Bangladesh
Dengue: 74 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Seventy-four new dengue patients have been hospitalised in 24 hours until Sunday morning, health authorities said.
The number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease remained unchanged at 98 in the current year as no fresh death was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the deceased, 90 people died in Dhaka division alone, two each in Chattogram, Mymensingh and Khulna divisions and one each in Rajshahi and Barishal divisions.
Also read: Dengue: 58 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Dhaka reported 61new patients undergoing treatment in hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 13 cases have been reported from outside the division.
Some 402 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Saturday.
Of them, 293 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 109 were listed outside Dhaka.
Also read: Dengue in Bangladesh: 118 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Since January, some 27,078 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue in the country. So far, 26, 578 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said DGHS.
Students block roads again demanding road safety, half fare
College students took to the streets in the capital again on Sunday demanding the government take measures to ensure road safety and half fare for them in public transport. Several hundred students of different colleges gathered in front of Rapa Plaza on Dhanmondi-27 road around 12 pm and put barricades on the road to press home their demand. The recent hike in transport fares following the rise in fuel prices and the death of a Notre Dame College student after being hit by a Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) vehicle prompted the students to raise their voice against chaos in the transport sector.
Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 3 more deaths
Bangladesh reported three more Covid-linked deaths along with 205 fresh cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
With the latest cases, the daily-case positivity rate declined to 1.03 per cent from Saturday’s 1.15 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the fresh numbers, the total fatalities rose to 27,978 while the caseload mounted to 15,75,784.
Read: Global Covid cases near 261 million amid Omicron concerns
Among the deceased, one was a woman and two men. Two of the deceased were from Dhaka division while the remaining one from Chattogram division.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 19,525 samples, the DGHS added.
Besides, the recovery rate increased to 97.75 per cent with the recovery of 299 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Read: Britain tightens COVID rules as world on alert over omicron
On November 20, Bangladesh logged this year’s first zero Covid-linked deaths with 178 cases.
So far, 3,61,88,968 people have fully been vaccinated in the country while 5,88,72,031 received the first dose as of Saturday, according to the DGHS.
However, Public health experts fear a slow pace of vaccination, waning vaccine immunity, sheer disregard for Covid safety protocols, reopening of schools and increased travel may set the stage for another Covid wave in Bangladesh -- a trend many European countries are witnessing now.
GD filed against wild elephants in Chattogram for eating paddy
It’s not uncommon in the hill tracks that herds of wild elephants come down to the plains foraging for food and destroy homes and crops.
But what was uncommon a poor farmer’s complaint lodged against wild elephants at the police station for a raid on her house and eat paddy stored there.
Farmer Nipul Kumar Sen, of Jaistpura village in Boalkhali upazila of Chattogram, filed the general dairy (GD) against the elephants on Saturday, local police said.
He said, on Tuesday (Nov 23) at around 4 am, 2-3 wild elephants broke down the paddy store (gola) and 1.5 tons of paddy worth Tk 45 thousand.
Confirming the incident, local UP chairman Mohammad Mokaram said, it’s not new that wild elephants often come down from the hills and cause damage to crops in the locality.
Boalkhali police officer-in-charge Abdul Karim said that a person has filed a general diary at after the elephants ate away his paddy. The matter is being looked into.
Graduation to help brand Bangladesh: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said Bangladesh’s graduation to a developing country will help all brand the country in a greater way before the world.
“This graduation from the LDC has created many opportunities for Bangladesh. I think it’s another milestone in the development journey of Bangladesh. It has created a scope to campaign for branding Bangladesh before the whole world,” she told Parliament.
Read: UNGA confirmation of Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC is a landmark success: Kamal
Sheikh Hasina, the Leader of the House, made the remarks in her valedictory speech in the 15th session of the 11th parliament.
Describing Bangladesh as an emerging economy, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh is emerging as a big market. “We’ll be able to send out the message to the world that a large market is being created in Bangladesh,” she said.
Though the final graduation is supposed to complete in 2024, Bangladesh has taken time till 2026 for enjoying the facilities entitled for the LDCs in a bid to recover the fallouts of the Covid-19 fallouts, she said.
Read: UNGA adopts historic resolution on graduation of Bangladesh from LDC category
Hasina said many alternative scopes would be created for Bangladesh as a developing country once the graduation process is finally completed.
“We’ll have to take many steps to take Bangladesh forward, (availing of the facilities as a developing country) and we’re also taking this preparation,” she said.
Argentinian judiciary to open case against Myanmar military over Rohingya genocide
The Argentinian judiciary has taken a step to open a case against the Myanmar military – including Min Aung Hlaing and much of the current junta’s senior leadership – over the genocide against the Rohingyas, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) has said.
The Second Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court in Buenos Aires confirmed on November 26 that it would launch a case against senior Myanmar officials under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which holds that some crimes are so horrific that they can be tried anywhere.
BROUK first petitioned the Argentinian judiciary to open such a case in November 2019.
“This is a day of hope not just for us Rohingya but for oppressed people everywhere. The decision in Argentina shows that there is nowhere to hide for those who commit genocide – the world stands firmly united against these abhorrent crimes,” said Tun Khin, President of BROUK.
Read: Growing violence in Rohingya camps can spread beyond borders, PM warns ASEM summit
The Second Chamber of the Appeal Court reaffirmed in its resolution that “the gravity of the facts and the violation of ius cogens norms permit that those facts are investigated in our country”.
“We applaud the Argentinian judiciary for showing the courage and moral leadership to take up this case. Justice for decades of dehumanising and killings of Rohingya in Myanmar is now within reach,” Tun Khin said.
“This is not just about accountability for Rohingya, however, but for everyone who has suffered under the Myanmar military’s brutal reign. This includes the thousands killed, injured, tortured or disappeared since the coup in February this year.”
The case relates to crimes perpetrated against the Rohingya by Myanmar authorities in Rakhine State for decades. In 2017, the Myanmar military and its proxies launched a vicious campaign in the region, committing the worst atrocities and driving close to 800,000 Rohingya to flee across the border into Bangladesh. The case includes the particular situation of six women who were raped, tortured and in many cases their husbands and children killed during that genocidal campaign in Rakhine State.
International justice efforts
The case in Argentina is the first universal jurisdiction case concerning the Rohingya genocide anywhere in the world, but not the only international legal process against the Myanmar authorities.
Read: Myanmar to take back Rohingyas gradually, hopes Foreign Minister
As mentioned above, the ICC in November 2019 approved an investigation into Myanmar for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya.
The Gambia in November 2019 launched a case against Myanmar for violating the Genocide Convention with the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In January 2020, the ICJ imposed “provisional measures” on Myanmar as part of the case, essentially a legal injunction ordering the end to genocidal practices against the Rohingya.
“There is no question that the Myanmar authorities are feeling the pressure of the many international justice efforts that are under way. The architects of the genocide against the Rohingya can and should soon face a Court of Law. We urge the international community to redouble efforts to bring about justice and ensure that this momentum is not lost,” said Tun Khin.
BNP backs students for half bus fare
BNP on Sunday extended its support to the students demanding half bus fare for them, and urged the government to take steps to meet their demand.
“We extend our full support to the demand of the students. We demand that steps be taken to provide them with half passes by reducing the fare. The government can provide subsidy, if necessary, in this regard,” BNP secretary genarel Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a rally.
Read:Demo for half bus fare: Students give 48-hour ultimatum
Jatiyatabadi Swechchasebak Dal arranged the progarmme in front of the Jatiya Press Club, demanding BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s treatment abroad.
The BNP leader said the students have been staging demonstrations demanding 50 percent discount in public transport as the costs of their studies have gone up.
Besides, he said the poor and lower-income families are facing serious difficulties to cope with the growing price hike of all essentials, including rice, oil, pulses and salt and education materials like books and pens for their children.
He said the government has deepened public sufferings by increasing the bus fare. “This anti-people government raised the diesel and kerosene prices by 15 percent…transport owners and workers had gone on a strike immediately demanding a hike in transport fares and the government increased that.”
Read: Chhatra Odhikar Porishod demand notification to ensure students' half bus fare
The BNP leader alleged the prices of fuel and the transport fares have been hiked in the interest of Awami League’s ‘corrupt syndicates’ who make their pockets heavier with public money.
“The government is now saying it has reduced the fares of BRTC-run buses, but it can’t do the same regarding the private buses. When you can control private business and all other things, why can’t you reduce the bus fares for our students?” he said.
He said the government needs to take steps for reducing fares of private buses even by giving Tk 2,000-3,000 crore subsidy to facilitate the students in pursuing their studies.
Khaleda free, not in govt custody: Law Minister
Law Minister Anisul Huq on Sunday said BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is now free as she is not in government custody for sure.
“She [Khaleda] is definitely free. She’s not obviously in our custody or in government custody. Staying here, she can definitely receive treatment anywhere as she wishes, and she’s doing so,” he told Parliament.
The Law Minister said this in parliament replying to a remark made by BNP MP Rumeen Farhana who claimed in the House that “Khaleda Zia still remains in government custody.”
Read: People won’t tolerate if Khaleda dies “without treatment”: BNP
“If anything happens to the leader, the government will have to bear the full responsibility as she has been in government custody for the last three years. She’s still in government custody,” said Rumeen.
She said the Law Minister earlier argued that Khaleda Zia would have to go back to jail for going abroad as there is no scope to reconsider a decided case in the same provision (section 401) of the Criminal Code of Procedures.
Rumeen said, “But there’s nothing like this in section 401 of the Criminal Code of Procedures. The provision gives the government the unlimited authority to take any decision in this regard.”
CJ, SC judges allowances raised; 2 Bills passed
Two bills were passed in Parliament on Sunday raising the allowances of the Chief Justice and the judges of the Appellate Division and the High Court.
Law Minister Anisul Huq moved the two bills -- 'Bangladesh Supreme Court Judges (Remuneration and Privileges) Act, 2021' and 'Bangladesh Supreme Court Judges (Travelling Allowance) Act, 2021'.
The Bills were passed by voice vote.
READ: JS passes Highways Bill to ensure better management, construction of highways
The Bangladesh Supreme Court Judges (Remuneration and Privileges) Act, 2021 will replace the existing ordinance of 1978 while the Bangladesh Supreme Court Judges (Travelling Allowance) Act, 2021 will replace an ordinance of 1976.
READ: Rowshan Ara made head of JS committee on Road Transport Ministry
Bangladesh’s sovereignty over maritime boundary going to be established; law amended
The Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed in Parliament on Sunday to make it a more time-befitting one so that the evolving issues can be dealt with properly.The proposed law will establish Bangladesh’s sovereignty over its maritime boundary which will facilitate search and extraction of marine resources.Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote.The Bill proposed maximum three-year imprisonment, or a monetary fine of minimum Tk 2 crore and maximum Tk 5 crore or both for maritime pollution.
READ: JS passes Highways Bill to ensure better management, construction of highways
The punishment was one-year imprisonment and Tk 5,000 fine in the old law, enacted in 1974.
The new draft also includes a provision for the punishment for offences in any exclusive economic zone, continental shelf and contiguous zone.The provisions of video, photo, electronic records have also been included as evidence in proving the offences and incidents in the sea as the witness to most offences are not found in alien nature of crimes.Thirty-five new sections have been incorporated in the proposed law, including the provision of criminal jurisdiction and civil jurisdiction in entry of foreign vessels and submarines into Bangladesh maritime boundary.It defines Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, and Unmanned Underwater Vehicle.The Bill extended the boundary of the contiguous zone, which is a band of water extending farther from the outer edge of the territorial sea to up to 24 nautical miles from the baseline to 24 miles from 18 miles.
READ: Rowshan Ara made head of JS committee on Road Transport MinistryThe ‘Economic Zone’ is replaced by the ‘Exclusive Economic Zone’. This has been done in line with the definition of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to establish absolute sovereignty over the marine boundary and its assets.Under the UNCLOS-1982, all coastal countries are granted sovereign right to a stretch of sea extending 200 nautical miles beyond their coast, which is known as an exclusive economic zone.