06-06-2022

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.