Others
Quader wants good relationship between politicians and bureaucrats
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday called for a good relationship between politicians and bureaucrats for smooth functioning of the government.
He made the remarks at a discussion meeting to mark the Aug. 15 national mourning day organised by Bangladesh Secretariat Officials and Employees Oikya Parishad.
"Politicians should have a good relationship with government officials. Politicians make decisions and government officials implement those" he said.
He sounded a warning against the neo-Awami Leaguers who are seen in flattering the government chanting slogans for “Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina.” “Is this really what they believe in their heart?, he wondered.
He reminded the audience about how many people started wearing “Mujib coat” before the Aug. 15 massacre. “The same people were seen scrambling to hide the coats after Aug. 15,” he said.
Quader said he gets scared when he sees billboards and posters all around the Secretariat. “It reminds me of the scenes before Aug. 15 when people came to Bangabandhu with flowers and bouquets,” he said. They just vanished after Bangabandhu was assassinated, he added.
Obaidul Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government does not want flattery. It believes transparency, honesty and neutrality.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Md Tajul Islam and Deputy Minister for Water Resources Enamul Haque Shamim also addressed the meeting, while the President of the parishad presided over it.
Mass Vaccination in Bangladesh: Administering 2nd dose to start on Sep 7
The government will start administering the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine under its mass vaccination campaign on Sep 7, according to the chief of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Director General of DGHS Professor Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam disclosed the matter while talking to reporters after an event at the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) auditorium on Wednesday.
“Administering the 2nd dose won’t be a problem as we’ll have available stocks by then,” he reassured.
Read DU asks students to provide their vaccination status
Responding to a question whether the jab seekers can walk in to their vaccination centers without SMS from the concerned authorities, he replied that details on the second dose will be elaborated after a meeting within the high officials of DGHS and the health ministry.
Dr Abul Bashar also claimed that the first phase of the mass vaccination campaign has been a huge success apart from a few isolated incidents.
He also informed that around 60 lakh doses of Pfizer vaccine will arrive in the country soon.
Read DU asks students to provide their vaccination status
He mentioned that they have received 561 ventilators from friendly sources which would soon be dispatched to 300 Covid designated hospitals across the country.
Bangladesh on August 7 kicked off its mass vaccination drive aimed at inoculating as many adults as possible in a short period of time.
However, on Monday, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said that Bangladesh will not conduct any new mass Covid inoculation drive as the supply of vaccine doses is much lower than the demand.
Read PM orders speeding up vaccination of industrial workers, families
“No more mass inoculation drives will be held in the country now as we do not have adequate vaccines in hand and we’ll not use the word ‘mass’ in future,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.
Cabinet body okays proposal for setting up 42,500 solar systems in 3 hill districts
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday approved four proposals including one for installing 42,500 solar systems in the country’s three hill districts.
Of these, 40,000 are solar home systems (SHS), each having 100 watt-peak capacity, while the remaining 2,500 are solar community systems, each having 320 watt-peak capacity.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting.
According to officials, the Parbatya Chattagram Unnayan Board (PCUB) under the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MCHTA) will install solar home and community systems at a cost of Tk 204.37 crore.
Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) Ltd, an enterprise of Bangladesh Army, won the contract through direct procurement method (DPM) to supply and install the solar systems.
Under the DPM, any government entity can purchase any product or service through negotiation without any bidding process.
A senior official at MCHTA said that the same proposal was approved by the Cabinet body on April 29 to award the contract to Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) Welfare Trust in the same process.
“But after objections from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the contract was cancelled and later awarded to BMTF through negotiation”, he added.
Contacted Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman, Deputy Secretary of the MCHTA, said about 40,000 families at the off-grid remote areas will benefit from the solar home systems.
He said the government will provide the solar systems to the families free of cost which will enable a consumer to use four LED bulbs, each having 3 watt capacity, a mobile recharging panel, a 12 volt fan and a small TV.
There will be a battery to provide 5-6 hours backup power supply for the solar system.
The committee approved a proposal of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of the Education Ministry to award a contract for printing and supply of about 1.68 crore textbooks for students of different classes at a cost of Tk 59.36 crore. Six bidders won the contract.
The committee approved two separate proposals of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation under the Ministry of Industries for import of bulk fertilizer.
Of this, Muntajat, of Qatar will supply 30,000 mts of bulk prilled urea fertilizer at a contract value of Tk 117.65 crore under the state-to-state contract while Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) will supply the same quantity of bulk granular urea at a cost of Tk 117.44 crore.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved a proposal of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh to cancel “Matarbari-Banshkhali- Madunaghat 400kV Transmission Line” project under the public-private partnership (PPP).
Shamsul Arefin, Additional secretary to the Cabinet Division, said that the proposal was placed by the PGCB as the private partner of the PPP failed to execute the project as per deadline.
Covid-19 : Positivity rate reduces further to 14.76 %, 114 more die
Bangladesh logged 114 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours until Wednesday morning amid a steady decline in both cases and positivity rate raising hope for further improvement.
This was for the second consecutive day the number of fatalities stood at 114, the lowest in last two months.The number of fresh Covid cases is also seeing a downtrend as 4,966 people were tested positive during this time compared to 5,249 in the previous day.
READ: UNGA: No scope for side events this time due to Covid-19
The fresh number pushed the country’s total fatalities to 25,627 while the cases reached 1,477,930, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).The country last saw 112 Coronavirus- related deaths on June 29 and the fatalities jumped to 264 on August 5 and 10 when the country was under a strict lockdown.
The latest cases were detected after testing 33,640 samples during the last 24 hours, which reduced the daily case positivity rate to 14.76 % from Tuesday’s 15.12% and Monday’s 15.54 %, said the DGHS.
READ: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Both fatalities and cases drop in 24hrs
The recovery rate rose to 94.02%, but the case fatality remained unchanged at 1.73 % compared to the same period.
DUJ demands steps to protect Altaf Mahmud’s grave from river erosion
Dhaka Union of Journalists has called for protecting the grave of noted journalist Altaf Mahmud from erosion of Ramnabad River in Patuakhali district.
The call came at a DUJ meeting presided over by its president Kuddus Afrad.
Altaf was buried at his village home in Galachipa of Patuakhali district after his death in Dhaka in 2016. He was the former president of pro-Awami League faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists.
The meeting also demanded that a dam is built in the river to protect the area from erosion.
It decided to hold DUJ annual meeting on September 8.
DUJ General secretry Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu, its vice-president MA Kuddus, joint secretary Khairul Alam and its publicity secretary Asaduzzaman were, among others, present at the meeting.
S Africa offers business opportunities in multiple areas: Entrepreneurs
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in Pretoria, South Africa have said mining industry is the biggest sector in South Africa and the Bangladeshi investors can explore this area apart from opportunity in real estate business and RMG sector.
They said it is easy to prepare business documents in South Africa making it easier to initiate business in the country.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen joined an exchanges of opinion session with Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in Pretoria recently.
The Bangladeshi entrepreneurs informed that according to the law of South Africa anyone including foreign nationals can purchase land there following legal procedures.
READ: Bangladesh invites S African companies' investment; seeks broader trade ties
So, there exists opportunity for Bangladeshi investors to buy and develop land in South Africa.
They suggested that real estate business in South Africa could also be explored by Bangladesh investors.
The Bangladeshi entrepreneurs heartily welcomed the Foreign Minister and expressed their profuse compliments for his interest in developing the trade and business opportunities for the Bangladeshi businessmen and entrepreneurs, who are living in South Africa.
During the discussion session, the Bangladeshi entrepreneurs identified that South Africa is the business hub for Southern African countries.
They informed that the neighbouring countries of South Africa do not have sea ports and import from or through South Africa.
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs opined that Bangladeshi garments manufacturers therefore should consider exporting their products to South Africa.
They also informed that the South African farmers produce fruits, vegetables, poultry and dairy products in their vast land and some lands are being left by the producers.
Bangladeshi investors can consider purchasing such land and invest in agro- based industries like fruits and vegetables production and processing, they said.
READ: Billionaire philanthropist: vaccine hoarding hurts Africa
The Bangladeshi entrepreneurs and businessmen also expressed view that by following the required banking procedures, Bangladesh expatriates would be able to keep money in their own accounts.
They also advised that branches of Bangladeshi banks can be opened in South Africa with full operational capacity.
Attack on UNO’s house: Nine people get bail in Barishal
A Barishal court on Wednesday granted bail to nine accused in two cases filed over the attack on the residence of Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Munibur Rahman on August 18.
Barishal Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Masum Billah passed the order, said Advocate Rafiqul Islam Jhantu, a counsel of the accused.
Earlier, Advocate Rafiqul Islam Jhantu filed a petition seeking bail for 13 accused in the cases.
Those who secured bail are— Iktier Uddin, Salam Manu, Alo Gazi, Momin Uddin Kalu, Kabir Talukdar, Humayun Kabir Hawladar, Ilias Jamir Uddin and Nasir Uddin.
READ: Barishal incident exhibits AL’s criminalisation: BNP
On August 22, a court rejected bail plea of 21 Awami League men arrested in connection with the cases filed over the attack .
A clash broke out between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members and Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal on August 18.
Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash. Of them two AL men lost their eyesights later.
Earlier two separate cases were filed in this connection.
READ: Barishal clash: Two cases filed against UNO Munibur Rahman
Upazila Nirbahi officer Munibur Rahman of Barisal Sadar Upazila and Assistant sub-inspector of police Shahjalal Mallick were the plaintiffs in these cases accusing the mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah and his men of obstruction of government work and attempt to murder.
So far 22 people have been arrested in this connection.
Dengue: Death toll rises to 40 ,278 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Dengue claimed two more lives in the past 24 hours raising the death toll to 40, said a report of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Wednesday.
Besides, a total of 278 new patients were admitted to different hospitals during the period, it said.
Among the new patients, 230 were admitted to government and private hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 48 cases were reported from outside the division, according to DGHS.
Health authorities have been recording over 200 dengue cases per day since August 1.
Some 1,090 patients diagnosed with dengue fever are receiving treatment in the country as of Wednesday morning, according to DGHS.
READ: Dengue: Fatalities rise to 38 with one more death
Of them, 987 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 103 were listed outside Dhaka.
Some 8,853 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January.
So far, 7,721 dengue patients have been released from hospitals after recovery, according to the DGHS.
READ: Dengue: Death toll rises to 37 and 276 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
The dengue outbreak has become a cause of major concern as the country is battling the deadlier Delta variant of coronavirus with its limited health care facilities for the last few months.
Protest in Chattogram over construction of elevated expressway
A large number of people joined a human chain here to protest the construction of an elevated expressway connecting the city’s Lalkhan Bazar with Chattogram airport that they say threaten to destroy the beauty of historical sites and hills in the famed Tiger Pass area.
The protest was organised by Chattogram Heritage Protection Council at the Tiger Pass square, braving torrential rain and waterlogging.
Speaking on the occasion, former mayor Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, chairman of the Heritage Protection Council said ,” Tiger Pass has a tradition of hundreds of years. It is a gift of nature. But those who are up to destroy it are wasting government money. We have now taken to the streets to petition for the protection of this Tiger Pass.”
He sought the intervention of the prime minister to ensure that Tiger Pass is not covered with concrete debris, ignoring public opinion.
Journalist-writer Jasim Chowdhury Sabuj, member secretary of the council, said that the city mayor of Chittagong has written to the Chattogram Development Authority to protect the natural beauty of Tiger Pass.
He also informed the mayor is contacting the high-ups of the government over the matter and urged the CDA to suspend construction work until further notice from the fire service.
Liberation War researcher Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman said that the demand of not constructing a flyover or similar establishment at Tiger Pass has become a popular issue.
“It won’t be wise for the concerned authorities to construct something by bluntly disregarding public opinion,” he added.
Woman gang-raped after abduction from rail station in Ullapara
A group of men raped a woman after abducting her from a railway station where she was waiting to catch a train to visit her parental home, police said on Wednesday.
Police said they launched a hunt for the alleged rapists after the woman’s husband filed a case with Ullapara Model Police Station naming about 12 unidentified men for the assault.
The incident happened on Sunday night. According to the husband he along with his wife arrived at Salpa railway station under Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj district in the afternoon to take a train to go to his father-in-law’s home. He asked the wife to wait at a tea stall next to the station and went to pay the fare of the van driver who brought them there. On return she found his wife missing only to be found the next morning.
Read: 'Only mindset change can eradicate rape culture in Bangladesh'
Deepak Kumar Das, Officer-in-Charge of the police station, said some local people on Monday morning reported to the husband that they saw a woman lying sick in a mango orchard in neighbouring Betkandi village, about half a kilometre away from the railway station.
Being informed, police rescued the rape survivor and admitted her to the hospital.
The survivor said after recovery that some people tactfully made her faint before she found herself in the lonely orchard at night. There the men raped her throughout the night before leaving her in a bad shape.
Read: Woman kidnapped from Dhaka kitchen market, raped by 3
On Tuesday afternoon, the rape survivor's husband filed a case with the Ullapara Model Police Station against 10/12 unidentified persons.
Sirajganj Assistant Superintendent of Police Mahfuz Hossain (Ullapara Circle) said the police have launched a hunt for the perpetrators.