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Domestic flights to resume from Aug 6 amid relaxed lockdown
In gradual relaxation of the extended Covid-19 lockdown the government has decided to allow domestic flights to operate in all routes from Friday.
The information was confirmed in the notification of the cabinet division regarding lockdown restrictions on Thursday afternoon.
Read: Bangladesh, India planning limited flight operation
Right after the notification, US-Bangla Airlines issued a press release on resumption of flights on all domestic routes in compliance with health regulations from Aug. 6.
Among the routes operated from Dhaka, US-Bangla Airlines has decided to run flights to Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Syedpur, Jashore, Sylhet, Barisal and Rajshahi, said the press release.
They requested their customers to call 01777777800-6 or 13605 for ticket reservations.
Read:68 more return to Dhaka from Thailand by special flight
Faced with the mounting Covid-19 cases and hospitalization, the government on Thursday decided to extend the ongoing lockdown for five more days until Aug. 10 in an effort to slow down the virus transmission.
The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Thursday which will remain in force from 12 am on Aug. 5 till 12 am on Aug. 10.
According to the notification, the industries and factories will remain out of the purview of the restriction while the domestic flight will be operated following health guidelines.
Read: Domestic flights to carry intl passengers to port of departure during lockdown
The nationwide lockdown, first imposed on July 23 for 14 days until Aug. 5, has now been extended for another five days till Aug. 10 amid a surge in the Delta variant of Covid-19 infections across the country.
The government also asked all concerned to take measures in this regard.
Sheikh Kamal’s birthday: PM releases postage stamp
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday released a commemorative postage stamp, an opening-day cover and a data card marking the 72nd birth anniversary of Shaheed Captain Sheikh Kamal.
Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and younger brother of Sheikh Hasina, was born on August 5, 1949 at Tungipara, Gopalganj.
Read: Even as President’s son, Kamal led a simple life: Hasina
Hasina unveiled the Tk-10 stamp along with a Tk-10 opening-day cover and Tk-5 data card at a function at her official residence Ganobhaban, said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar, PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Posts and Telecommunications Secretary Md Afzal Hossain and Director General of Directorate of Posts (Bangladesh Post Office) Md Siraz Uddin were present.
Delta variant Covid patients account for 98% in Bangladesh: BSMMU
Ninety-eight percent of the Covid patients recently detected in Bangladesh are of the highly contagious Delta variant while just one percent are of South African Beta variant ones, says a BSMMU survey.
Vice-Chancellor of the BSMMU (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University) Prof M Sharfuddin Ahmed, also the supervisor of Genome sequencing research project, revealed the survey report on Thursday after scrutinizing 300 samples collected from June 29 to July 30.
Read: Why might COVID-19 vaccine boosters be necessary?
The aim of the research is to unveil the character of genome, type of mutation and discover the inter-relations of with global Covid-19 genome as well as preparing a database of Bangladesh Covid-19 genome.
This is the result of the first month of the BSMMU research and its updated result will be revealed in the months to follow.
The genome sequencing was conducted through next generation sequencing after collecting the nasopharyngeal swab samples of Covid-19 positive patients.
Banks to remain closed on Sunday
Banks will remain closed on Sunday, said the Bangladesh Bank in a circular issued on Thursday.
However, banks’ transaction time on Monday and Tuesday has been extended by half an hour from 10 am to 3 pm instead of existing time from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
Read: Bank transaction time extended by 1 hour during lockdown
They can remain open up to 4:30 pm to conduct their official activities, said the BB circular, issued against the backdrop of the government’s extension of current lockdown until August 10 considering the Covid-19 situation.
The other instructions including maintenance of all Covid-safety protocols and operation with limited staff will remain unchanged.
As per that circular, during this period, the head offices and other necessary branches of banks can remain open with limited staff.
Read: Banks to open from Sunday for limited hours
The banks have to conduct its regular activities like deposits and withdrawal of money by customers, demand note/pay order issue, foreign remittance handover, payment under the government’s safety-net social programmes and pension payments.
However, internet banking services will continue for 24 hours. All banks will have to ensure the operations of ATM kiosks to facilitate transactions through cards and by supplying adequate cash in the machines, said the BB circular.
Even as President’s son, Kamal led a simple life: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said Sheikh Kamal used to lead a very simple life but faced a malicious campaign after surviving a futile assassination attempt in 1974.
“Kamal was shot on December 16, 1974 following a conspiracy. An ill-attempt was made to kill him. When he survived it, various negative campaigns were carried out against him,” she said.
The prime minister said this while addressing a function arranged to confer Sheikh Kamal National Sports Council (NSC) Award-2021 on its recipients marking the 72nd birth anniversary of Shaheed Sheikh Kamal.
Read: 10 sports personalities, 2 organisations receive Sheikh Kamal Sports Award
Hasina joined the function, held at Shaheed Sheikh Kamal Auditorium of the National Sports Council, through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganobhaban.
The prime minister said Sheikh Kamal had led a very simple life despite being a son of the President, Prime Minister or Father of the Nation.
“Though his father was the Prime Minister or the President, he never had any intention to make money and wealth or build a business,” she said.
His biggest passion was to develop the country’s educational institutions and improve cultural and sports arenas, said Hasina recollecting the contributions of her younger brother to different sectors, particularly sports.
Kamal had played a sincere role in modernizing football, cricket and the sports sector. “He had made tangible contributions to the field of music, too. As a Dhaka University student, he had a lot of contributions to our society,” she said.
His biggest goal was to reorganise the young generation, motivate them to love the country and work in the interest of the country. “Had he been alive (for a long) he could have done a lot of work for the country’s young generation,” she said.
Describing Kamal as a versatile man, Hasina said he had a good sense of responsibility and dutifulness, and he played various games like football, cricket and hockey in addition to founding Abahani Krira Chakra.
Alongside sports, he was very good in drama, song and extempore activity, and established Spondon Shilpi Gosthi.
Read: NSC to introduce Sheikh Kamal National Sports Council Award this year
About his organisational competence, the prime minister said Kamal played a very active role in different movements and struggles after the Six-Point Demand was placed in 1966, conducted a campaign competently before the 1970 election.
Covid-19: Bangladesh announces new restriction rules
`Faced with the mounting Covid-19 cases and hospitalization, the government has imposed restrictions alongside the existing ones on the movement of people and other activities for five days more in an effort to slow the virus transmission.
The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Thursday which will remain in force from 12 am on August 5 till 12 am on August 10.
Read:Lockdown breaches in Dhaka: 425 more held; over Tk13 lakh fined
According to the notification, the industries and factories will remain out of the purview of the restriction while the domestic flight will be operated following health guidelines.
On July 22, the Bangladesh government announced the resumption of the countrywide strict lockdown from July 23.
The nationwide lockdown, first imposed for 14-days until August 5, has now been extended for another five days till August 10 amid a surge in the Delta variant of Covid-19 infections across the country.
The government also asked all concerned to take measures in this regard.
10 sports personalities, 2 organisations receive Sheikh Kamal Sports Award
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday distributed Sheikh Kamal National Sports Council (NSC) Award-2021 to 10 sports personalities and two organisations through a virtual function.
On behalf of the Prime Minister, Senior Secretary of Youth and Sports Ministry Akhter Hossain handed over the awards to them under seven categories at the Shaheed Sheikh Kamal Auditorium of the National Sports Council.
Read: Akbar and Ruman among 12 to receive Sheikh Kamal sports award
The Prime Minister joined the award ceremony virtually from Ganobhaban.
Mahfuza Khatun Shila (swimming), Ruman Sana (archery) and Mabia Akter Simanto (weightlifting) received the award in the athlete category.
Akbar Ali (captain of U-19 Cricket World Cup winner), Fahad Rahman (chess) and Unnati Khatun (football) got the award in the emerging athlete category.
Barishal logs 32 new Covid deaths
Amid an alarming surge in the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Bangladesh, Barishal division on Thursday morning recorded as many as 32 new Covid deaths in 24 hours.
Of the deceased, 15 were confirmed Covid patients while the remaining 17 showed symptoms of the virus, health officials said. And of them, 19 died at Sher-E-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) alone.
Divisional Health Director Dr Basudev Kumar Das said that 514 patients have died of Covid-19 in the division so far.
Besides, 858 people have tested positive for Covid in Barishal division in the past 24 hours. Of the fresh Covid cases in the division, 335 are from Barisal district alone. Some 36,998 active patients have been identified in the division to date.
Read: Barishal division logs record 31 Covid deaths in a day
According to SBMCH authorities, 41 more patients have been admitted to the hospital in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Moreover, 343 Covid patients are currently undergoing treatment at the corona unit of SBMCH. Of them, 120 are confirmed Covid patients.
Read: Barishal division sees 20 more Covid deaths
Bangladesh has been experiencing a merciless onslaught of Covid-19 for the past few months. Relatives of Covid-infected patients have been running from one hospital to another to arrange a bed for their loved ones.
Read:Barishal division logs 854 new Covid cases
Fire breaks out at Savar warehouse, 20 injured
As many as 20 people were injured as a fire broke out at a warehouse off the Dhaka-Aricha highway in the Rajphulbaria bus stand area of Savar early on Thursday.
Sources at the fire services department said the blaze started in the morning and soon engulfed the warehouse belonging to Singer Refrigerators. On information, 11 fire tenders rushed to spot and it took them some time to douse the flames.
Read: Leather factory in Narayanganj catches fire
Sources claimed the fire spread rapidly because of the presence of chemicals, colours and other flammable materials inside the warehouse on the outskirts of the capital. However, the origin of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
"As many as 20 people, including firemen, sustained injuries in the blaze. The firemen suffered injuries while dousing the flames," the sources said.
"Traffic on the Dhaka-Aricha highway remained suspended till 11.25 am due to the fire," said Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge of Savar Model police station.
Read: Rupganj factory fire : Families receive remains of 24 victims
Power supply in the area has also been disconnected, causing inconvenience to hundreds of local residents.
Global Covid cases top 200 million
The global Covid-19 caseload has now surged past the grim milestone of 200 million, as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries even with mass inoculations underway.
The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stand at 200,136,419 and 4,254,976, respectively, as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 4,265,470,393 Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the globe, as per the university data.
Read: US plans to require COVID-19 shots for foreign travelers
The US has logged 35,331,683 cases and 614,797 deaths to date, according to the university data. The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world.
India recorded the world's second largest caseload of 31,769,132, followed by Brazil with 20,026,533 cases as well as the world's second largest death toll of 559,607. Besides, India’s death toll reached 425,757 on Thursday morning.
Countries with more than four million cases include Russia, France, Britain, Turkey, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Italy and Iran, while those with over 100,000 deaths include India, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Britain, Italy, Colombia and France.
The global caseload reached the grim milestone of 100 million on January 26, and doubled in more than half a year.
Situation in Bangladesh
As the Covid infection rate continues to swell in Bangladesh, the country recorded 241 more deaths in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
Read: 241 more die in Bangladesh as Covid refuses to slow down
According to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 13,817 more people came out positive with the virus during the period after the test of 49,514 samples.
The fresh numbers have pushed the country’s death tally to 21,638, with the caseload mounting to 1,309,910.
Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate fell slightly to 27.91 % from Tuesday’s 28.58%, while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
The recovery rate, however, rose to 87.12%, and the case fatality remained static at 1.65% compared to the same period, said the DGHS.
Read:Covid: Khulna aims to inoculate over 1.16 lakh residents
With the vaccination drive slowly gaining momentum, 216,534 people got their first Sinopharm jab during the period.
Besides, 11,898, 10,931 and 1,026 people received their second dose of Astrazeneca, Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines, respectively, during this period.
Bangladesh is planning to vaccinate one crore people during a special drive from August 7 to 12.