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168 killed in road crashes over Eid
Altogether 168 people were killed and 283 others were injured in 149 road accidents across the country during Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers’ welfare platform, on Friday.
Legal action if graft allegation in N-95 mask purchase found true: ACC Chairman
Anti-Corruption Commission( ACC) Chairman Iqbal Mahmood on Friday said legal action will be taken if the allegations of corruption in the purchase of N-95 masks and PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) are proved true.
Govt allocates Tk 103,117 crore under 19 packages to protect people amid COVID-19 pandemic
The government has so far allotted some Tk 103,117 crore under 19 packages which is 3.7 percent of the GDP to fight the coronavirus pandemic and protect people amid the crisis.
EALG project of UNDP joins fight against Covid-19
A Covid-19 response initiative has been launched in 251 unions of 18 Upazilas in the country to ensure that no one is left behind amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Efficient and Accountable Local Government (EALG) project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Government of Denmark repurposed the project activities and launched it on Friday through a virtual event.
EALG project, housed by the Local Government Division, has been working in 18 Upazilas of Khulna, Chandpur, Faridpur, Patuakhali, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Netrokona, Sunamganj and Cox’s Bazar districts since 2018 to strengthen the capacities of local government.
During this pandemic, the project has repurposed its budget to fight COVID19 by raising mass awareness, providing PPE, hand sanitizer, masks, gloves, soaps and setting up handwashing facilities, benefitting 500,000 people.
Helal Uddin Ahmed, Senior Secretary of Local Government Division attended the online launching event as the chief guest.
“These are unforeseen times, yet there has never been a better time to help those who are in need. With the economy gradually reopening, it is crucial to maintain health guidelines and stay cautious. EALG’s Covid-19 response initiatives will decrease the likelihood of people contracting the disease,” he said.
Montarin Mahal Aminuzzaman, Senior Adviser of DANIDA and Suzanne Mueller, Director of Cooperation, SDC, both highlighted the importance of raising mass awareness at union levels, ensuring personal safety.
“Adapting to the times and meeting the needs of our beneficiaries is necessary during this pandemic, especially as we remain committed to leaving no one behind. Transparency is extremely important while doing that,” said Sudipto Mukerjee, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh.
“This is an opportunity as much as this is a crisis. This is an opportunity for transformative thinking for development, embracing the “new normal”. I salute all the frontline workers, who are working at the union level to protect people's lives,” Sudipto added.
The online session was moderated by EALG’s National Project Director Amitavh Sarker. Among others, UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative Van Nguyen; Governance Cluster Lead, Mahmuda Afroz; Project Manager Shariful Hoque, and local government representatives were present.
Coronavirus in Bangladesh: confirmed cases exceed 60,000, over 800 dead
The health authorities of the country confirmed the detection of another 2,828 new coronavirus patients across the country in the last 24 hours on Friday, taking the number of confirmed cases in the country to 60,391.
UP member held for violating woman in Jashore
Police arrested a union parishad member in connection with violating a housewife at Abhaynagar upazila on Thursday night.
The arrestee is Tariqul Islam, of Siddikpasha village in the upazila and a member of Siddikpasha UP.
The victim filed a case with Abhaynagar Police Station, said Tajul Islam, officer-in-charge of the Police Station.
After receiving a complaint police arrested the UP member at night.
According to the case statement, Tariqul entered the house of the woman and violated her as she was alone at that time in her house.
Hearing screams of the victim, local people rushed in and found Tariqul running away from the spot.
Dr Zafrullah’s condition worsens slightly
The condition of coronavirus infected Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury has worsened slightly.
2 teachers fined for taking coaching classes in Thakurgaon amid coronavirus pandemic
A mobile court here on Thursday fined two teachers of a coaching center Tk 8,000 each and sentenced the to one month jail each on charge of continuing private tuition defying the government restriction to curb coronavirus spread.
The teachers are Zahirul Islam, 35 and Ikramul Haque, 34.
The mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Tariqul Islam conducted a drive at the Phulkuri Pre-Cadet School and found two teachers taking classes.
Later, the mobile court sentenced them to one month jail and fined Tk 4,000 each for violating the government restrictions.
Aiming to prevent transmission of coronavirus, all the educational institutions were closed down on March 18. Directive was also given to the students to stay at home.
Besides, the activities of coaching classes were also suspended citing the pandemic situation.
All the educational institutions will remain closed until June 15, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said on May 27.
However, online classes can be run as before during this period, he said.
On April 27, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said educational institutions in the country will remain closed till September next if there is no improvement in the prevailing situation triggered by COVID-19.
Nasim undergoes successful surgery after stroke
Ailing ex-Health and Family Welfare Minister and Awami League leader Mohammad Nasim underwent a successful surgery on Friday after suffering a stroke, said Awami League office secretary Barrister Biplab Barua.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina talked to Tanvir Shakil Joy, son Mohammad Nasim, over phone. His family members sought doa from the people of the country for his recovery,” Biplab Barua said in a facebook post.
Earlier, the condition of AL presidium member Mohammad Nasim deteriorated following a stoke while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city.
Director and CEO of Bangladesh Specialised Hospital in Shyamoli, Imran Chowdhury, said, “The Awami League leader suffered a stroke around 5 am on Friday. He is undergoing a surgery under Dr Rabiul Haque, chief of Neurosurgery Department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.”.
Also Read - Ex-Health Minister Nasim tests positive for Covid-19 after hospitalisation
Japan funds UN Women progs to address challenges of women, girls during COVID-19
The government of Japan has contributed US$4,545,454 to UN Women programmes to protect the lives and dignity of women and girls, as well as address the challenges they face by COVID -19.
With generous support from the Government of Japan, UN Women will implement its programmes aimed at supporting women and girls facing challenges in the midst of COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific, Arab States, Eastern and Southern Africa, and Europe and Central Asia.
Women are disproportionately affected by the impact of COVID-19, as more women work in low-paying, insecure and informal jobs, while carrying the bulk of burden on unpaid care work at home, said the UN Women.
As more countries report infections and lockdown measures, domestic violence helplines and shelters across the world are increasingly reporting calls for help.
Confinement at home is fostering the tension and strain created by security, health and money worries.
In addition, this increased isolation for women with violent partners creates a perfect storm for controlling and violent behavior to happen behind closed doors.
“The Government of Japan, which is committed to creating ‘a society in which all women shine,’ has been an important long-standing partner for UN Women,” said Kae Ishikawa, Director of UN Women Japan Liaison Office.
“The Government of Japan has contributed to a number of UN Women programmes and activities around the world to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women.”
“The concept of ‘human security,’ which Japan promotes as one of the critical pillars of its foreign policy, is perfectly in line with the objectives of the UN Women programmes, which aim to protect women and girls affected by the impact of COVID-19 as well as build a resilient society where women play a critical role in decision-making,” Ishikawa said.
“UN Women would also like to acknowledge and thank Japan for being the first donor to announce its financial contribution to UN Women’s initiatives on COVID-19.”
Japan has been a key partner of UN Women since its establishment.
The partnership between UN Women and Japan covers many areas, such as programme implementations in developing countries, conducting policy dialogues, and collaboration around key international conferences on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
UN Women and Japan will continue to strengthen their partnership to generate change in the lives of women and their communities.
Programme overview
Previous experiences show that disease outbreaks and subsequent crises affect women and men differently.
Thus, it is critical to have a gender-responsive approach in creating effective and equitable preventative plans and long-term response interventions for COVID-19, said the UN Women.
In this context, with generous support from the Government of Japan, UN Women will implement prevention and response programmes to COVID-19 in 4 regions, with particular focus on following thematic areas:
Development of research or knowledge products on gender and COVID-19, and provision of technical support on gender analysis.
Evidence-based advocacy and campaigning to inform prevention, mitigation and response policies and plans.
Promotion of protection mechanisms throughout the COVID-19 response, with a focus on access to gender-based violence (GBV) and other relevant services.
Promotion of women’s access to emergency support through cash transfers and livelihood opportunities.
Promotion of leadership roles and participation of women in the response and recovery of COVID-19.
Planned duration of the programmes: from June 2020 to May 2021
Programme budget: Grand total US$4,545,454 (US$1,818,181 for Asia and the Pacific region, US$909,091 for Arab States region, US$909,091 for Eastern and Southern Africa region and US$909,091 for Europe and Central Asia region)