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Dengue: 17 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Seventeen new dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till Thursday morning, but no death was reported, health authorities said.
Dengue claimed 101 lives so far this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Ninety-two people died in Dhaka division alone, three in Mymensingh division, two each in Chattogram, and Khulna divisions and one each in Rajshahi and Barishal divisions.
Also read: Dengue: 27 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Twelve patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining five cases have been reported from outside the division.
Some 160 patients who were diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Thursday.
Of them, 99 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 61 were listed outside Dhaka.
Also read: Dengue: 40 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Since January, some 28,085 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue in the country. So far, 27,824 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said DGHS.
Global Covid cases top 272 million
The overall number of coronavirus cases has surged past 272 million as scientists around the world race to learn about the Omicron variant’s transmissibility and severity.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 272,197,443 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,329,536 Thursday morning.
The US has recorded 50,374,543 cases so far and more than 802,510 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,201,221 cases as of Thursday, while its Covid death toll rose to 617,271.
India has registered 6,784 new cases of Covid-19 during a 24-hour period, bringing the total caseload to 34,710,628, as per the health ministry figures released Monday.
The ministry also reported 247 more deaths during the same period, taking the total death toll to 476,135.
Besides, India's total tally of the Omicron variant has surpassed 60 as the virus has spread to nearly 80 countries and regions, as per the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Meanwhile, the UK reported the first death of a patient infected with Omicron on Monday. Long lines formed Monday at vaccination centres across England as people heeded the government’s call for all adults to get booster shots to protect themselves against the variant.
The UK, as of Thursday morning, logged 11,073,455 Covid-19 cases, while the fatalities mounted to 147,249.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported four more Covid-related deaths, with 297 fresh cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
With the latest cases, the daily case positivity rate declined to 1.05 percent from Tuesday’s 1.29 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The total fatalities rose to 28,038 while the caseload mounted to 15,80,302 with the fresh ones.
Three of the latest deceased were men and one was a woman. The fatalities were reported from Dhaka, Khulna, Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, respectively.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 percent during the period.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 28,317 samples, said the directorate.
Besides, the recovery rate remained static at 97.76 percent with the recovery of 269 more patients during the 24-hour period.
On December 9, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic is apparently showing signs of easing.
The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Bangladesh reported the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 this year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on July 28 this year.
So far, 4,41,62,695 people have fully been vaccinated in the country, while 6,74,70,049 received the first dose as of Tuesday, according to the directorate.
Among them, 2,70,304 students, aged from 12-17, have fully been vaccinated, while 15,88,886 students received the first dose so far.
President Hamid pays homage to Liberation War martyrs
Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on Thursday paid homage to the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War by placing a wreath at the National Memorial in Savar.
The head of state was, in fact, the first to place the wreath at the altar of the National Memorial around 6.30am, marking the 51st Victory Day, followed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
After placing the wreath, President Hamid stood in solemn silence for a while as a mark of deep respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Liberation War.
A smartly turned out contingent drawn from the Army, the Navy and the Air Force presented the state salute on the occasion, as the bugles played the last post.
The President also signed the visitors’ book kept on the memorial premises.
Sheikh Rehana, the younger daughter of country’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Prime Minister’s younger sister, was also present on the occasion.
PM pays tributes to Liberation War martyrs
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday paid tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar marking the 51st Victory Day.
Sheikh Hasina placed floral wreaths at the altar of the memorial around 6:34 am to pay homage to the great heroes of the country.
She later placed the wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Bhaban in the city’s Dhanmondi-32 area.
The PM’s younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, was also present.
The nation is celebrating Victory Day with elaborate programmes paying deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country during the Liberation War.
This year’s Victory Day has special significance as it coincides with celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the country’s Independence.
On this glorious day in 1971, Bangladesh was liberated as an independent country after the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered following a bloody nine-month war.
Read: President Hamid pays homage to Liberation War martyrs
Along with the government, different socio-political, educational and cultural institutions, and organisations have chalked out a series of programmes to celebrate the day.
The people of Bangladesh at home and abroad are celebrating the Victory Day, the most joyous day when the country was born at the cost of the supreme sacrifice of three million martyrs and the honour of nearly half a million women.
The Prime Minister also joined the military parade programme in the National Parade Square, when President Md Abdul Hamid took salutes and inspected the parade as the chief guest. She enjoyed the attractive march past, spectacular fly-past and aerobatic display there.
Later, Sheikh Hasina released a memorial postal stamp at Ganobhaban on the occasion of the 51st Victory Day.
She also unveiled a logo inscribed with ‘Mujib’s Bangladesh,’ the brand name of Bangladesh Tourism there and released another memorial postal stamp on the occasion of the birth centenary and the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali and top officials concerned were present.
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will administer an oath to the nation as part of the two great celebrations.
She will also attend the ceremony of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation and the Golden Jubilee of the country’s Independence at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad.
Gold bars worth Tk73 lakh seized at Shahjalal airport
Customs officials seized 10 gold bars weighing 1.16kg, worth Tk73 lakh, at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Wednesday.
The gold bars were recovered from a passenger arriving from Saudi Arabia.
Saddam Hussain, from Bogura, landed at the airport at 3:29pm by flight BG 4040 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, an official of Dhaka Customs House said.
As he was passing through the green channel after completing the immigration formalities on arrival, his baggage underwent security scanning through the scanning machine.
Gold was detected inside Saddam's luggage during the scanning, the Dhaka Customs House official said.
Youths must be the drivers of growth: Industries Minister
Minister for Industries Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun on Wednesday said youths are the main force of today’s Bangladesh’s economic growth, progress and development.
“Their energetic and brave dedication has given impetus to trade and the economy,” he said.
He said this speaking on the 15th day of the 16-day-long "Bijoyer 50 Bochhor: Laal Sobujer Mohotshab " organized by FBCCI.
The Industries Minister said that the Rock Singers of this country have played a special role in inculcating democratic culture, spirit of liberation war and patriotism in the youth, according to a press release.
With Saarc in doldrums, regional integration must be sought in other forums
Speakers at discussion on Wednesday said Bangladesh needs to invest much more in diplomacy, continuing efforts to promote faster and strengthened regional economic cooperation in order to strengthen its position in the global arena and continue its progress further.
“We need to invest much more in reaching out to our ASEAN neighbours …and continuing our efforts to promote faster and strengthened regional economic cooperation, regional economic integration in South Asia,” said former ambassador Farooq Sobhan while addressing the Dhaka tribune panel discussion.
Dhaka Tribune in collaboration with the Norwegian Embassy organised the discussion on "Bangladesh as Current and Future Regional and Global Player" at a city hotel.
Farooq Sobhan said Bangladesh needs to invest much more in its diplomacy particularly in the field of economic and public diplomacy. “We need to expand the number of embassies to strengthen our diplomatic services,” he said.
Noting that globalization and multilateralism are on the retreat, he said the second cold war has already begun. “That poses a challenge for Bangladesh as it has been a strong advocate and support for multilateralism and the UN and the UN systems,” he said.
Farooq Sobhan, also former foreign secretary, said Bangladesh has been a strong advocate for the regional cooperation and regional economic integration in Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, and linking South Asia to South East Asia.
Bangladesh had also played a critical role in the establishment of SAARC which is now in the doldrums. It was also an active player from the start of BIMSTEC and played a key role in the formation of BBIN, he said.
“At the moment, all these initiatives are suffering from the current global situations as rivalries and tensions have increased. And there is increasing pressure on small states including Bangladesh to take positions in favour of one grouping or other,” he said.
Farooq Sobhan said Bangladesh is now trying to extend its diplomacy into Africa and leverage successfully its peacekeeping operations. “We are trying very hard towards strengthening our relations with the ASEAN countries,” he said.
The former ambassador said Bangladesh needs to strengthen relations with various regional groupings and entities, in particular European Union.
Farooq Sobhan said there is a price to pay for the country’s graduation from the LDC and it is going to lose some market access benefits.
“In order to qualify GSP plus, we will need to address a number of issues including labour standards, human rights as well as enter into a number of international agreements,” he said.
Former ambassador Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said both China and India have converged on a number of areas. “Being players of today’s global politics, they know their soft power diplomacy connectivity and enhance economic and military cooperation with smaller countries in the neighbourhood especially Bangladesh can bring higher political and economic dividends,” he said.
He said Bangladesh must offer more, beginning with the fact that it would soon be graduating into a middle income nation, that it has a huge market and recorded consistent economic growth in recent times.
Mentioning that Bangladesh shares maritime and land boundaries with Myanmar and India, he said it is effectively the link in the chain that connects South and SouthEast Asia.
“But it also poses a challenge for Bangladesh to position itself in an evolving geopolitical scenario and try to preserve and protect its own national interests while maintaining healthy relationships with key friends in Asia and beyond. This is a challenge for a country like Bangladesh that must be ready to face and deal with it,” he said.
He said Bangladesh believes in the concept of using diplomacy as the first line of defence and for resolution of disputes. “It has been consistent in pursuing mutually beneficial bilateral, regional and trans-regional relationships. It has demonstrated its capacity and resolved to deal firmly with extremism and terrorism,” he said.
The former diplomat said Bangladesh has recognition as a responsible neigbour and regional player as it provided shelter to more than a million Myanmar refugees fleeing persecution at home.
Executive Director of Centre for Policy Dialogue Dr Fahmida Khatun hoped that Bangladeshi entrepreneurs will be able to withstand it after losing duty-free quota-free market access in the post-graduation period.
“Even after the graduation, they will continue to benefit from the preferential access because of their associations with trade agreements. So we have to make a full effort to become a member of such big trade blocs,” she said.
Noting that now trade blocs are not only trade blocs rather it is a comprehensive economic partnership, she said “It (trade bloc) is about investment, connectivity, services sector and intellectual property rights. So, we really need to prepare for that. We have to reform major regulatory measures and also improve our skills,” she added.
“Unless we improve our productivity, we can’t remain competitive and provide a higher salary to the workers and ensure decent work (during the post-graduation period),” she said.
Dr Fahmida said many countries could not make any progress in terms of GDP during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Bangladesh’s growth was 5.2 percent (according to the government’s estimation) in 2022 fiscal year which is exceptionally good. “Even if it is 3-4 percent, it is also very good performance,” she said.
She said Bangladesh is not only recipient of support, but also supporting other countries. Bangladesh provided US$ 150 million to Sri Lanka and now Maldives is asking for support.
She said the social development model that Bangladesh has achieved is an example across the world and Bangladesh’s climate adaptation model is also now replicated in many African countries. “Over the years, we have developed the model of adaptation also and local solutions,” she added.
Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Espen Rikter-Svendsen, AFP Bureau Chief Shafiqul Alam and Editor of Prothom Alo English Ayesha Kabir also spoke at the discussion moderated by Editor of Dhaka Tribune Zafar Sobhan.
Bangladesh set to celebrate 51st Victory Day Thursday
The nation is set to celebrate the 51st Victory Day on Thursday, the most joyous day when the country was born at the cost of the supreme sacrifice of three million martyrs and the honour of nearly half a million mothers and sisters, with elaborate programmes.
On this glorious day in 1971, Bangladesh was liberated as an independent country after the Pakistani occupation forces surrendered following a bloody nine-month-long war.
People from all walks of life will join various programmes on Thursday to pay deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country during the Liberation War 50 years back.
Read: Victory Day programmes: DMP commissioner stresses onus on security
Along with the government, different socio-political, educational and cultural institutions and organisations have chalked out a series of programmes to celebrate the day. Bangladeshis at home and abroad will also celebrate the day.
This year’s Victory Day has special significance as it coincides with the celebrations of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country's independence.
The day’s programme will begin with a 31-gun salute.
Covid-19 pandemic swells number of hungry by more than 50 mn in Asia-Pacific: FAO-UNICEF Report
The state of food security and nutrition in Asia and the Pacific has worsened, as more than 375 million people in the Asia-Pacific region faced hunger in 2020, an increase of 54 million over the previous year, according to a joint report just published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday in Bangkok.
While hunger has increased, so too has inadequate access to nutritious foods, the report said.
According to the 2021 Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, in this region alone, more than one billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020 – an increase of almost 150 million people in just one year.
The high cost of a healthy diet, and persistently high levels of poverty and income inequality, continue to hold healthy diets out of reach for 1.8 billion people in the Asia and Pacific region.
Read: Children in the Pandemic: Consortium predicts 168,000 to die hungry during crisis
In recent years, progress has stalled in reducing the number of undernourished, and the prevalence of certain nutritional indicators, such as stunting in children under five years of age, was already much too high, as reported last year.
Since then, the situation has worsened. While it is not yet possible to fully quantify the damage done to food security and nutrition by COVID-19, the pandemic has had a serious impact on the region. Even countries that initially reported a limited number of COVID-19 cases experienced the negative effects of the containment measures, combined with people’s health concerns, that led to a major contraction of economic activity in this region and worldwide. Disruption in food supply chains only added to the problems.
The situation could have been worse without the response of governments and the impressive social protection measures they put in place during the crisis. In building back better food environments, future agri-food systems will have to provide better production, better nutrition, a better environment and better lives.
Read: Millions of hungry Americans turn to food banks for 1st time
To do that, FAO and UNICEF state the focus must revolve around meeting the needs of small-scale, family farmers and indigenous people in the region. Food systems must also prioritize the dietary needs of vulnerable groups, including young children and women.
Commitments have been made to ensure recovery and there are opportunities to begin the hard work of advancing food security and nutrition through transforming agri-food systems such as the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the Nutrition for Growth Summit and the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). Implementing these commitments will be needed to meet the second Sustainable Development Goal, SDG2, to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition.
Shakib Al Hasan's next stop: Bank director
Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is set to gain control over two directorships of the proposed Islamic Shariah-based People's Bank. Shakib and his mother Shirin Akhter's names have been sent to Bangladesh Bank for NOCs to clear their way for bank directorship.
Read: Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji wants to make biopic on Shakib Al Hasan MA Kashem, chief sponsor of the proposed bank, confirmed the information on Wednesday. Similarly, the concerned officials of Bangladesh Bank also verified it is true. However, the bank has not yet received the required banking license from Bangladesh Bank. Experts have for quite some time voiced a view that the number of banks in the country is too high, and rather than inducting new players, there is a need for consolidation in the sector.
Once finalized, People's Bank will conduct Shariah-compliant banking activities.
Read: Shakib’s inner child comes out on rain-soaked day To be a member of the bank's board of directors as an entrepreneur, it needs to hold a minimum of 2% share. As such, Shakib will have to provide a minimum capital of Tk 10 crore for each post of director of People's Bank.
It is learned that Shakib Al Hasan is providing more than Tk 25 crore for directorship of the bank. Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan secured licenses for a brokerage house and gold trading.