Eid-ul-Fitr
Unfit launches spruced up for Eid trips; Experts worry about safety of holidaymakers
With less than two weeks left for Eid-ul-Fitr, rundown and faulty launches are being refurbished and repaired to sail on river routes across the country during the huge rush of holidaymakers, endangering hundreds of lives.
At least 30 defective launches are getting a quick facelift with cosmetic repairs at various dockyards in Keraniganj on the outskirts of the city aiming to make a fast buck by carrying passengers of 22 southern districts during the Eid festival.
Experts said the condition of most of the rivers before the Eid may become risky with the possibility of nor’westers, strong current and gusty winds due to the influence of new moon as the passenger launch accidents in the country’s inland waterways happen at this time mainly for overloading of passengers, faulty vessels, risky competition, mismanagement and lack of trained, skilled and competent crews.
They said the government must take strict measures to check the operation of unfit and faulty vessels and overloading and ensure adequate fire safety and lifesaving equipment in each launch to avoid any untoward incident during the mad rush of passengers at launch terminals ahead of the Eid.
Also read: Launch owners’ profit motive makes Eid journeys fraught with risk
Meanwhile, National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) in a report on Tuesday last said the Sadarghat terminal will witness an unusual pressure as 40 lakh people from three districts--Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj--are likely to travel to the coastal districts by launches during this Eid occasion.
It also said there are not enough vessels to carry so many one-way passengers in just 12 days, cautioning that the launches can carry passengers beyond their capacity on decks and roofs during the season of natural disasters like nor'westers and storms.
Ensure safety of Eid journey of home-bound people: IGP
Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed on Thursday directed the field level police officers to ensure safe movement of the people going home to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
“The safety of the people has to be ensured through coordination within each unit of the police,” the police chief said addressing virtually at meeting of senior police officers and specialized unit officials at police headquarters.
The IGP directed the police officers to build an adequate security system through beat policing and community policing.
Also read: Saidpur rail workshop racing to meet targets ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr
He also asked the police members to follow the instructions of the government in using social media.
He directed the specialized naval, industrial, highway and tourist police units to take adequate security measures in their respective jurisdictions on the occasion of Eid.
During the meeting, AIG (Operations) Mohammad Ehsan Sattar placed security issues related to the upcoming holy Eid-ul-Fitr, shopping malls, banks and financial institutions, bus and launch terminals, and railway stations, Eid Jamaat and leisure center-centric security as well as traffic management and overall law and order.At the meeting, it was decided to deploy women and white-clothes police along with uniformed police in shopping malls, banks and financial institutions.Decisions of providing escorts for large financial transactions or money transfers were also taken at the meeting. The meeting also decided to ensure the security of the country's main Eid Jamaat, including the National Eidgah.
Also read: BIWTA to construct another ghat in Zajira to ease Eid travel
Passengers have been asked not to travel on the roofs of buses and trains and on boats at the risk of their lives.
Additional IG Md. Moinur Rahman Chowdhury, Additional IG M Khurshid Hossain, DIG YM Belalur Rahman, DIG Md Haider Ali Khan and concerned officials were present at the meeting.
Saidpur rail workshop racing to meet targets ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr
The workers at Saidpur Railway Workshop in Nilphamari district are unusually busy this year ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, racing to finish 50 new bogies that will be pressed into operation during the holidays to ensure smooth travels for the homebound people.
Rail communication is an important way to keep the country of over 170 million moving, especially when it comes to inter-district travel that peaks over the Eid holidays. A bogie is a structure underneath a railway vehicle body to which axles and wheels are attached through bearings.
The workers are working round the clock to meet their target. Besides, the authorities concerned also cancelled leave of the workers to ensure they finish the task.
During a recent visit to the GOH, production machine shop, carriage shop, wheel shop, bogie shop and CHR shop of the factory, our Nilphamari correspondent found them toiling relentlessly.
The workers joined in their workplace around 7am and finished their work around 5pm in 24 departments of the factory.
Read: DMP Commissioner asks city police to step up vigilance during Eid shopping
Some were seen busy colouring the bogies, some in making bogies, some making parts, some repairing wheels, some doing work with welding machines and some were seen repairing seats of the coaches.
Already 30 bogies have been handed over to Bangladesh Railway’s Pakshi and Lalmonirhat divisions.
Moreover, all the workers were working enthusiastically.
Rezaul Islam, a worker of production machine shop, said “We joined at work around 7 am and left the place around 5 pm and during this period we get only 30 minutes break. But we are happy. Generally, the working time here is from 7 am to 4 pm but we are working here till 5 pm to finish our work in time.”
E-commerce platform Nagad Mela launched
Mobile financial services provider Nagad, in partnership with business technology solution provider DotLines, has launched the e-commerce platform Nagad Mela for its customers.
Nagad Mela is a one-stop marketplace developed with a mix of local small and medium- businesses. It has more than 10,000 products in six popular categories.
Customers can access Nagad Mela through the Nagad app. They can also access this platform by directly visiting its website.
Read Zakat can be donated to Islamic organisations through Nagad
The platform sells everything from electronics to mobile phones, lifestyle products, baby apparel and toys, personal care and home decor items.
With Eid-ul-Fitr around the corner, customers can now enjoy up to 60 percent instant cashback on their purchases.
Nagad Mela aims to ensure that products are delivered within three to five days using E-Courier's countrywide network.
Read Eid: Nagad offers up to 35% cashback, discount on shopping
Main Eid Jamaat to be held at Nat’l Eidgah
The main congregation of Eid-ul-Fitr will be held at 8:30am at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises in the capital on the Eid day.
However, the jamaat will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 9am in case of inclement weather.
Also read:Eid-ul-Fitr: Advance train ticket sale begins on April 23
The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Religious Affairs Ministry with State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan in the chair.
Eid-ul-Fitr: Advance train ticket sale begins on April 23
Bangladesh Railway will start selling advance train tickets on April 23 on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Advance train tickets of April 27 will be available on April 23, Additional Director General (Operation) of Bangladesh Railway Sardar Shahadat told UNB.
The advance tickets of April 28, 29, 30 and May 1 will be available on April 24, 25, 26 and 27 respectively.
Also read: No launch ticket without NID cards during Eid: Khalid
Besides, the selling of return tickets will begin from the second day of Eid-ul-Fitr, he said.
Details about the selling of advance train tickets will be known after a meeting on April 13.
Also read: Online train ticket sale to resume from 6 pm Friday for March 26
No launch ticket without NID cards during Eid: Khalid
Travellers will have to show their National Identity Card (NID) for buying tickets for launch journey, said State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday.
The decision will come into effect five days ahead the Eid-ul-Fitr, said the minister while talking to reporters after attending a meeting on ensuring safe operation of steamers, launches and other river vessels during Eid-ul-Fitr.
Also read: Khalid inaugurates pilot launch service in Gaibandha
The government has taken the initiative to ensure safety of the passengers who are planning to go to their respective homes using river route, said Khalid.
Strict measures will be taken after Eid to give the system a permanent shape, he added.
Replying to a question, the minister said those who don’t have NID cards will have to show their birth registration certificates for purchasing tickets.
Issuing a warning, Kalid said no launch owners will be allowed to charge extra fares and carry passengers beyond their capacity.
Also read: Smoke in Barishal-bound launch creates panic among passengers
Besides, movement of goods-laden vessels will remain suspended five days before and after Eid, he said.
The Eid vacation for the garment workers will start from April 27, he added.
Global Covid cases approach 162 million
The Covid-19 situation is worsening around the world by the day, even with mass inoculations underway. The overall number of corona cases has now topped 161.5 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total caseload reached 161,566,026 while the death toll from the virus mounted to 3,353,630 on Saturday morning.
Besides, 1,410, 840,110 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe to date, said JHU.
The US, the worst-hit country in the world, has so far recorded 32,894,616 cases with 585,225 fatalities, as per the latest JHU data.
Neighbouring India has registered 24,046,809 cases with 262,317 fatalities to date, according to the health ministry.
Read: Global Covid-19 cases top 160 million
India has been experiencing a staggering Covid-19 situation for the past several weeks and the World Health Organization has designated the Indian variant "a variant of concern" that might be more contagious than most versions of the coronavirus.
Brazil on Friday reported 2,211 more deaths from Covid-19, raising the national count to 432,628, the Ministry of Health said.
According to the ministry, Brazil now has a death rate of 205.9 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, 85,536 more infections were detected, raising the nationwide tally to 15,519,525.
Brazil has the world's second-highest Covid-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest caseload, following the United States and India.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh lost 26 more lives to Covid-19, including nine in Dhaka and seven in Chattogram divisions, in the past 24 hours till Friday morning amid muted Eid celebrations in the wake of the pandemic.
Read:Covid death toll hits 12,102 as Bangladesh celebrates another Eid amid pandemic
The latest number – lowest in 51 days – took the country's Covid-related death count to 12,102. However, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.55%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
Bangladesh has so far confirmed 779,535 Covid-19 cases, with 848 people coming out positive in 7,835 tests in 24 hours till Friday morning.
Another lockdown extension looms
The nationwide lockdown, imposed on April 5 to break the chain of Covid-19 infections and fatalities, has been extended several times to limit public movement or contain the surge in daily infections.
The ongoing lockdown, set to end on May 16, is likely to be extended by another week to keep close tabs on the situation as a mass exodus from the cities before Eid-ul-Fitr has stoked fears of a third wave of infections.
The lockdown measures fell flat as tens of thousands of people left Dhaka and other cities to join their families in home villages to celebrate Eid, despite stark warnings that the exodus could worsen the country's coronavirus outbreak.
The country’s health authorities have expressed concerns that the mass travel will spread the coronavirus and reverse a recent hard-won decline in cases following weeks of nationwide lockdown.
Read: Return to Dhaka after lockdown ends: Mayor Taposh
At least five people died and 50 others were injured in a stampede on Wednesday as thousands of people returned to their native villages from Dhaka and other cities for Eid-ul-Fitr, defying all Covid-19 restrictions.
Another Eid celebration robbed of by pandemic
Muslims celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr in a dull mood for the second year in a row on Thursday and Friday as coronavirus restrictions cast shadows over the festival's mass gatherings and family reunions.
Many Covid-hit countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia, imposed curbs and shut shops and even some mosques.
Earlier, Bangladeshi authorities urged everyone not to congregate to offer special prayers for the festival on Friday and instead offer prayers in phases at local mosques following health guidelines.
Read: Beware of Indian covid variant: Quader
In Dhaka, devotees attended the first congregation of Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Four congregations took place there till 10.15am.
'Variant of concern'
The new Indian variant of coronavirus has been detected in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, prompting authorities to axe travel corridors with India. The World Health Organization has designated it "a variant of concern" that might be more contagious than most versions of the coronavirus.
In Bangladesh, the South African variant is "widely present" and the UK variant has also been detected.
Viruses mutate constantly, and an upsurge in infections in a country could result in more opportunities for new versions to emerge, according to experts.
Vaccination drive
In late January, countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka started receiving vaccine doses through donations from India and other countries and commercial deals.
Read: Shortage of vaccines a 'temporary' problem, follow health guidelines: President
Bangladesh launched its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses it acquired from India's Serum Institute.
The government had signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But India temporarily halted exports of vaccines on March 24 to prioritise domestic requirements, following an explosion in Covid cases and fatalities in the country. The move has left the region with a serious shortage of vaccines.
President offers Eid prayers at Bangabhaban
Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on Friday morning offered Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Bangabhaban Darbar Hall instead of National Eidgah.
In the wake of the second outbreak of Covid-19, the traditional Eid prayers in the capital's National Eidgah Maidan were cancelled this year too.
President's press secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB that the head-of-state chose to offer prayers at Bangabhaban Darbar Hall in view of the pandemic.
The press secretary also said that a special munajat was offered seeking divine blessings for the peace and progress of Bangladesh.
The Eid jamaat (congregation) was held at 10 am. Pesh Imam of Bangabhaban Jame Mosque Mufti Maulana Saiful Kabir led the Eid prayers, Joynal said.
Also read: President wishes citizens on occasion of Eid
Members of the President's family and senior officials of Bangabhaban also offered Eid prayers along with him, following all Covid safety protocols.
Eid greetings exchange was not allowed this year due to the pandemic. The President's speech congratulating the nation on the occasion of Eid was aired on Bangladeshi TV channels.
Hasina greets Freedom Fighters on Eid
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday greeted all the Freedom Fighters (FFs) of the country on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Like other occasions, the Prime Minister sent flowers, fruits and sweetmeats to the war-wounded Freedom Fighters and members of the martyred families at Martyred and War-wounded Freedom Fighters’ Rehabilitation Centre (Muktijoddha Tower-1) at Gaznavi Road in the capital’s Mohammadpur area as a mark of her good wishes for them.
PM’s Assistant Private Secretary-2 Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku, Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher and Assistant Press Secretary ABM Sarwar-e-Alam Sarkar handed over these items to them in the morning.
The war-wounded FFs and members of the martyred families expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister for remembering them on every national day and festivals like Independence Day, Victory Day, Eid and Pahela Baishakh.
Also read: Another Eid under the shadow of Covid-19 pandemic
They also expressed firm commitment to resist any act of terror in the name of religion and anti-state activities on the soil of independent Bangladesh at any cost.
They hoped that the successors of the Freedom Fighters and future generations would uphold this spirit.
They wished the Prime Minister good health and long life, and highly appreciated her farsighted leadership.