30-10-2022

SUNDAY
DHAKA : October 30, 2022; Kartik 14, 1429 BS; Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1444 Hijri www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net Regd. No. DA~2065, Vol. 20; No.161; 12 Pages~Tk. 12.00
INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ART & CULTURE
47 dead, dozens feared
Man Utd's Antony
Mim envisions another
missing as storm
says his tricks are
‘sold out’ experience
lashes Philippines
'art' and will carry on
with ‘Damal’
Zohr
>Page 7
Six dengue patients
die, 869 hospitalized
in 24 hrs
DHAKA : Six dengue patients died while
869 patients were admitted to different
hospitals across the country during the
past 24 hours (till 8am, Saturday), reports
BSS.
“As many as 481 dengue patients
were hospitalized in Dhaka city and 388
patients were admitted to hospitals outside
Dhaka during the past 24 hours,” a
press release of the Directorate General
of Health Services (DGHS) said.
“A total of 134 people died from dengue
disease between January 1 and October
29. The first death from dengue was
reported on June 21, this year,” the daily
statement of the DGHS said.
With the new cases, the total number
of dengue patients this year rose to
36,131 while some 32,400 patients were
released from the hospitals.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne
illness that occurs in tropical and subtropical
areas of the world. Outbreak of
the disease is usually seasonal, peaking
during and after rainy seasons.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) classifies dengue as one of the top
10 threats to public health.
T20 World Cup 2022
Tigers aim to
make a comeback
against Zimbabwe
DHAKA : After having a mixed fortune in
the first two matches against the Netherlands
and South Africa, Bangladesh are
aiming to make a comeback when they
take on Zimbabwe today at The Gabba in
Brisbane.
The Bangladesh team has already
reached Brisbane and is gearing up to
take on Zimbabwe fresh from a one-run
win against Pakistan.
Ahead of Sunday's clash, Sridharan
Sriram, the technical consultant of Bangladesh,
said Bangladesh need a second
win in the T20 World Cup now that will
help them gain confidence in the matches
against Pakistan and India.
In the first match, Bangladesh won
riding on wonderful pace-bowling from
Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud. But
in the second, Bangladesh suffered in every
department of the game and endured
a defeat by a margin of 104 runs. That
big defeat cast the old cloud over Bangladesh's
capacity in T20Is.
But Sridharan said they are not thinking
much about what has already happened.
"Whether you win massively, lose
massively, the next day it's gone. You
wake up, train, travel and play. So nothing
changes from our side," he said,
ahead of the Zimbabwe match.
Opening the batting was among the
main concerns of Bangladesh ahead of
the tournament. But Sridharan said he is
happy with what Najmul Hossain Shanto
and Soumya Sarkar are doing so far. And
he added that he has no concern with the
opening stand anymore.
"We are building a side and the confidence
of the boys, they know where they
stand in world cricket and where they
want to go," he said. "We already have the
base of a good team. If we can add a few
more skillsets, I think we can build a very
good T20 side for the future."
04:48 AM
11:48 PM
03:44 PM
05:25 PM
06:40 PM
6:03 5:21
See how many people
joined Dhaka district AL
council : Quader
DHAKA : Awami League (AL) General
Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday urged
BNP leaders, including its Secretary General
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, to inquire
about the number of people who attended
the triennial council of Dhaka district unit
of the ruling party, reports BSS.
“What’s about Fakhrul Saheb? He is
sleeping in the warehouse of money. Try to
know how many people attended the Dhaka
district council where our leader (Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina) was not present,”
he said.
The ruling party general secretary said
this while addressing the triennial council
of the Dhaka district unit of AL at the
old world trade fair ground in the city’s
Sher-e-Bangla Nagar yesterday afternoon.
Urging Mirza Fakhrul to see the pictures
of today’s capital city turning into human
sea marking the council, Quader said,
“(Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina will go to
Poloround in Chattogram. We will gather
10 lakh people there”.
“We saw how many people joined BNP’s
rally,” he said, adding that a drama is being
staged centering BNP’s rally in Rangpur.
Earlier, AL Presidium Member Advocate
Qamrul Islam inaugurated the council
with Dhaka district AL President Benjir
Ahmed in the chair while General Secretary
valiant freedom fighter Mahbubur Rahman
conducted it.
Massive' drone attack on
Black Sea Fleet : Russia
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying
out a “massive” drone attack on the Black
Sea Fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol,
reports BBC.
The attack began at 04:20 (01:20
GMT) and involved nine aerial and seven
marine drones, Russian officials said.
At least one warship is said to have
been damaged in the strikes. Ukraine
has not yet acknowledged the incident.
Ukrainian troops have been successfully
retaking territory occupied by Russians
recently
Russia has replied by launching largescale
attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure,
particularly on the country’s energy grid.
Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-installed
governor of the Sevastopol, said
Russia’s navy had repelled the latest attack.
The strikes were the “most massive”
on the city since Russia launched the invasion
of Ukraine in February, Russian state
media quoted the governor as saying.
He said that all unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAV) had been shot down and no “civilian
infrastructure” had been damaged. At
AL presidium members Dr Abdur Razzaque
and Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak,
Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment
Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman,
AL Joint General Secretary Dr Dipu Moni,
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal,
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral
Resources Nasrul Hamid Bipu, State
Minister for Disaster Management and Relief
Dr Enamur Rahman, AL Joint General
Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Organizing
Secretary Mirza Azam addressed
the gathering, among others.
Marking the much anticipated council,
AL leaders and activists were seen enthusiastic
and they joining the event with processions
from different units of the Dhaka
district AL. Thousands of party leaders and
activists thronged the council ground much
before the scheduled time.
They were seen chanting slogan favoring
the ruling party leaders and government
achievements with different kinds of
banners and festoons imprinted with pictures
of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina.
Leaders and activists of seven units, including
Dhamrai Upazila, Savar Upazila,
Ashulia Thana, Keraniganj Upazila, Keraniganj
Model Thana, Dohar Upazila and
Nababganj Upazila of Dhaka district AL
joined the council to make it a success.
least one vessel sustained minor damage,
the Russian Ministry of Defence said.
“In the course of repelling a terrorist
attack on the outer roadstead of Sevastopol,
the use of naval weapons and naval
aviation of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed
four marine unmanned vehicles, three
more devices were destroyed on the internal
roadstead,” a statement from the
ministry read.
Russia also claimed the ships targeted
on Saturday morning were involved in ensuring
the “grain corridor” as part of the
international initiative to export agricultural
products from Ukrainian ports.
The agreement, brokered by the UN
and Turkey, allowed Ukraine to resume its
Black Sea grain exports, which had been
blocked when Russia invaded the country.
It was personally negotiated by the
UN secretary general and celebrated as a
major diplomatic victory that helped ease
a global food crisis. But Russia complains
that its own exports are still hindered, and
has previously suggested it might not renew
the deal.
>Page 9 >Page 10
Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader addressing the triennial council of the Dhaka district unit
of AL at the old world trade fair ground in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar yesterday afternoon. Photo : Star Mail
Five Biman officials
remanded for two
days over question
paper leak
DHAKA : Five employees and officials of
Biman Bangladesh Airlines were placed
on two-day remand by a court on Saturday
for their alleged involvement in
disclosing an enrollment question paper
prior to the exam, reports UNB.
The remanded employees of the national
airlines agency are - Awlad Hossain,
21, Md Jahangir Alam, 36, Enamul
Haque, 28, Md Harun-ur Rashid, 40 and
Mahfuzul Alam, 31.
As they were produced before the
court on Saturday morning, police pleaded
for granting a seven-day remand for
the sake of proper investigation into the
scam.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shanta
Akhter passed the order after hearing
both sides.
Earlier on October 21, the recruitment
examinations for 100 posts of the national
carrier agency were suspended due to
the allegations of question leak.
Police in subsequent action, arrested
the Biman officials for their alleged involvement
in question paper leak on the
same day.
Govt keen to expand digital
banking, examine if digital
currency could be launched
DHAKA : The government is optimistic
about expanding digital banking in the
country to accelerate financial inclusion
with an aim to create more jobs for young
jobseekers. According to an official document
seen by UNB, the government has
stepped in to examine the possibility of “establishing
digital banks.”
It says if digital banking, which involves
high levels of process automation and webbased
services, could be expanded new jobs
will be created for graduates in information
technology. Digital banking provides services
mostly through non-physical means
such as app-based requesting systems and
without printed paperwork, without filling
out forms and making transactions
through e-wallets. The govt is also considering
if Bangladesh Bank can introduce
digital currency. Introduction of Central
Bank Digital Currency will facilitate currency
in virtual transactions and encourage
startups and e-commerce businesses,
the document says.
It is to be noted that establishing digital
banks is under either initial implementation
or experimental stage in various developed
countries and some developing countries
Karnaphuli tunnel project is coming to an end
Enamul Haque Nabid, Anwara Correspondent
The much awaited mega project of
the country, the Bangabandhu Tunnel
under the Karnaphuli river, is
coming to an end. The official inauguration
of this project is scheduled
to take place in the month of December.
All the work of the project has
been completed so far.
However, since the work of the
tunnel project has been completed,
the 500 to 600 families of Anwara
who have been affected by the tunnel
project are in fear of their due compensation.
One point of this mega
project of the country is Patenga but
the other point is Anwara Upazila. As
a result, about 500 to 600 families of
Bairag, Chatri Union of Bandar and
Anwara upazilas have been damaged
in various ways due to the multi-lane
road of this tunnel.
It is known that the main connection
road of this tunnel is connected
to PAB six-lane road passing through
Bandar, Rangadia, Bairag and Chatri
Mouza. Besides compensation from
LA branch to land acquisition owners
of tunnel road, Bangladesh Bridge
Authority has been giving additional
sanction for rehabilitation of land
owners.
However, the project implementation
authority is going to suspend the
in Asia including Singapore, Malaysia and
India. It also says that introduction of services
like Mobile Financial Services (MFS)
and Agent Banking in the country has facilitated
financial inclusion. But, it says, due
to lack of interoperability of transactions
between MFS service providers, the users of
the service did not have the opportunity to
perform direct inter-transactions.
“To make financial inclusion more dynamic,
the government has introduced
financial interoperability in the country
and fixed nominal fee and charge for inter-transactions,”
it says.
The government has also formulated
the National Financial Inclusion Strategy-Bangladesh
(NFIS-B) to establish social
cohesion and economic stability by ensuring
access to quality financial services for
people from all walks of life. Its main objective
is to provide a comprehensive framework
through which cooperation may be
enhanced by coordinating and prioritising
the work of all stakeholders involved in financial
inclusion activities. The NFIS National
Council (NNC) has been formed to
implement various programmes under the
said strategy.
US may think BD as enemy based
on false media reports : Momen
DHAKA : Foreign Minister AK Abdul
Momen has said through misquoting him
journalists have tried to make the US Bangladesh’s
enemy.
“Media outlets including print, electronic
and online published news with false
headlines that the USA ‘a war-mongering
country’, which I didn’t say. The headings
had no connection with what I actually said.
I think our journalists have weaknesses and
I’ll be happy if they gain maturity,” Momen
said. The Minister said this after paying
homage to the grave of Father of The Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at
Tungipara on Saturday noon, reports UNB.
“Through misrepresenting the facts, our
journalists have tried to make the US our
enemy. Either these journalists didn’t know
Bangla properly, or they have done this for
specific reasons. They need to do research
why such low quality journalism prevails in
the country,” Momen added.
He said he thinks the journalists of the
additional approval process for this
rehabilitation as the project work has
been completed by now. As a result,
500 to 600 families in these areas are
A view of Karnaphuli tunnel.
in danger of being deprived of their
debts of about two and a half crores
due to the additional sanction of this
rehabilitation project.
According to the sources of the
tunnel authority, the authorities have
acquired 20.4030 acres from Bairag
Mouza and necessary land from
country have weaknesses in them and they
need more maturity while writing and publishing
news.
Momen said that the headlines of the reports
were false, fabricated and imaginary.
The Minister further said that the country’s
journalism doesn’t have standard and
the journalists lack moral and ethical values
which were present in the past.
“It’s a shame for those journalists who
wrote those false stories. It’s a thing to be
sorry about,” Momen said. On October 26,
Momen was reportedly misquoted by some
media outlets after he spoke at the seminar
“Sheikh Hasina at the United Nations” organised
by the Progressive Columnist Forum
of Bangladesh at the Jatiya Press Club
in the capital.
Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MoFA) issued a rejoinder, saying that misleading
and baseless news quoting Foreign
Minister Momen sent a wrong message to
the people and the government of the US.
Bandar, Chatri, Rangadia for canals,
houses, ponds etc. The project authority
published a circular signed
on 31st August.
Photo : M Foysal Elahi
It is mentioned there that after
October 31, they will not submit any
file related to the compensation of
this project. As the project work is
completed, they will hand over their
project work to the Ministry of Bridges
and suspend their activities.
>(Contd. on page-11)

SunDAY, OCTOBer 30, 2022
2
Phulbari Thana and Community Policing Forum, Kurigram organized a rally and discussion meeting
on the occasion of Community Policing Day.
Photo : TBT
Salman for pursuing fast
track programme to
implement PPP projects
DHAKA : Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime
Minister Salman F Rahman yesterday suggested pursuing fast
track programme while undertaking and implementing
projects under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) method.
He also said that only the projects having all necessary
documents for availing investment and bank loan supports
would be given approval under the PPP. Side by side, they
should have full capacity to utilize technology, he added.
Salman said this while addressing a seminar titled "The Role
of PPP in Achieving Vision 2041" organized by the Federation
of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI)
at its auditorium in the capital's Motijheel area.
State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam and
Muhammad Ibrahim, CEO, PPP Authority attended the
seminar as special guests.
Policy Exchange of Bangladesh Chairman Dr M Masrur Reaz,
BUET Prof Dr Shamsul Haque, FBCCI Director Priti
Chakrabarty and PPP expert Mohammad Hasan Haider spoke
as panel discussants.
Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) President and Standard Chartered Bank CEO Naser
Ejaj Bijoy made the key-note presentation.
The Prime Minister's adviser said that there is a need to make
successful the PPP method to move forward the economy
braving the global economic challenges.
He said it is possible to become successful if a specific method
is pursued in case of selecting projects.
"The government can accept proposals from those
institutions which have necessary funding for initiating
projects side by side having surety for getting bank loans. They
should also have capacity to use technology," he added.
Salman opined that those projects would become failed
which would not have necessary funding for initiating projects
and would not have access to bank loans.
Mentioning that law is already there to float tenders under
the PPP, he said reforms can be brought there to pursue fast
track programme.
The adviser said in order to boost power generation in the
private sector, the government had taken some initiatives and
signed agreements apart from amending the law so that an
investment-friendly environment is created in the power
sector.
He opined that if fast track programme is pursued under the
PPP method, success would also come in other sectors like in
the power sector.
State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam said that lack
of trust and confidence is often evident between the
government and the private sector entrepreneurs in case of
undertaking projects under the PPP and the main reason
behind this is many entrepreneurs could not pay back their
loans in due time.
He opined that the entrepreneurs would have to come
forward in this regard while such mistrust and lack of
confidence could go away if non-performing loans could be
reduced.The speakers at the meeting said that following the
PPP method is very much necessary to develop the
infrastructures and enhance the capacity of the ports to help
attain the goal of building a developed country by 2041.
Writer Syeda Rashida Bari
honoured with Sabyashachi
Lekhok Title
Dhaka: Syeda Rashida Bari, a versatile writer, has been
given 'Sabyashachi Lekhok Title' award.
Syeda Bari, who got 75 awards so far, received the new
award for her contribution to all the sections of
literature, a press release said.
Shuddhochitto Bangladesh Foundation, a cultural
organization, gave the award while celebrating its third
founding anniversary programme at National Institute
of Mass Communication at Kalyanpur in the capital
recently.
Kamruzzaman Kayem, president of the Foundation,
chaired the event, while Akhtaruzzamn Babul, an
official of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission,
attended as the chief guest.
While expressing her reaction after receiving award at
the event, Rashida introduced herself as daughter of a
language veteran. Her parents passed away. She sought
doa from all for success in her life.
Rashida has 200 publications, including 100
published books, to her credit. She composed over 4000
PM's photos of
fishing winning
hearts of netizens
DHAKA : Bangladesh Awami
League yesterday shared
Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and her younger sister
Sheikh Rehana's photos that
captured happy moments of
their fishing on a holiday are
winning hearts of social
media users, reports BSS.
"In spite of being very busy
with state and party affairs,
any holiday in a month is very
enjoyable to Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina and her
family," reads a post shared
by AL on its verified Facebook
page containing three photos
that captured happy holiday
moments.
It also said when the
premier's younger sister
Sheikh Rehana stays beside
her on a holiday, their joys
know no bounds.
"Two sisters start fishing
with fishing-rod. Sometimes,
they catch big fishes.
Bangalee means a nation
brought up with fish and rice.
Best wishes to the two
daughters of Bangabandhu,"
the post reads.
The photos showing the
smiling sisters with fishingrod
and fish have already got
nearly 32,000 reactions, 1200
comments and over 1400
shares till 9pm.
10 test positive
for Covid-19
in Ctg
CHATTOGRAM : A total of
10 people were tested positive
for Covid-19 during the last
24 hours after testing 148
samples in nine Covid-19
laboratories in the district.
The Covid-19 infection rate
in the district hit almost 6.75
percent till yesterday
morning.
With the diagnosis of 12
new cases, the total number
of Covid-19 patients rose to
1,29,557 in the district, Dr
Ilias Chowdhury, civil
surgeon of Chattogram, told
BSS.
The number of healed
Covid-19 patients reached
1,28,438 with the recovery of
20 more patients during the
time.
11 gamblers held
in Thakurgaon
THAKURGAON : Police, in
separate drives, arrested 11
gamblers from different areas
under Sadar upazila here on
Friday night, reports BSS.
The gamblers were sent to
jail by court orders yesterday.
Being informed, police
conducted a drive in Velajan
area and detained six
gamblers. Each of the
detainees was awarded three
day jail by the Executive
Magistrate Abu Taher Md
Samsuzzoha who was the
Upazila Nirbahi Officer
(UNO) also.
In another drive at
Akhanagar, police nabbed
five gamblers.
President greets participants
of ICP Contest World Finals
DHAKA : President M Abdul Hamid
yesterday welcomed all participants of
the 45th International Collegiate
Programming Contest (ICPC) World
Finals to be held here next month.
In a message, the President said: "It is a
great pleasure for me to know that the
ICT Division, University of Asia Pacific
and Bangladesh Computer Council are
jointly hosting the 45th International
Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC)
World Finals for the first time in Dhaka."
The head of the state welcomed and
thanked all the participants from home
and abroad for joining this prestigious
event.
He mentioned that ICPC is the world's
largest programming contest for the
college students.
In this age of globalization and
information technology, programming is
an essential tool for solving problems of
diverse nature, he said.
As the world is transforming at an
incredible pace, solving problems in an
effective and timely manner requires
greater knowledge, skills and expertise,
he added.
Hamid hoped this ICPC would play a
vital role as a platform for the young
programmers to share and enrich their
ideas and knowledge among themselves.
"I have been informed that the
participants are from the top ranked
universities across the world and have
already proven their deep coding
knowledge, skills and abilities to solve
intricate problems through diligence and
fortitude," he said.
He believed that they would definitely
become the great minds of the future to
lead and provide solutions to the
multidimensional problems of the world.
"I would like to express my sincere
appreciation to the ICPC Foundation for
selecting Dhaka to be the host of the 45th
World Finals and wish the event a grand
success," he said.
Chairman of YMCA School and College handing over the admit card of outgoing
SSC candidates in Bogura yesterday.
Photo : Courtesy

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2022
3
An workshop on 'National Integrity Strategy Implementation and APA' was held at Nabab
Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban auditorium yesterday. DU VC Prof Dr Md
Akhtaruzzaman was present as chief guest.
Photo : Courtesy
Success rate of startups to pave
way for others: Speakers
DHAKA : Speakers at a seminar yesterday
said the success rate of startups would
pave the way for others to come in the
competitive market. They said although
startups are doing relatively well in
Bangladesh, but the success rate is not
quite satisfactory because of various
problems including regulatory issues like
lack of access to finance, age-old valuation
process, lack of private equity and
incubation, report BSS.
The speakers said this while
addressing a seminar on "Journey of
CMSMEs from startup to scale up:
prospects & challenges" organised by
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (DCCI) yesterday.
Speaking at the seminar as the chief
guest, Senior Secretary of the ICT
Division NM Zeaul Alam said CMSMEs
and startups directly or indirectly create
a large number of employments.
Although there is a failure rate in the
startups but it's not making any loss
rather it is a learning for future
endeavors, he said.
The Senior Secretary said that the
government is working hard to create a
startup ecosystem in the country
through various initiatives.
"Technical centres are being
established in the upazila level where
startups will get space to work side by
side in the hi-tech parks there will be
ample opportunities for startups," he
said.
The government has taken an
initiative for formulating a draft startup
policy, he said, adding: "A payment
gateway platform under the initiative of
the government named "Binimoy" will
be launched soon. Data protection is
also an important element for an
effective ecosystem of startups."
While speaking as special guest, Dr.
Edward M. Kennedy Jr. to deliver speech
commemorating 50 years of Bangladesh-US ties
DHAKA : Edward M. Kennedy Jr. will
deliver a speech commemorating 50 years
of Bangladesh-US relations on Sunday at
Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate
Bhaban of Dhaka University, report UNB.
US Ambassador Peter D Haas and
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr Md
Akhtaruzzaman will be present during the
"landmark" speech, report UNB.
"My family and I will honor the 50th
anniversary of my father's pivotal role in the
Bangladeshi struggle for independence,"
said Ted Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy, Jr., son of late US Senator
Edward M. Kennedy and nephew of late
U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and his
family will visit the Bengal Foundation in
Dhanmondi on Sunday (October 30,
2022).
His accompanying family members
include Dr. Katherine Kennedy (wife), Dr
Kiley Kennedy (daughter), Teddy Kennedy
(son), Grace Kennedy Allen (niece), and
Max Allen (nephew).
The Kennedy family, a true friend of
Bangladesh, will be attending a live classical
musical performance, a traveling library
exhibition and the ongoing art exhibition.
The family will also visit the organiser's
bookstore to encourage readership. When
approached, a spokesperson at the US
Embassy in Dhaka termed it a "historic
visit."
The Kennedy family is visiting
Bangladesh to mark a "milestone" of the
yearlong celebration of the 50th
anniversary of Bangladesh-US relations.
They will meet Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul
Momen. Under the auspices of the US
Department of State's Speakers
Programme, Kennedy will commemorate
the legacy of his father as a staunch
advocate for Bangladesh's fight for
independence and will visit the banyan tree
his father planted to symbolise the
friendship between the United States and
Bangladesh.
As a lawyer and advocate for civil rights of
individuals with disabilities, he will also
deliver a lecture on disability rights at the
Edward M. Kennedy Centre for Public
Shaikh Shamsuddin Ahmed,
commissioner of Bangladesh Securities
and Exchange Commission (BSEC), said
that in the recent industrial policy SME
as well as startups got much priority.
"But, we need to enhance the
regulatory collaboration among all the
agencies at the operational level. Based
on the reality few changes are coming
into effect but we need to improve the
valuation system for the startups. The
more we are heading towards the fifth
industrial revolution, the more we need
an easy valuation process," he said.
Shamsuddin said to mitigate
financing problem, private equity,
venture capital and angel investors can
play a vital role if the risks can be
rationalized in this sector.
DCCI President Rizwan Rahman said
startups can be a great economic enabler
for Bangladesh. A start-up friendly
ecosystem in the country has not been
substantially equipped, he added.
In the Global Startup Ecosystem
Index 2022, Bangladesh ranks 93 out of
100 countries. The Startup index also
claimed that financing and dearth of
policy support are the root causes of
weak startup growth in developing
economies including Bangladesh, he
mentioned.
He also informed that Bangladesh
currently has over 1200 active startups
and around 200 new startups join the
industry every year which made around
US$800 million investment and 1.5
million formal and informal jobs in the
last decade.
The DCCI President mentioned that
the government has meanwhile taken
various initiatives to strengthen startup
ecosystem including establishing a
venture capital firm, 28 high-tech parks,
data centres as well draft rule for smallcap
company 2022 by BSEC.
Taking this urgency of smooth
ecosystem into account, Rizwan said
there is a need to create International
standard startup incubation centres,
startup pioneers, expert consultation,
startup exhibition, networking, mentor
development, low-cost financing
options with necessary regulatory
reforms including Industrial policy,
Export policy, Fiscal policy, Foreign
Exchange Regulation and SME policy
and others.
Ambareen Reza, CEO and Managing
Director of Foodpanda Bangladesh
Limited, said the success stories will
ensure trust while trust will facilitate
others to come in this sector.
"We need investment in the fintech
and logistic areas," she added.
Nirjhor Rahman, CEO of Bangladesh
Angels, said liquidity is the key thing in
this sector. "We have to ensure
investment and working capital for new
startups."
Tanveer Rashid, Director of Finance,
Chaldal Limited said that government's
Startup Bangladesh is good initiative. "If
the valuation process is simplified, more
investment will come," he added.
Tanveer also stressed the need for
addressing the barriers to get finance.
Fahim Ahmed, CEO of Pathao,
presented the keynote paper. He said
that Startups are enabling the digital
transformation of Bangladesh.
"Startups are helping SMEs through
creating market access, accelerating
Fintech, adopting technology and
enabling mobility. Regulatory
framework, policies, limited human
capital, technology, finance and
accessing international market are some
of the challenges for this sector which
need to be addressed," he added.
LGRD Minister Tajul Islam addressing a roundtable meeting at Bangladesh Institute of Planners yesterday.
The program was organized on the occasion of World Town Planning Day 2022. Photo : PID
Service and the Arts.
During the one-week visit to Bangladesh,
the Kennedy family will visit various
cultural attractions and meet with civil
society representatives, US governmentsponsored
exchange programme alumni
and Bangladesh government officials.
In February, 1972, Senator Ted Kennedy
spoke to the students at University of
Dhaka and said, "You know while some
governments do not yet recognise you, the
people of the world do recognise you, and
they recognise all you have accomplished
here in the name of freedom from tyranny
and oppression. We are brothers in liberty,
and no man, no policy, no government can
change that fact."
Senator Kennedy planted a banyan tree
on Dhaka University's campus as a living
tribute to friendship, resilience, and hope,
and it stands today.
Senator Ted Kennedy during his 1972
visit to Dhaka also said, "The struggle of the
people of Bangladesh evokes the greatest
memories of our past."
Failing to save ancestral
home, woman 'attempts
suicide' with 3 kids in city
DHAKA : A 35-year old woman tried to set herself
and three children on fire by pouring kerosene in
front of the National Press Club in the city on
Saturday reportedly after being to failed to get
justice to save ancestral home.
The woman was identified as Shirin Khan, 35,
wife of Junayed Ahamed Khan from Rupganj area
in Narayanganj. Their three children are Sazida
Khan,3, Zahir Khan, 10, and Sharmin Khan,16.
Abdul Momin, a sub inspector of Shahbagh
police station, said police rescued them and
admitted them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital
(DMCH).
Shirin got frustrated after failing to get justice
from the authorities in her locality, he said.
Shirin and her three children swallowed
sleeping pills before pouring kerosene on their
bodies in front of the National Press Club, he
added.
President Abdul
Hamid off to
Germany for
medical checkup
DHAKA : President Abdul
Hamid left for Germany
early Saturday for medical
checkup.
A VVIP flight of Qatar
Airways carrying the
President took off for
Germany from Hazrat
Shahjalal International
Airport at 3:20 PM for
health checkup and eye
treatment, reports UNB.
Minister for Liberation
War Affairs AKM
Mozammel Huq, Foreign
Minister AK Abdul Momen,
Head of Diplomatic Corps
and Moroccan Ambassador
to Bangladesh Majid Halim,
British High Commissioner
Robert Chatterton Dickson,
German Ambassador Achim
Troster, Chiefs of the three
wings of the armed forces,
among others, saw off the
President at the airport, his
press secretary Joynal
Abedin told UNB.
President Abdul Hamid left for Germany early Saturday for medical checkup.
A VVIP flight of Qatar Airways carrying the President took off for
Germany from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 3:20 PM for
health checkup and eye treatment.
Photo : PID
Arun Kumar, Anwara Syed, Md Eunus
win Geetanjali Sammanana Padak
DHAKA : Eminent educationist
Professor Emeritus Arun Kumar
Basak, novelist Anwara Syed Haq and
art maestro Professor Mohammad
Eunus were honoured with the
Geetanjali Sammanana Padak
(Geetanjali Honorary Award) 2022 on
Friday, for their significant
contributions in their respective field.
The awards were conferred at the
18th anniversary celebration of
Geetanjali Lalitkala Academy, a
traditional culture training centre,
which is hosting a two-day cultural
festival on October 28 and 29 at Small
and Cottage Industries Training
Institute (SCITI) auditorium, Uttara in
the capital.
Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor
Md Atiqul Islam joined the event and
handed over the awards to the three
prolific recipients as the chief guest.
Uttara Club President Feroz Alam
and entrepreneur Shahidul Alam
Bidyut also joined the inaugural day
event, presided over by eminent
educationist and former DU Vice-
Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin
Siddique. Geetanjali Lalitkala Academy
Founding Director Mahbub Amin
Mithu delivered the welcome remarks.
The event also featured enthralling
cultural performances including songs,
UN Police Day to be celebrated
today in country
DHAKA : United Nations Police Day-2022 (UNPOL Day-2022) will be
celebrated in the country today, an official release said. Bangladesh Police and
Department of Peace Operations Division of the United Nations jointly
organise the day.
The UNPOL Day was organized in New Zealand and Peru respectively in
2018 and 2019 just before the annual conference of the International
Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres (IAPTC).
This year the 26th annual conference of IAPTC will be held from October 31
to November 4 at Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training
(BIPSOT), Gazipur.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal will inaugurate the day-long
programme at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital as the chief guest,
while Md Akhtar Hossain, Senior Secretary, Public Security Division and
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun will
present on the occasion.
Acting Advisor of Police Division of the United Nations Jun Tan, Head
of the Integrated Training Service at the United Nations Headquarters
Mark Pedersen, representatives of Police Division and the Integrated
Training Service, Police Chair of the IAPTC Executive Committee and
Director of the Centre for Excellence for Stability Police Unit will
participate in the ceremony.
dances, and recitations, presented by
the Geetanjali Academy of Fine Arts
performers.
On Saturday, the closing day of the
festival will be joined by Asim Kumar
Ukil, Cultural Secretary of Bangladesh
Awami League and Member of
Parliament from Netrokona-3
Constituency as the chief guest in the
discussion seminar, in remembrance of
late National Professor Rafiqul Islam,
former Adviser of Geetanjali Lalitkala
Academy.
Industrialist and Bangladesh Awami
League's Secretary of Industry and
Commerce Md Siddiqur Rahman and
BGMEA Board of Directors member
Haroon Ar Rashid, Managing Director
of TRZ Group, will join the ceremony as
its special guest. The event will be
presided over by eminent artist
Hashem Khan.
In the last 17 years of its glorious
journey, the Geetanjali Sammanana
Padak was awarded to several eminent
personalities including National
Professor Kabir Chowdhury, Professor
Dr Zillur Rahman Siddiqui, poet
Professor Alauddin Al Azan, writer and
poet Syed Shamsul Haq, National
Professor Mustafa Nurul Islam, Tagore
researcher Ahmad Rafiq, Language
Soldier Abdul Matin, educationist Dr
Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, National
Professor Rafiqul Islam, National
Professor Anisuzzaman, musician
Sudhin Das, cultural personality Kamal
Lohani, painter Hashem Khan.
Besides, litterateur Hasan Azizul
Haque, painter Samarjit Roy
Chowdhury, writer Rabeya Khatun,
cultural personality Ramendu
Majumdar, poet Asad Chowdhury, rt
maestro Rafiqunnabi, playwright
Begum Mamtaz Hossain, novelist
Selina Hossain, social and cultural
personality Sultana Kamal, artist
Mustafa Monwar, filmmaker Subhash
Dutta, playwright Imdadul Haq Milan,
Artist Murtaza Bashir, poet
Nirmalendu Goon, cultural personality
Mofidul Haque, poet Nurul Huda,
painter Monirul Islam, actress
Ferdousi Majumdar, thespian
Asaduzzaman Noor, cultural
personality Nasir Uddin Yusuff, poet
Kamal Chowdhury, thespian Ataur
Rahman, researcher Muntasir
Mamoon, and art maestro Farida
Zaman were the other recipients .
Founded in 2004, this academy is the
biggest and oldest cultural school in
Uttara and it has been traditionally
conferring eminent and influential
personalities with this award since the
very beginning of its journey.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin inaugurated a newly constructed
building of a government primary school in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar yesterday. Photo : PID

SUnday, ocToBeR 30, 2022
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Sunday, october 30, 2022
Shoring up
the reserve
I
t was reported that Bangladesh's foreign
currency reserve has depleted and now stands
at $ 48 billion which used to be comparatively
bigger two moths ago. Needless to say this is a
matter of concern though it is important to see the
fuller picture in the backdrop of the efforts being
made to shore up the reserve.
In this connection it is important to note that
Bangladesh is almost certain to get 4.5 billion
Dollars from the IMF fairly soon that would see the
reserve position substantially boosted and
steadied. The IMF is about to disburse this amount
of fund to Bangladesh as short term budgetary
supports to it sooner than later. Besides IMF
authorities have indicated extending to Bangladesh
greater funds as part of our special drawing rights
held with the IMF.
An IMF team has been visiting Bangladesh in
these connections. It is also expected that the
outcome would be relatively positive for
Bangladesh. In the backdrop of COVID 19 realities
faced by Bangladesh that justified its needs of
special external assistance to support its hard hit
economy, IMF is likely to adopt a more
understanding view and be lenient with
Bangladesh while extending their assistance to
Bangladesh. Thus, the terms and conditions or
conditionalities to be met for getting the IMF
loans are likely to be easier or favourable for
Bangladesh.
Notably, government of Bangladesh (GOB) has
been taking proactive steps to assure the IMF
about its right approach. GOB has taken cost
cutting measures to reduce unnecessary imports
and expenditures. Thus, it has clamped down on
non essential trips abroad by officials and also
pruned down from the Annual Development Plan
(ADP) projects or programmes that can be shelved
down for now without creating a slag in the growth
of the Gross Domesic Product (GDP). On the other
hand, Bangladesh's export growth in relation to its
major export destinations is noted to be improving
substantially. Bilateral trade with the USA has
been particularly good with export of readymade
apparel to the USA rising by some 230 % in the last
three months.
Bangladesh was granted during the on going
decade duty free access for some of its goods in the
markets of some developed and semi-developed
countries. In other cases, significant reductions in
tariff were declared . Some more concessions are
likely to come the way of Bangladesh very notably
from the pivotal US market and in relation to its
main export item, ready-made garments.
Undoubtedly, these preferential treatments for
Bangladeshi products have already met or are
going to meet considerably the needs of
competitiveness of a host of export products from
this country or enhance the potential of exporting
products that have not yet been exported.
However, to retain the competitiveness or further
improve on such competitiveness to create and
sustain market shares of export products of
Bangladesh origin to those countries, there is a
pressing need for the government of Bangladesh to
take a series of measures itself to consolidate the
competitiveness acquired or to increase capacities
to be able to export more on a sustainable basis.
The government with the help of donors
completed a capacity development programme for
exporters which made some positive impact . But
more capacity building for exports, be it in areas of
the government or among targeted ones in the
private sector, must go ahead apace to pave the
ground for greater exports.
Meanwhile, there is so much that the government
can do and must do directly to energise export
activities. It can take special measures to provide
uninterrupted supply of power exclusively to
export oriented industries. Some export items are
getting export subsidies ; similar subsidies in
varying degrees can be extended to a range of
export products to boost overall export volumes
although very scrupulous administration must be
ensured in the dispensation of the extended
subsidies. Government can also reduce , as far as
possible, the electricity bills of export-oriented
enterprises.
The nationalised banks can reduce their
interest rates on loans going to exporters.
Necessary infrastructures can be built in the public
sector which would be counted as useful and
supportive by the exporters.
The modernisation and expansion of the
Chittagong port can be particularly helpful. This
port is central to export activities but remains
handicapped now from various inefficiencies that
make its handling time the worst in the region
when very fast handling of export cargoes at least
possible costs are the keys to success in the export
trade. Thus, government can provide a major input
to increasing exports by further upgrading and
expanding the capacities of Chittagong port .
Then, there other activities, too, that should
indirectly aid increased export activities such as
improvement of the law and order situation, more
attractive fiscal and monetary policies in respect of
export oriented enterprises and also improving the
legal environment for exporters or those seeking
to establish export-oriented industries in
Bangladesh on joint-venture basis with foreign
partners.
The change of traditional and behavioral mindset
of police is a need of the time : Analysis
For the British,
the maintenance
of their rule in
India was the
prime
consideration.
Crime control was
only a secondary
objective to be
achieved through
fear of the police. The Penal Code, Criminal
Procedure Code and the Evidence Act put in
place a legal framework and a police force
equipped for the maintenance of British rule
by force. The Penal Code prioritizes offences
against the state and the maintenance of
public order. It begins consideration of
traditional crime only from Section 299
onwards. The Criminal Procedure Code
begins with the "arrest of persons" and the
"maintenance of public order and tranquility"
before getting to grips with criminal
procedure relating to investigation and trial.
We have to remember that the Police Act of
1861, despite its preamble, prioritizes
collection and communication of intelligence
affecting the public peace. The prevention and
detection of crime is included among the
duties of the police only in section 23 of the
Act. The Act further provides for punitive
policing at the cost of local residents in the
event of "disturbances" and for the
appointment of private persons as special
police officers.
The subcontinental police system, of which
we are a part, has been examined from the
perspective of crime prevention and public
order management. The system was
developed in the light of colonialism's need to
establish a relationship of control, coercion
and surveillance over a subject population. A
bureaucratic ideology was built to justify the
imperial civilizing mission. The Colonial Irish
Constabulary became the model for
subcontinental police system. A considered
view is that native politicians who came to
occupy positions of power, after the
departure of the colonial power, were
enamored by the administrative and police
system left behind by the imperialists and
enjoyed exercising power and authority,
oblivious of their own demand for farreaching
administrative reform. The above
background needs to be appreciated if indeed
we wish to transform policing into a
professional imposition of a coherent moral
consensus on society.
One needs to take a historical perspective to
understand this. The fact is, Bangladesh had
attained independence after a bloody
dR. FoRqan Uddin ahmed
independence struggle and then adopted a
liberal, democratic constitution while
retaining the colonial administrative, police
and judicial structures, without recasting
them to meet the demands of the changed
situation. How can you promote liberalism
with a colonial mindset? The colonial police
system operated in the light of the imperial
ruler's need to establish a relationship of
control, coercion and surveillance over a
subject population. The question is, how
would such a system fulfil the aspiration of an
independent democratic polity.
As far as basic reform is concerned, it is still
not too late to initiate action. Our politicians
know very well that policing in Bangladesh
has been by and large a one-sided affair, with
the communities having little or no say in local
policing plans and strategies that affect them
most. Our politicians, including legislators,
know very well that the Police Act of 1861, the
key police law, is silent on the issue of
community consultation. This law focused on
the responsibility of communities to ensure
order, and should any member steps out of
line, the whole community would face
vicarious punishment. The situation has not
changed much. The politician's mind has to
appreciate that the Police Act, 1861 was
principally aimed at administering a static,
immobile and backward rural society living in
villages and small towns. It envisaged exercise
of authority without local accountability. It
presupposed a society without any
constitution, basic and fundamental rights,
organized public opinion, and mass media
projecting the public interest. The need,
therefore, is to initiate informed debates and
ultimately enact a suitable police act, as has
been done in a neighboring country.
The organisational objective is important
because in the colonial model the policemen
are accountable to their superiors, rather than
the public or the law. Their duties are
tabulated for them, and there is little or no
room for discretion-clearly, such a police force
would dictate a very different relationship
between police and society. The distinction
between society and state and between state
and government gets blurred. We have to
remember that a police organization which is
controlled is a source of great power to its
controllers. Has there been any societal effort
to monitor police power carefully and harness
it for the good of all? It needs to be
remembered that to place police and their
power solely under the authority of the
executive government is to give that arm of
government power to enforce its will on
society and overrule opposition.
Political will is very important because it is at
the level of government that law is established,
and it is essential to evaluate this aspect when
considering the subject of human rights and the
police. The police is mandated to act in
accordance with the law that establishes the
conditions in which they operate. The police
service should broadly reflect the society from
which it comes. The service should be in touch
with the public it polices.In Bangladesh public
confidence will increase when the police
The subcontinental police system, of which we are a part, has
been examined from the perspective of crime prevention and
public order management. The system was developed in the
light of colonialism's need to establish a relationship of control,
coercion and surveillance over a subject population.
niGel NIGEL GReen GREEN
complaints system will provide for an external
body to supervise an investigation, or to review
the evidence and conclusions drawn by police
investigations, especially when this body shall
have the power and the will to carry out an
impartial review and order a re-investigation if
necessary. In Australia and Britain, statutory
bodies have been established to oversee internal
investigations of complaints against police. In
those countries there exist a review board with
non-police community representatives to make
decisions on the disposition of the complaints.
The society as a whole is deeply concerned with
the standard of behaviour such as police
integrity, the manner in which incidents are
generally handled including the amount of
force it finds acceptable and unacceptable in
carrying out police duties and the interpersonal
skills used by police in their dealings with the
public. It has a right to have its voice heard, and
the requirements of society with the regard to
policing method and standard must be
satisfied.
The need of an innovative approach in our
police management perhaps merits
consideration at this point of time. Can we
examine the whole problem of law and order
from a sociological angle? In Bangladesh,
political manipulation, especially between
1991 - 2006, led to decline in discipline and
senior officers were often unable to control
undisciplined juniors with political
connections. A situation developed wherein
intrusion of politics into matters of police
management led to solicitation of further
political influence. Pervasive disillusionment,
loss of pride and collegiality was the result.
The establishment has to realize and
appreciate that politicization of the police, its
unaccountability to the people and its
outdated managerial practices largely result
from lack of professionalism and
accountability within the organization.
Political misuse of the police has been the
direct result of internal organizational
problems and poor performance. One cannot,
however, lay all the blame on the political
class, ignoring the negative role of the police
leadership.
Is police only meant for crime prevention &
law and order management? Finally, we can
say that reforming and revitalizing
Bangladesh police is a prime need of state.
The traditional police must be changed.
Political will can ensure the transparency and
accountability in Bangladesh police. State will
function better and controversy free if the
police members are effective and efficient.
Nowadays in many cases the activities of
police have become questioned. People
cannot depend on them. So a case of distrust
and misunderstanding prevail side by side
among the people and police members. This
bad culture should not be continued. Police
must be pro-active and pro-people. Dealings
and behavioral attitude towards the people
should be very cordial and people must have
the easy access to police without fear and
hesitation.
Only the honesty and responsibility can
enhance a congenial environment in society.
It is only possible when relationship between
police and people gets a height of standard
and ethics. In Bangladesh, police do many
odd jobs, which are not meant for them.
Police have their respective job field. They
should not interrupt other peoples job. Police
force have their own charter of duties. They
cannot go out of track. If there is a need to
inculcate or assign more duties on police, it
must be done in proper way in the process of
reformation. However, Political will may play
a significant role for effective and modern
policing which ultimately can help and
promote achieving goals in 2030 and 2041.
The write is columnist and researcher and
Former Deputy Director General,
Bangladesh Ansar & VDP
The writer is a human rights expert
China's stock market turmoil is down to 'zero-Covid'
Overseas investors sold a record
US$2.5 billion worth of mainland
China shares on Monday, according
to Bloomberg data. This pushes the year-todate
level into a "net outflow."
It comes as foreign investors fled after the
twice-per-decade Communist Party congress
at which Chinese President Xi Jinping
appeared to cement a power grab with an
unprecedented third term and seemed
determined to fill his leadership ranks with
hardened and confirmed loyalists.
The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, a
gauge of Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong,
plummeted 7.3% in its worst session after any
Communist Party congress since the
inception of the index in 1994.
Much has been made of the fact that
international investors are extremely
concerned that with so many Xi supporters
elected, his unlimited capacity to impose
policies that are not market-friendly is now
galvanized.They cite that one way this could
be experienced is unforeseen regulatory
crackdowns. Since last August, global
JUSTICE eludes most of us, wherever we
are. In Pakistan, it barely ever makes a
stop. Even when there is a glimmer of
accountability, it is ephemeral. Convicted
murderers flash victory symbols as they get
escorted out of prison into their homes.
Rapists return to the same communities
they violated with their heads held high. A
legally binding sentence that promises
retribution is met with cynicism. That
despite a conviction, perpetrators will walk
away; unpunished, unreformed.
The tragedy is the wide acceptance of
this as fact. That this is the entirely
predictable outcome of a criminal justice
system that is overburdened, resourcestrapped,
dogma-driven, corruptionriddled,
and beholden to bureaucratic red
tape that simply cannot be untangled. Some
investors have been carefully watching for
signs of a broader regulatory crackdown on
Chinese tech companies after Beijing in effect
issued a shock ban on the country's $100
billion private tutoring sector in July 2021.
That regulatory attack has been perceived
by many as highlighting Xi's new approach
and Beijing's increasing push for control of
private enterprise, including in the critical tech
sector.
It's clear from his speech at the congress that
technology remains of key importance to Xi,
as he offered support and focused on a
divergence from the West in terms of tech,
self-reliance and state-led initiatives.
But to my mind, the investor flight we've
seen this week from Chinese stocks is more to
do with Xi's controversial zero-Covid policy,
which he defended in his presentation, while
failing to set out a timeline on when the
strategy will be modified or scrapped.
This is bad news for foreign investors.
Indeed, China is the world's second-largest
economy, it has been branded the "factory of
the world," and the negative consequences for
the global economy of zero-Covid could be
significantly greater than those of Russia's war
in Ukraine.
This policy results in draconian restrictions
That regulatory attack has been perceived by many as
highlighting Xi's new approach and Beijing's increasing push for
control of private enterprise, including in the critical tech sector.
on movement, including total lockdowns that
have been imposed in several cities, with
Shanghai being the largest, which together
account for 40% of China's gross domestic
product.
Half of China's highways cannot be used,
and ports operate inefficiently with perhaps
A victory for human rights
point to the legal infrastructure itself. The
laws, meant to protect victims, are often
called 'too weak'.
Laws that enable the might of the state
are ironclad and inescapable. Laws, that are
the need of the hour, are often lost as
nascent draft bills, somewhere between the
Senate and National Assembly. Most never
resurface again. It is what it is, we whisper to
ourselves. Que sera sera, the state responds.
Only this week, 12 years after it
committed to do so, Pakistan finally passed
the Torture and Custodial Death
(Prevention and Punishment) Bill. Now it's
over to President Arif Alvi to sign it into law.
This is, by no means, a small feat. A
hard-fought win for rights groups, victims,
the National Commission on Human
Rights and leaders like Senator Farhatullah
Rimmel mohydin
Babar, Dr Shireen Mazari, Senator Sherry
Rehman, Maiza Hameed and Farooq Naek
who have helped push the boulder up the
hill. It is commendable and establishes a
clear, codified position against torture at
the very top.
The consequences of not having done so
until now have been deadly and the lack of a
specific criminal offence for torture over the
years, which reflects the gravity of the
violation, has been tantamount to an
unforgivable silence.
Silence that has doubled as an
endorsement of the violence that befalls the
most vulnerable, resulting in mass
desensitisation. We watch grainy videos of
victims, click our tongues, and keep
scrolling, hoping it doesn't happen to us.
This public apathy depletes the political
trillions of dollars' worth of goods caught up in
the saga. Shipping, manufacturing and
logistics firms are looking for alternative
routes and markets.
"A prolonged disruption of China's
manufacturing industry would be a major
shock to the global economy, as China exports
up to one-third of the world's intermediate
goods. This is in addition to potential
international transportation problems, which
are already becoming apparent in further
increases in shipping costs," according to
Santander.
All of this created a drastic reduction on
trade and commerce between China and the
rest of the world. Interactions among
countries' universities, non-governmental
organizations, creators, and tourists have also
declined.
In addition, the policy has ramped up a lack
of mutual comprehensions that will be to the
detriment of globalization and international
collaborations.
Nigel Green is founder and CEO of deVere Group
cost of letting torture continue, enough to
distract the many political leaders sitting in
Islamabad today, many of whom are no
strangers to torture and its rampant use. Some
have alleged being victims themselves.
Earlier this summer, Dr Shahbaz Gill was
seen howling as he was transported between
prisons, courts and hospitals. The current
minister of interior told journalists in 2003
that his head, eyebrows and moustache were
shaved in between beatings with rods, in a bid
to humiliate him. Most recently, Azam Khan
Swati says that the Federal Investigative
Agency stripped and beat him following his
arrest over a tweet.The widespread social,
political and cultural acceptance of torture
demonstrates the value we place on human
life and dignity. It is a cheap commodity,
misappropriated for political capital.

SunDAy, OCTOBER 30, 2022
5
Using other false identity to flog a doomed cryptocurrency
ALEx HERn
On Monday morning I woke up to a pair of odd DMs on
Twitter. "Sir, Greetings, Do you have any information
about Dejitaru Tsuka token," asked one "Dr. Joker";
another had a similar question: "Yo dude what do you
know about Tsuka."
I'd not heard about the cryptocurrency, and a quick
scan suggested it wasn't worth my time: it was a classic
"shitcoin", a newly created token with no reason for
existence beyond buying low and selling high.
Gambling on shitcoins takes the subtext of much of
the crypto space and turns it into the entire purpose.
There is no pretence, here, of anyone banking on
widespread use, or of the coins having a purpose. The
game is to find one that will go up, buy it cheap, push it
as hard as you can to others, and then cash out at the
top. The community takes phrases usually associated
with financial crime - "shilling", "pump and dump", and
so on - and wears them like a badge of honour.
Tsuka was a classic of the form. The only explanation
on the public web for the token was some mangled
English describing a Japanese legend that destines "the
dejitaru ts?ka dragon to breathe vast flames of wisdom
and prosperity to all who embrace its ferocity and
strength" linking, of course, to some exchanges where
you could buy the coin.
So I assumed the DMs were the "pump" phase of
pump and dump, and ignored them. But then I got a
follow-up message, asking me if I was behind an email
address "hernalex@proton.me", that the developer of
the Tsuka coin had posted on to the blockchain, with the
note "encrypted Guardian contact". One buyer had
emailed the address, and, thinking they were speaking
to me, asked if they knew anything about the coin. A
one-word reply, "Yes", helped push a buying frenzy - of
sorts.
The numbers are low: before my name was used to
promote the coin, it was trading at eight thousandths of
a cent (that's $.00008), and after a massive rally it had
reached the dizzying high of almost twice that, $.00015.
But that still represented around $100,000 of notional
value built on a lie.
But I had to try to correct the falsehood. I managed to
find the main community channel for Tsuka, on
Telegram, and joined its membership of 150 or so users
before posting a quick message: "I've got nothing to do
with this project. Someone is pretending to be me." But
I wasn't able to see the response - I was swiftly kicked
from the group, and my post was deleted.
The damage had been done, though. I'd also changed
my Twitter bio to warn people that "if someone says I
backed their shitcoin, they're scamming you," and - I
Representations of cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, DogeCoin, Ripple and
Litecoin.
Photo: Dado Ruvi?
later learned - that was being re-shared into the group
faster than it could be removed.
The coin went into freefall as people rushed to sell,
dropping half its value in a matter of minutes. It felt
strangely terrible to watch: even though the whole
sector is a giant game of trying to find someone else
holding the bag when all is said and done, it was my
actions that had wiped more than $60k from the total
"market cap" of the coin.
One user DM'd me to confirm my story, and told me
he'd lost his "life savings" in the crash - $400, a fairly
substantial chunk for a Turkish man like him, around a
month's salary on the median wage. When he suggested
I reimburse $200 to everyone who'd lost money,
though, I had to demur; there may be an income
disparity between the UK and Turkey, but I don't have
$200,000 to hand.
My guilt was assuaged a bit once I started asking
people why they'd bought in to Tsuka in the first place.
"I blind aped it on Dextools," one told me. That is: a coin
they'd never heard of showed up on the new coin list on
a crypto exchange, and they invested in it - or bet on it -
sight unseen. The Turk had the same explanation; when
I asked him if he was really telling me that a random
currency showed up and he just put his life savings in it,
his response was "true bro. it is crypto talk".
Shortly after the collapse, I got an email I wasn't
expecting - from the ProtonMail account that had
pretended to be me. I'd emailed over some industry in
the past has made Chinese policy planners understand
that, even though China's semiconductor industry lags
behind foreign manufacturers in terms of its production
scale and technology, there are two effects that will urge
China to support a large number of semiconductor
companies through policies. First, a large number of
Chinese manufacturers can "eat up" the market and
compress the space for second- and third-tier wafer
foundries. According to one report, by the end of 2024,
China will be leading the world by building new 31 chip
factories, surpassing 19 in Taiwan and 12 in the United
States. Since most of the 31 new factories in China will
be making mature processes nodes, there is little impact
on the leading manufacturers, such as TSMC, Intel, and
Samsung, all of which use advanced processes.
However, China's "fab sea" tactic may exert huge
pressure on other mature process questions, but wasn't
expecting a reply. What do you say to the person whose
identity you stole?
The answer, it seems, is "a marketing pitch". The
developer told me that "the community has passed a
critical part of this experiment … We follow your work
and writings and are sorry if anyone took that as you
were behind the coin. The main thing is you were
reached through the block chain only. It's not in anyway
a scam."
I asked how they could deny trying to scam people into
thinking I was involved. They said they'd intended
"Guardian" to be taken in the sense that they were the
Guardians of the project. "I also follow your work closely
so the names went well together … I never said you were
involved. I guess it's like Mickey@waltdisney.com vs
Mickey@protonmail. Is mickey@protonmail a scammer
if he builds a theme park? We don't know."
I thought the impasse was just the natural result of me
speaking to a brazen huckster, but the more I asked
around, the more it became clear that this was more like
two people speaking at cross purposes. The still
anonymous devs are sincere that they aren't scamming
anyone, because the meaning of "scam" in the world of
shitcoins is necessarily narrow. When the base
expectation is that every coin will crash at some point,
and none of them have any real value beyond marketing
puff and community momentum, how can simply lying
about who backs a coin really be a meaningful scam?
To the dev, my accusation that they were scamming
people was a serious charge. It implied that they had
hidden code in the coin that would allow them to take
people's money in a way outside the rules of the game -
perhaps by suddenly printing millions of tokens to
flood the market, or locking it up to prevent anyone else
from selling. By contrast, spreading falsehoods about
who's backing the token is well within the rules of the
game. "DYOR", do your own research, is a catchphrase
in the sector; if you're caught out by such an easilydisprovable
claim, then you clearly failed to DYOR, and
the losses are your fault.
The logo of non-fungible tokens (nFT) marketplace OpenSea.
Photo: Florence Lo
FBI scrutinizes on crypto economy
TECHNOlOGY DESK
An ex-employee of the leading nonfungible
tokens (NFT) marketplace has
been charged with wire fraud and
money-laundering offences in a sign
that US law enforcement will no longer
turn a blind eye to the crypto economy.
Nathaniel Chastain left his job as a
product manager at OpenSea, the
largest marketplace for NFTs - the
unique crypto assets used to denote
ownership of items such as digital art -
after being accused of insider trading.
On Wednesday he was arrested by the
FBI in New York and charged, in a case
that could prove concerning for others
in crypto who assumed that practices
banned in regulated markets were fair
game in the wild west sector.
Chastain is accused of using his
insider knowledge of which tokens were
going to be featured on the front page of
OpenSea's website to buy them shortly
before they were featured, and sell them
immediately, cashing in on the
increased awareness for a small profit
each time.
US attorney Damian Williams said:
"NFTs might be new, but this type of
criminal scheme is not … Today's
charges demonstrate the commitment
of this office to stamping out insider
trading - whether it occurs on the stock
market or the blockchain."
Chastain's alleged trades had been
noticed at the time. Thanks to the open
nature of the NFT market, where all
trades are written on to a public
database called a blockchain, observers
had spotted that someone was
purchasing digital assets with
questionable timing in September 2021.
The anonymous digital wallet used for
the trades was soon linked via
transactions to Chastain's own.
OpenSea had not at the time issued an
explicit policy against such insider
trading, and acted only after Chastain's
trades came to light.
In May, an apparent insider trading
scheme was uncovered on a leading
crypto exchange: a user who has not
been identified would build up large
positions in small cryptocurrencies
shortly before they were listed on
major exchanges, and then sell them
for a profit in the resulting surge of
interest. A Wall Street Journal report
concluded that one such trade netted a
profit of $140,000 on a $360,000
investment over less than a week.
But until Chastain's arrest this week,
there was widespread debate over
whether such practices were illegal,
given the different norms and practices
in the sector. For example the trade in
so-called "shitcoins" - crypto assets
created with no purpose other than to
be bought and sold in a speculative
market - is openly acknowledged to be
full of practices that would be illegal in
a regulated market.
According to pseudonymous
"shitcoin influencer" Epitaph, the
latest wheeze to boost the value of
coins is focused around "larp tokens".
He said this referred to "tokens where
the team will go to extreme lengths to
convince buyers that they're connected
to famous celebrities/musicians/larger
tokens.
"It's no secret that everything we buy
is a scam on some level. The question
isn't 'is this token a scam,' because they
all are, the question is: 'Is this scam
done well enough to convince other
people to buy?'"
Chastain's arrest comes as a group of
more than 25 crypto experts have
written an open letter to the US
Congress calling for more regulation of
the sector. "We implore you to take a
truly responsible approach to
technological innovation and ensure
that individuals in the US and
elsewhere are not left vulnerable to
predatory finance, fraud, and systemic
economic risks in the name of
technological potential which does not
exist," the group wrote.
Adding to the regulatory pressure,
on Thursday the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission sued Gemini, a
New York-based crypto exchange
founded by the Winklevoss twins,
alleging the company misled
regulators about the possibility of
bitcoin price manipulation in a
successful effort to convince the agency
to allow the creation of a bitcoin
futures contract.
An OpenSea spokesperson said:
"When we learned of Nate's behaviour,
we initiated an investigation and
ultimately asked him to leave the
company. His behaviour was in
violation of our employee policies and
in direct conflict with our core values
and principles."
Sheryl Sandberg leaves Meta
KARI PAUl
Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating
officer of Facebook and its parent
company Meta, has announced she will
step down from her role, ending 14
years in the job that made her one of the
most powerful figures in the tech world
and saw the company weather a
meteoric rise and multiple
controversies.
Sandberg announced the move in a
post on her own Facebook page on
Wednesday, adding that she was not
sure of what the future holds for her but
plans to focus on her foundation and
philanthropic work going forward.
"When I took this job in 2008, I
hoped I would be in this role for five
years. Fourteen years later, it is time for
me to write the next chapter of my life,"
Sandberg wrote on Facebook.
She said she will leave the company
this fall, but will continue to be on
Meta's board and thanked Meta
founder and chief executive officer
Mark Zuckerberg for his support, saying
"sitting by Mark's side for these 14 years
has been the honor and privilege of a
lifetime".
In his own Facebook post, Zuckerberg
called it "the end of an era" and said
Sandberg "deserved the credit for so
much of what Meta is today". "When
Sheryl joined me in 2008, I was only 23
years old and I barely knew anything
about running a company … Sheryl
architected our ads business, hired great
people, forged our management
culture, and taught me how to run a
company," the CEO added.
He said that Sandberg's position
would not be filled, and announced
restructuring of existing roles at the
company. Sandberg has been one of
Facebook's most prominent public faces
since joining in 2008, shaping its
policies and overseeing responses to the
myriad public controversies the
company has battled.
The billionaire executive led the
company's advertising business and
was responsible for nurturing it from its
infancy into a Silicon Valley behemoth.
She joined four years after its founding
to be "the adult in the room", analysts
have said, attempting to help navigate
the company through the scandals that
ensued along with its vast user growth.
She quickly gained notoriety as one of
the most visible and most powerful
female executives globally, with
previous positions at Google and the
Clinton administration. In 2013 she
published her female empowerment
manifesto lean In.
More recently, she has overseen
operations as the company weathers a
financial downturn amid a shift away
from its core social media platforms into
virtual reality.
Facebook rebranded in October 2021
to Meta, reflecting its move into VR
after a series of difficult years.
Zuckerberg has bet big on his hopes for
the "metaverse", an augmented and
virtual reality space where people can
interact through avatars in a shared
world. The company has earmarked
$10bn for the metaverse over the next
year and plans to consistently spend
more in coming years, Zuckerberg
announced last year.
But Meta has struggled with the
transition, reporting a record $230bn loss
in market value after a disappointing
earnings report in February. That report
also revealed that Facebook had seen its
first-ever drop in daily user numbers. The
company is boosting efforts to retain
young users - a key advertising
demographic that has been leaving
Facebook and Instagram in droves to
platforms such as TikTok.
Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that
Javier Olivan, the vice-president of central
products, will be promoted to chief
operating officer and take on some of the
advertising-related responsibilities
previously under Sandberg's purview.
Justin Osofsky, Instagram's chief
operating officer, will now oversee AItrained
content production across
platforms.
"Meta has reached the point where it
makes sense for our product and business
groups to be more closely integrated,
rather than having all the business and
operations functions organized separately
from our products," he wrote.
Sandberg's departure also comes after
billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel
stepped down from Meta's board,
following the company's worst-ever
earnings report, suggesting some power
players may be jumping ship as the
company flounders. Most recently
Sandberg and Facebook had faced
increased scrutiny after documents
leaked by the whistleblower Frances
Haugen were turned over to Congress
and published by a number of news
outlets.
The documents revealed the extent to
which Meta knew about the aggressive
spread of misinformation and hate
speech on its platform, that it was
reluctant to censor rightwing news
organizations for fear of angering the
Trump administration, and how it
struggled to crack down on human
trafficking operations advertised on
Instagram. It also revealed internal
studies that showed grave mental health
effects of the platform on teens.
Sandberg referenced in her departure
missive the ways the tech landscape has
evolved since she began at the company.
"The debate around social media has
changed beyond recognition since those
early days," she wrote. "To say it hasn't
always been easy is an understatement.
But it should be hard. The products we
make have a huge impact, so we have the
responsibility to build them in a way that
protects privacy and keeps people safe."
As backlash mounted over the
whistleblower documents in 2021,
Sandberg and Zuckerberg avoided
making public comment on the
revelations, instead leaving Nick Clegg,
the vice-president of global affairs, and
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, to
manage the official response to the
revelations.
Sandberg's behavior at Facebook has
been scrutinized in the past. She
Sheryl Sandberg speaks during a press conference in London in
2020. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski
reportedly asked Facebook employees to
examine George Soros's finances after he
criticized the social media giant and she
was called before Congress in 2018 to
testify about misinformation and
manipulation surrounding the 2018
elections.

SUNDAy, OCTOBeR 30, 2022
6
Call for saving rich Bengali culture
Child Zarin has become the chairman of Upazila Parishad for an hour in Joypurhat. Sadar Upazila
Chairman SM Solaiman Ali spoke as the chief guest at the girls' take over program organized by the National
Children Task Force (NCTF) with the financial support of Plan Bangladesh. Photo : Masrakul Alam
Infusing dynamism into community
policing stressed to combat crimes
RAJSHAHI : Highlighting
multifarious aspects of expanding
community policing, speakers
yesterday unequivocally called for
infusing dynamism into its activities
for combating the crimes related to
communal violence, terrorism, drugaddiction
and militancy.
Community policing can be the vital
means of freeing the society from all
sorts of crimes with joint efforts of
police and the public in general, they
viewed.
The discussants came up with the
observations while addressing a
meeting to mark the Community
Policing Day-2022 held at Rajshahi
College auditorium.
The theme of this year's Community
Policing Day is "Police-e Janata,
Janatai Police (Police is People and
People is Police)".
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP)
and Community Policing Forum
jointly organized the meeting largely
attended by cross-sections of people.
Convener of the city community
policing coordination committee Prof
Five drug
peddlers held
with 26.5-kg
ganja in Natore
RAJSHAHI : Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB) arrested
five alleged drug peddlers
from Bhagnagarkandi
Amrulpara in Natore
district and recovered 26.5
kilograms (KGs) of
cannabis (Ganja) from
their possessions on
Friday night, reports BSS
The arrested persons
were identified as Ripon
Islam, 26, Rubel Hossain,
25, Munnab Ali, 38, Sagar
Ali, 22, and Jishan Ali, 19..
On a tip-off, a team of
RAB conducted a raid at
Bhagnagarkandi
Amrulpara under Shingra
Upazila around 9:30 pm
and arrested them with the
hemp after searching a
pick-up van, RAB sources
said.
The arrestees with the
seized contraband goods
along with the pick-up
were handed over to
police.
A case was filed with
Shingra police station in
this connection.
Man kills son, ends
life in Bagerhat
BAGERHAT : A man allegedly strangled his three-year-old son
to death before ending his life in Mollhat upazila of Bagerhat
district on Friday night. The deceased man and his son were
identified as Md Haidar Molla, 28, and Jishan Mollah,
respectively. Police recovered the bodies around 8.30pm from
Haidar's house in Baragaola village of the upazila. "We also
found a suicide note near the bodies," said Somen Das, OC of
Mollahat police station.
In the purported note, Haidar wrote, "I have strangled Jishan
to death and commited suicide after that. No one is responsible
for my death. Burry us both at the same place."
According to locals, Haider and his wife Jobaira Khatun
separated some eight months ago over marital feud.
Since then Jishan had been living with his paternal
grandmother at their village home while his father used to work
with a private company in Dhaka.
On Thursday, Haidar returned from Dhaka and on Friday
night, family members found the two bodies in his room.
OC Somen said the bodies have been sent for post-mortem
and two cases of murder and unnatural death, respectively, have
been filed.
Abdul Khaleque addressed the
discussion as chief guest, while RMP
Commissioner Abu Kalam Siddique
was in the chair.
Former state minister Prof
Jinnatunnessa
Talukder,
Commanding Officer of RAB-5 Lt Col
Riaz Shahrier, Rajshahhi College
Principal Prof Abdul Khaleque and city
unit Awami League president
Muhammad Ali Kamal and general
secretary Dablu Sarker also addressed
the meeting.
Prof Abdul Khaleque said the
community people should extend
cooperation to police by providing
specific information about the
criminals. Crimes-free society,
particularity free from communal
violence, terrorism and drug addiction,
must be established to protect people
and the young generation, in
particular, he said.
To attain the cherished goal, the lawenforcing
agencies and the community
people should have to work together as
the law-enforcers alone are not capable
of overcoming the crisis, he added.
RMP Commissioner Abu Kalam
Siddique went on saying that policecitizens'
joint efforts against social
crimes are the main objective of
community based policing and there is
no alternative to activating it to free the
society from the crimes.
He said the community based
policing had been introduced in the
metropolis with a noble view, but the
community people should take the
responsibility of making it effective.
He stressed the need for boosting the
relationship between the police and
common people and for exploring the
opportunities of community policing
for lasting peace everywhere in the
society.
"If you give us authentic information
about the criminals and other antisocial
elements, we will put in our best
efforts to bring those to book as early as
possible," Siddique reminded the
community people.
Earlier, they brought out a colourful
rally from Alupatty crossing and
paraded some of the city streets before
ending at the meeting venue.
Youths bodies call for
biodiversity conservation
in Barind tract
RAJSHAHI : Many of the youth
organisations at a meeting on Saturday
unequivocally called for time-befitting and
effective measures for protecting biodiversity
and cultural diversity in the region, including
its vast Barind tract.
They also unanimously viewed that both
biodiversity and cultural diversity are
gradually declining due to various reasons
posing a serious threat to public life along
with the whole ecosystem.
Bangladesh Resource Centre for
Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) hosted the
meeting at its office here yesterday to mark
the formation of the executive committee of
Barind Tract Youth Organisation Forum
(BTYOF).
Leaders and members of 45 youth
organisations who are working for
improving living and livelihood conditions of
the marginalized and ethnic minority people
for more than four years joined the meeting
and constituted an 11-member BTYOF
committee.
BARCIK Regional Coordinator Sahidul
Islam, BTYOF President Shaykh Tasnim
Jamal, its Vice-president Sabitry Hembrom,
Convener Rubel Hossain and members
Jubayer Hossain, Russel Sarker and Zahid
Hassan addressed the meeting.
In his remarks, Shahidul Islam said school,
college and university-level students need
proper knowledge about the importance of
biodiversity, natural resource conservation
and climate change issues so that they can
contribute to this field.
To this end, there should be time-befitting
measures and institutional learning for them
as there is no way but to conserve natural
resource conservation in the region to face
the adverse impact of climate change for the
greater interests of new and future
generations.
In the wake of abnormal declining natural
resources like native crop seeds, fish and
birds species and other wildlife, conservation
of natural resources has become
indispensable for facing the adverse impacts
of climate change.
Islam opined that many native crops and
vegetable varieties are gradually declining.
Many of the native fish species, particularly
the small indigenous ones, are on the verge
of extinction due to various reasons.
Importance should be given to capacity
building to address climate change in the
region with special reference to conservation
of drought tolerant species.
BGB seizes 4,510 yaba
tablets in C'nawabganj
CHAPAINAWABGANJ : Members of
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in
two separate drives seized 4,510
pieces of yaba tablets on Friday
evening and yesterday morning,
reports BSS.
Acting on a tip-off, a patrol team of
the BGB from Chowka Border Out
Post (BOP) conducted a raid in
Lalkuria field area under Shibganj
upazila of the district around 6.55 pm
on Friday last and found 990 yaba
tablets, BGB sources said.
"On a tip-off, another team of the
BGB from Sonamasjid BOP raided
Swashanghat area in Shibganj
upazila around 5.30 am on Saturday
and found 3,520 yaba tablets in an
abandoned condition," the sources
said, adding that none was arrested
in the drives.
RANGPUR : Cultural
personalities at a memorial
meeting have stressed
saving rich Bengali culture
from aggression of alien
culture to revive the lost
social values, glory and
humanism.
They viewed this at the
discussion followed by a
'Bhaoyaiya' evening
organized by 'Bhaoyaiya
Angon' at its office here
marking the 141st birthday
of 'Bhaoyaiya' artist Abbas
Uddin Ahmed, widely
known as unsurpassed
'Bhaoyaiya' Prince, on
Friday night.
'Bhaoyaiya Angon' is a
cultural organization
working for collecting and
Community
Policing Day
observed in
Bogura
BOGURA : The
Community Policing Day-
2022 was observed in the
district as elsewhere in the
country yesterday with a
call for gearing up the
community policing
activity to make the society
free from drug abuse,
terrorism and militancy.
This year's theme of the
day was "Community
policing mul montro,
shanti sringkhola
sarbatra".
On the occasion, a rally
was brought out from the
Bogura Police Lines which
paraded important streets
in the city and ended at the
Bogura Police Lines
School and College
yesterday morning.
Marking the day, a
discussion meeting was
organized by District
Community Policing
Coordination Committee
(DCPCC) at the Bogura
Police Lines School and
College of the town.
Superintendent of Police
Sudep Kumar Chakraborty
addressed the function as
the chief guest with
additional superintendent
of police (administration)
Ali Haider Chowdhury in
the chair.
Special Superintendent
of Police (CID)
Mohammad Kawser
Sikder, Commandant of
In-Service Training Center
Md. Belal Hossain,
Superintendent of Police
of PBI Kazi Ehsanul
Karim, Principal of Bogura
Police Lines School and
College Shahadat Alam
Jhunu, among others,
spoke on the occasion.
The chief guest in his
speech said community
policing have no option to
maintain peace and law
and order in the society.
The speakers said
Bangladesh is a densely
populated country so there
is no alternative to
community policing to
maintain peaceful law and
order situation in the
country.
9 held for torturing
woman in Natore
NATORE : Police have arrested nine people on
charges of torturing a 75-year-old woman after
tying her to a tree in Gurudaspur upazila of
Natore.
The arrestees have been identified as Alam, 45,
Nurnabi, 35, Ujjal, 34, Babu, 40, Liton, 35,
Azadul, 40, Kamed Ali, 42,Chan Mia, 39, and
Azadul Fakir, 37, said Abdul Matin, officer-incharge
of Gurudaspur police station.
The accused were arrested from Moukhra area
of Baraigram upazila on Friday night, he said.
On October 25, the accused tied the woman,
Kulsum Begum, to a tree and beat her up on
allegations of having an affair with her son-inlaw.
The victim, however, told the cops that it was
a lie to evict her from her house.
However, police lodged an FIR against the
woman that day only and produced her before a
court that granted her bail.
On September, 27, the woman lodged a
complaint with police over the incident and later
the cops arrested the accused.
preserving 'Bhaoyaiya'
songs and conducting
training, research and
academic activities for
'Bhaoyaiya' artists to
flourish the traditional
songs, reports BSS.
Veteran 'Bhaoyaiya' artist
Harun-Ar-Rashid presided
over the discussion.
Chairman-elect of
Rangpur District Council
and former President of the
district unit Command of
Bangladesh Muktijoddha
Sangsad heroic freedom
fighter Mosaddek Hossain
Bablu attended the
discussion as chief guest.
Former Head of the
Department of Bengali of
Rangpur Begum Rokeya
Government College
Professor Mohammad
Shah Alam, veteran
'Bhaoyaiya' artist Parimal
Chandra Barman,
Chairman of 'Bhaoyaiya
Angon' Salma Mostafiz, its
Founder and Executive
Director AKM Mostafizur
Rahman addressed as
special guests.
Professor Mohammad
Shah Alam and AKM
Mostafizur Rahman
discussed the life and works
of Abbas Uddin Ahmed.
Paying rich tribute to
Abbas Uddin Ahmed, the
speakers said 'Bhaoyaiya'
songs with its heartthrobbing
musical tunes
have fundamentally
contributed to developing
civilization, culture, social
customs and lifestyle on the
Brahmaputra basin over
the centuries.
The chief guest said the
'Bhaoyaiya' song attracts
people of all ages and
stressed conducting more
research on 'Bhaoyaiya'
songs and nurturing and
properly preserving the
folk-songs as those are still
playing an important role in
entertaining millions of
people.
"The heart-throbbing
melody of 'Bhaoyaiya' song
always represents healthy
Bengali culture to entertain
common people for
centuries," he said.
On the occasion of Community Policing Day-2022, a colorful rally and
discussion meeting was organized under the initiative of Longadu
Police Station of Rangamati. On Saturday, the rally was taken out from
Longadu Police Station area and it paraded he main road. Later a discussion
meeting was held at the public library auditorium of the upazila.
Photo : Omor Faruk Musa
On Saturday, a rally and discussion meeting were held at Dighinala Upazila
Parishad premises of Khagrachari on the occasion of 'Community Policing
Day-2022', The programs were organized by Dighinala Police Station.
Photo : Md Sohanur Rahaman.
Community Policing Day 2022 was observed by Saltha Thana Police of
Faridpur. On this occasion, a colorful rally was taken out on Saturday morning.
A discussion meeting was held at the police station. Awami League nominated
candidate Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury's younger son Shahdab Akbar
Chowdhury Labu, spoke as the chief guest. Photo : Md. Shofiqul Islam
Sunamganj District Police, with the support of the Sunamganj District
Community Policing Forum organized a discussion meeting yesterday on the
occasion of Community Policing Day.
Photo : AK Milon

SUNdAy, OCTOBeR 30, 2022
7
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, rescuers use boats to evacuate residents from flooded areas due to
Tropical Storm Nalgae at Parang, Maguindanao province, southern Philippines on Friday Oct. 28, 2022. Floodwaters rapidly
rose in many low-lying villages, forcing some villagers to climb to their roofs, where they were rescued by army troops, police
and volunteers, officials said.
Photo : AP
47 dead, dozens feared missing
as storm lashes Philippines
MANILA : Flash floods and landslides
set off by torrential rains left at least
47 people dead, including in a hardhit
southern Philippine province,
where as many as 60 villagers are
feared missing and buried in a deluge
of rainwater, mud, rocks and trees,
officials said Saturday.
At least 42 people were swept away
by rampaging floodwaters and
drowned or were hit by debris-filled
mudslides in three towns in
Maguindanao province from
Thursday night to early Friday, said
Naguib Sinarimbo, the interior
minister for a five-province Muslim
autonomous region run by former
separatist guerrillas, reports UNB.
Five other people died elsewhere
from the onslaught of Tropical Storm
Nalgae, which slammed into the
eastern province of Camarines Sur
early Saturday, the government's
disaster-response agency said.
But the worst storm impact so far
was a mudslide laden with rainwater,
rocks and trees that buried dozens of
houses with as many as 60 people in
the tribal village of Kusiong in
Maguindanao's Datu Odin Sinsuat
town, Sinarimbo told The Associated
Press by telephone, citing accounts
from Kusiong villagers, who survived
IEA sees global
emissions
peaking in 2025
PARIS : The International
Energy Agency said
Wednesday it believes global
emissions will peak in 2025
as surging energy prices due
the Russian invasion of
Ukraine propel investment
in renewables.
Only last year the IEA said
there was "no clear peak in
sight" in energy emissions,
but the new higher
investment in wind and
solar is setting up demand
for all fossil fuels to peak or
plateau, leading to a drop in
emissions.
"The global energy crisis
triggered by Russia's
invasion of Ukraine is
causing profound and longlasting
changes that have the
potential to hasten the
transition to a more
sustainable and secure
energy system," the IEA said
as it released its latest
annual World Energy
Outlook report.
Based on the latest
measures and policies
announced by governments
in the face of soaring energy
prices, the IEA forecasts
global clean energy
investment to rise by more
than 50 percent from today's
levels to $2 trillion per year
by 2030.
Those measures will
propel sustained gains in
renewables and nuclear
power.
"As a result, a high point
for global emissions is
reached in 2025," the IEA
said.
the flash flood and mudslide.
Eleven bodies, mostly of children,
were dug up Friday by rescuers using
spades in Kusiong, he said.
"That community will be our
ground zero today," Sinarimbo said,
adding that heavy equipment and
more rescue workers including army,
police and volunteers have been
deployed to intensify the search and
rescue work.
The coastal village, which lies at the
foot of a mountain, is accessible by
road, allowing more rescuers to be
deployed Saturday to deal with one of
the worst weather-related disasters to
hit the country's south in decades, he
said.
Citing reports from mayors,
governors and disaster-response
officials, Sinarimbo said 27 died
mostly by drowning and landslides in
Datu Odin Sinsuat town, 10 in Datu
Blah Sinsuat town and five in Upi
town, all in Maguindanao.
A death toll of 67 in Maguindanao
on Friday night was recalled by
authorities after discovering some
double counting of casualties.
Army officials also reported at least
42 storm deaths in Maguindanao and
said in a statement Friday night that
their forces were "continuing to
rescue those trapped in the flood in
collaboration with local disaster
teams" and take the displaced in army
trucks to evacuation camps.
The unusually heavy rains flooded
several towns in Maguindanao and
outlying provinces in a mountainous
region with marshy plains.
Floodwaters rapidly rose in many
low-lying villages, forcing some
residents to climb onto their roofs,
where they were rescued by army
troops, police and volunteers,
Sinarimbo said.
The coast guard issued pictures of
its rescuers, wading in chest-high
floodwaters to rescue the elderly and
children in Maguindanao. Many of
the swamped areas had not been
flooded for years, including Cotabato
city where Sinarimbo said his house
was inundated.
The stormy weather in a large swath
of the country prompted the coast
guard to prohibit sea travel in
dangerously rough seas as millions of
Filipinos planned to travel over a long
weekend to visit the tombs of relatives
and for family reunions on All Saints'
Day in the largely Roman Catholic
nation. Several domestic flights have
also been cancelled, stranding
thousands of passengers.
Canada on Friday announced fresh sanctions against 35 individuals and
six companies in Russia's energy sector, as well as a bond issue to support
Ukraine.
Photo : AP
Canada sanctions Russian energy
execs, issues Ukraine bonds
OTTAWA : Canada on Friday announced
fresh sanctions against 35 individuals and
six companies in Russia's energy sector, as
well as a bond issue to support Ukraine,
reports BSS.
The sanctions target oil and gas giant
Lukoil and senior officials at Gazprom and
its subsidiaries, as well as Russia's energy
and industry ministers, Deputy Prime
Minister Alexander Novak and former
prime minister Viktor Zubkov, reports
BSS.
Former National Hockey League player
Alexander Frolov and chess grandmaster
Anton Demchenko also made the list,
which now covers more than 1,400
individuals and entities accused of
complicity in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Funds raised from the issuing of the
five-year Ukraine bonds, meanwhile, aim
to help Kyiv pay pensions and "keep the
lights on," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
told a news conference. "Ukrainian
sovereignty bonds are a way for Canadians
to directly contribute to the fight against
Russia, to support the Ukrainian people
and the Ukrainian government," he said.
Officials declined to say how much
Ottawa hopes to raise through the bond
issue, which is also open to foreign buyers.
Proceeds will be channelled through an
International Monetary Fund account set
up in April for grants and loans to
Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, a
community group representing the
diaspora, praised Canada's move in
offering the "ground-breaking investment
in a peaceful, democratic and just future,
not only for Ukraine, but for all of
Europe."
"The UCC calls on all states who believe
in freedom and liberty to follow Canada's
example," it said in a statement.
Russia declares
Dozhd TV channel
head a 'foreign agent'
MOSCOW : Russia on
Friday declared Natayia
Sindeyeva, head of the
independent TV channel
Dozhd, a "foreign agent"
along with two journalist
colleagues, in the latest
crackdown on civil society,
reports BSS.
The names of Natalia
Sindeeva, Vladimir
Romensky and Ekaterina
Kotrikadze appeared on the
latest Russian justice
ministry list of "foreign
agents"
They had been added
because of their "political
activities," the ministry said.
Launched in 2008, TV
Dozhd covered Russia's
opposition and protest
movements, and last year
the channel itself was
labelled a "foreign agent". All
main independent media
outlets in Russia including
radio station, Echo of
Moscow, and Dozhd TV
have been shut down or
have suspended their
operations in the country.
Dozhd wound up its
Russia operations and
suspended broadcasting
from Russia with an
emotional show on March 3,
less than a fortnight after the
conflict in Ukraine started.
The channel resumed
broadcasting in July 18 from
studios in neighbouring
Latvia. Also added to the
"foreign agents" list Friday
were lawyer Mikhail
Benyash and Youtuber Ivan
Yakovina.
Xi says China, US
must 'find ways
to get along'
BEIJING : President Xi
Jinping said China and the
United States must "find
ways to get along" to
safeguard world peace and
development, state media
reported Thursday, as he
embarks on his precedentbreaking
third term in
power.
China and the United
States have butted heads in
recent years on issues
ranging from Beijing's
aggression towards selfgoverning
Taiwan to its
crackdown in Hong Kong
and alleged rights abuses in
Xinjiang.
Washington has also
accused Beijing of providing
diplomatic cover for Russia's
invasion of Ukraine.
Xi sealed another five years
as China's leader at the end
of a twice-a-decade
Communist Party Congress
on Sunday.
"The world today is neither
peaceful nor tranquil," Xi
wrote in a congratulatory
letter to the National
Committee on US-China
Relations-some of his first
remarks since the Congressaccording
to Chinese state
broadcaster CCTV.
UN: 2022 likely deadliest for
Palestinians in West Bank
UNITED NATIONS : The U.N. Mideast
envoy said 2022 is on course to be the
deadliest year for Palestinians in the West
Bank since the U.N. started tracking
fatalities in 2005, and he called for
immediate action to calm "an explosive
situation" and move toward renewing
Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, reports BSS.
Tor Wennesland told the U.N. Security
Council that "mounting hopelessness, anger
and tension have once again erupted into a
deadly cycle of violence that is increasingly
difficult to contain," and "too many people,
overwhelmingly Palestinian have been killed
and injured."
In a grim assessment, the special
coordinator for the Middle East peace
process said the downward spiral in the West
Bank and current volatile situation stem
from decades of violence that has taken a toll
on Israelis and Palestinians, the prolonged
absence of negotiations, and the failure to
resolve key issues fueling the Israel-
Palestinian conflict.
Wennesland said his message to
Palestinian officials and factions, Israeli
officials and the international community in
recent weeks has been clear: "The immediate
priority is to work to calm the situation and
reverse the negative trends on the ground"
but the goal must be "to empower and
strengthen the Palestinian Authority and
build towards a return to a political process."
In the past month, the U.N. envoy said 32
Palestinians including six children were
killed by Israeli security forces and 311
injured during demonstrations, clashes,
search-and-arrest operations, attacks and
alleged attacks against Israelis. Two Israeli
forces personnel were killed and 25 Israeli
civilians were injured by Palestinians during
shooting and ramming attacks, clashes, the
throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails
and other incidents during the same period,
he said.
Wennesland said the month saw "a spike
in fatal violence" that has 2022 on track to be
the deadliest in the West Bank.
More than 125 Palestinians have been
killed in Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the
West Bank and east Jerusalem this year. The
fighting has surged since a series of
Palestinian attacks killed 19 people in Israel
in the spring. The Israeli army says most of
the Palestinians killed have been militants.
But stone-throwing youths protesting the
incursions and others not involved in
confrontations have also been killed.
Ongoing Israeli arrest raids in the West
Bank pose a serious challenge to Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian
Authority. Abbas relies on security
cooperation with Israel, particularly against
his Islamic militant rivals, to remain in
power. At the same time, this cooperation is
deeply unpopular among Palestinians who
chafe against Israel's open-ended
occupation, now in its 56th year.
Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967
Mideast war and has built more than 130
settlements there, many of which resemble
small towns, with apartment blocks,
shopping malls and industrial zones. The
Palestinians want the West Bank to form the
main part of their future state. Most
countries view the settlements as a violation
of international law.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N.
ambassador, delivered an impassioned
address to the Security Council on Friday,
saying: "Our people, our children, our youth
are being killed, and they will not die in
vain."
"What happens next is your
responsibility," he told council members.
"We knocked on every door, searched for any
avenue leading to freedom and dignity,
justice and redress, shared peace and
security."
Yet, Mansour said that 75 years after the
British partition of Palestine, its people are
still waiting "for their turn to be free," and he
accused Israel of "trying to destroy the state
of Palestine."
The U.N. Mideast envoy said 2022 is on course to be the deadliest year for
Palestinians in the West Bank since the U.N. started tracking fatalities in
2005, and he called for immediate action to calm "an explosive situation"
and move toward renewing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Photo : Internet
Blackouts worsen in
Ukraine: fighting
rages on many fronts
KYIV : Relentless Russian attacks on energy
infrastructure prompted Ukrainian
authorities on Friday to announce
worsening blackouts around the country's
largest cities, with Kyiv's mayor warning
that the capital's power grid is working in
"emergency mode" with energy supplies
down as much as 50% from pre-war levels,
reports UNB.
Meanwhile, the Russian president sought
to dispel criticism of a chaotic call-up of
300,000 reservists for service in Ukraine by
ordering his defense minister to make sure
they're properly trained and equipped for
battle.
In the Kyiv region, as winter looms, the
latest damage to utilities will mean outages
of four or more hours a day, according to
Ukrenergo, the state operator of Ukraine's
high-voltage transmission lines.
But Kyiv regional Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba
warned "more severe and longer shutdowns
will be applied in the coming days."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy said power outages were affecting
about 4 million people across the country.
He said last week that 30% of Ukraine's
power stations had been destroyed since
Russia launched the first wave of targeted
infrastructure strikes on Oct. 10.
In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the
power grid was operating in "emergency
mode," adding that he hoped Ukrenergo
would find ways to address the shortage "in
two to three weeks."
The former boxing world champion also
said new air defense equipment has been
deployed in Kyiv to help defend itself
against Russian drone and missile attacks
on energy facilities. In the Kharkiv region,
home to Ukraine's second-largest city of the
same name, Gov. Oleg Syniehubov said
daily one-hour power outages would begin
Monday.
Officials across the war-torn country have
urged people to conserve by reducing
electricity consumption during peak hours
and avoiding the use of high-voltage
appliances.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir
Putin told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
that the thousands of reservists who were
recently called up need the right training
and equipment so "people feel confident
when they need to go to combat."
Shoigu told Putin that 82,000 reservists
had been deployed to Ukraine, while
218,000 others were still being trained. He
said there were no immediate plans to
round up more, but Putin's mobilization
order left the door open for a future military
call-up.
Putin's effort to beef up the number of troops
along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front
line followed recent setbacks, including a
Russian withdrawal from the Kharkiv region.
The mobilization, however, fueled scores of
protests in Russia and prompted hundreds of
thousands of men to flee the country.
Activists and reports by Russian media and
The Associated Press said many of the draftees
were inexperienced, were told to procure basic
items such as medical kits and flak jackets
themselves, and did not receive training before
they were sent off to fight. Some were killed
within days of being called up.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2022
8
Japan to spend $260 bn to
tackle inflation, weak yen
Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited inaugurated a stall at the US Trade show 2022 at the Pan Pacific
Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka on 27 October 2022. Mohammed Munirul Moula, Managing Director & CEO of
the Bank inaugurated the stall. Md. Maksudur Rahman, Senior Executive Vice President, Nazrul Islam,
Senior Vice President and A M Shahidul Amran, Senior Assistant Vice President along with executives
& officials of IBBL were present on the occasion. IBBL stall provides information about cellfin app, different
types of card, mCash, iBanking, investment and deposit products of the Bank. Photo : Courtesy
UoL degrees with London School of Economics' academic
direction, now at Universal College Bangladesh!
With the aim of providing
world-class affordable
education in Bangladesh,
Universal College Bangladesh
(UCB), the first Ministry of
Education approved
international education
provider in the country, has
partnered exclusively with
University of London (UoL)
for the launch of multiple
bachelor's degrees with
academic direction from the
most notable London School
of Economics (LSE), ranked
#3 globally for social sciences.
LSE's alumni and former staff
include 18 Nobel Prize winners
and 37 past or present Heads
of State; the legendary
institution also has 99.9/100
employability score on QS
Global University rankings,
says a press release..
With 100% curriculum and
testing from London School of
Economics, the offered
courses at UCB initially include
BSc Business and
Management, BSc Finance
and BSc Accounting and
Finance. Apart from
significant savings in tuition
fee, eligible students will get up
to 40% scholarship. Students
would also become part of an
elite global community of
100,000+ plus UoL alumni
across 200 countries.
A historic inauguration
event was held in this regard
on October 27, 2022, at the
state-of-the-art UCB campus
(SA Tower, 1 Gulshan Avenue
Dhaka-1212) with leading
dignitaries in attendance,
including Dr. Dipu Moni, MP,
Minister of Education, Mr.
Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury,
MP, Deputy Minister of
Education, Mr. Tipu Munshi,
MP, Minister of Commerce,
HE Mr. Robert Dickson, High
Commissioner of UK to
Bangladesh, Professor Wim A
Van der Stede, Dean, London
School of Economics Extended
Education and others.
Bob Kundanmal, Chairman,
STS Group, stated at the
launch, "This remarkable new
phase of international incountry
education has been
possible for STS Group due to
the blessing and support of the
Prime Minister of Bangladesh,
Ms. Sheikh Hasina. Her
foresight in permitting foreign
education is one of the stellar
pillars of her vision to assist
Bangladesh continue its highgrowth
trajectory and achieve
the 2041 high-income nation
goal, hand in hand with
sustainable development
goals."
Kundanmal also thanked
both the Minister of
Education, MP Dr. Dipu Moni,
and the Deputy Minister of
Education, MP Mr. Mohibul
Hasan Chowdhury, apart from
University
Grants
Commission, who all are key
architects in implementing the
now globally acclaimed
Strategic Plan for Higher
Education 2018-2030. The
plan showcases how global
affordable education in the
country would not only
provide invaluable options to
the more than 1 million
students graduating from
schools every year, but also -
and most importantly - allow
the girl child of the family
parity in access to such worldclass
options right at their
doorstep, an issue very close to
Dr. Dipu Moni's heart. No
doubt, given that Bangladesh
is one of the few nations where
the 165 million population has
more women than men, this
has the potential to become
nothing short of a case study
for other nations.
Universal College
Bangladesh is a part of STS
Group, Bangladesh's largest
private sector conglomerate in
healthcare and education,
operating the nation's leading
brands such as Evercare
Hospitals, DPS STS Schools
and International School
Dhaka (ISD), apart from an
upcoming keystone
international school project.
Last year, UCB created
history by introducing Monash
pathway programs in
Bangladesh wherein students
could undertake their Monash
degree journey right here in
Bangladesh (Monash
University is ranked #44 in the
prestigious Times Higher
Education ranking). This year,
UCB has beaten its own
benchmarks with the
introduction of London School
of Economics' academically
directed degrees.
These in-country
international programs bring
other significant advantages.
Mr. Zarif Munir, Senior
Managing Director, Boston
Consulting Group, and
Director at UCB, said in his
keynote speech, "Such
programs can potentially save
invaluable dollar reserves for a
nation that annually
repatriates close to
$4.5 billion on outward
tuition fee remittances (for
Bangladesh students studying
abroad)."
Such an exceptional
transformation of the
educational landscape by the
Prime Minister and her
respective Education
Ministers are not going
unnoticed. As commented by
Dr. Dipu Moni during the
UoL/LSE launch ceremony,
"This fast-growing nation is
now being viewed as a mostpreferred
destination for
global equity, global
institutions and global-skilled
manpower - key pillars for
Bangladesh's ongoing
thundering industrial
revolution."
Other speakers at the launch
ceremony mirrored this
compelling sentiment.
Professor Wim Van Der Stede,
Dean of Extended Education
at LSE, commented:
"Universal College Bangladesh
is now part of our global
network with access to the
world-leading LSE expertise.
Everything students learn on
the degree is designed,
directed and examined by LSE
faculty who are among the
world's leading social scientists
and researchers, ensuring that
graduates will have an indepth
understanding of their
subject areas and stand out to
employers when they enter the
job market. We are delighted
to be working with UCB to
offer these programmes in
Bangladesh."
The shareholders of DBH Finance PLC. (DBH) in its Extra-Ordinary General Meeting- 2022 (EGM) held
recently approved the amendment in the Memorandum and Articles of Association to operate shariahbased
financing under Islamic Financing Window. Nasir A Choudhury, Chairman presided over the meeting.
The meeting was attended by its directors; Mehreen Hassan Bar-at-law, Md. Mujibur Rahman, Moin
Uddin Ahmed, M. Anisul Haque FCMA, Anisur Rahman, Rahseda K. Choudhury, Maj. Gen. Syeed Ahmed
(Rtd.) and Managing Director & CEO Nasimul Baten. Jashim Uddin FCS, Company Secretary as well as the
general shareholders were also present.
Photo : Courtesy
TOKYO : Japan will spend $260
billion on a stimulus package to
cushion the economy from the
impact of inflation and the weak
yen, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
announced on Friday.
But the central bank is refusing to
budge from the ultra-loose policy
that has hammered the Japanese
currency this year, wiping out more
than 20 percent of its value against
the dollar.
The government hopes the 39
trillion yen in fiscal spending will
rise to 72 trillion when private sector
investments are taken into account,
Kishida said after ministers
approved an extra budget to partly
fund the relief measures, reports
BSS.
"We want to protect people's
livelihoods, employment and
businesses, while strengthening our
economy for the future," he told
reporters, adding that the move
should help push up GDP by 4.6
percent.
Prices are rising in Japan at their
fastest rate in eight years, although
the three-percent inflation rate
remains well below the sky-high
levels seen in the United States and
elsewhere.
Japan-which has one of the
world's highest debt-to-GDP ratioshas
already injected hundreds of
billions of dollars into its economy
over the past two years to support
recovery from the Covid-19
pandemic.
Friday's package, funded by a
special budget of $200 billion, will
include measures to encourage wage
growth and support households
with energy bills, which have spiked
since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"We'll aim to push down prices by
more than 1.2 percent next year by
lowering electricity bills by 20
percent and curbing gasoline
prices," Kishida said.
It is also designed to help people
and businesses affected by the
plummeting yen, currently at 147
against the dollar.
Japan spent nearly $20 billion in
September in an effort to curb the
yen's slide, and further expensive
government interventions have
reportedly taken place in recent
days.
The yen's steep falls have been
driven by the widening gap between
the monetary policies of the US and
Japanese central banks-with the
Bank of Japan keeping rates ultralow
to encourage sustainable
growth, while the Federal Reserve
ramps them up.
Following a two-day policy
meeting, the BoJ said it would keep
its easy-money policy, defying
growing pressure to tweak its
strategy as the yen drops.
Bank Governor Haruhiko Kuroda
said officials would stick to their
guns until prices rise "in a
sustainable manner", adding there
would be no change "any time
soon".
Kuroda declined to comment on
suspected currency interventions in
the past week, which the finance
ministry has not confirmed.
But "it is extremely important that
(forex rates) reflect economic
fundamentals, and move in a stable
manner", he told reporters.
"The recent depreciation of the
yen is rapid and unilateral," which is
"negative for the Japanese
economy", Kuroda said.
Ahead of the BoJ meeting, UBS
economists Masamichi Adachi and
Go Kurihara said that a mix of
continued easing by the central
bank and the government's stimulus
measures would be "optimal".
That is because Japan's inflation is
not demand-driven, but largely
down to soaring energy costs, they
explained in a commentary.
This view was echoed by Yoshiki
Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi
Life Research Institute.
"Japan's economy faces weak
demand due to price rises, in
contrast to the United States, where
demand is strong, with the Fed
trying to cool down inflation," he
told AFP.
"It's impossible that Japan would
hike rates to curb inflation, for this
reason."
The 115th Meeting of the Executive Committee of Modhumoti Bank Limited was held on Saturday,
29thOctober 2022 with assistance of Zoom technology. The meeting was presided by EC Chairman,
Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh. Among others, Managing Director of Sharmin Group Mohammad
Ismail Hossain, Chairman of Labib Group Salahuddin Alamgir, Chairman of Meghna Group Mostafa
Kamal, Director of Mona Financial Consultancy& Securities Ltd. Ahasanul Islam Titu MP, Director of
Bengal Group Humayun Kabir Bablu,Chairmanof Anwar Group Manwar Hossain and Managing Director
& CEO of the Bank Md. Shafiul Azam were present in the meeting.
Photo : Courtesy
EGM of DBH
Finance PLC.
held
The shareholders of DBH
Finance PLC. (DBH) in its
Extra-Ordinary General
Meeting- 2022 approved the
proposed insertion of the
necessary clauses in the
Memorandum and Articles of
Association of the company to
allow its proposed Shariahbased
Financing under
Islamic Financing Wing.
The approval was given at
the Extra-Ordinary General
Meeting (EGM) of the
company held recently by
using a digital platform with
its Chairman, Nasir A
Choudhury in the chair. The
meeting was attended by its
directors; Mehreen Hassan,
Bar-at-law, Md. Mujibur
Rahman, Moin Uddin
Ahmed, M. Anisul Haque,
FCMA, Anisur Rahman,
Rahseda K. Choudhury, Maj.
Gen. Syeed Ahmed (Rtd.),
Managing Director & CEO
Nasimul Baten, Company
Secretary Jashim Uddin, FCS,
as well as the general
shareholders.
In his speech, the chairman
of the company Nasir A
Choudhury welcomed the
general shareholders and
hoped that by conducting
shariah-compliant financing,
the company will be in a better
position to cater to the need of
mass customers.
The Managing Director &
CEO, Nasimul Baten thanked
all the stakeholders including
shareholders for their support
and hoped it will continue in
the future also.
US oil giants report
huge profits in tight
energy market
NEW YORK : A day after
blockbuster profits from
European
oil
heavyweights, US oil giants
ExxonMobil and Chevron
reported another round of
bumper earnings,
prompting fresh attention
from the White House.
ExxonMobil scored a
near tripling of thirdquarter
profits to $19.7
billion, a company record,
while Chevron profits
surged 84 percent to $11.2
billion.
The eye-popping reports
drew a new snipe from
President Joe Biden and
came on the heels of hefty
profits reported earlier this
week by TotalEnergies and
Shell that have reignited a
European debate on
windfall profits taxes.
The results show how the
surge in crude prices in the
aftermath of Russia's
invasion of Ukraine has
boosted the industry by
lifting crude prices, as well
as natural gas prices due to
Europe's mobilization to
offset lost natural gas
imports from Russia.
Another factor has been
elevated refining margins,
partly due to operational
woes at some plants, as
well as the shuttering of
some refineries during the
pandemic and repurposing
of other plants for
renewable fuel instead of
gasoline. The strong
refining margins have
translated into higher
gasoline prices, a major
point of focus in the
midterm US elections
roiled by rising inflation.
Prices at the pump stand
at a national average of
$3.76 per gallon, up about
11 percent from the yearago
level. Prices topped $5
in June, hitting an all-time
high.
Biden, who has
alternated between
slamming oil giants and
prodding them to boost
output, mocked a
comment
from
ExxonMobil Chief
Executive Daren Woods,
who defended the
industry's practice of
returning extra cash to
shareholders.
Woods, responding to
criticism that the industry
should return profits to the
American people, said
"that's exactly what we're
doing in the form of our
quarterly dividend,"
according to prepared
remarks Friday. Biden
rejected that argument.
"Can't believe I have to say
this but giving profits to
shareholders is not the
same as bringing prices
down for American
families," Biden tweeted.
Key US inflation
measure
maintains pace
in September
WASHINGTON : A key
measure of US inflation kept
its pace in September while
consumer spending
remained strong,
government data showed
Friday, fueling expectations
of a further interest rate hike
by the central bank next
week, reports BSS.
The latest data fails to
provide reprieve to
President Joe Biden or the
Federal Reserve, with price
pressures still elevated
ahead of key midterm
elections.
The Fed's preferred
inflation measure, the
personal consumption
expenditures (PCE) price
index, rose 6.2 percent from
a year ago in September, the
same rate as the month
before, Commerce
Department data showed.
While the index held
steady from August as well,
in line with expectations, a
measure removing the
volatile food and energy
components edged closer to
a multi-decade high.
Policymakers have been
battling to cool surging
inflation, worsened by
supply chain snarls and the
fallout from Russia's
invasion of Ukraine, which
sent food and energy prices
soaring globally.
The Fed focuses on the
PCE price index as it reflects
consumers' actual spending,
including shifts to lower cost
items, unlike the more wellknown
consumer price
index (CPI).

SUNDAY, oCtober 30, 2022
9
Manchester United's Antony (left) vowed to continue with his tricks after accusations he was 'showboating'
during his side's win over Sheriff tiraspol.
photo: Ap
'Neymar can make the difference for
Brazil:' Premier League star Willian
SportS DeSk
Opinion is often divided among football
followers when it comes to Neymar,
reports UNB.
Alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
at Barcelona from 2014-17, the forward
was part of a triumverate to rival the
game's most skilful and potent attacks.
They amassed a combined total of 363
goals, 173 assists and trophies aplenty
before Neymar was sold when Paris
Saint-Germain paid his €222 million
($221.3 million) buyout clause.
The transfer - and still a world record -
in 2017 has perhaps not been the success
story he, nor the club, envisaged.
While dominant in domestic
competition, the Qatari-owned French
side have yet to lift the Champions
League, despite an array of talent that
also includes Kylian Mbappe and Messi
Indonesian coach
apologises to
Malaysian shuttlers
over 'black and
white' remark
SportS DeSk
Indonesian badminton
coach Eng Hian has
apologised to Malaysian
badminton players Pearly
Tan and M Thinaah over his
"black and white" reference
to them when he was giving
instructions to his shuttlers
at the ongoing French Open
championship, reports
UNB.
In a video apology posted
on Twitter, the coach who
spoke in the Indonesian
language said he had no
intention to hurt the duo.
"With all humility, I
apologise to Pearly Tan and
M Thinaah. I had no
intention to upset the
Malaysian players.
"Once again, I apologise
for my words from the
bottom of my heart," the 45-
year-old coach said in the
clip posted on Twitter
account Rubber Game
Indonesia last night.
On Thursday, Eng Hian
was overheard referring to
Pearly and Thinaah as
"putih" (white) and "hitam"
(black) when he was giving
instructions to Indonesian
shuttlers Febriana Dwipuji
Kusuma-Amalia Cahaya
Pratiwi during a break.
The remark went viral on
social media after being
captured on television
during the French Open's
round of 16.
Yesterday, Pearly and
Thinaah advanced to the
semifinals of the French
Open, beating world
number three pair Nami
Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida
of Japan 15-21, 21-14, 21-14
at Stade Pierre de Coubertin,
Paris.
The Malaysians will face
South Koreans Baek Ha Na-
Lee So Hee today.
after his arrival from Barcelona in 2021,
and with Neymar's performance and
contribution questioned by critics.
And for Brazil; does Neymar's name
stand deservedly alongside the all-time
greats if he does not lead them to a World
Cup success? Despite his 75 international
goals - just two shy of the legendary Pele's
record mark - in 121 appearances, the 30-
year-old has only won gold at the 2016
Olympics with the national team in major
competitions.
Injury saw him miss out when Brazil
infamously lost the 2014 World Cup
semifinal to Germany 7-1 in their home
tournament, before they bowed out at the
quarter-final stage in Russia four years
later with defeat to Belgium.
At the Copa America, Willian replaced
the injured Neymar before the Selecao
won the 2019 tournament, and they lost
last year's final to Argentina last year even
with their talisman in their ranks.
But Willian, capped 70 times by his
country, has no doubt about Neymar's
quality or influence for club or country.
"Neymar is an unbelievable player, he
can make the difference for Brazil at any
time," he said. "From the first minute to
the last minute, he's a special player for
Brazil." The pressure, though, will be on
Neymar and Brazil at next month's
tournament in Qatar. Led by Tite - who
had brief spells at UAE sides Al-Ain and
Al-Wahda - Brazil are among the
favorites to win a sixth title, but a first
since 2002.
"I think the pressure is normal," added
Fulham midfielder Willian. "Brazil is a
huge country, a lot of history, already won
the World Cup five times, and just always
want to win.
eng Hian was overheard referring to pearly tan and M thinaah as 'putih'
(white) and 'hitam' (black) during a break in the match between the
Malaysian doubles pair and an Indonesian pair. photo: Ap
Qatar summons German
ambassador over minister's
World Cup comments
SportS DeSk
Qatar on Friday summoned Germany's
ambassador to protest comments made by a
minister casting doubt on whether the Gulf
state should host the football World Cup,
reports BSS.
Comments by German Interior Minister
Nancy Faeser were "unacceptable and
provocative" and required a "clarification",
Qatar's foreign ministry said.
A letter handed to the ambassador
highlighted Qatar's "complete rejection" of
Faeser's comments, who had been due to
visit Qatar on Monday.
The conservative Islamic state has faced
widespread criticism over its treatment of
migrant workers, as well as rights for the
LGBTQ community and women.
This is the first time a foreign ambassador
has been summoned over such comments.
Faeser, in an interview with the ARD
network aired Thursday, said that Qatar's
hosting of the World Cup next month was
"very tricky" for Germany.
She added: "There are criteria that must be
adhered to and it would be better that
tournaments are not awarded to such
states."
Faeser, in a statement released ahead of
her visit with the head of the German football
federation Bernd Neuendorf, said that rights
would be raised in talks.
"No World Cup takes place in a vacuum.
Human rights always apply everywhere -
and now the whole world is paying special
attention," Faeser said.
Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani said this week that his energy rich
country had been confronted by an
"unprecedented campaign" of "double
standards".
The country has highlighted widespread
reforms to its labour and industrial safety
record in recent years, that have been hailed
by international labour unions.
Rights groups have accused it of underreporting
deaths on construction sites over
the past decade, and have campaigned for
Qatar and football governing body FIFA to
set up a compensation fund for workers.
Australia this week became the first World
Cup team to release a statement on rights in
the host country highlighting the "suffering"
of workers.
Man Utd's
Antony says
his tricks are
'art' and will
carry on
SportS DeSk
Manchester United's Brazil
winger Antony vowed to
continue with his tricks after
accusations he was
"showboating" during his
side's 3-0 win over Sheriff
Tiraspol on Thursday, reports
UNB.
The 22-year-old who is
well-known for his flair
produced one incredible 720-
degree spin with the ball
seemingly glued to his left
foot during the Europa
League tie.
United manager Erik ten
Hag said he would "correct"
the player if his tricks were
"not functional" but in a post
on Instagram yesterday,
Antony said he would
continue to dazzle.
"We're known for our art
and I'm not going to stop
doing what got me where I
am," Antony, who features in
numerous showboating reels
on social media, said.
Antony's next touch
following his fancy footwork
was to knock the ball out of
play and ten Hag suggested
that his player needed to
concentrate more on the
basics.
"I don't have a problem
with tricks as long as it's
functional," said the
Dutchman, who also
managed Antony at Ajax
Amsterdam.
"I demand more from him -
more runs behind, more often
in the box and more playing
in the pocket.
"When there is a trick like
that, it's nice as long as it's
functional. If you're not losing
the ball, then it's OK - but if
it's a trick because of a trick,
then I will correct him."
Swiatek, Gauff
in same group
at WTA Finals
Sports Desk
World No 1 Iga Swiatek will
face American Coco Gauff in
a rematch of their French
Open final after the pair
were drawn in the same
group for the round-robin
stage of the WTA Finals that
will begin in Fort Worth,
Texas, on Monday, reports
UNB.
Roland Garros and US
Open champion Swiatek
(21) and Gauff (18) - the two
youngest players in the field
- were joined in the Tracy
Austin Group by Caroline
Garcia and Daria Kasatkina
following the draw for the
season-ending tournament.
Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, the
second-ranked player in the
world, topped the Nancy
Richey Group in which she
was joined by Jessica Pegula,
Maria Sakkari and Aryna
Sabalenka. The top two players
in each group will
progress to the semifinals,
which will be played on Nov
6. The final takes place the
following day.
Spaniard Garbine Muguruza
won the 2021 edition of
the WTA Finals in Guadalajara.
Women’s sport making
‘significant’ strides in
popularity, sponsors
World No 1 Iga Swiatek will join Coco Gauff, Carolina Garcia and Daria
kasatkina in the tracy Austin Group for the round-robin stage. photo: Ap
Phillies stun Astros 6-5 in Game 1 of World Series
SportS DeSk
SportS DeSk
The relentless Philadelphia Phillies
came back from a five-run deficit to
overcome favorites Houston Astros 6-5
on Friday, handing the home team
their first loss of the postseason in
Game 1 of the World Series, reports
UNB.
Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto
tied it up with a two-run double in the
fifth inning and launched a solo homer
to push Philadelphia over the top in the
10th.
"It's incredible. I'm just so thankful
for this opportunity," he said in a
televised interview after the game. "I
can't say enough about my team
mates... That's a Phillies win right
Women's soccer is making enormous strides in
sponsorship and popularity worldwide,
according to a new Fifa benchmarking report
that analysed 294 clubs across 30 leagues.,
reports UNB
Clubs included in the report saw year-overyear
commercial revenue growth of 33% and
"strong growth" in merchandise sales, while
more than three-quarters of leagues surveyed
had a title sponsor in 2022, compared to 66% a
year ago.
"The data in this year's report underscores
that organisations that are prepared to invest in
women's football are receiving a return," Sarai
Bareman, Fifa's chief women's football officer,
said in a statement.
"We expect this will only increase as more
SportS DeSk
Manchester United
manager Erik ten Hag
believes Cristiano Ronaldo is
still capable of scoring over
20 goals a season despite
limiting the 37-year-old's
game time so far this season,
reports BSS.
Ronaldo was dropped
from the United squad for
last weekend's 1-1 draw at
Chelsea after refusing to
come on as a substitute four
days previously in a 2-0 win
over Tottenham.
The performance against
Spurs was hailed as the best
of Ten Hag's reign so far and
further evidence that United
are a better team without the
presence of the five-time
Ballon d'Or winner.
But Ronaldo made a
goalscoring return to the
starting line-up for
Thursday's 3-0 Europa
League win over Sheriff
Tiraspol.
The Portuguese now has
three goals in 13
appearances in all
competitions this season.
But Ten Hag did not rule
out the prospect of him
matching his 24 goals last
season.
"It's up to him," said Ten
Hag. "But I think when you
collect all the chances he
creates, the team creates for
him in the last weeks, you
see he's still capable to get in
the right positions and I
know he's still capable of
finishing them so it's
possible."
Ronaldo has made just
two Premier League starts
under Ten Hag with the vast
majority of his minutes
coming in the Europa
League.
But the former Ajax boss
rejected the suggestion he is
using Europe's second-tier
competition as a way of
giving Ronaldo the time on
the pitch he craves.
"I don't have a Europe
team and I don't have a
Premier League team," Ten
Hag added.
"I look to the opponent,
what we need against such
opponent. Now I have to
focus on West Ham United
for Sunday.
"Then we will pick the
team to start but also to have
plan B or plan C in the
there."
It was a remarkable reversal of
fortune for the Astros after a pair of
homers from slugger Kyle Tucker and
an RBI single from Martin Maldonado
gave them what should have been
plenty of cushion heading into the
fourth inning.
But the Houston offense could only
watch helplessly as nine-time All-Star
pitcher Justin Verlander, who had
appeared rock solid through the first
three innings, unraveled on the mound
and their lead evaporated.
"I need to do better. No excuses," said
Verlander.
"I just need to execute pitches better.
I felt like I had some guys in good
situations and just wasn't able to quite
clubs and leagues, as well as broadcasters and
partners, truly recognise the unique growth
opportunity that exists in women's football."
She added Fifa had seen "significant
developments and milestones" in the women's
sport since launching its women's football
strategy four years ago.
With the 2023 women's World Cup less than
nine months away, Fifa has everything to gain
from the growing popularity in the women's
sport.
The body's Chief Business Officer Romy Gai
said last week it had rejected a number of bids
for the quadrennial's broadcasting rights for
being too low, after a 2019 report showed that
1.12 billion viewers tuned into the last
tournament.
The 2023 World Cup begins in July in
Australia and New Zealand.
Ronaldo still capable of
being prolific for Man
Utd - Ten Hag
pocket to win that game.
"That's what we need
finally, to win games, and
therefore we not only need
11 players, we need the
whole squad."
After a disastrous start to
his time in charge, there
have been positive signs of
United's improvement
under Ten Hag in recent
weeks.
But they have often failed
to make their dominance of
the game count in the
scoreline in a run of two
wins from their last five
league games.
"To develop the team takes
time," said Ten Hag. "You
can't go from zero to 100.
"You have to construct it
from downstairs - you need
the foundation before you go
to the top, to the roof.
"Unfortunately it takes
time and I don't have time.
I'm really the most
impatient, but I have to be.
It's quite clear.
"Now we have to do also
more on developing our
attacking game but also
that's the most difficult part
so it takes even more time."
make the pitches that I wanted to. A lot
of credit to them as a lineup."
The Astros had a chance to close it
out in the ninth when Jeremy Pena
whacked one to right field with Jose
Altuve on second base, but Nick
Castellanos hustled to the ball and sent
the game to the extra inning with a
brilliant sliding grab. "How long did we
have the lead for the game, 15 minutes?
Sometimes that's all you need," said
Castellanos, who recorded an RBI
single and ran home along with Bryce
Harper courtesy of an Alec Bohm
double in the fourth inning.
"I knew that I was going to do
everything I could not to let it drop."
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is
set for Saturday in Houston.

sUNdAY, OcTOBER 30, 2022
10
Mim envisions another ‘sold
out’ experience with ‘Damal’
Bidya Sinha Mim has, of late, established
herself as one of the most successful and
busiest actresses in the Bangladeshi film
industry, reports UNB.
Although Mim has multiple commercially
successful films to her name, she has earned
special accolades from moviegoers for her
brilliant performance in the film 'Poran'.
On Friday, the popular actress is
appearing on the big screen yet again with
her new film 'Damal', another Raihan Rafi
directorial, based on the story of the
Swadhin Bangla Football Team.
Written by eminent cultural
personality Faridur Reza Sagar,
'Damal' is showcasing an ensemble cast
of acclaimed artistes, including Siam
Ahmed, Shariful Razz, Intekhab
Dinar and Shahnaz Sumi, alongside
the female lead Mim.
While speaking, Mim, visibly
excited about her new film, shared
her journey with 'Damal' and said
that each new movie adds a
different experience to her
portfolio.
"My newest film 'Damal'
portrays the story of a football
team during the Liberation War
of Bangladesh, and I appeared as
a simple yet flamboyant village
girl named Hasna. The
experience was challenging like
my every other film, and the
audience will be the one to
demonstrate whether my
efforts were praiseworthy or
not," Mim said.
Speaking on 'Poran's
overwhelming response,
Mim said that she thinks
the movie has brought
her closer to the
audience.
"The unbelievable amount of praise I
received for 'Poran' from our beloved
audience, has inspired me and
increased my courage. The experience
of houseful shows and 'sold-out'
responses were totally new
experiences.
"People even called me for the
tickets of both 'Poran' and now
'Damal,' and these are really
noteworthy for me as an actress,
and I would request the
audience to buy tickets in
advance as tickets may run
out this time as well," Mim
said.
About Damal, Mim said
that the film will continue
proving the fact that the
current filmmakers are
thinking differently and
bringing a refreshingly new
era to the country's cinema
industry.
Advance ticket sale of
Damal has begun at many
places in the country,
including Dhaka. The
number of regular shows
has also increased in
multiplexes.
Produced by Impress
Telefilms, 'Damal' will be
showcased on single
screens and multiplexes
across the country. All
five branches of Star
Cineplex in the capital
are scheduled to run
16 shows on the first
day, while a total of
17 shows are slated
from second day
onwards.
Rihanna likely to sing in Black
Panther Wakanda Forever film
Marvel's next offering, Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever, is set to be released
later this year. On Wednesday, in the
run up to the release, Marvel
Entertainment released a very brief and
mysterious announcement regarding
the film, teasing with an 'R' logo from
the film's title, adding that the mystery
will be revealed in two days' time.
However, fans are convinced this refers
to a possible Rihanna song in the film's
soundtrack. On Wednesday morning,
Marvel Entertainment's official
Instagram page shared a small video
where the film's title forms on a black
background, following which the R from
the Forever comes to the centre in large
font. Beneath is the date 10.28.22
(October 28, 2022). The post was
simply captioned, "Wakanda Forever,"
preceded by an eyes emoji.
While the post itself did not reveal
much, fans took this as a confirmation
of the rumours that Rihanna was to
perform a song for the film's
soundtrack. There had been rumours of
the pop star doing a song for the first
Black Panther film when that had
released back in 2018. The rumours
returned last week after a few outlets
reported that Rihanna had recorded a
song for the sequel.
In response to the teaser
announcement, many fans seemed to be
convinced that it was indeed about
Rihanna. "It's about time RiRi does this
film," commented one fan. Another
wrote, "Academy Award-winner
Rihanna is in the house!" Many others,
however, were confused if the
announcement was a reference to the
film being rated-R. It is highly unlikely
that Wakanda Forever would be R-rated
given that the Marvel Cinematic
Universe has an aversion to such films
that don't reach out to wider audiences.
Wakanda Forever sees a new Black
Panther take over the mantle from
T'Challa. Chadwick Boseman, the actor
who played the role in the first film, died
in 2020 after a long battle with cancer.
The film also brings a new threat to
the Marvel universe - Namor the
submariner played by Mexican actor
Tenoch Huerta.
Source: Collider
Habib Wahid, Imran
collaborate in ‘Boka Mon’
TBT REPORT
Renowned musician Habib Wahid
has lent his voice in a song composed
by popular singer Imran. This is the
first the two collaborated with each
other.
The song titled "Boka Mon" is
penned by Rajat. The music video of
the song is expected to release soon.
"The song was being planned for a
long time. After sending the first tune
of the song, Ostad (Habib Wahid) liked
it, and agreed to sing for me. This is a
big achievement for me. I am truly
blessed to have composed a song for
the person, who inspired me in my
musical journey. It feels like one of the
highlights of my 14-year music career,"
Imran told the media.
"Around 2010, I used to rush from
Fakir Hazrat Shah:
A popular lyricist
of the time
TBT REPORT
Fakir Hazrat Shah, the popular lyricist of
the time, has shown his strong position as
a lyricist in a very short time. In just three
years, this lyricist has released more than
fifty songs in his own voice.
Fakir Hazrat Shah was born in
Sirajganj district, grew up in Natore and
Rajshahi, later he started living
permanently in Dhaka from 2001.
Hazrat Shah learned to play the
harmonium by his own efforts at a young
age, later he took his first music lesson
from Pir Khwaja Abdur Rahman Chishti.
Later, he came to Dhaka and learned
modern music from Prosenjit. Fakir
Hazrat Shah started his musical journey
by the hand of National Film Award
winning composer Plaban Qureshi.
Jatrabari to his studio to sing his
jingles, to meet him up close, to learn a
little from him. Today, after 12 years, it
This man made his debut as a lyricist in
the market with a song written by himself
titled Doi Nayaner Alo, the song was sung
by popular vocalist Kamruzzaman Rabbi.
Fakir Hazrat Shah started working in
the media in 2019 has more than fifty
original songs released so far. The songs
are sung by popular singers Dilruba
Khan, Plaban Qureshi, Kazi Shubo, Laila,
Kamruzzaman Rabbi, Suman Bappi,
Eman Khan, Shamim Ashiq, SM Sohail,
Shakeel, Parvez, Fakir Shahabuddin,
Raju Mondal, Pijit Mahajan, Jahangir
Deepika Padukone says Katrina
Kaif ‘is up to no good’as they
work out together
Deepika Padukone took to Instagram
and shared a clip while performing aerial
yoga at her gym. The video was recorded
by Katrina Kaif. Deepika shared that
Katrina was not in a mood to join her
and chose to shoot the video. Along with
fans, Varun Dhawan and Ishaan Khatter
reacted to the video.
In the video, an aerial yoga swing
hammock can be seen hanging in the air.
It was moving as Deepika sat inside it
and used 'Eye of the Tiger' song by
Survivor on the clip as Katrina shot her
video in the gym.
Sharing the video on Instagram Reels,
Deepika wrote, "Me working really hard
in the gym! (bicep emoji). Meanwhile
@katrinakaif upto no good (filming)
me…" Actors Varun Dhawan
commented, "Hahahaa" and Ishaan
Khatter wrote, "The mummy returns
(ghost emoji)."
Reacting to the video, one person
commented, "You and Kat are gym
buddies??? Omg." Another person
wrote, "Can you guys do a film together
or it is too much to ask for" Other person
commented, "What you and KAT?? like
this gonna break internet (heart
emojis)." Many people expressed their
desire to see a picture of Katrina and
Deepika together someday.
Deepika is now gearing up for Pathaan
with Shah Rukh Khan, which will release
in theatres on January 25, 2023. She is
currently working on Project K alongside
Prabhas. She has also signed Fighter
with Pathaan director Siddharth Anand
in the pipeline. This will mark hers and
Hrithik Roshan's first collaboration.
Katrina will be next seen in Phone
Bhoot alongside Ishaan Khatter and
Siddhant Chaturvedi, where she will
essay the character of a ghost. The film is
slated to release on November 4, 2022.
She also has Tiger 3 with Salman Khan
and Merry Christmas with Vijay
Sethupathi. She also has Jee Le Zaraa
with Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra.
Source: Hindustan Times
is a great achievement for me to be able
to compose music for him," he added.
Recently, Imran voiced for the song
"Mon Posh Manena" for the film
"Damal", which garnered much
appreciation from the audience.
Meanwhile, Habib Wahid sang the
song "Abhimani Roddur" for the film
"Operation Sundarban".
Sarkar, Baul Akaid 'Irsha Papri' and
many more.
Apart from this, the list of unreleased
songs includes 'Bohurupi Bondhu' and
'Bishwa Harami' in Laila's voice Dilruba
Khan with 'Swargiyo Prem' and 'Hoychi
Nilam'. 'Ashimer Kolpona' in Plaban
Qureshi's voice. 'Beche Thakar Bakaron'
in the voice of Sabbir Nasir and Shampa
Biswas. 'Sorbonasha Piriti' in the voice of
Kazi Shubo and 'Mane Mane Bhabi Kata'
in the voice of Irsha Papri.
Popular songs written and composed
by Hazrat Shah include 'Bhanga Mon'
'Valobasaar Naam Nebona Mukeh' 'Ami
Sotto Shuni Sotto Dekhi' 'Bhul Nilame
Bikaiyachi Mon' Jaat Bichere Hoyna
Piriti 'Amar Ostitto' 'Prem Mule Sob Fapi'
'Bhul' and Seyan Pakhi is one of them.
When asked, Fakir Hazrat Shah said, I
don't have any dreams about music, I
transform my dreams into songs, I am a
spiritual person in my personal life.
Music is associated with my life, till my
last breath I want to associate my life with
music. I want to sit on one stage with the
message of harmony through music,
sense of life, human love, humanity and
hundreds of different paths.
H O R O s c O P E
ARIEs
Some close friends could turn you on to a new
interest or perhaps a group you might want to join.
Intellectual stimulation through those closest to
you could open the way to new plans and
innovations. You might want to try combining artistic interests
with technology, Aries, perhaps expanding your knowledge of
photography, computer graphics, or filmmaking. Success and good
fortune through such activities are strongly indicated.
TAURUs
Sudden, unexpected news could arrive
today, perhaps by mail or phone. You
could host a virtual group meeting of
some kind. A lot of exciting information
and stimulating conversation could take
place, Taurus, bringing fresh ideas that spark new
interests. Expect a very busy but productive day,
looking ahead toward the future rather than back
toward the past.
GEMINI
Short journeys in your neighborhood,
perhaps connected with a group you're
associated with, could take up a lot of
your time today, Gemini. Fascinating
and stimulating emails or calls could
arrive. Books and magazine articles could provide
information that sends you in a new direction in
some way. Write down your ideas! You will want to
remember them all.
cANcER
Technology could pave the way for you to
greatly increase your income, possibly
through new skills or investments. This is
likely to be a very positive development,
setting the stage for future financial success. Some
unusual, interesting dreams could come your way,
bringing unexpected revelations about you and your past
- and possibly your future. Write them down! They could
hold important messages for you from your higher self.
LEO
A surprising revelation, either from
within or from sources like books, the
Internet, or communications from others
could set you in an entirely new direction.
You will have an increased sense of freedom, as well as
a clearer and more progressive outlook. You might
consider some pretty heavy changes in your life, Leo,
but don't make any final decisions or arrangements
today. Wait before putting your ideas into action.
VIRGO
Discoveries made through occult sciences
such as astrology or numerology could
see you embrace some rather
revolutionary ideas about yourself, the
world, and life. You could become involved with a
group associated with metaphysical studies or take an
online class or workshop of some kind. This could
mean a new direction for you in some way, Virgo. It
might greatly enhance your life and thinking.
LIBRA
Sudden lucky breaks could come your
way today, Libra, possibly through
friends or groups with which you're
involved. A long-term goal you've been
working toward might bring unexpected but
wonderful results. Virtual group activities,
particularly those involving social or political issues,
could take up a lot of your time. This promises to be
a busy, productive day. Expect the unexpected!
scORPIO
Today you might feel the desire to break
free from your daily routine, Scorpio,
particularly regarding career matters.
You might consider developing a
business of your own, one that would give you a lot
more freedom than you currently have. This is a good
day to start looking into it. You might find that there are
more possibilities out there than you expected.
sAGITTARIUs
A sudden and unexpected opportunity
to take a journey by air could come your
way today, Sagittarius. This might be
something you've wanted for a long
time finally manifesting. Certainly, adventure is in the
air, although it might be mental adventure as much as
physical. Some information could come your way that
catapults you into a new and exciting field of interest.
This promises to be a thoroughly stimulating day.
cAPRIcORN
Technology could pave the way for you to
greatly increase your income, possibly
through new skills or investments. This is
likely to be a very positive development,
setting the stage for future financial success. Some
unusual, interesting dreams could come your way,
bringing unexpected revelations about you and your past
- and possibly your future. Write them down! They could
hold important messages for you from your higher self.
AQUARIUs
The unexpected need to take a journey
by air or spend a lot of time working
could bring about an inconvenient
separation from your partner. While the
reasons for this situation and the projected outcome
are very positive, it can cause a temporary upset in
your relationship. Don't worry about it. The upset will
pass, particularly when the desired results are
attained. Concentrate on the matter at hand.
PIscEs
Is your workplace upgrading its
equipment? Are you in the process of
increasing your technology skills?
Today's planets show that success and advancement
through technology are definitely in the offing for
you, Pisces. If you've been thinking about purchasing
a computer, do it today if you can. Whatever your
goals, you can harness current innovations to help
them along. Give it some thought!

sUnDAY, OCTOBer 30, 2022
11
FM, former
ambassadors
pay tribute to
Bangabandhu
DHAKA : Foreign Minister
AK Abdul Mome along with
former ambassadors has
paid tributes at the
mausoleum of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Foreign Minister Dr
Momen and the members of
the Association of Former
BCS (FA) Ambassadors
(AOFA) paid their respects
by placing a wreath at the
grave of the Father of the
Nation at Tungipara in
Gopalganj on Saturday.
Ambassador-at-Large
Mohammad Ziauddin and
Foreign Secretary Masud
Bin Momen were presentat
the event.
Later, they offered a
special doa seeking eternal
peace for the departed souls
of Bangabandhu and his
martyred family members.
Among others, AOFA
President Shamsher Mobin
Chowdhury, Secretary
General Abdullah Al Hasan
and officials of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs were
present on the occasion.
Heat waves cost poor
countries the most,
exacerbating inequality
WASHINGTON : Heat
waves, intensified by climate
change, have cost the global
economy trillions of dollars in
the last 30 years, a study
published Friday found, with
poor countries paying the
steepest price, reports UNB.
And those lopsided
economic effects contribute
to widening inequalities
around the world, according
to the research.
"The cost of extreme heat
from climate change so far
has been disproportionately
borne by the countries and
regions least culpable for
global warming," Dartmouth
College professor Justin
Mankin, one of the authors of
the study published in the
journal Science Advances,
told AFP. "And that's an
insane tragedy."
"Climate change is playing
out on a landscape of
economic inequality, and it is
acting to amplify that
inequality," he said.
Periods of extreme heat
cost the global economy
about $16 trillion dollars
between 1992 and 2013, the
study calculated.
But while the richest
countries have lost about 1.5
percent of their annual per
capita GDPs dealing with
heat waves, poorer countries
have lost about 6.7 percent of
their annual per capita GDPs.
The reason for that
disparity is simple: poor
countries are often situated
closer to the tropics, where
temperatures are warmer
anyway. During heat waves,
they become even hotter.
The study comes just days
ahead of the start of the
COP27 climate summit in
Egypt, where the question of
compensation for countries
which are disproportionately
vulnerable to but least
responsible for climate
change is expected to be one
of the key topics.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman and Vice President of Yunnun
University, China Prof. Dr. Hu Jinming signed an agreement virtually on behalf of their respective
university yesterday to strengthen joint collaborative academic and research programs between the
two universities.
Photo : Courtesy
Benjir, Panir made Dhaka district
AL president, secretary
DHAKA : Incumbent President Benjir
Ahmed and Organizing Secretary
Paniruzzaman Tarun of Dhaka district
Awami League (AL) have been elected as
president and general secretary respectively
of the unit for the next three years.
AL General Secretary and Road Transport
and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader
announced the names of the leaderships this
afternoon at the second session of the
triennial council of the Dhaka district unit of
AL at the old world trade fair ground in the
city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Before declaring the names of the newly
elected leaders, he addressed the council as
the chief guest with Benjir Ahmed in the
chair.
Earlier, the council was inaugurated led by
AL Presidium Member Advocate Qamrul
Islam at 2 pm amid the playing of the
national anthem.
Marking the much anticipated council, AL
leaders and activists were seen enthusiastic
and they joining the event with processions
from different units of the Dhaka district AL.
Thousands of party leaders and activists
thronged the council ground much before
the scheduled time.
They were seen chanting slogan favoring
the ruling party leaders and government
achievements with different kinds of
banners and festoons imprinted with
pictures of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Leaders and activists of seven units,
including Dhamrai Upazila, Savar Upazila,
Ashulia Thana, Keraniganj Upazila,
Keraniganj Model Thana, Dohar Upazila and
Nababganj Upazila of Dhaka district Awami
League (AL) joined the council to make it a
success.
Intruder attacks Pelosi's
husband, calling,
'Where is Nancy'
SAN FRANCISCO : The husband of House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was attacked and
severely beaten with a hammer by an
assailant who broke into the couple's San
Francisco home early Friday, searching for
the Democratic leader and shouting,
"Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?"
The assault on the 82-year-old Paul
Pelosi injected new uneasiness into the
nation's already toxic political climate, just
11 days before the midterm elections. It
carried chilling echoes of the Jan. 6, 2021,
insurrection at the Capitol, when rioters
chanted menacingly for the speaker as they
rampaged through the halls trying to halt
certification of Joe Biden's victory over
Donald Trump, reports UNB.
Speaker Pelosi, who was in Washington
at the time of the California attack, arrived
in San Francisco late Friday. Her
motorcade was seen arriving at the hospital
where her husband was being treated for
his injuries.
"This was not a random act. This was
intentional. And it's wrong," said San
Francisco Police Chief William Scott.
At an evening news conference, Scott
hailed a 911 dispatcher's work - after Paul
Pelosi called for help - as "lifesaving." The
chief appeared to hold back tears, his voice
breaking at times, as he strongly rejected
violence in politics.
"Our elected officials are here to do the
business of their cities and their counties
and their states. Their families don't sign up
for this," Scott said. "Everybody should be
disgusted about what happened this
morning."
Forty-two-year-old David DePape was
arrested on suspicion of attempted murder,
elder abuse and burglary, and remained in
the hospital late Friday, police said. Paul
Pelosi underwent surgery to repair a skull
fracture and serious injuries to his right
arm and hands, and his doctors expect a full
recovery, the speaker's office said.
Biden quickly called Speaker Pelosi with
support and later delivered a full-throated
condemnation of the "despicable" attack
that he said had no place in America.
"There's too much violence, political
violence. Too much hatred. Too much
vitriol," Biden said Friday night at a
Democratic rally in Pennsylvania.
"What makes us think it's not going to
corrode the political climate? Enough is
enough is enough."
Senate Republican leader Mitch
McConnell tweeted he was "horrified and
disgusted" by the assault.
The nation's political rhetoric has become
increasingly alarming, with ominous
threats to lawmakers at an all-time high.
The House speaker and other congressional
leaders are provided 24-hour security, and
increasingly more other members now
receive police protection. This, as crime and
public safety have emerged as top issues for
voters in the election.
In San Francisco on Friday, police were
called at about 2.30 a.m. to the Pelosi
residence to check on Paul Pelosi, said
Scott.
Scott confirmed that the intruder gained
entry through the rear door of the home,
which is in the upscale Pacific Heights
neighborhood. Investigators believe the
intruder broke through glass-paneled
doors, according to two people familiar
with the situation.
Paul Pelosi called 911 himself after telling
the intruder he had to use the restroom,
where his phone was charging, according to
another person familiar with the situation
and granted anonymity to discuss it. The
person said the intruder confronted the
speaker's husband shouting, "Where is
Nancy?" Scott said the dispatcher figured
out there was "something more" than she
was being told, resulting in a priority
dispatch and faster police response. "I think
this was lifesaving," he noted.
India to contribute $500,000
to UN to counter terrorism
NEW DELHI : India will contribute half a million dollars to the
United Nations' efforts to counter global terrorism as new and
emerging technologies used by terror groups pose fresh threats
to governments around the world, the foreign minister said on
Saturday, reports BSS.
The money will go toward the UN Trust Fund for Counter
Terrorism and will further strengthen the organization's fight
against terrorism, S Jaishankar said as he addressed a special
meeting of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee in New Delhi.
This is the first time such a conference, focused on challenging
threats posed by terror groups in the face of new technologies,
is being held outside of the UN's headquarters in New York.
Jaishankar said new technologies, like encrypted messaging
services and blockchain, are increasingly being misused by
terror groups and malicious actors, sparking an urgent need for
the international community to adopt measures to combat the
threats. "Internet and social media platforms have turned into
potent instruments in the toolkit of terrorist and militant groups
for spreading propaganda, radicalization and conspiracy
theories aimed at destabilizing societies," he said in his keynote
address.
VP Harris to replace
Biden at last of three
Asia summits
WASHINGTON : Vice
President Kamala Harris
will represent the United
States next month in
Bangkok in the third in a trio
of Asian summits, the White
House confirmed Friday, as
President Joe Biden returns
for his granddaughter's
wedding, reports UNB.
Biden will travel on
November 11 to the annual
UN climate conference in
Egypt before heading to the
East Asia Summit in
Cambodia and the Group of
20 in Bali, the White House
said.
But he will not attend the
summit of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum taking place
in the Thai capital on
November 18-19.
Harris will attend instead
and travel afterward to the
Philippines, a longtime US
ally, with her husband, Doug
Emhoff.
The White House said in a
statement that her visit
would "re-affirm and
strengthen the US-
Philippines Alliance and
underscore the breadth of
our cooperation as friends,
partners and allies."
The United States is
hoping for a smooth
relationship with President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after
rough patches with his
abrasive predecessor,
Rodrigo Duterte.
724 people were jailed during the 22-day hilsa protection campaign in Barishal. Photo : TBT
GD-1744/22 (5x4)
Karnaphuli tunnel project
is coming to an end
(From front page)
However, the claim of the families affected
by the construction of the tunnel is that
many of the claimants (owners) of the
acquired land are at a standstill in the
country during the Corona period, and many
are in exile, and due to the fact that legal
proceedings are pending in the court
regarding the actual ownership and false BS
records, and neither the boys nor the girls are
appointed as parents. As a result of various
complications including problems,
compensation money for many lands cannot
be withdrawn yet. Also, due to various
complications, including being at a standstill
for two and a half years due to Covid-19, onethird
of the land owners have not been able
to collect the compensation money. As a
result, they think that at least 600 families
will be affected by such a decision of the
authorities.
Meanwhile, since the release of the
authority's notification, the affected families
have been in contact with the local chairmen
and concerned UP members. They have
approached the project authorities, district
administrators, UNO, local MPs and land
ministers to ensure the fair rights of the land
owners.
WASHINGTON : President Joe Biden will
make a week-long, three country trip next
month for a quartet of summits-including one
that could potentially put him in the same
room as China's Xi Jinping and Russia's
Vladimir Putin, reports UNB.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-
Pierre announced Friday that Biden will first
travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Nov. 11 for
the COP 27 climate conference before heading
to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to participate in
the U.S.-ASEAN Summit of Southeast Asian
leaders and the East Asia Summit. He'll then
head to Bali, Indonesia for the Group of 20
summit, a gathering of leaders from most of
the world's largest economies.
The president's overseas travel begins just
days after the pivotal midterm elections in the
United States, which will determine which
party controls the House and Senate.
The G-20 summit could also offer Biden his
first opportunity as president to meet face-toface
with his Chinese counterpart, Xi, and
potentially puts him in the same room with
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi
Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin
Bairag Union Chairman Nowab Ali told
The Bangladesh Today that since 1980 many
properties in the area were acquired for
various projects including CUFL Kafco,
KEPZ, China Economic Zone, gas line,
power line. However, since the affected
landowners did not get proper
compensation and lost their property, many
of them became destitute. At present, at least
600 families have not received
compensation for the construction of a
tunnel under the Karnaphuli river. "We
doubt it will. So we are appealing to the
concerned authorities including our minister
to extend the time for at least one more
year."
In this regard, Harunur Rashid
Chowdhury, the project director of the
tunnel, told The Bangladesh Today, "We
cannot sit on this issue as our project is
ending. They are stuck due to various
complications and now we cannot be
accommodated due to this. We have to
finish the work within a certain time limit.
We have worked several times through
miking and our appointed agencies to
ensure that no one is harmed. However, we
will try to ensure that people get the
compensation properly.
Biden to head to Cambodia, Egypt,
Indonesia for summits
Salman. The prince, who often is referred to
by his initials MBS, is the de facto leader of the
oil rich kingdom.
Putin, Xi and MBS have yet to announce
their travel plans.
Biden and Xi travelled together in the U.S.
and China when both were vice presidents
and have held several calls since Biden
became president in January 2021. But the
U.S.-China relationship has become
increasingly fraught.
The U.S. president has taken China to task
for human rights abuses against the Uyghur
and other ethnic minorities, squelching
democracy activists' voices in Hong Kong,
coercive trade practices, its military
provocations against democratic, self-ruled
Taiwan and differences over Russia's
prosecution of its eight-month -old war
against Ukraine
Xi's government, meanwhile, has criticized
the Biden administration's posture toward
Taiwan-which Beijing looks to eventually
unify with communist mainland China- as
undermining China's sovereignty and
territorial integrity.

Sunday, Dhaka : october 30, 2022; Kartik 14, 1429 BS; rabi-us-Sani 3 , 1444 Hijri
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday addressing a massive anti-government
rally in rangpur.
Photo : Star Mail
Hilsa fishing
resumes as
22-day govt
ban ends
DHAKA : Hilsa catching, selling and transportation
resumed on Saturday after a government
ban for 22 days.
A total of 600 maunds of Hilsa came to
Chandpur's Bara Station Fish Ghat, the
biggest Hilsa market of the country, from
Hatia, Bhola, Charfasion and other coastal
areas on trawlers and ships since Saturday
morning, A Bari Jamadar Manik, President
of the Chandpur Fisheries Association, told
UNB Chandour correspondent.
Besides, Hilsa from the confluence of the
Padma and the Meghna rivers in Chandpur
also arrived at the market in small amounts.
Visiting the market, UNB found that most
of the Hilsa weighted 800 g to 900 g. A 900g
Hilsa fish was selling at Tk 900, while 1kg
and 2kg Hilsa were selling at a rate of Tk
1,100 to Tk 1,500.
Many people were seen buying fresh Hilsa
and sending them off to various places
across the country.
"I'm taking around 50-60 maunds of Hilsa
to Jamalpur via Karwan Bazar, Tongi,
Baipail and Gazipur on my truck," said
Azizul Haque, a truck driver.
The 22-day government ban on hilsa
catching, selling, hoarding and transporting
came into effect on October 7, with a view to
boosting its production.
JS goes into 20th
session today
DHAKA : The 20th session of the 11th Jatiya
Sangsad will begin at 4.30pm today.
Earlier, President Md Abdul Hamid convened
the session exercising the power
bestowed upon him as per the Clause (1) of
Article 72 of the Constitution.
The nineteenth session of 11th parliament
was prorogued on September 1 after five sittings.
A total of 228 treasury and opposition
bench lawmakers delivered their addresses
during the session. A total of three bills were
passed in the session.
Along with the legal procedure, a total of
37 important notices under section 71 of the
rules of procedure were received.
A total of 37 questions were available for
the prime minister's question and answer
session where only 15 questions were
answered by the prime minister during the
session. Two proposals were accepted and
adopted after they were widely discussed
under section 147 of the rules of procedure.
BNP MPs ready to resign; Govt must
go for credible election:Fakhrul
RANGPUR : BNP Secretary General Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said
MPs from his party are ready to resign from
the current parliament as their main goal is
to restore democracy by ousting the Awami
League government.
"We would like to straightly say that no
election will be held in the country under
Sheikh Hasina and without a caretaker government.
Our only demand is the resignation
of this regime." He told a massive antigovernment
rally in Rangpur.
The BNP leader said the government
must dissolve the parliament.
"Our MPs Harun, Rumeen and Zahid are
ready to resign (from parliament) as per the
directive of the party. The government must
hand over power to a caretaker government
which will form a new Election Commission
and a fresh election will be held under it," he
said.
He said a national government will be
formed after a credible election to repair the
state, economy and politics that have been
destroyed by the current government.
As part of the party's planned rallies at
division level, the Rangpur city unit BNP
organised the programme on Rangpur
Collector Eidgah ground.
Thousands of leaders and activists of the
BNP and its associate bodies joined the
rally, defying a transport strike.
An adequate number of police and other
BHOLA : Huge hilsa netted from the
Meghna estuary have flooded the ghats,
mokams and wholesale fish markets of
the district.
Fishermen resumed fishing since last midnight
as the 22-day ban on catching, selling,
transportation and hoarding of the delicious
hilsa ends on Friday midnight.
Like previous years, the government has
imposed a 22-day ban starting from October
7 on catching, selling, storing and transporting
Hilsha, to ensure safe spawning of the
Mother Hilsha, during its peak breeding
period. On the very first day, the fishermen
were happy to catch a lot of fish including
hilsa in their nets.
Huge fish was netted in Tulatuli and Majhi
security officials have been deployed
around the rally venue and at different
points in the city to prevent any untoward
incident.
The organisers said the rally was meant to
denounce the price hike of daily essentials
and fuels, the death of five party men in previous
police action in Bhola, Narayanganj,
Munshiganj and Jashore, and to ensure the
freedom of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
On Saturday, Fakhrul saluted the people
of Rangpur for making the rally a success
after enduring untold sufferings and working
hard for three days due to obstacles
caused by a 36-hour transport strike.
He questioned why the government
attempts to obstruct BNP's rallies and guns
down opposition activists and attacks them
if it is not afraid of BNP.
"A party and one person (PM Sheikh
Hasina) have ruined the entire country and
repressed and suppressed us for the last 15
years…They've chewed up the economy and
destroyed it. They're now trying to eat up
the entire Bangladesh," Fakhrul said.
He said the resignation of the current
government is their only demand as it has
destroyed the nation's all achievements.
"Wherever you look at, you'll see their theft.
They're stealing from the construction work
on roads and bridges and even from the
construction work on building houses for
our poor people.
Bhola markets abuzz with
fishermen amid huge hilsha catches
Fish Ghat areas of Sadar Upazila in Meghna
Par and Nashir Magi ghat.
Jalaluddin and Faizullah, fishermen of
Tulatuli area, said that they went to the river
with fishing trawlers and got about 70 kg of
hilsa which were sold at Taka 35 thousand.
Trader Al Amin of Meghna Fish ghat said
that a lot of hilsa fish have arrived at the ghat
since Saturday morning. Around 300 to 500
grams of these fish are being sold at Taka
800 to 900 while 600 to 900 grams are
being sold at Taka 2000 to 2500.
District Fisheries Officer Molla
Emdadullah told BSS that there are 60 small
and big fish ghats in the district. As the ban
ends last night, all the ghats have become
crowded with fishermen.
Bangladesh, Myanmar border guards
meet today to discuss tension
DHAKA : A flag meeting between
members of Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) and Myanmar's
Border Guard Police (BGP) at commandant
level will be held over the
prevailing unrest along the border at
Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar.
Lieutenant Colonel Khalid
Mohammad Iftekhar, commandant of
BGB-2 Battalion, told UNB that they
would discuss the issues related to the
border security and prevailing tension.
"You have learned what incidents
have happened, we will discuss
issues, which have triggered tension
among our people living along the
border," he said.
On September 16, a Rohingya boy
was killed and five others injured as a
mortar shell fired by the Myanmar
army exploded at a Rohingya Camp
located at the Zero Point of the border.
On the same day, another
Bangladeshi young man was seriously
injured in a landmine explosion along
the Bangladesh-Myanmar border at
Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban.
Local people said it was the Myanmar
army that had planted mines the area.
One exploded near the Tombru border.
In the face of continuous gunfire and
mortar shelling inside Myanmar close
to the Bangladesh border local authorities
evacuated 30 families from Dochari
and Ghumdhum unions at
Naikhongchhari on October 23.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has recently summoned
Myanmar envoy to Dhaka several times
and formally protested against the
move by the Buddhist-majority
nation's military.
Community policing should tackle crimes
by teenage groups: Home Minister
DHAKA : Home Minister
Asaduzzaman Khan on Saturday
called upon the members of the community
police for working to prevent
the criminal activities of juvenile
gangs.
Due to the closure of educational
institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic,
young people had no work,
and taking that advantage teenage
gangs surfaced, he said.
The home minister said the activities
of such juvenile groups are having
adverse effects on the society and
the issue needs to be taken care of
seriously, reports UNB.
The minister made the remarks
when he addressed a discussion
meeting to mark the Community
Policing Day-2022 at the Bangladesh
Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh in
the city.
A colorful rally was organised from
Dhaka Metropolitan Police
Headquarters on Saturday morning
to mark the day. The procession
marched through streets and ended
at the Rajarbagh Police Line.
T20 World Cup
New Zealand
beat Sri Lanka
Trent Bout and Glenn Phillips starred in New
Zealand's thumping 65-run win over Sri Lanka
in the Twenty20 World Cup Group 1 contest at
Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, reports
Gulfnews.
The left-arm pacer was at his menacing best
to claim four wickets with his variable pace and
teasing length, giving the batters the chance to
go after him and only to come up trumps. Boult
finished with figures of 4 for 13 in his four overs
as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 102 in 19.3
overs. By the 13th over Sri Lanka had lost eight
wickets and it was only time that the match
came to a conclusion.
Earlier, Phillips took the match away from Sri
Lanka with his calculated assault of 104 off 64
balls. The burly right-hander was lucky to be
dropped by Pathum Nissanka when he was 12 and
then again by skipper Dasun Shanaka. But Phillips
made those dropped chances count and made the
Sri Lankans pay dearly for their lapses.
New Zealand gave a masterclass on how to
approach the game when they are down and
how to tighten the screws when they are in control
in a clinical display of batting, bowling and
fielding.
Just a week after the Black Caps defeated
defending champions Australia, they ran into
early trouble at 15 for three by the end of the
fourth over. But Phillips and Daryl Mitchell
added 84 runs for the fourth wicket in 63 balls.
Phillips turned on the volume at the right time
to score his second Twenty20 International century,
and his first in the World Cup, to propel New
Zealand to 167 for seven in 20 overs. The Kiwis
were aided by some sloppy fielding and a defensive
approach at a time when the Sri Lankan
bowlers should have gone for the kill.
Sri Lankan innings was in stark contrast.
None of the batters showed the right temperament
and the application to take the chase deep
into the match and succumbed playing shots
too early on a wicket that assists the bowlers.
Barring Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Shanaka none
of the batters could get going.
The minister said that the task of
community policing is to identify
criminals before crimes are commit-
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan
ted in the society, to collect information
about criminals. We have been
100% successful in this regard, he
said.
He also said that as a result of community
policing, child marriages and
eveteasing have reduced a lot in the
society.
SM AKASH, CHATToGrAM BurEAu
Members of Muktijoddha Sangsad
Sontan Command have surrounded
the house of Chattogram city "Good's
Hill" demanding an apology for the
"arrogant" speech of Hummam
Quader Chowdhury, the son of
Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who
was hanged for crimes against humanity.
On Sunday morning, the leaders
took a position in front of their residence
at Gani Bakery intersection in
Chattogram city.
At the same time, from the stay program,
the wives and children of the
war criminals have been demanded to
be banned from politics and their
assets confiscated. Besides, the leaders
from the program marked the house of
Razakar by painting the walls of
Good's Hill house.
Hummam Quader Chowdhury, a
"There are still some challenges like
illegal drugs...we need to do more on
drug control," he said.
About dealing with the militancy in
the country, the minister said they
have been successful.
"When we were faced with a difficult
challenge in combating militancy
and terrorism, the Prime Minister
called upon the general people from
all walks of life to stand up... During
that time we saw phenomenal success,"
he said.
"Nothing is impossible when the
people are there," he said.
Chaired by DMP Commissioner
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, the programme
was also addressed among
others, by IGP Chowdhury Abdullah
Al-Mamun, former vice-chancellor of
Dhaka University A.M.S. Arefin
Siddique, Additional IGP (Crime and
Operations) of Police Headquarters
Md Atiqul Islam, DMP Additional
Commissioner AKM Hafiz Akhtar
and Mirpur Model Police Community
Policing Committee President Dewan
Abdul Mannan spoke.
Glenn Phillips anchored the New Zealand innings and became the second from his country to
score a century after Brendon McCullum in the history of the T20 World Cup. Photo : ESPN
FFs children surround Salahuddin
Quader Chowdhury's house
member of the central executive committee
of the party, addressed the divisional
meeting of the BNP at the polo
ground in Chattogram on October 12.
At one stage of the speech, he said to
the government, "You cannot return
home alone after leaving power.
All martyrs will be forced to go to
their graves and ask for forgiveness."
He later ended his speech with the slogan
'Naraye Takbeer', a slogan BNP
does not use at the party level.
Freedom Fighter organizations and
families erupted in protest of this
statement.
Earlier on October 18, Humam was
asked to submit apology for his speech
by the Mukti Juddha Sangsad Santan
Command. Otherwise, Good's Hill
house will be sieged. To implement the
program, the organization held a torch
march on October 28.
Sons of Freedom Fighters on Saturday besiege Goods Hill, the residence of Bangladesh Nationalist
Party leader and executed war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury at Kotwali area in Chattogram
following Hummam Quader Chowdhury's speech at a party rally in Chattogram. Photo : TBT