03-11-2021

WedneSday DhAkA: November 3, 2021; kartik 18, 1428 BS; Rabi-ul-Awal 27,1443 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 185; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Troubles at home

shadow Biden's

climate efforts abroad

>Page 7

Jail Killing

Day today

DHAKA : The Jail Killing Day will be

observed today as it is the second disgraceful

incident in the country after the brutal

murder of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and

his family members on August 15 in 1975.

On November 3 in 1975, four national

leaders and heroes of the country's

Liberation War-Syed Nazrul Islam,

Tajuddin Ahmad, Captain Mansur Ali

and AHM Quamruzzaman-were assassinated

inside the Dhaka Central Jail.

The four leaders played a key role in

forming the Mujibnagar government in

exile, that led the Liberation War in 1971,

with Syed Nazrul Islam as the acting

president, Tajuddin Ahmad as the prime

minister, Mansur Ali as the finance minister

and AHM Qamruzzaman as the

home, relief and rehabilitation minister.

The nation will remember the four

national leaders, who were also the great

heroes of the Liberation War in 1971,

today with due respect.

Different political parties including the

ruling Awami League (AL) will observe

the mournful day across the country with

maintaining health guidelines.

The AL has chalked out elaborate programme

including keeping the national

and party flags at half mast at party's

Bangabandhu Avenue Central Office and

Bangabandhu Bhaban as well as unit

offices across the country at the down

today.

101 people, including

45 children,

raped in October

Shafiqul iSlam (Jami)

Last October, 1,603 women and girls

were tortured across the country, including

the capital Dhaka. Only 101 of them

have been raped. Of these, 41 were children

and three were gang-raped. In addition,

four girls were killed after being

raped. Bangladesh Mahila Parishad

informed this information on Tuesday

(November 2). The organization publishes

reports based on information published

in the country's daily newspapers,

online and electronic media.

The Mahila Parishad said seven people,

including two children, had been

raped. Four people have been sexually

assaulted. Nine people, including five

children, have been sexually abused.

Three people have been burnt by acid.

Two people have been burnt. Six children

have been harassed.

Attempts have been made to abduct 16

people, including 18 children, and a girl

child. 29 people including four children

have been trafficked. Six people have

been tortured due to dowry, two of whom

have been killed due to dowry.

A total of 23 people, including six children,

have been physically abused. 51 people

including 12 girls have been killed due

to various reasons. Attempts have also been

made to kill 16 people, including five girls.

28 people including 14 girls have died mysteriously.

19 people including eight girls

have committed suicide. Seven people have

been prevented from child marriage.

Zohr

04:49 AM

11:50 PM

03:45 PM

05:26 PM

06:45 PM

6:04 5:20

SPortS

Liverpool prepare again

for Atletico amid feud

over style, character

>Page 9

Over 100 countries vow

to end deforestation

at climate talks

GLASGOW : More than 100 countries

pledged Tuesday to end deforestation in

the coming decade - a promise that experts

say would be critical to limiting climate

change but one that has been made and

broken before.

Britain hailed the commitment as the first

big achievement of the U.N. climate conference

known as COP26 taking place this

month in the Scottish city of Glasgow. But

campaigners say they need to see the details

to understand its full impact.

The U.K. government said it has received

commitments from leaders representing

more than 85% of the world's forests to

halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.

Among them are several countries with

massive forests, including Brazil, China,

Colombia, Congo, Indonesia, Russia and

the United States.

More than $19 billion in public and private

funds have been pledged toward the

plan. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

said that "with today's unprecedented

pledges, we will have a chance to end

humanity's long history as nature's conqueror,

and instead become its custodian."

Forests are important ecosystems and

provide a critical way of absorbing carbon

dioxide - the main greenhouse gas - from

the atmosphere. Trees are one of the

THAKURGAON : BNP Secretary General

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday

said their party has no interest in the formation

of Election Commission through a

search committee under the current government,

reports UNB.

"We don't have any interest in the EC

formation as the electoral system has been

completely ruined by the current government,"

he said. Talking to reporters at his

residence in the district town, the BNP

leader said the Election Commission cannot

do anything if there is no polls-time

neutral government in place.

He said they earlier boycotted and joined

elections under the current government.

"We also gave our opinions on the formation

of the Election Commission through a

search committee. But this government

didn't accept any of our proposals as they

arranged everything in line with their plan

to hold the election as per their desire."

"From our past experience, we now

think there must have a caretaker government

or a polls-time neutral government

to hold a credible national election," the

BNP leader observed.

After the formation of a neutral government,

he said it will constitute an acceptable

election commission to hold the

world's major so-called carbon sinks, or

places where carbon is stored.

But the value of wood as a commodity

and the growing demand for agricultural

and pastoral land are leading to widespread

and often illegal felling of forests,

particularly in developing countries.

Experts cautioned that similar agreements

in the past have failed to be effective.

Alison Hoare, a senior research fellow at

political think tank Chatham House, said

world leaders promised in 2014 to end

deforestation by 2030, "but since then

deforestation has accelerated across many

countries."

"This new pledge recognizes the range of

actions needed to protect our forests,

including finance, support for rural livelihoods,

and strong trade policies," she said.

"For it to succeed, inclusive processes

and equitable legal frameworks will be

needed, and governments must work with

civil society, businesses and Indigenous

peoples to agree, monitor and implement

them."

Luciana Tellez Chavez, an environmental

researcher at Human Right

Watch, emphasized that strengthening

Indigenous people's rights would help

prevent deforestation and should be part

of the agreement.

BNP has no interest in EC

formation under AL govt

national election within 90 days.

Fakhrul said their party was against

holding the local body polls in a partisan

manner from the very beginning.

"If the local body polls are held with the

symbols of political parties, it creates a division

in society with limited choice for people.

That's why we've decided not to join the local

body polls with our symbol. But we won't

obstruct if anyone from our party participates

in the polls independently," he said.

The BNP leader said their party welcomed

the new political party, 'Gono Adhikar

Parishad', formed under Dr Reza Kibria and

former VP of Dhaka University Central

Students' Union (Ducsu) Nurul Haque Nur.

"We hope they will play a role in ousting

the current fascistic regime and work for

the restoration of democracy," he said.

Fakhrul said they believe people will

come forward to bring a change in the government

through a strong movement.

As his attention was drawn to the

Awami League general secretary's comment

that people do not consider BNP as

an alternative to Awami League in power

politics, he said, "Obaidul Quader should

see his own face and that of his party in the

mirror. He should also read the body language

of people."

Workers are

painting a

multi-storey

building in

the capital's

Banani at the

risk of their

lives. The

picture was

taken on

Tuesday.

Photo: PBa

art & culture

James to perform in

biggest concert

'November Rain'

>Page 10

Prime minister Sheikh hasina addressing the Women's Climate leadership Event-COP26: high-level

Panel on Women and Climate Change at Scottish Pavilion.

Photo : PiD

Munia murder case

Probe report

submission

deferred to Nov 21

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on Tuesday

deferred to November 21 the submission

date of the probe report in a case filed

against Bashundhara Group MD Sayem

Sobhan Anvir and seven others over the

rape and murder of college student

Mosarat Jahan Munia, reports UNB.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate

Begum Yasmin Ara refixed the date as

investigating officer (IO) of the case

Golam Muktar Ashraf Uddin, also an

inspector of the Police Bureau of

Investigation (PBI), failed to submit the

report on the day, said Saifur Rahman,

general registration officer (Women-

Children) of Gulshan Police Station.

On April 26, police recovered the body

of the 21-year-old college student hanging

from a ceiling fan of her bedroom in a

Gulshan flat.

Munia's elder sister, Nusrat Jahan

Tania, filed a case against Anvir that

night accusing him of incitement to suicide.

According to Tania, her sister,

Munia, was in a relationship with Anvir

who regularly visited her at the Gulshan

apartment.

On July 19, the investigating officer of

the case Abul Hasan, also the officer-incharge

of Gulshan Police Station, submitted

a final report to the court giving a

clean chit to Anvir.

On September 6, Munia's sister Tania

filed a rape and murder case against the

Bashundhara Group MD and seven others

with Dhaka's 8th Tribunal for

Prevention of Women and Children's

Repression.

Women bear the brunt of

climate change:Hasina

GLASGOW (SCOTLAND) : Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said structural

inequalities in human society along with

inherent social customs are causing disproportionate

impacts of climate change on

women, reports UNB.

"Generally, women across the world don't

have equal access to resources. In addition,

in many societies, they don't have the decision-making

power and are often engaged in

low-paid and unpaid jobs and activities. All

these factors contribute to more adverse

impacts of climate change on women than

on their male counterparts," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while

addressing the Women's Climate

Leadership Event-COP26: High-Level

Panel on Women and Climate Change at

Scottish Pavilion here.

She said most vulnerable and marginalised

people around the world are also the

greatest victims of the adverse impacts of climate

change for a number of socio-economic

and cultural factors. "Women and girls are

major among them," she said.

"We believe recognising the vulnerabilities

Govt promotes 21 DMDs

in state banks to meet

manpower shortage

DHAKA : The government has promoted

21 bank officials as deputy managing

directors (DMD) and posted them in different

state-owned banks and financial

institutions, reports UNB.

According to a notification of the banking

wing of the ministry of finance made

public on Monday the promoted officials

have been serving different state banks

and financial institutions as general managers

(GM).

The officials are Niranjan Chandra

Debnath, GM of Basic Bank, has been promoted

as DMD of the bank, Rupali Bank's

GM Mojibur Rahman made DMD to

Sonali Bank, Arun Kumar Chowdhury,

GM of Bangladesh House Building

Finance Corporation, made DMD of the

same institution.

Rupali Bank MG Begum Sanchia

Binte Ali has been promoted to DMD of

Prabasi Kalyan Bank. Janata Bank' GM

Shahidul Islam made DMD of Palli

Sanchay Bank, Chanu Gopal Ghosh,

MG of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, promoted

as DMD of the bank.

GM of Rupali Bank Md. Abdur Rahim,

promoted to DMD of Basic Bank, MG of

of women in climate change response is critical,"

Hasina said. She said the government is

fully committed to making women part of

the solutions to climate change by creating

space for them to contribute to all aspects of

sustainable development.

"I call upon all of you, especially the

women leaders, for taking bold and decisive

actions in this COP for a global compact

to build communities resilient to climate

change in a way where everyoneboth

man and woman-can participate

equally," she said.

To address the vulnerability of women due

to climate change, it is important to create

space for them in the decision-making

process, said the Prime Minister.

"In a bid to ensure that, Bangladesh has

already secured women's leadership from

the national Parliament to the grassroots levels

of decision-making processes," she said.

Hasina mentioned that the National

Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA)

of Bangladesh has incorporated gender in

a comprehensive manner as part of adaptation

solutions.

Janata Bank Md. Kamruzzaman Khan

promoted as DMD of Sonali Bank. MG of

Janata Bank Mahbubur Rahman promoted

to DMD of Sonali Bank, GM of Rupali

Bank Begum Wahida Begum promoted to

DMD of Ansar VDB Unnayan Bank.

GM of Janata Bank Md Asaduzzaman,

made the DMD of Rajshahi Krishi

Unnayan Bank, GM of Bangladesh Krishi

Bank Mir Mofazzal Hossain, made DMD

of the bank, GM of Rupali Bank Shawkat

Ali Khan, promoted to DMD of the bank,

GM of Janata Bank Md Habibur Rahman

Gazi promoted to DMD of Agrani Bank.

GM of Rupali Bank Khan Iqbal Hossain

has been promoted to DMD of the bank,

GM of Janata Bank Md Kamrul Ahsan

promoted to DMD of Janata Bank, GM of

Agrani Bank Md Anwarul Islam promoted

DMD of the bank, GM of Rupali Bank

Sachindra Nath Samaddar made DMD of

Bangladesh Development Bank, GM of

Rupali Bank Begum Salman Banu made

DMD of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, GM of

BASIC bank Abu Md Mofazzel promoted

to DMD of the bank and GM of Agrani

Bank Md Monirul Islam promoted as

DMD of the bank.

weDNeSDAY, NoveMBer 3, 2021

2

4 killed in Cumilla

road crashes

CUMILLA: Four people

were killed and another was

injured in separate road

accidents in Monohorgonj

and Sadar upazilas of

Cumilla on Tuesday, reports

UNB.

The deceased were

identified Ruhal Amin of

Sakchail village in

Manoharganj upazila, his

wife Selina Akhter, college

student Maymuna Akhter,

of the same area and

microbus driver Liton Mia of

Nabinagar upazila of

Brahmanbaria.

A Dhaka-bound bus hit an

auto-rickshaw while

overtaking another bus on

Cumilla-Noakhali regional

highway in Monohorgonj

upazila around 11 am,

leaving three auto-rickshaw

passengers dead on spot.

Road accident

kills footballer

in Habiganj

HABIGANJ : A rising

footballer namely Rahul

Talukder was killed when a

private car plunged into a

ditch on Habiganj-

Baniachong Road in the

district yesterday

Rahul was 17, an

inhabitant at Jalalabad

village in Sadar upazila. He

used to play for Arambagh

Club in Dhaka.

Officer-in-Charge of

Baniachong Thana Projit

Kumar Das said the accident

occurred in Kalardoba area

as the driver of the private

car lost his control over

steering wheels. Striker

Rahul Talukder dead on the

spot.

Two others were also

injured in the accident.

Shahdara Mannan MP distributed certificates among the youth on the

occasion of National Youth Day in Sariakandi Bogura. Photo : : TBT

Whistleblower blasts Facebook's

Meta rebrand

LISBON : Whistleblower Frances Haugen

issued a stinging rebuke of Facebook's

"Meta" rebrand on Monday, accusing the

company of yet again prioritising expansion

over people's safety, reports BSS.

The former Facebook engineer, who

leaked a trove of internal documents that

have sparked weeks of criticism of the social

media giant, also called on its chairman and

CEO Mark Zuckerberg to step down.

Speaking at the Web Summit tech

conference in Lisbon, Haugen said was

"unconscionable" that Facebook was

trumpeting its ambitions to develop the

"metaverse"-a virtual reality version of the

internet-rather than focusing on fixing

existing problems.

"Over and over again Facebook chooses

expansion in new areas over sticking the

landing on what they've already done," she

told an audience of tens of thousands in the

Portuguese capital.

"Instead of investing in making sure their

platforms are a minimum level of safe,

they're about to invest 10,000 engineers in

video games."

Facebook last month announced that it

will hire 10,000 new staff in Europe over the

next five years in its bid to build the

metaverse, which would use virtual reality to

make online experiences-like chatting to a

friend, or attending a concert-feel face-toface.

The company last week announced it was

changing the name of Facebook's parent

company to "Meta" to signal the change in

focus.

Critics have derided the rebrand as an

attempted distraction from the avalanche of

damaging revelations from Haugen's leaked

documents.

The "Facebook Papers" show that

company executives knew of their sites'

potential for harm on numerous fronts,

including the uncontrolled spread of hate

speech in developing countries as well as

Instagram's impact on teens' mental health.

Haugen has accused Facebook of ignoring

concerns raised by its own employees in the

pursuit of profit.

Asked if Zuckerberg should step down, she

said: "I think Facebook would be stronger

with someone who's willing to focus on

safety, so yes." She went on: "It doesn't make

him a bad person to have made mistakes, but

it is unacceptable to continue to make the

same bad mistakes after you know that those

are mistakes."

Arrest warrant

issued against Kanak

Sarwar, Delwar

DHAKA : A special tribunal

yesterday issued arrest warrant

against journalist Kanak Sarwar

and Major (retd) Delwar

Hossain in a case lodged under

Digital Security Act (DSA).

Judge Ash Sams Jaglul

Hossain of Bangladesh Cyber

Tribunal passed the order,

accepting the charge-sheet filed

in the case. The court also set

November 22 to submit report

on executing the order, tribunal

clerk Shamim Al Mamun told

BSS.

According to the case

documents, Kanak Sarwar and

Delwar Hossain are accused of

spreading false, defamatory,

instigating and motivated

information through digital

platforms against many

important personalities and

institutions of the country.

The case was filed against

them with Shahbagh Police

Station last year and

investigation officer subinspector

Russel Mollah

recently filed the charge-sheet in

the case.

`icÎ weÁwßi eivZ I ZvwiLt

`icÎ `vZvi b~b¨Zg †hvM¨Zv t

GD-1604/21 (5x3)

5170(5)

†kL nvwmbvi g~jbxwZ

MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

GD-1600/21 (6x4)

GD-1607/21 (4x4)

†kL nvwmbvi g~jbxwZ

MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

2111-66) 2021-22

GD-1606/21 (4x6.5)

GD-1601/21 (7x4)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

3

DU 'Kha' unit

admission test

results published,

pass rate 16.89%

DHAKA : The results of

Dhaka University 'Kha' unit

admission test for 2020-21

academic session were

published Tuesday with a

pass rate 16.89 per cent.

Vice-Chancellor of the

university Prof. Dr. Md.

Akhtaruzzaman unveiled

the results at Professor

Abdul Matin Chowdhury

virtual classroom at noon.

7,012 students passed the

exam among 41,524

participants against 2,378

available seats.

Dhaka University Pro-VC

(Administration) Mohammad

Samad, Treasurer Mamtaz

Uddin Ahmed, dean of DU

arts faculty and convener of

the admission committee Prof

Dr Abu Md Delwar Hossain,

online admission committee

convener Prof Dr Md

Mostafizur Rahman were,

among others, present.

The admission test results

are available on university

website admission. eis. du.ac.

bd. It can also be checked by

sending SMS 'DU Kha <roll

no>' to 16321.

Successful candidates will

have to choose subject

through the admission

website between November

8 and 15. For reexamining

the exam script, candidates

have to contact the Dean of

Arts Faculty between

November 8 and 15. The

admission test of 'Kha' unit

was held on October 2.

Six of family

injured in Ctg

building fire

CHATTOGRAM : Six

members of a family

sustained burn injuries in a

fire that broke at a building

in the Kattoli area of the port

city in the small hours of

Tuesday.

The victims have been

identified as Shahjahan

Sheikh, 25, Sazeda Begum,

49, Silruba Begum, 18,

Mahia Akter, 9, Jibon

Sheikh, 14, and Swadhin

Sheikh, 17. Zahir Hossain,

officer-in-charge of Akbar

Shah police station said the

fire broke out at a flat in the

six-storey 'Mariam Vila'

around 12.30am. On

information, a firefighting

unit went to the spot and

rescued the victims. Local

people helped doused the

flames soon.

The injured were rushed

to Chattogram Medical

College and Hospital in the

night. They received 80 to

40 percent burns.

Police suspect a leak from

a cooking gas cylinder

triggered the fire. "Anyway,

a probe is on," the OC said.

DMP arrests 118 for

selling, consuming

drugs in city

DHAKA : Detective Branch

(DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan

Police (DMP) in anti-drug

drives arrested 118 people

on charges of selling and

consuming drugs in the city

in the last 24 hours till 6am

Tuesday.

The Detective Branch (DB)

of the DMP in association

with local police stations

carried out the drives

simultaneously starting at

6am on November 1, a DMP

statement said.

In separate anti-drug

operations, police arrested

drug paddlers and abusers

and seized banned and

illegal drugs from the city's

different areas.

During the drives, police

also seized 884 grams and

433 puria (Small Packet) of

heroin, 21.555 kilograms

and 465 puria (Small

Packet) of cannabis (ganja),

23,200 pieces of yaba

tablets, 62 bottles of

phensidye, one bottle of

foreign made liquor and one

can beer, the statement said.

The result of the admission test for the 1st year undergraduate

(honors) class under 'B' unit of the Dhaka University Arts Faculty

for the 2020-2021 academic year have been published on Tuesday.

Vice-Chancellor of the University Prof Dr Akhtaruzzaman officially

unveiled the results in the virtual classroom. Photo : Courtesy

Simon's 'Day After' grabs

nomination at IDFA

DHAKA : Acclaimed Bangladeshi filmmaker

Kamar Ahmed Simon's documentary 'Day

After...' (Anyadin...) has been nominated for

honours at the International Documentary

Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) 2021,

widely revered as one of the best film

festivals in the world, reports BSS.

IDFA 2021 authorities officially

announced this on Monday and also enlisted

the film among the 14 flicks in the

'International Competition' section of the

festival's site.

This year's festival is scheduled to take

place from November 17 to 28, and the

Bangladesh-France-Norway joint venture

film is scheduled to have its world premiere

at Tuschinski Theatre-1 in Amsterdam on

November 21.

In addition to directing, Simon wrote the

screenplay for this 121-minute documentary.

He is also the film's cinematographer.

Produced by Sara Afreen for Studio

BEGINNING (Bangladesh), the film is coproduced

by Dominique Welinski for DW

and Ingrid Lill Hogtun for Barentsfilm As

(Norway).

This is the second film in Simon's water

trilogy. The maiden film of this exclusive

trilogy was 'Shunte Ki Pao!' ('Are You

Listening!') (2012).

The film received two Jan Vrijman Fund

awards from IDFA, was named one of the

outstanding pitches at the Asian Forum for

Documentaries, and also won the

Bangladesh National Film Award for best

documentary film in 2015.

In addition to these, 'Shunte Ki Pao!' ('Are

You Listening!') was also the winner of the

Grand Prix at Cinema du Reel France, Best

Cinematography and Golden Conch awards

for the best documentary at 13th Mumbai

International Film Festival (MIFF) in India,

Audience Choice Award at the Seattle South

Asian Film Festival (SSAFF) in the US, Jury

Award at Film South Asia, Nepal, and also

nominated as the official selection in more

than 40 festivals, including IDFA and

Yamagata International Festival.

Celebrating the art of documentary films

with this in-person festival in cinemas across

Amsterdam, a total of 264 films will be

screened at IDFA's 34th edition.

Razzaque for UK supports

in exporting agro-products

DHAKA : Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur

Razzaque on Tuesday emphasized on the

need for Bangladesh's technological and

operational support from the United

Kingdom (UK) in the realms of agriculture

commercialization, agro-processing and to

boost up commodity exports.

The minister formally sought the

assistance while British High

Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Chatterton

Dickson called on him at his Secretariat

office here.

"Bangladesh has successfully advanced in

food production, but export and agroprocessing

so far have not progressed," said

the minister. "We have no financial

scarcity, but we need technical and

managerial assistance and , therefore, we

want UK's support in these fields," Dr

Razzaque added.

Giving assurance to provide support in

agricultural processing and commodity

export, British envoy said "initiative will be

taken to link the private sector of the UK for

enhancing support to the agricultural

sector of Bangladesh."

Meanwhile, a team comprising with

government and private sector

entrepreneurs and businessmen led by the

Agriculture Minister will visit Netherlands

and Britain for raising export of agroprocessed

commodities along with fresh

vegetables and fruits in the European

markets.

To raise our commodity export, Dr

Razzaque said "although now our actual

export commodity buyers are expatriate

Bangladeshis, but we will discuss business

organizations, top chain shops and

supermarket owners to export our product

at the main European market,"

Terming the UK as our real friendly state,

Dr Razzaque said Bangladesh has been

maintaining deep relations with the Britain

since the beginning of the War of

Independence. "I strongly believe that our

relations will remain unbroken---the

cooperation in all areas including financial,

social and cultural will be enhanced more in

future," he said.

Additional Secretary of the ministry M

Ruhul Ameen Talukder was present during

meeting .

E-poster published

marking Jail Killing

Day

DHAKA : An e-poster has been published at

the initiative of the Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's

Birth Centenary Celebration National

Implementation Committee, marking the

Jail Killing Day.

The national implementation committee

has requested all to spread the e-poster

widely in national dailies, electronic, online

and social media.

Bam Ganatantrik Jote-Narayanganj Unit formed a human chain yesterday

protesting communal violence.

Photo : TBT

Freight transport

strike in Sylhet on

November 9 and 10

SYLHET : The Sylhet

District Truck, Pickup,

Covered Van Owners-

Workers Council on Nov 9

and Nov 10 has called for a

48-hour freight transport

strike in Sylhet protesting

additional toll collection at

Lamakazi, Sherpur,

Fenchuganj and Sheola

bridges and 'illegal'

collection of tolls in the

name of Gowainghat

Upazila and Chhatak

Municipality, reports BSS.

Abu Sarkar, president of

the Sylhet divisional workers

unity alliance and president

of the district truck pickup

covered van workers' union,

on Monday announced the

strike at a protest rally of

transport owners and

workers at Humayun Rashid

Chattar in Sylhet's South

Surma.

Abu Sarkar said illegal tolls

are being collected from all

bridges in Sylhet, including

Lamkazi Bridge, for years. As

no action has been taken by

the authorities even after

informing the police and the

local administration, a strike

has been called in Sylhet

district on November 9 and 10.

Meanwhile, the leaders of

Sylhet District bus-minibus

workers union and CNG

auto rickshaw union

expressed solidarity with the

48-hour strike.

BGB seizes goods,

drugs worth Tk

80.11cr in Oct

DHAKA : Border Guard of

Bangladesh (BGB) has

arrested 436 people in

connection with smuggling,

illegal trespassing and seized

huge narcotics and smuggled

goods worth about Taka

80.11 crore during in the

October last.

The BGB arrested them on

charge of smuggling goods

and illegal trespassing and

filed cases against them. The

border guard prevented

infiltration of three Indian

nationals in different

frontiers during the drives,

according to a press release

said. Besides, the BGB also

held 131 Bangladeshi

nationals on charges of illegal

trespassing, while 1302

people were arrested in

connection with smuggling,

the release said.

In its regular drive against

smuggling, the paramilitary

forces seized 12,86,951 pieces

of yaba tablet, 22,398 bottles

of phensidyle, 1,496

kilograms of ganja, 18,077

bottles of foreign-made

liquor, 38,373 pieces of

different kinds of sexual

related tablets, 17,346 pieces

of injection.

DIU organizes 'Inter-Branch Spelling

and Quiz Competition-2021'

The 'Annual Inter-Branch Spelling and Quiz

Competition-2021' was held on October 30,

2021 at Daffodil International School

English Medium Dhanmondi Campus in

compliance with hygiene rules and

maintaining social distance. Professor AMM

Hamidur Rahman, Dean, Faculty of

Humanities and Social Sciences, Daffodil

International University, handed over the

prizes to the winning students as the chief

guest after ending of the competition. DIIT

principal Dr. Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain

and Daffodil International School Principal

Dr. Md. MahmudulHasan. Beside this Ms.

MohsinaSharminNishat, Assistant Vice

Principal, Daffodil International School also

present among others.

It is to be noted that Daffodil International

School conducts various co-educational

activities in every year to provide formal

education to the students as well as to

develop their latent talents. Students

participate in these activities with great

enthusiasm. In this year's spelling and quiz

competition, students participated in various

intellectual questions including general

knowledge, mathematics, science, literature,

national and international subjects.

Professor AMM Hamidur Rahman, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and

Social Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dr. Mohammad

Sakhawat Hossain,Principal, DIIT, Dr. Md. MahmudulHasan, Principal

and Ms. Mohsina Sharmin Nishat, Assistant Vice Principal of Daffodil

International School pose for a photograph with the winners of 'Annual

Inter-Branch Spelling and Quiz Competition-2021'. Photo : Courtesy

Youths' skill development, a

precondition to sustainable

growth: Palak

DHAKA : State Minister for Information and

Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid

Ahmed Palak on Tuesday said there is no

alternative to skill development of youths on

ICT for a sustainable growth of the country.

"If we can equip them with the right set of

expertise and prepare them for future tasks,

they will contribute to sustainable growth,"

he said while virtually addressing the award

distribution ceremony of the 'Bangladesh

ICT Skills Competition 2021'.

Chinese tech giant Huawei and

Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) jointly

organised the event participated by 902

students of different engineering

universities, said a press release.

The function was addressed, among

others, by UNESCO representative to

Bangladesh Beatrice Kaldun, CEO of Huawei

Bangladesh Zhang Zhengiun and Sohan

Salahuddin Mugdha of BUET.

Citing the positive trend of growth in the

journey towards 'Digital Bangladesh', Palak

said the ICT export has reached US$1.3

billion and the government wants to take it

to US$5 billion by 2025.

Nearly 2 million people are involved in ICT

related jobs currently and the government

has set the target of creating 3 million jobs in

the sector by 2025, he added. UNESCO

Representative to Bangladesh Beatrice

DGHS former DG

Azad's bail term

extended

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on Tuesday

extended bail term of former

director general (DG) of Directorate

General of Health Services (DGHS)

Abul Kalam Azad in a graft case filed

by the Anti-Corruption Commission

(ACC), till January 23.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions

Judge KM Imrul Qayesh passed the

order after holding hearing on a plea

filed by the accused, seeking

permanent bail in the case.

The same court on October 7 had

allowed Azad bail till Tuesday in the

case filed by the Anti-Corruption

Commission (ACC).

Investigation officer (IO) and ACC

deputy director Farid Ahmed

Patwari filed charge-sheet in the

case on September 30 against six,

including Azad.

The other accused are Regent

Group chairman Md Shahed alias

Shahed Karim, former DGHS

director Aminul Hasan, deputy

director Dr Md Eunus Ali, assistant

director Dr Md Shafiur Rahman and

research officer Dr Md Didarul

Islam. ACC filed the case on

September 23, 2020, against five.

Though initially Azad's name was

not there in the list of accused, later

his name was included in the

charge-sheet as the IO found his

involvement during his

investigation. According to the case

documents, the accused under

mutual agreement turned the

unregistered and out of operation

Regent

Hospital into a Covid dedicated

hospital, signing memorandum of

understanding (MoU), testing

samples of 3,939 people for Covid-

19 at National Institute of Preventive

and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) free

of cost, whereas they realized Taka

3,500 from each person as test fee

and embezzled Taka 1, 37, 86,500 in

this way.

They are also accused of

submitting bill for Taka 1, 96,

20,000 as food allowance for

doctors, nurses, ward boys and

other officials and staff of Regent

Hospital's Uttara and Mirpur

branches.

Kaldun said ICT is the engine of growth and

the young people are in the center place of

this growth.

"So it's inevitable to develop skills of the

youths who will contribute to enhance

growth of Bangladesh," Kaldun added.

CEO of Huawei Bangladesh Zhang

Zhengjun said Bangladesh is making great

strides in digital transformation, so we

thought it would be befitting to help the

country achieve the goals.

The names of three winning teams were

declared at the function. The BUET team

consisting of Sohan Salahuddin Mugdho,

Rabeeb Ibrat and Md Tahmidur Rafid has

emerged as the winners.

CUET team with Md Kaf Shahrier, Hasan

Mesbaul Ali Taher and Suhana Binte Rashid

has become the 1st runner-up when NSU

team comprising Arif Ahmed Nowfel, Md

Takiul Hasan Sakib and Md Salim Reza Jim

bagged the 2nd runner up position.

The champion team has been awarded

with Huawei laptop, 1st runner-up team with

Huawei watch and 2nd runner-up team won

Huawei tab. All these winners will be

attending the regional round of the Huawei

ICT Skills Competition to be held in Malaysia

in May 2022. Besides, 5 students have also

been offered an opportunity to work with

Huawei.

Covid-19: 3 more

die, 229 infected

in 24 hours

DHAKA : Bangladesh logged three more

Covid-linked deaths and another 229

cases of infections in 24 hours till

Tuesday morning, reports UNB.

The country reported two deaths

caused by the deadly virus, the lowest

this year, and another 214 cases on

Monday. The daily-case positivity rate

increased to 1.14 per cent from Monday's

1.08 per cent. However, the mortality

rate remained static at 1.78 per cent.

The fresh cases were detected after

testing 20,048 samples, said the

Directorate General of Health Services

(DGHS). Besides, Tuesday's all three

deceased were women. With the fresh

numbers, the Covid-19 fatalities reached

27,873 while the caseload climbed to

1,569,982, according to the DGHS.

Also, the recovery rate increased to

97.70 per cent with the recovery of 211

more patients during the period.

On the 43th epidemiological week of

pandemic from October 25 to 31, 45

covid-related deaths were reported in

the country. Thirty-nine of them did not

receive any Covid vaccine while six were

vaccinated. Of them, 23 had

comorbidities which have declined to

12.5% from the last epidemiological

week. Comorbidity means the

simultaneous presence of two or more

diseases or medical conditions in a

patient.

WEDNESDAy, NOvEMBER 3, 2021

4

Iran's expansionist misadventures prompt domestic crises

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

World now looks at

COP26 for deliverance

Some 25,000 officials, technocrats,

environmental scientists and leaders from

around the world are gathering now in Glasgow

for COP26, the United Nations summit on climate

change - our last best chance to reduce the

temperature of this planet and reverse the terrifying

effects of a warming Earth. Bangladesh is at the front

line of countries which could be worst affected by

climate change and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

who is at Glasgow as the leader of the potentially

likely to be worst affected countries, is expected to

play a sensitizing role in drawing attention to the

imperative of developed countries to do more.

Make no mistake: This is a critical juncture for our

future and for that of generations to come. Yes, the

stakes are that high. Should the three-week summit

fail to reach a consensus on climate change and strike

a meaningful deal that will halt or greatly slow the

warming of our planet, future generations will look at

Glasgow as the moment where we slipped off the

precipice.

Six years ago, the vast majority of nations signed on

to a plan to reduce the planet's temperature by 1.5

degrees Celsius. Part and parcel of that plan was a

commitment from developed nations to contribute

$100 billion to a fund for less developing nations turn

to alternative energy sources that would not generate

greenhouse gases and increase their carbon

footprints.

That fund has been undersubscribed by half - so too

a commitment from nations to a carbon neutral

future. Yes, some have committed to do so by 2030,

others by 2050, more by 2060. That is kicking the can

of today's problems down the road for others to deal

with. Simply put, now is the time for climate action.

And now is the time for change. The world just cannot

afford any delays as delays would ring the bells of its

destruction.

The worsening effects on our warming planet are

seen with more floods, more severe weather events,

stronger hurricanes and cyclones, hotter summers,

colder winters, longer droughts, fewer fish, less

biodiversity, more deaths and an environment that

has been scarred by our addiction to carbon-based

fuel sources and unchecked industrialisation at the

expense of the fauna and flora.

The outcome of COP26 will determine whether it is

us - yes, we are all responsible by our personal choices

- who decided that this planet was as disposable as the

litter we discard, or whether it is a jewel that we hold

in stewardship for this and future generations.

Will our grandchildren ask us what happened to

elephants and polar bears? Will we have to explain

that we didn't do enough to make our air clean when

we had a chance? And how do we say that yes, we

were selfish and more important now than others

who went before or come after; that we did what we

liked and whistled as the Earth was warmed as never

before.

To limit global warming to 1.5°C, net zero

emissionswould have to be achieved by 2050 and

emissions would need to be drastically cut by at least

45% from 2010 levels by 2030. The developing

countries which are among the major emitters

haven't committed to any 2050 deadline. Their

argument, which has been consistent for many years,

is that the climate crisis exists because of excess

emissions by the developed West for more than a

century.

Thus, their argument is any attempt at solving the

crisis would involve the western countries doing

much more than what they have committed to and, at

the very least, making good on promises already

enshrined in previous editions of the COP. This aspect

of developed countries justifiably meting their earlier

commitments on climate change was emphasized in

her keynote address to the COP26 at Glasgow by our

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

As years of COP negotiations have shown, progress

is glacial and the effort is more on delivering a

headline announcement rather than genuine

operationalisation of the steps that need to be taken.

In real terms, for developed countries, superficially

complying with the demand by developing countries

to pay reparations means shelling out sums of money

unlikely to pass domestic political clout.

And for developing countries, yielding to calls for

'net zero' means that governments in them will

appear as having caved into international bullying.

The COP, despite all the media interest it generates,

can at best incentivise adaptation that aids a

transition to clean energy. But even without '

absolutely and immediately' retiring fossil fuel assets,

the world needs to frame a meaningful or 'truly

substantive response' to a warming globe much

sooner than later.

While many still see the traditional

benchmarks, such as military and

security, as being the primary

indicators of a nation's stature and power,

this is no longer the case. Today, other

indicators, such as sustainable

development, good governance, clean

energy, fighting climate change, human

development, water security and the

building of sustainable communities, are

equally important.

The world's nations - particularly those

with significant resources - are now divided

into two groups regarding these indicators.

The nations in the first group have adopted

these progressive indicators and integrated

them into their policymaking to build a

bright future for their citizens. However,

those in the second group have refused to

acknowledge these progressive indicators,

showing negligence toward human

development. Their leaders have embraced

colonialist projects rather than pursuing

forward-looking policies.

Despite being among the richest nations

in the region, Iran has failed to pay any

attention to vital issues like alleviating

socioeconomic problems or transforming

itself into a developmental model for other

countries. Iran's woeful standing is even less

excusable when one considers that it ranks

fourth globally in terms of proven oil

reserves, occupies second place worldwide

in terms of natural gas reserves, and has a

diverse economy, including industry,

agriculture and services.

Rather than allocating its vast wealth to

building the nation, Iran's leadership

channels much of it toward financing its

expansionist projects, leaving the country

Although there is no real evidence

that Albert Einstein said that

"insanity is doing the same thing

over and over and expecting different

results," I am willing to give him the credit

for the purpose of this commentary, as I

want to argue that there is a method in

one's madness.

This certainly appears to be true when it

comes to US intelligence agencies that are

visibly desperate to continue with their

comical "investigation" of the origins of

SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes

the Covid-19 respiratory disease.

In the latest sequel to the findings

revealed in August after a 90-day review

ordered by US President Joe Biden, the

Office of the Director of National

Intelligence published an unclassified

report on September 29 that does not

seem to shed new light on the matter.

The document maintains that

intelligence agencies remain undecided

on whether the Covid-19 outbreak was

caused by animal-to-human transmission

or a leak of the coronavirus from a

laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan,

arguing that both scenarios are plausible.

On the one hand, the declassified

publication cites four unnamed agencies

that argue with "low confidence" in favor

of the former storyline and, on the other

hand, says only one agency has a

"moderate" belief in the latter theory.

Even though the agencies involved have

tried really hard to make their positions

sound plausible, since analysts ran a

DR. MOHAMMED AL-SULAMI

economically sanctioned and

internationally isolated.

As acknowledged by Iranian politicians

and military commanders, Tehran allocates

a significant percentage of its wealth to

funding loyalist paramilitaries in its spheres

of influence to spearhead its unsustainable

expansionist project.

Mohammed Ali Jafari, the former head of

the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in

2019 boasted that Iran had a 100,000-

strong force in Iraq and had deployed

100,000 fighters to Syria. Meanwhile, the

current IRGC chief, Maj. Gen. Hossein

Salami, has previously said that Tehran

recruited fighters from Pakistan,

Afghanistan, Lebanon and Iraq to fight in

Syria. Iran also transfers massive quantities

of weapons to its proxy militias in Iraq,

Syria, Yemen and Lebanon, including shortrange

missiles, ballistic missiles and drones.

A study recently published by the

International Institute for Strategic Studies

showed that, by the end of 2019, Iran was

spending nearly $16 billion per year on its

proxy militias in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. The

study also indicated that Iran pays an

additional $700 million per year to the

Lebanese Hezbollah. Meanwhile, the UN

INgER ANDERSEN

has estimated that the average funds Iran

allocated to Syria since the beginning of the

crisis there in 2011 had reached $6 billion

per year at the end of 2020. These figures

are estimates as Iran conceals the real

numbers, fearing widespread anger and

possible uprisings if they were to be

disclosed.

Meanwhile, as Iran's wealth is funneled to

support its destructive and destabilizing

expansionist projects, the Iranian people

struggle to survive. Their government fails

to present any sustainable model of

development or hope for the future in light

of the country's woeful economic situation,

skyrocketing unemployment rates and

deteriorating living conditions.

Hamid-Reza Haji Babaee, the chairman

of the planning and budget committee in

the Iranian parliament, revealed this month

that nearly half of Iran's population is

enduring unspeakable economic

deprivation, with 40 million of its citizens

(from a total population of 79.9 million)

needing urgent aid and 35 million having to

live without steady incomes. In recent years,

the number of people living in abject

poverty has risen from 26 million to 30

million. According to remarks made by the

inspector of the Supreme Assembly of

Workers' Representatives, half the

population now lives below the poverty line.

As economic and social stresses increase, so

does the divorce rate, which is up 28 percent

in the past decade.

The consequences of the horrendous

living conditions in Iran are numerous and

grave, including high rates of embezzlement

and bribery. According to the head of Iran's

economic security force, Mohammed Reza

Moghimi, the first six months of 2021 alone

saw a 61 percent surge in the number of

embezzlement cases registered and a 94

percent increase in the number of people

involved compared to the first six months of

2020. The number of bribery cases

recorded has risen even more, with a

staggering rise of 357 percent compared to

2020.

Meanwhile, suicide rates saw a 4.2

percent increase in 2020 compared to 2019,

with a weekly average of 15 citizens

attempting suicide, according to the Iranian

forensic organization.

Also, the numbers of emigrants and

would-be emigrants has continued to rise,

with the Iranian Medical Council recently

announcing that it has received more than

3,000 requests from doctors seeking to

emigrate due to the miserable economic

conditions and the lack of hope for any

upturn.

Dr. Ali Jafarian, a lecturer at Iran's

University of Medical Sciences, warned that,

if the current trends continue, a tsunami of

emigration will engulf the country's young

people and academics.

Source: Arab news

New climate pledges are weak, but it is not too late to catch up

Climate change is no longer a future

problem. It is a "now" problem. As we

saw this year, climate impacts are

intensifying and spreading across the globe.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change told us recently that we are within

striking distance of exceeding a 1.5°C

temperature threshold within the next few

decades.

We are in this situation because climate

action so far has been characterised by weak

promises, not fully delivered. As the

Emissions Gap Report 2021: The Heat Is

On shows, the updated Nationally

Determined Contributions (NDCs) under

the Paris Agreement, and other

commitments made for 2030 but not yet

submitted in an updated NDC, fall into the

same trap. These commitments, which do

not include net-zero pledges, only take 7.5

percent off predicted 2030 emissions.

If nations only implement unconditional

NDCs and other commitments as they

stand, we will likely hit global warming of

about 2.7°C by the end of the century. Such

an increase would, frankly, be a disaster for

humanity and many other species on this

planet.

To have any chance of limiting global

warming to 1.5°C, we have eight years to

take an additional 28 gigatonnes of CO2

equivalent (GtCO2e) off annual emissions,

Despite being among the richest nations in the region, Iran has failed

to pay any attention to vital issues like alleviating socioeconomic problems

or transforming itself into a developmental model for other

countries. Iran's woeful standing is even less excusable when one

considers that it ranks fourth globally in terms of proven oil reserves.

Lab leak farce drags on in US

"Team A/Team B" dispute in an attempt

to strengthen or weaken their arguments

before writing the report, the conclusion is

that it is highly likely that they may never

be able to identify the origins of the virus.

What is cited as certain is that all of the

agencies involved in the production of the

document dismiss the premise that the

virus was genetically engineered by the

Chinese to be used as a biological weapon.

"We remain skeptical of allegations that

SARS-CoV-2 was a biological weapon

because they are supported by

scientifically invalid claims, their

proponents do not have direct access to

the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), or

their proponents are suspected of

spreading disinformation," the official

assessment reads.

While the lab-leak theory has been

considered to be a highly unlikely

hypothesis by a joint WHO-China mission

early this year that concluded the virus

probably spread from bats to humans via

another animal, one would wonder why

Biden still insists on continuing to

over and above what is promised in the

updated NDCs and other 2030

commitments. To put this number into

perspective, carbon dioxide emissions alone

are expected to reach 33 gigatonnes in 2021.

When all other greenhouse gases are taken

into account, annual emissions are close to

60 GtCO2e. So, to have a chance of reaching

the 1.5°C target, we need to almost halve

greenhouse gas emissions. For the 2°C

target, the additional need is lower: a drop

in annual emissions of 13 GtCO2e by 2030.

To be clear, we do not have eight years to

make the plans to cut emissions. We have

eight years to make the plans, put in place

the policies, implement them, and

ultimately deliver the cuts. We are racing

against the clock. Our planet, our societies

and our economies are in serious trouble.

The heat is on at COP26, the latest rounds of

climate talks.

ADRIEL KASONTA

embarrass his spy agencies and, in the

broader sense, his country.

The reasons for this "political farce," to

quote Liu Pengyu, a spokesman at the

Chinese Embassy in Washington, are

international and domestic, and the two

are interconnected.

The international reasons relates to

In the latest sequel to the findings revealed in August

after a 90-day review ordered by US President Joe

Biden, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence

published an unclassified report on September 29 that

does not seem to shed new light on the matter.

keeping the pressure on China for the sake

of questioning Beijing's credibility as a

responsible country and, if lucky, to force

it to allow US intelligence access to its

territory under the guise of the necessity

to access data to produce a more credible

report based on direct, not circumstantial,

evidence. "China's cooperation most likely

would be needed to reach a conclusive

assessment of the origins of Covid-19,"

reads the report. "Beijing, however,

continues to hinder the global

investigation, resist sharing information,

and blame other countries, including the

United States."

In fact, as was confirmed by a New York

Times report that disclosed an internal

CIA memo highlighting the agency's

Worryingly, the opportunity to use

pandemic recovery spending to reduce

emissions has been largely missed. Only

around 20 percent of recovery spending can

be characterised as green. Meanwhile,

developing nations are falling behind.

COVID-19 spending in low-income

economies is $60 per person, compared to

$11,800 in advanced economies.

However, we can still catch up. The

window is still open. This starts with nations

A total of 49 countries plus the European Union have pledged

a net-zero target, covering over half of global domestic greenhouse

gas emissions. If implemented effectively, net-zero targets

could shave an extra 0.5°C off global warming, bringing

the predicted temperature rise down to 2.2°C. However.

putting in place the policies to meet their

new commitments and start implementing

them immediately as they find ways to

increase ambition to the levels required.

Crucially, they must look hard at how to

start implementing net-zero pledges faster.

A total of 49 countries plus the European

Union have pledged a net-zero target,

covering over half of global domestic

greenhouse gas emissions. If implemented

failures in building intelligence networks

in "adversarial countries" published in

May, China remains a challenging place to

be penetrated by the agency, which the

Covid-19 origins investigation could

change. As far as domestic reasons are

concerned, the farce is driven by political

pressure from the Republican Party that

wants to punish Anthony Fauci, the head

of the US National Institute of Allergy and

Infectious Diseases, for approving the

coronavirus research grant for the Wuhan

Institute of Virology worth $600,000 and

criticizing then-president Trump for

mishandling the pandemic.

Notably, according to a new Hill-

HarrisX survey conducted from October

26-27, 75% of Republicans believe that

Biden's chief medical adviser should

resign, as opposed to 32% of Democrats

who want the same.

As we can see, domestic and

international factors prevent the US from

engaging in a sober, science-based effort

to trace the origin if the virus as they put

revenge against China over admitting the

country's own failures in managing the

pandemic situation.

Just like during the Trump era, experts

like Fauci are treated as scapegoats

instead of heroes. Sadly, this does not

bode well for the future and significantly

undermines US credibility when it comes

to international cooperation in the area of

pandemic preparedness.

Source: Asia times

effectively, net-zero targets could shave an

extra 0.5°C off global warming, bringing the

predicted temperature rise down to 2.2°C.

However, many national climate plans

delay net-zero action until after 2030.

Nations must ensure net-zero

commitments are included in NDCs, and

action brought forward. They must put in

new policies to back this raised ambition

and, again, start implementing them. It is

also essential to deliver financial and

technological support to developing nations

so that they can both adapt to the impacts of

climate change already here and set out on

a low-emissions growth path.

As the Emissions Gap Report shows,

many specific sectors could make a big

difference. Methane, for example, has

significant importance for short-term

climate action.

The gas has a global warming potential

over 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a

20-year horizon, but only lingers in the

atmosphere for 12 years. Cuts to methane

from the oil and gas, agriculture and waste

sectors will limit temperature increase

faster than cuts to carbon dioxide - and the

Global Methane Pledge to cut methane

emissions by 30 percent by 2030 is very

welcome.

Source: Al jazeera

WedneSdAy, noveMBer 3, 2021

5

cATherIne PeArSon

What we know about COVID-19 seems to

change by the minute. It's

understandable, given the massive scale

of the pandemic. More than 245 million

cases have been confirmed around the

world since tracking began. And even now

- as we're inching closer to two full years of

living with the coronavirus - the virus and

ways to address it are still relatively new to

the medical world, so researchers are

learning as they go.

Still, the amount of information about

the coronavirus is dizzying. It's hard to

keep track of what's known, what's myth

and what guidance we should follow.

That's why HuffPost has rounded up five

of the most important new things we

learned about COVID in October.

In September, federal health regulators

approved booster doses of Moderna and

Johnson & Johnson vaccines for certain

Americans, greatly expanding who is

eligible for another shot.

People who are 65-plus, as well as

adults 18 and up who live in a long-term

care setting, have certain underlying

health conditions or work in a high-risk

environment, qualify for a booster dose of

the mRNA vaccines if it's been six months

or more since their second shot. And

anyone who is 18 and up who received a

Johnson & Johnson shot is eligible for a

booster dose two months after their initial

vaccination, according to the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention and the

Food and Drug Administration.

After months of urging people to stick

with the same shot they initially got,

health officials now say it's OK to get any

of the three authorized vaccines for a

booster dose. There has been some data

from Europe (which has different COVID

vaccines than the United States)

suggesting that people who switch

vaccines produce a stronger antibody

response. However, it's important to

remember that antibodies do not tell the

full story when it comes to immunity.

Immune cells like T-cells, which are much

more difficult to measure, play a role, too.

New things learned about COVID

in October 2021

here's the latest - from new mix-and-match booster guidance to official recognition of how mental health

can affect risk.

Photo: Marko Geber

For now, there just isn't a lot of data on

mixing and matching in the U.S. "Some

people may have a preference for the

vaccine type that they originally received,

and others may prefer to get a different

booster," the CDC says. The choice is up to

you (maybe with some input from your

health care provider).

Younger children are one step closer to

being eligible for vaccination, after an

FDA advisory committee recommended

that the agency approve the Pfizer vaccine

for children ages 5 to 11. The advisers

analyzed and debated data from Pfizer's

clinical trials in younger children,

showing that the vaccine had a 90.7%

efficacy rate in preventing symptomatic

COVID. On Friday, the FDA officially

authorized the vaccine for emergency use

in kids. The CDC will weigh in next, and

it's expected that kids will be able to start

getting shots in the coming days.

If approved, children in that age group

will get two (significantly smaller) doses of

the COVID vaccine. The vaccine also has a

slightly different formulation that could

make it easier to store in pediatricians'

offices, which health officials hope will be

an important distribution site for families.

In October, the CDC quietly expanded

its list of health conditions that qualify

someone for a booster dose of the

Moderna or Pfizer vaccines (everyone

who received Johnson & Johnson is

eligible after two months). The list now

includes schizophrenia and certain mood

disorders, including depression.

The addition reflects striking data that

suggests people who have schizophrenia

have the second-highest risk of COVIDrelated

death - second only to old age - for

reasons that remain unclear (though

there are some theories). And people with

depression are at higher risk of being

hospitalized with COVID.

Mental health advocates had long been

pushing for the change, and applauded

the CDC for recognizing that mental

health can impact outcomes at least as

much as physical underlying conditions.

Researchers are continuing to learn more

about so-called post-COVID conditions

that affect people at least a month after

they first were infected with the virus. A

new study published last month shows

just how serious the cognitive impact can

be.

The research, published in the journal

JAMA Network Open, tracked 740

COVID patients whose average age was

49. Several months after their initial

infection, many study participants were

still experiencing symptoms of brain fog.

For example, 18% of the study

participants were still having issues with

processing speed (basically, how quickly

they could take in new information), while

16% were struggling with executive

functioning (basically, self-control).

Roughly a quarter of participants were

grappling with memory formation and

recall.

The researchers argued that the

findings raise important questions about

how to best tackle long-term treatment of

COVID-19, and pointed to the continued

need for new research unpacking all the

ways the virus can affect people months

later.

Getting a COVID test typically requires

a nasal swab, whether you're going for a

rapid antigen test or the "gold standard"

PCR. But researchers at Ohio State

University's Wexner Medical Center

published findings in October that show a

breathalyzer test can be used to rapidly

check patients for COVID-19 - and it's

highly accurate, they say.

The study was small, tracking 46

patients in the intensive care unit with

respiratory failure. Some had COVID and

others did not, which was verified with

PCR tests. The breathalyzer test, which

gave results within seconds, accurately

identified who had COVID 88% of the

time.

While the researchers say future studies

are needed to see whether the breath test

is as effective in patients who have less

severe infections, they're hoping to make

it more broadly available soon. They have

applied to the FDA for emergency use

authorization of the breathalyzer test.

"The gold standard for diagnosis of

COVID-19 is a PCR test that requires an

uncomfortable nasal swab and time in a

lab to process the sample and obtain the

results," Matthew Exline, lead researcher

and director of critical care at Ohio State

Wexner Medical Center University

Hospital, said in a statement. "The

breathalyzer test used in our study can

detect COVID-19 within seconds."

How useful is the ‘Set Point

Weight’ theory

chrISTIne Byrne

The Health at Every Size

movement is centered around

body respect: establishing

sustainable, healthsupporting

habits without

trying to change your body's

size or shape. Intuitive eating

is built around this same idea

- that true nourishment and

food peace only come when

you're able to let go of the

pursuit of weight loss.

Central to both of these

non-diet approaches is the

idea that each of our bodies is

wired to stay at (or near) a

certain weight, also called a

"set point weight." The set

point weight theory is still just

that - a theory. And it's not as

simple as "your genes say

you're supposed to weigh XX

pounds, so that's what you'll

weigh forever." There are so

many factors that help

determine your set point:

genetics, environment, access

to resources, history of

dieting, stress, lifestyle

preferences, hormones,

health conditions, and more.

Plus, it's not a single set point,

but rather a weight range

within which you might

naturally fluctuate.

Still, many people find set

point weight theory to be a

helpful concept in their

journey toward body

acceptance and a better

relationship with food. As a

registered dietitian who helps

clients overcome disordered

eating and yo-yo dieting, I've

seen firsthand how impactful

set point weight theory can be.

"All of the functions of the

human body operate

optimally at a steady state,"

known as homeostasis, said

Maggie Landes, a physician

and nutritionist who runs The

Diet Disruptors community

online. "The body doesn't like

wild fluctuations of

hormones,

neurotransmitters,

electrolytes, energy, blood,

electricity, nothing. That

includes weight."

Experts aren't yet sure

exactly how our bodies work

to stay at a certain weight, but

it's likely due to shifting

hormones and changes in

metabolism. "Researchers

theorize that our bodies will

metabolically compensate

when individuals lose weight

or try to lose weight through

slowing down the body's

metabolism," said Elizabeth

Gunner, a New York-based

registered dietitian.

One 2015 review of the

existing evidence on this topic

found that weight loss leads

most people to burn fewer

calories overall and to burn

less stored fat for energy. At

the same time, levels of the

hormone leptin (which signals

fullness) decrease, while levels

of ghrelin (which signals

hunger) increase. Throughout

history, this resistance to

weight loss has been helpful in

keeping people alive through

times of famine or illness.

So, what "sets" our set point

weight? While genetics play a

large role, Landes explained,

it's not the only factor. Our life

circumstances - the

environment we live in, access

to food, stress levels, physical

activity levels, etc. - play a

huge part. And despite what

various diet gurus and

wellness influencers may have

told you in the past, it's not

always possible to modify

these things.

Most everyone can attest to

the fact that small weight

fluctuations over the course of

If you struggle with yo-yo dieting, overexercising or hyperfocusing on the

scale, this is for you.

Photo: Getty

weeks, days and even hours

are inevitable. This doesn't

negate the set point theory.

Rather, it shows that a set

point is more of a range than a

specific number.

It's also true that,

throughout the course of our

lives, we'll experience weight

changes that are more

significant than just small

fluctuations. "Through the

course of our lives, [set point

weight range] can shift,"

Landes said, adding that our

set point weight often

increases as we age until we

hit older adulthood, when it

might actually start to

decrease.

Menopause also leads to

drastic weight changes for

some women due to shifting

hormones. And of course,

various health conditions

affect weight because they

interfere with the body's

processes in some way. For

example, polycystic ovarian

syndrome (PCOS) often leads

to weight gain due to

hormone shifts, whereas

chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease (COPD)

tends to cause weight loss due

to increased metabolism.

Simply put, when you

accept the fact that your body

is meant to be at a certain

weight, you're better able to

give it what it needs instead of

constantly trying to override

your hunger cues and

cravings in order to lose

weight or prevent weight gain.

Other experts agree. "This is

a helpful concept for those

working towards building a

healthier relationship with

food and their body, because

it somewhat removes the

pressure and the focus of

trying to be in a certain weight

range," Gunner said. "After

all, weight is just one piece of

the enormous health puzzle -it

doesn't and shouldn't define

how healthy you actually are.

One piece of data alone could

never tell the full story."

There are also physical

advantages to letting your

body be at its set point.

"Staying in that set point

range is your best chance to

maintain your health," Landes

said, noting that once you're at

a weight that your body is able

to maintain easily, your

hormones and your

metabolism are more likely to

be able to work optimally.

"For many who have been

weight cycling and dieting for

years and decades, finding the

set point weight range is

almost magic because once

you are at your set point range

and you are no longer

restricting and 'overriding' the

body's functions, your weight

will likely fluctuate very little,"

Landes said.

This is far healthier than

dieting on and off and the

extreme swings in weight that

often come with it, which can

negatively impact your heart,

your hormones and other

functions. This is the

complicated part: There are

no "instructions" to follow

when it comes to

"determining" your set point

weight; instead, it's a

byproduct of living your life.

It's different for everyone

because the circumstances

vastly vary.

Monoclonal antibody treatment is available to millions of Americans, but many may not know that.

Photo: Sopa Images

MonIcA TorreS

When we think of targeting

COVID-19, vaccines and

masks are the first line of

defense. But if you happen to

get or be exposed to COVID

and you are at high risk of

severe disease, there is an

overlooked medicine that can

help: monoclonal antibodies.

For people who are in a

high-risk group of getting

severe COVID, "the game isn't

over. There is still this back-up

plan available that can help

them to better protect

themselves from the virus,"

said Deborah Fuller, a

microbiologist at the

University of Washington

School of Medicine who is

working on coronavirus

vaccines.

Monoclonal antibody

treatments are infusions of

lab-made proteins that mimic

the immune system's ability to

fight off COVID. Although the

Food and Drug

Administration gave these

treatments - like Regeneron -

emergency use authorization

in 2020, the criteria for who is

eligible to receive them has

expanded.

In May, the FDA loosened

age restrictions and added

new eligibility categories like

pregnancy. In August, people

who have "post-exposure

prophylaxis" ? meaning they

were exposed to COVID and

are at high risk of getting

severe COVID ? became

eligible to receive Regeneron.

In September, pharmaceutical

COVID monoclonal antibody therapy

company Eli Lilly's

monoclonal antibody cocktail

also got approved by the FDA

as a preventative treatment for

people who were exposed to

COVID and are at high risk for

severe disease.

Millions of Americans are

now eligible to receive this

COVID therapy that can make

a dramatic positive difference

for patients, but a lot of people

remain unaware of it. The U.S.

Department of Health and

Human Services told HuffPost

that 3.2 million doses have

been distributed across the

country as of Thursday, but of

that amount, only 52% have

been utilized.

"Most people that test

positive for symptomatic

COVID-19 are actually eligible

for this treatment because

they have one or more risk

factors for severe disease, but

the vast majority of them do

not even know about this

treatment," said Adit Ginde,

an epidemiologist at the

University of Colorado School

of Medicine and an emergency

department physician at

UCHealth, a Colorado-based

health system.

Here's everything you need

to know about what the

treatment can and cannot do,

and the critical difference

between getting a treatment

and getting a vaccine. In the

U.S., there are three

monoclonal antibody

treatments with FDA

emergency use authorization

for the treatment of COVID-

19: bamlanivimab plus

etesevimab, developed by Eli

Lilly; casirivimab plus

imdevimab, made by

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals;

and sotrovimab, which is

manufactured

by

GlaxoSmithKline.

The main drug in use in

America is Regeneron's

antibody cocktail, which is

what former President Donald

Trump got when he was

hospitalized with COVID in

October 2020. The federal

government paused

distribution of Eli Lilly's

antibody cocktail in June over

concerns about ineffectiveness

against the gamma and beta

coronavirus variants, but

resumed distribution in

August in certain states, citing

the prevalence of the delta

variant, which the drug is

effective against.

After entering your body,

monoclonal antibodies find

and bind to the spike protein

of the SARS-CoV-2 virus,

which causes COVID-19. Once

attached, these artificial

antibodies can interfere with

the virus's ability to enter your

cells.

To get the treatment

administered, you'll get

antibodies either by four

subcutaneous injections in

areas like your arms and belly

in quick succession, or the

treatment will be given to you

through a vein intravenously

that can take between 20

minutes to an hour or longer.

You will then be observed by a

health care provider for at

least an hour for side effects.

While subcutaneous

injections can feel less

invasive, "intravenous delivery

of monoclonal antibodies [is]

by far the most efficient way to

get monoclonal antibodies in

your body very quickly," Fuller

said.

That's why in severe

situations, providers are more

likely to go the IV route

because "they are going to

want to pump that directly

into your veins to get it

distributed through your body

much more quickly," she said.

Ginde said it can be a lifesaving

treatment when

administered in time.

Numerous trials have shown

that the treatment can be

effective at reducing the risk of

hospitalization and death for

people at risk of severe

COVID.

"Patients feel very sick, they

feel like they are really

struggling to breathe ... [Then]

they get this treatment," he

said. "You'll hear not

infrequently reports of people

that are that sick ? that within

even six to 12 hours ? feeling

like they've taken a dramatic

turn to the better."

WEdNESdAY, NOvEMBER 3 , 2021 6

speakers for building skilled workforce

through technical education

rangpUr: Officials at a

discussion have stressed on

providing technical

education and training to

youths for turning them into

skilled workforces to

accelerate national

development, reports Bss.

they viewed this at a

discussion jointly organised

by district administration

and department of Youth

development (dYd) in

observance of thennational

Youth day-2021 at town

hall auditorium here on

Monday afternoon.

divisional Commissioner

Md abdul wahhab Bhuiyan

inaugurated the observance

of the day by hoisting the

national flag and addressed

the discussion as the chief

guest with deputy

Commissioner Md asib

ahsan in the chair.

deputy inspector general

of rangpur range police

devdas Bhattacharyya,

additional Commissioner of

police of rangpur

Metropolitan police

Commissioner Md Mehedul

Karim, district Council

Chairman advocate Chhafia

Khanom, president of district

awami league Mamtaz

Uddin ahmed, its general

secretary advocate rezaul

Karim razu, president of city

awami league shafiur

rahman shafi and its

general secretary tushar

Kanti Mandal addressed as

special guests.

in his welcome speech, the

deputy Commissioner said

youths are contributing the

maximum to the process of

building a developed 'sonar

Bangla' as dreamt by Father

of the nation Bangabandhu

sheikh Mujibur rahman.

he stressed on turning all

male and female youths into

skilled workforce through

providing necessary training

and education for enhancing

their knowledge and

expertise, innovation and self

confidence to speed up

productivity for national

uplift.

the chief guest discussed

the massive steps taken by

the present government to

turn male and female youths

into skilled workforces for

making them selfreliant

through their own initiatives,

entrepreneurships and

income generating activities

(igas).

he lauded achievements of

youths in nation-building

activities and remembered

their glorious contribution to

the historic language

movement, 1969 mass

upsurge and war of

liberation to achieve the

hard-earned national

independence.

"the youths should avail

the facilities provided by the

government to become selfreliant

through igas and

contribute to building a

developed Bangladesh by

2041 as envisioned by prime

Minister sheikh hasina," he

said.

later, he distributed

certificates and cheques of

loans to the national Youth

award winning youth

entrepreneurs, successful

self-employment creator

youths and trained youths to

launch small-scale

enterprises and selfemployment

for igas.

Members of Kamalnagar police have arrested a drug dealer along with 32

bottles of distilled liquor from Fazumia Hat area of Kamalnagar upazila on

Monday.

Photo: Md Owazi Ullah

Covid-19 cases reach 98,987 with

13 new in rajshahi division

raJshahi: thirteen more

people have tested positive for

Covid-19 in four districts of

the division on Monday,

taking the caseload to 98,987

since the pandemic began in

March last year, reports Bss.

however, the new positive

figure shows a rising trend

compared to the previous

day's figure, said dr habibul

ahsan talukder, divisional

director of health, adding that

a total of seven people were

infected on sunday.

Besides on October 20, the

infection figure was just four,

which was the lowest-ever in

the division since the second

wave of the pandemic hit the

country.

Meanwhile, the recovery

count rose to 95,169 in the

division after 13 patients were

discharged from the hospitals

on the same day.

the death toll reached

1,673, including 685 in

Bogura, 320 in rajshahi with

202 in its city, and 173 in

natore as no new fatalities

were reported during the

period, dr talukder added.

Besides, all the positive

cases of Covid-19 have, so far,

been brought under

treatment while 23,021 were

kept in isolation units of

different dedicated hospitals

for institutional quarantine.

Of them, 19,415 have been

released.

Meanwhile, 20 more people

have been sent to home and

institutional quarantine

afresh while 23 others were

released from isolation during

the same time.

Of the 13 new cases, six were

detected in rajshahi,

including five in its city,

followed by four in naogaon,

two in Bogura and one in

pabna district.

with the newly detected

patients, the district-wise

break-up of the total cases

now stands at 28,123 in

rajshahi, including 22,684 in

city, 5,676 in

Chapainawabganj, 6,412 in

naogaon, 8,389 in natore,

4,624 in Joypurhat, 21,630 in

Bogura, 11,409 in sirajganj

and 12,724 in pabna.

a total of 1,13,897 people

have, so far, been kept under

quarantine since March 10

last year to prevent the

community transmission of

the deadly coronavirus

(COVid-19).

Of them, 1,12,820 have, by

now, been released as they

were given clearance

certificates after completing

their 14-day quarantine.

Free seeds and fertilizers have been distributed among small marginal

farmers in 9 unions and 1 municipality in Raiganj of Sirajganj on Monday.

Marking the occasion, a discussion meeting was held at the Upazila

Parishad hall under the chairmanship of Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tripti

Kona Mandal while Chairman of Raiganj Upazila Parishad Adv. Imrul

Hossain Talukder Emon spoke as the chief guest.

Photo: TBT

Ctg records

0.45 Covid-19

positivity rates

ChattOgraM: Chattogram

district recorded 0.45 percent

Covid-19 positivity rate while

only five fresh cases were

reported after testing 1,115

samples during the last 24

hours till tuesday morning,

reports Bss.

the Covid-19 situation is

improving consistently during

the last few months in the

district, Civil surgeon dr ilias

Chowdhury told Bss.

earlier, the district also

recorded lowest 0.12 percent

Covid-19 positivity rate on

Monday and 0.47 percent on

sunday, dr ilias Chowdhury

added.

with the newly infected

cases, the number of

coronavirus (COVid-19)

patients stands at 102,234 in

the district.

"the number of cured

patients from the lethal virus

stood at 88,128 in the district

with the recovery of 37 more

patients in the last 24 hours,"

dr ilias said, adding that the

percentage of recovery rate is

86.20.

One held along

with 32 bottles

of distilled liquor

in Kamalnagar

Md. Owazi Ullah, KaMalnagar

COrrespOndent

Kamalnagar police have

arrested a drug dealer with

32 bottles of distilled liquor

from Fazumia hat area of

Kamalnagar upazila.

earlier, abdul Khaleq was

arrested along with 32

bottles of distilled liquor on

Monday morning.

drug dealer abdul Khaleq

is the son of Khalilur

rahman of noakhali sadar

Under Char area.

asi abu Bakar siddique,

asi ahsan along with allied

forces arrested him from the

area adjacent to Char thika

samad Munshi road on the

east side of Fajumia hat

Bazar in Kamalnagar

Upazila on Monday

morning.

asi abu Bakar siddique

has filed a case with the

Kamalnagar police station

under the narcotics Control

act.

Kamalnagar police station

Officer-in-Charge Mosleh

Uddin said abdul Khaleq

was arrested along with 32

bottles of distilled liquor and

sent to jail under the

narcotics Control act.

rMCh records

one more fatality

in Covid-19 unit

raJshahi: rajshahi

Medical College hospital

(rMCh) recorded one more

fatality in its Covid-19 unit in

the last 24 hours till 6am

yesterday, taking the death

toll to two in the last two days

of this month, reports Bss.

the previous day's fatality

figure was also one. however,

on sunday, the death figure

was zero after a long five

consecutive days.

On Monday last, the

hospital recorded zero deaths

after a long time since the

second wave of the pandemic

hit the country around seven

months back.

earlier, the number of

casualties was 100 in October,

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 the

deceased was a resident of

natore district. he was tested

positive for Covid- 19.

eighteen more patients

were admitted to the Covid-19

designated unit during the

past 24 hours, taking the

number of admitted patients

to 50, including nine tested

positive for Covid-19, at

present. eight other patients

returned home after being

cured during the time.

Chickens are dying due to poor quality poultry feed in Belabo upazila.

pradeep KUMar, BelaBO COrrespOndent

in Belabo of narsingdi, the chickens are

dying due to poor quality poultry feed,

the number of laying eggs has decreased

and the indebted farmers are sitting on

the road.

it is learned that the incident took

place in several layers and poultry farms.

it is learned that the lodge feed

purchased from the feed shop of Md.

ashraful islam at shimultali intersection

of Bajnab union of Belabo upazila on his

advice contains chicken growth,

nutritional value, protein deficiency and

chicken does not have essential

vitamins. From here low quality

adulterated chicken feed is provided.

after testing the food samples from the

lab, it is known that there is no beneficial

ingredient in chicken in these food. due

to which the layer chickens become

diseased and weak and the laying of eggs

is almost stopped. the fins of the

chickens are falling off, their bodies are

freezing.

it is learned that the chicken feed is

produced in its own factory without the

approval of the government authorities.

these foods produced from tannery

waste do not contain the required

protein, license and lycopene for the

chickens and the chickens are dying of

disease. egg production has come down

to zero.

Kiran Khandaker of Bhabla said, "as a

result of giving us these lodges, 3,000

Photo: Pradeep Kumar

Farmers suffer huge loss due to low

quality chicken feed in Belabo

chickens on my farm are dying today

and laying of eggs has almost stopped.

Blank Check signed me and took me

away with these dishes. i have lost about

12 lakh tks. i'm sitting on the road."

Chandan said, "the condition of my

rooster is deplorable, laying of eggs has

stopped. i am in debt. i'm scared now

with blank checks." halim said, "even

though the production of chickens and

eggs has gone to zero, i have become

destitute in terms of labor cost, medicine

and food. we want to remedy this."

when contacted, feed dealer ashraful

said, it is a matter for the company. i

don't know anything. i have no

company. i did not know that they would

give such a feed."

State Minister for Water Resources Ministry Zahid Faruk inspected the dam demolition of the

Jamuna Bamti Conservation Project in Islampur on Monday.

Photo: Osman Harunee

95.83pc Covid-19 patients

recover in rangpur division

rangpUr: the average recovery rate of

Covid-19 patients reached 95.83 percent in

rangpur division where the pandemic

situation continues to improve in recent

months, reports Bss.

divisional deputy director (health) dr

abu Md zakirul islam said 14 more Covid-19

patients healed during the last 24 hours

raising the total number of recovered

patients to 53,052 at an average recovery

rate of 95.83 percent in the division.

the 53,052 recovered patients include

11,415 of rangpur, 3,677 panchagarh, 4,351

of nilphamari, 2,625 of lalmonirhat, 4,527

of Kurigram, 7,302 of thakurgaon, 14,366 of

dinajpur and 4,789 of gaibandha districts in

the division.

Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases

reached 55,358 as 12 fresh cases were

diagnosed after testing 277 new samples at

the positivity rate of 4.33 percent on Monday

in the division.

earlier, the daily Covid-19 positivity rates

were 2.26 percent on sunday, 2.16 percent

on saturday, 2.11 percent on Friday, 3.69

percent on thursday. 2.61 percent on

wednesday and 2.87 percent on tuesday

last in the division.

the district-wise break up of total 55,358

patients include 12,470 of rangpur, 3,810

panchagarh, 4,443 of nilphamari, 2,739 of

lalmonirhat, 4,643 of Kurigram, 7,628 of

thakurgaon, 14,763 of dinajpur and 4,862

of gaibandha in the division.

"since the beginning of the Covid-19

pandemic, a total of 2,93,632 collected

samples were tested till Monday, and of

them, 55,358 were found positive with an

average positivity rate of 18.85 percent in the

division," dr zakirul added.

divisional director (health) dr Md

Motaharul islam said the number of

casualties remained steady at 1,241 as no

new deaths were reported during the last 24

hours ending at 8 am yesterday in the

division.

"the district-wise break-up of the 1,241

fatalities stands at 293 in rangpur, 80 in

panchagarh, 89 in nilphamari, 68 in

lalmonirhat, 69 inbKurigram, 253 in

thakurgaon, 326 in dinajpur and 63 in

gaibandha districts of the division.

the average casualty rate currently stands

at 2.24 percent in the division.

among the 55,358 Covid-19 patients, 53

are undergoing treatments at isolation units,

including 11 patients at iCU and eight at

high dependency Unit beds. with the

recovery of 53,052 patients and 1,241 deaths,

1,052 are remaining in home isolation.

"Meanwhile, the number of citizens who

got the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine rose

to 47,87,9158, and among them, 29,83,334

got the second dose of the jab till Monday in

the division," he said.

Chief of divisional Coronavirus service

and prevention task Force and principal of

rangpur Medical College professor dr aKM

nurunnobi lyzu urged all to abide by the

health directives to prevent further spread of

Covid-19.

river erosion

occured due to

climate change:

state Minister

OsMan harUnee, islaMpUr

COrrespOndent

state Minister for water

resources Ministry zahid

Faruk said that river erosion

has occurred in the country

due to climate change.

illegal extraction of sand

from the river with dredgers

has also intensified river

erosion. he called upon all

to resist the illegal extraction

of sand from the river.

he said this while

inspecting the dam

demolition of the Jamuna

Bamti Conservation project

constructed at a cost of tk

4.5 crore in islampur,

Jamalpur on Monday.

during which time, state

Minister for religion Faridul

haque Khan dulal Mp,

Jamalpur and sherpur

reserved seat Mp hosne

ara, islampur Upazila

parishad Chairman adv.

Jamal abdun nasser Babul,

Upazila nirbahi Officer

zahidur rahman were also

present at the occasion.

WEDNESDAY, NOvEmBEr 3, 2021

7

Troubles at home shadow Biden's

climate efforts abroad

President Joe Biden is joining other world leaders in highlighting

the importance of preserving forests as a force against global

warming, whipping up ambitions at a U.N. climate summit abroad

even as a coal-state U.S. senator is again threatening Biden's landmark

climate legislation at home.

Photo : AP

GLASGOW : President Joe Biden is

joining other world leaders in

highlighting the importance of

preserving forests as a force against

global warming, whipping up ambitions

at a U.N. climate summit abroad even

as a coal-state U.S. senator is again

threatening Biden's landmark climate

legislation at home.

Comments by Democratic Sen. Joe

Manchin that he still has doubts about

Biden's $1.75 trillion domestic policy

proposal, which includes $555 billion in

provisions to combat climate change,

come at an unfortunate time for the

president.

At least 3 dead

after high rise in

Nigeria collapses

LAGOS, NIGERIA : A 21-

story apartment building

under construction collapsed

in an upscale area of Nigeria's

largest city, killing at least

three people and leaving

dozens more missing, officials

and witnesses said on

Monday.

Lagos Police Commissioner

Hakeem Odumosu

confirmed the deaths, but

added that three survivors

had been pulled from the

rubble in Ikoyi by Monday

evening. Officials arriving at

the scene were confronted by

crowds of people venting their

anger that rescue efforts

started several hours after the

collapse.

Olayemi Bello told The

Associated Press that five of

his friends were trapped in

the building and he feared the

worst.

"When they work finish,

they will come outside and

they will play with us and talk

about the work," he said.

"Now, nobody. All of them are

dead."

Construction worker Eric

Tetteh said that he and his

brother had managed to

escape. But he estimated

that more than 100 people

were inside the building at

the time it crumbled into a

pile of debris.

They landed as Biden and his aides

are exhorting, coaxing and deal-making

with government heads for faster action

on cutting climate-wrecking fossil fuel

emissions at a summit with more than

100 other world leaders in Glasgow,

Scotland, in its second day Tuesday.

Manchin holds a key vote in the

Senate, where Biden has the slimmest

of Democratic majorities, and he has

successively killed off key parts of the

administration's climate proposals. He

said Monday he was uncertain about

the legislation's impact on the economy

and federal debt and was as "open to

voting against" it as for it.

Biden has been determined to

demonstrate to the world that the U.S.

is back in the global effort against

climate change, after his predecessor

Donald Trump pulled the U.S. - the

world's largest economy and secondbiggest

climate polluter - out of the

landmark 2015 Paris climate accord.

Putting the U.S. on the path to halve

its own output of coal, oil and natural

gas pollution by 2050, as his climate

legislation seeks to do, "demonstrates to

the world the United States is not only

back at the table, it hopefully can lead by

the power of our example," Biden told

delegates and observers in Glasgow on

Monday.

"I know that hasn't always been the

case," he added, in a reference to

Trump's tenure in office.

Biden has essentially bet that the right

mix of policies on climate change and

the economy are not only good for the

country but will help Democrats

politically. But there are open questions

about whether he has enough political

capital at home to honor his promises to

world leaders about shifting the U.S.

toward renewable energy.

Gubernatorial elections on Tuesday

in Virginia and New Jersey - states that

Biden won in last year's election - will

provide the first ballot-box test of how

Americans view his presidency.

Biden is due to join other leaders

Tuesday for an initiative to promote

safeguarding the world's forests, which

pull vast amounts of carbon pollution

from the air. After discussions at the

U.N. summit on reforestation and

methane, Biden will hold a final news

conference before returning to

Washington on Air Force One.

Ethiopia tried to limit rare UN

report on Tigray war abuses

NAIROBI : The findings of the only human

rights investigation allowed in Ethiopia's

blockaded Tigray region will be released

Wednesday, a year after war began there. But

people with knowledge of the probe say it has

been limited by authorities who recently

expelled a U.N. staffer helping to lead it.

And yet, with groups such as Human

Rights Watch and Amnesty International

barred from Tigray, along with foreign

media, the report may be the world's only

official source of information on atrocities in

the war, which began in November 2020

after a political falling-out between the Tigray

forces that long dominated the national

government and Prime Minister Abiy

Ahmed's current government. The conflict

has been marked by gang rapes, mass

expulsions, deliberate starvation and

thousands of deaths.

The joint investigation by the U.N. human

rights office and the government-created

Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, or

EHRC, is a rare collaboration that

immediately raised concerns among ethnic

Tigrayans, human rights groups and other

observers about impartiality and government

influence.

In response to questions from The

Associated Press, the U.N. human rights

office in Geneva said it wouldn't have been

able to enter Tigray without the partnership

with the rights commission. Although past

joint investigations occurred in Afghanistan

and Uganda, the U.N. said, "the current one

is unique in terms of magnitude and context."

But Ethiopia's government has given no

basis for expelling U.N. human rights officer

Sonny Onyegbula last month, the U.N.

added, and without an explanation "we

cannot accept the allegation that our staff

member ... was 'meddling in the internal

affairs' of Ethiopia."

Because of those circumstances, and the

fact that the U.N. left the investigation to its

less experienced regional office in Ethiopia,

the new report is "automatically suspect,"

said David Crane, founder of the Global

Accountability Network and founding chief

prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra

Leone, an international tribunal.

"What you need when you go into an

atrocity zone is a clean slate so outside

investigators can look into it neutrally,

dispassionately," Crane said. "You want to do

these things where you don't build doubt,

distrust from the beginning," including

among people interviewed.

The investigation might be the

international community's only chance to

collect facts on the ground, he said, but

because of its setup, it may disappear "in the

sands of time."

People close to the investigation, speaking

on condition of anonymity for fear of

retaliation, asserted that the head of the

Ethiopian Human Rights Commission,

Daniel Bekele, underplayed some allegations

that fighters from the country's Amhara

region were responsible for abuses in Tigray

and pressed instead to highlight abuses by

Tigray forces.

The findings of the only human rights investigation allowed in Ethiopia's blockaded Tigray region will be

released Wednesday, a year after war began there. But people with knowledge of the probe say it has been

limited by authorities who recently expelled a U.N. staffer helping to lead it.

Photo : AP

On a boat ride along a bayou that shares the name of his Native American tribe, Donald Dardar points to a cross

marking his ancestors' south Louisiana burial ground - a place he fears will disappear.

Photo : AP

'Ordinary people suffer

most': China farms

face climate woes

JIAOZUO : Wang Yuetang's

sneakers sink into the mud of

what was once his thriving

corn and peanut farm as he

surveys the damage done by

an unstable climate, reports

UNB.

Three months after

torrential rains flooded much

of central China's Henan

province, stretches of the

country's flat agricultural

heartland are still submerged

in several inches of water. It's

one of the many calamities

around the world that are

giving urgency to the U.N.

climate summit underway in

Glasgow, Scotland.

"There is nothing this year.

It's all gone," Wang said.

"Farmers on the lowland

basically have no harvest,

nothing." He lost his summer

crop to floods, and in late

October the ground was still

too wet to plant the next

season's crop, winter wheat.

On other nearby farms,

shriveled beanstalks and

rotted cabbage heads bob in

the dank water, buzzing with

flies. Some of the corn ears can

be salvaged, but because the

husks are moldy, they can be

sold only as animal feed,

bringing lower prices.

The flooding disaster is the

worst that farmers in Henan

like Wang can remember in

40 years - but it is also a

preview of the kind of extreme

conditions the country is likely

to face as the planet warms

and the weather patterns

growers depend upon are

increasingly destabilized.

"As the atmosphere warms

up, air can hold more

moisture, so when storms

occur, they can rain out more

extreme precipitation," said

Richard Seager, a climate

scientist at Columbia

University. "Chances are

extremely likely that humaninduced

climate change

caused the extreme flooding

you saw this summer in places

like China and Europe."

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA : Upon

arrival at Dubai's international airport,

travelers can pick up a free guide to the

city's top attractions and events.

Curiously, the cover of this month's

"Time Out -DXB" beckons visitors to

Saudi Arabia. Emblazoned with an

image of the kingdom's ancient Diriyah

fort near the Saudi capital, it reads:

"Welcome to Arabia. A Journey You've

Never Imagined".

The landlocked, once

ultraconservative capital of Riyadh is

pitching itself as a city where concerts,

movie theaters, world class sporting

events and deal-making are in

abundance; where revamped cultural

heritage sites wait to be discovered,

distinguishing Saudi Arabia from other

Gulf capitals defined by sprawling

malls and high-rise hotels.

The pitch is part of Saudi Arabia's

plan to grab the limelight and title as

the region's top place to do business.

Currently, the more glamorous emirate

Faith groups fight against climate

change ahead of UN summit

POINTE-AUX-CHENES : On a boat ride

along a bayou that shares the name of his

Native American tribe, Donald Dardar points

to a cross marking his ancestors' south

Louisiana burial ground - a place he fears will

disappear.

He points to the partly submerged stumps

of oak trees killed by salt water on land where

he rode horses as a kid, and to his mother's

home, gutted by Hurricane Ida. He and his

wife have a mission: protecting Pointe-aux-

Chenes and other communities at risk in a

state that loses about a football field's worth

of wetlands every 100 minutes.

For years, Donald and Theresa Dardar

have joined forces with the Rev. Kristina

Peterson. Working with scientists and

members of Pointe-au-Chien and two other

tribes, they've set out thousands of oyster

shells to protect sacred mounds, obtained

financing to refill abandoned oil field canals

and built an elevated greenhouse to save their

of Dubai is seen as the region's hub for

finance and tourism.

There are incentives - or, some say,

penalties - for businesses to consider:

Saudi Arabia has told companies they

have until the beginning of 2024 to

relocate their regional headquarters to

the country or lose out on lucrative

government contracts that keep the

region's biggest economy humming.

It's the latest move by Crown Prince

Mohammed bin Salman, the

kingdom's day-to-day leader, who's

been empowered by his father, King

Salman, to overhaul the economy and

reduce its dependence on oil for

revenue.

Some investors and their

shareholders, however, remain wary of

the 36-year-old prince. Four years ago -

at the very same Ritz-Carlton hotel

where a key investment forum took

place last week and where 44

multinational companies announced

their plans to establish regional

plants and medicinal herbs from flooding.

"It's saving what we know that's going to be

destroyed from both the change of the heat

and the rising of the water," said Peterson,

the pastor of Bayou Blue Presbyterian

Church in Gray, Louisiana, and a former

professor of environmental planning at the

University of New Orleans.

Their vital work to save their bayou home

and heritage is part of a broader trend around

the world of faith leaders and environmental

activists increasingly joining the fight against

climate change. From Hindu groups joining

river cleanups and Sikh temples growing

pesticide-free food, to Muslim imams and

Buddhist monks organizing tree-planting

campaigns, the movement knows no

denominational boundaries but shares as a

driving force a moral imperative to preserve

what they see as a divinely given

environment for future generations.

Indonesia first to greenlight

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine

JAKARTA, INDONESIA : Biotechnology

company Novavax said Monday that

Indonesia has given the world's first

emergency use authorization for its COVID-

19 vaccine, which uses a different technology

than current shots, reports UNB.

The vaccine is easier to store and transport

than some other shots, which could allow it

to play an important role in boosting

supplies in poorer countries around the

world.

The two-dose Novavax vaccine is made

with lab-grown copies of the spike protein

that coats the coronavirus. That's very

different from widely used mRNA vaccines

such as Pfizer and Moderna that deliver

genetic instructions for the body to make its

own spike protein.

The emergency authorization of the

vaccine is a "very important step" for

Indonesia's COVID-19 vaccination program,

Indonesian epidemiologist Dicky Budiman

said.

"This vaccine will be much easier to

transport, store and distribute in a place like

Indonesia, where we have many islands," he

said.

Budiman said if the rollout of the vaccine is

successful, it could lead to its approval and

use in other developing nations.

The need for more vaccines remains

critical in many countries, including

Indonesia.

In June, U.S.-based Novavax announced

the vaccine had proven about 90% effective

against symptomatic COVID-19 in a study of

nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and

Mexico. It also worked against variants

circulating in those countries at the time, it

said.

The company said side effects were mild

and included tenderness at the injection site,

headache, aches and pains and fatigue.

In October, it addressed concerns that

production of the vaccine had been slowed

due to a lack of raw materials and other

issues, saying it planned to "achieve a

capacity of 150 million doses per month by

the end of the fourth quarter" through

partnerships with Serum Institute of India,

SK Bioscience in South Korea and Takeda in

Japan, among others.

Saudi Arabia wants businesses

and families to pick Riyadh

headquarters in Riyadh - Prince

Mohammed oversaw the

unprecedented detention of Saudi

business leaders, princes and officers in

a purported anti-corruption sweep. The

campaign, described by critics as a

shakedown, largely took place outside

of the courts and public view. It netted

the kingdom more than $100 billion in

assets and cash, according to the

government. It also cemented the

crown prince's grip on power.

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-

Falih said a move by companies to

Riyadh is a "win-win."

"It's important for us, but it's even

more important for the companies

because they will get the benefits of

being closer to decision makers," al-

Falih told The Associated Press in an

interview on the sidelines of the Future

Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh.

He said the intent "is not to penalize

companies" but to show them access to

"the biggest market in the region."

WEDnESDAY, nOVEMBER 3, 2021

8

Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd has inaugurated 'Payment of A-Challan through internet banking' recently. Mohammed Monirul Moula,

Managing Director & CEO of the bank inaugurated the service as chief guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali and Md. Omar Faruk Khan,

Additional Managing Directors, Abu Reza Md. Yeahia, Taher Ahmed Chowdhury and Md. Mostafizur Rahman Siddiquee, Deputy

Managing Directors, Mohammad Jamal Uddin Mazumder, Md. Mahboob Alam, Senior Executive Vice Presidents, Md. Mizanur

Rahman Bhuiyan, Executive Vice President of the bank, Dr. Mohammad Hossain, PhD, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Finance, AKM

Mukhlesur Rahman, Joint Director, Bangladesh Bank and Md. Sharifur Rahman, Senior IT Consultant, Ministry of Finance

addressed the program as special guests. Registered i-Banking user of IBBL can pay various types of governments Fees, E- Passport

Fees, Tax and vat through i-Banking.

Photo: Courtesy

Australia central

bank says no

rate rise in 2022

SYDNEY: Australia's central

bank will not raise interest

rates from record lows in

2022, but an increase the

following year is now

"plausible", the bank's

governor said Tuesday,

reports BSS.

The Reserve Bank of

Australia (RBA) kept

borrowing costs on hold at 0.1

percent at a regular policy

meeting but dropped a bond

yield target, signalling rates

could now rise earlier than the

previously expected 2024.

It comes as other central

banks across the globe have

recently tightened policy to

cool soaring prices and still

more are considering

following suit.

RBA governor Philip Lowe

said a rate hike was now

"plausible" in 2023, after

inflation picked up but

remained low at 2.1 percent.

The bank now expects

inflation to grow gradually

before reaching 2.5 percent in

2023, which is still within its

inflation target of 2-3 percent.

"On the issue of timing, the

latest data and forecasts do

not warrant an increase in the

cash rate in 2022," Lowe told

an online briefing.

"I recognise that some other

central banks are raising

rates, but our situation is

different."

Private sectors efforts along with govt bring

nation's success: Golam Murshed

Golam Murshed, managing director

and chief executive officer (CEO) of

Walton Hi-Tech Industries, opines the

country is moving forward under the

leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina. She aims to make this country

a developed one by 2041 and has been

honored with Sustainable

Development Progress Award. We

should not only look at the

government. Let's do something

successful from our own position. Then

we will be a self-reliant nation, says a

press release.

Golam Murshed came up with the

remarks at the unveiling ceremony of

the book titled 'Swadhinotar 50

Bochor: Dinbodole 50 Nari Agradut

(50 years of independence: 50 women

pioneers in the changes' held at the

FBCCI Icon Auditorium in Dhaka on

Saturday (October 30, 2021). Women

Entrepreneurs Network for

Development Association (WEND)

Most markets rise in Asia, with

central bank meetings in focus

HONG KONG : Asian

markets mostly rose

Tuesday as traders bided

their time ahead of key

central bank meetings this

week that are expected to

see officials begin

withdrawing their vast

pandemic-era financial

support, while keeping a

wary eye on inflation and

supply chain snarls, reports

BSS.

Another record close on

Wall Street provided a

fruitful lead thanks to a

strong earnings season that

has seen the vast majority of

companies

beat

expectations despite

concerns about the impact

of surging input costs and

spiking Covid infections in

the third quarter.

Hong Kong was among

the best performers in early

business Tuesday, helped

by a surge in tech

companies, which were

enjoying some bargainbuying

after a torrid year

that has seen China tighten

its grip on the sector.

Property giant China

Evergrande's payment of

interest on a second

overdue bond before a

weekend deadline provided

an extra lift and slightly

eased fears about an

imminent collapse.

The Hang Seng Index

climbed more than 1.5

percent, as did Seoul, while

there were also advances in

Shanghai, Singapore,

Taipei, Manila and Jakarta.

Tokyo dipped after

soaring more than two

percent on Monday, with

Sydney and Wellington also

slightly lower.

And, while there are

concerns about slowing

global growth, analysts

remain buoyant about the

outlook for markets.

"We are now in the midst

of an early 'January effect'

and I expect that this will

continue through

Thanksgiving," said

markets strategist Louis

Navellier.

"However, December is

also a seasonally strong

month and January is

typically stronger, so we

have three months of

seasonal strength to look

forward to.

"In the meantime, we are

still in the midst of wave

after wave of better than

expected third-quarter

earnings announcements,

so enjoy the ride."

Attention now turns to

central banks' policy

meetings, with officials

from the United States,

Britain and Australia

organized the event.

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni

was present as chief guest while

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi as

special guest. FBCCI President Jashim

Uddin, Walton Hi-Tech Industries

Limited Director Tahmina Afrose

Tanna and Giant Textiles' Director

Sharmin Islam were among the

distinguished guests with President of

WEND Nadia Binte was in the chair.

Dipu Moni said that main identity of

women is that they are human being.

Women have to overcome the obstacles

in front of them with their own

strengths and abilities. Women must

be brought forward beside men in a bid

to implement potentials of the world

and Bangabandhu tried to establish a

nondiscriminatory society.

Tipu Munshi said Walton has

inspired us in many ways. Salman F

Rahman visited the Walton factory

days ago and I also went there. We are

among those making

decisions this week.

With several countries

already starting to lift

interest rates, traders are

now preparing for the end

of the cheap cash era, which

has helped propel markets

to record or multi-year

highs.

While the Bank of

England and Reserve Bank

of Australia will be closely

watched, the Federal

Reserve's gathering is the

main focus of attention. US

authorities are forecast to

start tapering their bondbuying

programme this

month but observers said

the board's timeline on

raising borrowing costs will

be top of the agenda.

The main focus of the

meeting "will be much more

on the Fed's inflation stance

than tapering", Steve

Englander, of Standard

Chartered Bank, said.

"The elephant in the room

is headline and underlying

inflation, which are higher

than the (Fed policy board)

was anticipating."

The release of US

employment figures on

Friday will also be followed

for a fresh idea about the

impact of inflation and

Covid infections on the jobs

market.

overwhelmed to see such a beautiful

factory. We will visit the Walton factory

with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina one

day as it is more beautiful than it

imagined. Walton have been exporting

products in various countries as we

expect a lot from them.

Golam Murshed also said that

mother, mother tongue and the

motherland are our emotions. We are

now celebrating 50 years of

independence. We have got three

women at the highest level. Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Dr

Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Education

Minister Dr. Dipu Moni. When women

lead in a country, there is no need to

give any other example of women's

success there.

Golam Murshed appreciated the

Entrepreneur Project. 'I hope that the

WEND will soon launch programs like

Bangabandhu Innovation Grant (BIG)

with women entrepreneurs,' he said.

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and MD and CEO of Walton Hi-Tech

Industries Golam Murshed among others at book unveiling ceremony.

Photo: Courtesy

Strikes hit Amazon

in Germany in run

up to Christmas

RANKFURT : Around 2,500

Amazon employees at seven

sites across Germany were on

strike Tuesday and unions

warned stoppages could

continue up to Christmas,

reports BSS.

The strikes at so-called

"fulfilment" centres, where

Amazon prepares packages

before delivery, began in two

locations on Monday.

The Verdi union is calling

on Amazon for an

"immediate" salary increase

of three percent this year,

followed by a further 1.7

percent next year, in line with

a collective agreement for the

retail sector, to which the e-

commerce giant does not

adhere.

Amazon could not continue

to "refuse wage increases that

other companies in the sector

pay", Verdi retail head Orhan

Akman said in a statement

Monday.

Amazon, which operates 17

centres in Germany, argues it

is a logistics company, a sector

in which the terms of work are

considered to be less

burdensome for the employer.

Amazon said it did not

expect the strike to have an

impact on clients.

However, a Verdi

spokesman said the stoppage

could cause disruption,

particularly in Amazon's

rapid-delivery "Prime"

offering.

Strikes were likely to

continue "until the end of the

year", the spokesman said,

impacting on the busy

Christmas shopping period.

Verdi, which first called for

strikes at Amazon in May

2013, organised

demonstrations outside the

fulfilment centres on Tuesday

to protest poor working

conditions.

Tokyo stocks

open lower on

profit-taking

TOKYO : Tokyo stocks

opened lower on Tuesday on

profit-taking after a strong

rally in the previous session

with trade remaining cautious

ahead of a public holiday,

reports BSS.

The benchmark Nikkei 225

was down 0.51 percent or

151.75 points at 29,495.33 in

early trade, while the broader

Topix index slipped 0.24

percent or 4.81 points to

2,039.91.

"Japanese shares are

starting with losses after a

sharp increase in the previous

session," said Toshiyuki

Kanayama, senior market

analyst at Monex, as investors

cheered general election

results showing a victory for

Prime Minister Fumio

Kishida. Trade will stay

cautious ahead of a national

holiday in Japan on

Wednesday and the US

Federal Reserve's policy

decision on Wednesday,

analysts said.

The dollar fetched 114.01

yen in early Asian trade, little

changed from 114.00 yen in

New York late Monday.

In Tokyo, Toyota was down

0.32 percent at 2,043.5 yen,

Panasonic was off 1.16 percent

at 1,366 yen, and Hitachi

slipped 0.47 percent to 6,767

yen.

Singer deprives govt of revenue

earnings by evading huge VAT

Country's

listed

multinational company

Singer Bangladesh Ltd, both

the chairman and the

managing director are

foreigners, has been

depriving the government of

huge revenues through VAT

evasion by concealing its

actual sales record year after

year unlawfully, a press

release said.

Although

the

multinational company has

been earning huge profits

each year from doing

business in Bangladesh, they

deprived the government

from getting due revenues.

Before the COVID-19

pandemic, Singer posted

record profits in 2019, but

the company paid VAT less

than the actual amounts

they had to pay in line with

the company's sales. This

VAT evasion by Singer

deprived the government of

huge revenues.

The listed company's VAT

evasion cased was revealed

by an investigation of the

Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU)

under the National Board of

Revenue (NBR).

Prior to Corona, Singer

Bangladesh has achieved

Country’s 8 EPZs come under

Corona vaccination program

The 8 EPZs under Bangladesh Export

Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) have

come under the Corona vaccination program.

Uttara EPZ started the vaccination program

among the workers as 8th EPZ recently, a

press release said.

Naheed Munshi, General Manager of

Uttara EPZ and Civil Surgeon of Nilphamari

district officially inaugurated the program.

On the first day, 5,000 workers of 3 factories

were vaccinated. The rest workers of 21

factories of UEPZ will also be inoculated

which will continue till 3 November.

Mentionable, Cumilla EPZ started

BEIJING : China said it has

increased daily coal

production by over one

million tonnes, easing its

energy shortage as world

leaders gather in Britain for

climate talks billed as one

of the last chances to avert

catastrophic global

warming, reports BSS.

The world's biggest coal

importer has battled

widespread power cuts in

recent months that have

disrupted supply chains,

due to strict emissions

targets and record prices

for the fossil fuel.

But the crisis is now

winding down thanks to a

boost in domestic coal

output, according to a

statement from China's top

economic planning body

late Sunday.

The

National

Development and Reform

Commission said average

daily coal production has

risen to above 11.5 million

tonnes since the middle of

record profits in 2019. But

the company has deprived

the government of the

revenue it receives.

According to the source,

the VAT return is submitted

in the name of the merged

entity. This return is

submitted for invalid rebate.

Although the company

merged, the VAT

Commissioner ate was not

informed. The company has

424 sales outlets across the

country. Of these, 314 are

out of central registration.

None of the 19 warehouses

have VAT registration. As a

result, VAT on unregistered

sales outlets and ware house

were embezzled. Although

the annual turnover of the

company is Tk 1,500 crore,

they have paid only Tk 33

crore VAT. In just four

months, the company has

taken about 94 crore VAT

evasion and illegal

discounts!

LTU has found evidence of

such irregularities in the

multinational company

Singer Bangladesh Limited.

Initiatives have been taken

to take legal action against

irregularities that inspect

and search the listed

October, up by 1.1 million

tonnes compared with the

end of September.

The production surge

comes as world leaders-but

not Chinese president Xi

Jinping-convene in

Glasgow for COP26 talks to

secure more ambitious

global greenhouse gas

emissions.

Xi, whose country is the

world's largest emitter of

planet-heating gases, has

instead submitted a written

statement to the summit.

In recent months, several

Chinese factories were

forced to halt operations

due to power outages,

raising concern about

global supply chains.

The squeeze had also

been exacerbated by

Beijing's zero-tolerance

Covid-19 policy that saw it

all but close its borders to

the outside world,

hindering shipments of raw

materials from overseas.

A trade tiff with Australia

companies in the capital

market.

Akram Uddin Ahmed,

Chief Financial Officer

(CFO) of Singer Bangladesh

Limited, told that he did not

know about the VAT evasion

case filed by LTU. We have

not received any letter or

notice. 'Regarding the

registration of 314 outlets,

he said,' One of our

registrations is in LTU, the

other is in Motijheel division

under VAT South.

Registration of all sales

outlets is in Motijheel

division; LTU does not know

about this. You can go to

Motijheel division and see. '

How does International

Appliance Limited return

after merger? Asked

whether the information of

the company which was

merged to illegally take

discounts and evade VAT

has been withheld, he said,

"This company is not under

LTU, so they do not know."

All have been reported. If

LTU says so, it will not

happen. I would like to say

to LTU, we have moved to

LTU from another

commissioner ate. But we

have a lot of problems. '

vaccination program on 18 August 2021 as

the first EPZ. Later, the other EPZs started

the program which is still ongoing. BEPZA is

working to ensure 100% vaccination in order

to maintain production oriented working

atmosphere of EPZ by ensuring good health

of the workers.

BEPZA contacted with Prime Minister's

Office to bring 5 Lac workers of EPZs under

the inoculation program. Later, BEPZA

keeps continuing its efforts to bring all

workers of EPZs under the program with the

help of the concerned district administration

and Civil Surgeon office.

China eases power

crunch with boost

to coal production

also heightened the drop in

coal imports.

But at one point in late

October daily output hit

11.72 million tonnes, a

record in recent years.

Spot prices for the fuel

are also "falling fast" with

the main contract for

thermal coal halving to 970

yuan per tonne over the

previous eight days.

"Levels of coal storage ...

have also risen rapidly with

the gradual improvement

of the supply-demand

situation," the agency said.

China generates about 60

percent of its energy from

burning coal.

Beijing submitted a

renewed climate plan to the

United Nations days before

the COP26 climate summit,

confirming its goal to

achieve carbon neutrality

before 2060 and slash its

emissions intensity-the

amount of emissions per

unit of economic output-by

more than 65 percent.

WeDneSDAY, noveMBer 3, 2021

9

I did not deserve to win,' says Murray

after wasting seven match points

Liverpool play Atletico again in the Champions League on Wednesday in a game that this time carries

more significance for the Spaniards than the reds.

photo: Ap

Liverpool prepare again for Atletico

amid feud over style, character

SportS DeSk

Jurgen Klopp wants to say the right

things when it comes to Atletico

Madrid and Diego Simeone but there is

always an itch he ends up scratching,

reports BSS.

Liverpool play Atletico again in the

Champions League on Wednesday in a

game that this time carries more

significance for the Spaniards than the

Reds.

Klopp's team are already five points

clear at the top of a group that looked

awkward when the draw came out in

August.

Atletico are in a scrap, level on four

points with Porto, whom they still have

to play in Lisbon in the final round.

In theory, the pressure on Liverpool

should be reduced and yet this fixture

keeps finding a way to irritate the

German, to push his buttons and draw

reactions he later has to rephrase or

retract.

This will be the fourth meeting

between the sides in the past 18

months. Atletico claimed victory in a

thrilling knock-out tie last year after

winning 1-0 at home, and 3-2 after

extra-time away.

Liverpool then won by the same

scoreline in Madrid last month,

Holders France stunned

by Canada at Billie

Jean King Cup

SportS DeSk

Champions France stumbled

at the first hurdle as they lost to

Canada in their opening tie of

the maiden Billie Jean King

Cup final tournament in

Prague on Monday, reports

BSS.

The 2019 Fed Cup

champions and the top seeds of

its rebranded version have to

beat a strong Russian team on

Wednesday to keep their hopes

of making the play-offs alive.

Belgium, Spain and the

Czech Republic started the

tournament with wins,

securing an advantage ahead of

the second and final ties in the

three-member groups.

France's Fiona Ferro lost

the opening rubber to world

number 353 Francoise Abanda

6-4, 4-6, 4-6.

Alize Cornet levelled the

score by edging Rebecca

Marino 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) but then

lost the decisive doubles rubber

alongside Clara Burel 3-6, 6-7

(6/8) at the hands of Gabriela

Dabrowski and Marino.

Canada were a late addition

to the tournament, replacing

Hungary after Budapest

passed on the hosting rights to

Prague.

"To beat the number one is

obviously incredible and I

think we should be really proud

of ourselves," Marino beamed

after the doubles rubber.

"As a team we came together

and fought with a lot of heart,"

she added.

In the other afternoon tie,

Belgium won both singles to

beat Belarus 2-1 in Group B.

Belgium's Greet Minnen

first eased past Irina

Shymanovich 6-2, 6-2 in the

opening rubber.

capitalising on a red card for Antoine

Griezmann and a penalty, scored by the

blistering Mohamed Salah.

For the last decade, Klopp has been

one of the game's most charming

characters and charismatic voices.

He is not a coach that seeks

confrontation, either deliberately or

desperately, as a technique to get the

best out of players. His jabs at Atletico

feel out of sync and out of character.

There have been several, but the most

notable came after the loss at Anfield

last year. "I don't understand with the

quality they have to be honest, that they

play this kind of football. I don't

understand that," Klopp told BT Sport.

"When I see players like Koke, Saul

(Niguez), (Marcos) Llorente - they

could play proper football but they

stand deep and have counter attacks.

But they beat us that's how it is."

In the first leg, Klopp substituted

Sadio Mane, worried about Atletico's

attempts to get him sent off. "I was

afraid his opponent would go down if

he took a deep breath," he said.

He noted Atletico's celebrations at

the end.

"I saw a lot of happy faces among

their players and staff, but it's not over,"

said Klopp. He also seemed irked by

Simeone's antics on the touchline.

"Wow, that's energy," he said.

"I hope I can be a little more focused

in the second leg."

After winning in Madrid, a grinning

Klopp sarcastically waved down the

tunnel at Simeone, who habitually

avoids shaking the other coach's hand.

"I wanted to shake his hand and he

was running off," he said. "I'm also not

overly happy with my reaction to be

honest."

Klopp has also stayed true to his

more professional instincts, offering

generous praise of Atletico and

Simeone, if not for their style, then their

achievements.

"His teams are always wellorganised,

world class, so that makes

him one of the best coaches," he said

before the first meeting in 2020.

Afterwards he said: "Their defence was

exceptional."

And he has tried to smooth over

previous comments when they have

resurfaced. "I'm not the pope of

football," he said after the last match.

"What does it matter what I like?"

To fulfil their obligations with

television companies, coaches are

required to speak within minutes of the

final whistle. In some ways it is

incredible more do not err from

diplomacy.

Buttler ton helps England virtually

seal T20 World Cup semi spot

SportS DeSk

Jos Buttler hit the first century of the

Twenty20 World Cup as England effectively

booked their semi-final spot with a 26-run

victory over Sri Lanka on Monday, reports

BSS.

Buttler's unbeaten 101 - his maiden

century in 86 T20 internationals - steered

England to 163 for four after being invited to

bat first in Sharjah.

England bowlers led by Adil Rashid then

combined to bowl out Sri Lanka for 137 in 19

overs and remain unbeaten with four wins in

the Super 12 stage to stay top of the group.

Only South Africa and Australia can match

their eight points but England already have

the cushion of a far superior run rate.

Buttler smashed six fours and six sixes in

his 67-ball knock and put on 112 with skipper

Eoin Morgan, who made 40, to lift England

after they were in trouble at 35-3.

The England opener, who hit an unbeaten

71 in the win over Australia, surpassed his

previous T20 best of 83 and now leads the

tournament batting chart with 214 runs.

Sri Lanka had England on the backfoot

but Buttler stood firm and took the attack to

the opposition as he got to his hundred on

the final ball of the innings with another hit

over the fence.

Sri Lanka slipped to their third loss in four

matches.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga got two

early wickets including Jason Roy for nine

and Jonny Bairstow, trapped lbw for nought

off the first ball.

The right-left batting pair of Buttler and

Morgan stood firm to grind down the Sri

Lankan attack with some sensible batting.

Buttler reached his fifty in 45 balls and

then changed gears with powerful hits that

unsettled the Sri Lankan bowling.

Morgan joined the charge with one four

and three sixes in his 36-ball knock before

being bowled by Hasaranga who returned

figures of 3-21.

Fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana

gave away just 13 runs from his four overs

but the pace bowlers were taken apart

including skipper Dasun Shanaka going for

24 in his two overs.

Jos Buttler hit the first century of the twenty20 World Cup as england

effectively booked their semi-final spot with a 26-run victory over Sri

Lanka on Monday.

: Ap

SportS DeSk

Former world number one Andy

Murray failed to convert seven match

points after battling back from a set

and a break down only to lose a three

hour thriller 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (11/9) to

lucky loser Dominik Koepfer of

Germany in the Paris Masters first

round on Monday, reports BSS.

Murray, ranked 144, had been given

a wild card but while the 34-year-old

lacked killer instinct he did show

steely determination to take the match

to a third set.

Koepfer -- a late replacement when

American qualifier Jenson Brooksby

withdrew with abdominal pains hours

before the match -- had served for the

match in the second set.

However, Murray, roared on by the

crowd, roused himself and broke

hisn55th-ranked opponent before

going on to take the set.

The third set was a cracking duel

with Murray saving three break points

at 0-40 at 3-3.

Murray will rue letting so many

match points slip -- two when Koepfer

served to stay in the match at 4-5 and

then five more in the epic tie- breaker.

It was Koepfer, though, who showed

how to take chances when they come

along as he converted his first match

point.

Murray gave a brutal assessment of

his performance.

"The most disappointing thing to

me was the way I played tonight," said

Murray, who will play in the

Stockholm event before bringing the

curtain down on this season.

"I did really well to get back into the

match and had a ton of opportunities

to win it. "However, I did not deserve

to win the way I played tonight, it was

not good enough."

Earlier Cameron Norrie, who

occupies a role Murray once did in his

pomp as British number one,

celebrated his 100th ATP tour match

win, outclassing Argentinian Federico

Delbonis 6-2, 6-1.

The 26-year-old British number

one has risen to 13th in the rankings

having begun the year 71st in the

world.

The South Africa-born left hander's

best moment came when he won the

prestigious Indian Wells title last

month.

Norrie was blissfully unaware of

having secured a landmark win.

"I didn't know about it," he said.

"Yeah, it's obviously a great

milestone."

Norrie said he was excited about still

being a contender for the end-ofseason

ATP finals in Turin, Italy, from

November 14-21 for the top eight in

the Race to Turin rankings.

Six places are already secured but

two spots remain.

It is always a goal to be in the mix for

something like that," said Norrie, who

could seal his place in Turin by lifting

the Paris trophy.

"I have played some very good

tennis and in big matches and you

want to be playing with that extra

pressure.

"I could not be more proud of myself

to be in contention. "We shall see if it

becomes reality." Norrie is in world

number one Novak Djokovic's half of

the draw but the Serbian will be wary

if they meet in the quarter-finals.

Murray, ranked 144, had been given a wild card but while the 34-year-old lacked killer instinct he did

show steely determination to take the match to a third set.

photo: Ap

Spurs sack manager Nuno after

just four months in charge

SportS DeSk

Tottenham announced on Monday they

had sacked manager Nuno Espirito Santo

after just four months in charge following

their fifth defeat in 10 Premier League

games, reports BSS.

Spurs gave an insipid display in their 3-

0 defeat at home by Manchester United

on Saturday, with fans booing and

chanting "You don't know what you're

doing" at the former Wolverhampton

boss. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and

managing director of football Fabio

Paratici are understood to have met on

Sunday to discuss the Portuguese

manager's fate.

A statement from the club on Monday

said Nuno and his coaching staff had been

"relieved of their duties".

"I know how much Nuno and his

coaching staff wanted to succeed and I

regret that we have had to take this

decision," Paratici said in the statement.

"Nuno is a true gentleman and will

always be welcome here. We should like

to thank him and his coaching staff and

wish them well for the future."

Spurs said a further coaching update

would follow in due course. Tottenham

have lost five of their past seven Premier

League matches and are eighth in the

table, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Nuno, 47, was announced as the new

boss of the north London club on June

30, replacing Jose Mourinho, who was

sacked in April.

The ex-Valencia and Porto boss was

appointed by Spurs after former manager

Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte,

Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso were

all inked with the job. Tottenham's 17

games in all competitions since his

appointment have featured seven defeats.

They did not manage a single shot on

target against United, with England

captain Harry Kane largely anonymous.

Kane, denied a move to champions

Manchester City in the transfer window,

has only managed one Premier League

goal so far this campaign after winning

his third Golden Boot last season.

Nuno guided Wolves from the secondtier

Championship into the Premier

League in 2018 and secured consecutive

seventh-place finishes in their first two

seasons back in the top-flight before a

13th-place finish last term.

No egos at Chelsea says Chilwell

SportS DeSk

Ben Chilwell says the secret of Chelsea's

success is a lack of big egos in Thomas

Tuchel's squad, reports BSS.

Chelsea head to Malmo on Tuesday in the

Champions League looking to move a step

closer to qualifying for the last 16.

They are second in Group H after

winning two of their first three matches.

The European champions also sit top of

the Premier League as they chase more

silverware in Tuchel's first full season in

charge.

England left-back Chilwell has regained

his place in Tuchel's team after starting the

season on the bench.

The 24-year-old says his unselfish

attitude while playing second fiddle to

Marcos Alonso typified Chelsea's team-first

ethos under Tuchel. "It is obviously

frustrating because as a footballer you want

to be playing week in, week out," Chilwell

said. "When you've got a squad like we do

here at Chelsea, with 20, 25 world- class

players and two or three fighting in every

position, you've got to understand you're not

going to play every match and just to support

the group.

"Of course Marcos started the season very

well. I knew I had to be patient and bide my

time. And I think that's a sign of the fact

we've got such a strong group that's doing

well at the moment because there are no

egos in this squad.

"There is a group of players that want to

work hard for the manager, work hard for

the club and for each other and whoever gets

their opportunity they're ready."

Malik's Pakistan

morale 'high'

before Namibia

SportS DeSk

Veteran allrounder Shoaib

Malik said on Monday

Pakistan's morale was "high"

from last month's win over

India ahead of this week's

Twenty20 World Cup match

against Namibia in Abu

Dhabi, reports BSS.

Pakistan have raced to three

wins in as many games

starting with a resounding

ten-wicket opening fixture

victory over arch-rivals India

followed by New Zealand and

Afghanistan.

They need another win to

qualify for the semi-finals

from Group 2 of the Super 12

stage.

"The morale in the camp is

high," said 39-year-old Malik

before Tuesday's meeting.

"When you win games, the

confidence level is quite high

in the dressing room.

Everyone is looking forward

to playing the rest of the

games we have left in the

tournament.

"When you start your

tournament against a big

team (India) and then you

win that game, then

everything comes in your

dressing room."

Malik, whose tennis star

wife Sania Mirza is from

India, refused to comment on

their arch-rival's abysmal

show in the event, saying "we

are focused on our own

performance and not looking

around." Malik praised the

intensity in the set-up.

"Obviously when you start

the tournament, the goal is to

give your best shot as a team,"

he said.

"But since I've joined the

team, I've seen Pakistan

teams practise sessions and

the way they have been

dealing with pressure from

the world until now, it's been

exceptionally well," he added.

WedneSdaY, noVeMBeR 3, 2021

10

James to perform in biggest

concert 'November Rain'

TBT RepoRT

The National Award winning

artist, also the frontman of his

iconic rock band Faruq Mahfuz

Anam James, popularly called as

the 'Nagar Baul James' and

'Guru' by the audiences of rock

music in Bangladesh. James

means the boundless excitement

and the insanity of the audience.

Once again, the singer is

coming to perform in a big

concert titled 'November Rain'.

The event will take place at the

International Convention City in

the Bashundhara residential

area of the capital on November

12. The main attraction of this

concert is Nagar Baul James.

His representative Robin

confirmed the information to

the media on Monday.

The concert is organised by

Brand myth Communications.

The company hopes that this

will be the biggest event of the

year. Apart from Nagar Baul, six

more bands will take part in it

these are: Artcell, Cryptic Fate,

Viking, Black, Plasmic Knock,

Savagery and Fuse.

Tickets for the concert can be

purchased online for a set fee.

However, the price has not been

finalised yet.

'Moving Bangladesh' receives

Taipei Film Fund

TBT RepoRT

Nuhash Humayun directorial "Moving

Bangladesh", has bagged $89,800 grant from the

Taipei Film Fund.

"Moving Bangladesh" is the only Bangladeshi

film selected among 14 other full-length feature

films selected in the Tokyo Gap Financing Market

(TGFM) section at the 34th Tokyo International

Film Festival 2021.

With this funding, Tokyo International Film

Festival (TIFFCOM) project has reached 60% of its

$659,000 total budget and aims to raise the rest in

Tokyo.

The full-length feature film chronicles the real life

story of a bunch of young adults who are sick of

being stuck in traffic and decide to create the

motorcycle-based ride-sharing app, Pathao.

Salehuddin Sohel

Prince Mamun is a young

musician. He has been

associated with music since

childhood. He regularly

performs on the stage.

He entered the media in

2015 with 1 duet song in a

mixed album titled Anander

Before participating in Tokyo, "Moving

Bangladesh" had participated in India's coproduction

market and got selected among the top

seven projects to pitch at the Cannes Film Market.

Produced by Arifur Rahman &Bijon Imtiaz,

"Moving Bangladesh" is made under the Goopy

Bagha banner.

The film is also backed by Tran Bich-Quan for

France's Dissidenz Films; and Patrick Mao

Huang for Taiwan's Flash Forward

Entertainment.

The film is expected to introduce fresh faces but

the names of the cast have not been published yet.

Earlier, Nuhash Humayun's film "Sincerely

Yours, Dhaka" was premiered at Busan Film

Festival in 2018 and later went for Oscars that year.

As a fellow of the Asian Film Academy 2019, he

directed the LGBTQ drama "Lipstick" in 2019.

Prince Mamun: A

young energetic

musician

Gaan. Since then, several

mixed albums and singles

songs have been released by

Prince Mamun. He joined

Jajabor Band in 2016 as a

vocalist. Jajabor released two

albums called Janjal and

Baulami. He also participated

in TV Musical Live on several

channels. He has also

participated in several shows

in different districts of the

country on behalf of the band.

In 2016, he left Jajabar and

formed a band called

'Boundule'.

He also said that working on

an album is going on lately. A

part from stage shows, he is

also invited in the TV and

radio programs regularly. He

is currently working on a few

singles and mixed albums. If

all goes well, the songs will be

released in video format in a

few days from various

production companies. I wish

everyone's blessings, so that I

can spend time with music for

the rest of my life.

'Batgirl' movie director welcomes

Brendan to DCEU

Batgirl' movie director Bilall Fallah officially

welcomes Brendan Fraser to the DC

Extended Universe. The highly anticipated

blockbuster was initially announced in 2017,

with 'Justice League' creative Joss Whedon

attached to write and direct. After Whedon

dropped out a year later, Warner Bros. and

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin

Siddiqui said he will stop

working in productions made

for India's booming streaming

market, calling online

platforms a "dumping ground

for redundant shows".

India's population of 1.3

billion people has attracted

streaming giants Netflix,

Amazon's Prime Video and

DC Films turned to Birds of Prey writer

Christina Hodson to take over the script.

Hodson, who also penned the screenplay for

the forthcoming 'The Flash' film, was

eventually joined by Bad Boys for Life

directing duo Adil El Arbi and Fallah, billed

collectively as Adil & Bilall.

Disney's Hotstar, all keen to

tap into a vast and fast-growing

market. Nawaz, a celebrated

film actor, starred in Netflix's

first Indian original series

Sacred Games, released in

2018 to international acclaim.

But the 47-year-old told

Bollywood Hungama in an

interview published on the

weekend that "quantity has

Nawazuddin

killed quality" on the so-called

over-the-top (OTT) web

platforms.

"The platform has become a

dumping ground for

redundant shows. We either

have shows that don't deserve

to be seen in the first place. Or

sequels to shows that have

nothing more to say," he said.

"It's become a 'racket' for big

production houses and actors...

Major film producers in

Bollywood have cut lucrative

deals with all the big players in

the OTT field. Producers get

whopping amounts to create

unlimited content."

He added that the

"excitement and challenge

around the digital medium"

that he experienced while

After the the initial team was signed on to

make the film for HBO Max, casting was the

next order of business.

The titular role of Barbara Gordon went to

In the Heights star Leslie Grace, and Oscarwinner

J.K. Simmons was once again tapped

to play Jim Gordon, Gotham City Police

Commissioner and Batgirl's father. Adil &

Bilall's Bad Boys for Life collaborator Jacob

Scipio was then added, in a role as yet

undisclosed. Much speculation swirled

around who would play Batgirl's nemesis in

the picture, with A-list names like Sylvester

Stallone floating around. However, it was

announced just yesterday that Brendan

Fraser was cast as the film's villain, with

sources suggesting he'll play Firefly, a

sociopath with a passion for pyrotechnics.

As the news went viral, Fallah takes to his

Instagram Story to welcome his newest cast

member to the team. First, he reposts a

"welcome to Gotham" story from Scipio,

then shares a press clipping of Fraser and

writes: "YESSSS!! Batgirl for life." Notably,

the director does not weigh in on which part

the actor will be playing.

Source: India Today

Siddiqui decides to

quit OTT platform

working on Sacred Games was

gone. "When I can't bear to

watch them how can I bear to

be in them?" he added.

Siddiqui has been described

as one of Hindi cinema's great

success stories. He came from

humble beginnings in a village

in the northern state of Uttar

Pradesh and made fame in

Bollywood after moving to

India's film capital Mumbai in

2000.

The Indian entertainment

market-valued at $24 billion

by accountancy giant EY-is

already one of the world's

biggest, while smartphone

adoption is forecast to expand

further in coming years.

Source: Indian Express

h o R o S c o p e

aRieS

(March 21 - April 20) : A delay in

receiving acknowledgment of some

sort could happen today. This might

be disappointing, but don't let it get you down.

You'll receive it, just maybe not on time! This isn't

a good day to execute any legal contracts or start

a vacation. It's a great day to take care of

mundane tasks. Get busy!

TauRuS

(April 21 - May 21) : Depressing news

about the state of the world economy

or stock market could have you feeling

gloomy and wondering about your

financial future. Don't worry. The world economy

is in pretty good shape and you should be, too.

Equity in property investments could be down, but

they should recover shortly. Go with the flow and

don't believe everything you read or hear.

GeMini

(May 22 - June 21) : A close friend or

romantic partner might not seem

communicative today and you might

wonder whether this person still cares for you. He or she

is experiencing a few difficulties, perhaps involving

money, and so isn't particularly good company. Listen if

your friend wants to talk, but otherwise just be there.

That's what is important anyway.

canceR

(June 22 - July 23) : Do you have a

garden or some houseplants that seem a

little droopy? Don't worry about

whether or not they're all going to die.

Revive them! You might feel that some things are

more trouble than they're worth. Give yourself space

to be gloomy for a while and then perk yourself up.

Buy yourself a present.

leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Today close friends,

a love partner, or children may appear to

be in a quiet, melancholy mood. You

might wonder if you've done something

to cause it, but it probably has very little to do with you,

if anything. Responsibilities could be weighing on

everyone, including you. The only answer is to pitch in

and take care of business. Then treat yourselves

afterward!

ViRGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Home responsibilities

may increase markedly today, leaving you

feeling like you're the only member of the

household getting anything done. You might give in to

gloom, but don't dwell on it for too long. You will feel a lot

better if you pitch in and take care of whatever needs to be

done and then treat yourself by going out to celebrate. Go

to a movie, or better yet, a concert.

liBRa

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Hurry up and wait

is today's phrase. A visit from a close

friend, love partner, or colleague might

be delayed, perhaps because of

something regarding money or possibly the arts. It

keeps you trapped waiting, unable to go anywhere. At

times like this, it's best to distract yourself. Find

something to do that engrosses you and the time will

go by more quickly.

ScoRpio

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): You've been doing

well financially. You want to do better,

but you might feel temporarily

discouraged. It seems you have to keep

working harder to keep up the pace. This is more the

result of low biorhythms than any true assessment

of your situation. Today you might have to work a

little harder, but you'll get the results you want.

Tomorrow will then be easier on you.

SaGiTTaRiuS

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Today you might

think you look awful and perhaps want to go

out and change your whole look. Buy some

new clothes and go for a workout. Even

though you probably look pretty good, these activities make

you feel good and increase your self-confidence. Your selfimage

is proportionate to your state of mind. You might just

feel a bit down now.

capRicoRn

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20) : Today you might

feel unloved even though there's no

real reason for it. Your relationships

should be pretty strong, but your

biorhythms are down so you might be lacking in

self-confidence. Phone a close friend and get

together. Go shopping or to a movie and raise

your spirits. By the end of the day you'll feel like

your old self again!

aQuaRiuS

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Plans to get

together with friends tonight could be

delayed by responsibilities. It won't

stop you but it will mean getting

together a little later. Someone close to you might

feel a little down and seek a sympathetic ear. Try to

get this person to forget his or her insecurities and

see the situation as it is.

piSceS

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : You might have to

work just a little harder to make money

now. This might involve putting in extra

time on a task, or it could simply mean

that you have to make a few extra trips to the bank.

Artistic insights might not be coming as profusely as

usual, but this is all right. Relax and let things be, and

the ideas will start coming again.

wedNeSdAY, NoveMBeR 3, 2021

11

Amazon-backed EV

startup aims for

valuation above $50 bn

NEW YORK : Rivian

Automotive, an Amazonbacked

electric vehicle

startup, said Monday it is

targeting a valuation of more

than $50 billion, reports

BSS.

The California-based

company will price shares

between $57 and $62,

raising up to $9.1 billion at

the midpoint price and all

company stock at about

$52.5 billion, according to a

securities filing.

US business media said

Rivian could go public on

Wall Street as soon as next

week.

GD-1605/21 (5x3)

Super specialty hair treatment clinic

'Rabson Care' inaugurated in Ctg

S M Akash, Chattogram Correspondent

Super specialty hair treatment clinic

'Rabson Care Limited' has been officially

inaugurated in Chattogram on Monday.

The inaugural ceremony was held in the

auditorium of Rabson Care at Gol Pahar

mour in the city. Chairman of the

organization, Rekha Alam Chowdhury

chaired the occasion while among others,

SM Abu Mohsin, Chairman, Executive

Committee, NCC Bank, Ahmedul Haque,

Director, Al Arafah Islami Bank, Zia Mukti

Chowdhury, Managing Director, Elite

Paint were also present at the occasion.

It is to be noted that Rabson Care

Limited Super Specialty Clinic (A Sister

Concern of Regine Aesthetic Clinic, India)

began its efforts in 2017 to set a benchmark

in community health care by providing

ethical and transparent healthcare.

Syed Galib Azhar Uddin, CEO of Rabson

Care, said the area of Bangladesh Hair

Transplant, Cosmetic, Plastic Surgery and

Laser Treatment is to follow the highest

satisfaction of the patient and set a

standard. We work towards achieving

maximum patient satisfaction. Our center

is equipped with all the state-of-the-art

equipment required to perform all modern

techniques of hair transplant, cosmetic and

plastic surgery, laser medical procedures

and for the first time in Bangladesh we

have launched the best advanced robotic

hair transplant with the help of highly

qualified and experienced Indian

surgeons.

Over hundred BNP leaders and

activists joins AL in Banaripara

S Mizanul Islam, Banaripara Correspondent

Inspired by the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, more than a hundred BNP leaders

and activists have joined the Awami League in Banaripara

Upazila following the constitution of the Bangladesh Awami

League.

The program was held on Monday (November 1) evening,

in the yard of Didihar Begum Razia Islam Technical

Secondary School in the 8th ward of Syedkathi, in the yard

meeting of Awami League nominated boat symbol candidate

Anwar Hossain Mridha in Barisal district Awami League.

They joined with General Secretary of the League and former

MP Advocate Talukder Md. Yunus with flowers in their

hands Asadul Islam Badal, former organizing secretary of

Banaripara Thana BNP, led hundreds of BNP leaders and

activists to join the Awami League Barisal District Awami

League Legal Secretary and Mayor of Banaripara

Municipality Advocate Subhash Chandra Shil, Banaripara

Upazila Awami League President Golam Saleh Monju

Mollah, General Secretary Advocate Mawlad Hossain Sana,

Syedkathi Union Parishad elections Awami League

nominated boat symbol candidate Anwar Hossain Mridha

and leaders of Banaripara Upazila and Syedkathi Union

Awami League and allied organizations were present.

Asadul Islam Badal, who joined Awami League from BNP

at the backyard meeting, said, "I join Awami League

following the principles, manifesto and constitution of

Bangladesh Awami League, the traditional organization of

Bangladesh formed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman." He also said that the Awami

League will not be involved in any activities contrary to the

party's policy ideology.

Super specialty hair treatment clinic 'Rabson Care Limited' has been officially inaugurated in

Chattogram on Monday.

Photo: S M Akash

Argentina makes

interest payment

to IMF

BUENOS AIRES :

Argentina made a payment

of $390 million Monday to

the International Monetary

Fund for interest on a $44

billion loan it is seeking to

renegotiate,

the

government said, reports

BSS.

The amount was the final

interest payment for 2021,

the economy ministry told

AFP.

So far this year, Argentina

has paid $1.9 billion downpayment

on the loan, as

well as $1.3 billion in

interest. It must pay

another $1.9 billion by

December.

GD-1603/21 (6x3)

bw_ bs 18.11.06.51.274.07.015.17/380 ZvwiL : 01/11/2021

More than a hundred BNP leaders and activists

have joined the Awami League in Banaripara

Upazila on Monday. Photo: S Mizanul Islam

Press conference protesting against

allegations of spreading communal

rumors held in Kashiani

Mikhail Mia, Kashiani Correspondent

Faruk Ahmed Mia, independent chairman candidate of

Bethuri Union Parishad in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj, has

held a press conference to protest against the mischievous

attempt to create communal riots by spreading rumors of

vandalism of temple idols to trap him in the UP elections.

He held the press conference at his office at Ramdia Bazar

in the upazila on Tuesday. Faruk Ahmed Mia said in a written

statement that his rival Imrul Hasan Mia, the chairman

candidate of spectacle symbol, set up an election camp in front

of a temple in Narail village of the upazila. Inside the temple,

the Hindu community took an oath to vote for the spectacle

symbol by forcing. Extreme anger was created among the

Hindus of the area over the issue. Later they went to the vice

chairman of Kashiani Upazila Parishad and his supporter Md

Khwaja Newaz and informed him about the matter. The vice

chairman then went to the spot and asked the spectators to

refrain from such activities.

Meanwhile, more than a hundred supporters of Imrul

Hasan Mia gathered there. Immediately rumors of vandalism

of the temple idol spread, creating a tense atmosphere there

and protests began in front of the temple which went viral on

social media Facebook.

He further said that Imrul Hasan Mia, the candidate for the

spectacle symbol, is the son of the late Enayet Hossain Mia, a

convicted accused in the 1971 war crimes case. The UP is

trying to create communal riots by spreading baseless and

misleading rumors among the Hindu community in the runup

to the elections.

GD-1608/21 (10x3)

Faruk Ahmed Mia, independent chairman candidate

of Bethuri Union Parishad in Kashiani

upazila of Gopalganj, held a press conference at

his office at Ramdia Bazar in the upazila on

Tuesday.

Photo: Mikhail Mia

GD-1602/21 (9x3)

Wednesday, Dhaka: November 3, 2021; kartik 18, 1428 BS; rabi-ul Awal 26, 1443 Hijri

UN for investigating,

prosecuting crimes against

journalists, media workers

Energy efficiency essential for

industries : Planning Minister

DHAKA : Planning Minister Abdul

Mannan has said energy efficiency is

essential for the country's industries

to sustain the global competition,

reports UNB.

The minister made the remarks

while addressing a webinar titled

"Energy Efficiency Financing", organised

by Energy and Power magazine

on Tuesday.

He said efficiency is essential not

only for energy or industrial sectors,

but also for all the sectors.

Held with magazine editor Mollah

Amzad Hossain in the chair, the seminar

was also addressed by Bangladesh Bank

general manager KM Millat, Sustainable

and Renewable Energy Development

Authority (Sreda) director Farzana

Montez, and GIZ programme coordinator

Al Modabbir Bin Alam.

The minister said the Western

countries are in an advance position

when it comes to technological development

and Bangladesh should follow

them in taking advantage of the

technology. "We should cooperate

with them instead of ignoring them."

Farzana Momtaz said there is huge

scope for improving energy efficiency

in industrial sector and Sreda has been

working on it.

She mentioned that Sreda has been

implementing energy efficiency projects

in industrial sector with financial

support from Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA).

"Industries could take soft loan from

JICA funds to replace their inefficient

machinery with efficient ones," she

said, adding that her organisation also

engaged in monitoring energy efficiency

activities in industries.

KM Millat said many industries are

getting benefits from central bank's

refinancing scheme by taking green

DHAKA : UN Secretary-General Antonio

Guterres has urged Member States and

the international community to stand in

solidarity with journalists around the

world and to demonstrate the political

will needed to investigate and prosecute

crimes against journalists and media

workers with the full force of the law,

reports UNB.

"Today, on the International Day to

End Impunity for Crimes against

Journalists, we commemorate the legacy

and achievements of journalists killed in

the line of duty, and call for justice for

crimes committed against them," he said

in a message marking the day on

Tuesday.

Last year, according to UNESCO, 62

journalists around the world were killed

just for doing their jobs.

Many lost their lives while covering

conflict. But in recent years, the number

of media workers killed outside conflict

zones has risen, said the UN chief.

"In many countries, simply investigating

corruption, trafficking, human rights

violations or environmental issues puts

journalists' lives at risk," he said.

Impunity for killing journalists is

extremely high. According to UNESCO,

almost 9 out of 10 cases go unpunished.

And journalists face countless other

threats - ranging from kidnapping, torture

and arbitrary detention to disinformation

campaigns and harassment, particularly

in the digital sphere. Women

journalists are at particular risk of online

violence, Guterres said.

Crimes against journalists have an

enormous impact on society as a whole,

because they prevent people from making

informed decisions, he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the

shadow pandemic of misinformation,

has demonstrated that access to facts and

science is literally a matter of life and

death. "When access to information is

threatened, it sends a disturbing message

that undermines democracy and the rule

of law," said the UN chief.

financing facilities.

"But it needs more awareness among

the industry owners to utilize the facilities

to make their ventures more energy

efficient," he added.

Al Modabbir Bin Anam said if a

single unit of power is saved through

emerge efficiency mechanism it creates

spillover effects on the economy.

Missing files

Three more Health

Ministry officials

taken into custody

DHAKA : The Criminal Investigation

Department (CID) has taken three

employees of the Health Ministry into

custody for interrogation in connection

with the 17 files of the Ministry that went

missing, reports UNB.

Contacted, Additional SP of the CID

media wing Azad Rahman told UNB that

the three employees were taken into custody

for interrogation on Tuesday. He,

however, did not disclose the names of

the three employees.

Earlier, six other employees of the same

ministry were taken in by the CID for interrogation

over the same issue. Besides,

Nasimul Goni Toton, a contractor of

Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital, was

detained from Keshabpur in Rajshahi city

on Monday night, he said.

So far ten individuals, including the

contractor, are being interrogated by

CID, a specialized unit of Bangladesh

Police, in connection with the Health

Ministry's missing files.

On October 27, it was revealed that

seventeen files of the Health Ministry

had gone missing from the ministry's

Health, Education and Family Welfare

division.

on Tuesday, the

Department of

oceanography of

Dhaka University

bestows a warm

reception to its faculty

member and the Dean

of FeeS, Professor Dr.

Md. kawser Ahmed on

being appointed as a

member of General

economic Division

(GeD) of the Planning

Commission. The

Chairman of

oceanography

Department Jobaer

Alam and the faculty

members were

present among others.

Photo : TBT

E-commerce fraud

Adyan Mart

CEO, 2 others

remanded

CHUADANGA : A Chuadanga court

placed three people including Chief

Executive Officer of e-commerce platform

Adyan Mart on a 3-day remand in a

fraud case.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Manik

Chandra Dash passed the order and asked

police to interrogate another accused at the

jail gate considering his age.

On Saturday Rab members arrested

Adyan Mart CEO Juabayer Siddque

Manik, its director and his brother

Mahmud Siddique Ratan, their father

Abu Bakar Siddique and manager of the

e-commerce platform Minarul Islam in

the case filed by Atiqur Rahman Ujjal at

Chuadanga sadar police station.

Later, police produced the arrestees

before the court and sought a 7-day

remand for each for interrogation.

Investigation officer in the case Sub

Inspector Gopal Chandra Mondol said

the court put the three accused on a a 3-

day remand after hearing on the petition

submitted by police.

In February, 2020, controversial e-

commerce platform Adyan Mart started

their activities in Chuadanga by opening

a big office at Mominpur.

The company used to attract customers

with lucrative offers. They managed

to get huge orders from across the

country but they did not deliver their

products in time.

The company closed their customer

care and all other offices few months ago.

Major Mohammad Shariful Ahsan,

Company Commander of Rab-6, said a

customer Atiqur Rahman Ujjal lodged a

complaint against Adyan mart for

embezzling around Tk 18.52 lakh.

HC wants to know

steps over Rangpur

custodial death

DHAKA : The High Court on Tuesday

wanted to know the steps taken after the

death of Tajul Islam allegedly after police

torture at Haragach in Rangpur, reports

UNB.

The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon

Rahman and Khandaker Diliruzzaman

asked Deputy Attorney General Amit Das

Gupta to inform the court about the steps

taken in this regard after consultation with

the Rangpur police commissioner.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua presented a

report on the incident published in a daily

newspaper before the court and sought a

necessary directive in this regard on

Wednesday.

DAG Amit Das Gupta said he will inform

the court about the incident after

consultation with the Rangpur police

commissioner.

Tajul Islam, 55, a resident of Dalalhat village

in Haragach union, was reportedly

beaten to death by police at Haragach

Natun Bazar around 6 pm on Monday.

Tajul was detained with some drugs during

a police drive at Haragach Natun Bazar

on Monday evening and he fell unconscious

as police beat him up mercilessly. At

one stage, police pushed him against a wall

and he died on the spot.

Enraged by the incident, locals cordoned

off Haragach police station, threw

brick chips at police and vandalized some

vehicles.

Police later fired rubber bullets and

lobbed teargas shells to disperse the protesters.

e-learning adds new dimension

to journalism training:Hasan

DHAKA : Information and Broadcasting

Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday

said e-learning platforms added a new

dimension to impart training in the country's

journalism arena.

"A vast revolution has taken place in the

country's mass media during the last one

decade. But, the training programme was

not extended. For this online journalism

training is very much crucial and convenient

for professional and senior journalists.

About 5000 applications of journalists for e-

learning courses have proved its importance,"

he said. The minister stated these

while inaugurating the e-learning platform

(pibelearning.gov.bd) and distributing certificates

of a course at Press Institute of

Bangladesh (PIB) in the capital.

South Africa thrashes BD by

six wickets in T20 WC

SPorTS DeSk

The photo shows South African players celebrating a wicket of Bangladesh in a Group 1 game of the

ongoing T20 World Cup at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Photo: Courtesy

South Africa on Tuesday thrashed

Bangladesh by 6 wickets in a Group 1

game of the ongoing T20 World Cup at

the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Chasing a below-par target of 85, South

Africa won the game with 39 balls to

spare.

Earlier, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich

Nortje took three wickets each as South

Africa bowled out Bangladesh for 84.

Initially, South Africa had won the toss

and skipper Temba Bavuma elected to

bowl first against Bangladesh.

A clueless batting performance saw

Bangladesh dismissed for 84 in 18.2 overs

against South Africa in their fourth match

of the Super 12 of Twenty20 World Cup at

Sheikh Jayed Cricket Stadium in Abu

Dhabi on Tuesday.

South Africa fast bowlers, Anrich Nortje

and Kagiso Rabada were the wrecker-inchief,

claiming three wickets apiece with

express pace that left Bangladesh in a precarious

position from the very beginning.

The 84 was Bangladesh's third lowest

total in the T20 World Cup.

Only three Bangladeshi batters could

reach double digit figure, with Mahedi

Hasan top-scoring 27. Opener Liton Das

made 24 while Shamim Patwari, one of

the two changes of Bangladesh from the

Hasan said it was possible to give education

through online even in the COVID-19

epidemic for implementation of 'Digital

Bangladesh' under the dynamic leadership

of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and

her ICT Affairs Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

The minister informed that he also took

classes through online and exams from

home and abroad of Dhaka University as a

part-time teacher.

Urging the journalists to keep their role

in building the society and the state as well,

he said the role of Shykh Seraj of Channel

i deserves praise for his development journalism

in building the country and the

society. An investigative report can open

the third eye of a society, said Hasan, also

Awami League joint general secretary.

Saline tolerant paddy farming begins

at coastal region: Sadhan

DHAKA : Food Minister Sadhan Chandra

Majumder yesterday said the much-awaited

saline tolerant paddy farming has begun in the

country. "We have to motivate local farmers to

cultivate saline tolerant paddy varieties aimed

at making food security sustainable," he said,

calling upon authorities concerned to disseminate

the paddy varieties among farmers.

The minister said this while joining virtually

a function of development organization

'Sushilon', marking its 30th founding anniversary

from his secretariat office here. Terming

the lunching cultivation of the particular variety

a 'golden' opportunity, Majumder said the

local people have to be motivated with the cultivation

of the varieties so that the internal rice

production could be boosted up.

Considering fair price of crops and purchasing

capacity of marginal people, the food minister said

the government has taken diversified measures to

make food security strengthened and real-based.

Chaired by Sushilon Executive Council

Chairman A JM Azizur Rahman, the programme

also was attended, among others, by Khulna City

Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque, Direndra

Devnath Shambhu ,MP, Mir Mostaque Ahmed

Robi, MP, Mostafa Lutfullah ,MP, M

Akhteruzzaman Babu ,MP, NGO Affairs Bureau

Director General KM Tariqul Islam and Shusilon

founder and chief executive Mostafa Nuruzzaman.

previous game, made 11.

Kagiso Rabada firstly tormented

Bangladesh with raw pace that accounted

Naim Sheikh (9) and Soumya Sarkar

in consecutive deliveries.

He then undid Mushfiqur Rahim with

an extra bounce for duck and finished

his first spell with 3-14.

Nortje's barrages of short balls were too

much for Bangladesh. He firstly took the

wicket of captain Mahmudullah with a

short ball, leaving Bangladesh 34-4.

When it needed to show some patience,

Afif Hossain played a wretched shot in the

first delivery he faced against Dwayne

Petorious and saw his stump rattled.

Liton however showed the patience but

was beaten off the air by left-arm wrist

spinner Tabriz Shamsi for 24.

Shamim and Mahedi fought it hard but

South African pacers were tough to deal

with. They are however the reason that

Bangladesh avoided being dismissed by

their lowest World Cup total which was

70 against New Zealand in Kolklata in

2016 T20 World Cup.

Nortje however cleaned up the tail, taking

out Mahedi and Nasum Ahmed in

consecutive deliveries in their penultimate

over. Nortje eventually had figures

of 3.2-0-8-3 while Rabada returned form

with 3-20 in four overs.

Next election as per

constitution : Quader

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday

reiterated that the next general election

would be held in line with the provisions

of Constitution.

"The way elections are being held in

other democratic countries of the

world...the next general polls will be

held in Bangladesh following its constitution,"

he said while speaking at a relief

distribution programme, joining virtually

from his official residence here.

The relief was distributed among the

affected families of Hindu community at

Chowmuhani in Noakhali district.

Quader, also the road transport and

bridges minister, said the election would

not be halted whether the BNP joins it or

not. After being failed in the field of politics,

the communal evil forces are now

trying to destroy the country's communal

harmony, he said, adding: "The

recent attacks on the Hindu community

proved that they were still active in the

country."

Quader assured that the masterminds

behind the recent communal violence

would be brought to justice after indentifying

them.

Conspiracies continue to destroy the

communal harmony here aiming to

deteriorate the government's good relations

with the country's Hindu community

and India, he continued.

Speaking at the meeting, AL presidium

member Begum Matia Chowdhury

said when Bangladesh is advancing

towards the expected prosperity, the

defeated forces are involved in intrigues

against it.

AL relief and social welfare secretary

Sujit Roy Nandi and general secretary of

Dhaka south city unit of AL Humayun

Kabir were, among others, present.

Banglabandha UP

chairman sent to

jail for beating up

plaintiff in court

PANCHAGARH : A

Panchagarh court on Tuesday

sent Banglabandha Union

Parishad Chairman Kudrat-e-

Khuda Milon to jail in a case

filed over beating up a plaintiff

in the court premises.

Senior Judicial Magistrate

Md Matiur Rahman also rejected

bail for the chairman when

he appeared before the court

seeking bail.

He was granted a six-week bail

in this case previously, on expiry

of which he appeared in court

today seeking an extension.

According to the case, Milon's

associates beat up the plaintiff

in the canteen of the Chief

Judicial Magistrate's Court on

September 16. Later on that

day, sub-inspector Mozibar

Rahman filed a case against

seven people, including Milon

at the Panchagarh Sadar Police

Station. The other accused in

the case are out on bail.

This time, Milon is contesting

for the UP chairman post as

an independent candidate.

03-11-2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?