Bangladesh
Global Covid cases near 235 million
The overall number of global Covid cases is fast approaching 235 million amid the ongoing mass inoculation in different countries.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count and fatalities mounted to 234,577,843 and 4,796,489, respectively, on Sunday morning.
The US has recorded 43,658,910 cases to date and more than 700,959 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Read: US hits 700,000 COVID deaths just as cases begin to fall
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 700,000 late Friday — a number greater than the population of Boston. The last 100,000 deaths occurred during a time when vaccines — which overwhelmingly prevent deaths, hospitalizations and serious illness — were available to any American over the age of 12, reports AP.
The milestone is deeply frustrating to doctors, public health officials and the American public, who watched a pandemic that had been easing earlier in the summer take a dark turn. Tens of millions of Americans have refused to get vaccinated, allowing the highly contagious delta variant to tear through the country and send the death toll from 600,000 to 700,000 in 3 1/2 months.
Brazil which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 21,459,117 cases. Brazil's Covid-19 death toll has also risen to 597,723.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 33,791,061 on Saturday morning as 24,354 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, the health ministry's data showed.
Besides this, 234 related deaths have taken place during the past 24 hours, which took the total death toll to 448,573.
Read: Romanian hospital blaze kills at least 7 COVID-19 patients
Situation in Bangladesh
Twenty-four people died of Covid infections in Bangladesh and 589 more infected in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
The number of cases is the lowest since May 16, when the country saw 363 cases.On Friday, the country logged 21 Covid deaths and 847 cases.
The new cases till Saturday morning were detected after testing 17, 283 samples.
With this, the daily case positivity rate declined slightly to 3.41 percent from Friday’s 3.43 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case positivity rate in the country remained below 5 per cent for the 10th consecutive day.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the daily-case positivity rate remains at 5 per cent or below for 14 days it is considered to be safe for mass unlocking.
The daily case positivity rate in Bangladesh reached its peak 32.55 percent on July 24 this year.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,555 while the caseload mounted to 15,57,347, said the DGHS.
Read:Covid-19: 23 more die, 860 new cases in Bangladesh
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent.
The recovery rate slightly increased to 97.45 per cent with the recovery of 741 more patients during the 24-hour period.
So far, 15,17,642 people have recovered from the deadly virus infections, the DGHS added.
22-day ban on Hilsa fishing begins Sunday midnight
A 22-day ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transporting hilsa will begin on Sunday midnight with a view to ensure the safe spawning of the popular fish during its peak breeding period.
The ban will remain in place till October 25.
Read:Durga Puja: 23 tonnes of Hilsa sent to India through Benapole
Earlier on September 22, the Bangladesh government imposed a 22-day ban on hilsa fishing from October 4.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Task Force with Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim in the chair, the government said in a release.
During the meeting, the Minister said that the government would take strict action against those "involved in harming the national interest of the country". He also urged people to make the ban a success.
Read: Govt to consult experts to boost Hilsa production: Dipu Moni
The objective of the restrictions on fishing from October 4 to October 25 is to save the mother hilsa which lays eggs during the period.
At the meeting, the Minister also urged all, including fishermen and their associations, to help make the countrywide programme a success.
Beximco Pharma acquires 54.6% stake in Sanofi Bangladesh
The country's leading manufacturer and exporter of medicine Beximco Pharmaceuticals has acquired a 54.6% stake in Sanofi Bangladesh.
The acquisition is the biggest in Bangladesh's pharmaceutical industry's history.
A brief ceremony took place Thursday at a city hotel to mark the occasion.
Beximco Pharma Managing Director Nazmul Hassan MP, BCIC Chairman Shah Md Imdadul Haque, SM Alam, additional secretary at the Ministry of Industries, and senior officials from both companies attended the event.
Nazmul Hassan said, "The completion of this deal is a major milestone for us. We have a clear strategy to continue our diversification and expansion, strengthening our position as a market-leading pharma company in Bangladesh.
Read: 100 million Beximco PPE Park launched in Savar
"We look forward to welcoming over 800 skilled and diligent Sanofi Bangladesh employees to our existing workforce. As an enlarged group, we are excited to continue our growth trajectory by delivering affordable treatments and breakthrough therapies in our growing domestic market," he added.
Sanofi Bangladesh, part of global biopharmaceutical company Sanofi SA, started operating in the country in 1958 as part of British chemical company May & Baker.
Following a series of mergers, it became known as Sanofi-Aventis in 2004, before being renamed Sanofi Bangladesh in 2013.
Sanofi's manufacturing facility is located near Beximco in Tongi and the company is producing around 100 branded generic products – mainly for the local market. It has a strong presence in cardiology, diabetes, oncology, and dermatology.
The company also supplies its global brands of vaccines, insulins and chemotherapy drugs to Bangladesh through direct imports.
Ministry to bear Covid test expenses of UAE-bound passengers
The ministry of expatriates welfare will bear the expenses (TK 1,600) of UAE bound workers undergoing Covid-19 tests at the RT-PCR laboratories of Dhaka Airport.
Imran Ahmed, the minister of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment made the remarks at an exchange meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates at the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Saturday afternoon.
“Expatriate workers are remittance fighters of our country. Their contribution to the country's economy is undeniable.
Read: Covid testing at Dhaka airport awaits UAE’s approval: State Minister
“The government is working to ensure their welfare. As part of this, the ministry will pay Tk 1,600 for the Covid-19 test at the airport for workers going to the UAE,” the minister noted.Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) received the notificarion of arrival approval from the United Arab Emirates regarding operations of RT-PCR laboratories at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Covid testing of passengers bound for the country.
Everyone should cooperate in implementing clean feed broadcasting of foreign channels: ATCO
Welcoming the move to force ad-free or 'clean feed' broadcasting of foreign channels, Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) on Saturday urged all relevant stakeholders to cooperate with the government in implementing the decision.
"The clean feed legislation is 15 years old. It should have been implemented long ago,” ATCO Senior Vice President Mozammel Haque Babu noted in a virtual press conference Saturday evening.
"The balance between clean feed and digitalisation will benefit all stakeholders," said Babu, managing director of Ekattor TV.
Regarding the blackout of foreign TV channels in the last few days, he said that the decision was taken by cable operators, not the government.
Also read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market
Cable Operators Association Of Bangladesh (COAB) have shown interest in holding dialogue with the government over the matter, Babu further informed.
Teen gangs to be reined in: Rab DG
Teen gang culture will be brought under control by any means necessary to save the young generation, Director General (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun said Saturday.
Stopping the misuse of social media must be prevented as part of the overall strategy for this. "The law enforcement agencies are always vigilant to control juvenile delinquency and the people who are getting involved in gang culture through social media."
He was delivering remarks as a privileged guest at a debate competition on the "growing teen gang culture" in the city Saturday.
Debate for Democracy organised the programme with its chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury in the chair.
Al-Mamun also said, "Earlier, some of our challenges were militancy, piracy and domination of robbers in the forests."
However, militancy has now been suppressed, pirates and forest robbers surrendered and returned to mainstream society.
"Now, we need to bring the teenagers, involved in gang culture, back to a healthy social life," he said.
Child marriage rates soar in Cox's Bazar in the shadow of pandemic
A recent study on the impact of COVID-19 on child marriage in Cox’s Bazar district has uncovered rates of child marriage soared throughout the district since March 2021, with the highest increase of 82% in Eidgaon Upazila and the second highest increase of 75% in Ukhiya Upazila.
The study was carried out by the COAST foundation in 32 Union Parishads and 3 municipalities throughout nine Upazilas in the district. COAST foundation conducted the study from 4 August to 26 September 2021 covering all Upazila of Cox's Bazar.
The study findings were presented from a virtual press conference on Saturday. Moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of COAST Foundation, the findings were presented by Jahangir Alam, Assistant Director of COAST.
In his keynote, Jahangir Alam noted that the trend not only increased in each upazila under the district , but also the high rates of increase. Apart from Eidgaon and Ukhiya, we had Ramu at 72%, Teknaf 66%, Moheskhali 61%, Kutubdia 54%, and Cox’s Bazar Sadar 51%. Only in Chokoria (32%) and Pekua (26%) do they fall below 50%.
Read: Child marriage rate still over 80% in Bhola
In another presentation on the multidimensional impact of child marriage, Md. Mujibul Haque Munir, Joint Director of the same organization, said due to such high rates of child marriage, the birth rate in Bangladesh is highest in South Asia. Child marriage eats up 9% of women's income and 1% of national income. Eliminating child marriage by 2030 could save 11% of our educational budget, he said.
BFUJ, DUJ support information minister's 'clean feed' initiative
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists on Saturday welcomed Information Minister Hasan Mahmud's insistence on ad-free (clean-feed) broadcasting of foreign TV channels.
No foreign channel has actually responded yet though by freeing up their broadcast in Bangladesh of advertisements catering to foreign markets.
Instead they all simply remain off air in Bangladesh, after cable and DTH box operators fell in line with a directive from Mahmud's ministry to stop broadcast of foreign channels that do not provide a clean feed in Bangladesh.
In two separate statements on Saturday, BFUJ President Mollah Jalal, Secretary General Abdul Majid and DUJ President Quddus Afrad and General Secretary Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu said the country's economy, artists, culture and media industry have been affected for a long time due to non-broadcasting of ad-free or clean feed on foreign TV channels.
Read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market
The country is being deprived of investment worth at least two thousand crore Tk as a result, added the journalist leaders.
The financial crisis in the domestic television industry will be reduced to a great extent because of implementing clean feed, they said,. Their reasoning was not explained.
The statements also said that the decision to not broadcast foreign TV channels did not come from the government but from cable operators.
Thanking the information and broadcasting minister for implementing clean feed, the journalist leaders demanded announcement of a wage board for broadcast journalists.Strong steps should be taken to ensure fair salaries and job security for everyone related with the journalism profession, the statements read.
4 held over Mohib Ullah murder; 7-day remand sought for 2
Four suspects have so far been arrested in connection with Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah’s murder at Lambashia camp-1 in Ukhiya.
Of them, Selim and Shawkat were presented before Cox’s Bazar Judicial Magistrate’s court on Saturday as Ukhiya police sought a seven-day remand to interrogate them.
The court set Sunday to hear the remand plea, said sub-sub-inspector Chandan Kumar Chakrawarty at the court.
Shawkat was arrested on Saturday afternoon from a Kutupalong Rohingya camp, said officer-in-charge of Ukhiya police station Sanjur Morshed.
Also read: Rohingya leader Mohibullah assassinated
Armed Police Battalion (APBn) personnel arrested Ziaur and Salam on Friday early morning from Kutupalong camps and Selim on Friday noon from Kutupalong camp-6.
SP Naimul Haque, commander of the 14th APBn, said the three arrestees were later handed over to Ukhiya police station.
Since Mohib Ullah’s murder, patrol by police and APBn personnel been beefed up at the Rohingya camps, the SP added.
On Thursday night, police registered a murder case over Mohib Ullah’s murder following a complaint from Mohib Ullah’s brother Habib Ullah, said officer-in-charge Sanjur Morshed.
Unknown assailants gunned down Mohib on Wednesday night. He was first taken to a local medical facility and later shifted to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Read: Mohib's murder: FIR lodged, probe in full swing, say police
He was buried in Lambashia camp-1 in Ukhiya upazila on Thursday afternoon after his namaz-e-janaza, which was attended by a large number of Rohingya refugees from camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas.
Formerly a teacher in Myanmar, the slain activist was popularly known as Master Mohib Ullah among the Rohingya refugees. He was the head of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) at Kutupalong camp.
Bangladesh concerned over growing crimes, unrest in Rohingya camps
Bangladesh has expressed concern over the increased crimes, human and drug trafficking and unrest in the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar as their stay in Bangladesh is prolonging.
Bangladesh urged Myanmar as well as the international community to take effective steps to sustainably repatriate the Rohingyas to Myanmar at the earliest, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen condemned the murder of Mohib Ullah, who was a widely recognized leader of the Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh.
Mohib Uullah was an avowed supporter of the repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar, according to a message shared by the MoFA on its verified Facebook page.
The government of Bangladesh is committed to investigating the heinous crime and bringing the killers to justice, the message reads.
Also read: Rohingya leader Mohibullah assassinated
Earlier in the morning, the Foreign Minister vowed to bring the killers of Mohib Ullah to justice soon, in his first remarks since the Rohingya leader's murder sparked global condemnation.
Dr Momen said a vested quarter killed Mohib as he wanted to return to Myanmar, his homeland.
"The government will take stern action against those who were involved in the killing. Nobody will be spared," he said.
On Thursday night, police registered a murder case in connection with the killing of Mohib Ullah at Ukhiya camp in Cox's Bazar on Wednesday night.
The FIR for murder was filed against unknown persons at the Ukhiya police station on a complaint from Mohib Ullah’s brother Habib Ullah, officer-in-charge Sanjur Morshed had said.
Unknown assailants gunned down the 44-year-old on Wednesday night. He was first rushed to a local medical facility and later shifted to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Read: Mohib's murder: FIR lodged, probe in full swing, say police
He was buried in Lambashia camp-1 in Ukhiya upazila on Thursday afternoon after his namaz-e-janaza, which was attended by a large number of Rohingya refugees from camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas.
Formerly a teacher in Myanmar, the slain human rights activist was popularly known as Master Mohib Ullah among the Rohingya refugees.
He was the head of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) at Kutupalong camp.