Bangladesh
Several villages celebrate Eid in line with Saudi Arabia
In keeping with Saudi Arabia, residents of a number of villages in Satkhira, Barisal and Panchagarh are celebrating Eid-ul-Azha on Tuesday, the second largest festival of the Muslims.
Saudi Arabia and a number of countries across the world are celebrating the festival of sacrifice on Tuesday. But Bangladesh is scheduled to celebrate Eid on Wednesday.
In Satkhira, hundreds of people at seven places in the district, including Baukhola of Satkhira district, Upalor Islamkathi of Tala upazila, and Kashimari of Shyamnagar upazila have started the Eid celebrations.
Read: Five Eid jamaats to be held at National Mosque
The main congregation was held at Satkhira Sadar's Bhar-Khali market at 8am.
Imam Md Mahbubur Rahman conducted the congregation with a small number of Muslim devotees.
Imam Mahbubur said that all Muslims in the world should perform Eid prayers in line with Saudi Arabia. The devotees offered sacrifices of cattle after the prayers.
In Barisal, the holy Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated in advance in some villages of six upazilas of the district.
Around 10,000 devotees of Babuganj, Hijla, Mehendiganj, Muladi, Bakerganj, Sadar upazila and metropolis of Barisal offered Eid prayers in the congregations from 8 am to 10 am on Tuesday.
Amir Hossain Mithu, president of Haji Bari Jame Mosque in the Tajkathi area of the city, said they offered their Eid jamaat following the government's directives and maintaining all Covid-safety protocols.
Read:Govt fixes rawhide prices ahead of Eid-ul-Azha
Meanwhile, in Panchagarh, seven devotees of four families gathered for Eid congregation under police protection as a clash broke out over celebrating Eid a day ahead.
This year, the local authorities in consultation with public representatives and local dignitaries will take a decision whether Eid prayers would be held at mosques, Eidgahs or open fields considering the Covid situation in their respective areas.
The Religious Affairs Ministry issued some guidelines on offering Eid-ul-Azha prayers.
As per the guidelines, no carpets will be allowed at mosques that will be disinfected before prayers. The devotees have been asked to bring prayer mats from home.
Soaps, hand sanitizers and water should be made available at the place where people make Wadu or at the entrances of mosques or Eidgahs.
Read:Gazipur gridlocked amid pandemic as hundreds head home for Eid
Devotees should maintain social distance following health guidelines. Children, the elderly, disabled people and those involved in taking care of patients will not be allowed to attend Eid prayers.
All have to abide by the directives of the Health Service Division, local administration and law enforcement agencies.
The Religious Affairs Ministry have already urged Imams and managing committees of mosques to ensure proper implementation of the directives.
Chattogram records highest single-day Covid deaths at 15
Chattogram on Tuesday morning recorded as many as 15 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours, the highest single-day fatality figure to date.
Besides, 925 people were tested positive for coronavirus during this period, officials said.
Read:Delta variant in children: Chattogram reveals troubling data
The new cases were detected after testing 2,537 samples, according to the district’s Civil Surgeon's Office.
With the new numbers, the district’s death toll reached 856 on Tuesday.
Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said, “This scenario indicates a worsening Covid-19 situation for Chattogram district if we don’t deem it as concerning now.”
Read: Chattogram hospital to admit only Covid patients
Among the fresh cases, 553 are from the municipal area and the remaining from upazilas.
According to the Civil Surgeon's Office, the samples have been sent for testing to 11 laboratories n Chattogram and one to Cox’s Bazar Medical College and Hospital’s laboratory.
Khulna division logs 43 new Covid deaths
As many as 43 people have died of Covid-19 in different districts of Khulna division in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday.
According to the health director's office, 10 people died in Kushtia, nine in Khulna, eight in Jashore, four each in Narail, Chuadanga and Meherpur, two in Jhenaidah, one each in Bagerhat and Magura district.
Read:13 more die of Covid in Khulna
Besides, 1,394 people tested positive for Covid-19 during the period, according to the divisional health department.
On July 10, the division logged a record number 71 Covid deaths. The total death toll in the division has now crossed 1,990, said the health officials.
Read: Covid claims 52 more lives in Khulna division 1,165 fresh cases recorded
Some 83,980 cases have been detected in 10 districts of the division since the onset of Covid, of which 56,354 patients have recovered so far.
In Khulna division, the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Chuadanga on March 19, 2020.
Three held with Tk 8cr-worth liquid gold at Dhaka airport
Airport Armed Police on Tuesday apprehended three men at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and seized around 14kg liquid gold worth Tk 8 crore from their possession.
The three have been identified as Md Riazul Hasan, 46, Mohammad Amin, 35, and Mokaram Khan, 33.
Read:Man held with 52 gold bars at Dhaka airport
Md Ziaul Haque, additional superintendent of AAP, a specialised police unit in charge of airport security, told UNB that the three were held on a tip-off.
“Acting on the tip off, we intercepted the trio after they got off from a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at the airport from Dubai via Istanbul around 4.30am," he said.
“The gold were liquified by a special process and kept in paste form,” the additional SP added.
ADB lowers its economic growth forecast for developing Asia
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has marginally lowered its economic growth forecast for developing Asia this year amid the second wave of the pandemic.
It projects a 7.2 percent economic growth for developing Asia this year compared with its 7.3 percent forecast in April, as renewed Covid outbreaks tend to slow the recovery in some economies of the region.
Read: ADB praises Hasina's leadership in Covid fight
However, the growth outlook for 2022 is upgraded to 5.4 percent from 5.3 percent, according to a release from the Bank.
Excluding the newly industrialised economies of Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taipei,developing Asia’s updated growth outlook is 7.5 percent for 2021 and 5.7 percent for 2022, compared with the earlier projections of 7.7 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively.
The supplement to ADB’s flagship economic publication, Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021, provides updated projections for the region’s economies and inflation levels amid the pandemic.
“Asia and the Pacific’s recovery from the pandemic continues, although the path remains precarious amid renewed outbreaks, new virus variants, and an uneven vaccine rollout,” said ADB Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada.
“On top of containment and vaccination measures, phased and strategic rejuvenation of economic activities -- for instance, trade, manufacturing, and tourism--- will be key to ensure that the recovery is green, inclusive, and resilient.”
The Covid pandemic remains the biggest risk to the outlook, as outbreaks continue in many economies.
Read: ADB triples COVID-19 response package to $20bn
Daily confirmed cases in the region peaked at about 434,000 in mid-May.
They narrowed to about 109,000 at the end of June, concentrated mainly in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout in the region is gaining pace, with 41.6 doses administered per 100 people by the end of June -- above the global average of 39.2, but below rates of 97.6 in the United States and 81.8 in the European Union.
East Asia’s growth outlook for 2021 is raised to 7.5 percent, from 7.4 percent in April, amid a stronger-than-expected recovery by the newly industrialised economies of Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea and Taipei.
The subregional growth forecast for 2022 is retained at 5.1 percent. The growth outlook for China is likewise maintained at 8.1 percent this year and 5.5 percent in 2022, amid steady performances by industry, exports, and services.
This year’s growth outlook for Central Asia has been raised to 3.6 percent, from 3.4 percent, in the April forecast.
This is mainly due to an improved outlook for Armenia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan -- the subregion’s largest economy. Central Asia’s outlook for 2022 remains at 4.0 percent.
Projections for South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific for 2021 are lowered as renewed outbreaks are met with containment measures and restrictions, hampering economic activity.
South Asia’s growth outlook for fiscal year 2021 is lowered to 8.9 percent from 9.5 percent. The forecast for India is downgraded by 1.0 percentage points to 10.0 percent.
Southeast Asia’s 2021 outlook is revised to 4.0 percent from 4.4 percent, while the projection for Pacific economies is lowered to 0.3 percent from 1.4 percent. However, the 2022 growth forecasts for these subregions are upgraded to 7.0 percent, 5.2 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively.
The inflation forecast for Asia and the Pacific this year is raised to 2.4 percent, from 2.3% in April, reflecting rising oil and commodity prices. The projection for 2022 remains at 2.7 percent.
Human rights defenders in Myanmar under siege, say UN experts
UN experts have expressed their utmost concern over the situation of human rights defenders in Myanmar, and called for a stronger international response to the military coup, including coordinated sanctions and an arms embargo against the junta by an "emergency coalition of nations".
“The brute force terror campaign we are witnessing in Myanmar continues to be directed towards human rights defenders,” said Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Tom Andrews, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.
Read:Myanmar: UN expert calls for emergency coalition to end junta's 'reign of terror'
The experts highlighted credible information they had received concerning human rights defenders being forced into hiding after having arrest warrants issued against them under section 505(a) of the Myanmar Penal Code.
Their homes were raided, their possessions seized, and family members threatened and harassed. Many others, unable to flee, have been arbitrarily arrested, including labour rights defenders and student activists.
Lawyers representing people detained following the coup have themselves been detained, as have journalists covering the protests.
“For years, human rights defenders have been doing essential work promoting human rights in the country,” Lawlor said.
Read: Rights group: Facebook amplified Myanmar military propaganda
”Since the coup, and despite enforced internet blackouts along with difficulties accessing basic resources, especially for defenders forced into hiding or living in rural areas, they have been documenting the mass violations being perpetrated by the military. As a result, they have been targeted,” the expert said.
“The people of Myanmar appreciate expressions of concern from the international community, but what they desperately need is action. It is critical that nations stand with and for the besieged people of Myanmar who are being held hostage by an illegal military junta. It is time for strong, focused and coordinate action that includes economic sanctions and an arms embargo,” added Andrews.
Britain's new trading scheme to benefit Bangladesh
The UK government has launched a new scheme that aims to drive trade with Bangladesh and other countries boosting jobs and growth.
The new trading rules will help countries come out of poverty and help British businesses and consumers at the same time, said the UK government.
The UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) is a major opportunity to grow free and fair trade with developing nations.
Read:Dhaka conveys protests to UK over human rights report
Javed Patel, acting British High Commissioner in Dhaka, said the proposed DCTS scheme signals the UK’s appetite to promote global free, competitive and fair trade, "as well as demonstrating our commitment to Bangladesh, by enabling Bangladeshi businesses to access the UK market more easily".
"Bilateral trade between the UK and Bangladesh stands at almost £4 billion and there is room for growth. I encourage businesses here in Bangladesh to contribute to this important consultation through their trade bodies," he said.
The proposed scheme would apply to 70 qualifying countries currently and include improvements such as lower tariffs and simpler rules of origin requirements for countries exporting to the UK, allowing countries to diversify their exports and grow their economies.
The UK currently operates a similar scheme rolled over from the EU, but as an independent trading nation can now take a simpler, more generous, pro-growth approach to trading with developing countries.
The proposed new UK scheme will mean more opportunity and less bureaucracy for developing countries, for example by simplifying rules of origin requirements or reducing tariffs on imports. For instance, this could mean lowering tariffs on products, including rice from Pakistan and trainers from Nigeria.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said trade fundamentally empowers people and has done more than any single policy in history to lift millions of people around the world out of poverty.
“Now the UK is an independent trading nation, we have a huge opportunity do things differently, taking a more liberal, pro-trade approach that leads to growth and opportunity.
“Countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam have proven it’s possible to trade your way to better living standards, and our new Developing Countries Trading Scheme will help others do the same," Truss said.
Read:Media freedom in Bangladesh under “pressure”, political freedom “restricted”: UK
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that cutting tariffs for poorer countries enables them to trade their way to genuine independence -- "and I’m proud we lead the world in offering that opportunity".
Bangladesh and Vietnam have demonstrated that increasing trade through schemes like the UK’s DCTS helped them grow their economy, improve living standards, and drive down poverty, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Vietnam’s exports to the UK more than tripled between 2009 and 2019.
Over this period, the country achieved an average growth rate of more than 6%, while poverty rates plummeted from more than 20% in 2010 to an estimated 5.9% in 2020.
The UK's total imports from Bangladesh more than doubled between 2009 and 2019, during which time the country achieved an average growth rate of 6.6%. Extreme poverty rates more than halved from 1991 to 2016-17.
The UK government intends its new scheme to be the best in class, and has studied programmes in Canada, the US, Japan and the EU, before constructing an approach that takes some of the strongest elements of each and builds on them.
The consultation on the UK’s new scheme runs for eight weeks and seeks the view of all sectors of society, including businesses, the public, civil society groups, consumers, associations, partner governments and any other interested stakeholders.
Views will also be sought from businesses and stakeholders with an interest across the globe.
Read:Dhaka wants trilateral initiative from Moscow to resolve Rohingya crisis
The UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme will apply to 47 countries in the Least Developed Country Framework (LDCF) and 23 additional countries classified by the World Bank as low-income and lower-middle-income countries.
Other low-income and lower-middle-income countries are not included in the scheme because they benefit from preferential terms offered by free trade agreements with the UK.
Bangladesh and Vietnam reported changes in poverty are based on the international poverty line of $1.90 and $3.20, respectively, per person, per day in 2011 Purchasing Power Parity dollars.
Gazipur gridlocked amid pandemic as hundreds head home for Eid
Commuters heading home ahead of Eid-ul-Azha were stuck in monster traffic snarls on the two national highways in Gazipur on Tuesday.
Long tailbacks were witnessed on both the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways in Gazipur in the morning due to a mad rush of home-bound people as well as vehicles carrying sacrificial animals amid the devastating second wave of Covid-19.
Read: Facing hazards, Eid holidaymakers keep moving out of Dhaka
The closure of several garment factories in Gazipur for Eid contributed to the mad rush while the potholed stretches of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway owing to the under-construction Bus Rapid Transit project made the situation worse.
Moreover, lack of public transport vehicles like buses and launches forced many to hire microbuses, CNG auto-rickshaws and even pickup trucks to reach their destination.
A reality check by UNB revealed that all Covid-safety protocols went for a toss as people barely followed social distancing norms, despite law enforcement agencies keeping a strict vigil on the roads.
Bangladesh on Monday saw 231 corona-related deaths, the highest since the pandemic hit the country, amid an eight-day pause in the nationwide strict lockdown.
The situation is likely to get worse because of the fallout from the lockdown pause ahead of Eid holidays, many experts believe.
Read: Holidaymakers' torturous journey goes on
With Covid's Delta variant spreading fast, Bangladesh have already tallied more than 1.1 million infections and 18,000-plus deaths from the pandemic. The country's fatalities have been hovering at roughly 200 for the past two weeks.
Also, Covid-19 infections in Bangladesh have reached 99% of the peak, with more than 11,828 new cases reported each day. The highest daily average was reported on July 15.
The country recorded 13,321 infections in 24 hours till Monday morning after testing 45,012 samples.
Bangladesh reported its highest daily Covid-19 fatality of 230 on July 11 and 13,768 infections the next day.
The second wave of the pandemic is threatening to overwhelm the country's health infrastructure.
There have been 1,117,310 infections and 18,125 coronavirus-related deaths in Bangladesh since the pandemic began, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate rose to 29.59% though the death rate remained unchanged at 1.62%, and the recovery rate dropped to 84.25%.
Dhaka division reported the highest 73 deaths, Khulna 57, Chattogram 43, Rangpur 17, Rajshahi 16, Mymensingh 11, Sylhet eight and Barisal six.
So far, Bangladesh has administered at least 10,908,272 doses of Covid vaccines – enough to have vaccinated around 3.1% of the country's population, assuming every person needs two doses.
20 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital
Twenty more Covid patients have died at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday.
Of the deceased, four were confirmed Covid patients while the remaining 16 exhibited symptoms of the virus, said hospital director Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani.
Read:25 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital
Eight of the deceased were from Rajshahi district, five from Natore, three from Kushtia and two each from Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts.
Some 349 people died of Covid-19 at the corona unit of RMCH between July 1 and 20.
Besides, 60 more new patients have been admitted to the hospital with Covid symptoms in the past 24 hours. Currently, 480 patients are undergoing treatment at the 454-bed hospital.
Read:Covid: 16 more people die in Rajshahi
On Monday, 113 people emerged positive for coronavirus out of the 392 samples tested in two laboratories of Rajshahi.
With the fresh cases, the positivity rate currently stands at 22.97%, which was 18.59% a day before.
13 more die of Covid in Khulna
Thirteen more people have died of Covid-19 at five different hospitals in Khulna in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Tuesday.
While 12 of the deceased were confirmed Covid patients, the remaining one exhibited symptoms of the virus, the officials said.
Read:Covid claims 52 more lives in Khulna division 1,165 fresh cases recorded
Five died at Khulna Corona Dedicated Hospital, three each at Shahid Sheikh Abu Naser Hospital and Khulna City Medical Hospital, and one each in the Covid unit of Khulna General Hospital and Gazi Medical College Hospital.
Khulna Corona Dedicated Hospital nodal officer Dr Suhas Ranjan Haldar said that five people have died at the hospital in the past 24 hours. Of them, four were confirmed Covid-19 patients.
Besides, 136 people are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. "Of them, 54 are receiving treatment in the red zone, 45 in the yellow zone, 20 in the intensive care unit and 17 in the HDU," said Dr Suhas.
Read:13 more die of Covid in Khulna hospitals
Some 34 people were admitted to the hospital during this 24-hour period, while 58 discharged from the hospital, he said.
Dr Gazi Mizanur Rahman, owner of the private Gazi Medical College Hospital, said that 78 people are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. "Of them, seven are being treated in the intensive care unit and eight in the HDU."
Khulna General Hospital's corona unit spokesman Kazi Abu Rashed said that one Covid patient died at the hospital since Tuesday morning.
Read:Covid: Khulna division sees 40 more deaths in a day
Dr Prakash Debnath, spokesman for Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital, said that 42 patients are currently being treated at the hospital and of them five are in the ICU.