30-12-2020

Wednesday, dhaka, december 30, 2020, poush 15, 1427 bS, Jamadi-ul awal 14 , 1442 hijri
People reaping benefits of
democracy: PM Hasina
DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
on Tuesday said the people of the country
are now reaping the benefits of democracy
as they got back their state power from
the cantonment, reports UNB.
"Military dictators had grabbed state
power frequently in the past...once
the state power was in the cantonment...
As a result, there was no
(required) pace in development,"
she said.
The Prime Minister said this
while addressing the National
Economic Council meeting virtually
from her official residence
Ganobhaban. The meeting
approved the 8th Five-Year Plan
(2021-2025).
As the state power came back to
the mass people, they are now
enjoying their democratic rights
fully, Sheikh Hasina said.
"General people are getting the
benefits... rural people are getting
the benefits...that's the main
thing," she said.
Hasina said she believes that the
8th Five-Year Plan will be very
much effective to attain the desired
development of the country.
In this connection, she mentioned that
the government is implementing the UNformulated
Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). "But coronavirus has created
a problem, this is not for us alone, it's
for the whole world."
50 journalists
killed in 2020,
most in countries
'at peace': RSF
At least 50 journalists were killed
worldwide in 2020, according to the
second part of the annual round-up
of abusive treatment and violence
against journalists, published on
December 28 by Reporters Without
Borders (RSF). While the number of
journalists killed in countries at war
continues to fall, more are being
murdered in countries not at war.
RSF tallied 50 cases of journalists
killed in connection with their work
from January 1 to December 15,
2020, a number similar to 2019
(when 53 journalists were killed),
although fewer journalists have been
in the field this year because of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
More journalists are being killed in
countries considered to be "at peace."
In 2016, 58% of media fatalities took
place in war zones. Now only 32% of
the fatalities are in war-torn countries
such as Syria or Yemen or in countries
with low or medium-intensity conflicts
such as Afghanistan and Iraq. In other
words, 68% (more than two thirds) of
the fatalities are in countries "at
peace", with highest casualties in
Mexico (eight journalists killed), India
(four), the Philippines (three) and
Honduras (three).
Hasina said the government has been
able to reduce the poverty rate significantly,
while the GDP has been great
enabling Bangladesh to fulfil the all criteria
to emerge as a developing one. "But
coronavirus stalled everything."
prime minister Sheikh hasina presided over the meeting of
the neC via video conference from ganobhaban on
tuesday.
photo : Star mail
The Prime Minister said when the
entire world got stalled completely,
Bangladesh had been able to carry on its
economic advancement-at least on a limited
scale. "Maybe we couldn't achieve the
fixed goals."
Hasina said the GDP target for
Sale of warm clothes
gearing up as mercury
starts falling
DHAKA : Sale of winter clothes is gearing
up in the capital city's markets and elsewhere
in the country as the mercury has
started falling at the advent of winter.
People are visiting different shopping
malls and makeshift shops for buying
winter clothes. Seasonal traders who sell
shirts, pants and panjabis at the city's
makeshift shops around the year, are
now selling colourful winter clothes and
blankets.
During the visit to different makeshift
markets it was found that being unable
to overlook the sellers' beckoning,
pedestrians stop for a while and skim
through the new winter collections.
There are various types of garments
such as shawls, sweaters, headbands,
caps, mufflers, fur-lined coats and cardigans
are being sold at these makeshift
cloth stores, roadside pushcarts and
shopping malls.
"Demand for warm clothes is increasing
as the winter intensifies. But the
price of winter garments has also gone
up this year as production dropped this
season with the companies facing difficulties
in importing fabrics, threads and
other accessories in time due to the global
pandemic COVID-19," said Md.
experimental planting of black fragrant paddy has started in Chapainawabganj.
Bangladesh was 8.2% for the last fiscal
but there was a pandemic across the and
the global economy had come to a standstill.
"As in the global village, Bangladesh
also faced some problems."
The PM went on saying: "Taking risks,
all are working in their respective
fields. As a result, we've been able
to maintain the pace of advancement."
She expressed her gratitude to
the people of the country for electing
her government for the third
consecutive time and for that it has
been able to take long-term development
plans for the country.
Hasina said the government has
taken Five-Year plans-Vision 2021
and Vision 2041 apart from Delta
Plan 2100.
"To execute these visions and
plans what we need is the Five-
Year plans. We've implemented
the 6th and 7th Five-Year plans,
we're taking the 8th Five-Year Plan
today, we'll take ahead the development
phase by phase for the
Vision 2041," she said.
By the time, she mentioned, the
government will require to implement
more Five-Year plans.
"We'll be able to build Bangladesh as a
developed and prosperous country if the
future governments, no matter whether
we'll be there in power, formulate these
Five-Year plans," she said.
Ruman, who was selling sweaters near
Gulistan's pavement.
He said the price of normal gents'
sweater is Tk 350 this year which was Tk
200 in last year and the price of ladies'
normal shawl is Tk 600 this year which
was Tk400 last year.
Retailers at Mouchak Market said
they sell local and imported blankets of
different types and sizes. This year, the
prices of blankets are higher than the
previous years.
Sirajul Islam, a trader in the market,
said as well as local blankets, they are
selling Korean and Spanish blankets
also. This year, the price of large size
Korean blankets is varying from Tk1600
to Tk 6000 depending on the quality.
The price of large size Spanish blankets
is between Tk 4,500 and Tk 8,000
this year which was between Tk 3500 to
Tk 6000 last year.
Arefin Rahat, a private university student,
came to Nujahan market from
Motijheel area to buy a jacket.
"There are different designs of jacket
in the market but the price is almost
double. The denim jacket which was
sold at Tk 1,000 last year is now being
sold at Tk 2,000," he said.
photo: Star mail
Covid-19 in Bangladesh
Death toll
exceeds 7500,
new cases 1,181
DHAKA : Bangladesh saw the death of
30 more people from Covid-19 and 1,181
new infections in the last 24 hours until
Tuesday, reports UNB.
The number of deaths rose to 7,509
since the first cases were reported in the
country on March 8.
With 1,181 new infections the country's
total caseload stood at 510,080,
said the Directorate General of Health
Services.
So far, 3,199,115 tests have been carried
out. The overall infection rate stood
at 15.98 % and the death rate at 1.47
However, 454,563 patients - 88.91% -
have recovered up to now.
Bangladesh is seeing 3,002.01 infections,
2,669.09 recoveries and 44.09
deaths per million.
The country's infection number
reached the 5,00000-mark on
December 20. The first death was
reported on March 18 and the death toll
exceeded 7,000 on December 12.
The government has been warning of
a second wave of Covid-19 in winter and
urging people to follow health safety
measures. It has also adopted a "no
mask, no service" policy.
Bangladesh will get Covid-19 vaccines
for around 4.5 crore people by May-
June next year, Cabinet Secretary
Khandker Anwarul Islam said recently.
"We will get 3 crore doses of vaccine
for 1.5 crore people at the end of January
or early February next year and 6 crore
doses for 3 crore people by May-June."
India lifts ban on
onion export
HILI (DINAJPUR) : India withdrew its
ban on onion export on Monday, nearly
three and a half months after imposing
it abruptly which sent the commodity's
price through the roof in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh will resume onion import
through Dinajpur's Hili land port on
January 1 next, officials here said,
reports UNB.
The decision was announced through
a notification from India's Ministry of
Commerce and Industry. Businessmen
at the Hili port have confirmed the
development.
Onion prices jumped sharply in
Bangladesh after India banned export of
the popular kitchen item on Sept 14 in
the pretext of local shortage and price
hike.
The abrupt move pushed up onion
prices in the Bangladesh market, forcing
the country to import the item from various
othersuppliers to meet the demand.
Mobarak Hossain, an onion importer
at Hili, said they received a letter from
Indian traders around 10pm on the
export ban withdrawal.
"They're allowing onion export from
Jan 1 but since it's a weekly holiday, the
import will begin from Jan 2," he said,
adding that they are preparing to open
LCs. But since no price has been fixed, it
is assumed that the onion will have to be
imported within US$300.
"The prices will fall to Tk20-25 per kg
in the retail market once the imported
onion hits the market," Mobarak said.
Meanwhile, Hili port importerexporter
group President Harun ur
Rashid said they would decide on onion
import after meeting Indian traders.
'Without a culture of criticism,
beauty of democracy will not
exist': Hasan Mahmud
Saidur rahman Sakib, WeSt Chattogram CorreSpondent
Commenting that Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina has introduced a culture of
appreciating criticism, Information
Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said, "today
you will see BNP's Fakhrul Islam
Alamgir criticizing the government in
harsh language every morning.
Competing with that again, Rizvi Ahmed
held another press conference at noon.
Besides, going to the press club,
Gayeshwar once again said in a
speech, we have no right to speak! '
The government is constantly being
harassed and again they say they have
no right to speak. What language is
used to criticize the government in television
talk shows today? We think
there should be this criticism. Without
this criticism the beauty of democracy
will not exist.
Information Minister further said, 'we
have always noticed that when there is a
crisis situation in the country or in the
world, there is an ambush on how to use
it to create instability in the society, to
spread fear."
They create unrest in the society by
serving false news. He has tried in the
beginning even in coronavirus.But the
ADB inks deal with
Bangladesh for rural power
supply improvement
DHAKA : The Asian Development
Bank (ADB) and Bangladesh on
Tuesday signed agreements for $200
million additional loans, including
$130 million concessional loan, to
improve access to efficient and reliable
electricity supply in rural areas
in Bangladesh, reports UNB.
The additional loans will scale up
the ongoing $616 million
Bangladesh Power System
Enhancement and Efficiency
Improvement Project, which ADB
approved in 2017, according to an
ADB release.
Fatima Yasmin, Secretary,
Economic Relations Division (ERD),
and Manmohan Parkash, Country
Director, ADB, remotely signed the
loan agreements on behalf of
Bangladesh and ADB respectively.
Md. Khayrul Hasan, Member
(Finance), Bangladesh Rural
Electrification Board (BREB), the
implementing agency of the project,
signed the project agreement.
The additional ADB assistance will
finance installation of an additional
990 kilometers (km) of 33 kilovolt
(kV) and 3,000 km of 11 kV below
distribution lines and associated
facilities, including 51 units of 33
kV/11 kV substations in rural areas
in Khulna division. This will result in
increasing electricity access to
150,000 rural households.
The improved access, quality, and
reliability of the electricity supply in
information
minister dr hasan
mahmud as the
chief guest
addressed a gathering
of journalists
and a biennial conference
at
bangabandhu hall
held at the initiative
of Chittagong press
Club on tuesday.
photo : Saidur
rahman Sakib
mainstream media took a hard line
against it and to prevent rumors from
spreading. That is why rumors or false
news did not work during coronavirus
time. I thank everyone involved in the
media for this. '
The information minister said this
while addressing a gathering of journalists
and a biennial conference at
Bangabandhu Hall at the initiative of
Chittagong Press Club. Information
Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud was present
as the chief guest at the biennial
conference of Chittagong Press Club
on Tuesday.
Farid Uddin Chowdhury, General
Secretary of Chittagong Press Club
gave the welcome address at the function
presided over by Ali Abbas,
President of Chittagong Press Club
and moderated by Nazrul Islam, Joint-
Secretary.
Among others, Former president
Abu Sufian, former president Kalim
Sarwar, senior vice-president of the
club Salahuddin Md Reza and general
secretary of the journalists' union Md
Mintu Chowdhury were among others
also present at the occasion.
rural areas will help reduce household
consumption of kerosene for
cooking and lighting to reduce
household fuel expenditure as well
as the burden of household chores;
catalyze energy-based economic
activities to raise household
incomes; and improve the educational
and medical environment.
Farmers will reduce fuel expenditure
for irrigation by switching
diesel-powered pumps to electric
pumps, which will help to reduce
production costs.
ADB Country Director Manmohan
Parkash said thataccess to electricity
in rural areas is a prerequisite to
improved quality of life, enhanced
economic activities, industrial and
agriculture productivity, and essential
services, such as health care, and
education.
"Uninterrupted and reliable electricity
supply can expedite economic
recovery of the country from the
losses of the coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) pandemic by powering
critical activities including food supply
services, digital education, online
businesses, and essential household
activities."
Appreciating the government's
success in enhancing access to
power, Parkash said that the project
will help Bangladesh achieve its goal
of providing electricity for all by
2021, and related sustainable development
goals.
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