Bangladesh
JU to hold in-person exams from Feb 7
The authorities of Jahangirnagar University have decided to hold in-person examinations from February 7.However, the online classes will continue until further notice, said a circular signed by the acting registrar of the university Rahima Kaniz on Sunday.
Read: Campaign at JU to protect migratory birdsAccording to the notice, from February 7 all practical classes and exams can be taken physically following proper hygiene rules.The respective departments will take necessary steps in this regard, it added.
Keen to strengthen defence, economic cooperation with Bangladesh: Australian PM
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said they look forward to strengthening their defence and economic cooperation with Bangladesh.
"Australia and Bangladesh stand fast in our resolve to build a more secure, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific," said the Australian Prime Minister in a message marking the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries that falls on January 31.
He said the two countries also look forward to working towards their shared recovery from the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read:Bangladesh a country with international outlook: Australian envoy
On behalf of all Australians, the Australian Prime Minister sent warm greetings to the government and the people of Bangladesh as they celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations.
"Australia is a long-standing friend of Bangladesh. Our enduring partnership extends back to our early recognition of Bangladesh's independence and the opening of our mission in Dhaka on 31 January 1972," he said.
Half a century on, Morrison said, people of the two countries continue to enjoy warm and friendly ties - built on mutual respect, community links and our shared democratic values.
"Of course, our people also have a love of sport; a passion that brings our competitive spirit to the fore most notably on the cricket field. I am confident we are going to see this sporting rivalry develop further in the years ahead, as Bangladesh continue to make their mark in world cricket," he said, adding that they look forward to welcoming Bangladesh to Australia for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup later this year.
The Australia-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement will be important as they chart a new course, he said.
Read:Bangladesh achieves extraordinary, sustained economic growth
This agreement will energise and expand business relationship, strengthening jobs and creating business opportunities in both countries, said the Australian Prime Minister.
"On behalf of the Australian Government, I join with the people of Bangladesh in celebrating our special history and relationship. With such enormous goodwill between us, I hold much hope for the years ahead," he said.
5 die as trawler sinks in Dakatia River
Five workers drowned as a soil-laden trawler sank in the Dakatia River off the coast of Chandpur after hitting a bulkhead early Monday.
The deceased were identified as Md Mubarak, 45, Md Awal, 50, Md Nasir, 32, Al-Amin, 35, and Nazrul, 35. They used to work in brick kilns at Maishadi and Shahtali villages of Chandpur.
Shahedul Islam, deputy assistant director of Chandpur Fire Service, said the trawler carrying 11 people capsized in the river at Mominpur in sadar upazila after it crashed into bulkhead MV Iqbal Hossain-1 amid dense fog around 6:45 am .
Read:Sinha murder case verdict being read out
Six people managed to swim ashore while five others drowned. On information, divers from the local fire station rushed to the spot and recovered four bodies while local people recovered another body, said the official.
Fire breaks out at Ctg vegetable oil factory
A fire broke out at a vegetable oil factory in Agrabad area of Chattogram city Monday morning.
The fire started around 10:30am at Jasmir vegetable oil factory near Agrabad Sagarika Stadium, said Shahjahan Shikder, Deputy Assistant Director (media cell) of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters.
On information, six units of firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control around 11:20pm, he added.
Read: 18 houses gutted in Sitakunda fire
The origin of the fire could not be known yet, Shahjahan said.
No casualties were reported.
Dhaka tops list of most polluted cities again
Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, has once again topped the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
The capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) score was recorded at 288 at 9am on Monday.
Pakistan’s Lahore and Afghanistan’s Kabul occupied the next two spots, with AQI scores of 255 and 211, respectively.
Read: Air Pollution: Dhaka ranks 2nd worst, Lahore tops list
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 during winter and improves during 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".
Read:Downpour downs pollution levels in Dhaka
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, 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 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.
Voting underway for 6th phase of UP polls
The voting is underway for the sixth phase of local body elections to 218 Union Parishads (UPs) in 42 upazilas of 22 districts.
The voting began at 8am at 2,186 polling stations and will continue till 4pm without any break.
Read: 3 journos injured while reporting on UP polls in Thakurgaon
Out of 218 UPs, the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used in 216 instead of traditional ballot papers.
In the 218 UPs, there are some 42 lakh voters with 11,604 candidates contesting the elections.
Of them, 1,199 contenders are running for chairman posts, while 2,559 women for reserved seats and 7,846 for member posts.
Read:Post-polls violence: 2 killed, 20 injured in Narsingdi
Meanwhile, 12 contestants for chairman posts, 32 women for reserved seats and 100 for member posts have been elected unopposed as there were no rival candidates against their respective posts.
On December 18 last, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the sixth phase UP election.
Bangladesh a country with international outlook: Australian envoy
Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer has said Bangladesh is a country with an international outlook that has also achieved “extraordinary and sustained” economic growth.
“We want to see mutually beneficial trade continue to grow as our economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” he wrote in an article marking 50 the years of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Australia.
It was on this day (January 31) 50 years ago that Australia’s Foreign Minister Nigel Bowen announced that Australia had recognised the government led by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the government of the new state of Bangladesh.
Whilst the announcement was made on January 31, the Australian cabinet made the decision to recognise Bangladesh some days earlier on January 25 itself.
Read:Bangladesh achieves extraordinary, sustained economic growth
In his article written marking the 50 years of diplomatic relations, the High Commissioner said Bangladesh is a major contributor to international peacekeeping efforts and a key voice for countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
He said trade between Australia and Bangladesh has grown by 550 per cent over the last decade. “By 2019-20, our two-way trade in goods and services reached nearly AUD 2.6 billion.”
High Commissioner Bruer said Australia is proud to count itself as a close friend of Bangladesh. “Those of us who have had the privilege to work for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are reminded of our close history with Bangladesh and Bengal each time we enter our diplomatic headquarters in Canberra, the RG Casey Building.”
As the two countries celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations, the High Commissioner particularly acknowledged the people-to-people links that have made the relationship “so strong, warm and enduring”.
Quoting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, he said, “With such enormous goodwill between us, I hold much hope for the years ahead.”
As many readers would know, the High Commissioner said, Richard Casey was Governor of Bengal from 1944 to 1946. He also served as Australia’s Foreign Minister and Governor General.
“When he was Governor of Bengal, his secretary was James Lawrence Allen, who was an Australian born in British India and spoke Bangla and Urdu. On this day 50 years ago, JL Allen became the head of our inaugural diplomatic mission in an independent Bangladesh.”
The High Commissioner mentioned that Australia was not a passive bystander to the liberation struggle and is proud to be one of the first countries to have recognised Bangladesh’s independence.
During the liberation struggle Australia’s Prime Minister, William McMahon, wrote to General Yahya Khan four times urging a political settlement based upon negotiation with the Awami League and its leaders, particularly Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The fourth letter was written after McMahon’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Washington DC on 4 November 1971.
“On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations we commemorate the long and arduous struggle for Bangladesh’s independence. Our thoughts are with all the soldiers, men, women, and children who suffered during the liberation,” the envoy wrote.
He remembered the contribution of Dutch-Australian William A S Ouderland, who fought in the Liberation War and was the only foreigner to have been awarded fourth-highest gallantry award, the Bir Pratik, by the Bangladesh government.
Ouderland organised and trained the guerrilla fighters of the Mukti Bahini and provided them with food and shelter and medicine.
The High Commissioner also acknowledged Australian Dr Geoffrey Davis who in 1972, at the request of WHO and International Planned Parenthood Federation, travelled to Bangladesh to support the hundreds of thousands of Birangonas. “This is a stark reminder of the scale of the suffering and the civilian cost of the war.”
Read:Delhi-Dhaka: A model for the neighbourhood
The envoy said, “While we remember the struggle and the fallen, we also take stock of how much has been achieved in these past 50 years and look towards the future.”
When Australia recognised Bangladesh and its government led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Foreign Minister Bowen noted that ‘…as a country of 75 million people bordering the Indian Ocean, Bangladesh was likely to play an increasingly important part in the affairs of South and South East Asia.’
“Perhaps it would be fair to say that, like so many people at that time, Bowen might have also underestimated Bangladesh. Over the past 50 years Bangladesh has demonstrated that its role in international affairs extends well beyond our shared Indo-Pacific region,” said the High Commissioner.
In September 2021, the two countries signed a new Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA).
Under the TIFA the two countries look forward to exploring how their governments can work together to boost the recovery of the private sector and lead economic growth.
Sinha murder verdict: Security beefed up in Cox’s Bazar
Security has been beefed up in Cox’s Bazar town ahead of the delivery of judgment in Maj (retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case.
Additional police personnel have been deployed in and around the court premises while a number of check-post were set up at different points.
The movement of pedestrians around the court is also being restricted.
Read: Sinha murder trial: arguments remain incomplete on the third day
On January 12, a Cox’s Bazar court fixed Monday for delivery of the judgment.
District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Ismail will pronounce the verdict, said Public Prosecutor Faridul Alam.
On July 31, 2020, Sinha was shot dead at the Shamlapur police check-post in Baharchhara Union of Cox's Bazar while returning to town after filming for a documentary.
On August 5, 2020, Sinha's sister, Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, filed a case with Teknaf Senior Judicial Magistrate Court accusing nine members of law enforcement agencies of being involved in the killing, including former officer-in-charge of Teknaf model police station Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Liakat Ali.
On December 13, same year, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) submitted a charge sheet against 15 people, including ex-OC Pradeep, police source Ayaz and three APBn members, in connection with the case.
On June 27, 2021, a Cox’s Bazar court framed charges against them.
Read:Sinha murder: Court warns against 'media trial'
All the 15 accused are currently in jail. Of them, 12 have given confessional statements before court except ex-OC Pradeep Kumar Das, Constable Sagar Dev and Rubel Sharma.
Other accused in the case are- Inspector of Baharchara Police outpost Liakat Ali, sub-inspectors Nandolal Rakkhit and Tutul, assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia; constables Shafanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah AL Mamun, , Md Rajib and Md Abdullah, ASI of APBN Md Shahjahan and Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin.
Global Covid cases top 374 million amid Omicron spread
The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 374 million as Omicron infections keep rising in different parts of the globe.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 374,326,707 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,662,721 Monday morning.
The US has recorded 74,332,396 cases so far and 884,260 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
Read:175 officials including MD of Barapukuria Coal Mine contract Covid; coal extraction suspended
Russia’s daily count of new coronavirus infections surged to more than 121,000 on Sunday, an eightfold increase compared with the beginning of the month as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads through the country, reports AP.
The state coronavirus task force reported 121,288 new infections over the past 24 hours — an all-time high and 8,000 more than a day earlier. The country’s infection numbers have rocketed since early January, when only about 15,000 new cases per day were tallied.
The task force said 668 people died of COVID-19 in the past day, bring Russia’s total fatality count for the pandemic to 330,728, by far the largest in Europe.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 41,092,522 on Sunday, as 234,281 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, as many as 893 deaths were recorded since Saturday morning, taking the death toll to 494,091.
Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 25,360,647 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 627,150.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 34 more Covid-linked deaths, the highest in four months, with 12,183 fresh cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
The daily positivity rate further dropped to 28.33 per cent from Saturday's 31.10 per cent after testing 43,266 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,363 while the caseload mounted to 1,785,332.
Read: In its peak, Covid wave may continue for another 2 weeks in Bangladesh: Experts
Among the new deceased, 19 were men and 15 women.
Twenty-two deaths were reported in Dhaka division while five in Chattogram, four in Rajshahi, two in Mymensingh and one in Sylhet divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.59 per cent.
However, the recovery rate also declined to 87.69 per cent with the recovery of 2,167 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Trader slaughtered in Cumilla
A trader was slaughtered by some miscreants at his house in Nurpur Chowmuhani area of Cumilla city Sunday night.
The deceased is Rafi Sarwar, son of late Anwar Hossain of the area. He was involved in the mobile recharge business.
Police said Rafi's mother Syda Aktar returned home from a relative's home and found his son's slaughtered body lying on bed around 9pm.
Read: 4 members of a Satkhira family found slaughtered
Later, police recovered the body at 10pm, said Sahidur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali Model Police Station.
The motive behind the murder is not yet known, said the OC.
The cause of the murder is being investigated. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) members collected several clues from the scene, the OC added.