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Ghumdhum resident injured as Myanmarese landmine explodes along border
An indigenous youth was injured in a landmine explosion along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban on Friday noon.
It again raises the question of whether the Myanmar army is carrying out its operations against the Arakan Army insurgents of Rakhine State too close to, or even in some cases across the international border.
The injured is Anganthowai Tanchangya, 22, a resident of Ghumdhum union of the upazila.
Locals said it is the Myanmarese army that has mined the area. This particular one exploded near Tombru border when the youth went there to bring back his cow.
Read: Rohingya man killed in Myanmar landmine blast near Bandarban Border
Ghumdhum Union Parishad Chairman AKM Jahangir Aziz said Anganthowai has lost his left foot in the explosion.
He was rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital and then to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) where he is currently undergoing treatment in a critical condition, Chairman Aziz added.
Bangladesh eager to take part in vaccine research & development: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, here on an official visit, on Friday invited the UK businesses to avail of the investment opportunities in Bangladesh. She made the call while Lord Karan Bilimoria of Chelsea, also President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), called on her at her place of residence. Lord Bilimoria briefed the prime minister about his work in support of the UK’s curry industry.
Read: UK Awami League greets PM Hasina in London According to a press release, the premier flagged her government’s efforts to promote vaccine development research and Bangladesh’s readiness to partner with international institutes or businesses with interest in the matter. Lord Bilimoria commended the PM for her leadership in upholding Bangladesh’s founding principles and sustained economic development. He is the first South Asian of Parsi background to sit in the UK’s House of Lords. Prime Minister Hasina paid tribute to the contributions of Lord Bilimoria’s late father General Faridoon Bilimoria of the Indian army during Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971. She recalled the sacrifices made by many from the Indian armed services for the cause of Bangladesh’s independence. She also mentioned her efforts to honour the memory of the Indian martyrs by introducing a scholarship for their descendants during her visit to India earlier this month. Lord Bilimoria expressed interest in forging higher education partnership with Bangladesh in his capacity as the Chancellor of Birmingham University.
Read: PM lands in London to attend Queen’s funeral, will leave for NY on Sep 19 He invited the Hasina to the University to speak on a topic of her choosing. The Bangladesh PM briefed the Lord about the growing start-up scene in Bangladesh, and the work done under the auspices of ‘Digital Bangladesh’. Bilimoria expressed interest in exploring the opportunities for future possible partnerships. They both mourned the demise of Queen Elizabeth II and paid tribute to the late monarch’s extraordinary life of service and dedication. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Senior Secretary at Prime Minister’s Office Mohammed Tofazzel Hossain Miah, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem were present at the meeting.
Covid-19 claims two more lives in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported two more Covid-linked death and 363 new cases in 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total fatalities rose to 29,339 and caseload to 2,016,946, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 10.87 from Thursday’s 8.91 percent as 3,340 samples were tested.
The latest deceased were a man and a woman from the Dhaka division.
Read: Global Covid cases near 616 million
The mortality rate and the recovery rate remained unchanged at 1.45 percent and 97.18 percent, respectively.
In August, the country reported 32 Covid-linked deaths and 6,689 cases.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Two more dengue patients die in 24hrs
Another Dengue patient died in 24 hours till Friday morning, raising this year’s death toll from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 42.
During this period, 164 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever as cases have continued to increase, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The latest deaths were reported from the Dhaka division.
With the new numbers, the dengue death toll in Dhaka division rose to 19, on Chattogram it remained unchanged at 19, and in Barishal division at four.
Read: Day 1 of Anti-dengue drive: DNCC realises over Tk 4 lakh in fines
Of the new patients, 138 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka and 26 outside it.
A total of 1,336 dengue patients, including 983 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
This year, the directorate has recorded 10,396 dengue cases and 9,018 recoveries so far.
Brace for more showers in 24 hours!
The weather department has predicted showers across Bangladesh in the next 24 hours, with monsoon being fairly active over the country and weak to moderate elsewhere over the north Bay.
“Light to moderate rains or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty winds and lighting flashes are likely to occur at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over the country,” the department said in its bulletin on Friday morning.
Read: Frequent rains, commute woes in Dhaka every morning
Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country.
The Met office recorded the highest 69mm of rainfall in Rajshahi in the last 24 hours till 6am on Friday.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, both the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded in Rajshahi at 33.7 degrees and at 23.7 degrees, respectively.
Meanwhile, the well-marked low pressure area over northwestern Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas lies over Uttar Pradesh and adjoining area.
Read: Khulna records 146 mm rainfall in 24 hrs, highest in 6 yrs
The axis of monsoon trough runs through Rajasthan, Haryana, the centre of the well-marked low, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across the northern part of Bangladesh.
One of its associated troughs extends up to the northwest Bay, as per the bulletin.
UK Awami League greets PM Hasina in London
The UK unit of Awami League greeted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday after she arrived here on an official visit.
The leaders and activists of local Awami League received the prime minister with a bouquet at her place of residence in London, said Ashequn Nabi Chowdhury, minister press at Bangladesh High Commission in London.
The prime minister is London to join the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Also read: PM lands in London to attend Queen’s funeral, will leave for NY on Sep 19
Besides attending a reception to be hosted by Britain’s new king for the world leaders, Hasina will receive some dignitaries who will call on her.
On September 16, Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland will pay a courtesy call on her at her place of residence.
Later, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK, Minister for South Asia, North Africa, the United Nations and the Commonwealth at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will also pay a courtesy call on her at the place of residence.
On September 17, Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party will pay a call on her at place of residence.
Sheikh Hasina will attend the reception King Charles will host for the presidents, prime ministers and monarchs from around the world at Buckingham Palace on September 18.
On September 19, she will attend the state funeral of the Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.
From London she will travel to New York to attend the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Dhaka's air quality remains 'moderate'
Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the 'moderate' zone on Friday.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 65 at 9.10am, the metropolis ranked 31st in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Also read: Dhaka's air quality remains 'moderate'
The United Arab Emirates' Dubai, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung and Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 156, 153 and 141, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Also read: Drizzle fails to clean Dhaka's air
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Global Covid cases near 616 million
The overall number of global Covid cases is now approaching 616 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world.
According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 615,980,393 while the death toll reached 6,525,394 on Friday morning.
The US has recorded 97,430,411cases so far and 1,078,018 people have died from the virus in the country, both highest counts around the world.
India recorded 3,226 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, taking the total tally to 44,519,705, showed the federal health ministry data released on Thursday.
With the reporting of fresh cases, India's active caseload currently stands at 49,615.
The country also logged 34 more Covid- related deaths in 24 hours, taking the total toll to 528,250 since the beginning of the pandemic, the health ministry said.
Covid in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported one more Covid-linked death and 438 new cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total fatalities rose to 29,337 and caseload to 2,016,583, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 8.91% from Wednesday’s 8.41% as 4,920 samples were tested.
The latest deceased was a man from Dhaka division.
The mortality rate declined to 1.45% and the recovery rate decreased to 97.18%.
BM Container Depot tragedy: 2 more bodies identified through DNA test
Three months after massive chemical blasts and fire at BM Container Depot in Chattogram's Sitakunda, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police has identified two more charred bodies of the victims through DNA tests.
A fire and subsequent blasts at BM Container Depot killed 51 people, including 10 firefighters, and injured more than 250 on June 4.
With the latest number, 39 out of the 51 bodies have been identified, Sumon Bonik, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda Police Station, said.
Thursday, the identities of Md Main Uddin, 23, of Noakhali's Hatia and Md Jewel Rana, 3, of Companiganj were confirmed through DNA tests. Their bodies were kept at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
Later, the bodies were handed over to the families.
However, 12 more unidentified bodies have still been kept at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Sumon said.
Posts of 32 leaders of new JCD committee suspended
Five days after the formation of a 302-member committee of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the posts of 32 members were suspended on Thursday night.
The posts have been suspended for the time being as different complaints were filed against the post holders, said a press release signed by JCD Office Secretary Jahangir Alam.
A final decision will be taken in this regard after further investigation, it added.
The leaders whose posts were suspended include vice-president Kazi Mohammad Elias; joint general secretaries Md Zahirul Islam, Md Yunuch Ali Rahul, Md Salahuddin, Akon Mamun, Khairul Alam Sujan, Marjuk Ahmed, Jewel Mridha, Saleh Md Adnan, Abul Kalam Azad, Md Sohrab Hossain Sujan; assistant general secretaries Abdullah Al Masud, Mainul Islam Sohan, Kazi Mohammad Rezaul Karim Raju, SM Faisal, Kamruzzaman Kamrul, Mir Imran Hossain Mithun, Bachirul Islam Rana, Azizul Haque Zion, Md Arifur Rahman Amin, Mizanur Rahman Mizan, Ferdous Hossain Faisal, Al Mamun, and Ariba Nishith.
The posts of assistant organising secretaries Al Amin, MA Rahim Sheikh, Shahidul Islam Nayan, Mamun Majumdar, Md Nazrul Islam Rahri; assistant law affairs secretary Waliullah, assistant library secretary Anisur Rahman Anis and assistant finance secretary Md Riyad Ahmed were also suspended.
On September 11, BNP approved the 302-member full committee of JCD under the leadership of its President Kazi Rawonkul Islam Shrabsan and General Secretary Saif Mahmud Jewel.