Bangladesh
9 more dengue cases confirmed
Bangladesh reported nine more dengue – a viral infection – cases in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning.
All the new patients were admitted to Dhaka hospitals at that time, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Forty-nine dengue patients are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the capital.
In 2022, the DGHS has recorded 361 dengue cases and 312 recoveries so far. However, it has not yet reported any death from the mosquito-borne viral disease.
Dengue – a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries – was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 and claimed 93 lives. In three years, the fatality number almost fell to zero.
However, 105 dengue patients, including 95 in Dhaka division, died in 2021.
About 4 billion people, almost half of the world's population, live in areas with a risk of dengue, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Each year, up to 400 million people get infected with dengue while approximately 100 million get sick from infection, and 40,000 die from severe dengue, it says.
Because there are four different dengue viruses, a person can be infected by the virus up to four times in their life.
READ: Bangladesh sees rise in Dengue cases: 18 more cases confirmed
The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, aches and pains and a rash.
"There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue. Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1 percent," according to the World Health Organization.
‘Louder than Words’ launched as part of youth activism to eliminate early, forced marriage
Stronger youth activism engaging traditional and religious leaders can eliminate Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM), a global human rights issue disproportionately affecting girls, said Plan International on Wednesday.
“Each story of grassroots redemption speaks louder than words. These are stories of actions that have led to many small yet significant victories in this perpetual battle of right against might. As we’re exploring these accounts of struggle, familiarity emerges of well-known settings, characters, plots and tensions – it’s how a story resolves and ends that we need to influence,” said Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Asia Pacific and Gender Transformative Policy & Practice, Plan International.
“At first, the villagers didn’t take my initiative very well. They didn’t pay attention to my words. But I didn’t lose hope. I have continued advocating against child marriage whenever I find some free time in between my studies,” shared Sweeti from Bangladesh who is a passionate and influential advocate and vocal promoter of issues relating to child marriage and girls' health.
Sweeti and several other girls and stakeholders across the region featured in 20 stories of this collection.
They are bold change makers who do not back down but stand strong alongside Plan International in their fight against CEFM, demanding a better present and future for themselves and other youth.
These stories of grassroots redemption prove that tales of tragedy can also become tales of survival and triumph.
The international development organisation urged the use of digital technology, cyber platforms and online solutions, as well as promoting accessible and quality gender-responsive services that can be used to promote effective strategies to eliminate CEFM, as well as to prevent and reduce adolescent pregnancies in Asia-Pacific, including Bangladesh.
Plan International came up with the urge as they launched a collection of testimonies titled “Louder than Words”.
READ: 16 Days of Activism: USAID workshop highlights empowering women journalists
It is a collection of testimonies reflecting girls’ and boys’ activism in collaboration with Plan International in tackling and challenging root-causes of CEFM to prevent this harmful practice and achieve girls’ empowerment and equality.
The testimonies promote, celebrate and highlight the regional efforts to prevent and end CEFM that has evolved into a regional initiative called Time to Act!
Child marriage frequently leads to serious negative consequences, denying millions of girls the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
By 2030, globally more than 800 million women may have suffered the consequences of child marriage, up from more than 650 million today.
Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 34 cases, zero death
Bangladesh registered 34 new Covid cases in 24 hours till Wednesday taking the country's total caseload to 1,953,541.
The country's total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,131 as no death was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily test positivity rate increased to 0.63 percent from Tuesday's 0.61 percent as 5,353 samples were tested.
The country on Tuesday saw 26 cases with zero death.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 percent. The recovery rate rose to 97.42 percent as 357 patients recovered during this period.
In May, the country reported only four Covid-linked deaths and 816 new cases, while 7,356 patients recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS.
READ: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 26 cases, zero death
Among the four deaths during the period, one was vaccinated with single dose of Covid vaccine while three were vaccinated with two doses.
The country reported its first zero Covid death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 cases, since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020.
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest positivity rate of 33.37 per cent.
The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.
HC stays trial against journo Kajol in 3 cases under DSA
The High Court (HC) on Wednesday stayed for two months the trial proceedings of three cases filed against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol under the Digital Security Act .
The HC bench of Justice ASM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Atowar Rahman passed the order after hearing on Kajol’s petition.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for Kajol and deputy attorney general Sujit Chatterjee represented the state.
At the same time, the HC sought all the documents of these cases from the lower court.
The High Court also fixed July 28 for hearing on these appeals.
On February 1, barrister Jyotirmoy filed the petition with the High Court seeking a stay on the framing of charges against Kajol in the three DSA cases.
On November 8 last year, the Cyber Tribunal in Dhaka framed charges against Kajol in three cases filed under the stringent law.
READ: HC grants three more months for converting to digital set-top boxes
Kajol went missing on March 10, 2020, a day after Magura-1 MP Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed a case against him and 31 others, including Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury.
They were sued under the act for publishing and sharing an article on various social media platforms about expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia.
Two other cases were filed against Kajol at Kamrangir Char and Hazaribagh police stations, respectively, under the same act on March 10 and 11 last year.
After his 53 days of disappearance, Kajol was detained by Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) near the Benapole border on May 3, 2020, and produced in a Jashore court the same day.
Although the court granted him bail in the case, he was sent to jail as the Kotwali police brought another charge against him under Section 54 of CrPC.
On November 24, 2020, the photojournalist secured bail in another case filed against him under the DSA.
On December 17 that year, the High Court granted him bail in the remaining two cases filed under the DSA, clearing the way for his release. He was freed from Dhaka Central Jail on December 25 last year.
COVID-19 has far reaching impact on adolescents: Study
Long-term school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis have impacted the life transitions of adolescents in a multitude of ways beyond disruption in education, finds a recent study on ‘Adolescent Girls’ Vulnerabilities and Transitions in the Context of COVID-19’.
Adolescents reportedly had to grapple with reduced educational aspirations, poorer psychosocial wellbeing, increased restrictions and control over social relations and mobility and pressures to start work.
Also read: Bangladesh number 1 recipient of COVID-19 vaccines under COVAX: UNICEF
The decisions made by parents and adolescents during COVID will influence their future life trajectories by determining their educational achievements, their reproductive health and also livelihood choices.
Findings from the study were shared at a research dissemination event held on Wednesday at the BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka.
The mixed-method study, conducted during September to November 2021, aimed to shed light on women and girls’ access to justice in Bangladesh by analysing adolescent girls’ life transitions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the research, 35% of adolescents studied for 3-5 hours before the pandemic - which went down to 14% during COVID-19.
While COVID-19 did not significantly affect drop-outs rates, at least 35% of the dropouts mentioned that COVID-19 had led to unwillingness to study further, and another 16% said they could no longer afford it.
Although the study found little variation in the rate of early marriage before and after the pandemic, nearly 50% of the parents said that their decision to marry off their daughters was moderately or highly influenced by COVID-19.
Therefore, COVID-19 did encourage some households to take the decision to marry off their daughters as they felt social pressure to ensure that their daughters’ and their family’s honour would be protected.
Saudi Arabia ranks first globally in date exports: Embassy
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has ranked first globally in terms of the value of date exports in 2021, according to the Trade Map of the International Trade Center.
The value of Saudi exports of dates in 2021 reached SR1.2 billion ($320 million), said the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday quoting the Saudi Press Agency.
The Kingdom also realised the highest annual growth rate of exports over the past five years of 12.5 percent, with exports entering 113 countries.
The National Center for Palms and Dates said the achievement reflected the interest of the Saudi leadership in enhancing non-oil exports, developing the work system in planting and improving the production of palm, and the leading role of partners, mainly the producers and exporters of dates.
READ: Saudi Arabia bans citizens from travelling to 16 countries, including India, over new COVID-19 outbreaks
It said the Saudi Vision 2030 placed a lot of attention on the palm and dates sector through its development and sustainability, working early to prepare and implement programs to develop this sector and increase its contribution to the gross domestic product.
The value of palms and dates in Saudi Arabia is almost SR7.5 billion, 12 percent of the agricultural gross product and 0.4 percent of the non-oil gross product.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization congratulated Saudi Arabia on this achievement.
Rice cannot be packaged for sale after buying those from open market: Minister
The government will not allow packaging of rice for sale after buying those from open market, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Wednesday.
He also blamed six major industrial groups – Square Group, Pran Group, City Group, Akij Group, Bashundhara Group and ACI Group - for the sudden rise in rice prices in the country's market.
“We are planning whether a circular can be issued restricting sale of rice in packets after buy those from the domestic market,” he said in a response to a question from reporters on the rice prices hike at the Secretariat.
Also read: Strict action if anyone tries to destabilise rice market: Food Minister
“They may import rice paying 67 percent tax and sell those in packets. It is under discussion.”
“We have prepared a summary of the circular to send it to the Prime Minister. Besides, the Agriculture Secretary, the Food Secretary, the Commerce Secretary and the Industry Secretary will hold a meeting over the issue,” said the minister.
If these companies have their own mill they can pack rice there. But the government will not allow the rice to be packaged after being collected from the market, he added.
Even if the industries have their own mill, they will not be able to stockpile rice beyond the approved amount as mentioned in license, said the minister.
On Monday, the Food Ministry launched a drive against illegal rice hoarders on instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to keep the price within the purchasing capacity of consumers and to keep the supply normal. She was also ordered taking action if anyone stockpiles rice illegally.
The food minister said they received information of illegal rice hoarding by Square Group and Akij Group in two places of the country.
“We have found an extra 5,000 metric tonnes of rice worth Tk 40 crore in a godown of Square Group in Dinajpur,” he said.
And the godown has been sealed and the authorities have been sued, he added.
Also read:Drives against illegal rice hoarders begin
Six companies were found to pack rice for sale at Tk 80-85 per kg after buying those at Tk 60-65 per kg in Naogaon, Dinajpur, Bogura districts.
“We have also found that those who are not rice traders are also stockpiling rice including brick kilns owners and primary school teachers,” he added.
He also urged the consumers not to stockpile rice for 4-5 months making the market unstable.
Sadhan Chandra also said the price will be normalised by importing rice if necessary to punish the rice syndicate. He said, “We harvested Boro, then Aush will be harvested, and by this time Aman season will arrive.”
PM: AL always fulfils its election pledges to the people
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed satisfaction that her ruling Awami League party has been able to fulfil its election pledges to the people.
She said this in her introductory speech at the Awami League Advisory Council meeting held at her official residence Ganobhaban.
At the outset of the meeting observed one-minute silence in memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders, martyrs of August 15 massacre and late members of the Advisory Council.
Hasina, who is also president of the ruling party, said that Awami League never forgets its election pledges after forming the government.
“Every time while formulating the budget we evaluate how much progress we have made to implement the election pledges,” she said.
She also mentioned that while formulating the budget the Awami League government considers how to implement the unfinished election pledges.
She said that the government is advancing the country using the modern technology by developing from the grassroots level.
Also read:PM offers Fateha at the mazar of Bangabandhu in Tungipara
Recalling the horrible days the people faced after the mayhem on August 15, 1975 the prime minister said that the power was not in the hands of the mass people.
“The power was in the hands of the military dictators who had captured the state power illegally wearing uniform and as a result the development of the country was hampered while they thrived with their own development,” she said.
She said that during the military regime some 19/20 military coups had been staged while there were session jams in the educational institutions amid jingles of arms.
The PM said that the government has done the development of the country from the rural level with 90 per cent of its own sources.
She also mentioned that Bangladesh has attained the status of a developing country.
Talking about the Padma Bridge, the premier said that her government could take up the challenge as she has been honest in her purpose.
“We have built that bridge with our own money. Inshallah I will inaugurate that bridge on June 25,” she said.
She also said that a Canadian court declared all the allegations regarding this project false and baseless.
Bernicat sworn in as DG of US Foreign Service
Marcia S. Bernicat, former US ambassador to Bangladesh, was sworn in on Tuesday as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Global Talent, says the US Department of State.
A career member of the Foreign Service for 41 years, she was acting assistant secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) until September 30, 2021.
Also, from January-August 2021, she served concurrently as Senior Official for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.
READ: BGMEA urges Bernicat to promote Bangladesh in USA
From 2019-2020, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for OES. She has also served as US Ambassador to Bangladesh and to Senegal and Guinea Bissau, Deputy Chief of Mission in Barbados and Malawi, and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human Resources, among many other positions with the Department.
Director General Bernicat is a graduate of Lafayette College and Georgetown University.
Two die after ‘drinking rectified spirit’ in Jamalpur
Two people died allegedly after drinking rectified spirit in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur district on Tuesday night.
The deceased were identified as Hafizur Kasai, 75, of Tegharia Thonthoniya Para area and Md Ehsan, 35, son of late Amirul Islam of the same area.
Two other people, who also drank rectified spirit, are currently undergoing treatment at Jamalpur General Hospital
According to locals, they fell ill after drinking rectified spirit from a homeopathy pharmacy at Tegheria bazar. They were taken to Madarganj Upazila Health Complex where the on-duty doctors declared Hafizur and Ehsan dead around 11:00 pm.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer(UNO) of Madarganj Ilishay Richil and Officer In-Charge(OC) of Madarganj police station Mahbubul Haque visited the bazar and collected samples of rectified spirit from three pharmacies.
“The bodies of the deceased have been sent to Jamalpur General Hospital morgue for autopsy. Police are preparing for filling a case in this regard,” said the OC.