Bangladesh
Judicial activities of SC to remain suspended Sunday
The judicial activities of Appealate and High Court divisions of the Supreme Court will remain suspended on Sunday in honour of late justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan .
High Court division Judge FRM Nazmul Ahasan breathed his last at 6.15 am on Friday at the city’s Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital (BSMMU), said a notification of the High Court division signed by registrar general Md Ali Akbar.
READ: The chief justice meets President Hamid and brief him about SC activities: Bangabhaban
Global Covid cases surpass 392 million amid Omicron spread
The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 392 million as Omicron infections keep rising across the globe.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 392,937,520 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,732,506 Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 76,448,290 cases so far and 902,182 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
Russia has confirmed 12,433,643 Covid-19 cases so far and 328,014 people have died in the country, according to the JHU data.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 42,303,664 Sunday, as 1,225,011 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, the federal health ministry's latest data showed.
READ: Global Covid cases surpass 390 million amid Omicron spread
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 36 more Covid-linked deaths with 8,359 fresh cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
The daily positivity rate further rose to 23.83 from Friday’s 22.95 percent after testing 35,074 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily positivity rate followed a downtrend until Saturday since being recorded at 33.37 per cent on January 28 with 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
On Friday, Bangladesh reported 30 more Covid-linked deaths with 9,052 fresh cases.
READ: Global Covid cases top 387 million
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,560 while the caseload mounted to 1,853,187.
Among the new deceased, 21 were men and 15 women.
Twenty-five of the deaths were reported in Dhaka division while three in Khulna, two each in Chattogram, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and one each in Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate declined to 1.54 percent.
However, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 86.04 percent with the recovery of 7,017 more patients during the 24-hour period.
In January, the country reported 322 Covid-linked deaths and 2,13,294 new cases while 19,112 recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS.
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of five more cases till January 23, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data.
NRBC Bank conferred with Krishi Padak
NRBC Bank got ‘RTV Krishi Padak-2022’ for contribution to agricultural development in the country.
On behalf of NRBC Bank SM Pervez Tamal, Chairman of the Bank and Director A KM Mostafizur Rahman received the Krishi Padak from Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque and Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim.
Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Shibli Rubaiya Ul Islam, City Bank Chairman Aziz Al Kaiser, RTV chairman Morshed Alam MP, RTV’s managing director Humayun Kabir, chief executive officer Syed Ashique Rahman, among others, spoke at the function.
READ: NRBC Bank launches 14 service outlets partnership with SKS
RTV introduced the award last year and a total of eight persons and two organisations have received the prize in 10 categories.
Agriculture Minister and Awami League presidium member Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak received the RTV Agriculture Medal lifetime achievement award for special contribution in agriculture. Among others Bangladesh Fish Research Institute (BFRI), Mymensingh and SKS Foundation also received awards in different categories.
Govt working to build a disaster-tolerant country: Enamur
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr. Md. Enamur Rahman has said the government is working in a planned way to build a disaster-tolerant and sustainable country by reducing the loss of life and property in disasters.
He said this while speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of Mujibnagar main road in Char Fashion upazila of Bhola district on Saturday.
READ: Turkey to continue efforts to repatriate Rohingya: Enamur
Earthen forts were constructed under the direction of Bangabandhu to protect human life and property from cyclones and floods, which is popularly known as Mujib Fort.
Now in its modern form, construction and development activities of 550 Mujib forts are underway in 148 coastal and flood-affected upazilas, he added.
Coastal distressed people will be able to take shelter there as well as protect their livestock from the damage caused by cyclones and tidal surges.
The Minister said that an adequate and necessary number of cyclone shelters are being constructed in all coastal districts including Bhola.
The government will provide adequate bridges, culverts, unpaved roads and HBB works as per the demand for the infrastructural development of Char Fashion in Bhola.
Besides, arrangements are being made to allocate necessary corrugated iron sheets for the construction of houses for the victims of river erosion.
READ: 10,000 erosion-hit families to get Ashrayan-style homes and land: Enamur Rahman
Abdullah Al Islam Jacob, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Md. Kamrul Hasan were present on the occasion.
BGMEA urges BEZA to expedite garment village construction at Mirsarai
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) to complete all construction works of the garment village at Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar in Mirsarai, Chattogram in the quickest possible time to make it ready for setting up factories and start industrial operations. The call was made when a delegation of BGMEA led by President Faruque Hassan visited the garment village on Saturday to see the progress of construction of its infrastructure and facilities. The BGMEA delegation included First Vice President Syed Nazrul Islam, Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Vice President Md. Nasir Uddin, Vice President Rakibul Alam Chowdhury and Directors Md. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury, A.M. Shafiul Karim (Khokon), Md. Hassan (Jacky), M. Ahsanul Hoq and Mohammed Meraj-E-Mostafa (Kaisar).
READ: Cleaner, greener production cannot come at free of cost: BGMEA chief
High officials of BEZA were also present on the occasion. They toured the site to observe the overall progress of the infrastructure and road construction, as well as gas, water, electricity connections, common effluent treatment plant (CETP) and other facilities. Welcoming the government initiative of establishing the garment village, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said it would help exporters to set up more factories at a convenient place. He requested the BEZA to expedite the ongoing project works and get the plots fully ready for handover to the BGMEA members who are waiting to set up their garment factories inside the village. All facilities must be ensured so that garment factories can go into industrial operations smoothly, he said.
READ: BGMEA urges LGRD Ministry to repair roads in industrial areas Once the garment village is inaugurated and fully operational, it would create employment for a huge number of people and contribute to increasing the country’s earnings from RMG exports, Faruque Hassan further said. To establish a garment village on a 500-acre site in the industrial city, BGMEA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BEZA on 21 March 2018. The BEZA authority assured BGMEA of completing the garment village and handing over the plots in the shortest possible time.
Bodies of 2 fishermen recovered from Bay; 12 still missing
Members of the Coast Guard recovered bodies of two fishermen who went missing from the trawlers that capsized in the Bay of Bengal during a storm early Saturday.The deceased were identified as Mamun Sheikh, 40, son of Anwar Sheikh of Kaliganj village in Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat district and Ismail Khan, 36, son of Azizul Khan of Janerpar village in Matbaria upazila of Pirojpur district.The bodies were recovered during a search operation conducted by the Coast Guard, the Forest Department and fishermen.Among the missing, three were identified as Shahin, 40, and Mofizul, 30, of Rampal upazila in Bagerhat and Mizan, 34, of Chakla village in Koyra upazila of Khulna.Earlier, the Coast Guard rescued three fishermen hours after several trawlers sank during a sudden storm.
READ: Trawler capsize at Bay: 3 missing fishermen rescued
Pralad Chandra Roy, in-charge of Dublarchar Forest Camp in the eastern parts of the Sundarbans, said a sudden rainstorm hit the area around 10 pm on Friday.Ten fishing trawlers sank within 8 kms of Dublar Char and 8 fishing trawlers capsized in different areas of the Bay of Bengal, 45 kms off Dublar Char.
READ: 18 trawlers sink in Bay, 3 fishermen go missingHe also said that a large quantity of dried fish worth Tk 2 crore were damaged during the storm.
2015 Petrol bomb attacks on bus: Victim Injustice families yet to get justice after 8 years
Sunday marks the seventh anniversary of the tragic petrol bomb attack on a moving bus in Gaibandha by some BNP-Jamaat activists that killed eight people.
On February 6, 2015, the miscreants hurled a petrol bomb through the window of a Dhaka-bound bus of Napu Enterprise carrying 40 passengers near Shahapara area.
Within minutes flames spread throughout the bus leaving four people dead on the spot and 35 injured. Later four more people succumbed to their injuries under treatment at hospitals.
The others injured in the incident returned home after taking treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital but most of their lives did not become normal again with disabilities.
The families of the victims now demand only justice for the heinous act.
Then Sub-Inspector of Gaibandha police station Mahbubur Rahman filed a case against 77 people in the incident who were all BNP, Jamaat activists.
A chargesheet was also submitted against the accused but four of them including the main accused died while the trial got backlogged.
Other 73 accused in the case are currently on bail granted by the Higher Court and have become politically active again, said Public Prosecutor Saiful Islam Prince.
He however said the charges have been framed in this case by the District Judge Court.
Read: PBI nabs fugitive accused in 7 cases
“Most of the passengers in that bus were low-income earners who were forced to take the risk to reach Dhaka to earn some living. long hartal and road blockades by BNP-Jammat created a crisis for them and the whole country back then,” said Syed Shamsul Alam Hiru, president of District Awami League.
Shanti Khatun, daughter of one of the victims Syed Ali, had to end her studies at sixth grade as her father, the only breadwinner for the family of six was burnt to death that day.
“We buried him in our yard without even seeing his face as the body was charred. I will continue seeking justice for my father until my death,” said Shanti Khatun.
Shilpi Das, a toddler, was one of the victims.
Her mother Shadhona Rani said, ”I did not get back my child rather got a lifeless charred body. Was it a crime getting on that bus to earn our livelihoods?”
DU extends online class activities till February 21
The Dhaka University authority has extended its online class activities till February 21 following the notification of the Education Ministry.Earlier, on January 23, DU went to the online class from offline class till February 6 due to the rise of coronavirus cases across the country."We have to abide by the laws and regulations of the country as an Institute of this country," said DU VC prof Akhtaruzzaman said.
Read: 7 DU colleges & 3 universities to hold exams"Regular Classes will be hold on online platform but respective departments can take in-person exams and lab classes will be continued physically," he added.He also said that all the dormitories will remain open for students maintaining the Safety rules.Ongoing examinations for honor's fourth year and Masters will be continued maintaining health rules and the offices will run in a limited range from 9 am to 1 pm.END/UNB/Corr/SIS/ssk/0035
Focus on developing renewables to reduce dependence on costly fossil fuel imports: Speakers
Speakers at a webinar have said that development of renewable energy through a proper strategy can reduce the country's otherwise growing dependence on import of high-cost fossil fuel.
They also called for a more focused role to be played by Sustainable and Renewable Energy Authority (SREDA) to promote renewable energy by offering a one-stop service to aspiring investors in the sector.
The virtual seminar titled: “Ensuring RE-EE for a Sustainable Future: Role of SREDA & Development Partners”, was organized by the Energy and Power magazine on Saturday.
It was addressed by Special Envoy to CVF Presidency and President of Bangladesh Energy Society Abul Kalam Azad, Additional Secretary and Chairman of the SREDA Mohammad Alauddin, Director General of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain, President of Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association Dipal Chandra Barua, Energy Specialist Al Mudabbir Bin Anam and Managing Director of Jules Power Limited Noher L Khan. Mollah Amjad Hossain, editor of the magazine, conducted the function.
The growing potential of renewable sources of energy (e.g. wind, solar) to power our world in the future has been met for the most part by a fossil fuel industry determined to hold on to its power and influence. Some, sensing the inevitable shift to come, have already moved to establish a foothold in the renewables sector - including Saudi Aramco, the world's largest company purely by market value.
As more and more players engage themselves to work in renewables, the one great advantage that fossil fuels currently enjoy over new, up-and-coming, alternative sources is in terms of the cost. The fossil fuel industry's well-oiled, mature processes are still able to supply energy at significantly lower costs per unit. Renewables' costs have been coming down though for many years, and as the industry matures, further cost reductions are expected till parity is achieved in the foreseeable future.
Abul Kalam Azad said that it is "very much possible" to generate electricity from different sources of renewable energy at a cost of between 4-5 US cents (around Tk 5) per unit if a proper strategy is evolved by the government.
He said the abandoned non-agricultural lands could be offered to the investors to set up solar and wind power plants under a long term agreement, which will reduce the production cost of the renewable energy.
“In this case the power evacuation facilities should be ensured by the government,” he added.
He observed that the import of fossil fuels at higher cost has proved a big burden for the government. The recent price surge of LNG to abnormally high levels has made it one of the most unpredictable energy commodities in the world.The point is illustrated by the fact that in March 2021, Bangladesh bought LNG at USD 7 per mmBtu from the spot market. In October of 2021, Bangladesh had to pay USD 36 per mmBtu for the same LNG.
Such a burden could be relaxed through power generation from renewable sources, he said, in the absence of the discovery of new gasfields that the country can claim ownership over, plus the dwindling production of gas from its existing gasfields.
Mohammad Alauddin said there should be a business model that investors can follow to invest in the renewable energy sector.
He said the solar-irrigation project could be a good method for replacing diesel-run irrigation pumps with solar-run ones. But the irrigation pumps are utilized for four months for pumping and supplying the waters to the crops-field while the electricity from solar projects remain unutilized for the remaining 8 months. If the electricity is supplied to the grid, it can be a good option to utilize the power from the solar plants, he added.
Dipal C Barua said if the tariff of grid-connected electricity goes beyond the public’s purchasing capacity, people will not get the benefit of hundred percent electricity coverage.
He also urged the government to prepare a national road map for promotion of renewable energy across the country.
Gold import policy fails to stop smuggling, tax evasion: NBR Chairman
Smuggling of gold has not decreased despite allowing its import legally, NBR Chairman Abu Hena Rahmatul Muneem said on Saturday.
The head of National Board of Revenue (NBR) said this while addressing as the chief guest 13th round lottery draw at the conference room of NBR building in the city on Saturday.
He said the government has formulated a policy to encourage gold imports in the country through legal channels.
Despite that move, smuggling increased which seems very difficult to stop, he pointed out.
He said the government is working to restore stability in the country’s gold market to minimize smuggling.
"Gold is used not only to evade revenue but also for illegal transactions. I don't know whether the gold smuggling can be stopped completely. Because gold is smuggled in many ways all over the world, this is the reality,” Muneem said.
“Even then we are trying to figure out how to prevent smuggling. Measures will be taken in the next budget to facilitate gold imports,” he added.
He said, "There is dissatisfaction with the VAT machine EFD. The price of the product should be determined by including the price of VAT. Consumers are discouraged when it comes to collecting VAT separately.