Bangladesh
Bangladesh will continue to attract foreign investments, defying downturn: US
Bangladesh will remain the most resilient and continue to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) to live up to its image as a favourite place for global investors, despite the Covid-induced economic downturn. This inference can be drawn from a new report released by the US Department of State.
The US Department of State released the ‘2021 Investment Climate Statements’ on Wednesday that mentioned Bangladesh’s sustained economic growth over the past decade, a large, young, and hard-working workforce, strategic location between the large South and Southeast Asian markets, and the presence of a vibrant private sector.
The government's efforts in Bangladesh to improve the business environment in recent years show promise but implementation has yet to materialise, according to the report that analyses the investment climate in more than 170 global economies that are current or potential markets for US companies.
Read:BGMEA discusses export, FDI opportunities with Bangladesh envoy
Bangladesh has made gradual progress in reducing some constraints on investment, including taking steps to better ensure reliable electricity, but inadequate infrastructure, limited financing instruments, bureaucratic delays, lax enforcement of labour laws, and corruption continue to hinder foreign investment, the report stated.
Slow adoption of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and sluggish judicial processes impede the enforcement of contracts and the resolution of business disputes, as per the report.
Buoyed by a young workforce and a growing consumer base, Bangladesh has enjoyed consistent annual GDP growth of more than six percent over the past decade, with the exception of the Covid-induced economic slowdown in 2020, the report mentioned.
Much of this growth continues to be driven by the ready-made garment (RMG) industry, which exported $28.0 billion of apparel products in FY 2020, and continued remittance inflows, reaching a record $18.2 billion in FY 2020, as per the US report.
However, the country’s RMG exports dropped more than 18 percent year-on-year in FY 2020 as Covid depressed the global demand for apparel products.
3 dead, 2 injured as bikes collide in Meherpur
Three people were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between two motorcycles at Mujibnagar in Meherpur on Wednesday.
The deceased are, Shakil Hossain, 22, son of Shariful Islam of Sonapur Majhpara village under Mujibnagar upazila, Shamim Hossain, 22, son of Minarul Islam and Mostaq Hossain, 20, son of Nihajul of Garadob village under Gangni upazila.
Read:Policeman 'killed' in Dhaka road accident
According to locals, they were immediately rushed to Mujibnagar Upazila Health Complex where the on duty doctor declared them dead.
Read:Two killed in city road crash
Besides, the injured are Omar Farooq, son of Samjan Biswas of Alampur village in Sadar upazila and Rakibul, son of Abdur Rashid of Garadob village.
They were referred to Meherpur General Hospital from the health complex upon receival of first aid.
48 Bangladeshis held in Malaysia for Covid-19 breaches during Eid prayers
Police rounded up 48 Bangladesh nationals, and one local man Tuesday for Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) breaches outside a surau (Islamic assembly building) in Taman Pelangi of Malaysia's Johor state during Eid prayers.
To probe a viral video showing hundreds of individuals – believed to be foreigners violating the SOP by performing prayers at an open area outside the surau – the law enforcers arrested them, Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said.
Read:3 Bangladeshis held in Malaysia for not having travel documents
A video showing over 200 individuals – mostly foreigners – attending Eid-ul-Azha prayers in the parking lot and by the roadside of a surau in Taman Pelangi between 8.30am to 9am Tuesday had gone viral, leading to the investigation.
Read: 102 Bangladeshis held in Malaysia
They were praying in the area as the surau management did not allow them inside after reaching the limit of 100 people, Shuhaily said. "They then allegedly proceeded to perform prayers on the road in front of the surau."
Police will conduct investigations under Section 269 of the Penal Code for a negligent act that could spread an infectious disease as well as movement without permission and Section 270 of the Penal Code for spreading harmful infection and the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) (Measures in Communicable Areas) Regulations 2020, Shuhaily said.
Covid claims 15 more lives in Bogura
Fifteen more people died of Covid-19 related reasons at three different hospitals in Bogura in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Wednesday.
While seven were confirmed Covid-19 patients, eight showed symptoms of the virus, the officials said.
Read: Freedom fighter dies of Covid-19 in Bogura
Among the seven confirmed cases, two each died at Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College ( Hospital and Khalilur Mohammad Ali Hospital and the remaining three at TMSS hospital,
Besides, the district logged as many as 95 fresh Covid cases during this time after testing 375
The positivity rate in the district currently stands at 25.33%, which was 27.77% a day before.
So far, 17,587 people have been found positive in the district, while 523 people have died of Covid-19.
Read: 2 die of Covid-19 in Bogura
Medical Officer of Bogra Civil Surgeon's Office Dr. Sajjad-ul- Haque confirmed these in an online briefing on Wednesday.
Bangladesh sees 173 more Covid deaths as pandemic eclipses Eid celebrations
Marking another grim Eid under the shadow of a pandemic and amid growing concerns about the highly infectious delta variant, Bangladesh saw 173 more Covid-19 deaths Wednesday.
Also, Covid-19 infections in the country have reached 97% of the peak, with 11,533 new cases reported on average each day. The highest daily average was recorded on July 15.
Read:Covid refuses to slow down in Bangladesh; 199 more die
Bangladesh recorded 7,614 new infections in 24 hours till Wednesday morning after testing 24,979 samples – 14,531 fewer compared to yesterday.
The country reported its highest daily Covid-19 fatality number – 231 – on July 19 and 13,768 infections on the 12th of the month. Wednesday's death counts and cases are the lowest in 14 days and 18 days.
However, Bangladesh is in the grip of a second wave of the virus that is threatening to overwhelm its health service. There have been 1,136,503 infections and 18,498 coronavirus-related deaths here since the pandemic began, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate rose to 30.48% from Tuesday's 29.31% when the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
As the death rate stood at 1.63%, Dhaka division reported the highest 58 deaths, Khulna 38, Chattogram 32, Rangpur 16, Rajshahi 11, Barishal eight, Sylhet six, and Mymensingh four.
However, the recovery rate increased to 84.56%.
So far, Bangladesh has administered at least 11,341,291 doses of Covid vaccines – enough to have vaccinated around 3.1% of the country's population, assuming every person needs two doses.
The government allowed an eight-day pause in the nationwide strict lockdown for Eid-ul-Azha despite fears that crowding at shopping centres, cattle markets, and big gatherings could become super-spreader events.
The country imposed its toughest lockdown at the start of July. Under the lockdown, people were only allowed to leave home to buy essentials and for emergencies.
However, with the recent removal of the curbs ahead of Eid celebrations, people were seen breaking Covid-19 rules while they were on the streets and in the markets and malls.
Uncontrolled movement of people and rampant breaches of health rules before and after Eid could make things worse because of the fallout from the lockdown pause.
At least 26.2 lakh subscribers of the four telecom operators left Dhaka in three days starting July 15 to celebrate Eid, according to Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar.
With Covid's Delta variant spreading fast, the country's fatalities have been hovering at approximately 200 for the last two weeks.
July looks to be the most devastating month since Bangladesh saw its fast Covid cases in March 2020, with around 4,000 deaths so far. Earlier, it recorded 2,404 Covid deaths in April, 1,169 in May and 1,884 in June.
The WHO has reported that globally, Covid-19 cases and deaths had soared after periods of decline, with the reversal spurred in part by the delta variant.
Read: Covid-19 death toll in Bangladesh crosses 12,000
13 new dengue cases reported in 24 hrs
Amid an alarming surge in Covid-19 cases, there is a growing concern over the dengue situation in the country. Authorities on Wednesday reported 13 more new dengue cases in 24 hours.
Some 406 dengue patients are undergoing treatment at different government and private hospitals in the country, as of Wednesday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of them, 398 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital and eight others outside Dhaka.
Also read: 75 more new cases reported amid Dengue surge
So far, information about three suspected dengue deaths have been sent to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research (IEDCR), the DGHS said.
Some 1,360 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January, and 951 of them have been released after recovery.
Bangladesh is seeing a rise in dengue cases when the Covid situation is worsening in the country, with the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.
DGHS spokesman and line director, Prof Dr. Nazmul Islam, Sunday expressed his deep concern over dengue, in a regular heath bulletin on coronavirus.
The situation would continue to deteriorate if those responsible for mosquito control across the country do not try their best by all means, Dr Nazmul said.
Also read: Amid Covid pandemic dengue could worsen: DGHS
"If someone has temperature, they should be tested for dengue as well as corona," he added.
"And in case of treatment, medicines must be taken on the advice of a registered doctor only. If necessary, one could take treatment by contacting the hotline number of DGHS."
A total of 1,193 cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths were reported in 2020.
According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019.
Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 when it claimed 93 lives. In the following three years, the fatalities almost fell to zero.
However, the mosquito-borne viral infection struck again in 2018, killing 26 and infecting 10,148 people.
PM greets Freedom Fighters on Eid
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday greeted all the Freedom Fighters (FF) of the country on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
Like other occasions, the PM sent flowers, fruits and sweetmeats to the war-wounded FFs and members of the martyred families at the Martyred and War-wounded Freedom Fighters’ Rehabilitation Centre (Muktijoddha Tower-1) on Gaznavi Road in the capital’s Mohammadpur area as a mark of her good wishes for them.
PM’s Assistant Private Secretary-2 Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku, Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher and Assistant Press Secretary ABM Sarwar-e-Alam Sarkar handed over these items to them this morning.
The war-wounded FFs and members of the martyred families expressed their gratitude to the PM for remembering them on every national day and festival like Independence Day, Victory Day, Eid and Pahela Baishakh.
They also expressed firm commitment to resist any act of terror in the name of religion and anti-state activities on the soil of independent Bangladesh at any cost.
They hoped that the successors of the FFs and future generations would uphold the same values and spirit.
The FFs and members of the martyred families wished the PM good health and long life, and highly appreciated her farsighted leadership.
They also expressed their firm belief that the government under the leadership of PM Hasina will ensure coronavirus vaccines for all people of the country.
Two Bangladeshi women trafficked to India returns via Benapole
Indian authorities on Wednesday sent back two Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to the country, through the Benapole border.
The two women have been identified as Moushumi Khatun, 24, and Mariam Khatun, 25, residents of Sirajganj and Jashore districts, respectively.
India’s Petrapole immigration authorities handed over the two women to their counterparts in Benapole this morning.
Also read: Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole
Office-bearers of ‘Justice and Care’, an NGO in Jashore, Shaoli Sultana, said, "Moushumi and Mariam went to India’s Mumbai illegally with the hope of grabbing well-paid jobs but ended up getting risky jobs there."
Tipped off, Indian cops arrested them and an NGO subsequently kept them at its shelter home, she said.
The Indian police sent the women back to Bangladesh on travel permits following exchange of letters at Home Ministry level, said Shaoli.
Also read: 304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations
Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration police said that after the immigration formalities, the two women were sent to the Benapole hotel to undergo the mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine.
Border guards eaxchange sweets and Eid greetings at Hili border
On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, border guards of Bangladesh and India exchanged sweets and greetings on Wednesday morning.
Hili CP Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) camp commander Subedar Showkat Ali Molla said that sweets were gifted to the commander of Border Security Force (BSF) on the Indian side fro Joypurhat-10 BGB battalion.
Also read: BSF won't let BGB build mosque at 200-year-old site
Commander Ramakant Singh of BSF Hili camp reciprocated by sending sweets as gifts.
During religious and national celebrations, BGB and BSF exchange gifts, greetings and sweets as a tradition with an aim to bolster friendly ties between the two countries, the BGB camp commander said.
Also read: Bangladeshi youth killed in BSF firing along Lalmonirhat border
Meanwhile, the BSF camp commander said that "this kind of exchange of sweets and greetings motivates the border guards of both the countries".
Covid claims 16 more lives in Barishal
As many as 16 more people have died of Covid in Barishal division in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Wednesday.
On other hand, some 274 new cases were detected during the period, as the country celebrates Eid-ul-Azha, the second-biggest religious festival of the Muslim community.
Also read: Chattogram records highest single-day Covid deaths at 15
The fresh cases have taken the division’s death tally to 399 and caseload to 27,663.
Of the recent Covid fatalities, 15 people died at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital, said divisional health director Basudeb Kumar Das.
As of Tuesday, 302 Covid patients were undergoing treatment at the 300-bed Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital. Of them, 115 have tested positive for Covid.
Also read: Khulna division logs 43 new Covid deaths
Meanwhile, 35 new Covid patients were admitted to the hospital’s Covid unit in the past 24 hours, the officials said.
So far, 949 people have died of Covid-19 at the hospital.