Bangladesh
Bangladesh sees another Covid death, 278 cases
Bangladesh reported one more Covid-linked death and 278 cases in 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total fatalities rose to 29,331 and caseload to 2,014,355, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: Bangladesh sees one more Covid death, 388 cases
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 8.34 percent from Thursday's 7.40 percent as 3,334 samples were tested.
The deceased was a man from Dhaka division.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent while the recovery rate at 97.22 percent.
Read: Bangladesh sees 333 more Covid cases, zero death
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.
Dengue: 145 more hospitalised in 24hrs
Another 145 dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till Friday morning.
Of them, 140 were admitted to different hospitals of Dhaka and five outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
A total of 993 dengue patients, including 770 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
Read: Dengue claims five more lives in 24 hrs, 284 others hospitalised
This year's death toll from the mosquito-borne viral disease rose to 31 on Tuesday with five more deaths reported from Dhaka, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar districts.
Of the deceased, 15 were from Cox's Bazar, 13 from Dhaka, two from Barishal and another from Chattogram.
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
This year, the directorate has recorded 8,096 dengue cases and 7,132 recoveries so far.
Akbar Ali Khan laid to rest
Former advisor to the caretaker government and economist Dr Akbar Ali Khan was laid to rest at the city's Martyred Intellectual graveyard in Mirpur this afternoon (September 9, 2022).
His Namaz-e-janaza was held at Azad Mosque in Gulshan after Jumma prayer. After the Janaza, he was given a guard of honor by the district administration in the mosque premises.
Planning Minister MA Mannan, Cabinet Secretary Khandkar Anwarul Islam, Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) Founder and Trustee Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury and former NBR Chairman Badiur Rahman took part in his janaza among others.
Earlier in the day, the body of Akbar Ali Khan was taken to his residence in Gulshan where his relatives, prominent personalities and cross section of people paid their last respect.
Akbar Ali passed away in Dhaka last night following a prolonged illness. He was 78.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman and different organisations including Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and Bangladesh Economic Association expressed shock and deep sorrow at his death.
Read: Dr. Akbar Ali Khan: A farewell to the Professor of integrity
IU student found dead in Meherpur
A female student of Islamic University (IU) was found dead at her parents-in-law's residence in the Kathuli Mor area of Meherpur's Gangni upazila on Thursday night.
The deceased was identified as Tasnim Jahan Urmi, a fourth-year student of the folklore studies department of IU.
Read: Islamic University student dies of cardiac arrest
According to the woman's father, Tasnim got married to Ashrafuzzaman Prince more than four years ago. But her husband, a drug addict, often used to torture her.
Neighbours found Tasnim’s body hanging from the ceiling of her room around 10pm.
Later, she was taken to Gangni Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared her dead on arrival, said Abdur Razzaque, officer-in-charge of Gangni police station.
Golam Kibriya, Tasnim’s father, said that Prince’s father informed him about her death on Thursday night. "He told us that my daughter was taken to the health complex as she fell sick."
Read: Islamic University invites foreign students for 2021-22 Session
"He told us that my daughter ended her life at the medical facility. We found several injury marks on her body that proved that she was toutured to death," he said.
“The body has been sent for an autopsy," said OC Abdur. "Prince is on the run. Legal action will be taken against him if he's involved in any foul play," he added.
Mild heatwave sweeps Bangladesh
A mild heatwave is sweeping through Bangladesh and it may continue, the weather department said on Friday morning.
“A mild heatwave is sweeping through the districts of Faridpur, Sirajgong, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Chandpur, Feni, Satkhira, Jashore, Chuadanga, Kushtia and Bhola, and it may continue, “ Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said in a bulletin.
Read: Rains likely to quell heat in Bangladesh
Besides, light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds and lightning flashes are likely to occur at many places over Barishal, Chattogram and Khulna divisions and at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at isolated places over the country.
Day temperature may rise slightly over the northern part of the country and it may remain nearly unchanged elsewhere over the country. Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, the department said.
Read: Mild heat wave sweeps parts of country
The maximum temperature was recorded at 36.6 degrees Celsius in Tarash upazila of Rajshahi in 24 hours till Friday morning.
When Queen Elizabeth II came to Bangladesh
Britain’s now-late Queen Elizabeth II visited Bangladesh on November 14, 1983. Prior to that, in 1961, she came to Dhaka, which was then the capital of east Pakistan.
In November 1983, the queen accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, attended a low-key ceremony led by the country’s then military president Hussain Muhammad Ershad, as reported by UPI.
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband were taken by a motorcade to the State Guest House where they last stayed in 1961.
Also read: Bangladesh declares 3 days of mourning for Queen
The royal couple stayed in Bangladesh from November 14 to 17, 1983, before leaving for New Delhi, India, where the queen opened the Commonwealth Summit.
The then military government of Bangladesh had spent $2 million on giving Dhaka a facelift for the queen’s visit despite World Bank calling Bangladesh the third poorest country in the world back then.
Colourful posters of Queen Elizabeth II, banners reading “Long live Bangladesh-United Kingdom friendship” and Union Jack flags lined the 18-mile route from the airport.
Among the highlights of Queen Elizabeth’s Bangladesh trip was a visit to the National Memorial, where she laid a wreath to honour those martyred during the Liberation War of 1971.
Also read: PM Hasina mourns death of Queen Elizabeth-II
The queen travelled by train to visit a “model village” – 35 miles south of the capital Dhaka – and watched how rice is turned into “muri”, handicrafts, including quilts and pottery.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited Save the Children centre in Dhaka and met beneficiaries. Bangladesh Railway presented Her Majesty a wooden plaque with metal relief and a scrolling leaf border.
PM Hasina mourns death of Queen Elizabeth-II
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed profound shock and grief at the death of the Queen Elizabeth-II.
She wrote a letter on Thursday to convey condolence to her UK counterpart Elizabeth Truss MP, said a PMO press release on Friday.
The Bangladesh premier wrote, ‘I, on behalf of the Government and the people of Bangladesh, and on my behalf, convey to you the most profound shock and grief, and through you, our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the people of the United Kingdom at the sudden passing away of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth The Second."
"Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved Royal family members and the mourning people of the United Kingdom as we pray for the eternal peace and salvation of Her Majesty’s departed soul," said Hasina.
Also read: Bangladesh declares 3 days of mourning for Queen
She mentioned that Her Majesty the Queen was not only the pillar and strength of the 2.5 billion Commonwealth people but also an epitome of grace, dignity, wisdom, and service. She wrote, "As the most legendary and longest reigning Monarch in the world’s contemporary history, Her Majesty set the highest standards of duty, service, and sacrifice and left an unmatchable legacy of dedication to her countless people around the world."
The Bangladesh PM reinforced that Her Majesty will remain a tremendous source of inspiration, courage, and strength for our nationals, who will be recalled with great reverence for her two historic royal visits to the home of the Bengali people.
She said, "The memoirs between Her Majesty and our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the UK and two Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings in Ottawa and Kingston will remain everlasting. I greatly admire our last personal interactions at the 2018 CHOGM in London."
She mentioned that Her Majesty’s most passionate message of felicitation extended to the people of Bangladesh on the Golden Jubilee of our independence - ‘We share ties of friendship and affection, which remain the foundation of our partnership and are as important today as fifty years ago.’ - shall be carried forward heart to heart over and over again while nourishing the relations between the two Commonwealth Nations.
Also read: Key milestones in Queen Elizabeth II’s life
"With her saddest demise, the people of Bangladesh and I, personally, have not only lost a most trusted friend but also a true guardian," she added.
Sheikh Hasina offered her prayers for bequeathing courage and fortitude to the members of the Royal family and the people of the United Kingdom, the realms, and the Commonwealth to withstand this irreparable loss.
Bangladesh declares 3 days of mourning for Queen
Bangladesh on Friday declared three days of national mourning in memory of British Queen Elizabeth II who died on Thursday after 70 years on the throne.
From September 9 to September 11, the national flag will be kept at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous organisations, educational institutions, non-government buildings and Bangladesh missions abroad, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet division.
Special prayers for the departed soul will also be arranged, as per the notification.
Also read: Queen Elizabeth II: Britain's longest reigning monarch, no more
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch died on Thursday afternoon at the age of 96.
The Buckingham Palace announced that she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, in the presence of members of the Royal Family.
Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’
Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone on Friday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 101 at 9.10am, the metropolis ranked 10th in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and South Africa’s Johannesburg occupied the top three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 181, 159 and 141, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Also read: Dhaka’s air quality turns ‘unhealthy’ again
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.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Also read: Dhaka’s air quality turns ‘moderate’
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon.
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
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 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 top 612 million
The overall number of global Covid cases has now crossed 612 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world.
According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 612,521,932 while the death toll reached 6,512,972 on Friday morning.
The US has recorded 96,959,165cases so far and 1,074,787people have died from the virus in the country, both highest counts around the world.
Also read: Bangladesh sees one more Covid death, 388 cases
India recorded 3,775 new Covid-19 infections in 24 hours, taking the total tally to 44,482,411, official data showed on Thursday.
According to federal health ministry data released on Thursday morning, with the fresh cases, India's active caseload currently stands at 54,117.
The country also logged 33 Covid-related deaths in 24 hours, bringing the overall toll to 528,090, the ministry said.
Covid in Bangladesh
Also read: Global Covid cases near 612 million
Bangladesh reported one more Covid-linked death and 388 cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total fatalities rose to 29,330 and caseload to 2,014,077, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 7.40 percent from Wednesday's 6.94 percent as 5,241 samples were tested.
The deceased was a woman from Dhaka division.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent while the recovery rate dropped to 97.22 percent.