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Adieus to the legends, in loving memories of 2021
As Rabindranath Tagore once said “Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves” – the time of the year back once again, as it always goes back and forth every year when the nation remembers those who departed from their families and admirers to answer the ultimate call.
Sadly, due to several reasons and especially the still raging Covid-19 pandemic, many of the passionate and respected individuals in the entertainment and cultural arena of Bangladesh bade their final adieus to the world during the past twelve months in 2021.
These legendary figures have dedicated their eventful lives to the betterment of Bangladeshi culture; and because of their lifelong contributions, today Bangladesh is well-known and respected among the global community of culture and entertainment, in the genres of Literature, Art, Cinema, Television, Theatre and Music.
READ: Writer, freedom fighter Begum Mushtari Shafi dies
This article fondly remembers all eminent and legendary figures that Bangladesh has lost throughout this year, categorized based on their individual and respective genres.
Literature
The rueful adieus started with the departure of the Ekushey Padak winning legendary novelist Rabeya Khatun, who passed away on January 3 at the age of 85 due to old-age complications.
Bangla Academy, the oldest and dedicated organization promoting Bengali literature in the country, has lost many of its guardian angels this year including two of its immediate past chairmen, Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan (81) who passed away on April 14 after his failed battle with Covid-19, and National Professor and renowned Nazrul researcher Rafiqul Islam (87) on November 30. Meanwhile, the immediate past Director General Habibullah Sirajee (72) also left the world on May 24.
Ekushey Padak winner eminent Bangladeshi short-story writer and novelist Hasan Azizul Huq passed away on November 15, at the age of 82. Meanwhile, this year’s Ekushey Padak conferred fiction writer Bulbul Chowdhury passed away on August 29. Sheikh Abdul Hakim, popularly known as the ghostwriter of superhit spy thriller series 'Masud Rana', breathed his last at the age of 75 on August 29 after losing his long battle with bronchitis. Renowned Bangladeshi publisher and founder of the University Press Limited Mohiuddin Ahmed left the earth on June 22.
Cinema
Ekushey Padak and National Film Award-winning legendary Bangladeshi actor ATM Shamsuzzaman passed away on February 20 this year at the age of 79, while another silver screen legend and Member of Parliament Sarah Begum Kabori breathed her last on April 17 after losing her battle with COVID-19 at the age of 70. Another actor from Bangladeshi’s ‘Golden Era’ of cinema Mesbahuddin Ahmed, popularly known by his stage name Wasim, passed away the very next day. The former ‘Mr East Pakistan’ breathed his last at the age of 74 due to old age complications, while veteran director Shafiqur Rahman, known for his famous movie “Dhaka 86,” died on September 2 at the age of 70.
Television and Theatre
A large group of known faces from the television and theatre arena left the world this year, starting with actor and freedom fighter Mujibur Rahman Dilu (69) on January 19. Legendary playwright and Martyred Intellectual Munier Chowdhury’s wife, translator and theatre activist Lily Chowdhury (93) breathed her last on March 2. Ekushey Padak-winning actor SM Mohsin (73) passed away on April 18 due to COVID-19, while Jahangirnagar University Drama and Dramatics Department co-founder, professor and playwright Dr Afsar Ahmed (60) died on October 9 due to cardiac arrest.
The month of October was a horrific month this year, as a handful of prominent personalities passed away on this month. Ekushey Padak winning veteran actor, director, playwright, and academic Dr Enamul Haque (77) breathed his last on October 11, renowned actor-playwright-director Kayes Chowdhury (74) passed away on October 21 and his student, television, film, and theatre actor Shamim Visti (55) died the very next day after suffering a heart attack. Due to COVID-19 related complications, veteran actor and current State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid’s elder brother Mahmud Sajjad passed away on October 24, at the age of 73.
Music
2021 snatched away many of the legendary personalities from the music industry in Bangladesh, starting with legendary music maestro and trainer of classical music, ustad Sanjib Dey (68) who passed away on January 28 following a cardiac arrest. Jane Alam, one of the last remaining pop legends, passed away on March 3 due to COVID-19, at the age of 65. A tragic road accident in Chattogram’s Mirshorai brutally took away the lives of renowned Percussionist Hanif Ahammed (41) and drummer Partha Guha (50) on March 13.
READ: National Professor Rafiqul Islam dies at 87
Ekushey Padak winning Rabindra Sangeet exponent Mita Haque (59) passed away on April 11 due to COVID-19, while National Film Award-winning music director Farid Ahmed (60) passed away on April 13 due to the same reason. Freedom fighter and Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artiste Anup Bhattacharya (77) passed away on May 6, while noted lyricist Fazal-e-Khuda, known for writing the song "Salam Salam Hajar Salam" which boosted the spirit of Freedom Fighters during the 1971 Liberation War, died of COVID-19 on July 4 at the age of 81. This year, COVID-19 also snatched away another folk and pop legend, the “Gono Sangeet” pioneer Fakir Alamgir who passed away on July 23 at the age of 71.
Apart from all these legendary figures, some other renowned personalities also left the earth this year, leaving behind their families and admirers. Ekushey Padak winning veteran journalist-dramatist-poet Rafiqul Haque (85) ‘Dadubhai’ passed away on October 10; another Ekushey Padak winning late artist Qayyum Chowdhury's wife artist Tahera Khanam passed away at the age of 86 on November 1 and eminent British journalist Simon Dring, known for reporting the horrors of Bangladesh's War for Independence from Pakistan in 1971 and later changing the landscape of Bangladeshi television industry as the Managing Director of Ekushey Television, passed away on July 16 in Romania at the age of 76.
UNB remembers all these legendary figures with profound respect, for their unforgettable and influential contributions to their respective fields.
25% electricity from renewables by 2030: SREDA proposes, GOB disposes?
Though the country’s target to generate 10 percent electricity from clean and renewable sources by 2020 was not achieved, a fresh target for 25 percent renewable energy is going to be proposed for 2030.
According to official sources, the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) will propose the new target, to be incorporated in the proposed Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP).
“We’re going to propose a new target to generate 10,000 MW electricity from renewable sources by 2030, when total power generation will be 40,000 MW,” SREDA chairman Mohammad Aladdin told UNB recently.
READ: Bangladesh trying to import 500 MW hydro-electricity from Nepal: Power Cell DG
Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) recently started a process to formulate the IEPMP with the technical and financial support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Tokyo-based Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ), has been assigned to adopt the plan for both power and energy sectors. Previously, separate master plans were made for each sector. But for the first time, an integrated plan is being designed for the two sectors.
Alauddin, also an additional secretary of the Power Division under the MPEMR, informed that Sreda had an introductory session with the JICA team in a consultative discussion.
“But now we’re working out on the issue to give a concrete proposal on renewable energy’s stake in the proposed IEPMP,” he told UNB.
As per the Sreda proposal, wind power will play a major role in future renewable energy generation in the country and half of the target will be met by this source of green energy.
“Exploiting the new and efficient technology, we’re now planning to set up a good number of wind power plants by 2030,” he said, adding a recent study found wind speed at 6 metres per second at higher hub height. Currently wind is contributing less than 3 MW though, according to SREDA's own numbers.
For the other half of that 10,000 MW, the SREDA chairman listed 1,000 MW power from rooftop solar, 1000 MW from floating solar, 1000 MW from solar park and 2,400 MW from nuclear power are expected by 2030, he added.
Quinoa rice noodles keep diabetes under control: SUST study
Instant noodles made from quinoa rice work well in controlling diabetes, according to a research study done at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).
This relatively low-cost instant food can be a welcome alternative to noodles made from wheat, rice, potato, and sweet potato which contains high content of carbohydrates that lead to diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other complex diseases, according to the research done by a student as part of her PhD thesis.
The research aimed at finding low-cost healthier climate-adaptive alternatives to the popular carbohydrate-rich instant noodles.
Also read: Quinoa: Cultivating the 'mother of all grains'
The research was done by Meherunnahar, PhD Fellow of the Department of Food Engineering and Tea Technology (FET) supervised by Professor Dr Mozammel Haque of the same department.
Transmission infra: The missing link in Bangladesh's power play
For an electricity-surplus nation like Bangladesh, Covid as well as inadequate transmission infrastructure seem to be the biggest threat to its resilient power sector and the country's aggressive economic growth targets.
This inference can be drawn from the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board's (BPDB) official figures that clearly indicate its consistent failure in meeting the planned electricity generation target over the last four years.
Demand for electricity, its generation through optimum capacity utilisation of power plants, and its supply are the basic indicators of a country's power sector.
Also read: Bangladesh trying to import 500 MW hydro-electricity from Nepal: Power Cell DG
According to the official figures, accessed by UNB, only 1,324 MW of installed capacity was added to the grid between January and November 2021 against a projected 2,169 MW.
The last three year's figures also indicate a slower growth -- 1,771 MW of power was added in 2020 against the projected 2,817 MW; in 2019, the data was 2,404 MW against 4,924 MW; and it was 3,763 MW against 4,691 MW in 2018.
A bridge in Sunamganj that symbolizes corruption
Irregularities in development projects, including slow implementation, repeated extension of deadlines and the use of substandard materials, are nothing new in Bangladesh.
The ordinary residents of Tahirpur upazila describe a horrific story of irregularities in a bridge construction that have badly affected their lives.
An incomplete concrete bridge constructed over the Shantipur River in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj four years back is the story that reminds all about widespread anomalies in the country.
Read: Goalundo bridge turns into death trap
No one could use the bridge in the last four years as it was built without approach roads, prolonging the sufferings of the villagers.
They said though it is possible to walk across the river in autumn when it dries up but it is almost impossible to move during monsoon.
Badaghat-Chanpur road on which the bridge was built is used by people, especially by students and traders of 30 villages of the upazila.
It is learnt that the bridge was constructed on the Shantipur River under Uttar Badal union of the upazila in 2017 spending Tk 32 lakh. But the contractor did not complete the earthworks on neither side, let alone the connecting road. Now the bridge is there stand over the river but unable to offer any relief to.
According to Tahirpur upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) office, Parvez Enterprise of Jamalganj upazila constructed the bridge as it had got the contract for implementing the project.
They left the project site as soon as the bridge was constructed without building the approach roads.
Later, the chairman of Uttar Borodal Union Parishad allotted Tk 3.2 lakh from the Employment Programme project for the construction of connecting roads making Abu Taher Mia, a UP member, head of the project.
Abu Taher started work from Shantipur Bazar and did the earthwork but still over 200 feet on the north side of the bridge remained untouched.
As the works remained incomplete, the soil was washed away during the rainy season in 2018.
Masuk Mia, a resident of the area, said the authorities concerned have not taken any necessary steps to make the bridge usable after its construction. “They didn’t feel the necessity that to make a bridge usable, connecting roads should be there on its both sides and have to be built with retention walls,” Masuk said.
Read: Ageing bailey bridges turn death traps in hilly Khagrachari roads
The road connecting the bridge would have created job opportunities for many unemployed youths in the area had the bridge been made useable, he said.
Majid, a resident of Chanpur village, said, “If the connecting road would have been built, we could have easily used the bridge on Chanpur-Badaghat road to reach Tahirpur Sadar and suffering of the people would have reduced.”
Tahirpur upazila LGRD engineer Iqbal Karim said, "I’m new in this area. So, I’m not aware of the issue. We’ll take necessary steps.”
Tahirpur UP chairman Karuna Sindhu Chowdhury Babul said, “I will talk to the authorities concerned to end the sufferings of the local people.”
Bangladesh all but certain to see Covid’s fresh wave
As the ‘super mutant’ Omicron strain of Covid-19 is spreading fast in many countries displacing the previously dominant Delta variant, experts warned that Bangladesh is all but certain to see a fresh wave of the deadly virus.
They also cautioned that the Omicron may take a heavy toll on over 8 crore unvaccinated people, mainly the kids and elderly people, if there is an outbreak of the Covid variant in the country amid people’s serious apathy to wear masks outside and maintain health safety rules.
Since Omicron is three times more transmissible than the Delta, the analysts advised the government to tighten the enforcement machinery to force people to follow all Covid-safety protocols alongside properly screening the incoming passengers through air and land ports and ensuring their quarantine.
They think all the incoming passengers coming from the Omicron-hit countries should be kept in institutional quarantine to prevent the spread of the highly contagious Covid variant.
Prof Dr Nazrul Islam, ex VC of BSMMU, Prof Dr Mushtuq Hussain, IEDCR’s consultant, and Prof Dr Bijon Kumar Sil, head of Gono Bishwabidyalay’s Microbiology department, made the observations while talking to UNB.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque also voiced concern that the Covid infection may spike in the country since most people do not wear masks and follow hygiene rules.
The country has been witnessing a steady rise in Covid cases for the last few days and the two first Omicron cases were reported here on December 11.
Read: Bangladesh bracing for third Covid wave?
Possible fresh wave
Noted Virologist Professor Dr Nazrul Islam said two people in the country have already been identified with Omicron variant. “So, its wave may come to Bangladesh, and we’ve to be very careful about those who are coming from abroad.”
He said the Covid infection has started increasing again and it may continue to grow slowly till February next. “The country is likely to face a fresh wave in March with the rise in temperature. The number of cases will go up alarmingly in the middle of that month.”
The expert said usually Covid infections remain low during winter due to the intervention of many other respiratory viruses and flus like influenza.
Prof Mushtaq Hussain said Bangladesh is at a high risk of witnessing a wave of Omicron in the days to come like the African and European countries. “Omicron is already in the community transmission stage in some African and European countries. So, there’s no reason to think that Bangladesh would not experience an outbreak of Omicron,” he said.
Though there is no fresh case of Omicron after two imported ones in the country, he said the infection rate may continue to surge after a few days.
“After the coronavirus infection was detected in Wuhan, China, and Delta strain in India, many people thought that it would not come to Bangladesh. But they were proved wrong. So, we fear a community transmission of Omicron in Bangladesh.”
Noted microbiologist Bijon Kumar Sil said Omicron will gradually spread to different areas of the country after deepening its roots.
He said Omicron has spread to over 100 countries within a month, showing its highly contagious nature. “So, I don’t think we’ll get rid of this virus. There may be some unidentified people in our country that is why the infection rate is now showing an uptrend.”
For an Australian in Khulna, home is where his heart was won
They say love can move mountains, but more often all around us, we see it move people - from their comfort zone, their home, where everything is familiar, and into the unknown. That is a step Australian Malcolm Arnold took almost 17 years ago, when he left his home town of Adelaide in South Australia, and moved to Khulna in Bangladesh.
What brought him here was falling in love with a Bangladeshi NGO worker, Halima Begum. They got married in 2004 and settled in a rented house in Khulna’s Sonadanga residential area.
READ: Australian, Japanese, EU, US envoys visit St Martin’s Island
Malcolm who happens to be a painter, takes painting orders online.
This Australian citizen is 74 years old and has two daughters in Adelaide and a brother. His first wife left him long ago. And he has been painting for over 45 years. His paintings have sold for anything between Tk 5000 to Tk 5 lakh.
Malcolm has always lived selling his paintings but in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sales have almost stopped. As a result, he is facing a bit of a financial crisis. Besides, he has been diagnosed with a block in his heart. He can't even stand to walk properly.
Though Malcolm’s visa is valid till 2025 and he has assets, property in Adelaide he doesn't want to go there anymore. He has unconditional love for Halima and Bangladesh. He says he wants to live in Bangaldesh as long as he is alive.
When the UNB correspondent visited the couple recently, they recounted their story of love and marriage.
Malcolm and a few of his friends visited Bangladesh in February 2001. They had a goal to write about Bangladesh cricket and publish. During that tour, while they were visiting the Sundarbans, Malcolm met Halima Begum, then a field-level worker of World Vision in Mongla.
READ: Australian envoy sees potentials for future bilateral cooperation “golden”
Halima, now a 45-year old woman who works to make ends meet through sewing nowadays, said that 7-8 days after they met, Malcolm returned to Australia. But he kept writing letters to Halima.
Chapainawabganj hospital overwhelmed with diarrhea patients
This north-western border district is seeing an outbreak of diarrhea as at least 50 to 60 children are reported being hospitalised every day in the last 10-15 days. In the 250-bed Chapai Nawabganj district hospital there is no children bed in the diarrhea ward yet most of the patients are currently children, said Rehana Parvin, Diarrhea ward in-Charge of the hospital. “Comprising the ward’s sofas and bed we can accommodate 24 patients. But as the number is five to six times higher many are staying on floor”, said Nasrin Khatun, senior staff nurse of the hospital. Until Thursday 12 pm, 51 diarrhea patients were admitted at the hospital and 27 of them were admitted in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile 50 people were released from the hospital after recovery, said the hospital authority. “It’s hard to even have a space in the veranda outside the diarrhea ward for my two-year old granddaughter,” said Taslima Begum from Maharajpur village who admitted her granddaughter Tyeba on Monday.
READ: Diarrhea outbreak afflicts 160 people in Jhenaidah
Hafez Abul Kalam from Debinagar village, uncle of another two-year-old Jubayer said, “The weather is too cold to stay on the floor as chilly wind keeps coming from outside.”
Invasive mosquitoes offer no relief to DNCC dwellers
After the deadly wave of Coronavirus, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is now battling yet another big problem -- mosquito menace -- with its residents raising their eyebrows at the city authorities.
“A widespread invasion by mosquitoes has frustrated us all as it’s happening in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and hospitals are struggling to treat patients, including those of Dengue and Covid,” said Rezaul Karim, a private company executive living in Mirpur-6 area.
Generally, he said, the mosquito population increases during summer and monsoon because of heavy rains accompanied by floodwater. “And places with rainwater are the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.”
But the city dwellers are not getting relief from the mosquito infestation even in cold weather of December as the steps taken by the DNCC are said to be too inadequate.
The DNCC authorities, however, claim that they are doing everything necessary to deal with the situation.
The city dwellers in a number of areas under the DNCC alleged that the mosquitoes are spreading fast mainly due to the inability of the city corporation to destroy the breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
People cannot control the invasion of their homes by mosquitoes with just mosquito nets, coils or electric bats. Even spraying mosquito repellent does not work as a remedy, they said.
Ensuring "smooth and inclusive" graduation is key to Bangladesh: Ambassador Danzi
Describing the LDC graduation as an important milestone and a remarkable feat for Bangladesh, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Ambassador Patricia Danzi has said it is necessary for the country to prepare for the post-graduation era when certain market access preferences may cease to exist.
“One of the biggest challenges for Bangladesh going forward will be to ensure that its graduation journey is smooth, inclusive and sustainable, leaving no one behind, '' Ambassador Danzi, who represented Switzerland in athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, told UNB in an interview.
She laid emphasis on addressing various structural reforms to enhance predictability in the market and demonstrate strong economic governance.