Bangladesh
Young urged to take lead role for addressing climate challenges
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen called upon the youth to come forward and take the lead to tackle the challenges of climate change.
He made the call when he interacted with the students of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, one of the globally famous universities, and the only university in the world with a detailed research programme and course on adaptation for climate change.
Read: Pay compensation to climate vulnerable nations
Dr Momen stressed on the role of the academia, the researchers, the students in creating a platform to address the challenges of climate change in a fast and efficient way.
The Foreign Minister also visited Deltares, the leading Dutch institute for applied research in the field of water.
He held a meeting with Annemieke Nijhof, Managing Director of Deltares and her scientist colleagues.
The issue of implementation of the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 was discussed in details in the meeting.
Foreign Minister Momen is on a three-day official visit to the Netherlands.
Read: Bangladesh's points to be on agenda of Biden's Climate Summit
He is scheduled to have bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands at the Foreign Ministry in The Hague before his return to home on Thursday.
India to give women permanent commission in armed forces
India has decided to give women permanent commission in the military, a landmark decision that could pave the way for female officers to head the armed forces in the future.
Currently, women are recruited in the three wings of the military -- the Army, the Navy and the Air Force -- only as short service commission officers.
The latest decision of the government to admit women into the National Defence Academy (NDA) for permanent commission into the armed forces was conveyed to the Supreme Court by a top state lawyer on Wednesday, prompting the judges to hail the move.
Also Read- Indian military admits wrongdoing in 3 Kashmir killings
"I have great news. The service chiefs and government have decided that girls will be given permanent commission through NDA and Naval academy. The decision was taken late last evening," Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told the court.
"The policy and procedure are being worked out to enable women to get permanent commission in the three defence forces," he added.
Also read: Always stay ready to defend country: Hasina to Armed Forces
The apex court lauded the decision. “We have been judging this for a long time. On gender equality, the armed forces have to do more. I'm happy that the heads of the armed forces have taken the decision. Compliment goes to you for persuading them.”
"We are extremely glad to know that the armed forces themselves took the decision to induct women into the NDA. We know that reforms cannot happen in a day... The government will place timelines of the process and the course of action," the judges said.
"The armed forces play an important role... but need to do more for gender equality in the forces. We want them to take a proactive approach themselves in ensuring gender equality rather than waiting for courts to intervene," the court added.
The apex court was hearing a petition for allowing women to take NDA and Naval Academy examinations.
Hassle-free land management system to be developed for people: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government wants to develop a hassle-free land management system in the country so that mass people do not suffer in any way.
“We want to develop a system so that people must not face unnecessary harassment and sufferings, and don’t have to move from one office room to another,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the Bhumi Bhaban of Land Ministry, land office buildings at upazila and making union-level activities online land development tax payment and land data bank.
The programme was organised at Osmani Memorial Auditorium when she joined the programme from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Also read: Promote right persons in Army: PM Hasina
The Prime Minister asked the officials concerned to build every land office at the upazila level afresh. “Those which are still left need to be done quickly through taking projects.”
She said the government has taken initiatives to construct 139 upazila land offices and 129 of which have been completed.
To provide services to people, Hasina said, the government is implementing a project to construct 1,498 land offices at the union level and 995 of those have been completed.
The PM said the aim of the government is to build the country into a developed and prosperous one by 2041.
Dhaka cyber court accepts charges against Kajol
A tribunal on Wednesday accepted charges against photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol in a case filed under the Digital Security Act (DSA) at Kamrangirchar Police Station.
Judge Ash Sams Joglul Hossain of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal accepted the charges and fixed October 20 for framing charges against Kajol in the case.
Kajol went missing on March 10, 2020, a day after Magura-1 MP Saifuzzaman Shikhor filed a case against him and 31 others, including Manab Zamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury.
They were sued under the DSA for publishing and sharing an article on social media about expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Noor Papia.
Two other cases were filed against Kajol at Kamrangir Char and Hazaribagh police stations under the same act on March 10 and March 11.
Also read: Digital Security Act: Charges pressed against Kajol
After his 53 days of disappearance, Kajol was detained by Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) near the Benapole border on May 3 and produced in a Jashore court on the same day.
Although the court granted him bail in the case, he was sent to jail as Kotwali police brought another charge against him under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
On October 19, 2020, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why photojournalist Kajol should not be granted bail in the case filed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
Also read: Journalist Kajol freed from jail
On November 24, 2020, the photojournalist secured bail in another case filed against him under the DSA.
On December 17, that year, the High Court granted him bail in two cases filed under the DSA, clearing the way for his release.
He was freed from Dhaka Central Jail on December 25 last year.
Need to draw a line between free speech & disinformation: Jatiya Sangsad Speaker
Emphasising the need for drawing a line between free speech and disinformation, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has said that innovative solutions are needed to spread truth in the society.
"Incorrect information can led people and the society in the wrong way. On the other hand, right and objective information can play a role in creating constructive opinion," Shirin said, while addressing the 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Vienna on Tuesday night.
However, she advocated the need for stricter laws if the existing ones are inadequate to curb the menace of fake news.
"In addition to ensuring fundamental freedom of speech and expression, more effective and innovative solutions need to be explored to spread truth. If the desired results are not achieved through the existing laws, more powerful laws need to be enacted," the Speaker added.
Read: Norwegian envoy meets Speaker Shirin Sharmin
Urging people to shun conventional mentality, she said: "It is needed to change the conventional ideas, mentality and thinking. In addition to spreading the need for education among the older generation, the new generation should be abreast with the latest developments.
"Strong family structures as well as educational institutions are essential for proper education and the media can play an important role in this regard."
Awami League MPs Bodruddoza Md Farhad Hossain (Brahmanbaria-1), Rumana Ali (Women Seat-14) and Gloria Jharna Sarker (Women Seat-30) were also present at the conference on 'Countering Misinformation and Hate Speech Requires Stronger Regulations'.
Dr Shirin left Dhaka for Vienna, the capital of Austria, to attend the 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament on September 5.
Also read: Dr Shirin leaves for Vienna to join Speakers’ Conference
She will also join the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament (13SWSP) and the First Global Parliamentary Meeting on Counter-Terrorism.
The 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the world's largest gathering of the highest level of parliamentary representation, is being jointly organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Austrian Parliament on September 7 and 8.
This conference will be followed by the 13SWSP and the Parliamentary Meeting on Counter-Terrorism on September 9.
Over 110 Parliament Speakers from around the world arrived in Vienna for the first in-person large-scale inter-parliamentary meeting since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anti-drugs drives: 43 people held in city
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested as many as 43 people for selling or consuming drugs in the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.
The arrests were made by officials of the local police stations as well as the detective branch during several anti-narcotics drives across the capital from Tuesday 6am to 6am on Wednesday, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Walid Hossain.
During the drives, police seized 4,491 Yaba tablets, 57.203 gram heroin, 16.10 kg hemp, 720 cans of beer and 150 bottles of Phensedyl from the possession of the arrestees.
Also read: 51 arrested in DMP anti-drug operations
Moreover, 28 cases have been filed against the arrestees at the police stations concerned under the Narcotics Control Act, officials said.
Also read: JS session: DMP bans arms, explosives, rallies around parliament
Jagannath University to hold physical exams from Oct 7
Authorities at Jagannath University have decided to hold physical examinations for the first and second semesters from October 7.
While the first semester exams will begin from October 7, the second semester exams will start after 2-3 weeks, said Dean of the Business Studies Faculty, Prof AKM Maniruzzaman.
The university authorities have also taken preparations to hold the examinations online in case the Covid situation worsens further in Bangladesh.
“We have taken preparations to conduct the exams online from October 10 if the Covid situation worsens further. We do not want any delay. But now we are focused on taking physical exams,” he said.
Also read: UNICEF welcomes Bangladesh’s decision on reopening schools
If any students fail to take the Covid jabs before sitting for the exams, necessary steps will be taken to get them the jabs, the dean added.
All students will be allowed to enter the exam hall following health guidelines.
Read Also: JUST student suspended for hurting religious sentiment
Education minister Dr Dipu Moni has already said that the country's educational institutions will be ready to host students by September 9, before finally reopening three days later -- bringing to an end what Unicef has called the world's second-longest schools closure due to Covid-19.
“Ministry officials will complete field inspections within Sep 9 to observe whether the institutions are fully prepared to open their doors for students,” she said, after an inter-ministerial meeting at the cabinet division on September 5.
The decision to reopen all the primary, secondary and higher secondary-level educational institutions on September 12 was finalised at the meeting.
Global Covid cases approach 222 million
The overall number of global Covid cases is fast nearing 222 million, as the world is still struggling to contain the second wave of the pandemic even with mass inoculations underway.
According to US-based Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 221,873,412 and the death toll reached 4,585,547 on Wednesday morning.
So far, 5, 527,520,653 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 40,279,732 cases. Besides, 650,511people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
The country has recorded 20,914,237 cases with 584,108 fatalities so far, according to the health ministry.
Also read: Covid in Bangladesh: Both cases and deaths fall further
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 33,058,843 on Tuesday, and 31,222 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, as many as 290 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 441,042.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged 56 Covid-19 deaths and 2,639 cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, showing a decline in single-day fatalities and cases as compared to Monday's figures.
The country reported 65 Covid-related deaths and 2,710 cases on Monday.
The daily case positivity rate also fell slightly to 9.69% from Monday's 9.88%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also read: India’s COVID-19 vaccine supply jumps, raising export hopes
The fresh numbers pushed the country’s total fatalities to 26,684, while the cases reached 15,19,805, the DGHS said.
The new cases were detected after testing 27,466 samples during the 24-hour period.
The country last saw 54 coronavirus-related deaths on June 18 and the upswing in the fatalities reached its peak on August 5 and 10 when 264 deaths were recorded.
However, the situation was much more catastrophic than June and the latter part of August as the country experienced a surge in Covid-related cases and deaths during that time.
Between May and June this year, there was a 273% rise in monthly caseloads and 162% in fatalities. In July, there was a 150% increase in caseloads and a 170% rise in deaths compared to the previous month, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The government on Tuesday started administering the second doses of Covid-19 vaccine under its mass vaccination campaign, aiming to fight the deadly virus.
Vaccination centres in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country drew huge crowds as vaccine seekers were seen standing close to each other with little or no regard for social distancing rules.
Bangladesh on August 7 kicked off another phase of its mass vaccination drive aimed at inoculating 35 lakh people in six days.
Hilsa Ilisha: The National Fish and Silver Pride of Bangladesh
Hilsa has become the king of fish due to its incomparable taste, smell, and nutritious oil. The most interesting thing is that Hilsa does not have a permanent address. Hilsa fish is locally called 'Ilish' and its scientific name is 'Tenualosa Ilisha'. These are migratory fish, sometimes also called international fish. Hilsa roams the oceans of the world under various names. But Bangladesh produces around 86% of the world's Hilsa. And Padma's Hilsa, the universally tasty Ilish is our pride. Bangladesh has given the status of national fish to Hilsa. Furthermore, the recognition as Geographical Indication (GI) product of Bangladesh, Hilsa is now on the menu in different countries as Bangladeshi food.
History of Hilsa Ilisha
The exact history of Hilsa is unknown. Even though there are much bigger fish than hilsa, it is the king of fish. It is said that hilsa has been roaming freely in the ocean since ancient times. Hilsa's wandering is also quite interesting, from the saltwater of the sea to the freshwater of the river. From there, back to the saltwater of the sea. During the breeding season or during the egg-laying season, the male and female hilsa flock out to sea for a favorable environment. Eggs are laid in the freshwater of the river. The baby hilsa grows in fresh water and gradually gets ready to go to the ocean.
Hilsa swims in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, Java Sea, South China Sea, Tonkin Bay, West, and Central Pacific Ocean. The British researcher Hamilton Buchanan named it Hilsa in 1882 while researching fish in the Bay of Bengal. Later, two researchers named Fischer and Bionic classified Hilsa as 'Tenualosa.' Tenualosa is found in five species in the world. Of which three species match in Bangladesh. Hilsa (T-Ilsha), Chandana Hilsa (T-Tolly), and Gupta Hilsa (H-Ki-Li). Among them, Hilsa found in the Padma is world-famous.
Read ‘Hilsa export not on the cards now’
What is special in Hilsa Fish?
This fish is excellent in taste and smell. Also rich in food quality. It contains high levels of carbs, fats, and minerals as well as omega-three fatty acids, amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, D, B. Hilsa is characterized by a silver torpedo-shaped fish. There is a slight blackness on the back. Baby hilsa has lined spots on the body. Hilsa takes eight months to a year to mature after hatching from eggs.
Mature hilsa can grow to a maximum length of 63 cm or more than two feet and weigh a maximum of three / three and a half kg. However, usually, the fish is caught in the net before it reaches 2 kg.
At present Hilsa is found in about 100 rivers of Bangladesh. In particular, the main rivers of the Padma and Meghna basins, its tributaries, bays, and coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal are home to Hilsa.
Read Govt to consult experts to boost Hilsa production: Dipu Moni
Prospect of Hilsa Fish for Bangladesh
Hilsa is found all year round in the lower reaches of the Meghna River at Kalabadar, Tertulia, Arial Kha, as well as at Bishkhali, Payra, Rupsha, Shiba, Pashur, Lohadia, Andharamanik rivers, bays, and seashores.
In addition, the availability of hilsa in the Padma has increased due to the establishment of a hilsa sanctuary in the lower reaches of the Padma and the ban on netting hilsa on certain days of the year.
Over the years, hilsa production has increased significantly. Hence it contributes to the country's economy greatly. Hilsa contributes 1% to the gross domestic product (GDP). About 5 lakh people are directly involved in hilsa, and 20 to 25 lakh people are directly or indirectly involved, according to the Fisheries Department. In 2016, Hilsa of Bangladesh had been recognized as a GI (Geographical Indication) product.
Read Hilsa prices rise as catch from the Padma dries up
It is difficult to get accurate information about the quantity of hilsa export. According to the Department of Fisheries, out of 75,000 tons of fish and fish products exported from Bangladesh every year and among those 24,000 tons are frozen fish. It can be assumed that most of these frozen fish are hilsa fish.
Mamata to kickstart campaign for Bengal bypoll today
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is all set to formally kickstart her campaign for the upcoming by-election in the eastern Indian state on Wednesday.
Mamata is contesting the crucial bypoll -- slated for September 30 -- from the assembly constituency of Bhawanipur in south Kolkata. To continue as Bengal CM, the 66-year-old has to pull off a win.
Though her Trinamool Congress party swept back to power in May's assembly polls, Mamata lost her own seat in Nandigram to her protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari by around 2,000 votes. She has, however, challenged Suvendu's election in the Kolkata high court.
India's main opposition Congress has meanwhile, decided not to field any candidate against Mamata.
Also read: Mamata Banerjee sworn in as Bengal CM
"The Congress feels that by fielding a candidate against the Chief Minister, it may indirectly help the BJP in some way and the high command does not want to do that," West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told the media.
On May 2, Mamata single-handedly pulled off a landslide victory in the assembly election for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP.
In June, Mamata moved the high court to declare Suvendu's election win null and void on the grounds that he had indulged in corrupt practices and sought votes on the basis of religion.
"Suvendu Adhikari has indulged in several corrupt practices that have enhanced his winning chances and materially altered Mamata Banerjee's chances of success in the election," her petition read.
Also read: Bucking anti-incumbency, Mamata scores a hat-trick in Bengal
In her petition, Mamata also alleged discrepancies in the counting of votes, Mamata's lawyer had said.
West Bengal had witnessed the most high-profile contest in India's recently held state elections. While Mamata harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP asked people to vote for "change and socio-economic development" after nearly 50 years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule.