Bangladesh
Inoperative cranes, forklifts hamper Benapole Port activities
Most of the cranes and forklifts used for loading and unloading imported goods at Jessore's Benapole land port have long been rendered useless, causing delay in the clearance of goods.
Despite the urgent need for repairs, no initiatives have been taken to address the issue.
Under a five-year contract, Grade Bengal Enterprises, the contracted company, is responsible for handling heavy cargo at Benapole Port but it falls short of the necessary equipment.
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Ideally, the port requires 15 cranes and 10 forklifts for efficient load-unloading of heavy goods. But, the contractor only possesses seven cranes and eight forklifts, with only one crane and one fork clip currently in operation.
In normal circumstances, the port handles approximately 700 truckloads of goods each day. However, due to the limited functioning of the equipment, this number has been reduced to less than half, impeding the timely clearance of goods. The slowdown in goods clearance is adversely affecting the production in factories and progress of development projects.
Traders have expressed frustration over the wastage of time caused by the outdated cranes and forklifts. Despite lodging repeated complaints with the port and contractor authorities, no remedial actions have been observed, they claimed.
Gold worth Tk 1.4 cr seized at Benapole
Rahman, a truck driver who transports goods, said, “I am unable to deliver goods on time due to the broken cranes and forklfitsat the port.”
Azim Uddin Gazi, Secretary of the Benapole Truck Transport Owners Association, said complaints have been filed, but no solutions have been provided.
Aminul Haque, vice president of the Benapole Import-Export Association, said, “ Goods are loaded and unloaded from approximately 700 trucks at Benapole port daily, including around 300 trucks carrying heavy goods. Releasing these goods requires functioning cranes and forklifts Despite contributing a significant portion of revenue, the port's services are in poor condition.”
Amit Shah visits shutters trade at Benapole for two days
Meherullah, the port affairs secretary of the Benapole C&F Agent Association, said the increasing volume of electricity and railway project goods being imported through Benapole port.
“However, the number of cranes and forklifts available for handling these heavy goods falls short of the demand, resulting in wasted time and congestion at the port. Authorities have been informed to repair the inoperable cranes and forklifts, but no actions have been taken,” he said.
Badsha Mia, the mechanic from Grade Bengal Enterprises, said that it is not currently feasible to repair the damaged cranes and forklifts due to the unavailability of urgent replacements.
“This disruption in the redemption of products has been reported to the authorities,” he said.
Sajedur Rahman, Secretary of the Benapole C&F Staff Association, said that crane and forklifts problems have persisted at the port for a year and have recently worsened.
“Currently, only 20 percent of heavy goods are being cleared from the port, resulting in Indian trucks facing fines of Tk 3,000 per day. Additionally, a daily port rent charge is levied on the approximately 150,000 metric tons of goods stored in the port yard,” he said
Moazzem Hossain, the manager of the contracted company responsible for handling heavy goods, said the initial contract with the port entailed handling 50,000 metric tons of goods per month.
However, last month they had to handle 92,000 metric tons, causing excessive strain on the cranes and forklifts and leading to repeated malfunctions. The addition of extra cranes and forklifts is not possible unless the tender conditions are revised, he said.
Abdul Jalil, Acting Director of Benapole Land Port, assures that efforts are underway to coordinate with the contractor, with hopes of resolving the ongoing crisis at the earliest opportunity.
Canadian High Commissioner joins graduation ceremony of CISB
The Canadian International School Bangladesh (CISB) celebrated its Graduation Ceremony for grade 12 students recently.
The ceremony was held in a Dhaka hotel.
High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Dr Lilly Nicholls graced the occasion as the chief guest along with other high officials.
Bengali New Year celebration in Canada's Ottawa
Chairman, Mohammad Kamal Uddin; CEO and Vice Chairperson of CISB, Begum Shirin Jahan; and Principal Janice Smales were present at the event.
CISB extended their heartfelt congratulations to the graduating students for their remarkable achievements throughout their academic journey.
This graduation ceremony marked a significant milestone in their lives and symbolised the successful completion of their high school education, said a media release on Saturday.
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The event was packed with inspiring speeches, heartfelt moments, and well-deserved recognition of CISB's talented students. It was a joyous celebration of their accomplishments and a reflection of the exceptional education provided by CISB.
Microbus cylinder blast leaves 7 dead in Faridpur
Seven people were burned dead and another was injured after the gas cylinder of a microbus exploded on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Maligram in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district on Saturday (June 24, 2023).
The deceased included three women, two men and two children but their identities could not be known yet.
A fire broke out in the microbus as its gas cylinder went off around 11 am, leaving five people dead on the spot and three others injured, said Tayumul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Highway Police.
Read more: Couple who suffered burns in fire from ‘gas line leak’ in Dhaka's Tejgaon dies
Two passengers succumbed to their injuries at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical College (BSMMC) Hospital, said Md Shahjahan, superintendent of the district police.
Injured microbus driver Mridul Malo, a resident of Sadar upazila, has been undergoing treatment at BSMMC hospital.
Read more: Wari fire death toll rises to 2
The bodies were kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy, he said, adding that the deceased hailed from Boalmari upazila of the district.
Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Ahsan Talukder said they have already formed a five-member probe committee to look into the matter and asked to submit its report within next two days.
He said Tk 20,000 was given for burial to the families of each deceased and Tk 10,000 for treatment of the injured driver.
Read more: https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/man-injured-in-narayanganj-tv-blast-dies/117252
Maritime ports advised to hoist cautionary signal 3; More rains likely
The country’s maritime ports have been advised to hoist the local cautionary signal 3 as deep convection is taking place over the North Bay due to active monsoon, said the weather department on Saturday.
Squally weather is likely to affect the maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra, said the Met office.
All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice, it reads.
Maritime ports asked to hoist cautionary signal 3
The Met office forecast light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind at most places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions.
Maritime ports advised to lower signal
It also predicted rain or thunder showers may increase in 72 from 9 am on Saturday.Cyclone Mocha: Maritime ports asked to hoist great danger signal 8
Dhaka's air quality 'moderate' this morning
Dhaka's air quality is ‘moderate’ this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 95 at 8:57 am, Dhaka ranked 12th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, India’s Delhi and South Africa's Johannesburg occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 156, 155 and 154, respectively.
Dhaka’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ Friday morning
An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Dhaka’s air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups Saturday morning
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
No improvement in Dhaka’s air quality amid sweltering heat
UN USG for Peace Operations Lacroix to attend 1st peacekeeping ministerial preparatory meeting in Dhaka
UN Under Secretary General (USG) for Department of Peace Operations Jean Pierre Lacroix will attend the first UN peacekeeping ministerial preparatory meeting to be held in Dhaka on June 25-26.
"This is the first of a series of four themed conferences ahead of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial, to be held in Accra, Ghana, on 5 and 6 December 2023," said Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
The theme of the preparatory meeting, which is co-hosted by Bangladesh, Canada, and Uruguay, is “Women in UN Peacekeeping”.
The two-day meeting will welcome representatives from troop and police contributing countries, and UN peacekeeping experts to discuss progress, challenges and good practices to promote women’s meaningful participation in UN peacekeeping and to foster gender-responsive leadership.
He will be attending the meeting at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials said.
Read: First WHO guidance on snakebite treatments published
After Bangladesh, Lacroix will travel to Nepal and Bhutan from 27 June to 3 July.
He will discuss the countries’ ongoing support to UN peace operations, including within the framework of the Peacekeeping Ministerial.
The United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial is an important opportunity for Member States to come together in a collective effort to strengthen the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and their impact on the communities they serve, according to UN.
In 2023, the Peacekeeping Ministerial will be hosted by Ghana in Accra on 5-6 December.
It is the latest in a series of meetings held at the Head of State, Government, or Ministerial level since 2014, including in Seoul in 2021.
The discussions will focus on concrete measures to improve operations in line with ongoing reform through Action for Peacekeeping, A4P+ and the Digital Transformation Strategy.
With missions facing greater challenges than ever, the Ministerial will focus on protection of civilians, strategic communications (including addressing mis-disinformation and hate speech), safety and security, the mental health of peacekeepers, and women in peacekeeping as outlined in the Concept Note.
Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.
The South Asian nation first deployed uniformed personnel to serve with the Organization in 1988 when they were deployed to help monitor the armistice between Iran and Iraq.
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Over the past three decades, the contributions of these brave men and women in the countries in which they serve have been immense, according to UN.
Meanwhile, Catherine Pollard, UN Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, arrived in Dhaka on Friday.
Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh Stefan Liller welcomed her on behalf of the UN office in Bangladesh.
The two top UN officials are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the visit.
CTTC arrests Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya founder in Dhaka
The Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC) members on Friday arrested militant group Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya's founder Shamin Mahfuz and his wife from the city's Demra area.
A large number of arms and explosives were seized from the arrestees at the time.
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DMP Additional Commissioner of Police (CTTC) Md Asaduzzaman will brief the incident to the media at DMP media center on Saturday noon.
President reaches Jeddah on visit for Hajj
President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Friday reached Jeddah of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to perform the holy Hajj as the Royal guest of the Saudi government.
A VVIP aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines , carrying the President along with his spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana and entourage members landed at Jeddah international airport this afternoon local time .
On arrival at Jeddah airport president Mohammed Shahabuddin was received by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Bangladesh ambassador to KSA Dr. Mohammad Javed Patwary.
Read: President Shahabuddin off to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj
From there, the VVIP delegation, as Royal guest, was driven to the place of residence at Safa Royal Palace in the Holy Makkah.
Earlier, President Mohammed Shahabuddin exchanged greetings with the passengers in the flight.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport this afternoon .
At the VVIP Lounge of the airport, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, dean of diplomatic corps, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other civil and military high officials concerned saw him off.
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After performing Holly Hajj , President Mohammed Shahabuddin will move to Madinah for visiting (Ziarat) the Mazar of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) .
President Shahabuddin is scheduled to return home on July 3.
17 teachers of a school in Chattogram transferred over dispute
Seventeen teachers at Shashankmala Government Primary School in Chattogram Patiya upazila, have been transferred over the dispute between the teachers and the school management committee.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education transferred them, according to an office order signed by Nasreen Sultana, assistant director of the Department of Primary Education.
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Upon receiving the order, the transferred teachers joined different schools on Thursday (June 22).
Sources said, there was a long standing dispute between the head master Mohammad Harunur Rashid and assistant teacher Umme Habiba Chowdhury of Shashankmala Government Primary School in Patia municipality and vice-president of the school management committee. This long standing dispute seriously disrupted the learning environment of the school.
Following the dispute, they were transferred with the approval of the director general of the education department on June 13.
Swapan Kanti Nath, president of Patia Upazila Primary Teachers' Association, said that there is no elected committee in any primary school in Patiya for a year. The school is being managed by an expired committee. As a result grouping is going on in every school in the upazila, he added.
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"Committees in schools need to be reconstituted immediately to bring back the learning environment," president Swapan Kanti said.
First WHO guidance on snakebite treatments published
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the first in a series of WHO public-benefit target product profiles (TPPs) for snakebite treatments, in order to improve the quality of antivenoms available in the market. This is the first-ever guidance to improve the quality of such products. The TPP is a document that provides regulators, manufacturers, researchers and procurement agencies with essential information about the minimum and optimum characteristics of specific products for specific use cases, in this case, antivenoms used for the treatment of snakebites caused by various types of sub-Saharan African snakes. TPPs help to ensure that products are designed and manufactured to meet the match the clinical needs of populations at risk, and are “fit-for-use” – e.g., are safe, effective and adapted to the use environment,
A high-quality antivenom provides the best available treatment for approximately 5.4 million people who are bitten by snakes each year. Safe, effective antivenoms could prevent many of the 83 000-138 000 deaths caused by snakebites and reduce the severity of serious disabilities that impact many thousands more victims.
“Access to high quality, safe and effective antivenom is an issue of equity and this critical work brings us one step forward in being able to make this a reality” Dr Socé Fall, Director of the WHO Global NTD Programme.
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Antivenoms have been made for some 130 years and yet, remarkably, there has been until now, no guidance on how to design and manufacture a product of high quality that meets the correct requirements for safety, effectiveness, and functional use.
Four TPPs for different types of conventional animal plasma-derived antivenomsThe first of these is for products that are intended for widespread use throughout sub-Saharan Africa, for treatment of snakebites irrespective of the species of snake causing the bite. The second is for treatment of bites from a single species (or group) of snake(s). Products in both these categories are currently on the market.
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The other two categories are for products that do not yet exist in sub-Saharan Africa, but evidence from other parts of the world suggests that if developed they may have a useful role to play. One of these new product types is for antivenoms where the snakebite mainly causes a syndrome dominated by neurotoxic effects, while the other is intended for non-neurotoxic snakebite syndromes that involve effects on blood clotting or tissue necrosis without paralytic effects.
These TPPs, are intended to provide guidance to manufacturers, regulators, procurement agencies, clinicians and researchers and will contribute to improvements in the quality, safety and effectiveness of antivenoms and thus better treatment of snakebites.