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Workers' safety top priority: Tipu Munshi
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said vaccination of the workers is the top priority of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.
He said the government hopes to vaccinate 5 million workers in the ready-made garment sector against Covid-19 within a month and a half.
Read: No alternative to mass vaccination of apparel workers: BGMEA
The Commerce Minister said this in a meeting with Walmart Vice President Paul Dyck at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington DC.
Tipu Munshi, who led the Bangladesh delegation to the Magic Las Vegas 2021 trade show, made a brief stopover at Washington DC to participate in a trade roundtable organized by McLarty Associates, said the Bangladesh Embassy on Thursday.
The commerce minister said that the government and the factory owners were working hand in hand to vaccinate the garment workers each day.
He highlighted the government's efforts and the factories' preparedness to ensure safety of the workers in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also expressed hope that in the next six months, more than 60 percent of the total population of Bangladesh will be vaccinated.
The Walmart Vice President said that with the improvement of the COVID 19 situation in the USA, Walmart is now ready to explore and source more from abroad.
Apart from the ready-made garment products, the Minister encouraged Walmart to buy leather goods, pharmaceuticals, light engineering items including bicycles, and plastic products from Bangladesh.
Read: Govt. assures vaccination for RMG workers on priority basis
Over the luncheon roundtable, Chairman of Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation Syed Mahmudul Huq highlighted the need to position the black tigers as a premium shrimp in the US market by ensuring that modern production capabilities are in place and that overseas markets' food safety and traceability requirements are consistently met.
The meeting highlighted the need for retaining long-term demand of Bangladeshi tiger shrimps by ensuring that our aquaculture products are third-party certified as being responsibly produced.
It was decided that Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation and the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington DC will work together to retain and enhance market share of Bangladeshi tiger shrimps in the USA.
Among others, Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA M. Shahidul Islam, Senior Adviser of McLarty Associates Ambassador Teresita Schaffer, Senior Director of Walmart Ms. Sarah Thorn, and other officers from Commerce Ministry and Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington DC were present at the meeting.
Earlier, the commerce minister placed floral wreaths at the bust of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington DC.
Kazi Aref murder: Death row convict Roushan arrested
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members arrested Roushan alias Uday Mondol, death row convict in JSD leader Kazi Aref Ahmed murder case, at Bharalipara in Rajshahi city on Wednesday night.
ASP ANM Imran Khan, Senior Assistant Director, Legal and Media Wing of Rab headquarters, confirmed the matter in a press release on Thursday.
Read: War crime convict dies in Sylhet
Tipped off, a team of RAB arrested Roushan alias Uday, 57, after conducting a drive in the city.
Rawshan was absconding for years in different districts assuming different names, RAB officials said.
Kazi Aref was killed along with four Kushtia JSD unit leaders after a rally at Kalidaspur in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia on February 16, 1999.
Read: Biswajit Das murder case: Fugitive convict held in Faridpur
On August 30, 2004, a Kushtia court sentenced 10 people to death and 11 others to life imprisonment in the case.
On August 5, 2008, the High Court upheld the death sentence of nine condemned convicts while acquitted 11 others.
In 2016, three death row convicts in the Kazi Aref Ahmed murder case were executed at Jashore Central Jail.
Read:Kafil Uddin murder: SC commutes death sentence of 3 convicts
They were Safayet Hossain Habib of Rajnagar village, Anwar Hossain and Rashedul Islam Jhantu of Kursha village in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia district.
Some of the convicts in this case are still on the run.
Public transport services resume in Barishal
After nearly six hours, bus and launch services in Barishal resumed on Thursday noon following the intervention of the local administration.
The bus services in Barishal and other parts of the country had remained suspended since morning as transport workers blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway in protest against Wednesday's clash that left over 30 injured.
Meanwhile, police arrested as many as 13 activists of the ruling Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) from different parts of the city in connection with the attack on the residence of the Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
Read:Barishal: Bus services suspended as clash leaves 30 injured
Joint general secretary of Barishal Metropolitan unit of the Awami League, Hasan Mahmud Babu, and vice-president of the city unit of BCL Oliullah Oli were among the arrestees, said officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, Nurul Islam.
The clash broke out between the supporters of the Awami League, BCL and members of Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal on Wednesday night.
Of the injured, five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash.
The transport workers, including the supporters of Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League, blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway by placing buses in Rupatoli and Nathullabad Bus Terminal areas in the small hours of Wednesday.
Besides, launch services in Barishal also remained suspended as the supporters of the mayor did not allow any passenger vessel to leave the terminal, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
According to eye-witnesses, the Nagar Bhaban staffers went to the residence of Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Munibur Rahman to lower a banner hanging over the area.
Read: Barishal City Corporation dismisses 12 officials over corruption
At one stage, the UNO came out and asked the reason, leading to an altercation between him and Swapan Kumar Das, a staffer of the city corporation.
During the altercation, some 25-30 people entered the complex and a scuffle broke out between the Ansar members and the so-called mob over the issue, triggering a clash. At one stage, the Ansar members opened fire on them, leaving five injured.
On information, police rushed to the spot and charged batons to disperse them.
Some 25 people were injured in the clash with the cops.
Shahabuddin Khan, police commissioner of Barishal, said, "A police team rushed to the spot and the attackers threw brick chips targeting the cops, forcing them to retaliate. Three policemen and two Ansar members were injured during the incident.”
They also vandalised a bus in the area in the night.
Read:Student protest causes traffic disruption in Barishal
Three people who sustained bullet injuries—Shahrier Babu, Harun-or-Rashid and Tanvir-- were taken to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital. Of them, Tanvir was shifted to Dhaka for better treatment.
UNO Munibur Rahman said, “Some 15-20 people identifying themselves as Chattra League members entered the house. Later, some 60-70 people also entered the complex and went up to the first floor of the upazila complex building. They also tried to attack me but the Ansar members saved me."
Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah told the media, "The city corporation staffers went there to perform their duties but the Ansar members attacked them.” He has demanded a probe into the clash.
Hefazat Ameer Junaid Babunagri passes away
Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Junaid Babunagri died at a hospital in Chattogram on Thursday. He was 68.
Maulana ANM Ahmed Ullah, former publicity secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam, said Babunagari had suffered a stroke at Hathazari Madrasha around 11 am and later he was taken to CSCR Hospital in the port city where doctors declared him dead around 12:30 pm.
Read:Ex-Hefazat chief Babunagri’s PS arrested
Babunagari had been suffering from different old age complications including kidney problems and diabetes.
He took the helm of Hefazat-e-Islam in November, 2020 after the death of Allama Shafi, the first ameer and supreme leader of the organization 9n September 18, 2020.
“Babunagari’s condition started to deteriorate on Wednesday evening and his condition worsened further around 11:30 am today. Later, he was taken to the hospital by an ambulance,” said Maulana Junaied, a khadem of the Hefazat chief.
He left behind one son, five daughters and a host of relatives and followers to mourn his death.
Babunagari was born at Babunagar village of Fatikchhari upazila on October 8, 1953.
Read:ACC investigating Hefazat leaders Babunagri, Mamunul for graft, fund embezzlement
He had also served as the education secretary of Darul Ulum Hathazari Madrasha and held many other posts.
The namaz-e-janaza of the Hefazat chief will be held at Hathazari madrasha around 7:30 pm.
Bangladesh unlocks tourism
After a gap of nearly five months, tourist places in Bangladesh finally reopened on Thursday.
The move comes days after the Bangladesh government had eased Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on the movement of public transport services.
However, people will not be allowed to enter the tourist spots without face masks and everyone will have to follow all Covid-safety protocols, as per a government order.
Read:Bangladesh allows resumption of all public transport services from Aug 19
In Rangamati, locals heaved a sigh of relief as they got the opportunity to restart their livelihoods with the reopening of hotels, motels, restaurants and tourist spots in the district.
Local people dependent on the tourists said they would be able to overcome the losses caused by the closure. As per an estimate of the Rangamati Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the tour operators suffered a cumulative loss of Tk 2.15 crore.
Pre-lockdown, Rangamati Hanging Bridge, Polwell Park, Rangamati Sishu Park, Happy Island, Subolong Fountain, Echo Village and all other tourist sports remained abuzz with tourists the entire year.
Barishal: Bus services suspended as clash leaves 30 injured
Bus services in Barishal and other parts of the country remained suspended from Thursday morning as transport workers blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway in protest against Wednesday's clash that left over 30 injured.
The clash broke out between the supporters of the ruling Awami League, its students' wing Bangladesh Chhatra League and members of Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal on Wednesday night.
Read:BNP activists clash with police at Chandrima Udyan
Of the injured, five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash.
The transport workers, including the supporters of Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League, blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway by placing buses in Rupatoli and Nathullabad Bus Terminal areas in the small hours of Wednesday.
Besides, launch services in Barishal also remained suspended as the supporters of the mayor did not allow any passenger vessel to leave the terminal, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
According to eye-witnesses, the Nagar Bhaban staffers went to the residence of Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Munibur Rahman to lower a banner hanging over the area.
At one stage, the UNO came out and asked the reason, leading to an altercation between him and Swapan Kumar Das, a staffer of the city corporation.
Read: Cumilla AL groups clash over mourning day event
During the altercation, some 25-30 people entered the complex and a scuffle broke out between the Ansar members and the so-called mob over the issue, triggering a clash. At one stage, the Ansar members opened fire on them, leaving five injured.
On information, police rushed to the spot and charged batons to disperse them.Some 25 people were injured in the clash with the cops.
Shahabuddin Khan, police commissioner of Barishal, said, "A police team rushed to the spot and the attackers threw brick chips targeting the cops, forcing them to retaliate. Three policemen and two Ansar members were injured during the incident.”
They also vandalised a bus in the area in the night.
Three people who sustained bullet injuries—Shahrier Babu, Harun-or-Rashid and Tanvir-- were taken to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital. Of them, Tanvir was shifted to Dhaka for better treatment.
Read: 2 killed, 15 injured in clash between AL and BNP supporters
UNO Munibur Rahman said, “Some 15-20 people identifying themselves as Chattra League members entered the house. Later, some 60-70 people also entered the complex and went up to the first floor of the upazila complex building. They also tried to attack me but the Ansar members saved me."
Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah told the media, "The city corporation staffers went there to perform their duties but the Ansar members attacked them.” He has demanded a probe into the clash.
Police complaint filed against Prof Asif Nazrul over controversial Facebook post
A police complaint has been filed against Dhaka University Prof Asif Nazrul over his controversial Facebook post hinting at a Kabul airport-like situation in Bangladesh "if fair elections are held".
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the students' wing of the ruling Awami League, filed the complaint at the Shahbagh police station on Wednesday night, said acting officer-in-charge Moudud Howlader.
Read:National Mourning Day observed at DU
"His remarks have tarnished the country's image," as per the complaint.
Police on Thursday claimed to have received the complaint from BCL's human resource development secretary Md Nahid Hasan Shahin, but said that no FIR was filed in connection with the general diary entry.
“The complaint has been accepted as a general diary entry. As the allegation pertains to cyber security, we will take further steps only after consultation with the detective branch of the cyber unit," Moudud said.
Read RNPP contractor Asif Hossain secures HC bail
In his Facebook post on 17 August, the law professor wrote: "The scenario of Kabul Airport could also take place in Bangladesh as well, if fair elections were held here."
Enraged by the Facebook post, BCL on Wednesday even locked his office at the university’s law department.
Looking back at Zahir Raihan, the legend
Thursday marks the 86th birth anniversary of the legendary filmmaker and freedom fighter Zahir Raihan, best remembered for capturing the 1971 Liberation War on celluloid.
Born as Mohammad Zahirullah on August 19, 1935, in Majupur village of the then Feni mahakuma in Noakhali district, Raihan initially studied at Calcutta Alia Madrasah in India, where his father was a professor.
After the Partition of India in 1947, his family moved back to his ancestral village in Feni. Three years later, he successfully completed matriculation from Amirabad High School. And that year only, he started working as a journalist for Juger Alo.
Read:Remembering Zahir Raihan
Although he joined medical college after completing his intermediate examination from Dhaka College in 1953, Raihan eventually dropped out. However, he later obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bangla from Dhaka University in 1958.
After Juger Alo, he had worked with many other newspapers, namely Khapchhara, Jantrik, and Cinema. He also served as the editor of Probaho in 1956. His first collection of short stories ‘Suryagrahan’ was published in 1955. He was also one of the publishers of English Weekly Express.
Raihan went back to Calcutta (now Kolkata) and joined Pramatesh Burua Memorial Photography School in 1952 to learn photography. His career in the film industry began with the film ‘Jago Huye Savera’ in 1957, where he worked as an assistant director.
As the assistant director, he had also worked with director Salahuddin in the film ‘Je Nodi Morupothay’ and Ehtesham in ‘Ei Desh Tomar Amar’. His first directorial venture ‘Kokhono Asheni’ was released in 1961.
After that, Raihan successfully launched two of his revolutionary attempts as a director in 1964 by making the movie ‘Sangam’, Pakistan’s first-ever coloured film, and ‘Bahana’, Pakistan’s first cinemascope Urdu film.
He was gradually becoming more and more successful during that time as a director with back-to-back hits such as ‘Sonar Kajol’ (1962, jointly directed with Kolim Sharafi), ‘Kancher Deyal’ (1963), ‘Behula’ (1966), ‘Anowara’ (1966) and ‘Agun Niye Khela’ (1967).
Read:Remembering natyacharya Selim Al Deen
Through his movies, he had launched several prominent artistes, most notably Nayak Raj Razzak and Babita, and worked frequently with prominent actor-directors Amzad Hossain and Khan Ataur Rahman.
As the nation's political situation was getting chaotic more than ever during the time, Raihan was continuously feeling the zeal to break every shackle imposed by then Pakistani rulers. He actively participated in the 1952 Language Movement and 1969’s Mass Uprising.
At that time, Raihan felt the urgency of making a film based on both of these remarkable movements, and thus made his legendary film ‘Jeebon Theke Neya’ in 1970, considered an example of ‘National Cinema’, using discrete local traditions to build a representation of the Bangladeshi national identity. The classic is considered a milestone in Bangladeshi cinema.
During the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, Raihan began creating English documentary films on the subject, including ‘Let There Be Light’, which he could not finish because of the break out of the war. After the historic 25th March of 1971, he went to Calcutta and made his acclaimed documentary ‘Stop Genocide’, highlighting the massacre orchestrated by the Pakistani Army.
There he also showed his film ‘Jeebon Theke Neya’, which was highly acclaimed by legendary filmmakers, including Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha. Despite his financial hardships at the time, he donated all the proceeds from the Calcutta event to the Freedom Fighters Trust.
In his short-spanned career as a writer, Raihan was successful in narrating some of the most prolific and true-to-life stories ever published in Bangladeshi literature, through his books -- Shesh Bikeler Meye, Arek Phalgun, Trishna, Borof Gola Nodi and most notably, Hajar Bochhor Dhore.
Read: Rock legend Ayub Bachchu’s 59th birth anniversary Monday
Raihan had been married twice, to Sumita Devi in 1961 and Shuchonda in 1968, both popular film actresses. With Sumita, he had two sons named Bipul Raihan and Anol Raihan. With Shuchonda, he also had two sons named Opu Raihan and Topu Raihan.
On January 30, 1972, Raihan went missing while attempting to locate his brother, Shahidullah Kaiser, a well-known writer who was abducted and killed by the Pakistani Army and its local collaborators. Raihan is believed to have been killed by armed Bihari collaborators and the Pakistani Army hiding who had opened fire on them while they were travelling towards Mirpur in Dhaka.
For his excellence in filmmaking as a valiant patriot, Raihan was posthumously awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award (1972), Ekushey Padak (1977), Independence Day Award (1992) and Bangladesh National Film Awards (2005).
Global Covid cases top 209 million
The global Covid-19 caseload has now surged past 209 million as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries even with mass inoculations underway.
The total caseload and fatalities stand at 209,222,017 and 4,392,130 respectively, as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 4,787,668, 861 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
Read:'India likely to have Covid shot for children by September'
More than 4.4 million Covid cases and 66,000 deaths were reported worldwide in the past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday.
The number of new infections in seven days surpassed last week's number by 2%, while the mortality rate was roughly flat, the UN agency added.
A total of 4,444,632 people were infected with Covid-19 across the world and 66,506 patients died from August 9 to 15.
As of August 18, some 208,833,116 coronavirus cases had been recorded in nearly 200 countries. Since the start of the pandemic, the Covid-19 death toll has reached 4,386,814.
So far, the US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases and fatalities.
The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 37,148,877 Covid cases. Besides, 624,209 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Read:Over 4.4 million Covid cases reported worldwide in one week
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States, and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
The country has recorded 20,457,897 cases with 571,662 fatalities so far, according to the health ministry.
The third worst-hit country, India's Covid-19 tally rose to 32,285,857 on Wednesday, as 35,178 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, according to the federal health ministry.
Besides, as many as 440 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 432,519.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 172 more coronavirus-related deaths and 7,248 fresh infections in 24 hours till Wednesday morning as concerns remain over the virulent Delta variant of the virus.
The country has been seeing fatalities below 200 for the last six days, a slight improvement from the July 25-August 13 period when daily deaths were recorded over 200.
Read: Bangladesh reports 172 more Covid deaths, 7,248 fresh cases
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 24,719 and the cases to 1,440,644, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
The new cases were detected after testing 41,014 samples, which lowered the case positivity rate to 17.67 % from Tuesday’s 19.18%, still much higher than the WHO recommendation of bringing it below 5%.
Meanwhile, the case fatality rate has increased to 1.72% after staying unchanged at 1.71% for some days.
Dhaka-Narayanganj rail services to resume after 2 months
The railway services on Dhaka-Narayanganj route, suspended almost 2 months ago, will resume from Thursday, railway officials said.
Railway workers have been busy repairing the Dhaka-Narayanganj railway line in Isdair Bazar area since last Tuesday.
Demu (Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit) trains were seen running without passengers on this route several times on Wednesday.
Narayanganj station master Kamrul Islam Khan said the train service on the Dhaka-Narayanganj route will resume from Thursday.
“Instead of 16 pairs of trains, 10 pairs including 4 pairs in the morning and 4 pairs in the afternoon would carry passengers.”
Preparations have been made accordingly. To see whether the path was navigable the trial was being given by Demu train, he added.
Passengers could reach Dhaka from Narayanganj and from Narayanganj to Dhaka in 45 minutes with a fare of only Tk 15. Whereas it takes almost one hours and Tk 36 when travelling by bus.
This made the railway service popular on this route.
The service on this route has been closed since June 22 due to the increasing Covid-19 infection rate.