Bangladesh
3 dead as train hits three-wheeler in Chapainawabganj
Three people were killed when a train hit a three-wheeler at a level crossing at Alinagar Hazirmor in Sadar upazila of Chapainawabganj district on Monday morning.
The deceased are Fulchan, son of late Garibulla, Sheher Ali, son of late Rais Uddin, and Naimul, son of Manik Chand of Chapainawabganj district.
Read:Teen wearing headphones killed by speeding train in Kurigram
Chapainawabganj railway station master Shahidul Alam said the Ishwardi-bound train crashed into the three-wheeler while passing the unguarded level crossing in Alinagar Hajirmor area, half kilometer off the station, around 8am, leaving three passengers of the three-wheeler dead on spot.
On information, police and fire service members recovered the body from the spot, the station master said.
Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner of the district AKM Galib Khan provided financial assistance of Tk 25,000 each to the families of the victims.
Read: Man crushed under train in Chattogram
AKM Galib Khan said the train accident occurred at Hajirmor which is an unauthorised level crossing.
"I reported the incident to the Divisional Commissioner. A rail gate will be built here soon," he added.
Global Covid cases near 350 million
The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 350 million amid the rise in Omicron infections across the global.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 350,970,885 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,595,929 Monday morning.
Read:14 more die in Bangladesh as Covid positivity rate hits 31.29%
The US has recorded 70,699,416 cases so far and 866,540 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 39,237,264 on Sunday, as 333,533 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
This is the fourth consecutive day when over 300,000 new cases were registered in a day in the country in more than eight months.
Besides, as many as 525 deaths were recorded since Saturday morning, taking the death toll to 489,409.
Meanwhile, the country's Omicron tally has reached 10,050. Most of the Omicron cases have been reported from the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 24,054,405 cases as of Monday, while its Covid death toll rose to 623,370.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 14 more Covid-linked deaths with 10,906 fresh cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
The daily positivity rate increased to 31.29 per cent from Saturday’s 28.02 per cent after testing 35,051 samples, according to the Directorate general of health Services (DGHS).
Read:Covid-19 infections rise to 50 % in Bagerhat
Bangladesh reported 9,614 fresh cases with 17 deaths on Saturday.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,223 while the caseload mounted to 1,685,136 on Sunday.
Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of nine more cases till Sunday, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data.
Rampura power distribution centre fire doused
A fire that broke out at a power distribution center on Rampura Wapda road in the capital early Monday has been doused.
Md Shahjahan Shikdar, deputy assistent director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence HQ, said the fire started on the first floor of the four-storey building around 7:20 am.
Read: Fire breaks out at a multi-storied building at Baridhara
Five fire fighting units rushed to the spot and doused the blaze around 8:30 am.
No casualties were reported and the cause of the fire could not be known immediately, said the Fire Service official.
15 to get Bangla Academy Literature award 2021
Bangla Academy announced names of 15 individuals to be conferred with the 'Bangla Academy literature award-2021' for their illustrious contribution in different fields of Bangla literature.
The announcement was made in a press release signed by Bangla Academy Secretary AHM Lokman on Sunday.
With the approval of the Bangla Academy Executive Council, 'Bangla Academy Literary Award 2021' was announced, the press release said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to hand over the awards officially during the inauguration of Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
Bangla Academy Literary Awards are given in different categories.
Nominated awardees for Bangla Academy Literary Award 2021 are: Asad Mannan and Bimal Guha in Poetry, Jharna Rahman and Biswajit Chowdhury in Fiction, Hossainuddin Hossain in Essay and Research, Aminur Rahman and Rafiq-Um-Munir Chowdhury in Translation, Sadhana Ahmed in Drama, Rafiqur Rashid in Children's Literature, Panna Kaiser in Liberation War Research, Harun-ur-Rashid in Research on Bangabandhu,Shubhagat Chowdhury in Science, Fiction and Environmental Science, Sufia Khatun and Haider Akbar Khan Rono in Memoirs, Travelogue and Autobiography and Aminur Rahman Sultan in Folklore.
"Details regarding the awards are confidential so we are not going to disclose those before due time,” Muhammad Nurul Huda, Director General of Bangla Academy, told UNB when asked about the overall arrangement.
SUST teachers’ association urges govt to probe ‘police action’ on students
The teachers’ association of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) urged the government to form a neutral probe body to investigate the police action on protesting students on January 16.
The association said this after holding a meeting at the central auditorium of the university on Sunday.
The teachers demanded the government take actions against the accused after the investigation.
The association announced a four-point charter of demands from the teachers to solve the ongoing unrest in the campus:
They sought the government's assistance to do what it takes to break the hunger strike of the protesting students.
The association said the government has the jurisdiction over the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation but it urges an immediate step in this regard.
It also urged not to take any violent actions against the students.
The unrest at the University deepened on Sunday evening as its protesting students disconnected electricity supply to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence as he refused to step down as per their demand.
On day five of the hunger strike, 15 of the 24 students on hunger strike since Wednesday 3 pm remained admitted to different hospitals in the city.
On Sunday afternoon, four more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike taking their total number to 27. Earlier, one of the 24 hunger strikers had to withdraw from the strike due to his relative’s sickness.
The students went on the strike unto death demanding resignation of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed over the police action on the protesting students as his behest on January 16.
The police charged batons, fired sound grenades and shotgun bullets to disperse the protest on Sunday afternoon (Jan 16) while students reacted by throwing brick chips at them. At least 40 people were hurt, including teachers, students and police personnel during the clash
Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed was confined to a locked room by the students for three hours before that.
A provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, a dorm for females, was at the centre of the initial troubles as she reportedly misbehaved with some students on January 13. She has already resigned from her post, citing health issues.
Zafrin’s removal as the provost of the residential hall for female students was one of the principal demands of the students protesting on the campus. But it has now escalated to the general students as well.
5 more Omicron cases detected in Bangladesh
The cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 have jumped to 69 in Bangladesh, with five more infections detected till Sunday, according to GISAID, a primary source that provides open access to genomic data of Coronavirus.
The latest cases were detected at the virology lab of the Dhaka-based international health research institute icddr,b.
On January 20, nine more cases were found to be Omicron positive, pushing the tally of the new Coronavirus variant, through highly time-consuming and scarcely available genomic sequencing, to 64.
Scientists can confirm if a case is positive with Omicron or Delta by looking closely at the genetic material provided through testing.
Bangladesh reported its first two Omicron cases on December 11 last year in two members of the Bangladesh women's cricket team that had been forced to return early from the ICC Women's World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, deep in southern Africa, where the most transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2 till now is believed to have originated.
Doctors in South Africa, the continent's most developed country, were the first to alert the world of this new variant.
Omicron is gradually replacing Delta through community transmission in Bangladesh, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said Sunday.
The variant is spreading at the community level, and its symptoms have similarities with that of seasonal flu, DGHS spokesperson Dr Md Nazmul Islam said.
Oman lauds Bangladesh's development
Newly appointed Charge d’ Affaires (CDA) of Oman Abdul Ghaffar Bin Abdul Karim Al-Bulushi has appreciated Bangladesh’s development and uplifting of the lifestyle of its people.
While submitting his letter of credence to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at his office on Sunday, Karima was highly appreciative about the role of the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in steering the country towards development.
The Foreign Minister congratulated him as the new envoy of Oman to Bangladesh with the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary.
Also read: Keep up pressure on Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation: FM to UK
He thanked the Omani government for quickly sending a highly qualified diplomat as the CDA.
The CDA expressed his gratitude for the kind support and assistance extended to him from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka.
The CDA recalled with appreciation the role of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in giving an identity to the people of Bangladesh.
Dr Momen commended the judicious role and leadership of late Sultan Qaboos to the development of modern Oman.
He expressed his gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman for hosting over half a million of expatriate workers who have been diligently contributing to both the countries’ economic development.
The minister also urged the CDA to undertake new and emerging areas of cooperation like environment and climate change, agriculture and food security, blue economy and enhanced trade between the two countries.
The CDA listened to him carefully and apprised the minister about the great contributions made by Bangladeshi workforce in Oman.
He expressed his commitment that he would dedicate his office to the exploration and expansion of the cooperative areas that the minister suggested.
Also read: Govt wants greater coordination to brand Bangladesh abroad
The Foreign Minister assured him of all possible cooperation during the discharge of his duties.
He also presented a token gift to the CDA and wished him a productive tenure.
4 killed in Rangpur road crash
Four people were killed and another injured when a speeding bus hit an auto-rickshaw on Kurigram road at Nabdiganj in Rangpur city on Sunday.
Two of the deceased were- Pabitra Nandi of Khulna’s Paikgacha and Anil Chadra, 55, a resident of Rangpur city. However, identities of two others were not immediately known.
Also read: 2 killed in Kushtia road accidents
Witnesses said the accident occurred around 7:30pm when a Rangpur-bound ‘Manik Express bus hit an auto-rickshaw on Kurigram road, leaving two passengers of the auto-rickshaw and its driver dead on spot and two others injured.
On information, fire service took them to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries, said Farid Ahmed Chowdhury, assistant director of Rangpur Fire Service.
Also read: 2 killed in Feni road accident
Genex Infosys to operate BTRC helpline, provide AI chatbot services
To address the subscribers' complaints about telecommunication services, the telecom regulator recently signed an agreement with Genex Infosys to modernise and operate its helpline 100 and provide AI-powered chatbot services for the next three years.
Sajeda Parveen, director (systems and services) at the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC), and Prince Mojumder, co-founder and chief executive officer of Genex Infosys, recently signed the deal.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder said the commission's complaint management system will be a timely addition, through the newly appointed organisation Genex Infosys. "The introduction of modern services like smart interactive voice response (IVR), chatbot, and WhatsApp will make it easier to submit complaints and suggestions."
Prince said, "The BTRC complaints helpline is a great initiative to create a bridge between citizens and the regulator to ensure its services. We are proud and delighted to work with the BTRC."
Govt, private offices to run with half manpower from Monday
Public and private organizations have been instructed to run with half the employees from Monday till February 6 in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard on Sunday.
The other half of the staff will function virtually, according to the notification.
Bangladesh Supreme Court will issue necessary directions regarding the activities of the court during this period.
Also read: Tough Covid curbs back in Bangladesh amid Omicron scare
Besides, Bangladesh Bank and Financial Institutions Division will provide necessary instructions regarding banks, insurance and financial institutions.
Earlier on Friday, the government announced the closure of all the schools, colleges and universities till February 6.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 14 more Covid-linked deaths with 10,906 fresh cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
Also read: Covid surge in Bangladesh: All educational institutions to remain shut till Feb 6
The daily positivity rate increased to 31.29 per cent from Saturday’s 28.02 per cent after testing 35,051 samples, according to the Directorate general of health Services (DGHS).
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,223 while the caseload mounted to 1,685,136 on Sunday