24-11-2021
WedneSdayDHaka: November 24, 2021; agrahyan 9, 1428 BS; Rabius-Sani 18,1443 Hijriwww.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.netRegd.No.Da~2065, Vol.19; N o. 203; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00internationalUS announces moresanctions overRussian gas pipeline>Page 7SPortSDortmund withoutHaaland and Hummelsin Lisbon showdown>Page 9art & culture'Rehana Maryam Noor'secures nomination at FiveFlavours Film Festival>Page 10Bangavax finally getsapproval for human trialDHAKA : Bangladesh Medical ResearchCouncil (BMRC) has approved in principleGlobe Biotech Limited's Covid-19 vaccineBangavax for human trial, reportsUNB."BMRC has given the approval in principlefor administering Covid-19 vaccine ofBangavax and we'll submit an applicationto the Bangladesh Directorate General ofDrug Administration (DGDA), seeking itspermission for the clinical trial. The administrationof its jabs will start once the finalapproval is given," said Dr MohamamdMohiuddin, senior manager of BMRC'sQuality and Regulatory Department.BMRC Director Dr Ruhul Amin signedthe letter of approval issued on Tuesday.Globe Biotech Limited has claimed thatBangavax is 100% effective for fighting 11variants of Covid-19, including the Deltavariant.On January 17, Globe Biotech, the onlySHAfiquL iSLAM (JAMi)Zohr05:00 AM11:50 PM03:35 PM05:15 PM06:35 PM6:19 5:11Bangladeshi company trying to develop aCovid-19 vaccine, submitted an applicationto the BMRC for approval to conductBangavax's clinical trials.On June 16, the BMRC decided toapprove Globe Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine,Bangavax, for human trials.Globe Biotech received a licence to producetheir potential vaccine for trial onDecember 28 last year.The BMRC, which oversees all such trials,got back to them in June with certainconditions that had to be met before theclinical trials could go ahead.The key condition was that GlobeBiotech would have to run trials on monkeysor chimpanzees first.One of the bottlenecks the companyidentified at the time was that the countrydid not have a third-party clinical researchorganization (CRO) that could conductsuch tests on animals.ECNEC approves 10projectsincluding MatarbariTen projects have been approved in themeeting of the Executive Committee of theNational Economic Council (ECNEC).The total cost of the approved projects hasbeen estimated at TK 29,344.27 crore. Ofthis, TK 11,330 million will be spent fromgovernment funds, TK 18,932.04 millionfrom loans and the rest will be spent fromthe agency's own funds. The ECNECmeeting started at 10 am on Tuesday(November 23). The Prime Minister andECNEC Chairperson Sheikh Hasinapresided over the meeting by joining theNEC conference room in Sher-e-BanglaNagar via video conference fromGanobhaban. On the other hand, concernedministers and secretaries werepresent in the NEC conference room.After the ECNEC meeting PlanningMinister MA Mannan and State Ministerfor Planning Dr. Shamsul Alam gavedetails about ECNEC meeting in the pressconference.At the press conference, the state ministerfor planning said that ECNEC hasapproved the 1st amendment of theMatarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal FiredPower Plant construction project byincreasing the expenditure by TK 15,870crore. At present the cost of the project is51 thousand 854 crore.He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinahad instructed to bring Matarbari projectsunder one authority. For this, it is necessaryto make a separate authority only forthe matarbari.On the other hand, the planning ministersaid, in today's meeting, the flyover andphysical infrastructure development projectin Haor area at a cost of TK 3,490 crorehas been approved. The project will connectthe two districts side by side.Although Netrokona and Sunamganj aretwo adjoining districts, communicationwas cut off for most of the year. However,the communication system of these two districtswas established through this project.The approved projects are: 1.'Modernization of Bangladesh MarineAcademy through InfrastructuralRestructuring' project. 2. `Upgradation ofAricha (Barangail)-Ghior-Daulatpur-Nagarpur-Tangail Regional Highway (R-506) to appropriate standard and width'project. 3. Project for widening and developmentof National Highway (N-806) inNarail city part. 4. 'Establishing DigitalConnectives (Digital Connectivity)' project.5. 'Rural Transport ImprovementProject-2 (RTIP-2) (Third Amendment)'project. 6. 'Important Rural InfrastructureDevelopment of Sylhet Division' (1stAmendment) Project. 7. 'Development offlyovers and physical infrastructure inHaor area' project. 8. 'Polder No-14/1Rehabilitation of Khulna District' project.9. 'Disaster Risk Management Expansion(Component-1, Bapaubo Part)' project. 10.'Matarbari 2600 MW Ultra Super CriticalCoal Fired Power Project (1stAmendment)' project.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting of Bangladesh Awami League LocalGovt Representative Nomination Board at Ganobhaban on Tuesday. Photo : Star MailSending Khaleda abroadPro-BNP lawyerssubmit memo toLaw MinisterDHAKA : A delegation of pro-BNPlawyers on Tuesday submitted a memorandumto Law Minister Anisul Huq seekingthe government's permission to sendailing Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment,reports UNB.They argued that there is no legal obstructionfor the government in allowing Khaledato go abroad. The delegation, led byAdvocate Fazlur Rahman, member secretaryof Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi AinjibiForum (BJAF), met the Law Minister at hissecretariat office around 1:45pm and submittedthe memorandum to him.In the memorandum, the lawyers saidthe BNP chairperson and three-time(former) Prime Minister Khaleda Ziahas been receiving treatment inCoronary Care Unit of Evercare Hospitalin a critical condition.They said the specialist doctors who aretreating her have already given an opinionto send her abroad for advanced treatment."We the lawyers are concerned overthe deterioration of health condition of thecountry's three-time former PrimeMinister...we think it's imperative to allowher to go abroad for advanced treatmentin a bid to save her life."They mentioned that the governmentreleased Khaleda as per section 401 (1) ofthe Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)with two conditions and the tenure of herrelease was extended thrice.GDP size stands at Taka 34,840bat current prices in FY21DHAKA : The size of the Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) in the last fiscal year (FY21)stood at Taka 34,840 billion at currentprices as per the new base year of 2015-16.The GDP growth of the country recorded5.43 per cent also in the last fiscal year,according to the provisional estimation ofthe Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).The BBS data showed that the per capitaincome of the country in the last fiscal year(FY21) stood at $2,554 or Taka 2,16,589which was $2,326 or Taka 1,97,199 in theprevious fiscal year (FY20), according tothe fresh base year of 2015-16. The BBShas already completed the necessary worksfor updating the GDP base year from2005-06 to 2015-16.Revealing the latest provisional figures ofthe BBS which were also placed before theECNEC meeting, Planning Minister MAMannan said that the base year has beenupdated for which newer areas have beenbrought under the calculation."As a result, the overall GDP size hasbeen increased as well as the per capitaincome," he added.He informed that the foreign currencyreserves are nearing $50 billion while thecountry's literacy rate above 15 years alsoreached 75.2 per cent. However, the povertyrate remains at 20.5 per cent while thelife expectancy reached 72.8 years.The Planning Minister informed that theGDP growth rate in the last fiscal year(FY21) reached 5.43 per cent which was thehighest in this South Asian region despitethe shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.The BBS data also showed that comparedto the base year 2005-06 to 2015-16,the GDP size in current prices witnessed a19.8 per cent increase in FY16 compared tothe year 2015-16 to 2020-21, the GDP sizeover the last six years at current prices witnesseda 17 per cent increase.Out of the overall GDP size of Taka34,840 billion in FY21 at current prices, theshare of the agriculture sector is Taka 4,061billion, the industries sector Taka 11,362billion while the services sector Taka18,098 billion as per the fresh base year.Meanwhile, if compared at constantprices, the GDP size in the last fiscalyear stood at Taka 27,939 billion,according to the new base year. As perthe fresh base year, the country's investmentratio to GDP stood at 30.76 percent, while the national savings ratio toGDP at 32.15 per cent.Bangladesh can act as role modelin addressing climate change:PMDHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinahas said although Bangladesh is affectedby the adverse impacts of climate change,it can act as a role model before the worldin addressing climate change."Bangladesh is especially affected bynegative effects of climate change and canfunction as a role model to the developedand developing world," she wrote in anarticle published in Washington basedfamous Diplomat magazine on Monday,reports BSS. Following is the full article bySheikh Hasina:Climate Change Through the Lens ofBangladeshAs Bangladesh is located at the end ofthe drainage basin of mighty Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River systems, it isprone to climate-related disasters. Therecent report of the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change painted an irreversibleand irrefutable future, specificallyfor South and Southeast Asia. An increasingmonsoon will lead to variability in locallevels of rainfall and to frequent and intermittentflooding events. As a result, thecoastal zone of Bangladesh will be highlysusceptible to inundation and salinity,which will most likely hamper agriculturalproduction and affect food security.Natural disasters linked to climate changeare threatening the lives of the people andof future generations of the country.This impending doom drives us toenhance the resilience of infrastructures,institutional capacity, and financial preparedness,and to help vulnerable communitiesto adapt and manage residualrisks. There are several experiences andbest practices that Bangladesh can sharewith developed and developing countries.As chair of the Climate VulnerableForum (CVF) - a coalition of 48 countriesfrom Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, thePacific, and South America - Bangladeshhas pioneered in the preparation of thecomprehensive Mujib Climate ProsperityPlan. Launched in July this year, it is thefirst plan of a CVF country with a strategicinvestment framework to mobilize financingthrough international cooperation toimplement climate-resilience initiatives.Germany as a resource-rich country mayplay an important role in this regard.Key initiatives of the program includerenewable energy, energy-storage infrastructure,power-grid modernization, and emissiontrading. The instrument also extends itsspotlights to future-proof Bangladesh'sindustries, locally led adaptation outcomes,and the financial protection of micro, small,and medium enterprises. In addition, thedevelopment of climate-resilient and naturebasedagriculture and fisheries, environment-friendlytransport, and climateresilientwell-being programs are pivotal tothis visionary document.With the global transition toward theSustainable Development Goals, my governmenthas initiated an overall plan forBangladesh to become a developed countryby 2041. As a result, the country's economicgrowth trajectory has maintainedsmooth momentum even amid the prevailingCOVID-19 crisis and despite a risingpopulation, limited land resources andfrequent natural disasters.Simultaneously, we have been boostingthe country's agricultural production duringthe previous 20 years. Our annual rice productionhas almost tripled between 1971 and2020. To date, more than 100 high-yielding,modern rice varieties have been developedand distributed to the farmers, includingless water-intensive and more heat-tolerantvarieties. In addition, floating agriculture ispracticed in many areas of Bangladesh tomeet the food demand, mitigating societalchallenges and ensuring the conservation ofbiodiversity and the ecosystem.SC upholds top fugitivemilitant Salehin'sdeath penaltyDHAKA : The Supreme Court onTuesday upheld the death penalty ofSalauddin Salehin, a dreaded militantfrom the banned JMB, who was convictedin the 2004 killing of Goni Gomez ofJamalpur, reports UNB.A five-member bench of the AppellateDivision, led by Chief Justice Syed MahmudHossain passed the order after hearing apetition. Salehin has been a fugitive since2015 when his militant abducted him from aprison van carrying him to Mymensingh jailafter a gun attack in Trishal upazila.The court did not consider the appealof Rakib, another death-row convict inthe case, as he already died.Deputy Attorney General BiswajitDebnath represented the state.In 2006, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunalsentenced Salehin and Rakib to death inthe case and later the High Court (HC)upheld sentence rejecting their appeal.Rejected by the HC the two appealedthe death sentence before the SupremeCourt. Additional Attorney GeneralMehedi Hasan Chowdhury said GoniGomez, owner of a pharmacy, who hadconverted to Christian from Muslim, waskilled by the JMB men. Rakib, anotheraccused in the case, was killed in a gunfightwith police in 2015.Demo for half bus fareStudents give 48-hour ultimatumDHAKA : Students of different collegesin the city on Tuesday afternoonthreatened to resume demonstrationson Saturday morning if their two-pointdemand, including half fare for busrides for them, is not met by 48 hours,reports UNB.Students of Dhanmondi IdealCollege blocked Science Laboratoryintersection in the city around 12:30pm, demanding half fare for studentsin public transport. Later, studentsfrom Dhaka City College and otheradjacent colleges expressed solidaritywith them and joined the demonstrations,halting traffic on the busy road.Adnan, a student of DhanmondiIdeal College, said, "They gave a 48-hour ultimatum and threatened toresume their movement on Saturday iftheir demands - half fare for studentsand safety of students, especiallyfemale ones - are not met by Friday."Mahmudul Hasan Rafi, a student ofDhaka City College, said, "Ideal Collegestudents were obstructed by police onMonday while inspecting whether studentswere allowed to pay half fare inbuses. Besides, the students also face safetyproblem. The students of Dhaka Collegeand City College expressed their solidaritywith the students of Ideal College."Ikram Ali Mia, officer-in-charge ofDhanmondi Police Station, said,"Police are there to tackle any untowardincident though no unwantedincident has been reported yet."Some areconstructionworkers,some areauto-rickshawdrivers,some areshop-workers,some areoffice peons.They areknown asteenage gangsin the capital.The name oftheir groupis 'Vibba LaKing'.Photo :Star Mail
- Page 2 and 3: weDneSDAY, noveMbeR 24, 20212697 21
- Page 4 and 5: WEDNEsDAy, NovEMbER 24, 20214Acting
- Page 6 and 7: WeDNeSDAY, NOveMBeR 24, 2021 6Human
- Page 8 and 9: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 20218Islami
- Page 10 and 11: WeDNesDAY, NoVeMBeR 24, 202110'Nona
- Page 12: Wednesday, Dhaka: November 24, 2021
WedneSday
DHaka: November 24, 2021; agrahyan 9, 1428 BS; Rabius-Sani 18,1443 Hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.19; N o. 203; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
international
US announces more
sanctions over
Russian gas pipeline
>Page 7
SPortS
Dortmund without
Haaland and Hummels
in Lisbon showdown
>Page 9
art & culture
'Rehana Maryam Noor'
secures nomination at Five
Flavours Film Festival
>Page 10
Bangavax finally gets
approval for human trial
DHAKA : Bangladesh Medical Research
Council (BMRC) has approved in principle
Globe Biotech Limited's Covid-19 vaccine
Bangavax for human trial, reports
UNB.
"BMRC has given the approval in principle
for administering Covid-19 vaccine of
Bangavax and we'll submit an application
to the Bangladesh Directorate General of
Drug Administration (DGDA), seeking its
permission for the clinical trial. The administration
of its jabs will start once the final
approval is given," said Dr Mohamamd
Mohiuddin, senior manager of BMRC's
Quality and Regulatory Department.
BMRC Director Dr Ruhul Amin signed
the letter of approval issued on Tuesday.
Globe Biotech Limited has claimed that
Bangavax is 100% effective for fighting 11
variants of Covid-19, including the Delta
variant.
On January 17, Globe Biotech, the only
SHAfiquL iSLAM (JAMi)
Zohr
05:00 AM
11:50 PM
03:35 PM
05:15 PM
06:35 PM
6:19 5:11
Bangladeshi company trying to develop a
Covid-19 vaccine, submitted an application
to the BMRC for approval to conduct
Bangavax's clinical trials.
On June 16, the BMRC decided to
approve Globe Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine,
Bangavax, for human trials.
Globe Biotech received a licence to produce
their potential vaccine for trial on
December 28 last year.
The BMRC, which oversees all such trials,
got back to them in June with certain
conditions that had to be met before the
clinical trials could go ahead.
The key condition was that Globe
Biotech would have to run trials on monkeys
or chimpanzees first.
One of the bottlenecks the company
identified at the time was that the country
did not have a third-party clinical research
organization (CRO) that could conduct
such tests on animals.
ECNEC approves 10projects
including Matarbari
Ten projects have been approved in the
meeting of the Executive Committee of the
National Economic Council (ECNEC).
The total cost of the approved projects has
been estimated at TK 29,344.27 crore. Of
this, TK 11,330 million will be spent from
government funds, TK 18,932.04 million
from loans and the rest will be spent from
the agency's own funds. The ECNEC
meeting started at 10 am on Tuesday
(November 23). The Prime Minister and
ECNEC Chairperson Sheikh Hasina
presided over the meeting by joining the
NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla
Nagar via video conference from
Ganobhaban. On the other hand, concerned
ministers and secretaries were
present in the NEC conference room.
After the ECNEC meeting Planning
Minister MA Mannan and State Minister
for Planning Dr. Shamsul Alam gave
details about ECNEC meeting in the press
conference.
At the press conference, the state minister
for planning said that ECNEC has
approved the 1st amendment of the
Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired
Power Plant construction project by
increasing the expenditure by TK 15,870
crore. At present the cost of the project is
51 thousand 854 crore.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
had instructed to bring Matarbari projects
under one authority. For this, it is necessary
to make a separate authority only for
the matarbari.
On the other hand, the planning minister
said, in today's meeting, the flyover and
physical infrastructure development project
in Haor area at a cost of TK 3,490 crore
has been approved. The project will connect
the two districts side by side.
Although Netrokona and Sunamganj are
two adjoining districts, communication
was cut off for most of the year. However,
the communication system of these two districts
was established through this project.
The approved projects are: 1.
'Modernization of Bangladesh Marine
Academy through Infrastructural
Restructuring' project. 2. `Upgradation of
Aricha (Barangail)-Ghior-Daulatpur-
Nagarpur-Tangail Regional Highway (R-
506) to appropriate standard and width'
project. 3. Project for widening and development
of National Highway (N-806) in
Narail city part. 4. 'Establishing Digital
Connectives (Digital Connectivity)' project.
5. 'Rural Transport Improvement
Project-2 (RTIP-2) (Third Amendment)'
project. 6. 'Important Rural Infrastructure
Development of Sylhet Division' (1st
Amendment) Project. 7. 'Development of
flyovers and physical infrastructure in
Haor area' project. 8. 'Polder No-14/1
Rehabilitation of Khulna District' project.
9. 'Disaster Risk Management Expansion
(Component-1, Bapaubo Part)' project. 10.
'Matarbari 2600 MW Ultra Super Critical
Coal Fired Power Project (1st
Amendment)' project.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting of Bangladesh Awami League Local
Govt Representative Nomination Board at Ganobhaban on Tuesday. Photo : Star Mail
Sending Khaleda abroad
Pro-BNP lawyers
submit memo to
Law Minister
DHAKA : A delegation of pro-BNP
lawyers on Tuesday submitted a memorandum
to Law Minister Anisul Huq seeking
the government's permission to send
ailing Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment,
reports UNB.
They argued that there is no legal obstruction
for the government in allowing Khaleda
to go abroad. The delegation, led by
Advocate Fazlur Rahman, member secretary
of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi
Forum (BJAF), met the Law Minister at his
secretariat office around 1:45pm and submitted
the memorandum to him.
In the memorandum, the lawyers said
the BNP chairperson and three-time
(former) Prime Minister Khaleda Zia
has been receiving treatment in
Coronary Care Unit of Evercare Hospital
in a critical condition.
They said the specialist doctors who are
treating her have already given an opinion
to send her abroad for advanced treatment.
"We the lawyers are concerned over
the deterioration of health condition of the
country's three-time former Prime
Minister...we think it's imperative to allow
her to go abroad for advanced treatment
in a bid to save her life."
They mentioned that the government
released Khaleda as per section 401 (1) of
the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)
with two conditions and the tenure of her
release was extended thrice.
GDP size stands at Taka 34,840b
at current prices in FY21
DHAKA : The size of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in the last fiscal year (FY21)
stood at Taka 34,840 billion at current
prices as per the new base year of 2015-16.
The GDP growth of the country recorded
5.43 per cent also in the last fiscal year,
according to the provisional estimation of
the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The BBS data showed that the per capita
income of the country in the last fiscal year
(FY21) stood at $2,554 or Taka 2,16,589
which was $2,326 or Taka 1,97,199 in the
previous fiscal year (FY20), according to
the fresh base year of 2015-16. The BBS
has already completed the necessary works
for updating the GDP base year from
2005-06 to 2015-16.
Revealing the latest provisional figures of
the BBS which were also placed before the
ECNEC meeting, Planning Minister MA
Mannan said that the base year has been
updated for which newer areas have been
brought under the calculation.
"As a result, the overall GDP size has
been increased as well as the per capita
income," he added.
He informed that the foreign currency
reserves are nearing $50 billion while the
country's literacy rate above 15 years also
reached 75.2 per cent. However, the poverty
rate remains at 20.5 per cent while the
life expectancy reached 72.8 years.
The Planning Minister informed that the
GDP growth rate in the last fiscal year
(FY21) reached 5.43 per cent which was the
highest in this South Asian region despite
the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BBS data also showed that compared
to the base year 2005-06 to 2015-16,
the GDP size in current prices witnessed a
19.8 per cent increase in FY16 compared to
the year 2015-16 to 2020-21, the GDP size
over the last six years at current prices witnessed
a 17 per cent increase.
Out of the overall GDP size of Taka
34,840 billion in FY21 at current prices, the
share of the agriculture sector is Taka 4,061
billion, the industries sector Taka 11,362
billion while the services sector Taka
18,098 billion as per the fresh base year.
Meanwhile, if compared at constant
prices, the GDP size in the last fiscal
year stood at Taka 27,939 billion,
according to the new base year. As per
the fresh base year, the country's investment
ratio to GDP stood at 30.76 per
cent, while the national savings ratio to
GDP at 32.15 per cent.
Bangladesh can act as role model
in addressing climate change:PM
DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
has said although Bangladesh is affected
by the adverse impacts of climate change,
it can act as a role model before the world
in addressing climate change.
"Bangladesh is especially affected by
negative effects of climate change and can
function as a role model to the developed
and developing world," she wrote in an
article published in Washington based
famous Diplomat magazine on Monday,
reports BSS. Following is the full article by
Sheikh Hasina:
Climate Change Through the Lens of
Bangladesh
As Bangladesh is located at the end of
the drainage basin of mighty Ganges-
Brahmaputra-Meghna River systems, it is
prone to climate-related disasters. The
recent report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change painted an irreversible
and irrefutable future, specifically
for South and Southeast Asia. An increasing
monsoon will lead to variability in local
levels of rainfall and to frequent and intermittent
flooding events. As a result, the
coastal zone of Bangladesh will be highly
susceptible to inundation and salinity,
which will most likely hamper agricultural
production and affect food security.
Natural disasters linked to climate change
are threatening the lives of the people and
of future generations of the country.
This impending doom drives us to
enhance the resilience of infrastructures,
institutional capacity, and financial preparedness,
and to help vulnerable communities
to adapt and manage residual
risks. There are several experiences and
best practices that Bangladesh can share
with developed and developing countries.
As chair of the Climate Vulnerable
Forum (CVF) - a coalition of 48 countries
from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the
Pacific, and South America - Bangladesh
has pioneered in the preparation of the
comprehensive Mujib Climate Prosperity
Plan. Launched in July this year, it is the
first plan of a CVF country with a strategic
investment framework to mobilize financing
through international cooperation to
implement climate-resilience initiatives.
Germany as a resource-rich country may
play an important role in this regard.
Key initiatives of the program include
renewable energy, energy-storage infrastructure,
power-grid modernization, and emission
trading. The instrument also extends its
spotlights to future-proof Bangladesh's
industries, locally led adaptation outcomes,
and the financial protection of micro, small,
and medium enterprises. In addition, the
development of climate-resilient and naturebased
agriculture and fisheries, environment-friendly
transport, and climateresilient
well-being programs are pivotal to
this visionary document.
With the global transition toward the
Sustainable Development Goals, my government
has initiated an overall plan for
Bangladesh to become a developed country
by 2041. As a result, the country's economic
growth trajectory has maintained
smooth momentum even amid the prevailing
COVID-19 crisis and despite a rising
population, limited land resources and
frequent natural disasters.
Simultaneously, we have been boosting
the country's agricultural production during
the previous 20 years. Our annual rice production
has almost tripled between 1971 and
2020. To date, more than 100 high-yielding,
modern rice varieties have been developed
and distributed to the farmers, including
less water-intensive and more heat-tolerant
varieties. In addition, floating agriculture is
practiced in many areas of Bangladesh to
meet the food demand, mitigating societal
challenges and ensuring the conservation of
biodiversity and the ecosystem.
SC upholds top fugitive
militant Salehin's
death penalty
DHAKA : The Supreme Court on
Tuesday upheld the death penalty of
Salauddin Salehin, a dreaded militant
from the banned JMB, who was convicted
in the 2004 killing of Goni Gomez of
Jamalpur, reports UNB.
A five-member bench of the Appellate
Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud
Hossain passed the order after hearing a
petition. Salehin has been a fugitive since
2015 when his militant abducted him from a
prison van carrying him to Mymensingh jail
after a gun attack in Trishal upazila.
The court did not consider the appeal
of Rakib, another death-row convict in
the case, as he already died.
Deputy Attorney General Biswajit
Debnath represented the state.
In 2006, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal
sentenced Salehin and Rakib to death in
the case and later the High Court (HC)
upheld sentence rejecting their appeal.
Rejected by the HC the two appealed
the death sentence before the Supreme
Court. Additional Attorney General
Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury said Goni
Gomez, owner of a pharmacy, who had
converted to Christian from Muslim, was
killed by the JMB men. Rakib, another
accused in the case, was killed in a gunfight
with police in 2015.
Demo for half bus fare
Students give 48-
hour ultimatum
DHAKA : Students of different colleges
in the city on Tuesday afternoon
threatened to resume demonstrations
on Saturday morning if their two-point
demand, including half fare for bus
rides for them, is not met by 48 hours,
reports UNB.
Students of Dhanmondi Ideal
College blocked Science Laboratory
intersection in the city around 12:30
pm, demanding half fare for students
in public transport. Later, students
from Dhaka City College and other
adjacent colleges expressed solidarity
with them and joined the demonstrations,
halting traffic on the busy road.
Adnan, a student of Dhanmondi
Ideal College, said, "They gave a 48-
hour ultimatum and threatened to
resume their movement on Saturday if
their demands - half fare for students
and safety of students, especially
female ones - are not met by Friday."
Mahmudul Hasan Rafi, a student of
Dhaka City College, said, "Ideal College
students were obstructed by police on
Monday while inspecting whether students
were allowed to pay half fare in
buses. Besides, the students also face safety
problem. The students of Dhaka College
and City College expressed their solidarity
with the students of Ideal College."
Ikram Ali Mia, officer-in-charge of
Dhanmondi Police Station, said,
"Police are there to tackle any untoward
incident though no unwanted
incident has been reported yet."
Some are
construction
workers,
some are
auto-rickshaw
drivers,
some are
shop-workers,
some are
office peons.
They are
known as
teenage gangs
in the capital.
The name of
their group
is 'Vibba La
King'.
Photo :
Star Mail
weDneSDAY, noveMbeR 24, 2021
2
697 21/11/21
Salman F Rahman, MP addressing a Meet the Reporters at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday. Photo : Courtesy
Youth held with
gold worth TK
2.40cr in Ctg,
CHATTOGRAM : Customs
intelligence officials seized 26
gold bars and other gold items
weighing 4.1 kilogram from a
flight of Biman Bangladesh
Airlines at Shah Amanat
International Airport in the
city yesterday, reports BSS.
Customs officials arrested
youth Mohammad Sohel, 27,
at the airport upon his arrival
from Dubai for allegedly
attempting to smuggle the
said gold worth about Taka
2.40 crore.
RMCH records
one more fatality
in Covid-19 unit
RAJSHAHI : Rajshahi Medical
College Hospital (RMCH)
recorded one more fatality in its
Covid-19 unit during the last 24
hours till 6am yesterday
The death toll due to Covid-19
and its symptoms reached 30 so
far this month with the new
deaths, RMCH Director
Brigadier General Shamim
Yazdani said.
The new female fatality was
the resident of Rajshahi and she
was suffering from symptoms of
Covid-19.
Meanwhile, four more
patients were admitted to the
Covid-19 unit during the last 24
hours, taking the number of
admitted patients to 30,
including seven testing positive
for Covid-19, at present.
Covid-19 cases reach
55,521 with 13 afresh in
RANGPUR: The number of Covid-19 cases has
reached 55,521 as 13 new patients were
reported on Monday in Rangpur division
where the pandemic situation continues
improving during the last three months, reports
BSS.
"The 13 new patients were diagnosed after
testing 184 samples at the positivity rate of 7.07
percent in the division on Monday," Acting
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr Abu
Md Zakirul Islam told BSS yesterday.
Earlier, the daily Covid-19 positivity rates
were 2.17 percent on Sunday, 1.33 percent on
Saturday, 3.57 percent on Friday, 1.89 percent
on Thursday, 3.77 percent on Wednesday and
3.86 percent on Tuesday last in the division.
"The district-wise break up of total 55,521
patients include 12,504 of Rangpur, 3,822
Panchagarh, 4,457 of Nilphamari, 2,744 of
Lalmonirhat, 4,646 of Kurigram, 7,657 of
Thakurgaon, 14,824 of Dinajpur and 4,867 of
Gaibandha in the division," he 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 casualties
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 stands 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 2,98,814 collected samples were tested
till Monday, and of them, 55,521 were found
Covid-19 positive with an average positivity rate
of 18.58 percent in the division," Dr Islam said.
Meanwhile, the number of healed Covid-19
patients reached 53,345 with recovery of 13
more patients on Monday in the division where
the the average recovery rate currently stands at
96.08 percent.
The 53,345 recovered patients include 11,582
of Rangpur, 3,680 Panchagarh, 4,362
Nilphamari, 2,625 Lalmonirhat, 4,527
Kurigram, 7,345 Thakurgaon, 14,429 in
Dinajpur and 4,795 Gaibandha districts in the
division. Among the 55,521 patients, 32 are
under treatments at isolation units, including
eight critical patients at ICU beds and five at
High Dependency Unit beds, after recovery of
53,345 patients and 1,244 deaths while 9000
are remaining in home isolation.
Court orders to
confiscate properties
of Kanak, Delwar
DHAKA : A Dhaka court yesterday directed
law enforcers to confiscate the assets of
fugitive accused -journalist Kanak Sarwar
and Major (retd) Delwar Hossain in
connection with a Digital Security Act (DSA)
case.
Dhaka Cyber Tribunal Judge Mohammad
Ash Sams Joglul Hossain passed the order,
asking to submit a report in this regard
within December 13, said court sources.
On June 30, investigation officer of
Shahbagh Police Station SI Mohammad
Russel Molla submitted a charge sheet to the
court against them.
On November 2, the court issued warrant
orders against the two fugitives taking the
charge sheet into cognizance.
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021
3
Journalist
Shamim Mashraki
passes away
DHAKA : Shamim
Mashraki, advisory Editor of
the districtnews24 and
permanent member of
Jatiya Press Club, died of a
heart attack at Mymensingh
Medical College Hospital
yesterday morning.
He was 55.
Shamim Mashraki, also a
former leader of Dhaka Sub-
Editors Council, left behind
his wife, only son and a host
of relatives and admirers to
mourn his death.
Acting president of the
Jatiya Press Club Hasan
Hafiz and its General
Secretary Elias Khan
expressed profound shock
and sorrow at the death of
Shamim Mashraki.
In a condolence message,
they prayed for the eternal
peace of the departed soul
and conveyed deep
sympathy to the bereaved
family members.
IU celebrates
University Day
ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY :
Islamic University (IU) in
Kushtia celebrated its 43rd
University Day on the
campus on Monday,
marking its 42th founding
anniversary.
The day-long celebration
began with the unfurling of
the national and university
flags by IU vice-chancellor
Shaikh Abdus Salam and
pro vice-chancellor Prof M
Mahbubur Rahman,
respectively.
Teachers,
students,
officers and employees later
brought out a colourful
procession led by the VC on
the campus. The procession
ended in front of Bangla
Moncha adjacent to the
university's arts building.
Subsequently, a discussion
and a cultural programme
was held on the campus.
Among others, IU
treasurer Prof M Alamgir
Hossain Bhuiya, acting
registrar Ataur Rahman,
transport administrator Prof
M Anowar Hossain, proctor
Prof M Jahangir Hossain,
and deans and chairpersons
of different faculties were
present on the occasion.
The university began its
journey on November 22 in
1979 in Gazipur on a campus
currently used by National
University.
Humayun inaugurates
Narsingdi District Bar
Association building
DHAKA : Industries Minister
Nurul Majid Mahmud
Humayun inaugurated the
newly constructed expansion
building of Narsingdi District
Bar Association.
The minister inaugurated
the building on Monday at a
function at the office
premises of the District Bar
Association, said a press
release. The building was
named after father of the
industries minister, MA
Majid, a prominent lawyer
and former president of
Dhaka Bar Association.
The results of the admission test for the 1st year BBA program under 'C' unit of
Dhaka University for the academic year 2020-2021 have been published on
Tuesday. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Akhtaruzzaman officially
unveiled the results in the virtual classroom.
Photo: DU Public Relations
First Bangladeshi winner on
a Formula1 track: Racer
Avik Anwar makes history
DHAKA : Avik Anwar, the first Bangladeshi
international motorsports winner and
Bangladesh Rallycross champion, has won
three races so far in the NGK Pro Car
Championship in the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), reports UNB.
He won this prestigious race after
competing with formula racers from
different countries of the world including
Scotland, New Zealand, Belgium, Mexico,
Ireland, United Arab Emirates, India,
Switzerland, Austria, United Kingdom and
France.
After winning the highly competitive race,
Avik released a video on his official Facebook
page for his fans, expressing his happiness
and gratitude.
"Those who said I can't, those who said it is
not possible, those who have always looked
down on Bangladeshis, today's victory is for
them! You should always dream big and no
matter how hard it gets to achieve the dream,
Insha'Allah one day the dream will turn into
a successful reality," Avik wrote on his
Facebook.
Earlier, Avik confirmed his victory on a
separate Facebook post where he wrote,
"History created once again, first
Bangladeshi to race and get Pole position at
Qualifying at Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit!
It wasn't easy." He also thanked his
sponsors.
Sharing the details of his preparation and
experience for the ongoing race, Avik talked
to several Bangladeshi media from Dubai.
"Last year, I played in only three rounds of
the tournament. This year, I want to take
part in all the rounds of this year's
championship. My preparation has been
quite good, and my confidence also
increased a lot after winning the first round.
I hope I can do better in the next rounds as
well," he informed.
Apart from being the first-ever
Bangladeshi motorsports superstar, Avik is
also an active social media influencer and
YouTuber, with having more than 132k
subscribers on his official YouTube channel
where he reviews cars and also shares his
journey for the fans and followers.
Helping Bangladeshi youths stage
a comeback from Covid setbacks
DHAKA : Young people left unemployed by
the Covid-19 pandemic can now dream of
staging a comeback, thanks to a new
initiative by the Uddokta project that aims to
encourage entrepreneurship.
Uddokta-empowering entrepreneurs-a
three-year (2020-2022) project was initially
a partnership between Chevron and global
nonprofit organisation iDE, signed in 2019
underChevron's Bangladesh Partnership
Initiative (BPI).
Now, Uddokta has partnered with the
Embassy of Switzerland to take this noble
initiative forward. The formal integration
was done at a recent event 'Empowering
people through our partnership' in Dhaka.
Chevron's director of corporate affairs, the
deputy head of cooperation from Swiss
Embassy and the Asia-Pacific vice president
of iDE attended the event.
This partnership seeks to improve incomes
and livelihoods of rural communities via
enterprise development, creation of local
entrepreneurs and strengthening market
systems in Chevron BPI catchment areas of
Sylhet division-Sylhet, Moulavibazar, and
Habiganj. In July 2021, Switzerland
supported Uddokta through their
Bangladesh Covid-19 response to increase
the employment of youths and women
affected by the pandemic in and around the
project area. In this joint collaboration, the
Uddokta project will help improve the lives
and livelihoods of over 2,600 youths by
supporting micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) and more than 100
local cooperatives with a strong emphasis on
gender inclusivity and integration.
Apart from supporting the out-of-job
youths, the project will focus on long-term
sustainability through greater emphasis on
climate-smart sectors in the four districts of
Sylhet division-Sylhet, Moulavibazar,
Habiganj and Sunamganj.
As the pandemic continues to impede the
country's economic activities, especially for
Bangladeshi rural women and youths, the
partnership also aims to promote an
inclusive and non-discriminative society,
and youth employment opportunities.
"The new partnership is appreciated for
their innovative approach towards
supporting youths affected by Covid-19,"
said the director of corporate affairs,
Chevron Bangladesh, Muhammad Imrul
Kabir.
"With global attention on the annual UN
Climate Change Conference of COP26, the
Uddokta project will be prioritising green
growth and initiatives for the betterment of
rural communities in the future."
iDE vice president for Asia-Pacific, Deepak
Khadka said: "Sustainability will be key to
the programme as well as developing
solutions to challenges and accelerating the
results of the programme."
Engineer Fazlur Rashid, Director General of Bangladesh Water Development Board, attended a
two-day long workshop titled 'WMO Workshop on Hydrological Status and Outlook System in Ganga
Brahmaputra Meghna Basin' held in New Delhi, India. Water experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India and Nepal participated in the workshop.
Photo : Courtesy
Army chief accords
reception to gallantry
award holder FFs
DHAKA : Chief of Army
Staff General SM Shafiuddin
Ahmed yesterday accorded a
reception to the gallantry
award holder Freedom
Fighters (FFs) of
Bangladesh Army at a
ceremony at the Army
Multipurpose Complex in
Dhaka Cantonment on the
occasion of the Armed
Forces Day-2021.
The army chief conferred
peace-time award on 26
army personnel for their
praiseworthy and
courageous works in
different times in 2020-21 in
the function, said an ISPR
press release.
Of the awardees, six
received 'Osamanyo Seba
Padak (OSP)' and 20
received 'Bishishta Seba
Padak (BSP)', the release
also said.
In the function, General
Shafiuddin
exchanged
greetings with the freedom
fighter member of the
Bangladesh Army and their
successors and presented
gifts to them.
Later, he also exchanged
greetings with the awarded
army personnel.
AL decides to further
strengthen party at
grass roots level
DHAKA : Awami League has
decided to take a massive
work plan to strengthen the
party further at grass roots
level in Chattogram.
The decision was taken at
a divisional workshop titled
'Upcoming Jatiya Sangasad
(JS) Elections and
preparations of Awami
League' organised by AL
Chattogram division team at
LD Hall at JS Bhaban.
AL Districts and grass root
level leaders took part in the
workshop. AL General
Secretary and Road
Transport and Bridges
Minister Obaidul Quader
inaugurated the workshop
while AL Presidium
Member Sheikh Fazlul
Karim Selim addressed it as
the chief guest.
AL Presidium Member
Engineer Mosharraf
Hossain addressed the
workshop as special guest
with AL Joint General
Secretary Mahbubul-Alam
Hanif in the chair.
Govt to go for strict monitoring
against rice hoarding: Sadhan
DHAKA : Food Minister Sadhan Chandra
Majumder yesterday said the government
will run strict monitor against illegal food
hoarders in an attempt to make rice
procurement a success during the ongoing
aman season.
"Illegal hoarders will be brought under
strict surveillance in order to make the
government's aman rice procurement
trouble-free," he said. The food minister
made this comment virtually connecting
with an internal aman procurement progress
review meeting of Rangpur and Rajshahi
divisions of 2021-22 from his ministry office
here. He said, "None will be allowed to stock
rice without having food grade license. The
food grade license holders must have to
submit their fortnightly food transaction
reports to the authorities concerned."
Giving strict instructions to the food
department officials, the minister said the
aman production is comparatively better this
year and the government has fixed rationale
prices for the aman paddy and rice. "So, the
concerned food department officials must be
more attentive by designing a concrete plan
so that the aman procurement drive would
be a success," he told the meeting.
Sadhan, however, said the concerned food
officials have to give explanation if they failed
to fulfill the aman procurement target.
"More procurement allocations will be given,
if necessary, to the officials who will be able
to achieve hundred percent procurement
target before the stipulated time," he said.
Terming the northern region as the food
granary, the minister said more food would
be procured from the region, adding that the
food officials must be careful so that none of
the growers and the rice mill owners faces
harassment during the ongoing food
procurement drive.
Drawing attention of the rice mill owners
that the country has no shortage of rice, he
said yet the government allowed to import as
much as 29 lakh tonnes rice in the past, but
only 8 lakh tonnes were imported which
proved that there is adequate rice stock in
the country.
The minister advised the rice mill owners
not to think about their own interest only as
they have to think about the interest of the
consumers too. He warned the food officials
that their irresponsibility regarding rice
procurement would not be accepted under
any circumstances. Chaired by Food
Secretary Dr Mst Nazmanara Khanum, the
programme also was addressed, among
others, by Additional Director General of
Food Abdullah Al Mamun, Additional
Secretary Khawja Abdul Hannan and
Divisional Commissioner of Rajshahi Dr
Mohammad Humayun Kabir.
Covid claims 3 more lives
in Bangladesh; positivity
rate rises to 1.45%
DHAKA : Bangladesh reported three more
Covid-linked deaths along with 284 fresh
cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
With this, the daily case positivity rate rose
to 1.45 per cent on Tuesday from Monday's
1.42 per cent, said the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS).
Among the deceased, two were men and
one woman. One of the deceased was from
Dhaka and two Chattogram divisions.
With the fresh numbers, the total fatalities
rose to 27,958 while the caseload mounted to
1,574,636.
Conclusion of basic training of the assistant engineers of Bangladesh
Power Development Board (BPDB) and distribution certificates among
them were held on Tuesday. Secretary of the power department Md.
Habibur Rahman distributed certificates among them at a function
organized at Bidyut Bhaban.
Photo : Courtesy
Ridding campus of outside elements
a test for DU authorities
DHAKA : What is the worst thing
about being a female student of Dhaka
University? One can hardly deny that it
is their insecurity on the campus,
reports UNB.
"One evening, I was going to my
dormitory. As I walked to the dorm, I
could sense a man following me. At
one stage, he actually overtook me and
turned towards me, blocking my path
and staring at me nastily. I felt
nauseous and started shouting. The
nearby students approached and got
me out of that situation," said a female
student of the university wishing not to
be named.
This harrowing account of a female
residential student's experience while
living on the Dhaka University (DU)
campus is far from unique, and many
in fact experience far worse things. It's
all part of life on a more-or-less open
campus in the middle of a busy
metropolis where crime and violence
are rampant.
But isn't it the responsibility of DU
authorities to do everything they can to
provide these students with a more
agreeable and conducive environment
for academic pursuits?
The same student whose account we
started with also says: "In our campus,
we don't feel safe. There're too many
outsiders, vagabonds, drug addicts,
beggars, muggers and floating people
causing all sorts of difficulties and
distractions."
For the reasons of safety, she prefers
not to give her identity.
But many students, some under their
own names and identities, share
similar experiences in multiple
Facebook groups run by the students.
Some of them even complain about
being hijacked.
Nasir Uddin Prince, Master's student
of Television, Film and Photography,
was a victim of a hijacking on the
campus a few days back. He is also
General Secretary of the Socialist
Students Front's central committee.
The hijacker took away his camera,
lens, battery, charger and some
important documents.
After so many incidents, DU
students are now demanding a
collective campaign to drive out
vagabonds, drug addicts, beggars,
muggers and floating people from
campus, and to restrict the movement
of outsiders and heavy vehicles on the
campus grounds. Though the
authorities did not take any steps at
first, some students started working
spontaneously to this end. They have
driven out vagabonds from the campus
and forced many heavy vehicles to
redirect.
After a while, the DU authorities
seemed to come to their senses and
started working for a secure campus.
Recently, the university authorities
urged outsiders not to stay on the
campus without any necessity, to
ensure the safety of students.
They have also been conducting
drives for the last few days to eject
outsiders with the help of law
enforcement agencies.
All the makeshift shops in front of
the Suhrawardy Udyan gate inside the
campus were removed during a drive
on November 16.
Julius Caesar Talukdar, founder of
Dhaka University Nirapotta Moncha,
an organisation that works for the
safety of DU students and a safer
campus, told UNB: "The university
authorities can take steps to control
traffic jams, muggings, drug peddling
in the campus area. Setting up check
posts at every entrance point of the
campus (including Shahbagh, Doyel
Chattar, Nilkhet, and the Palashi
intersection) will be very helpful for
that." Asked to comment, DU proctor
AKM Golam Rabbani acknowledged
that too many people were gathering
on the DU campus, mostly having no
business there. Although this only
started happening 'recently' according
to him.
"It harms the environment of an
educational institution," lamented the
proctor. "Our students were forced to
take steps to defend themselves. Then
we took the matter seriously and have
already started ensuring a safe and
education-friendly campus for the
students."
The same student whose account we
started with also says: "In our campus,
we don't feel safe. There're too many
outsiders, vagabonds, drug addicts,
beggars, muggers and floating people
causing all sorts of difficulties and
distractions."
Now even the state's law enforcers,
in the form of DMP (Dhaka
Metropolitan Police), are being reeled
in to prevent heavy vehicles moving
through the campus. Although the
proctor was not too impressed with the
police's ham-handed response, in
which they passed the buck for
preventing heavy vehicles plying the
campus area to Dhaka Sarak
Paribahan Malik Samity - an
association of business owners in the
transport sector.
"We've also eradicated the makeshift
rickshaw stands from every entry point
to the university," Proctor Golam
Rabbani added, trying to assure they
are taking the matter seriously.
Whether the measures taken are
successful in solving the problem, only
time will tell!
WEDNEsDAy, NovEMbER 24, 2021
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Coping with sea-level
rise and other issues
Bangladesh's exposure to the growing hazard of sealevel
rise in the 21st century needs to be seen in the
perspective of its exposure to current environmental
hazards and its growing development needs. If sea-level is
currently rising at 1.3 mm/year, that is by only 13 mm (=
0.5 inch) in 10 years. Even if the rate is 3 mm/year, that is
by only 30 mm (=1.2 inches) in 10 years. But Bangladesh's
population of over 160 million is currently growing at a
rate of 2 million a year: i.e., it could grow by 20 million in
the next 10 years. That will generate much greater pressure
on the country's land and water resources and its economy
than will a slowly-rising sea-level.
The country's agricultural land is already fully developed;
in fact, considerable areas of valuable farmland are being
lost to expansion of settlements and infrastructure each
year. Priority attention therefore needs to be paid to
addressing current development and environmental
problems : i.e., intensifying agricultural production;
expanding economic activities outside agriculture;
reducing exposure to existing levels of drought, floods and
cyclones; supplementing dry-season flow in south-western
rivers; and minimising impacts of arsenic-contaminated
groundwater used for drinking and irrigation in large parts
of the country. Rates of sea-level rise may increase and
demand more urgent attention later in the 21st century, but
Bangladesh faces serious problems now that need urgent
attention if the country is to sustain its ability to feed,
support and safeguard the livelihoods of its population in
the short and medium terms.
However, several of the measures for mitigating the
impacts of a rising sea-level described above are also
needed to address current environmental and
development problems. Most urgent of these is the need for
measures to halt - and, if possible, reverse ? the growing
problem of salt-water intrusion in the south-west of
Bangladesh. Water taken from rivers and groundwater for
domestic, industrial or irrigation use anywhere in the
Ganges and Brahmaputra catchment areas ? inside as well
as outside Bangladesh ? decreases dry-season flow to the
coastal zone; and it must be expected that increasing
withdrawal of water in upper India in future decades will
continue to decrease dry-season flow in the Ganges river
before it reaches Bangladesh. That means that nation-wide
measures are needed now to use water resources more
efficiently, especially for irrigation, which would also be
beneficial in arsenic-contaminated areas. There is a present
need, too, to test and introduce mitigation measures as a
means to increase agricultural production and to safeguard
lives and livelihoods against current environmental
hazards in relevant coastal and near-coastal regions.
In relation to sea-level rise, the most important early
measure required is to start making more detailed
assessments of the current physical, economic and human
geography of the different physiographic regions and
subregions within and adjoining the coastal zone in order
to provide a comprehensive factual basis for planning
current and future development. Existing institutions for
monitoring tide levels, river flow, soil and water salinity,
land levels and land use need to be strengthened. Field
surveys will be needed to supplement existing information
(some of which, like soil surveys carried out 50 years ago,
will need to be updated) and interpretations of satellite
images must be supported by adequate ground testing.
Such surveys will need to be followed by relevant studies to
identify, test and ready cost appropriate intervention
measures for individual areas, including institutional and
political measures that might be needed to implement and
support identified measures.
Budgets and time-frames for implementation in different
areas will then be needed to be drawn up. Patently, it will
be essential to engage local people in such studies and
decisions in order both to harness their local
environmental knowledge and to gain their support for
implementing and supporting changes that are considered
necessary in both their own and the national interest. The
geographical diversity and complexity of Bangladesh's
coastal zone and the multidisciplinary nature of many of
the mitigation measures identified suggest that a
comprehensive Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan
is needed, along the lines of the Dutch delta management
plan, with appropriate staffing to prepare, operate and
oversee it.
Many of the measures described above are needed
regardless of a rising sea-level with global warming. So are
several similar land and water management and
institutional measures in other parts of the country to feed
and employ the burgeoning population. Future sea-level
rise and climate change merely add urgency to the existing
need for a national plan to implement relevant measures to
safeguard, maintain and accelerate economic and social
development in the country in pace with its growing
population and its exposure to existing environmental
hazards .The range of studies needed in order to formulate
such an integrated development plan in Bangladesh ? the
country in which intervention to meet current and future
development needs is perhaps most urgently required ?
could provide a model for such planning in other countries
with low-lying coastal areas.
After the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict could a defamation
lawsuit or DOJ investigation be next?
Turley on critics against the
Rittenhouse case: The jury did exactly
as it was designed Fox News
contributor Jonathan Turley on Kyle
Rittenhouse being not guilty on all charges.
In the aftermath of the Rittenhouse
verdict, figures on both sides of the case are
threatening new filings and investigations.
It seems likely that the case will move into
a new stage of litigation, particularly civil
litigation. However, advocates on both sides
may be overstating the basis for a
Rittenhouse 2.0. These lawsuits can come
with risks and considerable costs. That is
why Voltaire once lamented "I was never
ruined but twice: once when I lost a lawsuit,
and once when I won one."
Immediately following the verdict, House
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry
Nadler called for the Justice Department to
investigate the "miscarriage of justice."
Others have called for a federal civil rights
case against Rittenhouse.
The Justice Department does not have an
office for the prosecution of "miscarriages of
justice" due to errant jury decisions.
Rittenhouse was acquitted on state
charges by a state jury. Moreover, while
some have called for reducing self-defense
protections, the jury applied the law as it
currently appears on the books. It is not
The Rittenhouse jury faithfully applied
the Wisconsin law and came to a wellfounded
verdict of acquittal. It is a
dangerous precedent to investigate jury
decisions simply because you disagree with
their decisions. There is also no clear basis
for a civil rights prosecution. Rittenhouse is
White and shot three White men. He was
not accused of a hate crime. Moreover, he is
not a member of law enforcement or
government agency, so he did not deprive
anyone of their civil rights under federal law.
Rittenhouse could face lawsuits from the
families of the deceased or from Gaige
Grosskreutz, who survived being shot in the
arm. That includes wrongful death actions
much like the litigation against O.J.
Simpson after he was acquitted for the
killings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown
Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
However, he was then found guilty in a torts
lawsuit brought by the Goldman family and
ordered to pay $33.5 million. Those
damages later rose to $58 million.
The risk of such torts actions is that they
proceed under a lower standard of proof.
Rather than shouldering the "beyond a
reasonable doubt" standard of the
prosecution, the plaintiffs would have to
only prove responsibility by a
"preponderance of the evidence." However,
that is no guarantee of conviction.
All three men attacked or threatened
Rittenhouse before he used his weapon. The
common law protects not just self-defense
but mistaken self-defense where a person
may have erroneously (but reasonably)
thought that he was under attack.
When attacked, Rittenhouse is authorized
under common law to use commensurate
force. While Wisconsin does not have a
"Stand Your Ground" law, the common law
has always recognized such a right and did
not require a person to retreat before using
force. There is also more leeway in the
admission of evidence in civil cases on both
sides. That could further complicate any
recovery by these plaintiffs.
Finally, Wisconsin is a "modified
comparative negligence" state. Accordingly,
any plaintiff (or his estate) is barred if he is
51 percent or more at fault.
Rittenhouse does not have a viable claim
for wrongful arrest or prosecution given the
fatalities in the case and the reasonable
disagreement of the need to use lethal force.
However, many commentators have
suggested that he has a strong case for
defamation against President Biden and
many in the media for calling him a "white
supremacist," "domestic terrorist" and
"murderer." There is no question that
Rittenhouse has been subject to false and
harmful claims in the media. Indeed, many
watching the trial were surprised by the
sharp disconnect between what they had
JoNATHAN TURlEy
seen on the case in the media and what was
being presented in court. Such defamation
cases however are notoriously difficult to
win and the odds are against Rittenhouse in
prevailing on these characterizations of
prejudice or guilt. It is likely that
Rittenhouse will be considered a limited
public figure or public figure given the
notoriety of the case and his public defenses.
The Supreme Court has held that public
figure status applies when someone
"thrust[s] himself into the vortex of [the]
public issue [and] engage[s] the public's
attention in an attempt to influence its
outcome."
If a court finds such a status, he would be
subject to a higher standard of proof under
New York Times v. Sullivan. This is precisely
the environment in which the opinion was
written, and he is precisely the type of
plaintiff that the opinion was meant to
deter.
The Supreme Court ruled that tort law
could not be used to overcome First
Amendment protections for free speech or
the free press. The Court sought to create
"breathing space" for the media by
articulating that standard that now applies
to both public officials and public figures.
Moreover, courts are highly protective of
"opinion" statements. People are allowed to
reach a different conclusion from the jury in
calling Rittenhouse a murderer or to
characterize his actions as racist given the
subject of the underlying protests. That does
not mean that they are right or fair. There is
no evidence that Rittenhouse is a White
supremacist. However, courts give a wide
berth to free speech in such public
controversies. Many cite the litigation by
Nicholas Sandmann, a former high school
student who was widely and unfairly
accused of abusing a Native American at a
HAMzA HAMoUcHENE
pro-life event at the Lincoln Memorial.
Reporters latched on to the fact that he
was wearing a MAGA hat and called a racist
and falsely accused of starting the
confrontation. He sued and settled with
some media outfits. However, courts
rejected his claims based on being labeled a
racist. Where he prevailed was on
statements that he "blocked" the activist at
the scene. There may be more specific false
statements like those in Sandmann's case
but the characterizations of his motivations
or beliefs will be the most challenging to
litigate. Finally, there is likely to be litigation
over who receives the $2 million bond
posted in the Kyle Rittenhouse. Now that he
has been acquitted, the bond ordinarily goes
to the defendant. However, his previous
lawyer, Lin Wood, and his organization
Fightback Foundation claim the money.
In a letter sent to Kenosha County Circuit
Court Judge Bruce Schroeder, Kenosha
attorney Xavier Solis wrote that the money
should be returned to Fightback:
"These funds were transferred by the
Fightback Foundation to the Pierce
Bainbridge Law Firm's trust account and
paid by attorney John Pierce on behalf of,
and as an agent for, the Fightback
Foundation. Accordingly, the $2 million
shall be returned to the Fightback
Foundation, if and when such funds are
released consistent with Wisconsin law and
pursuant to court rulings releasing the bail
money back to the individual or entity that
posted the cash bail."
That presents a novel question. The court
received the money on behalf of
Rittenhouse. The family also claims that his
mother raise a fair amount of the bail
money. This could come down to a
contractual dispute if Rittenhouse expressly
agreed that this was a loan to be returned to
the foundation. If not, the court could just
return the money to Rittenhouse and have
the lawyers sue to the family for recovery of
owed funds.
What is clear is that the Rittenhouse case
(like the Simpson and Sandmann cases) will
continue for years. Indeed, Sandmann is
still awaiting trial on some of his defamation
claims.
Source: Fox news
Green Hydrogen: The new scramble for North Africa
The potential of the Sahara desert in
North Africa to generate large
amounts of renewable energy thanks
to its dry climate and vast expanses of land
has long been touted. For years, the
Europeans, in particular, have considered it a
potential source of solar energy that could
satisfy a sizable chunk of European energy
demands.
In 2009, the Desertec project, an
ambitious initiative to power Europe from
Saharan solar plants was launched by a
coalition of European industrial firms and
financial institutions with the idea that a tiny
surface of the desert can provide 15 percent
of Europe's electricity via special high voltage
direct current transmission cables.
The Desertec venture eventually stalled
amid criticisms of its astronomical costs and
its neo-colonial connotations. After an
attempt to revive it as Desertec 2.0 with a
focus on the local market for renewable
energy, the project was eventually reborn
into Desertec 3.0, which aims to satisfy
Europe's demand for hydrogen, a "clean"
energy alternative to fossil fuels.
In early 2020, Desertec Industrial
Initiative (DII) launched the MENA
Hydrogen Alliance to help set up energy
projects in the Middle East and North Africa
region that produce hydrogen for export.
As the world seeks to switch to renewable
energy amid a growing climate crisis,
hydrogen has been presented as a "clean"
alternative fuel. Most current hydrogen
production is the result of extraction from
fossil fuels, leading to large carbon emissions
(grey hydrogen). The cleanest form of
hydrogen - "green" hydrogen - comes from
electrolysis of water, a process that can be
powered by electricity from renewable
energy sources.
In recent years, under heavy lobbying from
various interest groups, the EU has
embraced the idea of a hydrogen transition
as a centrepiece of its climate response,
introducing in 2020 its hydrogen strategy
within the framework of the European Green
Deal (EGD). The plan proposes shifting to
"green" hydrogen by 2050, through local
production and establishing a steady supply
from Africa.
It was inspired by ideas put forward by
trade body and lobby group Hydrogen
Europe, which has set out the "2 x 40 GW
green hydrogen initiative". Under this
concept, by 2030 the EU would have in place
40 gigawatts of domestic renewable
hydrogen electrolyser capacity and import a
further 40 gigawatts from electrolysers in
There is also no clear basis for a civil rights prosecution.
Rittenhouse is White and shot three White men. He was not
accused of a hate crime. Moreover, he is not a member of
law enforcement or government agency, so he did not
deprive anyone of their civil rights under federal law.
neighbouring areas, among them the deserts
of North Africa, using existing natural-gas
pipelines that already connect Algeria to
Europe. Germany, where Desertec was
launched, has been on the forefront of the
EU's hydrogen strategy. Its government has
already approached the Democratic
Republic of Congo, South Africa and
Morocco to develop "decarbonised fuel"
generated from renewable energy, for export
to Europe and is exploring other potential
areas/countries particularly suited to green
hydrogen production. In 2020, the
Moroccan government entered into a
partnership with Germany to develop the
first green hydrogen plant on the continent.
Initiatives like Desertec have been quick to
jump on the hydrogen bandwagon, which is
likely to bring billions of euros of EU funding.
Its manifesto reflects the general narrative
used to promote the hydrogen and
renewable energy projects. It tries to present
them as beneficial for local communities. It
claims it could bring "economic
development, future-oriented jobs and social
stability in North-African countries".
But it also makes clear the extractive
nature of this scheme: "for a fully renewable
energy system in Europe, we need North
Africa to produce cost-competitive solar and
wind electricity, converted to hydrogen, for
export by pipeline to Europe". And it makes
sure to indicate its commitment to "Fortress
Europe", by claiming that the projects could
"[reduce] the number of economic migrants
from the region to Europe".
In other words, the vision behind Desertec
and many of these European "green"
projects in North Africa seeks to preserve the
current exploitative, neo-colonial relations
Europe has with the region. During the
colonial era, European powers set up a vast
economic system to extract wealth, raw
materials and (slave) labour from the African
continent. Although the 20th century
brought independence to African colonies,
this system was never dismantled; it was only
transformed, often with the help of local
post-colonial authoritarian leaders and
elites. Now the fear is that the EU's green
transition will continue to feed this
exploitative economic system to the benefit
of European big business and to the
detriment of local communities in African
countries they partner with. The push for
new hydrogen supply chains proposed in
projects like Desertec does little to alleviate
these concerns. This is because one of the
biggest lobbies behind the EU's turn to
hydrogen represents fossil fuel companies,
whose origins are tightly linked to the
colonial exploits of European powers. Two of
DII's partners, for example, are the French
energy giant Total and the Dutch oil major
Shell.
In Africa and elsewhere, fossil fuel
companies continue to use the same
exploitative economic structures set up
during colonialism to extract local resources
Now the fear is that the EU's green transition will continue to feed
this exploitative economic system to the benefit of European big business
and to the detriment of local communities in African countries
they partner with. The push for new hydrogen supply chains proposed
in projects like Desertec does little to alleviate these concerns.
and transfer wealth out of the continent.
They are also keen on preserving the
political status quo in African countries so
they can continue to benefit from lucrative
relations with corrupt elites and
authoritarian leaders. This basically allows
them to engage in labour exploitation,
environmental degradation, violence against
local communities, etc with impunity.
In this sense, it is not surprising that the
fossil fuel industry and its lobbies are
pushing for embracing hydrogen as the
"clean" fuel of the future in order to stay
relevant and in business. The industry wants
to preserve the existing natural gas
infrastructure and pipelines, along with the
exploitative economic relations behind them.
Given the industry's long track record of
environmental damage and abuse, it is also
not surprising that the hydrogen drive hides
major pollution risks. Desertec's manifesto,
for example, points out that "in an initial
phase (between 2030-2035), a substantial
hydrogen volume can be produced by
converting natural gas to hydrogen, whereby
the CO2 is stored in empty gas/oil fields".
This alongside the use of scarce water
resources to produce hydrogen are yet
another example of dumping waste in the
global South and displacing environmental
costs from the North to the South.
The economic benefits for the local
population are also under question. A huge
upfront investment would be needed in
order to establish the infrastructure required
to produce and transport green hydrogen to
Europe. Given previous experiences carrying
out such high-cost and capital-intensive
projects, the investment ends up creating
more debt for the receiving country,
deepening the dependence upon multilateral
lending and Western financial assistance.
North African energy projects established
with European support in the past decade
already show how energy colonialism is
reproduced even in transitions to renewable
energy in the form of green colonialism or
green grabbing.
In Tunisia, a solar energy project called
TuNur, endorsed by Desertec, has been
scrutinised for its export-oriented plans.
Given the country's massive energy
deficiency and dependence on imports of
Algerian natural gas for power generation,
exporting electricity while the local
population suffers from repeated blackouts
makes little sense. In Morocco, the
untransparent land acquisition process and
water exploitation plans of the Ouarzazate
Solar Plant - also supported by DII members
- have raised questions about possible harms
local communities may suffer. The high cost
of the project - paid for with loans from
international financial institutions - has also
raised concern about its debt burden on the
national budget. Amid the growing climate
crisis, North African countries cannot afford
to continue engaging in such exploitative
projects. They cannot continue being
exporters of cheap natural resources to
Europe and the site of displaced socioenvironmental
costs of its green transition.
They need a just transition that involves a
shift to an economy that is ecologically
sustainable, equitable and just for all. In this
context, existing neo-colonial relations and
practices must be challenged and halted.
As for European countries and
corporations, they need to break away from
the imperial and racialised logic of
externalising costs. Otherwise, they would
continue to feed green colonialism and
further pursuit of extractivism and
exploitation of nature and labour for a
supposedly green agenda, which would
undermine collective efforts for an effective
and just global response to climate change.
Source: Al Jazeera
weDneSDaY, nOVembeR 24, 2021
5
JuLIe KenDRICK
One of the secrets to good-looking
nails is to have well-tended cuticles.
But as the weather gets colder, it's
harder than ever to keep them in
tiptop shape. "One reason that cuticles
may get even drier than normal skin is
because of the hyaluronic acid in our
skin, which helps to suck in moisture
and keep our skin hydrated," said
Neera R. Nathan, a dermatologist,
dermatologist surgeon and clinical
investigator at Massachusetts General
Hospital. "That acid is located mostly
in the second layer of the skin, known
as the dermis, but the cuticle lacks this
second layer."
As your cuticles go, so go your nails.
"If they're dry, it can cause damage to
your nails," nail artist Britney TOKYO
told HuffPost. "For example, you may
see white lines in your nail bed, which
means that dry cuticles are causing
nails to dry out, too. That contributes
to nails that break more frequently."
Damaged cuticles can even pose a
health risk. "When your cuticles
become damaged, the nail as a whole
is prone to infection," dermatologic
surgeon Dendy Engelman said. "Open
cuticle wounds and peeling skin aren't
able to properly protect against
infection-causing bacteria that can
enter the nails. That's why it's
important to keep the entire nail area
clean, healthy and hydrated."
First of all, stop being so hard on
your poor old cuticles. "I know it's
easier said than done, but quit picking
and biting the nails, cuticles and
surrounding skin," Engelman said. "It
can cause the skin to become more
inflamed, and it can allow bacteria to
get into the nail."
Tempted to reach for cuticle
Keeping cuticles excellent this winter
Cold, dry weather is hard on that sensitive skin around your nails. Here's what experts suggest to keep them
healthy.
Photo: Collected
scissors? Stop yourself. "Many people
choose trimming, but it's not the best
choice," nail stylist Vanessa Sanchez
McCullough said. "Because the cuticle
is made up of two different types of
skin, both dead and live tissue,
trimming can escalate problems
instead of stopping them. Before you
allow a manicurist to cut your cuticles,
try caring for that skin first. You'll see
a huge difference."
Here's an easy two-for-one
Essentials about ‘Covid Pills’
CatHeRIne PeaRSOn
The United States is buying
up millions of courses of
two antiviral drugs that
treat COVID-19 - known as
"COVID pills" - which it
intends to make easily
accessible for free. It's a
clear sign of confidence that
the new medicines could
change the trajectory of the
pandemic, and maybe even
help bring it to an end.
But how likely is that,
really? And how do the pills
work? Here's what you
need to know. Although the
Biden administration is
rushing to secure doses of
the two medicines, neither
has actually been approved.
Merck, which is
collaborating with
Ridgeback Biotherapeutics
on the development of its
pill, asked the Food and
Drug Administration to
grant emergency use
authorization for its
antiviral pill molnupiravir
last month. And Pfizer
applied for emergency use
authorization of its pill,
Paxlovid, this week. Both
pills are geared toward
people who are at a high
risk of severe illness from
COVID, because of factors
like age, underlying health
conditions or vaccination
status. But eligibility
ultimately will be up to the
FDA, if and when it
authorizes their use.
An FDA panel is
scheduled to discuss
Merck's application on Nov.
30. If the panel
recommends authorization
and the FDA agrees, the
drug could be available
within a matter of weeks -
presumably sometime in
December, about when
some fear we could be
heading into another
COVID surge. The FDA has
not yet indicated if it plans
to convene a similar panel
to consider the Pfizer pill.
The COVID pills can't
prevent people from getting
infected, but they can help
people who've caught the
virus from getting seriously
sick or dying.
According to data
released by the companies,
Merck's COVID pill cuts the
risk of hospitalization or
death in half, while Pfizer's
pill lowers it by 89%. Both
would be prescription
drugs that would get filled
at a pharmacy and taken at
home, unlike infusion
medications like remdesivir
that are given in the
hospital to people who are
already really sick.
The timeline is key.
"Both medications, when
given to people with early
Here's what experts think about molnupiravir and Paxlovid, two antiviral
drugs that may help reduce severe COVID outcomes. Photo: Krizzdapaul
COVID infections - so
before the virus has had a
chance to become widely
distributed - seem to reduce
hospitalizations," Erica
Johnson, chair of the
Infectious Disease Board of
the American Board of
Internal Medicine, said of
the COVID pills.
In the studies, people
received the pills within five
days of their symptoms
starting, Johnson noted.
And people who got them
within three days seemed to
have the best outcomes.
Antiviral drugs aren't
new. They're used to fight
off many different types of
viruses, from the flu to HIV.
How they work depends on
their
particular
formulation, but they
generally block receptors so
viruses can't attack healthy
cells, and they lower a
person's overall viral load.
Because the COVID pills
need to be given early in the
cycle of a person's illness,
their effectiveness really
depends on quick, accurate
testing. That means
someone who develops
symptoms would need to
get a PCR test with fast
turnaround results, then
start treatment ASAP.
The reality, however, is
that fast testing continues
to be an issue. "We're still
missing a large number of
cases nationwide, and
missing cases in potentially
more at-risk people
compared to other
countries where testing is
more readily available,"
said James Lawler, an
infectious diseases
physician with Nebraska
Medicine.
Lawler pointed out that in
Nebraska, for example,
residents of many counties
have to drive a couple of
hours to get a PCR test,
which is the gold standard
COVID test, and then must
wait for the results.
"We're just not able to
diagnose cases rapidly and
effectively, which is
obviously a critical piece in
the chain of using these
drugs effectively. You have
to be able to diagnose the
cases. You have to be able to
get the drugs to patients
early in the course of
illness," Lawler said.
This may lead to more
people relying on rapid
antigen tests in order to get
a COVID pill prescription,
since those results are
delivered within a few
hours. However, rapid
antigen tests are not as
reliable or sensitive as PCR
tests. A Cochrane review
found that they correctly
identified COVID-19 in 72%
of people with symptoms,
but in just 58% of people
without symptoms. The
CDC and FDA also have
warned that rapid antigen
tests can lead to false
positives in low-prevalence
settings.
The two COVID pills
could provide another line
of defense against severe
outcomes from the virus.
But the most important
thing is to get vaccinated
(and boosted). Vaccines not
only keep people from
getting really sick with the
virus, they also help lower
the risk of transmission -
despite a lot of public
confusion on that point.
"It's an additional
strategy that we have to
help manage infection for
people who are infected,
but does not replace the
value of vaccination,"
Johnson said of the pills.
Further, the pills are not
replacements for other
proven public health
strategies, like masking in
areas of high transmission,
Johnson added.
In part, that is because it
is not at all clear yet
whether COVID pills could
decrease the likelihood of a
person spreading the virus
to others. That is something
future research will need to
explore.
There's reason to be
hopeful that the COVID
pills could help bring the
pandemic under control,
but only time will tell. First,
they need to go through the
authorization process. And
if they are authorized,
doctors and researchers will
be closely watching how
they perform in real-time.
"All of this needs to be
taken with a grain of salt,
because none of these data
have actually been
published in peer-reviewed
literature, so we're relying
on, so far, press releases
from the drug companies
themselves," Lawler said.
Of course, federal
regulators will take a very
close look at that data
before they approve the
medications.
Lawler added that he
thinks there has been some
"overoptimistic
exuberance" in some
people's expectations of
how these pills might
change the pandemic. Still,
the drugs could help keep
people from getting really,
really ill, and may be
particularly useful in
keeping hospitals in COVID
hotspots from becoming
overwhelmed.
"These are medications
we can give to people who
haven't gotten that sick yet,"
Johnson said. "And that's
why I think there's a lot of
excitement about these
medications."
moisturizer idea from Michelle Wong,
who has a chemistry Ph.D. and is
founder of Lab Muffin Beauty Science.
"If you use a non-sticky lip balm, you
can apply it to your cuticles every time
you apply it to your lips," she told
JuLIa RIeS
When I got my COVID
booster shot, I was fully
anticipating the next day to be
a wash. I had preemptively
taken care of my to-do list and
cleared the day so I could rest.
But I never developed a single
symptom, aside from the
slightest bit of soreness at the
injection site, and by the
afternoon I decided I felt well
enough to go on a run.
As I talked to friends and
family members about their
booster shots, I noticed their
experiences ran the gamut.
Many felt slightly off and took
a nap. Some, like me, were
completely unaffected, while
others were completely wiped
out for a day or two.
Over 26 million Americans
have received a booster shot
so far. The reactions people
have reported after their
boosters appear to be in line
with what people felt after
their second dose. The very
vast majority of side effects -
like chills, aches and pain - are
no big deal. If anything,
they're a sign your immune
system is revved up and doing
what it needs to do to protect
you from COVID-19.
Everyone's going to respond
a bit differently, likely due to
their age, health and how their
immune system responds to
vaccines. Below, several
people share the side effects
they experiences when getting
their shots.
Scott Jelinek, a 33-year-old
pediatrician living in
Philadelphia, has been seeing
patients infected with the
SARS-CoV-2 virus and
wanted the highest level of
protection possible to
minimize his chances of
getting sick and spreading the
virus to others. Jelinek got his
first Pfizer dose in December
2020 and was keeping an eye
on studies showing that
antibody levels wane with
time.
Jelinek received his Pfizer
booster dose at the end of
September. He experienced
no side effects the day he got
the booster, but the next day
his arm was a little sore, he
had the chills and he was fairly
fatigued. Those symptoms
only lasted a day.
If anything, he was glad to
have felt some mild effects
after the jab.
"It gave me comfort that my
immune system was working
to create the antibodies
necessary and it gave me a
sense of reassurance that the
booster was working," Jelinek
said.
Rebecca Hui, a 32-year-old
mental health clinician, got
her initial Moderna doses in
January and February, and
followed up with a Moderna
booster in early November.
She qualified for a booster due
to the nature of her job, but
also wanted to avoid passing
HuffPost. You also might want to
consider starting from the inside.
"Since our cuticles and nails reflect
our overall health and nutrition, I
recommend taking a daily
multivitamin with biotin, zinc and
vitamin D," dermatologist Brandon
Kirsch said.
Timing is important, too. As soon as
you finish washing your hands, get
moisture back to the area right away.
"The key is to moisturize frequently
with a cream or ointment-based
hydrating moisturizer, and to apply it
while the skin is still somewhat
damp," said dermatologist Cula
Svidzinski, assistant professor of
dermatology at Mount Sinai. "That
will do wonders for your cuticles."
To give a boost to your nighttime
routine, consider donning a pair of
gloves to lock in hydration while you
sleep. "I do think overnight gloves can
help quite a bit," nail artist Natalie
Minerva told HuffPost. "Use a
moisturizer or Vaseline to lock in the
moisture from within the skin."
Just make sure that overnight glove
is cotton or another breathable fabric.
"Too much moisture, collected in a
non-breathable glove, can be as
damaging, or even more damaging,
than too much dryness," Kirsch said.
"My all-time favorite is petrolatum
ointment, also known as petroleum
jelly, used either alone or under cotton
gloves," Nathan said. "It's inexpensive,
and the generic brands work great,
too."
"If I need something more intensive,
or if I'm using overnight gloves with a
cream, this is what I use," Minerva
said.
"The face oil is my favorite product,
hands down - pun intended," Minerva
said. "It's typically meant as a night
COVID to older, at-risk family
members whom she visits
regularly.
She hadn't experienced
many side effects after her
first two doses - just a sore
arm and some slight fatigue
after dose two - but developed
stronger symptoms after the
booster. Her side effects came
on about nine hours after
receiving the booster shot and
persisted for about 12 hours.
She said she felt a little warm
and drained, as if a cold was
coming on. But by morning,
the symptoms had subsided.
Luis Gallego, a 41-year-old
early childhood education
specialist, didn't experience
any noticeable side effects,
with the exception of a sore
arm, after any of his shots. He
received his first Pfizer doses
different people experienced. Photo: Luza Studios
in January and followed up
baby, received the one-dose
with a Pfizer booster at a local
Johnson & Johnson shot in
pharmacy in late October. "I
March. After her J&J shot, she
was planning to take a sick
had pretty significant side
day just in case I would get
effects that lasted about 12
anything, but I forgot and it
hours - fatigue, body pain,
didn't impact my day,"
chills, a fever - but a big caveat
is that she was in the first
Gallego said.
He chose to get a booster
trimester of pregnancy and
because he was eligible and
was already feeling pretty
didn't want to test his luck - he
depleted to begin with.
has been fortunate enough to
When Hemcher learned
avoid COVID so far and didn't
that all adults who received
want to risk it during his
the J&J shot were eligible for a
upcoming travels abroad. "I
booster, she scheduled an
love traveling and I know that
appointment for a Pfizer shot
increases the chances of with the hope of passing more
getting expose to variants - so antibodies to her daughter,
the more protected I can be, who she is currently
the better," Gallego said. breastfeeding. "I had zero side
Tina, a 69-year-old woman effects aside from some mild
living in Florida, said there shoulder pain where I received
was no doubt in her mind the vaccine," Hemcher said of
she'd get a booster shot when her booster shot.
she became eligible. She had Erin, a 40-year-old health
been fully vaccinated with the care worker living in Illinois,
Moderna shots by January got pretty sick with COVID-19
and wanted to be well-
last year. After recovering, she
protected ahead of the
holidays this year. She felt
wiped out after her initial
doses and was prepared to
potentially feel crummy after
the booster, too.
She got the booster in the
afternoon and around 9 p.m.,
she had a headache. During
the two days that followed,
she felt extremely fatigued
and unwell and spent a good
chunk of time in bed.
"The lack of energy put me
out," she said, noting that her
energy levels were restored
after about two and a half
days. "I was still glad I did it.
Knowing what the symptoms
were from - it didn't faze me in
the least. I didn't feel good, but
I had no regrets."
Katie Hemcher, a 33-yearold
woman who recently had a
treatment for the face, but I use it for
hands because it's a really nice oil
finish, and it smells so incredibly
good. I also use the Aesop hand balm
on all of my clients."
"These two products are often
referred to as a 'cuticle cocktail,'
because they work so well together,"
McCullough said. "Cuticle Away is an
alpha hydroxy-based product, which
breaks down dead skin to exfoliate it
off the nail plate and cuticle area. You
need to follow up with SolarOil to
moisturize that skin after the
exfoliation. With repeated use, your
cuticles will appear to be invisible,
because they will be so healthy."
"I love this easy-to-use, one-click
applicator pen," Engelman said. "I
keep one at my desk and apply it
directly on the nail bed and the
surrounding nail area. It contains
cationic hyaluronic acid to deeply
hydrate both the nail and cuticle,
helping to moisturize the entire nail
structure. This serum keeps nails
supple and flexible, while also
promoting ideal moisture levels in the
cuticles."
"This is the cuticle oil pen I use when
I'm on the go," Minerva said. "I like its
easy application, small size and nospill
design."
This was a top cuticle-moisturizing
pick of both Kirsch and Svidzinski,
who cited the brand as personal
favorites. It's a product that's
concentrated, long-lasting, glycerinrich
and fragrance-free.
"The environment plays a big role in
skin and nail health," Engelman said.
"Dry air quickly can dehydrate skin,
making it appear flaky and dull, and
the same goes for cuticles. I
recommend using an evaporative
humidifier like this one."
What it really feels like to get
a Covid booster shot
developed many debilitating
long-haul symptoms
including extreme fatigue,
headaches and brain fog. Erin,
who wished to use only her
first name for privacy, was
fully vaccinated by late
January 2021 and started
working with a post-COVID
clinic to manage her long
COVID symptoms, many of
which improved with
medications by summertime.
Erin was hesitant to get a
booster at first, given all of the
long-haul symptoms she dealt
with, but her doctor
recommended that she get it -
plus, she didn't want to battle
COVID again without the
most protection. So she
scheduled her booster for
early November.
"I did get fatigued hours
Side effects from the COVID vaccine booster run the gamut. Here's what seven
later and woke up with a
headache, but eventually,
within 24 hours, I was back to
normal," she said. Katie, a 29-
year-old woman living in
Pennsylvania who asked to
withhold her last name for
privacy, said she has been
extremely cautious
throughout the pandemic and
wanted a booster shot to get
some additional protection.
After her first Moderna dose,
she experienced injection site
pain; the second dose brought
on heavy injection site pain, a
headache, mild body aches
and a very low-grade fever.
About 24 hours after her
Moderna booster shot, which
she got last week, she
developed mild body aches
and some swelling in the
lymph nodes under her
armpit. That armpit pain
intensified the next day but
quickly declined on the third
day.
WeDNeSDAY, NOveMBeR 24, 2021 6
Human chain demanding launch
of operation theater in Nalchity
Upazila Health Complex
KHALID HADAN, NALCHITY CORRESPONDENT
Residents of Nalchity Upazila are deprived
of services due to closure of operation theater
at Nalchity Upazila Health Complex in
Jhalokati for a long time.
The people of the deprived areas staged an
hour-long human chain in front of the
Upazila Health Complex on Tuesday
demanding the opening of the operation
theater. Deprived of services, the authorities
of Nalchiti Health Complex said that despite
having all the operation equipment
including c-section in Nalchity Health
Complex, the operation theater could not be
started due to shortage of manpower.
Recently, a pregnant woman had
complications during her normal delivery.
When she was brought to Nalchity Upazila
Health Complex, the newborn baby died due
to lack of operation theater. This caused a
great commotion in Nalchity.
People of Nalchity upazila staged an hour-long human chain in front of
the Upazila Health Complex on Tuesday demanding the opening of
operation theater.
Photo: Khalid Hasan
Memebers of Bangladesh Coast Guard in a drive arrested a drug peddler along with 42,000 yaba pills
from Marine Drive under Teknaf in early Tuesday.
Photo: Courtesy
Tri-annial conference of Bonpara
municipal AL held
TOFAZZAL HOSSAIN, NATORE
CORRESPONDENT
The tri-annial conference of Bonpara
Pouro Awami League has been held in
Baraigram under the chairmanship of
municipal Mayor KM Zakir Hossain.
The conference was moderated by
General Secretary of Upazila Awami
League Adv Mizanur Rahman on
Sunday.
Professor Abdul Quddus, Member of
Parliament for Natore-4 constituency,
was the chief guest at the day-long
function. It was addressed among
others by Natore district Awami League
co-president Adv. Shahjahan Kabir,
District Education and Human
KM Zakir Hossain was elected
as the President and Ataur
Rahman Ata was elected as the
General Secretary of Bonpara
Pouro Awami League recently.
Photo: TBT
Development Secretary Principal A.
Razzak Mollah, District Volunteer
League President Adv. Arifur Rahman,
Acting President of Upazila Awami
League Abdul Quddus Miaji, Joint
General Secretary Moazzem Hossain
Bablu, Former UP Chairman Abu Hena
Mostafa Kamal, President of Upazila
Sechchasebak League Atiqur Rahman
Piyas, Youth League Leader Kazi Yusuf
Abdullah Md. Abdur Rahman, heroic
freedom fighter Abul Khair and others.
After a long discussion and review in
the second part of the program, in the
afternoon, KM Zakir Hossain was
elected as the President and Ataur
Rahman Ata was elected as the General
Secretary of Bonpara Pouro Awami
League.
Preventing further antibiotic resistance spread stressed
RAJSHAHI:
Medical practitioners and
health experts at a discussion here today
unequivocally called for stopping the
further emergence and spread of antibiotic
resistance as its consequence is very much
hazardous to public health, reports BSS.
They identically mentioned that all sorts
of non-prescribed, overrated and frequent
uses of antibiotics in the human body as
well as in all other domestic animals like
poultry birds, fish and cattle are always
harmful. So, effective and meaningful steps
should be taken to stop the unethical uses
of antibiotics at once.
Communicable Disease Control (CDC)
section in the Department of Health
Services under its 'Antibiotic Resistance
Containment, Viral Hepatitis and
Diarrhoea Control Programme' organized
the discussion at the office conference hall
of Divisional Director of Health to mark the
World Antibiotic Awareness Week- 2021.
During her keynote presentation on
Antimicrobial Resistance in Bangladesh,
Dr Nazma Akter, Assistant Director of
Health (Disease Control), said there is no
alternative to stop the use of antibiotics
without prescription to ensure a sound
public health. She mentioned that
antibiotic resistance destroys the immunity
power of the human body and
subsequently makes the body vulnerable to
many communicable diseases.
Dr Akter said the present government is
committed to prevent antibiotic resistance
and urged all authorities concerned to
BCG detains 1
along with
42,000 yaba
pills in Teknaf
On the basis of secret
information, a special
operation was conducted in
the area adjacent to the
freshwater chhara ghat of
Marine Drive under Teknaf
Police Station under the
leadership of Lt. Commander
M Naeem-ul-Haq, Teknaf
Station Commander, BCG
Station on Tuesday, a press
release said.
This information was given
by Lt. Khandaker Munif Taki,
Media Officer of Bangladesh
Coast Guard Headquarters on
Tuesday morning.
He said that during the
when the movement of a
person seemed suspicious, the
Coast Guard members
signaled him to stop. When
the man sensed the presence
of the Coast Guard and tried
to flee, the Coast Guard
members were able to chase
and arrest him.
He further added that the
Coast Guard members seized
42,000 yaba tablets from a
white sack belonging to the
man (Md. Abdullah-26). The
seized yaba and the detainee
were later handed over to
Teknaf Model Police Station
for legal action.
supplement the government efforts
collectively.
She told the meeting that the CDC has a
plan of launching an effective antimicrobial
surveillance in human, fish and poultry
birds through undertaking an integrated
programme. It will also adopt a controlling
measure on selling antimicrobials without
prescription, she added.
With Divisional Director of Health Dr
Anwarul Kabir in the chair, the meeting
was addressed, among others, by Deputy
Director of the Department of Livestock Dr
Abdul Mazid, Assistant District Primary
Education Officer Gofran Halim, Executive
Magistrate Rakibul Hassan and Medical
Officer of Police Hospital Dr Saber
Chowdhury.
Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner Md Hafizur Rahman Chowdhury, Superintendent of Police
Md Mokhlesur Rahman, BPM, PPM, Kishoreganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nabirul Islam and
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sanjida Rahman visited 'Nirapad Bidhrashrom' situated at
Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari on Monday. During the time, DC inquired about the sheltering
of elderly parents and assured them of overall cooperation. Among others, founding chairman
of 'Nirapad Bidhrashrom' Sajedur Rahman Saju and members of the executive committee
of the old age home were present at the time.
Photo: TBT
Flourishing
leadership
of disabled
people
stressed
RANGPUR: Flourishing
leadership of disabled
people could help them in
availing the facilities being
provided by the government
for their development for
mainstreaming in the
society, reports BSS.
Leaders of Rangpur
Rangdhanu District
Protibondhi Adhikar
Sangstha (RDPAS), an
organisation working for
welfare of disable people,
viewed this as the
concluding function of a
three-day training course
that ended at its office in the
city on Monday afternoon.
Physically challenged
males and females from five
unions of Badarganj upazila
participated in the event on
'Flourishing leadership and
group development training'
of the self-assisting groups
of disabled people.
The Commonwealth
Foundation Access
Bangladesh Foundation
extended assistance to
RDPAS in arranging the
training course.
President of RDPAS Md.
Rabiul Islam as the chief
guest attended the
concluding and certificate
distribution ceremony
moderated by its
Community Organiser Md
Atiar Rahman.
General Secretary of
RDPAS Md. Hasanur
Rahman Helal and its
Organising Secretary Md.
Ariful Islam were present.
Experts for organic
pesticide management
in betel leaf farming
RANGPUR: Experts at a
farmers' field day have
stressed on adopting organic
pesticide based technologies
for insect pests and disease
management in betel leaf
farming to enable farmers in
getting more profits, reports
BSS.
They opined this at the
event on insect pests and
disease management
through organic pesticide
based technology held at
village Alodatpur in
Gangachara upazila here on
Monday afternoon.
Regional Agricultural
Research Station (RARS) of
Bangladesh Agricultural
Research Institute (BARI) at
Burirhat in Rangpur
organised the event
participated by local betel
leaf farmers.
Additional Secretary
(Research) of the Ministry of
Agriculture Kamala Ranjan
Das attended the occasion as
the chief guest.
With Chief Scientific
Officer of BARI at RARS
Agriculturist Dr. Ashish
Kumar Saha in the chair,
Deputy Director of the
Department of Agricultural
Extension (DAE) for
Rangpur Md. Obaidur
Rahman Mandal was present
in the event as special guest.
Principal Scientific Officers
of RARS at Burirhat
Agriculturist Dr. Md.
Obaidul Haque and
Agriculturist Md. Anwar
Zahid and Additional Deputy
Director of the DAE for
Rangpur Ashok Roy were
present.
Senior Scientific Officer of
RARS at Burirhat
Agriculturist Dr. Md. Harun-
Ar-Rashid presented organic
pesticide based technologies
for insect pests and disease
management in betel leaf
cultivation.
He said farmers are
cultivating betel leaf on
498.72 hectares of land in
6,449 betel leaf 'Baraz' and
producing 3968.47 metric
tonnes of betel leaf annually
in all five districts of Rangpur
agriculture region.
As a result of long-term
cultivation of betel leaf on the
same land, outbreak of
various types of betel insects
and diseases are being
noticed in the region.
Farmers use a lot of
pesticides and fungicides to
control pests and diseases
and they are failing to
manage the menace as the
pests and diseases have
become tolerant to pesticides
and fungicides.
"It is possible to
successfully control the black
flies, whiteflies, leaf- eating
insects and mites by using
the organic pesticides
Ontario, Fizimite and
Spinosade in phases in
growing betel leaf plants," he
said
It is also possible to
successfully control root rot,
leaf and leaf rot and
anthracnose diseases by
applying Dynamic and
Lycomax.
Farer Sachin Roy on his
exhibition plot said if organic
pesticides were readily
available in local markets,
farmers would be able to use
organic pesticides easily.
"If betel leaf produced
using organic pesticide
technology could be exported
abroad, betel leaf growers
would get fair prices and
become motivated to use
organic
pesticide
technology," he said.
Farmers Jyoti Krishna Roy
and Rakhal Chandra Roy
requested for imparting
training to more farmers on
betel leaf production using
organic pesticide technology.
The chief guest said
organic pesticides would be
made available in local
markets at affordable prices
and a large number of
farmers would be brought
under training in this regard.
"Good management of soil
testing will be ensured for the
croplands of farmers under
betel cultivation," he added.
Dr. Ashish Kumar Saha
suggested farmers to
cultivate BARI Pan-3 variety
of betel leaf to enhance
production and get more
profits.
A press conference was held against Triptis Mandal, headmaster of Buridaha High School in Manda,
Naogaon, and Sujoy Pramanik, president of the school's governing body, for allegedly embezzling
money in the name of giving a job at Manda press club on Tuesday. Photo: Shazzadul Tuhin
The State Department sought Monday to keep up pressure on Russia over that country's U.S.-
opposed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, sanctioning what the U.S. said was a Russia-linked company
and ship working on the project.
Photo : AP
Fijians urged to
abide by COVID-19
safety measures
SUVA : Fiji's Permanent
Secretary for Health James
Fong said Tuesday COVID-19
safety measures are being
increasingly ignored, with poor
compliance more clearly visible
in major business facilities.
Fong said Fiji should expect
the third wave of cases due to
excessive gatherings during
Christmas and the New Year,
reports UNB.
He stressed that the public
need to embrace society-wide
promotion and compliance
with COVID-19 safe measures.
He said while the easing of
restrictions is needed to
facilitate social and economic
livelihood, the public must
ensure that together with
vaccination, people
continue to observe COVID-
19 safety measures to avoid
the spread of the virus.
French prime
minister positive
for COVID-19,
as cases rise
PARIS : France's prime
minister tested positive for
COVID-19 on Monday,
hours after returning from a
visit to neighboring Belgium
and just as France is seeing a
nationwide resurgence of
infections, according to his
office, reports UNB.
The positive test also
means that his Belgian
counterpart Alexander De
Croo and four other minister
immediately went into
quarantine since they met
with Castex for talks in
Brussels earlier Monday.
French Prime Minister
Jean Castex will adapt his
schedule for the coming 10
days to continue his
activities in isolation, his
office said. Officials at the
prime
minister's
headquarters did not
comment on whether Castex
has any virus symptoms.
One of Castex's daughters
tested positive Monday after
her father returned from a
meeting with Belgian Prime
Minister Alexander de Croo
in Brussels, and Castex
himself then took two tests
that were both positive, his
office said.
De Croo's office said he
will be tested Wednesday
and will self-isolate while
awaiting the result, as will
the foreign affairs, defense,
justice and home ministers.
"Since Prime Minister De
Croo received the French
Prime Minister for security
talks, he has immediately
interrupted his activities," a
statement from his office
said.
While 75% of France's
population is vaccinated, the
number of virus infections
has risen quickly in recent
weeks. Hospitalizations and
deaths linked to the virus are
also rising in France, though
are so far well below the
crisis levels of earlier surges.
French President
Emmanuel Macron
contracted COVID-19 last
December, and other
government ministers have
also had the virus.
US announces more
sanctions over
Russian gas pipeline
WASHINGTON : The State Department
sought Monday to keep up pressure on
Russia over that country's U.S.-opposed
Nord Stream 2 pipeline, sanctioning what
the U.S. said was a Russia-linked company
and ship working on the project.
The U.S. has unsuccessfully tried to slow or
stop the construction of Nord Stream 2,
which would carry Russian gas to Germany,
fearing the added leverage that the energy
project will give Russia in Europe.
Russian-controlled gas giant Gazprom
owns the pipeline with investment from
several European companies. The United
States reached a deal with Germany, a key
NATO ally, last summer to allow the
pipeline's completion without imposing U.S.
sanctions on German interests involved in
the project.
Monday's move targets a business,
Transadria Limited, and one of its vessels
that had worked on Nord Stream.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a
statement the Biden administration has now
sanctioned eight people and 17 vessels linked
to the pipeline.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said
the country could quickly boost natural gas
supplies to the European Union once
German regulators allow the new pipeline to
start operation. Energy prices have soared in
Europe, which imports much of its natural
gas from Russia, and led to pain for
businesses and households.
Ex-South Korean strongman
Chun Doo-hwan dies at age 90
SEOUL : Former South Korean military
strongman Chun Doo-hwan, who took
power in a 1979 coup and brutally crushed
pro-democracy protests before going to
prison for misdeeds in office, died on
Tuesday. He was 90.
Emergency officials said Chun died at his
home. Police earlier said Chun suffered a
cardiac arrest and emergency officials
rushed to his Seoul residence.
Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters
were killed and tens of thousands were
imprisoned during Chun's presidency in the
1980s, but he allowed some liberalization
after years of authoritarian rule. Under
public pressure, he allowed the first direct
and free election in the nation's history.
Facing massive criticism after he left office
in 1988, Chun took refuge for two years in a
Buddhist temple before being arrested. He
was tried for corruption, mutiny and treason
and was sentenced to death upon conviction.
He was pardoned in 1997 in a bid for
national reconciliation.
Chun was an army major general when he
seized power in December 1979 with his
military cronies. Tanks and troops rolled into
Seoul in a coup that came less than two
months after his mentor, President Park
Chung-hee, was assassinated by the
intelligence chief during a late-night
drinking party.
Chun quickly consolidated his power by
suppressing a civil uprising in the southern
city of Gwangju, then spelled Kwangju. His
government also imprisoned tens of
thousands of students and other citizens,
saying it was rooting out social evil.
Government records show the military
crackdown on Gwangju resulted in the
deaths of about 200 people. Activists,
however, say far more civilians died. Chun's
military tribunal arrested opposition leader
Kim Dae-jung and sentenced him to death
for allegedly fomenting the Gwangju
uprising.
After the United States intervened, Kim's
sentence was reduced and he was later freed.
South Korea's economy boomed during
Chun's tenure. The country also successfully
held the 1986 Asian Games and won the
rights to host the 1988 Summer Olympics,
which began after he left office.
Chun introduced several liberalizing
measures, including an end to a Korean
War-era curfew and an easing of restrictions
on overseas trips. To get Washington's
endorsement of his military-backed
government, he reportedly dropped plans to
develop atomic bombs and longer-range
missiles. Chun sought reconciliation with
North Korea by seeking summit talks with
then-leader Kim Il Sung, the late grandfather
of current leader Kim Jong Un. He also
approved exchanges of visits by families
separated by the Korean War and accepted a
rare offer of flood aid from North Korea.
North Korea, however, repeatedly
challenged South Korea during Chun's rule.
In 1983, North Korean commandos
triggered a bomb attack that targeted Chun
during a visit to Myanmar.
France's prime minister tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, hours after
returning from a visit to neighboring Belgium and just as France is seeing a
nationwide resurgence of infections, according to his office. Photo : AP
Bus crash in Bulgaria
kills at least 45 people
SOFIA : A bus crash in
western Bulgaria early
Tuesday has killed at least 45
people, authorities said.
The bus, registered in North
Macedonia, crashed around 2
a.m. and there were children
among the victims,
authorities said. Seven people
were taken to hospitals for
treatment.
The cause of the crash was
not immediately confirmed,
but it appeared that the bus
hit a highway guard rail,
crashed and caught fire.
Officials said an
investigation will be
launched.
Bulgarian news agency
Novinite said representatives
from North Macedonia's
embassy visited a hospital
where some of the victims
were taken.
Photos taken shortly after
the crash showed the bus
engulfed in flames with
plumes of thick, black smoke
rising from the scene.
Bulgarian Caretaker Prime
Minister Stefan Yanev visited
the site of the crash and told
reporters it was "a huge
tragedy."
"I take this opportunity to
send my condolences to the
relatives of the victims,"
Yanev said. "Let's hope we
learn lessons from this tragic
incident and we can prevent
such incidents in the future."
North Macedonian Prime
Minister Zoran Zaev told
Bulgarian television channel
bTV that he had spoken to
one of the bus survivors.
"One of the passengers told
me that he was asleep and
woke up from an explosion,"
Zaev told bTV, adding that the
authorities will gather
information that is
"important for the families of
the dead and the survivors."
Oliver Varhelyi, a European
Union Commissioner, sent
his condolences to the
families and friends of those
affected by the crash.
"Terrible news about the
tragic bus accident in Bulgaria
in early morning hours,"
Varhelyi wrote online.
At least 4 killed in
southern China
dormitory collapse
BEIJING : At least four
people have died in the
collapse of a workers'
dormitory in the southern
Chinese province of Jiangxi,
state media report.
The six-story building in the
province's Ganjiang New
District tumbled down
Monday evening, they said.
The building housed
workers who had originally
worked at a local
pharmaceutical plant and
most of the residents were
elderly, according to state
broadcaster CCTV and other
outlets. The building was
constructed in 1995 mainly
out of prefabricated slabs and
was considered to be poor
quality, they said.
6 die, 14 rescued
as ferry capsizes in
eastern Sri Lanka
COLOMBO : The Sri Lanka
Navy on Tuesday afternoon
said six people died and 14
people including children
were rescued after a ferry
capsized in Kinniya in Sri
Lanka's Eastern Province
earlier in the day.
Navy Spokesperson
Captain Indika De Silva told
Xinhua that the ferry capsized
early Tuesday while it was
crossing a waterway as the
bridge above has been
damaged.
Police said the ferry
capsized due to
overcrowding.
Initial reports showed that
22 people including students
were on board the ferry. Navy
divers recovered six bodies,
including four children, while
14 people were rescued and
admitted to nearby state
hospitals.
Search and rescue
operations are still underway.
Captain Indika said it was
unknown why students were
on board the ferry.
weDNeSDAY, NOVeMBeR 24, 2021
7
New York's French
chef Daniel Boulud
voted world's best
NEW YORK : French chef Daniel Boulud,
who has been living in New York for almost
40 years, was named best restaurateur in the
world by Les Grandes Tables du Monde on
Monday for his flagship restaurant "Daniel."
The association of 184 top restaurants
worldwide said that the Lyon native, who
moved to New York in 1982, "embodies, for
many North Americans, French gastronomy,
or even gastronomy, period."
Boulud, 66, defines his cuisine as French in
its cooking and textures but with American
products and flavors. Besides "Daniel,"
which has two Michelin stars, in New York,
the chef has other restaurants in the United
States, Canada, Dubai, Singapore and the
Bahamas. Boulud told AFP after the news
broke that this latest in a long list of honors
represented a "professional dedication and
really a sign of friendship and support from
colleagues" in an environment widely seen as
extremely competitive and high-pressure.
Like all New Yorkers, Boulud took a big hit
in the Covid-19 pandemic that killed at least
34,000 people in his adopted city, which
bore the brunt of the first wave of the virus in
the United States in early 2020.
Some of his establishments closed, but
"Daniel" kept going, setting up a terrace of
covered shelters on the sidewalk "with
heating in the winter and air conditioning
and music in the summer" for die-hard fans.
Emerging from the pandemic, Boulud
thinks New York will remain "one of the five
most attractive cities in the world" and will
always enjoy a prominent place in French
gastronomy. The economic and cultural
capital of the United States and a cultural
mosaic of 8.5 million inhabitants, New York
is home to 183 French restaurateurs,
according to the French consulate.
"In love" with New York and now an
American citizen, Boulud still boasts of being
"the most French of all French chefs in the
United States" thanks to a "cuisine which has
its French references" but which "never stops
innovating."
The price of one of his "exceptional"
dinners runs to about $300 a head including
wine and service, according to the
restaurateur. "Customers want to have fun,
to splash out on wines, they go out a lot. We
see them with a regularity and a loyalty that
reassures us", said Boulud, who is now
looking forward to the return of visitors from
Asia and Europe.
A bus crash in western Bulgaria early Tuesday has killed at least 45 people,
authorities said.
Photo : AP
bw_ bs 18.11.06.51.274.07.015.17/435 ZvwiLt 17/11/2021
GD-1720/21 (9 x 3)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021
8
Islami Bank Bangladesh ltd inaugurated its 200th Sub-Branch at Azimpur in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director and CEO of the bank inaugurated the Sub-Branch as
chief guest. Md. Mahboob Alam, Senior Executive Vice President of the bank and Hasibur Rahman
Manik, Councilor of Dhaka South City Corporation addressed the program as special guest.
Mahmudur Rahman, Head of Dhaka Central Zone of the bank presided over the program while Md.
Ashraf Ali, Head of New Market Branch addressed the welcome speech and Mohammad Abdul Haie,
In-Charge of Azimpur Sub-Branch thanked the audience. Principal Nizam Uddin, academician and
Mohammad Kaiyum Jaj Miyan, President of Azimpur Road Babosayee Samiti addressed on behalf of
clients and well-wishers. Executives and employees of the bank, clients, well wishers and local elites
were present on the occasion.
Photo : Courtesy
United Commercial Bank Ltd (UCB) has signed a MoU with Lanka Bangla Finance Ltd. at the premises
of the bank recently. Under the MoU, Mastercard Titanium and Visa Platinum Cardholders of
Lanka Bangla Finance Ltd can access UCB Imperial Airport Lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal
International Airport, Dhaka from 1st December 2021. Arif Quadri, Acting Managing Director of
United Commercial Bank Limited & Khwaja Shahriar, Managing Director & CEO of LankaBangla
Finance Ltd. have signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations. Senior Officials of both
the organizations were also present at the event.
Photo : Courtesy
Energypac brings in new stylish
JAC T-8 Double Cabin Pickup
Energypac has recently introduced a new
generation super stylish JAC Double Cabin
Pickup 'T-8' through a launching ceremony on
22nd November 2021 for those who aspire to
have a vehicle with great utility.
A virtual inauguration ceremony in this
regard was held. Jashim Uddin, President,
FBCCI, graced the occasion as the chief guest
with Humayun Rashid, MD & CEO, Energypac
Power Generation Limited (EPGL); Oscar Yu,
Deputy General Manager, JAC International,
and other officials of EPGL in attendance, a
press release said.
Humayun Rashid, MD & CEO, Energypac
Power Generation Limited, said, "Energypac is
the official distributor of Chinese state-owned
automobile and commercial vehicle
manufacturer JAC Motors. Over the last few
years, we have introduced a number of JAC
trucks and motor vehicles in the country so that
people from different regions can reap the
benefits of the developments underway in the
country. This time, we are happy to bring in the
new super powerful and stylish vehicle, JAC T-
8 and we are assembling it in Bangladesh in
oour state of the art plant Energypac Industrial
park. We are proud that we are able to
contribute to the development of the
Bangladesh economy, even during the
pandemic. We believe Bangladesh will be
considered a lucrative destination for
investment in the Chinese community and will
be considered a country of opportunity. We are
proud to contribute to participate in the
innovation and reimagining Bangladesh as a
destination for FDI. With this, we are proud to
say that "Crafted with pride, Made in
Bangladesh."
"Bangladesh has achieved tremendous
success in developing its transportation system.
Consequently, our automobile industry is also
expanding. I congratulate Energypac for
bringing JAC vehicles to this country, which are
playing significant roles in empowering people
economically." said Jashim Uddin, President,
FBCCI. We are proud that Energypac is one of
the biggest contributors to the economy in
Bangladesh. There is huge potential in
Bangladesh for Foreign Direct Investment.
Thank to Energypac for innovating and
continuously improvising, which is great for
Bangladesh. I encourage Energypac to launch
other big JAC vehicles. To JAC, Bangladesh
wants more investment from you.
The recently-launched T-8 is a versatile
double cabin pickup vehicle as people can use it
both for transporting goods and personal
purposes. It stands out from others because of
five factors - style, comfort, stability, safety, and
power. Coming with 1999cc and mileage of
9.3L/100km, T-8 boasts an aggressive and
muscular front grille design, streamlined body,
18" double color, and aluminum alloy wheel
rim. For the comfort of the passengers, it has a
premium leather seat & spacious passenger
space with manual 6-way driver seat
adjustment, an all-black interior, and an
electronic-control air-conditioning facility. T-8
is also facilitated with an energy-absorbing
anti-collision beam and 79L fuel tank. To
ensure safety, there are driver and front
passenger SRS airbags and front and rear disc
brakes. All in all, the T-8 provides ruggedness
with all features of a luxury sedan.
OPEC+ oil producers can run out
of spare productive capacities
within next year: Vortexa
MOSCOW:OPEC+ countries significantly
increased oil exports in October-November,
which contributed to the decline in Brent prices
in recent weeks, reports BSS.
However, the reserve of productive capacities
of the countries involved in the agreement is
limited and may turn out to be less than the
known estimates, the Vortexa consulting
company states in its report.
According to the company, OPEC + can run
out of productive capacities within the next year,
of the demand continues to grow.
Since May, the countries of the OPEC +
agreement have been weakening restrictions on
oil production, but not all of them were able to
really increase production and exports, which
fueled the rise in oil prices in recent months. Only
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were
able to provide a noticeable increase in oil
supplies abroad, whose total exports are
currently 2 million bpd higher than the average in
the first half of 2021. "But their supply additions
were eaten up by disappointing export levels
elsewhere, including at that point of time Russia,"
Vortexa notes. Meanwhile other countries of the
alliance showed stagnation or even a decline in
production, according to the calculations by
Vortexa experts.
"According to the EIA, global spare capacity in
October was 6.2 mbd, while according to the
Saudi oil minister it is 3-4 mbd. I would argue we
have at best 3 mbd, up to 2 mbd in Saudi Arabia
and less than 1 mbd in Russia and the UAE
combined," David Wech, Vortexa author, says.
"If demand were really to reach 2019 levels
soon and declines at many producers continue at
recent rates, most of that cushion could be used
up within the next 12 months," he concludes.
ICC Bangladesh
Delegation off to
Dubai to attend
ICC's 12th World
Chambers Congress
ICC Bangladesh President
Mahbubur Rahman led a 9-
Member delegation to ICC's
12th World Chambers
Congress. The delegation
off to Dubai for attending in
the Congress recently. The
World Chambers Congress
(WCC) is the premier event
of its kind bringing together
chamber, business and
government figures alike, a
press release said.
The 12th World
Chambers Congress of ICC
and World Chambers
Federation (WCF) will be
held in Dubai on 23-25
November 2021. The theme
of the Congress is
Generation Next:
Chambers 4.0 to be jointly
organized by Dubai
Chamber. The 12th WCC is
gearing up to be a worldclass
event bringing
together some of the best
minds in chambers,
governments and
businesses to explore how
chambers are leveraging
advanced technologies to
achieve their goals,
"Generation Next:
Chambers 4.0".
Rizwan Rahman,
President, Dhaka Chamber
of Commerce & Industry
(DCCI) has been invited as
a Speaker in the Congress.
The Delegation include:
ICC Bangladesh President
Mahbubur Rahman, Abdul
Hai Sarker, Chairman,
Purbani Group; Anwar-Ul-
Alam Chowdhury (Parvez),
Managing Director, Evince
Group; Mir Nasir Hossain,
Managing Director, Mir
Akhter Hossain Limited;
Mohammad Hatem,
Executive President,
BKMEA & Managing
Director, MB Knit Fashion
Ltd.; Matiur Rahman,
Chairman & Managing
Director, Uttara Group of
Companies; Rizwan
Rahman, President, DCCI,
Md. Salauddin Yousuf,
Member, CCCI & Director,
Lub-rref (Bangladesh) Ltd.
and Ataur Rahman,
Secretary General, ICC
Bangladesh.The delegation
is expected to return Dhaka
on November 27.
ISHO begins
Same-Day
Delivery
Campaign
ISHO, the country's leading
furniture and lifestyle brand,
is currently running a
campaign called 'Small Things
Matter' which will go on till
November 28, 2021. This isset
to be one of the most
ambitious campaigns of the
company so far, as ISHO aims
to deliver products to
customers on the same day as
they have been ordered.
This convenient offer is only
applicable for select products,
and for purchases that are
made before 3 pm. During the
campaign, customers can
expect their chosen products
to be delivered on the same
day. The campaign also
extends to ensure that
purchases made after 3 pm
are delivered within 24 hours,
a press release said.
The Small Things
Matter campaign enables
customers to choose from
a range of products that
include center tables, arm
chairs, lounge chairs to
various accessories like
trays, vases, mugs, and so
on.
At ISHO, we believethat it is
always the small things that
make a difference in our lives.
As far as shopping goes,
there's no better satisfaction
than getting your desired
products on the same day of
your purchase.A more subtle
aim of this campaign isto help
you buy a surprise gift for your
loved ones, which will surely
put a smile on their face. You
can get a quick mug for your
helpfulco-worker, a comfy
armchair for your dad's cozy
nook, an exquisite vase for
your unsuspecting partner, or
even a cushion tray for that
lazy but adoring friend, there's
so much more! You can have a
lot of fun with this campaign,
and make the small things in
your relationships stand out.
Alibaba profit tumbles, outlook
lowered as China reins in tech
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 revenuesgenerated
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 abusesparalleling
similar unease
with tech firms in the
United States and
elsewhere.
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.
Alibaba platforms
processed more than $85
billion worth of
transactions during the
promotion, a new record,
but the rate of growth was
well below past years as the
company faces increasing
competition from rivals like
JD.com and Pinduoduo.
Prime Bank organized a three-day long road-show with the slogan, 'Rejuvenate your Business with
New Spirits'. This road show was organized to demonstrate the bank's several services and also
human resources that can help the SME sector combat the deadly aftermath of COVID-19. Officials
from Prime Bank's head office and local branches, led by the head of SME Banking, Syed M. Omar
Tayub met thousands of SME entrepreneurs in the Mirpur, Mohammadpur,Islampur, Moulvibazar,
Chawk bazar, New Market and Elephant Road area of the capital. The idea was to promote wide array
of SME banking services of the bank among the entrepreneurs and association leaders, that can help
this industry negate the damage done by the pandemic. It is a timely initiative that will allow the ever
important SME business of this country with the help of the right financial tools. Photo : Courtesy
First Security Islami Bank Ltd inaugurated 54th Foundation Course at FSIBL Training Institute for
newly recruited Probationary Officers with a view to building skilled human resources for providing
better banking services recently. Syed Waseque Md. Ali, Managing Director of the Bank inaugurated
the training program. In his inaugural speech, he has laid emphasize on building the bank as a
modern islami bank, wished probationers bright career, advised all to be careful, honest and sincere
in banking activities. Among others, A. K. M. Amjad Hussain, Principal, Abul Kalam Mojibur
Rahman and Shahid Mujtaba Jamal, Faculty Member of Training Institute were present in the program.
There are 28newly recruited officers of the bank participating in the course. Photo : Courtesy
WeDNeSDAY, NoveMBer 24, 2021
9
Uncapped Mahmudul, Raja
named in Tigers Test squad
SportS DeSk
Bangladesh on Monday named two
uncapped players -- Mahmudul Hasan
Joy and Rejaur Rahman Raja -- in the
squad for the opening match of twomatch
Test series against Pakistan.
Apart from them, there were little
surprises in the 16-member squad.
All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is also
included in the squad but will have his
fitness assessed before being
considered for the first Test, starting
November 26 at Zahur Ahmed
Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
Experienced opener Tamim Iqbal
earlier opted him out of the series due
to his injury.
The two newcomers made their way
into the squad based on their
performance in the longer version
format, said chief selector Minhajul
Abedin Nannu.
Chittagong Division batsman
Mahmudul Hasan Joy, a 21-year old,
has made a promising start to his first
class career with two hundreds already
in the ongoing National Cricket League.
The 22-year-old Raja, a pacer hailed
from Sylhet, representing the BCB HP
and Emerging Teams, has returned 33
wickets in 10 first class matches for
Sylhet Division and Islami Bank East
Zone.
"It is still early days for him but
Mahmudul has showed good
temperament for the longer version,"
Abedin said.
"He is also an in-form batsman. With
injury concerns to Taskin (Ahmed) and
Shoriful (Islam), we needed to keep our
pace bowling options open and Raja got
the nod. We have been monitoring his
performances in first class
competitions. He is strong and
energetic and has a knack for taking
wickets."
Abedin also said he believes that this
squad can put up a good fight against
Pakistan, who will be playing Test
series in Bangladesh for the first time
after 2015.
"There is a fair bit of experience if you
consider that Mominul (Haque),
Mushfiqur (Rahim), Shakib, Taijul
(Islam) and Miraz (Mehidy Hasan) are
all part of the squad. We will obviously
have to wait to see if Shakib makes it for
the first Test but these players have
been the most consistent performers
for us in Tests and their presence can
make a difference."
"We have options in the spin
department as well as in pace. The
team for the first Test is made up of
cricketers who have been playing
together regularly and they know the
demands of Test matches.
Pakistan are a formidable team but
we are confident that Bangladesh will
be competitive if we are disciplined and
patient."
The team of the second and final Test,
which is in Dhaka from December 4-8,
will be announced ahead of the match.
Bangladesh squad for first test:
Mominul Haque (Captain), Shadman
Islam, Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain
Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton
Kumer Das, Nurul Hasan Sohan,
Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan,
Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain
Chowdhury, Abu Jayed Chowdhury
Rahi, Yasir Ali Rabbi, Mahmudul
Hasan Joy, Rejaur Rahman Raja,
Shakib Al Hasan (subject to being
declared fit to play).
All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is also included in the squad but will have his fitness assessed before
being considered for the first test, starting November 26 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in
Chattogram.
photo: BCB
PGA Tour to boost
2022 prize money
SportS DeSk
The PGA Tour said Monday it
plans to increase prize money
at its most lucrative events in
2022, pumping millions
more dollars into limited-field
tournaments in a move that
comes amid reports of a new
Saudi Arabia-backed golf
series, reports BSS.
In a memo sent to players
on Monday, PGA Tour
Commissioner Jay Monahan
outlined plans to boost purses
for players across the board.
"Financial rewards and
other benefits-not just for the
top players but for the entire
membership-are growing at
an extraordinary pace,"
Monahan wrote adding the
tour is "stronger than at any
time in our history."
The FedExCup bonus pool
for 2022 has increased by $15
million to $75 million, while
the FedEx Cup champion will
receive a whopping $18
million - up from the $15
million scooped by Patrick
Cantlay earlier this year.
The opening two events of
the FedEx Cup playoffs - the
St. Jude and the BMW
Championship - will each
increase their purses by more
than $5 million to $15 million.
The Players Championship
prize money has been
increased from $15 million to
$20 million, making it the
richest event in golf.
The PGA Tour's three
invitational events - the
Genesis Invitational, the
Arnold Palmer Invitational
and Jack Nicklaus's Memorial
will now offer $12 million
each in prize money - an
increase of nearly $3 million
per tournament.
The annual $10 million
bonus pool on offer for the
Tour's top 10 players during
the regular season has also
been doubled to $20 million.
The tour will also increase
money distributed via its
Player Impact Program.
Dortmund without
Haaland and Hummels
in Lisbon showdown
SportS DeSk
Borussia Dortmund will be without both
Mats Hummels and Erling Haaland when
they head to Portugal for Wednesday's
potential Champions League Group C
decider against Sporting Lisbon, reports
BSS.
Level on points with two games to play in
the group stage, Sporting and Dortmund
meet on Wednesday in a clash which could
decide which of them joins group leaders
Ajax in the knockout stages.
Yet Dortmund will be deprived of two of
their best players in Hummels and Haaland
as they look to steer their Champions League
campaign back on course after back-to-back
defeats.
Veteran defender Hummels is suspended
after he was controversially sent off in
Dortmund's 3-1 defeat to Ajax three weeks
ago. The club had said they would appeal the
red card, but coach Marco Rose admitted
last week that he did not expect the 2014
World Cup winner to be available.
"We all know that Mats is suspended in
Lisbon," he said, and hinted that Dan-Axel
Zagadou could take his place in central
defence.
Haaland, meanwhile, has been out for the
last four weeks with a hip injury.
Dortmund are hoping the Norwegian
striker, who has nine goals in just six league
appearances this season, will return to action
in time for their top- of-the-table clash with
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on
December 4.
Rose's side head to Lisbon in good spirits,
having moved to within a point of Bayern
with a narrow win over Stuttgart at the
weekend. Sporting have had longer to
recover since their 2-1 cup win over Varzim
last Thursday. The victory was their ninth in
a row in all competitions, a run which goes
back to their last meeting with Dortmund, a
1-0 defeat in Germany in September.
Donyell Malen, who scored the winner for
Dortmund in that game, is likely to lead the
line again on Wednesday in Haaland's
absence.
The 22-year-old Dutch talent is in good
form, having netted his first Bundesliga
goal with a blistering strike against
Stuttgart on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund will be without both Mats Hummels and erling
Haaland when they head to portugal for Wednesday's potential
Champions League Group C decider against Sporting Lisbon. photo: Ap
the Indians have been hurting since the eight-wicket hammering by kane Williamson's Black Caps
at the inaugural World test Championship final in Southampton in June.
photo: Ap
Lyon to play behind
closed doors as Payet
lodges official complaint
SportS DeSk
Lyon were on Monday
ordered to play home games
until at least December 8
behind closed doors after
their Ligue 1 fixture against
Marseille on the weekend was
abandoned after Dimitri
Payet was hit in the head by a
bottle.
The Marseille captain
required treatment after
being struck on the side of the
head as he prepared to take a
corner for the visitors in the
fifth minute of Sunday's
match at Lyon's Parc OL
stadium, prompting both
teams to return to the
changing rooms.
Payet, who did not train on
Monday, has lodged a
complaint with the Lyon
public prosecutor
investigating the incident, a
Marseille club official told
AFP.
"He was very scared and
he's fed up," the official said.
The French professional
football league (LFP) said that
"in light of the serious
incident that occurred during
the match", its disciplinary
committee had opened an
investigation and, as a
precaution, ruled that all
games at the Parc OL stadium
be played behind closed doors
until a ruling is made, which
will not come before
December 8.
Tamim ruled out
of New Zealand
Test series
SportS DeSk
Bangladesh opener Tamim
Iqbal needs another one
month to recover from the
fracture on his right thumb
and thus, the left-handed
opener is all but ruled out
from the upcoming tour of
New Zealand for a two-match
Test series.
Tamim had recovered from
what was initially thought to
be a single fracture, picked up
during his participation in the
Everest Premier League in
October this year.
However, due to slow
recovery, he underwent
further medical assessment,
on November 14, of the injury
which revealed he had carried
not one but two fracture on
the same finger.
Tamim travelled to London
earlier this week and met with
the doctors in Leeds.
The doctor suggested that
there is no need of a surgery
and Tamim should rest for
another one month and
undergo treatment advised.
The doctor will assess the
recovery by the end of
December. Bangladesh are
scheduled to travel to New
Zealand on December 8 for
the two-match series, set to
start in the first week of
January. Tamim is missing
out from the Pakistan Test
series at home too, which is
set to begin this Friday.
India pursue Test revenge
against top-ranked New Zealand
SportS DeSk
Buoyed by their T20 clean sweep, India will
look to avenge their defeat in the World Test
Championship final when they host a weary
New Zealand in the first Test in Kanpur from
Thursday, reports BSS.
The Indians have been hurting since the
eight-wicket hammering by Kane
Williamson's Black Caps at the inaugural
World Test Championship final in
Southampton in June.
But they routed the tourists, runners-up in
the T20 World Cup earlier this month, in the
recent three-game series, giving them
confidence that they can start the new World
Championship cycle in winning style.
However India -- under new coach Rahul
Dravid and second in the Test rankings
behind New Zealand -- will be without their
in-form opener Rohit Sharma, who has
opted out of the two-Test series, and skipper
Virat Kohli.
Kohli will return for the second Test in
Mumbai in early December while Ajinkya
Rahane will lead the side in his absence in
Kanpur.
New Zealand will be boosted by the return
of captain Williamson, who was rested from
the T20 games following a gruelling schedule
that saw his side travel to India just the day
after losing the World Cup final in Dubai.
The World Cup itself followed hot on the
heels of the Indian Premier League.
India failed to make it to the semi-finals of
the T20 World Cup after going down to
Pakistan and New Zealand, an exit which at
least allowed them a breather.
It clearly helped, with India cruising to a
clean sweep over a jaded- looking New
Zealand in the three games, all played in less
than a week and in three different cities.
But Dravid was quick to offer a reality
check.
"To be honest, we have to keep our feet on
the ground and be a bit realistic about this
win," said Dravid, after India won Sunday's
final game by 73 runs to wrap up the series 3-
0. (It's) not easy for New Zealand to play a
World Cup final and then to turn up three
days later and play three games in six days."
Veteran Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor,
returning to international action for the first
time since the Test final five months ago,
admitted retaining the crown would be a tall
order.
We've gone so many years as underdogs.
But now coming in as champions, I guess the
element of surprise is gone," Taylor said
during a virtual press meet on Sunday.
Cricket Tasmania slams
'appalling' Paine treatment
SportS DeSk
Cricket Tasmania launched a scathing attack
on the sport's Australian governing body
Tuesday over its "appalling" treatment of
former Test skipper Tim Paine, saying anger
in the community was "palpable", reports
BSS. Paine, who was born and bred in
Tasmania, tearfully quit as captain on Friday
ahead of the Ashes against England over a
series of lewd text messages with a female
colleague in 2017 that were about to be made
public.
He insisted he wasn't pushed out, but
Cricket Tasmania chair Andrew Gaggin said
Cricket Australia should have shown him
more loyalty. "In conversations I have had in
recent days it is clear that the anger amongst
the Tasmanian cricket community and
general public is palpable," he said in a
statement. "Tim Paine has been a beacon for
Australian cricket over the past four years
and instrumental in salvaging the reputation
Ronaldo pays tribute to 'outstanding
human' Solskjaer after sacking
SportS DeSk
Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute on Monday to
"outstanding human being" Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer after the Norwegian was sacked as
Manchester United manager, reports BSS.
Ronaldo, who returned to Old Trafford in
August, has scored nine times in 13 games
for United this season but has failed to
prevent the club's slide down the Premier
League table after a series of embarrassing
results. Solskjaer was sacked on Sunday, less
than 24 hours after United's humiliating 4-1
defeat at Watford, which followed
chastening home losses to Liverpool and
Manchester City.
Ronaldo, 36, was a team-mate of
Solskjaer's in his first spell at the club under
of the national team after the calamity of
Cape Town. "Yet, at a time when CA should
have supported Tim, he was evidently
regarded as dispensable."
Paine took over in March 2018 in the wake
of the "sandpaper-gate" scandal that rocked
Australian cricket.
Then-captain Steve Smith and his deputy
David Warner were forced to step down for
their roles in trying to alter the condition of
the ball during a Cape Town Test against
South Africa.
Gaggin branded Paine's treatment by CA
"appalling -- the worst since Bill Lawry over
50 years ago".
Lawry became the first Australian Test
cricket captain to be dropped from a team
midway through the 1970-71 series against
England -- finding out from reporters.
Australia's cricket authorities
investigated the sexting allegations
against Paine in 2018 and cleared him of
any code of conduct breach.
Alex Ferguson. "He's been my striker when
I first came to Old Trafford and he's been my
coach since I came back to Man. United,"
Ronaldo said on Twitter.
But most of all, Ole is an outstanding
human being.
I wish him the best in whatever his life has
reserved for him. Good luck, my friend! You
deserve it!"
Former United midfielder Michael
Carrick, who was part of Solskjaer's coaching
team, will take charge of upcoming games
while the club look to appoint an interim
manager until the end of the season. United
are already realistically out of the Premier
League title race, 12 points behind leaders
Chelsea, and face a crucial Champions
League trip to Villarreal on Tuesday.
WeDNesDAY, NoVeMBeR 24, 2021
10
'NonajolerKabbo'
settoreleaseon
26November
TBT RepoRT
ZayedasTikkaKhanin
Bangabandhu'sBiopic
TBT RepoRT
DhallywoodactorZayedKhanhasjoinedthebiopicof
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman. He will play the role of Tikka Khan in the
movie.
ZayedKhansignedtheagreementattheBangladesh
FilmDevelopmentCorporation(BFDC)inthecapital
onMonday(November22)inthepresenceofthefilm's
director(adminandfinance)IshanRajaBangali.
"I went to Mumbai for the audition," said Zayed
Khan.That'swheremyclothesweremeasured.Iwill
play the role of Tikka Khan in this movie.
Bangabandhu'sbiopicisadreamproject.Iamhappyto
bepartofthisbiopic.
Bollywood favourite
couple Vicky Kaushal
andKatrinaKaifareall
set to tie the knot in
Rajasthan next month.
Reports of their alleged
wedding have got their
fans all excited. Amidst
these reports, celeb
astrologer now predicts
the compatibility and
future of the celebrity
couple.
AsKatrinaandVicky's
wedding preparations
are in full swing, the
'Sooryavanshi' actress
has reportedly started
Bollywood director Shyam Benegal is making
'Bangabandhu'inajointproductionofBangladeshand
India.ActorArifinShuvointheroleofBangabandhu,
actressNusratFariaintheroleofSheikhHasinaand
Nusrat Imroz Tisha in the role Bangamata Sheikh
Fazilatunnesa.
ThefirstphaseofthemoviestartedshootingatDada
SahebPhalkeStudiosinMumbaiattheendofJanuary
thisyearandwillcontinuetillApril.Theshootingof
Bangladesh'sparthasstartedthisweek.
Though the movie was supposed to be released in
March,theshootingcouldnotbecompletedduetothe
Coronaviruspandemic.Therefore,themoviemaybe
releasedontheoccasionofBangabandhu'sbirthdayin
March2022.
Kat,Vicky's
futurepredicted
byanastrologer
herweddingoutfittrials.
The two have even
found a love nest at a
luxurious apartment in
Juhu where Anushka
SharmaandViratKohli
areneighbours.
Now as per the
ETimes report, Pandit
Jagannath Guruji has
revealed to them how
Vicky Kaushal and
Katrina Kaif would be
with each other as life
partners. Based on the
astrological calculations
and face reading, he
said, "both Katrina and
Vicky are extremely
private people. Be it
beforeoraftermarriage,
they would prefer to
keeptheirpersonallives
alooffromthelimelight.
Hate to break it to the
fansbuttheymightnot
be particularly happy
withtheongoingfrenzy
and speculations about
theirmarriage".
The astrologer also
spoke about what
destiny has in store for
thempostmarriage.He
said, "Katrina has
alwaysbeenaveryhard
working professional,
who has made it big in
the tinsel town. Her
perseverance and focus
iswhathasmadeherthe
diva that she is.
However, after getting
marriedtoVicky,sheis
likely to shift her focus
more toward her
personalandfamilylife.
Sheisinaphasewhere
she wants to take a
backseatforawhileand
enjoyherownspace."
He further clarified
thatKatrinaKaifwillnot
leavefilmsbutwilltake
fewer projects as time
goes by. As for Vicky
Kaushal, the astrologer
said that he will rise to
stardom with time and
both will lead a happy
marriedlife."Theyboth
are very intelligent. As
bothareself-made,they
willalwaysrespecteach
other a lot as partners
and always be mindful
oftheirlikings,"hesaid
tothepublication.
Source: Bollywood
Hungama
"Nonajoler Kabbo" (The Salt in Our Waters), the highly
anticipated film about climate change, will get theatrical
releaseon26November.
Before the commercial release, the film will have a
premiereshowon25NovemberatStarCineplex.
Directed by debutant Rezwan Shahriar Sumit, the film
featuresanensemblecastincludingFazlurRahmanBabu,
ShatabdiWadudTitasZiaandTasnuvaTamanna.
Co-produced by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit and French
producer Ilann Girard, the film has garnered immense
praise at multiple international film festivals including
London,Busan,andSaoPaulo.
Recently, the movie was screened at the 26th United
Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), on 8
NovemberatIMAXtheatreinGlasgow,UnitedKingdom.
"Nonajoler Kabbo" will hit all the branches of Star
Cineplex, Blockbuster Cinema in Jamuna Future Park,
Narayanganj and Silver Screen in Chottogram, reports a
localmediaoutlet.
TBT RepoRT
Bangladeshi filmmaker
Abdullah Mohammad
Saad's award-winning film
'Rehana Maryam Noor'
starring actress Azmeri
Haque Badhon has secured
nomination under the
competition category of
'New Asian Cinema'
programme in Polandbased
Five Flavours Film
Festival.
"Rehana embarks on an
angry journey through a
labyrinth of corridors,
officesandclassrooms.The
cameratriestokeepupwith
her, cornering her in the
narrow, dark-blue frames,
creating an emotionless
Hemadehisactingdebutin'TheMummyReturns'in2001,and
since then, WWE wrestler-turned-Hollywood superstar and
producerDwayneJohnsonakaTheRockhasreprisedthelead
roleinaseriesofglobalblockbusters,startingwith'TheScorpion
King'in2002.
Withhislatestproduction,'RedNotice'streamingonNetflix
from Friday, November 12,
Johnson joined a select
roundtable with journalists,
including an IANS
representative, to talk about
hisabilitytobeahitmachine
andthepressureofcompeting
withhispreviouslysuccessful
characters.
Reportedtohavecost$200
million to produce, 'Red
Notice', an action-comedy
drama also starring Ryan
Reynolds, Gal Gadot and the
UK-Indian actress Ritu Arya,
mustnotchupaviewershipof
83millionhouseholdsglobally
beforeitcanberegardedasa
commercial success, according to 'The New York Observer'.
DwayneJohnson'sSevenBucksProductionshasco-produced
thefilm.DwayneJohnsonsaid:"Onecouldinterpretthatyou
feelpressured,butIthinkitallcomesdowntothechoicesyou
make,andwhateverthescriptandcharacterare.Yougottalove
whatyouaredoingandwhatevergetsyououtofyourbedand
'RehanaMaryamNoor'
securesnominationatFive
FlavoursFilmFestival
record of her lonely
mission," the festival wrote
about the film on its
website.
"With his second film,
tense like a full-blooded
thriller, Saad confirms that
he is an incredibly talented
artistwithacriticaloutlook
ontheeverydayrealityofhis
country,"thestatementsaid
aboutdirectorSaad.
NewAsianCinemasection
of Five Flavours Film
Festival presents films that
show the modern reality of
the continent particularly
brave and interesting ways,
exploring interpersonal
relations, cultural tensions
andthetopicalissuesfaced
bytheworld.
Dwayneonhis'RedNotice'co-starRyan
'Hehastheabilitytonotcrack'
you're passionate about it, then really that is what all that
matters."
Crownedthe'SexiestManAlive'in2016,the49-year-oldstar
has starred in blockbusters such as 'The Rundown', 'Walking
Tall','SouthlandTales','TheGamePlan','GetSmart','G.I.Joe:
Retaliation','Hercules','SanAndreas','TheFastandtheFurious',
'Jumanji: Welcome to the
Jungle', its sequel 'Jumanji:
The Next Level', and most
recently,'JungleCruise'.
In response to a question
Johnsonsaid:"Ihearwhatyou
areasking.It'strickybecauseit
is a smart question, but it is
tricky to answer because Gal
and I both have had the
opportunity to play some
iconic (characters). … We are
so lucky and blessed in our
careers to play iconic
characters…like Wonder
Woman.Howdoyoutopthat?
So you just have to find
something."
Elsewhereduringtheroundtable,Johnsonalsospokeabout
thedynamicshesharedwithhisco-stars."IthinkRyanhasthe
abilitytonotcrackandholdontothesceneandthemoment.
WhereGalandI…ruintakesruin,many,manytakes,"thestar
saidwithalaugh.
Source: IANS
H o R o s c o p e
ARIes
(March21-April20):You'vedecided
toletyourselfgo.You'retiredofbeing
a perfectly controlled person. You
don't want to restrain your urges anymore!
Somethingintheairisdifferent.Youcanexpress
yourneedsfreely.Talktoyourpartneraboutyour
desires.Yourrelationshipcanonlybenefitfrom
yourcurrentframeofmind.
TAURUs
(April 21 - May 21) : The present
planetary aspects could change your
approach to life. Almost compulsively,
you'llneedtodeepenyourrelationships
withthepeopleyou'verecentlymet.You'llprobablybe
attractedtooneofthem,butbecareful,asthisperson
mightnotfeelthesamewayaboutyou.Lookonthe
brightside.Whywouldyouwanttowasteyourenergy
onsomeonewhodoesn'tcareaboutyou?
GeMINI
(May22-June21):Theremight
beoneaspectofyournaturethat
youignore.Youalwaysneedtobe
theoneinchargeinarelationship.
Itwouldbewisetochangethis.Theplanetary
configuration can help you do that now.
Peoplewillbemuchmorereceptivetoyour
natural charms if you can change your
controllingattitude!
cANceR
(June 22 - July 23) : Don't let your
emotionsgetthebetterofyoutoday.
Ifyoucanharnessthem,you'llhave
thevitalforceoftenpeople.Youcanbeinvincible.
Youcandowhateveryoufeellikedoingandno
onecanstopyou.Ifyousharethisenergywith
others,theymightendupfeelinglikeyoudo-the
bestinyourwholelife.
Leo
(July 24 - Aug. 23): Finally, today,
you'llknowwhatitfeelsliketobein
charge of things. You'll even feel
thatyouwereborntodoit.Inany
case, you'll beautifully coordinate the day.
You'rethemaestroconductingafullorchestra.
You'lltellthosearoundyouwhattodoallday
long.Isn'titfuntofeelsuchpersonalpower?
VIRGo
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Unlike other
occasions,todayyou'lldisplayyour
true feelings. Even when you hide
themthey'restillthere,deepinside
you.Youmaythinkthatshowingyourfeelingsis
a sign of weakness, but today you'll show the
worldthatyourheartisn'tmadeofstone,and
you'llletyourselfgo.
LIBRA
(Sept.24-Oct.23):Yourbehavioris
about to improve your love life.
You're no longer hung up about
your body. You're no longer
distracted by it during passionate moments.
You'llfocusonandenjoythehereandnow,and
youwon'tbelostinyourthoughtslikeusual.
You'reanewpersonabouttoexperiencethe
pleasuresoflife.
scoRpIo
(Oct.24-Nov.22):You'llhavealotof
staminaintheweekstocome.Your
energy will increase, thanks to the
prevailing planetary transits. You
thrive on your romantic desires and your
creativity. You should try to stay in control of
situations. Don't let your or anyone else's
emotionstakeoveryourlife.
sAGITTARIUs
(Nov.23-Dec.21):You'reasensual
person.Youhaveastrongemotional
force.Todaythatenergywillincrease
and express itself vigorously. The
peopleyouencounterwillbeastonishedbyyour
power.Youcouldeasilyseducetheentireworld.
Trytokeepthisenergyundercontrol.Youcouldbe
thrownoffbalanceandintoasituationyoumight
regret.
cApRIcoRN
(Dec.22-Jan.20):Youlovetomeet
newpeopleandtalktothem,butyou
rarelygetpersonallyinvolved.Youkeep
acertaindistancebetweenyouandthe
person you're talking to. Today you'll wonder if
you're missing out on interesting experiences by
controlling your emotions so tightly, or if your
defensesarehighforagoodreason.
AQUARIUs
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : You'll probably
feel a little lost today. You'll have to
cometoadecisioninthenearfuture,
andyourlifewillbegreatlyaffectedby
it.Shouldyoulistentoyourdesires?Shouldtheybe
inchargeofyourlife?Orshouldyoutrytoreinin
yourfeelingsandtakethemorepracticalroute?It's
somethingtothinkabout.
pIsces
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Today you'll
change your approach to
relationships. In the past, they
were based on feelings, but now
you'll decide that they should be more
rational. You might feel that this sudden
change of attitude could detract from your
happiness,butitcouldalsoleadtostronger,
morestablerelationships.
wEDNESDAY, NOvEMBER 24, 2021
11
The Chinese dad
making medicine to
treat his dying son
KUNMING : Two-year-old
Haoyang has likely just
months to live-but the only
medicine that can help his rare
genetic condition is not found
anywhere in China and closed
borders due to the Covid-19
pandemic mean he cannot
travel for treatment, reports
UNB
Instead, his desperate father,
Xu Wei, has created a home
laboratory to create a remedy
for the boy himself. "I didn't
really have time to think about
whether to do it or not. It had
to be done," the 30-year-old
told AFP from his DIY lab in a
high-rise apartment building
in southwestern Kunming.
Is travel safe during the pandemic
this holiday season?
It depends. It can be safe if you're
fully vaccinated against COVID-19,
but officials say people who haven't
gotten the shots should delay travel,
reports UNB.
Regardless of vaccination status, all
travelers should keep taking
precautions like avoiding indoor,
unmasked crowds, says Dr. Keith
Armitage, an infectious disease expert
at Case Western Reserve University.
"The delta variant has really
brought us back to an earlier time in
the pandemic," he says.
The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention says not to
travel if you're sick, or if you tested
positive for COVID-19 and your
isolation period isn't over yet - even if
you're fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated
people who decide to travel should get
a COVID-19 test one to three days
before travel and three to five days
after returning.
All travelers must still wear masks
on trains, planes and other indoor
public transportation areas, the
agency says.
Airlines say plane cabins are low
risk since they have good air
circulation and filtration. However,
there is no requirement for
vaccination or testing before domestic
flights, and passengers can remove
their face masks while eating or
drinking.
Hotels aren't risky for the
vaccinated as long as they wear masks
around strangers, Armitage says.
More fraught are family gatherings
with unvaccinated individuals,
particularly for those who are older or
have health problems.
Health experts suggest looking at
the case levels and masking rules in
the place you are visiting before you
travel.
A Candle Lit Ceremony was held on Sunday at Shyamoli Park, organized by
Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health Sector to raise awareness, draw the attention
of government and law enforcement agencies, and remember the victims
of road accidents.
Photo : Courtesy
Pfizer vaccination program began in
Dhamoirhat upazila for HSC candidates to prevent
coronavirus. The vaccination program was
inaugurated at the Upazila Parishad meeting
room recently. At that time, Upazila Nirbahi
Officer Ganapati Roy, Upazila Health Officer Dr.
Swapan Kumar Biswas, Upazila Secondary
Education Officer Md Zulfiqar Ali and others
were also present.
Photo: Rejuan Alam
Govt allocates TK over 1cr as
agri-incentive in Manikganj
MANIKGANJ: The government has allocated TK one crore
two lac 66 thousand and five hundred for 10 thousand 900
farmers in all seven upazilas of the district to distribute
during the current Robi season, reports BSS.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials here
said each farmer is getting seeds and fertilizers free of cost for
cultivating wheat, maize, mustard, sunflower, groundnut,
onion and mung bean on their land.
The distribution of allocated seeds and fertilizers has
already started among the listed farmers.
Saiful Islam, a farmer of Charguzuri village under
Manikganj Sadar Upazila, said he has already received the
seeds of wheat and fertilizers free of cost for cultivating on
one bigha of land from the agriculture department and
completed sowing.
Deputy Director of DAE Md. Shah Jahan Ali Biswas said
they are working restlessly to distribute the governmentallocated
seeds among the farmers in due time.
12 test positive for
COVID-19 in Ctg
CHATTOGRAM : A total of 12 people were detected positive
for coronavirus in the last 24 hours after testing 1,763
samples in seven COVID-19 laboratories in Chattogram
district, reports BSS.
Among the newly detected patients, 10 are from
Chattogram city and two other from different upazilas of the
district, hospital sources said.
The lowest COVID-19 positivity rate has continued in
Chattogram district.
Civil Surgeon Dr Ilias Chowdhury told BSS that
Chattogram district recorded lowest COVID-19 positivity
rate of 0.68 percent during the last 24 hours till Monday
morning.
With the newly infected cases, the number of coronavirus
patients stands at 102,362 in the district.
"The number of cured patients from the lethal virus stood
at 90,876 in the district with the recovery of 104 more
patients in the last 24 hours," Dr Ilias said, adding that the
percentage of recovery rate is 86.96.
With no new deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, the
death toll steady 1,330 in the district.
Czechs protest restrictions on
unvaccinated as cases soar
PRAGUE : Protesters marched through the Czech capital of
Prague on Monday to decry the government's restrictions on
unvaccinated people as new infections soared in the
European Union nation.
The protesters, who numbered in the hundreds, demanded
"Freedom!" for the unvaccinated and rejected the
government's push for people to get their vaccine shots.
They carried posters with pictures of politicians - including
cvwb-294/2021-2022
GD-1719/21 (6x3)
GD-1722/21 (9x3)
A seminar on awareness and implementation of
Consumer Rights Protection Act 2009 has been
held at Morrelganj on Tuesday. Upazila chairman
Adv. Shah-e- Alam Bacchu was present as
the chief guest at the occasion under the chairmanship
of Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jahangir
Alam.
Photo: M Palash Sharif
GD-1724/21 (10x3)
Wednesday, Dhaka: November 24, 2021; Agrahyan 9, 1428 BS; rabius-Sani 18, 1443 Hijri
Bangladesh's future
focus may be on nuclear
energy use: Dr Tawfiq
DHAKA : Bangladesh may go for
nuclear power use to meet its growing
consumption, said Prime Minister's
Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi
Chowdhury.
Taking advantage of advanced technologies,
Bangladesh may concentrate
on nuclear power in near future to
meet its energy demand as it has zero
emission," he said on Tuesday.
Dr Tawfiq was addressing the
first-ever stakeholders' meeting at a
city hotel on formulation of an integrated
energy and power sector
master plan.
The Power, Energy and Mineral
Resources Ministry organised the
meeting with State Minister for Power,
Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul
Hamid in the chair.
Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) is providing financial
and technical support for framing the
integrated plan for the energy and
power sector.
The function was addressed, among
others, by Principal Secretary to the
Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus,
Japanese Ambassador ITO Naoki and
Power Secretary Habibur Rahman.
Dr Tawfiq urged JICA to focus on
technological advancement while formulating
the master plan as technologies
are fast changing in the energy and
power sector.
He also advised the officials concerned
to talk to local people to have
innovative ideas in finding solutions to
various problems in the sector.
Nasrul Hamid said Bangladesh
would require $21 billion if it wants to
meet its target of decarbonisation and
promote clean and renewable energy
by preparing an integrated master
plan.
Dr Ahmad Kaikaus said transmission
of gas and power is a very important
element for the integrated master
plan, and there should be a suitable
plan for the areas where gas and power
transmission lines to be installed.
Japanese Ambassador ITO Naoki
said the proposed integrated master
plan is instrumental for the energy and
power sector and it is being prepared
when Bangladesh and Japan are going
to celebrate its 50 years of partnership
and cooperation.
RAB arrests terrorists related
to Alauddin murder
SAfiuL ALAM, COx'S BAzAr
An abduction drama was staged to
avoid arrest in the murder of self-confessed
pirate Alauddin at Maheshkhali
area in Cox's Bazar. The suspects were
finally arrested during the raid. Based
on the information provided by the
detainees, RAB recovered 10 weapons
buried in the hills of Nayapara in
Kalarmarchhara Union.
Cox's Bazar RAB-15's captain Lt.
Colonel Khairul Islam confirmed the incident.
He said the weapons were recovered
in the early hours of Monday (November
22) on the basis of information provided
by the detainees.
The arrested are Rafiqul Islam Prakash
Mamun, 28, son of late Mansur Alam
Prakash of Chamiraghona area of
Kalarmarchhara, Mohammad Rifat, 23,
son of MonirulAlam of Chiknipara and
Ayub Ali, 40, son of late Abdul Ali of
Mohammad Shah Ghona area.
According to the RAB, among the
arrested, Rafiqul Islam Prakash is the first
accused in the case of the murder of
Alauddin and Ayub Ali is the twelfth
accused.
Among the ammunition recovered were
four single barrel guns, one three quarter
gun, three LGs, one foreign pistol, one
magazine, two rounds of fresh ammunition
and five rounds of fresh ammunition.
Earlier, on November 5, a terrorist killed
Alauddin, 26, after returning from robbery.
The next day, the victim's brother
Sumon Uddin filed a case with the police
station mentioning the names of 18 people.
Whose case No. 05/313.
Major Sheikh Yusuf Ahmed, CPC commander
of Cox's Bazar RAB-15, said, "as
part of this, we arrested Rafiqul Islam
Mamun and his accomplice Rifat on
November 22 at 8 am from Faitang in
Lamar upazila of Bandarban.On the basis
of the information provided by them, we
were able to arrest Ayub Ali, the 12th
accused in the case, from Pahartali area of
Cox's Bazar city.
And on the basis of the information
given by Rafiqul Islam and Ayub Ali, we
recovered the weapons used for robbery
and murder while they were buried in
Murarkachha hill of Nayapara in
Kalarmarchhara. '
Cox's Bazar RAB-15's captain Lt.
Colonel Khairul Islam said, "Basically,
they staged a drama to the effect that they
had been abducted to avoid arrest in the
Alauddin murder case.That is why they
were hiding. As a result of their arrest, the
mystery of the murder has been revealed."
Lt. Colonel Khairul Islam said, "Transfer
to Maheshkhali police station is in process
to take further legal action against the
arrested accused."
Meanwhile, the locals have applauded
the arrest of the terrorists.
Incidentally, eight people have been
arrested so far in the self-confessed
pirate Alauddin murder case.
Winter has already begun. On Tuesday morning, the roads of Khulna-Satkhira road was
covered with thick fog.
Photo : Star Mail
BD, Thailand make
good progress towards
FTA : Thai envoy
DHAKA : Thailand has made made good
progress towards signing a bilateral free
trade agreement with Bangladesh, the
country's envoy said during a meeting
with Bangladeshi business leaders here
on Tuesday, reports UNB.
Ambassador Makawadee Sumitmor
said this during a meeting with FBCCI
President Md. Jashim Uddin at his office.
The ambassador said that positive
progress has been made on the free trade
agreement between Thailand and
Bangladesh, according to a FBCCI press
release.
The envoy also expressed her country's
interest in increasing imports from
Bangladesh to boost bilateral trade.
The FBCCI president said Bangladesh
will need to sign FTA or PTA with other
countries as Dhaka will lose some international
trade advantages after graduation
to a developing economy in 2026.
However, before concluding a free
trade agreement, trade balance must be
established between the two countries
concerned, he said.
Bilateral trade between the two countries
has long been in favor of Thailand.
Therefore, he urged Thai investors to
invest in Bangladesh.
Thai investment can be lucrative, especially
in the agro-processing sector, he
said.
At the same time, citing the examples
of China, Japan, Korea and India, he
mentioned that many countries have
taken separate economic zones for their
own investors.
He said Thailand can also take such a
step. The Thai ambassador said that if
the products are branded, there is a possibility
of creating huge demand for
Bangladeshi products in his country.
"In particular, there is a huge opportunity
to export readymade garments,
leather goods and fish from Bangladesh,"
she said.
No change in Khaleda's
condition: Fakhrul
DHAKA : BNP secretary general
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on
Tuesday said there has been no
improvement in the health condition
of BNP Chairperson Khaleda
Zia, now undergoing treatment at
Evercare Hospital in the capital
with multiple complications,
reports UNB.
"She's now in between life and
death. The medical board formed for
her treatment sat in a meeting today.
What we came to know so far is that
there has been no significant
improvement in her condition," said
Fakrul while talking to reporters at
BNP's Gulshan office.
"When I visited her several times I
found her mentally strong. Doctors
also said she is mentally very strong
despite her illness which will help her
respond to treatment," he said.
He urged the government to allow
her to go abroad for treatment without
further delay. "I urge the government
to allow her to go abroad without
considering the issue as political
one and considering her contributions
to the country and its people,"
said Fakrul.
"Doctors are giving her the best
ever treatment here, but her recovery
is not possible in the country due to
her critical condition. Doctors suggested
us names of three countries -
the UK, the USA or Germany-where
her treatment is possible," he added.
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former
prime minister, was readmitted to
Evercare Hospital on November 13,
six days after she had returned home
from the hospital.
The BNP chief's physicians said she
has been suffering from rheumatoid
arthritis, diabetes, critical cardiac,
kidney ophthalmological and dental
complications. The hemoglobin level
in her blood has also dropped.
On behalf of the family, Khaleda's
younger brother, Shamim Iskander,
submitted an application to the
Home Ministry on November 11 urging
the government to allow her to go
abroad for better treatment.
Law Minister Anisul Huq, however,
said recently that the BNP chairperson
has to make a fresh application first by
going back to jail to go abroad for treatment.
A delegation of pro-BNP lawyers on
Tuesday submitted a memorandum
to Law Minister Anisul Huq seeking
the government's permission to send
ailing Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment.
They argued that there is no legal
obstruction for the government in
allowing Khaleda to go abroad.
The minister said that they will
examine the memorandum.
Hemayet Hossain made
interim chairman of
Gazipur Dev Authority
DHAKA : The government today
appointed Housing and Public Works
Ministry's Additional Secretary Md
Hemayet Hossain as the interim chairman
of the Gazipur Unnayan
Kartripakkha (Gazipur Development
Authority or GDA), which was constituted
in 2020.
According to an official order,
Hemayet will discharge his duty in
addition to his current responsibility
in the public works ministry until
appointment of a fulltime GDA
chairman.
The Gazipur Unnayan Kartripakkha
Bill 2020 was passed in the Jatiya
Sangsad on September 8 in 2020.
ACC raids subregistry
office
in Noakhali
DHAKA : Anti-Corruption Commission
(ACC) on Tuesday raided Sub-Registry
Office of Noakhali on the allegations of
bribery from service seekers against former
sub-registrar Abu Hena Mostafa
Kamal, reports UNB.
Deputy Director of ACC Public relation
office Muhammad Arif Sadeq told UNB
that Deputy Assistant Director of ACC
Integrated District Office, Noakhali Arif
Ahmed led the enforcement team during
the drive.
The ACC team visited the Sub-Registry
Office on the spot and spoke to the Sub-
Registrar in charge, he said.
The running sub-registrar told the
team that the accused sub-registrar Abu
Hena Mostafa Kamal had been transferred
from the office about a year ago.
The sub-registrar who has recently
taken new responsibilities informed that
he has taken all possible steps to stop all
kinds of irregularities.
The ACC team also recorded the statements
made by the service seekers at the
office as to whether there was any harassment
or attempted extortion.
Documents related to the complaint
have been collected, the spokesman of
the ACC added. The ACC enforcement
team will submit a detailed report along
with the commission after verifying the
information and evidence obtained during
the operation.
Dengue in Bangladesh
91 more
hospitalized
in 24 hrs
DHAKA : As many as 91 new dengue
patients have been hospitalised in 24
hours until Tuesday morning, health
authorities said. The number of fatalities
from the mosquito-borne disease
remained unchanged at 98 in the current
year as no fresh death was reported
during the period, according to the
Directorate General of Health Services
(DGHS).
Of the deceased, 90 people died in
Dhaka division alone, two each in
Chattogram, Mymensingh and Khulna
divisions and one each in Rajshahi and
Barishal divisions.
Among the new patients, 75 are undergoing
treatment in hospitals in Dhaka
while the remaining 16 cases have been
reported from outside the division.
Some 493 patients diagnosed with
dengue are receiving treatment in the
country as of Tuesday.
Of them, 375 patients are receiving
treatment at different hospitals in the
capital while the remaining 118 were listed
outside Dhaka.
Since January, some 26,633 patients
have been admitted to different hospitals
with dengue in the country. So far,
26,042 dengue patients have left hospitals
after recovery, said DGHS.
In September, the country recorded
the highest number of 7,841 dengue
cases of the current year with 23 deaths.
In October, the number of dengue cases
came down to 5,604 with 22 deaths
recorded.
Locals have become disturbed due to piles of garbage along the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
The picture is taken from the capital's Sanir Akra area on Tuesday. Photo : Star Mail
Ageing bailey bridges turn death
traps in hilly Khagrachari roads
KHAGRACHARI : Built in the
80's the bailey bridges in this hilly
district were meant for carrying a
maximum of 5-ton trucks. Today,
goods-laden transports weighing
up to 25 tons cross the shaky
dilapidated bridges making the
structures vulnerable to accidents.
"The bailey bridges have now
become death traps," said the
driver of a 25-ton truck that regularly
carry construction materials
from the plains to the hills, speaking
on condition of anonymity.
According to the Khagrachari
Roads and Highways Department,
there are 10 risky bailey bridges in
Khagrachari.
Md Kashem, vice-president of
Khagrachari Chamber of
Commerce, said the bailey bridges
in the district are about 40 years
old. Now these bridges often collapse
under weight of vehicles
snapping road communications.
The Khagrachari Roads and
Urban Development Department
has promised to that concrete
bridges will be constructed to
replace all bailey bridges in
phases.
But locals see no sign of any
activity to replace the bailey
bridges, which were built as temporary
means of communication.
In the past four decades since
the bailey bridges were built
Khagrachari, a valley town, has
witnessed manifold growth in
tourism, trade and commerce. So
has increased the movement of
trucks and other vehicles putting
heavy pressure on the ageing iron
(or steel) structures.
Accidents due to collapse of the
bridges under the weight of heavy
trucks have been common.
An accident on a bridge early
this year left at least three people
killed, while another such accident
occurred in December last
year injuring eight people.
A number of cases have been
filed against us due to the accident
on the bridge at Longdu," some
transport workers alleged.
In this regard, transport workers
have demanded the construction
of a concrete bridge to replace
the risky bailey bridge at Longdu
of the district's Dighinala upazila.
Sabuj Chakma, Sub-Divisional
Engineer, Khagrachari Roads and
Highways Department, said 70
concrete bridges have been constructed
in the last few years. The
remaining bailey bridges are in
the process of being replaced, he
said.
"Plans are afoot to build concrete
bridges to replace these risky
bailey bridges. If the project is
passed, a concrete bridge will be
constructed at Longdu too," he
added.