Bangladesh
Southeast Asian MPs urge ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar to meet National Unity Govt
Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia are urging the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar, the Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, to meet representatives of the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar, after his recent trip to the country.
During the trip he met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and other members of the military junta that continues to try to rule the country after its illegal coup d’état of February last year.
Formed by MPs elected before the military takeover and widely respected leaders from civil society and the ethnic minorities, the NUG was established in April 2022 to oppose the self-styled State Administration Council (SAC) led by Min Aung Hlaing.
The NUG is supported by the vast majority of the Myanmar people.
“Most Myanmar citizens see the NUG as their legitimate government, and that is how the international community at large, and ASEAN in particular, should regard it. If Mr. Sokhonn is serious about implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, he should publicly engage the NUG, rather than limit himself to meet the leaders of an illegal junta that is committing all kinds of international crimes and throwing the country into chaos while attempting to cement its power,” said Tom Villarin, former MP from the Philippines and Board Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Monday.
Read: Crisis in Myanmar taking an enormous toll on children: UN committee warns
The Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar was signed on 24 April 2021 by all ASEAN leaders and Min Aung Hlaing.
The Consensus prescribes the delivery of humanitarian aid, and calls for an immediate cessation of violence, as well as the commencement of a dialogue process between all the parties involved in the conflict, to be facilitated by the ASEAN Special Envoy appointed by the group’s rotatory Chair.
Since Cambodia assumed the chairmanship of ASEAN this year, its leaders have met Min Aung Hlaing and other representatives of the SAC on several occasions, including a visit by the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, to Myanmar in January; but has never met with any member of the NUG, most of whom are in hiding or exiled.
As Chair of ASEAN this year, Cambodia should hold conversations with the democratic leaders of Myanmar, by inviting them to meet outside Myanmar or online if necessary, given the challenges involved in meeting them in their own country, APHR said.
The SAC has utterly failed to implement any of the five points included in the consensus and the situation has steadily deteriorated in Myanmar.
With at least 2,088 people killed by the junta; over 11,000 political prisoners, a record number in Myanmar’s history; and over one million internally displaced people in the country, Min Aung Hlaing and his men are responsible for “systematic and widespread human rights violations and abuses” that may amount to “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We at APHR have repeatedly called on ASEAN to hold Min Aung Hlaing and his criminal junta accountable for their crimes and for not abiding to the Consensus they signed to. The military is the main source of Myanmar’s woes and instability, and ASEAN member states should not accept its illegal rule as a fait accompli. Instead, they should engage and support the NUG and Myanmar’s civil society if they truly want to put the country back on the path towards democracy and prevent it from becoming a failed state at their doorstep,” said Villarin.
Dhaka’s air quality now ‘moderate’
Dhaka's air quality continues to be in the 'moderate' zone Monday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 52 at 10am, the metropolis ranked 29th in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Pakistan’s Lahore, Indonesia’s Jakarta and India’s Delhi occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 172, 166, 154, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Read:Dhaka's air quality remains ‘moderate’
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out that the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka "are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites".
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
European Parliament's delegation on International Trade in city
A delegation of European Parliament's Committee on International Trade began their three-day visit here on Monday.
Heidi Hautala, MEP is leading the European Parliament delegation to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) will discuss mainly trade related issues during the visit.
“They are interested in following trade relations between the EU and Bangladesh which are growing very strongly,” EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley told reporters after his recent meeting with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam
He said the delegation of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will meet different ministers and other organizations.
Read:MEPs’ Bangladesh Visit: Trade issues to get priority
The EU ambassador said both sides will be looking at GSP regulation, which is their global regulation as they are very committed and interested on the trade front.
The State Minister said the delegation will visit privately owned factories and see Bangladesh’s development.
Bangladesh is already engaging in the GSP Plus issue which is a rather difficult process and the EU says it is very encouraging to see awareness in Bangladesh.
The EU is very happy that the Everything but Arms (EBA) has helped Bangladesh and thanked Bangladesh for the high quality clothing that they get from the country.
Bangladesh suggested an extension of the existing DFQF market access for Bangladesh in the European market by nine years beyond the three years of leeway after the graduation. Bangladesh can still enjoy the duty-free quota-free market access after 2026 up to 2029.
The EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) gives developing countries a special incentive to pursue sustainable development and good governance.
Eligible countries have to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, the environment and good governance.
The State Minister said there will be a wide-ranging discussion with the EU delegation.
Bangladesh draws worldwide attention for keeping up its growth momentum despite the global recession triggered by the pandemic and war, he said.
Narail vandalism: College student put on 3-day remand
Narail court has placed college student Akash Saha on a three-day remand in a case over a Facebook post that allegedly hurt religious sentiment in Lohagara upazila of the district.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Morshedul Alam passed order on Sunday after investigating officer of the case Makfur Rahman, also sub-inspector (SI) of Lohagara police station, sought a seven-day remand to interrogate him.
Police arrested Akash Saha from Khulna Saturday night.
Besides, another case was filed against 200 to 250 people at Lohagara police station on Sunday night in connection with the vandalism of houses and shops and attacks on two temples in Sahapara, said Sheikh Abu Hena Milon, officer-in-charge of the police station.
Read: Narail vandalism: Youth held over Facebook post ‘hurting religious sentiment’
On Friday, an angry mob went on a rampage in Lohagara upazila of Narail district damaging at least two houses of the Hindu community and several shops at Digholia Bazar following the Facebook post by the youth.
Haran Chandra Pal, officer-in-charge of Lohagara police station, said the college student belonging to the Hindu community posted a remark on Facebook hurting religious sentiments on Friday.
As the news spread like wildfire, a group of local people thronged Digholia Bazar and vandalised two houses and six shops that night. They also set one of these houses on fire over the issue, the OC said.
They also vandalised chairs and sound boxes of Shahapara temple and tin roof of Akhrabari temple during the mayhem.
On information, police rushed to the spot and fired in the air to bring the situation under control. Additional police forces were deployed in the area to avert further trouble.
Global Covid cases near 568 million
The overall number of Covid cases is now near 568 million amid a rise in new infections in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 567,824,848 and the death toll reached 6,387,753 Monday morning.
The US has recorded 91,275,149 cases so far and 1,048,843 people have died from the virus in the country, the data shows.
India recorded over 20,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the fourth straight day on Sunday, officials said.
The health ministry's data showed that 20,528 cases of COVID-19 were reported during the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 43,750,599 in the country.
Read: Macao extends lockdown to curb biggest COVID-19 outbreak
The country also logged 49 COVID-19-related deaths during this period, pushing the overall death toll to 525,709 since the beginning of the pandemic, the ministry said.
The detection of a more contagious Omicron mutant, BA.2.75, which is gaining ground in India, has worried health officials. They feared that the new mutant may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infections.
The Indian government has focused on promoting booster doses as the uptake for the third dose has been low. The drive to provide free booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to all adults at government centers began on Friday.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh recorded four more Covid-linked deaths with 900 cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
With the latest figures, the country's total fatalities reached 29,234 while the caseload to 1,996,340, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case positivity rate declined to 11.12 per cent from Saturday’s 13.70 per cent from as 8,091 samples were tested.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 per cent. The recovery rate rose to 96.42 per cent from Saturday's 96.37 per cent.
Bangladesh envoy to UK shocked at British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur Enam Ali’s death
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the legendary British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur and British curry industry leader Enam Ali, MBE.
In a condolence message, the High Commissioner said, “I am deeply shocked and profoundly saddened at the sudden passing away this morning of Enam Ali MBE, a legendary British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur and British curry industry leader."
She said Enam Ali was not only the ingenious pioneer of the prestigious British Curry Awards, but also a standard-bearer in popular branding and profiling of the Bangladeshi curry industry in Britain’s mainstream culinary, social and media circles.
"Enam Ali will always be remembered for his exemplary leadership, inspirational enterprise, dedicated philanthropy and community services not only by the British-Bangladeshi community but also by the mainstream British hospitality sector," said the High Commissioner.
She hoped that late Enam Ali’s life and works will motivate young British-Bangladeshis in taking leadership to promote the British curry industry and serve the community.
The High Commissioner conveyed her deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family members of late Enam Ali and prayed to Almighty Allah for the salvation of his departed soul. "May Allah grant Mr. Enam Ali Jannatul Ferdous, Ameen."
Enam Ali, also the founder of Spice Business Magazine, died in a UK hospital on Sunday morning.
Read: FM mourns death of British Curry Awards founder Enam Ali
At the age of 62, he breathed his last at a hospital in Surrey of British Columbia after being admitted there for the past few weeks.
Born in Sylhet district in 1960, Ali went to the United Kingdom in 1974 to study Law. But later he decided to pursue a degree in hospitality and management.
In 1989 Enam Ali founded Le Raj Restaurant in Epsom, Surrey. He launched the restaurant magazine Spice Business in 1998. In 2005, he introduced the "British Curry Awards", and there had never been such a great recognition event in the Curry industry before.
Enam Ali received Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009 for his contributions to the curry industry and was awarded "Freedom of the City of London" in 2011.
His two namaz-e-janazas will be held on Tuesday. The first Janazah will be held at East London Mosque after Zuhr salah and the second one at Epsom Cemetery in London, said his family.
He will be buried at Epsom Cemetery, Downs Road, in London later.
He is survived by his wife and three children, family members, friends, and a community in which he was deeply involved and influenced.
2 killed, 3 injured as truck overturns on Padma Bridge
Two people were killed and three others, including a child were injured after a truck overturned on the north viaduct of the Padma Bridge on Sunday night.The deceased were identified as Raju Khandakar, 45, and Kawser, 23, while the injured are Mukta Akter,25, wife of Raju Khandakar, their one-and-half year-old daughter Fatema Khandkar and Omar Farooq, 47.The accident occured around 10pm when the truck carrying empty gas cylinders from Shariatpur to Dhaka lost control and overturned between pillars 15 and 16 on the bridge, leaving two people dead on the spot and three others critically injured.The injured were sent to Dhaka Mitford Medical College Hospital in critical condition, said Alamgir Hossain, officer in charge of Padma North Police Station.
Read: Five killed in separate road accidents in 3 distsThe body has been kept at the Srinagar Health Complex, added the OC.Road accidents are common in Bangladesh.At least 2,329 people, including 291 women and 381 children, were killed and 4,361 others injured in 2,159 road accidents across the country in the first half of the current year, says a new report by the Road Safety Foundation.The road accidents took place on highways, national, inter-district and regional roads between January 1 and June 30 across the country.
Death toll from flood reaches 123
The death toll from the devastating floods in the country rose to 123 with two more deaths in Sylhet district in 24 hours till Sunday morning.Both of them drowned in floodwater, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).Besides, some 20,134 people have been affected by floods during the period, it added.The total deaths were recorded between May 17 to July 17, it said.
Read: Satkhira flood washes away Tk8.28 crore worth of fish, crab, shrimpOf the total deceased, 96 people drowned in flood water, 15 were struck by lightning, two died from snake bites, one from diarrhea, and nine others due to other reasons.Of the deceased, 69 people died in Sylhet, 41 in Mymensingh, 12 in Rangpur and one in Dhaka division, the DGHS said.Of a total of 70 flood-hit upazilas, 33 are in Sylhet division, 16 in Rangpur division, 20 in Mymensingh division and one in Chattogram division.Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and Kurigram are the worst-hit districts, with 13, 11, 10 and nine upazilas affected by floods, respectively.
Satkhira flood washes away Tk8.28 crore worth of fish, crab, shrimp
Satkhira district Department of Fisheries estimated a loss worth Tk 8.28 crore as fish, crab, and shrimp on 1,655 hectares got flooded after the protection dam of Kholpetua river broke partially.
The 150 feet embankment, built for the protection of coastal areas collapsed due to high tide on July 14, causing immense suffering to thousands of people from nearly 3,500 families of nine villages in Burigoalini union of Shyamnagar upazila.
Read: Death toll from flood reaches 123
Three days passed, but the authority could not yet repair the broken embankment and the damages from the flood continued to increase till Sunday.
“We are preparing a list of the fish farmers who incurred losses and it will soon be sent to the concerned ministry,” said Anisur Rahman, Satkhira Fisheries Officer.
Embankment goes into riverbed in Khulna
An embankment built to prevent erosion by the Kopotakkho river in Charmukha area under Khulna’s Koyra upazila has been ruined due to increased water pressure.
The embankment started to break on Sunday noon. The locals are fearing that vast areas will be inundated due to high tide if the embankment isn’t repaired in due time.
According to Osman Gani, a member of the local ward, a road on one side of the Charmukha canal went into the riverbed around 4:00am.
“The road was in a precarious condition for a long time. Many other roads and houses have started to go extinct due to increased flow of the Kopotakkho river. We’re trying to repair the dam on our own initiative. Large parts of the area will be inundated if we can’t repair the dam within the next one to two hours,” Osman said.
Read: Onrush of upstream water threatens Chandpur town protection embankment