06-06-2022

Monday

DhAkA: June 6, 2022; Jaishtha 23,1429 BS; Zilquad 5,1443 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.20; N o. 36 ; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

InternatIonal

Cambodians get new

opposition choice in

local elections

>Page 7

sports

Aussie Lee grabs lead

with 54-hole record at

US Women's Open

>Page 9

art & culture

Ferdous, Nipun in new

film 'Sujon Majhi'

>Page 10

Sitakunda fire kills 49

and injures 450

S M AkASh And AShok dAS,

ChAttogrAM BureAu

At the time of writing this report, 49 people

including 9 fire service personnel were

killed and more than 450 were injured in

the fire at BM Depot in Sitakunda,

Chattogram. An experienced team of

Bangladesh Army is working on permanent

fire control, along with 32 units of fire

service, deployed in rows of ambulances.

The Chattogram Civil Surgeon's Office has

canceled the leave of all doctors in

Chattogram. According to the fire service,

there was hydrogen peroxide in the

exploded container depot.

A seven-member inquiry committee

comprising Chattogram Port Authority,

Chattogram Fire Service and district

administration has been formed. The

State Minister for Shipping has said that

the management of the container depot

were wrong and negligent. The prime

minister and the president offered their

condolences. In this regard, the Inspector

General of Fire Service told The

Bangladesh Today that the fire is not going

3 BAEC officials

among 4 killed in

Savar road crash

DHAKA : Four people including three officials

of Bangladesh Atomic Energy

Commission (BAEC) were killed and 40

others injured in a collision among three

vehicles at Boliarpur on Dhaka-Aricha

highway in Savar Sunday morning.

The deceased were identified as BAEC

engineer Kawsar Hossain, 33, testing officer

Arifuzzaman, 32, scientific officer Puja

Sarkar, 33, and bus driver Rajib, 30, said

SI Sabur Khan, in-charge of Aminbazar

police outpost.

Of the injured, 15 are undertoing treatment

at Enam Medical College and

Hospital in Savar.

According to the police, a bus carrying

officials and employees of BAEC was

going to Ganakbari in Savar from the city

in the morning. The bus ploughed through

a road divider after its driver lost control

over the steering and a speeding truck carrying

cows hit the bus from behind at the

same time.

The accident got even deadlier when

another bus hit the damaged the bus and

the truck , leaving three people dead on the

spot and 40 others injured, SI Sabur said.

On information, Savar Fire Service

members and police reached the spot and

rushed the injured to Enam Medical

College and Hospital in Savar.

Severely injured bus driver Rajib died

while undergoing treatment there, said

hospital sources.

The bodies of the deceased were recovered

by Savar Police, said the SI.

On the other hand, BAEC authority

seeks eternal peace of the departed souls

and expressed heartfelt sympathy to the

members of the bereaved families.

Zohr

03:45 AM

12:05 PM

04:35 PM

06:47 PM

08:15 PM

5:10 6:44

to be brought under control in any way.

An expert team from the military

arrived at the scene to bring the fire under

control. At least 39 people, including eight

firefighters, were killed in the blaze,

according to the latest reports. The matter

has been confirmed by Sitakunda Upazila

Nirbahi Officer, Shahadat Hossain.

The fire broke out at 8:30 pm on

Saturday at the BM Container Depot in

Kashem Jute Mill area of Sonaichhari

Union in Sitakunda Upazila. Initially, a

total of 183 firefighters were deployed in

29 units of the fire service. Meanwhile, it

was learned that more than 150 people

were admitted to CMC Hospital but it

could not be confirmed. Military Academy

Hospitals, including various private hospitals

in Chattogram, are open for injured

patients, he said.

Chattogram Agrabad Fire Service

Senior Station Officer Enamul Haque confirmed

the incident to The Bangladesh

Today and said that the fire service officials

rushed to the spot after receiving the news

of the fire. The exact cause of the fire will

be known at the end of the operation.

the first

hajj flight

from

Bangladesh

has left the

country on

Sunday.

Photo : tBt

Witnesses said the blast caused a massive

tremor in an area of 5 to 6 kilometers around

the container depot. The windows of hundreds

of houses in and around the mosque

were shattered, causing extensive damage.

A DNA test has been arranged to identify

the body, said Shahidul Islam, assistant

(AC) commissioner of the city's

Chawkbazar zone. He said the Panchlaish

Model Police Station is preparing an

inquest and sending the body to

Chattogram Medical College (CMC)

morgue for autopsy. There, DNA will be

collected for identification. The bodies of

those whose relatives are missing will be

handed over after DNA testing.

"In this regard, I have no language to say

and I am very shocked and saddened",

remarked Sitakunda MP Mohammad

Didarul Alam to The Bangladesh Today.

Sitakunda Upazila Chairman Abdullah

Al Mamun told The Bangladesh Today

that the need for a lot of blood and the

humanity that the people of Chattogram

have showed to meet this need is rare in

the history of the country.

>(Contd. on page-2)

BERC increases

residential gas price

1 stove 990, 2 stoves 1080 Tk

SAfiqul iSlAM

Thus, people are suffering due to the increase

in the prices of daily necessities. In such a situation,

the price of gas to the residents was

increased. At the consumer level, the price of

natural gas has been increased from TK 9.70

per cubic meter to

TK 22.78 per cubic

meter and increased

to TK 11.91 per cubic

meter. Besides, the

current price of one

stove has been

increased from TK

950 to TK 990 and

for two stoves from

TK 975 to TK 1,080.

The current price

for pre-paid meter customers has been increased

from TK 12.60 paisa to TK 18. Many people think

that this will increase the suffering of the common

people. The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory

Commission issued the order on Sunday regarding

the price of natural gas at the consumer level.

The price of this gas has been effective

from June 1. That means customers will

have to pay this extra bill at the end of

this month. Abu Farooq, acting chairman

of BERC, announced the new rates.

Among others, commission members

Maqbool E Ilahi Chowdhury, Bazlur

Rahman and Kamruzzaman took part.

The highest increase of 259 percent in fertilizer

production, 11.96 percent in large scale

industries, 12 percent in electricity and 15.5

percent in captive has been increased.

However, the price of CNG has not been

increased.In a written statement, Abu

Farooq said the distribution

and transmission

company

had applied with

Petro Bangla in early

January last year

under Section 34 of

6 the Commission

Act.

The hearing was

held from March 21

to 24. At the hearing,

the BERC technical committee recommended

an increase in the price of all types of gas.

The price of gas has been increased as per

section 22 (b) and section 34 of the

Commission Act. It was informed at the

press conference that there would be a deficit

of TK 11,800 crore. Out of this amount, the

government will provide TK 6,800 crore as

subsidy in the budget. On the other hand,

energy security fund and dividends of companies

will be paid at RS 4,800 crore. Asked

how the residential pre-paid meter would be

recharged in June.

A massive fire at a container depot near a port city in southeastern Bangladesh killed at least 49

people, including nine firefighters, and injured more than 100 others.

Photo : tBt

No JSC, JDC exams

this year, says

Education Minister

DHAKA : Like the previous year, Junior

School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil

Certificate (JDC) examinations will not be

held this year, said Education Minister

Dipu Moni on Sunday.

"Students will be promoted to the next

class on the basis of the results of final

exams in their respective schools.

However, they will receive a certificate

from their respective Board of Education,"

she told reporters at the secretariat.

She said an announcement about the

inclusion of new educational institutions

under the government's monthly payment

order (MPO) will be made within a week.

The online application for MPO inclusion

began on October 10, 2021.

Hajj flight begins

DHAKA : This year's maiden hajj flight of

Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying 410

pilgrims left Hazrat Shahjalal

International Airport (HSIA) here for

Saudi Arabia yesterday morning.

State Minister for Civil Aviation M

Mahbub Ali and State minister for

Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan

saw the pilgrims off before the national

flag carrier taking off HSIA around 9 am.

According to the bilateral agreement

between Bangladesh and the Saudi

Arabia, a total of 57,585 Bangladeshis will

be able to perform hajj this year.

The national flag carrier Biman will

carry 29,000 hajj pilgrims by three Boeing

777 aircraft under its 130 dedicated flights

with 65 round trips while the Saudi

Arabian state-owned airlines Saudia and

Flynas transfer rest of the hajjis.

Biman will operate pre-hajj flight till

July 3 to Jeddah and Madina and posthajj

flight from July 14 to August 13.

Saudia and Flynas will start operating

hajj flight from June 10.

BM Container calculates

loss up to 100 crore

SM AkASh, ChAttogrAM BureAu

Private ICDs started their operation in

the country in 1974 with the introduction

of ICDs under the name of Sea Fayers

Limited, then 19 private ICDs were

formed step by step till 2021 without any

policy. In 2016, according to the offdock

policy, there are instructions to set up off

dock within 20 kilometers of the port. In

19 private ICDs,

100% of the exported

goods were loaded

into containers and

taken to the port for

shipping. Besides, 36

types of imported

goods including food

items were brought

to the depot for

unloading.

These ICDs are located

within 1 to 25 kilometers

of Chattogram

port. There are about

19,000 containers in

the BM container

depot in the horrific fire that broke out in

the Bhatiari area of Sitakunda in

Chattogram on June 4. According to the

district administration, several of these

containers contained dangerous combustible

substances.

And that's where the main explosion

took place. Where hydrogen peroxide

was stored. The BM container authorities

have claimed that thousands of crores of

taka have been lost due to the blast.

Mojibur Rahman, managing director of

Smart Group and director of BM

Container Depot, told The Bangladesh

Today that, "I have lost everything. Our

loss in this fire has exceeded about a thousand

crores of taka. The chemical hydrogen

peroxide never burns on its own.

Excessive heat ignites the fire. "If the fire

service had worked properly, nothing

would have happened here."

Asked how many workers worked in the

depot, Mojibur Rahman said there were

more than 100 workers in the depot. We

are bearing the medical expenses of all the

injured. I am working on how I can help

others who have been harmed, how I can

help myself who have been injured. We

are supervising and bearing the medical

expenses of our staff in different hospitals

of Chattogram and Sitakunda.

>(Contd. on page-2)

BD a star of growth, says IFAD

DHAKA : Terming Bangladesh a growth

star in the region, Reehana Rifat Raza, the

regional director of the Asia and Pacific

Division at the International Fund for

Agricultural Development (IFAD), has

urged Bangladesh to keep the focus on rural

development.

"The rural economy is very important. You

know, that's where a large share of people

lives. Despite having heavy urbanization, it's

not a sustainable path in some sense. And we

have to look at how we make rural areas

attractive economic centers," she told UNB in

an interview. The rural areas should be made

'attractive' for economic growth to keep the

people resilient to different shocks both on climate

change and poverty fronts, she said

The economist who visited Bangladesh

recently, said their projects are doing very

well and there is a real benefit on the ground

as they do impact assessments. She said the

countries like Bangladesh which are moving

towards the next level of development have

a real challenge as they have a large number

of populations that live in the rural areas.

"The real challenge is when the structural

change happens, and it happens in all the

economies as they develop. We move from

agriculture to industry and to services," Raza

said, emphasizing that they need to think

about looking at shifting people and see how

they generate the income because agriculture

no longer can serve as the primary

means of livelihood. Raza, who joined IFAD

in May 2022 from the Urban Institute in

Washington D.C., USA, said they are looking

at resilience and offering multiple means

of generating incomes and helping the people

live in the rural areas as climate change

is a big issue there.

Small-scale farmers produce one-third of

the world's food, but receive only 1.7 per cent

of climate finance, according to the international

financial institution and specialized

United Nations agency based in Rome.

IFAD is stepping up its investments globally

to build small-scale farmers' long-term

resilience to climate change by dedicating

40 per cent of its core resources to climate

action over the next three years, up from 35

per cent (equivalent to US$1.2 billion) over

the previous three-year period.

MOnDAY, jUnE 6, 2022

2

Professor Dr. M Lutfar Rahman, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. S M Mahbub Ul Haque, Pro Vice

Chancellor and Prof. Dr. Mostafa Kamal, Dean Academic Affairs of Daffodil International University

are leading the Rally at Daffodil International University brought out to mark the "World

Environment Day 2022".

Photo : Courtesy

Early treatment can cure clubfoot problems: experts

RANGPUR : Experts at a discussion

yesterday said early treatment can cure

the clubfoot problem of babies born

with crooked feet to the tune of 5,000

annually in Bangladesh.

Treatment of babies born with

clubfoot problems should be started as

soon as possible after their birth, they

said.

Walk for Life, a Bangladesh Clubfoot

project run by The Glencoe

Foundation, organized the event with

the support of donor organizations

Miracle Fit and Action on Poverty at a

private medical college here in

observance of the World Clubfoot Day-

2022. Associate Professor and Head of

the Department of Orthopedics and

Traumatology of Rangpur Prime

Medical College and Hospital

(RPMCH) Dr Shariful Haque Sharif,

Social Services officer Md. Nazrul

Islam, Physiotherapist of The Glencoe

Foundation and Walk for Life project

Nazrul Islam Nayeem and President of

Parosh Protibondhi Unnayan Sangstha

Atiar Rahman addressed the

discussion. Dr. Sharif said clubfoot or

crooked foot or curved foot is a type of

birth defect in a baby's body that can be

seen from the time the baby is born.

"This defect affects the structure and

function of one or more organs of the

baby. Children under the age of three

are receiving cost-free treatment and

medical care through The Glencoe

Foundation's Walk for Life project in

Bangladesh," he said.

"As many as 30,500 children with

clubfoot problems have been treated in

the country in the last 14 years from

2009 to May 2022. About 95 percent of

them recovered through treatment," he

said. Physiotherapist Nayeem said the

government is working jointly with

development agencies through

different projects to remove disability

of children from the country.

FBCCI President

mourns deaths in

container depot fire

DHAKA : FBCCI President

Md. Jashim Uddin has

expressed deep sorrow at

the loss of lives and injuries

in BM Container depot fire

at Sitakunda in Chattogram.

In a condolence message

on Sunday, the FBCCI

president prayed for the

salvation of the departed

souls extended his deepest

sympathy to the bereaved

family members.

He called for ensuring

maximum safe working

environment in all industrial

mills, buildings and

warehouses to avoid such

tragic accident in future.

Parliament goes

into budget session

SANGSAD BHABAN : The

Parliament opened its

budget session on Sunday.

The national budget for

FY2022-23 will be debated

and approved during this

18th session of the 11th

Parliament.

The session started at 5pm

with Speaker Shirin

Sharmin Chaudhury in the

chair. Finance Minister

AHM Mustafa Kamal is

slated to place the budget

proposals on June 9.

On May 18 last, President

Abdul Hamid summoned

the JS session exercising

power bestowed upon him

by Article 72(1) of the

Constitution.

JS selects 5-member

panel of chairpersons

SANGSAD BHABAN :

Speaker Shirin Sharmin

Chaudhury on Sunday

nominated a five-member

panel of chairpersons for the

18th session of the 11th

parliament.

The panel members are

Shamsul Islam Tuku, AB

Tajul Islam, Muhibur

Rahman Manik, Mujibul

Huq Chunnu and Hamima

Akhter Khanom.

Sitakunda fire

from page 1

In any difficult situation of the

country, it is visible today that

the people of Chattogram jump

into the service of the highest

humanity.

Sitakunda Model Police Station

OC Abul Kalam Azad told

The Bangladesh Today that

export goods were stored at the

container depot. Upon receiving

the news of the fire, the

police of Model Police Station

went to the spot. The bombardment

struck shortly after

noon in front of a police station,

injuring several policemen.

One policeman's leg was

severed in the blast. He said

people were being stopped at

the entrance of the depot to

avoid the accident and awareness

was being done in the

area's mosque to evacuate the

locals to a safe distance.

The BM container depot,

spread over an area of 26 acres,

employs at least 1,000 people,

sources said. There are more

than a thousand containers

laid out one on top of the other.

In the first case, a fire broke out

in a container full of chemicals

and firefighters had to rush for

three to four hours. Most of the

casualties were caused by curious

crowds who were on duty

at the scene or went live from

their mobile phones and

watching the blaze. The first

flammable container exploded

two hours later, causing extensive

damage. One flammable

container after another on the

back of the container caught

fire. In addition to the chemical

containers, there were containers

of garments and poultry

feed. Drivers were able to rescue

at least 130 car-covered

vans on the east side of the area

when they were able to control

the blaze at 2 am. The fire started

at 8.30 pm and was burning

for a long time. Since late night,

volunteers from thousands of

social, political, religious, government

and non-government

organizations provided services

to CMC Hospital and BM

Container Depot in Shitalpur.

Chattogram Civil Surgeon

Elias Chowdhury has called

upon all the doctors and nurses

in Chattogram to cancel

their leave and come to the

spot immediately.

BM Container calculates

from page 1

According to relevant

sources, there are 19 private

container depots in the

whole country. According to

the rules of the Board of

Revenue of the country, it is

mandatory to bring 41 types

of imported cargo containers

through Chattogram

port to such depots and

unload them. On the other

hand, at present no export

goods are loaded in containers

at the port. About 93 per

cent of the exported goods

are brought to these depots

from factories and loaded in

containers and exported

through ports.

In response to a question

as to why the chemical was

hidden, the depot authorities

said, "We did not hide

any information from the

fire service. What we need

most now, from a moral and

humanitarian point of view,

is to stand by the victims,

that is what we are doing."

We are being humiliated in

the media in a purposeful

manner which is a disgrace

to the industrial revolution

of the country.

Chattogram District Commissioner

Mominur Rahman

said over the phone

that there were about

19,000 containers in the

depot, some of which contained

dangerous flammable

substances, which spread

the fire quickly.

According to BM Container

Depot sources, there are

about 19,000 containers in

the depot. There are several

empty containers. Most of

The magnitude of the explosion

was such that the chemicals

were mixed with water and

spread around like lava of fire.

Several people were also burnt

when the heat of the explosion

and the chemicals in the hands

and feet of the people on the

spot started burning. Chattogram

BGMEA vice-president

Rakibul Alam Chowdhury said

they could not find the four

members who were staying

there.

Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi

Officer (UNO) Shahadat Hossain

told The Bangladesh

Today, "I am at the scene all

the time. Some people were

seriously injured in the blast.

The exact number of people

killed is not known at this time.

It will take more time for the

situation to come under control."

Newton Das, Deputy Assistant

Director of the Fire Service,

told The Bangladesh Today

"We have lost our colleagues at

the BM Container Depot,

which is the biggest tragedy for

the fire service and civil

defense in the history of the

country."

the products in the container

are garments products.

These products were

brought to the depot for

export. The goods exported

through Chattogram port

are first brought to the private

container depot. After

completing the tariff

process, the exported goods

are taken directly to Chattogram

port for shipment.

The company claimed that

it had stockpiled flammable

chemicals such as hydrogen

peroxide with the permission

of the Customs Clearance

and Explosives Directorate

and the concerned

department, but the Directorate

of Explosives clarified

that no approval had been

obtained for the BM container

and its name was not

on their approval list.

GD-1075/22 (5 x 4)

22

GD-1078/22 (6 x 4)

GD-1080/22 (9 x 4)

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2022

3

A national seminar on "Coastal Development at Disaster Risk: Special allocation Needs in the

National Budget" at the National Press Club on Sunday.

Photo : Courtesy

Integrated action plan will be taken

for the development of the coast

STAFF REPORTER

Planning Minister MA Mannan has

promised to adopt a comprehensive

action plan for the development of the

south-west coast. He said the

government led by Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina believes in balanced

development. So like other areas of the

country, she wants to ensure coastal

development. For this reason, various

projects are being taken up including

construction of sustainable

embankment and solution of water

problem. He also mentioned that the

Haor dam is being considered for the

protection of crops and coastal dams for

the survival of the livelihood.

He made the remarks while

participating in a national seminar on

"Coastal Development at Disaster Risk:

Special allocation Needs in the National

Budget" at the National Press Club on

Sunday. Nikhil Chandra Bhadra,

coordinator of the Sundarbans and

Coastal Protection Movement, presided

over the seminar organized by the nongovernmental

development

organization Faith in Action and the

civic organization Sundarbans and

Coastal Protection Movement. Manjurul

Ahsan Bulbul, Former President of

BUP Celebrates

14th Founding

Anniversary

On Sunday, the 14th founding

anniversary of Bangladesh

University of Professionals

(BUP) was celebrated with

due dignity and excitement.

In the meantime, the

university has entered its 14th

year after successfully

completion of its 13th year. To

celebrate the day, the

buildings were illuminated,

and the corridors were

decorated in various colorful

ways.

To celebrate the day, the

programm has been arranged

in two phases. The first phase

of the programme included

flag hoisting, inauguration of

tree planting and release of

fish fry at BUP Lake by

respected Vice Chancellor. In

addition, 21 stalls were set up

at BUP Concourse under the

supervision of 21 clubs run by

different departments. The

stalls were visited by the

respected Vice Chancellor.

During this time, the

presidents of the clubs briefed

respected VC and senior

officials of BUP about the

current activities of the club,

its success, and future.

In the second part of the

day, a discussion meeting was

organized at Bijoy Auditorium

on the occasion of BUP Day.

BUP VC Major General Md

Mahbub-ul Alam, ndc, afwc,

psc, MPhil, PhD graced the

occasion as the Chief Guest in

the discussion.

Respected Vice-Chancellor

thanked all the former BUP

members for their tireless

work for the present state of

BUP.He advised all the faculty

members, students, officials

and staff to work relentlessly

to take BUP to the zenith of

prosperity. He concluded the

speech by wishing continuous

prosperity and progressof

BUP.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists

(BFUJ), delivered the keynote address at

the seminar. Akhtaruzzaman Babu (MP

Khulna-6), Sharifuzzaman, General

Secretary of Citizens' Solidarity,

Moniruzzaman Mukul, General

Secretary of Scan, Nripen Vaidya,

Executive Director of Faith in Action,

Mostafa Kamal Akand of Coast

Foundation, Sakila Parveen, Secretary of

Sports and Culture of Dhaka Journalists

Union and Basanti Rani Mandal, a

sufferer of coastal disaster from Khulna

took part in the seminar.

Speaking as the chief guest, Planning

Minister MA Mannan said the

government is working to develop the

tourism system around the Sundarbans

and coastal areas. Multiple projects have

already been taken up. However, in

order to protect the Sundarbans, it is

necessary to form a joint Sundarbans

Commission with India like Joint River

Commission.

Expressing his commitment to

increase the allocation for coastal

development, the minister said that

under the 'Village will be city' program,

plans have been taken to supply potable

water to all the villages in the country

through pipelines. Along with this

program, rain water conservation

Khaleda’s Gatco graft case

indictment hearing on July 17

DHAKA : A court yesterday

set July 17 for holding

hearing on charge framing

against BNP Chairperson

Begum Khaleda Zia and 17

others in connection with

Gatco graft case.

Judge Ali Hossen of Dhaka

Special Judge Court-3 refixed

the date after filing a

plea by defendant lawyer for

extending time of hearing on

charge framing due to

absence of Begum Zia for her

illness.

On September 2, 2007, the

Anti-Corruption

Commission (ACC) filed the

case against 13 people,

including Khaleda and her

younger son Arafat Rahman

with Tejgaon Police Station

on charges of

misappropriating around

Taka 1,000 crore while

dealing with Global Agro

Trade (Pvt) Company Ltd

(GATCO).

Next day, Khaleda Zia and

Koko were arrested. The case

was included in the

Emergency Powers Act on

September 18 at the same

year.

On May 13, 2008, the antigraft

body pressed charge

sheets against the BNP chief

and 23 others, inflicting 11 in

the case.

Later, the names of six

accused, including Khaleda's

younger son Arafat Rahman

Koko, were dropped out of

the charge sheet following

their deaths on different

dates.

The other accused are-ex-

BNP Minister M Shamsul

Islam, former Minister Dr

Khondoker Mosharraf

projects have been taken up. Pond

renovation and other programs will be

taken.

Demanding an increase in allocation

for various projects in coastal

development, MP Akhtaruzzaman Babu

said that although Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina, daughter of

Bangabandhu, is sincere, allocation is

not being given in coastal projects as

required. Although the cabinet declared

Khulna-Satkhira a disaster risk area, it

was not taken into consideration when

the project was adopted. Allocation for

embankment construction and potable

water projects is not enough. He also

urges to simplify the process to the

development project.

In the keynote address at the seminar,

journalist leader Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul

said that Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat

are most at risk among the coastal areas

due to their geographical location,

frequent natural disasters, fragile

infrastructure, poverty, long term

salinity, endangered agriculture and so

on. The people of that region are losing

their dream of survival. They have to give

back that dream. Long-term master plan

initiatives should be taken by declaring

the area as a climate risk area.

On Sunday, the 14th founding anniversary of Bangladesh University

of Professionals (BUP) was celebrated with due dignity and excitement.

Photo : Courtesy

Hossen, former State

Minister for Power, Energy

and Mineral Resources AK

Mosharraf Hossen, former

Chattogram Port Authority

(CPA)

Chairman

Commodore Julfikar Ali,

Jahanara Akber, wife of late

ex-Minister Colonel (retd)

Akbar Hossain and their two

sons-Ismail Hossain Saimon

and AKM Musa Kazal,

former Shipping Secretary

Julfikar Haider Chowdhury,

former CPA Member AK

Rashid Uddin Ahmed,

GATCO Directors Shahjahan

M Hasib, Syed Tanvir

Ahmed and Syed Galib

Ahmed, CPA former

Chairman ASM Shahadat

Hossain, former Port

Director (transport) AM

Sanowar Hossain and former

Port Member Lutful Kabir.

Bangladeshi projects shortlisted for Aga

Khan Award for Architecture 2022

DHAKA : Two Bangladeshi projects

have been shortlisted for the acclaimed

Aga Khan Award for Architecture

(AKAA) 2022 amongst 20 projects

around the world.

Sustainably built structures in the

world's largest Rohingya refugee camps

and a community-driven project

providing public spaces in a riverine

city of Jhenaidah with 250,000

residents- will compete for a share of

the US$ 1 million prize, one of the

largest in architecture.

The twenty shortlisted projects were

selected by an independent Master

Jury from a pool of 463 projects

nominated for the 15th Award Cycle

(2020-2022), said the Aga Khan

Development Network (AKDN) on

Sunday.

Bangladeshi shortlisted projects

include the community spaces in

Rohingya refugee response in Teknaf,

by Rizvi Hassan, Khwaja Fatmi, and

Saad Ben Mostafa: Sustainably built

structures in the world's largest refugee

camps, which occurred collaboratively

in the field without drawings or models,

and Urban River Spaces in Jhenaidah

by Co.Creation.

A community-driven project

providing public spaces in a riverine

city with 250,000 residents, offering

walkways, gardens and cultural

BFUJ, DUJ call

for stopping

terrorist activities

inside JPC

DHAKA : BFUJ-Bangladesh

Federal Union of Journalists

and Dhaka Union of

Journalists (DUJ) have called

for stopping terrorist activities

inside the Jatiya Press Club

(JPC) in the name of holding

political programmes, reports

BSS.

BFUJ President Omar

Faruque and Secretary

General Dip Azad and DUJ

President Sohel Haider

Chowdhury and General

Secretary Akter Hossain

yesterday expressed deep

concern over terrorist

activities by a political party

inside the JPC in the name of

holding

different

programmes.

In a joint statement, they

said, "Leaders and activists of

BNP and its associate bodies

enter the places reserved for

JPC members on the club

premises forcefully almost

every day and humiliate the

JPC members".

The journalist leaders

expressed frustration, saying

that they got no remedy even

after lodging complaints

repeatedly to the JPC

authorities in this regard.

Noting that such insecurity

was never witnessed inside

the JPC, known as the second

home of journalists, they

urged the Home Ministry to

bring the attackers of

journalists and journalist

leaders to justice as soon as

possible and ensure security

inside the JPC as well.

Yunus for creating social business pharm companies

to bring vaccines, medicines to common people

DHAKA : Nobel Laureate Professor

Yunus has proposed creating social

business pharmaceutical companies to

bring vaccines and medicines to all

people at affordable prices.

He came up with the proposal when

he was invited to a parliamentary

breakfast at the Bundestag (German

Parliament) recently by Parliamentary

Secretary of the Ministry of Education

and Research, Mario Brandenburg.

He moderated the hour-long

discussion during the breakfast. The

breakfast was attended by 10

parliament members from diverse

political parties.

Yunus was invited to speak on the

current trend in rise in poverty, impact

of pandemic on the low income people,

impact of Ukrainian war, and the

experiences of application of social

business concept in addressing these

issues.

Prof Yunus pleaded with the

parliament members to support the

campaign to make vaccine a common

good by withdrawing intellectual

facilities, as well as environmental

efforts to increase biodiversity along

the river.

To date, the project comprises two

ghats - steps leading down to platforms

at the river, with adjacent walkways -

and the opening of obstructed

pedestrian pathways leading to them.

Locally available materials such as

brick and concrete were used in the

simple, contextual designs, all built by

local builders and masons; the sitespecific

projects retain all existing trees

and vegetation.

Future phases focus on public use of

the river area with walkways, gardens,

cultural facilities and environmental

efforts to increase biodiversity in the

river.

The AKAA was established by His

Highness the Aga Khan in 1977 to

identify and encourage building

concepts that successfully address the

needs and aspirations of communities

in which Muslims have a significant

presence.

Since it was launched 45 years ago,

122 projects have received the award

and 10,000 building projects have been

documented.

The AKAA has had a storied and

successful presence in Bangladesh with

the Arcadia Education Project in South

Kanarchor (designed by architect Saif

On the occasion of World Environment Day, a rally was held in the campus

on Sunday at the joint initiative of Dhaka University Arboriculture Center

and Estate Office. University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman

was present as the chief guest at the rally. Photo: Courtesy

The Coast Guard Members seized huge banned net worth around Tk 54

crore from Buriganga river on Sunday.

Photo : Courtesy

property right, said the Yunus Centre in

a media release on Sunday.

He highlighted the collapse of the

global system in bringing vaccines to

the people of low income countries.

Parliamentary Secretary Mario

Brandenburg told the participants that

he has already submitted a proposal in

which he called for a greater

governmental support for social

business entrepreneurship. All MPs

present acknowledged that

entrepreneurially driven social business

can go a long way in solving social

problems.

Among the MPs present were Dr.

Holger Becker (SPD), MP Frank

Muller-Rosentritt (FDP), MP Sandra

Bubendorfer-Licht (FDP), MP Volkmar

Klein (CDU), MP Dr. Christiane

Schenderlein (CDU), MP Alexander

Radwan (CSU) and MP Canan Bayram

(Bundnis 90/Die Grunen).

Professor Yunus is visiting Berlin to

attend the tenth anniversary

celebration of Yunus Social Business

(YSB) a company created in Berlin ten

Ul Haque) winning the coveted award

and Amber Loom Denim Shed in

Gazipur (designed by architect Jubair

Hasan) being one of the shortlisted

projects in the last cycle of Awards in

2019.

Past winning projects in the country

include the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in

Dhaka (designed by architect Marina

Tabassum) and the Friendship Centre

in Gaibandha (designed by architect

Kashef Chowdhury) in 2016, the

Grameen Bank Housing Programme,

the National Assembly Building (1989),

and a school in Rudrapur (2007).

In addition to the above five winners,

Bangladesh has had two other projects

short-listed in the 2010 edition of the

Awards.

Architect Marina Tabassum has been

a member of the AKAA's prestigious

Steering Committee for the fourteenth

(2017 - 2019) and fifteenth (2020-

2022) Award Cycles - a great honour

not only for the architect, but also for

Bangladesh.

Last year, the AKAA announced the

nine-member Master Jury for the 2020

- 2022 Award cycle that included a

renowned Bangladesh architect -

Professor Kazi Khaleed Ashraf -

Director General of the Bengal Institute

for Architecture, Landscapes and

Settlements, Dhaka.

years back to promote social businesses

around the world. The company headed

by Saskia Bruyesten operates in Brazil,

India, Colombia, Uganda, Kenya and

Rwanda help create social businesses in

these countries. YSB has supported

around 2070 social businesses in 5

countries with USD 18 million

disbursed capital, creating employment

of 1.3 million income earners and

engaging atleast 17.8 million customers.

Tenth year celebration was held on

June 2 attended by 150 people coming

from all the countries where YSB

operates, and supporters of YSB in

Germany and other Europeans

countries, corporate leaders, senior

executives of YSBs in all countries

where it operates, and media

representatives. Yunus expressed his

happiness that YSB which was initiated

by two German young women fresh out

of university in their late 20s with no

funds, has reached so many people

around the globe. YSB delegates shared

their achievements and plans for the

next decade.

MoNDAy, JUNE 6, 2022

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Monday, June 6, 2022

Inflation worry

The common man equates it with rising prices while the

economist calls it inflation. Whatever the name given to the

phenomenon known as inflation in economics, some varieties

of it are certainly highly undesirable. However, contrary to the

common conception that all forms of inflation are evil, the reality can

be otherwise.

Inflation which is driven by demand can be actually beneficial for

a large number of players in the economic scene. Businesses may be

better off due to it as the expanded demand situation produces the

incentive for them to increase production which in turn increases

their total profits. During demand-pull inflation, the prices of final

goods and services tend to be more flexible in an upwards direction

than the prices of many of the factors of production (i.e., prices of

raw materials, rent, wages, etc. ) which are fixed on fairly long-term

contracts.

Thus, it would not be so much a cause for concern if the current

rising inflation rate in Bangladesh seemed to be of the demand-pull

type. But this is not the case as the inflation here appears to be of the

cost-push type which, if not tamed, has all the potentials of

deepening the economic gloom. A recent issue of the London based

renowned Economist magazine has assessed the inflation rate in

Bangladesh and made a forecast about inflation's further rise in the

country in 2023 which is worrying. Its forecast was that the rate of

inflation in Bangladesh could increase to 6 per cent in 2023 from 5.3

per cent and 3 per cent in previous years. Certainly, the inflation

forecast contrasts sharply with what had been the rather bearable

rate of inflation below 3 per cent for some consecutive years before

2018.

Why the inflation type in Bangladesh is judged as the cost-push

one should be obvious. There is hardly a sign that demand for many

non essential products are on the rise. Any assessment of the

demand situation of non essentials in the market would surely show

up a stagnant demand condition for most of these products. The

demand for products and services such as food, transportation, etc.,

that people consider as indispensable are inelastic. The demand for

these products or services do not taper off as their prices or charges

rise. People in many cases are likely to even incur debt to go on

consuming foods in the same quantities notwithstanding the rise in

their prices. This inelastic demand situation for essential goods is

now being exploited by a class of businessmen in the country who

are resorting to the most unethical raising of prices of essential

commodities in the sure knowledge that people will buy them in the

same amounts and in the same frequency regardless of higher costs.

But the rising prices of essential commodities is cutting into

people's purchasing power and reducing their disposable incomes

which, if left uneroded, could create demand for goods and services

of the non-essential categories. Thus, the essentials' markets being

costlier, is helping to slacken demand for a large number of goods

and services of the non essential categories the demand for which

are income elastic.

On the other hand, energy price is central to production activities

in different fields. Prices of different forms of energy-electricity, gas

and fuel oil-were substantially increased several times during the

last three years and another round of increases are being discuseed

. Higher energy prices had the unwanted impact of making

production processes costlier by increasing one of the most

important factor costs of production. Wages, rents and other costs

may or may not have been adjusted upwards in this period. But

higher energy prices have certainly set the stage for price increases

across the board for many commodities, the demand for higher

wages, higher rents and increases of charges for services in many

areas.

Thus, the ravages of inflation, as a whole, are not only creating

distresses for common consumers by whittling their purchasing

power and decreasing their propensity to save, the same is also

poised to take a toll in the form of reduced investment, loss of

competitiveness and adverse balance of payments situation from the

macro economy.

Cost-push inflation is never good for the macro economy because

its prime casualty are productive activities. When there is cost-push

inflation, profits are squeezed and this situation leads firms to

decrease production activities as there exists not the same scope for

increasing production and profits like under inflation of the

demand-pull type. Decrease in production activities and other cost

cutting measures can worsen unemployment instead of creating

more employment. Economic growth in these circumstances, suffer,

giving rise to all the attendant problems of low growth such as less

employment creation, less income and no change in the poverty

situation which can feed a vicious cycle of continuing stagnating

demand in the economy which in turn discourages newer

investment activities leading to a static situation in respect of the goal

of economic expansion.

Investment activities are the keys to economic growth but these

activities are not encouraged because creditors feel reluctant to

extend greater credits to investors under inflationary conditions

because debtors repay in monetary units which have less purchasing

power than those which they borrowed. Or the creditors might

increase interest rates or keep them unchanged at a higher level as

hedges against inflation. At any rate, the cumulative effect of

inflation comes as a damper for investment when investment is the

only way to get the economy to expand for the benefits of the same

to be experienced at the micro levels.

Furthermore, higher export prices of commodities due to inflation

might fetch temporary gains to exporters but the same are likely to

disappear in the medium and long terms as the higher priced export

products might be considered uncompetitive in relation to other

foreign suppliers of the products who could be prepared to supply at

comparatively lower prices. Higher prices of domestically produced

goods are also likely to cause a decrease in their consumer appeal

and increase in the appeal to consumers for products originating

from import activity or smuggling. Domestic production may

decline from these factors and turn worse the associated problems

of unemployment, loss of income and further depression of the

demand situation. Considering all of these factors and more, it is

high time for those in charge of economic governance to look at the

rising inflation rate as a serious ill which must be treated effectively

with no loss of time.

Iran’s seizure of Greek tankers threatens regional maritime security

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard

Corps revealed on Friday that it had

seized two oil tankers belonging to

Greece, which has accused Tehran of

piracy for its taking of Delta Poseidon

and Prudent Warrior.

In already-jittery energy markets, the

attacks have had a destabilizing effect, at

least temporarily, leading to a

significant spike in oil prices around the

world.

The twin attacks, together with other

recent threats to freedom of navigation,

have highlighted the need to counter

Iran's disruptive conduct and safeguard

trade routes and waterways.

The Gulf Cooperation Council and the

US are working together to enhance

regional maritime security against such

threats. In March, the joint GCC-US

maritime security working group met in

Riyadh to coordinate the two sides'

response to all types of maritime threat.

They are also planning additional policy

coordination meetings in the near

future, while practical cooperation is

ongoing under bilateral and other

multilateral frameworks, such as the

Combined Maritime Forces, which was

set up in 2002.

The CMF is a multinational maritime

partnership whose express purpose is to

"uphold the international rules-based

order by countering illicit nonstate

actors on the high seas and promoting

security, stability and prosperity across

approximately 3.2 million square miles

of international waters, which

encompass some of the world's most

important shipping lanes."

Its main focus is promoting security,

stability and a safe maritime

environment. Its mandate also includes

combating narcotics, smuggling and

piracy, as well as engaging and

cooperating with regional and other

partners to strengthen and improve its

DR. ABDEL AZIZ ALUWAISHEG

capabilities to achieve those goals.

When requested, the CMF will also

respond to environmental and

humanitarian incidents.

The CMF has 34 member nations:

Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil,

Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France,

Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan,

Jordan, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait,

Malaysia, the Netherlands, New

Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the

Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi

Arabia, the Seychelles, Singapore,

Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the

UK, the US, and Yemen. It is

commanded by US Navy Vice Adm.

Brad Cooper, who also serves as

commander of US Naval Forces Central

Command and the US Navy's Fifth

Fleet. All three commands are colocated

at US Naval Support Activity

Bahrain. The deputy commander is the

British Royal Navy's Commodore

Adrian Fryer. Other senior staff roles at

CMF headquarters are filled by

personnel from member nations.

It has had three combined task forces

under its command for some time: CTF

152 deals with maritime security inside

the Arabian Gulf; CTF150 deals with

maritime security outside the Arabian

Gulf; and CTF 151 deals with countering

piracy. The CMF last month announced

the establishment of a new

multinational task force, known as CTF-

MAxIMILIAN HESS

153, to patrol the Red Sea and the Gulf

of Aden.

At any given time, CTF-153 will have

two to eight vessels patrolling the

waterway between Egypt and Saudi

Arabia, through the Bab Al-Mandab

Strait to the waters off the Yemen-

Oman border, according to Cooper. He

said that the creation of the new task

force "reflects a regional consensus on

the importance of maritime security."

CTF-153 will first be led by the Fifth

Fleet's Capt. Robert Francis before

command rotates to other CMF

member countries.

The augmentation of CMF task forces

is motivated by a recognition that Iran

has been escalating its destabilizing

activities over recent months, including

missile and drone attacks on land and in

the sea, as well as the harassment of oil

tankers.

Last July, just a few days before

Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as Iran's

president, there was a brazen drone

attack on the Mercer Street tanker off

the coast of Oman; it was an early

indicator of the new leadership's

direction. At the time, the foreign

ministers of the G7 nations (Canada,

France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK

and the US), plus the EU, described that

attack as "deliberate and targeted" and

without justification.

Then-Chief of the British Defense

Staff Gen. Nick Carter said that Western

powers needed to retaliate for such

tanker attacks, "otherwise, Tehran will

feel emboldened." Carter told the BBC

that, if a regime of deterrence is not

restored in the Gulf, there will be more

attacks and a higher risk of

"miscalculation" by Iran. "What we

need to be doing, fundamentally, is

calling out Iran for its very reckless

behavior," he said.

There has been no direct retaliation

for the attack on Mercer Street, but

significant efforts have been made to

restore deterrence through upgrading

the capabilities of existing security

frameworks, including the CMF.

After the addition of the new CTF-153,

the CMF's framework and mandate is

sufficient to deal with many threats to

maritime security in the region,

especially when working closely with

national capabilities. However, with the

escalation in the number and

sophistication of recent attacks, more

needs to be done to restore deterrence.

The Red Sea in particular is vast and

largely unpatrolled, creating an inviting

space for mischief-makers.

With the escalation in the number and

sophistication of recent attacks, more

needs to be done to restore deterrence.

A potential source of maritime threats

is Yemen. Although there has been a

fragile truce in place for the past two

months, the Houthis have previously

sent many explosives-laden remotecontrolled

boats into the Red Sea to

attack Saudi and other targets. Iran has

been the main party responsible for

providing the Houthis with drones and

missiles.

Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC

assistant secretary-general for political

affairs and negotiation, and a columnist

for Arab News.

100 days of economic war: Can the West win against Russia?

For 100 days Ukrainians have been

resisting a brutal Russian invasion; they

fight alone but are financially backed by

the West.

The US Senate just passed a $40bn

aid package with bipartisan support, at

least $15bn of which will go to the

Ukrainian armed forces. Much of the

remainder is earmarked for the other

front in the conflict with Russia: the

geo-economic war.

Despite these efforts, however,

Russia's economy remains on its feet -

largely thanks to record-high

hydrocarbon prices and continued

European gas purchases - allowing the

bloody conflict which already claimed

thousands of civilian lives and destroyed

most of Ukraine to continue at full force.

The dire fact that, after all this suffering,

Ukrainians still seem to face at least

another 100 days, if not more, of

ruthless invasion, bloody offensives and

unspeakable atrocities calls for a reexamination

of the West's strategy and

tactics in its economic war against

Russia.

Since the beginning, the West's

primary weapon on the economic front

has been sanctions - severing key

banking linkages, barring Russian

businesses from dollar markets, and

freezing a significant portion of Russia's

war chest. Russian exports, especially

coal exports, have also been targeted.

However, Europe is still having

gruelling discussions over how to fully

ban Russian fuel. So far, the West

appears to have opted to pursue what

can be defined as a "supply-side

strategy" to weaken the Russian

economy but simultaneously failed to

efficiently plan for the predictable costs

such a strategy would inflict on itself.

There are growing calls for further

restrictions and heated discussions over

whether - and how - to put in place a full

embargo on Russian hydrocarbons and

banking. But all parties to the

discussions are aware that the added

cost from such moves would be high.

And as Western attention slowly moves

away from the war - a luxury that

Ukrainians cannot afford - there is a risk

that the resolve for passing more

sanctions may soon weaken.

Putin has demonstrated clearly,

however, that no matter which direction

the West decides to take, he will

continue to prioritise military spending,

even if it means resorting to autarky and

impoverishing his own people.

All this means, that if it really wants to

end Ukraine's devastation promptly and

hold Russia to account for its lawless

actions, the West not only needs to

tighten its sanctions regime against the

Kremlin but also learn to use this

effective weapon of economic warfare in

a much smarter way.

Failure to envisage and prepare for the

It has had three combined task forces under its command for

some time: CTF 152 deals with maritime security inside the Arabian

Gulf; CTF150 deals with maritime security outside the Arabian Gulf;

and CTF 151 deals with countering piracy. The CMF last month

announced the establishment of a new multinational task force,

known as CTF-153, to patrol the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

costs of the war's economic impact thus

far has already undermined the efficacy

of sanctions. And failure to plan for the

ramifications of still-to-be-introduced

measures would risk further weakening

the West's hand in this economic battle.

If Europe implements further

sanctions without developing strategies

to protect European nations from their

costs, it may end up bolstering far-right

arguments against economic resistance

to Putin's regime, such as concerns

raised by France's Marine Le Pen over

how hydrocarbon sanctions may result

in inflation and economic devastation.

Populist right-wing politicians like

Hungary's Viktor Orban or Italy's

Matteo Salvini are also chomping-atthe-bit

for the opportunity to rush back

into Putin's arms, and would use any

further costs acquired from new

sanctions to try and turn public opinion

against the Western efforts to

economically punish and restrain

Russia.

This is not to say in any way that the

West should ease sanctions. On the

contrary, while Ukrainians continue to

fight for their country's survival, not one

inch should be conceded on the supplyside

efforts. But to build the necessary

political support for sustaining, and

winning, the economic war against

Russia, the West also needs to

implement a demand-side strategy.

State investment, international supplychain

and production coordination, and

the underwriting of risk by leading

Western nations can help Ukraine fight

and bankrupt Putin's war machine.

US politics, Canada's

multiculturalism, South America's

geopolitical rise-we bring you the stories

that matter.

The West has a soft underbelly - from

Greece's opposition to Russian shipping

sanctions, to the Netherlands' refusal to

pump more gas in Groningen, to the

opposition in the United States from the

Trumpist right as well as the far left to

allocating more aid for Ukraine.

And while the West has had

significant success building a sanctions

alliance, including Singapore and

Switzerland, the Global South - at risk

from Russian threats to global

agricultural markets and wary of

previous Western policy disasters - is

hesitant to fully put its weight behind a

sanctions regime. To increase the

success of its sanctions regime, the West

needs the support of more nations, and

to achieve this, it needs to ensure it has

developed strategies to protect not only

itself but any potential allies from costs.

There is no way that the West can expect

would-be allies such as Serbia to refuse

Russian gas deals when no genuine

Europe can put forward solutions too, for example socialising

the cost of major increases in gas drilling in the Netherlands.

Such a policy can be implemented far more quickly than

building new LNG terminals, though efforts to build new

energy infrastructure should also receive significant state

support. European export credit agencies should be part of the

fight, significantly expanding their capita could make them a

key factor in making sanctions support and compliance more

attractive for the developing countries.

alternative is on offer.

Nearly one-quarter of the funding

authorised in US President Joe Biden's

Ukraine aid bill is earmarked for

mitigating the war's economic impact on

Ukraine and third countries. It is a start,

but it does not go far enough - Ukraine's

own reconstruction bill is already in the

hundreds of billions of dollars. It is a

band-aid approach, whereas what is

required is the grafting of a new limb to

replace the Russian one Putin has

severed, for Putin's war on Ukraine is a

war against the current world order.

Several Western nations have already

taken significant steps to try and preserve

the status quo and protect themselves

from potential future aggressions by

Russia. For example, many European

states re-embraced defence spending and

Germany even altered constitutional debt

limits to do so.

However, even this newfound sense of

Western unity is insufficient in such a

globalised era - India, for example, is

happy to buy Russian oil at a discount to

global prices. Furthermore, the longer

the war drags on, the more enticing

Moscow's offers to jointly challenge the

US-led order may seem to Beijing,

which has so far refrained from offering

Russia direct economic support.

The West needs to adopt a new

"neomercantilist" approach to

sanctions, embracing "the need for

strategic trade protectionism and other

forms of government economic activism

to promote state wealth and power".

The nature of the geo-economic war is

to remove Russia's state wealth and

power while avoiding the same for the

West and its allies. That does not mean

the ultimate aim should be to end

liberalism and the free-trading world,

but neomercantilist tools can and

should be employed to protect it in the

long run from Russia's existential

threat.

Some of the groundwork for this has

already been done, such as the US

efforts to restructure development

support under the Development

Financial Corporation (DFC). Other

worthwhile proposals include the

Department of Energy offering to sell oil

options and potentially pledge secure

supplies to allies, to help limit

uncertainty. But these efforts do not go

far enough. Just as Congress authorised

Biden's $40bn Ukraine bill, for

example, it rejected a proposal to

effectively expand DFC.

Europe can put forward solutions too,

for example socialising the cost of major

increases in gas drilling in the

Netherlands. Such a policy can be

implemented far more quickly than

building new LNG terminals, though

efforts to build new energy

infrastructure should also receive

significant state support. European

export credit agencies should be part of

the fight, significantly expanding their

capita could make them a key factor in

making sanctions support and

compliance more attractive for the

developing countries.

Another vector of this approach

should be a Western acknowledgement

that food system inequality, fragility and

interdependency mean Russia's

blockades will potentially be far more

crippling to the Global South. A

Western merchant marine and aid plan

should be developed immediately to

mitigate this and build credibility with

would-be-allies threatened by Putin's

perfidiousness.

Finally, the US must remember it has

a geo-economic lever more powerful

than any other - the use of federal

reserve swap lines. The selective

offering of such support could help

bring even the most reticent partners

into line with Western sanctions given

its potential to provide economic and

monetary stability.

Demand-side policies are the carrots

to the supply-side policies' sticks in the

West's geo-economic war against

Russia. They must be the focus of the

coming offensives, for without them this

war will be far more costly and difficult

to win.

Maximilian Hess is a Fellow at the

Foreign Policy Research Institute and a

Political Risk consultant based in

London.

MonDay, June 6, 2022

5

Protesters in Kathmandu call for reform of the rape laws.

SaRah JohnSon

A young woman's account on

TikTok of being drugged, raped and

then blackmailed by a beauty

pageant organiser when she was 16

years old has provoked outrage in

Nepal and prompted calls to reform

the country's "grossly inadequate"

rape laws.

In one of a series of videos, which

together have been viewed millions of

times, the former model and child

actor broke down in tears as she talked

about Nepal's statute of limitations

that dictates survivors must report

cases of rape within one year of the

offence being committed.

Days after the videos were posted on

the social media site on 18 May,

hundreds of protesters took to the

streets calling for change to the

country's rape laws, and on 24 May six

lawyers filed a petition at the supreme

court demanding the repeal of the

statute. As a result of public pressure,

a man has been arrested in connection

with the case but under a section of

the law related to human trafficking.

Dechen Lama, a human rights

lawyer who also works for the Forum

for Women, Law and Development, a

Nepali rights organisation, said: "The

law is not comprehensive …… It leads

to so much unfairness and injustice. It

has to be changed. There are so many

loopholes in the rape law, most

particularly the statute of limitation

and the definition of rape."

Nepal's 2017 penal code extended

the statute of limitations on reporting

rape allegations from 35 days to a

year. A report by the international

women's rights organisation Equality

Now found that in comparison with

five other south Asian countries,

Nepal has the shortest statute of

limitations on sexual violence cases.

Activists and lawyers say the law

stands as a barrier to justice for rape

survivors and that it helps

perpetrators to evade punishment.

Smriti Singh, Amnesty International's

south Asia deputy regional director,

said the stigma, shame, intimidation

and trauma associated with rape

stopped many people from coming

forward.

"This case has brought attention to

Photo: Prabin Ranabhat

Protesters call for age old

Nepali laws on rape

how grossly inadequate and

ineffective the provision [for rape

survivors] is at this point," she said.

"The one-year limitation is really

outdated and harmful. It does not

factor in the stigma that survivors face

when reporting cases of sexual and

gender-based violence."

It is not just the statute of limitations

that needs to change, according to

campaigners. The definition of rape in

Nepal's penal code only recognises a

crime committed by a male against a

female, and not against people of

other genders. Nonconsensual sexual

acts are not included within the

definition of rape, and marital rape

receives a lesser punishment.

"This can be a watershed moment

for Nepal," said Singh. "From a

human rights perspective, this

incident has triggered a conversation

around how inadequate provisions

are. "I think it's a good opportunity for

the authorities to take a moment and

go back and see whether rape laws are

in line with international human

rights standards, and if not, to bring

them in line."

RaCheL Kitonyo

For decades, smoking has

been on the rise, driving more

than 100m deaths in the 20th

century alone and creating

health and other costs of

about $1,500bn a year that

have hampering global

growth. According to a report

from the global health policy

organisation Vital Strategies

and the University of Illinois

Chicago in the latest edition of

the Tobacco Atlas, the era of

big tobacco is coming to an

end: there is an unequivocal

drop in global smoking rates,

to 19.6% in 2019 from 22.6%

in 2007.

Concealed in the figures,

however, is a plan to turn

tobacco back into a growth

industry by focusing on

Africa. Global progress

against the "tobacco

epidemic" is driven by large

declines mostly in nations

that have raised taxes on

tobacco, limited marketing,

mounted hard-hitting public

information campaigns, and

banned smoking in many

public places. Our research

shows that the decline in

smoking in Africa has been

small, and adult prevalence

increased in 10 of the

continent's countries between

1990 and 2019.

As outlined in research from

the University of Bath, a

partner in the tobacco

industry watchdog, Stopping

Tobacco Organisations and

Products (Stop): "To protect

their profits, transnational

tobacco companies (TTCs)

began shifting their business

to relatively untapped

markets in parts of the world

where the opportunity for

growth is largely unrestricted

… Nowhere is this

underexploited prospect as

ripe for the picking as Africa.

TTCs are expanding into

African countries, where,

excluding South Africa, the

tobacco market grew by

almost 70% through the

1990s and the first decade of

the 21st century."

Taxation is the most

effective way to control

tobacco use but Africa has a

poor record in this area.

Tobacconomics' cigarette tax

scorecard rates nations on a

scale of 0 to 5, with 5

indicating the best

performance. Compared with

leaders such as New Zealand

or Ecuador (4.63), which are

making rapid progress,

Africa on its way to the

world's ashtray

countries such as Kenya

(0.88), Zimbabwe (1.38),

Chad and Central African

Republic (both at 0.75) show

that tobacco is lightly taxed

across most of the continent.

Cheap cigarettes suit

international tobacco

multinationals. As profits are

choked off in the west, big

tobacco has homed in on

African communities, and

especially their young people,

as incubators for deadly new

initiatives. The Africa Centre

for Tobacco reported in 2016

how shops and pushcarts

peddling cigarettes alongside

sweets were operating near

schools in Cameroon and

Burkina Faso. The Tobacco

Atlas lays out stark data on the

industry's global youth focus,

finding smoking rates among

13- to 15-year-olds increasing

in 63 countries.

Ironically, keeping

cigarettes affordable for poor

people has been used by

industry lobbyists as an

argument against taxation.

However, it ignores the fact

that those groups are more

sensitive to price, and the

health, social and economic

benefits of higher taxes - fewer

people starting to smoke and

more quitting - accrue much

more to these groups. The

positive impact can also be

amplified by governments

that use tobacco tax revenues

for the benefit of those same

groups, such as supporting

programmes to help people

stop smoking.

Another industry argument

is that tobacco cultivation in

many east and southern

African countries is an

important part of the

economy. The tobacco

industry lobbies governments

to stall action for fear of

hurting farmers, but the

Tobacco Atlas identifies

recent research that

demonstrates that most

tobacco growers are

impoverished and

governments would serve

them better by helping them

transition to more profitable

crops.

We cannot let Africa be the

world's ashtray. Governments

should act now to raise

tobacco taxes to at least World

Health Organizationrecommended

levels, restrict

marketing to young people,

create policies that control

access to tobacco products,

and protect policymaking

from interference by the

tobacco industry. Smoking

rates on the continent are still

relatively low, and the tobacco

epidemic that has already

scarred the US and Europe

will not inevitably take off in

Africa if we act now to protect

the next generation.

African economies remain

vulnerable; the vestiges of

colonialism are still at play.

We can work together to

ensure that global

corporations based in highincome

countries don't siphon

profits out of lower-income

countries at the cost of their

people's health. Less than 2%

of all development aid is

dedicated to noncommunicable

disease

prevention and the figure is

even more dismal for Africa -

an oversight leading to

preventable premature deaths

and increased costs, as well as

leaving populations more

vulnerable to health shocks

such as Covid. Financial and

technical aid for tobacco

control should be readily

available to protect Africa's

one billion people from being

the next growth market.

It is heartening to see

tobacco's influence on the

wane anywhere in the world,

but this edition of the Tobacco

Atlas exposes an industry

hard at work to make Africa

the new frontier for smoking.

It will take a concerted effort

to implement established

tobacco control measures to

resist the powerful

multinationals looking to

profit at the expense of

people's health. As highincome

countries act to

ensure tobacco-free futures,

we need to use those same

policy measures to prevent

tomorrow's health crises

across Africa.

a woman selling tobacco in nairobi. Cigarettes are often sold singly in many

developing countries.

Photo: David Levene

Lizzy DavieS

The children of Bees Haven kindergarten

are about 15 minutes into their weekly

taekwondo class when their instructor has

some stern words for them. "You guys are

not panting," says Lizzanne Adhiambo,

with a grin. "I want to see the power! Let's

punch!"

Aside from a certain amount of

confusion over left and right hands,

Adhiambo's pupils obey. With alternating

arms they punch out in front of them, 15

four- to six-year-olds, wearing white

training uniforms , shouting "Yeah!" as

the instructor counts from 1 to 10.

"They love it so much," says Beryl Itindi,

director of the pre-primary school in

Syokimau, on the south-western outskirts

of Nairobi. After class, the children sit

down for lunch of beef stew, leafy greens,

ugali - maize flour porridge - and fresh

fruit. "Thank you for our food and our

many blessings," they chorus. "Amen."

These children are at the forefront of

new efforts to foster lifelong habits of

exercise and healthy eating - and stave off

a foe increasingly visible in Kenya's towns

and cities: obesity. As in much of Africa,

the number of people classed as obese in

Kenya is on the rise: by 2030, the World

Obesity Atlas says 1.4 million five to 19-

year-olds will be obese. The WHO

considers a person with a body mass

index (BMI) over 25 to be overweight,

while a BMI over 30 is obese.

A 2015 survey - the most recent

undertaken - found 20% of Kenyan men

and more than 50% of women were either

overweight or obese. In a report last year,

Kenya's government recognised obesity as

a major risk factor for non-communicable

diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and

cancer, which are responsible for 39% of

deaths in Kenya - up from 27% in 2014.

"The statistics show that obesity is

growing at a very alarming rate, not just in

Kenya but in the region and world," says

Stephen Kimutai Tanui, strategy manager

for Wellness for Greatness, the

organisation behind the taekwondo

classes.

The education the group is giving

children was sorely lacking when Tanui,

32, was a child: "We were not told that

physical activity has very many benefits …

not just to enjoyment and performance in

school but to our health."

In a country stalked by hunger and

where more than three million people are

Kenya’s hidden food crisis

Francis njuguna, a community health worker, advises local people on growing vegetables.

Photo: Brian otieno

classed as acutely food insecure, the

priority was getting enough food,

irrespective of its nutritional value, he

says. "When we were young, that link

between good nutrition and good health

was missing," says Tanui. "In Kenya and

in most African countries we have a

problem with malnutrition, and that's

what everyone focuses on. People should

have food, but we should also focus on

getting good and healthy foods, because

the rates at which obesity is growing, they

are going hand in hand: malnutrition and

obesity. It's a terrible burden."

In parts of the rural north and east, the

worst drought for 40 years is driving

thousands of Kenyans from their homes.

According to the International Federation

of the Red Cross, approximately 755,000

children under five will be acutely

malnourished throughout 2022.

In Nairobi, where fast food chains such

as KFC, Burger King and Domino's stand

on every other street corner, and

billboards push "vitamin-enriched"

chocolate drinks to motorists on the

heaving roads, the problem is "completely

different" says Dr Davis Ombui, a

diabetologist. "People get to jobs in the

morning, get into office, get back into their

cars, go home. They don't walk to work as

much, and fast food is now a big thing in

Nairobi."

The result is clear at his private clinic

surgeries. "We are seeing younger and

younger people diagnosed at a younger

age. Today I had someone who was 21 .

Type 2 diabetes. It's all because of obesity;

all because of the lifestyle."

Last year the ministry of health

published a strategic plan to respond to its

"epidemiological transition" in disease

burden from communicable diseases,

such as malaria and tuberculosis, to the

rising burden of NCDs. It recognised

obesity as a major risk factor, but doctors

fear there is little concrete action.

"You might find these policies are there

on paper," says Ombui. "But no one is

translating that into action on the ground.

I'm sure if you go to the cabinet you'll find

really nice policy papers that were

sponsored by WHO and [other]

organisations - just gathering dust."

The health ministry was approached for

comment. The government's target is to

reduce obesity prevalence from 28% in

2020 to 26% in 2025, and the clock is

ticking. By 2030, NCD deaths are

expected to increase by 55%.

And there remains a lingering

association in society between excess fat

and material success. "You find young

people at university want to add weight

and grow a belly as a status symbol. It's

that bad," says Stephen Ogweno, CEO of

Stowelink, a youth-led enterprise aimed at

combating NCDs. "There is still this

perception that needs to change."

For well-off Kenyans, Dr Wyckliffe

Kaisha has the answer. One of the few

surgeons in the country to perform

bariatric - or weight loss - surgery such as

gastric bypasses, he has seen a significant

increase in patients, partly due to Covid-

19, which alerted more people to the

ramifications of obesity, diabetes and

hypertension.

One of his patients, a 29-year-old who

last year had a sleeve gastrectomy -

involving removing part of her stomach -

has no regrets. "It requires somebody to

be psychologically and emotionally

prepared because it is not easy, especially

if you're used to taking a lot of junk [food].

I really loved chips. Nowadays I can't even

stand the smell of fries," she says.

The woman, who does not want her

name published, says she has lost 40kg:

"At least now I can walk up stairs. I don't

have to depend on lifts."Bariatric surgery

has its critics, but Kaisha insists it is

beneficial for the vast majority. His

bugbear is with insurers, who refuse to

cover the procedure, meaning only the

wealthy can afford his $5,000 charges.

He has told insurers that bariatric

surgery is cost-effective as it prevents

conditions developing. "They still reject it

and say it is cosmetic surgery. But it is not

at all," he says. The village of Njathaini, on

the northern outskirts of Nairobi, is a

world away from Kaisha's clientele. With

high unemployment and little disposable

income, it is in places like this that

intervention is urgent, says Ogweno.

Thanks to genetics, diet and lack of

exercise, Ogweno, 26, once weighed

almost 20st. Driven by wanting to "look

like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson" he lost

weight at university and competed in Mr

Fitness contests.

He wants to prove that obesity, diabetes

and cancer don't just affect "the old and

the rich." What he and his colleagues

found in Njathaini shocked them: "[This

is] a very low-income community, and

almost 70% of the homes here live with

diabetes or hypertension," says Ogweno,

sitting in the village chief's office.

Traditional diets in poor

neighbourhoods rely heavily on

carbohydrates and cooking fat with

vertiginously high levels of transfats,

known to increase the risk of heart

disease. At one Njathaini shop, you can

buy a cabbage for 70 shillings (50p). At

another, a few doors down, there are bags

of crisps for 20 shillings, and fried bread

rolls are 10 shillings.

Then there's the sugar. "Soft drinks are

more available than clean water," says

Ogweno. The shops are fully stocked with

fizzy drinks, and bunting advertising

Sprite, Coca Cola and Fanta, as well as

water, greets every customer.

Francis Njuguna, a community health

worker, was born and bred in Njathaini.

"Before, it [obesity] was a non-issue.

There were very few cases. But nowadays

there's a lot of people," he says. Working

with Stowelink, Njuguna advises local

people on growing vegetables as well as

other cash crops. "Kale, tomatoes, onions,

spinach" are all possible, he says.

The worst aspect, says Ogweno, is that

once people are diagnosed with

conditions associated with obesity, they

struggle to get treatment. "If you're not

formally employed … you are almost

always not covered [by national health

insurance] and if you are sick you have to

pay out of pocket," he says. This applies,

for instance, to insulin for diabetics.

"People literally have to rally the whole

village to contribute cash to then go and

do that because otherwise it's a death

sentence."

Ogweno, whose aunt died from diabetes

after seeking help from a traditional

healer, feels the government is moving,

slowly and belatedly, to take NCDs

seriously. For the moment, then, it is the

Bees Haven children forging the way.

Exuberant after their training, the

kindergarten's martial artists eat their

lunch enthusiastically - even the managu

greens. Often the children arrive rather

shy, says Itindi, the director, and the

exercise "really opens them up both

mentally and physically."


6

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Rahela-Hazrat Model School and Agricultural

Technology Center, Trishal, Mymensingh has jointly organized a tree sapling distribution program

and discussion meeting.

Photo : Mominul Islam

Around two

lakh students

to appear in

SSC exams in

Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI : Around two

lakh students are going to

appear in the Secondary

School Certificate (SSC)

examinations under the

Board of Intermediate and

Secondary Education

(BISE), Rajshahi this year.

Already, 270 examination

centres have been finalized

and sending of examination

materials and other inputs

have started.

Prof Ariful Islam,

Controller of Examinations

of BISE, told the local

journalists that 1.96 lakh

students are scheduled to

take part in the

examinations this year and

1,86,251 of them are regular

and 10,154 others are

irregular.

The examinations will be

held from June 19 like other

education boards in the

country, he added.

RAJSHAHI : Entrepreneurs

should work with innovations

for substantial and

sustainable expansion and

promotion of their business.

They should also have basic

knowledge related to expand

their business together with

making those profitable

through attaining trust of the

buyers in general.

Business experts came up

with the observation while

addressing a daylong seminar

titled "Business expansion

and necessity of knowledge

resources to face business

related challenges" at

Nanking Darbar Hall in the

city on Saturday.

The Department of Patent,

Design and Trademarks

hosted the seminar with

participation of businessmen,

chamber

leaders,

entrepreneurs and other

stakeholders. Registrar of the

department Zanendra Nath

Sarker, Deputy Registrar

Kankon Chakma and

Assistant Registrars Kousik

Uddin and Habibur Rahman

conducted the training

sessions as resource persons

disseminating their expertise

Ex-mayor of Dhamrai

municipality jailed

in graft case

DHAKA : A Dhaka court

yesterday sentenced former

mayor of Dhamrai

municipality Dewan Nazim

Uddin to four-year

imprisonment in a case

lodged for amassing illegal

wealth and concealing

information about his assets.

Judge Sheikh Hafizur

Rahman of Dhaka Special

Judge Court-9 pronounced

the judgment yesterday in

presence of the convict and

sent him to jail afterwards

with conviction warrant.

'Massive tree plantation

crucial for a safer planet’

RANGPUR : Massive tree plantation has

become crucial for a safer planet by reducing

environmental degradation that threatens

life, livelihoods, ecosystems, habitation and

civilization.

Officials and experts viewed this on

Sunday at a discussion jointly organised by

the district administration and Department

of Environment (DoE) at the conference

room of the Deputy Commissioner in

observance of the World Environmental

Day-2022

Elaborate programs, including rally,

painting competitions for children on

environment, distribution of saplings, tree

plantation, distribution of prizes and cultural

functions, were taken in observance of the

day.

Earlier, government and NGO officials,

environmentalists, students, teachers,

politicians, professionals, civil society

members, community leaders and elite,

participated in a rally that paraded the city

streets.

Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdul

Wahhab Bhuiyan attended the discussion as

the chief guest with Deputy Commissioner

Md. Asib Ahsan in the chair.

Rangpur Metropolitan Police

Commissioner Abdul Alim Mahmud,

Divisional Director of the DoE Syed Farhad

Hossain, Superintendent of Police Md.

Ferdous Ali Chowdhury and Deputy Director

of the DoE Md. Mizanur Rahman addressed

the discussion as special guests.

Syed Farhad Hossain discussed the

ongoing environmental degradation being

caused by climate change due to global

warming and massive steps taken by the

government to cope with the situation.

He narrated severe consequences of

climate change and environmental

degradation and urged all to work unitedly in

saving the planet from unthinkable

catastrophes through tree plantation and

other measures.

The speakers laid importance on reducing

emission of industrial smokes, release of

poisonous wastes, indiscriminate felling of

trees and ensuring better water and waste

management to reduce environmental

degradation.

Abdul Alim Mahmud called upon all

concerned for innovating and adopting

effective technologies alongside tree

plantation to cope with the adverse impacts

of climate change to keep crop production

increasing for food security.

The chief guest stressed on massive tree

plantation and taking effective steps to

reduce environmental degradation to save

agriculture, ecology, biodiversity and

ecosystems and adapt to adverse impacts of

climate change for a safer planet.

Entrepreneurs urged to work with innovative thinking

on the business promotion

issue.

BSCIC deputy general

Manager Zafar Bayazid and

President of Bangladesh Silk

Industries Owners

Association Liakat Ali also

spoke. Registrar Zanendra

Nath Sarker said availing

patent and trademarks is

needed before marketing any

of the innovative products and

urged the entrepreneurs to be

careful in this regard.

He told the attending

businessmen

and

entrepreneurs that when any

product becomes popular, its

brand value becomes more

than the total assets. So, the

innovators should receive the

patent, design and

trademarks of his product

first.

Mr. Sarker also said the

present government has been

extending requisite facilities

to the business sector and

urged the entrepreneurs to

expand their business after

deriving total benefits of the

state facilities.

Upazila Ansar rally has been held with all Ansars of Tahirpur upazila of

Sunamganj. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Raihan Kabir addressed the rally as the

chief guest at the office of Upazila Ansar VDP. Photo : Jahangir Alom Bhuiya

Pabna Deputy Commissioner Biswas Russell Hossain addsressing a discussion

meeting at the conference room of Pabna Deputy Commissioner yesterday on the

occasion of World Environment Day.

Photo : Abdul Hamid Khan

World Environment

Day observed

in Narail

NARAIL : The World

Environment Day-2022 was

observed in the town

yesterday in a befitting

manner.

Marking the day, a rally

participated

by

environmentalists, students,

teachers, politicians,

professionals, civil society

members, community

leaders and elite, was

brought out in the town

yesterday morning and it

paraded different streets.

A discussion, organised by

the Department of

Environment (DoE), was

also held at the Conference

Room of the Deputy

Commissioner.

Deputy Commissioner Md

Habibur Rahman addressed

the discussion as the chief

guest while Additional

Deputy Commissioner Md

Fakrul Hasan was in the

chair.

It was addressed, among

others, by Zila Parishad

secretary Dr Md Lutfor

Rahman, Civil Surgeon Dr.

Nasima Akhter and

municipality mayor

Anjuman Ara.

Bangladesh is a

land of communal

harmony: Rangpur

Mayor

RANGPUR : Mayor of

Rangpur Mostafizar

Rahman Mostafa has said

Bangladesh is a land of

communal harmony and

people will never allow any

evil force to destroy

communal peace.

"The prevailing communal

harmony glorifies

Bangladesh globally," he

said this while addressing a

meeting organized by

Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist

Christian Unity Council

(BHBCUC) on Saturday

afternoon as the chief guest.

President of Rangpur City

unit of the organization

Subrata sparkler Mukul

presided over the

"Introduction of Rangpur

District and City

Committees of BHBCUC

and its Rangpur Divisional

Representative Meeting'

held at Shilpokola Academy

auditorium in the city.

Presidium Member of the

Central Committee of

BHBCUC Manoranjan Sheel

Gopal MP, formally

inaugurated the meeting

and delivered a welcome

speech.

Joint General Secretary of

the Central Executive

Committee of BHBCUC Shri

Ramen Mandal addressed

the event as the keynote

speaker.

Presidium Member of the

Central Committee of

BHBCUC Khoka Ram Roy,

its Organizing Secretary

Gopal Chandra Barman,

Joint Organizing Secretary

Lakshmi Kant Roy Sumon,

Central Executive

Committee Members Shri

Nikhil Majumder and Dr.

Rathindranath Sarkar

addressed as guests of

honour.

Presidents and General

Secretaries of the district

and upazila units of

BHBCUC from all eight

districts of Rangpur division

addressed the event.

Greeting leaders of

Rangpur district and city

units of BHBCUC, Mayor

Mostafa said people of

different faiths, castes,

creeds and religions have

been living together on

Bangladesh soil in peace,

harmony and friendly

environment setting up a

glaring example of

brotherhood globally.

He called upon the people

of all religions and faiths to

further cement the peaceful

communal coexistence and

strengthen brotherhood

among the people of all

faiths and work unitedly in

the process of building a

developed Bangladesh by

2041.

Protecting biodiversity

from further degradation

underscored

RAJSHAHI : Generating awareness

among the public in general can be the best

way of survival of all living beings through

protecting the environment and wildlife

from further degradation.

Environment has been facing a serious

threat due to various natural and manmade

catastrophes posing an identical threat to the

planet Earth at present. So, all the

government, non-government and volunteer

organizations should forward and work

together.

Experts and administrative officials came

up with the observation while addressing a

post-rally discussion on the issue.

The Department of Environment (DoE)

and District Administration jointly

organised the discussion at Shilpakala

Academy auditorium in observance of the

World Environment Day-2022.

"Only One Earth: Living Sustainably in

Harmony with Nature" was the main theme

of the day.

On the occasion, prizes were distributed

among the winners of art competitions for

children.

Commissioner of Rajshahi Division GSM

Zafarullah and Commissioner of Rajshahi

Metropolitan Police Abu Kalam Siddique

addressed the discussion as chief and special

guests respectively, while Deputy

Commissioner Abdul Jalil was in the chair.

Mahmuda Parveen, Deputy Director of

DoE, Rajshahi, welcomed the participants.

Prof Sabrina Naz, Director of the Institute

of Environmental Sciences in Rajshahi

University, illustrated the aspects of

protecting the environment besides its

harming factors during her keynote

presentation.

She also said emphasis should be given on

providing positive incentives for the

reduction of emissions from deforestation

and forest degradation and enhancing

biodiversity conservation as well as

promoting sustainable development goals of

the region.

Dr Naz identically mentioned that

substantial and sustainable reduction of

plastic pollution can be the vital means of

protecting water bodies and environment as

well from further degradation.

Currently, plastic pollution is being judged

as a major threat to the whole ecosystem. So,

creating public awareness on the issue has

become indispensable.

Commissioner Zafarullah expressed

concern over an increasing use of plastics for

packaging perishable foods. He said city

corporations and municipalities across the

country are not yet ready to adopt the

strategy of reduce, reuse and recycle, a 3R

strategy formulated by DoE.

He called for creating awareness among all

concerned including the younger

generations to prevent environmental

degradation that severely threatens the

existence of the whole planet, its habitation

and civilization.

Earlier, a colourful rally was brought out

from the city's Bangabandhu Crossing and

that ended at the meeting venue after

parading main thoroughfares of the city.

On the occasion of World Environment Day in Barishal, a rickshaw rally was

organized by the Non-Government organizations in Barishal demanding 100%

renewable energy as per Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan. Photo : Md Shah Jalal

A human chain was formed at Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar district yesterday

on the occasion of World Environment Day. Photo : Sayed Ahmed

1.28,587 Covid-19 booster doses

administered in Rangpur Saturday

RANGPUR : As many as 1,28,587 booster

doses of Covid-19 jabs were administered

in Rangpur division on Saturday as the

weeklong Covid-19 booster dose campaign

began across the country.

Health officials said a total of 1,40,030

more doses of Covid-19 jabs were

administered on Saturday raising the

number of inoculated vaccines to two crore

82 lakh 81 thousand and 294 doses in the

division.

Health officials said, among the 1,40,030

doses of the jabs inoculated on Saturday,

1,439 were administered as the first doses,

10,004 as the second doses and 1,28,587

as the booster doses.

"Till Saturday, a total of 1,35,37,711

people got the first doses of Covid-19 jabs,

and of them, 1,28,76,505 got the second

doses and 18,67,078 got the booster

doses," Divisional Director (Health) Dr.

Abu Md. Zakirul Islam told BSS.

Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19

infected patients remained steady at

64,143 in the division as no fresh positive

cases were diagnosed after testing 28 new

samples on Saturday.

The number of healed Covid-19 patients

remained steady at 62,785 in the division

where no new patients recovered during

the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on

Sunday.

"Besides, the number of casualties

remained steady at 1,284 in the division as

no new deaths were reported during the

last 24 hours," Dr. Islam added.

MonDAY, june 6, 2022

7

American spy agencies

review their misses on

Ukraine, Russia

WASHINGTON : The

question was posed in a

private briefing to U.S.

intelligence officials weeks

before Russia launched its

invasion in late February:

Was Ukraine's leader,

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made

in the mold of Britain's

Winston Churchill or

Afghanistan's Ashraf Ghani?

In other words, would

Zelenskyy lead a historic

resistance or flee while his

government collapsed?

Ultimately, U.S. intelligence

agencies underestimated

Zelenskyy and Ukraine while

overestimating Russia and its

president, even as they

accurately predicted Vladimir

Putin would order an

invasion.

But Kyiv, Ukraine's capital,

did not fall in a few days, as

the the United States had

expected. And while

American spy agencies have

been credited with supporting

Ukraine's resistance, they

now face bipartisan pressure

to review what they got wrong

beforehand - especially after

their mistakes in judging

Afghanistan last year.

Intelligence officials have

begun a review of how their

agencies judge the will and

ability of foreign governments

to fight. The review is taking

place while U.S. intelligence

continues to have a critical

role in Ukraine and as the

White House ramps up

weapons deliveries and

support to Ukraine, trying to

predict what Putin might see

as escalatory and seeking to

avoid a direct war with

Russia.

President Joe Biden's

administration announced it

would give Ukraine a small

number of high-tech,

medium-range rocket

systems, a weapon that

Ukraine has long wanted.

Since the war began on Feb.

24, the White House has

approved shipping drones,

anti-tank and anti-aircraft

systems, and millions of

rounds of ammunition. The

U.S. has lifted early

restrictions on intelligencesharing

to provide

information that Ukraine has

used to strike critical targets,

including the flagship of the

Russian navy.

GD-1073/22 (3x3)

Cambodians vote Sunday in local elections that are their first chance to go to the polls since the ruling

party of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen swept a 2018 general election that was widely criticized

as unfair.

Photo : Internet

Cambodians get new opposition

choice in local elections

PHNOM PENH : Cambodians vote

Sunday in local elections that are their

first chance to go to the polls since the

ruling party of long-serving Prime

Minister Hun Sen swept a 2018 general

election that was widely criticized as

unfair.

Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party

is certain to sail to easy victory again

following what the U.N. Human Rights

Office charged Thursday was a pattern of

"threats, intimidation and obstruction

targeting opposition candidates. "

"Candidates have faced numerous

restrictions and reprisals that have

hindered their activities, with

imprisonment of a number of

candidates that appears designed to curb

political campaigning," the agency said.

It added that at least six opposition

candidates and activists were in

detention four days before the polls,

awaiting trial, while others summonsed

on politically motivated charges had

gone into hiding.

Cambodia's delegation at the U.N.

Geneva offices said in a statement that

the criticism was "erroneous, politicized

and selective." It said "all political

parties, including opposition ones, have

fully exercised their rights in line with

the laws and registered schedules

without any threats and obstruction."

Hun Sen, an authoritarian ruler in a

nominally democratic state, has held

power for 37 years. He has said he

intends to stay in office until 2028 and

has endorsed one of his sons to succeed

him.

His party is the only one to field

candidates nationwide in all 1,652

communes. Its only serious rival, the

Candlelight Party, has candidates in

1,632 communes, and the royalist

FUNCINPEC Party has challengers in

688 communes. There are a total of

82,786 candidates from 17 political

parties with 9.2 million registered voters.

Heavy rain hits Florida, flooding

stands Miami vehicle

MIAMI : Parts of South

Florida were experiencing

road flooding from heavy

rain and wind Saturday as a

storm system that battered

Mexico moves across the

state.

Officials in Miami warned

drivers about road

conditions as many cars

were stuck on flooded

streets.

"This is a dangerous and

life-threatening situation.

Traveling during these

conditions is not

recommended. It's better to

wait. Turn around, don't

drown," the city of Miami

tweeted. The city was towing

stranded vehicles from

flooder roadways.

The National Hurricane

Center in Miami said the

storm once known as Agatha

in the Pacific Ocean will be

known as Alex in the

Atlantic Ocean basin, if it

reaches tropical storm

status.

At 11 a.m. EDT, a tropical

storm warning was in effect

for portions of the state's east

coast and the northwestern

Bahamas. Bermuda was

under a tropical storm watch.

The storm's center was

disorganized, but appeared to

be reforming near the Florida

east coast. The storm is

expected to reach tropical

storm strength off Florida's

eastern coast by Saturday

night and is expected to

strengthen through Monday

as it moves away from

Florida and into the Atlantic

Ocean.

The local elections are held a year

ahead of the general election, and are

regarded as a test of the parties' strength.

In the last communal elections in

2017, the main opposition Cambodia

National Rescue Party made an

unexpectedly strong showing, which led

Hun Sen's government to crack down on

it as well as independent media. The

party was dissolved by the Supreme

Court on a charge of treason, widely seen

as politically motivated, and the free

press was driven out of business or

cowed into submission. Without the

Cambodian National Rescue Party on

the ballot, Hun Sen's party was assured

of victory in the general election the

following year. Several Western nations

imposed sanctions on the government

after concluding the 2018 election was

neither free nor fair. The harshest

measure came from the European

Union, which withdrew some

preferential trading privileges.

India records 4,270

new COVID-19 cases,

15 more deaths

NEW DELHI : India's COVID-

19 tally rose to 43,176,817 on

Sunday, as 4,270 new cases

were registered during the past

24 hours across the country,

showed the federal health

ministry's latest data.

Besides, 15 deaths from the

pandemic registered across the

country since Saturday

morning took the total death

toll to 524,692.

There are still 24,052 active

COVID-19 cases in the country

with an increase of 1,636 active

cases during the past 24 hours.

Supreme Leader acknowledges

Iran took Greek oil tankers

TEHRAN : Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah

Ali Khamenei acknowledged Saturday that

Iran took two Greek oil tankers last month in

helicopter-launched raids in the Persian Gulf.

The confiscations were retaliation for

Greece's role in the U.S. seizure of crude oil

from an Iranian-flagged tanker the same

week in the Mediterranean Sea over violating

Washington's harsh sanctions on the Islamic

Republic.

"They steal Iranian oil off the Greek coast,

then our brave men who don't fear death

respond and seized the enemy's oil tanker,"

Khamenei said during an 80-minute speech

on the anniversary of the death of the late

founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah

Ruhollah Khomeini. "But they use their

media empire and extensive propaganda to

accuse Iran of piracy."

"Who is the pirate? You stole our oil, we

took it back from you. Taking back a stolen

property is not called stealing," he added.

The seizures ratcheted up tensions between

Iran and the West already simmering over

Iran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world

powers. Tehran has been enriching more

GD-1079/22 (7x3)

uranium, closer to weapons-grade levels than

ever before, causing concern that negotiators

won't find a way back to the accord and

raising the risk of a wider war.

Iran's seizure of the tankers was the latest

in a string of hijackings and explosions to

roil a region that includes the Strait of

Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian

Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil

passes. The incidents began after then-

President Donald Trump unilaterally

withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal,

which saw Tehran drastically limit its

enrichment of uranium in exchange for the

lifting of economic sanctions.

The U.S. Navy blamed Iran for a series of

limpet mine attacks on vessels that

damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a

fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil

tanker that killed two European crew

members in 2021.

Iranian hijackers also stormed and briefly

captured a Panama-flagged asphalt tanker

off the United Arab Emirates last year and

briefly seized and held a Vietnamese tanker

in November.

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MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

GD-1072/22 (5x4)

GD-1074/22 (7x4)

Recently United Commercial Bank Ltd has started a 10 days Banking Foundation Course at Learning &

Development Center, Head Office. The program was inaugurated by N. Mustafa Tarek, Deputy

Managing Director. Masud Rayhan, Head of Learning & Development Center along with other L&D

Officials of UCB were also present during the inauguration".

Photo : Courtesy

Nagad Holds Distributors Meet-2022

The Postal Department's

mobile financial service

Nagad organized 'Nagad

Tycoons Meet' or

'Distributors Meet 2022'.

Distributors, regional

managers, and market

directors of Nagad from

across the country

participated in the event

under the slogan 'The Winner

of Change'.

The 'Tycoons Meet 2022'

was held at the capital's fivestar

hotel Le Meridien

recently. 164 distributors,

regional managers and

market directors from

throughout the country

attended the one-day event.

The occasion was also

attended by Tanvir A.

Mishuk, Founder and

Managing Director of Nagad,

Rahel Ahmed, Chief

Executive Officer (CEO) of

Nagad, Executive Directors,

and many other department

heads and higher officials of

the organization.

The 'Nagad Tycoons Meet

2022 event started in the

morning and continued till

night. In addition to

conducting several

workshops, distributors,

regional managers and

market directors from various

regions were recognized for

their accomplishments based

on goals or performances

during the day-long event.

Distributors from around the

nation were thrilled to receive

the crest and exclusive

rewards from Nagad in

recognition of their

outstanding performance.

In addition, the popular

mobile financial service

Nagad has arranged a cultural

program to enhance the

appeal of 'Nagad Tycoons

Meet 2022'. The audience

was captivated by the standup

comedy of popular actor Saju

Khadem, the dance

performance of Bengali film

actress Nusrat Faria and

finally popular songs

performed by legendary

singer Kumar Biswajit.

Addressing the distributor,

Regional Managers and

Market Directors, Tanvir A

Mishuk, Founder and

Managing Director of Nagad

stated, "Since its inception,

Nagad has been the world's

fastest-growing MFS, with

over 6 crore valued customers

with nearly BDT 1,000

average daily transactions.

This has only been made

possible due to your

collaboration

and

partnership. "When I wanted

to introduce Nagad, many

people advised against it" he

stated. The negative facts

concerning monopolistic

domination and the MFS

industry were the primary

factors. However, you were

the first one to believe in me

at that time. Thank you very

much. I would not be here

today if it weren't for you."

"We were far behind in

terms of financial inclusion in

the country," stated Rahel

Ahmed, CEO of Nagad.

Appropriate digital

innovation was required to

pull the ordinary people of the

country into this financial

inclusion. At that time, like a

meteor, Nagad came into play

as a change-maker. The

service has extended

throughout Bangladesh and

you are the driving force

behind this. Furthermore, by

utilizing e-KYC and Nagad D-

KYC, many people have been

brought under financial

inclusion through you."

National Housing Finance and Investments

Ltd declared 15.00pc Cash Dividend

Mercedes recalls

one million older

cars: German

authority

BERLIN : German carmaker

Mercedes-Benz is recalling

nearly one million older

vehicles worldwide due to a

potential problem with the

braking system, the federal

transport authority (KBA)

said.

The KBA said in a statement

dated June 1 and reported late

Saturday in German media

that the recall affected cars

built between 2004 and 2015,

of the SUV series ML and GL

and the R-Class luxury

minivan.

"Corrosion on the brake

booster can in the worst case

lead to the connection

between the brake pedal and

the braking system being

interrupted," the KBA said.

"As a consequence, the

service brake can stop

functioning."

The KBA said that

worldwide 993,407 vehicles

were being recalled, including

around 70,000 in Germany.

Mercedes-Benz confirmed

the recall later in a statement

sent to AFP, saying the move

was based on "analysis of

isolated reports for certain

vehicles".

"In rare cases of very severe

corrosion, it might be possible

for a particularly strong or

hard braking manoeuvre to

cause mechanical damage to

the brake booster, whereby

the connection between brake

pedal and brake system would

fail," Mercedes said.

"In such a very rare case, it

would not be possible to

decelerate the vehicle via the

service brake. Thus, the risk of

a crash or injury would be

increased."

The company said it would

"start with the recall

immediately" and contact the

owners of the "potentially

affected vehicles".


Baby formula plant

linked to US shortage

resumes production

WASHINGTON : Production resumed Saturday at an Abbott

Nutrition baby formula plant in the US whose closure helped

fuel a crippling nationwide shortage.

The facility in Sturges, Michigan has met initial government

sanitary requirements for reopening, the company said in a

statement.

The plant, a major producer of formula, shut down and issued

a product recall in February after the death of two babies raised

concerns over contamination.

Subsequent shortages were particularly worrying to parents

of infants with allergies or with certain metabolic conditions.

They desperately scoured stores and online sources for the

specialized formulas.

Their concerns became so acute that President Joe Biden met

virtually this week with infant-food executives and insisted his

administration was doing everything it could to help.

The crisis, coming at a time when soaring inflation and

supply-chain delays have fanned a growing sense of unease

among many ordinary Americans, has been seized on by Biden

critics to question the competence of his administration.

Abbott, which controls about 40 percent of the US baby food

market, said Saturday that it was restarting production of its

hypoallergenic EleCare formula and that the product should be

back on store shelves around June 20.

"We're also working hard to fulfill the steps necessary to

restart production of Similac and other formulas," Abbott said.

"We will ramp production as quickly as we can while meeting

all requirements."

The formula shortages, initially caused by supply chain

blockages and a lack of workers due to the pandemic, were

exacerbated when Abbott closed its Sturges plant.

The plant was shut down amid complaints the plant lacked

adequate protections against contamination from bacteriacomplaints

echoed after a six-week inspection by US Food and

Drug Administration agents.

"Frankly, the inspection results were shocking," FDA chief

Robert Califf told members of a House subcommittee last

month.

There was standing water in key equipment that presented

"the potential for bacterial contamination," plus leaks in the

roof and a lack of basic hygiene facilities, he said.

But Abbott officials, while apologizing for the formula

shortage, have said there is no conclusive evidence linking the

formula to infant illnesses or deaths.

For Biden, the issue had blown up into a political maelstrom.

He told reporters Wednesday that he was only informed

about the looming problem in early April and that he had pulled

all the levers of government to resolve shortages ever since.

"I don't think anyone anticipated the impact of the shutdown

of one facility," Biden said at a virtual meeting with the

executives from five companies helping to take up the slack

caused by Abbott's problems.

"Once we learned the extent of it and how broad it was, it

kicked everything into gear," Biden said.

8

Managing inventories

a pandemic headache

for US businesses

NEW YORK : More than two

years into the Covid-19

pandemic, American

businesses are still struggling

to manage their inventories in

a feast-or-famine cycle caused

by fickle consumer demand.

"We have way too much

inventory right now," said

Ginny Pasqualone, chief

executive of Sparkledots, a

children's clothing

manufacturer.

"It's important that we have

a large selection of

merchandise that our clients

can choose from," she said,

but store traffic has been hit

by inflation concerns, with

some customers "very scared

that they're not going to

survive another recession."

For now, Sparkledots is

holding more goods in

inventory, but that ties up

company capital and limits its

ability to add to its 18-worker

staff.

"It sucks our growth for the

future," Pasqualone said.

Such is the dilemma

affecting businesses of all

sizes.

Large store chains like

Walmart, Target and Macy's

have acknowledged in recent

weeks that they misread

consumer patterns, leaving

them with excess supplies of

appliances, casual clothing

and bicycles.

Bicycles were a hot

commodity early in the

pandemic, prompting

surprisingly large orders, said

Wayne Sosin, owner of

Worksman Cycles, a New

York manufacturer best

known for its tricycles.

"Retailers bought whatever

they could as if bike sales

would continue to have

unprecedented demand,"

Sosin said. "It was so obvious

to me that (this) would not

last."

Still, Sosin said demand

remains strong in some parts

of the business, placing stress

on supplies of some key

bicycle parts.

The 23rd Annual General Meeting

(AGM) of National Housing Finance

and Investments Limited was held on

Thursday, 2nd June, 2022 at 12.00

noon through virtual platform. The

shareholders approved 15.00% Cash

Dividend for the year 2021. I may be

noted that National Housing also

declared 15% cash dividend in the

year 2020, a press release said.

The Meeting was presided over by

Mahbubur Rahman, Chairman of the

Company. In the AGM Syed M. Altaf

Hussain, Vice-Chairman, Abdul-

Muyeed Chowdhury, Chairman

Audit Committee, all other Directors,

Promoters, and a large number of

Shareholders along with

Mohammad Shamsul Islam,

Managing Director and Md. Sarwar

Kamal FCS, Company Secretary were

present. The shareholders

appreciated and thanked to the Board

of Directors and management for the

continuous success of the Company.

National Housing is one of the

largest Financial Institution in the

country incorporated by 3 Banks, 7

Insurance Companies and &

country's renowned corporate body

engaged mainly with Home Loan.

Total shareholders' equity of the

company is Tk. 2,182.23 million as on

December 31, 2021. The Net profit

after Tax of the company is Tk.

261.28 million, EPS Tk. 2.23 and Net

Asset Value per Share (NAV) Tk.

18.65.

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd. has opened 'Hajj Booth' to provide services of Hajj pilgrims at Ashkona Hajj

Camp, on 5 Jun, 2022. Managing Director and CEO of the Bank Farman R. Chowdhury inaugurated the

booth as Chief Guest. Presided by Deputy Managing Director Md. Shafiqur Rahman Deputy Managing

Directors SM Jaffar, Abdullah Al Mamun, Senior Vice President Md. Mujibul Kader, Engr. Mohammad

Habib Ullah, SM Abu Jaffar, Senior Vice President Jalal Ahmed and Nazmul Huda were also present on the

occasion. After the inauguration Managing Director and CEO Farman R Chowdhury handed over gift items

to the pilgrims. The Bank will provide the pilgrims free passport endorsement, foreign currency exchange,

information and various other services from the newly opened booth.

Photo : Courtesy

Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) arranged Employees Get Together at Brac Learning Center in

Sreemangal with the employees of branches and sub-branches of Sylhet region recently. Dr. Md. Mahbub

Ul Alam, Chairman of the Bank, was present as chief guest while Zafar Alam, Managing Director and CEO

of the Bank, presided over the ceremony. Abu Reza Md. Yeahia, Additional Managing Director, was present

as special guest in the program. Abu RushdIftekharulHaque, Head of Trade Finance Division, and Md.

Moniruzzaman, Head of Marketing & Brand Communication of the Bank, were also present on the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

RFL launches new generation cooker hood

Rangpur Metal Industries

Limited, a concern of

country's leading business

conglomerate RFL, has

brought new cooker hood

using latest technology to the

market. Rangpur Metal

Industries Ltd Director Md.

Moniruzzaman has unveiled

the product at an event held

at RFL Group's head office in

Badda recently, a press

release said.

Addressing the occasion,

Md. Moniruzzaman said,

"People's live have changed a

lot. That's why, we have

brought a new featured

cooker hood to the market to

make people's lives easier and

more comfortable. This

cooker hood has various

features including automatic

motion sensor, touch control

switch, auto heat clean

technology, tempered glass

panel, stainless steel filter and

750m3/h enriched air

suction, which ensures the

highest quality."

He added that the

automatic motion sensor can

be used without touching the

hand. In addition, a 2-watt

LED light has been added to

the hood to work safely in low

light and a powerful 150-watt

motor with two speeds has

been used, capable of blowing

180 cubic meters of air per

hour. As a result, lowering the

temperature will bring relief

to the kitchen.

Shariful Islam, Head of

Marketing, Rangpur Metal

Industries Limited, said, "Hot

steam escapes from the

kitchen for using the kitchen

hood. This is why cooking

becomes comfortable."

At present, RFL has a total

of 8 different types of cooker

hoods of different sizes. The

price ranges of cooker hoods

are between Tk7,060 and Tk

31,765. Buyers will be able to

purchase the product from

RFL's Best Buy and Easy

Build. There is also a free

home delivery and free

installation facilities within a

maximum of three days when

ordering from the popular e-

commerce

site

www.othoba.com.

Md.

Nazmul

Haque,Assistant General

Manager (Operations) of

Rangpur Metal Industries

Limited, Finance Controller

Md. Zahir Uddin, Deputy

Manager (Accounts)

BinodKumer Sarker and Sub-

Assistant Brand Manager Md.

Ashrafuzzaman and other

senior officials of the

companywere present.


9

Benzema-The Good,

The Bad and the Ugly

side of French football

PARIS: French football star

Karim Benzema, who

provokes passionate

opinions-being adored or

disliked in equal measurehas

made a spectacular

return to "Les Bleus" despite

the "sex tape" scandal in

which he has finally waived

an appeal against his oneyear

suspended sentence,

reports BSS.

The 34-year-old's talent on

the pitch is indisputable. He

has a swathe of league titles

with both Lyon and Real

Madrid as well as five

Champions League trophies

and is a serious contender

for the next Ballon d'Or.

Even seven-time laureate

Lionel Messi says he

deserves it. "There's no

doubt, it's very clear that

Benzema has had a

spectacular year and has

ended it by winning the

Champions League," Messi

said. But on Friday, his

brilliant opening goal was

not enough to save France

from a 2-1 defeat against

Denmark in Paris.

Australia's Minjee Lee fired a four-under-par 67 to set a 54-hole scoring record

and seize a three-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the 77th US

Women's Open.

Photo: BSS

Aussie Lee grabs lead with 54-hole record at US Women's Open

WASHINGTON : Australia's

Minjee Lee fired a fourunder-par

67 to set a 54-hole

scoring record and seize a

three-stroke lead after

Saturday's third round of the

77th US Women's Open,

reports BSS.

The 26-year-old from

Perth answered a lone bogey

with five birdies, four in a

row starting at the ninth

hole, to stand on 13-under

200 entering the final round

at Pine Needles in Southern

Pines, North Carolina.

"I was pretty solid all day,"

Lee said. "I was making pars

when I needed to. I made a

bogey but then made those

birdies. It was nice to get

those going and finish with

all pars. I'm looking forward

to tomorrow."

Lee's total broke the old

54-hole tournament mark

set by American Juli Inkster

in 1999 at Old Waverly and

made her the player to catch

on Sunday for the record

$1.8 million top prize. "A

three-shot lead is a nice

cushion but it's not enough

to let your heart calm down,"

Lee said. "I'm going to be

really focused tomorrow, try

and stay calm and

concentrate on every shot

I'm making."

American Mina Harigae

shot 70 to stand second on

203 with England's Bronte

Law third on 206 after a 68.

Booters hold first

training session

in Malaysia

DHAKA : The national

booters had their first

training session today

(Saturday) at Malaysia

under the supervision of

head coach Javier Cabrera,

reports BSS.

The national booters

participated in a team

meeting, gym and

swimming session at Team

Hotel in the morning. They

also held a one and half hour

practice session at the Mini

Shah Alam Stadium in

Malaysia in the afternoon.

All the players and officials

of the team are well and fit

and there is no injury

problem in the team,

according to a message

received here from

Bangladesh Football

Federation this afternoon.

Earlier, Bangladesh

national football team

reached Malaysia from

Indonesia Thursday last to

participate in the AFC Asian

Cup China 2023 qualifiers

scheduled to be held from

June 8-14 in Malaysia.

Bangladesh which was

placed at group E along with

Bahrain Turkmenistan and

Malaysia in the AFC Asian

Cup, will play the first match

against Bahrain on June 8,

face against Turkmenistan

on June 11 and meet host

Malaysia on June 14.

Nadal aims to be French Open's oldest

champion against pupil Ruud

PARIS:Rafael Nadal will become the oldest

man to win the French Open title if he

defeats Casper Ruud, the Norwegian whose

clay court talents he has personally helped

foster, reports BSS.

Nadal will be playing in his 14th Roland

Garros final on Sunday and 30th overall at

the Grand Slams.

Victory will deliver a record-extending

22nd major and 14th French Open, 17 years

after his title winning debut in Paris.

The 36-year-od Nadal is, however, as

surprised as anyone to have got this far.

A chronic left foot injury which has

plagued him throughout his career flared up

again in Rome last month, putting a serious

question mark over him even making it to

the French capital. "Without a doubt, I'd

prefer to lose the final and have a new foot,"

admitted Nadal who has not hidden the

brutal reality that every match he plays at

Roland Garros may be his last.

Despite his fears, Nadal has impressively

battled his way into Sunday's championship

match. He needed five sets and more than

four hours to see off Felix Auger-Aliassime in

the last 16 and another four hours to get past

Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

Alexander Zverev then pushed him all the

way for three hours in the semi-finals until a

sickening ankle injury forced the German

world number three to quit on crutches.

Despite the German's bold all-or-nothing

challenge, Nadal still cut an impressive

presence on court, at one point coming out

on top in a lung-busting 44-shot rally.

Spain's Rafael Nadal will be playing in his 14th Roland Garros final on

Sunday and 30th overall at the Grand Slams.

Photo: AP

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10

Ferdous, Nipun in new

film ‘Sujon Majhi’

TBT REPORT

Popular Dhallywood actors

Ferdous Ahmed and Nipun Akter

will be seen in a new film titled

'Sujon Majhi'. The movie is being

directed by noted filmmaker

Delowar Jahan Jhontu.

'Sujon Majhi' has been made on

the life in a rural background.

Ferdous will play a character of

rural boatman, while Nipun will be

seen acting as an urban girl in the

romantic film. The shooting of the

film has been started recently.

About the project, Ferdous said,

"Delowar Jahan Jhontu is an

experienced filmmaker. 'Sujon

Majhi' is a romantic folk genre

film. After a long time, I have

acted in a folk film. The audience

will get to see this type of rural

movie in a new way. I hope the

viewers will like our work."

Nipun shared, "There are not

much of movies in rural settings.

I have joined this project for that

reason. Jhontu uncle is a

talented director. I'm looking

The Thor: Love and

Thunder trailer revealed a

buff new look for Natalie

Portman's MCU

character. As the Mighty

Thor, Natalie Portman's

Jane Foster was seen

sporting some muscular

biceps in the final shot of

the trailer. This clip

provided the first official

look of Portman incostume

as the MCU's

Mighty Thor.

Having been absent

from the MCU since

2013's Thor: The Dark

World, Portman's Jane

Foster is about to make

her long-awaited return to

the movies in Taika

Waititi's Thor: Love and

Thunder. However, her

forward to working with him."

Produced by Abu Syed Khan,

the film is made under the

banner of Shemanti Music. The

film also stars Kazi Hayat, Selim,

Siam Khan, Gangua and others.

role in the movie won't be

at all similar to what it was

before. Jane will go from

Thor's human, nonpowered

love interest to a

new incarnation of the

God of Thunder and the

next owner of Mjolnir.

How exactly the movie

would pull it off, how it

would her interpret her

Mighty Thor origin from

Marvel Comics, and how

her transformation would

translate to the big screen

were among the biggest

questions ahead of the

trailer.

Natalie Portman's

muscled arms in the Thor:

Love and Thunder trailer

prove that the actress has

made some notable

changes to her physique

for the role. How she

obtained her new look

was discussed in an

interview with Vanity

Earlier, Ferdous and Nipun

were teamed up in several films

like 'Bayanno Theke Ekattor',

'Shorgo Theke Norok', 'Obujh

Bou' and 'Ontordhan', and

others.

How Natalie got so buff for

‘Thor: Love & Thunder’

In the eve of celebrating my 44th birthday (12-06-

2022), I convey gratefulness to the Allah Almighty and

to my parents. My appreciation goes to my younger

siblings and life partner who have supported me in

difficult times.

(SI Sohel Rana, Superstar)

Fair. Portman said she

worked with a trainer

named Naomi Pendergast

for four months before the

shoot. During this time,

she consumed protein

shakes and did a great

deal of weight training

that she wasn't

accustomed to before the

movie. According to

Portman, her Thor 4

workout consisted of a lot

of "agility work" and

"strength work". The

details of these exercises

haven't been disclosed,

but other comments from

the actress were indicative

of just how intense they

were. Portman previously

described being "super

tired" after her Thor 4

workouts.

Source: Collider

Akhi Alamgir’s party

song ‘Pagol Banaili’

TBT REPORT

Akhi Alamgir is going to release

her new song, 'Pagol Banaili' on

YouTube on the occasion of

Eid-ul-Azha. The song is

composed by Sahriar Rafat and

the lyrics of the song were

written by Arfin Rumey.

"The song 'Pagol Banail' is a

very beautiful song. It is going

to be a party song. I really liked

its lyrics and melody," said

Akhi Alamgir.

"I've sung to Rafat's

composition earlier. The song

'Shironame Tumi Amar' was

also composed by him and he

also sang that song with me.

The new song is going to be a

different one. I hope everyone

will like it," she added.

"The song has come to life

with the voice of Akhi Alamgir.

Rafat has made a wonderful

melody and music composition

Basking in the success of her last film

Bhool Bhuliayaa 2, Kiara Advani has

been slaying it like a pro. Apart from

being one of the most successful actresses

of recent times, the actress often makes

heads turn owing to her fashion choices.

After BB 2 with Kartik Aaryan, the actress

is now gearing up for the release of her

upcoming film JugJugg Jeeyo. Headline

by Kiara and Varun Dhawan, it also stars

Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Prajakta Koli

and Maniesh Paul in the lead roles.

On the personal front, Kiara is

rumoured to be dating her Shershaah costar

Sidharth Malhotra. Recently, reports

for the song. I hope everyone

will like this song," said Arfin

Rumey.

Akhi Alamgir said that she

has also sang a new original

song composed by talented

composer Mannan

Mohammad recently and now

passing busy time performing

stage shows. She is going to

perform in Dhaka this month.

Akhi Alamgir's latest song

'Keno Eto Bhoy' was composed

by Bappa Mazumder and

Maruf Hasan written its lyrics.

Bappa Mazumder directed the

music video and the song was

uploaded from Bappa

Mazumder's YouTube channel.

This March, Akhi received her

fifth international award from

the 'SAARC Film Journalists

Forum'. Earlier, she won three

international honours from

Kolkata and one from Dubai.

Akhi Alamgir is the only

singer in Bangladesh who won

the National Film Award for

both singing and acting. She

won the National Film Award

for her first performance as a

child artiste in the film 'Bhat

De' directed by Amjad Hossain.

Kiara reveals mantra of healthy

relationship with Sidharth

of their break-up had surfaced but were

soon dismissed.

If you want to know what kind of

qualities Kiara Advani is looking for in

her partner then this piece of news is for

you. In her latest interview, the Good

Newwz actress has spilled the beans on

what is she looking for in her partner.

Kiara told Cosmopolitan India, "I'd want

someone who just makes me feel loved,

seen and heard, and does not take me for

granted." Well, we wonder is Sidharth is

listening!

Not only that, Kiara went on to reveal

her mantra for a happy and healthy

Later, she won the National

Film Award for the song

'Golpo Kothar Oi Kalploke

Jani' tuned by Runa Laila and

Gazi Mazharul Anwar wrote

the lyrics for the film 'Ekti

Cinemar Golpo' which was

directed by her father.

James to perform at Coke Studio Bangla live concert on June 9

TBT REPORT

James is all set to rock Coke Studio

Bangla live concert at the Army

Stadium on June 9. After the Covid

outbreak, James is going to sing in a big

concert again. Besides, Warfaze,

Nemesis, Lalon Band, Introit, Jalali

Set, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, and all

the talented artistes of Coke Studio

Bangla will perform at the concert.

Under the slogan 'Concert will be

Magical', the concert will start at 4:00

pm and will continue till 9:00 pm. The

gates will be open at 1:30 pm.

Apart from the bands, the mastermind

behind coke studio Shayan Chowdhury

Arnob, Animes Roy, Momtaz, Mizan

Rahman, Rituraj Baidya, Nandita, Nigar

Sultana, and Ripon (Boga Taleb) will also

perform at the concert. The audience can

purchase the ticket through the Coke

Studio Bangla Live website and another

added attraction for the viewers is that

they can also take a picture with the

FIFA original trophy at the event.

relationship. She told the magazine,

"There should be no egos. I feel the worst

thing you can do in a relationship is to

allow your ego to come in the way. For

me, a healthy relationship is one where

there is clear, respectful communication.

You need to accept each other for who

you are and nurture that".

A couple of days back, reports of Kiara

Advani and Sidharth Malhotra calling it

quits had surfaced. However, during the

screening of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, the

couple was seen hugging and stealing

glances leaving their fans overjoyed.

Earlier, Kiara Advani was in news

when she had revealed being dumbstruck

after seeing Salman Khan. Spilling the

beans on the same, Kiara had told

Mumbai Mirror, "Salman was sitting

outside his vanity van, waiting to be

called for a shot. I was 17 then and my

mom nudged me to greet him. She was

shocked when I didn't say a word. I was

struck dumb, literally! I already knew

him, but the aura around him was so

strong.''

In terms of work, Kiara will next be

seen in 'Govinda Naam Mera' alongside

Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar and

also in 'RC 15' co-starring Ram Charan.

Source: IANS

H O R O S c O P E

ARIES

Today your intellectual and

expressive abilities should receive a

boost from the planets. It's an

excellent time to organize your thoughts about

presenting a project to a possible collaborator,

engage in trade, or write. In terms of your

private life, it's also a good time to examine the

latest events, certain aspects of which are still

partially misunderstood.

TAURUS

Overall, the forecast for today is fairly

good. The aspects seem to favor figuring

out the meaning of all that's transpired

over the past several weeks. It's an

opportunity for you to take a leisurely look at the

distance you've covered moving toward your goals.

Since it's an auspicious day for social activities, why not

get together with friends and discuss the latest events

with them?

GEMINI

Have you felt somewhat lost for the past

few days? The fog may lift today and

enable you to situate yourself at last.

You're probably eager to settle a

question that has nagged at you and interfered with

your judgment. However, you should be patient,

especially if it has to do with emotional matters. Try

to understand, but don't take immediate action.

You'll be more objective beginning tomorrow.

cANcER

You may have been feeling somewhat

disillusioned. Perhaps you lost sight of

your goals or misplaced your faith in

yourself. You'll feel some relief

beginning today. This is an opportunity to end what

has been a somewhat apathetic and moody phase

and begin a new one that's based on work and

meditation. As you can imagine, this new phase will

be much more fulfilling!

LEO

You might be tempted to settle certain

matters by radical means. The

visionary part of you means you're

painfully aware of the world's wrongs.

You see no reason not to take action to correct them.

But the forces in play are so powerful that you can't

expect to institute a new order in one day. If you

have an emotional question to resolve, it would be

better to wait a few days before making a decision.

VIRGO

Today will be fairly calm in terms of

outside events, but your inner world is

likely to be in a rush of activity. Today you

wish you could find the solution to your

heartaches as well as your career predicaments. You'd

like to achieve some supreme understanding of the

events that took place over the past month. First you

must force your brain to slow down. Haste makes

waste, as you know!

LIBRA

You have a lot of thinking to do about

your professional goals, Libra. You'll go

over the elements to see if there isn't

some way to approach things differently.

Are there new paths you could try or ways to improve

things? Your mind will go a thousand miles a minute

today. Those who spend time with you may be totally

exhausted by the end of the day because of all the

questions you ask!

ScORPIO

You just can't do everything at once,

Scorpio. How do you expect to reduce

your stress and recuperate while at

the same time continue to be a

superstar performer in every area of your life?

Don't pressure yourself to perform today. If you do,

you're likely to deplete your reserves even further.

Take it easy, rest, and relax! You've earned this

little break.

SAGITTARIUS

This is a good moment to adapt your logic

and reason to reality, Sagittarius. If you

don't, you're going to run into some

intellectual problems. Everyone knows that you find new

ideas plentiful, but unless you have plans to be a novelist,

link your thinking to reality. The "pie in the sky" thinking

that you engage in isn't particularly useful to the rest of

us living here in the real world.

cAPRIcORN

It's going to be a little difficult talking

to you today, Capricorn. You, who can

be easily influenced by others, will be

listening to and criticizing everything

that people say. Nothing emotional or vague is

going to get into your head. It's as if you've installed

an extremely fine filter that lets in only what you

allow. You're going to appear to be a real expert.

Don't show off too much!

AQUARIUS

Have you been reviewing your family

history lately, Aquarius? Of special

interest is your cultural background.

What educational, social, and religious

environment were you born into? What are its

values? In the end, do you feel a strong affinity with

them now or are those views different from the ones

you hold? These are interesting avenues of thought

for you today.

PIScES

It's time to elevate your sense of self,

Pisces. You're just as good as anyone

else, so why don't you believe it? The

problem is that you're very sensitive

about having an ego. Even though you know

everyone does, you punish yourself for its existence!

This is a noble idea, but it doesn't do you any good.

You'll never be perfect and neither will anyone else.

What are you worrying about?

MonDAY, JunE 6, 2022

11

Hindu banker and a worker from

India fatally shot in Kashmir

SRINAGAR : Assailants fatally shot a

Hindu bank manager and a worker in

targeted shootings in Indian-controlled

Kashmir on Thursday, according to

police who blamed the attacks on

militants fighting against Indian rule of

the disputed region, reports UNB.

Militants shot and wounded two

Hindu workers at a brick factory near

Chadoora town on Thursday night,

Jammu-Kashmir police said in a

statement. They were taken to a

hospital, where one of the workers from

India's Bihar state died.

Earlier Thursday, suspected militants

shot and killed a bank manager, Vijay

Kumar, in southern Kulgam district, a

separate Jammu-Kashmir police

statement said. Kumar, from India's

Rajasthan state, died at a hospital

following the shooting.

CCTV footage circulating on social

media shows a masked assailant walk

into the bank and fire shots at Kumar

with what appears to be a handgun.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has

witnessed a spate of targeted killings in

recent months. They come as Indian

troops have continued their

counterinsurgency operations across

the region amid a clampdown on

dissent and media freedom, which

critics have likened to a militaristic

policy.

On Tuesday, suspected militants, also

in Kulgam, shot and killed a Hindu

schoolteacher, Rajini Bala.

After that killing, Hindu government

employees staged protests in several

areas, demanding the government

relocate them from Kashmir to safer

areas in the Hindu-dominated Jammu

region. They accused the government

of making them "scapegoats" and

"cannon fodder" to showcase normalcy

in the region and chanted slogans like

"The only solution is relocation."

Hundreds of Hindus who had

returned to the region after 2010 as

part of a government resettlement plan

Joypurhat district Awami League organized a tree-plantation program at

Joypurhat government college campus yesterday on the occasion of World

Environment Day.

Photo : Masrakul Alam

that provided them with jobs and

housing fled the Kashmir Valley after

the killing of Bala, according to

Kashmiri Hindu activists. Some 4,000

Kashmiri Hindus, who are locally

known as Pandits, have been recruited

for government jobs under the

program.

Those employees have been on a

strike since May 13 after a Hindu

revenue clerk was killed inside an office

complex in Chadoora town.

In the aftermath of the clerk's killing,

hundreds of Pandits - an estimated

200,000 of whom fled Kashmir after

an anti-India rebellion erupted in 1989

- organized for the first time

simultaneous street protests at several

locations in the region demanding

better security.

"We were tricked into thinking that

the government is rehabilitating us

under an employment package," said

Jyoti Bhat, a local Hindu teacher who

joined the program seven years ago.

North Korea test-fires

salvo of short-range

missiles

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA :

North Korea test-fired a

barrage of short-range ballistic

missiles from multiple

locations toward the sea on

Sunday, South Korea's military

said, extending a provocative

streak in weapons

demonstrations this year that

U.S. and South Korean officials

say may culminate with a

nuclear test explosion. Possibly

setting a single-day record for

North Korean ballistic launches,

eight missiles were fired in

succession over 35 minutes

from at least four different

locations, including from

western and eastern coastal

areas and two inland areas

north of and near the capital.

Chairman of Akboria Care Faundation Hasan Ali Alal distributed saplings among over five hundred

males and females in Bogura yesterday on the occasion of World Environment Day. Photo : Azahar Ali

Teachers after Texas attack:

'None of us are built for this'

CHARLESTON : Teacher Jessica Salfia

was putting up graduation balloons last

month at her West Virginia high school

when two of them popped, setting off panic

in a crowded hallway between classes.

One student dropped to the floor. Two

others lunged into open classrooms. Salfia

quickly shouted, "It's balloons! Balloons!"

and apologized as the teenagers realized

the noise didn't come from gunshots.

The moment of terror at Spring Mills

High School in Martinsburg, about 80

miles (124 kilometers) northwest of

Washington happened May 23, the day

before a gunman fatally shot 19 children

and two teachers in a classroom in Uvalde,

Texas. The reaction reflects the fear that

pervades the nation's schools and taxes its

teachers - even those who have never

experienced such violence - and it comes

on top of the strain imposed by the

coronavirus pandemic.

Salfia has a more direct connection to

gun threats than most. Her mother, also a

West Virginia teacher, found herself staring

down a student with a gun in her classroom

seven years ago.

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Monday, Dhaka: June 6, 2022; Jaishtha 23, 1429 BS; Zilquad 5, 1443 Hijri

WB to provide

Tk 255cr food aid to

Rohingyas:Enamur

DHAKA : State Minister for Disaster

Management and Relief Dr Mohammad

Enamur Rahman has said that the World

Bank (WB) will provide Taka 255 crore

as food aid to the Rohingya refugees.

"Under the agreement, the WFP will

provide food assistance to the Rohingyas

in Cox's Bazar through the 'Safety Net

System for the Poorest' which is being

funded by the World Bank," he said.

The state minister told the newsmen

after signing an agreement with the

World Food Programme (WFP) at the

ministry's conference room in the

Secretariat, said a press release.

"The project will provide nutrition education

to women and assistance to children

under the age of five in health centres.

It will also provide training and necessary

equipments for gardening, tree

plantation and try to protect both trees

and mountain slopes," Enamur said.

He mentioned that the project is

expected to reduce anti-social crimes and

increase awareness among the Rohingya

refugees, according to the release.

EC suspends Chambal

UP election in Ctg

DHAKA : The Election Commission has

suspended the election of Chambal

Union Parishad at Banshkhali upazila in

Chattogram over violation of election

regulations by a chairman candidate.

In a press release on Sunday the commission

said the election slated for June

15 has been suspended until further notice.

According to the notice, chairman

candidate of Chambal UP Mujibul

Haque Chowdhury has announced that

he will hire men to help people for pressing

the EVM button and threatened to

snatch win in the election using EVM as

per his wish.

He also said he would have collected all

the votes by night if there was no EVM

which has been published in different

newspaper and television reports. Local

Administration and Election Officer

found proof of the statement later

through a probe.

"Such actions are criminal offence according

to the Union Council (Election

Behaviour) Rules, 2016 and The Local

Government (Union Parishads) Rules

,2010. The commission directs to file a

case against the Chambal UP chairman

candidate," said the EC.

RMG workers

stage demo in city

demanding wage hike

DHAKA : Hundreds of workers of different

garment factories in Mirpur area of

the city have been staging demonstrations

demanding a hike in wages.

Abu Raihan Mohammad Saleh, joint

commissioner of traffic (north), said workers

of different garment factories took to

the streets at Mirpur-10 Golchhatar area

after 8 am. Later, workers of garment

workers from adjacent areas, including

Kazipara, Shewrapar and Agargaon, also

joined them to express their solidarity with

them. A number of garment factories were

vandalised during the demonstrations.

Vehicular movement from Mirpur-1 to

Agargaon remained halted for several

hours, causing sufferings to the commuters

especially the officer goers.

Balance development

with environment:PM

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

on Sunday underlined the need for protecting

the environment to ensure sustainable

development in the country.

"For sustainable development there

should be coordination with environment

and development. Otherwise,

development cannot be sustainable," she

said. The premier was speaking at the

Tree Fair and Campaign for Tree

Plantation programme to mark the

World Environment Day at

Bangabandhu International Conference

Centre (BICC).

Hasina virtually joined the event from

her official residence Ganobhaban.

The theme for World Environment

Day this year is "Only One Earth", with

focus on "living sustainably in harmony

with nature".

The PM said that while going for development

that everyone has to adopt the

nature based solution. "This is urgently

needed," she said. She said that every

development project in the country has

to fulfill one condition: to plant at least

five trees for each tree felled for it.

Bangladesh, she said, needs development

for improving the people's lives.

But the development must be fairly balanced

with the nature and environment,

she observed. She mentioned her government

is setting up 100 economic

zones across the country to prevent indiscriminate

industrialization and preserve

the arable lands.

She said these projects have provision

of harvesting rain water to preserve the

ground water. The PM reiterated her call

not to leave a single inch of arable land

uncultivated as the world is under threat

of scarcity of food grains due to Covid-19

pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.

"Our land is fertile and we have manpower,

we have to produce our own

crops, we will produce whatever we need,

we will have to shun our dependency on

others," she said. She said the manpower

of Environment Ministry has been

increased to 1133 from 265, the environment

directorate office has been set up in

50 districts and gradually every district

will get an office.

Environment, Forest and Climate

Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin,

Deputy Minister Habibun Nahar, chairman

of parliamentary affairs committee

on Environment, Forest and Climate

Change Ministry Saber Hossain

Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion

while its Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed

gave the address of welcome.

A video documentary on the government

activities to protect the environment

was also screened.

Earlier, the forest minister, on behalf of

the prime minister, handed over awards

including Bangabandhu Award for

Wildlife Conservation and National

Environment Award among the recipients.

The PM also inaugurated the

National Environment Fair and National

Tree Fair 2022 at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

The Environment, Forest and Climate

Change ministry is holding a month-long

'National Tree Plantation Campaign' and

a week-long 'Tree Fair 2022' across the

country as part of the World

Environment Day programme.

'National Tree Plantation Campaign'

will be held from June 5 to July 4 while

'Tree Fair 2022' will take place from June

5-11. The theme of this year is

'Brikhaprane Prokriti-Protibesh, Agami

Projanmer Teksai Bangladesh'.

Hasina called upon all to plant tree

saplings to create green afforestation

aimed at maintaining a healthy and safe

environment in the country.

She mentioned that her party Awami

League began tree plantation programme

during 1984-85 when there was

no discussion on the issue of environment

in the world.

As part of the programmes, the Awami

League began along with its associate

bodies tree plantation campaign on the

first day Bangla month Asharh every year

to create afforestation in the country, she

added.

HC orders to set up information

centre at SC within 60 days

DHAKA : The High Court (HC) has

ordered to set up an information centre

following the obligations of the Right to

Information Act-2009(RTI) at the

Supreme Court(SC) within 60 days.

A two-member HC bench comprising

Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Mia and

Justice Khijir Hayat pronounced the verdict

after hearing a writ petition, reports

UNB.

The writ petition was filed by Advocate

Shishir Monir on May 26. Shishir conducted

the hearing himself while Deputy

Attorney General Bipul Bagmar stood

for the state.

Replying to questions after the pronouncement

of the verdict, Shishir said

that instructions have been given to the

Registrar General of the SC along with

Registrars of both the Appellate and the

HC divisions to set up the information

centre.

According to the writ petition, the

Right to Information Act-2009 directs to

establish information cells and recruit

Information Officers(IO) in all the constitutional

institutions of the country,

including the government and the

autonomous bodies.

The writ petition also says that free

flow of information is peoples' constitutional

right according to section 39 of the

constitution. People are deprived of this

right due to the absence of information

cells and information officers at public

offices.

"The plaintiff had requested the

Registrar of the HC for providing information

regarding capital punishment.

The plaintiff didn't get any response

from him. Later, he submitted a request

to the Registrar General of the SC to

implement the RTI-2009 Act. The plaintiff

finally had to file a writ petition after

not receiving any response from the SC

official either," adds the writ petition.

On Sunday, 2,456 metric tonnes of wheat arrived in 42 wagons from India at Hilli land port

in Dinajpur.

Photo : Star Mail

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina planted tree at Ganabhaban yesterday

on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Photo : PID

BNP holds dialogues with

obscure parties:Hasan

DHAKA : Information and Broadcasting

Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday

said BNP is holding dialogues with some

obscure parties and their allies, meaning

they are conducting dialogues within

themselves.

"I saw in newspapers that BNP is holding

dialogues with the parties of its own

so-called alliance though some parties

have fled from the coalition which means

they are holding discussions with themselves.

Besides, the party is also discussing

with some unregistered political

parties. This unregistered political parties

are being called alien parties," he

added.

The minister added that the dialogue is

ridiculous and it reveals their political

bankruptcy.

Hasan said this to reporters after

exchanging views with the newly elected

executive members of Crime Reporters

Association of Bangladesh (CRAB).

Replying to a query over the Sitakunda

tragedy, he said the Prime Minister is

looking into the matter herself and gave

necessary instructions to all concerned.

"Our party leaders and activists were

given directives to donate blood and

extend other necessary help to the victims.

All leaders and activists of Awami

Inflationary pressure

hurts low-income

families:New Survey

DHAKA : The current inflationary pressures

has eroded the real income and adversely

affected food security and essential expenditures

of the low-income households in

Bangladesh. This has also significantly disrupted

their economic recovery from the

COVID-19 shock, says a latest survey.

In a virtual press conference on Sunday,

titled "Inflation, Coping, and Recovery

Challenges" Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman,

executive chairman of Power and

Participation Research Centre (PPRC), and

Dr Imran Matin, executive director of BRAC

Institute of Governance and Development

(BIGD), highlighted these trends.

They presented these findings from the

latest round of a survey in a joint PPRC-

BIGD study, which has been capturing, since

April 2020, the evolving economic crisis

among low-income communities in

Bangladesh due to COVID-19 through multiple

rounds of surveys among a large sample

of urban slum and rural population.

Almost 4,000 households were surveyed

in the fifth round conducted in May

this year, according to the survey.

They show that per capita daily incomes

League, Jubo League, Chhatra League,

Swechchhasebak League and other associate

bodies are participating in the rescue

operation," he added.

He said investigation will be carried

out to find out whether the incident is an

accident or sabotage. It is necessary to

find out the real issue of the tragedy, said

Hasan, also Awami League joint general

secretary.

Earlier, the minister extended thanks

to the newly elected CRAB executive

members.

Hasan said the crime reporters often

face big risks to write their reports on

crimes.

CRAB president Mirza Mehedi Tomal,

vice president Md Jahangir Alam, general

secretary Asaduzzaman Biku, joint secretary

Imran Hossain Suman, treasurer

Saiful Islam Mantu, organising secretary

Ataur Rahman office secretary Ismail

Hossain Imu, publicity secretary Rudra

Russel, sports secretary SM Mintu

Hossain, training and information technology

secretary Sazzad Mahmud Khan,

welfare secretary Nahid Tanmoy, international

secretary Shahin Alam, executive

members Md Amanur Rahman

Roni, Sirazul Islam and Mohammd

Zakaria were present.

were steadily recovering after the second

lockdown-which increased by a 27% from

August 2021 to January 2022- but have

started reversing again by a 6% between

January and May 2022 due to inflation,

disrupting the expected recovery of real

incomes to that of pre-pandemic times.

Dr Rahman said inflation has compounded

the COVID-induced disruptions

to economic recovery, with real incomes of

poorer households still 15% below pre-

COVID levels two years from the onset of

the pandemic. The recent fall in daily per

capita real incomes in the urban slums

(8%) has been sharper than that in the

rural areas (3%).

Livelihoods in urban slums were already

more severely affected by COVID and

recovering more slowly, compared to

those in villages. The inflation has further

slowed the recovery in the slums, according

to the survey. The inflationary pressure

also appears to have pulled more women

to find work; 40% of female respondents

in the survey were engaged in incomegenerating

activities in January, which

jumped to 52% in May.

Youth whose

Facebook Live

captured blast

amid fire turns

up dead

CHATTOGRAM : The young man whose

Facebook Live broadcast captured the

deadly explosion that occurred as firefighters

fought the initial blaze at the BM

Container Depot in Sitakunda on

Saturday night has, as feared, died.

The deceased was identified as Oliur

Rahman, son of Ashik Miah of

Moulvibazar. He was a young worker at

the Container Depot.

Oliur remained missing until Sunday

noon. Later, his co-workers identified his

body at Chattogram Medical College and

Hospital (CMCH), confirmed one of his

co-workers Ruel.

Ruel said Oliur might have died from

the impact of the blast.

He said, "It was dinner time when the

explosion occurred. We left the depot for

dinner, but Oliur stayed there to make it

live on Facebook."

Oliur went live from his Facebook

when the massive fire broke out at the

container depot in Sitakunda on

Saturday night. He was informing everyone

about the fire on Facebook Live.

The broadcast firefighters and other

depot staff are struggling to contain the

fire. Around 41 minutes into his broadcast,

a blast occurs and the screen goes

black, indicating whoever was holding

the phone had clearly lost control of it.

People calling Oliur's phone from

that point onwards found it switched

off and he went missing. The blast

amid the fire is suspected to have also

been the cause for the greatest loss of

firefighters in a single incident in

Bangladesh's history.

Oliur's relatives went to the CMCH to

receive his body, said Ruel.

"The death toll from the fire climbed to

49 and there were seven fire service

members among the deceased," said

Anisur Rahman, deputy director of Fire

Service and Civil Defense, while briefing

reporters at Chattogram Medical College

and Hospital over the deadly fire incident.

Besides, over 200 people suffered

injuries.

Chattogram Fire Service and Civil

Defense Assistant Director Faruk

Hossain Shikdar said a large explosion

rocked the area on Saturday night.

"The explosion was heard within a

radius of 4km from the spot," Faruk

added.

A total of 15-20 explosions occurred at

the depot following the fire, he said.

Shahjahan Shikdar, deputy assistant

director of Fire Service and Civil Defense

headquarters (media), said 13 firefighters

are undergoing treatment at Chattogram

Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

Blockchain Olympiad

Bangladesh-2022

begins today

DHAKA : Three-day "Blockchain

Olympiad Bangladesh-2022" is going to

begin today with the theme "Inspiring

Empowerment and Innovation."

Planning Minister MA Mannan is

expected to inaugurate the Olympiad as

the chief guest on June 6 at 10 am at

Krishibid Institution (KIB) auditorium,

said a press release.

Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC)

informed this at a press conference held

at the BCC auditorium, ICT Tower in the

city's Agargaon yesterday.

The three-day event will include

awards ceremony, and seminars on

blockchain.

State Minister for Information and

Communication Technology (ICT)

Zunaid Ahmed Palak will be the chief

guest at the closing ceremony to be held

on June 8.

Derailment halts

Dhaka's rail link with

northern districts

GAZIPUR : Rail communications

between Dhaka and the northern

parts of the country have remained

suspended since Sunday noon due

to the derailment of a train in

Gazipur, officials said.

In-charge of Joydebpur Railway

Junction Police outpost Shahidul

Islam said that four bogies of the

freight train veered off the tracks

near Joydebpur Railway Station at

noon.

A number of trains got stranded

due to the derailment.

06-06-2022

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