27-10-2021

WedneSday

DhAkA: October 27, 2021; kartik 11, 1428 BS; Rabi-ul-Awal 19,1443 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 178; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Myanmar skips ASEAN

summit to protest

general's exclusion

>Page 7

Identify new market

trends to diversify

export:Hasina

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina on Tuesday asked the private

entrepreneurs to identify new market

demands and trends across the world

to diversify the country's export items,

reports UNB.

"We've to find out through market

research what new items we can produce

to give a big boost to our exports...we

need to focus on that," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while

inaugurating Bangladesh Trade and

Investment Summit 2021 at

Bangabandhu International Conference

Center (BICC). She joined the programme

from her official residence

Ganobhaban.

The Commerce Ministry and the

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and

Industry (DCCI) jointly arranged the

weeklong summit to mark the Mujib

Year and the Golden Jubilee of the country's

Independence, aiming to connect

traders and investors from around the

world.

Hasina said the exporters have to identify

which country looks for what types of

products, and the producers and manufacturers

should think about producing

those items.

"I request business organisations,

especially the private sector, to give due

attention to this issue because, I think, we

need to increase the number of items in

our export basket," she said.

Hasina also mentioned that different

countries have different demands.

"Bangladesh is such a country where we

can do (produce) anything, if we

want...I've that confidence," she said.

Talking about Bangladesh's geographical

position, the Prime Minister said

domestic and foreign investors can

DHAKA : Home Minister Asaduzzaman

Khan Kamal yesterday said patrons of

communal violence in Rangpur and

Noakhali have been traced out.

"The patrons' names will be published

soon as the arrestees disclosed the names

to the law enforcers," he told reporters at

a dialogue organised by Bangladesh

Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at

the media center in the secretariat here.

The minister said that the violence was

carried out to destabilize the country in a

Zohr

04:47 AM

11:50 PM

03:50 PM

05:26 PM

06:45 PM

6:01 5:23

export their items to South Asian and

South East Asian countries from here.

"They'll get opportunities to grab the

markets in these countries and export

items," she said.

Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh

will become a bridge between the east

and the west in the future. "This will help

us flourish our trade and business further,"

she said.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul

Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu

Munshi, PM's Private Industries and

Investment Affairs Adviser Salman

Fazlur Rahman, Commerce secretary

Tapan Kanti Ghosh, President of the

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of

Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md

Jasim Uddin and DCCI President

Rizwan Rahman were present at the

inaugural session.

A video was screened at the event highlighting

the development in trade, business

and investment in the country.

Some 552 companies from 38 countries

along with Bangladesh of five continents

will participate in 450 business-tobusiness

(B2B) match-making sessions,

which will help explore new business

opportunities in Bangladesh and attract

FDI to the country.

Hasina urged the entrepreneurs both

at home and abroad to invest in

Bangladesh, availing of the advantage of

an investment-friendly environment, big

regional markets and strong connectivity.

She pointed out various attractive facilities

being created by the government

through modernising road, river, rail and

air connectivity. "The government has

also strengthened trade diplomacy in the

international arena."

Patrons of Rangpur,

Noakhali violence are

identified: Kamal

well-planned way. "The persons arrested

over the incidents gave confessional

statements under the section 164. The

names of the people who carried out the

attacks will be published soon," he said.

Kamal, also a veteran freedom fighter, said

that the names of the patrons will be made

public after cent percent confirmation.

Responding to a question from

reporters, the minister said, "I cannot say

right now whether the BNP-Jamaat are

involvement or not with the incident. We

want to let you know after being sure."

He said some 10 cases have been filed

over the violence at Puja mandaps in

Cumilla and 18 people have been arrested

so far.

Kamal said that Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

had dreamt of a non-communal

Bangladesh. Citing Bangabandhu's

speech - "This country is for everyone.

There will be no discrimination over religions.

It will be a secular country" - he

said, "We continue to hold this ideal."

BSRF president Tapan Biswas

presided over the dialogue, while general

secretary Mashudul Haque moderated it.

Among others, joint secretary Mehedy

Azad Masum, organizing secretary Akter

Hossain, finance secretary Md Shafiullah

Sumon, office secretary Md Moskayet

Mashrek, training and research secretary

Towhidul Islam, executive members

Ismail Hossain Russel, Shahjahan Molla,

Hasif Mahmood Shah, Shahadat

Hossain Rakib, Bellal Hossain and

Rubayet hasan were present.

SPortS

Arsenal keeper Ramsdale

aiming to be England

No. 1 at 2022 World Cup

>Page 9

Mohib Ullah murder

3 alleged killers

sent to two-day

police remand

Cox'S Bazar CorreSpondent

A court in Cox's Bazar Tuesday remanded

in two-day police custody three

Rohingyas arrested for their alleged

direct involvement in the killing of

Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah.

Cox's Bazar Senior Judicial Magistrate

Md Helal Uddin passed the order, turning

down an appeal by the investigation

officer in the case for a five-day remand

for interrogation.

The three arrestees are Md Rashid

Prakash Murshid Amin, a resident of Block-

D8 of Kutupalong Camp-1, and Mohammad

Anas and Nur Mohammad, both residents of

Block-B of the same camp.

Investigation officer inspector Gazi

Salauddin of the Ukhia police station said

they were waiting for a copy of the court's

order to take the accused into custody.

So far, nine Rohingya men have been

arrested in this case. Of them, two have

already gave confessional statements of

involvement in the murder before the

court. A senior officer of the district

police said on Saturday that the Armed

Police Battalion arrested Azizul Haque,

Md Rashid, Anas, Nur Mohammad from

a Rohingya camp. "They were part of the

killing squad."

Aziz gave his confessional statement in

the Cox's Bazar Senior Judicial

Magistrate's court on Saturday afternoon.

Cumilla communal violence

Another case filed

CUMILLA : Another case was filed on

Tuesday over Cumilla communal violence

triggered by alleged desecration of

the Holy Quran at a Hindu temple.

The case was filed by Puja Rani, wife of

Dilip Das (62) who died from injuries he

suffered when troublemakers attacked

Rajeshwari Kali Mandir in Manoharpur

of the district on October 13.

Inspector Komol Krishna Dhor of

Kotwali Police Station, where the case

was filed, told UNB that 50-60 unidentified

people were named in the case.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of

Police(Cumilla) Khan Muhammad

Rezwan said that the Criminal

Investigation Department is keeping

watch over several more people in another

case filed over triggering communal

violence by hurting religious sentiments.

"Soon, we will arrest several others

over the incident," he added.

Meanwhile, Cumilla police continued

to quiz Iqbal Hossain, who reportedly

placed the Holy Quran at a Puja mandap

at Nauar Digir Par of Cumilla.

The SP said that though Iqbal confessed

to his role in placing the Quran, he

was yet to disclose the names of the masterminds.

He said three others, arrested

in connection with the violence, are also

being interrogated.

Earlier, the case filed over the Quran

desecration in a puja mandap of Cumilla

was handed over to the Criminal

Investigation Department (CID).

art & culture

'Mission Extreme'

trailer released

>Page 10

fishermen are busy drying the nets at the end of the day after fishing. the picture was taken from

meghai Jamuna river in Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj district.

photo: pBa

Japan to keep working

Bangladesh's development,

stability : envoy

DHAKA : Japanese Ambassador here ITO

Naoki has said his government will keep working

towards improving regional connectivity

through infrastructure projects, as well as for

the development and the stability of

Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific region as a

whole. "Japan will promote practical cooperation

with Bangladesh to realize the vision of

"Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" for

peace, stability, and prosperity in the region,"

he said in a message yesterday marking his

two-year completion of duty in Bangladesh.

He said resolving the issue of the Rohingyas

is also crucial from the perspective of realizing

FOIP. The recent situation in Myanmar since

the coup last February has made the repatriation

of refugees more difficult, he added.

"Japan will work with the international

community for humanitarian assistance and

the repatriation of the displaced people," said

the envoy welcoming the MOU recently

signed between Bangladesh and UN agencies

to cooperate in the relocation plan of the

refugees to Bashan Char Island.

Referring the letter of Japanese prime minister

wrote to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh

Hasina, he said, Japanese premier Kishida

Fumio stated that he would strive to deepen

cooperation between the two countries.

"The Government of Japan will work vigorously

to deepen understanding of Japan further,

expand people-to-people exchange and

promote Japanese culture in Bangladesh, by

holding the anniversary events in 2022," said

the envoy.

Currently, he said large-scale Japanese

infrastructure projects like Dhaka Metro,

expansion of Hazrat Shahjalal International

Airport, Jamuna Railway Bridge, and

Matarbari Deep Sea Port symbolize that the

rapid economic growth of Bangladesh are

steadily underway.

Speaker stresses climate subsidy

as immediate step

DHAKA : Speaker of Parliament Dr Shirin

Sharmin Chaudhury on Tuesday urged major

world economies to subsidise climate vulnerable

countries to negate the climate change

impacts as the world leaders are set to join the

COP 26 in Britain's Glasgow next month.

"We are calling upon the developed

nations to provide subsidies to climate vulnerable

countries as a quick measure during

COP 26," she told a virtual international

meeting of Climate Vulnerable Forum-Global

Parliamentary Group. Climate Vulnerable

Forum (CVF), Inter-Parliamentary Union

(IPU) and Global Center on Adaptation (CCA)

co-sponsored the meeting ahead of the COP

26 while Chaudhury sought joint efforts of all

to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"To keep global temperatures below 1.5

degrees Celsius, we need to work together to

cut greenhouse gas emissions, achieve the

goals of the Paris Agreement and finalise the

Paris Rulebook," she said.

on tuesday,

Bnp leaders

and activists

clashed with

police when

they (police)

obstructed a

procession

protesting

the alleged

government's

failure to

maintain

communal

harmony.

photo : tBt

Fishermen become

happy for Hilsa

fishing resumes

KHULNA : Ilish (Hilsha) hunters started

journey to the Bay of Bengal and rivers,

adjacent to the Sundarbans with their

rafts and nets for catching fish while the

22-day ban was ended at 12.01am yesterday,

reports BSS.

Officials at the Department of Fisheries

said thousands of fishermen of the

coastal districts started their journey to

the Bay of Bengal last night for catching

hilsa fish after the long pause.

The government imposed a ban on

catching, selling, hoarding and transportation

of Hilsa in the Bay of Bengal

and different rivers for 22 days from

October 4, 2021 to boost Hilsa production

through protection of the mother

fish during its peak breeding season.

Officials at the Fisheries Department,

Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, District

and Upazila administrations, Police and

RAB conducted different drives to prevent

Hilsa fishing during the period.

In the meantime, executive magistrates

conducted mobile courts and punished a

number of fishermen who violated the ban.

In the last 22-day, Bangladesh Coast

Guard (BCG) arrested 257 fishermen,

seized 6.38 crore of illegal fishing net, 115

boats and 9,832 kilograms of Hilsha fish

and fined Taka 233.64 crore while conducting

3,049 drives in the coastal belt and

rivers, said a press release issued by BCG

media officer and lieutenant of Bangladesh

Navy Khondokar Munif Taki.

Govt's no

right to stay in

power : Fakhrul

Shafiqul iSlam (Jami)

Leaders and activists of the BNP clashed

with police after the party's 'peace rally'

program in the capital's Naya Paltan.

After the rally in front of the BNP central

office at around 11:30 am on Tuesday,

the leaders and activists marched

towards Kakrail and clashed with the

police near Nightingale Junction. At that

time, the BNP activists entered the alley

on both sides of the road and started

throwing stones at the police. Police fired

tear gas and beat to disperse them.

Later, Motijheel Zone Deputy

Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan

Police Abdul Ahad told reporters at the spot

that BNP workers were not supposed to

march. The BNP secretary general also

spoke after the rally. Even then, when the

leaders and activists came here in procession,

throwing brick batons at our police,

the police were forced to charge with sticks.

Many policemen were injured by their

bricks. He said the way they threw brickbats

at the police it could not be desirable in any

civilized country. A journalist said at the time

that the BNP had accused the police of

attacking their peaceful procession.

weDNeSDAY, OCTOBeR 27, 2021

2

Bangladesh Navy members seized huge illegal net during mother hilsa preservation campaign-2021.

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MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

Photo : ISPR

NBR to organize month-long

tax support service from Nov 1

DHAKA : No tax fair this year. Instead,

the National Board of Revenue (NBR)

will organize a nationwide special

support service to help taxpayers

submit their income tax returns from

November 1 to 30, reports UNB.

NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md

Rahmtul Muneem on Tuesday revealed

this at a press conference at the NBR

building in the capital.

He said 649 tax circles of 31 tax

regions will arrange the special support

service so that tax submission-related

necessary support could be made

available for people at one spot in a

festive mood.

The NBR head said their support

centres will also help new taxpayers

have e-TIN registration and reregistration.

In the website of each tax region,

return forms, poripotra, filling-out

instructions, video tutorial and other

related documents will be made

2565

available, he said.

The tax region-4 of Dhaka will

organize the support service for

government officials at the Bangladesh

Secretariat and Dhaka Officers' Club

from November 1 to 14 so that they can

submit their tax returns during their

duty hours, Muneem said.

For the defence service officials, he

said, the support centre would be

operated from November 09 to 10 at

Sena Malancha of Dhaka Cantonment.

The NBR will organize a tax card

award ceremony on November 24 to

honour 141 highest taxpayers at the

national level and 525 others at city

corporation and district levels.

Meanwhile, the online return

submission opened for taxpayers on

October 10 which is a very easy and

user-friendly one, Muneem said.

Taxpayers can collect tax certificates

by submitting e-returns through the

NBR-developed online tax return

submission portal, he added.

So far, some 6.90 lakh people have

taken e-TINs, showing 26 percent

growth compared to the last fiscal year,

the NBR chairman said replying to a

query at the press conference.

In the current fiscal year, over 4 lakh

people have taken e-TINs so far and

the number was 13 lakh in the fiscal

year 2020-21.

Though the number of e-TIN holders

is increasing, the tax return

submission is not satisfactory yet. In

the last fiscal year, around 24 lakh

people only submitted their tax

returns.

Muneem urged the young

professionals to pay tax using the

online system as it is hassle free.

The government fixed its revenue

collection target at Tk3,89,000 crore

for the fiscal year 2021-22. Out of this,

Tk3,30,000 crore will be collected

through the NBR, officials said.

Dhaka to host

WCIT 2021

on Nov 11-14

DHAKA : The 25th World

Congress on Information

Technology (WCIT) will

begin in Dhaka on

November 11 to bring

together the global leaders

in business, government

and academia in the IT

sector, reports UNB.

The four-day conference

will be held at

Bangabandhu

International Conference

Centre in the city. The IT

sector leaders will attend

the summit both in person

and virtually, said a PID

handout on Tuesday.

With the initiative of the

World Information

Technology and Services

Alliance (WITSA), the

Information and

Communication

Technology (ICT) Division

and Bangladesh Computer

Council (BCC) and

AL's meeting on PM's

role towards industry,

commerce today

DHAKA : The sub-committee on Industries and

Commerce of Bangladesh Awami League will hold a

discussion meeting today titled "The role of Sheikh Hasina

towards industry and commerce development during

Covid-19" to be held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in

the capital.

Awami League general secretary and the Road

Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will grace

the function as the chief guest.

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun,

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Prime Minister's

Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F

Rahman will remain present as special guests.

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and

Industries (FBCCI) President Md Jashim Uddin, D8CCI

Chairman and former president of FBCCI Sheikh Fazle

Fahim will remain present on the occasion as the guests of

honour.

The discussion meeting will be presided over by Awami League

Advisory Council member and sub-committee Chairman on

Industries and Commerce Kazi Akramuddin Ahmed.

4 Jamaat

leaders held

in Joypurhat

JOYPURHAT : Police in a

drive arrested four Jamaate-Islami

leaders, including

Joypurhat district Ameer

and secretary of the

organization, from Sonali

Bank area under Kalai

upazila of the district on

Tuesday evening, reports

BSS.

The arrested were

identified as Joypurhat

District Jamaat Ameer Dr

Fazlur Rahman Saeed, 58,

District Jamaat secretary

Golam Kibria, 43, Kalai

Upazila Jamaat Naib-a-

Ameer Munshur Rahman

and former Naib-a-Ameer

Nuruzzaman Sarkar.

Bangladesh Computer

Samity are jointly

arranging the mega event.

This year 'ICT the Great

Equalizer' is the theme of

the WCIT, said State

Minister for ICT Zunaid

Ahmed Palak joining a

press conference at a city

hotel virtually on Tuesday.

A total of 23 seminars,

ministerial conference,

B2B session are the main

features of the

international event, he

said.

Besides, a session titled

'Digital Bangladesh Night'

will be held there on the

opening day of the great

event, focusing on the

progress of Bangladesh in

the IT sector in the last 12

years.

PM's ICT Affairs Adviser

Sajeeb Wazed Joy will join

its ministerial conference

as the keynote speaker

virtually on November 11.

BU VC calls for effective initiatives

to tackle climate crisis

Zihad Rana, Barishal Bureau Chief

Ahead of the UN Climate Conference, a

climate dialogue on 'Road to Glasgow:

Youth Reflections on Climate Change

and COP 26' was organized by The Earth

Society at the Jibanananda Auditorium

of Barishal University on Monday

Barishal University Vice Chancellor

Professor Dr. Md. Sadequl Arefin said

Bangladesh has been leading the world

in tackling the climate crisis. For many

years, Prime Minister has relentlessly

been a vocal advocate for fair

accountability for countries affected by

climate change. Bangladesh has set a

unique precedent in the world by setting

up a Climate Change Trust Fund with its

own funds. Climate change is a global

issue. So the whole world has to work

together. Noting that the world

community is not taking adequate

initiatives to tackle the climate crisis,

the Vice-Chancellor called upon the

youth to play a more active role as well

as devote themselves to research to find

climate-friendly innovations and

GD-1572/21 (5x3)

solutions at the local level to build a

prosperous and developing Bangladesh.

Pratik Jubo Sangsad Chairperson Md.

Aminul Islam chaired the occasion

while among others, Barishal Teachers

Association President Dr. Khorshed

Alam, Former President Md. Arif

Hossain, Officers Association President

and Deputy Registrar Bahauddin Golap,

Barisal BSCIC Deputy General Manager

Md. Jalis Mahmud were also present at

the occasssion.

Hundreds of youths including

students of different departments of

Barisal University took part in this

dialogue.

It is to be noted that the 26th United

Nations Climate Conference will be held

in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31 to

November 12. It is the largest climate

conference since the 2015 Paris

Conference. Representatives from 200

countries, including heads of state and

government, will take part in it. It is

said that more than 25,000 people will

take part in the conference.

Barishal University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Sadequl Arefin as

the chief guest addressed a climate dialogue ahead of the UN Climate

Conference at the university on Monday.

Photo: TBT

GD-1573/21 (10x3)

GD-1570/21 (6x4)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

3

The 'Korean Alphabet Day' was celebrated on Monday at the Institute of Modern Languages of Dhaka

University. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman was present as chief guest on

this occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

‘Korean Alphabet Day’

celebrated at DU

The 'Korean Alphabet Day'

was celebrated on Tuesday at

the auditorium of the

Institute of Modern

Languages (IML) of Dhaka

University (DU). Dhaka

University Vice-Chancellor

Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman

was present as chief guest on

this occasion. Department of

Korean Language of DU IML

organized this program.

Director of DU Institute of

Modern Languages Prof. Dr.

A. B. M. Razaul Karim

Faquire presided over the

program while Country

Director of Korea

Communal violence : Citizens demand

exemplary punishment for perpetrators

DHAKA : Prominent civil society members

staged a protest in the capital on Monday,

demanding speedy and exemplary

punishment for the perpetrators of

communal attacks in Bangladesh, reports

UNB.

The protest came in the wake of a series

of attacks on the minority Hindus during

Durga Puja celebrations.

Under the aegis of Sampriti Bangladesh,

a citizens' platform promoting secularism,

a large crowd gathered at Central Shaheed

Minar on Monday afternoon and placed a

seven-point demand for maintaining

religious harmony in the country.

Holding placards and banners, the civil

society activists demanded the necessary

steps for the "complete eradication of

fundamentalism" from the country.

In fact, a total of 89 non-communal and

pro-liberation organisations expressed

solidarity with the protesters, Sampriti

said.

Sampriti Bangladesh convener Pijush

Bandyopadhyay led the event, while

member aecretary Dr Mamun Al Mahtab

International Cooperation

Agency (KOICA) Ms Young

Ah Doh, Third Secretary of

Korean Embassy Ms Sunnam

In, teachers and

students of Korean Language

Department of IML were

present on this occasion, a

press release said.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof.

Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman

thanked the organizer to

celebrate this 'Korean

Alphabet Day' in Dhaka

University. He said, a friendly

relation has been prevailing

between Bangladesh and

South Korea for a long time.

South Korea has been

providing help and

cooperation to various sectors

including education, trade

and cultural fields in

Bangladesh. DU VC urged the

students to be equipped with

Korean language to further

strengthen friendly ties

between the two countries.

In observance of the day

'Korean language speech' and

'Korean language handwriting'

competitions were

arranged for the students of

Korean Language

Department of DU IML.

Swapnil delivered the introductory speech.

Dhaka University VC Prof

Akhtaruzzaman, former Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujib Medical University VC Prof

Kamrul Hassan Khan, Prof Nizamul

Haque Bhuiyan of Dhaka University

Teachers Association addressed the

gathering.

Also present were Chandpur Science and

Technology University VC Nasim Akhtar,

Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee

Assistant General Secretary Dr Nujhat

Chowdhury, Projonmo 71 President Asif

Munir Tonmoy, Muktijuddho Monch

General Secretary Al Mamun, apart from

many religious leaders.

The recent communal attacks were an

attempt to destroy the ideology of Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman and the spirit of the Liberation

War, they said.

The speakers demanded quickest

possible action against those involved in

the recent and past communal clashes,

repair of the damaged temples, and

effective steps to deal with social media

rumours.

A Seminar on "Blue Governance for Sustainable Development of Bangladesh" was organized

by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University. Education Minister Dr. Dipu

Moni, MP graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The Vice-Chancellor of the University Rear

Admiral M Khaled Iqbal (retd) delivered the welcome speech.

Photo : Courtesy

SC upholds death of

man convicted for

killing Rajshahi child

DHAKA : The Appellate

Division of the Supreme

Court (SC) yesterday upheld

a High Court order directing

the Anti-Corruption

Commission (ACC) to probe

the source of wealth of

Rajarbag Pir Dillur Rahman

and his darbar, reports BSS

A four-member apex court

bench headed by Justice

Muhammad Imman Ali

passed the order, dismissing

an appeal filed by one

Muhammad Mofizul Islam

against the High Court order

that had asked ACC to

enquire into the assets of the

pir and his darbar.

"The Appellate Division on

Tuesday scrapped a plea

against the High Court

order, clearing all legal bars

on probing their source of

wealth," said Advocate

Mohammad Shishir Manir,

who moved a writ petition

filed by the alleged victims of

Rajarbag pir.

Eight victims of Rajarbag

pir filed the writ, making 20,

including home secretary

and inspector general of

police (IGP), as respondents.

The High Court after

holding hearing on the writ,

issued a rule on September

19. It directed the Counter

Terrorism and Transitional

Crime (CTTC) Unit to find

out if Pir Dillur Rahman has

any connections with

militancy and ordered ACC

to probe the assets of the pir

and his darbar.

Bangladesh reports

276 fresh cases,

six deaths from

COVID-19

DHAKA : Bangladesh on

Tuesday reported 276

COVID-19 cases while the

coronavirus claimed

overnight six lives, reports

BSS.

"The country reported 1.44

percent COVID-19 positive

cases as 19,184 samples were

tested in the past 24 hours, "

Directorate General of Health

Services (DGHS) said in its

routine daily statement.

In the past 24 hours, the

combined figure of

coronavirus in Dhaka city and

upazilas of Dhaka district is

175 while no COVID-19 death

was reported during the same

period.

The official tally showed the

virus killed 27,834 people and

infected 15,68,257 so far, it

added.

The recovery count rose to

15,32,180 after another 440

patients were discharged from

the hospitals during the past

one day.

The DGHS said among the

total 27,834 fatalities, 12,134

deaths occurred in Dhaka

division, 5,651 in Chattogram,

2,041 in Rajshahi, 3,593 in

Khulna,945 in Barishal, 1,264

in Sylhet, 1,363 in Rangpur

and 843 in Mymensingh

division.

SC upholds

HC order to

probe source

of Rajarbag

Pir's wealth

DHAKA : The Appellate

Division of the Supreme

Court (SC) yesterday upheld

a High Court order directing

the Anti-Corruption

Commission (ACC) to probe

the source of wealth of

Rajarbag Pir Dillur Rahman

and his darbar, reports BSS

A four-member apex court

bench headed by Justice

Muhammad Imman Ali

passed the order, dismissing

an appeal filed by one

Muhammad Mofizul Islam

against the High Court order

that had asked ACC to

enquire into the assets of the

pir and his darbar.

"The Appellate Division on

Tuesday scrapped a plea

against the High Court

order, clearing all legal bars

on probing their source of

wealth," said Advocate

Mohammad Shishir Manir,

who moved a writ petition

filed by the alleged victims of

Rajarbag pir.

Eight victims of Rajarbag

pir filed the writ, making 20,

including home secretary

and inspector general of

police (IGP), as respondents.

The High Court after

holding hearing on the writ,

issued a rule on September

19. It directed the Counter

Terrorism and Transitional

Crime (CTTC) Unit to find

out if Pir Dillur Rahman has

any connections with

militancy and ordered ACC

to probe the assets of the pir

and his darbar.

BICC

building at

Motijheel

catches fire

DHAKA : A fire broke out at

Bangladesh Chemical

Industries Corporation

(BCIC) building at Motijheel

in the capital on Tuesday,

reports UNB.

The fire broke out around

1:51 pm on the 11thfloor of

the building, said fire service

control room sources.

Eight firefighting units are

working to douse the flames,

they said.

Nagad-DRU honor 22 best reporters

Nagad, the mobile financial

service of the Postal

Department, teamed up

with the Dhaka Reporters'

Unity (DRU) to honour 22

reporters for their best

reports for 2021.

Speaker of Jatiya

Sangsad Shirin Sharmin

Chaudhury, MP handed

over the awards to the best

reporters at the Nagad-

DRU Best Reporting

Award 2021 ceremony at

the Krishibid Institution

Bangladesh auditorium in

the capital as the chief

guest. Nagad Managing

Director Tanvir A Mishuk

was present as the special

guest, a press release said.

Speaking at the function,

Nagad Managing Director

Tanvir A Mishuk said a

good report brings to the

fore many vital issues of the

society and the country,

which also serves as a tool

for social change.

Tanvir A Mishuk said, "I

sincerely believe that noted

journalists like Manik Mia

or Zahur Hossain

Chowdhury will emerge

from the list of reporters

who have been recognized

for their best reports

today."

Niaz Morshed Elite,

executive director of

Nagad, Shahjahan Sardar,

chairman of the jury board

of the Nagad-DRU Best

Reporting Award 2021,

Mosiur Rahman Khan,

general secretary of the

DRU, Mainul Hasan Sohel,

convener of the awards

committee, and former

presidents and general

secretaries of the DRU, also

spoke on the occasion.

The reporters were

awarded in the printonline

media and the

television-radio categories

for the best reports in 13

and 9 subjects respectively.

The country's top ten

senior editors picked the

22 reports from the 242

reports submitted.

Nagad, the mobile financial service of the Postal Department, teamed up

with the Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) to honour 22 reporters for their

best reports for 2021.

Photo : Courtesy

President returns home after

overseas treatment

DHAKA : President M Abdul Hamid returned

home on Tuesday morning after a 15-day visit

to Germany and UK for health checkup and

treatment of eyes.

"A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines

carrying the President and his entourage

members landed at Hazrat Shahjalal

International Airport at 8:40 am," President's

Deputy Press Secretary Munsi Jalal Uddin told

BSS.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM

Mozammel Haque, Foreign Minister Dr AK

Abdul Momen, Dean of Diplomatic Corps

Archbishop George Kocherry, British High

Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Chatterton

Dickson, Cabinet Secretary

Khandker Anwarul Islam, Chief of Army

Staff, Acting Chief of Naval Staff, Assistant

Chief of Air Staff (operations), Principal

Secretary to the Prime Minister, Senior

Secretary of Home Ministry's Public Security

Division, Chargé d'affaires of Embassy of the

Federal Republic of Germany in Dhaka and

other civil and military high officials concerned

received the President at the airport.

Earlier, the head of the state left London

Heathrow Airport for Dhaka at 5:50 pm

(London time) yesterday. Bangladesh High

Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK)

Saida Muna Tasneen and senior officials of

Bangladesh Mission in London saw the

President off at the airport.

On October 9, the President along with his

wife Rashida Khanam and other entourage

members departed from Dhaka for Germany's

capital Berlin. He later reached London from

Berlin on October 19.

The 77-year-old President has been suffering

from Glaucoma for long. He used to have his

health checkup in London and Germany while

he was the Speaker in the Jatiya Sangsad

(Parliament).

Razia Sultana Ety, Councilor of Dhaka North City Corporation, received Maldives International

Peace Award-2021 for her special contribution in social service recently.

Photo: TBT

Councilor Ety awarded for special

contribution in social service

TBT DESK

Razia Sultana Ety, Councilor of Dhaka

North City Corporation, received a rare

honor for the country by receiving the

Maldives International Peace Award-

2021 for her special contribution in

social service.

The medal was presented to her by

Maldives' Mister of Stage Culture of

Heritage Md. Tariq on Saturday at the

National Art Gallery in Maldives.

During the time, Estate Minister

Akram, Director of Indian Arts and

Culture (ICCR) High Commissioner,

Dr. Saida Tanvir Nasreen were also

present.

At the occasion, a total of 13

Bangladeshis including Councilor Ety

were awarded in different

categories. Prominent musician Shaon

Chowdhury was awarded for special

contribution in music, Dr. Hamida

Khanam Afsar of Geology Department

of Dhaka University for special

contribution in the field of education,

Razia Sultana Ety and Ariful Islam Zia

for special contribution in social

service, Nargis for unique contribution

in disability and social service, Former

DIG of Bangladesh Police Md Hafizur

Rahman, Mymensingh Medical College

Professor Dr. Ratan Chandra Saha for

a special contribution to medical care,

Abdullah Bablu for special

contribution in the textile industry and

Mohammad Sadiuzzaman, Managing

Director of Natundhara Group, Md

Swapan Mia in the housing sector,

Md. Shamsul Alam for special

contribution as the best organizer and

Mohammad Delwar Hossain in

business and social service.

WeDNeSDAy, oCToBeR 27, 2021

4

'Lawfare' and the CIA's drone war worries

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Watch out for

overpopulation

Of course, there is no one shot or one oversimplified

explanation for the poverty situation in Bangladesh.

Nonetheless, economists in all settings go for a standard

measure of the national pie and how much of it goes to each

member of the population. The formula is simple. Take the net

national product (NNP) or the total national income minus

depreciations and leakages in a given year and divide it by the

total number of the population. That should yield the individual

amount available to each member of the population or the per

capita income.

The per capita income is not a foolproof reflector of the

monetary resources available to every member of a country's

population. There may be concentration of wealth into few hands

or coteries, unfair opportunities for distribution of wealth and

income regionally and between population segments, etc., that

might distort the picture as some or many individuals may be

seen actually possessing or earning many times more than the

amount of the established per capita income. But that is another

aspect.

It should suffice to say that the per capita income, on the whole

and generally, is the best that economists can rely on to get a fairly

reliable view of the annul availability of resources for

consumption available to every person in the population of a

country. The per capita income then gives a clue as to the

purchasing power of people and the level of their standard of

living.

The NNP of Bangladesh on a rough estimate last year was the

value of some US$ 74.10 billion and dividing that amount by

some 164.4 million in the population (for this is the current size of

the Bangladesh population according to UNFPA), the per capita

income comes to something like $ 494. Only from these figures

alone it should be possible to see the relationship between the

number in the population and per capita income. Supposing, the

Bangladesh population last year was only half of the actual

number, i.e. 82 million , then the per capita income today would

be double at nearly US$ 1000.

Population growth has nullified this potentiality of an advance

in the per capita income. Notwithstanding the fact that the

economic growth in the present decade puts Bangladesh in a

noteworthy position among the countries of the world in terms of

economic growth, the reflection of that growth in the per capita

income was limited by the simultaneous growth of the

population well above the preferred level in this period.

Even if the economic growth rate in Bangladesh accelerates

into the double digit of 10 per cent or its neighborhood in the next

two decades, the present per capita income is unlikely to show any

major increase for the simple reason that population would be

also growing in this time. The present growth rate of population

according to governmental sources is 1.48 per cent. The private

views on population growth are higher. Even if the

governmental estimate is accepted, there would still be some 180

million Bangladeshis well before the next quarter century in the

absence of stringent population control activities. Thus, without

limiting population growth, it would be simply impossible for

Bangladeshis to enjoy substantially increased per capita income

in the future regardless of how much the economy grows.

One example should make it clearer. The per capita income in

United States of America is $ 46,716 whereas the same is $2,912

for China. Thus, the resources for spending available to the

average American is sixteen times more than the average Chinese.

China has been enjoying well over double digit economic growth

unmatched by other countries for decades ; it presently has

foreign currency reserves worth trillions of dollars and here also

other countries are no match for the Chinese. Why then the

Chinese per capita income is still low which is seen in the low

standards of living suffered by a vast number of the Chinese

people in comparison to the much higher standard of living

enjoyed by people in the USA and Western Europe ?

The reason is the sheer number of the Chinese people.

Unmatched high economic growth, very high productivity levels,

unsurpassed export performance year after year, etc., have

pinned many distinctions for brilliant performance on the

Chinese economy. The total economic pie or NNP of China has

been boosted to great heights. But when it comes to sharing the

pie among all members in the population, the individual share or

the income per capita comes to a meager amount by the

standards of the developed countries .

China's total population of 6.77 billion people dwarfs most other

countries. The developed countries are required to carve up their

large net national incomes among their populations which are far

less than that of China. For example, the USA has a population

which is more than twenty-two times smaller than China.

Therefore, the average American can enjoy a far bigger per capita

income than the average Chinese.

Thus, the policy planners in Bangladesh must put a far greater

emphasis on population control. This has become an absolute

imperative for the country to consolidate the gains from the

economic advances it is making in different spheres. Population

control is a neglected area in Bangladesh today when it should be

among the highest priorities of the government and the people of

Bangladesh. Our government run population control

programmes are found lacking in many aspects. The same need

to be run with greater efficiency and innovativeness.

All kinds of clichés to the effect that the large population of

Bangladesh is not a liability and that Bangladeshis in millions can

swiftly be turned into productive persons, will not quite prevent

the economic catastrophes to be faced by the country from

allowing its already overpopulated conditions to turn even worse.

All efforts to conquer poverty on a sustainable basis in Bangladesh

will be rendered not so effective in the long run if the population

is allowed to grow at the present rate.

Besides, too many people crammed in a relatively small living

space are bound to make it progressively one where the vital

'quality of life' goes on steadily diminishing sooner than later.

Humans are the worst polluters everywhere on earth. Thus,

unregulated growth of the human population is bound to have

detrimental effects on the environment including the soil, air and

aesthetic appeals. As the adage goes ' man does not live on bread

alone', it should not be difficult to imagine how in overpopulated

conditions the joys and pleasures of living dwindles down from

literally choking effects of too many people around.

American journalist Spencer

Ackerman, in collaboration

with documentary filmmaker

Laura Poitras, just released a

document related to the US drone

operations leaked by National Security

Agency whistleblower, Edward

Snowden.

The document is an article on

Intellipedia, a secretive US data site

where the US intelligence agencies

share the material they mine on us all

across the world. Titled "Targeted

Killing: Policy, Legal and Ethical

Controversy", the entry reflects

Intellipedia's take on the work of many

human rights defenders and

organisations - including my own - to

stop the CIA drone war across the

world.

Because of my human rights work, I

have always assumed that I was being

tracked by security agencies. Indeed,

when I write an email to my wife, I

sometimes add an ironic post-script to

their agents apologising for being

boring. This is the first time a

document has come to light that

affirmatively highlights my suspicions.

While the document is troubling in a

number of regards, I am secretly

pleased to see it. Secrecy (on their part)

is the refuge of some very dangerous

beliefs, which lead to tragic

consequences. Sunlight is the ultimate

disinfectant, and here is a narrow ray

of light. Their gripe here is that I was

working to get John Rizzo, erstwhile

legal counsel to the CIA, prosecuted for

his involvement in an illegal war being

waged in the border regions of

Pakistan - to which he had unwisely

confessed when bragging to Newsweek

in a 2011 interview. I did not honestly

expect the US to extradite Rizzo to face

trial in Islamabad, but the principle

was very significant: he authorised CIA

strikes over several years, when the US

was killing people across the region in

flagrant violation of humanitarian

laws.

The US was not at war with Pakistan,

which was a vital US ally publicly

opposed to the drone attacks. Another

Snowden leak demonstrated that in

August 2008 then Prime Minister

Yusuf Raza Gilani is reported to have

said: "I don't care if they do it as long as

they get the right people. We'll protest

in the National Assembly and then

ignore it." That hypocrisy needed to be

CLIve STAffoRD SMITh

exposed, too. As part of my

investigation, I met with the families of

many victims, and too often the story

was the same: the US had seemingly

paid good money for "intelligence" on

"extremists". The informants were

faced with a simple choice when

collecting their cash: either tell the

truth, take risks and identify truly

dangerous people; or lie and finger

someone totally benign. Sensibly, they

generally chose the safer course. We

always knew the lies they told because

the press release issued by the US

would tell us when they bragged about

the deaths of "extremists".

There are many horrific examples of

the mistakes committed by the CIA. On

October 30, 2006, a drone attack on a

school killed 69 children - the

headmaster had been tarred as a

"militant". On June 23, 2009, a drone

attack on a funeral killed at least 80

people, but not Baitullah Mehsud, the

purported target who was not there.

I voted twice for Barack Obama.

After he was elected in 2008 the

constitutional law professor-turnedpresident

renounced the Bush-era

policies of torture and "detention

without trial", but substituted them

with "death penalty without trial"

carried out by Hellfire missiles rained

down by Predator drones. The number

of drone attacks in Waziristan rose

from a high of 36 under Bush in 2008

to 122 in 2010, Obama's first full year.

The most emotional moment for me

came in November 2011, when Imran

Khan (then an opposition politician

and now Pakistan's prime minister)

and I hosted a "Grand Jirga" in an

Islamabad hotel. We invited scores of

relatives of drone victims to discuss

how to end the carnage. One was a

young 16-year-old lad called Tariq

Khan. I chatted to him briefly about

how his innocent school friend had

been killed.

Then, after Khan gave an eloquent

speech about how immoral these drone

attacks were, I gave a talk about how -

no doubt - there were a couple of

people in the audience who were in the

pay of the CIA. I warned that they

would finger some people at random,

and perhaps attach a tracking device to

their cars.

Little did I know how accurate this

would prove to be: within 72 hours,

Tariq was driving along a winding road

in Waziristan with Wahid, his 12-yearold

cousin, on a visit to his auntie.

Weeks later when the media

confronted an anonymous "US official"

with evidence of the boys' funeral, he

continued to insist that they were

"militants". One day, I hope, we can

erect a monument to young Tariq, a

reminder that a presumption of guilt

can only result in tears - and a thirst for

revenge.

In contrast, in our litigation, we

asked that John Rizzo should be given

a fair trial even though he bragged

about his crimes. The Snowden leak

reflects the CIA view of this: the

document logs our efforts under

"lawfare", the disparaging term coined

by Drone Age apologists. Apparently

resolving questions by missiles is more

civilised than debating them in court.

The CIA implies that I was working

with "opposition forces to undermine

the [US] use of remotely piloted

vehicles" and states ominously that

thus far they have not developed

evidence that my work was sponsored

by a "violent extremist". It never ceases

to astound me how intelligence agents

think that an opponent of murder will

join forces with mad people who

believe (like the CIA) that killing

people is the way to foster peace.

BARIA ALAMUDDIN

It is true that I have represented

many people who have been targeted

by my own country. Too many of them

have been innocent civilians, too many

of them children. When I think how I

would react were someone to murder

my own child, it takes little

imagination to understand why the

drone programme rendered the US the

most hated country in the world for the

entire population of Waziristan. Thus

is the reputation rapidly squandered.

I do not normally believe that

deterrence prevents much crime, but I

am glad to say our work did put a stop

to the drone wars at least in this one

region. The litigation - handled with

the Foundation for Fundamental

Rights in Islamabad - shrank the

number of Waziristan drone attacks

from one every three days in 2010 to

just five in 2018 and none since.

Reprieve, an organisation I founded,

and I were also mentioned in another

"lawfare" subsection of the same

document.

This time Intellipedia was pleased

that we lost a case where we were

trying to expose the involvement of

British intelligence in the same drone

mayhem since they were sharing

SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) with the

Americans conducting illegal

executions in Pakistan (the UK is very

good at tracking your mobile phone).

"The ruling was a victory for the British

government, whose lawyers had said

that ties between Britain, the US and

Pakistan could be jeopardized if a

judge granted [our] request."

I find this curious. Probably the

relations between the Italian Mafia and

their US counterparts would be

"jeopardized" if their machinations

were disclosed - but does this mean

that it should all be kept secret from

electorates who presumably hoped

their elected officials would not be

involved in a conspiracy to commit

homicide?

I assume the CIA has kept close tabs

on all the other "lawfare" battles we

have fought for justice. I can only hope

that they and their friends at MI6 learn

from their grotesque mistakes. Maybe

one day they will even have the

common decency to apologise to

Tariq's family and compensate their

many innocent victims.

Source: Al jazeera

Factions who seek to dominate Lebanon

Nobody brings AK-47s and

rocket-propelled grenades to a

peaceful protest. Make no

mistake, Hezbollah's actions have

steered Lebanon into these desperate

straits, in its readiness to ignite the

nation in flames to block investigation

into its culpability for the Beirut port

explosion.

I have never seen Lebanese citizens so

furious at Hezbollah: The manner in

which heavily armed, black-clad

fighters are dictating their right to

derail the judiciary, boasting of their

ability to "ignite the streets" and

prevent the Cabinet from meeting,

while seeking to intimidate the nation

in its entirety. When armed, angry

militiamen burst into a tense Christian

neighborhood chanting "Shia! Shia!" at

a moment of existential national crisis,

what exactly were they expecting?

However, it takes two to tango: That is

why the sight of masked gunmen was so

blood-chilling. It is now obvious to

everyone that there are several parties

enthusiastically preparing for sectarian

conflict, actively stirring the pot in

readiness to fling the gates of hell fully

open. It is all very well for leading

politicians to call for calm, but unless

the principal protagonists

fundamentally alter their murderous

trajectory, the drivers of conflict are

firmly in motion. The army has

frequently stepped in to restore order,

but if the army starts to disintegrate

along sectarian lines, matters will

genuinely begin to spiral out of control.

Too many of Lebanon's current

leaders are the same warlords from the

1970-80s era, just as comfortable

fighting actual battles as they are

managing political conflicts.

Furthermore, when so much of society

is impoverished and desperate, there

will always be a ready pool of

individuals who can be purchased as

pawns in somebody else's battle.

These heinous events in Beirut's Ain

Al-Rummaneh neighbourhood, ground

zero for the outbreak of the civil war in

It is true that I have represented many people who have

been targeted by my own country. Too many of them have

been innocent civilians, too many of them children. When

I think how I would react were someone to murder my

own child, it takes little imagination to understand why the

drone programme rendered the US the most hated country

in the world for the entire population of Waziristan.

will only destroy it

1975, elicit traumatic memories. My

generation vividly recalls how rapidly

events escalated beyond the ability of

any party to control them. Many of us

spent months migrating from district to

district as the inferno spread, before

full-scale invasions by Syria, then

Israel, forced us into exile.

Some people downplay civil war

prospects, and say Beirut isn't the same

place as in 1975. They are

unintentionally correct: Beirut is in an

infinitely worse condition today than

1975. Then, it was the glittering cultural

and economic heart of the Arab world.

Now many parts of the city already

resemble a disaster zone, following

economic collapse, chronic civil

turmoil, and the port explosion.

Many intelligent people are already

questioning whether it is better to drop

the investigation for the sake of civil

peace. But if powerful interests can so

easily thwart justice, then Lebanon's

rule of law is already irretrievably lost.

Hezbollah in 2008 provoked conflict to

protect its interests. It has repeatedly

triggered civil strife to derail

investigations into the murder of Rafik

Hariri and other national figures.

Hezbollah mocks the judicial system

with a message of "If you want them,

come and get them!" whenever culprits

are identified.

In an angry speech last week,

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah told

the families of the dead: "You will never

get justice." He accused the judiciary of

playing politics, and astoundingly

blamed them for the port explosion:

"There is no dispute about the

culpability of these judges," he

thundered. Has anyone previously seen

the prime suspect stand up in court and

accuse the judge of having committed

the murder?

Hezbollah is reverting to its previous

default mode and denouncing

everything as an "American plot." If

only. Where is the international

community when Lebanon so

Some people downplay civil war prospects, and say Beirut

isn't the same place as in 1975. They are unintentionally

correct: Beirut is in an infinitely worse condition today

than 1975. Then, it was the glittering cultural and economic

heart of the Arab world. Now many parts of the city

already resemble a disaster zone, following economic collapse,

chronic civil turmoil, and the port explosion.

desperately needs it? Muscular

diplomatic intervention is required by

Western and Arab parties to compel all

factions to de-escalate, and to send

urgent signals to Iran that if it provokes

conflict in Lebanon there will be

irreversible consequences. Diplomatic

statements, with their embarrassingly

trite, formulaic language, are no more

than pretexts for doing nothing. This is

likewise a moment for Lebanon's vast

diaspora to be intimately engaged, via

civil society organizations such as

Nahwal Watan, which has been

working to support progressive and

independent faces in upcoming

elections.

Nasrallah insists that he wants

elections held on time, but efforts by

Hezbollah and its Free Patriotic

Movementallies to sabotage the

political process suggest they know very

well that they are destined to perform

disastrously if the public are allowed to

have a say. No doubt Nasrallah has

been closely following events in Iraq,

where pro-Iran Al-Hashd al-Shaabi

thugs last week suffered a predictable

and richly deserved defeat at the polls -

plunging from 48 parliamentary seats

to a miserable 14, and learning the hard

way that voters don't like it when you

murder them. Since then, Hashd

hotheads are issuing hubristic diatribes

about overturning the "fabricated

results," a threat that inevitably entails

civil conflict if they are stupid enough to

follow it through.

With all Iran's centers of power today

under the control of rabid hardliners,

Tehran has invested billions in ensuring

its domination of Iraq and Lebanon,

and has no intention of relaxing its grip

now. The ayatollahs would plunge

Lebanon and Iraq into conflict in a

heartbeat to advance these goals.

The scenario that so many of us have

been warning about for the past two

years is now upon us: We are on the

cusp of annihilation and nothing short

of a miracle will prevent all-out

slaughter.

If powerful interests can so easily

thwart justice, then Lebanon's rule of

law is already irretrievably lost.

It doesn't matter who instigated these

events. All that matters is preventing

worst-case scenarios. The problem is

that none of the protagonists cares

enough about Lebanon to call a halt.

This is all about self-interest: Nasrallah

seeks to advance Iran's agenda, while

various rival factions chase after the

presidency.

Lebanon is in its essence a pluralist

state. No party can hope to gain power

unless it is willing to share power. A

decade of renewed war will not change

this reality one iota.

Regrettably, none of these warring

factions possesses the wisdom and

foresight to comprehend that if they

continue their current trajectory, the

state they seek to monopolize will be no

more than a heap of smoking ash.

Source: Arab news

WedNesdAy, oCTobeR 27, 2021

5

NiCole PAJeR

Life is busy. You may have to work ninehour

days, care for tiny humans in your

house, complete chores or tackle the

endless responsibilities that come with

being an adult (or, in many cases, all of

the above). As wonderful as it would be to

turn off your mind for an hour ? or even

20 minutes ? it's not often realistic.

However, that doesn't mean you need

to succumb to a day of continuous stress,

anxiety and tension. While your schedule

may not allow for an extended

mindfulness session, you can still sneak

in some time for mental health breaks

throughout the day.

These small moments can help you to

ground yourself, boost your mood and

nurture your body and mind ? and

fortunately, doing these activities is not as

impossible as you may think. Here are 12

quick and easy ways to give your mental

health a little TLC throughout the day:

Working from home often means

cramming in a sandwich before your next

Zoom meeting. Or if you've started

commuting to the office again, perhaps

you grab something quick before rushing

to complete your to-do list.

Try taking the few moments you have

to eat and making them more mindful.

Even if you only have a small window for

it, it can help you slow down and let your

brain reset.

"By using the time we eat to practice

being present, we are able to bring forth a

state of calm and happiness within as we

recognize that our needs are being met in

the moment," explained Amira Johnson,

a licensed master social worker at

Berman Psychotherapy in Atlanta.

Step away from your devices while

you're eating. Focus on chewing your

food thoroughly and enjoying the smells

and texture of each bite. Ideally, you'd do

this for all of your meals. If that isn't

realistic, commit to one; for example,

have a mindful breakfast before diving

into your workday.

Force yourself to take a lunch break and

sneak in an outdoor walk. "We often

struggle to find time before or after work

for exercise or fresh air," said Imani

Crawford, a mental health therapist in

Charlotte, North Carolina.

This strategy, she explained, utilizes

your free time during the day to get some

movement and reset your mind. "Studies

have shown that the act of walking

Mental health breaks for

a healthy day

Add an activity to your routine that helps you mentally switch out of work mode.

forward helps us mentally process our

emotions and stressors," Crawford said.

If you have a one-hour lunch break,

spend 15-20 minutes of that walking, so

you leave time to eat and relax before

heading back into work. Improve your

mood throughout the day by checking in

with loved ones. Send your husband a

quick text, step outside to give your

parents a call or say hi to a roommate

online.

"This will raise the level of oxytocin in

your body, which produces the feeling of

being warm and calm," explained Leila

Levinson, a therapist at Just Mind in

Austin, Texas. If you work in an office, try

scheduling a coffee or lunch break with

colleagues you enjoy spending time with.

"Socializing increases the levels of

endorphins and dopamine, which are key

to our sense of well-being and

relaxation," Levinson said.

"When you are driving or taking the

bus, use every red light as a mental health

break," said Michelle Risser, a licensed

therapist in Columbus, Ohio. When you

stop at a light, instead of engaging in the

usual thoughts about running late or

wishing the traffic would hurry up, take a

quick opportunity to relax. Unclench

your jaw. Gently lift your shoulders up,

push them back, then slip them down.

Breathe in nice and slow on the count of

five, then exhale on the count of seven.

Photo: getty

"If you start to do this every time you

stop at a light, you will build an amazing

mental health habit that you don't even

have to think about," Risser said. "Racing

thoughts and feeling scattered can be

signs of stress," said Samantha Kingma, a

licensed marriage and family therapist

with Rest + Renew Therapy, an online

service.

If sometime during the day you notice

your thoughts moving faster than

normal, or if you're having a difficult time

focusing, try pulling out a blank notebook

page and writing down everything you

are thinking. Kingma said to jot down "all

the tasks on your mind, concerns you are

having and thoughts that keep bothering

you." Keep writing until you've written

down everything swirling through your

mind.

"By putting this all down on paper, you

are giving your mind the freedom to

move on from worrying or thinking about

these things in an unproductive way,"

Kingma said. Your brain-dump paper can

serve as a reference for future action, or

can just be tossed whenever you're done.

Sometimes work can be stressful and

difficult to shut off. "Listening to

something you are interested in will

improve your mood and help you reset

before coming home to family," said

Ashley Hudson, a licensed marriage and

family therapist in Yorba Linda,

California.

She suggested bookmarking some of

your favorite podcasts on your phone and

turning to them on your commute home,

or ending your workday with the podcast

you love. Put it on while you make dinner,

or listen to it during a post-workday walk.

It can be hard to set boundaries with

your job, especially when working from

home. Do something to mark the end of

your workday so you can transition out of

professional mode. "Set an out-of-theoffice

message that says you are

unavailable until the next business day,

have a shower to simulate the washing

away of the stressors at work, go outside

for a walk, have a glass of water or play

some upbeat music for five minutes," said

Roxanne Francis, a psychotherapist and

social worker in Toronto.

This tangible shift from the workday

into your personal life signals that work is

over and that you can worry about that

important project once you're back on the

clock, rather than thinking about it all

evening. One way to ensure that you take

some recharging time is to schedule it.

Commit to a break time every day, and

schedule it in your work calendar.

For example, "my morning is my

sacred space to plan, create and strategize

for the day ahead," said Larissa May, a

mental health advocate and founder of

the digital wellness nonprofit

#HalfTheStory. "I rarely ever take a

Zoom meeting before 8 a.m."

Block off your break in whatever way

works for you. Make 11 to 11:15 a.m. your

time for a daily mindful cup of tea; set 6

p.m. aside for a 20-minute walk with your

dog; or have 2 p.m. be the point when you

play your favorite song.

May also turns to a screen-free activity

whenever she needs a quick break.

Instead of grabbing her phone, she'll pick

up a notebook to jot down thoughts, or a

knitting needle and some yarn to work on

her latest craft.

"Neuroplasticity is key to a healthy

brain, and the best way to give your brain

exercise is to indulge in screen-free

activities," she explained, adding that she

sometimes even does these things to keep

her cool during long Zoom meetings.

Bronwyn Shiffer, a licensed clinical

social worker offering teletherapy

throughout Wisconsin and

Massachusetts, likes to sneak in a few

stretches between any transition, like

meals, restroom breaks, getting in and

out of the car, etc. The stretch can be as

simple as gently rotating your neck, doing

shoulder or ankle rolls, lifting your hands

above your head or bending down to

touch your toes.

"If you are standing most of your day,

try something seated, and vice versa,"

Shiffer suggested. These tiny movements

release some of the tension in your body

and alleviate your stress for a moment.

Sometimes, the idea of sitting for a 45-

minute meditation can seem daunting.

But Peter Piraino, a licensed master social

worker and CEO of the treatment center

Burning Tree Programs, suggests taking

21 breaths as a quick way to get centered.

"Meditation has immense health

benefits including lowering cortisol levels,

reducing blood pressure and boosting

serotonin (the happiness hormone)," he

said. This meditation takes less than a

minute and can be done anywhere at any

time. Piraino said to simply close your

eyes, breathe in through your nose and

breathe out through your mouth. Each inand-out

breath counts as one repetition.

"The more you practice this, the easier it

gets," he said.

"Oftentimes we default to the same

kind of self-care, but if it doesn't fit what

we actually need, we won't wholly benefit

from it," said Emily Pardy, a family

therapist and founder of Ready Nest

Counseling in Nashville, Tennessee.

So twice a day, set aside time to pause

and ask yourself what you need. Feeling

lonely? Don't force yourself to go for a

walk. Instead, text a friend. Feeling tired?

Get outdoors for a quick dose of vitamin

D. "This simple reminder helps us keep

inventory of our needs and how we can

meet them," Pardy said.

How to identify if trauma is

experienced from the pandemic

JuliA Ries

When we talk about trauma

and post-traumatic stress

disorder, there is usually a

singular life-altering event

that triggers an intense

emotional and physical

response. With the

pandemic, however, we

haven't witnessed one

stressful event - we've

experienced, and continue to

experience, many traumatic

events.

For nearly two years,

people have experienced a

ton of grief and loss. People

have lost loved ones. They've

lost jobs and financial

security, and they've also lost

their identity, sense of self

and, most notably, control.

"We are now in the midst of

this collective, complex

trauma that is ongoing, is

unpredictable, and has no

clear end in sight," said

Jennifer King, an assistant

professor and the co-director

of the Center on Trauma and

Adversity at Case Western

Reserve University.

Evidence suggests that the

pandemic - and all the fear,

stress, isolation and grief it

has caused - has been one

major traumatic stressor

that's causing all kinds of

PTSD-like symptoms.

Research from Case Western

Reserve University found

that 85% of participants were

experiencing at least one

symptom of post-traumatic

stress in 2020 and early

2021.

Another study found that

about one-quarter of

participants met the

diagnostic criteria for PTSD -

that's up from the usual

PTSD rate of 5% in the

general population and four

times higher than the rates of

PTSD observed in combat

soldiers who have returned

from war, King said.

If you've felt on edge

recently or noticed that

you've been particularly

negative, sensitive or

withdrawn, COVID-related

trauma could be at play. This

doesn't necessarily mean you

have PTSD. Many of us may

be experiencing a degree of

PTSD-like symptoms, but it

isn't until those symptoms

start impacting your daily

functioning that it becomes a

serious cause for concern.

Still, the effects of trauma can

weigh on us - no matter how

mild or severe they are. Here

are some signs of them:

One very pronounced

symptom of trauma is

Trauma can lead to issues with sleep and fatigue.

hypervigilance. After a

traumatic event occurs,

people with PTSD tend to

have trouble feeling

grounded or centered in

various situations or

relationships. King said

experiencing or witnessing

trauma can put us in an

activated state where we're

constantly scanning for the

next threat.

Because all of our energy

gets focused on survival,

hypervigilance can lead to

difficulty concentrating and

focusing. For many people,

this symptom manifests as

big emotional responses to

small issues or stressors.

"You're on edge all the

time. Little things frighten

you, you react very

irrationally to things that are

very, very tiny," said Tamar

Rodney, an assistant

professor at the Johns

Hopkins School of Nursing

who specializes in trauma

and psychiatry.

Another good example of

hypervigilance: feeling

extremely anxious and

sensitive to coughs and

sneezes around you.

Emotional exhaustion and

physical exhaustion are not

traditional post-traumatic

stress responses, but in the

Photo: dmitry Ageev

context of this pandemic -

where the traumatic stressors

are ongoing - a lot of people

are feeling especially

fatigued.

When our bodies go into

flight-or-fight mode, as they

do during traumatic

experiences, we exert a lot of

energy. Throw in the fact that

our stress systems have been

chronically activated with

stressor after stressor, and it's

only natural that we're going

to feel physically and

mentally depleted. Trauma

can be draining.

"It's very much related to

living in and being kind of

incubated in this collective

trauma and collective stress

that's going on," King said.

Trauma often leads to

intrusive, negative thinking.

In the wake of trauma, people

can find it difficult to look

into the future and feel

positive about where they

and the world might be

headed, King said.

Some people develop a

negative perception of

themselves and their selfesteem

may take a hit.

"Everything becomes very

negative in the way they

operate," Rodney said.

Traumatic stress, especially

when it's ongoing and

chronic, can affect our

physical health. Over time,

stress and trauma can result

in decreased immune

functioning along with

increased tension and pain

throughout the body.

That physical pain comes

out in many different ways -

some people develop

migraines and headaches,

while others experience

digestive issues, increased

blood pressure, back pain or

joint pain. Traumatic stress

can lead to all sorts of sleep

disturbances, including

insomnia, issues falling and

staying asleep, stress dreams

and nightmares. Estimates

suggest that up to 91% of

people with PTSD have issues

with sleep.

Kyli RodRiguez-CAyRo

Depression is one of the most

common mental health

issues. An estimated 5% of

adults live with depression

worldwide, and 1 in 6 adults

in the United States are

impacted by depression at

some point in their lifetime.

Additionally, the COVID-19

pandemic has led to an influx

of people self-reporting

symptoms of clinical

depression and anxiety.

Though depression can

impact children and adults at

any age, the average age of

onset (aka when the

condition develops) for major

depression is the mid-20s.

Depressive episodes can

occur suddenly, which may

be overwhelming, confusing

and even daunting for

someone who has never

experienced mental health

issues in the past.

Having a strong support

system can be a key

component to treatment and

recovery. However, at times,

family members, co-workers

and friends are at a loss for

how to help ? even when they

are well-intentioned.

If you're looking for

concrete ways to better

support a loved one

experiencing depression for

the first time, experts told

HuffPost there are a few

things you can do:

Desreen Dudley, a licensed

clinical psychologist for the

virtual care platform Teladoc,

said that it's valuable to take

the first step and "get

educated on clinical

depression by seeking

information about symptoms,

causes and treatment" when

you notice a loved one is

struggling with mental health

issues.

This

includes

understanding there is a

marked difference between

feeling sad and major

depression. "Depression

differs from sadness in that it

is a clinical mental health

disorder that describes a

cluster of signs and

symptoms

which

significantly impact the way

people see themselves, relate

to others and their

environments," explained

Meghan Watson, a resident

therapist at Alkeme Health, a

digital destination for the

Black community to access

Helping someone experiencing

depression for the first time

Active listening is key to helping someone when they're having a hard

time with their mental health.

Photo: Anchiy

mental health and wellness

content.

Sadness is just one sign of

clinical depression: Common

symptoms of depression also

include fatigue, feelings of

hopelessness, changes in

sleep patterns or appetite,

suicidal thoughts, a lack of

interest in activities and even

physical pain, like headaches.

Watson said that depressive

episodes can vary from

individual to individual based

on their "history, habits and

environment."

In addition to studying up

on clinical depression, simply

lending an ear may help ease

the feelings of loneliness that

often accompany mental

health issues. "You don't need

to be a trained professional to

be a good listener," Dudley

said, noting that it's

important not to dole out

advice or offer solutions.

"Supporting people with

depression is more powerful

when you can sit with your

own discomfort, validate

them and show them that

their feelings are not

inconvenient for you when

you're supporting them,"

Watson said. By listening in

this non-judgmental way,

you cultivate a space where

your family member or friend

can safely talk about

unfamiliar emotions and

mental health.

Conversations about

mental health and depression

can be difficult. It's

completely normal to not

know how to perfectly

respond or what to say when

someone is going through

their first depressive episode

- especially if this is a new

experience for you, too.

However, experts note that

reciting platitudes such as

"you are just going through a

phase" or "just be positive,"

tend to be more hurtful than

helpful. "These phrases were

harmful because they

delegitimized what I was

thinking and feeling,"

Douglas Hulst, a peer

support specialist with the

Depression and Bipolar

Support Alliance, said of his

first experience with a

depressive episode.

"What would have been

even more supportive and

reassuring to hear was that

what I was experiencing was

common," Hulst said. "The

most important thing is to

reassure

[people

experiencing depression]

that they are not alone, while

at the same time

acknowledging the

uniqueness of their specific

experience."

Hulst also explained that

you can convey your support

for someone with depression

by checking in and saying

something as simple as, "I

want you to know I am here

to listen, or help find you

support and resources if you

choose. I support you no

matter what."

If you notice a friend or

family member in a

depressive episode begins

isolating more than usual,

Dudley said to "include them

in planned activities."

Depending on their unique

needs, this may look like

going for a walk together or

grabbing coffee once a week.

At times, doing the bare

minimum when in a

depressive episode can feel

like too much; depression is

emotionally and physically

exhausting on every level.

Managing new symptoms

like poor sleep and navigating

mental health care for the

first time - on top of fulfilling

daily responsibilities - can

take a toll on physical health.

Watson explained that

"offering tangible support" to

a loved one by making meals

or doing household chores

can lessen this burden.

WeDNeSDAY, OCTOBeR 27, 2021 6

1.18 lakh tonnes onion target

fixed in Rangpur division

RANGPUR: The government has fixed a

record target of producing 1,18,796

tonnes of onion from 9,915 hectares of

land for all five districts in Rangpur

agriculture region during the current

(2021-2022) Rabi season, reports BSS.

The Department of Agricultural

Extension (DAE) officials said farmers

have started farming early tuber

varieties of onion after harvesting short

duration Aman rice to harvest those

from the end of November and are

getting good profits.

"Taking into consideration the

growing demand of onion and its high

price, the DAE has fixed the record

production target this time," Additional

Director of the DAE for Rangpur region

Agriculturist Bidhu Bhusan Ray told

BSS yesterday.

During the last (2020-2021) Rabi

season, farmers produced a record

quantity of 1,06,205 tonnes of onion in

Rangpur agriculture region exceeding

the fixed production target of 95,207

tonnes from 9,750 hectares of land by

10,998 tonnes.

"Production of onion continues to

increase every year during the last 13

years following different pragmatic

steps taken by the government to meet

its local demand and attain selfreliance,"

Ray said.

Earlier, farmers produced 89,970

tonnes of onion during the 2019-2020

Rabi season, 66,886 tonnes of onion

during the 2018-2019 Rabi season and

62,673 tonnes of onion during the 2017-

2018 Rabi season in the region.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture

Development Corporation, Bangladesh

Agriculture Research Institute and

Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear

Agriculture are providing quality seeds,

training and technologies to farmers for

enhancing production of onion.

Besides, the commercial banks are

disbursing easy-term agriculture loans

among farmers to make the intensive

onion and other winter crops' farming

programme successful in the region.

Talking to BSS, Senior Coordinator

(Agriculture and Environment) of

RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist

Mamunur Rashid said there is a huge

potential to enhance onion production

by ensuring proper crop diversification

and adopting latest technologies.

Being inspired by officials of the DAE,

other agri-related organisations and

An advocacy meeting on project of Dhamoirhat Non-governmental Palli

Sohojogi Bishayok Sangshta (ARCO) has been held on Tuesday.

Photo: Rejuan Alam

Advocacy meeting of

ARCO Project held

in Dhamoirhat

REJAUN AlAM, DHAMOIRHAT

CORRESPONDENT

An advocacy meeting on

project of Dhamoirhat

Non-governmental Palli

Sohojogi Bishayok

Sangshta (ARCO) has been

held. Upazila Nirbahi

Officer Ganpati Roy was

the chief guest at the

meeting held at the Upazila

Parishad hall on Tuesday.

Ara was present at the

meeting, Academic

Supervisor Kajal Kumar

Sarkar, Upazila Education

Officer Md Ajmal Hasan,

Veterinary Surgeon Dr

Ripa Rani, Panel Mayor

Mohi Mehdi Hasan, UP

Chairman Kamruzzaman,

Bondanar Area Manager

Maqbool Hasan, Asraya

Project Unit Manager

Shyamoli Hadsa, Arka

Project Coordinating

Officer Moinul Haque,

Managing Officer

Mahmudur Rahman,

Project Officer Zahid Ali

were among others also

present at the occasion.

Covid-19 cases reach 55,292

in Rangpur division

RANGPUR: The number of Covid-19 cases reached 55,292 in

Rangpur division as the pandemic situation continues to

improve in the last two months, reports BSS.

"The number of Covid-19 cases rose to 55,292 with diagnosis

of 12 new patients after testing 290 samples at the positivity rate

of 4.14 percent on Monday," said Rangpur Divisional Deputy

Director (Health) Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam.

The district-wise break up of total 55,292 patients include

12,460 of Rangpur, 3,804 Panchagarh, 4,441 of Nilphamari,

2,738 of lalmonirhat, 4,637 of Kurigram, 7,615 of Thakurgaon,

14,738 of Dinajpur and 4,859 of Gaibandha in the division.

"Meanwhile, no Covid-19 related death was reported during

the last 24 hours ending at 8 am yesterday from the division

where the total number of casualties remained steady at 1,240,"

he said. The district-wise breakup of the 1,240 fatalities stands at

293 in Rangpur, 80 in Panchagarh, 89 in Nilphamari, 68 in

lalmonirhat, 69 in Kurigram, 252 in Thakurgaon, 326 in

Dinajpur and 63 in Gaibandha of the division.

The average casualty rate currently stands at 2.24 percent in

the division.

Earlier, no Covid-19 casualties were recorded on October 2, 3,

6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23 and 24 last in

the division.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 2,91,611

collected samples were tested till Monday, and of them, 55,292

were found Covid-19 positive with an average positivity rate of

18.96 percent in the division," Dr Zakirul added.

Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md Motaharul Islam told BSS

that the number of healed Covid-19 patients reached 52,965

with recovery of 21 more patients on Monday raising the average

recovery rate to 95.79 percent in the division.

some NGOs, farmers are showing more

interest in farming onions by directly

sowing its seeds, transplanting seedlings

and tuber varieties in Rangpur region.

"As quality onion seeds and fertilizers

are given as government incentives,

char dwellers, small and marginal

farmers are cultivating onion on more

lands, including riverine char areas, to

increase production and reap additional

benefits every year," he said.

Talking to BSS, farmers Esahak Ali,

Nur Mohammad, Abdul Hafiz and

Amenur Rahman of different villages in

Rangpur Sadar said they have started

sowing the tuber variety of onion seeds

on their lands after harvesting early

varieties of Aman rice.

Agriculturist Dr MA Mazid who got

Independence Medal-2018 (food

security), lauded various special steps

taken by the government to inspire

farmers in farming both winter and

summer varieties of onion to increase its

output and meet local demand.

"Proper coordination is needed in

reaching the government assistance to

farmers for enhancing onion cultivation

and production to attain selfreliance"

Dr Mazid added.

87,702 Covid-19

patients recover

in Chattogram

CHATTOGRAM: The

number of recovered Covid-

19 patients reached 87,702

with the recovery of 77 more

people on Monday raising

the average recovery rate to

85.83 percent in the district,

reports BSS.

Health officials said that

the recovery rate continues

to rise amid sharply

declining number of

casualties and positivity rate

during the last few months

in the district.

"Meanwhile, the number

of Covid-19 cases reached

102,172 with the diagnosis of

nine fresh cases on Monday

in the district," Focal person

of the Covid-19 district, Civil

Surgeon Dr Ilias Chowdhury

told BSS.

Dental Health

Campaign

held in

Bochaganj

SUMON CHANDRA, BOCHA-

GANJ CORRESPONDENT

A dental health campaign

has been organized in

Bochaganj, Dinajpur. Dr.

Amimul Ihsan (Meem),

Consultant, Ihsan Dental

and Maxillofacial Center

provided services to 50

patients organized by Good

Neighbors Bangladesh

Bochaganj CDP on Tuesday.

Among others, Medical

Officer Dr. Rashidul Islam,

Health Officer Mst Farhana

Rifat, Bochaganj Upazila

Press Club Joint General

Secretary Sumon Chandra

were present at the occasion.

2-day long Covid-19 vaccine registration for students began at the BU administration building 2 on

Tuesday at the initiative of Barishal University authorities with the support of Barishal City

Corporation.

Photo: Courtesy

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard conducted successful 'Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign - 2021'.

Photo: Courtesy

Bangladesh Coast Guard conducts successful

‘Mother Hilsa Conservation Campaign - 2021’

On the occasion of 'Mother Hilsa

Conservation Campaign-2021', the

Government of the People's Republic of

Bangladesh conducted a total of 3,049

campaigns in coastal areas and various

rivers for 22 days from 04 October 2021

to 25 October midnight, a press release

said.

lt. Khandaker Munif Taki, media

officer at the Bangladesh Coast Guard

headquarters, confirmed the

information on Tuesday morning.

He said that during the operation, 6

crore 36 lakh 97 thousand meters of

various types of illegal nets, 9,832 kg of

hilsa fish, 115 boats and 257 fishermen

worth about 233 crore 64 lakh 16

thousand taka were seized.

A dental health campaign has been organized in Bochaganj on Tuesday.

Bridge amid crop

field in Thakurgaon

now a 'selfie zone'

THAKURGAON : A bridge built

over a canal amid a paddy field at

Boro Palashbari Gariyali village

in Baliadangi upazila of

Thakurgaon district has been

lying unused since its

construction four years back for

lack of connecting roads, reports

UNB.

However, fascinated by the

beauty of the bridge amid the

green filed, many people have

started hanging out there

taking selfies with it. Some

people have even named it

Selfie Bridge.

The bridge was constructed in

2016-17 under the bridge and

culvert construction project of

the Disaster Management

Department at a cost of Tk 40

lakh.

Visiting the area of Gariyali

village, UNB correspondent

found that the bridge is visible on

the canal adjacent to Hindupara

of that village with no connecting

roads on either side. Vehicles do

not use the bridge. Even people

cannot cross the canal through

this bridge on foot. As a result,

the bridge is of no use to the

locals. Sirajul Mia, a resident of

Hindupara said, "No one knows

why the bridge over this canal

was built. There was no need for

this bridge here. Although the

bridge is constructed now, it is

useless for the villagers as there

is no connecting road.

Boro Palashbari Union

Parishad Chairman Aminul

Islam said, "I've urged the

authorities to take steps for the

construction of the connecting

roads of the bridge as no vehicles

can use it now."

In this regard, Upazila Project

Implementation Officer Saidur

Rahman said that they are taking

steps to construct a road

connecting the bridge.

Meanwhile, Baliadangi Upazila

Nirbahi Officer Jobayer Hossain

said, "The bridge was

constructed before I joined. I

wasn't aware of the fact that

people cannot use the bridge

even after the construction."

Necessary steps will be taken

after inspecting the bridge, said

the UNO.

He added that the seized illegal nets

were destroyed by fire in the presence of

local administration, law enforcement

agencies and fisheries officials and the

fish was distributed among the local

orphanages and the poor. Besides, the

arrested fishermen were sentenced and

fined in different terms through mobile

courts.

Photo: Suman Chandra

46,08,583 get 1st

dose of Covid-19

vaccine in Rangpur

RANGPUR : The number of the first dose

recipient citizens of Covid-19 vaccine rose to

46,08,583 with the inoculation of 40,867

more with the first dose of the jab yesterday

in Rangpur division.

"Among 40,867 new first dose recipients,

18,333 were inoculated with Sinopharm

Covid-19 jab, 22,025 with AstraZeneca and

509 with Pfizer Covid-19 jab ," Divisional

Director (Health) Dr Md Motaharul Islam

told BSS at 6:30 pm.

The total first dose recipient 46,08,583

citizens-- 13,70,869 vaccinated with

AstraZeneca, 31,04,983 with Sinopharm,

1,31,849 with Moderna and 882 with Pfizer

Covid-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, the number of the second dose

of Covid-19 vaccine recipient citizens rose to

21,24,144 with inoculation of more 20,721

people with the second dose of the jab

yesterday in the division.

Among the 20,721 new second dose

recipient citizens, 1,444 were inoculated with

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, 19,276 with

Sinopharm and one with Pfizer Covid-19

vaccine in the division yesterday.

"The second dose recipient 21,24,144

citizens-- 5,44,550 inoculated with

AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, 14,55,634 with

Sinopharm, 1,23,959 with Moderna and one

with Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine," Dr Islam

added.

WedneSdAY, OCTOBer 27, 2021

7

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Photo : AP

Myanmar skips ASEAN summit

to protest general's exclusion

KUALA LUMPUR : Southeast Asian

leaders began a virtual summit

Tuesday, with Myanmar skipping the

annual meeting in protest after its top

general was shut out for refusing to

cooperate in defusing the crisis in his

country since the military takeover,

reports UNB.

The exclusion of Senior Gen. Min

Aung Hlaing was an embarrassment

for Myanmar's military and the

harshest rebuke by the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations since the

military ousted civilian leader Aung

San Suu Kyi and took over the

government Feb. 1. Brunei, who is this

year's chair of the 10-member bloc,

invited Myanmar's highest-ranking

veteran diplomat, Chan Aye, as a "nonpolitical"

representative but she didn't

attend the meeting, two diplomats said.

The diplomats requested anonymity as

they are not authorized to speak to the

media.

Myanmar's Foreign Ministry vowed

late Monday to challenge ASEAN's

unprecedented move to downgrade its

New Zealand expands

vaccine mandate to

40% of all workers

WELLINGTON : New

Zealand's government said

Tuesday it will expand a

vaccine mandate to include

thousands of workers who

have close contact with their

customers - including

employees at restaurants,

bars, gyms and hair salons,

reports UNB.

The changes will mean that

about 40% of all New Zealand

workers will need to get fully

vaccinated against the

coronavirus or risk losing

their jobs, up from about 15%

previously.

Speaking with reporters,

Prime Minister Jacinda

Ardern said she didn't believe

the new rules were an

overreach of government

power.

"This requirement means

staff and customers are

treated equally and it will play

a big part in helping to

minimize the spread of the

virus in the highest-risk

venues by reducing the

potential for COVID to enter

the business in the first place,"

Ardern said.

Workers who had

previously been told they

needed to get their shots

included teachers and health

care professionals.

Tuesday's announcement

came just a few days after the

government set a target of

getting 90% of people aged 12

and over fully vaccinated in

order to end the cycle of

lockdowns.

Auckland, the largest city,

has been in lockdown for

more than two months after

an outbreak of the delta

variant.

As part of its plan to end

lockdowns, New Zealand will

also require people visiting

high-traffic businesses to

show vaccine passports to

prove they've had their shots.

The conservative

opposition National Party

said there was no need for

restrictions such as vaccine

passports once vaccination

targets were met.

participation in the three-day summit,

which is being held by video due to

coronavirus concerns. It said it has

informed Brunei that it can only accept

participation by the general, who now

heads Myanmar's government and

ruling military council, or a ministeriallevel

representative.

The talks will be joined by other

world leaders including U.S. President

Joe Biden and the leaders of China and

Russia, and are expected to spotlight

Myanmar's worsening crisis and the

pandemic as well as security and

economic issues.

ASEAN's sanctioning of Myanmar

marked a shift from the bloc's bedrock

principles of non-interference in each

other's domestic affairs and deciding by

consensus. Myanmar cited the

violation of those principles - enshrined

in the group's charter - when it rejected

ASEAN's ban on its military leader

from the summit.

Myanmar's absence at the summit

follows an impasse over ASEAN's

envoy to Myanmar, Brunei Second

Foreign Minister Erywan Yusof, who

was denied permission by the military

to meet with Suu Kyi and other

government leaders detained since the

Feb. 1 takeover. ASEAN leaders agreed

on a five-point contingency plan in an

emergency meeting in April in

Indonesia that was attended by Min

Aung Hlaing. They called for an

immediate end to violence in the

country and the start of dialogue to be

mediated by the ASEAN envoy, who

should be allowed to meet all parties.

But Myanmar's commitment to the

plan is in doubt.

ASEAN has been under pressure to

help end the crisis in Myanmar, where

the military's efforts to quash

opposition have triggered increasingly

violent and destabilizing resistance.

Almost 1,200 civilians are estimated to

have been killed by security forces.

The government says a smaller

number of people were killed and

that security forces have acted to

restore order amid what it describes

as terrorism and arson.

Sudan's military takes power in

coup, arrests prime minister

CAIRO : Sudan's military seized power

Monday, dissolving the transitional

government hours after troops arrested the

prime minister, and thousands flooded the

streets to protest the coup that threatened the

country's shaky progress toward democracy.

Security forces opened fire on some of them,

and three protesters were killed, according to

the Sudan Doctors' Committee, which also

said 80 people were wounded. The takeover,

which drew condemnation from the United

Nations, the United States and the European

Union, comes more than two years after

protesters forced the ouster of longtime

autocrat Omar al-Bashir and just weeks

before the military was supposed to hand the

leadership of the council that runs the

country over to civilians. The U.N. Security

Council scheduled an emergency closed

meeting on the Sudan coup late Tuesday

afternoon. The United States, United

Kingdom, France, Ireland, Norway and

Estonia requested the emergency

consultations.. After the early morning

arrests of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok

and other senior officials, thousands

demonstrated in the streets of the capital,

Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman.

They blocked streets and set fire to tires as

security forces used tear gas to disperse them.

As plumes of smoke rose, protesters could

be heard chanting, "The people are stronger,

stronger!" and "Retreat is not an option!"

Social media video showed crowds crossing

bridges over the Nile to the center of the

capital. The U.S. Embassy warned that troops

were blocking parts of the city and urged the

military "to immediately cease violence."

Pro-democracy activist Dura Gambo said

paramilitary forces chased protesters

through some Khartoum neighborhoods.

Records from a Khartoum hospital

obtained by The Associated Press showed

some people admitted with gunshot wounds.

The head of the military, Gen. Abdel-Fattah

Burhan, announced on national TV that he

was dissolving the government and the

Sovereign Council, a joint military and

civilian body created soon after al-Bashir's

ouster to run the country.

Burhan said quarrels among political

factions prompted the military intervention.

Tensions have been rising for weeks over the

course and the pace of the transition to

democracy in Sudan, a nation in Africa linked

by language and culture to the Arab world.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters take to the streets to condemn a

takeover by military officials in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday Oct. 25, 2021.

Sudan's military seized power Monday, dissolving the transitional government

hours after troops arrested the acting prime minister and other officials.

The takeover comes more than two years after protesters forced the

ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and just weeks before the military

was expected to hand the leadership of the council that runs the

African country over to civilians.

Photo : AP

Israel envoy to brief

US over ban on

Palestinian groups

TEL AVIV : Israel is sending

an envoy to Washington

amid a deepening rift with

the Biden administration

over six outlawed

Palestinian rights groups, a

Foreign Ministry official

said Tuesday.

Israel last week designated

the prominent Palestinian

human rights groups as

terrorist organizations,

sparking international

criticism and repeated

assertions by Israel's top

strategic partner, the United

States, that there had been

no advance warning of the

move.

Israel's move marked a

major escalation of its

decades-long crackdown on

political activism in the

occupied territories. The

U.S. State Department has

said it would seek more

information on the decision.

Joshua Zarka, a senior

Israeli Foreign Ministry

official, told Israeli Army

Radio the envoy would "give

them all the details and to

present them all the

intelligence" during his visit

in the coming days.

Zarka said he personally

updated U.S. officials on

Israel's intention to outlaw

the groups last week, and

said he believed Washington

wanted a more thorough

explanation of the decision.

The rights groups decision

is emerging as a test of the

relationship between the

Biden administration and

Israel's new government,

which was formed in June

by eight politically disparate

parties. The coalition ended

the 12-year rule of former

Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu.

Hong Kong convicts

second person under

national security law

HONG KONG : Hong Kong

has convicted a second

person under its sweeping

national security law for

chanting pro-independence

slogans, amid a political

crackdown in the city,

reports UNB.

Ma Chun-man was

convicted of inciting

secession on Monday after

he was found to have

chanted slogans such as

"Hong Kong independence,

the only way out" on 20

occasions between August

and November of last year.

Critics in Hong Kong say

the National Security Law

erodes freedoms, such as

those of expression and

assembly, that were

promised to the city for 50

years when the former

British colony was handed

over to China in 1997.

Ma is the second person to

be convicted under the new

law, which outlaws what

authorities describe as

secession, subversion of

state power, terrorism and

foreign collusion in

intervening in Hong Kong's

affairs.

WASHINGTON : Children under 18

and people from dozens of countries

with a shortage of vaccines will be

exempt from new rules that will require

most travelers to the United States be

vaccinated against COVID-19, the

Biden administration announced.

The government said Monday it will

require airlines to collect contact

information on passengers regardless

of whether they have been vaccinated

to help with contact tracing, if that

becomes necessary.

Beginning Nov. 8, foreign, nonimmigrant

adults traveling to the

United States will need to be fully

vaccinated, with only limited

exceptions, and all travelers will need to

be tested for the virus before boarding a

plane to the U.S. There will be

tightened restrictions for American and

foreign citizens who are not fully

vaccinated.

The new policy comes as the Biden

administration moves away from

Record-breaking storm douses

drought-stricken California

SAN FRANCISCO : Across Northern

California, crews worked Monday to clear

streets of toppled trees and branches and to

clean gutters clogged by debris carried by

rainwater from a massive storm that caused

flooding and rock slides, and knocked out

power to hundreds of thousands, reports UNB.

Despite the problems, the rain and mountain

snow were welcome in Northern California,

which is so dry that nearly all of it is classified

as either experiencing extreme or exceptional

drought. The wet weather also greatly reduces

the chances of additional wildfires in a region

that has borne the brunt of another devastating

year of blazes in the state.

When the storm arrived during the weekend,

people joyfully dusted off rain boots and jackets

and children stomped in puddles. Social media

filled with pictures that showed windshields

splattered with droplets of water and singleword

posts: RAIN!!!

Earl Casaclang of San Francisco kept waiting

for a break in the rain Sunday to go out and

smoke a cigarette.

"It was crazy! I kept thinking it was going to

stop, but it just kept going and going,"

Casaclang said Monday as he headed to his job

as a security guard in the Financial District.

"We need it to keep raining, but hopefully not

that hard."

The National Weather Service called

preliminary rainfall totals "staggering,"

including 11 inches (28 centimeters) at the base

of Marin County's Mount Tamalpais and 4

inches (10 centimeters) in downtown San

Francisco, the fourth-wettest day ever for the

city.

"It's been a memorable past 24 hours for the

Bay Area as the long talked-about atmospheric

river rolled through the region," the local

weather office said. "We literally have gone

from fire/drought conditions to flooding in one

storm cycle."

Northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area,

5.44 inches (13.82 centimeters) fell on

downtown Sacramento, shattering the one-day

record for rainfall that had stood since 1880.

The storm was accompanied by strong winds

that knocked down trees and even toppled two

big rigs on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

Pacific Gas and Electric reported Sunday

evening that 380,000 homes and businesses

lost power, though most had it back Monday.

Water rose so quickly that two people and a

dog needed rescuing from rising creeks in

separate incidents early Monday in San Jose.

San Jose Fire crews located one person clinging

to a tree in the Guadalupe River at 3:30 a.m.,

but were unable to locate a second person. An

hour later, crews rescued an individual and

their dog stranded on an island in the middle of

Coyote Creek.

A car crosses a flooded parking lot in Oroville, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 25,

2021. A massive storm barreled toward Southern California on Monday

after causing flooding across the northern half of the state. Photo : AP

Police: 2 die, 4 injured

in Idaho mall shooting

BOISE : A suspect is in custody after two people

were killed and four injured - including a police

officer - in a shooting at a shopping mall

Monday in Boise, Idaho, police said, reports

UNB.

At a news conference, authorities said

officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect.

The majority of the mall has been cleared, but

police were still looking for any additional

victims.

Police didn't release any other information

about the victims or the suspect, saying the

investigation was ongoing.

Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee said the shooting

was reported to law enforcement about 1:50

p.m. on Monday - including a report that one

person was "shot and down" at that time.

When the officers arrived, they spotted

someone who matched the description of the

suspect. "There was an exchange of gunfire that

ensued shortly thereafter, resulting in the

officer's injury, as well as the suspect being

taken into custody," Lee said. He said

investigators believe there was only one

shooter, and there is no ongoing danger to the

US details new international

COVID-19 travel requirements

restrictions that ban non-essential

travel from several dozen countries -

most of Europe, China, Brazil, South

Africa, India and Iran - and instead

focuses on classifying individuals by the

risk they pose to others.

It also reflects the White House's

embrace of vaccination requirements

as a tool to push more Americans to get

the shots by making it inconvenient to

remain unvaccinated.

Under the policy, those who are

vaccinated will need to show proof of a

negative COVID-19 test within three

days of travel, while the unvaccinated

must present a test taken within one

day of travel.

Children under 18 will not be

required to be fully vaccinated because

of delays in making them eligible for

vaccines in many places. They will still

need to take a COVID-19 test unless

they are 2 or younger.

Others who will be exempt from the

vaccination requirement include

public. "We really cannot at this time speak to

any motivation behind it," Lee said, calling any

speculation premature.

"I cannot stress enough how traumatic this

event is for the community at large, as well as

for those that were witnesses, or are the

families of those involved or involved

themselves," Lee said.

After the shooting, several witnesses stood in

the rain outside the entrance to Macy's - one of

five large department stores at the mall -

waiting to be interviewed by police or told they

could leave. Patrol cars from several agencies,

ambulances and fire trucks filled a section of

the mall parking lot. Officers from the federal

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and

Explosives were assisting in the investigation.

About a quarter of a mile away, officers

closed part of a road near a busy

intersection so they could investigate a

second crime scene related to the shooting

incident. Officers at the second crime scene

declined to answer questions about the

investigation other than to confirm it was

related to the shooting investigation.

people who participated in COVID-19

clinical trials, who had severe allergic

reactions to the vaccines, or are from a

country where shots are not widely

available.

That latter category will cover people

from countries with vaccination rates

below 10% of adults.

They may be admitted to the U.S.

with a government letter authorizing

travel for a compelling reason and not

just for tourism, a senior

administration official said. The official

estimated that there are about 50 such

countries.

The U.S. will accept any vaccine

approved for regular or emergency use

by the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration or the World Health

Organization.

That includes Pfizer, Moderna,

Johnson and Johnson, AstraZeneca

and China's Sinopharm and Sinovac

vaccines. Mixing-and-matching of

approved shots will be permitted.

WeDNeSDAY, OCTOBeR 27, 2021

8

Bank Asia Rupnagar branch has been renovated with a new look to provide the extended customer services.

Professor Dr. Md. Fayyaz Khan, Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Business & Technology

(BUBT) and Md. Arfan Ali, President & Managing Director of the bank, inaugurated the renovated

Rupnagar branch recently. Md. Lokman Hossain, Managing Director of Aalok Healthcare & Hospital Ltd.,

Mohammad Borhanuddin and Mohammad Ziaul Hasan Molla, Deputy Managing Directors of Bank Asia

Ltd. along with Branch Managers and other high officials were present.

Photo: Courtesy

Hong Kong to further tighten

Covid travel restrictions

HONG KONG : Hong Kong will tighten

coronavirus travel restrictions to bring it more

into line with the Chinese mainland, its leader

said Tuesday, as the city extended its streak of

more than two months without a major local

outbreak, reports BSS.

The announcement came despite concerns

from the international hub's business

community that the city remains indefinitely

cut off from the rest of the world, with one of

the strictest mandatory quarantine regimes of

any jurisdiction. Most arrivals have to undergo

14 to 21 days of hotel quarantine.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Hong Kong

will now go even further as she tries to

persuade China's leaders to restore travel with

the mainland.

"Soon we will... announce that most of the

quarantine exemptions granted to specific

groups of visitors coming from overseas and

mainland will be cancelled," Lam said, adding

only essential workers such as cross-border

truck drivers would be allowed to make

quarantine-free trips.

At present, Hong Kong allows certain groups

of people to skip quarantine or isolate at home.

They include diplomats and business leaders

BEIJING:China's Vice Premier Liu He held a

call with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

Tuesday to discuss trade issues, with both

sides highlighting points of concern in their

relationship as they try to tread a new path

after the upheaval of the Donald Trump era,

reports BSS.

In a video call, the two held "pragmatic,

candid and constructive exchanges on the

macroeconomic situation and cooperation in

multilateral and bilateral fields", said China's

commerce ministry in a statement.

Liu expressed concern about US tariffs and

sanctions, and its treatment of Chinese

companies, the statement said.

Relations between Beijing and Washington

nosedived under former president Donald

Trump, who imposed tariffs on Chinese

products worth billions of dollars in 2018,

citing trade practices he deemed as "unfair."

After Joe Biden took power in January, he

as well as some mainlanders with Hong Kong

resident cards. Lam did not detail which

categories would now be denied exemptions.

Last month, Hollywood star Nicole Kidman

was allowed to skip quarantine to shoot a

television show, a decision that sparked much

public anger. Lam has previously described

reopening to the mainland as "more

important" than restoring Hong Kong's

international travel links.

On Tuesday, she made clear Beijing expects

the city to mimic its own strict restrictions.

"We are caught in a sort of dilemma because

in order to resume some quarantine free travel

with the mainland we have to ensure our anti-

Covid 19 practices are more in line with the

mainland practices," she told reporters.

"So if Hong Kong were to loosen border

controls for people arriving from overseas or

adopt with what other countries have done-socalled

to live with Covid-19 virus-then the

chances to travel with the mainland will be

reduced."

Hong Kong's business community has

looked on with growing exasperation as rival

finance hubs such as Singapore, Tokyo,

London and New York reopen.

China’s Liu and US Treasury’s

Yellen hold ‘candid’ call on trade

launched a review of the US trade strategy and

tariffs initiated by Trump.

But his administration also says that China's

massive state subsidies for national

companies, intellectual property theft and

other factors create a heavily uneven playing

field in trade.

According to a readout of the call from the

US Treasury, Yellen "frankly raised issues of

concern" in the meeting and the two sides

recognised that "developments in our two

economies have important implications for the

global economy".

Earlier this month, US Trade Representative

Katherine Tai spoke to Liu for a second time to

discuss Chinese commercial practices.

Last week China promised the World Trade

Organization it would further open its vast

market, with a swift counter from Washington

that it believed Beijing showed "no inclination

to change".

No new coal

plants in Sri

Lanka: govt

COLOMBO : Sri Lanka will

stop commissioning new

coal-fired power plants as

part of a push to ditch the

dirty fossil fuel, the

government said Tuesday,

ahead of the COP26 global

summit on climate change,

reports BSS.

Coal and hydroelectricity

contribute about 44

percent each to Sri Lanka's

power supply. Diesel

accounts for nine percent,

the rest coming from wind

and solar.

"The cabinet approved a

proposal by the minister of

electricity to support the no

new coal initiative (of

COP26) and allow both

local and foreign investors

to set up more renewable

energy projects," cabinet

spokesman Ramesh

Pathirana told reporters in

Colombo.

No further details were

released.

Ceylon Electricity Board

officials told AFP the

decision meant a planned

fourth coal-fired power

plant in Norochcholai,

north of the capital

Colombo, would be

scrapped.

Plans for the plant were

announced a year ago, but

no construction work had

started.

Demand is now expected

to be met by future

renewable projects.

President Gotabaya

Rajapaksa's spokesperson,

Kingsly Rathnayaka,

confirmed to AFP Tuesday

that the Sri Lankan leader

would attend the UN

Climate Change

Conference (COP26) in

Glasgow, which starts on

October 31.

A one-day training workshop on 'Identifying and Overcoming Obstacles in Providing Quality Customer

Service' was held at the training center at the headquarters of Bangladesh House Building Finance

Corporation (BHBFC) recently. The chairman of BHBFC board of directors Prof. Dr. Md. Salim Uddin,

FCA, FCMA announced the auspicious inauguration of the workshop as the chief guest. The managing

director of the organization Md. Afzal Karim was present as the special guest at the opening ceremony.

Proloy Kumar Bhattacharya, the General Manager, BHBFC Training Institute, presided over the meeting.

Senior officials including the Deputy General Manager of the institute were present at the time. The workshop

was attended by 35 officers of BHBFC.

Photo: Courtesy

Most Asian markets rise after Wall

St record, earnings in focus

HONG KONG : Asian

markets mostly rose on

Tuesday following fresh

records on Wall Street,

with healthy corporate

earnings overshadowing

ongoing concerns about

inflation, while progress in

Washington on Joe Biden's

big-spending economic

plans also provided

support, reports BSS.

However, a fresh virus

outbreak in China, which

has left tens of thousands

of people in lockdown,

revived concerns about the

world's number two

economy and authorities'

zero-Covid policies.

The S&P 500 and Dow

both ended at new peaks,

with tech firms lifted by a

surge in electric car maker

Tesla to the trillion-dollar

mark ahead of the release

of profit reports this week

from business titans

including Apple, Amazon,

Microsoft and Twitter.

Facebook became the

latest firm to unveil

bumper earnings, posting a

$9 billion profit in the third

quarter, reinforcing

optimism on trading floors

following a string of reports

that have seen upbeat

commentary on consumer

demand.

Tokyo led gains, piling on

1.8 percent in the morning

while Shanghai, Sydney,

Seoul, Wellington, Taipei,

Manila and Jakarta also

rose.

Hong Kong edged

slightly lower and

Singapore dropped.

There was little major

reaction to news that

developer Modern Land

had missed a bond

payment in the latest sign

of stress in China's

property sector, with focus

on an upcoming deadline

for China Evergrande.

Developments in

Washington are being

closely followed after Biden

said Monday he hoped

Democrats would strike a

deal on two massive

spending packages this

week.

Both wings of his party

have for weeks been

haggling over a social

spending bill expected to

cost a little less than $2

trillion and an

infrastructure bill worth

$1.2 trillion.

He said talks with one of

the main obstacles to

agreement, moderate

Democratic Senator Joe

Manchin, "went well". But

there is concern that

progressives in the House

of Representatives who

want more spending could

now pose a threat to the

plan.

House Budget Chairman

John Yarmuth warned the

chances of getting a

framework together by the

end of the week-when

Biden heads off for

European summits-were

slim, saying: "I wouldn't

bet my grandson on that."

The European Central

Bank holds its latest policy

meeting on Thursday, with

traders looking for an idea

about its plans for

monetary policy in light of

surging global inflation.

The gathering comes as

financial chiefs around the

world begin to remove the

ultra-loose measures put in

place at the start of the

pandemic, with the Bank of

England tipped to lift

interest rates this year,

following moves by South

Korea and New Zealand

among others.

The Federal Reserve has

said it will begin winding

down its bond-buying

programme within the

next two months, and

some observers have

forecast that could come as

soon as November.

Meanwhile, there is a

growing expectation the

Fed will raise borrowing

costs in mid-2022.

Uttara Motors Ltd launched The New SWIFT with the tagline of #Limitless Thrills, engineered to further

excite the customer with an all new advanced power train, appealing dual tone exterior and new exciting

features recently. Taking the glorious legacy of Suzuki Swift forward, The New Swift aligns with the customers'

needs for freshness and technology. Swift has created a benchmark globally in the hatchback category

with its aggressive styling, sporty stance and power-packed performance. Photo: Courtesy

Samsung boss

convicted, fined

for anaesthetic

misuse

SEOUL : The de-facto leader

of South Korea's sprawling

Samsung group Lee Jaeyong

was convicted Tuesday

of illegally using the

anaesthetic drug propofol,

the latest legal travail to

beset the multi-billionaire,

reports BSS.

Lee-the vice-chairman of

the world's biggest

smartphone maker

Samsung Electronics and

according to Forbes the

world's 238th richest

person-was fined 70 million

won ($60,000) by the Seoul

Central District Court, a

spokesman said.

The sum is around 0.0006

percent of his estimated

$10.2 billion fortune.

He was found guilty of

having repeatedly taken the

anaesthetic at a plastic

surgery clinic in Seoul

dozens of times over several

years.

Propofol is normally a

medical anaesthetic but is

also sometimes used

recreationally, and an

overdose of the drug was

given as the cause of pop star

Michael Jackson's death in

2009.

Usage is normally seen as

a minor offence in South

Korea and prosecutors

originally proposed fining

him 50 million won under a

summary indictment, a

procedure where less serious

cases do not go to court.

But the court overruled

the prosecution and ordered

a trial.

European stocks

kick off busy

week with gains

LONDON:European stock

markets mostly rose Monday

with traders assessing company

earnings and looking ahead to

an ECB rate decision and UK

budget later in the week, reports

BSS.

Asian markets closed mixed

following last week's gains, with

investors keeping a worried eye

on a fresh Covid outbreak in

China that could drag on the

already stuttering economy.

Oil prices pressed higher, with

Brent at a three-year high above

$86 per barrel, while WTI was

within sight of $85 for the first

time since October 2014.

The latest rises for crude

comes after Saudi Arabia said

OPEC and other major

producers would be cautious in

lifting output despite surging

demand, warning that the

pandemic still posed a threat to

the outlook.

In foreign exchange, Turkey's

lira tumbled more than one

percent to a record low against

the dollar after country's

President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan called for the expulsion

of ambassadors from 10

countries, including Germany

and the United States, who had

appealed for the release of a

jailed civil society leader.

The euro dropped with data

showing Germany's business

climate worsened in October for

the fourth month in a row, as

supply chain woes weighed on

the country's export-driven

economy.

European Central Bank

policymakers meet on

Thursday, with markets hoping

for hints on when the ECB may

start raising interest rates or

taper its massive pandemicfuelled

stimulus programme.

Long-running worries about

inflation meanwhile continued

to cast a shadow over trading

floors, though a healthy batch of

earnings has tempered those

concerns in the past couple of

weeks.

HSBC bank posted bumper

earnings and plans to buy back

shares.

US tech titans including

Amazon, Apple, Facebook and

Microsoft provide their own

earnings updates this week,

which will be closely followed for

an idea about what impact

supply chain snarls and rising

prices are having on their

bottom lines.

Their forward guidance will

also be of interest as businesses

contemplate tighter central bank

monetary policies.

News that troubled China

Evergrande had paid interest

due on a bond before Saturday's

deadline provided a muchneeded

boost to market

confidence, though it remains to

be seen whether the property

developer can meet obligations

on other notes due before the

end of the year.

Chinese markets also got

some extra cheer from

Evergrande saying it had

resumed work on more than 10

projects.

Indian online

beauty giant

Nykaa to join

IPO frenzy

MUMBAI:Indian e-

commerce beauty giant

Nykaa will open its initial

public offering to

subscribers on Thursday,

aiming for a total valuation

of over 532 billion rupees

($7 billion), the company's

founder said Monday,

reports BSS.

The start-up sector has

been a rare bright spot in the

coronavirus-battered

economy, with some 20

unicorns-startups valued at

more than a billion dollarscreated

so far this year.

Nykaa, which is seeking to

raise around $700 million

through the IPO

subscription for a total

valuation of over $7 billion,

will be the biggest flotation

since online food delivery

firm Zomato's offering in

July raised $1.3 billion.

Start-ups in India have

attracted billions of dollars

in investment even though

many are yet to make a

profit but Nykaa has

reported revenues of $330

million in the fiscal year that

ended in March.

Founded by former

investment banker Falguni

Nayar, India's first womanled

unicorn offers 4,000

beauty, personal care and

fashion brands through its

website, app and 80-odd

brick-and-mortar stores.

"There's still a significant

headroom available for

growth," she said at a virtual

press conference Monday as

she credited the retailer's

"resilient and capital

efficient model" for the

success.

WeDneSDAY, oCtober 27, 2021

9

Talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes

boosts England's Ashes cause

SportS DeSk

Talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes

has been added to the England squad

for the tour of Australia later this

year, delivering a huge boost in their

bid to reclaim the Ashes, reports BSS.

The 30-year-old said he is refreshed

after taking time out from the game

both for his mental health and also

underwent two operations on a

fractured left index finger.

"I had a break to prioritise my

mental wellbeing and I got my finger

sorted," said Stokes in an England

and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)

statement Monday.

"I am looking forward to seeing my

mates and being on the field with

them. I'm ready for Australia."

Ashley Giles, managing director of

England's Men's cricket, said Stokes's

return to the squad was terrific news

but he added due to lack of game time

they needed to move cautiously.

"Time and time again, Ben has

demonstrated how important he is to

the England team and having him

available for the Ashes series is

excellent news for all of us.

"Having not played for some time,

we will move forward cautiously over

the next few weeks to ensure he is

fully prepared across all facets of his

game.

"Ahead of a very busy period of

cricket, we continue to remain

mindful of the stresses on all our

personnel, and our primary focus

continues to be the wellbeing of all of

our players and support staff."

Stokes has not played for England

since July, when he cut short his

injury rehabilitation to captain the

one-day side against Pakistan at short

notice following a coronavirus

outbreak.

He was not included for the

ongoing Twenty20 World Cup and

was left out of England's initial Ashes

squad.

The tour had been the subject of

tense negotiations after England's

players and their families expressed

concerns over tough Covid

quarantine restrictions in Australia.

However, the Australians will now

be on notice that England's most

likely match-winner will be facing

them.

"It is obviously great news for

England as Ben Stokes is virtually

irreplaceable in any format. He's one

of the great all-rounders in world

cricket at the moment," said former

England captain Nasser Hussain.

"But more importantly it's great

news for Ben Stokes, both physically

and mentally."

Stokes produced one of the most

memorable Test innings to steer

England to victory in the third Test of

the 2019 Ashes series.

He scored an unbeaten 135 at

Headingley to level the series -- a few

months after he had played a pivotal

role in England's 50 over World Cup

success.

Stokes will depart with the Test

specialists and the reserve Lions

squad on November 4.

The first of the five-Test series

begins on December 8 in Brisbane.

the 30-year-old said he is refreshed after taking time out from the game both for his mental health

and also underwent two operations on a fractured left index finger.

photo: Ap

Mujeeb's 5-20 helps

Afghanistan crush

Scotland by 130 runs

in T20 World Cup

SportS DeSk

Spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman

took five wickets in

Afghanistan's record 130-run

rout of Scotland in their

opening Super 12s match of

the Twenty20 World Cup on

Monday, reports BSS.

Chasing a daunting 191 for

victory, Scotland were bowled

out for 60 in 10.2 overs with

five batters dismissed for

ducks in Sharjah.

Mujeeb returned his best

T20 figures of 5-20 and fellow

spinner Rashid Khan claimed

four wickets to hand

Afghanistan their biggest

victory margin in the game's

shortest format.

Najibullah Zadran set up

the win with his 34-ball 59 to

guide Afghanistan to their

best total of 190-4 in the

tournament after they elected

to bat first.

Mujeeb remained the hero

with his three wickets in one

over, including two in

successive deliveries, to

decimate Scotland's top and

middle order.

Scotland, who made the

Super 12s of this event for the

first time after they won all

three matches in the

qualifiers, could never recover

after Calum MacLeod, Richie

Berrington and Matthew

Cross fell without scoring, and

the team crashed to their

lowest T20 total.

Earlier, Najibullah and

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46)

put together an attacking 87-

run partnership for the third

wicket, tearing into the

Scotland bowling with seven

sixes between them.

Najibullah fell on the final

ball of the innings while

attempting his fourth six in a

34-ball blitz that took

Afghanistan past their

previous tournament-high of

186 in 2016.

Arsenal keeper Ramsdale

aiming to be England

No.1 at 2022 World Cup

SportS DeSk

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has set

his sights on the England No.1 shirt for the

2022 World Cup after breaking into the Three

Lions squad, reports AP.

Ramsdale was a late call-up to Gareth

Southgate's Euro 2020 squad over the

summer after Dean Henderson withdrew

through injury and was recalled for World

Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary

earlier this month. The 23-year-old has yet to

earn a senior cap but after some impressive

early displays with the Gunners since his

summer move from Sheffield United,

Ramsdale believes he is capable of earning a

starting spot in Qatar should England secure

their place at next year's tournament.

Ramsdale's late call-up to the England

squad was a timely boost after a difficult few

months that included an early elimination

with England at the U21 Euros in March and

relegation with his club Sheffield United, the

second season in a row the goalkeeper

suffered relegation from the Premier League.

Speaking about his eventful summer, the

former AFC Wimbledon loanee told the

League One club's website: "Me and the Mrs

were going to go on holiday and go and chill.

The next thing you know, I'm in the squad, I'm

fully part of it and it was some of the best

weeks of my life!"

England, of course, went all the way to the

final only to be beaten agonisingly by Italy on

penalties at Wembley.

Despite not making it onto the pitch,

Ramsdale enjoyed the experience and is ready

to establish himself in Southgate's squad.

"I keep saying it was a great lad's holiday,"

he added. "That's just the team spirit we had,

and we were just a few kicks away from

achieving something great.

"It's just added momentum and hunger to

do well in the World Cup and hopefully I can

be a part of that again and hopefully that'll be

to do with a starting role."

Ramsdale has started each of Arsenal's last

six Premier League matches after replacing

Bernd Leno following Arsenal's 5-0 thrashing

at Manchester City in August, and his early

displays have helped Mikel Arteta's side

rebuild their season after a poor start.

However, despite his domestic form,

Ramsdale will face intense competition for the

England goalkeeper jersey as the Three Lions

look ahead towards Qatar 2022.

the former Sheffield United stopper, who joined the Gunners in the summer,

has set out his international ambitions.

photo: Ap

A major warm-up tournament for the Australian open was cancelled on tuesday, with organisers

blaming uncertainty over Covid-19 rules players will face in Melbourne.

photo: Ap

We still expect 'great

things' from Gayle,

says West Indies coach

SportS DeSk

Chris Gayle's recent struggles

with the bat have not

undermined his status as a

West Indian great who can

work wonders at the

Twenty20 World Cup,

assistant coach Roddy

Estwick said Monday,

reports BSS.

The self-styled "Universe

Boss", now 42, has been

batting at number three

instead of his usual opening

position in franchise and

national cricket.

However, the results have

not been convincing.

He averages just under 30

in the T20 format with a

strike rate of 138.81, but

coming one down the lefthanded

batsman's average

has dropped to 19.

"Chris is very experienced,"

Estwick told reporters ahead

of the defending champions'

second Super 12 clash

against South Africa in Dubai

on Tuesday.

"If you look at a lot of the

teams, they want to bowl

their spinners. And we felt

that at number three, it gives

him a chance to have a

matchup against the spin

attack."

Gayle top-scored with 13 in

his team's disappointing 55

all out in their opening defeat

against England on Saturday.

The big-hitter smashed

three boundaries before

falling to pace bowler Tymal

Mills in the lop-sided contest,

but Estwick believes his

presence in the dressing

room is just as important as

numbers.

"Chris has been a

wonderful servant for West

Indies cricket. We still expect

great things from him," said

Estwick, who is a former

Barbados player.

Dybala saves Juve at Inter, Napoli's

perfect start ends

SportS DeSk

Paulo Dybala saved Juventus on Sunday

with a controversial late penalty which

earned his team a 1-1 draw at Inter

Milan, while Napoli's perfect start to the

season came to an end with a goalless

draw at Roma, reports BSS.

Argentina forward Dybala slotted

home his spot-kick with a minute left

after Denzel Dumfries was ruled to have

kicked Alex Sandro as he tried to clear

the ball, a decision that enraged Inter to

the point that coach Simone Inzaghi was

sent off by referee Maurizio Mariani.

His leveller came in his first

appearance after a month out with a

thigh injury, the 27-year-old coming on

as a substitute in the 63rd minute.

"We were up against a very good

team and given the way the game was

going, we're happy with the point,"

Dybala said to DAZN.

Juve are up to sixth on 15 points, level

with Atalanta and Fiorentina, while

champions Inter are seven points

behind Napoli and city rivals AC Milan

Major warm-up for Australian Open

tennis cancelled again over virus

SportS DeSk

A major warm-up tournament for the

Australian Open was cancelled on Tuesday,

with organisers blaming uncertainty over

Covid-19 rules players will face in

Melbourne, reports BSS.

It is the second year the Kooyong Classic,

normally played in the weeks leading up to

the season-opening Grand Slam, has been

scrapped because of the coronavirus

pandemic.

Kooyong president Adam Cossar said he

was disappointed the event could not take

place in January 2022 but hopes it will

return in 2023.

"With the great deal of uncertainty over

recent months about the arrangements that

would be in place in January, it has not been

possible to make the best plans to deliver the

best and safest sporting (event)," he said in a

statement.

Players are still awaiting clarification on

whether they need to be fully vaccinated to

participate at the Australian Open, also in

in third place.

Inter thought they had won the match

thanks to a goal from Edin Dzeko, who

rolled into an empty net in the 17th

minute after Hakan Calhanoglu's rocket

of a shot rebounded to him off the

crossbar.

It was another important goal from

Dzeko, who also starred in Inter's 3-1

Champions League win over Sheriff

Tiraspol midweek and has quickly

become a fan favourite at the San Siro

after arriving from Roma in the

summer.

Juve were fortunate to get a point, not

only because of the way the penalty

came about, but because of another

underwhelming display.

Massimiliano Allegri's side offered

little in the way of goal threat even after

the introduction of Federico Chiesa and

Dybala just after the hour mark.

Inter, meanwhile, were livid at being

denied a win in what is traditionally

their biggest domestic home match of

the season thanks to what they saw as a

very soft penalty.

Melbourne, and other tennis tournaments in

the country.

Such a requirement would cast doubt on

nine-time Australian Open champion Novak

Djokovic's ability to defend his title -- he is

one of many players who have refused to

share their vaccination status.

A leaked WTA email this week suggested

unvaccinated players could take part

provided they completed 14 days in hotel

quarantine. Double-jabbed players would

though enjoy "complete freedom of

movement".

However, the Premier of Victoria -- the

state where the Grand Slam is held -- said he

wanted all players to be fully vaccinated.

"All the people who are watching the

tennis at the Australian Open, they're going

to be double-vaxxed, all the people that work

there are going to be double-vaxxed," Dan

Andrews told public radio.

"It stands to reason that if you want to get

into the country to be part of that

tournament, then you should be doublevaxxed

as well."

Maradona lawyer says late star's

medical treatment 'very bad'

SportS DeSk

Diego Maradona's former lawyer said

Monday the medical treatment given to his

client was "very bad", after giving testimony

in the investigation into the death of the

Argentine football star, reports BSS.

"There were many mistakes made because

Diego died, they inflated and inflated the

poor guy until his heart exploded," Matias

Morla told reporters after his more than

three hours of testimony at the prosecutor's

office in San Isidro.

Authorities in the northern suburb of

Buenos Aires are investigating the

circumstances of Maradona's death.

The medical treatment Maradona received

was "very bad, that's why he died," Morla

said.

Maradona died of a heart attack on

November 25 aged 60 while recovering from

an operation to remove a blood clot from his

head. He also suffered from kidney and liver

problems, heart failure, neurological

deterioration and alcohol and drug

addictions. The late football great had been

recovering in a private residence under the

supervision of a seven-person medical team.

The team members have already testified

in the investigation to determine whether

there was any neglect or malpractice in

Maradona's care.

Morla said that during his last visit with

Maradona on November 16, "he had a

strange voice, robotic, very high-pitched and

intermittent.

"I informed everyone of Diego's

condition," Morla said. "I then realized it was

because of the amount of water retained in

his body."

"That was the only way we were going

to concede a goal... we ran the game

from start to finish, we gave them

nothing," said Inzaghi to DAZN.

"I'm not happy because the referee is

two metres away, says everything is fine

and then is called (by VAR)... we

deserved more."

Napoli's winning streak ended at eight

games following their draw at the Stadio

Olimpico.

Both sides will be ruing missed

chances which could have decided a

tight, at times bad-tempered, match

between two rivals in which both

coaches were sent off.

Roma boss Jose Mourinho was sent to

the stands for dissent with nine minutes

left while an incredulous Luciano

Spalletti was shown a red card after the

final whistle for what referee Davide

Massa thought was sarcastic applause.

It was a decent result for Roma, who

needed a good showing following their

6-1 humilation at the hands of

Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt in

midweek.

WeDNesDAY, ocToBeR 27, 2021

10

'Mission Extreme' trailer released

TBT RepoRT

The makers have released the official trailer of the

much-awaited action thriller 'Mission Extreme'

featuring a star-studded cast of Arifin Shuvoo,

Jannatul Ferdous Oishee, Sadia Nabila, and

Taskeen Rahman in lead roles.

A colourful program was held at NTV Studio at

Tejgaon on Sunday, to mark the release of the

trailer of the first part of 'Mission Extreme'. The

director, artistes and the crew of the film were

present at the event. Besides, Monirul Islam,

Additional IGP of Special Branch of Bangladesh

Police, attended the programme as the chief guest.

The film is directed jointly by Faisal Ahmod and

Sunny Sanwar. Mime Multimedia and Dhaka

Detective Club are the co-producers of the movie.

The 2.46-minute trailer of the film looks

intriguing and action-packed. It shows Arefin

Shuvoo in the role of a police officer who fights

against the terrorist.

Watching the trailer, people are posting various

speculations about the story on social media.

The audiences have expressed their regrets about

not seeing Oishee in the trailer for a longer time.

"This film is not about me or Arefin Shuvoo. This

film is based on the police operation against

Actress Megan Fox says it is hard to be a

woman and has encouraged other

women to wear whatever makes

them "feel good" and not to

worry about the opinions of

other people.

Fox said: "There are

definitely some times where

mentally, I'm not in a place

where I want to be exposed

or interact with the world. I

think style is a closer

reflection of your mood

than some people realise,

and because of that, it

changes constantly.

"Like I change multiple

times a day

sometimes, don't you?

That's my best advice

for anyone: wear

what makes you

feel good and do

not worry about

what other

people say you

look like," reports

femalefirst.co.uk.

Actress Megan Fox

acknowledges that it's

easier said than done. Megan

told Elle.com: "Obviously, that's

a really tricky thing for me as well,

because I have body dysmorphia, so

terrorists. The importance of characters

determined the screentime of the film's cast. The

trailer is only about 2.5 minutes. I understand that

my fans want to see me more. I hope they won't

regret after watching the film," Oishee told.

"I am very excited and nervous as the release date

of my debut film approaches. But I hope the

audience will like our film. I am very lucky to work

in such a star-studded film in my debut," she

added. The film's plot is based on some of the

operations of Bangladesh Police's Counter-

Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, a

specialised branch designed to combat terrorism

and transnational crimes. The film has its story,

screenplay and direction done by Superintendent

of Police Sunny Sanwar.

The film will hit the theatres on November 3

worldwide. Director Sunny Sanwar said, "We have

discussed and given green signal to release the film

in eight countries. The film will be released in all

the big cinema halls across Bangladesh, including

the rural ones."

The film has an ensemble cast of Raisul Islam

Asad, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Shatabdi Wadud,

Majnun Mizan, Iresh Zaker, Manoj Pramanik, Aref

Syed, Sudip Biswas Deep, Rashed Mamun Apu and

Ehsanul Rahma.

'I have body dysmorphia, so

I see myself differently…'

I see myself differently than how other people

see me anyway.

"And bottom line is, it's very difficult

to be a woman!" Megan Fox added:

"And I've finally let myself

acknowledge that it's hard to be a

woman! It's really difficult, right?

We are our own worst enemies

sometimes, and so my best

advice is just to embrace it, and

know you have the freedom to

express yourself however feel

good to you. "Know that, and

then give yourself permission to

do so."

On the other hand, Megan

explained that her body just isn't

suited to wearing certain

things. The 'Transformers'

star said: "People do

not realise how small

I am. "So I'm either

in clothes that are

really well-fitted

or I just get

overwhelmed by

fabric, which

happens very

easily."

Source:

The Indian

Express

Kazi Hayat, Mazharul

Islam get Fazlul Haque

Memorial Award

TBT RepoRT

The Fazlul Haque Memorial

Award 2021 has gone to national

award winning filmmaker Kazi

Hayat and celebrated cine

journalist Mazharul Islam for

their contribution to film direction

and cine-journalism.

The award ceremony took place

at Channel i's studio on October

Telefilm "Bela Boye Jay"

starring popular multifaceted

actor Tahsan khan and Sabila

Nur has premiered on the

Youtube channel of artiste

Shusmita Anis on 21 October.

The telefilm also features

Monir Khan, Shimul, Maznun

Akshay Kumar officially

announced his next project

OMG 2 on Twitter on Saturday.

As the actor kicked off the shoot,

he asked fans for their blessings.

He shared a poster from the

film and wrote in the caption:

"Need your blessings and wishes

for OMG 2, our honest and

humble attempt to reflect on an

important social issue. May the

eternal energy of Adiyogi bless us

through this journey."

Other than Akshay Kumar, the

film also stars Yami Gautam and

Pankaj Tripathi in pivotal roles.

Yami Gautam, sharing the same

poster wrote in her caption:

"Delighted to announce our film

OMG 2! Need your best wishes

for this special one."

Akshay Kumar also shared a

BTS video with his co-star

Pankaj Tripathi from Ujjain.

Written and directed by Amit

Rai, OMG 2 is produced by Cape

of Good Film, Vipul D Shah,

Rajesh Bahl and Ashwin Varde.

It is the sequel to 2012 film OMG

- Oh My God. The first

installment of the film featured

Paresh Rawal, who files a case

against God for destroying his

shop in an earthquake. The film

also starred Mithun

Chakraborty, reports NDTV.

26. Both winners have got Tk

25,000 as well as crests and

certificates of honour, said a press

release.

Celebrated writer Rabeya

Khatun initiated the award in

memory of her husband Fazlul

Haque, the pioneer of film

journalism in the country, in

2004. Since then, the award is

given every year. Fazlul Haque

Mizan among others in

prominent roles.

Aga Nahiyan Ahmed

directorial telefilm is produced

under the banner of "New

Music Paradigm Company."

Director Nahiyan Ahmed

said, "The story of 'Bela Boye

Akshay Kumar has a super

busy schedule in 2021. The actor

awaits the release on the cop

drama Sooryavanshi. Earlier this

year, the actor shot for Atrangi

Re with Sara Ali Khan and

Dhanush. He will soon star in

Bachchan Pandey. He will also

was the editor of the first film

magazine 'Cinema', the director of

the first children's film 'President'

featured by Faridur Reza Sagar.

The Bangladesh Film

Development Corporation has

named one of its biggest

auditoriums 'Fazlul Haque

Jay' holds a special place in my

heart.

"Bela Bole Jay" unfolds

thrilling twists as Rafat

(Tahsan Khan) desperately

looks for his missing wife Arohi

(Sabila Noor).

"This is my first fiction. So, I

have done this work with great

care. Hopefully the audience

will find something new in the

telefilm," he added.

The title track of the telefilm,

voiced by Sushmita Anas, is a

feature in Prithviraj, which is a

biopic of Prithviraj Chauhan.

The actor announced two new

projects last year - Raksha

Bandhan and Ram Setu. The

actor will also be seen in a film

called Gorkha.

Yami Gautam will next be seen

Memorial Auditorium' to pay

tribute to Fazlul Haque.

Under the supervision of

filmmaker Syed Salauddin Zaki,

the 'Fazlul Haq Institute of Media

Studies' has been established for

those interested in working in film

and media.

Tahsan, Sabila's "Bela

Boye Jay" premieres

on YouTube

melodious score that elevated

some remarkable scenes of the

telefilm.

Sajid Sarkar has composed

the song penned by

Shemeshwar Oli.

Shusmita Anis said, "This is

my first song released through

a telefilm. I am very optimistic

about the project. I believe

both the telefilm "Bela Boye

Jay" and my song would

manage to leave the audiences

in awe."

Akshay Kumar announces 'OMG2'

in A Thursday and Dasvi,

alongside Abhishek Bachchan

and Nimrat Kaur. She was last

seen in the horror comedy Bhoot

Police with Saif Ali Khan, Arjun

Kapoor and Jacqueline

Fernandez.

Source: India Today

H o R o s c o p e

ARIes

(March 21 - April 20) : Work that needs

to be done could center on money,

investments, and other financial

matters. Your mind is especially quick,

and you're likely to get everything done well.

Technology is going to prove especially helpful. The

possibility of significant financial gain is strong, as is

career advancement. Friendship, love affairs, and

family relations are also favorable.

TAURUs

(April 21 - May 21) : Love and romance

are very much on your mind today.

This is a perfect day to concentrate on

this part of your life, for all signs

indicate that relations with romantic partners are

going to be happy, stimulating, and passionate. If

you aren't involved, chances are you'll meet

someone. If you are, expect a wonderful evening

together!

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : Matters involving

work and home should be going very well.

Physically, you're feeling well and strong in

spite of your recent overindulgence. News of success in

things you've been working on for months should make

your day. You might want to spend the rest of the day

celebrating. The company of friends and family brings a lot

of happiness, as does a romantic encounter.

cANceR

(June 22 - July 23) : A passionate letter

or call from a romantic partner could

have you longing for an encounter.

You're likely to make a night of it this

evening. You're both feeling happy, glowing in each

other's company. One or both of you will have career

success to report. Relations with co-workers and

superiors should be cooperative and congenial. This

bodes well for your future.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Unexpected

financial benefit could leave you

speechless today. It could be an

unanticipated bonus, gift, or even a

small lottery win. This is the day to seek the

improbable. If you have a project you've wanted

to try but have hesitated because it's too risky,

start it now. Success and good fortune should

follow anything begun or completed now.

VIRGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): You're probably

getting a lot of great news today. Business

and personal success are coming your way.

A project that you've hoped would turn a profit may

finally be moving that way. Financial gain is imminent.

Your enthusiasm, self-confidence, and optimism should

be very high as a result, making you that much more apt

to move forward.

LIBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Special information

that comes to you either from within - your

intuitive insights - or without - information

received from books, TV, or the Internet -

could pave the way for career advancement and financial

gain. The outlook for you is rosy, although you can expect

a lot of work before you get where you want to be. A

stimulating evening with friends or romantic partner is in

the works.

scoRpIo

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

happy and enthusiastic today. Whatever

you strive for should be successful,

whether it's job related or creative

inspiration. Your dedication and organizing talent

promise advancement. If you aren't presently involved

in a relationship, you might be soon. If you have a

partner, look forward to an engagement or marriage.

If you're married, expect new closeness.

sAGITTARIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Your personal and

professional relationships should benefit from

today's energies. This is a day to strengthen all

your relationships, especially friendships. You

may want to gather your closest pals and plan a party. Your

optimism and generally positive nature should draw others to

you like bees to nectar. Professionally, your efforts should bring

success.

cApRIcoRN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20) : A long journey to a

distant place could be uppermost in

your mind today. You may be

getting ready to take off, or the trip

might still be in the planning stages. Either way,

this could be a very exciting day. You're feeling

happy and enthusiastic. You look forward to the

future. Long-term goals might finally show

promise of success.

AQUARIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : A lot of your time

today could be spent working on

financial matters on the computer,

phone, or other form of technology. This

could have to do with your job or it could concern

personal finances. Whichever it is, you'll do a good

job, as success in accomplishing whatever you work

on is indicated. One way or another, career success is

coming your way.

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : A business or romantic

partner could either contact you or return

from a long trip with great news. Perhaps

your friend has had a lucky break of some

kind that betters life in general for both of you. Success

and good fortune are indicated today, as are happiness,

enthusiasm, and optimism. If you have a project you've

wanted to start, do it now.

WeDNeSDAY, OCTOBeR 27, 2021

11

Make sure swift action to

protect the livelihoods of

the coastal regions

TBT Report

Representatives of environment

movement and civil society urged the

global leaders to take proper stapes in

United Nations Climate Change

Conference (COP26) to compensate

disaster-stricken coastal people.

They came up with the demand in

human chain and rally organized by civil

organization Sundarbans, Cost Protection

Movement and Leaders and Faith in

Action in front of the National Press Club

on Tuesday.

They also urged the government to

declare the south-western part of the

country as disaster risky area and called

for swift action to protect the livelihoods

of the coastal regions.

Nikhil Chandra Bhadra, co-ordinator of

the Sundarbans and Coastal Protection

Movement, presided over the rally.

Aminur Rasul Babul of Unnayan

Dhara Trust, Ashish Kumar Dey,

General Secretary of National

Committee for Protection of Waterways

and Railways, Mihir Biswas of

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BAPA),

Moniruzzaman Mukul, General

Secretary of SCAN, Nripen Bhaidya,

A human chain and rally was organized by civil organization Sundarbans

and Upakul Suraksha Andolon in front of the National Press Club on

Tuesday.

Photo : Courtesy

GD-1574/21 (4x3)

Executive Director of Faith in Action,

Jesmin Prema, Chairman of Samaj

Kalyan O Unnayan Shangstha (SKUS),

Shakila Parvin of Sachetan Sangstha,

journalist Gazi Shahnewaz , Sanjidul

Hasan of Shaheed Alim Sahitya Sangsad

among others were also spoke in the

event.

They said that the crisis of livelihood in

the south-western coastal region of the

country adjacent to the Sundarbans is

constantly increasing due to the adverse

effects of climate change. On the other

ways the Corona situation and last year's

Super Cyclone Amphan and Yaas

exacerbated the crisis.

They demanded from the rally that

declaring the South-West coastal area of

the Sundarbans as a disaster risk area

and involving the local government in

repairing the embankments at risk,

raising emergency funds for dam

maintenance and dam management is

essential to address the crisis. Along

with permanent solution of safe drinking

water of coastal people and formation of

a separate board for the development of

the coastal region has been suggested in

that program.

U.S. suspends economic

aid to Sudan

WASHINGTON : The United States on

Monday suspended 700 million U.S. dollars

in economic aid to Sudan after the country's

military forces arrested civilian leaders and

officials.

"The United States condemns the actions

taken overnight by Sudanese military

forces," State Department spokesperson Ned

Price said during a press briefing. "The arrest

of civilian government officials and other

political leaders, including Prime Minister

(Abdalla) Hamdok, undermines the

country's transition to democratic civilian

rule."

"In light of these developments, the United

States is pausing assistance from the $700

million in emergency assistance

appropriations of economic support funds

for Sudan," he added.

Price urged the military to immediately

release all detained political actors, fully

restore the civilian-led transitional

government, and refrain from violence

against protesters, reports UNB.

Earlier on Monday, Chairman of Sudan's

Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan

declared a state of emergency across Sudan,

and dissolved the transitional sovereign

council and the government.

The decision was made hours after

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok,

members of the Transitional Sovereignty

Council's civilian component and several

ministers were arrested by joint military

forces. ASEAN kicks off series of virtural

summits with COVID-19, economic recovery

high on Agenda

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 26

(Xinhua/UNB) -- Member countries of the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN) on Tuesday kick-started their 38th

and 39th summits under the chairmanship of

Brunei via virtual conference, with fighting

the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting

economic recovery high on the agenda.

The ASEAN summits, with the theme "We

Care, We Prepare, We Prosper," is expected

to discuss a number of issues including

further strengthening the resilience of the

ASEAN Community towards regional

recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,

enhancing the preparedness of ASEAN in

addressing common challenges; seizing new

opportunities in pursuit of shared

prosperity; and maintaining cooperation

towards achieving the region's long-term

goals.

Scheduled for Tuesday to Thursday, the

38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and related

summits will also be joined by leaders from

ASEAN's dialogue partners, including China,

Japan, South Korea, India, United States,

Australia and Russia, among others.

Established in 1967, ASEAN groups

Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,

Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,

Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Brunei is

the ASEAN chair for 2021.

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The president and general secretary of Bangabandhu Research and Coordination Council and Officers

Welfare Association of BIDFC unit congratulates the Chairman of BIDFC, Md. Shahidul Islam. Photo: TBT

RMCH records

four more fatalities

in Covid-19 unit

RAJSHAHI: Rajshahi

Medical College Hospital

(RMCH) recorded four

more fatalities in its Covid-

19 unit in the last 24 hours

till 6am yesterday, taking the

death toll to 89, so far, this

month, reports BSS.

However, the previous

day's fatality figure was zero

after a long time since the

second wave of the

pandemic hit the country

around seven months back.

Earlier, the number of

casualties was 167 in

September, 340 in August,

566 in July and 405 in June,

health officials said.

RMCH Director Brigadier

General Shamim Yazdany

told journalists that three of

the deceased were the

residents of Rajshahi, while

one from Natore districts.

Among the new

fatalities, one was tested

positive for Covid-19, while

three others were suffering

from its symptoms. Of the

four new deaths, three were

male and one female.

Fifty-four patients,

including six tested positive

for Covid-19, are undergoing

treatment in the designated

Covid-19 wards of the

hospital at present.

Ex-South Korean President

Roh Tae-woo dies at 88

Lalmohan UP chairman Abul Kashem

Mia working tirelessly for people

Taiyubur Rahman, Char

Fasson Correspondent

Lalmohan upazila chairman

Abul Kashem Mia is a politician

and cherishes the ideals of the

Father of the Nation. He said that

I will continue to work on the

development ladder of Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina with all

the initiatives of Member of

Parliament Nurnabi

Chowdhury Shaon

as my life's dream.

He added that,

politics does not

mean fighting.

Politics is an

ideology. I want to

live for everyone, I

want to spend the

rest of my life with peoples love,

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

who lost her father, lost her loved

ones has made such a great

sacrifice. If anyone has done

anything for this country in

different parts of the country,

then Bangabandhu's family is

doing it. We have got such a

leader, so I can proudly say that I

am a man of Joy Bangla, so my

request to all is to strengthen the

hand of dear leader Sheikh

Hasina. Work for the country,

work for the country, you will see

the country and the people of the

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA : Former South

Korean President Roh Tae-woo, who participated

in a military coup then won the

election that was the country's first move

toward democracy before he was imprisoned

for corruption, died on Tuesday. He

was 88, reports UNB.

The Seoul National University Hospital

said Roh died while being treated for an

illness. It gave no further details.

Roh was a key participant in the 1979

military coup that made his army friend

and coup leader Chun Doo-hwan president

after their mentor, dictator Park

Chung-hee, was assassinated earlier in

1979. Roh led his army division into Seoul

and joined other military leaders for operations

to seize the capital. The coup and

the subsequent crackdown by the Chuncontrolled

military on pro-democracy

protesters in the southern city of Gwangju

in 1980 are two of the darkest chapters in

South Korea's turbulent modern history.

About 200 people were killed in the military-led

crackdowns in Gwangju, according

to government records.

Roh was Chun's hand-picked successor,

which would have assured him the presidency

in an easy indirect election. But

months of massive pro-democracy uprisings

in 1987 forced Roh and Chun to

accept a direct presidential poll that was

the start of South Korea's transition to

democracy.

Kishoreganj district police has given an award to Sadar Model Police Station

Inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Safar Ali for arresting the accused in the

murder and robbery case and recovering the goods. Photo : Sarwar Jahan

country will not hesitate to give

their lives for you, if you make a

mistake without knowing it, you

will see it with a look of

forgiveness.

Abul Kashem Mia was elected

Senior Vice President of

Bangladesh Central Union

Parishad Chairman's

Association, Vice President of

Upazila Awami

League, Senior Vice

President of District

Awami Krishak

League, Member of

Bangladesh Union

Parishad Chairman

Member Trust

under the Ministry of

Local Government

and elected as irresistible

Chairman. In this regard, he is

able to carry out every activity

announced by the government

in all the areas of the union in a

beautiful and efficient manner.

As the chairman, he has

emerged as a widely accepted

person not only in his own union

or area, Abul Kashem Mia

became the chairman candidate

in the area as a people-friendly

chairman. He was twice elected

with huge public support. He

was supported by Awami

League.

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Housewife 'gang-raped'

in Bhola's Monpura:

Police

BHOLA : Police said on

Tuesday that they arrested a

youth and were looking for

four others after a housewife

accused them of gang-raping

her in Monpura under Bhola

district, reports UNB.

In a case filed with

Monpura police, the woman

said she was assaulted by the

youths on Sunday night at a

garden near her house.

Police arrested the prime

accused, Alauddin, at dawn

on Tuesday. They are

hunting down four others-

Md. Belal, Md Helal, Md

Yusuf Dalal and Md Selim.

Locals told UNB quoting

the woman she was at home

with her two children as her

husband went fishing in the

sea.

When she opened her door

after hearing several knocks

and a 'woman's voice', the

attackers stormed into the

room, tied her up and carried

her to the adjacent garden

where she was raped.

Neighbours rescued her

around 1 am from the garden

in a critical condition and

took her to Bhola District

Hospital.

Confirming the incident,

Sayeed Ahmed, the officerin-charge

of Monpura Police

said one accused has been

arrested and efforts to nab

the others are on.

Japan launches new

GPS-improving

satellite into orbit

TOKYO : Japan on Tuesday

launched a new satellite into

orbit to replace the aging

first quasi-zenith satellite,

which has been providing

accurate global positioning

data for services such as

autonomous driving cars

and flying drones.

The new satellite, loaded

in an H-2A rocket, was

launched at 11:19 a.m. local

time Tuesday from the

Tanegashima Space Center

in Kagoshima Prefecture,

southwestern Japan.

The launch was initially

scheduled for Monday, but

was put off due to bad

weather.

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Wednesday, dhaka: october 27, 2021; kartik 11, 1428 bs; rabi-ul awal 19, 1443 hijri

Commuters in the port city were caught in snarls Tuesday morning, with the authorities closing down

a carriageway of the busy bahaddarhat flyover following cracks on its pillars. photo : star mail

Plan to destroy country's

communal harmony came

from London:Hasan

RAJSHAHI : Information and Broadcasting

Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday

said the plan of destroying the communal

harmony in the country has been made

by a top BNP leader staying in London.

"BNP had planned for destroying the

communal harmony throughout the

country after holding a month-long

meeting. They held the meeting in the

open. But they kept secret the conspiracy.

The recent plan to foil communal harmony

is part of the conspiracy," he said.

The minister came up with the observation

while addressing a press briefing

at the Rajshahi Circuit House.

Hasan, also Awami League (AL) joint

general secretary, termed the persons

involved in the communal violence enemies

of the country and said all the perpetrators

must be brought to book as

soon as possible.

He said the extremist organizations,

including BNP and Jamaat, remained

active in destroying the country's communal

harmony with an ulterior motive

to hinder the development activities.

But the government has tackled the

violence strictly, he said, adding around

100 cases were been recorded and about

700 persons were detained so far.

shahid Joy, Jashore CorrespondenT

We see a number of livelihood opportunities

available for the differently abled people

now in the country. Despite being a

disabled person, Shahida Khatun has

obtained the masters degree from a university.Not

having two legs and a hand

haven't stopped her to attain this mark.

Yet, she has not received a job even after

having the special quota.

However, leaving behind various obstacles,

she received the prestigious 'Jayita'

award for various service works for the

development of the society.Shahida

Khatun, now 30 years old, daughter of

Rafi Uddin of ShimuliaGopinathpur village

in Jhikargachhaupazila of Jashore.

Congenitally she does not have two legs

and a hand. She has managed to live with

only one hand.

Answering the question, Shahida

Replying to a query related to the

engagement of an activist of Bangladesh

Chhatra League (BCL) in Pirganj arson

attack, the minister said the person was

ousted from BCL long ago. So, his liability

can't be pressed on BCL, he added.

The minister also listed massive development

activities of the present government

under the dynamic and visionary

leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina. He said the government has

attained success in all indicators and has

been appreciated across the globe.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also

attained remarkable success in tacking

the COVID-19 situation and its vaccination

when many countries in the world

could not do this, he added.

Hasan also told the journalists that a

full-fledged BTV station will be established

in Rajshahi before the next parliamentary

election.

Ayen Uddin, MP, Adiba Anjum, MP,

Director General of Bangladesh

Television Sohrab Hossain and Deputy

Commissioner Abdul Jalil were present

on the occasion.

Earlier, the minister visited the substation

of BTV in Rajshahi and enquired

about its activities.

Shahida's endeavor of entrepreneurship

despite having disability

Khatun told reporters, "I have six siblings.

I am the fourth among them. My father

runs a grocery business. As a disabled person,

I did not want to live as a burden to

the society.

So, I started studying. I did not get any

government or private assistance except

'Disability Allowance'. I passed MA in

2015 from Jashore's MM college.

Shahida's father Rafiuddin said,

"Shahidawas always frustrated when

sinceher young age. She had no playmate.

Only because of her disability other children

opted to stay away from her. She

lived a lonely life.

Her classmates and peers ran, played,

danced, and swam. But when she couldn't

do anything about it, she decided that life

would be different reality for her. Then she

began to study. Since she can't move on her

own, innovator Mizan gave her a wheelchair

and she can now move around. "

Cracks shut

Bahaddarhat

flyover in Ctg

ChaTTogram bureau

Commuters in the port city were caught

in snarls Tuesday morning, with the

authorities closing down a carriageway of

the busy Bahaddarhat flyover following

cracks on its pillars.

The decision to suspend the movement

of vehicles on the Kalurghat carriageway

of the flyover was taken by Chattogram

City Corporation and Chattogram

Metropolitan Police on Monday night

after cracks were spotted in the pillars of

the ramp towards Arakan Road.

Local councillor Esrarul Haque Esral

said that the decision was taken to avoid

any accident on the flyover. In addition to

the police barricades, two traffic cops

have been deployed to keep a tab on vehicles.

Moinur Rahman, the officer-in-charge

of the Chandgaon Police Station said

Chattogram Development Authority

(CDA) was informed about the cracks "as

they're responsible for the maintenance

of the flyover". "However, vehicles are

plying on the Sholokbohor carriageway

of the flyover."

This is not the first time that cracks

have been spotted on the flyover. In

January 2018, a big crack appeared in

one of the ramps linking the flyover.

In November 2012, 17 people were

killed when three steel girders of the flyover

collapsed during construction work

in the Bahaddarhat area. Again on June

29 of that year, a 130-foot-long concrete

girder collapsed in Bahaddarhat.

To reduce traffic in the city, the

Chattogram Development Authority

(CDA) took the initiative to build MA

Mannan flyover from the city's toll plaza

to Bahaddarhat, an area of one kilometre.

JS body for immediate

opening of unused

stadiums

DHAKA : The Parliamentary Standing

Committee on Youth and Sports

Ministry on Tuesday recommended the

government to take steps for immediately

opening all the country's unused and

locked stadiums for the development of

sports, reports UNB.

The recommendation came at the 16th

meeting of the parliamentary watchdog

held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with

its chairman Abdullah Al Islam Jakob in

the chair, said a Parliament handout.

In the meeting, the committee asked the

ministry to complete the unfinished works

of a project soon to make upazila-level

Sheikh Russel mini stadiums ready for

sports. The parliamentary body suggested

the ministry to take necessary measures to

upgrade the post of Youth Development

Officer under the Department of Youth

Development to class-I post.

The meeting also discussed the activities

of the National Sports Council and

Bangladesh Cycling Federation.

The committee congratulated its member

and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)

president Nazmul Hasan (Papan) as he

was reelected the BCB president unopposed.

The parliamentary body also thanked

Papan as he announced there to provide

modern bicycles to the Bangladesh

Cycling Federation.

Tigers seek redemption

in first meet against

England in T20 format

sporTs desk

Desperate to hit back into the winning

way in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup,

Bangladesh will take on England in their

second match of the Super 12 today at

Jayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi,

United Arab Emirates (UAE), reports

BSS.

The match which will start at 4PM

(Bangladesh Standard Time) will be aired

live on Gazi TV and T Sports.

The match will mark Bangladesh's first

meeting with the English in this format.

Despite playing 116 T20 matches, spanning

over 15 years, Bangladesh had never

faced off England in the shortest format of

the cricket.

They were supposed to play a three

match ODI and same number of T20

matches against the English at home this

year in September but the tour was cancelled

later as the England players were

busy with the IPL.

While Bangladesh began the Super 12

mission in a disappointing fashion, losing

the game to Sri Lanka by five wickets,

England are flying high after a crushing

win over defending champions West

Indies.

This was kind of a revenge mission for

the Eoin Morgan and his troops, who lost

the last T20 World Cup final to West

Indies in 2016. But the Caribbean side

was no match this time for the 2019 ODI

World Cup Champions England who

firstly skittled them out for just 55 runs in

Dubai before securing a six- wicket victory.

Bangladesh batted well against Sri

Lanka and posted a respectable 171-4 in

solid batting pitch and could have well

won the match, had Liton Das not shelled

the catch of Charith Asalanka and

Bhanuka Rajapakse, who combined for a

86 off 52 for the fifth wicket to sail the side

home. Asalanka who blasted an unbeaten

80 off 49 was key after Bangladesh led by

Shakib Al Hasan left Sri Lanka in cornered

position, reducing them to 79-4 in

10th over.

Liton's grave blunder however put shed

on poor captaincy by Mahmudullah, who

missed the trick by bowling with the part

time bowlers in the middle overs when

Shakib and Mustafizur had ample overs

left.

Asalanka and Rajapakse who was still

struggling to get his eye in, got their fluency

by picking up 31 runs in the two overs

bowled by two part time bowlers-Afif

Hossain and Mahmudullah himself in

13th and 14th over of the match.

Mahmudullah though admitted they

misread the pitch and couldn't do the

things right after the 10th over, he vowed

to learn from the mistakes.

The Tigers however could seek the confidence

from the performance against the

English in the global event. Before losing

to England in 2019 ODI World Cup, they

defeated them in 2011 and 2015 editions.

3 members of

same family

hacked to death

in Khulna

TiTash ChakraborThey,

khulna CorrespondenT

A daily wage earner, his wife and

their school-going daughter have

been murdered in Koyra upazila of

Khulna. Informed, police on

Tuesday morning recovered their

bodies from a pond near their

house in Bagali union.

"The bodies have wounds inflicted

by sharp weapons. We suspect they

were hacked to death and then the

bodies were dumped in the pond in

order to cover up the crime," said

Shahadat Hossain, officer-in-charge

(OC) of Koyra police station.

"We believe this was a premeditated

murder," OC Shahadat

added. The victims have been

identified as Habibullah, 34, his

wife Beauty Begum, 25, and their

13-year-old daughter Habiba

Sultana. They lived next to Bagali

Union Parishad (UP) office.

A reliable local source said, victim

Habib had was once before

assaulted by his neighbour and her

accomplices reportedly because he

had found out about her illegitimate

affairs which she intended to

keep secret.

Five months ago, unidentified

men wearing masks assaulted

Habib with sharp weapons. Locals

now suspected that the killing of

Habib and his family members was

a sequel to that incident.

The photo shows bangladesh team practicing at the international Cricket Council (iCC) academy

ground in dubai on Tuesday, the day before the match against england.

photo: star mail

Propaganda, create

controversy of BNP are

last resorts: Quader

DHAKA : Criticizing the BNP for

pursuing evil politics, Road

Transport and Bridges Minister

Obaidul Qauder said BNP's only

work is to spark controversy on any

issue which is nothing but to create a

political confusion.

"BNP's last resort is to disseminate

negative propaganda," he said while

addressing a press conference at his

official residence yesterday morning.

As the politics of blame game is the

ideology of the BNP, so the party

would say something against the

government, Qauder said. Rejecting

the allegation of BNP leaders that the

recent attacks on puja mandaps in

different places, including Cumilla

took place as per the blue-print of the

government and the government

didn't take any measure to bring

these perpetrators to book, Obaidul

Quader said "These allegations of the

BNP leaders are completely false.

"After the attacks on puja mandaps

across the country, he said BNP was

continuously making false allegation.

Such allegations of BNP was imaginary

and has no relation with the reality as a

whole, he added.

"Why the government will make the

country unstable? What is the benefit

of the govt to create such unrest," he

questioned.

The BNP leaders are apparently

shedding tears for the Hindu community,

but actually they didn't

want trial of the attackers on puja

mandaps, Quader said adding that

although cases have been filed based

on the evidence and video footages

against the attackers but BNP leaders

were claiming that such cases

have been filed to humiliate the

opposition.

"It is the double standard of BNP,"

he added. Terming BNP as an irresponsible

party, Quader said none on

behalf the party stood beside the

Hindu community immediately after

the attacks. But a team of BNP visited

different temples after two weeks

of the incidents.

Refuting BNP's allegation that the

government barred the priests of

temple to talk to BNP leaders,

Quader said only BNP men can make

such false allegation.

Court fixes Nov 15 for

hearing on chargesheet

against Pori Moni

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on Tuesday

granted bail to actress Pori Moni and her

two associates in a case filed under the

Narcotics Control Act, and fixed, reports

UNB.

November 15 for the hearing on the

acceptance of the charge sheet against

them. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions

Court's acting judge Rabiul Alam passed

the order after the three surrendered

before the court and sought bail. The

other two are Ashraful Islam Dipu and

Kabir Hossain.

Earlier, on October 10, Dhaka

Metropolitan Magistrate Sattabrata

Shikder granted bail to Pori Moni and

Ashraful in this case.

On October 4, the Criminal

Investigation Department (CID) submitted

a chargesheet against Pori Moni and

the two others in the case.

CID inspector and also the investigating

officer in the case, Kazi Mostafa

Kamal submitted the chargesheet to

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's

Court.

Pori Moni was arrested on August 4,

following a raid by RAB on her Banani

residence.

A case was filed against her under the

Narcotics Control Act the following day.

On August 22, she was sent to jail after

inspector Kazi produced her in a court on

the completion of a day's police remand,

her third.

27-10-2021

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