e_Paper, Monday, August 7, 2017

News
9
MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2017
DT
Joining Arab states, Israel
plans to ban al-Jazeera
• Tribune Desk
WORLD
Israel said Sunday it plans to ban
Qatar’s flagship al-Jazeera news
network from operating in the
country over allegations it incites
violence, joining Arab nations that
have shut down the broadcaster
amid a separate political dispute,
reports the Associated Press.
Communications Minister Ayoob
Kara said he plans to revoke
the press credentials of al-Jazeera
journalists, effectively preventing
them from working in Israel.
Kara said he has asked cable and
satellite networks to block al-Jazeera
transmissions and is seeking
legislation to ban them altogether.
The minister, a member of
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
Likud Party, gave no timetable
for such measures.
Doha-based al-Jazeera did not
immediately respond to a request
for comment. Its Arab and English
channels reported the news.
Walid al-Omari, the broadcaster’s
bureau chief in Jerusalem, said
on air that his office has not been
informed by Israeli officials of any
possible measures the government
might take.
Communications
Minister Ayoob
Kara said he plans
to revoke the press
credentials of al-
Jazeera journalists
Al-Jazeera, a pan-Arab satellite network
funded by the Qatari government,
already has been targeted by
Arab nations now isolating Qatar
as part of a months-long political
dispute over Doha’s politics and alleged
support for extremists.
Jordan and Saudi Arabia have
recently closed al-Jazeera’s local
offices, while the channel and its
affiliate sites have been blocked in
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,
Egypt and Bahrain.
“Lately, almost all countries in
our region determined that al-Jazeera
supports terrorism, supports
religious radicalisation,” Kara said.
“And when we see that all these
countries have determined as fact
that al-Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic
State, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,
and we are the only one who have
not determined that then something
delusional is happening here.”
American viewers became familiar
with al-Jazeera after the attacks
of September 11, 2001, when
its golden-hued Arabic logo became
synonymous with video messages
by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin
Laden. That sparked frequent complaints
by then-President George
W Bush’s administration. The station
defended its policy, saying the
messages were newsworthy.
Al-Jazeera was the first Arab satellite
news channel to offer a range
of views outside of heavily censored
state media across the region
and extensively covered the 2011
Arab Spring. It also was the first
Arab-owned news outlet to host
Israeli officials and commentators,
which some analysts note coincided
with Qatar’s ties with Israel at
the time. •
Muktamoni in her hospital bed at DMCH
Muktamoni out of danger
• Tribune Desk
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Muktamoni is now out of danger
after her surgery, said Dr Samanta
Lal Sen, coordinator at the National
Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery
of Dhaka Medical College Hospital
(DMCH).
“Her wounds have been dressed
today. She is speaking normally. In
regard to her surgery, there is nothing
to be concerned about,” the
doctor said on Saturday.
Muktamoni is an 11-year-old girl
who has been suffering from a mysterious
disease that resulted in a
malignant growth on her right arm.
MEHEDI HASAN
A team of specialist doctors of
the DMCH burn and plastic surgery
institute and the anaesthesia department
conducted her operation on
Saturday.
Muktamoni’s father Md Ibrahim
said the doctors were taking
good care of his daughter. He asked
everyone to pray for her.
Last month, DMCH doctors identified
the mysterious illness afflicting
Muktamoni as lymphatic malformation.
The affliction has resulted in a
malignant growth on Muktamoni’s
right arm, rendering her bedridden
for the last two years. •
This article was first published on
banglatribune.com
Drilling starts at
Shahbajpur
East-1 well
• Tribune Desk
ENERGY
Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration
and Production Company
Ltd (Bapex), Bangladesh Gas
Fields Company Ltd (BGFCL)
and Sylhet Gas Field Ltd (SGFL)
have inked an agreement with
Russian energy giant Gazprom
for drilling 10 wells.
Of the wells, the Bapex, a
Petrobangla subsidiary, owns
four wells (Shahbazpur-3 and
4, Semutang-6 and Begumganj-3),
says a press release. .
Srikail 4 well was drilled by
Gazporm, which has already
completed 15 wells, among
them Bapex has 5 wells and
the other two companies have
10 wells.
The Bapex has planned to
dril 108 wells (53 exploration
wells, 35 development wells
and 20 work-over wells) to
provide 1000 million cubic
feet of gas to the national grid
by 2021 for the implimentation
of short, medium and longterm
gas production plans.
In order to implement Vision
2021, the prime minister
gave an approval on 10 special
initiative projects taken up by
Bapex on 12-05-2016 under the
“ Increasing supply of electricity
and fuel (Special provisions)
Act, 2010”.
Among the 10 projects, the
plan for drilling 23 exploration
wells, 2 development wells and
3 work over wells under the
Rupkolpo-1 to Rupkolpo-7 within
the tenure of the government.
In this regard, Bapex has recruited
three group of contractors
on the turn-key basis for
drilling 13 exploration wells.
Two exploration wells
(Shahbazpur East-1 and Bhola
North-1) and two work-over
wells have been planned to be
drilled under the Rupkolpo 4
drilling project.
On May 5, 2016, the premier
had approved the drilling of
the two wells.
In the context, Bapex’s Addendum-
6 has been signed
with Gazporm, with a contract
value of $ 33.2 million. Under
the agreement, the drilling of
Shahbajpur East-1 well was inaugurated
yesterday. •