bangladesh
Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 94 more cases
Bangladesh reported 94 more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 20,40,212, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: CAAB lifts Covid-19 restrictions on international air travel
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,451 as no new fatalities were reported.
The daily case test positivity dropped to 7.74 percent from Wednesday’s 8.21 percent as 1,214 samples were tested.
Read: Covid-19 affected children’s education but also created possibilities: Dipu Moni
The recovery rate stands at 98.35 percent. However, the death rate remained unchanged at 1.44 percent.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 in 2021 and highest number of fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Read: South Korea to lift quarantine mandate for COVID-19 and end testing recommendation for travelers
Bangladesh reports 11 more dengue cases
Eleven more people were hospitalised with dengue in 24 hours till Friday morning.
Of the new patients, nine were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: 2 more dengue patients die in 24 hours; this year’s death toll rises to 19
Five-hundred and ten dengue patients, including 439 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
Read: 2 more dengue patients die in 24 hours; this year’s death toll rises to 21
So far, the DGHS has recorded 2,865 dengue cases, 2, 334 recoveries, and 21 deaths this year.
The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
Read more: Bangladesh reports 96 more dengue cases
Serajul Alam Khan, key Liberation War organiser, no more
Serajul Alam Khan, one of the main organisers of the Liberation War passed away today. He was 82.
He passed away around 2:30 pm on Friday while undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Director of the hospital Brig Gen Md Nazmul Haque confirmed the matter.
Read: Former chief justice Habibur Rahman’s wife Islama Rahman no more
Serajul was put on life support in the ICU of DMCH on Thursday after his health condition deteriorated.
Widely known as "Dada" and "Dadabhai", Serajul was born on January 6, 1941.
Read: Actor Farooque no more
He was a founding member of Swadhin Bangla Biplobi Parishad alias Nucleus. He founded and led Mujib Bahini (aka BLF) with Tofael Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, and Abdur Razzaq.
Read more: Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury no more
PM chairs meeting of Bangabandhu Memorial Trust
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday morning chaired a regular meeting of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust.
The meeting was held at her official residence Ganabhaban in the city.
Read: PM chairs Bangabandhu Memorial Trust meeting
Hasina, also the chairperson of the trust, directed the authorities concerned to expedite the activities of the ongoing projects to complete those quickly.
The board of trustees' management committee approved the minutes of the previous meeting and discussed the matters regarding the museum.
Read: Qatar Foundation Chair Nasser meets PM
The meeting also discussed the report of the sub-committee and other important issues.
The members of the trust were present at the meeting.
Read more: PM Hasina vows to implement SDG-3
408 deaths in 491 road accidents in May: Road Safety Foundation
In May, there were 491 road accidents in the country, leaving 408 people dead and 631 injured. Of the deceased, 67 were women and 78 children.
As many as 141 people were dead in 156 motorcycle accidents, accounting for 34.55 percent of the total deaths. The motorcycle accident rate is 31.77 percent. As many as 104 pedestrians were killed in accidents, which is 25.49 percent of the total fatalities, according to a press release of the Road Safety Foundation.
Also Read: Probe committee formed over Sylhet road accident that killed 15
The Road Safety Foundation has prepared the report based on information from nine national dailies, seven online news portals and electronic media.
Seventy-two drivers and their assistants were dead in road accidents last month, which is 17.64 percent of the total.
During this period, four people were killed and two were missing in six boat accidents. Twenty-three people were killed and six injured in 25 railway accidents, said the release.
Also Read: Bangladesh receives $858 mln World Bank fund for agriculture growth, road safety
According to statistics on vehicle-based deaths in accidents, 141 motorcyclists and pillion riders were killed (34.55%); bus passengers killed were six (1.47%); truck, covered-van, pickup, tractor, trolley, lorry, tanker riders killed were 36 (8.82%); private car, microbus, ambulance riders dead were 18 (4.41%); 68 three-wheeler passengers (easy bike, auto-rickshaw, mishuk) riders dead (16.66%); 15 (3.67%) killed in locally modified vehicle (Nosimon-Karimon-Mahindra-Brickbhanga machine cars) accidents; and 20 (4.90%) were killed in bicycle-rickshaw-rickshaw van accidents.
Also Read: 487 deaths in 439 road accidents in Feb: Road Safety Foundation
According to the Road Safety Foundation's monitoring and analysis, 165 (33.60%) of the accidents occurred on national highways, 201 (40.93%) on regional roads, 73 (14.86%) on rural roads, 48 (9.77%) on urban roads and 4 (0.81%) in other places, it said.
4 arrested with 14 gold bars in Chuadanga
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested four suspected smugglers with 14 gold bars, worth over Tk 2.24 crore, from Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga early Friday.
The arrestees Ebadul Mollah, 26, Mahabur Hasan, 27 and Riaz Kazi, 21, are from Lohagara upazila of Narail and Sheikh Sohel Rana, 35, hails from Naragati upazila from the same district.
Read: 28 gold bars recovered in Chuadanga, 1 arrested
Masud Parvez, director of BGB-58, said a patrolling team of the force took position in Hasadah Bus Stand area of the upazila after being tipped-off that a consignment of gold would be smuggled to India through the border.
As a private car was heading towards the border around 12 am, they signaled it to stop, he said, adding that 14 gold bars were recovered from beneath the seats of the vehicle during a search operation.
The market price of the gold bars is estimated at Tk 2 crore, 24 lakh and 75 thousand, he said.
Read: Man held with 15 gold bars in Rangpur
The private car used in the smuggling and six mobile phone sets were seized from their possession during the drive, according to the BGB officer. A case was filed with Jibannagar police station in this regard, he added.
Read more: Gold worth TK 63.17 lakh seized at Shaha Amanat Airport
Italy wants to promote legal pathways for migration: Ambassador Enrico Nunziata
Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Enrico Nunziata has said they are discussing a possible memorandum of understanding (MoU ) on mobility and migration with Bangladesh, specially the content of this memorandum, to encourage regular migration and prevent irregular ones.
“We want to go further in our cooperation on migration issues. In particular, creating and enlarging the existing legal channels or legal pathways for migration while stemming the irregular one,” he told UNB in an interview.
The envoy said the two countries have to deepen the cooperation for preventing and fighting against irregular migration, trafficking and so on.
Ambassador Nunziata remembered one of the deliverables during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Italy in 2020 - reinsertion of Bangladesh in the list of countries whose nationals can benefit from a quota for work.
“We have issued more than 12,000 visas for work from 2021-2022. Then there is a family reunion, business, and so on. But I'm focusing now on work. This new flow will call them families and so on. So this will carry on,” he said.
Read more: Italy lauds development journey of Bangladesh
The ambassador said prevention of irregular migration is very important. The prevention means also creating awareness, organizing campaigns on the risk of the irregular migration.
“We are opening new legal channels. So you have to benefit from these agreements, of these new possibilities, and try to follow that path,” he said.
There is a proposal on draft of a memorandum of understanding on security in general, the envoy said, noting the collaboration among the police forces of the two countries.
“So, we want stronger cooperation. We want to promote exchange of best practices, exchange of training, and talk to each other to know each other much better at the level of police forces,” he said.
Read more: Italy to take skilled workers from Bangladesh, contain illegal migration
A Solid Relationship
Ambassador Nunziata said the relationship between Italy and Bangladesh are excellent and there are spaces for increasing the collaboration in some specific sectors. “This relationship is solid and has shown resilience during these years.”
On the trade, he said they have a very good commercial exchange that has doubled in 2022 compared to 2021 – more than 53% growth.
“So during 2022 and now 2023, we have already reached and increased the level of pre-pandemic time,” he said.
Talking about collaboration in the defense industry, he said there is the possibility of collaboration and transfer of know-how as well on a win-win basis. “So this is another important sector.”
The ambassador said they are in the pipeline to have a memorandum of understanding in the cultural sphere for programmes of cultural exchanges.
“I don't know when it will be signed. It's not finalized, but we are really at the latest step to finalize an agreement in exchange for cultural programmes,” he said.
Traditionally, Italy has invested in the textile and garment sector but they are willing to provide expertise for the tannery sector, in particular for the sustainability of this industry and improve the quality of the treatment of leather to export to the European Union market.
On shipbuilding, the ambassador said they want to collaborate in shipbuilding industry for Navy or Coast Guard by sharing know how and technologies with Bangladesh. “I mean that level of know-how that Bangladesh has not reached in shipbuilding yet. Together we can do more on that in shipbuilding as well as in other sectors.”
FAO DG lauds PM Hasina’s leadership in ensuring food security in Bangladesh
Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Qu Dongyu has lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership in ensuring food security in Bangladesh.
He made the remarks when Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen met him in FAO HQs in Rome recently.
The FAO DG recalled his fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the 36th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) held in March 2022 in Dhaka.
Read more: Italy lauds development journey of Bangladesh
The Foreign Secretary shared an overview of the achievements of Bangladesh in recent years, particularly in the areas of agriculture and food security which received global recognition.
Masud Momen further said that the legacy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is being carried forward by his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina whose visionary leadership helped achieve a revolution in agriculture and turned the country into self-sufficient in food production.
The Foreign Secretary urged the FAO to support Bangladesh in agro-and-food processing.
Read more: Italy to take skilled workers from Bangladesh, contain illegal migration
While expressing satisfaction with the strong partnership between Bangladesh and FAO for about 50 years, both of them agreed to work closely in the coming days to eradicate poverty and hunger around the globe.
Later, the Director General took the Foreign Secretary and the accompanying delegation for a tour to show the progress of the ongoing construction of the “Sheikh Mujib-Bangladesh Room” at the FAO Headquarters.
Md. Shameem Ahsan, Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy and Permanent Representative to FAO, was present, among others.
Read more: Rooftop agriculture needed to ensure sustainable food production in Bangladesh: FAO
5 including child burnt as charger fan explodes at house in Narayanganj
Five members of a family, including a child, were injured after a charger fan exploded in Narayanganj's Fatullah.
They were admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in critical condition, Md Tariqul Islam, resident surgeon of the institute, confirmed the information.
Also read: 2 women among 9 burnt in gas line explosion in Dhaka
The injured Salam Mondal (55) suffered 70 percent burn injuries, his wife Bulbuli Begum (45) had 25% burns, their son Md Tutul (25) suffered 60% burn injuries, daughter Sonia Akter (22) suffered 42% burn injuries, and Mehjabin (7) suffered 35% burn injuries, according to the doctor.
Sohag, a neighbour, said, “The room caught on fire around 8 am on Friday after an explosion was heard. Then we went and rescued them.”
"We suspect that the fire may have been caused by an explosion of the charger fan in the room," he said.
Also read: Gas explosion at residential, commercial buildings: Common causes and ways to prevent them
Inspector Md Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH Police Outpost, said the matter has been reported to the concerned police station.
Also read: Gas explosions took 82 lives in 3 years in Narayanganj, threats remain: Police, fire service
More rain or thundershowers likely across the country
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted more rains or thundershowers in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, over 24 hours -- starting from 9 am today.
“Rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at many places over Chattogram and Barishal divisions; at a few places over Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions; and at one or two places over Rajshahi and Khulna divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over Barishal and Chattogram divisions,” the Met Office said.
Read more: More rain or thundershowers likely in Dhaka, 7 other divisions
“South-west monsoon has advanced up to Chattogram coast. Trough of low lies over India’s West Bengal and adjoining area,” the BMD weather bulletin reads.
A mild to moderate heatwave is sweeping over Rangpur division and the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Sirajganj, Netrokona and Sylhet and it may continue over the north-western part of the country.
According to the bulletin, day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
Read more: Short-lived rain brings inadequate relief from sweltering heat in Dhaka
The highest temperature was recorded at 38.6 degrees Celsius in Saidpur yesterday, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 23.2 degrees in Kishoreganj’s Nikli on Friday.
The highest 100mm rainfall was recorded in Hatia.
Read more: Light rain likely in 3 divisions; heat wave grips parts of country