COVID-19 situation
Bangladesh, India planning limited flight operation
Bangladesh and India are examining the feasibility of resuming flight operation between the two countries on a very limited scale as the Covid-19 situation is gradually improving in India.
An inter-ministerial meeting was held on Wednesday as there was a request from India to examine the situation on the ground for the resumption of limited flight operation.
Talking to UNB, Mashfee Binte Shams, Secretary (East) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said very limited flights will be operated initially -- like one or two flights a week -- if the final decision is taken by both sides.
Read: Bangladesh, India start freight train services on Haldibari-Chilahati route
"Gradually, the frequency of flights can be increased," she said, adding that the same restrictions like along the border will be imposed and the same categories of people will be allowed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will look into the summary of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh based on the inter-ministerial meeting and it will be forwarded to Indian authorities.
Barishal sanctions separate Covid unit for pregnant women
Health authorities have decided to set up a separate unit for providing treatment to Covid-positive pregnant women, aiming to mitigate the huge pressure on the existing corona treatment facilities in Barishal.
Divisional Health Director Dr Basudev Kumar Das said, “We will set up the unit at the 20-bed Ma O Sishu Kalyan Kendra in the city’s Kalibari Road. Pregnant women testing positive for Covid-19 will be treated at the dedicated unit."
Read: Barishal division sees 16 new Covid deaths
Besides, 20 beds will be added to each Upazila Health Complex in nine upazilas of the district for treating Covid patients.
"Two more 300-bed private hospitals will also be turned into corona hospitals to reduce the huge pressure of Covid patients on the already-stretched Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital," the health director said.
These decisions were taken at a virtual meeting with the divisional committee of the Health Ministry, in view of the worsening Covid-19 situation in the division, said Dr Basudev.
Deputy Commissioner of Barishal Jashim Uddin Haider presided over the meeting held on Monday.
Read: Barishal division logs record 31 Covid deaths in a day
Dr Tayubur Rahman, deputy director of the divisional family planning department, said, “We can start admitting pregnant women at the Ma O Sishu Kalyan Kendra from Wednesday itself but the doctors and the nurses at the centre need proper training."
"Besides, there is no oxygen plant available. However, steps are being taken to open it at the earliest," he added.
Dr HM Saiful Islam, director of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital, said, “The diarrhoea and general wards of Barishal General Hospital were shifted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital, and the General Hospital is being prepared for corona unit, but only outdoor services will be available at the hospital.”
Besides, steps are taken to prepare the 100-bed Ambia Memorial Hospital and 250-bed South Apollo Medical College & Hospital as Covid hospital if the situation worsens further, he said.
Read: Barishal division logs 854 new Covid cases
According to the health authorities, Barishal division has logged as many as 16 new Covid deaths in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
Besides, 773 people were found infected with the virus during the same period.
BGMEA fund gets donation from Epic Group to help Covid affected people
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan on Tuesday said they have initiated a fund to help people affected by the Covid-19 considering the current situation.
"We consider it as our social responsibility. From the fund, BGMEA will donate medical equipment and medicines so that we can help people who need it now," he said.
Epic Group made a donation to the fund launched by the BGMEA to assist people affected by Covid-19.
On behalf of Epic Group its General Manager P.K. Saw handed over a cheque of Tk 5 lakh and one lakh pieces of face masks to BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at the latter’s office on Tuesday.
Also read: BGMEA urges buyers not to penalise suppliers for lockdown-caused delays
Epic Group Chairman Ranjan Mahtani and Managing Directors Sunil Daryanani and Dinesh Virwani virtually joined the donation handover ceremony.
BGMEA Vice President Miran Ali, Director Tanvir Ahmed and former Director Ashikur Rahman Tuhin were also present at the ceremony.
The Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh has recently taken an alarming turn with growing number of infections across the country.
The rapid surge in infections have led to hospitalization of a large number of people.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan thanked Epic Group for contributing to the BGMEA’s fund.
Also read: BGMEA donates high flow nasal cannulas to DNCC Covid-19 Hospital
He requested generous people and organizations to come forward and make financial contribution to the BGMEA’s fund to help the people in need.
“Your donated money will be used to buy medical equipment including nasal cannula and oxygen cylinder and medicines which will be donated to hospitals for treating Covid-19 patients," said the BGMEA President.
Earlier, BGMEA donated Tk 6 crore to the Prime Minister’s fund to help the poor affected by Covid fallout.
BGMEA also donated 15 German-made high flow nasal cannula with BiPAP and 50 thousand masks to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Dedicated Covid-19 Hospital to meet the needs of patients.
Winners of 2021 K-POP World Festival Bangladesh audition announced
The Embassy of South Korea in Dhaka has announced six winners of the 2021 K-pop World Festival Bangladesh audition.
The winners will be awarded by the Embassy, and their performance videos will be submitted to the organizer of the 2021 Changwon K-pop World Festival, which will be held in October in Korea depending the COVID-19 situation.
The award-giving ceremony will be organized at the Embassy in the coming weeks, depending the COVID-19 situation.
The competition was held virtually in June and July with the support of the Korean government and Samsung Electronics Bangladesh.
Read: Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti celebrated in Korea
The six talented teams of Bangladesh youths were selected among the 142 teams who participated in the contest by submitting their K-pop performance video clips.
The evaluation and screening were done by selection panel composed of five professionals in various sectors including the media and scholars in two stages.
Originally, the organizer was planning to have the second-phase evaluation on stage on July 30 but it was not possible due to the COVID-19 situation in the country.
Read: Delwar Hossain next Bangladesh Ambassador to South Korea
Those who are chosen by the Korean organizer will be invited to the K-pop World Festival and have a chance to compete with other qualified performers around the world.
Shefa Tabassum, who was awarded the first prize at the Embassy-organized K-Pop contest in 2018, was invited to the 2018 Changwon K-Pop World Festival in Korea and won the best prize for solo K-pop dancing performance.
The video works of the six winners will be shared on the Embassy's YouTube Channel.
IOM seeks focus on perilous journeys by Bangladeshis to migrate
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is a timely reminder of the problems and risks faced by over 700,000 Bangladeshis who choose to migrate abroad every year.
"Vulnerable migrants are often the target of traffickers and find themselves in situations that can result in debt bondage, forced labour, sexual exploitation, forced marriages and other forms of modern slavery," said IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Giorgi Gigauri in a message marking the Day.
Read:Deaths on maritime migration routes to Europe soar in first half of 2021: IOM
Gigauri said they are working very closely with the government of Bangladesh, and are redoubling their efforts and looking at not only the whole of government but also the whole of society.
"As the Bangladesh UN Network on Migration (BDUNNM), we are also bringing together civil society and UN agencies to do our utmost to assist these migrants in need," he said.
The Covid-19 situation has further aggravated problems, and migrants have become even more vulnerable as some have lost their jobs.
Read:IOM’s emergency director urges durable solutions to Rohingya Crisis
Some are more desperate, looking for new jobs and new opportunities to feed their families.
"Trafficking affects everyone. It affects people on an individual level, on a family level, and the level of society. And it’s our job to do something about it," said the IOM Mission chief in Bangladesh.
This year’s theme of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is “Listening to the Victims”.
Read:IOM ramps up health response as 2nd wave of COVID-19 hits Cox’s Baza
"We must listen to the people who have been affected so that we can assist them better. We must listen to the survivors of trafficking to hear about their experiences, their stories, and not only learn from them but use that knowledge to improve our interventions and our response to stop trafficking," he said.
"So please join me, and let’s come together to battle this heinous crime so that we can eradicate human trafficking in Bangladesh and beyond," he added.
With eye on 3 SEZs, Japan wants to boost its investment in Bangladesh
Japan eyes three special economic zones (SEZs), including the one at Araihajar, Narayanjanj, to give a big boost to Japanese investment in Bangladesh but things depend on the success of the first one, says Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito.
“This (Araihajar EZ) should provide the best possible environment and the best possible incentives for the investors,” he said, adding that a special economic zone is a very important key to invite an increasing number of Japanese companies to invest in Bangladesh.
Ambassador Ito said he has been advocating that Araihajar should be the best possible economic zone in Asia, beating its rivals in countries like Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines.
The envoy said they will look into opportunities at Mirsarai under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, being developed on a contiguous land of 30,000 acres, and a possible economic zone in Maheshkhali-Matarbari area if Araihajar becomes successful.
He shared the plans on the three potential economic zones for the Japanese investors in Bangladesh while responding to questions at a virtual dialogue titled “Bangladesh-Japan Relations: Prognosis for the Future” where he delivered the keynote speech.
Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Cosmos Group, hosted the dialogue as part of its ongoing Ambassador’s Lecture Series.
The opening remarks were delivered by the Cosmos Foundation Chairman Enayetullah Khan. The session was chaired by Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, renowned scholar-diplomat and former Advisor on Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Caretaker Government.
Md Abul Kalam Azad, Special Envoy, Climate Vulnerable Forum; Hayakawa Yuho, Chief Representative, JICA Bangladesh Office; Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former Governor, Bangladesh Bank; Prof Masaaki Ohashi, Professor, University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo; Manzurul Huq, Columnist, writer and academic; Prof Takahara Akio, Dean, Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo and Ambassador (Retd) Tariq A Karim, Honorary Advisor Emeritus, Cosmos Foundation comprised the panel of discussants.
Read: Ambassador Ito sees 5 challenges ahead to elevate Dhaka-Tokyo ties
Ambassador Ito said the Economic Zone at Araihajar will be ready for its operation by the end of the next year.
Capital chokes as public transport services resume
Public transport services resumed in Bangladesh on Thursday, with the government easing the lockdown curbs for a week ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Azha.
A reality check by UNB in Dhaka revealed that several buses left their depots in the morning and were plying on several busy stretches of the national capital -- Mirpur Road, Uttara, Banani, New Market and Mohakhali areas to name a few.
Buses -- both intra-city and inter-district -- were, however, seen carrying passengers with 50 percent of their seating capacity. But such was the morning rush that several areas of the city witnessed traffic snarls, giving commuters a harrowing time on the roads.
Read:Public transports go off streets, malls shut as ’ strict lockdown’ begins in Bangladesh
Abu Raihan Mohammad Saleh, joint commissioner (traffic north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said, “Due to the strict lockdown, many people couldn't step out of their houses. As soon as the lockdown restrictions were eased, people took full advantage of the same."
"However, police and other law enforcement agencies are keeping a strict vigil on the roads to ensure strict adherence to all Covid-safety protocols," he added.
A number of inter-district buses entering and exiting the city also contributed to the traffic jams.
Traffic Inspector Akter Hossain said, “A huge pressure of vehicles has been seen since morning as all vehicles have started plying on the roads.”
Besides, train and launch services also resumed operations across the country, keeping 50 percent of the seats empty, apparently to facilitate the movement of people ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
On July 12, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon said that the train tickets will be available online only to avoid any rush at the counters.
On June 22, authorities suspended the movement of all passenger vessels in Narayanganj, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Madaripur, Rajbari and Gopalganj to curb the spread of Covid in these districts.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) announced its decision to suspend the movement of launches, speed boats and trawlers on June 21, following the Cabinet Division’s circular on the imposition of lockdown in these seven districts.
However, the restrictions won't apply on the movement of cargo vessels and emergency services. And legal action will be taken against violators, according to the BIWTA notification.
Read: Bangladesh eases lockdown restrictions ahead of Eid
On July 13, the Bangladesh government decided to ease all lockdown restrictions in the country for eight days ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
In a notification on Tuesday morning, the Cabinet Division said that the lockdown restrictions would be lifted from July 14 midnight to the morning of July 23.
However, strict restrictions will resume from July 23 and will continue till August 5, as per the order.
SSC, HSC exams either in Nov or Dec next: Education Minister
The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations maybe be held either in the second week of November or the first week of December this year maintaining health guidelines if the Covid-19 situation improves in Bangladesh.
Education Minister Dipu Moni came up with the disclosure while speaking at a virtual press briefing over the SSC and HSC examinations.
Read:Scientific evidence to guide decision on SSC, HSC exams: Dipu Moni
“The examinations will be held with short syllabuses on three elective subjects on group basis, and 24 assignments will be given for SSC students while 30 assignments for HSC students before the examinations,” she told journalists.
“No assignment will be given on Bangla, English and other compulsory subjects and the 4th subjects. The SSC examinees will be given assignments from July 18 while the HSC examinees will be given that from July 26,” she said.
The minister urged the students to carry out their assignments attentively.
Read: Dhaka Board suspends registration process for HSC exams
When talking to journalists, Dipu said: “The Covid-19 vaccination programme is going on and the infection rate has declined in the months of November and December. As per our previous experiences, we hope that the infection rate may come down at the end of the year.”
The process of filling up forms will start online after the Eid-ul-Azha, she said, adding, ““If the Covid-19 situation doesn’t improve in time, then the results of SSC and HSC will be published based on the results of the previous examinations and assignments.”
Educational institutions across the country have remained shut since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The closure was extended several times, most recently until July 31, 2021.
Read: Decision on SSC and HSC exams soon: Education Minister
Last year’s HSC examinees were evaluated on the basis of their results of JSC and SSC exams, a decision which received a mixed reaction.
On June 13, Dr Dipu Moni said her ministry is preparing to take SSC and HSC examinations this year with shortened syllabuses.
Record-high 713 single-day Covid cases reported in Ctg
Chattogram district reported a record-high cases of 713 and nine more deaths in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
The new cases were detected after testing 2,109 samples, according to a report provided by the district’s Civil Surgeon office in the morning.
Read:Record-high 662 single-day Covid cases reported in CTG district
With the new numbers, the district’s death toll reached 744 on Thursday, while the caseload climbed to 62,913.
Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said, “This scenario indicates a worsening Covid-19 situation for Chattogram district if we don’t deem it as concerning now.”
Of the deceased, two were from the municipal area and seven from upazilas.
Among the fresh cases, 477 are from the municipal area and 236 from upazilas.
Read:10 Covid deaths reported in Chattogram in a day
According to the Civil Surgeon office, the samples were sent for testing on Wednesday to 11 labs in Chattogram and one to Cox’s Bazar Medical College and Hospital’s lab.
Of the new ases in upazilas, seven came from Lohagara, 12 from Satkaniya, five from Banshkhali, six from Anwara, 13 from Chandanaish, 14 from Boalkhali, nine from Rangunia, 27 from Rauzan, 20 from Fatikchari, 58 from Hathazari, 33 from Sitakundu, 17 from Mirsarai and 15 from Sandwip.
Special cattle trains ahead of Eid-ul-Azha
The Railways Ministry has decided to run special cattle trains for ferrying sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Azha amid a worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.
Shoriful Alam, senior information officer of the Ministry, told UNB on Tuesday that Bangladesh Railways will operate the trains from July 17-19. "Their numbers will vary everyday, depending on the demand of the traders."
Read:1.5 lac cattle ready for slaughter in Chapainawabganj, but will Covid-19 stand in the way?
Initially the trains will run from Dewan Bazar of Jamalpur to Kamalapur railway station in Dhaka.
Besides, the ministry has also made necessary arrangements to transport animals from Khulna and Chapainawabganj. "If cattle traders are interested, special trains will be run on these routes too,” said Shoriful.
Eid ul Azha is expected to be celebrated in around a fortnight's time in Bangladesh, depending on the sighting of the moon.
Read: No cattle from outside country ahead of Eid-ul-Azha: Livestock Minister
The country is currently in the middle of a strict lockdown due to Covid-19. But many frontier districts have been in lockdown since the last week of May, when cases started shooting up after the Delta variant of the virus, then known as the Indian variant, was detected in many patients.
In this situation, cattle farmers may face some extra bottlenecks in transporting the animals to different parts of the country. So, the decision to operate a special train might come as a great relief to many of them.