30-12-2020

WednesdAY, december 30, 2020
2
Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra Maitri brought out a procession on the campus of Dhaka University on
Tuesday on the occasion of the 20th National Conference.
Photo : Star Mail
AL takes Victory Day programme
for Democracy today
DHAKA : Awami League will observe Victory Day for
Democracy today across the country marking the second
anniversary of party's victory in the 11th parliamentary election
on December 30.
The 11th parliamentary election was a milestone in the country's
history of democracy and development as Bangladesh
marched towards new journey of democracy overcoming darkness
of violent politics and domination of evil forces and
patrons of terrorists, militants and corrupt people through the
elections, said a press release of AL.
Marking the day, the party has drawn up programme including
a discussion at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central
office at 3pm, said a press release.
AL's district, city, town, upazila and thana units will also
arrange identical programmes tomorrow.
Under the initiative of Dhaka City North unit of AL, a discussion
will be held at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB)
auditorium at 11am.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and
Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will attend it as the chief
guest. Party's Presidium Member Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Joint
General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Organizing
Secretary Mirza Azam will join it as the special guests.
WHO chief speaks of 'personal
pain' over Ethiopia conflict
GENEVA : In rare, personal comments,
World Health Organization chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke
Monday of his "personal pain" over the
"worsening" conflict raging in his home
country of Ethiopia, reports UNB.
"In addition to Covid, 2020 has been
very difficult for me because my country
is in trouble," Tedros told reporters
in the UN health agency's last press
conference on the Covid-19 pandemic
of the year.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy
Ahmed, last year's Nobel Peace Prize
winner, ordered troops into the northern
region of Tigray on November 4,
saying the operation was in response to
alleged attacks on federal army camps
by the regional ruling party, the Tigray
People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
The fighting in Tigray has left thousands
dead, according to the
International Crisis Group think tank,
and sent tens of thousands of refugees
streaming across the border into
Sudan.
Tedros, the world's highest-profile
Tigrayan, told Monday's press conference
that he had many relatives in the
troubled region, "including my younger
brother, and I don't know where they
are."
"I have not communicated with them
because communication is not there."
Ethiopia restricted media access to
the conflict-hit region and Tigray was
under a total communications blackout
for six weeks as the conflict raged
between federal and regional forces.
Tedros, who for the past year has
been at the forefront of efforts to coordinate
a global response to the pandemic,
said the additional strain had been
tough personally. "As if Covid is not
enough I have that personal pain also,"
he said. "I worry about the whole country,"
he said.
"I cannot worry about my younger
brother or my relatives alone because
the situation is worsening."
Last month the Ethiopian government
accused Tedros, who from 2005-
2012 served as health minister under
then-TPLF leader Meles Zenawi, of lobbying
for and seeking to arm the
region's leaders.
Tedros denied those accusations in a
tweet last month, saying he had seen
the destructive nature of war as a child,
and had "used that first-hand experience
to always work for peace."
"There have been reports suggesting I
am taking sides in this situation. This is
not true," he wrote.
"I want to say that I am on only one
side, and that is the side of peace."
During Monday's press conference,
Tedros acknowledged that worrying
about both the pandemic and the conflict
in Ethiopia "has been tough".
But he ended his comments on an upbeat
note, voicing joy at becoming a grandfather
two months ago."I worry, considering the two
difficult situations that are happening, about
my granddaughter, but at the same time,
looking at her, I see hope."
Rawshan
Rahman dies
Rawshan Rahman Eva, the
wife of economic affairs adviser
to the prime minister Mashiur
Rahman, died at a hospital in
Dhaka on Monday.
She was 74, said a press
release.
Eva is survived by her
husband, a son and a daughter.
Prime minister Sheikh
Hasina expressed deep shock
and sorrow at the death of
Rawshan Rahman.
In a message of condolence,
she prayed for the eternal peace
of the departed soul and
conveyed deep sympathy to the
bereaved family. A number of
cabinet members expressed
profound shock and sorrow at
the death of Rawshan
Rahman.
The cabinet members, who
offered their condolences,
included agriculture minister
Abdur Razzaque, law, justice
and parliamentary affairs
minister Anisul Huq, foreign
affairs minister AK Abdul
Momen, and state minster for
civil aviation and tourism
Mahbub Ali.
GD- 1785/20 (10x 4)
GD- 1784/20 (12x 4)