Bangladesh
Covid vaccine stock running out: DGHS
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Wednesday said the stock of the Covid-19 vaccine is running out in Bangladesh as there are only 14 lakh jabs in government hands with no sign in sight to get a fresh consignment of it from India.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing, DGHS spokesperson Dr Robed Amin said, “We had around one crore and two lakh vaccines in our hands…around 88 lakh jabs have already been administered as the first and second doses. Now we’ve some 14 lakh doses in stock.”
He said there will be a vaccine crisis if a fresh consignment does not arrive in the country before the existing stock is exhausted.
Also read: Bangladesh approves emergency use of Chinese Covid vaccine
Robed said 58,19,719 people have so far received the first dose of the vaccine while 30,23,169 got the second one.
As per official statistics, the country lacks over 14 lakh second doses of the vaccine to administer those who received the first jab.
Amid the vaccine crisis, the government suspended administering the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on April 26.
The DGHS spokesman, however, hoped that the county may get vaccine doses from Chain before Eid-ul-Fitr.
Besides, he said, a process is underway to give clearance by the Health Ministry for procuring Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.
Robed said Renata Limited, a Bangladeshi pharmaceutical company, has sought permission from the government to import Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine and discussions are going on in this regard.
He said three pharmaceuticals’ companies in the country have already contacted the government as they want to produce Covid vaccine in the country. “The three companies are hopeful that they’ll be able to produce 1.5 crore vaccines in a year in Bangladesh.”
He said the government and DGHS assessed their capacity to manufacture vaccines.
The DGHS official said the Covid situation has improved in the country significantly over the last one week as the virus transmission rate continues to drop.
Stating that the virus positivity rate came down to 8.71% on Tuesday, he said there is no room for complacency over the current situation as the positive cases may spike again for any kind of negligence.
Also read: Bangladesh approves local production of Russian, Chinese Covid vaccines
Robed said the health safety rules must be maintained and the public movement will have to be restricted to maintain the declining trend of the virus transmission.
He also urged people to wear masks whenever they come out of their homes as it is the best preventive gear against possible Covid infections.
Zambia keen to take support of Bangladesh’s agricultural expertise
Zambia has expressed its interest to take support of agricultural expertise of Bangladesh alongside boosting relationship with Bangladesh and Bangladesh Army.
Zambian Acting Defence Minister Wezi Lukhele has shown the interest when Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army General Aziz Ahmed, who is now visiting Zambia on invitation of Zambian Army Commander, paid an official call on with him at Defence Ministry office there on Monday.
Read Also: 'Accredited labs to be launched to ensure global standard of agricultural goods'
During the meeting, the cooperation and relationship between the two countries were highlighted and Zambian acting Defence Minister Wezi Lukhele said that Zambia is interested in building an improved relationship with Bangladesh and Bangladesh Army, says an Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) press release here on Tuesday .
Wezi Lukhele also expressed the interest of the Zambian government for working closely with Bangladesh.
Later General Aziz met Commander of Zambia Army Lieutenant General William Maipambe Sikazwe at Army Headquarters.
General Sikazwe expressed his gratitude to General Aziz for accepting his invitation and making a good bond between the two Armies.
General Aziz also expressed his interest to intensify training activities with the Zambian Army and also to conduct Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) Programs especially in the field of UN peacekeeping, anti-terrorism activities, disaster management, etc.
Read Also: President for feasibility study on joint exercise for BD, Zambia armies
General Aziz also brought forward the matter of issuing on-arrival visa to the military personnel of Bangladesh Armed Forces, and General Sikazwe assured that he will take efforts to get it approved from the concerned ministry at the earliest.
In the afternoon, General Aziz met with acting Commander, Zambia Air Force Major General Benedict T Kalinda at the Air Force Headquarters.
Major General Kalinda expressed his gratitude for the cooperation and support provided by Bangladesh Armed Forces.
He highlighted the prospects of training of the officers and men of Zambia Air Force in various training institutions of Bangladesh.
General Aziz welcomed the officers and men of Zambia Air Force to undergo training in various training institutions of Bangladesh Armed Forces and expected that the relationship between the two Armed Forces will flourish further in the days to come.
Read Also: Army Chief leaves for Zambia Friday
General Aziz is scheduled to meet with Commandant, Zambia National Service today (Tuesday).
He will also meet with other senior leaderships of Zambia Armed Forces and visit various training institutions of Zambia Armed Forces, and is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on 6 May .
Kandy Test: Sri Lankan debutant crush Bangladesh
22-year-old spinner Praveen Jayawickrama returned 11 wickets conceding 178 runs on debut and helped his team to crush Bangladesh by 209 runs with more than two sessions to play in Kandy Test.
Jayawickrama’s match figures of taking 11 wickets conceding 178 runs is now the record of the best bowling on debut for Sri Lanka. He is now the first and only bowler from Sri Lanka to take 10 or more wickets on Test debut with five or more in each innings.
Read Also: Sri Lanka stretch lead over 400 as Bangladesh in more trouble
With this defeat, Bangladesh lost the series as well. The first Test of the even was ended in a draw at the same venue.
On the fifth and final day of the game, Bangladesh needed to score 260 runs to win or bat for the entire day to save this game at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. But the tourists failed to complete even the first session. Bangladesh lost the last five wickets in 50 runs and ended up their second innings on 227 in 71 0vers.
While Jayawickrama took five for 86 in the last innings of the match, off-spinner Ramesh Mendis scalped four wickets.
In their second innings, Sri Lanka had posted 194 for nine with the captain Dimuth Karunaratne hitting the highest 66. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam bagged five wickets for Bangladesh. With the first-innings lead of 242, Sri Lanka set a target of
Earlier, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth total of 493 runs for seven in their first innings riding on the centuries of Karunarate (118) and Lahiru Thirimanne (140) and Oshada Fernando scored 81. Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper-batsman, remained not-out for 77.
Read Also: Sri Lanka set 437 for Bangladesh to win in Kandy
Taskin Ahmed was the best bowler for Bangladesh taking four wickets for 127 runs, which is now his best bowling figures in Tests.
In reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings, Bangladesh tumbled for only 251 runs despite a 90 from Tamim Iqbal. Most of the batsman have had a good start but they failed to come up with the big innings.
Mominul Haque ended up on 49 and Mushfiqur Rahim scored 40. The onus was on them to propel the Tigers to a safe position in this game, but they disappointed.
Jayawickrama, who got a chance to play this game due to injuries or off-form of the other spinners, bagged six wickets conceding 92 runs.
Read Also: BAN v SL ODI 2021: How Bangladesh Can Rank Top in ICC ODI Super League
Brief score:
Sri Lanka (1st innings) 493/7 in 159.2 overs declared (Thirimanne 140, Karunaratne 118, Fernando 81, Dickwella 77*; Taskin 4/127)
Bangladesh (1st innings) 251/10 in 83 overs (Tamim 92, Mominul 49, Mushfiqur 40; Jayawickrama 6/92, Lakmal 2/30)
Sri Lanka (2nd innings) 194/9 in 42.2 overs declared (Karunaratne 66, de Silva 41; Taijul 5/72, Mehidy 2/66)
Bangladesh (2nd innings) 227/10 in 71 overs (Mushfiqur 40, Mehidy 39, Mominul 32; Jayawickrama 5/86, Mendis 4/103)
Result: Sri Lanka won the game by 209 runs
Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 69 more deaths, 1,359 new cases
The health authorities reported 69 more coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours until Sunday morning, taking the death toll to 11,569, as Bangladesh grapples to tackle the second wave of the pandemic.
Besides, 1,359 new cases were detected after examining 14,158 samples, the lowest number of tests since April 18, according to government data.
The health authorities have so far tested 5,498,979 samples. There has been a steady decline in the number of tests since April 28. New cases have been on the wane since April 26 but fell dramatically since April 28, data available on corona.gov.bd show.
However, the daily infection rate fell to 9.6 percent from Saturday’s 9.61 percent while the fatality rate rose to 1.52 percent from 1.51 percent a day before, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the new cases, the country’s total Covid-19 caseload now stands at 761,943, the DGHS handout said.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8, 2020 and the first death on March 18 that year.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh sees 77 deaths, new cases 2,955
Road accidents in Bangladesh claim 468 lives in April
At least 468 people were killed and 507 others injured in 432 road accidents across the country in the last month amid the nationwide lockdown, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform, on Sunday.
The road accidents took place on different national and regional highways, according to a report published by the organization.
Besides, six more people were killed in eight accidents on rail tracks, 38 people were killed and nine others injured in 14 accidents on river routes while two others went missing during the period.
The report was published after analysing accident reports published in the country's national and regional dailies and online media.
Also read: Road accidents killed 409 pedestrians in 3 months: RSF
According to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity report, among the injured victims, 82 were pedestrians 134 were drivers, 110 were transport workers, 33 were students, six were teachers, 28 were members of law enforcement agencies, 52 were women, 47 children and four were leaders of different political parties.
One hundred and twelve drivers of different vehicles, 38 women, 26 students, 36 transport workers, 42 children, two political leaders, seven members of law enforcement agencies and four teachers were among those killed in the road accidents in the last month.
The report also said that 221 accidents took place due to truck-covered van collision, 144 by motorbikes , 55 by battery-run human haulers, 64 by unauthorised human haulers, 52 by CNG run auto-rickshaws, 30 by private cars and by 20 buses.
Also read: 513 lives lost in March road accidents
On April 8, 26 people were killed and 33 others injured in 26 road accidents , the highest death toll in the month.
Besides, ten people were killed and six others were injured in six road crashes on April 14, the lowest death toll reported in the month.
Sri Lanka set 437 for Bangladesh to win in Kandy
With a 242-run first-innings lead, Sri Lanka declared the second innings of Kandy at 194 for nine and set 437 for Bangladesh to win the series.
Bangladesh never won a Test chasing more than 215 runs. The highest successful chase in Tests is 418, which was scored by West Indies in 2003 against Australia. It means Bangladesh have to make a world record to win this game.
Read Also: Sri Lanka stretch lead over 400 as Bangladesh in more trouble
Dimuth Karunaratne led Sri Lanka from the front by hitting yet another fifty in the series. He fell prey as Saif Hassan’s maiden Test wicket after scoring 66 in the second innings which helped Sri Lanka past the 400-run mark as their lead.
Angelo Mathews departed early in the morning but Dhananjaya de Silva added 41 in a quick move.
Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam registered a five-wicket haul while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took two wickets.
Read Also: Bangladesh's Greatest XI in Test cricket based only on Stats
Earlier, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth total of 493 runs for seven in their first innings riding on the centuries of Dimuth Karunarate (118) and Lahiru Thirimanne (140) and Oshada Fernando scored 81. Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper-batsman, remained not-out for 77.
Taskin Ahmed was the best bowler for Bangladesh taking four wickets for 127 runs, which is now his best bowling figures in Tests.
In reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings, Bangladesh tumbled for only 251 runs despite a 90 from Tamim Iqbal. Most of the batsman have had a good start but they failed to come up with the big innings.
Read Also: BCB announces preliminary squad for Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh
Mominul Haque ended up on 49 and Mushfiqur Rahim scored 40. The onus was on them to propel the Tigers to a safe position in this game, but they disappointed.
Sri Lankan debutant Praveen Jayawickrama, who got a chance to play this game due to injuries or off-form of the other spinners, bagged six wickets conceding 92 runs, which is now the best bowling for a Sri Lankan debutant in Tests.
Sri Lanka stretch lead over 400 as Bangladesh in more trouble
Sri Lanka stretched their lead over 400 with four wickets in hand in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kandy.
At the lunch of day four, Sri Lanka were batting at 172 for six. They are now leading y 414 runs with their huge first-innings lead of 242 runs.
Read Also: Bangladesh's Greatest XI in Test cricket based only on Stats
Dimuth Karunaratne led Sri Lanka from the front with hitting yet another fifty in the series. He fell prey as Saif Hassan’s maiden Test wicket after scoring 66 in the second innings which helped Sri Lanka past the 400-run mark as their lead.
Angelo Mathews departed early in the morning but Dhananjaya de Silva added 41 in a quick move.
Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam bagged three wickets so far in this match conceding 60 runs in 18 overs while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took two wickets.
Read Also: BCB announces preliminary squad for Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh
Earlier, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth total of 493 runs for seven in their first innings riding on the centuries of Dimuth Karunarate (118) and Lahiru Thirimanne (140) and Oshada Fernando scored 81. Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper-batsman, remained not-out for 77.
Taskin Ahmed was the best bowler for Bangladesh taking four wickets for 127 runs, which is now his best bowling figures in Tests.
In reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings, Bangladesh tumbled for only 251 runs despite a 90 from Tamim Iqbal. Most of the batsmen have had a good start but they failed to come up with the big innings.
Read Also: Lankan Lions take charge as Tigers crumble in Kandy
Mominul Haque ended up on 49 and Mushfiqur Rahim scored 40. The onus was on them to propel the Tigers to a safe position in this game, but they disappointed.
Sri Lankan debutant Praveen Jayawickrama, who got a chance to play this game due to injuries or off-form of the other spinners, bagged six wickets conceding 92 runs, which is now the best bowling for a Sri Lankan debutant in Tests.
Bangladesh’s Greatest XI in Test cricket based only on Stats
Bangladesh have been playing Test cricket over the past twenty years. Many of the tigers’ top players have represented the country in Test cricket. So far, 98 Bangladeshi cricketers have competed in Test format. Therefore, it's difficult to choose the best playing XI from among them. In this case, stats were given preference in order to select the best XI. However, some may be dissatisfied with this XI as it's possible that one or two of your favorite players may not find a place in this team. Let’s take a look at Bangladesh’s Greatest XI in Test cricket-based only on Stats.
The players who made the final cut in Bangladesh’s greatest Test XI
1) Tamim Iqbal
M: 64* | Runs: 4,764* | HS: 206 | Ave: 39.70 | 100s: 09
The first name on the list came as no surprise. Tamim Iqbal has emerged as Bangladesh's best opener in all formats during their first 20 years of Test cricket history. The dashing left-hander is without a doubt the Tigers' most prolific run-scorer and an obvious choice for the opening spot. He has amassed nearly 5,000 runs at an average of almost 40 since making his Test debut back in 2008.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Test 2021: The specific roles to perform by Bangladeshi players
2) ImrulKayes
M: 39 | Runs: 1,797 | HS: 150 | Ave: 24.28 | 100s: 03
Bangladesh have always struggled to find a reliable opening pair. ImrulKayes, Javed Omar, and ShahriarNafees were the frontrunners for the spot. But we're going for ImrulKayes, who made a record-breaking 312-run opening partnership with Tamim Iqbal against Pakistan in 2015.
3) MominulHaque
M: 44* | Runs: 3,247 | HS: 181 | Ave: 42.72 | 100s: 11
The current Test captain and Bangladesh's most prolific batsman in the longer version format over the past few years, MominulHaque is the only suitable contender for the position. The left-handed top-order batsman even enjoys batting at No. 3. Mominul always scores big when he's in top form.
4) Mushfiqur Rahim
M: 74* | Runs: 4,645 | HS: 219* | Ave: 37.16 | 100s: 07
Mushfiqur Rahim is Bangladesh's most experienced middle-order batsman in all three formats. His track record speaks for itself, which is why he's known as Mr. Dependable. He holds the record of the highest Test scorer (219) in an innings for Bangladesh. He is also the most successful wicket-keeper of Bangladesh cricket history.
5) Mohammad Ashraful
M: 61 | Runs: 2,737 | HS: 190 | Ave: 24.00 | 100s: 06
At number five, we've picked Mohammad Ashraful, arguably Bangladesh cricket's most controversial figure. Despite many scandals, Ashraful's importance to the Bangladesh cricket team cannot be overlooked. He became the youngest Test centurion in history on his debut against Sri Lanka in 2001.
6) Shakib Al Hasan
M: 57 | Runs: 3,930 | HS: 217 | Ave:39.69 | 100s: 05 | Wkts: 210 | BBI: 7/36 | Ave: 31.20
Bangladesh's best all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been placed in the number six position. He is the third-highest run-scorer for Bangladesh in the Test format. Shakib is the only Bangladeshi to scalp more than 200 Test wickets. So, he is an automatic choice on the list.
Read: Potential Young Players Who Could Rule World Cricket This Decade
7) Mohammad Rafique
M: 33 | Runs: 1,059 | HS: 111 | Ave:18.57 | 100s: 01 | Wkts: 100 | BBI: 6/77 | Ave: 40.76
One of the greatest spinners of Bangladesh cricket is Mohammad Rafique. He was hugely popular among Bangladesh cricket fans in the late 90s. Mohammad Rafique is the first Bangladeshi bowler to scalp 100 Test wickets. He was a useful batsman in the late middle order, and also was best known for his six-hitting ability.
8) MehidyHasanMiraz
M: 26* | Runs: 855 | HS: 103 | Ave:20.35 | 100s: 01 | Wkts: 103 | BBI: 7/58 | Ave: 34.25
Mehdi HasanMiraj has been included in the squad as an all-rounder. Miraj achieved international fame in 2016 after helping Bangladesh in winning a Test match against England. He has been a regular member of Bangladesh's Test squad since then. Miraj reached the milestone of 100 Test wickets in just 24 Tests.
9) MashrafeMortaza
M: 36 | Wkts: 78 | BBI: 6/77 | Ave: 41.52
Our first choice for the pace attack is Narail Express MashrafeMortaza. Mashrafe is Bangladesh's first genuine pace bowler, with a top speed of 140 km/h. Due to a series of injuries, he couldn't prolong his Test career but his prowess and class are undeniable.
10) Taijul Islam
M: 33* | Wkts: 130 | BBI: 8/39 | Ave: 33.45
Taijul Islam is Bangladesh's second-most successful Test bowler. He has taken 130* Test wickets for the Tigers' so far. Taijul also holds the record of highest wicket-taker (8/39) in an innings for Bangladesh. On a slow pitch, the left-arm orthodox spinner is a lethal bowler. He is capable of checking the run rates.
11) Shahadat Hossain
M: 38 | Wkts: 72 | BBI: 6/27 | Ave: 51.81
Shahadat Hossain is Bangladesh's second-most successful fast bowler in the Tests. As a result, he's our first choice for Mashrafe's bowling partner. He gave it all during his stint on Bangladesh's national side especially in many difficult conditions, which is really admirable.
Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Five Times When Bangladesh Stun Sri Lanka
Bottom Line
Some of Bangladesh's star players have been left out of this Test XI. On the other hand, the selected players have earned their place on the list because they have great records in the longer version format. Overall, this is Bangladesh’s Greatest XI in Test cricket-based only on Stats.
Taskin, Taijul keep Bangladesh fighting
After a bat-dominated first day, Bangladesh Friday staged a comeback in the competition, with bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam picking up three wickets in the first session of the second day of the final Test in Kandy.
While right-arm pacer Taskin struck twice to remove Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews, Taijul bagged the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva.
On Thursday, Bangladesh gave away 291 runs for just one wicket after losing the toss and sent to bowl first at Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.
Also read: Kandy Test Day 1: Karunaratne, Thirimanne's centuries propel Sri Lanka to 291/1
Bangladesh were wicketless in the first hour of day two. But it was a short delivery from Taskin which worked well for him. Thirimanne was uncomfortable and the ball touched his gloves before reaching the keeper safely.
Thirimanne partnered with Dimuth Karunarate in the opening stand to put up 209 runs.
Two balls after scalping Thirimanne, Taskin could have sent Angelo Mathews back to the dressing room if he heard the sound of a clear neck. Wicketkeeper Liton Das also failed to hear the sound and thus they didn’t go for a review. But the TV replays showed a clear neck. Taskin eventually removed Mathews as Liton took an easy catch.
Bangladesh grabbed the third wicket of the session when Taijul removed Dhananjaya for two. Najmul Hossain Shanto took the catch in second chance after the Liton fumble. Before the wicket-taking delivery, Taijul showed some glimpses of turn and bounce on the wicket.
At the lunch break of day two, Sri Lanka were batting at 334 for four. In the first session of day two, the hosts added only 43 runs in 26 overs to their overnight total. Bangladesh conceded less than two runs per over in this session.
Cyclone Mary Ann: Recounting tales of horror, 30 years on
On April 29, 1991, Cyclone Mary Ann struck southeastern Bangladesh. Winds from the superstorm reached around 220 kmph. The tidal waves rose as high as a palm tree. All making it one of the deadliest tropical superstorms to hit the region since record-keeping began.
The cyclone flattened villages after villages along the country's southeastern coast after making landfall in Chattogram district. An estimated 1.38 lakh people died while millions were rendered homeless in a span of just 12 hours.
Three decades on, memories of the cyclone still remain fresh in the minds of those who witnessed how it devastated the entire region and put a question mark on its geography by washing away several onshore and offshore islands. Large parts of Maheshkhali, Kutubdia, Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ukhia and Teknaf were swept away by the cyclonic storm.
"It was a horrific day. Bodies were lying all over. The smell of death hovered in the air. The 1991 cyclone was indeed a devastating one in the history of our country," recounts Lion Md Giasuddin, member secretary of the Sitakunda Citizen Rights Conservation Council.
In fact, the cyclone wreaked havoc in 13 coastal areas, including Sandwip, Sitakunda, Anwara and Banshkhali upazilas. Most of the deaths were reported from Sandwip, Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, Hatiya, Anwara, Banshkhali, Sitakunda, Chakaria and Pekua upazilas of the district. Over 3.000 people lost their lives in Sitakunda alone.