almighty

keeps me healthy, this work of

mine will continue like this.

I always try to present different

images of society through videos.

My various well-wishers encourage

and support me a lot in this work.

So I am always grateful to them.

And not to mention those.

Husband sues Nusrat

over pregnancy

September 10.

Earlier, when it was reported

that "Nusrat is becoming a

mother", Nikhil Jain said he had

no contact with Nusrat for the

last 6 months. He is not the

father of the unborn child. He

said, 'I don't know anything

about this. I have no contact with

her for a long time. From this, it

is clear that this child is not

mine.'

Nikhil also said that he "does

not want to have any

relationship" with Nusrat in the

future. Since the marriage has

not been registered, Nikhil wants

to be separated by making an

annulment. According to the

rules, Nusrat has to go to the

court and say that she will not

have any relationship with

Nikhil.

For the past few days, Nusrat

Jahan has been rumoured to be

in a relationship with Bengali

actor and BJP leader Yash

Dasgupta. The two have often

been seen together. The two had

also gone to Rajasthan for New

Year celebrations. However, no

official statement was received

from Nusrat, Nikhil and Yash

Dasgupta. Nusrat had said in an

interview that my private life

should not be discussed in

public. People always target me

so I don't want to talk about

personal issues.

Nusrat Jahan got married to

her boyfriend Nikhil Jain on

June 19, 2019. Nusrat and Nikhil

were married according to Hindu

and Islamic traditions.

Source: Times Of India

H O ROScOPE

LIBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): It will be

hard to deal with emotional

issues that arise. A strong

misleading force is feeding the illusion that

things are fine when they really aren't. Stop

pretending that everything is going well,

Libra. The sooner you face the truth, the

sooner it will stop plaguing you. Confront

the deception directly.

ScORPIO

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): Don't automatically

assume that people are going to

understand your needs, Scorpio. Your

emotions may be powerful today, and

you could end up scaring people away instead of

drawing them closer simply because you act

irrationally and emotionally instead of reasonably and

civilly. Be careful about targeting your frustration at the

people who can help you the most.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): You're in a

difficult position. Things aren't

exactly what they seem,

Sagittarius. Your emotions run the

show today, and you may jump from one extreme

to the other. There's a good chance that much of

what you experience is based on misinformation.

Don't get so caught up in the drama that you fail

to recognize the truth of the situation.

cAPRIcORN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): When faced

with an emotionally intense

situation, you're likely to flee,

Capricorn. You'd rather change

the subject to something more lighthearted.

This form of escapism is doing nothing to

solve the problem. In fact, by avoiding the

emotional topic, you're only creating more

friction than if you just approached the

problem directly.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : With your

psychic abilities, you're liable to

shed some light on issues in

which the truth has been unclear

for quite a while, Aquarius. You

can use your sensitivity to cut to the heart of the

matter and expose the truth. This kind of

behavior probably won't come without friction

from others. You can almost guarantee that it

will. Don't let it faze you. It's important to reveal

the truth.

PIScES

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Control issues in

your home are apt to be of concern today,

Pisces. Be careful about feeding into

others' misconceptions of the situation.

You're dealing with powerful, opinionated forces that

aren't going to want to budge. Someone may have a

warped view of the true issue at hand. Lay all the facts on

the table before you start drawing any conclusions.

THursdAy, June 10, 2021 11

A discussion meeting held at Ishlampur area of Jamalpur on the opportunities and possibilities of suitable wash

management for people with disabilities at local level.

Photo: Osman Harunee

Drug-dealers change

strategy amid fierce

police raid

PANCHAGARH

TITAS CHAKRABORTy,

KHULNA CORRESPONDENT

The drug dealers of Khulna

district changed their tactics

as police's anti-drug drive

have restricted their

activities. In just two

months, more than 200

drug dealers have been

arrested from the district.

Police confiscated a huge

amount of drugs. District

Superintendent of Police

Mohammad Mahbub Hasan

confirmed the recovery and

arrest of the drug dealers.

Sources said the district

police has recently stepped

up its anti-drug drive. Drug

dealers have also changed

their tactics due to the

ongoing anti-drug

campaign. At one time,

drugs were sold by hand, but

now drug dealers keep drugs

in certain places and take

money from drug addicts

through digital payment

gateways like bKash. And

we`ÿ r/Rb-1181(2)/9/6/21

GD-992/21 (5x3)

because of this the law

enforcement agencies are

wading through a lot of

obstacles to recover drugs.

In Khulna district, a

number of drug addicts have

licenses to administer

narcotics. This most of the

time, bars the ability of the

police to intervene and

appropriate the law. This

information has been

obtained after the arrest of

drug dealers from Rupsha,

Batiaghata, Dumuria and

Paikgachha upazila areas

recently.

Meanwhile, police have

arrested 211 drug dealers

from nine upazila areas of

the district in the last two

months. A large quantity of

drugs was recovered during

this time. Among the drugs

recovered were about 15 kg

of cannabis, 1,220 pieces of

yaba, 25 liters of domestic

liquor and 30 cannabis

plants.

Khulna District

Superintendent of Police

Mohammad Mahbub Hasan

said drugs are destroying the

youth community. A drug

addict is harmful not only to

the family but also to the

society and the state. Khulna

district will be drug free in

any means. A special team of

vigilant police officers has

already been formed in each

police station for this

purpose.

: Groundnut

cultivation is gaining popularity among

the farmers in all five upazilas of the

district recently as soil and climatic

conditions are very suitable here.

The Department of Agriculture

Extension (DAE) office said a total of

10,435 hectares of land have been

brought under the groundnut

cultivation with 20, 870 tonnes

production target this year.

The DAE is expecting bumper

production and fair prize of groundnut

Three more

test positive

for COVID-19

in Bhola

BHOLA : A number of

three more people were

diagnosed with COVID-19

positive in the last 24 hours

in the district after testing

28 samples at Bhola 250-

bed General Hospital

COVID-19 laboratory.

Of the new positive cases,

all are residents in Sadar

upazila of the district, civil

surgeon (acting) of the

district Dr. Md. Sirajuddin

told BSS.

The total number of

infected people in the

district stood at 1,963 while

the number of recovery

cases at 1,848, the civil

surgeon said.

A total of 26 persons have

so far died of COVID-19 in

the district, said Dr. Md.

Sirajuddin.

Dr. Md. Sirajuddin said

infected eight persons are

now undergoing treatment

at Bhola 250-bed General

Hospital, rest of the

infected persons are now

undergoing treatment at

home under the

supervision of doctors

from their respective

upazila health complexes.

The health experts of the

district urged all to follow

the health rules strictly and

use masks to prevent the

spread of the lethal virus.

He urged everyone to be

more aware to prevent this

lethal infection.

Fire breaks out

at Gazipur

knitting factory

GAZIPUR : A fire broke out at

a knitting factory in the

Konabari area of Gazipur city

in the small hours of

Wednesday. Fortunately,

there were no casualties in the

fire, reports UNB.

Tasharraf Hossain, senior

inspector of Joydebpur Fire

Station, said the blaze started

around 12 am at a shed of

Jersy Knitting factory and

soon engulfed other parts of

the manufacturing unit.

On information, six

firefighting units rushed to

the spot and extinguished the

blaze in a couple of hours.

Equipment worth lakhs have

been gutted in the fire,

officials said.

"A probe has been ordered

to ascertain the exact cause of

the fire. The exact extent of

loss will also be ascertained

after the investigation," said

Tasharraf.

Seminar on wash

management for PWD

held in Islampur

OSMAN HARUNEE, JAMALPUR CORRESPONDENT

A discussion meeting titled 'Opportunities and

Possibilities of Suitable Wash Management for

People with Disabilities (PWD) at Local Level'

held on Islampur area of Jamalpur. Samata

Project-World Vision Bangladesh, Center for

Disability Development (CDD) organized the

discussion meeting at the Upazila Parishad

conference room on Monday.

Islampur Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM

Mazharul Islam presided over the meeting and

Upazila Parishad Vice Chairman Abdul Khaleq

BSC was present. The keynote address was

delivered by Rashidul Azam Russell, Safety

Project, Disability Inclusion Trainer Tarzina

as the farmers have started harvesting it

from their respective lands with much

enthusiasm.

The farmers of the district are selling

high yielding groundnut at Taka 2,000

to Taka 2,400 per mound in the local

markets.

Sukumar Roy, a farmer of

Sabouspara village under Debiganj

upazila, said: "I've cultivated groundnut

on two bighas of land last year at a cost

of Taka 7,000 and I've earned Taka

26,000 by selling those in the local

GD-995/21 (12x4)

Khatun, Jamalpur District Coordinator,

Samata Project, World Vision Bangladesh

Jobayer Hossain, Islampur Project Officer of

Samata Project, World Vision Bangladesh was

present on the occasion.

The open discussion meeting was attended

by DIF Ariful Islam Arif, chairmen of various

unions of the upazila, UP secretary, upazila

public health engineer and the people with

disabled.

During the discussion, the importance of

integrated initiatives for construction of safe

water hand washing places and toilets in public

places in the upazilas and unions and

opportunities and facilities for the disabled

were discussed in detail.

Groundnut cultivation gaining

popularity in Panchagarh

market. But, this year I'm expecting to

earn more than Taka 50,000 from the

groundnut produce as I cultivated

groundnut on four bighas of land."

Another farmer Sunil Kumar of the

village said, "I have been getting good

profit through cultivating groundnuts

on a commercial basis for three years."

Deputy Director of the DAE Md,

Mizanur Rahman told BSS that the

farmers of the district are showing great

interest to cultivate groundnut hoping

for more profits.

Gunmen kill 10

mine-clearing

workers in

Afghanistan

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan :

Masked gunmen killed 10

people working for the

HALO Trust mine-clearing

organisation in northern

Afghanistan, the interior

ministry said Wednesday,

blaming the Taliban for the

latest attack to rock the

violence-wracked country.

The raid happened on

Tuesday evening as dozens

of deminers were relaxing in

the HALO compound in

Baghlan province, around

260 kilometres (160 miles)

north of the capital, after a

day spent looking for

ordnance in nearby fields.

Baghlan has seen fierce

fighting in recent months,

with near-daily battles

between the Taliban and

government forces in several

districts.

"The Taliban entered a

compound of a mineclearing

agency… and

started shooting everyone,"

interior ministry spokesman

Tareq Arian told reporters.

Baghlan province

governor's spokesman

Jawed Basharat said the

attackers were masked.

The UK-based HALO

Trust told AFP "an unknown

armed group" killed 10 staff

and wounded 16 others.

Thursday, Dhaka, June 10, 2021, Jaistha 27, 1428 BS, Shawal 28, 1442 Hijri

Water-logging has become the common view of the capital city.

Photo : Star Mail

It's high time Bangladesh and China sign

FTA with investment deal : Speakers

DHAKA : Bangladesh and China should

soon sign a comprehensive bilateral Free

Trade Agreement (FTA) to boost especially

Dhaka's exports to hugely potential

Chinese market, speakers at a discussion

said on Wednesday.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi who

attended the virtual discussion as the chief

guest said though there has been some

progress towards signing an FTA with

China, more efforts are needed to conclude

the negotiation and materialize the

the FTA.

"I believe this will help Bangladesh to

face the LDC graduation challenges," he

said. Speaking as special guest Chinese

Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jimingsaid

it is high time to really consider an FTA

combined with an Investment deal

between Bangladesh and China.

He pointed out that there is a huge

potential for Bangladesh to boost its

exports to China. The discussion titled

"Bangladesh-China Economic and Trade

Relations in the aftermath of the COVID-

19 Global Pandemic" was organized jointly

by Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF)

and Bangladesh China Chamber of

Commerce and Industry (BCCCI).

Executive Chairman of Bangladesh

Investment Development Authority

(BIDA) Md. Sirazul Islam and Bangladesh

Ambassador to China, Mahbub Uz Zaman

also joined it as the special guests.

Eminent Trade Economist Dr.

Mohammad Abdur Razzaque presented

the keynote paper. The bilateral trade

between the two countries heavily favours

China. Out of around $12.09 billion bilateral

trade in FY20, Bangladesh's export to

China only accounted for $0.60 billion

while imports from China totalled a mammoth

$11.49 billion.

Minister Tipu said as part of its unilateral

market access schemes for LDCs, China

has allowed duty-free access to

Bangladesh for 97 per cent of its tariff lines

which became effective from July 1, 2020.

Under this initiative, 8,256 Bangladeshi

products enjoy zero tariff facility for

exports in this market. "I strongly believe

that by fully utilizing this DFQF facility, the

trade imbalance can be reduced in a

greater extent." The commerce minister

said Bangladesh gives utmost priority to

its relations with neighbouring and

regional friendly countries like China

while the relationship between the two

G7 must ensure vaccine access in

developing countries: UN experts

DHAKA : The UN human rights experts

Wednesday called on leaders of the

world's largest economies to make sure

people in the developing countries get

equal access to Covid-19 vaccines and not

to allow the profit motive to undermine

global health and equity, reports UNB.

"Everyone has a right to have access to a

vaccine for Covid-19 that is safe, effective,

timely and based on the application of the

best scientific development," they said

ahead of the G7 Summit of leaders - set to

be held in the UK during June 11-13.

The UN experts including Olivier

De Schutter, special rapporteur on

extreme poverty and human rights,

Tlaleng Mofokeng, special rapporteur

on the right of everyone to the enjoyment

of the highest attainable standard

of physical and mental health;

Dante Pesce, chair of theWorking

Group on Business and Human

Rights, Surya Deva, vice-chair; Saad

Alfarargi, special rapporteur on the

right to development, made the call in

a joint statement issued from Geneva.

"Now is the time for international

solidarity and cooperation to provide

effective assistance to all governments

in their vaccination efforts and to save

lives. It is not the time for protracted

negotiations or for lobbying to erect

barriers to protect corporate profits,"

they said.

The experts stressed that the extraordinarily

speedy production of safe and

effective vaccines against Covid-19 has

not been followed by swift action to

ensure equity of access across all countries

and regions. "Billions of people in

the Global South are being left behind.

They see vaccines as a mirage or a privilege

for the developed world," they continued.

"This situation will unnecessarily prolong

the crisis, drastically increase the

death toll and deepen economic distress,

possibly sowing the seeds of social unrest."

The G7 leaders must make it their top

priority to protect the rights to life and

health of people in the most socially and

economically precarious situations at a

time when millions face poverty and

hunger, said the experts.

"It is shocking that, according to the

World Health Organization (WHO)

reports, less than 1% of all vaccines

administered so far have gone to lowincome

countries," they said.

The UN experts stressed the importance

of ensuring that intellectual property

rights do not become a barrier to low-cost

production and expanded supply.

Also, they urged pharmaceutical companies

to join the WHO's Covid-19

Technology Access Pool for sharing

know-how, data, and to facilitate technology

transfer.

They recalled that while the World

Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement

on Trade-Related Aspects of

Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)

provides for certain flexibilities -

including for the possibility of compulsory

licensing in cases of national

emergency - these remain insufficient

to respond to the current pandemic.

"Maximising production of safe vaccines

must take precedence over profiting

from a global pandemic," they said.

"States must ensure that legal protection

for intellectual property and

patents does not undermine the right

of everyone to get access to a safe, timely

and effective vaccine."

countries has developed robust based on

mutual trust and interests.

Ambassador Li said both the entrepreneurs

and businesses of China and

Bangladesh suffered from the pandemic

as the bilateral trade witnessed a fall of

13.6 per cent in 2020 from the last year.

He, however, termed attainment of

Bangladesh's 6.1 per cent GDP growth in

the outgoing fiscal year as "very encouraging".

The Chinese Ambassador said although

there is a huge trade imbalance, but there

would be more exports from Bangladesh

to China in the coming days.

Li said he was fully confident that under

the Chinese Belt and Road initiative, there

would be more areas of cooperation in different

fields like in 5G communication,

high-speed railway as well as the G to G

and PPP initiatives would get momentum

in the post pandemic era.

BIDA Executive Chairman Md Sirazul

Islam said that the Authority would facilitate

and expedite investment from

Chinese investors. "We want to see more

FDI from China. BIDA is always ready to

support Investment promotion and in policy

advocacy".

PM to inaugurate 50

model mosques today

SAVAR : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

will inaugurate 50 model mosques

across the country on the occasion of

'Mujib Year' on Thursday.

These are part of a project which

would ultimately set up 560mosques all

over Bangladesh in the coming days.

This was stated at a press briefing of

the Ministry of Religious Affairs at the

Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the

capital. Md Faridul Haque Khan, state

minister for religious affairs was present

at the briefing.

Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate

the mosques at 10:30am through

videoconferencing from her official residence,

according to the briefing.

Besides, 100 suchmodel mosques will

be inaugurated by the end of this year.

The prime minister promised in her

party's election manifesto in 2010 to

build one model mosque and one

Islamic cultural center in each district

and Upazila for developing Islamic values

and Islamic culture.

Fishing ship capsizes

in Karnafuli River

CHATTOGRAM : A fishing ship named

'FB Crystal-6' sank in Karnafuli Riverin

Shikalbaha Shah Amanat Bridge area

early Wednesday.

However, all the sailors on board have

been rescued.

Coast Guard East Zone Staff Officer

(Operations) Lieutenant Commander

Habibur Rahman said the ship was

anchored in the Shah Amanat Bridge

area. But, water started pouring into

the ship while it was being repaired

around 4 am.

Finance Minister

dismisses the claim

of 2.5 crore new poor

DHAKA : Finance Minister AHM

Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday discounted

a claim that the coronavirus

pandemic has made up to2.5 crore new

poor in the country, reports UNB.

"I don't believe that 2-2.5 crore people

are now below the poverty line. I need to

know from where some research organizations

have collected the figure", he

told a reporter after attending a meeting

of the Cabinet Committee on Public

Purchase.

He said the government has its own

research bodies and they are now

working on it. "I will look into it when

the government bodies complete their

findings".

He said no figure will be acceptable

before the government's own research

bodies' present their findings.

Defending the proposed national

budget for fiscal 2021-22, the finance

minister said his budget has no weak

points. Trashing the comments of some

economists that the budget has failed to

address the problems of corona-affected

low income groups, he said everything

in the budget is strong.

"You will see the results of the budget

that it would serve the interest of poor people

when implementation starts", he said.

He said he has followed the Prime

Minister's instruction to bring the poor

people within the mainstream of the

economy.

Govt digitizes National

Archives to build

knowledge-based

society: Khalid

DHAKA : With the aim of building a

knowledge-based society in the country,

the government is finalizing the

National Archives Digitization project.

"There is no alternative to the

National Archives, which provides

knowledge-based services to people,"

State Minister for Culture Affairs KM

Khalid said yesterday as the chief guest

at a webinar. Department of Archives

and Libraries organized webinar titled

"Empowering Archives" on the occasion

of International Archives Week 2021.

Realising the importance of preserving

the permanent records and archives

of the government including valuable

documents of the great Liberation War,

the National Archives and Library

Department started its journey in 1972

under the direction of Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman, Khalid said.

He said that the National Archives

and the National Library will soon be

transformed into Digital Archives and

Digital Libraries as per the directions of

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"To this end, the project documents for

the digitization of the National Archives

are being finalized," the state minister

added. He said the third phase work for

infrastructural development of the

National Archives will be started soon.

Earlier, on June 6, the Bangladesh

National Archive Bill, 2021 was placed

in parliament, keeping provisions that

no record can be destroyed, and every

record has to be archived.

Big-B Initiative to bring

more investment to

Bangladesh: Shahriar

DHAKA : State Minister for Foreign

Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has saidthe

Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt

(Big-B) Initiative of Japan will accelerate

cooperation for development of quality

infrastructure and create more investment

opportunities in Bangladesh.

These, he said, will also strengthen

regional connectivity.

Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki met

thestateminister on Tuesday and comprehensively

discussed the bilateral relations

and issues of common interests.

They also reviewed the progress of

the Japan-funded major development

projects.

Recognising Bangladesh's leadership

role in the climate change discourse, the

Ambassadorsaidthe Japanese investorsare

willing to investin clean energy.

Bangladesh and Japan agreed to work

together to tackle the challenges of the

Covid-19pandemic. Both sides recalled

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's groundbreaking

visit to Japan in 1973 which

laid the rock-solid foundation of the

bilateral relations.

Thestateminister conveyed his deep

appreciation for Prime Minister

Yoshihide Suga's participation at the

event celebrating Bangabandhu's birth

centenary and theGoldenJubilee of the

Independence of Bangladesh. The two

Pragmatic talks underway

over vaccine procurement,

coproduction: Ambassador Li

DHAKA : Chinese Ambassador to

Bangladesh Li Jiming on Wednesday

said a "very pragmatic" discussion is

underway on procurement of COVID-

19 vaccine doses from China to meet

Bangladesh's needs, reports UNB.

He also said there is very "encouraging

progress" between the two countries

over coproduction of vaccines.

The Ambassador was addressing a

virtual discussion on "Bangladesh-

China Economic and Trade Relations in

the aftermath of the COVID-19 Global

Pandemic" jointly organized by

Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) and

Bangladesh China Chamber of

Commerce and Industry (BCCCI).

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi

spoke at the event as the chief guest.

Executive Chairman of Bangladesh

Investment Development Authority

(BIDA) Md. Sirazul Islam, Bangladesh

Ambassador to China Mahbub Uz

Zaman, Senior Vice President, BCCCI

Brig. Gen. Shah Md. Sultan Uddin Iqbal,

Joint Secretary General BCCCI Al

Mamun Mridha and ERF President

Sharmeen Rinvi and other leaders of

FBCCI also spoke. Eminent Trade

Economist Dr. Mohammad Abdur

sides agreed to commemorate the 50th

anniversary of establishment of diplomatic

relations in 2022 in a befitting

manner,including through exchange of

high-levelvisits.

State Minister Shahriar Alam stated

thattheCovid-19 pandemic posed an

unprecedented challenging time for all

and thanked thegovernment of Japan

for the Covid-related assistance.

He briefed the Japanese envoy on the

initiatives taken by thegovernment to

combat the pandemic and sought support

from Japan to continue its fight

againstthe virus.

Japanese Ambassador highly appreciated

the socio-economic progress of

Bangladesh, even during the pandemic,

under the leadership of Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina and assured of continued

support to Bangladesh to deal

withtheCovidsituation.

Alam underscored that if 1.1 million

Rohingyas were denied the opportunity

to return to their ancestral homes in the

Rakhaine state of Myanmarandit could

have ramifications for regional and

international security and stability.

He also urged Japan to use her influence

to persuade Myanmar and the

international community to create a

conducive environment within

Myanmar for safe and dignified return

of the Rohingyas.

Razzaque presented the keynote paper

at the event moderated by ERF General

Secretary SM Rashidul Islam.

Ambassador Li said China will never

forget Bangladesh's solidarity with

China by supplying badly needed medical

supplies which was followed by support

to Bangladesh as part of friendship

between the two countries.

He said China will deliver second consignment

of vaccine doses for Bangladesh

as a gift of the Chinese government within

next few days. "I hope the process will be

completed by June 13."

Just nine days after the arrival of the

first batch of 500,000 doses of gift vaccine

in Bangladesh on May 12, China

announced the provision of the second

batch of gift vaccine doses to

Bangladesh.

China says it fully reflects that China

attaches great importance to the friendly

relations between the two countries.

On May 27, Cabinet Committee on

Public Purchase approved a proposal for

buying 1.5 crore doses of Sinopharm's

Covid-19 vaccine.

Bangladesh is expecting to get 50 lakh

doses of vaccine from China in June,

July and August.

There is dirt in the hand washing basin. Hand washing equipment is not kept in the

basins. Nobody uses it. Hand-washing basins in various parts of the capital to prevent

coronary infections are now neglected. The photo was taken from the Dhaka Judge's

Court premises on Wednesday.

Photo : Star Mail

10-06-2021

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