Bangladesh
Cumilla sees record 836 Covid cases, 10 more also die
Cumilla on Tuesday reported its highest single-day spike of 836 new Covid cases, while the district's corona death toll rose to 672 with 10 fresh deaths in 24 hours.
"Of the latest deaths, six were men and four women. They were aged between 35 and 80 years," District Civil Surgeon Dr Mir Mobarak Hossain told UNB.
Read: Covid: Cumilla sees 5 deaths, 92 new cases in 24 hours
On the other hand, the new cases have pushed up the district's Covid tally to 24,665. The fresh cases have taken the positivity rate to 36.6% when the WHO recommends below 5% for an area.
Covid: US-Bangladesh biz council delivers essential supplies to Dhaka
The US-Bangladesh Business Council, in collaboration with American NGO Project CURE, has donated essential medical supplies to Dhaka to help bolster the country’s fight against Covid-19.
The donation includes 60 oxygen concentrators, variable positive air pressure (VPAP) units and other oxygen supplies, and device accessories, including 45,000 pieces of personal protective gear, including KN95 and N95 masks, for corona patients in medical colleges across the country.
Read: US-Bangladesh Business Council to be launched April 6
In the coming weeks, the Council will mobilise additional medical supplies, including a shipment of 100 emergency relief beds, the US Embassy in Dhaka said in a release.
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jo Anne Wagner and US-Bangladesh Business Council representatives joined officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Directorate General of Health Services in welcoming the special delivery of essential medical supplies.
The initiative was taken by US-Bangladesh Business Council members Chevron, Excelerate Energy, Metlife, and HSBC Bangladesh with support and coordination from the US Embassy in Dhaka, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC, Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services.
Chargé d’Affaires Wagner said they must and will continue to use their collective resources to fight this pandemic together to protect health and save precious lives.
Wagner said she is proud to see American business leaders come together as invaluable partners with this generous gift meant to help meet the critical health needs of the Bangladeshi people.
“The Council members have come together to stand in support with our friends and partners in Bangladesh to tackle the surge in the pandemic with urgently needed supplies of medical equipment that we hope can provide life-saving care,” said Nisha Biswal, President of the US-Bangladesh Business Council.
Read: US to strengthen relations with Bangladesh
‘Bangabandhu Corner’ established in Yonsei University
As part of the birth centenary celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Embassy of Bangladesh in Seoul has established a Bangabandhu Corner in the library at the main campus of Yonsei University in Seoul.
In presence of the officials of the Embassy as well as from the Library of Yonsei University, Ambassador Abida Islam and Seoung Hwan Suh, President of the Yonsei University Library jointly inaugurated the Bangabandhu Corner on Monday.
Yonsei University is one of the top private universities in the Republic of Korea and presently it is ranked 79 in the QS Global World Rankings 2022 among the universities of the world.
READ: Bangabandhu Corner launched at Islamic University
Yonsei Library contains more than three million books, journals, and magazines and over 30,000 students are pursuing higher studies in this university. Apart from Korean versions of ‘Historic 7th March Speech’, ‘Bangabandhu: The People’s Hero’, and ‘The Unfinished Memoirs’, the corner contains a number of publications in English on Bangabandhu, his life and works, history of Bangladesh’s War of Liberation including a few on the rich cultural heritage and tradition of Bangladesh.
From all these books of 'Bangabandhu Corner', the young generation of other countries including from South Korea will be able to enrich their knowledge about the history, heritage, and culture of Bangladesh including Bangabandhu's life, his struggles and sacrifices, his contributions in founding an independent Bangladesh, said the Embassy.
READ: ‘Bangabandhu Corner’ opened at Bangladesh Embassy in Japan
Resultantly, Bangabandhu’s political philosophy and ideology will spread to the younger generation of different countries of the world beyond the borders of South Korea and they are expected to become more interested in Bangladesh and Bangabandhu.
Coca-Cola Foundation, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society team up to fight Covid-19
As part of its "Stop the Spread" initiative, The Coca-Cola Foundation is supporting the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's efforts to strengthen the government's nationwide vaccine rollout and registration process.
The project will assist citizens with the online registration process; facilitate inoculations of people under the vaccination programmes organised by the government; provide PPE kits to health workers and vaccination campaign volunteers, and members of underprivileged communities.
It targets 20,000 health workers and volunteers in 40 highly impacted districts and aims to promote hygiene and sanitation practices in 35 districts.
READ: COVID-19: Efforts of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society volunteers, staff lauded
"We know the Covid-19 crisis is far from over," said Saadia Madsbjerg, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation. "We are proud to use our resources to support Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's efforts to help #StopTheSpread."
Major General (retd) ATM Abdul Wahab, chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, appreciated the initiative and urged other multinational companies to support life saving activities. "Red Crescent and Coca-Cola have teamed up to help people in this difficult situation in Bangladesh."
The Coca-Cola Foundation has created a special "Stop the Spread" fund worldwide to help support initiatives that help contain the virus.
READ: Coronavirus: ICRC donates 500,000 CHF to Bangladesh Red Crescent Society
The fund is being channelised towards facilitating vaccine distribution, Covid safety kits and creating awareness around vaccination and sanitary practices to contain the spread of the pandemic.
DSCC realises over Tk 1 lakh in fines from 7 buildings, finding Aedes larvae in most of them
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on Monday found Aedes mosquito larvae in seven houses and under construction buildings during a drive.
After visiting 87 houses and under-construction buildings, ten DSCC mobile court teams fined Tk 1,09500 in seven cases after finding a favourable environment for Aedes mosquito breeding at five of them.
The drive was led by Executive Magistrate Md Haidar Ali, Md Mamun Mia, Md Hasnat Morshed Bhuiyan, Shahin Reza, Md Alamgir Hossain and four of the newly posted executive magistrates in city’s KP Ghosh street, Janatabagh, Raisnagar, Gendaria, Nadipara, and Khilgaon areas.
The magistrates said from next day ten zones under DSCC, ten mobile courts will conduct drives simultaneously to destroy mosquito habitats.
READ: DSCC drive: Aedes larvae found in 5 buildings including DOM-INNO’s
The anti-mosquito drives are being conducted amid a rise in the number of dengue patients with authorities reporting 123 new cases in 24 hours until Monday morning.
For three consecutive days, over 100 patients have been diagnosed with dengue every day adding worries to the country’s health services, already overburdened with growing Covid cases and fatalities.
READ: Destroy aedes-breeding puddles or face penalty, warns LGRD minister
Across Bangladesh, some 468 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment as of Monday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Most cases have been reported in the capital
Cooperation between Bangladeshi, Indian startups to be mutually beneficial: Palak
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami Monday inaugurated the six-part webinar series, "Shoto Borsho Shoto Asha – Rise Up."
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka, Startup Bangladesh, Startup India, and the ICT Division of Bangladesh are jointly organising it.
The webinar series is also supported by Economic Reporters Forum, Bangladesh Startup Consortium and BD AIR.
Speaking at today's event, hosted by Startup Bangladesh Managing Director and CEO Tina Jabeen, Palak said: "Increased cooperation between the startups in Bangladesh and India will be mutually beneficial."
High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami said in the next six months, the RiseUp platform will bring together mentors, innovators, entrepreneurs and investors from India and Bangladesh.
He hoped that the platform will facilitate an effective cross-learning opportunity that will benefit talented entrepreneurs from both countries, especially young innovators.
READ: Bangladesh to launch ‘Jogajog’ as alternative to Facebook, says Palak
Doraiswami also recalled that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited 50 Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to visit India and connect with the country's startup and innovation ecosystem during his state visit to Bangladesh in March 2021.
The high commissioner stressed that the RiseUp series could facilitate such linkages to jumpstart tangible cooperation.
Following the opening ceremony, a panel discussion on "StartUp Landscape in Bangladesh and India – Tech StartUps Transforming the Future" was held.
Yamini Bhushan Pandey, CEO of Startup Incubation and Acceleration Division at Indian School of Business and Sharad Sharma, co-founder of iSPIRT Foundation India and member of National Startup Advisory Council, were joined by Wasim Alim, co-founder and CEO of Chaldal, and Rahat Ahmed, CEO of Anchorless Bangladesh.
READ: Telemedicine service to be launched at 16000 community hospitals: Palak
Monday's webinar will be followed by more discussions on the regulatory environment for startups, ways to overcome hurdles to create a successful startup, fundraising strategies, strategies for startups to go international and startup opportunities in Bangladesh and India.
Mass arrests continue in capital, while more residents keep streaming back in
On the fourth day since the post-Eid resumption of lockdown, the capital witnessed another day of mass arrests of citizens by law enforcers on Monday. Meanwhile the overall scenario in the city got busier for the second consecutive day, as more residents returned to resume their normal lives, having gone away to spend the Eid ul Azha holiday with their families in most cases.
As for the pandemic, the country again witnessed a new peak in deaths due to COVID-19 - 247- as well as in the number of new cases, that broke through the 15,000 mark for the first time.
The number of people arrested in Dhaka today fell only slightly, some would say negligibly, from yesterday's 587.
READ: Farhad warns legal action if factories found open amid lockdown
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 566 people and traffic police collected Tk 10,21,000 as fines from 443 vehicles for violating lockdown rules on Monday.
Meanwhile, 164 people across the city were fined Tk 1,26,200 by mobile courts for not following the restrictions and health guidelines.
To prevent unwanted movement of people in the city, RAB and Army personnel patrolling the city were seen monitoring the movement of vehicles and people setting up strategic check-posts in different areas.
These check-posts could be seen as one travelled from Gabtoli down the Mirpur Road and on towards New Market. Or if one were to enter via Ashulia, from Uttara to the Airport and then on towards Mohakhali.
Traffic Inspector of Demra zone, Zia Uddin said, “Increased number of vehicles carrying expatriates and ambulances entered the capital through Demra bridge point today. Having seen patients, we permitted a good number of vehicles to enter the city.”
Many people on foot showed different excuses at the check-post but most of them were sent back by law enforcers and some were fined for not following health guidelines.
The number of rickshaws was notably less than the last three days of lockdown. Some of the rickshaw pullers said many have left the city as they couldn’t make sufficient income and it had become hard for them to survive in the capital during the strict lockdown.
As per the government instructions, only ambulances and those in emergency services were allowed for purposeful movement in the capital.
READ: UNO breaks up picnic organised in brazen breach of lockdown
Earlier last week, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told UNB that this lockdown would be stricter than the one imposed last time. "Police, the paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard and the Army will keep a strict vigil on the roads."
The second round of strict lockdown started on 8 am of July 23 that would continue till Aug. 5, with every possibility that it gets extended gain.
Two workers die from electrocution in the capital
A factory worker in the capital's Kadamtali police station area and a construction worker in Sabujbagh police station area died from electrocution on Monday, police said.
Alamgir Hossain, 32, a worker in Hazi Taher factory in Munshikhola Kutubpur area got electrocuted while turning on the switch of a motor in the factory around 2:30 pm, said police.
He was rescued in unconscious condition and was rushed immediately to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where he succumbed to his injury around 4pm, said Alamgir Hossain, another worker from the factory.
Also read: 2 die from electrocution on waterlogged Dhaka road
Meanwhile, Razzak Khan, 27, a construction worker got electrocuted at his own home in Nandi Para Dakkhingaon Gali-1 area around 2:30pm, said police.
After rescuing in unconscious condition he was rushed to the Emergency department of DMCH where he succumbed to his injury around 3:30 pm.
Dulal Khan, brother of the deceased, said Razzak was electrocuted while turning on the switch of a table fan at his home.
Also read: Father, son die from electrocution in B’baria
Assistant in-charge of the DMCH police camp, ASI Abdul Khan said both the bodies were sent for autopsy and the concerned police stations were informed of the deaths.
No political harassment in the country, says Obaidul Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has said that no one is subjected to any political case and harassment in the country.
In a statement on Monday Quader said that law enforcers make arrest only on the basis of specific allegations. This is the part of their normal activity, he said.
Quader’s statement came in response to allegations made by BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He said that BNP is resorting to lies and giving political colour to this normal activity because it’s main objective is to patronize murderers, terrorists and militants.
READ: Politics in Bangladesh is too polarized and divisive, says Obaidul Quader
"We have seen how the BNP had used state power to shelter and patronize the war criminals and murderers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," he said.
Quader said it is unfortunate that BNP is resorting to lies about the government and adding miseries to the people.
"But it is unfortunate that at a time when our government under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working hard to save the lives and livelihoods of the people, the political party called BNP is increasing the misery of the people every day with false statements," the ruling party stalwart said.
He said BNP has turned into a corrupt party by politically recognizing the corruption of its top leaders and it even shamelessly amended the party constitution for him.
READ: Obaidul Quader pleased by 'development-friendly' budget
In the statement, he called upon the BNP leaders to take part in public welfare politics by working to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
Man held with 37 gold bars at Dhaka airport
Customs officials detained a man along with 37 gold bars worth Tk 3 crore at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival from Saudi Arabia on Monday.
The detainee was identified as Mahin Uddin from Cumilla district.
Deputy Commissioner of the Dhaka Customs House (preventive team) Mohammad Abdus Sadek said a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines landed at the airport around 3:11 pm on Monday.
Also read: Three held with Tk 8cr-worth liquid gold at Dhaka airport
Tipped off, a preventive team of the Dhaka Customs challenged Mahin, a passenger of the flight at the boarding bridge and brought him to the green channel of the airport.
Later, they recovered the gold bars weighing 4.29 Kgs from his handbag in presence of other officials.
Mahin claimed that the gold bars were handed over to him by a fellow immigrant from Cumilla named Jakir Hossain at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, said the customs official.
An anonymous man was to receive the bars from Mahin outside the airport upon arrival, he said.
Also read: Man held with 52 gold bars at Dhaka airport
He was handed over to the Airport Police Station. A case was filed in this connection.