11-11-2020

Wednesday

DhAKA : November 11, 2020; Kartik 26, 1427 BS; Rabi-ul Awal 24, 1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.17; N o.217; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

InternatIonal

Armenia, Azerbaijan

agree to end fight in

Nagorno-Karabakh

Zohr

>Page 7

Raihan's 'custodial death'

Suspended

SI Akbar put

on remand

SYLHET : A Sylhet court on Tuesday

placed the suspended sub-inspector of

Bandarbazar Police Station, Akbar

Hossain Bhuiya, on a seven-day

remand as he was arrested in connection

with the death of Raihan Ahmed in

'police custody', reports UNB.

Sylhet Chief Metropolitan Magistrate

Mohammad Abul Kashem passed the

order when Awlad Hossain, inspector

of Sylhet Police Bureau of Investigation

(PBI) and also the investigation officer

of the case, produced him before the

court seeking a seven-remand remand

for him.

On Monday, police arrested Akbar

Hossain Bhuiya from Dona bordering

area in Kanaighat upazila of Sylhet.

Akbar had been on the run after the

death of Raihan Ahmed in 'police custody'.

On October 11, Raihan Ahmed, 34, a

resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was

'beaten to death in police custody' at

Bandarbazar Police outpost, alleged the

victim's family.

His wife, Tahmina Akter Tanni, filed

a case with Kotwali Police Station the

following day accusing a number of

unidentified people.

On October 12, the authorities suspended

four policemen, including the

then in-charge of Bandarbazar Police

outpost Akbar, in connection with the

death.

Three policemen, including Ashek,

were withdrawn the same day.

Samrat shown

arrested in money

laundering case

DHAKA : A court yesterday showed

former Jubo League leader Ismail

Hossain Chowdhury Samrat arrested

in a case lodged over alleged laundering

of Taka 195 crore.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate

Sorafuzzaman Ansari passed the order

in presence of the accused, allowing a

plea of the Criminal Investigation

Department (CID).

CID filed the case with Ramna Police

Station on September 13.

The specialized law enforcement

agency accused Samrat of amassing

Taka 195 crore through illegal means

and laundering that to Singapore and

Malaysia with the assistance of his associate

Enamul Haque Arman.

RAB on early October 6, 2019, arrested

Samrat and his associate Arman

from village Kunja Sreepur of Alkora

union under Chauddagram upazila of

Comilla district.

04:54 AM

11:50 PM

03:40 PM

05:20 PM

06:40 PM

6:10 5:15

art & culture

Getting offers

from Bollywood:

Tanushree Dutta

>Page 8

PM says Covid-19 a wakeup

call for constructive

multilateralism

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina has said there is a need for constructive

multilateralism more than

ever as the Covid-19 pandemic has

reminded that 'no one is safe until

everyone is safe'.

"The Covid-19 pandemic is a stark

reminder that no one is safe until everyone

is safe. Covid-19 pandemic has

taught us that global prosperity is

embedded in collective actions, unity

and international cooperation," she

said on Tuesday, reports UNB.

The Prime Minister was addressing a

high-level event titled "Call for Action:

In support of Multilateralism" held on a

virtual platform.

The government of Spain organised

the event in the wake of unique challenges

caused by Covid-19 across the

world.

In a globalised world, constructive

multilateralism is not an option but it is

the only way-out for a rules-based international

order and common progress of

humankind, the Prime Minister said.

Sheikh Hasina said history proves

that any deviation from this united

approach will only bring disastrous

effects for humankind.

"However, unless a multilateral effort

is taken at the global level, global recovery

won't start and it'll never be sustainable,"

she said.

To face the crisis caused by the Covid-

19 pandemic, Hasina said, the government

has so far allocated 14.14 billion

US dollars, which is 4.3 percent of the

country's GDP, to protect the livelihood

of people.

Despite the impact of the pandemic,

Bangladesh's GDP registered a 5.24

percent growth due to the government's

timely interventions.

"The recent trend of protectionism

and xenophobia in some countries may

bring further sufferings for innocent

people and adversely impact the peaceful

multilateral environment," she cautioned.

So, the Prime Minister said, all

should guard against this type of

activities which are detrimental to

international peace, security and

global development.

In order to reduce inequality, eradicate

poverty and protect the planet by

reducing carbon emissions, all need to

work together and reinforce their multilateral

efforts, Hasina said.

She said Bangladesh is a flagbearer of

multilateralism and strongly pursues

international peace and security by its

high presence in the UN peacekeeping

and peace-building process.

"We've adopted the 'whole of society'

approach in realising the SDGs

[Sustainable Development Goals].

We're equally committed to implementing

the Paris Agreement. As such,

Bangladesh has been honoured to be

chosen to lead the 48-member Climate

Vulnerable Forum for the second time,"

she said.

3 villages of Charbaria Union of Barisal Sadar Upazila have been destroyed due

to continuous erosion of Kirtankhola river. The unpaved and semi-paved roads

of the village have disappeared.

Photo : Star Mail

It's vital to amend Myanmar's

citizenship laws: UK

DHAKA : The United Kingdom has

sought an amendment to Myanmar's

citizenship laws to allow everyone to

fully participate in Myanmar's political

process. "It's now vital to amend the citizenship

laws to ensure that everyone

can participate fully in Myanmar's

political process,"said Foreign,

Commonwealth and Development

Office (FCDO) Minister for Asia Nigel

Adams, reports UNB.

The UK minister urged the authorities

in Myanmar to make sure free and

fair elections are held at the earliest

opportunity in those areas where they

were cancelled.

"We also condemn the kidnapping of

parliamentary candidates by the

Arakan Army and call for their immediate

release," said Adams. He said the

2020 elections are a "significant milestone"

on Myanmar's path from military

dictatorship to democracy.

"However, we were disappointed to

see the Rohingya and other minorities

were once again disenfranchised,"

Adams said in a statement adding that

elections were cancelled in areas of conflict

without a clear rationale or transparency.

The UK minister said they are pleased

that many people in Myanmar were

able to exercise their hard won right to

vote this weekend and remain committed

to supporting their aspirations for

peace and full democracy.

"We'll work with the new government

and civil society to this end," he said.

Myanmar's ruling National League

for Democracy claimed Monday it had

won a clear parliamentary majority and

would retain power, even though the

state election body has named just a few

of the winners in Sunday's elections,

reports AP.

The Union Election Commission earlier

said full results may take a week. By

8 p.m., it had announced the winners of

just nine of Parliament's 642 seats, all

nine NLD candidates.

sports

Shakib to appear for

beep test today

>Page 9

After much speculation, the work on the 4-lane of the main road in Cox's Bazar is finally coming to an

end. This will reduce the sufferings of the locals and tourists.

Photo: PBA

Trial of GK Shamim

starts in money

laundering case

DHAKA : A court yesterday framed

charges against SM Golam Kibria

Shamim alias GK Shamim and his

seven bodyguards in a money laundering

case. Judge Mohammad Nazrul

Islam of Dhaka Special Judges Court-

10 passed an order framing the charges

against the accused and set November

19 for taking evidence in the case.

The other seven accused in the case

are - Delwar Hossain, Murad Hossain,

Md Jahidul Islam, Shahidul Islam,

Jamal Hossain, Samshad Hossain and

Aminul Islam.

On October 5, Dhaka Metropolitan

Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayesh transferred

the case to Dhaka Special Judges

Court-10 for further proceedings.

On August 4, CID Addl

Superintendant of Police (Economic

Crime Squad) Abu Sayeed filed the

charge sheet in the case against the

eight, making 26 people witnesses.

ACC sues exmember

of NHA

DHAKA : The Anti- Corruption

Commission ( ACC) on Tuesday filed a

case against Badiul Alam, a former

member of the National Housing

Authority, for encroaching a plot

through forgery .

Hafizul Islam, deputy director of the

Anti-Corruption Commission's head

office in Dhaka, filed the case at Dhaka-

1coordinated office, reports UNB.

Former member of the National

Housing Authority (now retired) Badiul

Alam has been accused in the case who

was the mastermind of the encroachment

of the plot.

Badiul became the owner of a plot in

Mirpur area allegedly through forgery.

But the plot was actually allotted to

Fazlul Haque Choudhury at the

48thmeeting of the housing authority.

Badiul encroached the plot making

fake papers that showed the owner had

sold their plot to him in exchange of Tk

21 lakh.

Badiul Alam handed over the plot to

Khan Properties A7 Developer for construction

of a multi-storey building on

the land. Khan Properties A7 provided

8 flats to the accused as per the condition.

The accused sold the flats too.

During investigation ,Badiul Alam

and his brother-in-law's relationship

with deed writer Masood Karimwere

found. Masood Karim was the deed

writer of the actual owner of the property.

Alam was a member of the National

Housing Authority (Administration

and Finance) and Member (Land) from

13/03/2005 to 26/12/2008.

ASP's death case

10 hospital staff put on

7-day remand

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on Tuesday

put ten staff of Mind Aid Hospital in

Adabor on a 7-day remand each in a

case over beating Assistant

Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anisul

Karim to death at the hosptial.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court

Judge Md Shahidul Islam passed the

order when investigation officer Faruk

Mollah, Officer-in-Charge of Adabor

Police Station, sought a 10-day remand to

interrogate each of them, reports UNB.

Those remanded are Hospital

Marketing Manager Arif Mahmud,

Coordinator Redwan Sabbir, Kitchen

chef Md Masud, ward boy Zubayer

Hossain, pharmacist Md Tanvir Hasan,

ward boy Tanim Mollah, Sujit

Chowdhury, Ashim Chandra Pal, Liton

Ahmed and Saiful Islam Polash.

According to the case statement, the

police official had been suffering from

mental illness and was taken to the hospital

for treatment at 11 am on Monday.

After admission, the hospital staff

informed his relatives that Anisul Karim

got fainted.

Rising veggie prices make Dhaka

residents sweat in winter

DHAKA : When it comes to vegetables,

the general rule is that you pay less in

winter than in summer. But this season,

the drop in mercuryhas failed to cool off

the prices of essentials inthe kitchen

markets of the capital, reports UNB.

The escalated prices have hit home

budgets in Dhaka, prompting residents

to hold the government responsible for

the "mismanagement" in the kitchen

markets. They allege that traders at the

big veggie markets in the city are fixing

prices. Trades, however, attribute the

surge in prices of essentialcommodities

to short supply amid the Covid pandemic.

A reality check by UNBat Kaptan

Bazar, Anondobazar, Jatrabari,

Mogbazar and Sarulia Bazar on

Tuesday revealed that traders have

been selling Aubergine for Tk 70-90 a

kg, papaya for Tk 35-40, bitter gourd

for Tk 80-90, bottle gourd for Tk 50-70,

beans for Tk 100-120, radish for Tk 60-

Later, Anisul's relatives took him to

National Institute of Cardiovascular

Diseases where doctors declared him

dead. A CCTV footage of the room

showed that the hospital staff was beating

Anisul taking him to a room.

On the other hand, Harun-or-Rashid,

deputy commissioner (Tejgaon division)

of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said at a

press briefing, "During their primary

investigation, police didn't find any valid

document of the hospital. There's no

physician at the hospital and the authorities

concerned were running the hospital

with a ward boy, coordinator and manager.

Police also took a decision to seal off

the hospital,"

Police are trying to collect information of

those faced harassment at the hospital, he

added. There are some patients at the hospital

now and police asked them to leave it

as it will be sealed off, Harun added.

Mohammad Rezaul Karim Sabuj, brother

of the victim, said Anisul was posted at

BMP as assistant commissioner (traffic).

Sabuj claimed that his brother was killed by

the staff of Mind Aid Hospital.

70 , cucumber for Tk 80 and tomato for

Tk120.

Besides, the price of a kg of green chili

has soared to Tk 200-240. Similarly,

carrots costTk 80-100 a kg, four pieces

of green banana Tk40-50 and four

pieces ofeggs Tk40-60.The prices of

cauliflower and cabbage, two most popular

winter vegetables, have also

soared. Similarly, a kg of beef now costs

Tk 550-560, mutton Tk 750-900, broiler

chicken Tk 130-140 and locally bred

hens Tk 450-500.

According to the Trading Corporation

of Bangladesh (TCB) data, on

November 9, the prices of coarse, medium

and finericeincreased by 36.76,

15.56, and 12.87 percent, respectively,

as compared to last winter.

The prices of coarse rice have

increased to Tk45-48 a kilo from Tk28-

40, medium to Tk48-56 a kilo from Tk

42-48 and fine rice Tk54-60 a kilo from

Tk45-56, compared to 2019.

WeDNesDAY, NovemBer 11, 2020

2

Daily basis officials of Islamic Foundation organized a press conference at National Press Club

yesterday to make their service permanent.

Photo : TBT

UK govt suffers parliamentary

defeat over Brexit bill

GD- 1490/20 (5 x 4)

The British government suffered a

fresh Brexit setback in parliament

late on Monday over controversial

legislation that would have allowed

it to override parts of the country's

EU divorce treaty, reports BSS.

Members of the unelected upper

chamber House of Lords rejected

key provisions of the Internal

Market Bill, which is designed to

regulate trade between all four UK

nations.

The government has insisted the

bill provides a safety net in case

talks for a new trade agreement fail,

even though it admits it breaks

international law in a "very specific

and limited way".

But the Lords voted

overwhelmingly to remove clauses

relating to Northern Ireland, which

will have the UK's only land border

with the EU from January 1 and will

remain under some of the bloc's

rules.

A "no-deal" could complicate the

situation on the island and its

politically sensitive border between

UK-ruled Northern Ireland and EU

member Ireland.

Brussels has already initiated

legal action over the draft law.

A government spokesman said

after Monday's vote that the

removed clauses would be

reintroduced when the bill goes

back to the House of Commons,

where Prime Minister Boris

Johnson has a comfortable

majority.

Top Democrats in the United

States, including President-elect

Joe Biden, have waded in, warning

a US-UK trade deal could be

compromised if a "no-deal"

jeopardises a hard-won peace.

An open border was a keystone of

the US-brokered 1998 Good Friday

Agreement that largely ended more

than 30 years of violence over

British rule in Northern Ireland.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon

Coveney said Monday that the

election of Biden, who has Irish

roots, could lead London to "pause

for thought" and ensure Irish issues

are prioritised.

The debate and vote came as

London and Brussels met again to

thrash out a post-Brexit trade deal.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier

arrived in the British capital late

Sunday before another week of

talks with his UK counterpart David

Frost, as they scramble to find an

agreement.

Britain formally left the bloc in

January but remains bound by

most of its rules until the end of the

year under the terms of its divorce.

Parliaments in London and

Brussels need time to ratify any deal

struck, leaving scant time for the

two sides to find a compromise on

key outstanding issues.

These include establishing rules

for competition between British

and European companies,

oversight mechanisms and fishing

rights.

Barnier said on Twitter the keys to

unlocking the door to a deal were

"respect of EU autonomy and UK

sovereignty" alongside "robust

guarantees of free and fair trade"

and "stable and reciprocal access to

markets and fishing opportunities".

On Saturday, Johnson and

European Commission chief Ursula

von der Leyen acknowledged big

differences must be bridged after

two weeks of "intense" meetings

ended last Wednesday.

Von der Leyen vowed both

negotiating teams would "continue

working hard" while Johnson said

they would "redouble efforts to

reach a deal".

But neither side has yet indicated

that they were willing to make the

compromises needed for a

breakthrough, with the clock ticking

on an expected mid-November

deadline.

Britons voted to end decades of

EU economic and political

integration in 2016 but

implementing Brexit has proved

immensely difficult ever since.

Initial divorce terms were finally

agreed last year, triggering

negotiations over a future free trade

deal to be in place in time for the

new year.

But the coronavirus pandemic

strained the already ambitious

timetable, while the most divisive

issues have stalled the talks for

months.

Without a deal, Britain would

leave the EU single market and

customs union on January 1,

triggering immediate and

significant barriers to cross-

Channel trade and business.

London and Brussels still insist

they would prefer to avoid the

economic disruption that this

would entail.

GD- 1493/20 (6 x 4)

GD- 1489/20 (7 x 4)

GD- 1491/20 (7 x 4)

METRO

WednesdAY, november 11, 2020

3

Weak tobacco tax structure is

benefiting tobacco Company

On Monday, a discussion meeting titled

'Importance of Tax Rise on Tobacco and

Its Benefits in Improving Public Health'

was organized by the joint initiative of

Health Economics Unit, Bangladesh

Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA) and

Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB)

Trust in the conference room of Health

Economics Unit. Speakers at the

meeting expressed their views that the

weak tobacco tax structure is benefiting

the tobacco company in general.

Dr. Md. Shahadat Hossain Mahmud

(DG, Health Economics Unit) presided

over the discussion while Dr.

Nasiruddin Ahmed (Former Chairman,

NBR), Md. Shafiqul Islam (Head of

Program, Vital Strategies), Dr. Md.

Nurul Amin (Director-Research, HEU),

Aminul Islam (Program Officer,

National Tobacco Control Cell), Ad.

Syed Mahbubul Alam (Technical

Advisor, The Union), Sushant Sinha

(Tobacco Control Activist) and others

shared their views. Dr. Rumana Haque

(Focal Person, BER, Dhaka University)

presented the keynote address. Syeda

Ananya Rahman (Program Manager,

WBB Trust) conducted the program.

Dr. Rumana Haque, in her main

article, said that raising taxes on tobacco

and taking it beyond the purchasing

power of consumers is one of the main

and recognized means of tobacco

control. South Africa, the Philippines,

and Singapore have achieved the

expected results in tobacco control by

raising taxes on tobacco. In Bangladesh,

35% of people over the age of 15 use

tobacco products. Mortality is

increasing due to the use of tobacco

products in the coronavirus epidemic

situation. According to the WHO, a

smoker is 14 times more likely to be

infected with coronavirus than a nonsmoker.

The current tax structure on

tobacco is very weak which is benefiting

the tobacco traders and the government

is not getting the tax as expected. By

imposing a specific tax on tobacco, the

government will be able to collect an

additional tax of Tk 4-10 thousand

crores every year in addition to the

current tax collected.

Dr. Md. Shahadat Hossain Mahmud

(DG, HEU) said that 6 million people

die due to tobacco in the world which is

more than the number of deaths due to

global corona epidemic. Tobacco cannot

be a profitable product for anyone.

Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

has promised to build a tobacco free

country by 2040 and implementation of

this commitment should be our moral

responsibility. In order to protect public

health, the tobacco tax must be

increased several times now and it is

necessary to start a united war against

tobacco to control it.

Dr. Nasiruddin Ahmed (Former

chairman, NBR) said, government

agencies must strictly abide by FCTC

Article 5.3 in tobacco control. This is

because tobacco companies create

obstacles in all areas, including tobacco

control, tax increases, and the

implementation of tobacco laws. He

added that the revenue department

needs to increase its capacity to collect

tobacco tax.

Ad. Syed Mahbubul Alam (TA, The

Union) said that, tobacco use is one of

the leading causes of cancer among the

people of our country. Despite being

such an unhealthy product, tobacco

companies are taking lots of advantages

from the government in various ways. In

our country, the cost of treatment of

tobacco related diseases is much higher

than the tax collected from the tobacco

sector. We have to increase the tobacco

tax considering these issues.

Sushanta Sinha (Tobacco control

researcher) said, as a result of weak tax

structure, the profits of tobacco traders

in the country are increasing. In the last

10 years, British American tobacco has

doubled their production level, but its

profits have increased fivefold.

GD- 1494/20 (13 x 4)

GD- 1492/20 (20 x 4)

WeDneSDAy, noveMBer 11, 2020

4

no alternative to removal of Designated Smoking Area

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Drug addiction : the

major national problem

The case of the heinous murders of a police

officer and his wife in 2013 with the

alleged involvement of their own drug

addicted young daughter, must have deeply

shocked and pained all normal well meaning

people in the country. Helping in the murdering

of one's own parents has been unthinkable

in our society. But such an act also symbolized

to what extent degradation had developed in

our society specially from the increase in the

number of users of addictive drugs.

The drug addiction habit has been growing

gradually. It is not a sudden development

under the tenures of one or two governments.

The media has been reporting the record number

of seizures of yaba tablets in recent weeks

and months. The present government was

seen battling the drug addiction challenge with

some dedication and as a result its spread

could be reasonably contained. But surely a

great deal more should be done to address it.

A media report-- sometime ago-- based on

information from the Department of Narcotics

Control (DNC), is concern raising. The gist of

it was that there are at least 50 lakh drug users

in Bangladesh who spend taka 50 crore on illegal

narcotics every day and 75 per cent of the

users are between 15 and 30 years of age.

The report is suggestive of the expansion in

the number of addicts. Similar statistics about

a decade ago showed the number of addicts

and their spending on their addiction to be

notably less. That the number of addicts and

their spending have increased to such proportions,

signals that Bangladesh has every reason

to be very concerned by the rising number of

drug users and its consequences for the society

as a whole.

The Chinese in the nineteenth century were

known to be weak and incapable of resisting

foreign aggressors. Among other reasons, it

emerged from the analysis of historians that

their vitality was sapped from a very large

number of China's population falling prey to

smoking opium in that period. However, opium

was introduced there by foreigners. There

is a lesson for Bangladesh from this historical

example. Great quantities of the illegal drugs

now used in Bangladesh such as Yaba have a

foreign origin. These are smuggled from across

the borders of Myanmar and India. These also

come through sea routes in the Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh used to be mainly a conduit used

by international drug traffickers in the past.

But now it has become a lucrative market for

'users' as well.

The youth in Bangladeshare faced with

ruination in many cases from their growing

drug addiction habits. They are gradually getting

crippled mentally and physically. Many of

them are already only shattered forms of their

former healthy selves and are complete liabilities

for their families and societies.

Not only this, they are found in most cases to

rely on crimes like snatching and stealing to

get money to maintain their habits. Others

resort to more serious crimes specially when

parents and others refuse to satisfy their

demand for money to be spent on addiction.

Thus, it is high time to check the drug menace

from turning worst.

Law enforcement activities need to be made

particularly effective and extraordinary efforts

will have to be made to bring to a halt the

pushing of addictive substances inside

Bangladesh as well as making them locally.

Our policymakers must recognize drug addiction

as a too serious national problem to be

addressed immediately and very effectively

through stepped up and far greater scrupulous

and efficient operations of law enforcement

bodies. However, the most effective deterrence

can be no other than one forged through much

greater awareness building about the very negative

consequences of addiction, publicity

campaigns, role played by family elders and

social leaders to that end.

According to a World Health

Organization Official Publication,

current evidence suggests that the

severity of COVID-19 disease is higher

among smokers. Undoubtedly, it is high

time for the smokers to quit smoking.

Moreover, from PLoS One journal,

Volume-10, Issue-10, we know that existing

studies show that smoking and passive

smoking might equally increase the risk of

certain diseases, such as breast cancer,

allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis, and

food allergy. As a matter of fact, we have to

be careful about the harms of passive

smoking as we are about smoking as it can

be equally harmful for the body during the

time of the covid-19 pandemic.

People all over the world including

Bangladesh need to travel for work and

recreational activities from one city to

another city and from one country to

another country and there is no alternative

of staying in hotels and eating food in

restaurants while they are outside.

According to GATS (2017) Survey result

in Bangladesh almost 93.1% people (male-

95.7% and femle-90.7%) believe that nonsmokers

are severely affected due to

passive smoking. Hence, a large population

of male and female in Bangladesh

understand that passive smoking causes

severe threats to their surrounding nonsmokers.

We know that second hand smoke can

cause vital damage for the body. For

instance, if we take a closer look at the

Journal of Hypertension Volume-35,

MUhAMMeD rUBAyeT

Issue-10 it has been written that "Studies

have shown that Second Hand Smoke

Exposure (SHSE) increases the risk of

coronary heart disease (CHD) by 25-30%".

We all know that heart is a vital organ of the

human body which has to be taken care the

most at all times to live a healthy life.

Moreover, In the International Journal of

Statistics in Medical Journal it has been

strongly established through authentic

evidence that passive smoking leads to

morbidity and mortality. The enemy has

been identified, now let the war begin.

Now, we know the health harms. But

what is the reason of second-hand smoking

being so higher in Bangladesh? In the

Journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research,

Volume-17, Issue-1 it has been mentioned,

"The population of Bangladesh is highly

susceptible to secondhand smoke (SHS)

exposure due to high smoking rates and

low awareness about the harmful effects of

SHS". Now, both factors are unhealthy for

the mass people during the pandemic

LInDA S. heArD

which should be given more importance

and acted upon by the concerned

authorities.

Let us take a closer look at the law.

According to section-4 of Bangladesh

Tobacco Control Law, it is prohibited to

smoke in public places and public

transport. But reality tells us another story.

In the covid-19 pandemic people are

smoking in the hotels and restaurants

violating the tobacco control law when

other non-smokers are being badly

affected.

Every problem has a solution. The

solution to the problem of second-hand

smoke leads to one door-removal of

designated smoking area in the hospitality

sector. Another thing that we have to

address is the conflict between Framework

Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)

and Bangladesh Tobacco Control Law is

that in FCTC there is no restriction of

designated smoking area whereas in

Bangladesh Tobacco Control Law (2015),

section-4 smoking is strictly prohibited in

all public places. Besides, in section-7 (e) of

Bangladesh Tobacco Control Law it has

also been mentioned, "According to the

rule of article (d), after requesting a person

not to smoke, if they continue smoking, the

person responsible for the premises can

expel the smoker, refrain to provide them

any service and take assistance from law

and order agencies.". There are

punishments of smoking in public places

but they are not being as much effective as

it would be if designated smoking area in

the hotels and restaurants are removed.

Now, Bangladesh Government should

immediately amend law for removal of

designated smoking area in the hospitality

sector considering the public health

concern. The covid-19 pandemic time is the

right time for this change which can save

ample lives and also reduce the treatment

cost of the general sufferers and the

government. In this way, we can also

gradually move towards fulfilling the

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina's public commitment of making

Bangladesh a tobacco-free country by

2040. Not only it would augment the image

of our government in the country but it will

also enhance our image in the international

domain which can be a lifetime

achievement of our country.

The Writer is currently working as

Media Manager, Tobacco Control

Project of Health Sector, Dhaka

Ahsania Mission.

Britain's endless lockdowns are taking a terrible toll

John, a British friend of mine whom I

met in Dubai some 30 years ago, retired

to the UK where he rebuilt his life in

South Wales. He has always lived alone and

enjoys his own company while regularly

socialising with friends and travelling

around the world to catch-up with others.

John is probably the most well-balanced,

upbeat and calm individual I know so I was

upset to learn he has sunk into a state of

severe loneliness and depression due to the

harsh restrictions on movement imposed by

the Welsh government.

In England, the rules seem to change as

often as the country's unpredictable weather

because the Prime Minister, who is anxious

to avoid a disastrous economic meltdown,

regularly comes up with confusing and

rarely enforced half-measures.

His mistakes have accrued since the virus

first gripped the nation when he wasted

precious time toying with the debunked

herd immunity policy which only an

effective vaccine can produce. Most Britons

were gung go to comply with the first

lockdown that did produce results but like

so many others the British government

opened-up far too early hurtling England

back to square one.

There are suspicions that Donald Trump,

whose most trusted Covid-19 adviser

neuroradiologist Scott Atlas has been

pushing for the President to go the herd

immunity route, has thrown up his hands

and has implemented his advice. Given that

the US currently announces 80,000 to

100,000 new cases each day with no federal

policy In sight this assumption is highly

probable. Trump was too focused on

proving to his base that personal freedoms

trumped the health of the nation to impose

social distancing or the wearing of masks.

His "It is what it is" reaction when

confronted with hundreds of thousands of

dead highlighted his lack of empathy.

Johnson by contrast asks people to take

the virus seriously. Today there is great

concern that the NHS is being overloaded to

the extent hospitals may be forced to turn

away sufferers, not only those with Covid-19

but also others with severe non-virus related

ailments and it is this potential scenario that

has driven Boris Johnson to authorise yet

another crackdown on people's personal

liberties. The problem is that most are no

longer in the mood to be compliant. Given

that there are many previous failed

outcomes it is understandable that the

British people are beginning to feel that their

sacrifices have gone for nothing. Weak or

non-existent enforcement is also not

conducive to public cooperation whereas the

French faced with on the spot fines issued by

the police if they break the rules are suitably

deterred.

his mistakes have accrued since the virus first gripped the

nation when he wasted precious time toying with the

debunked herd immunity policy which only an effective

vaccine can produce. Most Britons were gung go to comply

with the first lockdown that did produce results but

like so many others the British government opened-up far

too early hurtling england back to square one.

MALeehA LoDhI

The elderly are suffering the most

particularly those in care homes where

deaths have been disproportionate. I

watched a video on social media in disbelief

yesterday narrated by the granddaughter of

a woman in her 90s whose daughter

removed her from a care home against the

objections of the home's management. The

police were called and the middle aged

caring daughter was actually arrested purely

for wanting to look after her mother she

hadn't seen in nine months and whose

health was fast deteriorating.

I am frankly amazed that the US and the

UK obviously didn't learn anything from

countries that have reined-in the virus to a

remarkable degree such as New Zealand,

China and South Korea where cases have

been reduced to double digits.

Returning to Britain's woes both healthwise

and with respect to the sinking

economy, they are about to be compounded

if there is no deal with the EU in less than

two months and the promised trade deal

with the US that Trump pledged to fast track

is now looking like a mirage.

President-elect Joe Biden has made it

crystal clear that he will not be negotiating

trade deals in the foreseeable future and due

to Britain's exit from the EU there are hints

from the Biden camp that the UK's

importance as a bridge between the US and

Brussels has been diminished. The fact that

Johnson has been characterised, rightly or

wrongly, as Trump's ideological brother is

unlikely to endear the President-elect to

Britain's leader. It comes to something when

according to polls Britons prefer SNP leader

Nicola Sturgeon over Johnson who approval

ratings is at its lowest. At least one British

newspaper reports that there is trouble

brewing for him among his colleagues said

to be having second thoughts. If Johnson

shares his US buddy's fate, it may be that the

age of populism reliant on success is ebbing.

If so, just as well

Source: Gulf news

Post-Trump US foreign policy

NEVER have Americans seen an

election in their recent history quite

like the 2020 presidential contest.

Never has the world watched with such

concern the political tensions, bitter

rhetoric and legal fights that marked the

turbulent run-up to the election. The close

race kept people on edge for days following

the election as votes were counted in the

crucial battlefield states.

The American people chose Joe Biden to

lead their country in what has been

described as 'an election of a lifetime' which

will have "decade-defining consequences".

This has come as a relief to many people in

America and beyond. For the international

community the overarching question is how

the new occupant of the White House will

change American foreign policy in the post-

Trump era.

To begin with, Biden will be preoccupied

with managing domestic challenges with

the pandemic still wreaking havoc across

the country, polarisation undermining

national cohesion and racial tensions

waiting to be seriously addressed. Uniting a

deeply divided country will undoubtedly be

his first order of business. As he reiterated

after the election: "I will govern as an

American president. There will be no red

states and blue states. Just the United States

of America."

The outcome of the Congressional

election too will present a challenge as the

Senate is likely to remain in Republican

control. This will pose formidable problems

Let us take a closer look at the law. According to section-4

of Bangladesh Tobacco Control Law, it is prohibited

to smoke in public places and public transport.

But reality tells us another story. In the covid-

19 pandemic people are smoking in the hotels and

restaurants violating the tobacco control law when

other non-smokers are being badly affected.

of divided government and legislative

gridlock. Biden will be obliged to deal with

an unfriendly Senate which will make

governance difficult while his pledge to heal

a divided nation will require vigorous

efforts. As an op-ed writer asserted in the

New York Times, the election will not

resolve "America's deepest problems" -

social crisis, breakdown of political culture,

and feelings of exclusion. That Trump got

more popular votes now than in 2016

indicates how widespread support remains

for 'Trumpism'. If Trump continues to play

an active political role this could further

complicate Biden's task. Domestic troubles

then will warrant his sustained attention.

Biden will depart in fundamental ways

from Trump's erratic and unpredictable

policies.

But as a course correction is also needed

in America's relations with the world this

will not wait for the domestic agenda to be

tackled. Some argue that this is where Biden

may have a less constrained hand. What

then is a Biden presidency likely to do? The

selection of his foreign policy team will be

an early pointer to the foreign policy he will

pursue.

As someone with rich experience in

foreign policy - having long served as

chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations

committee and as vice president - Biden is

expected to follow a more traditional

approach fundamentally different from

Trump's unpredictable and whimsical

policies pursued at great detriment to

America's global standing. In contrast to

Trump's intensely unilateral 'America First'

policy, Biden, known as a liberal

internationalist, would seek to restore his

country's multilateralist credentials. During

the campaign he declared that the 'America

First' policy had resulted in 'America Alone'

and he would seek to 'restore America's

leadership'.

In broad brush terms a Biden

administration is likely to see: the revival of

a more stable foreign policy, renewal of

commitment to multilateralism,

reaffirmation of relations with allies,

reversal of Trump's abandonment of the

Iran nuclear deal, re-engagement with key

international institutions, return to the

Paris climate agreement and

recommitment to alliances especially Nato.

A key priority for Biden will also be to

mend America's damaged international

reputation evidenced in several surveys. A

recent Pew Research survey found that

America's global image had plunged to an

all-time low. It showed that several

countries among Washington's allies have

an unfavourable view of the US especially of

Trump. Clearly four years of Trump's

disruptive impact on the world and the

blows delivered to an already fraying rulesbased

international order have dented

America's standing, eroded its influence

and diminished its soft power. Biden will try

to reverse that.

On Afghanistan and the US commitment

to withdraw its remaining forces, Biden's

policy will not differ much from Trump's.

He has long been a critic of America's

prolonged military engagement and as vice

president had opposed the military surge

President Barack Obama ordered in 2009.

Asked in an interview earlier this year what

he would do if the Taliban ended up in

power he said: [I have] "zero responsibility.

The responsibility I have is to protect

America's national interest and not put our

women and men in harm's way to try to

solve every single problem in the world by

use of force."

A significant departure from Trump's

policy would be re-entering the Iran nuclear

deal. Biden has repeatedly asserted he

would re-commit to JCPOA if Iran

complied and seek to strengthen it with

partners. He believes this would help to reestablish

US credibility. In the Middle East,

it remains an open question how Biden's

frequent criticism of Saudi Arabia would

translate into policy. His support for Israel

will continue to be firm, in line with longstanding

US policy.

The biggest foreign policy challenge will

remain America's relations with China - this

century's most consequential bilateral

relationship with far-reaching global impact

- which Trump pushed into a state of

intense hostility by his confrontational

approach. Given the anti-China mood and

bipartisan consensus in the US, Biden will

likely adopt a tough line.

Source: Dawn

WEDNESDAY, NovEMBER 11, 2020

5

Americans pollute oceans more

than it initially thought

VeRonICA Penney

The United States

contribution to coastal plastic

pollution worldwide is

significantly larger than

previously thought, possibly

by as much as five times,

according to a study published

Friday.

The research, published in

Science Advances, is the

sequel to a 2015 paper by the

same authors. Two factors

contributed to the sharp

increase: Americans are using

more plastic than ever and the

current study included

pollution generated by United

States exports of plastic waste,

while the earlier one did not.

The United States, which

does not have sufficient

infrastructure to handle its

recycling demands at home,

exports about half of its

recyclable waste. of the total

exported, about 88 percent

ends up in countries

considered to have

inadequate

waste

management.

"When you consider how

much of our plastic waste isn't

actually recyclable because it

is low-value, contaminated or

difficult to process, it's not

surprising that a lot of it ends

up polluting the

environment," said the study's

lead author, Kara Lavender

Law, research professor of

oceanography at Sea

education Association, in a

statement.

The study estimates that in

2016, the United States

contributed between 1.1 and

2.2 million metric tons of

plastic waste to the oceans

through a combination of

littering, dumping and

mismanaged exports.

At a minimum, that's

almost double the total

estimated waste in the team's

previous study. At the high

end, it would be a fivefold

increase over the earlier

estimate.

nicholas Mallos, a senior

director at the ocean

Conservancy and an author of

the study, said the upper

estimate would be equal to a

pile of plastic covering the

area of the White House Lawn

and reaching as high as the

empire State Building.

The ranges are wide partly

because "there's no real

standard for being able to

provide good quality data on

collection and disposal of

waste in general," said Ted

Siegler, a resource economist

at dSM environmental

Solutions, a consulting firm,

and an author of the study.

Mr. Siegler said the

researchers had evaluated

waste-disposal practices in

countries around the world

and used their "best

professional judgment" to

determine the lowest and

highest amounts of plastic

waste likely to escape into the

environment. They settled on

a range of 25 percent to 75

percent.

Tony Walker, an associate

professor at the dalhousie

University School for

Resource and environmental

Studies in Halifax, nova

Scotia, said that analyzing

waste data can amount to a

"data minefield" because

there are no data standards

across municipalities.

Moreover, once plastic waste

is shipped overseas, he said,

data is often not recorded at

all.

nonetheless, dr. Walker,

who was not involved in the

study, said it could offer a

more accurate accounting of

plastic pollution than the

previous study, which likely

underestimated the United

States' contribution. "They've

put their best estimate, as

accurate as they can be with

this data," he said, and used

ranges, which underscores

that the figures are estimates.

of the plastics that go into

the United States recycling

system, about 9 percent of the

country's total plastic waste,

there is no guarantee that

they'll be remade into new

consumer goods. new plastic

is so inexpensive to

manufacture that only certain

expensive, high-grade plastics

are profitable to recycle within

the United States, which is

why roughly half of the

country's plastic waste was

shipped abroad in 2016, the

most recent year for which

data is available.

Since 2016, however, the

recycling landscape has

changed. China and many

countries in Southeast Asia

have stopped accepting plastic

waste imports. And lower oil

prices have further reduced

the market for recycled

plastic.

"What the new study really

underscores is we have to get

a handle on source reduction

at home," Mr. Mallos said.

"That starts with eliminating

unnecessary and problematic

single-use plastics."

President-elect has said he

would recommit to the Paris

climate agreement. Photo:

erin Schaff

A North Atlantic right whale off Duxbury, Massachusetts.

LeyLAnd CeCCo

Humans are killing the endangered

north Atlantic right whale far faster than

previously thought, and experts say the

window to act is quickly closing.

According to new modelling from the

north Atlantic Right Whale Consortium,

only 356 of the whales remain in the

world - a significant decline from the

409 logged last year.

of the remaining whales, only about

70 breeding females survive. Without

decisive action, experts fear females

could disappear in the next 10 to 20

years. "It's not just numbers. These are

individuals that we've seen grow up as

calves," said Philip Hamilton, a

researcher at the Anderson Cabot Center

for ocean Life. "To see them turning up

dead or even worse, entangled in ropes

where it takes a year to slowly die, is just

gut-wrenching."

While human-caused deaths

remained low this year, researchers now

realize the 17 fatalities recorded in 2017

vastly underestimated the scope of

destruction. They now believe 42 whales

died that year.

In recent years, the Canadian

government has taken steps to reduce

fatalities, including limiting the speed of

large ships and closing commercial

fishing areas where the whales are often

spotted. But experts believe more can be

done.

A move to rope-less fishing, which

would allow fishermen to lay traps

without lines reaching up to the surface,

would have one of the most outsized

impacts on fatalities, said Hamilton.

entanglements in fishing equipment are

a leading cause of death among the

whales.

There is still room for optimism, said

Hamilton, who first started working with

the whales in the mid-1980s, when the

population was less than 350.

"The numbers have been this low

before," he said. "But we have to stop

Photo: Boston Globe

North Atlantic right whale to extinction

faster than believed

killing them - we're killing them at an

alarming rate."

And to survive, the whales will have to

adapt to a rapidly changing ocean

ecosystem, where changes to their

feeding locations present a "double

whammy", said Hamilton. "Managing

environmental change, while also having

their reproduction reduced, is just

untenable," he said.

While many people will never glimpse

the graceful mammals that can reach

70,000 kilograms (77 tons), Hamilton

remains deeply fascinated by a species

hurtling towards extinction.

"The population is small enough that

we literally know almost every one of

them," he said. "But we don't know how

they find their food. We don't know how

they navigate. They do some really

interesting vocalizations that we don't

know … It's just this exciting

combination of so much knowledge and

a tremendous amount of mystery."

The Biden administration

on the environment policy

The Santa Lucia beach in Acapulco, Mexico, in June.

South Asian nations dominate

WHo's air pollution database

GARy FULLeR

At this time of year, agricultural

burning adds to the air pollution

problems across northern India and

Pakistan. The region contains 16 of the

20 most polluted cities in the World

Health organization's global PM2.5

database. But are these the most

polluted places ever recorded? Lack of

measurements make historic

comparisons difficult, but we have

some clues.

More than 200 years ago, Benjamin

Franklin was famously among the first

scientists to study electricity in the

atmosphere. Lightning is the most

obvious manifestation, but air pollution

also changes the electrical properties of

our air.

electrical measurements near Hyde

Park in about 1790 suggest 18thcentury

London's particle pollution was

perhaps half the annual average in the

most polluted cities in modern India.

By 1900, things had deteriorated.

Measurements of atmospheric

electricity at Kew show air pollution on

An anti-smog device is used on a roadside in Delhi, India.

Photo: Francisco Robles

the edge of London was similar to the

worst Indian cities today.

When first routine measurements of

particle pollution began in the 1920s,

central London was approximately

twice as polluted as contemporary

India. Stoke-on-Trent was more than

four times greater.

However, in the 1920s, the UK was

home to 44 million people. About 400

million people are exposed to the poor

air in north India's Ganges River basin,

making it a far larger air pollution

crisis.

Photo: EPA

LISA FRIedMAn

President-elect Joseph R.

Biden Jr. campaigned on

the most ambitious climate

platform of any presidential

candidate in history,

promising to spend $2

trillion over four years to

draw down planet-warming

fossil fuel emissions and

convert much of the nation

to clean energy.

The possibility that the

Senate could remain under

the control of Republicans,

who have generally

opposed climate legislation,

puts a damper on some of

his biggest-ticket plans. But

with or without democratic

control of the Senate, the

first 100 days of the Biden

administration are likely to

see a flurry of executive

actions addressing climate

change, as well as a major

push to insert clean energy

provisions into legislation

that could pass with a

bipartisan coalition.

Here are nine things Mr.

Biden may do early on to

put the United States back

on a path to addressing

climate change. Mr. Biden

has pledged throughout the

campaign, and again this

week, that on the day he

takes office he will

recommit the United States

to the global agreement on

climate change. That would

only require a letter to the

United nations and would

take effect 30 days later.

Mr. Biden has said he

intends to assemble a

"climate world summit" to

press leaders of the big

industrial nations to cut

greenhouse gas emissions

more aggressively.

expect the Biden

administration to

immediately rescind a large

number of President

Trump's executive orders

on energy, particularly a

March 2017 order calling

on every federal agency to

President-elect has said he would recommit to the Paris climate agreement.

dismantle their climate

policies. Several experts

said he is likely to replace it

with one declaring his

administration's intention

to cut greenhouse gases and

instructing all government

agencies to look for ways to

do so.

The Biden administration

will very likely push to

include clean energy

provisions in any new

economic stimulus

measures Congress

considers. That could

include things like research

and development funding

for clean energy, money for

states to continue their

renewable energy

expansion, and an

extension of tax credits for

renewable energy

industries.

developing and finalizing

new regulations will take

time, and, if challenged,

they may ultimately be

struck down by the

conservative majority on

the Supreme Court. But Mr.

Biden has indicated that,

early in his administration,

he will sign executive orders

instructing agencies to

develop new methane

limits for oil and gas wells,

to reinstate and strengthen

fuel economy standards,

and to tighten efficiency

standards for appliances

and buildings.

Mr. Biden has also said he

will, on the first day of his

administration, sign an

executive order requiring

public companies to

disclose climate changerelated

financial risks and

greenhouse gas emissions

in their operations.

Mr. Biden is expected to

cancel a 2017 executive

order to lift restrictions on

offshore energy exploration

and production. He also

could stop the Trump

administration's expedited

reviews of pipelines and

other fossil fuel projects.

Mr. Biden has made

addressing the effects of

pollution and global

warming in low-income

communities a central

Photo: Erin Schaff

element of his climate plan.

In the near term, a Biden

administration could create

an environmental justice

advisory board to

coordinate policies across

agencies and take concrete

steps like increasing

pollution monitoring in

vulnerable communities

and creating mapping tools

to better understand

disparities.

Mr. Biden has pledged to

take "immediate steps to

reverse the Trump assault

on America's national

treasures" including major

cuts in 2017 to Bears ears

and Grand Staircaseescalante

national

monuments, as well as

opening parts of the Arctic

national Wildlife Refuge to

oil exploration. He has said

on the first day of his

administration he will sign

an executive order to

conserve 30 percent of

United States land and

waters by 2030.

Wednesday, noveMBer 11, 2020 6

deputy Commissioner Md shariful Islam as the chief guest distributed

grant checks among small ethnic groups in the district on

tuesday.

photo: Masrakul alom

Grant checks distributed among

small ethnic groups in Joypurhat

Masrakul aloM, Joypurhat Correspondent:

Grant checks have been distributed in

Joypurhat among small ethnic groups for

improving quality of life and voluntary

organizations. Deputy Commissioner Md

Shariful Islam distributed the checks as the

chief guest at a function organized by the

district administration and social services

department at the conference room on

Tuesday afternoon.

A check for Tk 4 lakh has been distributed

among 80 families as a one-time grant to

improve the living standards of the small

ethnic groups in the district and a check of Tk

6.40 lakh has been distributed among 32

volunatary organizations.

During the time, Zilla Parishad Chairman

Arifur Rahman Rocket, District Social

Services Deputy Director Imam Hasim,

Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Milton

Chandra Roy, Joypurhat Red Crescent

Society General Secretary Golam Haqqani

and Joypurhat Library and Club General

Secretary Raja Chowdhury were among

others present at the occasion.

Iu won't join unified

admission test

Islamic university: The

authorities of Islamic

University (IU) in Kushtia

have decided not to take part

in the uniform admission

test system, reports UNB.

The decision was taken at

a meeting of the IU

admission test committee

with Vice-Chancellor

Professor Shaikh Abdus

Salam in the chair, IU

Information, Publication

and Public Relations Office

said in a statement on

Monday night.

Among others, IU Pro-VC

Professor M Shahinoor

Rahman, chairmen and

deans of different

departments were present at

the meeting.

IU acting Registrar SM

Abdul Latif said that the

university authorities will

conduct its entry test for the

students as per its previous

system.

"Most of the departments

opposed holding the

admission test under a

unified admission test

system and that's why we

aren't joining it," he said.

lGed pd inspects bridge construction

site over sandhya river

s MIzanul IslaM, BanarIpara Correspondent:

The long-standing demand of the

people of Banaripara is to build a bridge

over the Sandhya River. For this, Md.

Ebadat Ali, Project Director of LGED

inspected the site and feasibility of

constructing a bridge over the river on

Monday. During his visit he decided to

build a bridge in front of the South

Nazirpur Secondary School in the

municipality.

The construction of the bridge, which

is about one and a half kilometers long,

will open the door to a historic link with

the Barishal Division and the Khulna

Division. Besides, the tomb of Father of

the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at

Tungipara in Gopalganj district can be

easily visited by the people of the

region. The construction of this bridge

will save a lot of money for the

government, as there are no houses and

buildings here.

LGED project director Md Ebadat Ali

said the government does not have to pay

much compensation for this. Earlier,

former Member of Parliament Md

Monirul Islam Moni and Advocate

Talukder Md Yunus demanded the need

for a bridge in the National Assembly. At

Mobile court fines 6 people for

not wearing masks in Gournadi

that time, the feasibility of building a

bridge in the same area was examined.

Recently, Md. Shahe Alam, Member of

Parliament for Barishal-02 constituency,

a member of the Standing Committee on

Rural Development and Cooperatives of

the local government, demanded

construction of a bridge over the Sandhya

rRver in the Q&A session.

During the time, Upazila Engineer Md.

Humayun Kabir, Upazila Vice Chairman

Nurul Huda and other local political

leaders were present during the feasibility

study.

Md. ebadat ali, project director of lGed inspected the site and

feasibility of constructing a bridge over sandhya river in

Banaripara on Monday.

photo: s Mizanul Islam

GIas uddIn MIah, GournadI Correspondent:

A mobile court fined 6 people Tk 2,000 for

not wearing masksoutside their homes to

prevent the global epidemic of coronavirusin

Gournadi Upazila on Tuesday. Besides, free

maskswere distributed among traders,

easybike drivers and pedestrians at the

initiative of the upazila administration.

Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land)

and Executive Magistrate of the mobile court

Fariha Tanjin warned pedestrians including

shopkeepers and easybike drivers at

Gournadi, Ashokathi, Kasemabad and

Mahilara bus stands to wear masks outside

the house to prevent coronavirus and

distributes masks among all. The mobile

court fined 6 people Tk 2,000 for not

wearing masks at that time.

Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land)

and Executive Magistrate of the mobile court

Fariha Tanjin said the campaign and program

of the upazila administration would continue.

SI Ahid Mia of Gournadi Model Police Station

was present at the time.

a human chain was formed protesting against assassination attempt

on naogaon atrai upazila 5 Bisha up Chairman abdul Mannan on

tuesday.

photo: M r rocky

naogaon residents protest

against assassination

attempt on chairman

M r roCky, naoGaon Correspondent:

A human chain was formed protesting

against assassination attempt on Naogaon

Atrai Upazila 5 Bisha UP Chairman Abdul

Mannan.

A large number of men and women took

part in the human chain at Atrai Upazila

Chattar on Tuesday afternoon. Speakers said

a group of terrorists stopped Chairman

Abdul Mannan on his way home from the

Union Parishad on the night of November 5

and carried out a surprise attack.The

chairman ran to a house with serious injuries

and saved his life.

The chairman is undergoing treatment in

Rajshahi in critical condition. They

demanded exemplary punishment by

arresting the attackers in human chain.

Members of BGB arrested four women and a man while they were on their

way to India illegally through the Indian border area in Maheshpur upazila

of Jhenaidah. they were detained from Gurdah Bazaar in Maheshpur on

Monday evening.

photo: s I Mollik

Gournadi upazila assistant Commissioner (land) and executive

Magistrate of the mobile court Fariha tanjinfined 6 people for not wearing

masks in the upazila on tuesday.

photo: Gias uddin Miah

Covid-19 cases rise to 13,160

in rangpur division

RANGPUR: The number of coronavirus

(Covid-19) cases rose to 13,160 in Rangpur

division as 35 new patients were reported

after testing 434 samples at three COVID-19

Laboratories in Rangpur, Dinajpur and

Dhaka on Monday, reports BSS.

Health officials said the daily infection rate

among the 434 samples tested on Monday

stood at 8.06 percent in Rangpur division

where the infection rate continues to decline

during the last three months.

The district-wise break up of the 13,160

patients stands at 3,175 in Rangpur, 693 in

Panchagarh, 1,169 in Nilphamari, 904 in

Lalmonirhat, 944 in Kurigram, 1,267 in

Thakurgaon, 3,765 in Dinajpur and 1,243

Gaibandha districts.

Since the beginning, a total of 80,303

collected samples were tested till Monday,

and of them, 13,160 were found COVID-19

positive with an average infection rate of

16.38 percent in the division.

"Meanwhile, the number of cured patients

rose to 12,192 as 35 more people recovered

on Monday at the average recovery rate of

92.64 percent," Focal Person of COVID-19

and Assistant Director (Health) for Rangpur

division Dr. ZA Siddiqui told BSS yesterday.

The average recovery rate of 92.64 percent

is currently over 5.65 times higher than the

average infection rate of 16.53 percent in the

division.

The 12,192 recovered patients include

2,782 of Rangpur, 644 of Panchagarh, 1,137

of Nilphamari, 883 of Lalmonirhat, 893 of

Kurigram, 1,096 of Thakurgaon, 3,568 of

Dinajpur and 1,189 of Gaibandha districts.

Talking to BSS yesterday, Acting Divisional

Director (Health) Dr. Sultan Ahmed said the

number of total fatalities remained steady at

239 in the division where no more deaths

were reported on Monday.

The district-wise break up of the 239

fatalities stands at 52 in Rangpur, 86 in

Dinajpur, 26 in Thakurgaon, 21 in

Nilphamari, 15 in Kurigram, 14 in

Gaibandha, 16 Panchagarh and nine in

Lalmonirhat districts.

"The average casualty rate currently stands at

about 1.82 percent in the division," he said.

Among the total 13,160 COVID-19 infected

patients, 65 are undergoing treatments at

isolation units of different hospitals after

recovery of 12,192 patients and 239 deaths

while 664 remaining in home isolations.

"Since the beginning, a total of 84,332

people of the division were put in

quarantines, and of them, 78,835 released

and 5,497 are currently remaining in home

or institutional quarantines," Dr. Ahmed

added.

Talking to BSS, Additional Divisional

Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir Hossain

said the declining COVID-19 infection rate

and rising recovery rate are improving the

coronavirus situation in Rangpur division

consistently in the last three months.

"To further reduce the COVID-19 spread,

everyone should wear masks and abide by

the health directives to check a probable

second wave of spreading of the deadly virus

during the winter season," Hossain said.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020

7

Armenia and Azerbaijan announced an agreement early Tuesday to halt fighting over the Nagorno-

Karabakh region of Azerbaijan under a pact signed with Russia that calls for deployment of nearly

2,000 Russian peacekeepers and territorial concessions. Photo : AP

Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to end

fight in Nagorno-Karabakh

YEREVAN : Armenia and Azerbaijan

announced an agreement early

Tuesday to halt fighting over the

Nagorno-Karabakh region of

Azerbaijan under a pact signed with

Russia that calls for deployment of

nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers

and territorial concessions.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the

control of ethnic Armenian forces backed

by Armenia since a 1994 truce ended a

separatist war in which an estimated

30,000 people died. Sporadic clashes

occurred since then, and full-scale

fighting began on Sept. 27.

Several cease-fires had been called

but were almost immediately violated.

However, the agreement announced

early Tuesday appeared more likely to

take hold because Azerbaijan has made

significant advances, including taking

control of the strategically key city of

Shushi on Sunday.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol

Pashinian said on Facebook that calling

an end to the fight was "extremely

painful for me personally and for our

people." Soon after the announcement,

thousands of people streamed to the

main square in the Armenian capital

Saudi-led coalition

says foils 2 Houthi

attacks

RIYADH : Saudi-led

coalition involved in a war in

Yemen foiled on Monday the

second attack by Houthi

militia, the Saudi Press

Agency reported.

The coalition spokesperson,

Turki Al Maliki, said that the

forces intercepted another

bomb-laden drone launched

towards the kingdom's

southern region, the report said.

Earlier on Monday, the

coalition announced

destroying a bomb-laden

drone in Yemen flying

towards the kingdom.

Yellow fever

outbreak kills 8

in Nigeria

ABUJA : An outbreak of

yellow fever has killed eight

people in northeastern

Nigeria, local health officials

confirmed late Monday.

Rilwanu Mohammed,

head of the Bauchi State

Primary Healthcare

Development Agency, said

eight others have been

hospitalized as the disease

continues to spread in the

Ganjuwa area of the state.

Health workers recorded

the eight yellow fever deaths

on a recent routine exercise

in the Ganjuwa area,

Mohammed told reporters

in Bauchi City, capital of

Bauchi State.

The disease is mostly

spread by a type of

mosquitoes called "Aedes

Aepyti" found in the tropics

and sub-tropics. It

reportedly also can be

spread by forest monkeys.

To curb the outbreak, the

health official said a

vaccination exercise is

underway.

Yerevan to protest the agreement,

many shouting, "We won't give up our

land!" Some of them broke into the

main government building, saying they

were searching for Pashinian, who

apparently had already departed..

The agreement calls for Armenian

forces to turn over control of some

areas it held outside the borders of

Nagorno-Karabakh, including the

eastern district of Agdam. That area

carries strong symbolic weight for

Azerbaijan because its main city, also

called Agdam, was thoroughly pillaged,

and the only building remaining intact

is the city's mosque.

Armenians will also turn over the

Lachin region, which holds the main

road leading from Nagorno-Karabakh

to Armenia. The agreement calls for the

road, the so-called Lachin Corridor, to

remain open and be protected by

Russian peacekeepers.

In all, 1,960 Russian peacekeepers

are to be deployed in the region under a

five-year mandate.

The agreement also calls for

transport links to be established

through Armenia linking Azerbaijan

and its western exclave of Nakhcivan,

which is surrounded by Armenia, Iran

and Turkey.

Azerbaijani forces on Monday shot

down a Russian helicopter that was flying

over Armenia near the border with

Nakhchivan, killing two servicemen.

Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said the

helicopter was flying low and "in the

context of these factors and in light of the

tense situation in the region and

increased combat readiness in

connection with possible provocations of

the Armenian side, the duty combat crew

decided to open fire to kill."

The seizure of Shushi, which

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev

claimed Sunday and was confirmed by

Nagorno-Karabakh's presidential

spokesman Monday, gave Azerbaijan a

significant strategic advantage. The city

is positioned on heights overlooking

the regional capital of Stepanakert, 10

kilometers (six miles) to the north.

"Unfortunately, we are forced to

admit that a series of failures still haunt

us, and the city of Shushi is completely

out of our control," Vagram Pogosian, a

spokesman for the president of the

government in Nagorno-Karabakh,

said in a statement on Facebook.

When Eric Sheffield first saw Joe Biden take the lead in the vote count in

Georgia, the 52-year-old Black man immediately thought about all the

years he spent urging his Black friends and family to vote and all the times

he saw his preferred candidate lose.

Photo : AP

'This is proof': Biden's win reveals

power of Black voters

DETROIT : When Eric Sheffield first saw Joe

Biden take the lead in the vote count in

Georgia, the 52-year-old Black man

immediately thought about all the years he

spent urging his Black friends and family to

vote and all the times he saw his preferred

candidate lose.

"Over the years, a lot of Black people have

said, 'Well, my vote doesn't matter,'" the real

estate development analyst in Atlanta said

Friday. "This is proof that our vote does

matter."

Even as votes are still tallied, there's little

dispute that Black voters were a driving

national force pushing the former vice

president to the winner's column. By

overwhelmingly backing Biden and showing

up in strong numbers, Black voters not only

helped deliver familiar battleground states to

the Democrat, but they also created a new one

in the longtime GOP bastion of Georgia -

potentially remaking presidential politics for

years to come. Activists pointed to the results

as a repudiation of the racist rhetoric of

President Donald Trump and an endorsement

of Biden's choice of Kamala Harris, the first

Black woman on a major party presidential

ticket, as his running mate. But they also

credited their years of work organizing voters

and signaled they intended to seek a return on

their investment.

"We saw this early - we believed in us," said

Maurice Mitchell, a Movement for Black Lives

strategist and national director of the Working

Families Party - a progressive multiracial

grassroots effort. "We believed in the power of

Black voters and Black organizers in our

movement." Black voters made up 11% of the

national electorate, and 9 in 10 of them

supported Biden, according to AP VoteCast, an

expansive survey of more than 110,000 voters

nationwide. Both figures are about on par with

2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton also

overwhelmingly won Black voters' support but

fell short of winning the White House,

according to Pew Research Center estimates.

But when compared to Clinton, Biden drew

more voters in critical areas with large Black

populations. In Wayne County, Michigan,

which includes Detroit, and in Milwaukee

County, Wisconsin, Biden added to his vote

totals and his margins compared to Clinton,

while Trump's votes failed to match the

Democratic gains.

As virus spikes,

Europe runs low

on ICU beds,

hospital staff

PARIS : In Italy lines of

ambulances park outside

hospitals awaiting beds, and

in France the government

coronavirus tracking app

prominently displays the

intensive care capacity taken

up by COVID-19 patients:

92.5% and rising. In the ICU

in Barcelona, there is no end

in sight for the doctors and

nurses who endured this

once already.

Intensive care is the last

line of defense for severely

ill coronavirus patients and

Europe is running out - of

beds and the doctors and

nurses to staff them,

reports UNB.

In country after country,

the intensive care burden of

COVID-19 patients is

nearing and sometimes

surpassing levels seen at last

spring's peak. Health

officials, many advocating a

return to stricter lockdowns,

warn that adding beds will

do no good because there

aren't enough doctors and

nurses trained to staff them.

In France, more than

7,000 health care workers

have undergone training

since last spring in intensive

care techniques. Nursing

students, interns,

paramedics, all have been

drafted, according to Health

Minister Olivier Veran.

"If the mobilization is well

and truly there, it is not

infinite," he said last week,

when the ICU units were

filled to 85% capacity. "It is

not enough."

Within days, it had

jumped another 7

percentage points and he

warned it would continue to

tick upward. And, unlike in

the first wave last spring, the

virus is now everywhere in

France, making transfers

from one region to another

by high-speed train less

practical.

Firebrand Indonesian cleric returns

from 3-year Saudi exile

JAKARTA : Thousands of followers of a

firebrand cleric joyfully welcomed him

at an Indonesian airport early Tuesday

as he returned home from a 3-year exile

in Saudi Arabia after criminal charges

including a pornography case were

dropped.

The supporters, waving welcoming

banners and placards, burst into joy

when they saw Rizieq Shihab, leader of

the Islamic Defenders Front, and his

family exit immigration at the airport

heading to their residence in central

Jakarta. Television footage showed

thousands of men, women and

children, many wearing white Islamic

robes, chanted "God is Great" as they

marched and filled a major road to the

airport's arrival gates. They halted

traffic along the way to the airport.

"We did not mobilize them to come,

they came voluntarily because they had

long missed their beloved leader,"

Front spokesman Slamet Ma'arif told

TVone. He urged Shihab's followers to

welcome their leader in an orderly

manner and comply with health

protocols amid the coronavirus

pandemic. Many of them spent the

night in the airport waiting and praying

before Shihab's arrival, airport

spokesperson Haerul Anwar said.

Authorities had beefed up security at

Soekarno-Hatta airport by deploying

more than 1,500 security personnel,

including police and military, he said.

Shihab left Indonesia in 2017 to go on

an umrah, or minor pilgrimage, to

Mecca shortly after the National Police

charged him in connection with a

pornography chat case and for

allegedly insulting the Pancasila state

ideology. Police dropped both charges

last year due to weak evidence, but

authorities in Saudi Arabia had banned

him from leaving the country without

any explanation. Coordinating

Political, Legal and Security Affairs

Minister Muhammad Mahfud said last

week the Indonesian government was

not preventing Shihab from coming

home.

"We've never stopped him from going

home, if he was impeded, it is his

business with the Saudi Arabian

government," Mahfud told reporters in

response to an address by Shihab on

the Front's official YouTube channel in

which the cleric announced his

imminent return.

Agus Maftuh Abegebriel, Indonesia's

ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said

Shihab was given a visa to leave Saudi

Arabia this month for Indonesian

citizens who undergo a deportation

process. The front was once on the

political fringes and has a long record of

vandalizing nightspots, hurling stones

at Western embassies and attacking

rival religious groups. It wants Shariah

law to apply to Indonesia's 230 million

Muslims.

The group has gained significant

influence through humanitarian and

charity work. It was a key organizer of

massive street protests in 2016 and

2017 against the governor of Jakarta,

who was subsequently imprisoned for

blasphemy. Indonesia is the world's

most populous Muslim country, but

has a secular government and a

reputation as a tolerant, pluralist

society that respects freedom of

expression.

Trudeau looks to Biden for

help in dispute with China

TORONTO : Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said

Monday he spoke with President-elect Joe Biden about

China's imprisonment of two Canadians in retaliation for the

arrest of a top Huawei executive and he expects Biden to be

a good partner in persuading Beijing to release them.

The prime minister's office said Trudeau was the first

international leader to speak with Biden since U.S. news

media determined he won the election. His office said they

talked about a number of issues including the coronavirus

pandemic, climate change and the detained Canadians.

Beijing arrested former diplomat Michael Kovrig and

businessman Michael Spavor in December 2018 just days after

Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese Huawei executive

and the daughter of the company's founder, reports UNB.

The U.S. is seeking Meng's extradition on fraud charges

and her extradition case is before the Canadian courts. Her

arrest severely damaged relations between China and

US sanctions 4 Chinese

officials over Hong Kong

crackdown

BEIJING : The U.S. State Department has

announced sanctions against an additional

four Chinese officials over the crackdown on

political rights in Hong Kong, reports UNB.

A statement issued by the department on

Monday said the four would be banned from

traveling to the U.S. and have any assets in

the country blocked over their role in

implementing the territory's sweeping

national security law, seen as heavily

restricting free speech and opposition

politics since its passage in June.

The U.S. has already imposed such

sanctions on a number of officials, including

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Washington accuses Beijing of betraying a

promise to allow the former British colony to

retain its own civil liberties for 50 years after

its handover to Chinese rule in 1997.

"These actions underscore U.S. resolve to

hold accountable key figures that are actively

eviscerating the freedoms of the people of

Hong Kong and undermining Hong Kong's

autonomy," the State Department said. The

four are: Li Jiangzhou, the deputy director of

the Office for Safeguarding National Security

established after the law was passed; head of

the police National Security Division Edwina

Law; police Senior Superintendent Steve Li

Kwai-Wah; and deputy director of the

central government's Hong Kong and Macao

Affairs Office Deng Zhonghua.

Monday's announcement came as Hong

Kong's 19 pro-democracy lawmakers said

they would resign en masse from the city's

legislative council if Beijing disqualifies any

of them. Unconfirmed reports have said that

China's National People's Congress Standing

Committee was preparing to disqualify four

legislators at a meeting this week, accusing

them of filibustering meetings and violating

their oaths of office.

Along with sanctioning officials, the U.S.

has suspended its extradition treaty with

Hong Kong, prompting other countries to

follow suit.

During a visit to Beijing last week, Lam

called on U.S. officials to end what she called

repeated interference in Hong Kong and

Chinese affairs.

"I hope that they will come back to

normalcy and accept that the relationship

has to be built on mutual respect and

cooperation," Lam told reporters.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy legislators attend a press conference at

the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. The

lawmakers said Monday that they would resign en masse if Beijing

disqualifies any of them. The announcement came amid unconfirmed

reports that Beijing would oust four legislators for filibustering

meetings and violating their oath.

Photo : AP

Canada. China has also sentenced two other Canadians to

death and suspended canola imports. Trudeau earlier said

China's attempt at coercive diplomacy by imprisoning two

Canadians in retaliation for the arrest of a top Huawei

executive isn't working. "Their approach of coercive

diplomacy is ineffective," Trudeau said at a news conference.

"I am extremely confident that the incoming administration

will continue to be a good partner to Canada and other

nations around the world as we look to impress upon China

that the approach they are taking is simply not working."

Trudeau said Kovrig and Spavor have been arbitrarily

detained for over 700 days. Meng, the chief financial officer

of Huawei Technologies, is living in a luxury Vancouver

home while her extradition case continues in British

Columbia court. The U.S. accuses Huawei of using a Hong

Kong shell company to deceive banks and do business with

Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.

WEDNESDAY, NoVEMBER 11, 2020

8

Sabina, Kabori reunites

for ‘Ei Tumi Sei Tumi’

TBT REpoRT

Veteran actress Kabori

Sarwar and famous singer

Sabina Yasmin is going to

reunite in the movie 'Ei Tumi

Sei Tumi' where Kabori will

compose the lyrics while

Sabina Yasmin as the music

director. Actress Kabori will

also be directing and starring

in the movie as well. The film

has a song titled "Tumi

Shotti Kore Bolo" written by

actress Kabori.

Musician Imran Mahmudul

and Somnur Monir Konal will

also lend their voice to the

song. This will be the first time

that the actress will be in the

role of a lyricist, the actress

expressed her excitement

stating, "I really wish I could

voice my own song but as long

as the audience would love the

song then that's all that

counts."

Sabina Yasmin and Kabori

have worked in numerous

projects together. Kabori has

acted in innumerable songs

voiced by Sabina on the silver

screen. This time as a token of

their friendship, Sabina

Yasmin decided to take on the

responsibility of being a music

composer for her close friend

Kabori's movie.

Sabina Yasmin was also

ecstatic about being a music

composer for the first time.

The singer said, "I can't

express my happiness right

now. I am composing four

songs for the movie on the

request of my dearest friend."

The government-funded

movie "Ei Tumi Sei Tum"

shooting has already started.

Kabori will be acting along

veteran theater artist

Mohammad Bari who will be

playing her husband.

The movie has highlighted

two periods, an amalgamation

of the present time and the

time during the liberation war.

The movie projects that love

plays an important part in

both periods. Riyadh Raihan

and Nishat Nawar Salwa will

be acting as the present day

couple for the movie.

H o RoScopE

ARIES

(March 21 - April 20) : Have fun

with loved ones, Aries. Put your worries

aside. Don't think of the possible negative

consequences of having a good time.

Focus on the fun and excitement of the moment. You have

the ability to create fantastically strong bonds between

you and your romantic partner. Love is in your favor, so

act with confidence. There is no reason to feel bad or

insecure in any way.

TAURUS

(April 21 - May 21) : You're the

secret jewel, Taurus. You're apt to

be extremely loving and devoted to

those who recognize this in you.

There is no reason to shrink back and hide. Put on

your royal air and flaunt your stuff. Your peaceful,

charming nature shines through, and you radiate

the god-like qualities you have within. Whoever

shares your company tonight is extremely lucky.

GEMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : You may feel

locked in a bind of deep emotion and

stubborn attitudes with close friends

or lovers, Gemini. Perhaps it's hard

for you to say what you really feel. You may be under

the impression that you're being tested and judged

by everyone else. Try not to let your ego get in the

way of a good time. Say what you feel without

getting worried about how others will react.

cANcER

(June 22 - July 23) : Your spirit

sparkles, Cancer. You may feel filled

with tremendous energy as you go

about your day. Your sense of

adventure is high, and there's very little that gets you

down. One area that might be difficult to deal with

right now is love and romance. You may feel like this

is the one domain in which things aren't going the way

you'd like them to. Patience is the secret.

LEo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): You may feel

yourself slipping into a deeper

understanding with a close friend or

loved one, Leo. Romantic situations

are heating up, and you're slowly letting your

inhibitions fade away so they're completely absent.

You realize the exuberance and excitement that

come when you come out of hiding and let your

playful spirit charm the world.

VIRGo

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

it's good to have strong opinions and be

independent and willful, Virgo. But there

are other times when this attitude turns

people away you're hoping to draw closer. There's a

stubborn yet sensitive attitude in your world of romance

that may be difficult for you to deal with. Perhaps you're

taking a more rational approach to things while your loved

one is taking a more emotional one.

LIBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Sensual,

passionate lovemaking is definitely on

the agenda of activities for tonight,

Libra. Fun, excitement, romance, and

love are all key themes likely to take precedence if you

have anything to say about it - and you do. Don't let

someone else dictate your path for you. You know

what you want, so don't say you don't care when you

do. Love is coming your way. Learn how to grab it.

ScoRpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): You may feel

like the brakes have been slammed in

the romance department, Scorpio.

Realize that this doesn't mean you

have to stop having fun. Laughter and good times are

in store for you today as long as you don't get hung up

on the slow pace of your love life. You can have a good

time while taking things one step at a time. Savor each

moment. Don't try to rush to the next.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): The stars

indicate that love and romance

are in your favor, Sagittarius. You

will find that this area of your life

is going well. Shower your partner with

affection. You honey's ego needs to be stroked.

However, don't spoil him or her to the point that

your mate becomes self-centered and ends up

disregarding all of your wants and needs.

cApRIcoRN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Your sensitive,

sensual side is being drawn out,

Capricorn. You may feel like your

romantic side is on display. You're

like a dancer onstage, and you accept this role

with pleasure! There's a great combination of

energies at work letting you become more

realistic about love and approach it with

dramatic flair and courage.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Come out of your

shell and be proud of your sensitive

side, Aquarius. Although you may

feel vulnerable when it comes to love

and romance, this doesn't mean that you have to

hide it. You may think that everyone else has it

together in this department, but don't be fooled.

They're just as insecure as you are! Go ahead and

let this side of your personality shine.

pIScES

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : You shouldn't

have any problem getting your way

in most areas of life, Pisces. The time

is ripe for you to take the lead.

Unfortunately, there may be one important part of

your life that isn't going exactly to plan, and this is

love and romance. It's likely that you will run into a

tremendously stubborn attitude that you can't

seem to break through. It could be your own.

Farooki as jury in Tallinn

Black Nights Film Festival

Eminent Bangladeshi film director Mostafa

Sarwar Farooki has become one of the five

Official Competition Jury members at the

24th edition of Tallinn Black Nights Film

Festival (PÖFF) set to take place from Nov

13 to Nov 29 in Estonia reports UNB.

Farooki shared the news recently on his

official Facebook account, and the official

website of the festival has also added him as

one of the Jury members alongside four of

his co-jurors in the Official Competition

section: British film festival consultant and

writer-reviewer Mark Adams (United

Kingdom), producer and member of the

European Film Academy Izabela Kiszka-

Hoflik (Poland), theatre and film actress

Ester Kuntu (Estonia) and renowned

Director of Photography with double Oscar

nominations for "L.A. Confidential" and

"The Insider" and BAFTA nominee, Dante

Spinotti (Italy).

Liam Neeson’s next

is action-thriller

‘Retribution’

Liam Neeson's stint with

action is far from over as the

Hollywood star is set to

return to the genre with new

movie "Retribution".

The movie, said to be in

the same vein as Keanu

Reeves' 1994 blockbuster

"Speed", will be directed by

Nimrod Antal of "Predators"

and "Vacancy" fame,

reported Deadline.

A remake of 2015 Spanish

film "El

Desconocido", the

story follows a

businessman

who

discovers

that a bomb

has been

planted in

the car he's

"This is one festival I have always wanted

to be in. Heard many great things about this

festival from friends! So when the offer

came to be on their Official Competition

Jury, I didn't take much time to say "yes"!,"

Farooki wrote on Facebook.

Expressing his gratitude, he added,

"Thank you PÖFF | Tallinn Black Nights

Film Festival for having me! Looking

forward to watch the films and work with

my co-jurors!"

Started in 1997, the Tallinn Black Nights

Film Festival has grown into one of the

biggest film festivals in Northern Europe

and busiest regional industry platforms,

hosting more than 1,000 guests and

industry delegates and over 160 journalists.

The festival screens around 250 features

and more than 300 shorts and animations,

and is joined by 80,000 people on average

annually. As of 2014, the festival holds the

driving by an unknown

assailant, who tells the driver

to execute a series of

commands throughout the

day or the bomb will be

detonated.

Making things worse, the

businessman is accompanied

in the car by his family.

Chris Salmanpour and

Andrew Baldwin have

penned the script.

The movie is a joint

production between

Studiocanal, The Picture

Company and

filmmaker Jaume

Collet-Serra's Ombra

Productions.

Vaca Films,

which made the

original film, will

executive produce

TBT REpoRT

Lux superstar and popular

actress Faria Shahin has

recently completed the work

of the social service drama

'Akkel Salami' directed by

Tapu Khan. She will be seen

with her co-artists Tanvir,

FS Naeem and others. The

model-actress had earlier

acted in a drama with the

same director. About this,

Faria said, 'The story of the

drama is fantastic. I believe

everyone will enjoy the

drama.

Faria actually was also

discussed for various

comments through social

media beyond work.

along with Atresmedia Cine.

The project will start

shooting in Berlin, Germany

in 2021.

Neeson, who made a name

for himself with films such as

"Schindler's List" and "Les

Miserables", started his

Getting offers

Although her career on the

small screen is long, she's

worked in only one movie on

the silver screen 'Akash Koto

Dure'.

After that she was not seen

in any movies. After finishing

her studies, she has settled in

the country and returned to

small screen.

However, the star did not

say anything clearly about

whether she'll work in the

movie or not.

When asked about the

movie, she repeatedly

avoided the problem on the

pretext of a good story and

director. She is satisfied with

the small screen work.

from Bollywood :

Tanushree Dutta

Tanushree Dutta has

announced her return to

showbiz on social media. In

a long Instagram post,

Tanushree revealed that she is "in

touch with three big south film

managers who are pitching me for

big budget south projects as well

as 12 casting offices in Mumbai."

The actor also shared that she

chose a Bollywood comeback over

an IT job in the US.

In 2018, Tanushree accused

Nana Patekar of harassing her on

the sets of 2008 film Horn Ok

FIAPF accreditation for holding an

international competition programme

which puts the festival into the A-category of

film festivals, alongside other 14 festivals in

the world.

Faria in 'Akkel Salami'

action career pretty late, with

2008 feature "Taken".

Since then, he has starred

in films like "Run All Night",

"The A-Team", "Non-Stop",

"The Commuter" and "Cold

Pursuit".

Source: thehindu.com

Pleassss. She alleged that Nana

touched her inappropriately during the

filming of a song sequence, despite her

making it clear she wasn't comfortable

performing "lewd, vulgar or

uncomfortable steps." The actor

moved to the US soon after, and took a

sabbatical from Bollywood.

In her latest Instagram post,

Tanushree added, "There are powerful

Industry bigwigs who are giving me

silent support in the background as

they know the truth and are my well

wishers."

Source: indianexpress.com

WEdnESdAY, novEMBEr 11, 2020

9

Shakib to appear for

beep test today

SPOrTS DeSk:

Shakib AL Hasan did not

go through the mandatory

fitness test despite being

scheduled to appear for it on

Monday, reports BSS.

The ace all-rounder's

fitness test to attain the

eligibility for the

forthcoming Bangabandhu

T20 Cup will be held on

today (Wednesday),

confirmed the Bangladesh

Cricket Board (BCB) trainer

Tusher kanti Howlader.

Basically his fitness test

was delayed for two reasons.

Firstly, due to the risk of

Covid-19 as the SBNCS saw

80 cricketers coming for the

Beep Test, a process

through which the fitness of

the cricketers would be

determined.

Shakib Al Hasan though

tested negative for Covid-19,

the other cricketers who

came to the stadium, did not

have any corona test.

Therefore the BCB didn't

take the risk of taking his

test along with the other

cricketers.

Secondly, Shakib had his

first meeting with national

team physio Julian Calefato

The ace all-rounder's fitness test to attain the eligibility for the forthcoming

Bangabandhu T20 Cup will be held today. Photo: BCB

Mexico's Ortiz holds

off Johnson for first

US PGA Tour title

in Houston

SPOrTS DeSk:

Mexico's Carlos Ortiz

captured his first US PGA

Tour title Sunday, firing five

birdies in a five-under par 67

for a two-shot Houston Open

victory over top-ranked

Dustin Johnson and Hideki

Matsuyama, reports BSS.

Ortiz padded his margin

with the final flourish of a

birdie on 18 at Memorial Park

Golf Course, a municipal

layout in the Texas city

hosting a PGA event for the

first time since 1963.

"It was awesome finishing

with this birdie putt on 18,"

said Ortiz, who rolled in a 22-

footer at the last for a 13-

under par total of 267.

The Guadalajara native

played college golf at North

Texas University in Dallas,

and maintains a home in

Texas.

"This is like my second

home," he said. "There was a

bunch of people cheering for

me, Latinos and Texans. I'm

thankful for all of them."

The tournament was the

first to allow fans since the

PGA Tour resumed in June

after a three-month

coronavirus hiatus. A total of

2,000 spectators were

allowed each day, with face

mask requirements and social

distancing precautions in

place.

The victory gives Ortiz a

spot in next year's Masters,

although not in the final

major of the pandemicreshuffled

season that starts

on Thursday at Augusta

National.

today (Monday). Like

everyone else, Shakib has to

go through the proper

process. For this, he will

work one or two sessions on

his fitness with Calefato.

Then there will be Shakib's

fitness test.

"Shakib was supposed to

appear for a fitness test

along with others but those

cricketers didn't undergo

any Covid-19 test. So there is

a risk. Besides, he also

returned after a long

absence," Tusher kanti

Howlader said here today.

"Physio and trainers will

monitor his physical

condition. This will take

some time. So his fitness test

will be delayed for two

days."

Shakib is not having any

big problems even after the

fitness test being delayed.

The Players' Draft of the

Bangabandhu T20 Cup on

November 12. So it will be

known beforehand whether

Shakib is fully fit to play.

earlier Shakib entered the

stadium for the first time

since serving a one-year ban

imposed by the ICC last

year. He basically came to

his favourite ground exactly

after 376 days.

Beckham’s Miami

reach MLS playoffs

in first season

Sports Desk: David Beckham's Inter Miami

refused to be blown off course in their pursuit

of reaching the Major League Soccer playoffs

on Sunday, securing a famous victory while

battling tropical storm eta, reports BSS.

Wild winds and rain made conditions in

South Florida extremely difficult, but a

combination of Diego Alonso's side beating

Cincinnati 2-1 and rivals Atlanta and Chicago

dropping points ensured a difficult inaugural

campaign has now been boosted with a trip to

the post-season, where fellow newcomers

Nashville will welcome Miami on November

20th.

Goals from Mikey Ambrose - the first of his

career - and defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez

in the opening 45 minutes had put Beckham's

franchise in control at the interval yet more

drama was to follow after a brilliant strike for

the visiting team from Joe Gyau on 66 minutes.

A late red card for Inter defender Andres

reyes ensured a nervy finale.

Some crazed celebrations at the final whistle

began, however, once confirmation of defeats

for Atlanta and Chicago arrived on MLS's

"Decision Day" finale to the regular season.

This was just the seventh win from 23 in the

regular season for Alonso's side, who grabbed

the last available play-off ticket by finishing

10th in the eastern Conference.

Cincinnati, who are coached by Beckham's

former Manchester United teammate Jaap

Stam, end up bottom for the second year in a

row as Inter Miami moved on.

"We are very excited, it has been a difficult

year but we have worked hard and today we got

the reward," said a delighted Alonso, who

dedicated the triumph to the 2,703 fans who

cheered on their team while combating the

elements. "It's a big step for us, if they were

normal conditions we would have won by more

but we are just happy to get there.

"We knew the results were falling into place

but needed to wait and it's great we could

celebrate with the fans who came to support us

in such circumstances.

"They still showed up and that"s incredible.

They are some of the worst conditions I have

ever seen as a player or coach and it was

difficult to know how to play. "We wanted to

attack, but it wasn't a day for a lot of touches.

every time the ball went into the air it was

difficult."

The MLS play-offs are all one leg knock-out

games and Alonso added: "A new tournament

starts now and we can forget what has

happened in the season up until this point.

"This group loves to play life or death

matches. I am delighted." The chances of Inter

Miami extending their season appeared slim

before kick-off with Atlanta, Chicago and

Montreal also vying for two available slots.

But although Thierry Henry's Montreal

triumphed over DC United and will play New

england in the next round, Atlanta and

Chicago Atlanta lost against Columbus and

Chicago fell to New York City FC to ensure

Miami also sneaked through despite Cincinnati

pushing hard at the death for a draw which

wouldn't have been enough for the home team.

"The conditions were crazy, when we saw the

storm would hit close to the game, we knew it

would be like this," said Gonzalez Pirez.

"We had the wind in our favor in the first half

so we knew we had to get it done and then try

to manage the game in the second. rain is no

problem but playing with the wind is so tough.

"But we did it and now we can prepare for

what's ahead."

With every MLS team in action Sunday, the

Philadelphia Union locked up the Supporters'

Shield for the team with the best regularseason

record with a 2-0 victory over New

england.

Ashraful went through a beep test on Monday, conducted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board

(BCB) and scored 11.4, a shed better than the benchmark which is 11. Photo: Collected

The England international has been among the goals since earning a recall and believes new additions

Vince set to miss

PSL playoffs after

positive Covid-19

test

SPOrTS DeSk:

James Vince's involvement

in the Pakistan Super League

(PSL) is in doubt after he

tested positive for Covid-19,

reports Cricbuzz.

Vince, a member of

england's World Cupwinning

squad, was set to play

for Multan Sultans in the PSL

playoffs on November 14.

eSPNcricinfo understands

he is asymptomatic and will

imminently undergo a second

test. But he is legally obliged

to self-isolate for 10 days from

the date of the positive test.

Vince has also signed for

Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash

League (BBL), but, with the

start date just over a month

away, he should still be able to

take part.

It is the second significant

blow to Multan's title hopes in

as many days, following the

withdrawal of Mahmudullah,

the Bangladesh allrounder, on

Sunday, also due to a positive

Covid test. Vince scored 155

runs in five innings before the

tournament was cut short by

the pandemic earlier this year.

eSPNcricinfo understands

that the franchise are hoping

to sign a replacement for

Vince, with Joe Denly the

likely candidate.

Ashraful wants to

start anew

forgetting his past

SPOrTS DeSk:

Former Bangladesh

skipper Mohammad

Ashraful, considered as the

country's first poster boy in

cricket, insisted that he has

the faith on his skill and

fitness, which is imperative

to continue playing cricket,

reports BSS.

Ashraful went through a

beep test on Monday,

conducted by the

Bangladesh Cricket Board

(BCB) and scored 11.4, a

shed better than the

benchmark which is 11.

The beep test was held to

decide the players eligibility

to play the upcoming

Bangabandhu T20 Cup,

which is the second

tournament the BCB is

organizing amid Covid-19

pandemic.

Five teams will play for the

championship title in the

tournament for which the

Players Draft will be held on

November 12.

Ashraful is confident that

he would contribute if

picked by a side in the T20

tournament.

"I am very confident. The

way I am thinking at the

moment is that I want to

begin everything afresh

fitness and skill-wise. I

didn't think in the last eight

or nine months that I will

reach the level I have

reached in terms of fitness

and skill," Ashraful said here

today.

Ashraful was banned from

cricket for some years for his

involvement in spot fixing in

BPL.

Abraham 'over the

moon' to win

Chelsea place back

SPOrTS DeSk:

Tammy Abraham is

"over the moon" to be

back in favour at Chelsea,

with the striker

embracing added

competition for places at

Stamford Bridge, reports

AP.

A product of the Blues'

famed academy system

enjoyed a breakthrough

campaign at Stamford

Bridge in 2019-20.

Frank Lampard's hand

was forced slightly by a

transfer embargo, but

Abraham showed that he

was ready for a step up

onto a Premier League

stage.

Consistency was always

going to be an issue for a

frontman still learning his

trade, which led to the 23-

year-old slipping behind

World Cup winner Olivier

Giroud in the pecking

order at times.

Questions were then

asked of his ongoing

presence in west London

as Lampard dipped into

the transfer market over

the summer to bring in

SPOrTS DeSk:

Ligue 1's last unbeaten

run was ended on Sunday

when Lille followed up

their midweek triumph

over AC Milan with a 3-2

defeat at Brest, while Lyon

downed local rivals Saint

etienne 2-1, reports BSS.

Lille remain second in

the French top-flight five

points behind Paris Saint-

Germain and one above

rennes after suffering their

first loss since February.

The team that thumped

Milan 3-0 at the San Siro

on Thursday failed to leave

enough in the tank to see

off Brittany outfit Brest,

who had lost three in a row.

ronael Pierre-Gabriel

got his first professional

goal with a header for the

opener on 15 minutes and

Brest raced to a 3-0 lead

before half-time with goals

from romain Perraud and

Irvin Cardona.

Christophe Galtier's side

never gave up however and

earned a penalty in firsthalf

injury time with

Turkish striker Yilmaz

Burak slotting home.

He grabbed another goal

on 57 minutes to set up the

eventually doomed chase

as the home side were

cheered on by noisy

neighbours in an adjacent

Germany international

Timo Werner.

Injuries, suspensions

and rotation are always

going to play a part at

ambitious clubs, though,

and a door has opened up

again for Abraham.

He has made the most

of that chance, netting in

his last two appearances

against rennes and

Sheffield United, with a

man who is also looking

to nail down a place in the

senior england squad

feeling confident about

individual and collective

form at Chelsea.

Abraham told the Blues'

official website: "I am

over the moon to be back

in the team.

"I am playing with great

players and the new

signings have been a

breath of fresh air. We are

starting to understand

how each other plays and

we are getting results.

"We have self-belief

now, the belief is back, the

confidence is back and we

hope we can keep it

going."

Chelsea stretched a

building.

"We thought kick-off was

going to be at 2p.m., we

were wrong by an hour,"

said Galtier.

"When there's such a

difference between the first

and second half, there's

only one person

responsible and that's me.

The starting XI was my

choice and it didn't work at

all."

Lyon moved into fifth

place by beating strugging

rivals Saint-etienne 2-1

with Tino kadewere

fulfilling a his pre-match

prediction that he'd score

twice.

The 24-year-old

Zimbabwean international

scored in the 65th and 74th

minutes after Lyon had

fallen behind in the first

half.

Saint-etienne benefitted

when Lyon goalkeeper

Anthony Lopes managed

to put through his own goal

five minutes before the

interval.

Lopes had saved well

from a header by Denis

Bouanga but then seconds

later fumbled a cross from

the same player across his

own line.

Bouanga then missed a

penalty in the 87th minute

which would have given

Saint-etienne a point.

winning run to four

games with victory over

the Blades, and are now

unbeaten in six Premier

League outings, with

Abraham seeing plenty of

cause for optimism.

He added on finding the

target against Chris

Wilder's side and helping

to put down a potential

title-chasing marker: "It

was a case of being in the

right place at the right

time. "I knew what

[Mateo] kovacic was

going to do, he was going

to pull it back so it was

just about hitting the

target. I don't know if I got

a bit lucky but I will take

them any day.

"A couple of us are used

to Sheffield United and

their style of play, like

myself, I have played

against them a few times

before so I always knew it

was going to be hard to

break them down.

"They had the first goal

so we had to keep our

heads, we spoke and said

relax and hopefully the

chances will come, and I

scored soon after."

Lille suffer first defeat

of season, Lyon grab

derby bragging rights

For rudi Garcia's Lyon, it

was a third win in four

games while their local

rivals slumped to a sixth

successive loss.

"I'm happy for Tino who

is appreciated by everyone.

He has the qualities of a

finisher," said Garcia.

kadewere added: "I

believe very strongly in

God. I knew this was going

to happen. It went very well

tonight for me and for the

team."

Monaco are sixth

following a 2-1 victory at

Nice.

Axel Disasi headed in a

corner to put Monaco

ahead on 23 minutes and

Sofiane Diop punished a

mistake by Stanley Nsoki

to double the lead early in

the second half.

Pierre Lees-Melou scored

a consolation for Nice as

Patrick Vieira's side were

beaten for the first time in

six matches.

Florian Sotoca scored

two late goals as Lens

salvaged a 4-4 draw at

home to reims, while

Angers thrashed Nimes 5-

1.

Nantes won 2-0 at

Lorient but Dijon remain

the only club without a

victory despite a 1-1 draw at

Metz.

WEDNESDAY, NoVEMBER 11, 2020

10

Asian shares, US futures surge

on relief US election decided

Rangpur Zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd organized a webinar titled 'Compliance of

Shari'ah in Banking Sector' recently. Md. Zakir Hossain, Director of the bank addressed the

program as chief guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director of the bank

addressed the program as special guest. Dr. Mohammad Monzur-E-Elahi, Member of IBBL

Shari'ah Supervisory Committee addressed the webinar as chief discussant while Dr. Md. Ruhul

Amin Rabbani, Member Additional Secretary of the committee addressed as special discussant.

Mir Rahmat Ullah, Executive Vice President presided over the program while Md.

Shamsuddoha, Executive Vice President addressed the program. Head of branches and officials

under Rangpur Zone attended the webinar.

Photo: Courtesy

India's richest man Mukesh Ambani

planning dynastic transfer?

Rumours are doing the rounds in

India that the country's richest man

Mukesh Ambani may soon split his

USD 200 billion business empire

among his three children, reports

UNB.

Mukesh, if the rumours are to be

believed, is planning to hand over three

core business areas of his oil-totelecom

conglomerate Reliance

Industries to Akash, Isha and Anant,

the younger generation.

What lends credence to the

speculation is Mukesh's aggressive

fundraising spree to make his

conglomerate debt-free amid the

pandemic and his strategic decision to

radically reduce Reliance's dependence

on the flagship oil sector to diversify

into telecom and e-commerce.

"This strategic shift in business areas

gives the biggest indication of a

dynastic transfer. And making the

company debt-free will give an edge to

Mukesh's children to expand their

empire in years to come," says Delhibased

economist Nayana Singhal.

Reliance had, in fact, raised USD 15.2

billion by selling stakes in its telecom

unit Jio and another USD 7 billion

through rights issue just in the first

quarter of this fiscal that saw the shares

of the conglomerate hitting an all-time

high during the Covid-induced

slowdown.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia's Public

Investment Fund recently announced

its intention to buy a two percent stake

in Reliance's retail arm for USD 1.3

billion. Also, the world's biggest crude

producer Saudi Aramco is eyeing a

20% stake in its oil business for USD 15

billion.

Mukesh, in fact, has already helped

twins Isha and Akash raise their

profiles in the family-run business.

Since their appointment to the board of

telecom arm Jio six years ago, they

have been addressing investors at

annual shareholder meetings and

rolling out products.

Isha, a Yale University alumnus who

has previously worked with McKinsey

as a consultant, had also played a key

role in Reliance's e-commerce entry

into fashion retail in 2016 by launching

online shopping portal Ajio, apart from

her active participation in the Jio

board.

Jio has attracted some 370 million

subscribers to its network since its

mega launch in 2016, despite being a

late entrant to India's telecom sector.

By offering free voice calls and data at

the world's cheapest price, it has

already changed the country's digital

landscape.

UNB had earlier reported about

Reliance's plans to take Jio public in

the second half of the next fiscal, riding

on the increased digital adoption

across the world, including in India, in

the wake of the Covid pandemic.

India's internet users are likely to grow

to 850 million by 2022. "Not only Isha,

Akash, an economics graduate from

Brown University, is also qualified to

take over the reins. If the twins look

after the retail and telecom units, the

oil business could be bestowed upon by

Mukesh on their 25-year-old younger

brother, Anant," Singhal says.

Anant had worked at Reliance's

Jamnagar plant earlier, according to

the company's annual report, which

also says he is now on the board of

Digital Services, the vertical which

holds all the digital interests of the

group, apart from being on the

petrochemicals vertical.

Apart from planning to take Jio to

the bourses, Reliance is also in talks

with a number of fast moving

consumer goods companies in this

country to deliver daily-use domestic

essentials at the doorsteps of

consumers via Jio's e-commerce

venture JioMart.

Facebook's chat service WhatsApp

has tied up with JioMart to make

consumers connect with local groceries

to buy products. And if the talks with

these FMCG giants fructify, market

watchers believe the entire move will

change the face of India's e-commerce

space forever.

India's e-commerce market is

estimated to touch USD 200 billion by

2027. This assumes significance given

WhatsApp has already got permission

to launch an e-payments service in

India and Facebook bought a 9.99 per

cent stake, by investing USD 5.7 billion

in Reliance.

Asian shares and U.S. futures rose

Monday on relief the U.S. presidential

election results were finally decided,

with Joe Biden the president-elect,

reports UNB.

Strong Chinese trade data released

over the weekend also helped. Many in

the region expect trade tensions to deescalate

under a Biden presidency, a

plus for Asian markets and economies.

Japan's Nikkei 225 surged 1.9% to

24,794.44. Australia's S and P/ASX 200

added 1.6% to 6,291.10. South Korea's

Kospi added 1.1% to 2,444.13. Hong

Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.3% to

26,037.96, while the Shanghai

Composite gained 1.2% to 3,350.34.

As votes gradually were counted in the

closely watched U.S. presidential

election, Biden crossed the winning

threshold of 270 Electoral College votes

with a win in Pennsylvania.

However, President Donald Trump's

refusal to concede and threats of legal

action remain a cause for uncertainty

PRAN-RFL Group's Barind

(Varendra) Industrail Park at

Godagari, Rajshahi, is collecting agro

based products including mango,

tomato, olive and guava, based on

season, from the local farmers and

making pulp in the park. The park is

now almost ready to collect pineapple,

watermelon, cucumber and aloe-vera

for pulping, a press release said.

Besides, country's leading

conglomerate has plan to produce

frozen foods and noodles in the park

soon if get necessary support from the

concerned departments of the

government. The park will create four

to five thousand jobs, of which 95

percent job holder will be local, once

its stared full operation.

Kamruzzaman Kamal, Director

(Marketing) at PRAN-RFL Group,

said this on Tuesday at a view

exchange meeting with Rajshahi

journalists held at the conference

room of the park.

He said, "Agricultural extension and

socio-economic development of the

farmers are the key purpose of PRAN

Group. The group has chosen

Godagari to establish the park so that

farmers of Rajshahi area can able to

sell their products at low transport cost

without any middleman. We are now

"Asia markets can be seen cheering

the elimination of some of the

uncertainties with the U.S. presidential

election outcome wait put to an end,"

said Jingyi Pan, senior market strategist

at IG in Singapore.

If Congress is split between a

Democratic controlled House and a

Republican-controlled Senate, it might

be difficult for Biden to raise taxes. That

remains to be seen, with two run-off

votes in the state of Georgia remaining.

Currently, the two parties each hold 48

seats in the 100-seat Senate.

A divided legislature also is expected

to temper any pushback against

deregulation, prolonging Trump's

relatively business-friendly policies.

Customs data released Saturday

showed China's export growth

accelerated in October, boosting the

total so far this year back above precoronavirus

levels for the first time.

Exports in October rose 11.4% over a

year earlier to $237.2 billion, up from

collecting mango, tomato, olive and

also producing compost fertilizer.

Farmers and common people are now

getting benefits from our initiatives

because they are now able to provide

their products to PRAN and getting

job in this park."

He also added, "PRAN-RFL Group

gives highest importance to

environment related issues apart from

manufacturing quality products,

creating huge employment and

contributing to socio-economic

development in terms of setting up its

factories and operations. We have

applied for gas connection at the

factory. If we get necessary support

from the concerned departments of

the government, we have a plan to

produce frozen foods and noodles. At

present, around 1500 people work at

the park. It will create huge

employment once new plant starts

production."

Kamruzzaman Kamal said, "PRAN-

RFL products are now being exported

to 141 countries across the world. We

have established the factory here

considering the availability of raw

materials. If congenial environment

for investment, including gas

connection is available, some others

company will also show interest to set

September's 9.9% gain, while imports

rose 4.7% by value to $178.7 billion,

decelerating from the previous month's

13.2% surge.

Wall Street finished last week on a

mixed note although the election results

were still undecided. The S and P 500

inched lower 0.1% to 3,509.44, leaving

its blockbuster gain for the week at 7.3%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average

slipped 0.2%, to 28,323.40. The Nasdaq

composite edged less than 0.1% higher,

to 11,895.23.

Analysts are cautioning that more

volatility may lie ahead.

Biden has vowed to move decisively

to try to counter the worsening

coronavirus pandemic, that has sapped

economic growth, trade and travel, as

the U.S. and Europe face a troubling

rise in infections. Even if the strictest

lockdowns don't return in the United

States, the worsening pandemic may

dampen consumption and erase

profits.

PRAN-RFL Group to generate

five thousand jobs in Rajshahi

up factory here which will have huge

socio-economic development in the

area."

Sarowar Hossain, Deputy Genearal

Manager at Barind Industrail Park,

said, "Before 2018, tomato gets

damaged in the land due to low price.

But situation has been changed after

establishing our factory. Tomato

cultivation is now increasing day by

day because farmers are getting fair

price."

He also added, "We give top priority

on raw materials so that customers can

get standard products. Pulp is being

produced in the plant following aseptic

technology. This factory is completely

environment-friendly as we produce

organic fertilizer and energy from the

wastages. There is an Effluent

Treatment Plant (ETP) for liquid

wastage."

Touhiduzzaman, Senior Manager

(Public Relations) and Maksud-ul-

Islam-Joarder, Deputy Manager and

high officials of PRAN-RFL Group,

were also present at the program. After

the view exchange meeting, the

journalists visited different parts of

park.

PRAN-RFL Group has set up the

park at Amanatpur of Gadagari in

2017 on 34 acres of land.

Asia markets extend global

rally on vaccine hope

Asian markets rallied Tuesday on

news that a vaccine candidate had been

90 percent effective in treating patients,

fuelling hopes it could begin to be rolled

out this year and bring an end to a

pandemic that has battered the world

economy, reports BSS.

Wall Street and European shares

soared with oil prices, while safe-haven

assets tumbled Monday when US

pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its

German partner BioNTech announced

results of their Phase 3 trial.

The news provided a massive boost to

investors who were already in a strong

buying mood after Joe Biden's US

election win at the weekend removed a

large amount of uncertainty from

trading floors.

"The clearing of the election fog has

permitted underlying market

fundamentals to come back into focus

and the most recent vaccine news

suggests a 'return to normality' should

be coming sooner rather than later,"

said Seema Shah of Principal Global

Investors.

"All the chips are starting to line up,

and market sentiment may be in the

early stages of a burst of positive

energy."

Singapore and Bangkok each soared

more than three percent with Mumbai

and Jakarta up more than one percent.

Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney also

posted healthy gains.

Manila rocketed more than five

percent, with traders also welcoming

signs the Philippine economy is

improving despite a third straight

quarter of contraction.

Seoul and Wellington were also up,

though Shanghai and Taipei fell.

Gains were led by companies that

have been hammered for most of the

year by lockdowns, particularly

airlines. Japan Airlines cruised more

than 20 percent higher, Qantas jumped

more than eight percent and Cathay

Pacific piled on 13 percent, as did

Singapore Airlines.

But tech firms which have benefitted

from people being kept at home

retreated, as did medical equipment

makers. Gaming giants Sony and

Nintendo also tanked, just as the sector

prepares for the holiday season and the

next era of computer consoles, with

Microsoft putting its new Xbox on sale.

Oil prices dipped after Monday's

surge, while the safe-haven yen edged

back slightly - although it was still well

off its levels just above 103 to the dollar

earlier Monday. Gold struggled to

battle back after losing five percent.

Tai Hui, at JP Morgan Asset

Management, said in a note: "This

offers a ray of hope that the market did

not hesitate to take advantage of.

Investors' reaction… is in line with our

expectations of what would happen if

there are signals that some normality

can return to our lives."

The breakthrough on a vaccine

comes as several European nations

endure fresh lockdowns to contain a

second wave of the virus, which has

infected more than 50 million people

globally and killed more than a

million.

It has fanned hopes that the world

economy can begin to get back on track

after a year in which it has been

shattered with tens of million left

jobless, companies going under and

nations plunging into recession.

"The bull market just received 'a by

George, we've done it' shot in the arm

as the vaccine will genuinely be a gamechanging

panacea for global healthcare

concerns," said Axi strategist Stephen

Innes.

PRAN-RFL Group's Barind (Varendra) Industrail Park at Godagari, Rajshahi, is collecting agro

based products including mango, tomato, olive and guava, based on season, from the local

farmers and making pulp in the park. Kamruzzaman Kamal, Director (Marketing) at PRAN-

RFL Group, said this on Tuesday at a view exchange meeting with Rajshahi journalists held at

the conference room of the park.

Photo: Courtesy

Philippine economy shrinks

11.5pc in third quarter

The Philippine economy shrank for

the third straight quarter in July-

September, official data showed

Tuesday, but there were signs activity

was slowly picking up as coronavirus

restrictions eased and more businesses

reopened, reports BSS.

President Rodrigo Duterte's

government has been gradually

loosening measures introduced in

March to contain the virus after they

sent the country plunging into its first

recession in three decades and pushed

many families deeper into poverty.

Gross domestic product fell 11.5

percent on-year in the latest quarter,

the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

That was worse than the 9.6 percent

contraction forecast by economists in a

Bloomberg survey.

But it was smaller than the

downwardly revised 16.9 percent fall in

the April-June and 0.7 drop in the first

three months of the year.

Acting Socioeconomic Planning

Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the

narrower contraction in the latest

period indicated the economy was on

the mend.

"The path is clearer for a stronger

bounce back in 2021," Chua said.

Consumer spending fell 9.3 percent

as many people fearful of catching the

virus that has infected around 400,000

in the country avoided shopping malls

and restaurants.

But it was better than the 15.5 percent

plunge seen in the second quarter as

the government extended operating

hours and allowed more types of

businesses to reopen.

Chua said the recovery in Metro

Manila, which accounts for a third of

the country's output, was constricted by

limited public transport.

Trains, buses and the popular

jeepneys have been operating at

reduced capacity because of social

distancing rules.

The country's economic woes have

been exacerbated by a drop in the

amount of money sent home by the

legion of Filipinos working abroad that

sustains many families.

Remittances fell 2.6 percent in the

first eight months as thousands of

workers lost their jobs and came home.

WedNesdAY, NovemBeR 11, 2020

11

With state-of-the-art modern Banking facilities NRB Commercial Bank Ltd launched its 77th Branch at

N s Tower (2nd Floor), 119 Rathkhola, Kishoreganj sadar, Kishoreganj. The Chairman of the Bank

s.m. Parvez Tamal presided over the inaugural ceremony through video conference. shareholder of

NRBC Bank mohammad Ali Chowdhury attended the program recently.

Photo: Courtesy

over 97 pct of students still out of

classrooms in LAC countries: UNICeF

UNITED NATIONS : More than seven

months into the pandemic, COVID-19

is putting education on hold for more

than 137 million children -- 97 percent

of students-in Latin America and the

Caribbean (LAC), according to a new

UNICEF report about the devastating

impacts of COVID-19 on education

published on Monday, reports

Since the start of the pandemic,

children in LAC countries have

already lost on average four times

more days of schooling (174)

compared to the rest of the world. In a

region with over 11 million cases of

COVID-19 to date, most students are

now at risk of missing out on an entire

school year.

While schools are gradually

reopening in several parts of the

world, the vast majority of classrooms

are still closed across the region. Over

one-third of all countries in LAC have

yet to set a date for school reopening,

said the report.

The report also finds that COVID-19

has further widened the education

gaps between rich and poor families in

LAC.

19 new dengue

cases recorded

in 24 hours

DHAKA : Nineteen people

were diagnosed with dengue in

the past 24 hours until Tuesday

morning, the Directorate

General of Health Services

(DGHS) said, reports UNB.

Currently, 73 dengue

patients are undergoing

treatment at hospitals across

the country.

Since January, the health

authorities reported 767

dengue cases, and 689 of the

patients recovered.

Bangladesh recorded

101,354 dengue cases last year

and 179 people died from the

mosquito-borne fever,

according to official figures.

New UNICEF data shows that the

percentage of children not receiving

any form of education across the

region has soared dramatically from 4

to 18 percent in the past few months.

UN projections reveal that COVID-19

may push up to 3 million additional

children out of school in LAC.

The education gains earned by LAC

over the past decades are now "at risk

of being reversed." The economic

impact of this education crisis will be

felt for years to come, said the report.

Together with partners, UNICEF

teams are on the ground working to

protect children's right to learn in

every single country across LAC.

Since the beginning of the school

closures, about 42 million students in

the region have been receiving

UNICEF-supported distance and

home-based learning delivered

through radio, TV, internet, and other

platforms.

However, new UNICEF estimates

suggest that despite government

efforts, only one in two children from

public schools are accessing quality

distance learning at home compared

to three in four children from private

schools. Radio, TV and internet

education programs should be

strengthened to reach students who

are less connected to the internet.

Before and beyond school reopening,

bridging the current digital gap helps

build more resilient education

systems to withstand potential future

crises together with the private sector.

While one in six schools lack access

to water in LAC, UNICEF calls upon

governments to urgently accelerate

the preparedness for reopening of

schools including installing water,

sanitation and hygiene facilities,

training teachers and adopting more

inclusive learning approaches.

While the epidemiological situation

is diverse between and within

countries, the reopening of schools

must be a priority for governments,

the report noted.

UNICEF urges countries across the

region to protect and increase

education budgets, with special

attention to the needs of the

marginalized children most at risk of

dropping out of school.

Us embassy remains closed today

DHAKA : The US Embassy,

including the Consular

Section, will remain closed

today, in celebration of

Veterans Day, an American

holiday. Emergency services

for American citizens will be

available during the holiday,

said a media release.

The embassy will resume

normal working hours on

November 12. U.S. citizen

travelers are urged to enroll

in the Smart Traveler

Enrollment Program (STEP

https://step.state.gov/step/)

to receive the latest updates.

In an emergency, American

citizens in Bangladesh may

contact the Embassy at (88)

(02) 5566-2000.

For the latest information

regarding COVID-19, please

visit the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention's

(CDC)

website:

usembassy.gov/covid-19-

information/. Due to the

COVID-19 outbreak, the

American Center, the Archer

K. Blood Library, and the

EducationUSA Student

Advising Center remain

closed to the public. The USA

authorities continue to offer

virtual programs and will

reopen to the public as soon

as possible but are unable to

provide a specific date at this

time.

Retired

colonel, 3

others jailed

in arms case

DHAKA : A Dhaka court

yesterday sentenced four

people including a retired

army colonel to life

imprisonment in a case

lodged over possessing

illegal arms and

ammunition.

The convicts are retired

colonel Shaidul Islam Khan,

his wife, Syed Akidul Islam

and Khorshed Alam.

Dhaka 3rd Additional

Metropolitan Sessions

Judge Robiul Alam

pronounced the judgement

in the presence Syed Akidul

Islam and Khorshed Alam.

The court also acquitted

another accused Jahirul

Islam from the case as he

died already.

The retired army colonel

and his wife were on run

from the beginning and trial

went on in their absence.

"The case was filed as the

arms and ammunition were

found in retired colonel

Shahidul's cantonment

DOHS house in January,

2019. A total of nine

witnesses were examined in

the case," public prosecutor

Salauddin Hawlader said.

NRBC Bank

inaugurates its

77th Branch at

Kishoreganj

With state-of-the-art

modern Banking facilities

NRB Commercial Bank Ltd

launched its 77th Branch at

N S Tower (2nd Floor), 119

Rathkhola, Kishoreganj

Sadar, Kishoreganj.

The Chairman of the Bank

S.M. Parvez Tamal presided

over the inaugural ceremony

through video conference.

Shareholder of NRBC Bank

Mohammad Ali Chowdhury

attended the program

recently, a press release said.

Sarwar Morshed

Chowdhury was present in

the inaugural ceremony of

the Branch as a Chief Guest.

Chairman of Kishoreganj

Zilla Parishod Md. Zillur

Rahman Advocate

inaugurated the Branch.

Mayor of Kishoreganj

Municipality Parvez Mia

was present on the occasion

as Special Guest. Md.

Mukhter Hossain,

Managing Director & CEO of

the Bank was present in the

program. `Shadhinota

Corner' a library on the

Bangabadhu and great

Liberation War has been

launched in the Branch

premises.

Chief Guest Sarwar

Morshed Chowdhury urged

the NRBC Bank authority,

technology based banking

services will be provided for

the under-privileged who

beyond the reach of the

banking network.

The chairman of NRBC

Bank Parvez Tamal said,

NRBC Bank works for the

root level people to provide

technology based banking

services on priority basis.

During this pandemic

situation NRBC Bank not

only stands beside SME

Entrepreneurs but also

farmers of the country he

added.

man sentenced to

death for killing

college student in

Khulna

KHULNA : A Khulna court

sentenced a man to death on

Monday for killing a college

student in 2012.

The convict is Mohammad

Bachhu Sheikh. The court

also jailed him for 10 years

under two different sections

and fined him Tk 20,000 and

Tk 10,000, reports UNB.

Meanwhile, Mozammel

Hossain Milon and Abul

Kalam Azad were jailed for

seven and two years

respectively in the case. They

were fined Tk 10,000 and Tk

5,000 by the court.

According to the

prosecution, Obaidur

Rahman Rubel, a college

student of Dumuria upazila

was abducted by the convicts

on October 23, 2012. Rubel's

body was found the following

day with his throat slit.

Sheikh Lutfur Rahman, the

victim's father, filed a case at

Dumuria Police Station.

extortion in transport

sector: UP chairman

suspended in Barishal

BARISHAL : The local

government, rural

development, and

cooperatives ministry has

suspended a union parishad

(UP) chairman of Barishal

for being imprisoned on

charges of extortion.

After taking control of the

Barishal Central Bus Station

in 2019, the suspended

Kamal Hossain Mollah

Liton was accused of being

involved in massive

extortion at transport

counters.

UN chief appeals for global action

against hatred, underscores need

to return to reason

UNITED NATIONS : United Nations

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on

Monday appealed for global action against

hatred and underscored the need for the

world to return to reason.

"We must stand together against hatred

in all its forms. Our world today needs a

return to reason-and a rejection of the lies

and loathing that propelled the Nazis and

that fracture societies today," the UN chief

said in his virtual message upon receiving

the World Jewish Congress' (WJC)

highest honor, the WJC Theodor Herzl

Award, which recognizes outstanding

individuals who work to promote Theodor

Herzl's ideals for a safer, more tolerant

world for the Jewish people.

The UN secretary-general said that in

recent months, "a steady stream of

prejudice has continued to blight our

world: anti-Semitic assaults, harassment

and vandalism; Holocaust denial; a guilty

plea in a neo-Nazi plot to blow up a

synagogue."

"And with COVID-19, another virus has

spread-anti-Semitism and hatred of many

kinds," he added. "Age-old blood libels

have been given new life."

"Other groups have also been falsely

accused-and faced not just vilification but

violence," said Guterres.

Noting that in the meanwhile,

"disinformation and conspiracy theories

have gained alarming ground and come in

different forms," Guterres said that they

"all traffic in the same venom:

dehumanizing and scapegoating the

other, whether it is Jews, Muslims,

migrants, refugees, and so many others."

"We must fight on two fronts: the

pandemic and the poison," he said, adding

that "solidarity within and among

countries will be crucial."

"For us as individuals, that means

speaking out even when one's own group

may not be in the direct firing line, and

never abetting efforts to target others," he

said.

"Hatred doesn't discriminate. Let's

remember what history tells us about the

descent into repression and violence: one

day it is your neighbor under attack, the

next it is likely you," the UN secretarygeneral

warned.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year's

GD- 1495/20 (4 x 3)

award was presented during a virtual gala.

At the online event held on the

anniversary of Kristallnacht, WJC

President Ronald S. Lauder emphasized

the dangers of indifference to

antisemitism and divisiveness among the

Jewish people, calling for action from

political leaders, university

administrations and social media

companies.

Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass,

also called the November Pogroms, was a

pogrom against Jews carried out by

Sturmabteilung paramilitary forces and

civilians throughout Nazi Germany on

Nov. 9-10, 1938.

Bangladesh records 1699

new cases, 16 deaths

from Covid-19

DHAKA : Bangladesh reported 1,699 new

Covid-19 cases in 24 hours until Tuesday,

raising the caseload to 423,620.

Besides, 16 more patients died from the

virus infection during the period which

took the fatalities to 6,108, reports UNB.

The death rate stood at 1.44 percent,

said the Directorate General of Health

Services.

So far, 341,416 patients -- 80.59

percent-including 1,648 new ones in the

last 24 hours have recovered.

Bangladesh reported its first cases on

March 8. The infection number reached

the 300,000-mark on August 26. The first

death was reported on March 18 and the

death toll exceeded 6,000 on November 4.

Until now, 2,470,164 tests have been

carried out, including 13,520 new ones,

and 17.15 percent of the patients turned

out to be positive.

Bangladesh is seeing 2487.40

infections, 2004.72 recoveries, and 35.86

deaths per million.

As of now, 3,190 people have died in

Dhaka division, 1,205 in Chattogram, 374

in Rajshahi, 480 in Khulna, 205 in

Barishal, 256 in Sylhet, 270 in Rangpur,

and 128 in Mymensingh.

GD- 1488/20 (5 x 3)

Wednesday, Dhaka, November 11, 2020, Kartik 26, 1427 BS, rabi-ul Awal 24, 1442 Hijri

BNP is key barrier to

institutionalization of

democracy: Quader

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary and Road Transport and

Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday

said BNP is the key barrier to the

way of giving democracy an institutional

shape in the country.

He said this while talking to journalists

after paying homage to Shaheed

Noor Hossain on behalf of the AL at the

Noor Hossain Square at Zero Point here.

"Today, democracy is freed. But,

unless democracy gets an institutional

shape, it is not possible to make it wellestablished

in the true sense of the term.

BNP is the key barrier to give an intuitional

shape to democracy," he said.

He said a non-communal, progressive

and liberal democratic Bangladesh must

be established to materialize the dream

and aspirations of the 30 lakh martyrs.

Pointing to BNP, the AL general secretary

said the talks of democracy do not

suit the party which was born by patronizing

the killers of Father of the Nation

US to work with new

Myanmar govt to promote

Hr, freedom of all

DHAKA : The United States has said it

looks forward to continuing to work with

Myanmar's new government to foster

respect for the human rights and fundamental

freedoms of all.

The US said it will also work with the

new government in Myanmar to promote

inclusive economic prosperity,

achieve lasting peace throughout the

country.

"The United States remains a dedicated

partner of the people of Burma in

their pursuit of democracy, development,

and national reconciliation," said

Michael R. Pompeo, US Secretary of

State in a statement on Myanmar parliamentary

elections, reports UNB.

The United States recognized that

Myanmar's parliamentary elections, the

second competitive national election

since the end of military rule, mark an

important step in the country's democratic

transition.

Millions of people, including young

people voting for the first time, exercised

their right to elect their representatives.

"We appreciate the efforts of all who

worked to make these elections possible,

particularly in light of the challenges

posed by the COVID-19 pandemic," said

the US Secretary of State.

Nevertheless, the US said, they are

concerned by the large number of

DHAKA : The Indian Army has gifted

20 trained military horses and 10

mine detection dogs to Bangladesh

Army, reports UNB.

The gift was part of strengthening

the bilateral relations between the two

countries in general and between the

two forces in particular.

These equines and canines were

trained by the Remount and

Veterinary Corps of Indian Army.

The Indian Army has also trained

Bangladesh Army personnel for handling

these specialist dogs and horses,

said a press release on Tuesday.

Indian Army delegation was led

by Major General Narinder Singh

Khroud, Chief of Staff of

Brahmastra Corps whereas the

Bangladesh Army delegation was

led by Major General Mohammad

Humayun Kabir, who is

Commanding the Jessore based

Division. The presentation ceremony

was held at Petrapole- Benapole

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

and which holds the spirit and ideology

against the Liberation War.

"BNP's democracy was 'yes' or 'no'

vote. And in the polls, there was no

box for 'no' vote. On the day, some

polling centers received 110 percent

votes," he said.

Quader urged BNP to return to the

path of democracy and positive trend of

politics shunning the evil acts of hatching

conspiracy to thwart the democracy.

"Stop the ill politics to grasp the state

power through backdoors. Let us work

in unison to build a non-communal,

progressive, democratic and developed

state for the next generation," he said.

Turning to the significance of Noor

Hossain Day, the minister said with his

supreme sacrifice, Noor Hossain lit up a

fire in the minds of the people to wage

movement against the autocracy. His

body was a living political poster on that

day, he added.

unelected seats constitutionally reserved

for the military; the disfranchisement of

groups including Rohingya; cancellation

of voting in parts of several states and

regions; and the disqualification of candidates

based on arbitrary application of

citizenship and residency requirements,

which prevent the realization of a more

democratic and civilian government.

The United States said it will continue

to closely monitor the electoral process.

"We call on all relevant authorities to

ensure tabulation of votes and resolution

of complaints is undertaken in a

transparent and credible manner," said

the US Secretary of State.

Myanmar's ruling National League for

Democracy claimed Monday it had won

a clear parliamentary majority and

would retain power, even though the

state election body has named just a few

of the winners in Sunday's elections,

reports AP.

The Union Election Commission earlier

said full results may take a week. By 8

p.m., it had announced the winners of

just nine of Parliament's 642 seats, all

nine NLD candidates.

An NLD spokesperson, Monywa

Aung Shin, said the party had confirmed

it won more than 322 seats - a majority -

but the final outcome "would be likely

more than" the party's goal of 377 seats.

India gifts 20 military horses, 10 mine

detection dogs to Bangladesh

Integrated Check Post (ICP) on the

Bangladesh-India border.

Brig JS Cheema from the Indian

High Commission in Dhaka was also

present at the event.

"The performance of military dogs

in Indian Army has been commendable.

We are always ready to extend

our assistance to a friendly country

like Bangladesh in issues concerning

security. When it comes to security,

the dogs have proven their mettle.

The dogs which have been handed

over, are extremely effective in mine

detection and contraband items," a

senior Army official was quoted as

saying in the press release.

India's partnership with Peoples

Republic of Bangladesh stands out as

a role model in the region for good

neighbourly relations.

With this gesture the bond which

two countries share is expected to

grow even stronger, said the press

release.

Six police officers

promoted to

Additional IGP

DHAKA : Six senior officers of

Bangladesh Police have been promoted

to the rank of Additional Inspector

General of police (AIGP), reports UNB.

The Public Security Division of the

Home Ministry issued a notification in

this regard on Monday.

The promoted officers are - AIGP

Current (charge) of the Police

Headquarters Muhammad Ibrahim

Fatemi, SM Rahul Amin, AIGP (current

charge) of PHQ, Malik Fakrul

Islam, AIGP (current charge) of highway

police unit, Md Kamrul Ahsan,

AIGP (Current charge) of Anti-

Terrorism Unit, Md Mazaharul Islam,

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of

Special Branch, and Khandker Gulam

Faruk, DIG of Bangladesh Police

Academy.

The order will be effective after they

join their new posts. Besides, the promoted

officials will have to send their

joining letters through proper authority

and they are also advised to perform

their present responsibilities

until their next posting order, the notification

said.

IU won't join unified

admission test

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY : The authorities

of Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia

have decided not to take part in the uniform

admission test system, reports

UNB.

The decision was taken at a meeting of

the IU admission test committee with

Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaikh

Abdus Salam in the chair, IU

Information, Publication and Public

Relations Office said in a statement on

Monday night.

Among others, IU Pro-VC Professor

M Shahinoor Rahman, chairmen and

deans of different departments were

present at the meeting.

IU acting Registrar SM Abdul Latif

said that the university authorities will

conduct its entry test for the students as

per its previous system.

"Most of the departments opposed

holding the admission test under a unified

admission test system and that's

why we aren't joining it," he said.

Further information regarding the

admission test would be finalised from

the next meeting, he added.

MATIAr rAHMAN, SATKHIrA CorrESPoNDENT

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina adopted the plan of 'Border Guard Bangladesh Vision 2041' to build the BGB as a world

class modern three-dimensional force to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In order to enhance the operational

capability of the BGB, Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) have been procured for the protection of various important

borders and internal security. In addition, the BGB has been faithfully maintaining the overall security of the border

and maintaining the sovereignty of the country, as well as assisting the civilian administration in controlling the

internal law and order situation.

Photo: Courtesy

Addressing humanitarian challenges in Bangladesh

Korea provides $ 1 mn to UNICEF

DHAKA : South Korea has provided US$ 1

million to the UNICEF office in Bangladesh

to assist UNICEF's activities in the country

this year with a focus on gender-based violence

(GBV) in emergencies, particularly in

Cox's Bazar.

This assistance will help protect women,

adolescents, and girls in the Rohingya

refugee camp and the host community

from gender-based violence and its consequences,

especially amid the increasing

GBV cases in the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic,

said the South Korean Embassy in

Dhaka on Tuesday.

Since the outbreak of the Rohingya crisis

in 2017, the Korean government has contributed

US$ 3.7 million to UNICEF

Bangladesh's activities for providing access

to survivor-centered and adolescentfocused

services against GBV, implementing

preventive measures to tackle underlying

causes of GBV, and offering protective

favors for adolescent boys and girls.

This assistance is also in line with Korea's

Satkhira farmers witness bumper

production of Aman paddy

As far as eye can see the paddy fields in Satkhira touches the

horizon.

Photo: TBT

Bangladesh ranks fourth among the

rice producing nations in the world.

Much of this attributed to bumper

production of rice in the paddy fields.

In the last six years, Aman paddy production

has increased in the coastal

district of Satkhira.

However, cultivation has declined in

4,650 hectares of land. The farmers

said that the agricultural land has been

reduced due to the use of salt water in

the paddy fields. Despite this, bumper

yield of Aman paddy has been

achieved in the district this season.

The farmers of the district are busy

to take home the Aman crop after

overcoming the financial distress

due to COVID-19. If the technology

and mechanization in paddy cultivation

can be increased to increase the

cultivation of paddy in the coastal

districts including Satkhira, Khulna

and Bagerhat, the concerned

authority are hopeful that the production

will increase significantly.

The target for planting Aman paddy

in the district has increased this season.

In the 2020-21 season, 89,550

hectares of land has been planted with

Aman paddy in seven upazilas of the

district, which is 300 hectares more

than last season. The agriculture

department is hopeful of producing 2

lakh 54 thousand 748 tons of rice.

According to sources in the

Department of Agriculture, Aman cultivation

area has increased by 2% in

the current 2020-21 season due to various

initiatives of the government.

Meanwhile, according to the data

given by Satkhira District Agriculture

Extension Department 6,650 hectares

have been Aman paddy was planted in

the capacity of 5,500 hectares in

Debhata, 16,850 hectares in Kaliganj,

9,500 hectares in Asashuni and 17,650

hectares in Shyamnagar upazila.

Many are now trying to turn agriculture

into a lucrative profession.

Commercialization of agriculture is

now consideredzeitgeist. Farmers

need to be motivated to cultivate crops

that can be profitable. If branding can

"Action with Women and Peace" initiative

launched in 2018 to contribute more actively

to the international efforts to uphold and

strengthen women's rights, particularly in a

conflict situation as stipulated in the U.N.

Security Council Resolution 1325.

The Republic of Korea has been working

with UNICEF Bangladesh through KOICA

(Korea International Cooperation Agency)

to improve Bangladeshi women and children's

lives.

Between 2015 and 2019, with the financial

support of 8 million USD by KOICA,

UNICEF has implemented the "Project for

Improving Effective Coverage of Maternal,

Newborn and Child Health Interventions

and Reducing Preventable Child Death" in

Tangail and Khulna District.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea

will continue to make its best effort to

improve the lives of women and children in

Bangladesh in various ways, in particular

through its collaboration with international

organizations.

be done in the agricultural marketing

system, the amount of profit will

increase.

Shrimp farming should be halted by

encroaching salt water in paddy fields.

Subsidy based agriculture needs to be

transformed into market based and

business friendly agriculture. Taking

advantage of this opportunity, the

farmers of Bangladesh can be sustainably

brought out of the vicious cycle of

misfortune.

Farmers should be given such

incentives by estimating the crop yield

per land. Agriculture has to be brought

to such a state that there is no crisis in

one case and no surplus in another.

Posts DG

Sudhangshu

sent on

forced leave

DHAKA : The Posts and

Telecommunications Division

on Tuesday sent Director

General of the Directorate of

Posts Sudhangshu Shekhar

Bhadra on forced leave as primary

investigation found evidence

of corruption against

him, reports UNB.

A notice was issued in this

regard on Tuesday which will

be effective from Wednesday

and will remain in force until

further notice.

According to the notice,

several allegations have been

brought against Sudhangshu

and evidence of corruption

was found against him.

The authorities concerned

have decided to send him on

forced leave.

BNP continues

efforts to keep

country in

dark: Hasan

DHAKA : Information Minister

Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday

said BNP is continuing its efforts

to keep the country in the darkness.

"When BNP was in power, it

had kept the country in darkness.

And the party continued its

ill-efforts to do the same in the

last 12 years," he told reporters

after a view-exchange meeting

here.

Hasan, also the Awami League

joint general secretary,

exchanged views with the leaders

of the film producers and

exhibitors at his Montu Road

official residence on the occasion

of Shaheed Noor Hossain Day.

He said people know how the

country was put in the darkness

when BNP was in power, and

even when the people have given

the responsibility of running the

state to Prime Minister Shaikh

Hasina, it has been trying to

keep the country in the darkness

for the last 12 years.

About the BNP's allegations

that Awami League is destroying

democracy and politicizing the

Election Commission (EC), the

AL joint general secretary said:

"We have been hearing the same

allegations for the last 12 years".

He said BNP never thinks of

people as all its statements and

movements are the EC- and the

caretaker government-centric.

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Executive Editor : Sheikh Efaz Ahmed, Managing, Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka.

Editorial and News Office: Bangladesh Timber Building (3rd Floor) 270/B, Tejgaon I/A Dhaka-1208. Tel : +8802-8878026, Cell : 01736786915; Fax: + 880244611604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

11-11-2020

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