Bangladesh
Dense fog disrupts Paturia-Daulatdia ferry services
Commuters waiting to cross the Padma river had a harrowing time on Wednesday morning, with the authorities suspending ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route due to dense fog.
Mohiuddin Rassel, manager of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said the ferry services were halted from 6am owing to poor visibility.
Three ferries remained stranded in the middle of the Padma, causing immense suffering to the passengers.
Also read: Ferry movement suspended on Shimulia-Banglabazar route
The BIWTC official also said 14 more ferries were cancelled on both sides of the route.
Also read: Ferry services on Shimulia-Banglabazar route resume after 48 days
Several hundred vehicles also got stuck on both sides of the river due to the suspension of the ferry services, he added. ‘’The services will resume once visibility increases," he said.
Global Covid cases near 259 million
The overall number of Covid cases is fast approaching 259 million amid the global race to vaccinate masses against the infectious disease.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 258,695,154 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,165,134 Wednesday morning.
The US has recorded 47,980,076 cases to date and more than 773,738 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Read: French prime minister positive for COVID-19, as cases rise
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,030,182 cases as of Wednesday, while its Covid death toll rose to 612,842.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,526,480 on Wednesday as 2,515 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.
Besides, 156 deaths due to the pandemic since Tuesday morning took the country's total death toll to 465,991.
Covid Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported three more Covid-linked deaths and 284 fresh cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
With this, the daily case positivity rate rose to 1.45 percent Tuesday from Monday’s 1.42 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: As virus surges in Eastern Europe, leaders slow to act
Among the deceased, two were men and one woman. One of the deceased was from Dhaka and two from Chattogram divisions.
With the fresh numbers, the total fatalities rose to 27,958 while the caseload mounted to 1,574,636.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 percent.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 19,781 samples, the directorate added.
Besides, the recovery rate remained static at 97.73 percent, with the recovery of 318 more patients during the 24-hour period.
On Saturday, Bangladesh logged zero Covid-linked deaths with 178 cases.
So far, 3,51,20,061 people have fully been vaccinated in the country, while 5,52,99,550 received the first dose as of Monday, according to the directorate.
Rebased GDP now official in national accounting
Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, aka economic growth, stood at 5.4 percent in a provisional estimate for the 2020-21, using a new or rather updated calculation of GDP with a newer, more relevant base year.
The government recently finalized 2015-16 as the new base year to calculate (GDP), and the principal statistical agency, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has been working to implement it. All national accounts will from now on be based on this new base year. Previously the government was using a base year of 2005-6.
In Bangladesh, the usual practice was to revise GDP base year every 10 years. The last time it was done was in 2013, when the base year was changed from 1995-96 to 2005-06.
Rebasing is important in emerging economies with large informal sectors such as Bangladesh to capture more and more sections of the informal economy under formal reporting of national income, besides new or budding sectors that are growing fast. The new estimate of GDP comprises 21 broad sectors instead of the previous 15.
A revised report of BBS shows the GDP of FY 2020-21 where over 20 crops of agriculture, emerging services like Uber, Pathao, household waste collection, real estate and construction sector have been added as new.
The GDP growth in the fiscal year 2019-20 was 3.45 percent. At that time the total GDP was Tk26, 501 billion, BBS data found.
The BBS has found this picture of growth in determining the growth of the last financial year from the base year 2015-16.
The information was presented to the Prime Minister at the ECNEC meeting on Tuesday.
The planning minister said the net of various products as GDP has expanded under the new base year. As a result, per capita income has increased. At the same time, GDP growth has increased.
The average per capita income has risen to $2,554 from $2,226 previously.
Agriculture sector: About 20 new crops have been added to the crop sub-sector with all the data included in this sector for GDP calculation. New crops include dragon fruit, strawberry, capsicum, latkan, kachushak, sharufa, malta etc. Cattle and poultry production data, new survey data in the forest sector and other up-to-date information have been included. As a result value addition from the agriculture sector increased in the GDP by 14.80 per cent.
Industrial Sector: Earlier, all the data included in this sector for calculating GDP included updated data from New Manufacturing Industry Survey (SMI) and construction sector survey, data from household waste collection. Overall current prices of value addition in the industrial sector have increased by 36.1 per cent.
Services sector: New survey of transport sector, Uber, Pathao, data of new private helicopter companies, new survey of real estate sector, data of mobile banks, agent banks, information of non-profit organizations of government and education and health sector have all been included. Overall, the size of value addition in the services sector showed growth by 14.3 percent in the sector.
Maldives VP seeks support in regularising all Bangladeshi workers
Noting that unregularised workers may be more easily exploited, Vice President of the Maldives Faisal Naseem has sought support from the relevant ministry in regularising all Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives.
At a meeting with Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad on Tuesday, the Vice President detailed the Maldives goal to regularise all themes expatriate workers in the Maldives at the earliest.
They also discussed partnerships for technical training and skills development programmes as well as exchange programmes to help employees build critical skills.
The Vice President first met Salman F Rahman, Advisor to the Prime Minister, and discussed the current situation in the Maldives and Bangladesh following the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on both countries.
The Vice President highlighted the Maldives' priority to improve decentralised healthcare, and the ensure the need for further technical and vocational training as well as higher education opportunities to specialise in different areas of the healthcare systems.
Journalist Shamim Mashreki dies at 55
Journalist Shamim Mashreki, a permanent member of the Jatiya Press Club (JPC), died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday. He was 55.
Mashreki suffered cardiac arrest on a train while returning to Dhaka from Ishwarganj in the morning.
Later, members of Government Railway Police (GRP) took him to Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead, said JPC Joint General Secretary Mainul Alam.
Shamim Mashreki, son of renowned lyricist Abdul Hye Mashreki, was a former executive member of Dhaka Sub-Editors’ Council. He also served as advisory editor at districtnews24.
He left behind wife, one son and a large number of well-wishers to mourn his death.
Contract Farming: Bangladesh looks for signing framework with potential African countries
Bangladesh is looking for ways to sign a framework with potential African countries to explore untapped contract farming opportunities and identify particular countries in Africa for initiating a pilot project.
An inter-ministerial meeting co-chaired by Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaq and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on taking lands one lease in African countries for contract farming by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs was held at the Foreign Service Academy on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by the Executive Chairman, BIDA, Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary), representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Armed Forces Division, the Prime Minister Office and Bangladesh Bank.
The meeting focused on identifying ways and means for establishing contract farming in African countries by Bangladeshi farmers and entrepreneurs.
The Foreign Minister said by leasing land in the African countries, employment opportunities may be created for a very large number of Bangladeshi workers and farmers.
He suggested that peacekeeping Missions in the African countries may establish contacts with local authorities for contract farming opportunities.
The Foreign Minister also suggested that exchange of training on agriculture may be made with the African countries to make them familiar with our advancements made in the field of agriculture.
Maldives vice-president calls on President
Visiting Vice President of the Maldives Faisal Nasim paid a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Tuesday evening.
Welcoming Nasim President Hamid said that excellent bilateral relations exist between Bangladesh and the Maldives.
He said the ties are expanding in various fields, including trade and investment, President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB.
The President hoped that the visit of Maldives vice-president will further expand the existing bilateral relations between the two friendly countries.
During the meeting, Nasim praised Bangladesh's development and progress in various fields.
He emphasized on developing relations with Bangladesh in the fields of education, health and tourism.
No change in Khaleda’s condition: Fakhrul
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said there has been no improvement in the health condition of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, now undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital with multiple complications.
“She’s now in between life and death. The medical board formed for her treatment sat in a meeting today. What we came to know so far is that there has been no significant improvement in her condition,” said Fakrul while talking to reporters at BNP’s Gulshan office.
“When I visited her several times I found her mentally strong. Doctors also said she is mentally very strong despite her illness which will help her respond to treatment,” he said.
He urged the government to allow her to go abroad for treatment without further delay. “I urge the government to allow her to go abroad without considering the issue as political one and considering her contributions to the country and its people,” said Fakrul.
“Doctors are giving her the best ever treatment here, but her recovery is not possible in the country due to her critical condition. Doctors suggested us names of three countries – the UK, the USA or Germany -- where her treatment is possible,” he added.
Read: Sending Khaleda abroad: Pro-BNP lawyers submit memo to Law Minister
Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, was readmitted to Evercare Hospital on November 13, six days after she had returned home from the hospital.
The BNP chief's physicians said she has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, critical cardiac, kidney ophthalmological and dental complications. The hemoglobin level in her blood has also dropped.
On behalf of the family, Khaleda's younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted an application to the Home Ministry on November 11 urging the government to allow her to go abroad for better treatment.
Law Minister Anisul Huq, however, said recently that the BNP chairperson has to make a fresh application first by going back to jail to go abroad for treatment.
Read: Govt should allow ailing Khaleda to go abroad: Reza Kibria
A delegation of pro-BNP lawyers on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to Law Minister Anisul Huq seeking the government’s permission to send ailing Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment.
They argued that there is no legal obstruction for the government in allowing Khaleda to go abroad.
The minister said that they will examine the memorandum.
Dengue in Bangladesh: 91 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
As many as 91 new dengue patients have been hospitalised in 24 hours until Tuesday 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.
Among the new patients, 75 are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 16 cases have been reported from outside the division.
Also read: Dengue: 110 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Some 493 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Tuesday.
Of them, 375 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 118 were listed outside Dhaka.
Since January, some 26,633 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue in the country. So far, 26,042 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said DGHS.
Also read: Dengue cases keep rising: 142 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
In September, the country recorded the highest number of 7,841 dengue cases of the current year with 23 deaths.
In October, the number of dengue cases came down to 5,604 with 22 deaths recorded.
ACC raids sub-registry office in Noakhali
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday raided Sub-Registry Office of Noakhali on the allegations of bribery from service seekers against former sub-registrar Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal.
Deputy Director of ACC Public relation office Muhammad Arif Sadeq told UNB that Deputy Assistant Director of ACC Integrated District Office, Noakhali Arif Ahmed led the enforcement team during the drive.
The ACC team visited the Sub-Registry Office on the spot and spoke to the Sub-Registrar in charge, he said.
The running sub-registrar told the team that the accused sub-registrar Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal had been transferred from the office about a year ago.
The sub-registrar who has recently taken new responsibilities informed that he has taken all possible steps to stop all kinds of irregularities.
The ACC team also recorded the statements made by the service seekers at the office as to whether there was any harassment or attempted extortion.
Documents related to the complaint have been collected, the spokesman of the ACC added.
The ACC enforcement team will submit a detailed report along with the commission after verifying the information and evidence obtained during the operation.