31-01-2022

Monday
DHAkA: January31, 2022; Magh17, 1428 BS; Jamadi-us Sani 27,1443 Hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 271; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
international
Macron says need to
'accelerate' Iran
nuclear talks
>Page 7
sports
Stallions seal last four
place after sending
N Africans packing
>Page 9
arts & Culture
Niloy, Chamak
in new drama
'Hothat Bou Final'
>Page 10
Govt publishes gazette on CEC,
ECs appointment law
Zohr
Though corona infection is being dangerous day by day and death rate is increasing everyday, mass
people are reluctant to maintain the health hygiene. The picture is taken from Newmarket area of
the capital city yesterday.
Photo : TBT
Booster doses to be
available for citizens
above 40: Minister
DHAKA : People above 40 years will be
eligible to take Covid booster shots as the
government has lowered the minimum
age limit for it, said Health Minister
Zahid Maleque on Sunday, reports UNB.
"We've nine crores of Covid vaccine
doses in hand. The government has lowered
the age limit for receiving Covid
booster shots to 40 from 50. Some people
have taken booster shots. So, the government
has decided to lower the age
limit to 40," he said.
The minister came up with the information
at a press briefing at Mohakhali
BCPS Auditorium in the morning over
the overall Covid situation in
Bangladesh.
"We'll bring all those above 12 under
the vaccination programme. Earlier, we
provided vaccines to school and college
students but now all above 12, including
the madrasah students, will be brought
under the vaccination programme," he
said.
Replying to a question about the vaccination
process, the Health Minister said,
"Those above 12 can get the vaccine when
they'll go to the vaccine centres. We won't
let anyone go unvaccinated."
Answering a question about vaccinating
children above five years, the minister
said, "We've had discussions with the
World Health Organisation over the
issue and they said they'll let us know."
The government has taken a decision
to give Johnson and Johnson vaccine to
the floating population including day
labourers as one dose of the vaccine can
prevent Covid-19, he said.
"We have got some Johnson and
Johnson vaccine doses from the US
under COVAX facility and the vaccination
will start soon," he added.
05:24 AM
12:16 PM
04:07 PM
05:47 PM
07:05 PM
6:40 5:44
In its peak, Covid wave may
continue for another 2 weeks
in Bangladesh: Experts
In its peak, Covid wave may continue for
another 2 weeks in Bangladesh: Experts
DHAKA : As the community transmission
of Covid-19 fueled by the highly virulent
Omicron variant is going on in full
swing across the country, public health
experts warned that the uptrend in the
virus infection may continue for two
more weeks, reports UNB.
They also said the Covid positivity rate
may hit a plateau in mid-February before
a steep decline toward the end of the next
month.
As per official data, Bangladesh has
been witnessing more than 30 percent
infection rate for the last few days, but the
experts believe the actual rate and number
of infections is much higher than the
government's count since a huge number
of virus-infected people remain untested.
Talking to UNB, public health experts
Dr Abu Jamil Faisel, Dr Be-Nazir
Ahmed, Dr Mushtuq Hussain, and MH
Chowdhury Lenin advised the government
to strictly enforce the Covid restrictions
alongside forcing people to maintain
health safety rules to slow down the
transmission of the virus.
Dr Leanin, chairman of the medicine
department at the Health and Hope
Hospital, said the country is seeing an
exponential rise in the number of coronavirus
cases, as the current Covid wave is
going to reach its peak.
He said the declining phase in the third
wave of the deadly coronavirus may
begin from the third week of February.
"The infection rate may decline sharply
or slowly depending on how the preventive
measures are being enforced," the
expert noted.
He said the country can conduct more
than two lakh tests by using Rapid antigen
kits. "But I don't know why the number
of such tests is still very low. So, many
people are remaining out of Covid tests
and we're not getting the real picture of
Covid transmission."
"As we get a partial scenario of the
Covid situation, our public health experts
sometimes fail to give the exact projection,"
Lenin observed.
Dr Faisel, a member of the Public
Health Advisory Committee of Covid-19,
said the Covid infections will show the
uptrend until the second week of
February. "The situation may improve at
the end of the coming month."
DGHS shortens isolation period
for Covid patients to 10 days
DHAKA : The Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS) has shortened
the isolation period for Covid-infected
patients to 10 days from 14 days,
reports UNB.
"If the body temperature remains at a
low level and symptoms go away, one can
return to his or her respective work after
10 days," said Dr Md Nazmul Islam, the
DGHS spokesperson and Line Director
(Disease Control), on Sunday at a virtual
health briefing. He said the previous condition
of having RT-PCR test results to
return to offices and workstations in this
regard would remain suspended for now.
Regarding the Covid surge, Dr Nazmul
said, "Until December last year, the Delta
variant of Covid was dominant in the
country but the number of total patients
and percentage of infection were low. We
have seen a continuous rise in infectionswithin
a few days from the end of
December to the beginning of January.
So, there is no scope to take the new variant
lightly."
The DGHS spokesperson said there is
no room to be complacent as the number
of deaths, which was three or four till
December, has now increased several
times to 20 or 25 deaths a day.
However, the vaccination campaign
has been accelerated in Bangladesh along
with the increase in the infection rate.
Those who have already received a
message for booster dose but could not
get the jab for getting infected can receive
it after the six weeks of recovery, Dr
Nazmul said.
Earlier in the day, Health Minister
Zahid Maleque said people above 40
years will be eligible to take Covid booster
shots as the government has lowered
the minimum age limit for it.
"We've nine crores of Covid vaccine
doses in hand. The government has lowered
the age limit for receiving Covid
booster shots to 40 from 50. Some people
have taken booster shots. So, the government
has decided to lower the age
limit to 40," he said.
DHAKA : The gazette on the Election
Commission formation law has been
published fixing three eligibility and six
ineligibility criteria for the Chief Election
Commissioner and Election
Commissioners. The 'Appointment of
Chief Election Commissioner and
Election Commissioners Act, 2022' was
published in an extraordinary gazette by
the National Parliament of Bangladesh
on Saturday with immediate effect.
Three eligibility criteria are:
According to the law, there must be
three qualifications for CEC and Election
Commissioners and those are: They
must be Bangladeshi citizens; minimum
50 years of age; and have at least 20 years
of work experience in important government,
judicial, semi-government, private
or autonomous posts or professions.
Six ineligibility criteria are:
if a person is declared insane by any
appropriate court; has not been released
from the liabilities after being declared as
' bankruptcy '; acquires the citizenship of
or affirms the allegiance to a foreign
country; has been sentenced imprisonment
being convicted for a criminal
offence involving moral turpitude; convicted
under International Crimes
(Tribunals) Act, 1973 or Bangladesh
Collaborators (Special Tribunals) Order,
1972 ; and is disqualified for holding such
7 Bangladeshis died on
way to Italy identified
DHAKA : The seven Bangladeshis who
died on the way to Italy from Libya due to
prolonged exposure to extreme cold have
been identified, reports UNB.
Their identities were disclosed on
Sunday, said officials at the Bangladesh
Mission in Rome. The deceased were
identified as Imran Hossain, Ratan,
Shafayet, Zahirul, Bappi of Madaripur
district, Sazzad of Sunamganj district
and Saiful of Kishoreganj district.
Sources in Italy primarily confirmed that
273, out of 287 migrants, on board were
from Bangladesh, and seven of them died,
and the rest are Egyptian nationals, said the
Bangladesh Mission in Rome. A two-member
team of the Bangladesh Mission in Rome
talked to other migrantsand confirmed their
identities. However, no identification was
received from the Italian authorities.
The seven bodies of Bangladesh nationals
have already been sent to Agrigento (a place
in Sicily) to be kept in the mortuary till their
repatriation and burial. On receiving the
information of the tragic incident on January
25, the Bangladesh Embassy in Rome has
been in constant touch with the relevant
Italian authorities, including two Honorary
Consuls General of Bangladesh to Catania
and Palermo to gather authentic information
and take appropriate measures from the
Bangladesh side, said the Bangladesh
Mission in Rome on Friday night.
posts by or under any law , he or she
would not be eligible for the post of CEC
and election commissioners.
As per the law, the President shall form
a six-member search committee to recommend
the names of qualified persons
against the vacant posts of CEC and
Election Commissioners.
An Appellate Division justice, nominated
by the Chief Justice, will be the
head of the search committee. The five
other members
will be a justice of
the High Court
Division, nominated
by the Chief
Justice; the
Comptroller and
Auditor General;
the Chairman of
the Bangladesh
Public Service
Commission; two
other eminent personalities
including
one woman
nominated by the
President.
The search committee would take decisions
on majority votes and in the case of
equal votes, the meeting's chair would
have the authority to cast the second or
deciding vote as per the law.
Covid in Bangladesh
Daily deaths sharply
rise to 34
The committee can seek names from
political parties and professional organisations
for the posts of CEC and election
commissioners.
The search committee will recommend
two names against each vacant post
before the President. The Cabinet
Division will provide secretariat assistance
to the Search Committee.
On January 27 last, Parliament passed
the Appointment of Chief Election
Commissioner and Election
Commissioners Bill, 2022 in order to
have a law under the Article 118 (1) of the
Constitution. The President assented to
the bill on January 29.
DHAKA : Bangladesh reported 34
more Covid-linked deaths, the highest
in four months, with12,183fresh
cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning,
reports UNB.
The daily positivity rate further
dropped to 28.33 per cent from
Saturday's 31.10 per cent after testing
43,266 samples during the period,
according to the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS).
The country last reported 31 covidrelated
deaths on September 28 last
with 1,310 cases, taking the positivity
rate to 4.49%. On Friday, Bangladesh
logged its earlier highest daily positivity
rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases
and 20 deaths.
The fresh numbers took the country's
total fatalities to 28,363 while the caseload
mounted to 1,785,332. Among the
new deceased, 19 were men and 15
women.
Twenty-two deaths were reported in
Dhaka division while five in
Chattogram, four in Rajshahi, two in
Mymensingh and one in Sylhet divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate further
declined to 1.59 per cent.
However, the recovery rate also
declined to 87.69 per cent with the
recovery of 2,167 more patients during
the 24-hour period.
Bangladesh's total tally of Omicron
cases reached 69 with the detection of
five more cases till January 23, according
to GISAID, a global initiative on
sharing all influenza data.
On December 9 last year,
Bangladesh again logged zero Covidrelated
death after nearly three weeks
as the pandemic was apparently
showing signs of easing.
The country reported this year's first
zero Covid-related death in a single day
on November 20 last year along with
178 infections since the pandemic broke
out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Besides, the country registered the
highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July
28 last year, while the highest number
of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10
last year.
As many as
ten zebras,
born
inside the
Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujib
Safari Park,
mysteriously
died in the
past three
weeks. The
zebras had
died in the
span of just
couple of
weeks in
January.
Photo :
Star Mail

MoNdAY, JANuArY 31, 2022
2
Mild to moderate
cold wave may
continue
DHAKA : Mild to moderate
cold wave is sweeping over
Rangpur and Rajshahi
divisions and the districts of
Tangail, Gopalgonj, Faridpur,
Madaripur, Rangamati, Feni,
Moulvibazer, Jashore,
Kushtia, Chuadanga, Barishal
and Bhola and the upazila of
Sitakunda and it may
continue.
Weather may remain dry
with temporary partly cloudy
sky over the country, said a
met release issued for 24-
hour commencing at 9 am
yesterday
Moderate to thick fog may
occur over north-western part
and river- basins and light to
moderate fog may occur
elsewhere over the country
during midnight to morning.
Saleha becomes entrepreneur
leaving her misery behind
DHAKA : Without finding an
option to generate income to
meet her family expenses,
Saleha's life was in misery,
burdened with a disabled
husband and two children.
"I had no work in hand. I
was the only breadwinner of
my family and I could hardly
meet my family needs,"
Saleha said, recalling her days
of hardship.
She went on: "But after
joining UNDP's SWAPNO
project, I began rebuilding my
life by working as an
entrepreneur". Hailing from
Lalmonirhat's Chinipara
village, 26-year-old Saleha
used to do odd jobs just to
bear the expenses of her
family. Life was not easy for
her as she had to work even in
her pregnancy period as her
husband was unable to work.
But her life started to
change after joining the
SWAPNO project. She
received training on small
business management and
livestock rearing under the
project.
"After receiving the
training, I set up a small shop
and started selling food items.
With savings, I had bought a
cow and goats," Saleha said,
adding that she is now
earning about Taka 10,000
per month.
In addition to ensuring
financial security, the
SWAPNO project helped
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Saleha understand about
women's rights, nutrition,
climate change, health, and
hygiene issues.
Realising the importance of
education, she is now sending
her daughter to school so that
her daughter gets educated.
Saleha said she can now
take care of her husband and
children as she learnt many
things from the SWAPNO
project. "I don't have to look
back anymore," she added.
A few days ago, Saleha
received a formal registration
from Bangladesh Small and
Cottage Industries
Corporation (BSCIC) as an
entrepreneur which
encouraged her greatly.
Saleha now plans to expand
her business as she wants to
ensure a better future for her
children. That is why she has
been working hard to fulfill
her dream.
Since 2015, the SWAPNO
project under the Local
Government Division has
been empowering rural
women by enhancing their
knowledge and skills who
were divorced or widowed or
having disabled husbands.
These women were not only
changing their lives but also
contributing to the welfare of
their communities, thanks to
the SWAPNO project.
SWAPNO was a social
transfer project for ultra-poor
women involved in public
works essential for the
economic and social life of
poor local communities,
which promoted employment
of the extreme poor rural
women.
Project officials said the
entry point was cash-forwork
and building human
capital of women engaged
in public works, while
saving a portion of wages
assisted households to
move out of poverty,
providing seed capital for
self-employment, basic
household needs and
further training and
educational development.
Centering establishing supremacy, a factional group clashed in Narsingdi
yesterday.
Photo : TBT
GD-181/22 (5x3)
GD-179/22 (12x3)
GD-176/22 (10x5)

MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022
3
Bangladesh Muktijuddha Mancha organized a human chain program yesterday at Dhaka University
yesterday protesting corruption against land acquisition of Chandpur University of Science and
Technology.
Photo : Star Mail
HC wants survey
report on river
Khagdon's boundary
DHAKA : The High Court
(HC) on Sunday ordered
authorities concerned to
conduct a survey to mark
the boundary of river
Khagdon in Kathpotti area
in Barguna district sadar
and submit a report in this
regard.
A High Court division
bench comprising Justice
Farah Mahbub and Justice
SM Maniruzzaman passed
the order after holding a
hearing on a writ petition
filed to this end.
The court asked Barguna
deputy commissioner
(DC), sadarupazilanirbahi
officer (UNO) and AC-land
to execute its order within
six weeks.
The High Court also
issued a rule asking
authorities concerned to
explain in four weeks as to
why their inaction in
stopping illegal earth
filling, grabbing of river
land, raising illegal
infrastructures shall not be
declared illegal and why
the court shall not pass
order to remove these from
the river land.
The court asked 12
officials including LGRD
secretary and environment
secretary to reply to the
rule. Rights group Human
Rights and Peace for
Bangladesh (HRPB) filed
the writ, while senior
advocate ManjilMorshed
moved the plea before the
court. Deputy Attorney
General
Samarendra
NathBiswas argued for the
state.
Kajol tests positive
for COVID-19
MUMBAI : Actor Kajol on
Sunday said she has tested
positive for COVID-19.The
47-year-old actor took to
Instagram and shared a
picture of her daughter
Nysa, writing that she was
too embarrassed to show
anyone her red nose, due to
cold, like the fictional
Rudolph reindeer, reports
BSS.
"Tested positive and I
really don't want anyone to
see my Rudolph nose so
let's just stick to the
sweetest smile in the
world! Miss you
@nysadevgan and yes I can
see the eye roll," she
captioned the picture.
Kajol was last seen on the
2021 Netflix family drama
feature "Tribhanga".
On Saturday, Mumbai
reported 1,411 fresh
COVID-19 cases and 11
fatalities due to the
coronavirus infection,
taking the tally to
10,44,470 and the toll to
16,602.
With 3,547 patients
being discharged, the total
number of recoveries in
Mumbai rose to 10,12,921,
leaving the metropolis with
12,187 active cases, the
Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC) said.
CPD launches program for
green transition of textile,
RMG sector
DHAKA :The Centre for Policy Dialogue
(CPD) has launched a programme titled,
"Securing Green Transition of the Textile
and Readymade Garments Sector in
Bangladesh " in collaboration with the
Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh.
The programme will explore barriers to
green transformation, review existing fiscal
measures, identify best practices suitable for
green transformation, and build up evidence
on how green transition in this industry will
generate new opportunities to benefit firms,
workers, economy and society.
To launch this programme, CPDorganised
a dialogue, said a press release.
Chairman of the standing committee on
the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change Saber HossainChowdhury
graced the dialogue as the Chief Guest.
He thanked CPD for undertaking this
programme and highlighted issues including
fair pricing, incentivising the greening of this
sector, and income tax benefits.
He agreed upon a partnership between
various stakeholders to build a roadmap to
translate the suggestions into financial
benefits.
Executive Director of CPD Dr.
FahmidaKhatun moderated the dialogue
and made a presentation introducing the
programme.
She said, 'Government has already made
commitments for greenhouse gas (GHG)
reductions and other climate measures and
shown its efforts through the formulation of
several regulatory and fiscal policies. In line
with the increasing need to enhance
environmental compliance, this calls for the
initiatives of all stakeholders.'
Especially, the private sector has to play
the most important role in mitigating the
challenges of climate change, she added.
She further said,' Green transition will help
maximise benefits of the industrial
development not only on economic front,
but also on environmental and social fronts
as well'.
Deputy Head of Mission and Head of
Development Cooperation of Embassy of
Sweden Ms Christine Johansson remarked
that this programme's objective is to
contribute towards enhancement of an
environmentally sustainable and climateneutral
growth in Bangladesh with
productive employment opportunities for
women and youth.
She said, Sweden has a five-year-long
development strategy for Bangladesh, and
focuses on four strands of development.
'In light of climate related challenges, all
stakeholders should play a collaborative role,
especially private sector must play a strong
role here,' she added.
Among others, former president of DCCI
Shams Mahmud, founder and executive
director of Awaj Foundation NajmaAkter,
chief sustainability officer of DBL group
Mohammed ZahidUllah and president of
BGMEA Faruque Hassan also spoke at the
dialogue.
Don't lobby for PD post aiming to
enjoy illegal facilities: DrRazzaque
DHAKA : Agriculture Minister Dr M
AbdurRazzaque yesterday asked the
concerned person not to lobby for seeking a
post of project director (PD) with an aim to
enjoy illegal facilities by resorting to
irregularities and corruption.
"Don't lobby for seeking PD post with an aim
to enjoy illegal facilities by engaging yourself in
corruption and irregularities," he said.
The minister made this comment while
addressing a review meeting on annual
development programme (ADP)
implementation progress at the agriculture
ministry conference room yesterday
morning. Calling the officials not to pursue
for seeking the post of project director, the
presidium member of the ruling Awami
League said the project director usually
being appointed after considering
professional skills, qualification and
leadership and management capabilities,
adding that " never become a PD targeting
only to enjoy some unethical benefits by
giving a priority to corruption and unlawful
activities."
Those who have already become the PD
must have to spend the project money with
due transparency , honesty and carefully,
said the minister.
Calling the scientists, extension workers
and officials to raise the production of rice,
DrRazzaque said rice price is not under
control despite the country have witnessed
record production and maximum rice
stockpile under public sector.
Rice is our staple food and that's why rice
production any how would have to rise, he
added.
Under the situation, extension of rice
cultivation and newly innovated rice
varieties must have to be disseminated at
adverse areas including haor and coastal
belts. "all the officials including scientists
and extension workers must have to work in
coordinated way and intensively," he told the
meeting.
Paribesh Club Bangladesh celebrated second anniversary yesterday.
Photo : TBT
Govt wants to modernize
prisons as correctional
places: Tipu
RANGPUR : Commerce
Minister and heroic
freedom fighter
TipuMunshi has said the
government has taken
various multidimensional
initiatives to modernize
prisons as not only jails but
also correctional places.
"The prisons were
established a long ago and
those need to be modernized
through infrastructural
developments," Tipu said
this while talking to
journalists after visiting
Rangpur Central Jail in the
metropolis.
Responding to a question
from reporters at the time,
the commerce minister said
initiatives are underway to
keep the prices of essential
products normal in the
market centering the
upcoming holy month of
Ramadan.
"The quantity of product
sales at fair prices in the
open market will be
increased alongside
doubling the volume of
product sales of Trading
Corporation of Bangladesh
(TCB) during the
Ramadan," he said.
DB seizes 15,000 yaba
tablets, arrests 3 drug
traffickers in the city
DHAKA : A team of the
Detective Branch(DB) of
Dhaka Metropolitan Police
(DMP) yesterday seized 15,
000 pieces of yaba tablet, a
truck and arrested three
drug traffickers from
Jatrabari area in the city.
Acting on a tip-off,
different teams of the DB
conducted separate drives
in Jatrabari'sDhania
University College area and
arrested them, said a press
release. The arrestees were
identified as Md Khaled
Hasan Shiblu, Md Nurul
Alam Sumon and
MdZahirul Islam. They also
seized a truck used in
carrying the drugs. A case
was lodged with Jatrabari
Police Station in this
connection.
President asks judges, lawyers to ensure
'no suffering or hassle' to litigants
DHAKA : President M Abdul Hamid
yesterday called upon judges, lawyers and
others concerned in the law profession to
ensure that no litigants are suffered or
harassed to get justice anyway.
"Justice-seekers come to you to resolve
their problems and get justice . . . So, you
have to ensure that they do not face any kind
of harassment or suffering in any way," he
told a function at Kishoreganj, joining
virtually from Bangabhaban yesterday
afternoon, reports BSS.
The President was delivering his speech at
a function to inaugurate the newly
constructed 12-storey Chief Judicial
Magistrate Court building in Kishoreganj
district as well as the construction work of
the District Bar Association building named
after "President Mohammad Abdul Hamid."
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Minister AnisulHaque presided over the
programme from Bangabhaban while
Kishoreganj District and Session Judge
MdSayedurRahman Khan opened the newly
constructed building, on behalf of the
President, and the construction work of
Kishoreganj District Bar Association
building. The head of state said: "We need to
find a way-out to ensure a speedy trial of all
pending cases by reducing the prevailing
procrastination of case proceedings."
Noting that the establishment of the rule of
law and good governance in the country
should be the prime goal of all as per the
people's expectations, Hamid also urged
people to reach the benefits of the Great War
of Liberation by establishing the rule of law
and justice. President Hamid said the
incumbent government is implementing
various development projects, including
infrastructures to ensure a conducive
environment for the Judiciary, these
constructions are being built in Kishoreganj
as part of it. The government is very sincere
in ensuring the Independence of the
Judiciary to establish the rule of law, he
added. The President outlined various steps
taken by the government, led by Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, to increase the
number of judges, training and development
of the judiciary including the development of
infrastructure.
He said legal aid offices have been set up in
64 district headquarters and the Supreme
Court to provide legal assistance to the poor
and disadvantaged.
Terming the random use of the
information technology (IT) as an integral
part of daily life, the President said the
government has taken groundbreaking steps
by introducing 'Virtual Court' proceedings
that helped tremendously at the time of
COVID-19 pandemic and it still goes on till
date. At the very outset of his virtual speech,
President Hamid paid rich tribute to Father
of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
MujiburRahman, four national leaders, all
martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War and other
democratic movements and martyrs of 15th
August, 1975.
Law and Justice Secretary
MdGolamSarwar, Kishoreganj District and
Sessions Judge MdSayedurRahman Khan,
Chief Judicial Magistrate Muhammad
Habibullah, Kishoreganj District Bar
Association President Shah AzizulHaque
and General Secretary Aminul Islam Ratan
spoke on the occasion.
Concerned secretaries of Bangabhaban
were also present.
Five drug peddlers were arrested with 18,600 pieces of yabas from
Jatrabari area of the capital city yesterday.
Photo : Courtesy
Stern enforcement of law stressed
to check child marriage
DHAKA :Stern implementation of
anti-child marriage law became urgent
requisite as weddings of underaged girl
have been increased manifolds amid
pandemic after schools are closed due
to Covid-19.
"There should be provision in the law
to punish whoever involved in the
child marriage like parents, kazi and
invitees at the wedding to check such
kinds of marriage," said
Moniruzzaman, a lawyer practicing in
Dhaka. He said the local people
representatives must be accountable if
any child marriage is conducted in
their areas. "If we can bring all those
are involved in the matter behind the
bar then it would be possible to curb
child marriage," he added.
The lawyer suggested forming child
marriage prevention committee
consisting of government officials at
national, district, upazila and union
level. "Along with that the existing law
must be enforced," he added.
According to a study conducted by
the BRAC, the prevalence of child
marriage has increased by at least 13
percent due to pandemic-enforced
long-term school closure throughout
the country, while many cases remain
unreported.
Exacerbated financial crisis, the
prolonged shutdown of educational
institutions and social insecurities are
the principal triggering factors for such
a high pace of child marriages, the
study found.
Data from Polli Shomaj, a
community-based women's group
under BRAC's Community
Empowerment Program (CEP),
showed a sharp rise in child marriage
during the period between 2019 and
2020.
BRAC prevented 670 child
marriages in 2019 and 1,091 in 2020
through persuasion and education
efforts.
An assessment report by the
ManusherJonno Foundation (MJF)
said at least 13,886 girls in 21 districts
were victims of child marriages
between April and October of 2020. Of
the total, 48% were between 13 and 15
years old, it added. A good number of
Bangladeshi migrants returned home
during the pandemic which prompted
grooms and influenced guardians for a
rash in child marriage, the BRAC
officials said.
Schools authorities should get in
touch with venerable girl students on a
regular basis to curb child marriage
and school dropout, field level social
workers suggested.
The absences of female SSC
candidates across the country last year
have proved that child marriage has
taken a terrible turn in the pandemic.
Fifteen students of a women's
madrasa in Bagatipara of Natore
district were supposed to take part in
the entrance examination last year But
no one of them appeared as all the girls
got married before the exam.
The superintendent of the madrasa
AbdurRauf said they found all 15
female candidates of his institute got
married while the madrasa was closed
due to the COVID-19 surge.
This was not only happened in
Bagatipara, it is a more or less
common scenario all over the country
According to the UNICEF 10 million
additional child marriages may occur
before the end of the decade,
threatening years of progress in
reducing the practice.
UNICEF release a report titled
"COVID-19: A threat to progress
against child marriage" on
International Women's Day where it
warns that school closures, economic
stress, service disruptions, pregnancy,
and parental deaths due to the
pandemic are putting the most
vulnerable girls at increased risk of
child marriage.
State Minister for Women and
Children Affairs Fazilatunnesa Indira
said the government was committed to
preventing child marriage and violence
against women and children.
"The government has a zerotolerance
policy to stop violence
against women and children. We have
to work towards that through strictly
enforce the law," she said.
The junior minister said that field
level officials of all ministries and
departments of the government should
fulfill their responsibilities properly to
stop child marriage.
Local people's representatives,
teachers, imams, religious leaders,
NGO representatives and community
leaders must work together to prevent
child marriage while district, upazila
and union level committees need to be
more proactive in this regard, she
added.
RAB arrests 3
allegedly involved in
abducting-killing
from Gazipur
RANGPUR : Rapid Action Battalion
(RAB) has arrested three persons
including the prime accused for
allegedly kidnapping and killing his
pregnant sister-in-law from Gazipur
district.
"An operational team of the Crime
Prevention Company-2, Nilphamari of
RAB-13 arrested the prime accused
Shahid Shah, 40, and his two
accomplices HelalMian, 58, and Abdul
Karim Shah, 47, from Kaliakoirupazila
of Gazipur on Friday night," a press
release said.
Earlier, Shahid of
Kishoreganjupazila in Nilphamari
married elder daughter of teacher
Sirajul Islam of the same area some
nine years ago.
After marriage, the couple started
living in Joypurhat and they have a
seven-year old son.
However, Shahid had been trying to
establish illicit sexual relations with his
young sister-in-law (younger sister of
his wife).
"Centering on the issue, the couple
had frequent feuds and they were
finally got divorced on July 15, 2021,"
the release said.

MONDAy, JANUARy 31, 2022
4
the brotherhood of guantánamo Bay
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Monday, January 31, 2022
Agricultural
productivity
Agriculture
continues to be very
significant for the Bangladesh economy.
Agriculture is very basic to the well-being
of the nearly 90 per cent of the population of
the country who are rural based. Agriculture is
too vital for the food security of the country and
its macro economic stability. growing imports
of food products with the country's rising forex
reserve had been possible. But such imports
climbing higher and stressing the reserve on a
regular basis, could seriously strain the
country's macro economy or balance of
payments position at a point of time. thus,
there is no alternative to agricultural
production remaining on the high side and to
go on improving substantially for the country's
macro economic stability and its food security.
But experts are not satisfied with the progress
in agricultural productivity. the only success
story is in the area of rice production. the
population of Bangladesh was some 70 million
in 1971 but this population is over 160 million
today or a doubled one. the annual average of
rice production was some 11 million tons in
1971which has increased to 26 million tons in
recent years depending on normal production
without facing natural calamities.
But the country's population would likely
increase by some 20 million in the next twenty
years and foodgrain production must at least
rise proportionately to maintain a balance
between population growth and food supply.
But agricultural lands are being put
increasingly into non agricultural uses. Some
20 to 37 per cent of agricultural lands have
been lost from this process during the last 10
years, according to one estimate.
in this situation, only increasing the per
hectare yield of food grains seems to be the way
for Bangladesh to keep on matching higher
demands with adequate supplies. the present
average output per acre is about 3 tons per
hectare which must be raised to 5 tons. this is
possible because Bangladesh's soil fertility is
good. countries such as Japan and Korea with
less fertile soil are growing 5-6 tons per
hectare. the Bangladesh rice research
institute (Brri) has so far invented 47 new
higher yielding varieties of rice. But only a
handful of them have been popularized
although there are at least a dozen varieties
which can yield substantially higher outputs
than the ones which are being cultivated.
Specially, the high yielding varieties developed
by Brri to withstand drought and salinity, are
still not so well known in the southern regions.
the greater part in the coastal areas can raise
only one rice crop a year. But these areas can
grow several crops in a year if the new varieties-
- developed to withstand adverse conditions-- are
made familiar to farmers there. thus, there is not
so much a lack of research into new varieties but
the lack of seriousness on the part of the
Department of Agricultural extension (DAe) to
give hands down training to farmers extensively
throughout the country. this department needs
to maintain regular liaison with Brri and
undertake a countrywide programme for the new
varieties of seeds developed by the latter to
actually find widespread field level applications.
Bangladesh was once self sufficient or nearly
so in pulses, spices and cooking oil and other
edibles. But a bigger part of the demand for
these has to be met nowadays with import. in
fact, import dependency of the country for
these, is rising. raising their local production
will not only save hard currency but spare their
consumers the pains of paying for the
escalating higher prices of these imported
goods. Planned large scale production of these
non cereal crops will have to be attempted and
in this endeavour the different official agencies
meant to support agriculture will have to come
together and get their act together in a
coordinated fashion to help and encourage the
farmers.
iWAS raised in a family that emphasised
strong religious values such as
brotherhood, compassion and kindness.
i also observed these morals practised
throughout my small village in Yemen. At
home and school, i was taught to follow the
example of Prophet Muhammed (peace be
upon him), and especially loved his saying, "i
have been sent only for the purpose of
perfecting the highest morals."
Years later, it was only through my
interactions with fellow detainees at
guantánamo that i fully understood what
this meant. through our shared faith, we
developed a bond that could not be broken,
even as we suffered the most horrendous
torture and abuse.
in the autumn of 2001, i was travelling in
Afghanistan when i was kidnapped by local
warlords, presented to uS forces as a "senior
egyptian al-Qaeda operative" and sold to
them. i was just 18 years old. Shortly after, in
february 2002, i was transferred to
guantánamo.
like the other detainees, i did not know
where i was, why i was there, or why there
were constant beatings and shouting. i was
confused, terrified, angry, and would often
rebel against the constantly changing rules.
Being imprisoned for 14 years, i essentially
grew up in guantánamo. i would often recall
the lessons i was taught in my childhood and
even during the relentless abuse, would
reflect on the Prophet's tradition and
teachings about moral character.
After living together for years, being
transferred from one camp within
guantánamo to another, from makeshift cells
to solitary confinement to prison cells, we, the
prisoners developed a close-knit community.
We had a shared life, culture, and memories.
We went through it all together, for better or
worse, and became a family.
in 2010, when we were transitioned to
communal living in camp 6, our bond
deepened. interrogators and guards were
fewer, camp rules were relaxed to give us
more freedom, and we began to interact more
with each other, as well as the camp staff.
instead of praying in separate cages, we
were able to pray collectively in rows like we
would in mosques. instead of eating on our
own, we were able to enjoy meals together
just like we would at home with our families.
instead of playing with a foot ball alone, we
were able to play in teams just like we would
outside of prison. And instead of talking to
the same neighbours every day in the cages,
we now could talk to tens of prisoners in
different blocks.
We did not have much, but we had each
other. When the prisoners would call each
other, they would say "our Afghan brothers",
"our Yemeni brothers", and so on. We taught
and learned from each other about many
different topics and cultural traditions. We
borrowed the best traits from each other's
cultures. Arabs started behaving like Afghans
and Afghans started behaving like Arabs.
unsurprisingly, the interrogators would try
to turn us against each other. there were
prison blocks where the majority of the
detainees were either Arabs or Afghans. one
day, when the interrogators wanted to isolate
me, they moved me to an Afghan block,
thinking that my life would be harder because
there were no Arabs i could speak to.
little did they know that if you ended up in
a block with a group that is not your own, you
would actually be lucky. You would be treated
as their guest as long as you were there, and
MANsOOR ADAyfI
they would try to comfort you in any way they
could.
And this is what happened to me. the
Afghans treated me like a family member. i
ended up teaching Arabic to an illiterate
Afghan prisoner and listening to the beautiful
poetry of another - an Afghan poet and singer
in his 60s who wrote two books of poetry in
Pashto at guantánamo. He always sang his
poetry for the block and would sing for me as
well.
With Arabs making up the majority of
detainees at the camp, many were involved in
protests and resistance against the torture
Unsurprisingly, the interrogators would try to turn us against each other.
There were prison blocks where the majority of the detainees were either
Arabs or Afghans. One day, when the interrogators wanted to isolate me,
they moved me to an Afghan block, thinking that my life would be
harder because there were no Arabs I could speak to.
and the abuse there. in the beginning, most of
the Afghans and prisoners of other
nationalities tried not to get involved. the
camp administration took that as a sign of
fear and tried to exploit it to create divisions.
one day, a Pashto translator came to
distribute sheets of paper just for Afghan
prisoners. Written on it in Pashto and Dari
was the word "hypocrites" with some Arab
prisoners' photos.
the first Afghan prisoner who received that
paper threw it at the translator and spat at
him. interrogators really did not understand
our brotherhood. they were deluded into
thinking they could change us.
the longer we stayed together the stronger
our bond grew. the hardship, torture, and
mistreatment we suffered brought us
together and strengthened our camaraderie.
We developed a unique form of solidarity.
When interrogators would torture one of
our brothers, most of us would stop talking to
them. it was never coordinated and no one
told us to do it - we just felt obligated to stand
up for our brothers who were suffering.
in the rare moments of joy, we were also
together. All of us would celebrate when a
prisoner received good news, especially when
one of their kids got married or when they
became grandfathers. We celebrated our
religious holidays together. We fasted the
holy month of ramadan together and
marked eid al-Adha. And when prisoners
were transferred from guantánamo, there
would be a big celebration.
guards and other camp personnel were
surprised by our behaviour. they were told
that they would meet the worst of the worst -
killers, "terrorists", monsters who were
capable of snapping their necks in a second.
When the guards started to work with and
talk to us, their views completely changed.
Many prisoners and guards developed strong
friendships, and some of the guards even
converted to islam. the bonds we formed
and the good moral character i witnessed in
each of my fellow prisoners showed me the
power of the Prophet's teachings. islam is
based on perfecting the relationship between
us and our creator (Allah), but also the
relationship with ourselves, our families,
neighbours, and all who may surround us -
including our enemies.
these bonds are interconnected,
interdependent, and shape who we are and
who we become. they challenge us, nurture
us, and strengthen us even in times of
hardship. i learned that even when we cannot
control what happens to us, even when others
shed their humanity, we must do everything
in our power to preserve ours. We still have
the power to embody a high moral ethic as
individuals and our relationships with one
another. in guantánamo, we practised the
Prophet's precepts every day.
Source: AL Jazeera
A new int’l health order is within reach and cuba can play a key role in ushering it in
We
have entered the age of
pandemics. coViD-19 dominates
the headlines, and rightly so;
January has seen a record-high number of
cases worldwide. But that is not all. the AiDS
pandemic rages on - 34 percent of people with
HiV did not receive a viral suppressant in
2020. Meanwhile, a rapidly changing climate
is set to turbocharge malaria as warmer
temperatures aid the spread of diseasecarrying
mosquitoes. the World Bank
estimates that 5.2 billion people will contract
the disease by 2050.
Yet we have no plan to end the pandemics
of today - or stop the ones of tomorrow. on
the contrary, like the AiDS crisis, the coViD-
19 pandemic has seen empty pledges and
paltry donations, overshadowed by panicked
responses from governments, stigmatisation
of marginalised communities, and unchecked
profiteering by pharmaceutical companies.
if there is one thing i have learned from my
work combating the AiDS pandemic, it is that
we simply cannot rely on the wisdom of
pharmaceutical executives or the generosity
of the global north where they live. to end
the pandemic, we need a radical break, a
transformative shift away from the shorttermist
and profit-captive model of global
health governance. But what would a new
model look like?
enter cuba. While global leaders have been
delaying decisive action, cuba has developed
its own coViD-19 vaccines, successfully
immunised most of its population, and is now
set to help vaccinate the world. its approach
rests on two principles: investment in public
health and internationalism.
in the summer of 2021, cuba's regulatory
agency cecMeD approved two home-grown
vaccines, Soberana and Abdala, stated to be
more than 90-percent effective - vaulting
cuba to the top of the list of countries by
inflAtion was one of the landmark
economic stories of the late 20th
century. Mounting macroeconomic
challenges in the 1960s led to the 1971 uS
decision to abandon the Bretton Woods
standard and, along with oil market
disruptions after 1973, unleashed the great
inflation - an unprecedented price-wage
spiral by postwar standards. uS inflation
peaked in 1980 at annual rate of 14.8
percent.
By the late 1970s, mounting discontent
with rising prices had triggered a major
shift in political and economic thinking.
governments led by Margaret thatcher
and ronald reagan led the way toward a
new economic orthodoxy anchored in
price stability.
After painful recessions, the battle against
inflation was won and, by the second half of
the 1980s, uS prices were increasing at an
vaccination rates within months. With 86
percent of the island's population now
inoculated, cuba's vaccines are being touted
as the "best hope for low-income countries" -
in particular because they are reportedly
cheap to produce, can be manufactured at
scale and do not require deep freezing.
cuba's vaccines have been accessed in
medical journals and the country has sought
emergency-use approval for its vaccines from
the World Health organization. Vicente
Verez, head of cuba's finlay Vaccine institute
has said that all necessary documents and
data would be submitted to the WHo in the
first quarter of 2022. How could cuba achieve
this feat? the country has a long history of
prioritising public health and investing in
pharmaceutical production. this focus has
been partly driven by the need for
domestically produced goods to overcome the
scarcities caused by the gruelling uS embargo,
imposed after the cuban socialist revolution,
but also driven by a strong commitment to
public health over private profit.
Between 1990 and 1996 alone, cuba
invested $1bn, about 1.5 percent of its gnP,
into a cluster of biotechnology institutions
where any money earned was reinvested.
today, 517 of the 800 or so medicines
consumed in cuba are produced domestically,
boosting the country's public healthcare
capacity. the benefit of cuba's substantial
ZACKIE AChMAT
state investment in medical science means the
benefits accrue to the cuban people, not Big
Pharma. By contrast, governments of
countries like the united States and the united
Kingdom gave away the rights to vaccines
produced using enormous public funding. As a
result, pharmaceutical companies hold
vaccine recipes under lock-and-key.
i remember listening to the then-WHo
Director-general Margaret chan's words in
2015 as cuba became the first country in the
world to eliminate mother-to-child HiV
transmission. She called it "one of the greatest
When public health and medical science reinforce one
another, each consecutive success comes on the back of
previous ones. The technology for Cuba's COVID-19 vaccines,
for instance, is adapted from an existing vaccine for
hepatitis B, leading to faster studies.
JARMO T. KOTILAINE
public health achievements possible". for
those of us in the movement, it was a
significant milestone, a source of hope
towards an AiDS-free generation.
When public health and medical science
reinforce one another, each consecutive
success comes on the back of previous ones.
the technology for cuba's coViD-19
vaccines, for instance, is adapted from an
existing vaccine for hepatitis B, leading to
faster studies.
As rich countries hoard vaccines and big
pharmaceutical companies make superprofits
by refusing to share technology, cuba
has declared its commitment to share its
vaccines through open licensing and at low
prices. it has begun exporting the two homegrown
vaccines to multiple countries in need
and, importantly, plans to send teams to
the return of inflation in uS and Western europe
average of just 3.5 percent per year.
the past year has given rise to an
environment reminiscent of the 1970s.
After a major deflationary shock in 2020,
several factors conspired to push uS
inflation to 7 percent as of December - a
reading last seen in 1982.
A similar dynamic is playing out in
Western europe. these spikes seem to
involve "cost-push" impulses caused by
supply chain and labor market disruptions
around the world caused by coViD-19.
Simultaneously, policymakers responded to
the pandemic through unprecedented
quantitative easing that injected trillions of
dollars of liquidity into the global economy
while short-term interest rates were slashed
to almost zero.
Adding to this, many governments
undertook large-scale fiscal interventions to
sustain economic activity. in combination
with the supply side challenges, this has
resulted in a classic case of what Milton
friedman once described as "too much
money chasing after too few goods." the
consequence of higher prices has been
strikingly evident in the robust stock
market, commodity, and real estate rallies
observed over the past year.
Most observers at first expected the
current inflationary pressures to prove
temporary. these assumptions have been
challenged by a strong recovery in global
demand, continued coViD-19-related
bottlenecks, as well as the apparent
readiness of uS employers to pay a
premium for talent at a time when
unemployment has fallen back below 4
percent. the real estate dynamics, a
major component of the cPi basket
across the region, will likely remain a
countervailing force.
Vietnam and iran to support technology
transfer to aid the countries in producing the
vaccines domestically.
this second principle, of internationalism,
is best exemplified by cuba's Henry reeve
Brigade, often dubbed an "army of white
coats". At the start of the pandemic, crema, a
small town in italy, found itself overcome by a
surge of cases, with few public hospitals and
doctors at its disposal. Soon, 52 cuban
healthcare professionals arrived to help; their
"sense of humanity left us overwhelmed",
said the town's mayor Stefania Bonaldi. Since
the start of the pandemic, some 40 countries
across five continents have received cuban
medics. Building on this legacy, representatives
from cuba's state-run biotechnology
organisation Biocubafarma and the Ministry
of Public Health will address the international
press and members of the scientific community
this week in a showcase of the cuban vaccines.
the briefing, convened by Progressive
international, is an opportunity for the
international media and community to
question the cubans about the development,
regulatory protocols, and deployment of their
coViD-19 vaccines.
there can be no illusions about the path
ahead. the uS embargo will limit cuba's
ability to access credit and collaborate with
suppliers, decreasing its capacity to produce
and export at scale. cuba must move quickly
to not only share its vaccine but its message
and model of internationalism. Whatever
reservations we may have about cuba's
political system, its commitment to global
health equity is unmatched. if we follow its
lead, it could herald an end to the reign of
pharmaceutical monopolies enforced by rich
countries. A new international health order is
within reach.
Source: Al Jazeera
this is potentially paving the way for the
kind of price-wage spiral that perpetuated
inflation in the 1970s. the composition of
price increases gives some grounds for
optimism, as it was primarily led by energy
prices and consumer goods other than food.
the former is likely to prove a temporary
challenge whereas the latter likely reflects
supply chain challenges which could be
countered by a subsiding pandemic or more
effective crisis management.
in addition to the main risk of rising wage
expectations, the real estate boom will
continue to drive up rentals and hence
perpetuate the inflationary dynamic. for
what it is worth, economists expect uS
inflation to fall back to 3 percent this year,
not quite in line with the fed target of 2
percent but not far off either.
Source : Arab news

MoNdaY, JaNuarY 31, 2022
5
The cost of Qatar's World Cup dream
ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate at the Youth4Climate summit in Milan in
September.
Photo: Miguel Medina
Who will pay for climate crisis
VaNeSSa NaKaTe
While walking with a friend through
central Kampala last month, we saw a
police truck go by, a body in the
back.It's a sight that has become more
common in Uganda. The life of that
person, and many others, was taken by
a heavy downpour in my home city.
Uganda has been battered by floods in
recent years, as well as droughts and
plagues of locusts. So much has been
damaged and lost here as a result of the
climate crisis.
A week later I was at the
Youth4Climate summit in Milan,
where Greta Thunberg spoke about the
"blah blah blah" rhetoric from world
leaders who have promised so much
but delivered so little. One pledge that
sticks out for me, made in 2009, is that
rich countries would send $100bn
(£73bn) of climate finance each year to
the most affected countries by 2020.
This was meant to be just the start - a
first recognition of the catastrophe
inflicted on the most affected countries
by the biggest historical emitters. This
money was promised so countries such
as mine could develop clean energy, to
mitigate emissions for everyone.
But since 2009, the impacts of the
climate crisis have accelerated. Africa
has endured a long list of climaterelated
disasters - drought, flooding,
landslides, famine, destruction and
death - rocking all parts of our
continent. Aside from the innumerable
personal tragedies, the crisis is causing
billions of dollars of economic damage.
There is no mitigation that can undo
this damage, and further harms will
continue as a result of world emissions.
There is no money to pay for this
devastation. These areas are no longer
insurable - the risk is too high. But
money to repair and deal with the
consequences of extreme weather has
to come from somewhere.
"Loss and damage" is the term used
in UN climate negotiations to refer to
compensation for the most affected
countries for what has been inflicted on
them. For years the richest nations
have blocked any progress on loss and
damage at UN summits, but now it is
unavoidable.
I believe in the "polluter pays"
principle. A recent analysis identified
the countries historically responsible
for the climate crisis. We know who did
this - but they don't want to pay the bill.
Rich countries providing finance only
for the mitigation of our emissions and
protections against future impacts is no
longer enough. Climate-vulnerable
countries need funds to deal with the
loss and damage we are suffering now.
Fossil fuel companies should also pay
for the loss and damage they have
caused. They have made billions of
dollars in profits selling products they
knew could drive humanity to
existential crisis. For decades they have
run lobbying campaigns to question
science they knew was true, and to
prevent the climate action that would
have saved many lives.
A finance package for developing
countries will be a central focus of
Cop26 in Glasgow. But one thing is
certain: we need leaders to go beyond
the gesture of guaranteeing the
$100bn they promised 12 years ago.
They need to wake up to the scale of
this crisis; a separate fund for loss
and damage should be an enduring
legacy of Cop26.
We have seen similar compensation
pots before. Since the 1970s, the
international community has required
oil companies to contribute to a fund to
compensate communities affected by
big oil spills.
The polluters who decided to
sacrifice our lives for their own profits,
whether corporations or
governments, should pay. Such a fund
would allow us to rebuild our lives
after a downpour hits and we cannot
get out of the way. Such a fund would
allow the most affected countries to
trust in international climate
diplomacy again and be a major step
towards climate justice for all.
Buhari's legacy of hope in shaping Nigeria
PeTe PaTTISSoN
I doubt Nirmala Pakrin knows who David
Beckham is, but she knows about
Qatar.Her husband, Rupchandra Rumba,
a 24-year-old from Nepal, died in 2019,
gasping for breath in a squalid camp for
labourers on the outskirts of Doha, while
working for a contractor on one of the new
World Cup stadiums.
Pakrin received some compensation
from insurance schemes her husband had
taken out before he left home, but his
employer in Qatar paid her less than
£1,500.I visited her near the time in the
small room she lived in on the outskirts of
Kathmandu with her then six-year-old
son, Niraj. "He keeps asking one
question," she told me, "Where's my dad?"
As someone who met children like
Niraj when he visited Nepal as a Unicef
ambassador, you might expect
Beckham to think twice before signing
up to represent Qatar.But it has been
widely reported that the former
England captain, who visited Qatar this
month, has agreed a deal to be an
ambassador for the Qatar World Cup
and beyond, for an astronomical fee.
A spokesperson for Beckham said:
"[David] has seen the passion for
football in the country and the longterm
commitment that's been made to
hosting the World Cup and delivering a
lasting legacy for the region. He has
always talked about the power of
football as a force for good on many
levels."
Another source said: "David believes
in Qatar's commitment to progress and
that the World Cup - the first to be held
in the Arab world - can effect significant
positive change."I was also in Qatar this
month, but the picture Beckham
described is very different to the one I
saw, and have witnessed during eight
years of reporting from the country.
Driving between Doha's skyscrapers,
I passed the twisting, shimmering al-
Bidda tower, home to the offices of
Qatar's World Cup organising
committee, which were fitted out by
workers from India, Nepal and Sri
Lanka, some of whom went unpaid for
months.
Heading north I drove into Lusail
City, a district of gaudy and outrageous
buildings, which will host the World
Cup final. In 2014 I reported that one
was being built by North Koreans
employed in conditions likely to
constitute slave labour. It is now a
luxury hotel.On the edge of the city I
passed the labour camps where I have
seen workers crammed 10 to a room,
with hundreds sharing a handful of
toilets and fly-infested kitchens.
World Cup stadium construction has
only ever involved a fraction of the vast
migrant workforce in Qatar, but the
event has fuelled a building boom - a
new airport, roads, metro system,
hotels - which has employed many
thousands, largely through private
companies. The World Cup organising
committee says it has been at the
forefront of efforts to improve working
conditions in the country, but as I drive
down to Al-Janoub stadium I
remember the workers I interviewed
there in 2014, who said they were being
paid as little as 45p an hour. Four years
later I met the devastated family of Tej
Narayan Tharu, a Nepali worker who
fell to his death at the stadium.
Tharu was one of more than 6,500
workers from south Asia who have died
in Qatar since it was awarded the right
to host the World Cup. They were not
all construction workers, but 70% of
their deaths were not properly
investigated, according to research by
Amnesty International.
There have been 38 deaths on World
Cup construction projects, of which 35
have been classified by the organisers
as "non-work related".Beckham would
have seen none of this. Instead, he was
The ex-england star's deal for his ambassador role is in marked contrast
to the wages of the host nation's migrant workers. Photo: Collected
photographed walking through Souq
Waqif, a bazaar and dining venue
popular with visitors, as long as they
are not young migrant workers from
south Asia. In 2016, I filmed them
being apparently turned away from the
premises by the police.
Tolu oguNleSI
Nigeria has faced challenges for as long
as anyone can remember. But one
problem Nigerians don't talk about is
our collective inability to acknowledge
where progress is being made.Fixating
only on what is not working robs us of
the chance to analyse and replicate our
successes, and demoralises a populace
in dire need of optimism.
There is much to be hopeful about,
but you won't necessarily learn about it
in the mainstream news. President
Buhari came to office in 2015 promising
to focus on three areas: security, the
economy and corruption. There were no
illusions that, considering where we
were coming from, a lot of the work
would need to be corrective and
foundational.
It is the president's view that the jobs
and inclusive growth Nigeria needs will
be driven by investment in
infrastructure. When you can guarantee
better lives for people, security becomes
a more manageable issue. "If we fix
infrastructure, Nigerians will mind their
businesses," the president often says.
The last time Nigeria saw this level of
infrastructure investment was in the
1990s, when the then retired Maj Gen
Buhari headed a special fund created to
invest petroleum revenues into health,
education and infrastructure.
More than two decades later, Buhari
is doing this on a bigger scale. A new
Presidential
Infrastructure
Development Fund, a tax credit scheme
encouraging private sector investment
in roads, and most recently, a 15tr-naira
(£26.4bn) Infrastructure Corporation
("InfraCorp").
This is the first administration in the
history of independent Nigeria to start
and complete a railway - the line linking
the cities of Lagos and Ibadan. No one
who has used the new service is
unimpressed. It's an achievement that
reminds us that groundbreaking
development is possible. Some say the
bar is low; possibly, but there is no
better time than now to raise it.
Much is said about how corrupt
Nigerian society is, borne out by its
place in Transparency International's
annual rankings. Corruption is a serious
problem, but the president, honoured
as the African Union's anti-corruption
champion for 2018, has led the fight.
The cancer of corruption requires a
cocktail of drugs, some to constrict its
blood supply, others to attack the
scourge itself. The very first order
President Muhammadu Buhari opens a project in Imo State,
Nigeria September 2021. Photograph: Nigerian Presidency
Buhari issued, in August 2015,
mandated compliance with a new
accounting system promoting
transparency in government finances.
In the years since, the federal
government has been introducing
enhanced levels of automation to
everything from filing tax returns to
business registration and import duty
exemptions.
A national database for vehicle
registration is in progress, a valuable
tool in the fight against smuggling and
vehicle theft. A performance
management system has been launched
to better track how ministers are
meeting their assigned targets.
Many of these things are long
overdue, and should have been done
before. In my view, it is to Buhari's
credit that they are being pursued
now.The most challenging issue is
security. But significant progress has
been made, which only people who have
no idea where we are coming from find
easy to dismiss.
The most pressing security issue in
2015 was Boko Haram and its
determination to establish an Islamic
caliphate; wielding every weapon
possible, including suicide bombs, to
create the terror necessary to subdue
the Nigerian state.
Six years on, Boko Haram and its
various offshoots have been
substantially tamed. Two of its
commanders have been killed this year,
amid infighting helped along by the
intensifying military onslaught. There
remain significant issues: Boko Haram
may be weakened but it is not dead, and
must continue to be seen as a threat for
the foreseeable future. The main theatre
of insecurity in the country has shifted
to the north-west, where vast forests
shelter gangs of bandits, and it is now up
to the armed forces to bring calm to the
region in the months ahead, as they are
successfully doing in the north-east.
One reason for optimism is the
Nigerian military's biggest hardware
renewal programme in decades.
Examples include the new landing ship
tank being delivered to the navy, and in
the past few months a dozen Super
Tucano attack aircraft have also been
delivered, swelling the number of
warplanes procured in the last five years
to 36. Underpinning the
administration's progressive agenda are
several overdue legislative reforms -
necessary catalysts for long-term
change even if it's a struggle to convey
that significance to a public more
interested in the price of groceries.
BCC is the only one in use for TB and is not effective for adults and teenagers.
Photo: Paul Kane
Call for action on TB as deaths
rise for first time in decade
KaaMIl ahMed
A group of tuberculosis survivors are
calling for more funding and action to
find new vaccines, after the numbers
dying of the infection rose for the first
time in 10 years.In 2020, 1.5 million
were killed by TB and 10 million
infected, according to the World Health
Organization. Campaigners want world
leaders to invest $1bn (£730m) every
year into vaccine research, spurred on
by the momentum from the Covid jab
development.
The TB Vaccine Advocacy Roadmap
group, a new coalition of organisations,
said G20 finance leaders meeting at the
end of October need to increase
funding almost tenfold, as it has never
exceeded more than $120m (£87m) in
a year.In an open letter, TB survivors
from all the G20 countries said it was
time to reverse decades of
underinvestment in the "disease of
injustice".
"We are losing people at every step of
care. TB diagnostics and therapeutics
fall far short of what people with TB
need. This is only worsened by the
Covid-19 pandemic. With only a
handful of new TB drugs developed in
the past 50 years, treatment still takes
months or years, with many
debilitating and deadly side-effects,"
the letter states.
It said there are six promising
candidates for TB vaccines, but they
required more funding to prevent
further delay.Uvistra Naidoo, a South
African TB survivor and signatory of
the letter, said: "We all know that
vaccines are needed to eliminate a
global epidemic, and TB is no
exception. We also know it is possible -
the lightning-quick development of
Covid-19 vaccines shows that if there is
political will, there are resources to
make it happen.".
Mike Frick, co-director of the TB
project at Treatment Action Group,
said: "Governments cumulatively spent
$104bn on research and development
of Covid-19 vaccine and therapeutics in
the first 11 months of the pandemic.
That is 75 times more than the money
governments and other funders spent
on TB vaccine research over the 11
years from 2005 to 2019.
"This disparity signals a clear
abdication of responsibility on the part
of governments to protect the human
rights of people with TB to health and
scientific progress. It is past time that
we as a TB community start expecting -
and demanding - more."
Earlier this month, the WHO warned
that the pandemic had reversed
progress against TB and fewer people
were being diagnosed and treated as
resources went to tackling Covid-19.
Global funding for TB fell by £500m
from 2019 to 2020.
Around the world, fewer infections
were diagnosed and reported; a drop
from 7.1m in 2019 to 5.8m in 2020.
India made up 40% of this global drop
in notifications, while numbers were
down 14% in Indonesia and 12% in the
Philippines. The number of people
given preventive treatment fell by a
fifth.
WHO said it believes 4.1 million
people newly infected with TB in 2020
have not been diagnosed, compared
with 2.9 million the year before.Early
diagnosis of TB is crucial because
undetected cases increase the risk of
the disease spreading. A person can be
infected by inhaling a small number of
bacteria that can take years to become
active. The WHO estimates that around
a quarter of the world's population has
latent TB.
Despite the high mortality rates, the
only existing vaccine is the 100-yearold
BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin)
vaccine, which is less effective for adults
and older teenagers.
KundaiChinyenze, executive medical
director at the International Aids
Vaccine Initiative, said: "We have
promising vaccine candidates and we
know how to move them forward. Latestage
vaccine research is expensive, but
in fact, it is only a tiny fraction of the
tremendous human and economic cost
of the TB epidemic. After Covid,
everybody understands better than
ever that investing in vaccines is not
just the right thing to do, it is the smart
thing to do."

Monday, JanuaRy 31, 2022
6
Covid-19 positivity rate jumps
to highest 53.31pc in Rangpur
Mymensingh district awami league organizing secretary agriculturist dr. samiul alam liton distributed
blankets among transgender and distressed people at the gouripur press Club premises on
saturday.
photo: shafiqul islam Mintu
Dr. Liton stands beside
transgender people in Gouripur
sHaFiqul islaM Mintu,
gouRipuR CoRRespondent
Mymensingh district Awami League
organizing secretary agriculturist Dr.
Samiul Alam Liton has taken initiative
to distribute five thousand blankets
with his own funds. As part of the
program, blankets were distributed
among the transgender and the poor
people at the Gouripur Press Club
IFIC Bank
branch
inaugurated
in Kalukhali
sHaHida paRveen,
kalukHali CoRRespondent
A branch of IFIC Bank has been
inaugurated in Kalukhali
Upazila of Rajbari to enhance
the quality of modern banking
services. Kalukhali Upazila
Parishad Chairman Aliuzzaman
Chowdhury Tito inaugurated
the new sub-branch on Sunday
morning.
The inauguration ceremony
was presided over by Imran
Khan, Goalando Branch
Manager, IFIC Bank. During
the time, Kalukhali Upazila
Nirbahi Officer Atiqul Islam,
prominent businessmen of
Ratandia Bazar Wazed Ali
Biswas, SI Monir Hossain,
President of Bazar Banik Samiti
Imdadul Haque were among
others present at the occasion.
Imran Khan, who presided
over the inauguration
ceremony of the sub-branch
of IFIC Bank at SB Super
Complex, Ratandia Bazar,
Kalukhali, said that all
modern banking services
would be provided from this
branch. Considering low
income people, the bank will
also have the facility to open
an account of Tk 10.
Magura occupies
2nd position in
corona vaccination
RokiBul Hoque dipu, MaguRa
CoRRespondent
Magura health department has
showed outstanding performance
in corona vaccination. Magura
civil surgeon office sources
informed this. In the meantime
7 lakhs , 5 hundred and sixty
two people have been vaccinated
by first dose while 4 lakhs , 43
thousand and 2 hundred six
people by 2nd dose.
Consequently first dose
vaccination has stood at
65.40% compared to targeted
people in the district. The most
hopeful matter is already one
thousand people have got
booster dodge in the district.
That is Magura holds the 2nd
position in the country in
corona vaccination.
When contacted Magura civil
surgeon Dr. Shahidullah Dewan
told, we are working heartily to
achieve our vaccination target.
At the same time we are
making effort to build up
awareness over health rule.
Corona situation is now under
control in the district and we are
optimistic to achieve larger
success in this regard.
premises on Saturday.
Dr. Samiul Alam Liton said, "I have
taken initiative to give five thousand
blankets as a personal initiative to
stand by the helpless and miserable
people this winter." In its continuation,
blankets has been given among the
transgender and distressed people. The
smile that appeared on their faces after
receiving the gift of blankets is my
absolute gift.
Gouripur Unnayan Sangram
Parishad President Principal Shafiqul
Islam Mintu chaired the occasion while
among others, Acting General
Secretary of Upazila Awami League
Md. Nurul Islam, Information and
Research Secretary Advocate Jasim
Uddin Ahmed, former female vice
chairman Rabia Islam Dolly, journalist
Md. Rais Uddin were among others
also present at the occasion.
a branch of iFiC Bank has been inaugurated in kalukhali upazila of
Rajbari to enhance the quality of modern banking services on sunday.
photo: shahida parveen
Early sprouting predicts
bumper mango yield
in Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI: Although there are a
couple of weeks more to end winter,
some of the mango trees have started
sprouting early in the Rajshahi region,
reports BSS.
Mango trees are sprouting early at
various places like Vatapara, Raipara,
Kasiadanga, Police line, Malopara,
Meherchandi and Bhadra in the city.
But the extent of flowering is
comparatively less than that of the
normal time.
Motaleb Hossain, a mango grower of
Charghatupazila, said he has over 200
mango trees in his orchard. He has
cultivated a large variety of mangoes
this season. He expects a handsome
profit for the early blooming of mango
trees this year.
GolamMourtoza, 53, a mango trader of
Baneswar village under Puthiyaupazila,
said that the farmers are seen very busy
nursing mango trees at present to
protect the flower from dropping.
Usually, he added, mango flowers are
not seen to sprout so early amid the cold
temperature; rather the blooming of
mango in some early varieties are seen
to occur during the last week of January
and continues till middle of March.
Abdul Washeque, a resident of
Rajabari village, said mango flowers are
not seen to sprout at this time. He said
the impact of global climate change
might be a cause of such early budding
of mango trees.
Mango growers are now busy taking
care of their orchards. A number of
early varieties of mango trees have
already bloomed.
However, Lengra, Gopalbhog, Fazlee,
Amrapali, Khirsapati and Mohanbhog
varieties will bloom in phases.
Mozdar Hossain, deputy director of
Department of Agricultural Extension,
saidmango flower sprouts early every
year. The flower has started appearing
this year also. If the current sprouting
process was not affected by any dense
fog, the farmers can carry out early
harvest.
There are around 3.5 million mango
trees of different ages over some 23
thousand hectares of land in the region.
DrAlim Uddin, principal scientific
officer of Fruit Research Station, said
BARI-11 variety of mango is seen
budding at an early time. He said for the
last one decade it has been noticed from
some places of the country that
mangoes are budding early.
DrAlim said mangoes grown through
such early blossoms are usually tasty
and sweet but those contain more fiber.
The weather of the region seems
suitable for the smooth sprouting of
mango so far and due to the nonemergence
of many new leaves on the
trees, there is a possibility of huge
flowering of mango trees this year.
If the weather remains favourable,
there would be abundant production
of mango in Rajshahi and
Chapainawabganj districts, famous for
mango production.
The number of mango trees has been
increasing in the region for the last
couple of years following greater
interest among the people. Mango, the
leading seasonal cash crop of the
northwestern region, vitalizes the
overall economy of the two districts.
RANGPUR: The Covid-19 positivity rate
hastilyjumped to the highest ever 53.31
percent on Saturday amid a faster
communityspread of the lethal virus in
Rangpur division, reports BSS.
Health officials said 451 fresh Covid-19
cases, the highest number in aday in six
months, were diagnosed after testing 846
samples at the highestever 53.31 percent
positivity rate on Saturday since the
outbreak of thepandemic in the division.
"The number of Covid-19 positive cases
is increasing amid a hastilyrising
positivity rate in the last two weeks
deteriorating the pandemicsituation,"
Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Abu Md.
Zakirul Islam told BSS yesterday.
With the diagnosis of 451 new cases on
Saturday, the total number ofCovid-19
patients climbed to 58,907 in the division
amid a declining trend inthe recovery rate
of infected patients. On Saturday,
Rangpur recorded 62 percent Covid-19
positivity, Panchagarh54.10 percent,
Nilphamari 47.70 percent, Lalmonirhat
39.20 percent, Kurigram42.10 percent,
Thakurgaon 67.30 percent, Dinajpur
50.50 percent and Gaibandha45.90
percent.
The district-wise break up of total
World Leprosy
Day celebrated
in Joypurhat
MasRakul aloM, JoypuRHat
CoRRespondent
World Leprosy Day has
been celebrated in
Joypurhat on Sunday.
Marking the occasion, a
standing rally and
discussion meeting was
held at the premises of the
Civil Surgeon's Office in
collaboration with The
Leprosy Mission
International-Bangladesh
Joypurhat organized by the
Office of the Civil Surgeon.
The program was
attended by Dr. Wazed Ali,
Civil Surgeon, Chaiti Roy,
Senior Self Education
Officer, Civil Surgeon's
Office, Dr. Jalal Hossain,
Medical Officer (MOCS),
Dr. Romana Afrin, Dr.
Mushtari Mumtaz Mimi,
Civil Surgeon's Office
Senior Education Officer
Kudratullah, TSO of
Leprosy Mission Solomon
Marandi, PO Mehedi
Hasan and others.
Besides, miking was
done in 5 upazilas to create
public awareness to build
leprosy free Bangladesh.
World Leprosy
Day celebrated
in Ranisankail
Md BiploB, Ranisankail
CoRRespondent
A discussion meeting and
rally was held marking the
69th World Leprosy Day
2022 on Sunday in
Ranisankail Upazila
Health Complex hall room
organized by Ranisankail
Disability Development
Association.
Upazila Helath Complex
RMO Dr. Feroz Alam
chaired the occasion while
among others, Upazila
Social
Service
Administrative Officer
Helal Uddin, Upazila
Leprosy Researcher
Hannan Uddin, President
(Acting) of Ranisankail
Disability Development
Association Kharesh
Chandra Barman, General
Secretary Sajib Chandra
Barman, Press Club
President Faruk Ahmed
Sarkar, Journalist Leader
Bijoy Roy and many more.
At the end of the
discussion, blankets were
distributed among 30
helpless disabled people as
winter clothes. Chief of
Upazila Tuberculosis
Department Rajendra
Nath Roy gave welcome
speech on the occasion.
58,907 patients include 13,380
ofRangpur, 3,983 Panchagarh, 4,799 of
Nilphamari, 2,939 of Lalmonirhat,
4,748of Kurigram, 8,094 of Thakurgaon,
15,863 of Dinajpur and 5,511 of
Gaibandhain the division.
"Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19
casualties remained steady at 1,255as no
more patients died on Saturday in the
division where the averagecasualty rate
now stands at 2.13 percent," Dr. Islam
said.
The district-wise break up of 1,255
fatalities stands at 295 in Rangpur,81 in
Panchagarh, 89 in Nilphamari, 69 each in
Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, 256in
Thakurgaon, 333 in Dinajpur and 63 in
Gaibandha. "Since the outbreak of the
pandemic, a total of 3,17,967
collectedsamples were tested till
Saturday, and of them, 58,907 were
found positivewith an average positivity
rate of 18.53 percent,"Dr Islam said.
Meanwhile, the number of healed
Covid-19 patients reached 54,790 withthe
recovery of 28 more patients on Saturday
in the division. The averagerecovery rate
stands at 93.01 percent.
"The average recovery rate of patients
reached 97.12 percent on January14 last
in the division and the same haershly
dropped by 4.11 percent to93.01 percent
in only 15 days on Saturday," Dr. Islam
said. The 54,790 recovered patients
include 12,349 of Rangpur,
3,773Panchagarh, 4,400 Nilphamari,
2,696 Lalmonirhat, 4,537 Kurigram,
7,524Thakurgaon, 14,672 in Dinajpur and
4,839 Gaibandha districts in the division.
Among the 58,907 patients, 84 are
under treatment at isolation
units,including 14 critical patients at ICU
beds and eight at High Dependency
Unitbeds, after recovery of 54,790
patients and 1,255 deaths while 2,778
areremaining in home isolation.
"In the meantime, the number of
citizens who got the first dose of
theCovid-19 vaccine rose to 1,07,22,856,
and among them, 64,22,645 got
thesecond dose and 1,49,757 got the
booster dose of the jabs till Saturday inthe
division,"Dr Islam added.
Talking to BSS, Principal of Rangpur
Medical College Professor Dr.
BimalChandra Roy suggested everyone
to sincerely abide by the health directives
to contain the community transmission
of the Covid-19 virus including its
Omicron variant.
in observance of World leprosy day a standing rally was held in Joypurhat
on sunday.
photo: Masrakul alom
RMCH records two more
deaths in Covid-19 unit
RAJSHAHI: Rajshahi Medical College
Hospital (RMCH) recorded two more deaths
in its Covid-19 unit during the last 24 hours till
6am yesterday, reports BSS.
RMCH Director Brigadier General
ShamimYazdani said one of the deceased was
a resident of Rajshahi, while another was from
Naogaon district.
Both of them died with Covid-19 symptoms,
he said.
Meanwhile, eleven more patients were
World Leprosy Day-2022
observed in Gaibandha
GAIBANDHA: World Leprosy Day-2022 was observed in the
district as elsewhere in the country with a call to eradicate the
Leprosy disease from the country by 2030 to ensure 'Health for
all', reports BSS.
This year's theme of the day is "United for Dignity".
Marking the day, the civil surgeon (CS) office and The Leprosy
Mission International Bangladesh (TLMIB) jointly chalked out
the elaborate programmes.
The programmes included bringing out rally, case detection
campaign, publicity activity about leprosy diseases through loud
speakers and leaf let distribution. Besides a discussion meeting
on the importance of the day was also held at CS office on
Sunday with CS Dr AM Akhtaruzzman in the chair.
The meeting was also addressed among others by medical
officer of CS office Dr. Hafizur Rahman, medical officer-disease
contrôl of CS office Dr Robiul Parvez Pramanik, medical officerdistrict
surveillance Dr Rashedul Islam, program organiser of
TLMIB Rumana Begum and technical support officer of
PROYASH project of TLMIB Keshob Chandra Roy. The
speakers in their speeches underscored the need for creating
much awareness among the people about leprosy, finding out
the leprosy patients and then bringing them under free
treatment facilities to build a leprosy free society.
admitted to the Covid-19 unit during the last
24 hours, taking the number of admitted
patients to 60, including 34 positive for Covid-
19, at present.
Six other patients returned home after being
cured during the same time.
On the other hand, 383 more patients were
found Covid-19 positive after testing 646
samples in Rajshahi's two laboratories on
Saturday, showing 62.85 percent infection
rate in Rajshahi.
46 more test
positive for
Covid-19 in
C'nawabganj
CHAPAINAWABGANJ:
Forty six more persons
tested positive for Covid-19
during the last 24 hours till
last morning raising the total
number of infections to
6,216 in the district, reports
BSS.
During the time, 106
samples were tested as 46
persons were detected
positive for Covid-19
showing the infection rate
43.39 percent, civil surgeon
office sources said.
A total of 279 patients are
undergoing treatment in the
district. Of them, five are in
dedicated Covid-19 hospital
and others at home.
Blankets were distributed among poor and distressed people marking the 69th
World leprosy day 2022 in Ranisankail on sunday. photo: Md Biplob

7
Over 330 killed since IS attacked
Syria prison: monitor
HASAKEH : More than
330 people have been killed
in heavy fighting since
Islamic State group
militants first attacked a
prison in northeast Syria, a
war monitor said on
Sunday, reports BSS.
The IS fighters on January
20 launched their biggest
assault in years on the
Ghwayran prison in the
Kurdish-controlled city of
Hasakeh, aiming to free
fellow jihadists, and dozens
remained holed up inside on
Sunday.
The death toll in fierce
clashes since then rose to
332 as the US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF)
found over 50 more bodies
overnight in prison
buildings and nearby areas,
the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said.
The Britain-based group,
which relies on a network of
sources inside Syria, said
that 246 jihadists, 79
Graphic content / People watch as bodies of alleged members of the
Islamic State (IS) group killed in recent confrontations, are transported in
the back of a truck in the neighbourhood of Ghwayran in the northeastern
Syrian city of Hasakeh, on January 29, 2022, during an ongoing search for
IS prisoners who last week escaped from the Kurdish-held Sinaa prison
(also known as Ghwayran prison) during an IS attack. - The Ghwayran jail
assault was the most high-profile IS attack since the jihadists lost their
"caliphate" nearly three years ago.
Photo: The guardian
Carbon monoxide
poisoning at hotel; 7
in critical condition
MARYSVILLE : Seven people were hospitalized in critical
condition Saturday after suffering from carbon monoxide
poisoning at a Hampton Inn in Ohio, officials said, reports
UNB.
A total of nine people were taken to local hospitals,
according toThe Columbus Dispatch. Marysville Fire Chief
Jay Riley told the newspaper that the source of the carbon
monoxide was unclear but everyone who was hospitalized
had been in the hotel's pool area.
Riley said the victims included both children and adults.
He did not provide exact ages.
Authorities said they received a 911 call Saturday evening
about a 2-year-old girl who had either fallen into the pool or
was found in the pool unconscious at the Hampton Inn in
Marysville. More 911 calls soon followed about unconscious
people or others who reported symptoms such as dizziness
and a burning in the throat, Marysville Police Chief Tony
Brooks said.
The hotel was evacuated shortly after. Brooks told the
newspaper that all of the injured were alive when they were
transported and that seven of the patients were in critical
condition.
Two others were treated at the scene, and five more later
sought treatment on their own at a hospital, Brooks said.
The Dispatch could not reach any members of the hotel
management late Saturday. Riley said a Hampton Inn
maintenance team was en route from out of state.
Marysville is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of
Columbus.
Toyota heading to
moon with cruiser,
robotic arms, dreams
TOKYO : Toyota is working with Japan's space agency on a
vehicle to explore the lunar surface, with ambitions to help
people live on the moon by 2040 and then go live on Mars,
company officials said Friday, reports UNB.
The vehicle being developed with the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency is called Lunar Cruiser, whose name
pays homage to the Toyota Land Cruiser sport utility vehicle.
Its launch is set for the late 2020's.
The vehicle is based on the idea that people eat, work, sleep
and communicate with others safely in cars, and the same
can be done in outer space, said Takao Sato, who heads the
Lunar Cruiser project at Toyota Motor Corp.
"We see space as an area for our once-in-a-century
transformation. By going to space, we may be able to develop
telecommunications and other technology that will prove
valuable to human life," Sato told The Associated Press.
Gitai Japan Inc., a venture contracted with Toyota, has
developed a robotic arm for the Lunar Cruiser, designed to
perform tasks such as inspection and maintenance. Its
"grapple fixture" allows the arm's end to be changed so it can
work like different tools, scooping, lifting and sweeping.
Kurdish fighters and seven
civilian had been killed so
far in the IS assault and
battles since.
"The newly discovered
bodies were inside and
outside the prison," Rami
Abdel Rahman, who heads
the Observatory, told AFP.
He said the death toll was
likely to rise further
"because there are dozens of
people who are wounded,
others who are still missing,
and information about more
casualties" on both sides.
The SDF announced they
had recaptured the prison
on Wednesday but
intermittent clashes
continued until Saturday
between Kurdish fighters
and jihadists near the jail.
On Saturday, an AFP
correspondent saw a truck
carrying away piles of bodies
from an area near the
prison, believed to be those
of IS fighters. A bulldozer
dumped more bodies onto
the truck, which then
headed to an unknown
location.
Farhad Shami, who heads
the SDF's media office, told
AFP that the bodies would
be buried in "remote,
dedicated areas" under SDF
control.
Six-car Las
Vegas pile-up
kills nine
LOS ANGELES: Nine
people died in Las Vegas
when a car sped through a
red light and smashed into
five other vehicles, police
said Saturday, reports BSS.
One other person was in
critical condition in hospital
after the pile-up in the
casino city in the western US
state of Nevada.
"We have not seen a masscasualty
traffic collision like
this before," said North Las
Vegas Police Department
public information officer
Alexander Cuevas.
At about 3 pm, a Dodge
Challenger ran a red light at
an intersection, moving at "a
high rate of speed," Cuevas
told a press conference.
It then "struck multiple
vehicles, causing a chaotic
event," he added, saying the
smash involved six vehicles
and 15 people.
Nine people died, ranging
in age from "young juveniles
to middle-aged adults,"
while one person was still in
a critical condition in
hospital.
Both people inside the
Challenger were among
those killed.
Speaking at the same press
conference, North Las Vegas
councilwoman Pamela
Goynes Brown decried what
she called a "careless,
senseless act."
MondAY, JAnuArY 30, 2022
France s President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a meeting
with representatives of families of repatriates from Algeria after the country
s independence war with its colonial power at the Elysee palace in
Paris, Wednesday.
Photo: AP
Macron says need to ‘accelerate’
Iran nuclear talks
PARIS : French President Emmanuel
Macron stressed the "need to accelerate"
efforts to achieve progress in the Iranian
nuclear talks, during a telephone call with his
Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, aides
said Sunday, reports BSS.
Macron's call with Raisi on Saturday came
a day after the EU mediator said the latest
negotiating round in Vienna had been put on
pause while calling for "political decisions" to
break the deadlock.
Diplomats have been meeting in the
Austrian capital in the search for a
breakthrough to revive the 2015 deal
involving Iran, the United States, Britain,
China, France, Germany and Russia.
"The president has reiterated his conviction
that a diplomatic solution is possible and
imperative and stressed that any agreement
will require clear and sufficient commitment
from all the parties," the French presidency
said in a statement.
"Several months after negotiations
resumed in Vienna, (Macron) insisted on the
need to accelerate in order to quickly achieve
tangible progress in this context," it said.

MonDAY, JAnUARY 31, 2022
8
Start ups bringing Pakistan’s
farming into digital age
As part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Bank Asia has been distributing blankets among
poor and cold affected people in different places of the country. Aminul Islam, Executive Director,
Bank Asia Foundation, distributed blankets at the premises of Bank Asia-Maa Amiran Hospital,
Malkhanagar of Sirajdikhan, Munshiganj on 28 January 2022. Dr. Shafiuddin Sarkar, In-charge of
the Hospital and Mohammad Taslim Uddin, a local representative along with other local faces were
present at the blanket distribution program. About 500 blankets were distributed to cold affected
people at the program.
Photo: Courtesy
US economy grew 5.7pc in
2021, but Omicron hit looms
WASHINGTON : The
world's largest economy
staged a solid recovery last
year as it grew at the fastest
pace since 1984, but damage
from the Omicron variant of
Covid-19 is imminent,
reports BSS.
Surging prices continue to
pose a challenge, as inflation
picked up speed in the final
three months of the
pandemic's second year,
according to official data
released Thursday.
That threatens to dampen
the consumer demand that
has underpinned the
recovery, while shortages
and supply chain snarls
continue to create
headaches for businesses,
and for President Joe
Biden's efforts to return the
country to normal.
After the downturn in
2020, US GDP expanded by
5.7 percent last year, the
Commerce Department said
in its latest quarterly report.
In the October-November
period when Omicron was
spreading, GDP grew 6.9
percent, the data showed.
While that topped
expectations, economists
warn the figure was inflated
by businesses' attempts to
rebuild depleted inventories.
"The upside surprise came
largely from a surge in
inventories and the details
aren't as strong as the
headline would suggest,"
said Kathy Bostjancic of
Oxford Economics.
"What's more, beneath the
headline GDP print, the
handoff to 2022 is weak,
with consumer spending
retrenching in December
and Omicron dampening
economic activity," she said
MUMBAI : India's beleaguered
national carrier landed back in the
hands of its founders Thursday,
decades after it was nationalised and
following years as a monumental
burden on the public purse, reports
BSS.
Tata, a sprawling family-owned
conglomerate with interests ranging
from tea to software, is back in charge
of Air India after concluding the 180
billion rupee ($2.4 billion) deal.
Thursday's handover marked the end
of a long search for a buyer by India's
government, which has spent nearly
$15 billion propping up the airline since
2009.
"We are totally delighted that this
process is complete and very happy to
have Air India back," Tata Sons
chairman N. Chandrasekaran told
reporters after meeting with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
"We look forward to working with
everyone to create a world-class
airline."
in an analysis.
Ian Shepherdson of
Pantheon Macroeconomics
agreed, saying the start of
the year looks grim: "Our
tentative (first quarter) GDP
forecast right now is zero."
Biden, whose signature
social spending bill is stalled
in Congress, cheered the
report, highlighting "the
fastest economic growth in
nearly four decades, along
with the greatest year of job
growth in American
history." And, he said, "for
the first time in 20 years, our
economy grew faster than
China's."
China's growth slowed to
four percent in the fourth
quarter, according to official
data released last week.
"This is no accident,"
Biden said. "My economic
strategy is creating good jobs
for Americans, rebuilding
our manufacturing, and
strengthening our supply
chains here at home to help
make our companies more
competitive." Ongoing
supply bottlenecks and
scarcity of key components
combined with strong
demand for goods fueled by
generous government aid
have created a perfect storm
of inflationary pressures that
have undercut Biden's
approval among American
voters.
Prices accelerated during
the year, peaking in the
October-December period
with a 6.5 percent surge in
the personal consumption
expenditures (PCE) price
index-the measure the
Federal Reserve focuses on.
That was the biggest
increase in 40 years.
For the full year, inflation
rose 3.9 percent, according
to the data, still far above the
Fed's two percent goal.
Excluding volatile food
and energy prices which
have increased sharply in
the year, the core PCE price
index rose 3.3 percent in
2021, and 4.9 percent in the
fourth quarter.
The Federal Reserve on
Wednesday issued a clear
signal that it plans to begin
raising interest rates in
March to tamp down
inflation, but that also could
restrain growth next year.
Dana Peterson, chief
economist at the Conference
Board, a research
organization, said she
expects the Fed to raise the
benchmark borrowing rate
four or five times this year.
While families have seen
their savings boosted during
the pandemic, including
through government
measures like the child tax
credit, others "already are
feeling squeezed by higher
prices." But Peterson told
reporters growth should
bounce back in the second
quarter and even with
multiple rate increases, the
Fed's interest rate would still
be only 1.25 percent. "That's
still very accommodative,
but certainly constructive
towards addressing these
inflationary pressures," she
said.
Financial markets have
boomed due to the Fed's
easy money policies, and
they did not like the hawkish
policy pivot by the central
bank. On Thursday, they
closed lower again, with the
S&P 500 now down nearly
10 percent from its peak in
November.
Air India was founded in 1932 and its
maiden flight was piloted by J.R.D.
Tata, then-chairman of the
eponymous firm.
The airline offered a slice of the high
life, showcasing Bollywood actresses in
its advertisements and even
commissioning Spanish surrealist
Salvador Dali to design its ashtrays.
India's newly independent
government bought a majority stake in
1953 but by the end of the century the
venture was struggling to compete with
Gulf carriers and no-frills airlines.
Successive Indian governments tried
to privatise the company but its huge
debts and New Delhi's insistence on
retaining a stake-since abandoned- put
off would-be buyers.
Tata will take on around a quarter of
Air India's 615 billion-rupee debt, while
the remainder will be transferred to a
special-purpose vehicle.
In return it gets a fleet of around 120
aircraft, 6,200 airport gate slots in
India and a further 900 overseas for a
EasyJet halves
first-quarter
loss despite
Omicron
LONDON : British airline
EasyJet slashed losses by
half in the first quarter,
despite the emergence of the
Omicron coronavirus
variant which disrupted the
travel industry, it said
Thursday, reports BSS.
Pre-tax losses stood at
£213 million ($288 million,
255 million euros) in the
three months to the end of
December, after a £423
million loss in the same
period of the group's
previous financial year, the
no-frills carrier said in a
statement.
Revenues jumped almost
fivefold to £805 million in
the reporting period, while
cost-cutting helped offset
the impact of inflation.
"EasyJet produced a
significant year-on-year
improvement in the first
quarter, despite the shortterm
impact of Omicron in
December, halving losses,"
said Chief Executive Johan
Lundgren.
"During the pandemic,
EasyJet has transformed
many areas of the business
including optimising its
network and flexibility and
finding sustainable cost
savings. This is helping
partially offset inflationary
pressure."
The spread of the Omicron
variant in December did hit
travel bookings, but they
were subsequently boosted
by the UK government's
recent decision to scrap
Covid travel testing.
The airline, which is based
in Luton north of London,
now expects to return to
near pre-pandemic capacity
levels in the upcoming
summer holiday season.
Struggling Air India sold after 69 years in govt hands
carrier that operates half of all
international flights from India.
Analysts believe the deal will give the
struggling airline a much-needed lift.
"Air India is one of the most
neglected government organisations
ever. Now that freshness will come
back," aviation sector analyst Mark
Martin told AFP.
"We'll see an Air India which is more
bright, more chirpier, more customerfriendly,
more people-oriented."
Tata Group is one of India's biggest
and oldest companies with a workforce
of more than 800,000 people across
steelmaking, automobiles and tech.
It already owns a 51 percent stake in
rival airline Vistara alongside minority
partner Singapore Airlines and a
majority stake in AirAsia's Indian
operations.
India's government is planning to sell
off a suite of other public assets
including oil and gas corporation
Bharat Petroleum and insurance
agency LIC.
CHAK TWENTY-SIX SP : Agriculture
entrepreneurs are bringing the digital
age to Pakistan's farmers, helping
them plan crops better and distribute
their produce when the time is right,
reports BSS.
Until recently, "the most modern
machine we had was the tractor",
Aamer Hayat Bhandara, a farmer and
local councillor behind one such
project told AFP in "Chak 26", a village
in the agricultural heartland of Punjab
province.
Even making mobile phone calls can
be difficult in many parts of Pakistan,
but since October, farmers in Chak 26
and pilot projects elsewhere have been
given free access to the internet-and it
is revolutionising the way they work.
Agriculture is the mainstay of
Pakistan's economy, accounting for
nearly 20 percent of gross domestic
product and around 40 percent of the
workforce.
It is estimated to be the world's fifthlargest
producer of sugarcane,
seventh-largest of wheat and tenthbiggest
rice grower-but it mostly relies
on human labour and lags other big
farming nations on mechanisation.
Cows and donkeys rest near a
muddy road leading to a pavilion in
Chak 26, which is connected to a
network via a small satellite dish.
This is the "Digital Dera"-or meeting
place-and six local farmers have come
to see the computers and tablets that
provide accurate weather forecasts, as
well as the latest market prices and
farming tips.
"I've never seen a tablet before," said
Munir Ahmed, 45, who grows maize,
potatoes and wheat.
"Before, we relied on the experience
DHAKA : In recognition of catering
outstanding bKash services to the customers,
bKash has rewarded motorcycles to its top ten
agents. Out of all bKash agents spread across
the country, these top ten Star Agents have
been honored exclusively, reports BSS.
Ali Ahmmed, Chief Commercial Officer of
bKash, handed over the motorcycles to the Star
Agents at bKash head office on Saturday.
The top ten Star Agents are- Halal Uddin
from Barishal, Mohammad Kader from
Bogura, Ali Hosan from Chattogram,
Mashud Alam from Cumilla, Shib Shanker
Halder from Dhaka North, Md Omar Faruk
from Dhaka South, Md Wahiduzzaman from
Khulna, Kawsar Akbar from Mymensingh,
Md Sharik Alam from Rangpur and Nazmul
Alom from Sylhet.
of our ancestors or our own, but it
wasn't very accurate," added Amjad
Nasir, another farmer, who hopes the
project "will bring more prosperity".
Communal internet access is not
Bhandara's only innovation.
A short drive away, on the wall of a
shed, a modern electronic switch
system is linked to an old water pump.
A tablet is now all he needs to control
the irrigation on part of the 100
hectares (250 acres) he cultivatesalthough
it is still subject to the
vagaries of Pakistan's intermittent
power supply.
This year, Bhandara hopes, others
will install the technology he says will
reduce water consumption and labour.
"Digitising agriculture... and the rural
population is the only way to prosper,"
he told AFP.
At the other end of the supply chain,
around 150 kilometres (90 miles)
away in Lahore, dozens of men load
fruit and vegetables onto delivery bikes
at a warehouse belonging to the startup
Tazah, which acts as an
intermediary between farmers and
traders.
After just four months in operation,
the company delivers about 100
tonnes of produce every day to
merchants in Lahore and Karachi who
place orders via a mobile app.
"Before, the merchant had to get up
at 5 am or 5:30 am to buy the products
in bulk, at the day's price, and then
hassle with transporting them," said
Inam Ulhaq, regional manager. "Tazah
brings some order to the madness."
In the Tazah office, several
employees manage the orders, but for
the time being, purchases are still
made by phone, as the part of the
bKash rewarded motorcycles
to top 10 agents
HONG KONG : Asian markets were
mixed on Friday, at the end of a broadly
damaging week for global investors as
the Federal Reserve gave notice that the
days of ultra-cheap cash were coming
to an end quicker than some had
envisaged, reports BSS.
Rising tensions between Russia and
the West over the Ukraine crisis are
adding to the increasingly fractious
mood on trading floors, where a selling
frenzy this month has wiped around $7
trillion off valuations around the world.
While recent data has shown
economies picking up as they reopen
and the Covid-19 threat wanes,
commentators warn that the volatility
seen in recent months will likely
continue for the near-term as the Fed
tightens policy.
The US central bank has in recent
weeks taken a more hawkish turn as it
looks to fight four-decade-high
inflation by ramping up interest rates
Since the inception, nearly 300,000 bKash
agents have been playing a pivotal role in
moving the MFS sector forward for the last 10
years. The agents are known as 'Human ATMs'
as they facilitate financial services to the
customers at every corner of the country.
Customers rely on them for having
uninterrupted financial services in any need
including emergency. Alongside creating
employment for themselves, they have
improved their living standard as well.
In addition, bKash has taken initiatives to
enhance professional skills of the agents
through organizing workshops, teaching
them to abide by the MFS related regulations
and improve their living standards by
introducing life insurance, health insurance
and stipend for children.
and offloading its vast bond holdings
that have helped keep costs down.
Officials plan a hike in March, but
debate among investors is now on by
how much and how many more will
follow. Some have suggested a 50 basis
point rise and another possible five
before 2023.
Fed boss Jerome Powell's
commented this week that the
economy, which grew last year at its
fastest pace since the 80s, is well placed
to handle the tightening.
Markets have rallied for the best
part of two years to record or multiyear
highs, and analysts say a hefty
pullback is to be expected, owing to
profit-taking and the removal of a
pandemic-era central bank and
government stimulus.
"Really what we are seeing is historic
intraday volatility," Chris Murphy, of
Susquehanna International Group, told
Bloomberg Television. "It's been a
application intended for farmers is still
in development.
The young company is also tackling a
"centuries-old" system that
stakeholders are reluctant to change,
explains co-founder Abrar Bajwa.
Fruit and vegetables often rot during
their journey along poorly organised
supply chains, says partner Mohsin
Zaka, but apps like Tazah make the
whole system more efficient.
In addition to Lahore, Tazah is
already operating in the largest city,
Karachi, and is preparing to move into
the capital, Islamabad.
A $20 million fundraising campaign
is underway, the co-founder told AFP,
at a time when investments are
pouring into Pakistani start-ups.
Foreign investment in Pakistan
startups exceeded $310 million last
year- five times the 2020 level and
more than the previous six years
combined, according to several
reports.
Further down the chain, Airliftwhich
provides grocery deliveriesraised
$85 million in a recordbreaking
prospectus for the country in
August.
"A lot of the markets that venture
investors are looking for, like India or
Indonesia, are saturated," said Bajwa,
a former director at Careem, the local
ride-hailing app acquired by Uber in
2020.
Now Pakistan, the world's fifth-most
populous country, is attracting
attention and agriculture is a sector
that is "completely untapped from a
technological point of view", he said.
It is "certainly the one where we can
have the biggest impact" here, he
noted.
Brexit hurt
EU-UK
trade
PARIS : If trade between
Britain and the EU didn't seize
up after Brexit, the volume of
commercial exchanges was
considerably lower last year in
comparison with 2019, the
French economy ministry
said Thursday, reports BSS.
Over the first 10 months of
last year, European Union
exports to Britain fell by 15
percent by value.
Meanwhile, EU imports of
goods from Britain fell by 30
percent over the same period,
according to data provided on
the sidelines of a ministerial
meeting on Brexit one year
after a new trade deal between
the UK and the bloc came into
force. The automotive, textile
and aeronautics sectors were
the worst hit.
The figures must be
considered with caution,
however, as the Covid-19
pandemic had a major effect on
trade flows. Nevertheless, the
EU's imports and exports
exceeded 2019 levels during the
first ten months of last year,
according to Eurostat data. The
new trade deal between Britain
and the EU that took affect at the
beginning of 2021 re-established
customs checks at the border,
creating an administrative
burden for transport firms.
It also created delays and
added complexity for firms
that relied on prompt, regular
shipments.
Asian markets mixed as torrid week draws to close
pretty amazing ride so far this year."
And Federated Hermes senior global
equities portfolio manager Lewis Grant
said the Covid threat looked like being
replaced by a "fractious geo-political
landscape".
"Global supply chain disruptions look
to worsen as the relationship between
Russia and the West deteriorates" as
Moscow massed troops on Ukraine's
border.
"Russia's supply of natural gas to
Western Europe could further spark
volatility across financial markets and
as we turn the corner on the pandemic
we now see a possible conflict as one of
the biggest threats to markets in 2022,"
he warned.
On Wall Street, all three main
indexes ended in the red-reversing
early gains as they had the day beforewith
the Nasdaq leading the way again
as tech firms are more susceptible to
higher borrowing costs.

MonDAY, JAnuArY 31, 2022
9
the first half strike was enough to see the West Africans join Cameroon in the next phase of the
biennial competition.
photo: Ap
Stallions seal last four place after sending
North Africans packing
SportS DeSk
Dango Outtara scored the only goal
on Saturday night at Roumde Adjia
Stadium to help Burkina Faso beat
Tunisia 1-0 in the Africa Cup of
Nations to seal their place in the last
four, reports AP.
The first real threat in the game
happened in the fifth minute when
Wahbi Khazri managed to get on the
byline before cutting the ball back to
Youssef Msakni, but Herve Koffi
threw his body on the line to stop him.
Apart from that early threat, the
teams struggled to create meaningful
scoring opportunities in the 15 or so
minutes that followed.
The Stallions tested Ben Said in the
Tunisia goal after 25 minutes. Cyrille
Bayala turned Mohamed Drager
inside out before forcing the
goalkeeper to a fine save. The ball
went out for an unfruitful corner.
Msakni was fouled 30-yards from
Burkina Faso's goal in the 27th
minute and Khazri stepped up to take
the resulting free-kick. He took it well
and forced Koffi to make a brilliant
save.
The Eagles of Carthage had their
custodian to thank in the 40th
minute. Steeve Yago's clever pass put
Djibril Ouattara in a good position,
but his effort from less than 10-yards
was well saved by the goalkeeper.
Koffi made a harsh attempt to clear
the danger outside his area with two
minutes to the break and the referee
booked him and handed Tunisia a
free-kick. Khazri was, however,
stopped by the wall and the ball went
out for a corner that bore no fruits.
The Stallions managed to get an
opener just before the half-time
whistle. Ouattara received an inchperfect
pass from Blati Toure and
managed to beat two defenders before
unleashing a rocket that almost
ripped the net!
Five minutes after the pause, Said
once again was called into action and
denied the Stallions their second goal.
Toure received a great ball in the
danger zone that put him one-on-one
with the goalkeeper. However, he
went for power instead of precision
Tottenham want
Brighton's Yves
Bissouma by end
of deadline day
SportS DeSk
Tottenham Hotspur are
shaping up for a busy end to
the January transfer window
with reports that they are
looking to acquire Yves
Bissouma as part of a double
swoop before the deadline
expires, reports AP.
The Mirror writes that
Antonio Conte has identified
the 25-year-old Brighton &
Hove Albion star as an ideal
reinforcement in midfield,
while Spurs are also keen to
land Nottingham Forest
defender, Djed Spence, 21.
The former Internazionale
head coach is freshening up
his options in central areas,
and it is reported that Dele
Alli and Tanguy Ndombele
are candidates to leave
Tottenham Hotspur
Stadium to make room for
incoming signings.
Bissouma has recently
returned from international
duty with Mali at the Africa
Cup of Nations, though his
performances for Brighton
over the past two seasons
have seen him attract
interest from clubs in
contention for Champions
League qualification places.
Recent rumours suggest that
the Seagulls could demand in
the region of £50 million for
his services.
Phil Jones could finally be
set to leave Old Trafford after
joining Manchester United
in 2011. L'Equipe writes that
Bordeaux are keen on a
move for the 29-year-old
centre-back, who last
featured for the Red Devils in
a 1-0 loss in the Premier
League against Wolves. The
report says that the Ligue 1
club are keen to add
reinforcements to their
squad after parting ways
with both Otavio and Josh
Maja.
Another one regarding
Spurs here, with Gianluca Di
Marzio reporting the club
has entered the final stages
to sign Dejan Kulusevski on
loan, with the move now just
one step away.
Earthquake felt at
Ireland-Zimbabwe
game at U19 World Cup
SportS DeSk
Muzamil Sherzad, an
Afghanistan-born Ireland
seamer, rocked Zimbabwe
batting with a five-for (5-20)
but much before that, the
Zimbabweans experienced
real time earthquake during
their Plate semi-final in the
Under-19 World Cup at the
Queens Park Oval in
Trinidad on Saturday
(January 29), reports BSS.
The live pictures of the
match were seen violently
shaking on the screen during
the sixth over the Zimbabwe
batting. Moments later, a
commentator was heard
telling his partner on air, "I
believe we are having an
earthquake mate... In the
box we are indeed we having
an earthquake..." There was
no panic in the voice though.
It soon dawned on those at
the ground that a 5.2
magnitude earthquake got
registered in the Ritcher
Scale which was later
confirmed by a local
Loopnews website report,
which read like this: "A 5.2
magnitude earthquake
struck near Trinidad and
Tobago on Saturday
morning. According to the
UWI Seismic Research
Centre, the quake occurred
around 9:40am at a depth of
10km."
"It was probably 15 to 20
seconds of extreme
shaking," Andrew Leonard,
the commentator on air at
that time, told Cricbuzz on
Sunday morning (January
30). "(It) never felt like that
the Media Centre would
collapse or anything. It was
lack of control... that you
were not able to control the
shaking..., and no one knew
when it was going to end.
It seemed to be getting
intense particularly in the
middle. (It was) a tiny bit
scary I guess," he explained.
In the middle, however,
the players were seen quite
cool least realising that the
soil beneath them was
quivering. "
Naseem's maiden fifer sets up Gladiators' comfortable win
SportS DeSk
Naseem Shah's maiden five-wicket haul on
what he described as a 'gripping pitch' was
instrumental in Quetta Gladiators getting off
the mark in PSL 2022. Naseem bagged 5 for 20
to restrict the Kings to 113, with Babar Azam's
29-ball 32 being their highest contribution.
Ahsan Ali's unbeaten 57 off 43 powered the
chase as the Gladiators got over the line with
GD-182/22(8x3)
eight wickets in hand and 4.1 overs to spare,
reports AP.
Asked to bat first, Sharjeel Khan got the Kings
going with two fours off Sohail Tanvir in the first
two deliveries of the match. A wristy on-drive off
Mohammad Hasnain gave Babar Azam his first
four as the openers got off to a promising start.
Things, however, went downhill for them in a
short period of time as Tanvir and Naseem Shah
combined to leave the Kings in a lot of trouble.

MOndaY, JanUaRY 31, 2022
10
Niloy, Chamak in new drama
'Hothat Bou Final'
TBT REPORT
Actors NiloyAlamgir and Rukaiya
Jahan Chamak have pair up for a
new drama titled 'Hothat Bou
Final'. Story written by Saniat
Babu, Jewel Hasan has directed the
drama.
The shooting of the drama has
been completed at a location in the
capital's Uttara area recently.
About the drama, Niloy Alamgir
said, "The story of the drama very
nice. Chamak and I have tried our
level best to portray ourselves
according to the characters. Jewel
Hasan is a talented director. He
made the drama with utmost care. I
hope the audience will enjoy the
drama very much."
Chamak said, "The plot of the
'Hothat Bou Final' revolves
around a girl named Sadia.
Suddenly Sadia's family fixes her
wedding with a man but the bride
does not agree to got married
with the man. So, Sadia is
searching someone by whom she
can remain safe. At one stage,
Sadia meets Samir, thus the story
of the drama continues..."
"I have played the role of Sadia,
while Niloy acted in role of Samir in
the drama. I have liked story and
making of the drama. I believe
viewers will also like this drama,"
she added.
'Hothat Bou Final' will be
released on a YouTube channel
soon.
In last November, Niloy Alamgir
and Rukaiya Jahan Chamak acted a
drama titled 'Nirapod Durottwo
Bojai Rakhun' directed by Jewel
Hasan which was released on a
YouTube channel. Till now 22 lakh
viewers enjoyed the drama on the
YouTube channel.
Mandy Moore proposes
Olivia Rodrigo
Mandy Moore would love to see a reboot of 'A Walk To
Remember' starring Olivia Rodrigo. Released in
2002, with Karen Janszen writing the script and
Adam Shankman directing, A Walk To Remember
was based on the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same
name. The coming-of-age romantic drama traces
how a cynical high school student (played by Shane
West) falls for Jamie Sullivan (Moore), a girl he has
known for most of his life; though he begins to fall
for her after the two perform in a school play. The
pair soon enter into a romantic relationship,
which proves to be deeply meaningful, altering
the way they perceive the world.
A Walk To Remember had mixed fortunes
upon its release in 2002. Though it was a
success at the box office, earning four times
its reported budget of $11.8 million, it
received largely negative reviews. Though
critics praised the performances of
Moore and West, it was noted that the
story too often followed the predictable
paths of a tearjerker drama.
Nonetheless, in the decades since,
the early aughts film has received a
bit of a reprisal from new fans, who
have placed it alongside 2004's The
Notebook as a worthwhile Sparks
adaptation. In addition to starring
as Nini Roberts on the High School
Musical spinoff series for Disney+, Rodrigo
has seen her music career skyrocket over the
past year. Her debut single, "Driver's License," reached
the top of the charts worldwide and led to waves of
discussion online about its meaning and importance.
Other singles such as "Good 4 U" and "Deja Vu"
were similarly massive successes. The release of her
debut album, titled "Sour," continued the star's
upward trajectory. The album broke records, while also
garnering widespread praise for Rodrigo's talents as a
songwriter.
Source: Variety
TBT REPORT
Coca-Cola Bangladesh has announced
signing of prominent singers and music
composers Tahsan Rahman Khan and
Shayan Chowdhury Arnob as brand
ambassador of Coke and music producer
respectively. This is the first time ever these
two sensational superstars will be working
for the world-renowned brand Coca-Cola.
Regarding the context, Tahsan Rahman
Khan said, "Coca-Cola has always been a
part of my life. It made sense to get on
board and be a part of this company as the
Brand Ambassador. I am very excited with
the type of work we will be doing in the
upcoming months. Hopefully everyone
will enjoy our work."
Tahsan Rahman Khan will become the
new face of Coca-Cola Bangladesh's
flagship product Coca-Cola. On the other
hand, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, is a
music producer and will be working on
different music projects for Coca-Cola. The
two are scheduled to be heavily involved in
a number of exciting projects in 2022. "As
a musician, it is a wonderful feeling to be a
part of something as unique as Coca-Cola's
upcoming music projects. Coca-Colahas
decided to initiate its footprints and
involvement in Bangladesh music with a
great project in hand. To be the music
producer on this great project brings me
great joy and I cannot wait to share some of
the work we have in store for all our
audiences," said Music Producer Shayan
There's a fresh update coming in
on Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha
Kapoor's untitled film with Luv
Ranjan. Reportedly, two schedules
of the film are left out of which one
will be shot in Delhi & Mumbai and
the other one in Spain. The will is
slated to release in 2023 but is
currently facing a halt and the
reason behind the same is -
Marriage.
Well, it is none other than the
director's wedding himself. No,
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir aren't
getting married anytime soon but it
is Luv who's getting married in
February this year and hence that's
what causing the delay in the shooting of the film. The director
was supposed to get married earlier this month but due to the
ongoing third wave of Covid, it was pushed yet again. A source
close to Pinkvilla opened up on the upcoming two schedules of
Luv Ranjan's next with Shraddha Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor and
Tahsan, Arnob to work for
Coca-Cola as brand ambassador
Chowdhury Arnob. The Managing
Director of Coca-Cola Bangladesh Ta
Duy Tung said, "To be able to sign two of
the most prominent musicians of
Bangladesh is a matter of pride for our
company. These two individuals
perfectly embody the spirit of Coca-Cola
and we have no doubt the partnership
will be a huge success."
Coca-Cola has a long history of bringing
great moment to its consumers' lives
through wonderful events and its brands
like Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero
Sugar, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Fanta, Kinley
Water, Kinley Soda and Thums-Up
currently in the country.
Asif Ahmed Khan
A model par excellence
PEER TaniM ahMad
Asif Ahmed Khan (known professionally as "Asif Khan" or "Asif Ahsan
Khan") is a Bangladeshi Actor and Model. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh,
Asif comes from a Military family as his father is well known Army
officer who served in the Bangladesh Army.
One of the most recognizable faces of the Bangladesh Media Industry,
Asif started modeling at a very young age, doing TV dramas and
commercials, appearing in prints, magazines and billboards all across
the country, as well as walking the runway for renowned fashion brands
and designers both local and international. He was the youngest winner
in the history of the country's one of the most prestigious talent hunt
competition, "Pantene You Got The Look" where he bested out
hundreds of other participants. Since then he has been the face of many
popular brands of the nation including, Qazi group's Eagle brand, Shah
Cement, UCB, RAB, Diamond World, Meghna Aviation and many
more.He was the winner of ICONIC Star Awards 2021 for "Best Model"
Due to his strong built, good height and great physique he has also
been featured in many health and fitness magazines and newspaper. In
2021, he appeared in simultaneous Tv and Web dramas, including
"Meaow" opposite Rafiath Rashid Mithila, directed by National Award
winning Bangladeshi film director, Taneem Rahman Angshu.
Ranjan's film with Ranbir, Shraddha
comes at a short halt
said, "Everything has got a bit
delayed because of the ongoing
pandemic. Luv Ranjan is
getting married in February
and is currently in the middle
of marriage preparations. The
intimate wedding with only
close family and friends in
attendance was to take place
earlier this month, but
apparently, got postponed
because of the third wave. After
the marriage and a short break,
Luv will dive headlong into the
Ranbir-Shraddha shoot as
there are only two important
schedules left (one Indian and
the other international), after which the film wraps up. The March
schedule (the penultimate) which happens post-Luv's wedding is
a two-week one that will take place in Delhi and Mumbai during
the first week of March.
Source: Bollywood Hungama
h O R O s c O P E
aRiEs
(March 21 - April 20) : Today you might learn
something about a friend that could be rather
disconcerting, Aries. There could be a dark
side to this person that you weren't previously aware of, and
this could cause you to want to withdraw for a while and
reevaluate your involvement with this individual. When
considering it, remember that we all have our dark sides.
Could what you've discovered simply be this factor, or does
this go too far beyond it for you? Think about it!
TaURUs
(April 21 - May 21) : Outside responsibilities
might temporarily interfere with your love
life, Taurus. You may feel a strong desire to
get together with a love partner early in the
evening, but circumstances may necessitate your working
odd hours. This can be frustrating, as you've been looking
forward to this for a long time, but you could meet your
friend later in the evening. Don't be afraid to ask. Most
people understand when situations like this crop up.
GEMini
(May 22 - June 21) : Today you're likely to find
your routine too boring for words, Gemini,
and may have a sudden powerful urge to cut
loose and play some serious hooky. Still, you
may feel the pull of obligation. This conflicted feeling should
pass. If it persists beyond today, however, you might need to
reevaluate certain areas of your life. There are lots of
opportunities out there, and life is too short to be stuck in a
situation that doesn't allow you to grow.
cancER
(June 22 - July 23) : You could be feeling
especially sensual and passionate today,
Cancer, and you'll want to get together
with a love interest. However, other responsibilities
could get in your way. This could provide you with the
perfect excuse to sink into gloom, but don't fall into this
trap. Get whatever business you're facing handled and
out of the way. Or perhaps you can arrange to finish it
tomorrow. Then set up that hot date!
LEO
(July 24 - Aug. 23): You may feel a bit of
disappointment today, Leo. You might
tend to view whatever snags you've hit on
the path to accomplishing your goals as
personal failures, and if you let it, this idea could persist
with you throughout the day. Try to remain objective,
and don't lose sight of the big picture. You haven't even
lost a battle - at worst, it's a minor conflict! Chances are
that if you continue working hard you'll still win the war!
ViRGO
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): A rather disheartening
phone call could come to you today, Virgo.
This might bring news of a setback in one
of your projects that is only temporary but
nonetheless frustrating. You'll probably have to deal with
some trivial little details you'd rather not bother with,
and this could take up too much valuable time. Hang in
there - you're still doing well! Don't let your frustrations
get the best of you.
LiBRa
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): After the rush of
energy over the past few days, Libra,
today you may feel a powerful letdown.
Not every day can be filled with
adventure and excitement. For now, you just need to
take care of the routine matters that are a byproduct
of life on Earth. However, keep in mind that there are
many weekends coming up, and with the right kind
of planning you can get excitement back into your life.
scORPiO
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : A goal that you've been
trying to reach may be temporarily
stalled, Scorpio, and you could be
tempted to slip into despair, wondering
if it will ever really happen. Remember that the
keyword for today is "temporary." Whatever obstacles
are in your way will eventually be overcome and your
goal should be to continue to advance in the direction
you want. In the meantime, take care of your chores.
saGiTTaRiUs
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Today you might realize
that you need to make a certain purchase,
Sagittarius. Perhaps your home or car
requires some important repairs, or maybe
some new equipment is necessary for your work. This could
prove rather disheartening, as it might involve spending
money that you'd rather use for something more exciting.
Think of the trouble this expenditure should save you,
however, and you'll see the value of it all.
caPRicORn
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): The weight of too many
responsibilities, perhaps involving family, a
job, or group affiliation, could be very much
on your mind today, Capricorn. You may feel like Atlas,
carrying the world on your shoulders! You're tired. Perhaps
you need to reevaluate your commitments - your innate
kindness may have caused you to make too many. Fulfill the
ones you have, but think twice before making any new ones.
You're important too, after all.
aQUaRiUs
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : You may have your
ups and downs today, Aquarius. You
could get at least one phone call of the
"good news, bad news" variety, and this
could have your moods swinging back and forth like a
pendulum. Try to stay centered. Take the good news
as encouragement, and as for the bad news, try to
consider it objectively and figure out ways to turn it to
your advantage. There's always a way. Hang in there!
PiscEs
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Normally you tend to be a very
spiritually oriented person, Pisces, but today you
might find metaphysical concepts of all kinds
rather baffling. Whether these are ideas you've
embraced for a long time or new ones you've just discovered, you
may find nagging little doubts creeping in, temporarily causing
your faith to waver. This is a healthy development, however. A
little doubt now and then can weed out concepts that don't work
for you and reaffirm your belief in others.

MondAY, JAnuArY 31, 2022
11
FBCCI for skilled manpower to
achieve development targets
DHAKA : President of the
Federation of Bangladesh
Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FBCCI) Md Jashim
Uddin yesterday said lack of
skilled manpower is a major
obstacle in achieving
development targets, reports
BSS.
"Private
sector
entrepreneurs are
undertaking various ventures
to create employment in
order to achieve the various
economic targets announced
by the government. But the
lack of skilled manpower has
become a major obstacle," he
said.
The FBCCI President made
this remarks at the first
meeting of the FBCCI
Standing Committee on
National Economic Policy
and Planning, 8th Five Year
Plan, SDG and Vision 2041
held at FBCCI Icon, said a
press release.
Speaking as the chief guest,
the president said the
garment factories are
running with a 15 to 20
percent skill manpower
shortage.
Therefore, he said,
entrepreneurs have to
depend on foreigners for
various positions of
management.
Although there is no
shortage of highly educated
youth in the country, there is
a lack of necessary skills
required in the industry, he
added.
He said the government
runs many technical
education institutes, they fail
to provide the desired quality
students.
"The government must
focus on creating skilled
manpower to achieve various
economic and development
goals. Therefore, it has
become imperative to
harmonize the formal
education curriculum with
industry," he added. Md
Jashim Uddin called upon
the National Skills
Development Authority to be
more dynamic.
The FBCCI president also
called for the recruitment of
skilled manpower in
government offices to meet
the challenges in the post
LDC period.
He said that in future, free
trade agreements should be
signed, new strategies should
be adopted to protect local
industries after becoming a
developing country.
Therefore, the government
agencies will need more
dynamic and skilled
manpower to deal with the
more complex global trade
issues, he added. The FBCCI
Chief also called upon the
government agencies to
consult with the private
sector before formulating
policies.
Formulating policies
without consulting with
private stakeholders often
makes them difficult to
implement as they do not
reflect the field level realities.
Earlier in the discussion,
various challenges of
industrialization in Bangladesh
came up. The speakers said
that the industrialization of the
country is mainly stuck in
Dhaka and Chattogram.
Establishing economic zones
across the country alone
cannot decentralize the
industry unless township is
built.
Launching program of securing green transition of the Textile and readymade
garments sector in Bangladesh was held yesterday. Photo : TBT
Two arrested with
3 gecko lizards in
Jashore
JASHORE : Two men were
arrested with three illegally
caught gecko lizards at
Manirampur upazila in
Jashore while selling them on
Saturday night, reports UNB.
The arrestees were
identified as Bishwajit
Mondal from Manoharnagar
village and Abdul Khaleque
from Dakkhin Joynagar
village in Bhola, said District
Detective Branch (DB) of
police.
Acting on a tip off about
Rezaul Islam in Biprokona
village in the upazila and a
gecko (takshak) selling group
BD police conducted a drive
at his house around 10pm.
†kL nvwmbvi g~jbxwZ
MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ
GD-177/22 (5x4)
†kL nvwmbvi g~jbxwZ
MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ
298 30/01/22
GD-180/22 (10x4)
GD-178/22 (10x4)

Monday, Dhaka: January 31, 2022; Magh 17, 1428 BS; Jamadi-us Sani 27, 1443 Hijri
Conserve Bangladesh hill forests to save
it from climate disaster: Speakers
DHAKA : Speakers at a consultation on the
formulation of the National Adaptation Plan
(NAP) on Sunday stressed the conservation
of the hill forests in Bandarban to save the
region from climate disaster. The consultation
was jointly organised by the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEFCC), Economic Relations Division
(ERD) and United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) with support from the
Green Climate Fund (GCF), reports UNB.
The speakers expressed concerns over
the native species destroying plantation
and horticulture practices. Although horticulture
is bringing economic benefit to the
farmers, rampant use of pesticides has
emerged as a major threat to biodiversity,
they said.
Considering different vulnerability factors
including extreme level water scarcity,
deforestation, worsening biodiversity,
flash flood Bandarban district was selected
to conduct the consultation.
Bandarban has been ranked second
among the climate-vulnerable 10 hotspots
Air Pollution
Dhaka ranks 2nd
worst, Lahore
tops list
DHAKA : Dhaka's air was classified as
'poor' or 'very unhealthy' as the megacity
ranked the 2ndworst in Air Quality Index
(AQI) Sunday morning, reports UNB.
Dhaka's AQI score was recorded at 212
at 10.21 am while Pakistan's Lahore and
Afghanistan's Kabul occupied the first
and third spots, with AQI scores of 221
and 190, respectively.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to
be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is
considered 'hazardous', posing serious
health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air
quality, is used by government agencies
to inform people how clean or polluted
the air of a certain city is, and what associated
health effects might be a concern
for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five
criteria pollutants-Particulate Matter
(PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and
Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air
pollution issues. Its air quality usually
turns unhealthy during winter and
improves during monsoon.
A report by the Department of
Environment (DoE) and the World Bank
in March 2019 pointed out that the three
main sources of air pollution in Dhaka
"are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and
dust from construction sites".
With the advent of winter, the city's air
quality starts deteriorating sharply due to
the massive discharge of pollutant particles
from construction work, rundown
roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Air pollution consistently ranks among
the top risk factors for death and disability
worldwide. Breathing polluted air has
long been recognised as increasing a person's
chances of developing a heart disease,
chronic respiratory diseases, lung
infections and cancer, according to several
studies.
in Bangladesh. The country on the other
hand is ranked seventh among the climate-vulnerable
countries globally (South
Asian hotspots, World Bank, 2018).
Additional Secretary of the MoEFCC
and National Project Director of the
National Adaptation Plan (NAP)
Formulation Project Md Mizanul Haque
Chowdhury informed the participants
about Bangladesh's priorities outlined in
SDG, Delta Plan 2100, Perspective plan,
five-year plan and its ambition to graduate
from a Least developed country to a middle-income
country.
"We are committed to implementing
the Glasgow Climate Pact signed during
the COP26. We will work in close coordination
with all the public and private
entities, development partners and the
people to keep the temperature well
below 1.5 degrees Celsius and protect
the biodiversity"
He explained that the objective of the
consultation was to understand the local
vulnerability issues and get feedback from
DHAKA : A cold wave is sweeping different
parts of the country and it may continue
during the next couple of days, according
to the Bangladesh Meteorological
Department (BMD), reports UNB.
"Mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping
Rajshahi, Rangpur, Tangail,
Gopalgonj, Faridpur, Madaripur,
Rangamati, Feni, Moulvibazar, Jashore,
Kushtia, Chuadanga, Barishal and Bhola
districts and Sitakunda upazila and it
may continue," said a Met office bulletin.
In its forecast for the next 24 hours (till
9am Sunday), it said weather may
remain dry with temporary partly cloudy
sky over the country.
Moderate to thick fog may occur over
north-western part and river- basins and
light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere
over the country during midnight
to morning. Night and day temperatures
may rise slightly over the country.
The lowest temperature of the country
was recorded at 6.8?C at Tetulia in
Panchagarh on Sunday morning.
The Met office has recorded 13.0 ?C
the participants on these for incorporation
in the NAP. Mizanul Haque was present as
the chief guest while Amal Krishna
Mandal, Join Secretary, Wing Chief,
Economic Relations Division (ERD) was
present as the special guest. Bandarban
Deputy Commissioner Yasmin Parvin
Tibriji, chaired the consultation.
More than 80 representatives from district
administration, local government
representatives, civil society representatives,
sectoral experts, professionals, journalists
and academia attended the event
and provided their valuable comments
and feedback to enrich the plan with locally
specific climate adversities and adaptation
needs.
Participants from different parts of the
Rangamati and Khagrachari districts
joined over zoom. While delivering the
keynote presentation, Professor Dr Ainun
Nishat, Team Leader of the NAP
Formulation Consortium said, "We will
incorporate the locally-led adaptation
practices in the NAP".
People shiver as cold wave
persists in Bangladesh
temperatures in Dhaka while the country's
highest temperature was recorded
23.7 0 C in Kutubdia. The people of the
country as well as the residents of Dhaka
are feeling the pinch of winter in the last
couple of days due to the dip in mercury.
Most people preferred to stay indoors
due to the shivering cold and it is difficult
for the day labourers to stay inside as
they have to hand to mouth.
UNB Kurigram Correspondent reports
:Department Agriculture Extension
(DAE) authorities are fearing damage of
standing crops due to cold weather.
The number of patients with coldrelated
problems are rising in hospitals
and many people are seen standing in
long queues at the local hospitals to take
medical treatment.
Deputy Director of District DAE, Md
Abdur Rashid said the standing crops are
likely to get damaged slightly if the temperature
dips below 8 degrees Celsius.
"Potato fields might see late blight disease
while boro seedbeds might face
damage," he said.
Tiger recovered from Sundarbans canal
most likely died of natural causes
DHAKA : The Forest Department recovered a dead tiger's carcass from Rupar canal
near Dublarchar at the Sundarbans in Bagerhat on Friday morning.
Muhammad Belayet Hossain, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans
Eastern Division, said members of the Forest Department were on patrol on Friday
morning when they saw the tiger carcass floating in Rupar canal of the forest.
The approximate age of the male tiger was 16 to 17 years, the official said.
This forest official believed that the Royal Bengal Tiger died due to aging as no
wounds were noticed on the tiger's body.
However, an autopsy will ascertain the cause of death, he added.
Earlier, a tiger carcass was recovered from the Dhanchebaria sandbar on the Bhola
River in the eastern part of the Sundarbans in March 2021. In July 2020, two tigers had
died in the eastern and western parts of the Sundarbans in just five and a half months,
said the Forest Department.
Accused Sohag, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, is serving another life sentence. And the main accused Sohag
was out. RAB has arrested him. He was arrested from the Mitford area of the capital on Sunday. Photo : Star Mail
Seventeen film organisations on Sunday called for strikes demanding the removal of the managing director (MD) of
Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) as they were not allowed to enter it during the much-hyped 17th
Bangladesh Film Artistes Association election.
Photo : Star Mail
17 film organisations
protest demanding
BFDC MD's removal
DHAKA : Seventeen film organisations
on Sunday called for strikes demanding
the removal of the managing director
(MD) of Bangladesh Film Development
Corporation (BFDC) as they were not
allowed to enter it during the muchhyped
17th Bangladesh Film Artistes
Association election, reports UNB.
The members of the 17 organisations
demonstrated in front of the BFDC gate from
9am on Sunday. During the protest, the agitated
members of these organisations burned
an effigy of BFDC MD Nuzhat Yasmin.
Filmmaker Delwar Jahan Jhantu said,
"We do not want to work with the current
MD. She can't stay even if the government
wants. We will be lying on the
street if needed."
Referring to the election of the Film
Artistes Association, the filmmaker further
said, "In this election, the MD has
worked in support of a specific panel.
This is why she didn't want us inside the
BFDC premises which is insulting to
everyone. So you can't be a MD in FDC.
And if she is here, we will not work."
Shahin Sumon, secretary general of the
directors' association, said, "The MD has
disobeyed the order of the home minister
and barred us from entering. She turned us
down when we went to discuss a matter.
We will send her out of the gate this time."
Director Badiul Alam Khokon said,
"The Directors and Producers association
is one of the important organizations
of FDC. We make films because the producers
invest money which runs FDC. All
the work of the current MD is anti-film.
We wanted to sit with her about everyone's
entry in this election. But she did
not listen to us."
Kamal hopeful of
7.2pc GDP growth
in current fiscal
DHAKA : Finance Minister AHM
Mustafa Kamal yesterday expressed
optimism of achieving targeted 7.2 percent
GDP growth in the current fiscal
year (FY22). The minister said this after
a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on
Government Purchase (CCGP).
He said "In the current financial year,
the size of the economy will be US$455
billion. Per capita income will reach
US$2,785 this year." The minister also
hoped that the per capita income will
reach $3,089 in the next fiscal year.
DHAKA : This year the electricity demand
may reach 15,500 MW to serve the extra
load from the irrigation pumps during this
year, reports UNB.
This forecast was made by the
Bangladesh Power Development Board at
an inter-ministerial virtual meeting, convened
by the Ministry of Power, Energy
and Mineral Resources. Presiding over the
meeting, State Minister for Power, Energy
and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid
asked the officials of his ministry to build
up a proper load management system
People shiver as cold wave
persists in Bangladesh
DHAKA : A cold wave is sweeping different
parts of the country and it may continue
during the next couple of days, according
to the Bangladesh Meteorological
Department (BMD), reports UNB.
"Mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping
Rajshahi, Rangpur, Tangail,
Gopalgonj, Faridpur, Madaripur,
Rangamati, Feni, Moulvibazar, Jashore,
Kushtia, Chuadanga, Barishal and Bhola
districts and Sitakunda upazila and it
may continue," said a Met office bulletin.
In its forecast for the next 24 hours (till
9am Sunday), it said weather may
remain dry with temporary partly cloudy
sky over the country.
Moderate to thick fog may occur over
north-western part and river- basins and
light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere
over the country during midnight
to morning. Night and day temperatures
may rise slightly over the country.
The lowest temperature of the country
was recorded at 6.8?C at Tetulia in
Panchagarh on Sunday morning.
The Met office has recorded 13.0 ?C
temperatures in Dhaka while the country's
highest temperature was recorded
23.7 0 C in Kutubdia.
The people of the country as well as the
residents of Dhaka are feeling the pinch
of winter in the last couple of days due to
the dip in mercury.
Most people preferred to stay indoors
due to the shivering cold and it is difficult
for the day labourers to stay inside as
they have to hand to mouth.
UNB Kurigram Correspondent reports
:Department Agriculture Extension
(DAE) authorities are fearing damage of
standing crops due to cold weather.
The number of patients with coldrelated
problems are rising in hospitals
and many people are seen standing in
long queues at the local hospitals to take
medical treatment.
Deputy Director of District DAE, Md
Abdur Rashid said the standing crops are
likely to get damaged slightly if the temperature
dips below 8 degrees Celsius.
"Potato fields might see late blight disease
while boro seedbeds might face
damage," he said.
Resident Medical Officer of Kurigram
General Hospital said some 296 people
are undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Deputy Commissioner Rezaul Karim,
said blankets were distributed among
70,000 people while 6,000 warm clothes
were also disbursed in the district.
Bangladesh, South Korea ink MoU on
scientific, technological cooperation
DHAKA :The Ministry of Science and
Technology, Bangladesh and the
Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea
have signed a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) on scientific and technological
cooperation between the two
countries, reports UNB.
South Korean Ambassador to
Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun, during a
recent meeting with Science and
Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman
handed over the MoU cross-signed by his
Korean counterpart, Minister Lim
Heysook.
Upon agreement on the text, the MoU
signed by Minister Yeafesh was sent to
Korea in November last year through a
diplomatic channel, said the South
Korean Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday.
Due to the pandemic situation, both
through a coordination system between
the entities in power, energy and other sectors
to ensure uninterrupted power and
fuel supply to the irrigation pumps.
Every year, the irrigation season that
starts in February and continues until May
30 creates an extra load on the power supply
to operate the irrigation pumps.
Normally, the country generates 13,000
MW and 14,000 MW in the peak summer
season to meet the same requirement.
As per the BPDB statistics, during the
last year's irrigation season (2021), the
sides could not hold a face-to-face signing
ceremony, it said.
The MoU was concluded to strengthen
the implementation of the agreement on
Scientific and Technological Cooperation
between the two governments signed in
May 1995.
The MoU stipulates various areas and
forms of cooperation including the establishment
of a joint committee.
On the occasion of the signing,
Ambassador Lee said the MoU has laid
an important institutional foundation to
further promote cooperation in the area
of science and technology between the
two countries, and expressed his commitment
and willingness to this end.
During the meeting a variety of issues
on scientific and technological cooperation
were discussed.
Electricity demand may reach 15,500MW
this year during irrigation season
country's electricity demand reached
14,097 MW while it was 11,997 in 2020.
It was also informed in the meeting that
due to serving extra load, the gas demand
for power plants will go up to 1600 million
cubic feet per day (mmcfd) during the irrigation
season while the demand for furnace
oil will increase to 70,500 metric tons
and diesel to 30,700 metric tons.
Nasrul Hamid said that the electricity
demand has been rising across the country
due to achievement of the target to provide
electricity to all.