21-11-2021
SundayDhAkA: November 21, 2021; Agrahyan 6, 1428 BS; Rabius-Sani 15,1443 hijriwww.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.netRegd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 200; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00internationalFacing surge, Austriawill mandate COVID-19shots, lock down>Page 7SPortSCeltics down Lakers tospoil James's return,Warriors beat Pistons>Page 9art & culturePori, Roshan starrer'Mukhosh' to hittheatres on Jan 21>Page 10Agriculture credit gains pace onback of BB policy changesDHAKA : The scheduled banks have disbursedTk 7905 crore as agriculture andrural credit in July-October period of thecurrent fiscal (2021-22), almost 28 percentof the target for the 12 months.It shows that agriculture and ruralcredit disbursement got pace afterBangladesh Bank (BB) simplifying thecredit disbursement policy, said MdSerajul Islam, spokesperson and executivedirector of BB.The central bank's enhanced supervisionin field level after falling Covid-19infection rate in the country also helpedto bring about the positive result, he said.Compared to the same period of theprevious financial year, the loan disbursementhas increased by 19.23 percentor Tk. 1,275 crore.Banks disbursed Tk 6629 crore in theFY 2020-21's corresponding period, thatwas 25.22 percent of the fiscal agricultureand rural credit disbursement target. Thecentral bank set the target of Tk 26292crore disbursement in the agriculturesector. Bangladesh Bank (BB) set a targetfor banks of Tk 28391 crore agricultureZero death fromCovid brings relieffor BangladeshDHAKA : Confronting a tumultuoustime since reporting its first death fromCoronavirus on March 8, 2020 followedby the wrath unleashed by delta variantin 2021, Bangladesh finally reported zerodeath from the deadly virus in 24 hourstill Saturday morning, reports UNB.The country, however, logged 178 moreinfections during the 24-hour period.Bangladesh recorded its first Covid caseson March 8 and the first death on March 18of the last year. The daily case positivity ratehas declined to 1.18 per cent yesterday fromFriday's 1.4o per cent, said the DirectorateGeneral of Health Services (DGHS). Withthe fresh numbers, the total fatalities roseto 27,946 while the caseload mounted to1,573,889.However, the mortality rate remainedstatic at 1.78 per cent. The fresh cases weredetected after testing 15,107 samples, theDGHS added. Besides, the recovery rateremained the same as 97.72 per cent withthe recovery of 190 more patients during the24-hour period. On January 12 2020, theWorld Health Organization (WHO) confirmedthat a novel coronavirus was the causeof a respiratory illness in a cluster of people inWuhan City of Hubei Province in China.On December 31, 2019, China reportedto the WHO some cases of pneumonia withunknown causes. Bangladesh was hit bythe Covid-19 pandemic along with manyother countries across the globe on March8 last year when Institute of Epidemiology,Disease Control and Research (IEDCR)reported the first three cases.Zohr04:58 AM11:50 PM03:36 PM05:16 PM06:35 PM6:17 5:12and rural credit disbursement target forthe fiscal year 2021-22.The agriculture and rural credit disbursementincreased in October. Banksdisbursed Tk 2695 crore in this monthwhich is the highest ever in a singlemonth. In the previous month inSeptember Tk 2536 crore was disbursedin this sector.This led to a positive change in the disbursementfigure of credit to the agriculturalsector as a whole, following simplificationof the credit policy in August thisyear, economists said.In August, banks disbursed Tk1,732crore as agriculture loan, and Tk 942crore in the previous month in July, thefirst month of the fiscal.Meanwhile, despite the increase ofloan disbursement, the recovery of agriculturaland rural credit has decreased infour months.During this period, Tk 7, 597 crore hasbeen collected. In July-October of the lastfinancial year, the agricultural loanrecovery was Tk 8,457 crore. The loanrecovery decreased due to the adverseDHAKA : Law Minister Anisul Huq onSaturday said BNP can bring physiciansfrom abroad for Khaleda Zia's treatmentif they want and there will be no obstructionfrom the government side."But BNP should keep in mind that thegovernment won't do anything goingbeyond the law as Khaleda has been convictedby a Bangladesh court," he insisted.The minister said this joining virtually anextended meeting of Awami league held atAkhaura municipality auditorium over theupcoming Union Parishad elections.Anisul Huq said Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina out of humanity has doneas much as she could do for the BNPchairperson to facilitate a convict followingthe law.Khaleda, a 76-year-old formerprime minister, was readmitted toEvercare Hospital on 13 November,six days after she had returned homefrom the hospital.The BNP chief's physicians said shehas been suffering from rheumatoidarthritis, diabetes, ophthalmological anddental complications.They also said she is now sufferingfrom critical cardiac, kidney problemswhile her blood sugar is out of controlimpact of Covid-19 pandemic on theeconomy, the sector's insiders said.In August the BB issued a circularfocusing disbursing of farm loan throughTk10 farmer account within 10 workingdays after the loan application of a farmerwas filed at the respective bank.Besides, the bank has to send anacknowledgement letter for each loanapplicant. If the loan application wouldnot be considered or delayed, the validreasons have to be described in the filenote and all these documents have to bepreserved for inspection of BangladeshBank officials.Banks can provide farm loans up toTk2.5 lakh without CIB (CreditInformation Bureau) report, that isrequired for other loan disbursement.The BB increased supervision andmonitoring of contract farming so thatthe farmers get fair price of crops.Besides, special attention has beengiven to promoting agro-based entrepreneurship,along with enforced loan disbursementfor purchase of modern agriculturemachinery.BNP can bring foreignphysicians for KhaledaZia:Law Ministerand hemoglobin level in her blood hasdropped.On behalf of the family, Khaleda'syounger brother, Shamim Iskander, submittedan application to the HomeMinistry on 11 November urging the governmentto allow her to go abroad forbetter treatment.BNP observed a seven-hour masshunger strike programme in the capitalon Saturday demanding that its 'criticallyill' chairperson Khaleda Zia be allowed togo abroad for advanced treatment.As part of a countrywide programme,hundreds of leaders and activists of theparty and its associate bodies began thehunger strike in front of their Nayapaltancentral office at 9am.Party Secretary General Mirza FakhrulIslam Alamgir on Friday said "KhaledaZia is fighting a battle between life anddeath. She's the most beloved leader ofthe people of Bangladesh. It's inhumanethat she won't be given a scope to receivetreatment abroad."Meanwhile, at a discussion programmeon Friday, Fakhrul accused thegovernment of plotting to end the life ofKhaleda Zia by not allowing her toreceive advanced treatment abroad.When you look at the sidewalks of the capital dhaka, you can see colorful winter clothes. and theseshops are crowded all the time with the urban lower-middle-class people. The picture is taken fromBaitul Mukarram Footpath Market on saturday.Photo : star Mail7.5 crore people tobe fully vaccinatedby Jan:HealthMinisterMANIKGANJ : Health Minister ZahidMaleque on Saturday said the governmentwill administer 6 crore more Covid-19 vaccine doses by January next acrossthe country, reports UNB."So far, 9 crore vaccine doses havebeen administered and the governmentaims to administer 6 crore more doses byJanuary next," he said.With the administering of 6 crore morevaccine doses, some 7.5 crore people ofthe country will fully be vaccinated,Zahid Maleque added.The minister said this at the inaugurationprogramme of Bangabandhu GoldCup Premier Division District FootballLeague at Shaheed Miraj Tapan Stadiumin Manikganj district town.The minister said: "The Covid-19 situationin Bangladesh is currently undercontrol as the number of daily deaths hascome down to a single digit."Zahid Maleque said, some 13 crorepeople in Bangladesh are eligible to getvaccinated and 1 crore of them are livingabroad.After vaccinating 7.5 crore people, hesaid, the remaining 3.5 crore will soon bebrought under the vaccination campaignin phases."Due to the vaccination programme,the wheel of the economy is moving andthe reopening of educational institutionshas been possible, while the sports sectorhas regained pace," the minister said.However, the minister warned that theCovid-19 virus is still there and urged allto follow the health guidelines strictly.students ofdifferentcolleges cometo the road onsaturday andvandalizedseveral busesat sciencelaboratory ofthe capital citydemandinghalf bus fare.Photo :star MailRevival of old naval route raiseshope in southern regionZihad Rana, BaRisal BuReauBangladesh Inland Water TransportCorporation (BIWTC) has decided toresume operations on the Barisal-Chattogram route after keepingit closedfor more than a decade. In preparation,a trial run will be held on November 25.On this day a ship will come fromChattogram to Barisal. Initiatives havebeen taken to launch the ship from thefirst week of December and if all goeswell, everything related to passengersand freight will be fixed.Officials of the Shipping Corporation(TC) said that the launch of the shipwould revolutionize the communicationbetween Barisal and the southern regionwith the port city of Chattogram. It cantake a maximum of 12 hours by ship toreach Barisal from Chattogram.The general public as well as tradersare happy with the news of this initiativeto re-launch the ship on this route.Everyone thinks that if the service islaunched, the misery of going fromBarisal to Chattogram will be lessened.BIWTC Director (Commerce)Ashiquzzaman said, "Initially, we havetaken initiative to operate ships onBarisal-Chattogram route 4 days aweek.The two scheduled ships have theBritish Council's 'uK 1971People's Solidarity with BD'sLiberation' exhibition beginsDHAKA : In commemoration of theBritish Council's 70th anniversary inDhaka, the organization has launched aseries of creative collaborations, includinga special photography exhibition titled 'UK1971: People's Solidarity with Bangladesh'sLiberation.'State Minister of Cultural Affairs KMKhaled inaugurated the exhibition onSaturday at the Liberation War Museum,Agargaon in the capital while BritishCouncil's global Chairman Stevie SpringCBE joined the event as special guest,reports UNB.The members of the Board of Trusteesof the Liberation War Museum includingSara Zaker and Dr Sarwar Ali, and seniorofficials of the British council were alsopresent at the event.The exhibition consists of collectionsfrom Archive London 1971 and LiberationWar Museum, showcasing 40 rare photographs,highlighting the public movementin the UK, in support of the LiberationWar of Bangladesh.capacity to run at a speed of 12 knots onthis route."As such, it will not take more than 12hours to go from Chattogram to Barisal.You can leave Chattogram at 7 am andreach Barisal by 6 pm. The trial run willbe on this route on November 25. If allgoes well, passenger and freight transportwill start from next month after fixingthe fare.According to sources, the ship will stopat Hatia-Sandwip-Noakhali and Bhola'sIlisha on its way from Chattogram toBarisal. In addition to the third and secondclass, each ship has 750 seats with 25 cabins.Rustum Ali of TC, who has experiencein operating ships on this route, saidthat the ship will leave Barisal, crossIlisha of Bhola, leave Monpura on theleft and Mirzakalu of Borhanuddin onthe right. Then the whole sea routebefore entering the Karnafuli river inChattogram."When I sailed before, I used to see thatmany people used to go from Barisal toChattogram by ship just to enjoy the journeyby sea. At that time, of course, it took20-21 hours to travel from Barisal toChattogram. Now if you go in 12 hours, theinterest of the passengers will definitelyincrease."From Nottingham to Birmingham toLondon, this archival collection documentsBengali diaspora communities asthey raised their voices in solidarity for aliberated Bangladesh in 1971.In his speech, KM Khalid said, "TheLiberation War of Bangladesh instigated amassive uproar in the international community,especially Bangladeshi diasporain the UK. I am pleased that the BritishCouncil, the Liberation War Museum andArchive London 1971 have taken the initiativeto document the support and cooperationthat was extended to us by the UKduring 1971, which is continued till date.""Currently, the UK holds the secondlargest Bangladeshi DiasporaCommunity, forming one of the UK'slargest groups of people of overseasdescent and also one of the youngest andfastest growing communities. During our1971 Liberation War, the UK governmentand the people of the UK wholeheartedlysupported us, for which we are thankful,"Khalid said at the event.
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Sunday
DhAkA: November 21, 2021; Agrahyan 6, 1428 BS; Rabius-Sani 15,1443 hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 200; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
international
Facing surge, Austria
will mandate COVID-19
shots, lock down
>Page 7
SPortS
Celtics down Lakers to
spoil James's return,
Warriors beat Pistons
>Page 9
art & culture
Pori, Roshan starrer
'Mukhosh' to hit
theatres on Jan 21
>Page 10
Agriculture credit gains pace on
back of BB policy changes
DHAKA : The scheduled banks have disbursed
Tk 7905 crore as agriculture and
rural credit in July-October period of the
current fiscal (2021-22), almost 28 percent
of the target for the 12 months.
It shows that agriculture and rural
credit disbursement got pace after
Bangladesh Bank (BB) simplifying the
credit disbursement policy, said Md
Serajul Islam, spokesperson and executive
director of BB.
The central bank's enhanced supervision
in field level after falling Covid-19
infection rate in the country also helped
to bring about the positive result, he said.
Compared to the same period of the
previous financial year, the loan disbursement
has increased by 19.23 percent
or Tk. 1,275 crore.
Banks disbursed Tk 6629 crore in the
FY 2020-21's corresponding period, that
was 25.22 percent of the fiscal agriculture
and rural credit disbursement target. The
central bank set the target of Tk 26292
crore disbursement in the agriculture
sector. Bangladesh Bank (BB) set a target
for banks of Tk 28391 crore agriculture
Zero death from
Covid brings relief
for Bangladesh
DHAKA : Confronting a tumultuous
time since reporting its first death from
Coronavirus on March 8, 2020 followed
by the wrath unleashed by delta variant
in 2021, Bangladesh finally reported zero
death from the deadly virus in 24 hours
till Saturday morning, reports UNB.
The country, however, logged 178 more
infections during the 24-hour period.
Bangladesh recorded its first Covid cases
on March 8 and the first death on March 18
of the last year. The daily case positivity rate
has declined to 1.18 per cent yesterday from
Friday's 1.4o per cent, said the Directorate
General of Health Services (DGHS). With
the fresh numbers, the total fatalities rose
to 27,946 while the caseload mounted to
1,573,889.
However, the mortality rate remained
static at 1.78 per cent. The fresh cases were
detected after testing 15,107 samples, the
DGHS added. Besides, the recovery rate
remained the same as 97.72 per cent with
the recovery of 190 more patients during the
24-hour period. On January 12 2020, the
World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed
that a novel coronavirus was the cause
of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in
Wuhan City of Hubei Province in China.
On December 31, 2019, China reported
to the WHO some cases of pneumonia with
unknown causes. Bangladesh was hit by
the Covid-19 pandemic along with many
other countries across the globe on March
8 last year when Institute of Epidemiology,
Disease Control and Research (IEDCR)
reported the first three cases.
Zohr
04:58 AM
11:50 PM
03:36 PM
05:16 PM
06:35 PM
6:17 5:12
and rural credit disbursement target for
the fiscal year 2021-22.
The agriculture and rural credit disbursement
increased in October. Banks
disbursed Tk 2695 crore in this month
which is the highest ever in a single
month. In the previous month in
September Tk 2536 crore was disbursed
in this sector.
This led to a positive change in the disbursement
figure of credit to the agricultural
sector as a whole, following simplification
of the credit policy in August this
year, economists said.
In August, banks disbursed Tk1,732
crore as agriculture loan, and Tk 942
crore in the previous month in July, the
first month of the fiscal.
Meanwhile, despite the increase of
loan disbursement, the recovery of agricultural
and rural credit has decreased in
four months.
During this period, Tk 7, 597 crore has
been collected. In July-October of the last
financial year, the agricultural loan
recovery was Tk 8,457 crore. The loan
recovery decreased due to the adverse
DHAKA : Law Minister Anisul Huq on
Saturday said BNP can bring physicians
from abroad for Khaleda Zia's treatment
if they want and there will be no obstruction
from the government side.
"But BNP should keep in mind that the
government won't do anything going
beyond the law as Khaleda has been convicted
by a Bangladesh court," he insisted.
The minister said this joining virtually an
extended meeting of Awami league held at
Akhaura municipality auditorium over the
upcoming Union Parishad elections.
Anisul Huq said Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina out of humanity has done
as much as she could do for the BNP
chairperson to facilitate a convict following
the law.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former
prime minister, was readmitted to
Evercare Hospital on 13 November,
six days after she had returned home
from the hospital.
The BNP chief's physicians said she
has been suffering from rheumatoid
arthritis, diabetes, ophthalmological and
dental complications.
They also said she is now suffering
from critical cardiac, kidney problems
while her blood sugar is out of control
impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the
economy, the sector's insiders said.
In August the BB issued a circular
focusing disbursing of farm loan through
Tk10 farmer account within 10 working
days after the loan application of a farmer
was filed at the respective bank.
Besides, the bank has to send an
acknowledgement letter for each loan
applicant. If the loan application would
not be considered or delayed, the valid
reasons have to be described in the file
note and all these documents have to be
preserved for inspection of Bangladesh
Bank officials.
Banks can provide farm loans up to
Tk2.5 lakh without CIB (Credit
Information Bureau) report, that is
required for other loan disbursement.
The BB increased supervision and
monitoring of contract farming so that
the farmers get fair price of crops.
Besides, special attention has been
given to promoting agro-based entrepreneurship,
along with enforced loan disbursement
for purchase of modern agriculture
machinery.
BNP can bring foreign
physicians for Khaleda
Zia:Law Minister
and hemoglobin level in her blood has
dropped.
On behalf of the family, Khaleda's
younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted
an application to the Home
Ministry on 11 November urging the government
to allow her to go abroad for
better treatment.
BNP observed a seven-hour mass
hunger strike programme in the capital
on Saturday demanding that its 'critically
ill' chairperson Khaleda Zia be allowed to
go abroad for advanced treatment.
As part of a countrywide programme,
hundreds of leaders and activists of the
party and its associate bodies began the
hunger strike in front of their Nayapaltan
central office at 9am.
Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir on Friday said "Khaleda
Zia is fighting a battle between life and
death. She's the most beloved leader of
the people of Bangladesh. It's inhumane
that she won't be given a scope to receive
treatment abroad."
Meanwhile, at a discussion programme
on Friday, Fakhrul accused the
government of plotting to end the life of
Khaleda Zia by not allowing her to
receive advanced treatment abroad.
When you look at the sidewalks of the capital dhaka, you can see colorful winter clothes. and these
shops are crowded all the time with the urban lower-middle-class people. The picture is taken from
Baitul Mukarram Footpath Market on saturday.
Photo : star Mail
7.5 crore people to
be fully vaccinated
by Jan:Health
Minister
MANIKGANJ : Health Minister Zahid
Maleque on Saturday said the government
will administer 6 crore more Covid-
19 vaccine doses by January next across
the country, reports UNB.
"So far, 9 crore vaccine doses have
been administered and the government
aims to administer 6 crore more doses by
January next," he said.
With the administering of 6 crore more
vaccine doses, some 7.5 crore people of
the country will fully be vaccinated,
Zahid Maleque added.
The minister said this at the inauguration
programme of Bangabandhu Gold
Cup Premier Division District Football
League at Shaheed Miraj Tapan Stadium
in Manikganj district town.
The minister said: "The Covid-19 situation
in Bangladesh is currently under
control as the number of daily deaths has
come down to a single digit."
Zahid Maleque said, some 13 crore
people in Bangladesh are eligible to get
vaccinated and 1 crore of them are living
abroad.
After vaccinating 7.5 crore people, he
said, the remaining 3.5 crore will soon be
brought under the vaccination campaign
in phases.
"Due to the vaccination programme,
the wheel of the economy is moving and
the reopening of educational institutions
has been possible, while the sports sector
has regained pace," the minister said.
However, the minister warned that the
Covid-19 virus is still there and urged all
to follow the health guidelines strictly.
students of
different
colleges come
to the road on
saturday and
vandalized
several buses
at science
laboratory of
the capital city
demanding
half bus fare.
Photo :
star Mail
Revival of old naval route raises
hope in southern region
Zihad Rana, BaRisal BuReau
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport
Corporation (BIWTC) has decided to
resume operations on the Barisal-
Chattogram route after keepingit closed
for more than a decade. In preparation,
a trial run will be held on November 25.
On this day a ship will come from
Chattogram to Barisal. Initiatives have
been taken to launch the ship from the
first week of December and if all goes
well, everything related to passengers
and freight will be fixed.
Officials of the Shipping Corporation
(TC) said that the launch of the ship
would revolutionize the communication
between Barisal and the southern region
with the port city of Chattogram. It can
take a maximum of 12 hours by ship to
reach Barisal from Chattogram.
The general public as well as traders
are happy with the news of this initiative
to re-launch the ship on this route.
Everyone thinks that if the service is
launched, the misery of going from
Barisal to Chattogram will be lessened.
BIWTC Director (Commerce)
Ashiquzzaman said, "Initially, we have
taken initiative to operate ships on
Barisal-Chattogram route 4 days a
week.The two scheduled ships have the
British Council's 'uK 1971
People's Solidarity with BD's
Liberation' exhibition begins
DHAKA : In commemoration of the
British Council's 70th anniversary in
Dhaka, the organization has launched a
series of creative collaborations, including
a special photography exhibition titled 'UK
1971: People's Solidarity with Bangladesh's
Liberation.'
State Minister of Cultural Affairs KM
Khaled inaugurated the exhibition on
Saturday at the Liberation War Museum,
Agargaon in the capital while British
Council's global Chairman Stevie Spring
CBE joined the event as special guest,
reports UNB.
The members of the Board of Trustees
of the Liberation War Museum including
Sara Zaker and Dr Sarwar Ali, and senior
officials of the British council were also
present at the event.
The exhibition consists of collections
from Archive London 1971 and Liberation
War Museum, showcasing 40 rare photographs,
highlighting the public movement
in the UK, in support of the Liberation
War of Bangladesh.
capacity to run at a speed of 12 knots on
this route."
As such, it will not take more than 12
hours to go from Chattogram to Barisal.
You can leave Chattogram at 7 am and
reach Barisal by 6 pm. The trial run will
be on this route on November 25. If all
goes well, passenger and freight transport
will start from next month after fixing
the fare.
According to sources, the ship will stop
at Hatia-Sandwip-Noakhali and Bhola's
Ilisha on its way from Chattogram to
Barisal. In addition to the third and second
class, each ship has 750 seats with 25 cabins.
Rustum Ali of TC, who has experience
in operating ships on this route, said
that the ship will leave Barisal, cross
Ilisha of Bhola, leave Monpura on the
left and Mirzakalu of Borhanuddin on
the right. Then the whole sea route
before entering the Karnafuli river in
Chattogram.
"When I sailed before, I used to see that
many people used to go from Barisal to
Chattogram by ship just to enjoy the journey
by sea. At that time, of course, it took
20-21 hours to travel from Barisal to
Chattogram. Now if you go in 12 hours, the
interest of the passengers will definitely
increase."
From Nottingham to Birmingham to
London, this archival collection documents
Bengali diaspora communities as
they raised their voices in solidarity for a
liberated Bangladesh in 1971.
In his speech, KM Khalid said, "The
Liberation War of Bangladesh instigated a
massive uproar in the international community,
especially Bangladeshi diaspora
in the UK. I am pleased that the British
Council, the Liberation War Museum and
Archive London 1971 have taken the initiative
to document the support and cooperation
that was extended to us by the UK
during 1971, which is continued till date."
"Currently, the UK holds the second
largest Bangladeshi Diaspora
Community, forming one of the UK's
largest groups of people of overseas
descent and also one of the youngest and
fastest growing communities. During our
1971 Liberation War, the UK government
and the people of the UK wholeheartedly
supported us, for which we are thankful,"
Khalid said at the event.
SUnDAY, novEMBER 21, 2021
2
A MoU signed between Rangamati Science and Technology University and Jashore University of Science and Technology yesterday
to cooperate bilaterally.
Photo : Courtesy
Mobile wallets ensure smooth
disbursement of SSN allowance
DHAKA : Once it was very difficult for
Samena Begum, the 76-year-old
woman in Chauddagram upazila under
Comilla district, to withdraw her old
age allowance from the bank but
disbursement of the allowance through
mobile wallet has made the process
easier and comfortable for her.
Talking to BSS, Samena Begum said
that she can now cash out her
government allowance from a nearby
Union Digital Center (UDC) easily and
comfortably instead of going to the
bank.
"Earlier, I faced trouble for receiving
the allowance as I had to bring
someone else to accompany me to the
bank branch to withdraw the money,
but I can now easily cash out the
amount at a nearby MFS agent UDC,"
she said.
Kohinoor Begum, a middle-aged
widow of the same upazila, also said
earlier she had to go to the bank for
receiving the allowance money.
"But now there is no hurry as I can
easily cash out the amount at a nearby
MFS agent UDC," she added.
The government has disbursed
around Taka 5,885 crore under the
social safety net (SSN) programmes
like old-age allowance, widow
allowance, allowances for the people
with special needs or allowances for the
underprivileged, and allowances for the
students with special needs through
mobile financial services (MFS)
operators and agent banking in the
2020-21 fiscal year.
The disbursement of various social
safety net allowances through MFS has
ensured optimum transparency in the
overall disbursement process alongside
reducing hassles of the beneficiaries,
said stakeholders and beneficiaries.
The government has allocated
around Taka 1,07,614 crore in the social
security sector, which is 17.83 percent
of total budget and 3.11 percent of the
gross domestic product (GDP) in the
2021-22 fiscal.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa
Kamal while placing the budget for
2021-22 fiscal said Social Safety Nets
(SSNs) have emerged as an essential
component in the fight against poverty,
and the government has been working
diligently to adopt and implement bold,
strong, people-centric and inclusive
policies in poverty reduction.
He said the government has planned
to cut the poverty rate to 12.3 percent
and the extreme poverty rate to 4.5
percent by 2023-2024.
The minister said Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman cherished a dream to build a
prosperous and strong Bangladesh
with a human face, set an example of
establishing a welfare state, by
improving the living standards of the
country's poor, hapless, destitute and
backward people.
During the brief period of his
government, the Father of the Nation
for the first time officially included
social security programmes to improve
living standards of poor affected by
various natural calamities, the minister
said.
At that time, he mentioned, VGD and
food-for-work programs were initiated
and families of martyred freedom
fighters, war- wounded freedom
fighters and persecuted women were
brought under social security scheme
along with starting microcredit
facilities for the poor people.
"Following the path shown by Father
of the Nation Bangabandhu, we have
further expanded social safety net. In
FY1997-1998, old age allowance was
launched for the first time, while
various social security programmes
including allowances for widows,
deserted and destitute women were
introduced in FY1998-1999," Kamal
said.
He said the government has taken
steps to widen the coverage of the social
safety net to protect the country's
poorest segment from unemployment
and loss of income due to the
pandemic.
Program Manager of Digital Access
and Digital Financial Service of a2i Md
Tohurul Hasan said digitisation of the
government aid and safety net
allowance disbursement is directly
helping in attaining social and financial
inclusion of the marginalised people
across the country.
He said there has been existence of
the middlemen in the past for
disbursing allowances, but the
introduction of the digital method in
disbursing allowances through MFS
has largely minimized the influence of
those.
Hasan said there are some people
who try to cheat the innocent social
safety net beneficiaries, but the
expansion of the coverage of the MFS in
disbursing allowances and beneficiary
awareness on digital payments would
check the incidents of forgery.
Japan plans record $490
bn stimulus to boost
pandemic recovery
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida announced a record 56
trillion yen ($490 billion) stimulus for
the world's third-largest economy
Friday as he looks to shore up its patchy
pandemic recovery, reports BSS.
The fresh stimulus, expected to be
approved by the cabinet later in the day,
"is enough to deliver a sense of safety
and hope to the Japanese people",
Kishida said in televised comments.
It will be the third round of huge relief
spending unleashed by the government
since the pandemic began-with former
prime ministers Yoshihide Suga and
Shinzo Abe pouring 40 trillion yen and
38 trillion yen respectively into the
economy in 2020.
"We have been able to build economic
measures that will open the new society
after the pandemic," Kishida said at
policy talks between the cabinet and
ruling coalition.
He said the fiscal spending of around
56 trillion yen was expected to rise as
high as 79 trillion yen including other
elements such as loans from funds.
WTO members
on track to
conclude trade
in services talks
GENEVA : World Trade
Organization talks on
facilitating trade in services
are on course to reach a
successful conclusion at the
WTO ministerial conference
starting later this month,
reporters were told
Thursday, reports BSS.
The negotiations,
launched at the end of 2017,
aim to facilitate trade in
services by simplifying
administrative regulations
and technical standards.
"Participating members
are on the right track to
adopt a ministerial
declaration that will
announce the successful
conclusion of the
negotiations," said Jaime
Coghi, chair of the talks on
services domestic
regulation.
The WTO's 12th
ministerial conference takes
place at the global trade
body's headquarters in
Geneva from November 30
to December 3.
The 66 WTO members
negotiating on services
domestic regulation are still
finalising their schedules of
commitments ahead of the
conference.
"Implementation among
the G20 economies can
potentially reduce trade
costs of up to six percent
over three to five years," said
Costa Rican diplomat Coghi.
"The effects would be
greater in highly-regulated
sectors... such as
commercial banking,
telecommunications and
insurance, as well as
computer and professional
services.
"The savings could
amount to more than $140
billion in the medium term."
Excellent yield rate predicts
bumper Aman rice output
in Rangpur
RANGPUR : Harvesting of Transplanted
Aman (T-Aman) rice continues in full swing
with excellent yield rate predicting its
bumper production in the Rangpur
agriculture region this season.
Department of Agricultural Extension
(DAE) officials here said the government has
fixed a target of producing 17,19,231 tonnes
of clean Aman rice (25,78,846 tonnes of
paddy) from 6,12,451 hectares of land this
season.
"Before the recent flood, farmers
transplanted Aman rice seedlings on
6,14,295 hectares of land exceeding the fixed
farming target by 1,844 hectares of land this
time," said Additional Director of the DAE's
Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Tauhidul
Ikbal.
However, the recent deluge damaged
standing Aman rice crop on 1,965 hectares of
land in the region.
After damage caused by the recent flood,
Aman rice plants grew superbly on the rest of
6,12,330 hectares of land amid excellent
climate conditions this season in the region.
"Of them, farmers have cultivated short
duration varieties of Aman rice on 63,197
hectares of land which is 10.32 percent
against the total cultivated land area of
6,12,330 hectares in the region," Ikbal said.
Beginning from early October, farmers
already completed harvesting of short
duration Aman rice during the seasonal lean
period of 'Aswin' and 'Kartik' months.
"Farmers already harvested Aman rice on
1, 91,715 hectares of land producing 5, 74,769
tonnes of clean rice (8, 62,153 tonnes paddy)
in the region by Friday last," the official said.
Farmers are currently getting an excellent
average yield rate of 3.00 tonnes of clean
Aman rice from per hectare of land at this
stage and expecting to achieve a bumper
production of the crop this season.
"After harvesting short duration Aman
rice, farmers are sowing seeds of early variety
potato, winter vegetables and other Rabi
crops on the same land creating huge jobs for
farm-labourers and increasing crop
intensity," Ikbal added.
Talking to BSS, farmers Abdul Baten and
Manik Mian of Najirdigar village and Golam
Mostafa of Najirerhat village in Rangpur
Sadar said that they are getting excellent
yield rates of Aman rice this season.
Farmer Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar
here said he has cultivated Aman rice on
seven acres of land and is continuing to
harvest the crop and getting 35 mounds yield
of the crop per acre of land on an average.
"The current market price of newly
harvested Aman paddy is varying between
Taka 950 and Taka 1,000 per mound (every
40 kg)," Batul said, adding that he would be
able to sell his paddy to the government
purchasing centres to earn more profits.
Farmer Echhahaq Ali of village Kathihara
in Mominpur union of Rangpur Sadar
upazila said he would complete harvesting
his cultivated Aman rice on his crop land by
the first week of December to get a bumper
output.
Farm-labourers Abdur Rahman, Ramjan
Ali, Mashiur Rahman, Saidul Islam,
Khoybar Ali, Morium Nechha and Kakoli
Begum of different villages here said they
were earning Taka 400 to Taka 500 as wages
per day by harvesting Aman rice crop on the
fields.
Covid-19 cases reach 55,500
in Rangpur division
RANGPUR : The number of Covid-19 cases
has reached 55,500 in the division where
the pandemic situation continues
improving amid declining positivity rate but
in a curved way during almost the last three
months.
"The number of Covid-19 cases rose to
55,500 with diagnosis of six new patients
after testing 168 samples at the positivity
rate of 3.57 percent on Friday," Acting
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr
Abu Md Zakirul Islam told BSS.
Earlier, the daily Covid-19 positivity rates
were 1.89 percent on Thursday, 3.77 percent
on Wednesday, 3.86 percent on Tuesday,
2.44 percent on Monday and 1.07 percent
on Sunday last in the division.
"Currently, the district-wise break up of
total patients include 12,494 of Rangpur,
3,820 Panchagarh, 4,457 of Nilphamari,
2,744 of Lalmonirhat, 4,646 of Kurigram,
7,653 of Thakurgaon, 14,820 of Dinajpur
and 4,866 of Gaibandha in the division,"
Islam said.
Meanwhile, no Covid-19 patient died
during the last 24 hours ending at 8 am
yesterday in the division where the total
number of fatalities remained steady at
1,244.
The average casualty rate currently stands
at 2.24 percent in the division.
The district-wise break up of the 1,244
fatalities remained at 293 in Rangpur, 81 in
Panchagarh, 89 in Nilphamari, 68 in
Lalmonirhat, 69 in Kurigram, 254 in
Thakurgaon, 327 in Dinajpur and 63 in
Gaibandha of the division.
"Since the beginning of the pandemic, a
total of 2,98,203 collected samples were
tested till Friday, and of them, 55,500 were
found Covid-19 positive with an average
infection rate of 18.61 percent in the
division," Dr Islam said.
Meanwhile, the number of healed Covid-
19 patients reached 53,325 with recovery of
nine more patients on Friday raising the
average recovery rate to 96.08 percent in
the division.
The 53,325 recovered patients include
11,570 of Rangpur, 3,680 Panchagarh, 4,361
Nilphamari, 2,625 Lalmonirhat, 4,527
Kurigram, 7,345 Thakurgaon, 14,422 in
Dinajpur and 4,795 Gaibandha districts in
the division.
Among the 55,500 patients, 33 are under
treatments at isolation units, including 12
critical patients at ICU beds and two at High
Dependency Unit beds, after recovery of
53,325 patients and 1,244 deaths while 898
are remaining in home isolation.
"In the meantime, the number of citizens
who got the first dose of the Covid-19
vaccine rose to 60,42,879, and among them,
35,21,080 got the second dose of the jab till
Friday in the division," Dr Islam added.
Chief of Divisional Coronavirus Service
and Prevention Task Force and Principal of
Rangpur Medical College Professor Dr.
AKM Nurunnobi Lyzu said the Covid-19
situation is improving consistently in recent
months.
"However, common people should remain
aware and properly abide by the health
directives to prevent further spread of the
deadly virus during the winter season in the
division," he said.
GD-1703/21 (5x4)
Institute of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh organized a rally in Kalapara of Patuakhali district yesterday
marking its 51st founding anniversary.
Photo : Goutam Halder
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2021
3
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman was the chief guest at the concluding
day of the two-day training workshop on at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building on
Saturday.
Photo : Courtesy
Covid pandemic exacerbates the existing
vulnerabilities of the sanitation workforce
Many sanitation workers in developing
countries are largely unsupported,
unprotected and undervalued. Many are
shunned for the work they do. The
Covid-19 pandemic has had a direct
impact on their livelihoods, with many
working longer hours or taking on
increased risks without compensation,
while others have lost their income
completely, shows a new report of
WaterAid.
The report titled "Sanitation workers:
The forgotten frontline workers during
the COVID-19 pandemics" says during
the COVID-19 pandemic many
sanitation workers have worked on the
frontline - throughout national
lockdowns, in hospitals, quarantine
centres and in the heart of communities
- with poor access to safe water, decent
sanitation and good hygiene facilities.
Even without the threat of the virus,
sanitation work is hazardous. The
workforce risk being exposed to a wide
variety of health hazards and disease and
can often come into direct contact with
human waste. Sharp objects in pit
latrines and poor construction can cause
injury and infection while toxic gases can
make workers lose consciousness or
even kill them, says the report.
IU's viva voce to
begin Nov 28
ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY :
Islamic University in Kushtia
will hold viva voce, an oral
examination, from November
28 to 30 for students who
have qualified the written test
for admission to honours
courses of the theology and
Islamic studies faculty,
reports UNB.
The decision was taken at a
meeting of the 'D' unit
admission test committee,
chaired by IU vice-chancellor
Prof Shaikh Abdus Salam, IU
officials said. The viva voce
will be held on the fourth
floor of the Arts faculty
building of the university,
IU 'D' unit coordinator
Prof Yaqub Ali said.
Kona Nagmoni Lata, 34, a street
sweeper from Bangladesh, said:
"Sometimes, I come into contact with
human faeces in my work, but I can only
wipe it off with a cloth. There are no
handwashing stations where I work so I
have to wait to go back to the office to
wash my hands."
The findings of the report highlighted
cases from South Asia, Burkina Faso and
Nigeria.
Tim Wainwright, WaterAid Chief
Executive, said: "WASH services are
critical to maintaining public health and
will be fundamental to surviving and
recovering from the pandemic, and
future pandemics - but without
sanitation workers, these services will
not function. It's important we invest
and support the workforce, not just for
the sake of public health but also for the
economy - to ensure universal access to
decent sanitation and a better future for
all."
Hasin Jahan, country director of
WaterAid Bangladesh said, "Sanitation
and waste workers in the society lack
recognition for their profession. They
face social stigma, economic hardships
and are also deprived of healthcare
facilities, even though they are most
prone to illness due to their work in the
most unhygienic conditions. It is time to
ensure their proper healthcare.
"Along with government, private
sectors, development organisations and
community partners should work
together to drive health and promote
insurance and social security to ensure
the rights of sanitation and waste
workers.
On World Toilet Day, WaterAid is
calling on governments, local
authorities, employers and the general
public to protect, respect, support and
invest in sanitation workers - the
forgotten frontline workers during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
WaterAid Bangladesh is actively
working with the government and key
partners to ensure rights for sanitation
workers are realised; most recently
advocating for sanitation workers to be
given priority access to a COVID-19
vaccination.
Several vaccine registration points
were set up in key places across the
country to ensure waste and sanitation
workers were not overlooked in the
rollout, with mobile registration booths
and follow-ups carried out to ensure the
vaccine was administered.
Deal signed with Russia for
procuring 2 police helicopters
DHAKA : Bangladesh Police have signed an
agreement with JSC Russian Helicopters to
procure two MI-171A2 helicopters, to enhance
the capacity and efficiency of the law
enforcement agency and ensuring better
public safety, reports UNB.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Benazir
Ahmed and Director General of JSC Russian
Helicopters Andrey Boginskiy signed the
agreement on behalf of their respective
organizations on Friday, according to a media
release of Police headquarters. Home Minister
Asaduzzaman Khan witnessed the signing
ceremony as the chief guest, while Senior
Secretary of Public Security Division Mustafa
Kamal Uddin, Russian Ambassador to
Bangladesh Alexander Mantytsky, Additional
IGPs, and other officials were present. On
October 27, Bangladesh Police received the
final approval from the cabinet committee on
public purchase (CCPP) to procure two
Russian helicopters.
On October 6, the cabinet committee on
economic affairs (CCEA) gave in principle its
approval to the proposal.
As per the proposal, the Bangladesh Police
Directorate will procure the Russian Mi-171A2
model helicopters from Russian firm JSC
Russian Helicopters under a G2G contract at a
cost of Euro 42.60 million.
A human chain was formed in front of National Press Club yesterday to ensure the sufficient bus
service in the capital city.
Photo : Courtesy
Int'l buyers urged to be more
sensitive over RMG price
DHAKA : Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA) President
Faruque Hassan yesterday called upon
the international buyers to be more
sensitive over the issue of fixing RMG
price and thus fixing the just price in
line with the demand of the suppliers as
well as considering the cost hike in
cotton, yarn, other raw materials and in
freight.
"We need most the support from our
buyers to keep alive in this adverse
environment and if the supplies remain
alive, then the global supply chain will
also remain intact," Faruque said while
addressing a press conference held at a
city hotel to brief the media about the
outcomes of the BGMEA delegation's
recent visit to Scotland, England and
Belgium.
The BGMEA delegation participated
at the COP26 in Scotland. Other
BGMEA leaders were also present at
the press conference, reports UNB.
Urging the RMG entrepreneurs to be
more aware over the issue of fixing
RMG price, Faruque suggested the
RMG factory owners not to negotiate
orders by any means less than the usual
production cost.
The BGMEA President informed that
the 37th IAF World Fashion
Convention will be held in Dhaka in
November next year marking the 50th
founding anniversary of the IAF. The
convention will be organized jointly by
Natore District
Committee
formed
TBT Report
The Natore District
Committee in Dhaka has
formed a committee for the
financial year 2021-2022.
Natore's proud industrialist,
Samsul Alam Mallick, the
CEO of New Zealand Dairy
in the vote of the members
was elected President.
Deputy Inspector General of
Police (DIG) AZM Nafiul
Islam was elected General
Secretary.
A 71-member committee
has been formed with Koheli
Quddus Mukti, president of
Kallol Foundation, as vicepresident
and Rezaul Karim
Shamim, sub-editor of
Bhorer Kagoj as executive
members. A committee has
been formed in the hall
room of Bangladesh
Agricultural Research
Council (BARC) on Friday
(November 19, 2021) at
Farmgate in the capital.
State Minister for
Information and
Communication Technology
Advocate Junaid Ahmed
Palak MP, Natore District
Awami League President,
former State Minister Prof.
Abdul Quddus MP, Natore
District Awami League
General Secretary Alhaj
Shafiqul Islam Shimul MP,
Md. Shahidul Islam Bakul
MP is a life member of
Natore District Committee,
Dhaka. Hundreds of
government, private, former
and current officials of
Natore in Dhaka were
present on the occasion.
The meeting was chaired
by the senior vice-president
of the farewell committee of
prominent
businessmen
and associations Anisur
Rahman, Engineer Abdur
Rashid, Finance Secretary of
the Farewell Committee,
presented the financial
survey for the financial year
2016-2020 and his
statement was presented by
the former General
Secretary.
Jashore pre-polls
violence: Injured
man dies at DMCH
BENAPOLE : A man, who
was hacked during preelection
violence in Jashore's
Sharsha upazila on Tuesday,
died at Dhaka Medical
College Hospital (DMCH) on
Saturday, reports UNB.
The deceased was identified
as Mostafizur Rahman
Dhabak, 42, son of Khatib
Dhabak of Bagachara union
of the upazila and a supporter
of rebel chairman candidate
AH Khaleq.
the IAF and the BGMEA. He said that
marking the Convention, the BGMEA
is planning to hold a "Made in
Bangladesh Week" under which there
will be Dhaka Apparel Summit,
Fashion Festival, Exposition and some
award functions.
Answering to a question, Faruque
said the "Made in Bangladesh Week" is
likely to be held in the 3rd week of
November next year with Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina expected to
inaugurate the event.
He said that at that event, the
BGMEA would highlight the capacity,
compliance, good stories and practices
of the country's RMG industry.
Referring to the recent 23 percent
diesel price hike, Faruque said that the
cost in transportation, power
production through generators, other
raw materials and services has been
raised for which the overall RMG
production cost has been increased by
4 to 5 percent.
The BGMEA President in this regard
requested the government to
reconsider the issue of fuel price with
due attention as such hike is expected
to raise further the inflation rate and
also the price of essentials.
Replying to a question, he said that
they are now getting orders from the
buyers although those were less over
the last two years due to the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic. "We've kept
our buyers during that period despite
incurring losses. We kept our factories
open during that time and now the
buyers are recognizing our efforts."
He said although the RMG owners
are now getting higher price of their
produces, but that is not enough as per
the increased price of raw materials.
"We're trying our best to increase the
price of RMG products and also suggest
our entrepreneurs not to take orders
with lesser price. We're trying to avail
sustainable orders as we're also
working to maintain compliance and
energy efficiency. We seek support
from all to ensure sustainability of the
RMG industry."
Replying to another question,
Faruque said the international buyers
are not giving additional price for
products made from green factories.
"But, we're hoping to get higher price
for the products made from green
factories,"
The BGMEA President said that they
are trying to get maximum transition
period from the European Union as the
industry insiders are hopeful of
attaining higher capabilities by 2026.
He told a questioner that the
biometric database has been in place in
the RMG sector since 2013 while such
database is in operation in almost all
the factories with the enlistment of
more than 40 lakh workers.
Faruque said that they are pursuing
apparel diplomacy while they also want
export-friendly currency rate.
The newly elected members of Natore District Committee in Dhaka with
the election commissioners.
Photo : Courtesy
Dhaka is world's thirdmost
polluted city
DHAKA : Air pollution continues to be one of
the top most challenges for Bangladesh-its
capital has been ranked the third-most
polluted city in the world, reports UNB.
The capital's air quality index (AQI) was
recorded at 182 around 11am. The air was
classified as 'unhealthy'.
Pakistan's Lahore and India's Delhi
occupied the first and second spots in the list
with AQI scores of 407 and 311, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered
'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is
said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to
400 is considered 'hazardous', posing
serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air
quality, is used by government agencies to
inform people how clean or polluted the air
of a certain city is, and what associated
health effects might be a concern for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five
criteria pollutants-Particulate Matter (PM10
and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air
pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns
unhealthy during winter and improves
during monsoon. A report by the
Department of Environment (DoE) and the
World Bank in March 2019 pointed out that
the three main sources of air pollution in
Dhaka "are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles
and dust from construction sites".
With the advent of winter, the city's air
quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the
massive discharge of pollutant particles from
construction works, rundown roads, brick
kilns and other sources.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the
top risk factors for death and disability
worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long
been recognised as increasing a person's
chances of developing heart disease, chronic
respiratory diseases, lung infections and
cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization
(WHO), air pollution kills an estimated
seven million people worldwide every year,
largely as a result of increased mortality from
stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute
respiratory infections.
College students vandalise
buses demanding half bus fare
DHAKA : Students of two college on
Saturday vandalized 10-12 buses in Science
Laboratory area demanding half-fare bus
ride in the city for students, reports UNB.
A group of students brought out a
procession in the area at noon and staged
demonstrations, said Ekram Ali, officer-incharge
of Dhanmondi Police Station.
They also vandalized 10-12 buses passing
the area. Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of
students of Dhaka College demonstrated
outside their college demanding half-fare
bus ride in the city for students.
The students also threatened to go for
movement on next Saturday and Sunday if
their demand goes unheeded. On November
15, a college student was pushed off by a bus
driver following an altercation over bus fare
in the city's Rampura area.
Protesting the incident, some students
halted movement of 50 buses of 'Raida
Paribahan' that day.
The government increased the prices of
diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 per liter on the
night of November 3.
On November 7, the Bangladesh Road
Transport Authority (BRTA) increased the
fares for intra-city and inter-district buses by
26.5% and 27% respectively following an
indefinite strike by the transport owners.
SUNdAY, NoveMBer 21, 2021
4
US should ensure Iran pays the price for its proxies' violence
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Far from being a
hopeless country
Information-- indicating the future of Bangladesh most of the
time -- appear to be short of hope. It is generally made out that
the future of the country is rather hopeless. Far too many people
are already seen living in this tiny country in the physical sense.
Thus, anxiety is expressed about the living space for this population
which would become even greater in the future not to mention
finding the means of sustenance for the growing number.
But Malthus and all other prophets of doom have been proved
wrong in the context of Bangladesh. Bangladesh's population nearly
doubled in the last three decades. However, so did its food
production. Agricultural production has been more than keeping
pace with population growth. Thus, Bangladesh has not become a
failed state like Sudan or Somalia. It is still a land of hope for its
hardworking and resilient people.
As for the other formidable worry - land shortage - there is good
news waiting for this country. Although there has been a long
standing projection about a part of Bangladesh's coastal areas
sinking into the sea in the near future from the greenhouse
syndrome, regularly received satellite imageries and other tangible
supporting evidences suggest that Bangladesh is rather about to
receive the gift of a huge land mass from its adjoining sea. The size
of this land mass, eventually, could be as big as the present size of
Bangladesh or even bigger.
Unfortunately, nothing much has been noted so far in the
country's annual development plans (ADPs) to the effect that
successive governments paid appropriate attention to this issue.
Hardly allocations have been made over the years to build dams and
other structures to put a pace on the process of accretion of coastal
lands. Successive past governments should have done all in their
powers to help the land accretion process which holds out so much
promise for this land hungry country. Not only doing everything
locally to aid the process of land accretion and consolidation, the
governments should have been proactive in seeking foreign
assistance to realise the same objective.
Already, substantial territories have surfaced in the coastal areas
of Bangladesh. Some of these places have completely surfaced and
have human habitations on them while others remain submerged
during tides to emerge with the ebbing of the tide. The latter types
of accreted lands are likely to gain in elevation to be permanently
joined to the mainland. Indeed, much of present day Bangladesh
including the districts of Faridpur, Barisal, Noakhali, Patuakhali,
etc., were formed in this manner over time.
Lands have already emerged from the sea in the coastal areas and
more lands from the sea will hopefully rise in the future. But the
natural process is a long one. It can be hastened and the technology
for it is not so prohibitive or complex either. For Bangladesh, it
involves only quickening the process of accretion by establishing
structures like cross dams to speed up the rate of deposition of silt
in areas that have accreted or nearly accreted.
The country is likely to get a generous response from the
international community in matters of fund availability and
technical supports if it can show that it is really keen to accrete more
lands and has put the endeavor under a systematic policy
framework. Today, the Dutch have not only solved similar problems
like ours through sophisticated engineering works, they have
permanently reclaimed vast stretches of lands from the sea and are
keeping them dry for various uses within secure barriers or sea
walls.
Bangladesh may not have to embark on projects on the same scale
as were carried out in Holland because of its relatively better
elevation. It can use its huge reservoir of cheap manpower to
implement labour intensive projects to get the same kind of results
as were achieved in Holland. But for this purpose it needs to engage
in a time-bound and result oriented framework of assistance and
consultation with that country. Besides, the government of
Bangladesh ought to also appeal to the international community to
provide funds to it for the purpose. The developed countries are the
main contributors to the greenhouse syndrome which could affect
Bangladesh.
Therefore, it would be only conscionable for these countries to
help out Bangladesh in projects designed to secure its coastal areas
and for their enlargement. Even if external aid is not forthcoming,
the government can proceed with dams and other structures where
these will yield almost immediate benefits in the form of lands rising
from the sea on a sustainable basis. The taking up of such projects
and their successful execution are quite possible for Bangladesh by
mobilising its own resources and applying its own expertise.
One may say that the cyclone hazards can be serious in the coastal
areas. But these hazards are not as these used to be in the past. Few
people have died from these cyclones in recent years and much less
resources were destroyed from cyclones . The creation of a network
of cyclone shelters and other forms of preparedness for disasters
have led to such favourable developments. With the establishment
of a greater number of cyclone shelters and extending the system of
preparedness, there would be no reason for a far bigger number of
people than at present not to be living and working safely in viable
occupations in the coastal areas including the already accreted
lands and the about to be accreted lands.
Apart from greater human settlement in the coastal areas or
accreted lands to ease the pressure of population, the same areas
can play a far bigger role for the national economy in contrast to the
present. Coastal areas -- specially the coastal islands -- are hugely
prospective from the perspective of tourism. Tourist resorts
established in the coastal islands-- like in the Maldives-- can be very
paying in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. The same prospects are
also there in many places in the coastal areas.
Shrimp has been a major item in our export trade in recent years.
The coastal areas are exclusively suitable for shrimp cultivation for
the export market. Not only shrimp, but sea fishes, crabs, etc., that
are generally described as frozen food and exported from
Bangladesh, the catches or cultivation of these can be substantially
increased in the coastal areas with infrastructure developments by
the public sector to promote more private sector investments into
such activities.
Valuable deposits of minerals exist in the sandy beaches of the
coastal areas such as zircon, rutile, titanium, etc. It is quite possible
to extract these minerals and earn huge amounts in foreign
currency. The coastal areas are also known to have huge deposits of
hydrocarbons like oil and gas. Only limited exploitation of these
resources have started with the offshore drilling at Sangu for gas.
But gradually, over time, these energy resources can be tapped
extensively for the benefit of the country.
The Biden administration is repeating
in Iraq the mistakes the US previously
made in Syria. Washington did not
check Iran's power in Syria when reaching
the nuclear deal with Tehran under the
Obama administration. The result was Iran
causing chaos in Syria. Last week, there was
an assassination attempt against Iraqi
Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. The
State Department condemned the attack,
but it did not blame any group for carrying
it out. This will lead to more dangerous
Iranian behavior inside Iraq.
Iran is the country that spreads terror all
over the Arab and Islamic worlds. Logically,
it is the country that committed such a
heinous act. The critical question is: Does
the intelligence community in the US know
that Iran was the perpetrator? And, if so,
why has it not declared that Tehran is
culpable?
The odds are high that Iran
masterminded the assassination attempt.
The reason is the fact that its affiliated
militias in any country they try to subjugate
have reached a sophisticated capability and
can launch lethal attacks using armed
drones. Iran, by condemning the attack,
proved again that it was lying.
The irony is that President Joe Biden does
not understand that the American people
have common sense. As I was listening to
this news, a friend of mine commented:
"Here, concerning Iraq, Biden and (Donald)
Trump can be contrasted. Biden will be an
apologist for Iran, issuing as many excuses
for Tehran as he can, saying that it was not
It is a rare thing that Israel is forced to
admit that it has broken the law and has to
pay for it. We and, of course, the
Palestinians well know that the so-called
"international community" has, since
Israel's engineered inception, allowed it to
act with outrageous impunity - despite its
long and incriminating record.
So, when the news arrived last week that
a dogged bunch of Canadians won a
belated, but oh so satisfying, victory
against an arrogant government that
threatened them, kidnapped them and
stole a boat - brimming with medicine and
solidarity - destined for occupied Gaza, it
was a happy day indeed.
Beyond one lonely story, that
unexpected triumph - hard and patiently
won - did not attract a scintilla of attention
from Canada's establishment media
which, like its governing elites, is
stubbornly conditioned to side
unquestionably with Israel even when it
threatens, kidnaps and steals from
Canadians, let alone besieged
Palestinians. "We are very pleased," David
Heap, a linguistics professor and one of
the Canadians who had been on board the
Tahrir vessel - "liberation" in Arabic - told
me in a recent interview.
Heap and his many comrades in cause
should be. Together, they have succeeded
where a succession of craven Canadian
governments - Conservative and Liberal
alike - has failed: To hold the state of Israel
to a real, not rhetorical, measure of
account for its lawless conduct.
Heap and compassionate company set
off for Gaza from a Turkish port on the
involved in the attack. Trump, on the other
hand, would have searched for the
equivalent of Qassem Soleimani or Abu
Mahdi Al-Muhandis, whoever was behind
the attack, and hit them swiftly and
decisively."
The problem with the Biden
administration is that it does not seem to
want to understand what kind of political
changes are occurring in Iraq. Basically, two
important trends are developing parallel to
one another. Firstly, the number of seats in
the Iraqi parliament that went to the pro-
Iranian militias shrank from 48 to about 19
as a result of last month's elections.
Secondly, Al-Kadhimi did not run for
election. As a result, he bolstered his
political standing, projecting the image of a
non-partisan and national figure who can
unify Iraq and establish a minimum degree
of consensus among the country's different
political stripes, allowing him to find
solutions to Iraq's multiple serious
problems. This is very troubling for Iran,
since its main aim is to bend the Iraqis to its
political will. In addition, Tehran is
MArIA MAALoUF
emulating in Iraq the campaign of political
blackmail it has been exercising in Lebanon
through its crony proxy Hezbollah. If there
is a political deadlock in Beirut, Hezbollah
stops the government from working until its
demands are met. The pro-Iran militias in
Iraq can do the same, but the difference
between Iraq and Lebanon is that the US
has a military presence in Iraq. Any
escalation of Iran's military might in Iraq
could gravitate toward an open and direct
military confrontation with American
troops. The Biden administration does not
seem to want to understand what kind of
political changes are occurring in Iraq.
Most likely, the pro-Iranian militias in
Iraq will instigate many scenes of political
chaos to ensure the government of Al-
Kadhimi is dysfunctional. The US should
offer protection for Iraq's critical
infrastructure, including its oil exploration
and refining industries. These economic
assets are Iraq's main artery in terms of
national income. If they are severed, Iraq
will have no money. It would also be wise for
the US to start training the Iraqi security
ALFred de ZAYAS ANd AdrIeL KASoNTA
forces to end the mob scenes that are the
brainchild of the Iranian militias, as they are
conducive to a state of national paralysis in
the countries where Tehran stages them.
The American government must also boost
the efforts of the Iraqi authorities to conduct
a fair investigation to conclusively
determine who was responsible for the
assassination attempt against Al-Kadhimi.
In other words, the investigation in Iraq
should not end up like the probe into the
explosion at Beirut port in August 2020,
which has been shamefully and
disgracefully repeatedly halted.
As Hussain Abdul-Hussain wrote in
National Interest, the Biden administration
must form an anti-Iran coalition inside Iraq.
He also counted the geography and
population of Iraq as factors that could
thwart Iran's terrorism and ambitions
inside the country. Another dilemma for the
US in dealing with the countries where Iran
tries to dominate is its belief that such an
Iranian hegemonic status can be tolerated.
That is to say that the countries coerced by
extensive Iranian meddling in their internal
affairs can cope with these intrusions.
However, appeasement of Iran simply
translates into more terrorism by Iran.
A fair question the Biden administration
can raise with the Iranian delegates on the
scheduled resumption of the Vienna
nuclear negotiations this month is do they
really acknowledge the sovereignty of
nations such as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon?
Source: Arab news
Migration and geopolitics: the Belarus-Poland border crisis
Fake news and fake law make it
difficult to understand the highly
politicized migrant crisis in the
Mediterranean, in the Balkans and on the
border between Poland and Belarus. After
separating facts from propaganda and
removing the corporate media's prism of
anti-Lukashenko agitation - which has
more to do with the fact that the European
Union is questioning the legitimacy of the
2020 presidential election that took place
in Belarus than the migrant crisis on the
ground - it is vital to stay factual,
concentrate on the actual problem that is
unfolding on the borders, and the possible
consequences of its mismanagement.
It is reported that since the beginning of
2021, more than 30,000 migrants from
Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria have tried to
cross the Polish-Belarusian border, and
the surge reached its peak in August when
more than 15,000 attempts alone were
made, according to the Polish authorities.
Although Minsk is accused of luring
migrants by offering Belarusian visas and
organizing transport to the EU border,
and strong language is employed by
Warsaw, no hard evidence to confirm
these accusations has been provided so
far, while the gravity of the allegations
As Hussain Abdul-Hussain wrote in National Interest,
the Biden administration must form an anti-Iran
coalition inside Iraq. He also counted the geography
and population of Iraq as factors that could thwart
Iran's terrorism and ambitions inside the country.
The little boat that could
Tahrir on November 2, 2011. An Irish
vessel joined them on the humanitarian
mission. Their aim: to deliver $30,000 in
medical supplies not only as a tangible
expression of support for too often
forgotten Palestinians but as a deliberate
challenge to Israel's grinding and illegal
blockade of Gaza and its people.
Two days later, the two-boat flotilla
approached Gaza. Still in international
waters, the Tahrir was surrounded by an
armada of warships in a predictable show
of Israeli intimidation and force.
Soon, a platoon of heavily armed Israeli
commandos - their faces hidden -
clambered onto the boat after using water
cannons on its peaceful, unarmed crew
and Canadian volunteers.
"We were asked to identify our course.
[We] said: "Our course is the conscience
of humanity". They asked what's your
final destination? We said: "The
betterment of humankind," Heap recalls,
proudly. Given the danger, the Greek
captain and Canadians complied,
although Heap was tasered for refusing to
abandon the captain's cabin housing the
ship's wheelhouse.
would require that such evidence be
presented before any further actions are
taken. "This is a political crisis, created to
destabilize the EU," Polish Prime Minister
Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters in
Warsaw after talks with European Council
President Charles Michel on November
10. "This is a manifestation of national
terrorism, revenge by Lukashenko for our
support for democratic elections in
Belarus." Whatever we may think of
President Alexander Lukashenko and the
state of democracy in Belarus under his
rule, the authors of this article find it
astonishing that Poland, which according
to the Freedom House index published
last year, was downgraded from
"consolidated democracy" to "semiconsolidated
democracy" and labeled this
year by a Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem)
report as world's "most autocratizing
country," prefers to make the situation on
its border even worse rather than find a
peaceful solution. Despite the ongoing
pressure from the West concerning the
outcome of the 2020 elections and the set
of new sanctions being imposed on
Belarus by the EU for allegedly mounting
a "hybrid attack" by encouraging migrants
from the Middle East, Afghanistan and
ANdrew MITrovICA
Later, the now-hijacked Tahrir was
compelled to change course and head for
the port of Ashdod. The abducted crew
and volunteers were searched and jailed
and the cargo stolen.
"We never saw any of it again," Heap
said.
Local Canadian diplomats helped. But
Canada's Conservative then-foreign
minister, John Baird, blamed the
Heap and his many comrades in cause should be.
Together, they have succeeded where a succession of
craven Canadian governments - Conservative and Liberal
alike - has failed: To hold the state of Israel to a real, not
rhetorical, measure of account for its lawless conduct.
Canadians, not Israel, for their
kidnapping and the theft of the Tahrir.
No one was surprised that Baird and his
boss, Prime Minister Stephen Harper -
both evangelical apologists for Israel -
would in effect abandon citizens they were
duty-bound to protect in their nearslavish
defence of Israel.
"They simply parroted Israel's
diplomatic lines," Heap said. "We were
warned not to go… they weren't working
in [our] interests and certainly not in the
interests of international law."
Heap and several other Canadians were
charged - absurdly - with "entering
[Israel] illegally" and deported to Canada
after being held for six days in the
immigration wing of Givon prison, near
Africa to cross the border into Poland, it
does not appear that this will move
anybody in Minsk. As a matter of fact,
ever since Lukashenko was re-elected last
year, he has managed to rescue the
economy from recession and significantly
increase the country's trade volumes,
importantly thanks to exports to the EU.
Notably, Minsk is the biggest exporter of
wood and metals to the bloc, and there is
no consensus among the EU members
when it comes to restrictions on potash
and petroleum imports from Belarus.
The supply-chain disruptions and the
Covid-19 pandemic also work in Belarus'
favor. While the former increased
demand for Belarusian products such as
furniture and machinery, the latter,
followed by the country's loose approach
to lockdowns, has contributed to the
country's growth, as a World Bank report
suggests. Furthermore, almost US$1
billion from the International Monetary
Fund provided in August increased its
foreign-currency reserves.
With 36.1% growth in worldwide
exports between January and September
and 5.8% growth in GDP in the second
quarter year on year, and deepening
economic and political integration with
Ramla. Undeterred, in January 2012,
Heap and his colleagues had lawyers file a
claim in Israel to have the Tahrir and the
medical supplies returned to their rightful
owners.
Israel acknowledged receiving the
paperwork. It promptly forgot about the
pesky, troublesome Canadians and their
claim. "At that point, we didn't expect to
get any semblance of justice," Heap said.
His understandable scepticism was
fuelled by the knowledge that Israeli
gunboats have routinely opened fire and
damaged the nets of Palestinian fishers
without consequence.
Then jurisprudence intervened.
The owners of a Swedish boat, seized by
Israel in international waters en route to
Gaza with much-needed aid in 2012, took
the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MOD or
"ministry of occupation", as Heap calls it)
to court, arguing that it had skirted the law
when it commandeered the ship.
Apparently, the MOD had failed to
notify the country's maritime court in
Haifa and the Swedes that it had snatched
the vessel.
In 2017, the Swedes prevailed in an outof-court
agreement that included
recouping a sizeable chunk of their costs.
This set a crucial precedent that
resurrected the Canadians' dormant
claim. Turns out, the Israeli MOD had also
failed to make a "declaration of seizure"
with the maritime court and inform the
Canadian-Israeli owner that it shanghaied
the Tahrir, as the law requires.
Source: Al Jazeera
Russia, Lukashenko does not have much
to be bothered about, as far as the
economy is concerned.
On November 10, at the request of
Lukashenko, Russia sent two Tupolev Tu-
22M3 strategic bombers to help Belarus
navigate the situation at the border.
Moreover, two Russian Tu-160 strategic
missile-carrying bombers accompanied
by Belarusian Su-30SM fighters
conducted a joint air patrol "for the
purposes of ensuring military security of
the Union State [Russia-Belarus],"
Russia's Defense Ministry reported last
Thursday. On top of that, Minsk
expressed the need to obtain nuclearcapable
Iskander systems from Moscow
to deploy in the south and west of the
country, Lukashenko said in an interview
with Russia's National Defense magazine.
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have
expressed concern over the crisis on the
border with Belarus and said in a joint
statement issued by the countries' defense
ministries that the current situation
"increases the possibility of provocations
and serious incidents that could also spill
over into the military domain."
Source: Asia times
SUNDAY, NovEMBER 21, 2021
5
England and Wales one step closer
to ending child marriage
KAREN McvEIgH
A ban on child marriage in England
and Wales came a step closer Friday
with cross-party support for a new bill
in the House of Commons. The
marriage and civil partnership
(minimum age) bill had its second
reading in parliament, with
government and opposition MPs
supporting the private member's bill
brought by Conservative MP Pauline
Latham.
The vote was welcomed by
campaigners and survivors of child
marriage who have been lobbying
against the current legislation, which
allows 16 and 17-year-olds to wed
with parental consent.
The bill would raise the minimum
age of marriage and civil partnership
to 18, but also criminalise any
marriage, including non-legalised
religious marriages, under that age,
making "any conduct causing" such a
union an offence. Crucially,
campaigners say, this would take the
onus away from a child to prove their
marriage is forced, and strengthen the
responsibility of professionals in
safeguarding children.
Many cases of child marriage in the
UK are unregistered and "invisible",
campaigners say, taking place in
religious or traditional family settings
at ages lower than 16.
"As a child bride myself, I celebrate
with tears of pain and of joy, as we are
one step closer to ending child
marriages," said Ruby Marie, 38,
from Wales, who was forced to marry
at 15. She now works as an
ambassador for Karma Nirvana, a UK
charity supporting victims of forced
marriage and "honour"-based abuse.
She said that the "child abuse" of
underage marriage can cause lifelong
trauma. "You get PTSD [posttraumatic
stress disorder]," said
Marie, whose father and uncles took
her to Bangladesh to marry and kept
her there until she got pregnant,
months later. "I was lost for a very
long time. I was a child, with the body
of a child. I was raped by a man twice
my age. I felt I was being sold. I was
mentally confused. I loved them, how
would they do this to me? It is mental
torture. This bill will help so many
people."
In Britain, children as young as
seven are at risk of child marriage,
Karma Nirvana said. This year the
group supported 78 children in
England and Wales facing the threat
of forced marriage. Three were under
10 - the youngest, seven - while the
majority, 52 children, were 16 and 17.
Most were of British Pakistani
heritage, but they also helped
Kurdish, Romanian, Turkish and
Afghan children born or living in the
UK. Zeynep* came to London with
her mother in 2016 from her
homeland, where she had already
survived a short-lived marriage to an
abusive man.
"In my country it happens to very
young children," Zaynep said. "It is a
humiliating tradition. I was 12. My
mother told me: 'This is normal.'"
"I want child marriage to be made
illegal, because that way, when you
ask for help you would get it," she
said. "I'm angry I didn't get help and I
don't want that to happen to anyone
else." Fearing she would be remarried
in the UK, Zeynab said she went to the
police for protection four times before
being taken seriously. She hopes a
change in the law would improve
police protection for victims.
Officers came to her house and
initially removed her from her family,
but after two days she was returned to
them. "My family denied everything.
They said I was crazy and I told lies. I
was so disappointed. It was a huge
step for me to go to the police."
At the age of 15, she was married to
a 26-year-old man in the UK. "One
day, he told everyone, my mother-inlaw,
father-in-law, to leave the house.
My mother came on the phone and
said now you need to have sex with
him and prove you are a virgin. He
locked the door. I was so scared. He
raped me."
Second reading of bill to ban marriage for under-18s receives
cross-party support.
Photo: Fabio De Paola
Last year Zeynep gained police
protection and now lives with a foster
family and is supported by the Iranian
and Kurdish Women's Rights
Organisation (IKWRO), which has
long campaigned to ban child
marriage.
"Many bad things have happened to
me," she said. "But having supportive
people around me has helped me,
given me strength. I feel powerful."
"I thought about going to the police
for months," Zaynep said, of her first
attempt to get help in London, at 13. "I
didn't know the number, so I Googled
it. I was so scared. And then, they sent
me back to my family, who denied
everything. My mum threatened to
kill me."
AI starting to have big real-world impact
NIcolA DAvIS
A scientist who wrote a
leading textbook on artificial
intelligence has said experts
are "spooked" by their own
success in the field,
comparing the advance of
AI to the development of the
atom bomb.
Prof Stuart Russell, the
founder of the Center for
Human-Compatible
Artificial Intelligence at the
University of California,
Berkeley, said most experts
believed that machines
more intelligent than
humans would be
developed this century, and
he called for international
treaties to regulate the
development of the
technology.
"The AI community has
not yet adjusted to the fact
that we are now starting to
have a really big impact in
the real world," he told the
Guardian. "That simply
wasn't the case for most of
the history of the field - we
were just in the lab,
developing things, trying to
get stuff to work, mostly
failing to get stuff to work.
So the question of realworld
impact was just not
germane at all. And we have
to grow up very quickly to
catch up."
Artificial intelligence
underpins many aspects of
modern life, from search
engines to banking, and
advances in image
recognition and machine
translation are among the
key developments in recent
years.
Russell - who in 1995 coauthored
the seminal book
Artificial Intelligence: A
Modern Approach, and who
will be giving this year's BBC
Reith lectures entitled
"Living with Artificial
Intelligence", which begin
on Monday - says urgent
work is needed to make sure
humans remain in control
as superintelligent AI is
There is still a big gap between the AI of today and that depicted in films such
as Ex Machina, Prof Stuart Russell says.
Photo: Film4
developed.
"AI has been designed
with one particular
methodology and sort of
general approach. And we're
not careful enough to use
that kind of system in
complicated real-world
settings," he said.
For example, asking AI to
cure cancer as quickly as
possible could be
dangerous. "It would
probably find ways of
inducing tumours in the
whole human population, so
that it could run millions of
experiments in parallel,
using all of us as guinea
pigs," said Russell. "And
that's because that's the
solution to the objective we
gave it; we just forgot to
specify that you can't use
humans as guinea pigs and
you can't use up the whole
GDP of the world to run
your experiments and you
can't do this and you can't
do that."
Russell said there was still
a big gap between the AI of
today and that depicted in
films such as Ex Machina,
but a future with machines
that are more intelligent
than humans was on the
cards. "I think numbers
range from 10 years for the
most optimistic to a few
hundred years," said
Russell. "But almost all AI
researchers would say it's
going to happen in this
century."
One concern is that a
machine would not need to
be more intelligent than
humans in all things to pose
a serious risk. "It's
something that's unfolding
now," he said. "If you look at
social media and the
algorithms that choose what
people read and watch, they
have a huge amount of
control over our cognitive
input."
The upshot, he said, is that
the algorithms manipulate
the user, brainwashing
them so that their behaviour
becomes more predictable
when it comes to what they
chose to engage with,
boosting click-based
revenue. Have AI
researchers become
spooked by their own
success? "Yeah, I think we
are increasingly spooked,"
Russell said.
"It reminds me a little bit
of what happened in physics
where the physicists knew
that atomic energy existed,
they could measure the
masses of different atoms,
and they could figure out
how much energy could be
released if you could do the
conversion between
different types of atoms," he
said, noting that the experts
always stressed the idea was
theoretical. "And then it
happened and they weren't
ready for it."
The use of AI in military
applications - such as small
anti-personnel weapons - is
of particular concern, he
said. "Those are the ones
that are very easily scalable,
meaning you could put a
million of them in a single
truck and you could open
the back and off they go and
wipe out a whole city," said
Russell.
Russell believes the future
for AI lies in developing
machines that know the true
objective is uncertain, as are
our preferences, meaning
they must check in with
humans - rather like a butler
- on any decision. But the
idea is complex, not least
because different people
have different - and
sometimes conflicting -
preferences, and those
preferences are not fixed.
PETER BEAUMoNT
Young people are often seen as having a
bleak worldview, plugged uncritically
into social media and anxious about the
climate crisis, among other pressing
issues.
But a global study commissioned by
the UN's children's agency, Unicef,
appears to turn that received wisdom on
its head. It paints a picture of children
believing that the world is improving
with each generation, even while they
report anxiety and impatience for change
on global heating.
The landmark intergenerational study,
conducted for Unicef by Gallup for World
Children's Day, surveyed two age groups
in 21 countries - aged 15-24 and 40-plus -
sampled from different socioeconomic
groups, to compare attitudes.
The results suggest the younger
generation are more positive and globally
minded than their elders, sceptical of
what they read on social media (only 17%
of young people said they trusted social
media platforms "a lot" for information)
and more invested in science and the
possibility of global cooperation and
international institutions.
The young people surveyed were also
more likely to believe childhood had
improved, voting healthcare, education
and physical safety as being better for
them than it had been for their parents'
generation.
"Born into a more digital,
interconnected and diverse reality, young
people see a world that is largely a better
place for children than the one their
parents grew up in - a safer and more
abundant world that offers children
better education, opportunities and hope
for the future," the report concludes.
"At the same time, young people are
not complacent. They report greater
struggles with mental health conditions.
Amid a sea of mis- and disinformation,
they report low levels of trust in the
information sources they use most."
Unicef's executive director, Henrietta
Fore, said: "There is no shortage of
reasons for pessimism in the world
today: climate change, the pandemic,
poverty and inequality, rising distrust
AAKASH HASSAN
Babawayil, in the foothills of the
Zabarwan mountains by the Sind River,
is a typical village in Indianadministered
Kashmir. Groups of men
and women sit on their lawns breaking
open green husks of walnuts, freshly
gathered from the giant trees shading
the sleepy hamlet. Other villagers are
busy in the paddy fields bringing in the
harvest. Harud, the harvest season, is
usually busy.
Most of the 150 households make their
living from farming and weaving
pashmina shawls. The village, however,
is one of the rare places in south Asia
that has banned dowries and abandoned
the custom of throwing lavish weddings.
Weddings in this part of the world are
usually expensive and can cost a family's
life savings. Money is spent on elaborate
meals served to hundreds of guests -
relatives, friends and neighbours.
As part of the dowry, the bride's family
gives gifts - household appliances,
jewellery, cash and sometimes even a car
for the groom. Often, the wedding
happens only after the dowry is fixed.
Dowries have been illegal in India for
the past six decades, but the custom is
deeply entrenched. An estimated 20
women a day are murdered or kill
themselves in the country because of
Young Ugandans march through Wakiso in a climate protest.
Photo: Isaac Kasamani
and growing nationalism. But here is a
reason for optimism: children and young
people refuse to see the world through
the bleak lens of adults."
Compared with older generations,
she said: "The world's young people
remain hopeful, much more globally
minded, and determined to make the
world a better place. Today's young
people have concerns for the future but
see themselves as part of the solution."
Overall, the data suggests young
people are products of globalisation -
39% identified most with being part of
the world, rather than their own nation
or region, compared with 22% of the
40-plus group. With each additional
year of age, people were on average
about 1% less likely to identify as a
global citizen.
The survey - conducted during the
pandemic - also found young people
were generally more trusting of national
governments, scientists and
dowry demands. Every year there are
more than 8,000 "dowry deaths".
"The stories reaching here about
dowry and expensive weddings were
disturbing," said Bashir Ahmad, imam
of the village mosque. "I would always
wonder how we would be able to marry
our children with these traditions."
Ahmad was among 20 village elders
who met in the winter of 2004 to discuss
how these "evil customs" could be
stopped. After days of deliberation, the
elders presented their ideas to villagers.
They proposed that the bride's family
would not pay anything towards the
wedding. The groom's family would pay
900 Indian rupees (£9) as mehr - an
Islamic obligation that the groom has to
pay to the bride in the form of money or
possessions when they marry - and
15,000 rupees (£150) to the bride's
family. The groom would arrange for
50kg (110lb) of meat and 40kg of rice for
the wedding feast, and only 40 people
from the groom's side were allowed to
attend.
Previously, hundreds of guests could
sit down to the wazwan, a multicourse
feast of Kashmiri cuisine served at
weddings, and dowries could reach
hundreds of thousand of rupees.
Villagers were quick to accept the new
rules. Since then, there have been no
international news media as sources of
accurate information. Yet they were
aware of the problems the world faced.
Joe Daly, senior partner at Gallup, said:
"We cannot know what is on the minds of
young people if we do not ask them.
Unicef's survey reinforces the
importance of hearing from the next
generation and understanding their
perspectives."
The survey found some areas of multigenerational
alignment - notably around
climate, the importance of education,
global collaboration and children's
agency. By contrast, optimism, global
mindedness and recognition of historical
progress reflected some of the deepest
divides.
Fore said: "While this research paints a
nuanced view of the generational divide,
a clear picture emerges: children and
young people embody the spirit of the
21st century far more readily than their
parents."
Why a Kashmiri village
abandoned dowries
Babawayil village, in Kashmir's Sind valley.
Young people more optimistic about
the world than older generations
expensive weddings held in Babawayil
and no dowries have been given.
Last year, villagers updated the
regulations: the groom's family now has
to pay 50,000 rupees (£500) to the
bride's family, which includes 20,000 of
mehr, to account for inflation. There is
no wedding feast - only dates and tea can
be served - and just three people are
allowed to accompany the groom.
"I am proud that everyone in the
village is following these laws," said
Ahmad, whose two sons and two
daughters have married in the last few
years.
The villagers say there has not been a
single reported case of violence or abuse
against a woman since the rules were
introduced, and there have been no
divorces. There is also peer pressure to
follow the rules. Ahmad says anyone
who does not abide by them is ostracised
in the community.
"Our inspiration comes from our
religion," says Iqra Altaf, 25, a
postgraduate student who recently got
married. "Customs like dowry and lavish
weddings are only making the life of
women difficult," she said. "It is leading
to crimes and discrimination against
women, even people do not want to have
a girl child because of these issues. We
have to end this menace."
Photo: Aakash Hassan
SUnDAY, novEMBER 21, 2021 6
Aman harvesting goes on in full swing in Manikganj
MANIKGANJ : The harvesting of Aman
paddy is going on in full swing in all the
seven upazilas of the district.
Farmers are expecting excellent
production of the Transplanted Aman (T-
Aman) rice as the plants of the paddy
grew well for favorable weather condition
alongside getting all necessary agroinputs.
The Department of Agricultural
Extension (DAE) sources said a total of
27,133 hectares of land was brought
under T-Aman cultivation during the
current season in all seven upazilas of the
district although 1,800 hectares
croplands were damaged by the flood
water.
Md Shahjahan Ali Biswas, deputy
director of the DAE said: "Our field level
officials have extended all necessary
supports to provide agro-inputs and
fertilizers according to the fertility of the
land."
A good number of farmers have
cultivated high-yielding varieties of rice
including BRI- 49, BRI-39, BRI-51, BRI-
52 and BINA-7 for getting more profit but
some other growers of the district planted
popular local varieties of Aman paddy on
their croplands like Nazirshail, Rajbhog,
Kotoktara, Paijam and Dapo as usual, the
sources added.
Abdul Hafij, a farmer of Mouhali village
under Baratia union of Ghior upazila,
said he has cultivated T-Aman paddy on
his land after harvesting mustard and
Boro paddy and achieved its good
production.
Like Abdul Hafij, many other farmers
have been cultivating three crops on the
same land for the last few years.
Moreover, they are interested to cultivate
Aman paddy for getting straw for their
cattle.
A group of cultivators of the district
said: "Earlier, we celebrated "Nabanno"
festival at the advent of Bangla month
"Agrahayan" with much festivity as Aman
was the main food crop in the country."
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin MP
inaugurated the Boro paddy seed and fertilizer distribution activities in
Borolekha yesterday.
Photo : Abdur Rob
Police foil BNP's hunger
strike prog in Khulna
KHULNA : Police foiled
opposition Bangladesh
Nationalist Party's (BNP)
mass hunger strike
programme in Khulna on
Saturday, reports UNB.
The BNP has started a
seven-hour mass hunger
strike programme in
different parts of the
country, including the
capital, in the morning,
demanding that its "critically
ill" chairperson, Khaleda
Zia, be allowed to go abroad
for advanced treatment.
As part of a countrywide
programme, when the
leaders and activists of the
party tried to gather in front
of the party office in Khulna
around 9am, police
obstructed them saying they
did not have any prior
permission.
When some leaders tried
to start their programme
inside the party office, the
police prevented them from
doing so.
Nazrul Islam Manju,
president of the city unit of
BNP, said, "We have
gathered here for a peaceful
programme and it's not a
political process. But the
cops are stopping us."
Hasan Al Mamun, officerin-charge
of Sadar Police
Station, said that no one
would be allowed to
participate in any
programme by occupying
roads and obstructing
traffic. "The party has been
asked to hold its programme
inside the BNP office."
On Thursday, Mirza
Fakhrul announced the
mass hunger strike
programme at a press
conference at BNP
chairperson's Gulshan
office. "The programme will
also be held in all
metropolitan cities and
district towns."
In Kachua, a view exchange meeting was held with the journalists and dignitaries
on sending skilled workers in agriculture to Japan. Photo : Mohammad Mahiuddin
RAB detains
two fraudsters
in Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI : Members of
Rapid Action Battalion
(RAB) arrested two
persons on charges of their
involvement in cheating
people in the name of
giving jobs to the
Bangladesh Army.
RAB sources said the
arrested persons were
identified as Shafiqul Islam
alias Babul, 50, a resident
of Vhaluka village of
Tanore upazila, and Anwar
Hossain alias Saber Ali, 52,
a resident of Chandrima
area in Rajshahi
metropolis.
On a tip-off, a team of the
elite force arrested them
from their respective
residences yesterday
morning.
Referring to their
confessional statement
Major Nazmus Saquib of
RAB-5 told the journalists
that the arrested persons
were involved in
manipulating innocent
job-seeking people for a
long time.
4,060 farmers
get agri-inputs
in Panchagarh
PANCHAGARH : Around 4,060 small and marginal farmers
received seeds and fertilizers free of cost in all ten unions of
Debiganj upazila under Panchagarh district .
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Debiganj
upazila arranged the distribution programme under the auspices
of farmers incentive and rehabilitation programme to enhance
production in current fiscal year 2021-2022 on the premises of
upazila agriculture office at noon.
Railways Minister Advocate Nurul Islam Sujon addressed the
programme virtually from Dhaka as the chief guest.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the farmer-friendly
government is working relentlessly to modernise the agriculture
sector.
The government is giving subsidy in agriculture sector for
farmer's benefits and to ensure food security for all, he added.
The minister urged the farmers to use modern technology in
agriculture to boost production.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Debiganj (UNO) Prottoy Hasan
presided over the function.
Upazila parishad chairman of Debiganj, Abdul Malek Chistee
was present as special guest. It was addressed, among others, by
female vice-chairman Babul Hossein Sarker, upazila Awami
League president Gias Uddin chowdary. Agriculture officer
Safiar Rahman gave the welcome address.
The seed and fertilizers were distributed among the listed
farmers. Of them 2000 farmers got Maize seeds, 1000 farmers
got wheat, 500 mustard seeds, 400 farmers got groundnut seeds,
100 farmers got onion and 60 farmers got pulse seeds and
necessary fertilizers under incentive programme.
College student
dies after being
hit by train in
Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI : A 24-year-old
college student was killed
when a train hit him near the
faculty of Fine Arts in
Rajshahi University on
Friday afternoon, reports
UNB.
The deceased was
identified as Asadul Islam,
son of Mukul Hossain of
Mushroil of the city. He was
a student of honours third
year at Rajshahi College.
Witnesses said Asadul died
while crossing a level
crossing adjacent to the
Faculty of Fine Arts when the
Chilahati-bound Barendra
Express ran over him around
3pm.
However, police suspect
that he might have
committed suicide.
Emran Hossain, Officerin-Charge
of Chandrima
Police Station, the body has
been kept at the police
station.
It will be known after
investigation whether it is an
accident or suicide, the OC
added.
5-yr-old raped
by cousin in
Bhola
BHOLA : A five-year-old
girl has been allegedly
raped by her cousin at
Jahanpur union of Bhola's
Char Fasson Upazila,
reports UNB.
Police said Shamim, 18, a
Madrasa student, raped
the girl when he found her
alone in the house as her
grandmother went to the
next room on Thursday
morning. Shamim fled the
scene when the girl started
screaming.
Later, the child was
admitted to Char Fashion
Hospital in critical
condition.
Mizanur Rahman,
Officer-in-charge of Char
Fashion Shashibhushan
Police Station, said a case
has been filed against
Shamim.
However, the accused
has not been arrested yet.
Efforts are underway to
arrest theaccused, the OC
added.
Schoolboy
electrocuted
in Gopalganj
GOPALGANJ : A school
boy died after being
electrocuted in Bedgram
area in Gopalganj
municipality yesterday.
The deceased was
identified as Razu Sheikh,
14, hailed from the area.
His mother was also
injured as she tried to save
her boy.
Local people said the
incident occurred
yesterday afternoon when
Razu was catching fish in a
water body close to his
house. He was brought to
Gopalganj 250-bed
Hospital where the duty
doctor Sanjeeb Kumar
Dhar declared him dead.
An organization named 'Prokriti o Jiban Shashtha Seba Kendra' has distributed winter clothes
among the helpless people in Panchagarh.
Photo : Md Anamul Haque
Fake doctor fined Tk 10,000 in Matiranga
ABUL HASHEM, MATIRANGA CORRESPONDENT
A fake doctor named Joynal Abedin
(30) has been fined. Although he has
no experience in medical science, he
has been cheating the public day after
day.
Based on reliable sources, the a
mobile court was conducted after
receiving the news that a fake doctor
was coming to Matiranga for medical
treatment.
At around noon on Saturday
(November 20), the fake doctor was
fined Tk 10,000 from the pharmacy
called Ma Medical Hall in Matiranga
Bazar by the executive magistrate of the
mobile court Md. Hedayet Ullah.
Joynal Abedin has been visiting
patients at Maa Medical Hall Pharmacy
in Matiranga Bazar for the last 4
months. He also used to treat various
complex diseases by introducing
himself as DMA, BHE Health (MBA)
According to the mobile court, Joynal
Abedin is working as a medical
assistant and assistant surgeon at
Cumilla Medical Center.
Matiranga Police Sub-Inspector (SI)
A fake doctor named Joynal Abedin (30) has been fined Tk 10,000 yesterday.
Photo : Abul Hashem
Entomology Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur organized
a day-long workshop on Fall Armyworm Management in Bangladesh at Kazi
Badruddoza Auditorium, Bari, Gazipur yesterday.
Photo : Shamsul Haque
95,631 patients recovered from
Covid-19 in Rajshahi division
RAJSHAHI : Fifteen more patients have
recovered from Covid-19 in the division on Friday,
taking the recovery count to 95,631 since
the pandemic began in March last year.
On the contrary, two more people have tested
positive for the deadly disease in two districts
of the division during the same period,
raising the caseload to 99,215 so far.
However, the new positive figure is the lowest-ever
in the division since the second wave
of the pandemic hit the country, said Dr
Habibul Ahsan Talukder, divisional director of
Health, adding that a total of 10 people were
infected on Thursday.
The death toll reached 1,679, including 685
in Bogura, 322 in Rajshahi with 204 in its city
and 175 in Natore as no new fatality was
reported during the last 24 hours span, Dr
Talukder added. Besides, all the positive cases
of Covid-19 have, so far, been brought under
treatment while 23,061 were kept in isolation
units of different dedicated hospitals for institutional
quarantine. Of them, 19,687 have
been released.
Meanwhile, four more people have been sent
to home and institutional quarantine afresh
while two others were released from isolation
during the same time. Of the two new cases,
one each was detected in Bogura and Sirajganj
districts. With the newly detected patients, the
district-wise break-up of the total cases now
stands at 28,190 in Rajshahi including 22,749
in its city, 5,682 in Chapainawabganj, 6,433 in
Naogaon, 8,399 in Natore, 4,650 in Joypurhat,
21,689 in Bogura, 11,415 in Sirajganj and
12,753 in Pabna. A total of 1,14,275 people
have, so far, been kept under quarantine since
March 10 last year to prevent community
transmission of the deadly coronavirus
(COVID-19).
Sumon Nath and Matiranga Upazila
Sanitary and Food Safety Inspector
Mohammad Mizanur Rahman were
present during the court proceedings.
Hedayet Ullah, executive magistrate
of the mobile court and Matiranga
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (ADO), said
that no doctor can provide treatment
using his own pad without a valid
registration from BMDC.
He warned the pharmacy owners not
to practice these fake Dr. Chambers in
the future without verification as well
as warning them not to practice
privately as doctors in the future.
Phd seminar
on 'Village
Court' held
at IU
ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY :
A PhD seminar on 'The
Concept of Access to
Justice and Development
of Village Court in
Bangladesh' was held
yesterday at Islamic
University (IU) in
Kushtia.
Islamic University Law
department arranged the
seminar at the seminar
room of the Law faculty
on the campus around
11:00 am.
IU treasurer Professor
Dr Alamgir Hossain
Bhuiyan addressed the
event as the chief guest
while Professor Dr Nurun
Nahar, Chairperson of the
Law department, was in
the chair.
Professor Dr Halima
Khatun, dean of Law
faculty, Professor Dr M
Selim Toha of law
department addressed
the programme as the
special guests while
associate Professor Dr
Abdul Karim Khan of the
department delivered
speech as the discussant.
Over 50 teachers from
different departments
including Professor Dr
Kazi M Atiqur Rahman,
Professor Dr Shahjahan
Mondol, Professor Dr
Reba Mondol of law
department, Professor Dr
Jahangir Hossain,
Professor Dr Anowar
Hossain of Islamic
History and Culture
department, Professor Dr
Maher, Professor Dr
Shahadat Hossain Azad
of English department
and Professor Dr
Anowarul Haque Swapon
were present here.
PhD fellow M Sazzadur
Rahman Titu presented
his research article at the
function under the
supervision of Professor
Dr Johurul Islam of Law
department.
The fellow, Sazzadur
Rahman, broadly
explained in his research
paper titled 'Role of
Village Courts for Access
to Justice in Bangladesh'
about the types of Justice,
access to justice, principle
of access to justice and
Justice and court system
of Bangladesh.
At a busy market in a poor township outside Harare this week, Nyasha Ndou kept his mask in his
pocket, as hundreds of other people, mostly unmasked, jostled to buy and sell fruit and vegetables
displayed on wooden tables and plastic sheets.
Photo : AP
Scientists mystified, wary, as
Africa avoids COVID disaster
HARARE : At a busy market in a poor
township outside Harare this week,
Nyasha Ndou kept his mask in his
pocket, as hundreds of other people,
mostly unmasked, jostled to buy and sell
fruit and vegetables displayed on
wooden tables and plastic sheets. As in
much of Zimbabwe, here the
coronavirus is quickly being relegated to
the past, as political rallies, concerts and
home gatherings have returned.
"COVID-19 is gone, when did you last
hear of anyone who has died of COVID-
19?" Ndou said. "The mask is to protect
my pocket," he said. "The police demand
bribes so I lose money if I don't move
around with a mask." Earlier this week,
Zimbabwe recorded just 33 new COVID-
19 cases and zero deaths, in line with a
recent fall in the disease across the
continent, where World Health
Organization data show that infections
have been dropping since July.
When the coronavirus first emerged
last year, health officials feared the
pandemic would sweep across Africa,
killing millions. Although it's still unclear
what COVID-19's ultimate toll will be,
that catastrophic scenario has yet to
materialize in Zimbabwe or much of the
continent. Scientists emphasize that
obtaining accurate COVID-19 data,
particularly in African countries with
patchy surveillance, is extremely
Cannabis bust on
Indigenous land
highlights legal divide
SANTA FE : A federal raid on
a household marijuana
garden on tribal land in
northern New Mexico is
sowing uncertainty and
resentment about U.S. drug
enforcement priorities on
Native
American
reservations, as more states
roll out legal marketplaces for
recreational pot sales, reports
UNB.
In late September, Bureau
of Indian Affairs officers
confiscated nine cannabis
plants from a home garden at
Picuris Pueblo that was
tended by Charles Farden, a
local resident since childhood
who is not Native American.
The 54-year-old is enrolled in
the state's medical marijuana
program to ease posttraumatic
stress and anxiety.
Farden said he was startled
to be placed in handcuffs as
federal officers seized mature
plants laden with buds - an
estimated yearlong personal
supply.
New Mexico first approved
the drug's medical use in
2007, while Picuris Pueblo
decriminalized medical pot
for members in 2015. A new
state law in June broadly
legalized marijuana for adults
and authorized up to a dozen
home-grown plants per
household for personal use -
with no weight limit.
"I was just open with the
officer, straightforward.
When he asked what I was
growing, I said, 'My
vegetables, my medical
cannabis,' " Farden said of the
Sept. 29 encounter. "And he
was like, 'That can be a
problem.' "
The raid has cast a shadow
over cannabis as an economic
development opportunity for
Indigenous communities.
difficult, and warn that declining
coronavirus trends could easily be
reversed.
But there is something "mysterious"
going on in Africa that is puzzling
scientists, said Wafaa El-Sadr, chair of
global health at Columbia University.
"Africa doesn't have the vaccines and the
resources to fight COVID-19 that they
have in Europe and the U.S., but
somehow they seem to be doing better,"
she said. Fewer than 6% of people in
Africa are vaccinated. For months, the
WHO has described Africa as "one of the
least affected regions in the world" in its
weekly pandemic reports.
Some researchers say the continent's
younger population-the average age is
20 versus about 43 in Western Europe -
in addition to their lower rates of
urbanization and tendency to spend
time outdoors, may have spared it the
more lethal effects of the virus so far.
Several studies are probing whether
there might be other explanations,
including genetic reasons or past
infection with parasitic diseases.
On Friday, researchers working in
Uganda said they found COVID-19
patients with high rates of exposure to
malaria were less likely to suffer severe
disease or death than people with little
history of the disease. "We went into this
project thinking we would see a higher
rate of negative outcomes in people with
a history of malaria infections because
that's what was seen in patients coinfected
with malaria and Ebola," said
Jane Achan, a senior research advisor at
the Malaria Consortium and a co-author
of the study. "We were actually quite
surprised to see the opposite - that
malaria may have a protective effect."
Achan said this may suggest that past
infection with malaria could "blunt" the
tendency of people's immune systems to
go into overdrive when they are infected
with COVID-19.
The research was presented Friday at a
meeting of the American Society of
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Christian Happi, director of the
African Center of Excellence for
Genomics of Infectious Diseases at
Redeemer's University in Nigeria, said
authorities are used to curbing
outbreaks even without vaccines and
credited the extensive networks of
community health workers. "It's not
always about how much money you have
or how sophisticated your hospitals are,"
he said.
Devi Sridhar, chair of global public
health at the University of Edinburgh,
said African leaders haven't gotten the
credit they deserve for acting quickly,
citing Mali's decision to close its borders
before COVID-19 even arrived.
Christmas in Bethlehem:Gilded
treasures, but few tourists
BETHLEHEM : Ahead of Christmas, a
towering wooden screen - once blackened
with soot from millions of worshippers'
candles - is being restored to its gilded glory in
the Church of the Nativity, built at the site
where many believe Jesus was born, reports
UNB. But few visitors are expected to see it
during the upcoming Christmas holiday
season.
Biblical Bethlehem has struggled since the
start of the coronavirus pandemic almost two
years ago. Christmas is normally peak season
for tourism in Jesus' traditional birthplace,
located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In
pre-pandemic times, thousands of pilgrims
and tourists from around the world celebrated
in the Church of the Nativity and the adjacent
Manger Square.
Israel reopened its borders to vaccinated
tourists earlier this month, but relatively few
are expected to travel to Bethlehem this
holiday season, and not nearly as many as in
the record-breaking year preceding the
pandemic. Most tourists visiting Bethlehem
fly into Israel as the West Bank does not have
an airport.
Many of Bethlehem's hotels have shut and
shopkeepers have struggled to keep afloat.
Aladdin Subuh, a shopkeeper whose store sits
just off Manger Square, said he only opens his
doors to air out the shop.
"It's almost Christmas and there's nobody.
Imagine that," he said, surveying the few
passersby in the hopes of spotting a foreigner
in search of a souvenir. "For two years, no
business. It's like dying slowly."
Though the pandemic has blighted the Holy
Land's once thriving tourism industry for
Israelis and Palestinians alike, for tourismdependent
Bethlehem, the impact has been
especially severe. Israel, the primary gateway
for foreign tourists, had banned most foreign
visitors for the past year and half before this
month's reopening.
Just over 30,000 tourists entered Israel in
the first half of November, compared to
421,000 in November 2019, according to
Israel's Interior Ministry.
Ahead of Christmas, a towering wooden screen - once blackened with soot
from millions of worshippers' candles - is being restored to its gilded glory
in the Church of the Nativity, built at the site where many believe Jesus was
born.
Photo : AP
Jury finds Rittenhouse not
guilty in Kenosha shootings
KENOSHA : Kyle
Rittenhouse was acquitted of
all charges Friday after
testifying he acted in selfdefense
in the deadly
Kenosha shootings that
became a flashpoint in the
debate over guns, vigilantism
and racial injustice in the U.S,
reports UNB.
Rittenhouse, 18, began to
choke up, fell forward toward
the defense table and then
hugged one of his attorneys as
he heard a court clerk recite
"not guilty" five times. A
sheriff's deputy whisked him
out a back door.
"He wants to get on with his
life," defense attorney Mark
Richards said. "He has a huge
sense of relief for what the
jury did to him today. He
wishes none of this ever
happened. But as he said
when he testified, he did not
start this."
The verdict in the politically
combustible case was met
with anger and
disappointment from those
who saw Rittenhouse as a
vigilante and a wannabe cop,
and relief and a sense of
vindication from those who
regarded him as a patriot who
took a stand against
lawlessness and exercised his
Second Amendment right to
carry a gun and to defend
himself. Supporters donated
more than $2 million toward
his legal defense.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the
longtime civil rights leader,
said the verdict throws into
doubt the safety of people
who protest in support of
Black Americans.
State lawmaker ill with
COVID in El Salvador
now in Florida
BELLINGHAM : State Sen.
Doug Ericksen of Ferndale
who was sickened with
COVID-19 in El Salvador is
now in stable condition at a
Florida hospital after a
medevac flight, according to
a former state lawmaker,
reports UNB.
Luanne Van Werven, who
served with Ericksen in the
Legislature from 2014 to
2020, told The Bellingham
Herald Friday that Ericksen
is definitely on the road to
recovery.
Ericksen, a Republican
who represents the 42nd
District in Whatcom County,
wrote to his legislative
colleagues last week that he
tested positive for COVID-19
in El Salvador and needed
monoclonal antibodies, the
same Regeneron treatment
that former President
Trump received in 2020.
"It was obviously serious
when he was back in El
Salvador, but he's definitely
on the mend," Van Werven,
of Lynden, told the
newspaper, saying he was in
a hospital in Fort
Lauderdale.
Van Werven said she
texted with Ericksen and
spoke to his wife.
SAN JOSE : Fallen Silicon Valley star
Elizabeth Holmes, accused of
bamboozling investors and patients
about her startup Theranos and its
medical device that she said would
reshape health care, took the witness
stand late Friday in her trial for criminal
fraud, reports UNB.
The surprise decision to have Holmes
testify so early in her defense came as a
bombshell and carries considerable risk.
Federal prosecutors, who rested their
months-long case earlier on Friday, have
made it clear that they're eager to grill
Holmes under oath.
Prosecutors aren't likely to get that
chance until after the Thanksgiving
holiday weekend. Holmes attorney
Kevin Downey told U.S. District Judge
Edward Davila that he expects to
continue steering her through her story
when she returns to the stand Monday
and again Tuesday in a San Jose,
California, courtroom before the trial
breaks until Nov. 29.
Prosecutors called 29 witnesses to
support their contention that Holmes
endangered patients' lives while also
suNDAY, November 21, 2021
7
Facing surge, Austria will mandate
COVID-19 shots, lock down
VIENNA : Austria announced a national
lockdown and a plan to mandate
vaccinations as coronavirus infections hit a
record high Friday, forcing the government
to walk back promises that strict shutdowns
were a thing of the past, reports UNB.
While the scope of the proposed mandate
was unclear, a blanket requirement would be
a first for a Western country. Chancellor
Alexander Schallenberg said those who
didn't comply would likely be fined but gave
no other details.
The moves come as vaccinations in Austria
have plateaued at one of the lowest rates in
Western Europe, and as hospitals in heavily
hit states have warned that their intensive
care units are reaching capacity. Average
daily deaths have tripled in recent weeks -
though the number of fatalities reported over
the past week remains well below the high of
last winter and 13 U.S. states are already
seeing more deaths per 100,000 people.
Earlier this month, Schallenberg indicated
a full lockdown would not be needed and
instead imposed the restrictions only on
those not vaccinated.
The lockdown will start Monday and
initially will last for 10 days, when it will be
reevaluated, Schallenberg said. Starting Feb.
1, the country will also make vaccinations
mandatory - though the chancellor gave few
details about what that meant or how it
would work.
"Increasing the vaccination rate - and I
think we're all in agreement on this - is our
only way to break out of this vicious cycle of
viral waves and lockdown discussions for
good," Schallenberg said. "We don't want a
fifth wave, we don't want a sixth and seventh
wave."
Austria is among several Western
European countries where infections are
rising rapidly and where there are concerns
that vaccination rates, while relatively high,
are insufficient to hold off a winter surge at
hospitals.
Thanks largely to inoculation, hospitals in
the region are not under the same pressure
they were earlier in the pandemic, but many
are still straining to handle rising numbers of
COVID-19 patients while also attempting to
clear backlogs with exhausted or sick staff.
Austria announced a national lockdown and a plan to mandate vaccinations as
coronavirus infections hit a record high Friday, forcing the government to
walk back promises that strict shutdowns were a thing of the past. Photo : AP
US opens COVID boosters to
all adults, urges them for 50+
WASHINGTON : The U.S. on Friday opened
COVID-19 booster shots to all adults and
took the extra step of urging people 50 and
older to seek one, aiming to ward off a winter
surge as coronavirus cases rise even before
millions of Americans travel for the holidays,
reports UNB.
Until now, Americans faced a confusing
list of who was eligible for a booster that
varied by age, their health and which kind of
vaccine they got first. The Food and Drug
Administration authorized changes to Pfizer
and Moderna boosters to make it easier.
Under the new rules, anyone 18 or older can
choose either a Pfizer or Moderna booster six
months after their last dose. For anyone who
got the single-dose Johnson and Johnson
vaccine, the wait already was just two
months. And people can mix-and-match
boosters from any company.
"We heard loud and clear that people
needed something simpler - and this, I think,
is simple," FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter
Marks told The Associated Press.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention had to agree before the new
policy became official late Friday. CDC
Elizabeth Holmes takes the stand
in her criminal fraud trial
duping investors and customers about
Theranos' technology. Among them was
Gen. James Mattis, a former U.S.
defense secretary and former Theranos
board member, who explained how he
was first impressed and ultimately
disillusioned by Holmes.
They also presented internal
documents and sometimes salacious
texts between Holmes and her former
lover, Sunny Bulwani, who also served as
Theranos' chief operating officer. In
court documents, Holmes' attorneys
have asserted she was manipulated by
Balwani through "intimate partner
abuse" - an issue that is expected to come
up during her ongoing testimony next
week.
Until she took the stand Friday,
Holmes had sat bolt upright in her chair
to the far right of the jury through the
trial, impassive even when one-time
supporters testified to their misgivings
about Theranos.
That combination of compelling
testimony and documentary evidence
apparently proved effective at
convincing Holmes to tell her side of the
Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed a
recommendation from her agency's
scientific advisers that - in addition to
offering all adults a booster - had stressed
that people 50 and older should be urged to
get one.
"It's a stronger recommendation," said
CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser
Permanente Colorado. "I want to make sure
we provide as much protection as we can."
The CDC also put out a plea for those who
had previously qualified but hadn't yet
signed up for a booster to quit putting it off -
saying older Americans and people with
risks such as obesity, diabetes or other health
problems should try to get one before the
holidays.
The expansion makes tens of millions
more Americans eligible for an extra dose of
protection.
The No. 1 priority for the U.S., and the
world, still is to get more unvaccinated
people their first doses. All three COVID-19
vaccines used in the U.S. continue to offer
strong protection against severe illness,
including hospitalization and death, without
a booster.
story to the jury of 10 men and four
women (including two alternates) who
will ultimately decide her fate. If
convicted, Holmes-now 37 and mother
to a recently born son-could be
sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
Shortly after 3 p.m., Holmes walked
slowly to the stand before a rapt
courtroom filled with spectators and
jurors, all wearing masks.
Maskless behind a transparent barrier,
Holmes recounted her early years as a
student at Stanford University and her
interest in disease detection. That
culminated in her decision to drop out of
school in 2003 at the age of 19 to found
the startup that eventually became
Theranos. Holmes said the name was
derived from the words "therapy" and
"diagnosis".
Holmes said she convinced her
parents to let her use her college savings
to finance her ambitions to shake up the
health care industry. "I started working
all the time ... trying to meet people who
could help me could build this," Holmes
said in a husky voice that became one of
her trademarks during Theranos' rise.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2021
8
Prime Bank subscribed BDT 2.00 billion in the preference shares issued by United Mymensingh
Power Ltd (UMPL), one of the concerns of United Group - a leading business conglomerate of
Bangladesh. As part of the group's initiative to explore alternative instruments to support its financing
requirement, Prime Bank arranged and subscribed the preference shares. To grace the ceremony,
Moinuddin Hasan Rashid, Managing Director and Hasan Mahmood Raja, Chief Advisor of UMPL
along with Hassan O. Rashid, Managing Director & CEO and Shams A. Muhaimin, Deputy Managing
Director of Prime Bank were present with other senior officials from both the organizations.
Commenting on the subscription, the Managing Director & CEO of Prime Bank Hassan O. Rashid
said, "Prime Bank has long been supporting the capacity building of power sector in Bangladesh
through both long-term and short term financing. I believe our continuous investment in power sector
will fuel economic growth".
Photo: Courtesy
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, M.P. is seen with ICCB President
Mahbubur Rahman, ICCB Vice President A. K. Azad, Former Foreign
Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, M.P., Apex Group Chairman
Syed Manzur Elahi, Envoy Group Chairman Kutubuddin Ahmed, Purbani
Group Chairman Abdul Hai Sarker, Evince Group Chairman, Anwar ul
Alam Chowdhury (Parvez), Square Group Managing Director Tapan
Chowdhury and BKMEA Executive President Mohammad Hatem at the
Inaugural Ceremony of the ICCB New Office at Gulshan and Launching of
ICCB Business Directory on 20 November 2021.
Photo: Courtesy
Tipu Munshi inaugurates ICC Bangladesh
New Secretariat at Gulshan
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, M.P.
inaugurated the National Committee
Secretariat of International Chamber of
Commerce-Bangladesh (ICCB)-The
World Business Organization at Gulshan
recently. In his inaugural address Munshi
appreciated the role played by the
business community in the overall development
of the country and making
Bangladesh today the fastest growing
economy in the world. He wished that
business community together with public
sector will continue to work to fulfill the
vision of Prime Minister Shaikh Hasina in
making Bangladesh a developed country
by 2041. He congratulated ICC
Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman,
Members of the Executive Board as
well as the Members Patrons in setting up
a state-of-the-art Secretariat and
expressed his hope that in future ICC
Bangladesh will play same positive role for
further development of the country, a
press release said.
The Minister also launched ICCB Business
Directory which contains basic information
about Bangladesh, information
for trade and investment and FDI. The
first Directory was published in 2008.
ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur
Rahman in his welcome address said that
Star Line Pitha Competition
is being held across country
like the previous year. It's
time we get the warmth of
the traditional country-cake
delight with Pitha during the
upcoming winter chill out.
The Star Line Pitha
Competition will start from
3rd December, 2021 till
18th February , 2022 at the
RAOWA Club, Mohakhali
DOHS,
Dhaka,
supplemented by health and
nutritional advisory ,
maintaining social distance
and regulatory face masks
on for compulsory. This
competition will start on 3rd
December the countrywide
Meherpur, Gopalganj,
Jessore, Chandpur, Feni,
Chattogram, Sylhet,
Rangpur, Rajshahi, Barishal
and Dhaka, a press release
said.
Main Uddin, Director of
Star Line Food Products Ltd.
& Lobbi Rahman, founder
ICCB started it's journey at a small office
located at premises of DCCI and with 17
members. ICCB have 10 Chambers of
Commerce and Business Associations
Members under Organization Category
(FBCCI, DCCI, MCCI, CCCI, FICCI, BAB,
BIA, BGMEA, BKMEA and BTMA) and
128 Members under Corporate Category
(31 commercial banks, 7 non-banking
financial institutions, 10 insurance companies,
5 law firms, 56 national companies
and 19 Transnational companies).
Rahman mentioned that ICCB had so far
organized seven International and Regional
Conferences which were attended by
Heads of State, Heads of Governments,
Ministers, Heads of International Agencies,
business leaders, professional and experts
from home and abroad. The latest Conference
was held on 10-12 December 2019.
The President of the People's Republic of
Bangladesh Abdul Hamid inaugurated the
Conference, he noted.
Mahbubur Rahman acknowledged
ICCB Founding Vice President Late Latifur
Rahman, A. K. Azad, Kutubuddin
Ahmed, Anwar ul Alam Chowdhury
(Parvez), Tapan Chowdhury. A.S.M.
Quasem and Md. Fazlul Haque played the
key role in mobilizing the resources for
buying new office premises.
President of Lobbi
Rahman's Cooking
Foundation have announced
jointly for the Pitha
competition in Dhaka
recently. Ferdous Alam
Mojumder, Managing
Director of Frontline
Communications Limited
was present in the occasion.
UK retail sales
grow for first
time in six
months
LONDON : British retail
sales rose in October after
five months of zero growth
thanks to early Christmas
purchases, official data
showed Friday, reports BSS.
Sales by volume climbed
0.8 percent from
September, the Office for
National Statistics said in a
statement.
"After five months of no
growth, retail sales picked
up in October," ONS chief
economist Grant Fitzner
said in a statement.
"Clothing, department
stores and toy shop sales
reported a boost... with
some retailers suggesting
that early Christmas
shopping helped to bolster
trade," he added.
ICCB Vice President A.K. Azad in his
vote of thanks recalled the role played by
founding ICCB Vice President Latifur
Raman for his guidance and continuous
support to ICC Bangladesh in carrying out
his various activities since the National
Secretariat was set up in 1994. He thanked
the Commerce Minister for inaugurating
the new Secretariat and for his assurance
in extending to full support of his Ministry
to the business community. He also
thanked the Members and Patrons for
attending the inaugural ceremony.
The inaugural ceremony among others
were attended by Apex Group Chairman
Syed Manzur Elahi, Former Foreign
Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud,
M.P.; Pubali Bank Chairman
Monzurur Rahman; IPDC Chairman
Md. Abdul Karim; Salahuddin Kasem
Khan, Director, A.K. Khan & Company
Ltd,; ICCB Executive Board Members :
Abdul Hai Sarker; A. S. M. Quasem;
Aftab ul Islam; Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury
(Parvez); Faruque Hassan;
Kutubuddin Ahmed; Mahbubul Alam;
Md. Fazlul Hoque; Mir Nasir Hossain;
Mohammad Hatem; Simeen Rahman;
Tapan Chowdhury and M.D/ CEOs of
Commercial Banks, National and Multinational
Companies.
Star Line Pitha competition begins
The interested culinary
artiste are requested to
registration their names by
authorized persons of the
respective Districts.
IMF renews
$50 b credit
line for Mexico
WASHINGTON : The IMF
announced Friday it has
renewed a two-year credit
line for Mexico for $50
billion, reports BSS.
The Mexican economy
remains exposed to risks,
including from the impact of
Covid-19, and the flexible
credit line (FCL) will provide
insurance against those risks
and bolster market
confidence,
the
International Monetary
Fund said in a statement.
The government considers
the credit line
"precautionary" and has
gradually reduced the
amount since 2017, when it
totaled nearly $90 billion,
the IMF said.
"The Mexican economy is
rebounding from its deepest
recession in decades,
spurred by strong US growth
and rising vaccination
rates," said Geoffrey
Okamoto, the IMF's first
deputy managing director.
"The authorities have
successfully maintained
external, financial, and fiscal
stability, despite the
pandemic-related
challenges."
Padma Bank Limited launches very
attractive Loan scheme 'Padma-
Proyojon' for customers. Besides, car,
home and personal loan schemes will
also be available without any hassle in a
short time, a press release said.
On Saturday at the BGB Hall of
Dhanmondi in the capital, the Padma-
Proyojon' was officially unveiled at a
customer gathering and exchange
meeting organized by Padma Bank
Limited's Dhaka South Zone.
Md. Ehsan Khasru, Managing
Director and CEO of Padma Bank
spoke on the occasion as the chief guest
and officially inaugurated the 'Padma-
Proyojon' loan. Deputy Managing
Director Faisal Ahsan Chowdhury was
the special guest.
If anyone has a minimum balance of
5,000/- taka in the last six months at
Asia markets mostly up but Alibaba
plunge hammers Hong Kong
HONG KONG : Hong Kong tumbled Friday
on an otherwise positive day for Asian
markets, with Chinese ecommerce titan
Alibaba tanking more than 10 percent after
warning of a weaker outlook, reports BSS.
Alibaba said Thursday that net profit
tumbled 81 percent in the second quarter and
revenue grew less than forecast as it was hit by
the impact of slowing economic growth and a
government crackdown on the tech sector.
The firm, once the poster child of China's
high-flying private enterprises, also said
income growth over the rest of the fiscal year
fell short of expectations, adding that certain
factors could further impact results including
"changes in laws, regulations and (the)
regulatory environment" such as those related
to privacy and data.
The sharp loss in Hong Kong reflected a
more than 11 percent fall in its New York
shares and comes after a painful year that has
seen the firm in the crosshairs of Beijing's
regulatory drive to rein in companies it
thought were growing too powerful.
With Alibaba a big player on Hong Kong's
Hang Seng Index, the market plunged 1.7
percent, and other tech firms including
Tencent, NetEase and XD also fell.
However, losses were limited elsewhere in
Asia, with only Wellington and Manila down.
Tokyo climbed as the government
announced plans to inject almost $500 billion
into the Japanese economy to kickstart the
any account of the bank, will get the
required loan. Per month installments
are only 90/- taka.
Md. Ehsan Khasru, Managing
Director and CEO of Padma Bank, said
that this exceptional loan has been
introduced only to provide financial
support to the customers at their need.
He thanked the customers for being
with Padma Bank with confidence.
Apart from the success of the bank in
investment, remittance, deposit and
recovery, Padma-Wallet, Padma-ibanking,
Padmabati for women
customers and Padma Pratidin-various
modern products of the bank were
presented to the customers.
Padma Bank Chief Operating Officer
Zabed Amin and CFO Md. Shoriful
Islam also spoke on the occasion. The
Bangladesh country economist of the
pandemic recovery. There were also gains in
Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei
and Jakarta.
Traders had been given a positive lead from
Wall Street, where all three main indexes
ended just short of record highs, though focus
remains on surging inflation and growing
expectations that central banks will tighten
monetary policy sooner.
Data this month has shown prices rising at
levels not seen for three decades in the United
States, 18 years in Canada and 10 years in the
United Kingdom owing to soaring energy
costs and global supply chain snarls. Finance
chiefs in some countries including South
Korea and New Zealand have already hiked
interest rates, and the Bank of England is
expected to follow suit before the end of the
year.
But eyes are on the Federal Reserve, which
has already announced plans to wind down its
vast bond-buying programme but is now
facing increasing pressure to hike borrowing
costs as soon as mid-2022.
"The oil market deficit will still remain
despite the tapping of reserves and the next
big move for prices will most likely depend on
the weather," said OANDA's Edward Moya.
"Natural gas prices may be the key shortterm
driver as Russia plays hardball with
Europe. Any natural gas shortages will lead to
additional crude demand as the scramble for
alternative energy sources intensifies."
‘Padma-Proyojon’ loan and Padma Bank's Dhaka
South Zone Customer meeting held
SHANGHAI : Chinese e-commerce
leader Alibaba Group said on Thursday
its latest quarterly profit tumbled 81
percent and lowered its outlook in the
face of slowing economic growth and a
government crackdown on Big Tech,
reports BSS.
Alibaba said profit came in at 5.37
billion yuan ($833 million) for the July-
September period, falling from 28.77
billion yuan earned over the same
stretch last year.
It cited no direct impact on its profit
from the clampdown, instead blaming
the decline on "increased investments in
key strategic areas" such as lower-tier
segments of its consumer markets and
international operations. However,
revenue also slightly missed forecasts by
analysts polled by Bloomberg News.
The Hangzhou-based company's
revenues-generated mainly by its core e-
commerce operations-reached 200.7
billion yuan, up 29 percent. It forecast
revenue growth of 20-23 percent for the
full 2022 fiscal year, down from at least
27 percent that had been expected by
analysts. Alibaba also said certain
factors could further impact eventual
results including "changes in laws,
regulations and (the) regulatory
environment" such as those related to
privacy and data.
Alibaba's earnings have been
anticipated as a gauge of how one of the
country's highest-profile companies was
faring under the government's drive to
rein in big tech.
Chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang,
speaking after the earnings
announcement, said Alibaba would
continue to invest heavily in developing
its businesses and that company
executives remained "very confident in
our business strategy and our future."
Earlier on Thursday, Alibaba's main e-
commerce rival JD.com announced that
it had fared even more poorly, posting a
loss of 2.8 billion yuan. Both companies
have shares listed in the United States
and Hong Kong. Alibaba shares in New
York tumbled more than 10 percent in
late morning trading. JD.com rose three
percent. China's ruling Communist
Party has relied upon its tech giants to
push forward a digital transformation in
the country.
But it abruptly turned on the sector
late last year as concerns mounted over
its aggressive expansion and allegations
of monopolistic practices and data
abuses-paralleling similar unease with
tech firms in the United States and
elsewhere.
UNDP Dr. Nazneen Ahmed greets the
customers. During this time Dr.
Nazneen praised 'Padma-Proyojon'
and other loan schemes, saying that
these timely products would play a
significant role in the needs of the
customers.
Among others Head of Human
Resources M Ahsan Ullah Khan,
Business Head Khandaker Zibanur
Rahman, Law & Recovery Head Firoz
Alam and other senior officials, local
dignitaries and journalists were
present on the occasion.
The fourth generation Padma Bank
Limited, which is owned by the
government-owned Sonali, Janata,
Agrani, Rupali Bank and ICB, has been
providing modern banking services to
its customers through 58 branches
across the country.
Alibaba profit tumbles, outlook
lowered as China reins in tech
Alibaba was first to feel the wrath. Last
year the government scuppered what
would have been a world-record stock
IPO by Alibaba's financial arm, Ant
Group, and in April fined Alibaba a
record $2.78 billion for anti-competitive
practices, which dragged Alibaba to a
rare quarterly loss earlier this year. The
government has also introduced new
regulations and other curbs aimed at
bringing major Chinese digital players to
heel, sending their share prices
tumbling.
Last week, gaming and messaging
giant Tencent reported its slowest
revenue growth since 2004. The
government's crackdown has included
measures to restrict playing time by
minors and has slowed approvals for
new titles in the world's biggest gaming
market.
On Wednesday, Baidu reported a net
loss as the government tightening
appeared to have weakened prospects
for its important online marketing
revenues.Alibaba reported record sales
on its platforms during its annual
November 1-11 "Singles Day" shopping
festival-China's answer to the US "Black
Friday" event though it was markedly
more low key than in past years due to
the government pressure.
Los Angeles superstar LeBron James scored 23 points in his return from
an eight-game injury absence but the Boston Celtics spoiled the Lakers'
welcome back party with a dominant 130-108 NBA victory. Photo : AP
Celtics down Lakers to spoil James's
return, Warriors beat Pistons
LOS ANGELES : Los Angeles
superstar LeBron James
scored 23 points in his return
from an eight-game injury
absence but the Boston
Celtics spoiled the Lakers'
welcome back party with a
dominant 130-108 NBA
victory.
James made 10 of 16
attempts, including three of
seven from three-point
range. He pulled down six
rebounds and handed out
two assists in his first game
since suffering an abdominal
strain in a victory over the
Houston Rockets on
November 2.
James used his jump shot,
rarely driving through
Boston's defense. He had just
one free-throw attempt and
missed it, just the 23rd time
in 1,317 career contests that
he failed to make a foul shot
in a game.
The Celtics, meanwhile,
finished with 56 points in the
paint. They trailed by 14
early, but out-scored the
Lakers 33-21 in the third
quarter to take an 11-point
lead into the final period.
The fourth quarter also
belonged to Boston, who outscored
the Lakers 37-26 in
the final period as they rolled
to victory.
"They turned it up a notch
and we didn't," said Lakers
guard Russell Westbrook,
who scored 12 points.
Boston's Jayson Tatum led
all scorers with 37 points and
pulled down 11 rebounds.
Marcus Smart added 22
points and former Laker
Dennis Schroder added 21.
Anthony Davis paced the
Lakers with 31 points. He
said he thought James
"looked like his old self" but
said the team would
inevitably need to make
adjustments after playing
without him for two weeks.
James said there was work
to do after yet another dismal
third quarter performance
from the Lakers.
But, he added: "There's no
level of panic.
"There should be a sense of
urgency anytime we hit the
floor. We have to figure out
how we can keep that sense
of urgency as close to 48
minutes as possible."
James said physically he
"felt OK.
"I'm more looking forward
to seeing how I feel
tomorrow when I wake up.
That is the tell-tale sign if I'm
going in the right direction
with my injury," he said.
In Detroit, Golden State's
Jordan Poole stepped up
with superstar Stephen
Curry sitting out, scoring a
season-high 32 points to
Qatar and PSG, a lasting bond
beyond the 2022 World Cup
propel the league-leading
Warriors to a 105-102 victory
over the Pistons.
Andrew Wiggins added 27
points and Nemanja Bjelica
added 14 off the bench for
Golden State, who were
without Curry a day after he
scored 40 points despite a
sore hip in a 104-89 victory
over the Cavaliers in
Cleveland.
Bundesliga leaders Bayern suffer
'bitter' defeat at Augsburg
AUGSBURG : Bundesliga
leaders Bayern Munich
crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat
at strugglers Augsburg on
Friday without Germany
midfielder Joshua Kimmich,
who is back in quarantine
after contact with someone
who tested positive for
Covid-19.
Goals by Mads Pedersen
and Andre Hahn put
Augsburg 2-0 up and
although
Robert
Lewandowski claimed his
14th goal in 12 league games,
it was not enough to rescue
Bayern.
"We deserve to fall behind
in the first half," Thomas
Mueller told DAZN after his
600th appearance for
Bayern ended in
disappointment, reports
UNB. "We gave away
possession, dealt with
crosses badly. This is a bitter
setback for us and our
confidence."
The Bundesliga leaders
suffered only their second
league defeat this season
and their third in all
competitions while
Augsburg escaped the
bottom three.
Second-placed Borussia
Dortmund can now trim
Bayern's four-point lead
when they host Stuttgart on
Saturday.
Thick fog shrouded the
Augsburg Arena, but the
hosts were crystal clear with
their game plan.
Brazilian left-back Iago
caused havoc on the flank as
Augsburg, who were third
from bottom before kick-off,
raced into a deserved 2-0
lead. Iago floated in a cross
to Swiss striker Andi Zeqiri,
who laid the ball off to
Pedersen to drill his first
Bundesliga goal past Manuel
Neuer after 23 minutes.
With Kimmich again
watching at home having
only been released from
house quarantine on
Tuesday, Bayern struggle in
midfield.
Augsburg doubled their
lead to the joy of home fans
when Kimmich's
replacement Marcel Sabitzer
lost possession and Iago
again swung in a cross which
Hahn headed home on 36
minutes.
Bayern responded when
Thomas Mueller deftly
flicked the ball into the path
of Lewandowski who drilled
his shot home despite
Augsburg goalkeeper Rafal
Gikiewicz getting a glove to
the ball.
With Bayern 2-1 down at
the break, Julian
Nagelsmann plugged the
pace on the flanks by
bringing on right-back
Alphonso Davies - who
Mueller nicknamed
'Bayern's Road Runner'.
suNDAY, NovemBer 21, 2021
9
Bangladesh fined for slow over rate
DHAKA : Team Bangladesh have been
fined 20 percent of their match fees for
maintaining a slow over-rate in the first of
the three-match T20 International series
against Pakistan on Friday, reports BSS.
The International Cricket Council (ICC)
said the hosts were ruled to be one over
short of the target after time allowances
were taken into consideration.
In accordance with the ICC Code of
Conduct for Players and Player Support
Personnel, which relates to minimum overrate
offences, players are fined 20 per cent
of their match fees for every over their side
fails to bowl in the allotted time.
Meanwhile, Pakistan fast bowler
Hasan Ali was reprimanded for
breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of
Conduct in the same match.
Hasan was found to have breached ICC
Code of Conduct for Players and Player
Support Personnel, which relates to "using
language, actions or gestures which
disparage or which could provoke an
aggressive reaction from a batter upon
his/her dismissal during an International
Match."
The incident occurred in the 17th over of
Bangladesh's innings, when Hasan gave an
inappropriate sendoff to batter Nurul
Hasan after dismissing him caught behind
the wicket.
As a result one demerit point has been
added to the disciplinary record of Hasan,
for whom it was the first offence in a 24-
month period.
Bangladesh team was fined 20 percent of their match fees for maintaining
a slow over-rate against visiting Pakistan in the first T20 in Dhaka on
Friday.
Photo : AP
PARIS : Qatar's investment
in French giants Paris
Saint-Germain, and its use
of the club as a central tool
for the gas-rich emirate's
soft power diplomacy over
the past decade, is unlikely
to change after next year's
World Cup, experts predict.
What is Qatar going to do
after the tournament? Will
it pour money into the club
on the same scale, having
spent over a billion euros
since the 2011 takeover by
Qatar Sports Investments
(QSI), albeit without
winning the Champions
League, European football's
holy grail?
This question is quietly
mulled by the ranks of
French football observers,
and in particular PSG
supporters, who have seen
Kylian Mbappe, Neymar
and Lionel Messi move to
the French capital.
In football terms, the
sums are huge. Yet it
appears almost irrelevant to
gas-rich Qatar.
"I think the World Cup is
just one part, it's already a
triumph itself for Qatar to
have obtained it. But that
shouldn't in any way
change their policy,"
believes Raphael Le
Magoariec, a PhD
researcher in geopolitics
specialised in the Gulf
countries.
Predicting the future and
diplomatic strategy of a
country is a perilous
exercise, experts
questioned by AFP warn.
The risks are manifold,
and several factors can
intervene to change the
perspective at any given
moment. But the tidal wave
ridden by the emirate for
nearly 30 years seems well
anchored to Qatar's
strategy.
Coined in the late 1980s,
the term "soft power" was
popularized by the
American political scientist
Joseph Nye, co-founder of
the international relations
theory of neoliberalism,
who served in both the
Carter and Clinton
administrations.
It refers to the power of
influence, the persuasion of
others through appeal and
attraction, without coercive
means.
"Shortly after the invasion
of Kuwait by the United
States, Qatar asked itself
the question, 'Who can
prevent them from such an
attack?' It's not its army,
nor its oil tankers, nor its
technology. It's Western
public opinion," said
geopolitics expert Marc
Lavergne, the director of
research at the French
Nations Centre for
Scientific Research and the
University of Tours.
"Qatar has developed a
whole set of pillars that can
be linked to soft power,
such as art and a global
sports policy in which Paris
Saint-Germain is a tool of
seduction worldwide. It's
the construction of a
smooth image, exotic,
idealised. Qatar is not going
to stop developing this
strategy tomorrow," he
added.
sUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2021
10
Shooting of ‘Bangabandhu’
biopic resumes today
ZEE5 Global
launches
‘Amader Bari’
TBT REPORT
ZEE5 Global, the world's largest streaming
platform for South Asian content, announced its
new Bangla web series Amader Bari, with its trailer
launching yesterday (17 November, 2021). Directed
by Qazi Rahat, the sitcom features an ensemble of
talented actors including Tariq Anam Khan, Deepa
Khandakar, Rawnak Hasan, Nader Chowdhury,
Naziba Basher, Sadika Swarna, among others.
Amader Bari's story revolves around a happy,
united family whose power lies in the love rooted
within the relationship and how it helps the family
overcome the real crisis of the outer world. This
ZEE5 Original Drama Series deals with everyday
familial comedies and emotional moments which
brings the family members even closer.
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5
Global, said, "We have always focused on
entertaining our viewers around the world
through relatable story-telling from India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh. Our Bangladeshi
Originals have received much love, not only in
Bangladesh but across the globe. After the
successful launch of our new format and first
ZEE5 Original Drama Series, we are elated to
bring yet another 20 episodic entertaining family
drama, 'Amader Bari' - a Bangladeshi Original for
our audience across the globe"
Director Qazi Rahat, said, "As a kid in the early
nineties, I have grown up watching so many family
dramas on television. So it has always been
fascinating for me how these genres are being made.
As this is my Debut Original Drama Series, I gave all
my efforts to create something which would really be
worth watching and entertaining. Besides, I have a
wonderful team of writers who were always there
throughout the whole process. Veteran actors Tariq
Anam Khan, Rawnak Hasan, Deepa Khandakar and
Nader Chowdhury gave their best effort in this
project. I am extremely thankful to ZEE5 for giving
this web-series a global platform. "
Users can download the ZEE5 app from Google
Play Store / iOS App Store, on Roku devices, Apple
TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick. ZEE5 is
also available on www.ZEE5.com.
Pori, Roshan starrer ‘Mukhosh’
to hit theatres on Jan 21
TBT REPORT
'Mukhosh', the first directorial debut of popular
small-screen director Iftekhar Shuvo, is scheduled to
hit the theatres on January 21.
The director of the film confirmed the news to The
Business Post. The official poster of the film, which
features Pori Moni, Ziaul Roshan and Mosharraf
Karim in lead roles, was released online on Monday.
"This is my first film. I hope the audience will love
it. The storyline is very unique and it will attract the
audience. Another poster of the film will be released
this month. The trailer of the movie will be released
on January 1," Iftekhar Shuvo told.
The story of the film is based on the novel written
by Iftekhar Shuvo named 'Page Number Forty Four'.
This film is of the thriller genre.
Shuvo said, "Mosharraf Karim will play the
character of a writer while Pori Moni will be playing
the character of a journalist. Jiaul Roshan will play
the character of a film star." According to the
director, it will be the first film featuring the Pori
Moni in 2022.
Shuvo will also co-produce the governmentfunded
film for the fiscal year 2019-2020. Besides
directing, the dialogues and screenplay of the film
are also written by him.
The shooting of the film began in Savar in January.
The film was shot in different locations, including
the Ekushey Book Fair, Sylhet, Tangail, FDC, and
the chars of the river Padma.
The film also stars Azad Abul Kalam, Iresh Zaker,
Pran Roy, Rashed Mamun Apu, Elina Shammi, and
Faruk Ahmed among others.
TBT REPORT
National Film Award winning
Dhallywood Superstar Arifin
Shuvoo and popular actress
Nusraat Faria have worked
together in movies before but
this time they are working in
the upcoming Bangabandhu
biopic film co-produced by
Bangladesh and India titled
'Bangabandhu'.
The work of 'Bangabandhu'
has started a long time ago
and a lot of shooting has
ended in Mumbai under the
direction of a renowned
Bollywood producer Shyam
Benegal. In the film Shuvoo
will be seen playing the lead as
the Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, while Nusraat Faria
will play the role of
Bangabandhu's daughter and
the Prime Minister of
Rajkummar,
Patralekhaa
ties the knot
Actors Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa
tied the knot at the Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa
Resort in Chandigarh on Monday after
being in a relationship for over a decade,
reports Hindustan times.
Patralekhaa who belongs to a Bengali
family shared the connection with her
designer SabyasachiMukherjee . She wore
a red tulle embroidered buti saree and an
embroidered veil which was inscribed by a
Bengali verse "Aamar poran bhora
bhalobasha aami tomaye shomorpon
korilam," inscribed by Sabyasachi, which
translates to "I surrender to you my lovefilled
heart."
Patralekhaa looked like an ideal Bengali
bride with mehendi on the tips of her
fingers and the dotted-line bindi design
above her eyebrows.
The official Instagram page of designer
Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.
The shooting of the next
stage of the movie is starting in
Bangladesh. There will be
continuous shooting at
Bangabandhu Film City in
Gazipur from November 20.
For this, his team including
producer Shyam Benegal has
come to Dhaka on Wednesday
November 18 noon.
It is learnt that Arifin
Shuvoo will join the shooting
Eternals' is definitely the most trending thing on the globe as we
speak. The negative reviews versus the positive welcome from the
audience is a debate that has caught the attention. Rotten tomatoes
is kind of a war ground now. But while all that exist, the movie is a
magnum opus that has given the Marvel Cinematic Universe a
revamped look like never before. Chloé Zhao with a team including
likes of Angelina Jolie has created a true 'marvel'.
Starring Jolie alongside Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Kit
Harington, Richard Madden, KumailNanjiani, and a few more for
the first time, 'Eternals' tells the story of the celestials who have
been missing from the timeline for a while. The movie travels 7000
years back and we see the creation of these beings and their journey
to earth and task of saving it.
By far the biggest name to enter the MCU, Angelina Jolie, who
makes her Marvel debut, plays 'Thena, the Goddess Of War' in
Chloé Zhao's directorial Eternals. Her character is the most
melancholic one and pressurised under memory as vast as 7000
years. She gets the most heroic of the folklores to her name, but is
helpless and vulnerable in the present. Internet was quick to march
for a standalone Thena movie in no time.
But does Angelina Jolie want a spin-off for Eternals' Thena?
Well, she doesn't. In her latest chat as per reports, she has made it
clear that she wants to work with the entire team of the Chloé Zhao
directorial, which she now calls a family.
"I loved being part of the family, so I have no desire to separate
from the family. But I would be happy to play her again and explore
even more deeply the struggles that she has. I think its fun thinking
of where they've been over the years. We've got thousands of years'
from the first day on
November 20. However,
Faria's schedule is 15 days
later. She will start the
shooting on December 5.
'Bangabandhu' is being built
on the highest budget in the
history of the country. Apart
from Shuvoo-Faria, other
actors in the movie are
NusratImroz Tisha (Fazilatun
Nesa Mujib), Khairul Alam
Sabuj (Lutfar Rahman),
Sabyasachi Mukherjee wrote,
"Congratulations Patralekhaa Paul and
Rajkummar Rao! Classic and beautiful
with personalised details to make it her
own, the bride wears a red tulle
embroidered buti sari paired with an
embroidered veil, that is inscribed with a
Bengali verse penned by Sabyasachi for the
couple to mark their special day."
Rajkummar posted a couple of pictures
from his wedding with Patralekhaa on
Monday and called her his 'everything' -
soulmate, best friend and family. She also
shared photos from the nuptials with a
similar message.
Dilara Zaman (Sahera
Khatun), Sayem Samad (Syed
Nazrul Islam), Shahidul Alam
Sachchu (AK Fazlul Haque).
Prarthana Dighi (Chhota
Renu), Raisul Islam Asad
(Abdul Hamid Khan
Bhasani), Gazi Rakayet
(Abdul Hamid), Taukir
Ahmed (Suhrawardy), Siam
Ahmed (Shawkat Mia), Misha
Saudagar (General Ayub
Khan) and others.
Meanwhile, another new
film starring actor Arifin
Shuvoo action thriller titled
'Mission Extreme' is going to
be released worldwide on
December 3 opposite Miss
World Bangladesh 2018-
winner Jannatul Ferdous
Oishee. Faisal Ahmed and
Sunny Sanwar direct the film
jointly. Mime Multimedia and
Dhaka Detective Club are the
co-producers of the film..
Congratulatory messages poured in
from a host of their industry colleagues,
including actors Priyanka Chopra, Varun
Dhawan, KritiSanon, SiddhantChaturvedi
and Sonam Kapoor.
After the wedding, Rajkummar and
Patralekhaa had a small wedding
reception, which was attended by Haryana
chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar,
among others. Sharing a picture with the
newlyweds, he wrote, "Attended the
wedding ceremony of Bollywood actors
Rajkumar Rao and Patralekha in
Chandigarh, blessed the bride and groom
for a successful married life."
Jolie not interested
in a solo ‘Thena’
spin-off
worth of material. We can take her anywhere. I think that's fun and
I like the idea that we can pop up somewhere, maybe in other
Marvel movies," Angelina Jolie said.
H O R O s c O P E
ARIEs
(March 21 - April 20) : A sudden but
fortunate change of job circumstances
could take place today. Perhaps you
suddenly get promoted or transferred. Perhaps an
important piece of information comes your way that
leads to advancement. Technology and data
exchange could also play a role in events. Friends or
colleagues may be involved. Whichever way you
look at it, this could be an auspicious day.
TAURUs
(April 21 - May 21) : A close friend
or your partner could propose an
impromptu trip and you might
decide to go. You're restless for
adventure. You may have been considering
several options, but your friend's idea seems
the most appealing. If this is a trip to a foreign
country, you might want to study the language.
You'll be surprised at how quickly you learn it!
GEMINI
(May 22 - June 21) : An unexpected
sum of money could cause chaos in
your home, but it's an exciting,
pleasant sort of pandemonium!
Perhaps this makes it possible for you to make
some necessary changes or buy some new
equipment, furniture, or appliances. Phone
some friends and give them the good news. You
might want to host a celebration!
cANcER
(June 22 - July 23) : Information
received today might make it possible
for you to change your job, residence,
or at least the way you think or operate. You might
feel nervous at the prospect, but you'll pull it off all
right. Don't be afraid to go with the flow and make
changes. This is only one hurdle in the course of
your personal development.
LEO
(July 24 - Aug. 23): An increase in
your technical skills could
bring you a new job or an
increase in income. You may
have felt a bit nervous and stressed lately,
but this should balance out now. You feel
focused and you're aiming carefully
toward your goals. You'll succeed if you
keep going as you are.
VIRGO
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): If you aren't
romantically involved, expect that status
to change today. You could meet more
than one attractive person! A new person
could come into your life or an old friend could suddenly
seem more appealing than you thought. If you're
involved, expect the energy around your partner to
change. He or she could seem happier, funnier, stronger,
so much so that you fall in love all over again.
LIBRA
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Idealism and some
intriguing mystical revelations could
make you want to spread your ideas.
You may want to invite some friends
over to talk. For the most part, people will be
interested in anything you say. Don't force the
issue on those with doubts. They'll have to make
up their own minds and will do it in their own
time.
scORPIO
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : The hopes and
goals of a group with which you're
associated inspire you. You might
make personal sacrifices in order to
assure their success. These sacrifices are temporary,
for you'll share in the group's good fortune. Personal
success is also in the stars, but it may require
disruptive change. Go with the flow and don't let
self-doubt hold you back.
sAGITTARIUs
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Sudden,
unexpected success could result in an
equally unexpected raise. Friends
may have pointed you in the direction
that put you in the right place at the right time.
Don't be surprised if this catapults you into entirely
different life circumstances. Make the most of this
break. Don't rest on your laurels or your success
could disappear as fast as it came.
cAPRIcORN
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): A rush of optimism
and enthusiasm could propel you into a
more positive frame of mind, and you
could accomplish wonders. Your
circumstances may be turned upside down. A move
is possible, as is a change in your work. Don't cling to
the shore - flow with the current. Success and good
fortune are on the way as long as you let them
happen!
AQUARIUs
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Sudden insights
and revelations could enable you to
make some long-desired changes. A
lucky break might bring an unexpected
sum of money your way. Unusual dreams could
amuse you during the night. Keep track of them as
they might contain messages that can help you
accomplish whatever you want to do. This is a day of
fortunate developments and pleasant surprises.
PIscEs
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : An old friend you
haven't seen in a long time could
suddenly reappear. You'll be surprised
by this person's achievements. This
meeting or the circumstances surrounding it could
mark a turning point for you. Perhaps this person
inspires you, or people you meet through him or her
make a difference to you. This is going to be a
strange, significant day. Make the most of it!
SUNDAY, NOveMBeR 21, 2021
11
Goalkandi USC provides maternal, neonatal
services to marginalized women
RAJSHAHI : Goalkandi Union Sub
Centre (USC) has been providing
maternal and neonatal healthcare
services to particularly marginalized
and low-income village mothers.
The centre in Bagmara Upazila of the
district has become a blessing to
underprivileged village mothers as it
provides emergency reproductive care
of prenatal, normal delivery, postnatal
and neonatal services.
With collaborative efforts of
Goalkandi Union Parishad (UP) and a
non-government development
organization, the centre has necessary
instruments and devices to ensure the
services.
Latifa Khatun's appointment as
Family Welfare Visitor (FWV) at the
centre couple of months ago, also
foster its services oriented activities
through earning trust among the
community people.
"We have referral services for the
mothers suffering from various
pregnancy-related complexities like
vaginal bleeding, eclampsia, severe
headaches and fever and delayed
labor," said Khatun.
UP Chairman Alamgir Sarker said
the centre has been revived with the
initiative of the Public Health
Improvement Initiatives Rajshahi
(PHIIR) project for welfare of
particularly the poor and ultra-poor
UN warns of soaring
prices in 2022 due to
freight rate spike
The United Nations warned
Thursday that a surge in
container freight rates could
mean higher prices for
consumers next year unless
pandemic-fuelled problems
are untangled, reports BSS.
The UN's trade and
development agency
(UNCTAD) said global
import price levels could
increase by 11 percent and
consumer price levels by 1.5
percent between now and
2023.
"Global consumer prices
will rise significantly in the
year ahead until shipping
supply chain disruptions are
unblocked and port
constraints and terminal
inefficiencies are tackled,"
UNCTAD said in its Review
of Maritime Transport 2021
report.
Global supply chains faced
unprecedented demand
from the second half of 2020
onwards as consumers spent
on goods rather than
services during coronavirus
lockdowns.
But the upswing in
demand hit several practical
constraints, including
container ship carrying
capacity, container
shortages, labour shortages,
congestion at ports and
Covid-19 restrictions.
The mismatch led to
record container freight
rates "on practically all
container trade routes",
according to the report.
"The current surge in
freight rates will have a
profound impact on trade
and
undermine
socioeconomic recovery,
especially in developing
countries, until maritime
shipping operations return
to normal," said Rebeca
Grynspan, UNCTAD's
secretary general.
"Returning to normal
would entail investing in
new solutions, including
infrastructure, freight
technology
and
digitalisation and trade
facilitation measures," she
said.
UNCTAD said the
pandemic had magnified
pre-existing industry
challenges, particularly
labour shortages and
infrastructure gaps.
It also exposed
vulnerabilities, such as when
China's Yantian Port shut in
May due to a coronavirus
outbreak, causing significant
delays, or when the giant
container ship Ever Given
blocked the Suez Canal in
March, snarling global trade.
Still, the pandemic's
impact on maritime trade
volumes last year was less
severe than initially
expected, UNCTAD said.
pregnant woman.
He also said necessary workforce
was recruited for conducting normal
delivery and providing antenatal,
postnatal and neonatal and other
related services.
Sarker said the FWV was appointed
as contributory staff with financial
support of the project.
Labor room of the centre has been
enriched with essential equipment
including a labor table, oxygen
cylinder and refrigerator for ensuring
institutional delivery in the rural area.
Deputy Director of the Department
of Family Planning Dr Nasim Akhter
and Civil Surgeon Dr Quiume
Talukder accompanied by Upazila
Health and Family Planning Officer Dr
Golam Rabbani, Upazila Family
Planning Officer Abu Masud Khan and
Medical Officer Dr Umme Sadia
Mannan visited the centre and
enquired about its activities on
Wednesday last.
They also exchanged views with
members of the facility management
committee and beneficiaries and
reviewed performance of the centre.
PHIIR Project Manager Tozammel
Haque told BSS that FWV is being
given Taka 300 as incentive for each
normal delivery, while another Taka
300 is being provided to community
volunteer for taking pregnant
mothers to the facility on behalf of
the PHIIR project.
DASCOH Foundation has been
implementing the PHIIR project
supported by Swiss Red Cross in five
upazila health complexes, 42
UHFWCs and 110 Community
Clinics under Bagmara, Charghat
and Tanore upazilas in Rajshahi and
Porsha and Sapahar upazilas in
Naogaon districts.
The project is intended to
improving health of the targeted
population with special focus on
maternal, neonatal and child health
at primary health care level.
"We are working to improve health
of around 10,46,669 population with
special focus on maternal, neonatal
and child health and this is the goal
of the project," Haque added.
Dr Nasim Akhter said the
government and non-government
collaborative efforts are being
judged as substantial and
sustainable promotion of
institutional delivery besides
reducing maternal and neonatal
deaths.
She mentioned strengthening the
union level health facilities could be
the vital means of achieving the
country's ambitious target related to
curbing maternal and newborn
mortality rates.
On the basis of secret information that a consignment of Yaba from
Myanmar would enter Bangladesh through the sea area adjacent to
Chheradwip in St. Martin, a special operation was conducted in the area on
Saturday under the leadership of BCG Station Teknaf Station Commander
Lt. Com. M Naeem ul Haq and 12 Kg hemp and 35,000 pieces of yabas were
rescued.
Photo : Courtesy
Biden urges government regulator
to examine high gas prices
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden
called on US regulators Wednesday to
look into the causes of the nationwide
spike in gasoline prices, which he said is
hurting workers, reports BSS.
The president last week made fighting
inflation a top priority after data showed
consumer prices hit a 30-year high in
October, fueling a slump in his public
approval.
In a letter to the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), Biden took aim at oil
companies he says are raising prices at
the pump even as their expenses decline
and profits soar.
He instructed the agency to look into
whether "illegal conduct" is behind the
energy price spike.
"I do not accept hard-working
Americans paying more for gas because
of anti-competitive or otherwise
potentially illegal conduct," Biden said in
the letter.
Despite signs the US economy has
bounced back strongly from the damage
inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic,
Biden has paid a political cost as global
supply chain snarls caused shortages and
drove an uptick in prices of everything
from cars to food to gasoline.
The president said the high pump
prices are not justified, noting that while
the cost of unfinished gasoline has
dropped more than five percent over the
past month, retail prices rose three
percent.
At the same time, oil companies "are
generating significant profits," with the
two largest on track to nearly double net
income compared to 2019 and planning
major stock buybacks, he said in the
letter.
Average US gas prices were at $3.41 a
gallon as of Monday, 11 cents higher
than a month ago, according to the
American Automobile Association
(AAA).
That average is 81 cents more than in
2019, before the pandemic hit and kept
most Americans at home.
A White House spokesman told
reporters that if the gap between refined
fuel costs and pump prices were at
typical pre-pandemic levels, "We'd be
looking at prices at the pump that are 25
cents less a gallon."
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum
analysis at GasBuddy, a price tracking
company, said Biden is implying
"nefarious" actions are to blame, but
energy is a global market where prices
have been volatile for weeks.
The wild swings mean there is no trend,
so retailers cannot pass on any cost
savings when oil prices fall, he said.
"I think the president is just trying to
come out with some positive optics... to
insinuate that he will take control the
situation," De Haan told AFP, noting that
relief could be on the way as oil
production rises.
Frank Macchiarola of the American
Petroleum Institute (API) called Biden's
initiative "a distraction," and blamed "illadvised
government decisions that are
exacerbating this challenging situation."
Biden instructed the FTC to "bring all
of the commission's tools to bear if you
uncover any wrongdoing."
The agency declined to comment on its
investigations, but spokesman Peter
Kaplan told AFP, "The FTC is concerned
about this issue, and we are looking into
it."
In response to a previous request over
the summer from Biden to examine gas
prices, FTC Chair Lina Khan pledged to
investigate any collusion that might be
fueling the inflation, as well as take a
closer look at mergers in the industry
that reduce competition.
In June, the regulator ordered 7-Eleven
and Marathon Petroleum to sell off
nearly 300 gas stations after saying their
$21 billion merger violated antitrust
rules by leaving hundreds of
communities without alternatives to buy
fuel.
Mass hunger strike was observed in Tangail for releasing Begum Khaleda Zia and better treatment
in abroad.
Photo : Nasir Uddin
Asian markets follow
Wall St lower as
inflation fears mount
HONG KONG: Asian
markets fell Thursday,
tracking losses on Wall Street
fuelled by growing inflation
concerns and talk that central
banks will have to tighten
their monetary policies
quicker than anticipated,
reports BSS.
While recent data and
healthy corporate earnings
indicate that consumers
continue to spend, traders are
increasingly fearful that more
than a year of massive
financial support-coupled
with rocketing demand and
supply chain snarls-could
send prices out of control.
Figures Wednesday
showed inflation in the
United Kingdom at a decade
high and an 18-year peak in
Canada-a week after US
figures came in at levels not
seen since 1990.
The data-which mirror big
gains in other countries-have
ramped up pressure on
policymakers to act soon, with
some commentators warning
of a possible recession if they
did not.
And eyes are focused on the
Federal Reserve-the central
bank of the world's top
economy-whose massive
bond-buying programme has
been a key pillar of support to
the global recovery and rally
in stock markets.
Officials have said they will
begin winding back the socalled
quantitative easing
measures gradually from this
month and not be in any rush
to hike interest rates, saying
the inflation surge is only
temporary.
"With these most recent
inflation readings, there is
some concern that the Fed
will reduce the amount of
purchases-accelerate that
tapering," Michael Arone, of
State Street Global Advisors,
told Bloomberg Television.
India's biggest-ever IPO Paytm
slumps by 27% on market debut
MUMBAI : Indian mobile payments giant
Paytm lost more than a quarter of its value
on its market debut Thursday after raising
$2.5 billion in the country's biggest-ever
IPO, as traders questioned whether the lossmaking
firm would ever turn a profit, reports
BSS.
Asia's third-largest economy has been in
the grip of an initial public offering frenzy,
with start-ups attracting billions of dollars in
investment in a bright spot in the Covidbattered
economy.
But while Paytm has established a leading
position in the fast-growing marketplace for
mobile payments it has lost money in each of
the past three years and its market debut
showed the limits of investor appetite.
Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, once
named India's youngest billionaire, wiped
tears from his eyes when the national
anthem was played at an opening ceremony
before trading began at the Bombay Stock
Exchange.
Referring to the phrase in the anthem
"Bharat bhagya vidhata"-"the one who will
define the fortune of this country"-he said
Paytm has "actually done that".
But the company's shares dived at the open
and finished at 1,650 rupees ($21), down
more than 27 percent from their IPO price of
2,150 rupees.
"There is a lot of euphoria for the digital
space and that seems to now be subsiding,"
said SMC Global Securities analyst Saurabh
Jain.
"These companies are coming out with
IPOs at scorching valuations and it's
anybody's guess what valuations are
correct," he told AFP.
"It is very difficult for a company like
Paytm to turn profitable. They have the
scalability but they are not able to make
money through their business model."
Following the debut, Paytm's market
capitalisation fell from an IPO valuation of
$20 billion to about $13.6 billion at the close
of trade.
Rakesh Mehta, a 49-year-old Kolkatabased
rice exporter, said he had bought 12
shares worth 25,800 rupees in Paytm,
encouraged by Sharma's bullishness about
his firm.
"I was shocked to see the price when it
opened. I didn't get much of a chance to sell,"
Mehta told AFP.
"I was planning to sell 50 percent for listing
gains and hold the rest. Now I have no choice
but to hold on. If it goes anywhere close to
my purchase price, I will definitely sell. I
wouldn't want to risk holding it further."
Rock music -
Sharma-a schoolteacher's son who says he
learned English by listening to rock musicretains
a 14 percent stake in the business,
worth $2.4 billion at the IPO price but
approximately $540 million less by the close
of trade.
Other shareholders include Chinese
tycoon Jack Ma's Alibaba group and
associate Ant Financial, along with Japan's
SoftBank and Warren Buffett's Berkshire
Hathaway.
Ant Financial sold 3.5 percent of its 28
percent stake in the IPO to meet regulatory
requirements that no shareholder should
own more than 25 percent of a listed
company. Alibaba continues to own another
six percent.
Paytm's platform was launched in 2010
and quickly became synonymous with digital
payments in a country traditionally
dominated by cash transactions.
European stock markets
steady at open
LONDON : European equities steadied at
the open on Thursday, despite losses
elsewhere on concerns over soaring
inflation, reports BSS.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index
dipped 0.3 percent to 7,269.87 points,
compared with Wednesday's close.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX index
rose 0.2 percent to 16,274.78 points and
the Paris CAC 40 was fractionally higher
at 7,158.08.
Concerns over runaway global inflation
continue to stalk trading floors
worldwide.
Investors are increasingly fearful
massive financial stimulus-coupled with
resurgent post-lockdown demand and
supply-chain snarl-ups-could send prices
rocketing even further.
Data out Wednesday showed inflation
close to a decade-high in Britain and an
18-year peak in Canada.
That came one week after news that US
inflation surged to the highest level since
1990.
Bicycles and drum sets have been provided to 90 students of different educational institutions in
Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia on Saturday.
Photo : Mizanur Rahman Nayan.
Sunday, Dhaka: November 21, 2021; agrahyan 6, 1428 BS; rabius-Sani 15, 1443 hijri
AL expels Mayor Jahangir :
supporters disheartened
ShaMSuL haquE BhuIyaN, GazIPur
COrrESPONDENT
Gazipur City Mayor Advocate
Mohammad Jahangir Alam has lost his
post in the political party due to controversial
remarks on Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
and the martyrs of the Liberation War.
Mayor Jahangir Alam is seeking an opportunity
to apologize to the Prime Minister
for this incident. His followers say the
mayor should be kept in office to keep the
development work ongoing. Opposition
groups called for a halt to the protests, saying
"the prime minister's announcement
is groundbreaking."
A video clip of Mayor Jahangir Alam's
remarks about Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in
a private meeting went viral last
September. From then on, the leaders and
activists of his opposition camp took to the
streets to protest. That is why on October
3, the central committee of the Awami
League gave him a notice to show cause.
Mayor Jahangir, general secretary of
Gazipur metropolitan Awami League,
responded to the notice before the 15-day
deadline. But the central committee of the
Awami League expressed dissatisfaction
with the response of Mayor Jahangir. At
an Awami League executive meeting
chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
on Friday afternoon, Mayor Jahangir
Alam was expelled from the post of general
secretary of the metropolitan Awami
League and the party's general members
were suspended for life.
Leaders and activists of his opposition
camp expressed happiness over the expulsion
of Mayor Jahangir Alam for his controversial
remarks. Metropolitan Awami
League President Advocate Azmat Ullah
Khan described the announcement as
groundbreaking. At the same time, he said,
there could be a sedition case against
Jahangir and a case under the Digital
Security Act. "We will appeal to the highest
echelons of the Awami League to take legal
action against Jahangir at the earliest."
Leaders and activists of the Awami League
under the leadership of Motiur Rahman
Moti, joint general secretary of the metropolitan
Awami League, held separate joyous
processions on Friday night and Saturday,
setting off fireworks and distributing sweets
in different areas of the metropolis.
On the other hand, Mayor Jahangir
Alam and his fans, including the general
public, requested to keep him in office to
continue the development activities.
Leaders and activists from all walks of life
gathered at the mayor's residence in the
hurricane area on Saturday morning. At
this time many people broke down in
tears. Councilors and activists following
Mayor Jahangir also came to his residence
and gathered a crowd and offered peace to
Mayor Jahangir.
BNP holds hunger strike
to release & treatment
of Khaleda Zia
ShafIquL ISLaM (JaMI)
The BNP hold hunger strike program
demanding release & medical treatment
abroad of BNP chairperson and former
Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
Thousands of party leaders and activists
went on a hunger strike in front of the
party's central office in Naya Paltan from
9am to 4pm on Saturday. Later at 4 pm,
the leaders including the BNP secretary
general broke their strike by drinking
water. BNP secretary general Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Khaleda Zia,
who is undergoing treatment at the hospital,
is the most popular among the 160
million people in the country. She is currently
in critical condition at Ever Care
Hospital in the capital. She is now on the
verge of life and death.
He said that despite repeated pleas
from the government to take Begum
Khaleda Zia's family abroad for better
treatment, the fascist government was
not giving her a chance. Today's program
is for 160 million people. I am holding a
mass hunger strike demanding release of
Begum Khaleda Zia and medical treatment
abroad.
"We will ask the government to
release Begum Khaleda Zia immediately
and send her abroad for treatment,"
he said. Otherwise, the movement
that started this time through
mass hunger strike will oust you.
BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf
Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul
Islam Khan, Abdul Moin Khan and others
spoke on the hunger strike. Among the
leaders of different political parties were
ASM Abdur Rob of JSD, Mostafa Jamal
Haider of Jatiya Party, Abdul Halim of
Jamaat-e-Islami, Syed Mohammad
Ibrahim of Kallyan Party and Mahmudur
Rahman Manna of Nagorik Oikko.
During the hunger strike, Abdul Moin
Khan said that Begum Khaleda Zia was a
three-time Prime Minister and Leader of
the Opposition twice. As a citizen of
Bangladesh, good health is her fundamental
right. Today, the government has
to answer why she is being deprived of
her basic rights.
ASM Abdur Rab said, "I am a witness.
During the rule of Ziaur Rahman in 1979,
I was sent to Germany for treatment." At
the time, I was serving a life sentence. I
was in Germany for a year. At that time,
he asked the government, "Is there any
article in the constitution that Khaleda
Zia can't go abroad for treatment?" I
want to know that from the government.
Begum Khaleda Zia is not being granted
bail just because of revenge.
Brittle Tigers
lose T20 series
to Pakistan
DHAKA : A dismal batting and fielding
show led Bangladesh to concede the
three-match T20 International series
against Pakistan after the visitors eased
them past by eight wickets in the second
game at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket
Stadium yesterday.
Fakhar Zaman hit an unbeaten 51 ball-
57 with two fours and three sixes to be
instrumental in Pakistan's unassailable
2-0 lead.
Fakhar and opener Mohammad
Rizwan put on 85-run which was key in
overhauling Bangladesh's paltry 108-7
with 11 balls to spare. Rizwan scored a
patient 39 off 45 with four boundaries.
Fakhar Zaman was watchful after captain
Babar Azam (5) dragged fast bowler
Mustafizur Rahman delivery on to his
stump in the third over, similar to his dismissal
in the first match.
He paced the innings, especially after
being reprieved on 26 when Saif Hasan
put down his catch in deep midwicket off
legspinner Aminul Islam.
Rizwan also got a life when Taskin
dropped him at short fine leg on 38 off
again Aminul Islam bowling but that
drop was not costly as the bowler dismissed
him two balls later.
Fakhar Zaman brought up his seventh
half-century off 40 balls and then finished
the game off by his own.
Mustafizur, who left the field after bowling
2.1 overs and Aminul Islam Biplob
took the fallen two wickets of Pakistan.
A yet another abysmal batting show led
Bangladesh's collapse as they were
restricted to a below par total again.
Coming off a four-wicket defeat to
Pakistan in the first match, Bangladesh
were aiming to level the series but the
intent was nowhere seen after captain
Mahmudullah won the toss for the
consecutive second time and decided
to bat first.
Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored the
side with 40 off 34, hitting five boundaries
while Afif was the other notable
scorer with 20.
Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi who
came back to the side, replacing Hasan
Ali, broke through to continue his
romance with 'first over wicket' as he had
Saif Hassan leg-before for duck in the
fifth ball of the innings.
'Education, learning
no longer limited
to boundaries'
DHAKA : In this age of globalisation,
education and learning are no longer limited
to a certain boundary, reports UNB.
Now and then, different sessions, webinars
and workshops are being organised
virtually, where international experts and
academics shed light on different issues
related to the overall development and
future-fit skills, Dr Sandeep
Ananthanarayanan, group chief executive
officer of STS Group, told UNB.
"Students should explore every opportunity
to learn and grow. Different professional
networking sites can also help
them gather insights about current market
trends," he said.
"Workshops organised by study centres
and universities can also help broaden
the outlook of the students. When you
are well aware of the changing scenario
and have the necessary skills, it will be
much easier to achieve your goals."
"Also, we are living in an age when only
degrees are not enough to get you a good
and respectable job. The market is very
competitive now. Employers look for
many things in a prospective candidate,
including future-fit skills that are necessary
to survive the changes thrust upon
us by the pandemic and the subsequent
digital transformation."
"So, when you are planning your
career, you must keep in mind that only
earning a degree is not going to help.
Rather, you have to keep tabs on the
changes going around you and in the
market and develop skills accordingly to
stay ahead of others. Different sessions
arranged by international universities
can be a good opportunity," Sandeep
said.
"Meanwhile, the pandemic has resulted
in a very unfavourable situation for
students and job-seekers. Geographical
barriers and restrictions imposed due to
coronavirus have compounded the situation
further. So, people are having trouble
getting suitable jobs. At such a time,
you need the right degree with the right
set of skills."
The Local
Education
and Economic
Development
Organization
(LEDO)
organized a
human chain
on boat at
Wiseghat,
adjacent to
Sadarghat
Launch
Terminal in
the capital on
Saturday to
prevent child
trafficking.
Photo : Star Mail
"When you are pursuing higher education,
you must have the right insights and
skills in your possession to thrive in a
particular environment defying all odds.
Moreover, it is important to develop different
future-fit skills in the backdrop of
changing market scenarios to flourish
your career and excel in the study as
well."
In this regard, workshops in skill development
can play great roles as the students
get the chance to acquire new skills
and gather knowledge, said Sandeep.
Also, owing to the pandemic, many
countries halted educational opportunities
and overseas programmes for quite
some time. However, with the vaccination
underway in full swing, many others
are opening their doors once again.
But it is often seen that many students
from Bangladesh cannot pursue higher
degrees abroad because of different constraints,
including financial burden and
sudden shock created by a different education
system.
So, many students are deprived of
quality higher education. In many countries,
foreign universities open study centres
to facilitate the aspiring students and
create opportunities for them to seek a
higher degree from a foreign university.
"There are many public and private
universities in the country which are
offering different degrees to aspiring students.
Most recently, Monash College
Australia has started its operation in
Bangladesh, which will contribute to
developing the higher education scenario
in the country in terms of academic reputation,
international faculty ratio and
research opportunities," said Sandeep.
The STS Group's group chief executive
officer has worked with eminent professors
from world-class universities such as
Wharton, Yale, Kellogg and Stanford and
also the co-author of the best-seller
"CULT: Strategy and Leadership and
Business Strategy - Ruthlessly
Redefined" and the author of "Power
Business Strategies."
Armed Forces
Day to be
observed today
DHAKA : Armed Forces Day will be
observed across the country on Sunday
with due solemnity and enthusiasm.
On this day in 1971, Bangladesh Armed
Forces comprising army, navy and air
force came into being and launched an
all-out attack on the Pakistani occupation
forces. Since the country's independence,
the day has been observed as the
Armed Forces Day every year.
The day's programmes will start with
the offering of special prayers in mosques
of all cantonments, naval outposts and
establishments and air force outposts
after Fajr prayers seeking divine blessings
for the country's welfare and
progress and continued development
and progress of the Armed Forces.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina will place wreaths at
'Shikha Anirban' (the Eternal Flame) at
Dhaka Cantonment in the morning to pay
homage to members of the Armed Forces who
sacrificed their lives in the War of Liberation.
President Abdul Hamid, who is also
the supreme commander of the Armed
Forces, and Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina issued separate messages on the
occasion. The chiefs of the three services
will place wreaths at 'Shikha Anirban' at
Dhaka Cantonment in the morning from
their respective forces.
Later, the three chiefs will pay courtesy
calls on the president at Bangabhaban
and the Prime Minister at the Armed
Forces Division at Dhaka Cantonment.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister will
host a reception and meet the family members
of the Bir Shresthas and other gallantry
award-winning freedom fighters virtually
at Army Multipurpose Complex.
In the afternoon, Sheikh Hasina will
also host a reception at 4pm at Sena
Kunja in Dhaka Cantonment to commemorate
the day.
Momen hopeful of
relocateing1 lakh
Rohingyas to Bhasan
Char in 1 year
TUNGIPARA : Foreign Minister Dr AK
Abdul Momen yesterday expressed his
hope that Bangladesh would be able to
fulfill its target of relocating one lakh
Rohingyas to Bhasan Char from congested
Cox's Bazar camps by one year as
UNHCR agreed to work on it.
"We have already relocated nearly
18,500 Rohingyas to Bhasan Char … we
will resume relocating them (to the island)
this month," he told reporters here.
The foreign minister retreated that the
relocation of Rohingyas to the island of
Bhasan Char would be fully voluntary.
Dr Momen hoped that Myanmar will take
back Rohingyas gradually as pressure on them
would mount following the recent adoption of
a resolution in the United Nations.
"I believe pressure will be mounted on
Myanmar as the resolution has been
passed by consensus," he added.
The foreign minister, accompanied by
the Sylhet Awami League (AL) leaders,
paid homage to Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
by placing wreath at his grave here.
President and general secretary of
Sylhet city unit AL and valiant freedom
fighter Masuk Uddin Ahmed and
Professor M Zakir Hossain, among others,
also paid tribute to Bangabandhu.
Pakistan have wrapped up the three-match T20I series against hosts Bangladesh, who continued
on a poor run, on Saturday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Photo : Star Mail
Jashore vegetable farmers toil hard
to catch the early winter consumers
JASHORE : Vegetable growers in Jashore
district are working overtime to hit the
winter market early and get a good price
and add an extra flavour to Bengali cuisine.
The crop fields in Churamonkati, Satmile,
Barinagar, Hoibatpur, Kashimpur,
Bandabila, Lebotala, Nongorpur and Isali
union of Sadar upazila, the hub of vegetable
farming in the district, are emerging
green with winter delicacies like cauliflower,
cabbage, beans, radish, bottle
gourds and a variety of spinach.
According to official sources 60 per
cent of the country's total vegetable harvest
comes from Jashore. After meeting
the local demand the vegetables are supplied
to other parts of the country.
Although the farmers have blamed
unseasonal rain for the delay in early
winter vegetable cultivation and its soaring
prices, some farmers already succeed
in taking their produced items in the local
market aiming to earn more money.
According to the District Department of
Agriculture Extension (DAE), as the Robi
season started in mid-October, the vegetable
growers in the district have already
brought their land under cultivation which
will continue until mid-March.
Already the authorities concerned have
set a target of bringing 16,730 hectares of
land under vegetable cultivation. Of these,
winter vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower,
bean, radish, red spinach and green
spinach have been cultivated in some 4,135
hectares of land of the district.
During a tour of the areas this UNB
correspondent found that the farmers are
passing a busy time in cultivating vegetables
in Satmile, Churamonkati,
Barinagar, Hoibatpur, Kashimpur,
Bandabila, Lebotala, Nongorpur and
Isali union of Sadar upazila.
Kamal Hossain, a vegetable grower of
Bagdanga village in Churamankati in
Sadar upazila, said "All kinds of winter
vegetables are grown here. As during the
peak season, the price of vegetables
drops. I have brought my 2.5 bighas of
land under cauliflower and cabbage cultivation
early to get a higher price."
"I hope I can harvest the winter vegetables
before the month of Agrahayana," he
said.
Besides, the price of winter vegetables
has delighted the farmers as these are
selling at high price at the local market.
Already winter vegetables like cauliflower,
cabbage, bean, spinach are available
at the local market and as the produces
are not adequate against the
demand, the prices are found to be high.
Ujjalm Das, another vegetable grower
of Sadar upazila in Jashore, said "I have
brought two bighas of land under turnip
cultivation and I have spent Tk 1.5 lakh. If
the weather remains favourable, I can
produce 80-85 maunds of turnip from
each bigha of land."