The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has completed removing sacrificial animals' waste at 75 wards.

Total 14,921 metric tons of waste have been removed and transferred in three days, said Abu Naser, public relations officer of DSCC.

On the third day of Eid-ul-Azha, the waste of sacrificial animals in 75 wards of DSCC has been completely removed by 8:45 pm.

A total of 4,808 trips were made in three days to remove the waste and transfer them to the landfill at Matuail.

In the first two days, 11,198MT waste was removed through 3,391 trips and on the third day of Eid, 3,723MT of sacrificial animal waste was removed and transferred.

A mild heat wave is sweeping over parts of the country including Dhaka, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said Monday.

Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Mymensingh divisions and the regions of Sandwip, Sitakundu, Rangamati, Feni, Chandpur, M Court are being affected by the heat wave, the Met Office said.

“It may continue,” the weather bulletin said.

The axis of monsoon trough runs through Panjab, Hariyana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. One of its associated troughs extends up to the North Bay, according to the Met Office.

Monsoon is fairly active over the southern part of Bangladesh and less active elsewhere over Bangladesh and moderate over the North Bay.

In a 24-hour forecast, the Met Office said light to moderate rain or thunder showers, accompanied by temporary gusty wind, is likely to occur at many places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at a few places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country in next 24 hours commencing from 6pm today.

The day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

Today’s highest temperature 38.2 degrees Celsius was recorded at Jashore while the lowest 26C at Kutubdia and Rangamati.

Besides, highest 55mm rainfall was recorded at Kutubdia.

Salma Chowdhury Ruma, a member of parliament of Rajbari reserved women’s seat,  who tested positive for coronavirus, was flown to Dhaka from Rajbari on Monday by a helicopter of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).

Salma was flown on an emergency basis to Dhaka by a MI-171SH helicopter of the BAF.

Later, she was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment.

The BAF has been providing emergency air transport and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) assistance in aid to civil power to tackle coronavirus and continue various activities to affirm its commitment to meet all emergency needs in a professional manner, said  Inter Service Public Releation (ISPR) press release.

In line with this, Chief of Air Staff of the BAF provided necessary guidance to carry out the medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) mission.

Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi on Monday said the government is working to ensure that the farmers get the fair price for their produced jute.

The minister said this at a views exchange meeting on the activities of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute and its subordinate departments at his office after the Eid-ul-Azha holiday.

He said the incumbent government is trying to solve all problems in the jute sector. It is also trying to ensure fair pricing, SMS-based jute buying and selling system, increasing production and diversifying jute products, incentives for export of jute goods and increasing domestic use.

The government will also provide all possible assistance for the expansion of jute industry besides motivating farmers considering the demand in the domestic and international markets, he said.

The minister said that in view of the present market and future prospects of diversified jute products, the government is working to re-open the closed mills under the BJMC on an urgent basis by modernising and restructuring the production system.

Country’s jute mills will be brought back to production as soon as possible through government-controlled public-private partnership (PPP), joint venture G2G or lease model. Two high-level committees have already been set up to make recommendations on modernisation and reactivation of mills in a proper manner and rationalisation in light of the changed situation of BJMC’s manpower structure, he said.

He said all the relevant provisions of the Labor Act have been followed while declaring termination of employment of workers and closure of jute mills.

As the employment of the workers has been terminated from July 1, according to the provisions of the Labor Act, they have no claim or dues after the seventh day except for the wages of 60-day notice period, said the minister.

Gazi had announced closure of 25 mills under BJMC on June 28. All workers were released with ‘golden handshakes’.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday said that although there has been a slight increase in the number coronavirus cases, the country’s health sector now has the capacity to tackle the situation.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is being lauded around the world for being able to significantly reduce Covid-19 mortality rate in a densely populated country like ours,” he said.

The health minister made the remarks at a media briefing after resuming office following the Eid-ul-Azha holiday at the Health Ministry's meeting room at the Secretariat.

Europe and America are being criticised all over the world. Even neighbouring India is struggling to cope with coronavirus. In India, about 50,000 people are infected every day and the country also reported many deaths, he said.

“The mortality rate in our country is now 1.31 percent. On the other hand, the rate of infection is decreasing day by day,” the minister added.

‘Trying to securing vaccine’

Regarding the availability of coronavirus vaccine, he said, “Some countries are in the third stage of the coronavirus vaccine test. The government is working to ensure that Bangladesh will get the vaccine on a priority basis. ”

The death tally from coronavirus in Bangladesh reached 3,184 on Monday with the death of 30 more patients in the last 24 hours.

Besides, 1,356 new cases were detected during the period after testing only 4,249 samples, bringing the total cases to 2,42,102.

Bangladesh reported its coronavirus cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18.

Coronavirus cases were first reported in China in December last year. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic in March.

The number of globally confirmed cases stood at 18,093,891 as of Monday, according to the Johns Hopkins University. So far, 689,625 deaths have been reported.

The US has the highest number of officially confirmed cases, followed by Brazil and India.