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Bangladesh to be turned into a global aviation hub: Hasina
Highlighting the potential of Cox’s Bazar, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government wants to turn Bangladesh into a global aviation hub that will help accelerate the country’s current economic march forward.
“Considering Bangladesh’s geographical position, we want to make the country the centre of global aviation so that our country is greatly benefited economically,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating the groundbreaking activities of the extension of Cox’s Bazar Airport runway.
She joined the programme from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Given the perspective of the aviation industry, Hasina said, the position of Cox’s Bazar is very significant.
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PM inaugurates work on Cox's Bazar Airport’s runway upgradation
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday unveiled the foundation stone of the runway extension project of Cox's Bazar Airport, aiming to enable it to offer a longer range of domestic and international passenger services.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the construction work on the maritime runway, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Read: Cox's Bazar Airport set to get a spectacular maritime runway
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) has taken the Tk 1,568.86 crore project to construct the country’s longest runway by extending the existing 9,000-foot runway by another 1,700 on the Bay of Bengal by reclaiming land from the sea.
Covid-19: Global cases near 216 million
The global Covid-19 caseload is fast nearing 216 million as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries.
The total caseload and fatalities from the virus stand at 215,926,290 and 4,493, 941 respectively, as of Sunday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 5,167,787,650 Covid vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
Read: How Long Will Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccination Protection Last?
The US has logged 38,756,333 cases and 637,241 deaths to date, according to the JHU data.
The death toll in the United States is the highest in the world.
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 20,728,605 cases with 579,010 fatalities so far, according to the health ministry.
The third worst-hit country, India's Covid-19 tally rose to 32,649, 947 on Saturday while the death toll from the virus mounted to 437,370.
Situation in Bangladesh
The single-day Covid death toll in Bangladesh fell below 100 for the first time in more than two months with 80 more people perishing in the last 24 hours till Saturday morning.
Read: Covid fatalities shrink below 100 after 2 months
During the same period 3,436 people tested positive for the deadly virus, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
The country reported 77 Covid fatalities on June 26 and the highest 264 on August 5 and 10. The highest number of infections was logged at 16,230 infections on July 28.
Since the start of the Covid pandemic in March last year, Bangladesh has recorded 14,89,589 infections and 25,926 deaths, according to the DGHS.
Derailment: Dhaka-Chattogram rail link resumes after 7 hrs
Rail communication between Dhaka and Chattogram, which remained suspended for seven hours following the derailment of a train bogie on a level crossing near Paduar Bazar Biswa Road rail overpass in Cumilla, was restored on Sunday morning.
Ismail Hossain Siraji, in-charge of Cumilla Railway Police camp, said a bogie of the Chattogram-bound train veered off the tracks around 2 am after collision with a mini truck while it was passing the level crossing, disrupting the rail communication on the route.
However, no causality was reported.
The rail communication resumed around 9:20 am with the movement of Chattogram-bound Bijoy Express.
Liakat Ali Majumdar, assistant engineer of Cumilla Railway Division, said the rest of the bogies were sent to Cumilla Railway Station and Laksham Junction.
Read: Train derailed in Gazipur, disrupts rail communication
A relief train from Laksham Junction rushed to the spot and conducted salvage operation.
Read: Derailment halts Kushita-Rajbari train services
Meanwhile, the railway authorities have formed a 4-member body, headed by Snehashish Das Gupta, Transport officer of Chattogram East Railway Division, to probe the incident.
The committee has been asked to submit its report within Sunday(today).
Ekushey Padak winning writer Bulbul Chowdhury passes away
Bulbul Chowdhury, noted fiction writer and Ekushey Padak-winner for his contribution in country's literary arena, passed away on Saturday evening.
Accroding to his son AR Rafi Chowdhury, the author breathed his last at the age of 73 in his residence on Pyari Das Road in the capital at 5:50 pm on Saturday. He was suffering from cancer.
His first namaz-e-janaza will be held at Shingtola Mosque at 9 am on Sunday, according to his family. Then his body will be taken to the Bangla Academy premise.
Born on August 16, 1948, at Dakshinbag in Gazipur, Bulbul Chowdhury is known for his contribution to Bangla literature. Alongside the Ekushey Padak, the writer has also received the Bangla Academy Literary Award, the Humayun Qadir Smriti Purashkar, and the Jasimuddin Smriti Purashkar, to name a few.
Tuka Kahini, Machher Raat, Aparup Bil Jhil Nodi, Tiyaser Lekhon, Jibaner Ankibunki, Atoler Kathakatha, Prachin Gitikar Golpo, are some of his popular fictional works.
Bulbul Chowdhury is survived by his wife and three sons.
Sheikh Abdul Hakim, 'Masud Rana' ghostwriter, passes away
Sheikh Abdul Hakim, ghostwriter of the popular spy thriller series 'Masud Rana', has passed away at the age of 75, after losing his long battle with bronchitis.
The noted writer breathed his last at his Madartek residence in the capital at around 1pm on Saturday, according to his family sources. He suffered from chronic asthma and was hospitalized a few days ago.
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His first Namaz-e-janaza was held at the Nandipara Mosque in Madartek after the Maghrib prayer. He was then buried at the Nandipara Graveyard, according to his daughter Apala Hakim.
Sheikh Abdul Hakim was born in 1948 in Hugli, West Bengal. He moved to the then East Pakistan (Bangladesh) with his family in 1952.
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During the 60's, he joined the famous publishing house 'Sheba Prakashani' as a professional writer. He has also served as the Assistant Editor office 'Rahashya Patrika', a monthly magazine published from the Sheba Prakashani.
Throughout his career, he has written 271 books of the massively popular 'Masud Rana' series, as its ghostwriter. He also wrote approximately 50 books of the 'Kuasha' series, another popular fiction line-up in the country.
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Last year, he filed a lawsuit against noted writer-publisher Qazi Anwar Hussain, claiming the copyright of 260 books of the 'Masud Rana' series. Although the copyright office approved his claim, Qazi Anwar Hussain later filed another lawsuit at the High Court against the decision and the case is currently ongoing.
Apart from being a ghostwriter, Sheikh Abdul Hakim has also translated popular English books into Bengali, most notably the Dan Brown series and 'The Godfather' series, written by Mario Puzo.
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Flood situation likely to deteriorate as Jamuna, Brahmaputra keep rising
The water levels in the Jamuna and Brahmaputra rivers will keep rising in the next 48 hours(if not more) which will result in further deterioration of the flood situation in the country.
According to the latest alert of Flood Forecasting Warning Centre (FFWC) of Bangladesh Water Development Board published on Saturday, the situation will continue to worsen to worsen further in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Tangail, Sirajganj, Pabna, Bogura , Manikganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Shariatpur and Chandpur districts.
According to the BFFWC forecast, the water in different rivers was flowing above their danger levels at 14 points out of 109 stations.
Of them, Dudhkumar river in Pateshwari is flowing 15 cm above danger level while Dharla in Kurigram and Brahmaputra in Chilmari is flowing 32 and 20 cm above danger level respectively .
Besides, Jamuna is flowing 2 cm, 22 cm, 17 cm, 26 cm, 2 cm and 1 cm respectively at Bahadurabad ,Sariakandi Kazipur, Sirajganj, Mathura and Aricha points.
Safwan Sobhan receives AsiaOne Magazine's 'Asia's Greatest Leader' award
Bashundhara Group Vice-Chairman Safwan Sobhan has been honoured with the "Asia's Greatest Leader 2020-21" award for his "outstanding contribution to the industry and society."
The award was given to Safwan at AsiaOne Magazine's 14th edition of "Asia Africa Business and Social Forum: Awards & Business E-Summit" held virtually Friday.
The Bashundhara Group vice-chairman won the award for the second time in a row. He was honoured with the "AsiaOne Global Asian of the Year 2019-20" award last year.
"The award is for those exclusive, exceptional and extraordinary people who have not only worked to place their brands globally but also embossed Asia on the world map. These extraordinary people have a generation looking up to them, aspiring to reach the excellence they are at," according to the organisers.
The one-day mega E-Summit was joined by esteemed dignitaries from different Asian, Middle East and African countries. Key leaders from business and government sectors meet at the event to facilitate fresher avenues of economic cooperation, networking and investment opportunities in Asia, Gulf and Africa.
Through the 14th edition of Asia Africa Business & Social Forum 2021, the organisers highlighted the social and economic progress Asia, Middle East and Africa have made and discussed various socio-economic challenges that exist in the regions and ways to overcome them.
Uncle rapes sixth grader in Savar
A sixth-grader of a local school has been allegedly raped by her own uncle in Sadhapur of Savar.
The perpetrator has been identified as Russel Mia, 25.
According to family sources, Russel abused her multiple times for several days from August 5.
On Saturday, the family members came to know about the crime that happened right under their nose when the victim fell severely ill.
She has been taken to the One Stop Crisis Center of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
A case has been filed against Russel at Savar Model Police Station over the incident under the Women and Child Abuse Prevention Act.
He is currently absconding, confirmed sources within the law enforcement agency.
In an unrelated event, a youth was accused of raping a garment worker in Imandipur area of Savar
A case has been filed against him at Savar Model Police Station. He is also on the run.
Officer-in charge of Savar Model Police Station, Kamal Hossain said that efforts are being made to arrest the accused as soon as possible.
Indonesian envoy pays farewell call on President Hamid
Outgoing Indonesian ambassador to Bangladesh Rina P. Soemarno on Saturday paid a farewell call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.
The President thanked the outgoing ambassador for successful discharge of his duties while during his tenure in Bangladesh, president's press secretary Joynal Abedin told reporters after the meeting.
The President said the visit of the President of Indonesia to Bangladesh in 2016 and the visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to Indonesia the same year opened a new chapter in the bilateral relations.
He hoped that good relations between the two friendly countries will have a positive impact on bilateral trade and investment.
Referring to Indonesia as one of the countries that recognized Bangladesh soon after independence, the President said both countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations the next year.
The joint celebration would take the existing relations between the two countries to a new height, he also said.
The outgoing envoy thanked the President for his cooperation during his tenure in Bangladesh.
Secretary to the President Sampad Barua, Military Secretary to the President Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam and Secretary (attachment) Wahidul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.