Bangladesh
Man, child found hanging in Netrakona house
A 32-year-old man and his two-year-old son were found hanging from the ceiling of a house in the Nagra area of Netrakona municipality area on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Abdul Kaiyum, son of Akkas Sardar of Nageshwari upazila in Kurigram, and his son Ahnab Shakil.
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Police said that Kaiyum had been living with his wife and son in an apartment on the 3rd floor of the building, owned by Ruhul Amin for the past seven years.
Kaiyum worked at the Nagra Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).
Around 1am, Kaiyum, Salma and Ahnab went to bed as usual after having their supper. But around 5am, Salma found Kaiyum and Ahnab hanging from the ceiling of their room.
Hearing the screams of Salma, local people gathered and alerted the police. The bodies have been sent to the local hospital morgue for post-mortem, a police official said.
Read: Dhaka breathes “unhealthy” air in the morning, says a global monitor
Additional superintendent of Netrakona Police, Mohamamd Fakhruzzaman Jewel, said prima-facie it seemed that Kaiyum first killed his son and then took his own life. "A probe is on," he added.
All museums in Bangladesh to be made more dynamic; Bill placed
The Bangladesh National Museum Bill, 2021 was placed in parliament on Thursday to make the country's museums more dynamic and vibrant.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid placed the Bill in the House and it was then sent to the respective Parliamentary Standing Committee for further scrutiny. The Committee was asked to submit its report within 30 days.
Read: Bill placed in JS to set up another science and technology university
The Bangladesh National Museum Bill, 2021 to replace the1983 ordinance in this regard.
The highest punishment for museum-related crimes is 10 years’ jail, Tk 10 lakh fine or both as the proposed law says, which would be applicable for other museums alongside the National Museum.
Read: Public Debt Bill lands in Parliament
Bill placed in JS to set up another science and technology university
The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Pirojpur Bill 2021 was placed in parliament, aiming to establish another university in the country for advancing science and technology-based education.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The committee was asked to submit its report within one month.
Read: Public Debt Bill lands in Parliament
The proposed university will be a prototype of the existing science and technology universities.
The President would be the Chancellor of the university.
Dhaka breathes “unhealthy” air in the morning, says a global monitor
The air quality in the capital city Dhaka was reported “unhealthy” on Thursday morning as the AQI index hovered between 189 and 106 until around 11 am, according to a global air monitoring agency.
At 09:05 am Dhaka city was ranked the fourth worst among the world’s major cities with an AQI score of 189, said AQAIR, a Swiss company that constantly monitors air quality of the world’s major cities. But at 10:52 the air quality of Dhaka came down to 106, but still considered “unhealthy”
People, especially the sensitive sections, are advised to avoid going outdoors when AQI score remains between 100 and 200, according to AQAIR.
Read: Dhaka's air quality continues to be 'unhealthy'
Pakistan’s Lahore (425), India’s Delhi (310) and China’s Wuhan (191) occupied the top three positions in the list of cities with worst air quality on Thursday morning.
Similarly, 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".
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.
Read: Bangladesh assumes IORA chairmanship; eyes inclusive development
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.
UN resolution on Rohingyas a pressure on Myanmar: FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said the adoption of a resolution at the United Nations (UN) by consensus for the first time on the “situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar” has a political value and it has a pressure on that particular country.
“It’s a great day for us. We’re very happy,” he told reporters after attending a programme at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
Dr Momen said the countries which used to create barriers like Russia and China also want solutions to the Rohingya crisis and he had discussion with Russia while China has taken some initiatives.
“They (Rohingyas) must go back to their country for a better future. All countries want a peaceful solution to the Rohingya issue,” he said.
Read: UK MoS calls on PM, finds common ground on issues
As fundamental issues regarding the Rohingya crisis were not included in the resolution in June, Bangladesh decided to abstain. “We strongly made our position clear explaining why we abstained at that time,” Dr Momen said.
He said restoration of democracy in Myanmar was highlighted but the return of Rohingyas was not mentioned. “We said resolution will be meaningless if you don’t talk about the Rohingyas.”
Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said the General Assembly resolution is not a mandatory one while the Security Council resolution is a mandatory one. “We’re yet to see any resolution passed by the UNSC. We’re hopeful that in the future we can see progress there, too.”
“The adoption of the Rohingya resolution, for the first time by consensus, demonstrates the international community’s strong resolve to end this crisis,” said Ambassador Rabab Fatima, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations during the adoption of the resolution on Wednesday.
The resolution was jointly tabled by the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU).
In the resolution, the member states commended Bangladesh for its generosity in hosting the Rohingyas, and for providing humanitarian assistance to them and also for including them in the national COVID-19 vaccination drive.
Global Covid cases near 255 million
The overall number of Covid cases is fast approaching 255 million amid the global race to vaccinate masses against the infectious disease.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 254,920,432 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,122,852 Thursday morning.
The US has recorded 47,420,042 cases to date and more than 767,432 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, has registered 21,977,661 cases so far, while its Covid death toll rose to 611,851.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,466,598 on Wednesday, as 10,197 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, as many as 301 deaths were recorded since Tuesday morning, taking the death toll to 464,153.
Read: Covid highlights growing need for mental health support
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh recorded six more Covid-linked deaths and 266 fresh infections in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
The daily case positivity rate increased to 1.35 percent from Tuesday’s 1.03 percent.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,934 while the country’s caseload mounted to 15,73,214, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Among the deceased, two were men and the remaining four women.
Dhaka division logged two Covid-related deaths, Sylhet division three and Rajshahi division one on Wednesday, said the DGHS.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 percent.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 19,648 samples, the DGHS added.
Read:Brazil's COVID-19 death toll tops 600,000
Besides, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.71 percent, with the recovery of 257 more patients during the 24-hour period.
So far, 3,37,35,763 people have fully been vaccinated in the country, while 5,25,07,248 received the first dose as of Tuesday, according to the directorate.
Uber partners with Bangladesh Red Crescent Society
Uber Wednesday announced a pledge of 25,000 free rides worth Tk75 Lakhs to the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) to help it transport frontline healthcare workers, volunteers, and vulnerable communities, including the elderly to Covid-19 vaccination hubs in and around Dhaka.
These free rides can be availed through unique and easily redeemable promo codes for travelling to and from vaccination centres. The maximum redeemable value of each ride is Tk300, and the offer is valid till December 31.
Last week, Uber announced its pledge to provide 50,000 free rides worth Tk1 crore for citizens travelling to and from vaccination centres across Dhaka.
Aimed at supporting the government's vaccination drive, both initiatives are part of Uber's global commitment to provide 10 million free or discounted rides to ensure that transportation is not a barrier to getting the vaccine and to help authorities contain the pandemic.
Md Feroz Salah Uddin, secretary-general of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said: "These rides will facilitate transportation of the vulnerable and senior citizens as well as our volunteers and frontline healthcare workers, who are working round the clock to save lives and inoculate our citizens."
Armanur Rahman, head of Bangladesh and East India, Uber South Asia, said: "We're thrilled to be partnering with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society for offering mobility support to frontline healthcare workers, who are working selflessly to get citizens vaccinated and helping keep our communities safe."
BGMEA for branding 'Made in Bangladesh'
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association has stressed the need for organising more promotional campaigns and roadshows to introduce 'Made in Bangladesh' across the globe and brand the country.
"Bangladesh has immense potential to explore new and emerging markets. The BGMEA organised several scoping and trade missions in potential markets and is still working relentlessly in the area of apparel diplomacy," BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said Wednesday.
He was addressing the webinar "Opportunities and Potential of Bangladesh RMG industry in pursuit of Sustained Growth."
The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) organised the event on the occasion of "Sourcing Bangladesh-2021, Virtual Edition."
Faruque emphasised giving more attention to non-cotton products as their demand is on the rise in the global market. "We are now focusing on non-cotton based textile and apparel to realign our product mix with global sourcing trends and this can be a potential area of investment in the upcoming days."
"Virtual marketplace could also be a big source of growth while we need to move from original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to original design manufacturer (ODM)," he added.
"For entering that new arena of business, it is important to work on several areas such as reforming foreign exchange policies, export and import policies, and tax policy; extending fiscal incentives to those who will develop their own collection and be involved in innovation."
"Also, we need more investments in the backward linkage textile sector, particularly in the woven. The textile sector is a largely unexplored area and has a high potential for investment," the BGMEA president said.
AHM Ahsan, the vice-chairman of the EPB, chaired the webinar while Fazlul Haq, president of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, MS Siddiqui, co-convenor of Bangladesh Columnist Forum, and Md Khorshed Alam, chairman of the standing committee on the development of local spinning and weaving mills of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, attended the discussion as panellists.
BGMEA, Jetro want to expand Japan-Bangladesh trade
A delegation of the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) recently expressed willingness to collaborate in expanding Japan-Bangladesh trade as it met with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan.
The delegation included South Asian regional representatives of the Japanese Ministry of Economy; Trade and Industry and Director of Jetro, New Delhi Takuma Otaki, Country Representative Yuji Ando, Representative Kazunori Yamada and Senior Director in Dhaka SM Shariful Alam.
BGMEA vice-presidents Shahidullah Azim, Khandoker Rafiqul Islam and Director Md Imranur Rahman were also present.
They discussed possible avenues of expanding trade between Bangladesh and Japan.
The Jetro team and BGMEA leaders expressed willingness to organise a webinar to initiate communication between businessmen in Bangladesh and Japan, particularly those who are involved in the fashion industry.
Bangladeshi businessmen will be able to showcase their strengths and capabilities through the webinar, while Japanese buyers and investors will get the opportunity to explore their trade potential in Bangladesh, they said.
Also, the Jetro team and BGMEA leaders discussed a possible free trade agreement (FTA) so that Bangladesh could retain its access to the Japanese market in the post-LDC era.
Faruque stressed the importance of fibre diversification and investment in the non-cotton textile sector in Bangladesh and urged Jetro to encourage Japanese businessmen to invest in this area.
He also sought Jetro's support in developing the capacity of the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology in textile, apparel, fashion and business through collaboration with leading Japanese universities and fashion institutes.
Japan and Bangladesh will celebrate 50 years of their diplomatic relations in 2022.
The Jetro team and BGMEA leaders talked about jointly organising special programmes to celebrate the occasion.
Bangladesh to make clear its position over Indo-Pacific: FS
Bangladesh, the current chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), has said it will make clear its position over the Indo-Pacific region in the days to come as the government is currently working on it.
“We’ll make our position clear regarding the Indo-Pacific. We’re working on it,” said Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen reiterated that they want to see an open, free, peaceful and inclusive Indian Ocean instead of any single country or group’s domination in the region.
Foreign Secretary Masud referred to the joint statement between Bangladesh and France where a paragraph was included on the Indo-Pacific.
At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid an official visit to France earlier this month.
Bangladesh and France shared the same vision for a “free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive” Indo-Pacific region, based on international law and with shared prosperity for all, according to the joint statement.
Taking note of the French and European strategies concerning the Indo-Pacific, both parties agreed to work towards promoting regional peace and stability and to explore further opportunities for cooperation in maritime security and the blue economy.
Highlighting their commitment to fully observing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes, refraining from any threat or use of force, they stated the importance of maintaining security and freedom of navigation and overflight in all seas and oceans.
Foreign Secretary Masud Momen said some countries have taken some initiatives on the Indo-Pacific Strategy and these countries are sharing their policy separately.
He named the European Union (EU), the United States, own position and of some countries in the EU.
The Foreign Secretary said it is likely to be difficult to get a position from an organization like IORA while it is relatively easy for a country.
He said the member countries of IORA will be able to share their ideas and it will be discussed elaborately at the next meeting to be held in July next.
Responding to a question, Maritime Affairs Unit (MAU) Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam Secretary (MAU) Khurshed Alam said Indo-Pacific is still an evolving issue and it is not clear yet.
While talking to UNB recently, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the EU to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said the growth is happening in the region and it is a vast area.
“The Indo-Pacific strategy really ties in well with our new priorities to Bangladesh. There’s an opportunity to inject more energy into the Bangladesh-EU relationship,” he said, highlighting the importance of connectivity, green transition, free trade and people to people link.
A joint communiqué on the “EU Strategy” for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific has been adopted recently, saying the European Union is stepping up its strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific region as the region is increasing in strategic importance for Europe.
The EU thinks the future of the EU and the Indo-Pacific is interlinked. The EU is already the top investor, the leading development cooperation partner and one of the biggest trading partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Ambassador Whiteley said they will be deeply engaging in renewable energy, regional energy and will help the transformation of Bangladesh energy system.
He said there is a lot of energy behind the relationship with development cooperation and trade benefits are there in place.
Bangladesh assumed the chairmanship of IORA for the next two years with the theme – “Harnessing the opportunities of the Indian Ocean sustainability for inclusive development.”
“This event has been very special to Bangladesh,” said the Foreign Minister while briefing the reporters on the outcome of the 21st Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM) held in a city hotel on Wednesday evening.
The theme selected by Bangladesh was “profusely appreciated” by the member countries and the dialogue partners of the IORA, he said.