Bangladesh
N'ganj godown fire under control
A fire that broke out at a cork sheet godown in the Nitaigonj area of Narayanganj Wednesday morning was brought under control within an hour, officials said.
The blaze started around 10.25am and was brought under control around 11.30am, said Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of Narayanganj fire service.
Read: Fire breaks out at Ctg garments factory
"As many as seven fire tenders have been pressed into service to douse the flames completely," he said.
A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and the extent of damage, the officer said.
Dhaka designated 'red zone' as Covid cases rise
Health authorities have designated Dhaka and Rangamati as ‘red zones’, following an exponential rise in Covid infections in the two districts.
The infection rate in Dhaka and Rangamati is 10-19%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
Besides, six districts, including Jashore, have been marked as ‘yellow zones’ or at "mid-level risk".
The five other districts are Rajshahi, Rangpur, Natore, Lalmonirhat and Dinajpur. The infection rate in these districts is between 5% and 9%, the directorate said on Wednesday.
On the other hand, 54 districts have been marked as 'green zones' while the sample test rate of Panchagarh and Bandarban districts are poor.
The districts under green zones are Chattogram, Bogura, Gazipur, Cox’s Bazar, Kushtia, Nilphamari, Barguna, Sherpur, Meherpur, Thakurgaon, Feni, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Narayanganj, Naogaon, Jhalakathi, Khulna, Patuakhali, Kurigram, Joypurhat, Faridpur and Barishal.
Read: Global Covid cases surpass 313 million
Chuadanga, Manikganj, Chandpur, Laxmipur, Mymensingh, Rajbari, Sylhet, Satkhira, Gopalganj, Moulvibazar, Noakhali, Kishoreganj, Gaibandha, Shariatpur, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Khagrachhari, Jhenaidah, Pabna, Madaripur, Magura, Sunamganj, Chapainawabganj, Cumilla, Netrakona, Bhola, Tangail, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria and Narail are the other districts.
DGHS has, in fact, divided the districts of the country as red, yellow and green zones, considering the infection rate of Covid.
On Monday, the government imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operations of public transport vehicles at half their capacities amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The restrictions will be effective January 13 until further notice.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is seeing a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases as 2,458 more infections along with two more deaths were reported in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
Bangladesh’s economy to grow by 6.4% in 2021-22 FY: WB
The Bangladesh economy is expected to grow by 6.4 percent in the current 2021-22 fiscal year while 6.9 percent in the 2022-23 fiscal, the World Bank projected.
The World Bank made the projection in its 'Global Economic Prospects' report.
As per the World Bank estimate, the GDP growth was 5 percent in the last 2020-21 fiscal.
The World Bank report said South Asia’s economy rebounded in the second half of the year following a massive second wave of Covid-19 in mid-2021. “An improvement in domestic demand and resumption of exports contributed to strong growth in Bangladesh,” it says.
Bangladesh’s GDP is expected to reach 6.4 percent in FY2021/22 ending June 2022, and 6.9 percent in FY2022/23, due to growing services activity and firming exports of readymade garments.
The consumer inflation in major economies of the region has been above central banks’ targets since late 2019.
The World Bank report says the pandemic, and the emergence of the Omicron variant, could hinder economic activity by requiring additional mobility restrictions and undermining external demand.
Read: Govt targets 17% expenditure of GDP for next two fiscals: Document
It adds that risks to the outlook remain to the downside, while another risk stems from financing conditions.
Further upward price pressures may cause inflation expectations to become unanchored, worsening domestic financing conditions, eroding real incomes, and weakening the financial sector.
Climate risks are becoming more prevalent in South Asia as cyclones, floods, and droughts have become more frequent and as the costs of such events have increased.
The region is one of the most vulnerable to climate-induced increases in poverty, disease, child mortality and food prices.
The report states that the growth prospects have improved since June 2021, largely because of better prospects in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
Read: Rebased GDP now official in national accounting
Regional growth is expected to accelerate to 7.6 percent in 2022 as pandemic-related disruptions fade, before slowing to 6.0 percent in 2023.
In most economies, monetary and fiscal policy are expected to remain broadly accommodative in 2022, but gradually shift to a focus on fiscal sustainability and anchoring inflation expectations.
Despite the upward revision to growth, output in 2023 is still projected to be almost 8 percent lower than projected before the pandemic.
Additionally, the pace of per capita income catch-up with advanced economies is expected to slow over the forecast horizon.
In the subregion excluding India, the report said, growth momentum will pick up over the forecast horizon and is expected to expand by 4.4 percent in fiscal year 2021/22.
According to the World Bank press release, following a strong rebound in 2021, the global economy is entering a pronounced slowdown amid fresh threats from COVID-19 variants and a rise in inflation, debt, and income inequality that could endanger the recovery in emerging and developing economies.
Global growth is expected to decelerate markedly from 5.5 percent in 2021 to 4.1 percent in 2022 and 3.2 percent in 2023 as pent-up demand dissipates and as fiscal and monetary support is unwound across the world.
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant indicates that the pandemic will likely continue to disrupt economic activity in the near term.
In addition, a notable deceleration in major economies—including the United States and China—will weigh on external demand in emerging and developing economies.
At a time when governments in many developing economies lack the policy space to support activity if needed, new COVID-19 outbreaks, persistent supply-chain bottlenecks and inflationary pressures, and elevated financial vulnerabilities in large swaths of the world could increase the risk of a hard landing.
World Bank Group President David Malpass said the global economy is simultaneously facing Covid-19, inflation, and policy uncertainty, with government spending and monetary policies in uncharted territory.
“Rising inequality and security challenges are particularly harmful for developing countries. Putting more countries on a favorable growth path requires concerted international action and a comprehensive set of national policy responses.”
The slowdown will coincide with a widening divergence in growth rates between advanced economies and emerging and developing economies.
Growth in advanced economies is expected to decline from 5 percent in 2021 to 3.8 percent in 2022 and 2.3 percent in 2023—a pace that, while moderating, will be sufficient to restore output and investment to their pre-pandemic trend in these economies.
In emerging and developing economies, however, growth is expected to drop from 6.3 percent in 2021 to 4.6 percent in 2022 and 4.4 percent in 2023. By 2023, all advanced economies will have achieved a full output recovery; yet output in emerging and developing economies will remain 4 percent below its pre-pandemic trend.
For many vulnerable economies, the setback is even larger: output of fragile and conflict-affected economies will be 7.5 percent below its pre-pandemic trend, and output of small island states will be 8.5 percent below.
Meanwhile, rising inflation—which hits low-income workers particularly hard—is constraining monetary policy.
Globally and in advanced economies, inflation is running at the highest rates since 2008.
In emerging markets and developing economies, it has reached its highest rate since 2011.
Many emerging and developing economies are withdrawing policy support to contain inflationary pressures—well before the recovery is complete.
Be ready for light rain & fog
Cold January may turn colder, with the weather department predicting light rain and fog in parts of Bangladesh over the next two-three days.
"Rains or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty winds are likely to occur at a few places in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places in Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions,” said the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Read: Brace for foggy weather!
“Light rain is likely to occur at some places till January 15,” said Shahnaz Sultana, a meteorologist at BMD. "Light to moderate fog may also occur at some places over the country from late night till morning."
Night temperature may fall by 1-2 degrees and day temperature may dip by 2-3 degrees across the country.
Schools must assign staff to help students cross roads safely: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the educational institutions up to higher secondary level must assign their own staff to make sure their students cross roads safely.
“Though traffic police will be there to help them, the school authorities must be careful and their own staff will have to be there so that students can cross roads safely…I think our Education Ministry can issue a directive to the schools ---from primary to higher secondary levels-- in this regard,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the four newly constructed projects implemented under the Road Transport and Highways Division, joining a programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Read: PM opens Ramiz Uddin College underpass, 3 other projects
The projects are Pedestrian Underpass adjacent to Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment School under Dhaka Airport
Highway, Sylhet City Bypass-Garrison Link 4-lane Highway, Balukhali (Cox’s Bazar)-Ghundhum (Bandarban) Border Link-Road, and 500-meter Bridge over Chengi River at Naniarchar in Rangamati district.
18-yr-old burnt alive by husband in Kushtia
An 18-year-old woman died after being allegedly set on fire by her husband over dowry in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia district on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Sumaiya Khatun, wife of Sadiqul Islam of the upazila.
Assistant sub-inspector Quamruzzaman of the Amla Police camp, said that the duo got married on December 16 last year and they had frequent fights, particularly over dowry.
Read: Teen wearing headphones killed by speeding train in Kurigram
“On Tuesday morning, Sumaiya was rushed to Kushtia General Hospital by neighbours who heard my screams. She succumbed to her injuries at night," said the officer.
Sumaiya’s father alleged that Sadiqul had demanded Tk 1 lakh for business purposes from him barely three days after their marriage.
"As I had failed to give him the money, he used to torture my daughter. A few days ago, Sadiqul sent Sumaiya to my house for money. I gave her some money but could not manage to arrange the entire dowry money. So, they killed my daughter," he said.
Golam Mostafa, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said, “We have visited the spot and are now waiting for the woman's autopsy report before making any arrest."
PM opens Ramiz Uddin College underpass, 3 other projects
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday inaugurated a newly constructed pedestrian underpass adjacent to Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment School and College under Dhaka Airport Highway, and three other projects implemented under the Road Transport and Highways Division.
Hasina opened the projects joining a programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Read: Bellwether Bangladesh banks on supply chain resilience to beckon businesses
The Prime Minister had pledged to construct the underpass, four days after Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib, first-year students of the college, were killed as a bus ploughed into some students in front of Kurmitola General Hospital on Airport Road in the capital on July 29, 2018.
Teen wearing headphones killed by speeding train in Kurigram
A 15-year-old boy playing a game on his cellphone wearing headphones was killed after being hit by a train in Rajarhat upazila of Kurigram district on Tuesday night.
The deceased was identified as Md Russel, son of Majid Mia of Donibazar village.
Read: Railway staff responsible for Brahmanbaria train accident: Probe bodies
Raju Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Rajarhat Police Station, said the Dhaka-bound ‘Rangpur Express’ hit the boy sitting on the railway track around 7.30 pm, leaving him dead on the spot.
On information, police recovered the body and sent it to the local hospital morgue.
2 killed, 5 injured in Natore road accident
At least two persons died and five others sustained injuries in a collision between a bus, a truck and a van in the Takia area of Natore Sadar upazila in the early hours of Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as truck driver Abu Musa, hailing from Jhenidah, and wood trader Asadul Haque from Kushtia.
Read: Student among 3 killed in Pabna road accidents
Akhtar Hamid Khan, a senior station officer of Natore Fire Service, said the accident occurred on the Natore-Rajshahi highway when the wood-laden truck collided head-on with a Rajshahi-bound night coach in Takia around 1.30am.
At the same time, a van driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the bus. The accident left the duo dead on the spot, he said, adding that the injured were admitted to the Natore hospital.
Global Covid cases surpass 313 million
The overall number of Covid cases has now surpassed 313 million, with a spike in cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus across the world.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 313,186,368 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,503,822 Wednesday morning.
The US has recorded 62,254,015 cases so far and 842,139 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows. The total number of Covid cases in the US topped 60 million on Sunday.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 35,875,790 on Tuesday, as 168,063 new cases were registered in 24 hours, as per the federal health ministry's latest data.
It is the third consecutive day when more than 150,000 new cases were registered over 24 hours in the country.
Read: COVID-19 death number in U.S. likely undercounted: expert
Besides, 277 deaths from the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 484,213.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is seeing a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases as 2,458 more infections along with two more deaths were reported in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
With the fresh cases reported after testing 27,709 samples, the daily positivity rate jumped again to 8.97 percent from Monday’s 8.53 percent during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The country last logged 2,588 cases on September 9 last year along with 58 deaths in 24 hours.
Bangladesh is currently seeing a surge of Covid-19 cases as health authorities logged 10,392 infections in the last 10 days since January 1.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,107 while the caseload mounted to 15,98,389 on Tuesday.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.76 percent during the period.
The recovery rate kept declining to 97.06 percent with the recovery of 274 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 30 with the detection of nine more cases on Monday, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data.
On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.
Read: NTAC recommends stopping social gatherings to contain Covid-19
The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Bangladesh logged the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 last year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on July 28 last year.
Covid Restriction
On Monday, the government certain imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like public transport operations. The restrictions will be effective January 13 and will remain in force until further notice.