24-10-2022

MONDAY

DHAKA : October 24, 2022; Kartik 8, 1429 BS; Rabi-ul Awal 27, 1444 Hijri www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net Regd. No. DA~2065, Vol. 20; No.156; 12 Pages~Tk. 12.00

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ART & CULTURE

Russian authorities

Pegula beats

Minar Rahman's new

advise civilians to

Azarenka to reach

song 'Meghe Bhasa

leave Ukraine region

Guadalajara final

Din' released

>Page 7

Bhola field to add 80m cft

gas to nat'l grid : Tawfiq

>Page 9 >Page 10

DHAKA : Prime Minister’s Power,

Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs

Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury

yesterday said about 80 million cubic

feet gas will be shipped from the Bhola

gas field to be added to the national

grid in two to three months.

“None of us know in which direction

the global situation will go. So, everyone

should be prepared. Within the

next two to three months, 80 million

cubic feet of gas will be shipped from

the Bhola gas field and added to the national

grid,” he said, reports BSS.

Tawfiq-e-Elahi said this while

speaking as the chief guest at an event

on “Mitigation of the Impact of Energy

Crisis on the Industrial Sector” organised

by Bangladesh Chamber of Industries

(BCI) at a hotel in the city.

President of the Federation of Bangladesh

Chambers of Commerce and

Industry (FBCCI) Md Jashim Uddin

T20 World Cup

Rain poses threat

as BD to take on

Netherlands today

DHAKA : As Bangladesh are all set to

take on the Netherlands to start their T20

World Cup 2022 campaign, a forecast of

heavy rain poses a significant threat to

the fate of the match.

According to media reports coming

from Hobert, neither Bangladesh nor

Netherlands were able to utilize their

respective practice sessions due to heavy

rain, and the same could happen to the

match.

Bangladesh came to this year’s T20

World Cup with their fans not hoping

for something memorable. Over the last

couple of years, Bangladesh played 43

matches and won only 15 of them. Their

most recent wins came against the UAE

in a two-match series, reports UNB.

Ahead of the main event, Bangladesh

played a warm-up match against Afghanistan

and they suffered a similar fate - a

defeat without offering any kind of effective

resistance.

Just a few weeks before the T20 World

Cup, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)

appointed Sridharan Sriram as the T20

consultant of Bangladesh. The former Indian

cricketer has done quite a few experiments

with the team in the Asia Cup and

in the Tri-Series in New Zealand.

After much experiment, Sridharan

and the team management have done

two last-minute changes to the World

Cup squad adding Soumya Sarkar and

Shoriful Islam, who were actually drafted

as standby players, replacing underperforming

Sabbir Rahman and Mohammad

Saifuddin.

Before Taking the field in the World

Cup, the opening pair has been the main

point of concern for Bangladesh. According

to the hints the team management

has provided so far, Soumya Sarkar and

Liton Das are most likely to open the innings

for the Tigers.

Zohr

04:44 AM

11:48 PM

03:53 PM

05:32 PM

06:50 PM

5:58 5:28

Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury

attended the event as the guest of honour

while President of the Bangladesh

Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Mohammad

Ali Khokon, President of the

What are the 3 reasons

behind Bangladesh’s

falling forex reserves?

DHAKA : Despite curbing imports,

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserve

fell to USD 36 billion - lowest in

28 months - due to 3 reasons, economists

believe.

The reasons are: imbalance in

export-import, high dependency on

imported oil and gas, and decreasing

trend in inward remittance flow.

The forex reserves stood at USD

35.98 billion on Wednesday, according

to data from Bangladesh Bank.

The country’s reserves was USD

46.19 billion a year ago (October 19,

2021).

Former governor of Bangladesh

Bank, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, told

UNB, increasing the flow of inward

remittance and curtailing import liabilities

are ways to securing forex reserves,

as exports are facing a slump

due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Despite increasing the cash incentives

to 2.5 percent from 2 percent in

the current fiscal year (2022-23), inward

flow of remittance saw a fall of

25 percent in September compared

to August.

Bangladesh is receiving an average

of USD 59.22 million inward

remittance per day in the current

month through banking channels

which was USD 76.66 million in July.

The fiscal year started with a

growth trend of inward remittance

Bangladesh Metropolitan Chamber of

Commerce and Industry (MCCI) Md

Saiful Islam, President of the Bangladesh

Garment Manufacturers and Exporters

Association (BGMEA) Faruque

Hassan and President of the Chittagong

Chamber of Commerce and Industry

(CCCI) Mahbubul Alam, among

others, spoke on the occasion.

Bangladesh University of Engineering

and Technology (BUET) retired

professor Retd) Dr Ijaz Hossain delivered

the keynote presentation.

In his speech, Tawfiq-e-Elahi informed

that some coal-based power

plants will come into production soon.

“Then, we would be able to reduce

the gas supply for electricity generation

and give some gas for industrial use. If

the situation does not improve after

this, we may have to refrain from using

any electricity during the day if necessary,”

he added.

while the country received USD 2.09

billion in July and USD 2.03 billion

in August. But remittance fell to USD

1.54 billion in September.

Dr Abdur Razzaq, a trade expert

and a former researcher of WTO,

said overall exports of Bangladesh

have declined by 6.25 percent in the

last month, mainly due to a decline in

apparel exports.

The export of readymade garments

was worth USD 3.16 billion

in the previous month, which is 7.52

percent lower than in September last

year. Export of both woven and knit

garments declined last month, he

said.

Exporters of readymade garments

have said that inflation in the USA

and EU countries has become severe

due to the Russia-Ukraine war. People

there have cut back on purchases

other than fuel and groceries.

Because the foreign buyers have

reduced new purchase orders, some

companies were not allowing shipment

even after the products were

ready, sector insiders said.

Higher dependency on importing

oil and LNG gas directly and

indirectly have affected the foreign

exchange reserves. The foreign exchange

payment liabilities have been

surging due to increasing oil and gas

prices in the global markets.

Due to the impact of Cyclone Sitrang, which was created from deep depression in the Bay of

Bengal, lighter ships were kept in safe area in the Karnaphuli river of Chattogram. The picture

was taken from the city's new bridge.

Photo : Star Mail

PM’s Japan Visit

Dhaka to seek

more investment,

financing for big

projects

DHAKA : Bangladesh will seek Japan’s

“stronger engagement” in its development

efforts through “investment and financing”

in major projects during Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina’s forthcoming visit to Japan

slated for November 29-30.

“We are happy with Japan looking at the

areas (mega projects) where they are working,”

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen

told UNB on Sunday.

He said Japan is a “good investor” for

Bangladesh, and they are implementing

major projects. Now Bangladesh seeks

more financing for important projects from

Japan. “The basic idea is Japan is capable of

financing and they always finance without

any tough conditions. They have technology,

too,” Momen said.

Countries like Japan and Singapore are

interested in the management of the third

terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International

Airport (HSIA). “We will see and evaluate

(for taking a decision),” Momen said. He

said Japan is also interested in providing

port facilities and management. “We have

not made any decision yet.”

Asked whether Bangladesh will seek

financing for the second Padma Bridge in

Bangladesh, Momen said, “That could be

an issue, but it depends (on the decision at

the inter-ministerial meeting.”

He said seeking financing and technology

for the underground railway project.

“That could be an issue, too. These are all in

the discussion.

The DNCC

dedicated

Covid-19 hospital,

which

specializes in

the treatment

of coronavirus

patients, has

started treatment

dengue

patients as well.

60 beds have

been prepared

in the general

ward for dengue

patients. Patient

admission has

started from

Sunday.

Photo : Star Mail

‘Sitrang’ may hit a 730 km area

in BD on Oct 25 : State Minister

DHAKA : The deep depression over the

Bay is likely to intensify into a cyclonic

storm this evening and 19 coastal districts

will be at high risk, State Minister

for Disaster Management and Relief Dr

Md Enamur Rahman said yesterday.

If it turns into a cyclonic storm, it

will be identified as “Sitrang” and it

may make landfall in Bangladesh on

October 25, he said while speaking at

a press briefing over the cyclone issue,

held at the Secretariat.

The cyclonic

storm “Sitrang”

will hit a 730 km

area - from Cox’s

Bazar to Satkhira

districts - and the

government has

taken necessary

steps to tackle the

storm, he said.

Due to full moon,

the tidal surge will

likely increase to

3-5 feet above the

astronomical tide,

he said.

However, there

is no possibility that “Sitrang” will not

turn into a ‘super cyclonic storm’ and it

may hit 19 coastal districts, he added.

According to the latest bulletin of Bangladesh

Meteorological Department,

the maritime ports of Chattogram,

Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have

been advised to hoist local cautionary

signal number 3 as the deep depression

over the east-central Bay and adjoining

areas moved slightly north-westwards

further.

It was centered at noon on Sunday

about 780 km south-southwest of

Anti-militancy drive

Tourism now banned in

Thanchi, Alikadam till Oct

BANDARBAN : Bandarban district administration

on Sunday imposed a ban

on tourist movement in Thanchi and

Alikadam upazilas till October 30, as a

security measure amid an ongoing drive

against militants, reports UNB.

It means tourists are currently banned

in four of the seven upazilas of Bandarban

due to the anti-militancy drive.

Earlier on October 17, the administration

imposed an indefinite ban on tourism

at Ruma and Rowangchhari, which

remains in effect.

According to a notification issued by

district magistrate Md Lutfur Rahman,

Cox’s bazar port, 715 km south-southwest

of Cox’s Bazar port, 730 km south

of Mongla port, and 695 km south of

Payra port. It is likely to intensify further

into a cyclonic storm and recurve

initially north-westwards. Sea will remain

rough near the deep depression

centre.

Under the peripheral effect of the

deep depression, North Bay and adjoining

coastal areas of Bangladesh are

likely to experience gusty or squally

wind of 40-50 kph in addition to heavy

to very heavy rainfall.

Under the influence of deep depression,

new moon phase and steep

pressure gradient, the low-lying areas

of coastal Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat,

Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali,

Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur,

Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram,

Cox’s Bazar districts and their

offshore islands and char area likely

to be inundated by the wind driven

surge height of 3-5 feet above the astronomical

tide.

the ban announced today takes immediate

effect.

It has been imposed as per a letter

received from Bandarban cantonment

on Saturday to patrol against the rising

presence of militants and criminals and

also to increase detective activity, said the

notification.

From October 10, law enforcers started

a joint drive against the underground

militants and criminals in Bandarban.

So far, seven militants and three local

criminals have been arrested with local

arms from forested hills of Bandarban

and Rangamati during the operations.

MondAy, octoBer 24, 2022

2

WWAs functioning properly

to ensure EPZ workers'

rights: Law Minister

In Sunamganj, there was a human chain and a protest meeting to demand the arrest of extortionists

who did repeated attacks on journalist Shaheen and his family, grabbed their land, and looted their

house at Bazarghat.

Photo: AK Milon

Sweden to partner UNFPA in

projects worth over $10 million

DHAKA : UNFPA and Sweden on Sunday

launched and signed a new partnership

agreement to support midwifery and

sexual and reproductive health and rights

(SRHR) in Bangladesh.

The signing ceremony of the new

project was held at the Embassy of

Sweden, Dhaka in the presence of

Alexandra Berg von Linde, the

Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh,

and Kristine Blokhus, the Representative

of UNFPA in Bangladesh, reports UNB.

The partnership aims to support

UNFPA's efforts to strengthen the quality

and access to midwives and

comprehensive sexual and reproductive

health services (SRHR) in Bangladesh,

including in the most remote areas

affected by climate change.

The new collaboration between Sweden

and UNFPA with a funding of over US$

10 million for the period 2022-2026 will

establish and strengthen midwifery-led

comprehensive SRHR-services to

support the efforts of the government of

Bangladesh.

Currently, around 2550 midwives are

deployed by the government and 300

midwives are deployed through NGOs.

They serve in crises including floods,

cyclones, and in refugee situations.

They provide lifesaving support and

SRHR services with innovative methods

such as telemedicine. More midwives are

needed to give safe and accessible care to

mothers and children in Bangladesh.

Through the Swedish funding, UNFPA

aims to equip Bangladesh's health system

with competent and empowered

midwives to ensure that women and girls

can access the gender-transformative

health care that is their right.

This care will include support to safe

and wanted pregnancies and births, the

prevention and response to sexual

violence, as well as prevention and

treatment of reproductive infections and

cancers.

Midwives will also ensure access to

SRHR-services in the most remote and

climate-affected areas.

Swedish ambassador Linde said

Sweden has a long history of midwifery

and has supported Bangladesh midwives

for over a decade.

"We are pleased to continue working

with UNFPA and the government of

Bangladesh to further strengthen

midwifery led care in the country," she

said.

The envoy hoped that this new fouryear

project will improve the education of

midwives and the quality and access to

SRHR-services, to make health care

environmentally resilient, and ultimately

improve the health of women and

children in Bangladesh.

UNFPA Representative, Kristine

Blokhus said the generous, long-term

support we have received from the

government of Sweden over the last

decade has enabled us to support the

Ministry of Health of Bangladesh to

develop a professional cadre of midwives

educated to international standards - and

to integrate these lifesaving human

resources into the national health

system.

"We are deeply grateful to the

government of Sweden, which over many

years has been a close ally of UNFPA in

our mission to protect and improve the

lives of women and girls ensuring

comprehensive and lifesaving SRHR

services."

Blokhus said with this partnership they

begin a new chapter in their long

partnership. "Together we will continue

our support to the government of

Bangladesh in ensuring that every

pregnancy is wanted, and every

childbirth is safe."

ICMAB signs MoU

with Bogura Azizul

Haque College to

promote CMA studies

DHAKA : The Institute of

Cost and Management

Accountants of Bangladesh

(ICMAB) on Sunday signed

a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with

the Government Azizul

Haque College, Bogura to

promote the CMA

profession and offer easy

access to CMA program for

the aspiring professional

accountants.

ICMAB President

Mamunur Rashid and

college Principal Prof Md

Shajahan Ali signed the

MoU in Bogura, said a

media release.

Both the organisations

hoped that the partnership

will result in mutual

benefits for the institutions

in developing the human

capital of Bangladesh.

Highlighting several

aspects of the CMA

profession, the ICMAB

president said there is a

special need for the CMA

degree holders in the

administration and other

departments including the

accounting department of

various multinational

organisations, businesses

and

production

department of industrial

establishments.

He said that the

enrollment of new students

in the study center will

start from the next session.

Anisul Huq, MP, Minister for Law,

Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said,

Workers Welfare Associations (WWA) of

the EPZ enterprises are functioning

peacefully and properly to ensure legal

rights of the workers. He made the

comment recently during visiting Dhaka

EPZ.

The Law Minister said, the

government has enacted Bangladesh

EPZ Labour Act 2019 to ensure rights

and privileges of the workers which

established a congenial, safe and decent

working atmosphere in the EPZ. This

peaceful working atmosphere

encourages investors to set up factories

in the EPZs, he added. He appreciated

the contribution of the EPZ workers to

the development of the country by their

vibrant working activities, a press release

said.

He also lauded the role of BEPZA in

flourishing private sector of the country

by attracting investment, boosting export

through product diversification and

generating employment with

empowering women. He hoped that the

combined effort of workers, investors

along with BEPZA would help to become

a developed country as dreamt by the

Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Law Minister visited DEPZ to

observe the existing harmonious

working environment and workersowners-management

synergy along with

implementation of "Bangladesh EPZ

Labor Act, 2019".

The Executive Chairman of BEPZA

Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad

Ziaur Rahman, ndc, psc briefed the Law

Minister on overall activities of BEPZA

including tremendous achievement in

export, investment & employment,

labour rights & industrial relations,

decent workplace, cohesive teamwork

etc. He thanked Law Minister for playing

an important role in enacting a timely

EPZ Labour Act 2019 and formulating

EPZ Labour Rules 2022.

The Executive Chairman said, the

investors and workers are the main

driving forces of BEPZA's success.

Mentioning the peaceful working

environment prevailing in the EPZ he

hoped that the full implementation of EPZ

Labour Act & Labour Rules would

improve more the congenial & decent

working atmosphere.

Later, he visited three garments factory

i.e. British Virgin Island owned Hopyick

BD. Ltd., Japanese YKK (BD) Pte. Ltd.

and British Shanta Industries Ltd. He

observed the production process, working

environment along with Daycare Centers

of those factories. He also visited Dhaka

EPZ Hospital to see the medical facilities

of the workers.

Among others, Secretary, Legislative

and Parliamentary Affairs Division of

Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary

affairs Md. Moinul Kabir, Member

(Investment Promotion) of BEPZA Ali

Reza Mazid, Executive Director (Public

Relations) Nazma Binte Alamgir,

Executive Director (Enterprise Services)

Md. Khorshid Alam, Executive Director

(Security) Lt Col ASM Quamruzzaman,

PBGM, Executive Director (Dhaka EPZ)

Md. Abdus Sobhan investors and workers

representatives of DEPZ along with high

officials were present during this time.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

3

John Kerry praises Bangladesh

for climate change adaptation,

mitigation initiatives

DHAKA : US Special

Presidential Envoy for

Climate John Kerry has

applauded Bangladesh for its

ambitious climate change

adaptation and mitigation

initiatives despite being

traditionally an insignificant

emitter, reports UNB.

His appreciation came in a

recent letter to Foreign

Minister Dr AK Abdul

Momen.

In the letter of 13 October

2022, John Kerry also

highlighted a number of

Biden administration's

actions in combatting climate

change, including the new

legislation Inflation

Reduction Act (IRA).

While appreciating

Bangladesh for its climate

actions and goals, John Kerry

also urges it to join several US

climate initiatives so that

Bangladesh can set a positive

example for other large

emitters and encourage them

to meaningfully participate in

the global climate process.

He thanked Bangladesh for

its ambitious Nationally

Determined Contribution

(NDC) submitted last year

before COP26 in Glasgow and

requested for further

ambitions ahead of COP27 in

Sharm El Sheikh in

November this year. He also

On Sunday, the Faculty Development Programme (FDP) under the overall

supervision of the Office of the Evaluation, Faculty and Curriculum

Development (OEFCD) was inaugurated at the Bijoy Auditorium of

Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP).

Photo : Courtesy

Rights activists at a programme

called for taking necessary

steps for the production of

sustainable and improved

smart white cane for visually

impaired people at both public

and private level in the country.

At present, smart cane, which

is more helpful to visually

people, is mainly imported

from abroad. But the imported

canes are costly and it is tough

for the disabled people to get it,

as most of them are poor, they

observed.

Steps should also be taken so

that those poor people can

easily get it at chief price, they

said this while addressing a

discussion meeting and

cultural programme in the

capital.

If made at home, price of

smart cane would come down,

benefitting the disabled people.

Measures should be taken so

that the cane users get support

in their movement outside,

they added.

Blind Education and

Rehabilitation Development

Organization (BERDO), an

organization working for

improving the socio-economic

condition of people with

disabilities, organized the event

at its Rupnagar office, marking

World White Cane Safety Day-

2022.

On the occasion, BERDO

also held a rally and a workshop

the whole day on Saturday.

White canes are used by

blind people, who want to

safely travel and maintain their

independence. It helps normal

people to identify blind people

walking on the streets and be

assured support of the US

government in terms of

finding ways to implement the

NDC goals.

In the letter, Special Envoy

John Kerry also hailed

Bangladesh for its

announcement of cancelling

ten new coal power plants last

year.

He promised US support for

Bangladesh's energy security,

clean energy and energy

access goals, including

through the Clean EDGE Asia

Initiative.

He mentioned that the US

State Department's Bureau of

Energy Resources looks

forward to establishing a new

partnership between the

Power Grid Company of

Bangladesh and Pacific

Northwest Laboratory to

improve operations and

planning to ensure grid

stability and reliability to

support increased use of

renewables; and scheduling a

date to launch new

collaboration on carbon

capture, utilization and

storage and blue hydrogen

development with

Petrobangla.

John Kerry appreciated

Bangladesh for being the first

country in South Asia to join

the Agriculture Innovation

Mission for Climate (AIM4C),

more careful towards them.

In his speech, Md. Saidul

Huq, Executive Director of

BERDO who is visually

impaired, stressed on building

a rights-based inclusive society,

and implementing job quota

for people with disabilities and

Persons with Disabilities Rights

and Protection Act 2013, and

raising monthly disability

allowance at minimum Tk.

5000.

There are about 1.50 crore

people with different kinds of

disabilities in the country. Of

them, 20 lakh are visually

impaired. If they are neglected,

it would be tough for us to

achieve Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) as

SDGs focuses on leaving none

behind, said Saidul Huq.

Md. Musherraf Hossain

Mazumder, a Supreme Court

lawyer who is visually

impaired, demanded including

people with disabilities into the

a US-led initiative that put

forward robust innovation

investment commitments

that can help to acquire USD 8

billion worth of climate

finance by COP 27.

He also thanked

Bangladesh for the

commitment made at the Our

Ocean Conference in April

2022, including harnessing

marine

resources

sustainability under Blue

Economy for inclusive

development and the

announcement of the

National Plan of Action for

IUU Fishing.

Earlier on 12 October 2022,

Foreign Minister Momen wrote

a letter to Special Envoy John

Kerry informing Bangladesh's

decision to join Global

Methane Pledge, a US and EUled

joint initiative to curb global

methane emission by on

average at least 30 percent

from 2020 levels by 2030.

By now more than 100

counties and most of CVF

countries joined it. In the

letter, Minister Momen

reminded Kerry of the latter's

assurance of supporting

Bangladesh with critical

technologies to mitigate any

adverse effects on the

productivity in the agriculture

and livestock sectors for

reducing methane emissions.

Production of sustainable and smart white

cane for visually impaired people demanded

mainstream of society and

making all structures suitable

for their use.

Mohammad Jashim Uddin,

Executive Secretary of

Bangladesh National Social

Welfare Council, who attended

as the chief guest, lauded the

proposal of producing smart

cane at home, saying that it

would also save our foreign

Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development

Organization (BERDO), an organization working for

improving the socio-economic condition of people with disabilities,

organized an event at its Rupnagar office, marking

World White Cane Safety Day-2022. Photo : Courtesy

currency.

He underscored on raising

awareness on ensuring the

rights of people with

disabilities.

Chaired by Md. Jahangir

Alam, executive council

member of BERDO, Husne Ara

Begum, Treasurer of BERDO,

Selim Uddin, Deputy Director

of BERDO, and a number of

visually impaired participants

also spoke at the discussion.

On behalf of BERDO, smart

canes were distributed among

five visually impaired students

at the event.

Journalist AUM

Fakhruddin's 2nd

death anniversary

today

DHAKA : The 2nd death

anniversary of eminent

journalist AUM Fakhruddin

will be observed today.

Starting his news media

journey as a convener of

'Kochi Kanchar Asor' in

1958, Fakhruddin wrote

numerous articles for the

now defunct dailies-The

Pakistan Observer, The

Morning News and the

Bangladesh Times.

He held important posts at

various national dailies.

Besides, he was a

correspondent of The Daily

Mirror (London) from 1969

to 1975.

Fakhruddin's Bengali

translation of Shakespeare's

"Sonnet" was published

before his graduation.

Noted British journalist

and author John Pilger had

devoted about three pages of

his famous book, "Heroes",

to Fakhruddin with a

photograph of him. The

book contained first-hand

account of contemporary

world events. It was first

published by Jonathon

Cape, London, in 1986, and

by Pan Books Limited,

London in 1989.

A song of patriotic

inspiration "O Amar Bangla

Ma Tor Akool Kora Rooper

Shova", written by him was

recorded in 1972. It gained

immense popularity at

home and aboard.

Later, he worked as an

Associate Editor of the

Weekly Holiday until his

death. On the occasion,

Qurankhwani and Doa

Mahfil will be held at his

Dhanmondi residence in the

city.

Relatives and well-wishers

have been requested to pray

for the departed soul.

Faculty Development

Programme

inaugurated at BUP

On Sunday, the Faculty

Development Programme

(FDP) under the overall

supervision of the Office of

the Evaluation, Faculty and

Curriculum Development

(OEFCD) was inaugurated

at the Bijoy Auditorium of

Bangladesh University of

Professionals (BUP), a press

release said.

This

month-long

programmewas held to

improve quality and

intellectual development of

newly recruited Faculty

Memberswhich will end on

14 December 2022.

BUPVC Major General Md

Mahbub-ul Alam, ndc, afwc,

psc, MPhil, PhD was present

as the Chief Guest and

conducted a session titled

'Expectation from Teachers:

Guardian's Perspective' at

the inaugural function.

All senior officials of BUP,

newly recruited faculty

members, faculty members,

and officials were present in

the inauguration ceremony.

Marine engineer

found dead in

city's Dhanmondi

DHAKA : A 51-year-old man

was found dead in the city's

Dhanmondi area early

Sunday.

The deceased was identified

Shahadat Hossain Majumdar.

He used to work as chief

engineer in a foreign ship.

Police recovered the body

from Dhanmondi lake area

around 2:30 am, said Ekram

Ali, officer-in-charge (OC) of

Dhanmondi police station.

He went out for an evening

walk in the lake area on

Saturday and didn't return

home.

The body was sent to Dhaka

Medical College and Hospital

(DMCH) morgue for autopsy,

said the hospital's outpost incharge

inspector Bacchu Mia.

Four stab injury marks were

found on his body, he said.

'Narsingdi 06 08 Mega Festival 2022' was organized on Friday at

Dream Holiday Park Chaitaba, Panchdona, Narsingdi. The former

Parliament Member, Narsingdi-3, Shibpur and Advisor of Sheikh

Russel Shishu Kishore Parishad Md Sirajul Islam Mollah was

present as the chief guest in the program. With a view to gathering

the students of SSC 06 and HSC 08 batch across the country,

this program was arranged.

Photo: Courtesy

Film is a powerful medium for

social change: Palak

"Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority is

building 13 cinema halls in Bangladesh

to screen movies and by this year a

cineplex will be inaugurated in Rajshahi.

The remaining twelve will be

constructed by 2025. Besides, the

production of a film titled "Antarjal"

which means "Internet" in English is

nearing completion as one of the

initiatives from the ICT Division to make

the cyber world safe and raise awareness

among the citizens." The State Minister

for the ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed

Palak MP shared this information in his

speech after the screening of actionthriller

Bangladeshi film "Operation

Sundarban" at the Star Cineplex located

in SKS Tower, Mohakhali, Dhaka on

Saturday night.

He said that the young people of

Bangladesh are doing great in the film

arena. They are taking the entire

Bangladesh to the global stage which is

really a matter of pride for us. Our youth

will build a progressive non-communal

Sonar Bangla of Bangabandhu and that

journey has only just begun. He also said,

"There is still a long way to go. For this

reason, I would say that film is a

powerful medium for social change. And

only through this film, we can make the

citizens of the society aware and at the

same time provide healthy

entertainment."

He also said in his speech, "Be it

Bengali or English, I am crazy about

movies since childhood. For a long time,

we could not really watch Bengali

movies. Once the environment in the

movie theater was ruined. That

environment has radically changed. We

hope that we will all come to the cinema

hall, watch the movie, enjoy it with the

whole family and also hope that

Bangladeshi cinema will take over the

world."

Finally, the state minister thanked the

director of "Operation Sundarban"

Dipankar Dipon and all the actors and

said, "We want our youth to win the

hearts of the people of our country with

their creativity and talent, to provide

healthy entertainment, to make the

society a progressive non-communal

Bangladesh and let our art, literature and

cinema conquer the world."

It is to be noted that 'Operation

Sundarban' is created based on RAB's

daring operation to rid the Sundarbans

of bandits. The movie starred Riaz

Ahmed, Siam Ahmed, Nusrat Faria,

Ziaul Roshan, Manoj Pramanik, Raisul

Islam Asad and many others.

In this special show of "Operation

Sundarban" on Saturday, the film's

director Dipankar Dipon, among others,

Monir Khan Shimul, Siam Ahmed, Ziaul

Roshan, Vidya Sinha Meem and others

were present.

State Minister for the ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP addressing after the screening of actionthriller

Bangladeshi film "Operation Sundarban" at the Star Cineplex located in SKS Tower,

Mohakhali, Dhaka on Saturday night.

Photo : Courtesy

Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Espen Rikter Svendsen paid a courtesy call

on Industries Minister Nurul Majid Humayun yesterday.

Photo : PID

BNP hatching afresh conspiracy

to thwart polls : Hanif

DHAKA : Awami League Joint General

Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif yesterday

said BNP is hatching afresh conspiracy to

foil the next parliamentary polls.

"Bangladesh is now a stable state and role

model of development before the world.

When there is no violence in the country,

people can safely go to their workplaces and

live peacefully, but BNP has started

hatching afresh conspiracy," he said.

Hanif added: "All anti-liberation forces

are hatching conspiracy standing on a

single platform. Their target is to foil the

election as they don't want any polls".

He was addressing the triennial councils

of the party's Sabujbagh than unit and its

ward no 4,5,73 and 74 units at Madartek

Abdul Aziz School and College ground in

the capital. The AL leader said BNP's target

of ousting the government will never be

successful.

"There will be no benefit to see such

daydreaming. The next polls will be held as

per the constitution. If people cast their votes

in favour of you (BNP), you will go to power.

And If the people don't vote you, there is no

other way to go to power," he said.

AL Organising Secretary Mirza Azam

spoke on the occasion as the special guest

while Sabujbagh than AL President Md

Ashrafuzzaman Farid chaired the council

session moderated by Chittranjan Das.

Dhaka-9 lawmaker Saber Hossain

Chowdhur and Dhaka City South AL

General Secretary Humayun Kabir also

addressed it.

HC upholds death

of husband in case

over wife's murder

DHAKA : The High Court

(HC) yesterday upheld

death sentence of a Barishal

man in a case lodged over

his wife's murder in 2015.

A High Court division

bench comprising Justice

Sheikh Hassan Arif and

Justice Biswajit Debnath

pronounced the judgment

after holding hearing on

death reference and criminal

appeal in the case.

"Dismissed," said the High

Court in its short judgment,

upholding death sentence of

the convict Sumon Munshi

from Mehendiganj, Barishal.

Advocate SM Nurul Islam

Shamim moved the appeal

for Munshi, while Deputy

Attorney General Harun Ur

Rashid and Assistant

Attorney General Jahid

Ahmed Hero stood for the

state.

According to the case

documents, Sumon Munshi

and his family used to

torture his wife Sathi for

dowry and killed her on

June 20, 2015. They tried to

make the murder as suicide

by hanging Sathi's body with

the ceiling of the room.

Sensing the matter, the

victim's father filed the case

with Mehendiganj Police

Station on June 21, 2015 and

police on November 27,

2015, filed charge-sheet

against Sumon Munshi.

MONDay, OcTOBER 24, 2022

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Monday, October 24, 2022

Saving precious

agricultural lands

There should not be any doubt or hesitations as regards

the necessity of taking appropriate measures to save

agricultural lands in a land short densely populated

country like Bangladesh. Bangladesh with an area of 147,570

sq. km. in total possesses about 20.16 million acres of cultivated

area for 160 million people.

But in reality the scale at which agricultural land is being

wasted every year there will remain nothing to be surprised

for one if agriculture meets very serious setbacks in

Bangladesh some day. An estimate shows that the gradual

decline of arable land in Bangladesh now is by 1 percent per

annum because of its increased use for commercial purposes

and the establishment of different kinds of mills and factories

together with new residential areas.

This percentage of agricultural land decline is supposed

to be increasing with the increasing pace of non-agricultural

economic progress of the country. If this trend continues

and not minimized or stopped the prices of food

and other necessary agricultural commodities will go

beyond control as increasing domestic agricultural commodity

production will be impossible under limited land

use for agricultural purposes.

Considering all these the government has undertaken a

master plan to build multistoried residential buildings on

cooperative basis for the accommodation of rural and

urban people to save agricultural land. The concerned

officials have claimed that through this scheme the gobbling

up of agricultural lands will be minimized and side

by side the maximum utilization of biological resources of

the country will be ensured. The concerned officials have

already discussed the matter in the ECNEC meetings.

But it is true that the reasons behind the harming, misuse

and loss of agricultural lands do scarcely catch the

attention of the quarters who ought to be concerned. The

productivity of agricultural land is decreasing because of

the repeated excessive use of chemical fertilizers every

year. Industrial wastes are being thrown in unplanned

and reckless manner on agricultural lands and adjacent

rivers. Building of unplanned residential accommodations,

roads and highways, bridges and culverts, industrial

establishments, brick-fields et cetera are on the

increase and causing serious damage to and decrease of

agricultural lands.

Moreover, the reckless activities that are going on in the

private sector to establish housing estates for residential purposes

throughout the country by occupying agricultural

lands has raised the apprehensions that the possibility of the

availability of agricultural land will become precarious in the

near future. But no one, it seems, is ready to realize that an

agriculture dominated and dependent country could one

day face a great peril from such a development.

In a country inhabited by 160 million people or 32 million

households the peasant community of Bangladesh consisting

of 8.73 million households (rural areas only) or 34.44

percent of agricultural labour households out of 58.66 percent

total farm households are toiling hard to produce necessary

food and other agricultural products. About 80 percent

of the people of the country still depend directly or indirectly

on agriculture. Though there are no special social facilities

in the countryside for the peasant community to enjoy,

yet they are achieving unparalleled successes every year in

agricultural productions only because there are still sufficient

fertile agricultural lands for use.

It goes without saying that not only agricultural but industrial

development is also necessary in the country for creating

jobs, income and raising of the standard of living of the

people. But to improve both of these sectors what is needed

is harmonious development of these two sectors with

courage, sincerity of purpose, patriotism and well planned

concerted efforts. But if the political leadership and the government

officials fail in the implementation of this plan to

check unchecked encroachment on limited agricultural

lands, then its results will be unfortunate for the country

even in the near future.

The plan to meet the habitation problems of the rural population

by constructing multistoried buildings and other

measures to preserve agricultural land will be laudable if its

result becomes visible through its implementations in the

true sense of the term. If a sincere effort is made to achieve a

harmonious balance between agricultural and industrial

development in the country, then overall economic progress

will be accelerated on the one hand and likewise domestic

food grain production and production of other agricultural

produces will also increase.

The development of agro-based industry in the country

may help to preserve agricultural land. The countries

where agricultural land is meager, they have given

emphasis on industrializations of the economy to meet

the overall demand of their people. But in a country like

ours where the Creator has blessed us with fertile agricultural

lands, we need to industrialize and export but

after giving proper and due importance to agriculture.

Only then it will be possible for us to adequately and effectively

rescue agricultural land and make its appropriate

use and benefit the country in the practical sense.

We are to remember that agriculture is still the life line

of the Bangladesh economy with its tremendously hard

working peasant society. Their demand for existence is

bare minimum but contributions to the economy are

enormous. To be honest the urban population will be

rooted out if the agricultural sector stops supplying their

daily necessities. From this point of view the urban sector

is totally dependent on the rural agricultural sector but

scarcely vice versa. And this is a long lasting reality to continue.

Bangladesh as a whole cannot go on without keeping

its agricultural sector in good health . So, the imperative to

preserve agricultural land is irrefutable. Thus, our national

policy makers will have to give urgent and active attention to

this issue without wasting any time.

S elf-compassion

is one of our

most potent

resources for

handling our feelings

and enhancing our

health.When we can

be kind and

nderstanding

towards ourselves, even amid challenging

circumstances, we open the door to greater

resilience, happiness, and peace of

mind.Self-compassion also allows us to let

go of perfectionism and unhealthy

comparisons. Instead of beating ourselves

up for falling short, we can learn to accept

our imperfections and work towards

making positive changes in our lives.

Practising self-compassion can be life

changing. It helps us to feel more

connected, supported, and empowered. It

paves the way for a more meaningful

connection with us, one built on love and

acceptance rather than self-criticism and

condemnation. Self-compassion is a

gateway to long-term fulfilment in all its

forms: joy, contentment, and happiness.

Self-compassion is a disposition toward

kindness and acceptance of oneself in times

of distress.It is a way of showing yourself

the same compassion and care that you

would offer to others. When we are selfcompassionate,

we permit ourselves to be

human. We allow ourselves to make

mistakes, feel pain, and be imperfect

without judgement.

Self-compassion has been shown to have

many benefits. Self-compassionate people

have increased levels of well-being,

happiness, and life satisfaction and also

report lower levels of anxiety, depression,

and stress. Furthermore, self-compassion

has been linked with increased motivation,

as self-compassionate people are more

likely to see their failures as temporary

setbacks instead of permanent flaws.

Finally, self-compassion has been shown

to boost physical health, andSelfcompassionate

people have more robust

immune systems and are more likely to

care for their bodies.Overall, selfcompassion

is a powerful tool that can

help us to lead happier, healthier, and

more fulfilling lives.

Compassion is such an important quality

both for others and for us. By showing

compassion towards us, we allow

ourselves to heal, learn from our mistakes,

and grow into our best selves. Start small

by making an effort to forgive yourself,

accept yourself, and speak kindly to

yourself. Over time, you will see just how

transformative self-compassion can

be!Self-compassion is being kind and

understanding to oneself during difficult

times and recognizing that everyone goes

through similar struggles. It is a concept

that has been around for centuries,

originating from Eastern philosophies and

religions. The Buddha, for example,

preached the importance of selfcompassion

and how it was necessary in

order to achieve enlightenment. In more

IN Ireland, ordinary people are

hoarding firewood, afraid that they

will not be able to heat their homes in

the upcoming winter owing to the

Ukraine-Russia conflict. In Iran, protests

against the regime have continued into

their fifth week. Last weekend, Evin

prison holding political prisoners (which

means anyone opposed to the regime)

burned, with reportedly some female

prisoners on the roof of the prison

screaming 'down with the regime!' Next

door in India, Hindu extremism has

become so entrenched, such a delicious

intoxicant that now the ruling party is

calling for an economic boycott of

Muslims. In the meantime, OPEC

decided to reduce oil output despite

knowing the dire condition of fuel

inflation all over the world.

It is undoubtedly a dystopic universe.

In Pakistan, we have our own tableau of

discordant 'realities'. Some areas are still

under water with displaced women and

children dying for want of assistance. The

videos of their hapless condition play in a

loop on various television channels, even

as ordinary people become desensitised

to them. 'What more can we do?' they

wonder, embroiled as they are in their

own particular stories of want and

desperation. The price of staples has

risen exponentially, bloated from

unchecked inflation which the

government has not been able to control.

The much-promised growth phase, as in

previous years, is nowhere in sight. The

flood relief website asks citizens to donate

money, but the numbers also say that

only a very tiny percentage of recipients

have actually received the help. This is

denied by various ministers but there are

really no official numbers released that

back that claim. If pictures are any

evidence, it appears that help has not got

The power of self-compassion

recent years, the idea of self-compassion

has also been gaining popularity in the

Western world. Researchers have found

that self-compassion can lead to increased

psychological well-being and decreased

anxiety and depression.In the West, selfcompassion

is most commonly associated

with the work of psychologist Kristin Neff.

Dr. Neff has done much research on selfcompassion

and has created a model for

how it can be practised. She defines selfcompassion

as "being kind and

understanding towards oneself during

difficult times, recognizing that one is not

alone in experiencing pain and suffering.

According to Dr Neff,"Self-compassion is

not a luxury; it's a necessity for our mental

health." These are the words of Dr. Kristin

Neff, associate professor in human

development and family studies at the

University of Texas at Austin and author of

Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of

Being Kind to Yourself.She explains that

self-compassion is not self-pity or selfindulgence

but rather a healthy balance of

self-kindness and self-awareness.

Self-compassion is essential to many

religious and spiritual traditions, including

Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred

Hindu text, urges us to "have compassion

for all beings, for they are all struggling in

their way." The Upanishads, another key

Hindu text, teach that "the self is not to be

loved for its own sake, but the sake of

others." In other words, we are called to

love ourselves not in a selfish or egotistical

way but in a way that enables us to better

care for and serve others.Self-compassion

is an integral part of Hinduism because it

helps us to develop two essential qualities:

empathy and altruism. Empathetic onecan

put themselves in the shoes of another,

experiencing what they are going through

emotionally and mentally.Altruism is the

unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

These two qualities are essential for our

mental and emotional health and for

creating a more compassionate world.In

Hinduism, self-compassion is seen as a

critical virtue. It is believed that we can

become more compassionate towards

others by developing self-compassion.

Hindus believe that one can better care for

others by caring for oneself. This belief is

based on the principle of ahimsa, which is

the practice of nonviolence. Selfcompassion

is seen as a way to achieve

ahimsa. By loving and accepting oneself,

one can avoid causing harm to others.

There are many ways we can develop

DR P R DaTTa

self-compassion, such as through

meditation, mindfulness, and selfreflection.

By practising self-compassion,

we can learn to be more accepting of

ourselves and our imperfections. We can

also become more forgiving towards

ourselves when we make mistakes. In

turn, this can lead us to be more

compassionate towards others.The

benefits of self-compassion are welldocumented,

but it can be hard to put into

practice. If youstruggle to show yourself

some compassion, here are a few tips to get

you started.

Think of yourself as a friend and have a

conversation with yourself: How do you

talk to your friends when you are going

through a tough time? Chances are, you

Self-compassion is essential to many religious and spiritual

traditions, including Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred

Hindu text, urges us to "have compassion for all beings, for they

are all struggling in their way." The Upanishads, another key

Hindu text, teach that "the self is not to be loved for its own

sake, but the sake of others."

are gentle and understanding. You do not

tell them they are worthless or should

theyforget it.So why not extend the same

courtesy to yourself? The next time youfeel

down, try talking to yourself as if you were

your best friend. It might feel strange at

first, but it can make a

difference.Acknowledge your feelings:

One of the most significant barriers to selfcompassion

is denying or suppressing our

emotions. We tell ourselves that we should

not be feeling this way or snap out of

it.When we act this way, though, we just

hurt our feelings over time. Try not to

ignore or suppress your feelings the next

time you feel down. Don't try to change

your feelings; accept them as they are.This

does not mean wallowing in self-pity and

acknowledging that what you are

experiencing is valid and normal under the

circumstances. Once you do this, moving

on and taking care of yourself will be

easier.

Be kinder to yourself in your thoughts:

One way we tend to sabotage our wellbeing

is by being incredibly harsh with

ourselves in our thoughts. We beat

ourselves up for every little mistake or

shortcoming, dwelling on all the ways we

could have done better. This kind of

thinking does nothing but make us feel

bad about ourselves, which is not very

helpful when we are trying to improve our

situation! Instead of being your worst

critic, try practising self-kindness in your

thoughts. When negative thoughts come

up, reframe them more compassionately.

For example, instead of thinking I cannot

believe I messed this up again, I am so

stupidto try telling myself Everyone makes

mistakes sometimes. I did my best, given

the circumstances, and I will learn from

Democracy and dystopia

where it should.

If this mess weren't enough to baffle

and befuddle, elections were held in 11

constituencies in the country last

weekend. The surreal nature of these is

that voters had the option of voting for a

leader who will not be joining parliament.

As the results show, the vast majority did

just that. So enfeebled and disenchanted

are the Pakistani voters that even nonrepresentation,

a nullifying variable in

the democratic equation, seems

attractive to them.

Nobody in power belonging to any party

cares about the ordinary Pakistani's general

disillusionment with democracy,

submerged as they are in the details of this

or that electoral loss or victory. When the

new government came to power a few

months ago, politicians continued to rule in

their own ethnic constituencies. This model

has worked in the past; Pakistanis have

voted along ethnic lines with great

regularity and continue to do so now. At the

same time, demographics have changed

this milieu in that patterns of urbanisation

have delivered a mixing of various

ethnicities that was not present before.

So enfeebled and disenchanted are the

Pakistani voters that even nonrepresentation

seems attractive to them.

Urbanisation and the improvements in

economic conditions that result from it

have produced their own kind of

Rafia ZakaRia

Pakistani voter. Those who have moved

from villages where their elders are still

under the thumb of this or that feudal

leader or corporate farm owner or

industrial farmer, may be less interested

in voting unthinkingly for whatever party

their leader belongs to in that moment.

This means that the party leaders who

Then there is the complex and pressing issue of being a country in

a crisis and in want at a time when so many countries, not least the

US and those of Europe, are enmeshed in their own challenges. The

attention Pakistan or iran or afghanistan could draw is diminished

by a global context that is itself dystopian.

have relied on these once-guaranteed

seats as bastions of support cannot count

on them with the same certainty that was

once the case. There is also an argument

that funds at the provincial level are being

spent unevenly on rural areas where

feudal and ethnic ties still provide

guarantees and less so on cities. For

instance, the current government is

trying to expand the agricultural sector

even though no tax revenue is extracted

from these areas because agriculture (for

the sake of guaranteed constituencies)

has never been taxed. In the meantime,

the urban voter who sees trash piling up,

no clean water and constant blackouts is

not happy. There was a time when this

was true only of Karachi; now it is the

truth in every city of the country.

Then there is the complex and pressing

issue of being a country in a crisis and in

want at a time when so many countries,

not least the US and those of Europe, are

enmeshed in their own challenges. The

attention Pakistan or Iran or Afghanistan

could draw is diminished by a global

this.It might seem small, but these thought

shifts can significantly affect how you feel

about yourself.Take physical care of

yourself: When feeling down, it can be

tempting to neglect our physical needs. We

might not feel like eating healthy,

exercising, or even getting out of bed. But

if we want to boost our mood and improve

our well-being, taking care of ourselves

physically is essential. Ensure that you get

enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and move

your body daily. These things will help

increase your energy levels, lift your mood,

and make it easier to cope with stress.

Accepting and forgiving your fallibility is

a necessary element of being human. Selfforgiveness

makes it far simpler to put the

past in the rear-view mirror and go

forward. Instead of punishing oneself,

viewing your errors as teaching moments

can be good. Bear in mind that you're

giving it you're all at the

moment.Accepting yourself as you are:

This one can be tough, but it is so

important. We live in a society that is

constantly telling us that we need to

change to be happy and prosperous. But

the truth is, you are already perfect just the

way you are. Accepting your flaws and all

is a significant act of self-compassion.Do

something you enjoy: Lastly, do not forget

to make time for what you want! It's easy

to dwell on the unpleasant aspects of our

lives when we're depressed. Keep in mind

that despite the difficulties, life is still

rewarding. You should make time daily to

engage in pleasurable activities, whether

reading, listening to music, or simply

hanging out with loved ones. This will help

you keep things in perspective and remind

you that there's still beauty in the world.

Self-compassion has the power to

change our lives. It is the ability to be

kind and understanding towards

ourselves, especially when we are

experiencing difficult times. When we

are self-compassionate, it allows us to

heal our wounds, forgive our mistakes,

and move forward more easily. we give

ourselves the care and support that we

need to heal and thrive.Selfcompassion

is a skill that we can learn

and practice. It requires us to be

mindful of our thoughts and emotions

and to respond to ourselves with

kindness, understanding, and love.

The more we cultivate selfcompassion,

the more resilient we

become in facing challenges. We also

start to see our mistakes and

shortcomings in a more forgiving light,

which allows us to learn from them and

move on.It can also motivate us to

make positive changes in our lives and

to become our best selves. By

understanding the origins of selfcompassion,

we can better appreciate

its value in our lives.

The writer is Educator, author, and

researcher and Executive Chair, Centre

for Business & Economic Research, UK

context that is itself dystopian.

If the midterm elections in the US

upset, as expected they will, the

Democratic majority, their place will be

taken by isolationist Republicans who are

not interested in helping Ukraine or

anyone for that matter. Similarly, if the

fuel crisis in Europe continues to

intensify and Europeans have to go

without adequate heating, the political

cataclysms from that spectre will be

divisive and likely far more authoritarian,

calling into question the cohesion of the

EU itself.

There will be no external saviours for

Pakistan this time. All the allusions and

accusations of this or that party being

allied with the United States are in this

sense blather. The 'war on terror', in

which the West bizarrely pilfered billions

even trillions of dollars to fight a largely

overestimated enemy, is over and

Pakistan cannot extort rents on its basis

anymore - no matter how dangerous

President Biden may think Pakistan is.

The question that remains then is

whether Pakistanis, after all our varied

experiments with democracy, will

continue to value the latter as a basis of

governance. The indications are bleak.

Brazil, India, Hungary and even Italy

seem to be drifting into fascism or at least

towards fascism- and authoritarianismfriendly

governments to seek protection

from an unravelling world order. They

will not actually get that imagined

protection, but then, politics never has

been about realities; it is about

perceptions. The game is the same in

Pakistan, and the survival of the country's

democracy, not so fledgling anymore,

depends on it.

The writer is an attorney teaching

constitutional law and political philosophy.

MOndAY, OCtOBEr 24, 2022

5

Regulators deepen investigation

on Tesla on 'Autopilot' crashes

users will also get access to a screen-time dashboard that shows how often they use the app.

Photo: Peter Byrne

TikTok screen-time control feature

to curb app addiction

ALEx hErn

TikTok addicts will be able to further

limit their time on the app, the

company has said, with a new pair of

screen-time settings coming to the

service imminently.

Like many of its competitors,

TikTok already allows users to set

a maximum screen-time

allowance for each day, to help

them stop idling away hours at a

time scrolling through the "for

you" page.Now, the company will

also let users set time limits before

requiring a break after a certain

amount of uninterrupted screen

time - a figure the user can set

themselves, if they wish.

A new screen-time dashboard will

also provide feedback for TikTok

users about the amount of time they

spend on the app, how often they

open it, and a breakdown of their day

and night-time usage. "At TikTok, we

believe that our digital experiences

should bring us joy, entertainment,

connection and enrichment," a

TikTok blogpost said.

"Having a positive relationship with

digital devices and apps isn't just

about measuring screen time, it's also

about feeling in control of how we use

technology and ensuring that the

time we spend online contributes

positively to our sense of wellbeing.

"That's why we're taking a number

of steps today to help support our

community's digital wellbeing as they

create and discover on TikTok."

The settings aren't just being

provided because of TikTok's

concern for users' wellbeing.

Social networks have a strong

motivation to offer their own

screen-time controls, in case

people decide to activate the

stricter controls built into both the

iOS and Android smartphone

platforms.

New requirements introduced

last summer require technology

companiesto be more aware of

how their services are used by

children.

Earlier this week Apple

announced a new set of options in

its own screen time feature, aimed

at making it easier for parents to

manage the screen time of their

children. Kids can now send a text

request to their parents for extra

screen time and have it approved

in-app, rather than needing to

hand their phone over and have a

passcode entered.

And parents can now automatically

set up phones with a single collection

of recommended settings based on

the child's age, and with screen-time

limits and bedtimes enforced

automatically.

LAurEn ArAtAni

US federal regulators are

deepening their investigation into

Tesla's Autopilot function after

more than a dozen Tesla cars

crashed into parked firstresponder

vehicles over a period of

four years.

The National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA)

said on Thursday it was upgrading

its preliminary investigation, which

launched last August, to an

"engineering analysis", which is

taken before the agency

determines a recall.

The investigation covers all four

Tesla vehicles - Models Y, X, S and

3 - representing about 830,000

vehicles that have been sold in the

US.

The investigation is focused on

Tesla's Autopilot feature, which is

supposed to help drivers navigate

roads through artificial

intelligence, which detects other

vehicles. The company instructs

drivers to pay attention to the road

and keep their hands on the

steering wheel while using

Autopilot, though some drivers

have used Autopilot drunk or

sitting in the backseat of the car.

The 16 crashes at the base of the

investigation took place between

January 2018 and January 2022

and resulted in 15 injuries and one

death. In documents posted to its

website, NHTSA said forensic data

indicates that the majority of the

drivers had their hands on the

steering wheel before impact and

were complying with the system as

it was designed to be used.

The agency said this as the

investigation specifically looks into

whether the Autopilot feature

ultimately undermines "the

effectiveness of driver's

supervision".

NHTSA, in a separate

investigation, is looking into a

separate batch of complaints that

have been filed against Tesla

vehicles that suddenly brake at

high speeds, otherwise known as

"phantom braking". The agency

has received more than 750

complaints relating to the problem,

though there have been no crashes

or injuries reported. The agency

has asked Tesla for more

information about its awareness of

the issue.

The agency has long been

wrestling with Tesla, specifically

the company's outspoken founder,

Elon Musk, for years. Anonymous

officials and former regulators

detailed to the Washington Post

earlier this year the heated reaction

workers at the agency have

received from Musk, and noted

that regulators have had to learn to

deal with a combative company.

Elon Musk at a tesla event in Shanghai in January 2020.

In a letter to Musk last fall,

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the

National Transportation Safety

Board (NTSB) - a separate

federal agency that investigates

crashes and makes

recommendations to other

agencies such as the NHTSA -

urged Musk to respond to its

safety recommendations for

Autopilot that it issued to Tesla

back in 2017. The NTSB

recommended that Tesla

develop safeguards that would

not allow drivers to use vehicles

in ways inconsistent with its

design.

"If you are serious about putting

safety front and center in Tesla

vehicle design, I invite you to

complete action on the safety

recommendations we issued four

years ago," Homendy wrote in a

letter to Musk.

Photo: Aly Song

Amazon's luxury fashion site

goes online in Europe

the common charger will be 'a reality in Europe' according to the European

parliament.

Photo: Julien Warnand

iPhones to use USB-C charger

by 2024

FLEur BrittEn

Amazon shoppers in Britain can now

add high-fashion purchases, such as a

four-figure Peter Dundas evening gown

or a Christopher Kane slingback heel,

to their digital shopping baskets.

The world's largest online retailer has

launched its Luxury Stores at Amazon

division in the UK, France, Germany,

Italy and Spain, having opened a US

version in 2020.

In an effort to elevate Amazon's

virtual shop window, the Luxury Stores

microsite shows videos of models

including Kristen McMenamy and

Precious Lee posing in a European

villa. It features nine designers

including Elie Saab, Altuzarra and

Jonathan Cohen.

The Norwegian designer Dundas,

who has been selling on the US version

since 2020, has had sales grow to up to

30% of his direct-to-consumer

business.

"Amazon has shown that

convenience is the new luxury," said

Akiko Takashima, Dundas's chief

marketing officer. "We used to look at

Amazon as a marketplace for

household goods. But now, with its

strong returns policy, there is a new

confidence around buying big-ticket

items there."

After a nervous start, where sales

were mostly entry-point items such

as face masks for £25 and activewear,

in the past six months higher-priced

pieces have taken over, with Dundas's

embellished evening gowns "flying" -

one customer even buying four at

once.

The luxury fashion brands are

expected to offer free delivery and

returns and are given the choice to

distribute through their own

warehouses or Amazon's, which the

website makes clear at the point of

purchase.

Takashima said they had not seen

any difference in the level of returns

compared with their regular e-

commerce sales. "Amazon is important

to the business - the results show that,"

she said. "I foresee Amazon being a

substantial part of our revenue."

However, the retail expert Mary

Portas questioned whether Amazon

could pull off luxury fashion retail.

"Have they got Burberry, have they got

Gucci, have they got Dries? It doesn't

sound like the top brands on Net-a-

Porter."

Acknowledging the lure of

convenience for shoppers, she added:

"Of course, Amazon will answer that.

But let's not forget the pleasure of

designer shopping when you're

spending that sort of dosh."

Portas pointed out that the existing

digital players - Net-a-Porter, Matches,

MyTheresa - are getting "more and

more sophisticated in their offer - with

luxury, it's all about the curation and

the edit. I've never seen Amazon play

the beautiful game."

Portas is not nostalgic for the

traditional high street and how

Amazon has and might continue to

affect it. "Digital is here, and it's going

to stay."

Amazon's competitive advantage is

its access to data. "Let's face it," said

Portas. "Amazon will have enough

logistics and insights to make sure that

when you click on a brand, Amazon

comes knocking first."

JEdidAJAhOttE

The EU has paved the way for all

smartphones to be legally required to

use a USB-C port for charging, a move

that could be a headache for Apple,

whose iPhone is the only main brand

smartphone without this type of

connection.

The EU's agreement will apply from

autumn 2024 for all smartphones sold

in the bloc, a decision that could

substantially impact Apple as the

iPhone uses Apple's lightning port for

wired charging.

USB-C ports were introduced in

Apple's 12in MacBook model in 2015

and in the iPad Pro in late 2018, while

other iPads have come with the port

since 2020.

Some Apple users with devices

featuring the lightning connector praise

its "grip", with some complaining that

USB-C ports become loose over time.

Others have expressed their desire to

do away with their "dongle" bundles of

adapters and replace them with a

universal cable for all Apple products.

The EU said the rule change aims to

reduce hassle for consumers as well as

electronic waste, as it will enable

consumers to use older chargers for

new devices.

The rules will apply to "all small and

medium-sized portable electronic

devices", which will include mobile

phones, tablets, cameras, keyboards,

speakers, headphones, headsets and

earbuds. Laptops will have to be

adapted to fit the requirements 40

months after they come into force.

The decision is yet to be approved by

the European parliament and

European Council, but is expected to be

a formality.

European parliament spokesperson

Alex AgiusSaliba said: "Today we have

made the common charger a reality in

Europe.

"European consumers were long

frustrated with multiple chargers piling

up with every new device. Now they will

be able to use a single charger for all

their portable electronics.

"We are proud that laptops, e-

readers, earbuds, keyboards, computer

mice and portable navigation devices

are also included, in addition to

smartphones, tablets, digital cameras,

headphones and headsets, handheld

video game consoles and portable

speakers.

Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS

Insight, said the announcement could

become a "non-issue" for Apple as the

firm already uses USB-C on a number

of products.

"Having one common charging

standard would be a victory for

common sense in the eyes of

consumers," he said.

"Although Apple has made a strong

argument for it keeping its lightning

connector … some of its products,

including Mac and iPad Pro, now

support USB-C.

"Hopefully it will eventually become a

non-issue if Apple keeps adding USB-C

to more devices, and that means

ultimately we could see USB-C coming

to iPhone."

World's largest online retailer launches Luxury Stores featuring clothes by Elie

Saab and Altuzarra.

Photo: Collected

MoNDay, oCtobeR 24, 2022

6

awami Dalia Zilla Parishad election Management Committee organized a press conference on

Saturday night at the Panchagarh Press Club hall.

Photo: Md anamul Haque

Press conference held in Panchagarh

MD aNaMUl HaqUe, PaNCHaGaRH

CoRReSPoNDeNt:

Awami League leaders held a press

conference after Abu Toybur Rahman

was defeated in the Panchagarh Zilla

Parishad election. Abu Bakar Siddique,

the former legal affairs secretary of the

district Awami League and convener of

the district council election committee,

held a press conference at the

Panchagarh press club on Friday

afternoon. He is the younger brother of

the candidate. In the press conference,

he said that District Awami League

President, Railway Minister Nurul

Islam Sujan and General Secretary

Anwar Sadat did not work for Awami

League candidate in the Samrat

election. They worked for the winning

independent candidate Abdul Hannan

NMI principal

pays tribute to

Bangabandhu's

tomb

MeHaDi HaSaN, tUNGiPaRa CoRReSPoNDeNt:

Chattogram National

Maritime Institute (NMI)

Principal Captain Ataur

Rahman paid tribute by

placing wreaths at the tomb

of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman in

Tungipara. On Sunday

afternoon, he laid wreaths

and paid tributes at the

tomb of the Father of the

Nation.

Later he recited the holy

Fateha, and prayed for the

forgiveness of the souls of

Bangabandhu and his family

members who was killed on

August 15, 1975.

Officials of Chattogram

National Maritime Institute

were present at this time.

BCG seize 12500

kg of jelly-pushed

shrimp

Bangladesh Coast Guard

Station Pagla seized

approximately 12,500 kg of

jelly-pushed shrimp. On

Sunday at noon, Coast

Guard Headquarters media

officer Lt. Commander

Khandaker Munif Taqi gave

this information. He said, on

the basis of secret

information, a special

operation was conducted in

the Dhaleswari Bridge area

under the leadership of

Station Commander Lt.

Shams Sadekeen Taran by

Bangladesh Coast Guard

Station Pagla on October 23,

2022 at approximately 0230

hours. During the operation,

07 passenger buses from

Khulna to Chattogram were

searched and approximately

12,500 kg (312 maunds) of

poisonous jelly-pushed

shrimps were seized, with an

estimated market value of

Tk 1crore 50 lakh taka. As

the real owner of the jellypushed

shrimp could not be

found, no one could be

arrested. Keraniganj Upazila

Senior Fisheries Officer Md.

Salim Reza was present in

the said expedition.

He further said that later, in

the presence of the Fisheries

Officer, the seized jellypushed

shrimps were

destroyed by burying them

on the ground.

Sheikh during the night. In response to

this press conference, the Awami Dalia

Zilla Parishad Election Management

Committee organized a press

conference on Saturday night at the

Panchagarh Press Club hall. Stating

that Abu Bakar Siddique gave false

information in the press conference,

the speakers said that Abu Bakar

Siddique is not the convener of the Zilla

Parishad Election Management

Committee.

Awami League candidate lost

because of his younger brother. Ariful

Islam Pallab, former organizing

secretary of district Awami League,

read a written statement at the press

conference.

He said Abu Bakar Siddique, the

younger brother of Abu Towabur

Rahman, the nominated candidate of

Awami League in the recently

concluded Zilla Parishad election, lost

the chairmanship in the 2016 Zilla

Parishad election and took back the

money given to the voters for voting by

fear of lawsuits and muscle power. It

had an impact on this election. Awami

League candidate got 231 votes in Zilla

Parishad election due to district leaders

including District Awami League

President and General Secretary not for

his personal image.

He also said that Abu Bakar Siddique,

being a senior leader of the party, spoke

against the decision of everyone

including the party chairperson, which

is against the party hierarchy of the

organization. He drew the attention of

the party president to take

organizational action against the party

leaders for making false claims.

Chattogram National Maritime institute (NMi) Principal paid tribute to

bangabandhu's tomb.

Photo: Mehadi Hasan

Over 3.33cr Covid-19 jabs

administered in Rangpur

RaNGPUR: The number of

administered Covid-19 jabs rose to three

crore 33 lakh 61 thousand and 196 in

Rangpur division with the inoculation of

more 63,579 doses as the first, second and

booster doses on Saturday, reports BSS.

"Among the administered Covid-19 jabs

on Saturday, 300 doses were inoculated

to the children aged 5-11 years as the first

doses," said Divisional Deputy Director

(Health) Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman

yesterday.

So far, a total of 5,08,050 children aged

5-11 years of 1,600 primary level

educational institutions were

administered with the first dose of the

Covid-19 jabs in the division.

Till Saturday, a total of 1,41,62,743

people got the first doses of Covid-19 jabs,

and of them, 1,32,55,190 got the second

doses and 58,88,263 as the booster doses

in the division.

Meanwhile, the total number of Covid-

19 patients rose to 64,933 as two fresh

Covid-19 cases were diagnosed after

testing 208 new samples on Saturday in

the division.

The number of recovered Covid-19

patients remained steady at 63,579 as no

more patients healed during the last 24

hours ending at 8 am yesterday in the

division.

"Besides, the number of casualties

remained steady at 1,292 as no new death

was reported during the last 24 hours,"

Dr. Rahman added.

bangladesh Coast Guard Station Pagla seized approximately 12,500 kg of

jelly-pushed shrimp.

Photo: Courtesy

3 die as

launch

collides with

bridge in

Shariatpur

SHaRiatPUR: Three

people were killed and two

others injured as a

passenger launch collided

with a bridge in the

Kuchaipur union area

under Gosairhat upazila

here early yesterday,

reports BSS.

The deceased were

identified as Tanji Molla,

23, Shakil Ahmed, 25 and

Sagar Ali, 23.

Quoting locals, police

said an iron tank

attached to the launch

fell on the victims while

they were asleep after the

vessel collided with the

bridge at around 4:30

am, leaving two people

dead on the spot and

three injured.

The injured were taken

to Gosairhat upazila health

complex where the duty

doctors pronounced one

dead.

Later, police seized the

vessel along with two

workers.

Gosairghat UNO Kafi

bin Kabir told BSS that

immediately after the

accident, the site was

inspected and necessary

monetary assistance

were provided to the

injured.

The district administration

also provided Tk 25,000

to each deceased's

family for interment.

Fire guts cotton mill in Kurigram

baDSHaH SayKot, KURiGRaM CoRReSPoNDeNt:

A cotton mill and two warehouses of Ma

Garments were gutted in a fire in BSCIC

Industrial Estate of Kurigram. Locals saw

the fire around 10 am on Sunday morning

and informed the fire service. On receiving

the information, 4 units of fire service of

Kurigram, Ulipur, Rajarhat and Lalmonirhat

were able to bring the fire under control after

2 hours of effort. However, the cause of the

fire and how much money has been lost is

not yet known.

According to mill workers and locals, when

the fire started from the cotton mill machine,

efforts to extinguish it failed. After informing

the fire service, 4 units of fire service brought

the fire under control.

Locals said that mill owner Mohsin Ali

Umra is out of the country to perform

Omrah Hajj.

Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rashedul

Hasan, BSCIC Industrial Estate Additional

Director Jahangir Alam, Rangpur Divisional

Fire Service Deputy Director Md. Jaseem

Uddin visited the scene. They promised to

take measures after determining the amount

of damage after the fire came under control.

Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rashedul

Hasan said that the owner of the mill is out of

the country to perform Omrah Hajj. The

extent of damage will be determined and

informed to higher officials.

Md Jasim Uddin, Rangpur Divisional

Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil

Defense, said that after receiving the

information, 4 units of the fire service came

and started working and brought the fire

under control. There are other mills

including jute mills next to this cotton mill in

BSCIC Industrial Estate. Fire service

personnel were vigilant to prevent other

mills from causing trouble. The fire service

official said that a report will be given after

the investigation. The fire service official said

that a report will be given after the

investigation.

Jahangir Alam, deputy general manager of

Kurigram BSCIC Industrial Estate, said that

the fire service was informed as soon as the

fire broke out. Later 4 units of fire service

brought the fire under control. He said that

further measures will be taken after

determining the amount of damage.

a cotton mill and two warehouses of Ma Garments were gutted in a fire in

bSCiC industrial estate of Kurigram.

Photo: badshah Saykot

Diverse innovations show dreams

of Rajshahi silk industries revival

RaJSHaHi: Golden tradition of silk

industries is expected to revive within a

shortest possible time with

breakthrough innovation of high

yielding varieties of silkworms and

mulberry plants, reports BSS.

Bangladesh Sericulture Research

and Training Institute (BSRTI) has

innovated 20 silkworm and 15

mulberry plant varieties after a long

research creating massive hope of

revitalization of the prestigious silk

sector.

BSRTI Senior Scientific Officer (SSO)

Faruque Ahmed told BSS that silk

production will be enhanced by around

12 to 15 percent together with

decreasing the dependence on import

of silk yarn amid the variety innovation

recently. Farmers will also be benefited

enormously by virtue of the innovation.

Since the immemorial time, Rajshahi

has been famous for silk but its legacy

was on the verge of wane for the last

couple of decades. BSRTI has started

showing the dreams of the golden day's

silks again in the region.

Faruque Ahmed said they conducted

the research under a five-year project

for production enhancement of silk

through technology development

expansion and skilled manpower

generation.

Through the Taka 35.66-crore

project, 20 silkworms and 15 mulberry

plants have been added to the present

stock cumulating the number of

silkworms to 114, while mulberry

plants to 38.

Apart from this, mulberry variety has

been elevated to 84 from 60, while

silkworm variety to 114, including 27

high yielding ones, from 85 in BSRTI's

germplasm bank with the development

of the 35 new varieties.

By dint of the innovation of 20

silkworm varieties, production of 70 to

75 kilograms of silk could be possible

from per 100 disinfectant eggs within

less time, while the previous figure was

60 to 65 kilograms.

Besides, 40 to 47 tons of mulberry

leaves could be produced per hectare of

land yearly amid innovation of the 15

mulberry varieties, whereas the

previous figure was 30 to 37 tons.

Another SSO Rumana Ferdus Bint-

A-Rahman said the newly developed

varieties will be expanded to the

grassroots farmers as soon as possible

so that they can derive total benefits of

the research outcomes.

BSRTI Director Kazi Rafiqul Islam

told BSS that they are encouraging the

farmers towards mulberry farming as

main crop with the ultimate goal of

boosting silk production. Currently,

mulberry plants are being cultivated on

homesteads and roadside vacant

places. He also said intercropping

mulberry trees with some other

vegetables and spices is being

promoted among the farmers aimed at

uplifting the silk production.

Rafiqul Islam mentioned prospect of

the intercropping is very bright to boost

additional income from the same land

together with silk cocoon production

throughout the region.

Professor Dr Nuzhat Ara of the

Department of Zoology of Rajshahi

University said the prospect has been

increased with extension of mulberry

cultivation on around 8,000 hectares of

land including roadside plantation

throughout the country for the last

couple of years.

National Road Safety Day

celebrated in Patnitala

HaSaN SHaHRiaR Pallab, PatNitala

CoRReSPoNDeNt:

National Road Safety Day was

celebrated in Patnitala by Nirapad

Sarak Chai(Ni-Sa-Cha) bus stand's

Ni-Sa-Cha office, and a rally was

held. Hasan Shahriar Pallab,

Convenor of Patnitala Upazila

Branch, Nirapad Sarak Chai presided

over the event. Joint convener Md.

Abdur Gafur, joint convener

Morshedul Alam, member secretary

Yunusar Rahman was present in the

event.

Various issues of National Road

Safety Day were discussed in the

presence of all the committee

members. Ni-Sa-Cha convener

Hasan Shahirar Pallab said in the

said event, everyone should be made

aware through our organization;

everyone should be properly

informed about their responsibilities.

When professionals or pedestrians

are aware of their responsibilities,

road accidents will surely decrease.

The social movement has been going

on for 29 years to make the roads

safer. To make the roads safer, let us

all fulfill the responsibility and duty

National Road Safety Day was celebrated in Patnitala by Nirapad

Sarak Chai(Ni-Sa-Cha).

Photo: Hasan Shahriar Pallab

properly to implement the directive

given to reduce the global road

accidents by 50% by 2030.

Later at 12.00 pm a discussion

meeting and rally was held in the

hall of Patnitala upazila with the

initiative of upazila procession and

Ni-Sa-Cha. Under the

chairmanship of Upazila Nirbahi

Officer Romana Afroz, Mr.

Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, Member of

Parliament of 47-Naogaon-2,

President of the Standing

Committee on Law and Judiciary

Affairs, was present as the chief

guest.

Upazila Parishad Chairman Md. Abdul

Gaffar and Vice Chairman Rahad and

other members of Ni-Sa-Cha were

present as special guests. Ni-Sa-Cha

Patnitala upazila convener Hasan

Shahriar Pallab conducted the program.

MonDAy, oCtoBeR 24, 2022

7

Chanting crowds marched in the streets of Berlin, Washington DC and Los Angeles on Saturday in a show

of international support for demonstrators facing a violent government crackdown in Iran, sparked by

the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of that country's morality police. Photo : AP

Major Hurricane

Roslyn approaches

Mexico's Pacific coast

PUERTO VALLARTA :

Communities along the west

coast of Mexico prepared for

Hurricane Roslyn, a

Category 3 storm, to make

landfall Sunday as the US

National Hurricane Center

warned of potentially

damaging winds, a

dangerous storm surge and

flash flooding.

The major storm was

about 80 miles (130

kilometers) southwest of the

city of Tepic, with maximum

sustained winds of 125 miles

per hour and moving north

at about 16 mph, the NHC

said in its 0900 GMT

update.

It is forecast to slam into

the coast of Nayarit state on

Sunday morning at or near

major hurricane strength,

the NHC said.

"Little change in strength

is anticipated before landfall

later this morning, and

rapid weakening is expected

after landfall," the NHC

said.

"On the forecast track, the

center of Roslyn will

approach the coast of westcentral

Mexico, likely

making landfall along the

coast of the Mexican state of

Nayarit Sunday morning."

Both the NHC and the

Meteorological Service of

Mexico warned of flash

flooding and landslides

caused by the storm.

GD-1711/22 (7x3)

Iran protests trigger solidarity

rallies in US, Europe

WASHINGTON : Chanting crowds marched

in the streets of Berlin, Washington DC and

Los Angeles on Saturday in a show of

international support for demonstrators

facing a violent government crackdown in

Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old

Mahsa Amini in the custody of that country's

morality police, reports UNB.

On the U.S. National Mall, thousands of

women and men of all ages - wearing green,

white and red, the colors of the Iran flag -

shouted in rhythm. "Be scared. Be scared. We

are one in this," demonstrators yelled, before

marching to the White House. "Say her

name! Mahsa!"

The demonstrations, put together by

grassroots organizers from around the

United States, drew Iranians from across the

Washington D.C. area, with some travelling

down from Toronto to join the crowd.

In Los Angeles, home to the biggest

population of Iranians outside of Iran, a

throng of protesters formed a slow-moving

procession along blocks of a closed

downtown street. They chanted for the fall of

Iran's government and waved hundreds of

Iranian flags that turned the horizon into a

undulating wave of red, white and green.

"We want freedom," they thundered.

Shooka Scharm, an attorney who was born

in the U.S. after her parents fled the Iranian

revolution, was wearing a T-shirt with the

slogan "Women, Life, Freedom" in English

and Farsi. In Iran "women are like a secondclass

citizen and they are sick of it," Scharm

said.

Iran's nationwide antigovernment protest

movement first focused on the country's

mandatory hijab covering for women

following Amiri's death on Sept. 16. The

demonstrations there have since transformed

into the greatest challenge to the Islamic

Republic since the 2009 Green Movement

over disputed elections. In Tehran on

Saturday, more antigovernment protests

took place at several universities.

Iran's security forces have dispersed

gatherings in that country with live

ammunition and tear gas, killing over 200

people, including teenage girls, according to

rights groups.

The Biden administration has said it

condemns the brutality and repression

against the citizens of Iran and that it will look

for ways to impose more sanctions against

the Iranian government if the violence

continues.

Between chants, protesters in D.C. broke

into song, singing traditional Persian music

about life and freedom - all written after the

revolution in 1979 brought religious

fundamentalists to power in Iran. They sang

one in particular in unison - "Baraye,"

meaning because of, which has become the

unofficial anthem of the Iran protests. The

artist of that song, Shervin Hajipour, was

arrested shortly after posting the song to his

Instagram in late September. It accrued more

than 40 million views.

"Because of women, life, freedom,"

protesters sang, echoing a popular protest

chant: "Azadi" - Freedom.

The movement in Iran is rooted in the same

issues as in the U.S. and around the globe,

said protester Samin Aayanifard, 28, who left

Iran three years ago. "It's forced hijab in Iran

and here in America, after 50 years, women's

bodies are under control," said Aayanifard,

who drove from East Lansing, Michigan to

join the D.C. march. She referred to rollbacks

of abortion laws in the United States. "It's

about control over women's bodies."

ÔKvh©Ki wbivc`, MwZkxj c_

Moe moK I Rbc_

Doctors tell Saudi

crown prince to skip

summit: Algeria

ALGIERS : Doctors have

advised Saudi Arabia's powerful

crown prince not to travel to

Algiers for an upcoming

summit, the Algerian

presidency said Sunday, amid

an absence of Saudi reports

confirming health issues.

Mohammed bin Salman

"apologised for not being able to

participate in the Arab Summit

to be held on November 1 in

Algiers, in accordance with the

recommendations of doctors

who advise him not to travel",

the official Algerian news

agency APS said, citing a

presidency statement.

Algerian President

Abdelmadjid Tebboune

responded during a phone call

that "he understood the

situation and regretted the

crown prince's inability to

attend" the summit, expressing

"wishes for his health and wellbeing".The

story did not

provide any explanation for the

doctors' recommendations.

Saudi officials did not

immediately respond to a

request for comment.

A report on the call by the

official Saudi Press Agency

made no mention of the

summit or any advice from

Prince Mohammed's doctors.

It said that during the call "the

aspects of bilateral relations

between the two fraternal

countries were reviewed", and

that the two leaders discussed

"opportunities for joint

cooperation".

Illegal border crossings

to US from Mexico hit

annual high

SAN DIEGO : A surge in migration from Venezuela, Cuba

and Nicaragua in September brought the number of illegal

crossings to the highest level ever recorded in a fiscal year,

according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The year-end numbers reflect deteriorating economic and

political conditions in some countries, the relative strength of

the U.S. economy and uneven enforcement of Trump-era

asylum restrictions.

Migrants were stopped 227,547 times in September at the

U.S. border with Mexico, the third-highest month of Joe

Biden's presidency. It was up 11.5% from 204,087 times in

August and 18.5% from 192,001 times in September 2021.

In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, migrants were

stopped 2.38 million times, up 37% from 1.73 million times

the year before, according to figures released late Friday

night. The annual total surpassed 2 million for the first time

in August and is more than twice the highest level during

Donald Trump's presidency in 2019.

Nearly 78,000 migrants from Venezuela, Cuba and

Nicaragua were stopped in September, compared to about

58,000 from Mexico and three countries of northern Central

America that have historically accounted for most of the flow.

The remarkable geographic shift is at least partly a result of

Title 42, a public health rule that suspends rights to see

asylum under U.S. and international law on grounds of

preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Due to strained diplomatic relations, the U.S. cannot expel

migrants to Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua. As a result, they

are largely released in the United States to pursue their

immigration cases.

Title 42 authority has been applied 2.4 million times since

it began in March 2020 but has fallen disproportionately on

migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El

Salvador.

U.S. officials say Venezuelan migration to the United States

has plunged more than 85% since Oct. 12, when the U.S.

began expelling Venezuelans to Mexico under Title 42. At the

same time, the Biden administration pledged to admit up to

24,000 Venezuelans to the United States on humanitarian

parole if they apply online with a financial sponsor and enter

through an airport, similar to how tens of thousands of

Ukrainians have come since Russia invaded their country.

Russian authorities advise civilians

to leave Ukraine region

KYIV : Russian-installed authorities in

Ukraine told all residents of the city of Kherson

to leave "immediately" Saturday ahead of an

expected advance by Ukrainian troops waging

a counteroffensive to recapture one of the first

urban areas Russia took after invading the

country.

In a post on the Telegram messaging service,

the pro-Kremlin regional administration

strongly urged civilians to use boat crossings

over a major river to move deeper into

Russian-held territory, citing a tense situation

on the front and the threat of shelling and

alleged plans for "terror attacks" by Kyiv.

Kherson has been in Russian hands since the

early days of the nearly 8-month-long war in

Ukraine. The city is the capital of a region of the

same name, one of four that Russian President

Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month

and put under Russian martial law on

Thursday.

On Friday, Ukrainian forces bombarded

Russian positions across the province,

targeting pro-Kremlin forces' resupply routes

across the Dnieper River and preparing for a

final push to reclaim the city.

The Ukrainian military has reclaimed broad

areas in the north of the region since launching

a counteroffensive in late August. It reported

new successes Saturday, saying that Russian

troops were forced to retreat from the villages

of Charivne and Chkalove in the Beryslav

district. Russian-installed officials were

reported as trying desperately to turn Kherson

city - a prime objective for both sides because

of its key industries and ports - into a fortress

while attempting to relocate tens of thousands

of residents.

The Kremlin poured as many as 2,000

draftees into the surrounding region to

replenish losses and strengthen front-line

units, according to the Ukrainian army's

general staff.

GD-1710/22 (7x3)

The wide Dnieper River figures as a major

factor in the fighting, making it hard for Russia

to supply its troops defending the city of

Kherson and nearby areas on the west bank

after relentless Ukrainian strikes rendered the

main crossings unusable.

Taking control of Kherson has allowed

Russia to resume fresh water supplies from the

Dnieper to Crimea, which were cut by Ukraine

after Moscow's annexation of the Black Sea

peninsula. A big hydroelectric power plant

upstream from Kherson city is a key source of

energy for the southern region. Ukraine and

Russia accused each other of trying to blow it

up to flood the mostly flat region.

Kherson's Kremlin-backed authorities

previously announced plans to evacuate all

Russia-appointed officials and as many as

60,000 civilians across the river, in what local

leader Vladimir Saldo said would be an

"organized, gradual displacement."

Another Russia-installed official estimated

Saturday that around 25,000 people from

across the region had made their way over the

Dnieper. In a Telegram post, Kirill Stremousov

claimed that civilians were relocating willingly.

"People are actively moving because today

the priority is life. We do not drag anyone

anywhere," he said, adding that some residents

could be waiting for the Ukrainian army to

reclaim the city. Ukrainian and Western

officials have expressed concern about

potential forced transfers of residents to Russia

or Russian-occupied territory.

Ukrainian officials urged Kherson residents

to resist attempts to relocate them, with one

local official alleging that Moscow wanted to

take civilians hostage and use them as human

shields.

Elsewhere in the invaded country, hundreds

of thousands of people in central and western

Ukraine woke up on Saturday to power

outages and periodic bursts of gunfire.

Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine told all residents of the city of Kherson to leave "immediately"

Saturday ahead of an expected advance by Ukrainian troops waging a counteroffensive to

recapture one of the first urban areas Russia took after invading the country.

Photo : AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

8

First Security Islami Bank Ltd. inaugurated Oxygen Branch as its 200th Branchat Compact Square

(Mayer Doa), Oxygen-Quaish Road, Bangabandhu Avenue, Ward # 3, Chattogram City Corporation,

Bayezid Bostami, Chattogramon 23 October 2022 with a view to providing shariah based banking services

to its clients. Syed Waseque Md Ali, Managing Directorof the Bank inaugurated the branch. Among

others, Muhammad Mustafa Khair, Additional Managing Director, Md. Masudur Rahman Shah,Deputy

Managing Director, Mohammed Hafizur Rahman, Zonal Head of Chattogram North, Mohammed

Kamal Uddin, Zonal Head of Chattogram South, Divisional Heads of Head Office, Mohammad

MafijulAlam, Manager of Oxygen Branch, Khurshed Alam, Chairman, Compact Properties Ltd., Md.

Jasim Uddin, President, Shital-Jharna Star Housing Welfare Samity along with other officials were

present in the occasion. A Doa Mahfil was organized in this regard.

Photo : Courtesy

Colombians

protest

against tax

reform bill

BOGOTÁ : Thousands of

Colombians rallied

nationwide Saturday

against a proposed reform

that would raise taxes on

the upper classes to pay for

social programs.

The legislation is being

pushed by President

Gustavo Petro, the South

American country's first

elected leftist president.

"Today, we ask the

government to take into

account the productive

sector of the country, to

understand that tax reform

is not needed in the way

they are doing it,"

businessman Alvaro

Aparicio, 58, told AFP in

Bogota.

Wearing white and

waving the national flag,

people also took to the

streets in Cali,

Barranquilla, Medellin and

other cities against the bill

pushed by Petro, who took

office in August.

Congress is debating the

reform, which would raise

taxes on the upper classes

to finance programs to

fight poverty and

inequality.

Meanwhile, Colombia

like other countries around

the world is enduring high

inflation, as well as an

historic devaluation of the

peso against the dollar.

Unemployment stands at

10.6 percent.

Petro campaigned on a

platform of raising taxes on

the rich, stopping oil

exploration and

distributing fertile land

among landless farmers.

Former right-wing

president Ivan Duque

(2018-2022) faced massive

protests in 2019, 2020 and

2021.

The bloodiest occurred

last year, when the then

president tried to tax the

middle class to deal with

the ravages of the

pandemic.

This sparked violent

demonstrations that lasted

two months and left 46

dead, including civilians

and police, according to the

UN.

Union Bank Limited has signed an agreement with Karnaphuli Gas

Distribution Company Limited. Under this agreement clients shall be able

to pay the Karnaphuli Gas bill through all Branch, Sub-Branch and

iBanking of Union Bank. In presence of A. B. M. MokammelHoque

Chowdhury,Managing Director& CEO of Union Bank and M A Majed,

Managing Directorof Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited,Md.

Nazrul Islam, Deputy Managing Director of Union Bank and Mohd. Firoz

Khan, Company Secretary of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company

Limitedexchange the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

Besides,high officials of the both organizations were also present at

the ceremony.

Photo : Courtesy

OPPO holds 2-month carnival

to celebrate 2nd anniversary

of OPPO Service Day

In order to celebrate the

2nd anniversary of OPPO

Service Day and express

gratitude for the support

and companionship of

users, OPPO is holding a 2-

month carnival from

October 01 to November

30, 2022. During this

event, users can enjoy 3

kinds of services - with

discounts of up to 50% for

mainboard replacement,

up to 15% for screen

replacement, and up to

30% discount for back

cove, says a press releae.

Moving back to October

10, 2020, OPPO Service

Day was initially launched

in 8 countries/regions.

After that, OPPO held a

Super Service Day special

event last June and

officially extended its

Service Day from 1 day to 3

days, that is 10-12th of each

month. And October 10,

2022, marked the 2nd

anniversary of OPPO

Service Day, which

represents a new milestone

to it. So far, OPPO users

can enjoy 8 major exclusive

benefits on Service Day at

more than 900 service

centers in 24

countries/regions all over

the world.

"Inspiring" is one of the

keywords of OPPO's

service motto. The purpose

of the Service Day event is

not only about phone

repair, but also providing

users with friendly service.

And the process of

providing service for users

is not only to solve their

phone problems, but also

to help them gain new

skills and expand new

knowledge. At the same

time, it is also a process for

OPPO to listen to users'

voices and feedback,

constantly optimize and

develop its products and

service, and grow together

with users.

In the future, OPPO will

strive to provide more

friendly and professional

services, and look forward

to the next 2 years together

with all users! On the next

Service Day, 10-12th

November, OPPO hopes to

meet you again! For more

details, click -

ONE Bank Limited signed an Agreement with Bangladesh Land Port to set up a Bank's Collection

Booth at Bhomra Land Port on October 22, 2022 at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka. Md. Monzur

Mofiz, Managing Director of ONE Bank Limited and Md. Alamgir, Chairman (Grade-1) of Bangladesh

Land Port signed the Agreement on behalf of their respective organizations. Under this Agreement,

all users of Bhomra Land Prot will get all kinds of banking facilities from this collection booth.

Fahmida Akhtar, ndc, Additional Secretary, Member (Development), D M Atiqur Rahman, Deputy

Secretary, Director (Admin) of Bangladesh Land Port, Abu Zafore Md Saleh, Additional Managing

Director, John Sarkar, Deputy Managing Director of ONE Bank Limited along with other high officials

of both the organizations were also present in the Ceremony.

Photo : Courtesy

US budget deficit

drops by half in

2022 on pandemic

recovery

WASHINGTON : The US

budget deficit fell by half in

the past year to $1.4 trillion

on the back of a pandemic

recovery and as relief

spending eased, the

government said Friday.

Covid-related spending

on things like

unemployment insurance

and other programs have

declined following a

recovery in the world's

biggest economy from the

virus outbreak, with

businesses returning to

normal.

The drop in the budget

deficit marks the "largest

one-year decrease," said

the Treasury Department

and White House budget

office on Friday.

This was helped by

higher individual and

corporation tax collections,

bolstered by employment

growth, with tax revenues

for the fiscal year ended

September 30 surging a

record $850 billion from

2021.

President Joe Biden

hailed the big drop as

evidence of a resurgent

economy just three weeks

ahead of November's

crucial midterm elections

to decide control of

Congress.

Hailing the "largest ever

decline in the federal

deficit," Biden called the

development "further

proof that we're rebuilding

the economy."

The development, he

said, was part of "the good

news on the economy" that

he predicted would help

Democrats climb back in

the polls, which currently

show Republicans poised

for victory.

Treasury Secretary Janet

Yellen, in a statement

citing the American Rescue

Plan stimulus package,

said "today's joint budget

statement provides further

evidence of our historic

economic recovery."

In a statement, officials

also added that the US has

"more than recovered all of

the jobs lost during the

pandemic".

The economy added

more than 10 million jobs

since early 2021, while

unemployment returned to

its pre-pandemic level.

The figures for the latest

fiscal year showed

government outlays

dipped $550 billion to $6.3

trillion, in part reflecting

reductions in Covid-19

related spending.

But spending for

categories such as student

loans increased, the report

added.

This was the first fall in

outlays since 2013,

Treasury officials told

reporters.

Nagad announces up to 22pc cashback

for electronics, restaurants, and lifestyle

products purchase during WC

Nagad has come up with an instant cashback

offer for the purchase of electronic goods,

restaurants, and lifestyle productsduring the

World Cup.Nagad customers can avail of 22

percent cashback or discount facilities from

different 50 brands in the three mentioned

categories all across the country on the

occasion of the world cup, a press release said.

The offer under the campaign 'Payment

Cholbe, Bishwa Cup Jombe' (Payment will

continue as the world cup turns exciting) will

be applicable for purchases from 20

merchants of electronic goods.

The merchants include Xiaomi

Bangladesh, Butterfly Limited, Ryans

Computers, Best Electronics, Vision

Emporium, Transcom Digital, MK

Electronics, Vision, Minister, Vista

Electronics, Electro Mart, Electra

International, Jamuna Electronics, Excl E-

Store, Techland, Dasel, Computer Kitchen,

Next Communication, Esquire, and Khan

Electronics.

Any customer will be able to get the

cashback as per the offer for payment

through Nagad app or by dialing *167#

(USSD). However, this offer can be availed

for purchase from Excel E-Store via only

Nagad online payment.The policy of each

merchant will be applicable to the offer under

this campaign.

In the lifestyle category Nagad customers

can buy from Sailor, U-Turn, Qrius, Gentle

Park, MS Range Fashion, Smartex, Sports

World, Bell Outfitters, Isra Fashion, and

Duranta. In this category,Nagadcustomers

can get 20 percent instant cashback or

discount.

From the restaurant category, Nagad

customers can enjoy another exciting 20

percent cashback offer buying from

Shawrma House, Burger Express, Tasty

Treat, Chef's Table, BFC, North End,

Chapwala, Cafe Bayezid, Cafe Caf, and Grand

Mughal.Nagad customers can avail of the

offer from the restaurants' own offer policies

till 15 November. Nagad customers can enjoy

the offer multiple times.

Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd. organized a workshop on "Buying & Selling of

Cash Foreign Currency"on 22nd October 2022 at Corporate Head Office for

its' officials of Non-AD Branches which recently obtained limited licence to

conduct such transactions. The Additional Managing Director & COO of the

Bank M. Akhter Hossain was present as the chief guest & inaugurated the

workshop. There were 29 Officials from different Non-AD Branches of the

Bank and Corporate Head Office attended in the program.Among others

the Head of International Division of the Bank Mohammad Abdul Majid,

the incharge of CPC-Dhaka Galib Mahmood, the Officials from

International Division of the Bank Md. Rashedul Islam and AMM

SarwarulAlam Chowdhury were also present the program. Photo :

Global Islami Bank has opened its Fatikchari Branch at Fatikchari,

Chattogram. Syed Habib Hasnat, Managing Director of the Bank has virtually

inaugurated the operation of the branch as the Chief Guest. Additional

Managing Directors Md. Golam Sarwar and Kazi Mashiur Rahman Jayhad,

Deputy Managing Directors Ataus Samad and Sami Karim, Divisional

Heads from Head Office, Branch Managers & distinguished clients were

present on the occasion. It was expected that through the latest technological

support, the bank will provide quality service to the customers & will

expand its network at home & abroad to provide "Banking with Faith" to its

stakeholders.

Photo : Courtesy

Pound sinks as UK economic

uncertainty rises

The pound fell against the

dollar on Friday as new

figures showed a gloomy

picture for the UK economy,

reports BBC.

Sterling slipped to $1.11,

after rallying on Thursday as

Prime Minister Liz Truss

resigned.

However, it clawed back

losses on Friday evening

and was back up to around

$1.12 against the dollar.

The volatility in the pound

came after official figures

showed government

borrowing rose to its second

highest September on

record.

Meanwhile, people are

shopping less than they did

before the coronavirus

pandemic, according to

figures from the Office For

National Statistics (ONS).

Retail sales fell by more

than expected last month,

dropping 1.4% and

continuing their slide from

August, the official figures

showed. The pound's latest

slide comes after a period of

volatile trading for the

currency.

It plunged to a record low

against the dollar last

month, while government

borrowing costs rose

sharply in the aftermath of

the mini-budget. Investors

were spooked after the

government promised huge

tax cuts without saying how

it would pay for them.

Government borrowing

costs also rose slightly on

Friday.

A fall in the US dollar

against a number of

currencies late Friday

helped the pound regain

some ground.

But Jane Foley, a currency

strategist at Rabobank, said

much of the pound's moves

are being driven by

investors reacting to

political and economic

uncertainty in the UK as

well as the negative

economic data.

"While sterling rallied

yesterday on Truss's

resignation, I think

investors have realised

today that it's not a

guarantee that we'll get a

market-friendly outcome

from the Conservative

leadership contest," she

said.

The Chancellor, Jeremy

Hunt is due to announce

plans for spending and tax

on 31 October in his

economic plan, which the

Treasury confirmed was set

to go ahead, although there

are reports it could be

delayed due to the

leadership race.

Ms Foley said this

uncertainty was also

weighing on the pound.

"The longer the

uncertainty continues, the

worse it's going to be for the

markets."

MonDAY, oCtoBer 24, 2022

9

Manchester United's Casemiro celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during their premier

League match against Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge Stadium in London.

photo: Ap

Casemiro's last-gasp leveller rescues

Man Utd in Chelsea draw

SportS DeSk

Casemiro rescued Manchester United as

the Brazil midfielder grabbed his first

goal for the club in stoppage-time to

salvage a dramatic 1-1 draw at Chelsea on

Saturday, reports UNB.

Erik ten Hag's side were seconds away

from defeat after Jorginho's 87th minute

penalty put Chelsea ahead in United's

first match since Cristiano Ronaldo was

sent into exile.

But former Real Madrid star Casemiro

ensured United left west London on a sixmatch

unbeaten run as he netted with a

header that was awarded by goal-line

technology after crossing the line by

millimeters.

Ronaldo was missing from the United

squad after being dropped by Ten Hag

after his refusal to come on as a substitute

in Wednesday's win over Tottenham.

Ten Hag's decision to lay down the law

to Ronaldo could signal the beginning of

the end for the Portugal attacker in his

second spell with United.

It would be no surprise if United and

Ronaldo parted ways in the January

transfer window, but Ten Hag's men did

not appear troubled by the striker's latest

petulant outburst.

With Ronaldo banished, United were

still the stronger side for long periods,

while there were no chants in support of

the 37-year-old from the visiting fans

packed into one corner of Stamford

Bridge.

Fifth placed United remain one point

behind fourth placed Chelsea, who are

unbeaten in eight matches in all

competitions since Graham Potter

replaced the sacked Thomas Tuchel.

The only concern for United was the

sight of France center-back Raphael

Varane limping off in tears in the second

half after a World Cup injury scare.

Varane's leg twisted awkwardly as he

stretched in a failed attempt to intercept a

pass toward Pierre-Emerick

Aubameyang, leaving him crumpled in a

heap on the pitch for several minutes.

The 29-year-old was eventually able to

walk around the pitch unaided, but his

angst at potentially missing the World

Cup, which starts on November 20, was

clear as he punched the corner flag in

frustration.

Lost in the fuss over Ronaldo's antics

was the vibrancy of United's performance

against Tottenham and they retained that

quality at the Bridge. A flurry of passes

cut through Chelsea's midfield to create

the first chance for Luke Shaw, who fizzed

his low drive just wide of the far post from

the edge of the area.

Teed up by Bruno Fernandes, United

winger Anthony was next to threaten

with a left-foot curler that forced a good

save from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Marcus Rashford's return to form has

played a role in keeping Ronaldo on the

bench this season.

However, Ronaldo would surely have

delivered a better finish than Rashford

managed midway through the first half.

Fernandes's pin-point pass opened up

the Chelsea defense, leaving Rashford

one on one with Kepa but a poor first

touch took him away from goal and his

shot thudded into the Chelsea keeper's

chest.

Rashford didn't let that mess drain his

confidence and he surged into the

Chelsea area for a fierce strike that Kepa

palmed away.

With Chelsea being over-run in central

areas, Potter responded by replacing

center-back Marc Cucurella and sending

on midfielder Mateo Kovacic in a bid to

disrupt United's rhythm.

Qatar pressed on safety of women

travelling to World Cup

SportS DeSk

Lawyers for a group of

women subjected to

intrusive searches at Doha

Airport two years ago called

today for Qatar to guarantee

female fans travelling to

next month's football World

Cup will be safe, reports

UNB.

Five women are suing

Qatar Airways and the staterun

Qatar Civil Aviation

Authority after they were

removed from flights for

non-consensual

gynaecological

examinations in October

2020.

"This group of brave

women have been forced to

go to court to send a

message to Qatar that what

happened was wrong and

should not be allowed to

take place again," lawyer

Damian Sturzaker told AFP.

"With the World Cup less

than a month away female

travellers are entitled to an

assurance from Qatar that

their human rights will be

respected."

Authorities in Doha

carried out the searches

hoping to find the mother

of a newborn baby

abandoned in an airport

bathroom bin.

After the child was

discovered the airport was

locked down and women on

about 10 flights were shooed

into ambulances where they

were subject to invasive

examinations to see if they

had recently given birth.

The incident caused a

major diplomatic incident

and prompted a "sincerest

apology" from the prime

minister of Qatar.

Two years later, a group of

women are taking Qatari

authorities to court in

Australia, claiming

unspecified costs and

damages for the trauma of

the event.

Aftermath

According to papers filed

with an Australian federal

court earlier this month, the

five women were between 31

and 73 years old at the time.

They were all passengers

on flight QR908 from

Doha's

Hamad

International to Sydney.

One was legally blind, and

another was accompanying

her five-month-old child.

As the plane sat on the

tarmac, a cabin

announcement instructed

all women aboard to leave

the aircraft with their

passports and "persons in

dark uniforms armed with

guns entered the aircraft".

Four of the women were

then taken into ambulances,

their clothing was removed

and they were subjected to

intrusive examinations of

their genitals - and in one

case the breasts and

stomach.

One woman had her

infant son on her chest at

the time.

The women are all said to

be suffering from posttraumatic

stress.

They accuse Qatar

Airways and the authorities

of neglect, assault, battery,

false imprisonment and a

range of other breaches of

the law.

Qatar Airways and the

government of Qatar did not

immediately respond to

requests for comment, but

the authorities have

previously announced that

prosecutions would be

made of those responsible

for the searches.

Facing potentially

devastating commercial and

reputational damage, Qatar

has repeatedly vowed to

guarantee the future "safety

and security" of passengers.

The timing of the court

case comes as Qatar

prepares to host at least a

million fans for the Fifa

World Cup from Nov 20.

The Gulf nation has faced

intense scrutiny over its

human rights record ahead

of the tournament, and

concerns about strict local

customs that might trip up

foreign visitors.

Wearing a Muslim veil is

not compulsory for women

but they must dress

"modestly" in public,

covered from the shoulders

to knees.

Sex outside marriage is

illegal and can be punished

by flogging though there is

no record of when it was last

used.

In November 2020,

Qatari authorities said they

had identified the parents of

the abandoned child and the

"fugitive" mother from an

Asian country. She faces 15

years in jail if apprehended.

Lawyers for a group of women subjected to intrusive searches at Doha Airport two years

ago called for Qatar to guarantee safety of female fans.

photo: Ap

Spanish soccer

star Garcia 'glad

to pay more tax

to help out'

SportS DeSk

Athletic Bilbao forward Raul

Garcia agrees with the

Spanish government's plan

to impose a temporary tax

on the richest people in the

country, reports UNB.

Budget minister Maria

Jesus Montero announced

in September that some of

those in the wealthiest

minority of the population

would be taxed more during

the next two years, because

of rampant inflation caused

by fallout from Russia's war

in Ukraine.

"Obviously we live in a

comfortable financial

situation, but it does not

isolate me from the

situations that my friends,

my family are living in,"

Garcia told Spanish

newspaper El Pais.

"I understand that life is

not the same thing I am

living. That's why I think we

have to be supportive."

Various players in Spain

over the past decade have

been punished for tax fraud

offenses, including former

Real Madrid and Barcelona

players, Cristiano Ronaldo

and Lionel Messi.

Pegula beats

Azarenka to reach

Guadalajara final

SportS DeSk

Third seed Jessica Pegula

overcame a sluggish start to

breeze past Victoria Azarenka

7-6 (3), 6-1 yesterday to reach

the final of the Guadalajara

Open, reports UNB.

The 28-year-old American,

chasing her second career

title, will await the winner

between Greek fourth seed

Maria Sakkari and Czech

Marie Bouzkova in today's

final. Pegula found herself in

an early hole to the Belarusian

former-world number one as

Azarenka secured the early

break on way to 3-0 lead.

But Pegula would soon find

her rhythm, breaking back to

send the set went to a tiebreak

which she took 7-3.

Having let the opening set

slip away Azarenka unraveled

while Pegula stepped up her

play, breaking the two-time

Australian Open champion

twice as she steamrolled

through the second to reach

her second final of the year.

Pegula's path to final has

included wins over four

Grand Slam winners, a second

round victory over

Wimbledon champion Elena

Rybakina followed US Open

champions Bianca Andreescu

and Sloan Stephens and

Azarenka.

Celtics down Magic

for third straight win,

Spurs shock Sixers

SportS DeSk

Boston forward Jayson Tatum

poured in 40 points as the

Celtics beat the Orlando

Magic 126-120 on Saturday to

improve to 3-0 in the fledgling

NBA season while the

Philadelphia 76ers fell to 0-3,

reports UNB.

The rebuilding San Antonio

Spurs stunned the Sixers 114-

105 in Philadelphia, where

frustrated 76ers coach Doc

Rivers said after the game his

team was "not ready" to win

yet. In Orlando, Tatum's

exploits and a 27-point

contribution from guard

Derrick White helped the

Celtics notch another win in a

game that featured 21 lead

changes with neither team

able to build a double-digit

advantage.

Orlando big man Wendell

Carter knotted the score at

111-111 with a put-back dunk

with 4:23 to play.

Carter then fouled Tatum

and Tatum's two free throws

ignited a 10-2 scoring run that

put Boston up for good.

Tigers to take on Netherlands

in T20 WC today

SportS DeSk

Despite being in a perpetual

defeat circle, Bangladesh

want to make their first T20

International appearance in

the land down under a

memorable one when they

take on the Netherlands for

their opening game of the

T20 World Cup at Bellerive

Oval here, reports BSS.

The match starts at 10am

as per Bangladesh Time and

will be aired live on Gazi TV

and T Sports Channel.

A victory is also imperative

for them to snap the jinx of

defeat in the main round of

the tournament for which an

opponent like the

Netherlands give them a

genuine hope.

Since their only victory

against West Indies in the

inaugural edition of the T20

World Cup in 2007,

Bangladesh have never won

any game in the tournament

proper. In the last World

Cup in 2021 also, they lost all

of the five matches after

overcoming the first round

of game somehow.

This time, they didn't have

to play in the first round as

their rankings in the cut-off

date took them to the Super

12s of the World Cup

straightway but their

performance since the 2021

T20 World Cup remains

utmost disappointing. In

this period, they played 27

matches and lost 20, a

number that left the fans

fuming.

Bangladesh also lost most

of the senior players from

the T20 International

cricket in this period-while

Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur

retired from this format

after the question raised

Jessica pegula returns a shot to Victoria Azarenka during a WtA tournament

semifinal match in Guadalajara.

photo: Ap

Real Madrid sans Benzema beat

Sevilla 3-1 to extend lead

SportS DeSk

Karim Benzema proudly showed his Ballon

d'Or award to fans at the Santiago Bernabeu

and then sat back as Real Madrid beat Sevilla

3-1 and increased their lead in the Spanish

league on Saturday, reports UNB.

Benzema was ruled out of the match when

the club said he had muscle fatigue. It appears

that the striker, who won soccer's prestigious

individual prize on Monday, is being extra

cautious to avoid the risk of any injury that

might jeopardize his participation with France

at the World Cup in Qatar starting in less than

a month.

Vinicius Junior set up two goals for Madrid

as the Brazil winger continues to excel both

with, and without, Benzema playing by his

side.

Madrid extended their unbeaten streak to 16

games since starting the season across all

competitions and increased their lead at the

top to six points over Barcelona, who play

Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Luka Modric and former Madrid coach

Zinedine Zidane, both former Ballon d'Or

winners, handed Benzema his award in a

ceremony before kickoff. The Madrid striker

hoisted it high to receive the applause of fans,

who turned out for the celebration and the

match amid steady rain in Spain's capital.

Modric then proceeded to ensure that

Madrid did not miss Benzema's goals, scoring

from an assist by Vinicius to give Madrid the

lead five minutes into the game. Vinicius

pounced on a poor pass by Gonzalo Montiel

near Sevilla's own area, took on the

backtracking defenders, and found Modric all

against their performance,

Mahmudullah Riyad was

dropped, leaving Shakib Al

Hasan to remain as only

senior player. He also is

leading a side whose most of

the players continue to

misfire.

Bangladesh indeed came

in this World Cup with the

back of four straight defeats,

all of which came in the trination

series in New

Zealand. They also lost their

warm-up game to

Afghanistan by 62 runs

before the second and last

practice game against South

Africa was washed out.

Netherlands got a touch of

luck to move to the Super

12s. Namibia was strong

contender to move to the

next round when they upset

Sri Lanka in their first game.

But while Sri Lanka then

won the two matches with

ease, Netherlands were still

unsure about their chance

despite beating Namibia

because of their run rate. If

Namibia could beat United

Arab Emirates (UAE), they

would have been through

but simply they couldn't do

that. Even though the fans

believed, Netherlands are

the easier opponent for

Bangladesh, the Tigers'

dismal performance of late

couldn't speak a volume of

their success.

However Bangladesh

captain Shakib refused to

take Netherlands lightly,

saying that they took same

preparation for all of the five

teams they would face in the

Super 12s.

"They (Dutch) have

qualified, and so they have

the ability to do well. You

(media) may have created

the impression that

Bangladesh is relieved to

have the Netherlands

coming. We never think like

that. No group in the world

thinks like this who is really

good, who is really bad. All

teams try to do what they

can for the good of the

team," Shakib said here

today.

"There are five matches in

the World Cup. We have

come here with the

preparation of these five

matches. The preparation

will be the same whoever we

play here, it should be."

Bangladesh so far played

three matches against

Netherlands-winning two

and losing one. Overall

Bangladesh played 138 T20

Internationals and while

they won 47 matches, they

had lost 89 matches. Three

other matches ended in no

result.

Squad:

Bangladesh: Shakib Al

Hasan (capt), Mehidy Hasan

Miraz, Afif Hossain,

Mossadek Hossain, Liton

Das, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan,

Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin

Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain,

Shoriful Islam, Hasan

Mahmud, Najmul Hossain,

Nasum Ahmed and Soumya

Sarkar.

Netherlands: Scott

Edwards (c, wk), Colin

Ackermann, Shariz Ahmad,

Logan van Beek, Tom

Cooper, Brandon Glover,

Timm van der Gugten, Fred

Klaassen, Bas de Leede, Paul

van Meekeren, Roelof van

der Merwe, Stephan

Myburgh,

Teja

Nidamanuru, Max O'Dowd,

Tim Pringle and Vikram

Singh.

alone at the far post to tap in.

While Vinicius squandered an opportunity

to add to the lead in the 44th - when he tried to

round goalkeeper Yassine Bounou instead of

shooting from point-blank range - Sevilla were

toothless with midfielder Isco Alarcón up front

as a "false nine."

Sevilla had their share of possession but had

no strikers in the box to feed. In the 45th Jesus

Navas drew the first save from Thibaut

Courtois, who was back after missing six

matches due to sciatic pain.

Jorge Sampaoli's plan, however, started to

click in the second half when Sevilla's greater

number of midfielders, including Óliver Torres

and Ivan Rakitic, and playmakers like Isco

took control for half an hour.

Montiel made up for his mistake by gaining

possession and using the exterior of his boot to

slip a ball through Madrid's well-positioned

defensive line to meet Erik Lamela's nice run.

Lamela also showed his skill by sending a ball

around Courtois from a tight angle with the tip

of his boot to equalize in the 54th.

Isco then hit the side netting and Montiel set

up Lamela for him to curl a ball just wide in the

60th.

But Carlo Ancelotti sent on fresh legs in

attack and a counterattack cued by substitute

Marco Asensio led to Vinícius drawing in

Bounou before he laid off for substitute Luas

Vázquez to fire into an empty net in the 79th.

"Today I want to highlight the work of

Vinicius," Ancelotti said. "He gave two assists

for teammates to score practically in empty

nets. He should be pleased. Those assists are

worth more than scoring goals. He showed a

lot of generosity."

MONdAY, OcTOBER 24 2022

10

Chandni in

‘Family Distance’

after 6 years

TBT REPORT

Mehbooba Mahnoor Chandni, a popular actress and dancer,

regularly acted in plays and movies at one time. However,

she was away from acting for a long time due to personal

reasons. Last year, Chandni acted in a short film titled

'Oshomapto Cha'.

Chandni last acted in the 'House Wife' serial drama in

2016. After 6 long years, this actress signed a new TV

series titled 'Family Distance' directed by Akram Khan.

Earlier, Chandni was offered to work in several

serial dramas but turned it down. Regarding

returning to the serial, Chandni said, "The story of

the drama is based on a family. So, I worked on

this." "Now, there are no dramas or serials

with family-centered stories in the traditional

dramas.

However, our audience wants to see these

family-centric stories on screen. Most of the

popular dramas in the country are familyoriented,"

Chandni also said. Chandni is

playing the role of a doctor in the drama. Apart

from her, Abul Hayat, Dolly Johur, Wahida

Mollick Jolly, Saberi Alam, Shahed Ali, and others

starred. The drama will be aired on Boishakhi TV

three days a week from November.

Man of Steel 2 with Henry gets

promising update

Man of Steel 2 with Henry Cavill

gets a very promising update as a

new report states that Warner

Bros. is looking for a writer for the

DCEU sequel.

Warner Brothers has given a very

promising update on Man of Steel 2.

The first Man of Steel film premiered

in 2013, and is considered to be the

first film in the DC Extended

Universe. Man of Steel grossed $668

million worldwide, making it the

highest-grossing Superman film in

history, and the second hightestgrossing

film reboot ever after 2012's

The Amazing Spider-Man. The film

received mixed reviews, with critics

divided on everything from Henry

Cavill's performance as Superman, to

the special effects.

Though Man of Steel wasn't

critically acclaimed, it was profitable

enough - and beloved by enough fans

- to encourage Warner Bros. to pursue

other films in the DCEU. It was

originally intended for Man of Steel to

have a trilogy of Superman-focused

films, similar to the Dark Knight

trilogy, however, the Marvel

Cinematic Universe's success with

character crossover films like The

Avengers inspired DC to follow suit.

Man of Steel was quickly followed up

by Batman v Superman: Dawn of

Justice in 2016, which saw Cavill

reprising his role against Ben Affleck's

iteration of Batman, along with Gal

Gadot's Wonder Woman. Though

Cavill's Superman has appeared in a

few other DCEU films, any ideas for a

sequel to Man of Steel were seemingly

shelved for the time, though may be

getting back on track.

In a report from The Hollywood

Reporter, sources claim that Warner

Bros. is looking towards a Cavill

Superman film, which would

essentially be Man of Steel 2. The

project is being produced by major

DCEU producer Charles Roven, and

the film is currently searching for

writers. Director James Gunn is also

in talks with Warner Bros. to do a

mystery film where "DC is definitely

in play," according to an insider

source.

Dwayne Johnson, the star of DC's

next upcoming film Black Adam,

has also vocalized his desire to see

Cavill return to the DCEU. Johnson

has been very eager for a Black

Adam versus Superman film, and

has teased that Cavill's Superman

will be making a cameo appearance

in Black Adam. Whether Cavill's

rumored appearance in the film will

spark a crossover of its own, or

simply become a launching point for

Man of Steel 2, is currently

unknown.

Though there is excitement

among some DCEU fans over a

potential Black Adam versus

Superman fight, many are worried

that it may just be a repeat of

Batman v Superman: Dawn of

Justice, a film which was very poorly

received by critics and fans alike.

However, a simple cameo in Black

Adam could be the jumping-off point

that Cavill needs to slowly reintroduce

his Superman into the

DCEU, to make audiences eager for a

Man of Steel sequel. With Warner

Bros. potentially on board with the

project, and Gunn potentially in talks

to direct, Superman fans can rest

assured knowing that Man of Steel 2

is slowly in the works.

Source: Collider

Minar Rahman's new song

'Meghe Bhasa Din' released

TBT REPORT

Popular singer Minar

Rahman's new song 'Meghe

Bhasa Din' has been

released. The song was

released on the YouTube

channel of AZ Multimedia

on Thursday night.

Written by Isteaque

Ahmed, the song has been

composed by Minar himself

while Amjad Hossain has

arranged the music of the

track.

The filming of the music

video of the song took place

at Film Valley at Savar near

Dhaka. Directed by Isteaque

Ahmed, the music video

featured models

Nazimuddin Tamur and

Papri Payel.

About the song, AZ

Multimedia head Tajul

Islam Rajib said, "We

wanted to start our new

channel with something

good. I'm very happy to be

able to do it with the songs of

popular singer Minar

Rahman.

Hopefully, the audience

will see quality works in our

channel."

It may be mentioned that

Miner's song 'Karone

Okarone' written by Isteaque

Ahmed, has crossed 19

million views on YouTube.

‘Rohingya’ featuring persecution on Myanmar

ethnic group hits cinema halls

TBT REPORT

'Rohingya', a Bangla film on brutal

persecution on ethnic Rohingya

population of Myanmar who took

refuge in Bangladesh, hit the country's

major cinema halls, reports BSS.

Syed Wahiduzzaman Diamond, a

national film award winning director,

directed the film which was entirely

shot in Teknaf Rohingya camp and

surrounding areas in southeastern

Cox's Bazar district.

The movie was released on Saturday

simultaneously at leading cinema halls

in the capital Dhaka including Jamnua

Future Park Blockbuster,

Bashundhara Star Cineplex, Sony

Square Cineplex at Mirpur, Lion

Cinemas at Keraniganj, Madhumita at

Motijheel, Chitra Mahal in the old Part

of the capital and Chandrima at Savar,

the outskirts of the capital.

'Rohingya' also hit major two cinema

hall in the port city Chattogram-Silver

Screen Cineplex and Cinema Palace,

Shankho and Chitrali in southwestern

divisional city Khulna and several

other cinema halls in different places

of the country.

Richa surprises Ali Fazal by

getting his name tattooed

Richa Chadha gave a glimpse of her new tattoo in recent photos from her and Ali Fazal's wedding

celebrations. The actor surprised her husband by getting his name inked on her wrist during the

festivities. Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal celebrated their wedding with grand receptions, parties and

ceremonies in Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai. Richa recently gave a glimpse on social media of her

mehendi-covered hand, where her new tattoo with Ali's name written in Urdu is visible. The

actor got Ali's name inked on her wrist around their recent wedding celebrations as

she wanted it to be a surprise for him. Previously, Richa had inked her parents

name on her other wrist.

The couple legally married in 2020, but could not celebrate their

union for two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and

personal reasons. Ali had proposed to Richa Chadha in

2019 after seven years of dating, and they had registered

their marriage in 2020. Finally, the two celebrated in a

grand style with multiple events across three cities.

Earlier this month, Richa and Ali's wedding

reception in Mumbai was graced by their co-actors,

friends and family. The attendees included

several celebs like Tabu, Hrithik Roshan, Saba

Azad, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal,

among others.Ali and Richa made their first

appearance as a married couple at actor

Ayushmann Khurrana's recent Diwali bash

in Mumbai. In a recent interview, Ali had

shared that he had not seen many

marriages work in real life. He said he

intended to do the opposite in his case.

In a conversation with GQ, Ali shared

his views about marriage, when asked to

name the biggest myth about marriage

that he hopes to break. Ali had said, "I've

seen very few marriages work in my life, so

I'd like to disprove that… But aside from

that, there's something spiritual I share

with Richa. Source: Hindustan Times

The film starred actress Arshi

Hossain and actor Omer Aiaz Ony in

the lead roles while co-starred Sagar,

Brishti, Tanjid, Shakiba,

Hayatuzamman and Golam Rabbani.

Trailer of the movie was released

recently in a gala ceremony at

Bangladesh Film Development

Corporation (BFDC) in the city.

H O R O s c O P E

ARIEs

Your head should be quite clear today,

Aries, and your witty comments will

be met with appreciation and

laughter. Your smile will delight

everyone you encounter. Don't be afraid to let your

feelings out to those who need to hear them. Focus

your energy on the ones you love. Your heart is

warm and generous, so share it with other people

today.

TAURUs

Don't worry about probing too deeply

today, Taurus. Trust people more than

you normally would. You will find that

things go much more smoothly if you

approach them from a neutral or positive and not

accusatory position. Listen to the people you care about

the most. They're trying to convey important

information. You might not want to hear it now, but in

the long run, it's in everyone's best interests that you do.

GEMINI

You might consider taking a short trip

today, Gemini. Perhaps you need to get

out of the house and go across town.

Whatever it is, introduce your brain to a

new reality. It's time to expand and explore. You itch

to see new places and experience new things, either

physically or mentally. Perhaps a religious sanctuary

or quiet place in grove of trees is what you need in

order to quench this inner thirst.

cANcER

Your mind might be stimulated today,

Cancer, so stay alert and open to new

information. If you feel tired, take a

short nap. It's better to operate at top

speed and full capacity than go through your day

only half present. Don't rely on external stimulants

like caffeine to pick you up. These things will

deceive your body and do damage to your nervous

system.

LEO

Communication is flowing smoothly

today, Leo, so take advantage of this

and get the word out. It's important

for you to make connections with

other people now. Run with your instincts and

feel free to enter into debates. Your words and

tone of voice are very convincing. You could sell

anything to anyone today.

VIRGO

Don't let fear of failure or fear of

success hold you back, Virgo. Even

though you may feel a natural

tendency to want to shrink into the

background and take the easiest route, you might

be sacrificing your true purpose when you do.

Become the leader instead of following the leader.

Rid yourself of all fear and take control of your

destiny.

LIBRA

Powerful thoughts are running

through your brain. You will find that

this information can be transforming,

Libra. The key is to learn from others

and incorporate opposing viewpoints into your state

of mind. Don't automatically disregard the opinion

of another just because it contradicts your own

beliefs. Teamwork is the name of the game on a day

like today.

scORPIO

Information coming your way today

might be unreliable, Scorpio. It could be

hard for you to take a solid hold on the

messages you get. Keep in mind that

there are important answers waiting to be heard. These

answers will come to you when you least expect them.

Keep your mind open to new possibilities and the path

will open up and become clear. Don't compromise your

consciousness with abusive substances.

sAGITTARIUs

Be careful about being manipulated by

another person today, Sagittarius. It's

possible that someone is putting words

in your mouth in order to get you to act

a certain way. Don't fall into this trap. Be your own

person and think for yourself. Your mind is

susceptible and vulnerable now. Use your eyes and

ears as a filter and don't let people unload their

garbage on you.

cAPRIcORN

Information you receive today may get

you stirred up, Capricorn. Remember

that it takes two to start an argument.

You play an equal part in any

disagreement. If you want to promote peace and

harmony, your words and body language must

show this. If peace and harmony aren't your

ultimate goal, you may need to look inside yourself

to explore the reasons why.

AQUARIUs

There's a great deal of power to your

words today, Aquarius, so be careful

how you use them. You may end up

manipulating another's choices if you

aren't careful with your conduct. Make sure you give

others the freedom and empowerment to decide

things for themselves. Be open and honest about all

the facts that might influence their decisions in any

way.

PIscEs

Answers may not be crystal clear

today, Pisces. They probably won't be

laid out in a neat and organized

manner. Get out in the open air and join friends

for a long bike ride. Fly a kite or feel the wind blow

through your hair on top of a mountain peak. The

answer is flowing through the air around you.

Stop looking down at the ground for the

information you seek.

MOnDAy, OCTOBeR 24, 2022

11

Hasina felicitates President

Xi Jinping on re-election as

CPC general secretary

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina, who is also the president of

ruling Awami League, on Sunday

congratulated Chinese president Xi

Jinping on his reelection as the

General Secretary of the Communist

Party of China.

"Your reelection is undoubtedly a

fitting recognition of the trust and

confidence reposed on you for your

able leadership, achievements, and

vision by the people of China and the

CPC," the prime minister said in a

congratulatory letter to President Xi.

"I also convey my sincere

congratulations on the successful

conclusion of the 20th Congress of

the CPC," she said.

Hasina stated that Bangladesh

observed with great admiration the

realization of the First Centenary goal

of the CPC- building a moderately

Kali Puja

today

DHAKA : Kali Puja or Shyama

Puja, the second largest festival

of Bangalee Hindu

community, will be celebrated

across the country today with

due religious fervor and

enthusiasm.

Kali Puja is also called

Deepabali or Diwali, the festival

of lights.

Usually, Kali Puja,

worshipping the Goddess of

strength, wisdom and

enlightenment, is celebrated at

the night of Amavasya of the

Bangla

month of Kartik (October or

November).

At the night of the festival,

members of the Hindu

community light earthen

lamps (Pradeep) at their

houses and crematoriums in

memory of their departed

elderly persons.

In the capital city, the

Shyama Puja will be celebrated

at Dhakeshwari National

Temple, Siddheshwari Kali

Temple, Sri Sri Baradeshwari

Kalimata Temple under

Sabujbagh police station,

Ramna Kali Mandir, Radha

Gobinda Jeo's Thakur Temple

at Banagram, Postogola

crematorium, Ramkrishna

Mission, Biharilal Jeo's Temple

at Sutrapur, Gautam Mandir,

Ramseeta Mandir,

Shibmandir

at

Shankharibazar, Tanti Bazar

and Bangla Bazar.

According to puja schedule,

Ramkrishna Mission and

Ramkrishna Math, Dhaka, the

worship of goddess Kali will

begin in the night today at the

mission, which will be followed

by offering of anjali and 'homjoggo'.

prosperous society in all respects by

2020- as set when President Xi first

took over the position of the CPC's

General Secretary in 2012.

"We commend your resolve and

guidance in taking China on a new

journey toward building a modern

socialist country in all respects

through innovation, economic

policies,

people-centered

development philosophy, and multisectoral

reforms," she wrote.

She continued: "We welcome your

endeavors to build a community of

shared futures and appreciate your

continued support of the

socioeconomic development

aspirations of developing countries. I

believe you will contribute further to

maintaining peace and stability

across the globe in this challenging

time."

PM Hasina recalled Xi's historic

visit to Bangladesh in October 2016.

She stated that the visit was marked

by the transformation of bilateral

relations between the two friendly

countries into a 'Strategic Partnership

of Cooperation.'

She also recalled her visit to China

in 2019, when she had a very

productive meeting with the Chinese

President.

Hasina looked forward to working

in close cooperation with the Chinese

President to enhance the bilateral

engagements further, strengthen the

bonds of friendship between the two

countries and peoples, and promote

peace and stability in the region and

the world.

She wished Xi Jinping continued

success and good health in the

coming days.

A train conductor named Imrul Kayes has been arrested by the Detective

of West Division of the Chattogram Metropolitan Police on the charge of

selling cannabis at Chattogram railway station. Another of his accomplices

was also arrested.

Photo: Mazharul Islam Rana

Major Hurricane Roslyn heads

for hit on Mexico's coast

MEXICO CITY : Hurricane Roslyn grew to

Category 4 force on Saturday as it headed for a

collision with Mexico's Pacific coast, likely north

of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said

Roslyn's maximum sustained winds stood at

130 mph (215 kph) early Saturday evening,

reports UNB.

The storm was centered about 90 miles (145

kilometers) southwest of Cabo Corrientes - the

point of land jutting into the Pacific south of

Puerto Vallarta - and moving north at 10 mph

(17 kph).

The forecast called for Roslyn to begin

shifting to a northeast movement, putting it on

path that could take it close to Cabo Corrientes

and the Puerto Vallarta region late Saturday

before making landfall in Nayarit state early

Sunday.

Hurricane Orlene made landfall Oct. 3 a little

farther north in roughly the same region, about

45 miles (75 kilometers) southeast of the resort

of Mazatlan.

Hurricane-force winds extended out 30 miles

(45 kilometers) from Roslyn's core, while

tropical storm-force winds extended out to 80

miles (130 kilometers), the U.S. hurricane

center said.

Mexico issued a hurricane warning covering

a stretch of coast from Playa Perula south of

Cabo Corrientes north to El Roblito and for

the Islas Marias. Seemingly oblivious to the

danger just hours away, tourists ate at

beachside eateries around Puerto Vallarta and

smaller resorts farther north on the Nayarit

coast, where Roslyn was expected to hit.

"We're fine. Everything is calm, it's all

normal," said Jaime Canton, a receptionist at

the Casa Maria hotel in Puerto Vallarta. He

said that if winds picked up, the hotel would

gather up outside furniture "so nothing will go

flying."

Baitul Izzah Tahfizul Qur'an Madrasa and Orphanage of Muradnagar area of Rangunia Municipality

of Chattogram organized the celebration of Holy Miladunnabi (PBUH), distribution of certificates

ceremony among the students in the hall of the madrasa on Sunday.

Photo: Jaglul Huda

Bangladesh reports

another Covid

death, 139 cases

DHAKA : Bangladesh

reported another Covidlinked

death and 139 more

cases in 24 hours till Sunday

morning.

With the new numbers, the

total fatalities rose to 29,413

while the caseload to

2,034,141, according to the

Directorate General of Health

Services (DGHS).

The daily case test positivity

rate declined to 4.44 per cent

from Saturday's 5.49 per cent

as 3,134 samples were tested

during the period.

GD-1712/22 (5x4)

Mother, son injured in Chapainawabganj

crude bomb blast

CHAPAINAWABGANJ : A woman and

her son sustained injuries as a crude

bomb exploded in a house in Sadar

upazila of Chapainawabganj district on

Saturday night.

Besides, valuables of the house were

also damaged in the explosion.

The injured were identified as Fahmina

Begum, 55, and Shahidul Islam Shaheed,

42, residents of Zianagar area in Sadar

upazila.

Ajema Begum, step-mother of

Shaheed, said they heard a big bang in

their house around 8.45 pm.

Later, locals rescued them from the

house and rushed to Sadar Hospital and

later shifted to Rajshahi Medical College

Hospital for better treatment, she said.

AKM Alamgir Jahan, officer-in-charge

of Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police

Station, said on information they went to

the spot and collected samples from the

spot.

A case was filed against Shaheed under

the Explosives Substances Act.

"We are investigating the matter and

legal action will be taken following

investigation," he added.

†kL nvwmbvi g~jbxwZ

MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

GD-1708/22 (6x4)

GD-1709/22 (7x4)

Monday, dhaka : october 24, 2022; Kartik 8, 1429 Bs; rabi-ul-Awal 27 , 1444 hijri

two-day long 'research and publication Fair', the first ever research fair in the history of country's

hundred-year old dhaka university, ended yesterday at the university's central playground on the

campus. in the closing ceremony of the fair the best journal from the journals published, marking the

university's centenary celebration by different faculties and institutes, was awarded. photo : tBt

Dhaka University's first

ever Research fair ends

DHAKA : Two-day long 'Research and

Publication Fair', the first ever research fair

in the history of country's hundred-year

old Dhaka University, ended yesterday at

the university's central playground on the

campus.

During the two-day fair, a total of 12 presentations

on research activities were

delivered by faculties, institutes and

research centre on glorifying historical

background and achievements.

The fair was inaugurated on Saturday

morning by Industries Minister Nurul

Majid Humayun, while barrister Mohibul

Hasan Chowdhury, deputy education minister,

attended the opening ceremony of

the fair as special guest.

Students, teachers and random visitors

were seen collecting 'brochures' and flyers

from the stalls and getting familiar with the

research activities, conducted by students

and faculty members of respective department

or institute.

"The fair was organised with the aim of

establishing academia-industry linkages

and strengthening publication, research

and innovation activities," DU Vice

Chancellor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman told the

opening ceremony of the fair.

In this fair, departments, institutes and

4 people were ordered to be hanged to death in the rape and

murder case of a young girl.

photo: Azahar Ali

4 people to hang to death in Bogura

AzAhAr Ali, BogurA Correspondent

Azahar Ali, Bogura Correspondent:The

court ordered the hanging of 4 people in

the case of rape and murder of a 7-year-old

girl Tabassum in Bogura. Judge Noor

Mohammad Shahriar Kabir of Bogura

Women and Child Torture Prevention

Tribunal No-2 gave this orderon Sunday.

In the verdict, each accused was ordered

to pay a fine of one lakh taka and one year

imprisonment without labor if failed to

pay the fine.

The accused who were sentenced to

death are Bappi Ahmed (24) son of

Mozammel of Nasratpur village in Dhunat

Upazila of Bogura, Kamal Pasha (37) son

of Dalil Uddin Talukdar, Shamim Reza

(24) son of Sanwar Hossain and Lovelu

Sheikh (23) son of deceased Saheb Ali. All

the accused were present in the court

when the verdict was announced.

According to the case sources, Belal

Hossain Khokon of Nasratpur village in

Dhunt and his wife Mariam Daisy used to

work in garments in Dhaka. Their daughter

Mahi Umme Tabassum was studying

research centers of the university showcased

their books, innovations, researches

and publications.

Publications published on the occasion

of the centenary of Dhaka University

including books, special issues of journals,

research projects, posters, flyers,

brochures were displayed and presented in

the fair. A total of 55 centennial books, 26

special journals, 216 research projects, 624

posters and 86 flyers have been displayed

in the fair by different departments, institutes

and research centres.

Each faculty pavilion had one stall of the

faculty and each department and institute

had one stall along with faculty and institute

pavilion.

In the closing ceremony of the fair the

best journal from the journals published,

marking the university's centenary celebration

by different faculties and institutes,

was awarded.

Apart from this, prizes were also awarded

to the winners of the best posters displayed

in the fair as well as to the winners of essay

and poetry competition organized on the

occasion of the university's centenary. In the

fair, various faculties and institutes published

separate 'brochures' highlighting their

research activities and outlook.

in class two in the local Panchthupi-

Nasratpur Government Primary School

from her grandfather Abdus Sabur's

house.

On December 14, 2020, a two-day long

Tafsirul Qur'an Mahfil was organized at

Jannatul Ferdous Cemetery in the village.

The child Tabassum went to the shop next

to the stage to buy sweets around 10 pm

while listening to the tafseer of the first day

with his grandfather and mother-in-law

There, Bappi Ahmed, a college student

who had a family dispute with Khokon,

was volunteering at Tafsir.

Bappi sees the child and plans to take

revenge. He lured Tabassum to the local

Haji Kazem Zubeda Technical College to

buy nuts. There, Bappi and his three

friends Kamal Pasha, Shamim Reza and

Labloo Sheikh took turns raping the child.

Due to excessive blood loss, the child's

body become dull. At this time Bappi

killed him by strangulation. He also cut off

a finger with a cutting plus to prove that he

was bitten by an animal.

Vandalism at Khulna

railway station

170 BNP leaders,

activists sued

KHULNA : Around 170 BNP leaders and

activists have been sued in connection

with vandalism at the railway station in

Khulna during the party's divisional rally.

Station master Manik Chandra Sarkar

filed an FIR at Khulna railway police station

on Saturday night, said Md Khabir

Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of the

police station.

BNP activists clashed with police at

Khulna Railway Station Saturday noon,

alleging that they were being obstructed

from joining the party's divisional rally.

At that time, BNP workers threw bricks at

the police and broke the glass of the station

door. Around 11:30am, BNP activists coming

from different parts of the country got

into "a fight amongst themselves" and vandalized

some window glasses at the station,

Khulna station master Manik Chandra

Sarkar said. When police came to the spot

after being informed, BNP activists threw

brick chips and vandalized more doors and

windows of the station, he said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of

Khulna Metropolitan police Sonali Sen

said police didn't obstruct anyone and

tried to handle the situation patiently.

1034 more dengue

patients hospitalised

in 24 hrs

DHAKA : Another death from dengue confirmed

in 24 hours till Sunday morning

raised this year's fatalities from the mosquito-borne

disease in Bangladesh to 113.

During this period, 1,034 more patients were

hospitalised with the viral fever as cases keep

rising, according to the Directorate General

of Health Services (DGHS).

Of the latest deaths, one was reported

from Dhaka and another from

Chattogram division, raising the death

tolls in the divisions to 67 and 36 respectively.

The dengue death toll remained

static in Mymensingh and Khulna at two

and in Barishal division at five.

Of the new patients, 589 were admitted

to different hospitals in Dhaka and 455

outside it, according to the Directorate

General of Health Services (DGHS).

Tarique Rahman's

PS Opu indicted

in graft case

DHAKA : A court yesterday framed

charges in a case filed against Miah

Nuruddin Ahmed Opu, private secretary

of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman,

for not submitting wealth statement

sought by the ACC, reports BSS.

Judge Mohammad Nazrul Islam of

Dhaka Special Judge Court-10 passed the

order, scrapping a plea for acquittal filed

by the accused. The court also set

November 27 for recording deposition of

the witnesses. Earlier in the day, police

produced Opu before the court and his

counsel Nur Alam argued for acquitting

his client of the case. ACC counsel Fatema

Kahnom Nila argued framing the charges.

The anti-graft body on January 1, 2020,

asked Opu to submit statement on his

wealth. The ACC on January 28, 2021,

filed the case against him for not submitting

the statement in spite of allowing him

time repeatedly. The ACC on December

30, 2021, filed charge-sheet in the case.

BNP must join polls, if wants

changeover of power : Quader

DHAKA : Awami League general secretary

Obaidul Quader yesterday urged BNP

to join the next general elections if it wants

changeover of power.

"To Awami League, safe exit means elections.

If you want to change the state

power, you will have to take part in polls.

We are ready...join in polls. If the people

don't vote us, we will follow a safe exit," he

told reporters after joining an agreement

signing ceremony, reports BSS.

The function was held at Bangabandhu

International Conference Centre here. The

agreement was signed to hire consultancy

firm to monitor the construction work of

Metro Rail-1 (MRT Line-1). Quader, also

the road transport and bridges minister,

said the Awami League leaders never flee

away but the BNP acting chairman

Tarique Rahman fled away the country.

Responding to the statements of BNP

leaders, he said the way the BNP men

came down on the streets with sticks and

are giving the forecast of arson terrorism,

BNP secretary general will have to find a

With Virat Kohli showing his class once again, india sealed a nail-biter against pakistan in their t20

World Cup opener on Monday in Melbourne.

photo : internet

t20 World Cup

DHAKA : With Virat Kohli showing

his class once again, India sealed a

nail-biter against Pakistan in their

T20 World Cup opener on Monday

in Melbourne, reports UNB.

In the last five overs, India needed

60 runs to chase down the target of

160 runs. Haris Rauf and Naseem

Shah conceded 12 runs in the 16th

and 17th overs. But in the 18th over,

Virat hit three fours off Shaheen

Afridi and the target came down to

31 in the last two overs.

Haris conceded 15 in the 19th over

with two consecutive sixes off fifth

and sixth deliveries by Kohli.

In the last over, India needed 16

runs with six wickets in hand.

Mohammad Nawaz scalped the

wicket of Hardik Pandya in the first

ball. In the next two, he conceded

only three runs, but off the fourth

delivery, Virat hit a six. The fifth one

was a no-ball that was also smashed

for a six by Virat.

Eventually, India sealed the match

by four wickets with Virat remaining

unbeaten for 82 off 53 balls.

For Pakistan, Haris and Nawaz

scalped two wickets each, but their

efforts went in vain as Pakistan

safe exit. Criticising the figures of people

joined the BNP's rallies; the AL general

secretary said the BNP is very happy with

its rallies, inviting the BNP leaders to

attend an AL district rally to learn what is

called a public rally.

BNP's movement was in drought, now it

has seen some rains, he said, adding that

for 13 years, the tide has not come to a

dead river, while now it has seen the tide.

"Seeing some waves, they think it's a

wave of people," he added. About the

obstacles in BNP's programmes, Quader

said: "Don't forget your past. What has

happened to us after being defeated! We

could not hold the meeting on February 11

on the footpath in front of the Awami

League office. What is the barrier? No

BNP leader has been affected till date".

He said many senior AL leaders, including

late Mohammed Nasim, Matia

Chowdhury and late Abdus Samad Azad,

were beaten mercilessly during the reign

of the BNP and now the party is talking

about the obstacles.

RAB arrests 4 with fake currencies,

note-making machinery

DHAKA : Anti-crime elite force Rapid

Action Battalion (RAB) in a drive yesterday

arrested four members of a fake currency

making gang with counterfeit notes worth

about Taka crore from Chakbazar of

Dhaka, Sirajganj and Khulna. RAB'S Legal

and Media wing director Commander

Khandaker Al Moin disclosed this at a press

conference, saying the gang circulated

about Taka 2 crore in fake notes in the market

over the last one year. The arrestees

were identified as: Maun Hossain Sabbir,

21, Mohammad Parvez, 20, Mohammad

Tareq, 20, and Md Shihab Uddin, 20.

The RAB personnel also seized fake notemaking

machinery and ingredients from

their possession as the gang took help of

different social platforms to make the counterfeit

currencies. A case has been filed in

this connection.

India seal a nail-biter with Kohli

leading the way v Pakistan

failed to hold their nerve at the end

of the match.

Earlier, Pakistan batted first in

this match after losing the toss.

Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed

hit a fifty each for them.

Apart from them, none of the

other Pakistan batters was able to

offer some challenges to Indian

bowlers.

Babar Azam suffered a duck while

playing a straight delivery from

Arshdeep Singh who also sent back

the other opener Rizwan Ahmed for

only four. It was a rare failure from

both of Pakistan's openers.

For India, Arshdeep and Hardik

Pandya bagged three wickets.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and

Mohammed Shami took one wicket

each.

In reply, India lost three wickets

inside the powerplay. They lost the

fourth wicket in 31 runs. And after

that, Virat and Hardik came up with

a match-winning partnership of 113

off 78 balls with Hardik scoring 40

off 37 balls.

With this win, India continued to

dominate Pakistan in the ICC

events.

Syed Nurul Islam

made new DIG of

Dhaka range

DHAKA : The government has appointed

Additional Commissioner of the Dhaka

Metropolitan Police (DMP) Syed Nurul

Islam as the Deputy Inspector General of

Police (DIGP) of the Dhaka Range.

According to a notification issued by

the Public Security Division of the

Home Ministry on Sunday said the

order would come into effect immediately.

Syed Nurul Islam, a Bangladesh

Civil Service (BCS) cadre officer of the

20th batch.

He served the police force in different

positions with honesty and sincerity.

Earlier, Syed Nurul Islam served

Mymensingh, Narayanganj and Cumilla

as Superintendents of Police (SP) and

performed with reputation. Before the

new posting, he was the Additional

Commissioner (Logistic) of the DMP.

Khandker Golam

Faruq made new

DMP commissioner

DHAKA : The government has

appointed Additional Inspector

General of Police (AIGP) Khandker

Golam Faruq as the new commissioner

of Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP). A gazette notification was

issued in this regard by the Home

Ministry's Public Security Division on

Sunday.

The appointment of Golam Faruq will

be effective from October 29 as incumbent

DMP Commissioner Shafiqul

Islam will go on retirement on the same

day. The tenure of DMP Commissioner

Shafiqul Islam was extended for another

year in 2021. On September 13, 2019

he took the responsibility as 34th

Commissioner of DMP.

Fakhrul makes false

statement in Khulna

rally : AL leaders

KHULNA : Leaders of Khulna City and

District Awami League (AL) yesterday

accused BNP secretary general Mirza

Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of giving false

statements over obstructions and harassment

by AL to join BNP leaders and

activists at Khulna rally on Saturday,

reports BSS.

They made this allegation while

addressing a press conference yesterday

at the Journalist Humayun Kabir Balu

Auditorium at Khulna Press Club here.

Quoting Fakhrul's speech published

in different print, online and

electronic media where he made

statements that thousands of people

were obstructed to join the BNP rally,

the AL leaders said Fakhrul should

seek apology to the nation for making

such false statements.

Khulna District AL President and newly

elected Zila Parishad Chairman Sheikh

Harun-ur-Rashid made the remarks

while delivering written speech on behalf

of his party at the press conference.

General Secretaries of City and District

units of AL MDA Babul Rana and

Advocate Sujit Kumar Adhikari,

Parliament Member of Khulna-6 constituency

Akteruzzaman Babu, President

of Khulna Lawyers Association advocate

Saiful Islam, among others, spoke.

Leaders of AL and its front organizations

were present at the conference.

24-10-2022

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