Bangladesh
Global Covid cases near 532 million
The overall number of Covid cases is fast approaching 532 million amid a rise in new infections in parts of the world.
According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 531,678,528 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,310,915 on Monday morning.
Also read: N. Korea moves to soften curbs amid doubts over COVID counts
The US has recorded 85,716,214 cases so far and 1,031,273 people have died from the virus in the country, the data shows.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 43,153,043 on Sunday, as 2,828 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, 14 deaths from the pandemic registered across the country since Saturday morning took the total death toll to 524,586.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh registered 40 new Covid cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning taking the country's total caseload to 1,953,447, health authorities said.
The country's total fatalities remained unchanged at 29,130 with no new Covid deaths reported during the period.
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The daily test positivity rate slightly dropped to 0.79 percent from Saturday's 0.83 percent as 5,093 samples were tested, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 percent. The recovery rate rose to 97.39 percent as 215 patients recovered during this period.
AQI: Dhaka tops list of most polluted cities again
Dhaka has again topped the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
The capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) score was recorded at 162 around 8am on Monday.
Also read: Dhaka's air quality deteriorates again
India’s Delhi and Nepal’s Kathmandu occupied the next two spots, with AQI scores of 156 and 155, 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.
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.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon.
A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out that the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka "are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites".
Also read: Dhaka's air still remains 'unhealthy'
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.
7 Rohingyas illegally entered from India held in Cox’s Bazar
Members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) on Sunday detained seven members of two families who took shelter in Lambashia refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar's Ukhiya who illegally entered from India.
The detainees were identified as Shajan,22, his wife Hamida Begum, 20, their son Ibrahim,3, Mohammad Tahir,33, his daughters Saima,5, and Ramina, 2, and Anwar Kalim,25.
Also Read: Rohingya girl held for faking identity at Ctg passport office
They were held from block F-14 of Lambashia Rohingya Camp-1 East on Saturday evening, said Naimul Haque, commander of APBn-14.
He said in primary questioning the detainees have accepted entering from India.
All the seven detainees have been transferred to the transit camp with the help of the Camp-In-Charge(CIC), said APBn commander Mainul Haque.
2 die as tractor plunges into roadside ditch in Manikganj
Two people died and another three were injured on Sunday as a tractor lost control and fell into a roadside ditch at Hatipara Bazar area in Manikganj Sadar upazila.
The deceased were identified as Aynal,35, and Miraz,32, from Basail upazila in Tangail, said Abdur Rauf, Officer-in-charge of Manikganj sadar police station.
Also Read: Truck driver killed in Lalmonirhat road crash
The accident occurred around 5:30 pm on Bartek-Beribadh regional road near Gonger Chawk as the tractor carrying electric poles fell into the ditch leaving two of the driver’s assistants dead on the spot.
The injured are currently admitted at Manikganj district hospital, said OC Abdur Rauf.
DGHS Drive: 116 unregistered hospitals sealed across the country
The local administrations of Faridpur, Bagerhat,Magura, Keraniganj, Thakurgaon, and Kurigram districts have shut at least 116 unregistered clinics, hospitals, and diagnostic centers following the directions of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)on Sunday.
Of them 42 were sealed in Sherpur, 26 in Faridpur, 25 in Bagerhat, 15 in Magura, five in Keraniganj, and three in Kurigram according to local authorities.
On Thursday, DGHS directed the authorities concerned to close all unregistered clinics, private hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country within 72 hours.
No clinic, private hospital and diagnostics center will be allowed to run their activities until they get a license, said the health authority.
A team of the health service division led by Faridpur district Civil Surgeon Dr Md Siddiqur Rahman shutted down 26 diagnostic centers and clinics at sadar upazila, Modhukhali upazila, Boalmari upazila, Saltha upazila, Nagarkanda upazila, Bhanga upazila and Sadarpur upazila. Another 15 hospitals have been warned, said the authority.
Also Read: DGHS drive: 37 unregistered hospitals sealed across the country
Bagerhat District administration sealed 25 illegal hospitals and fined a total of 35 hospitals with Tk 5.22 lakh while conducting a drive in the nine upazilas of the district.
Magura Civil Surgeon Dr Md Shahidullah told UNB they have closed 15 illegal clinics and diagnostic centers while conducting a drive at different places in the district and arrested a fake doctor.
Md Moshiur Rahman, Keraniganj upazila health and family planning officer said on the second day of the drive five clinics and diagnostic centers have been shut and four of them have been fined with Tk 2.55 lakh. Also a fake doctor has been sentenced with six month’s imprisonment, he said.
Kurigram Civil Surgeon Monjur Murshed said they have sealed three hospitals in the Kurigram municipal area during a drive against the unregistered clinics and diagnostic centers.
Govt names bridge connecting Shariatpur and Munshiganj as ‘Padma Bridge’
The government has named the multipurpose bridge constructed connecting Shariatpur and Munshiganj districts on the Padma river as Padma Bridge.
The Road Transport and Bridges Ministry on Sunday issued a gazette notification in this regard following the direction of President Abdul Hamid.
“The under-construction bridge over the Padma River under ‘Padma Multipurpose Bridge Construction Project’ implemented by Bangladesh Bridge Authority under the Bridge Department of the ministry connecting Mawa point of Munshiganj and Jajira point of Shariatpur has been named the Padma Bridge,” said the notice.
Also Read: Hasina to unveil Padma Bridge on June 25
The order issued in the public interest will be implemented immediately, it said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate Padma Bridge on June 25 this year.
According to the progress report of the project received last April, work on the bridge was 92% complete. At the time, the work of river management was 90.50% done. In addition, the carpeting work of the main bridge was 66% complete.
Laxmipur UP Chairman Salim Khan can’t extract sand from Meghna: SC
The Appellate Division on Sunday canceled the High Court judgement allowing Laxmipur UP Chairman Md Selim Khan to extract sand from the Meghna River in Chandpur.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order. Two other members of the bench are Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice M Enayetur Rahim.
Following the order, Selim Khan will no longer be able to extract sand in 21 mouzas on the banks of the Meghna in Chandpur, said Attorney General AM Amin Uddin, the state's chief legal officer.
Deputy Attorney General Kazi Mainul Hasan appeared for the state in the court while senior lawyer Ajmalul Hossain QC for Selim Khan.
In 2015, Selim Khan filed a writ petition seeking directions for sand extraction after conducting a hydrographic survey in Meghna river at his own expense in 21 mouzas of Chandpur and Haimchar upazila. The writ was filed mentioning to activate a route for water transport.
The High Court issued a rule on July 9 of the same year on the primary hearing of the writ petition.
Also Read: Modern launch terminal to be constructed in Chandpur
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Later, on 5 April 2018, the High Court disposed of the rule delivering verdict saying that there is sufficient sand and soil in the river of those mouzas and there is no obstacle to extract it.
No response (affidavit) was submitted to the court on behalf of the respondents (Land Secretary, Shipping Secretary, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) chairman, Chandpur deputy commissioner and hydrography department director) so that the matter (having sand) seemed credible.
The verdict directed the defendants, including Chandpur deputy commissioner, to allow sand extraction of 86.30 cubic meters (30.46 crore cubic feet) from the Meghna river in 21 mouzas.
In March this year, the state filed a leave to appeal to the Appellate Division seeking stay of the High Court order regarding sand extraction in Maghna.
According to the state's leave to appeal, the High Court did not realize that the hydrographic survey report is not the sole basis for extracting sand from a river under the Balumahal and Soil Management Law.
According to the Balumahal and Soil Management Law, whether there is any damage to the environment, landslides, diversion of river or canal water, government establishments (such as bridges, culverts, roads, ferry terminals, markets, tea gardens, river dams, etc.) and residential areas or not, Deputy Commissioner will take the opinion of the authorities concerned.
Besides, the deputy commissioner can send a proposal to the divisional commissioner to cancel the balumahal if there is not enough extractable sand, or if there is any possibility of harm of nature and ecology for sand or soil extraction or important government establishment, or public interests.
Leave to Appeal further said that no assessment has been made from Chandpur deputy commissioner office regarding sand extraction from Chandpur shoals. Even the mouzas mentioned in the writ have not been declared as Balummahal by the Divisional Commissioner.
Hydrographic surveys are used to identify or map where the soil is at the bottom of a river in a modern way. Hydrographic survey is to be done first to extract sand from shoals.
And so, the HC order to allow the Selim Khan to extract sand is null and void.
On April 4, the hearing of Leave to Appeal was held in the Appellate Division Chamber Judge's Court. On the same day, the judge of the chamber judge shifted the state's appeal to the regular bench of the Appellate Division suspending the HC verdict.
JCD leader sues 33 BCL men for 'attempted murder'
Some 33 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), including Central BCL vice-president Tilottama Sikder, have been sued on charges of theft and intended to commit murders.
Mansura Alam, a member of the convening committee of the Dhaka University Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), filed the case in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shanto Islam Mallik on Sunday.
Besides, 100 unnamed BCL leaders and activists have been accused in the case.
Also read: JCD have to repent for their statement to enter DU campus: Al Nahiyan Khan Joy
The court accepted the plaintiff's statement and directed the officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahbagh police station to submit a report on June 26 after investigating the allegations in the case.
According to the case statement, the leaders and activists central committee of Bangladesh BCL and DU BCL attacked JCD leaders and activists with local weapons when they were carrying forward the scheduled rally in the university area, leaving 70-80 JCD leaders and activists injured.
Also read: Over 100 JCD leaders, activists injured in BCL’s attacks: Fakhrul
On May 22, Mansura Alam, JCD activists of Shahid Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall Atiq Murshed and several others were attacked by BCL leaders at the university’s TSC area, stated in the case.
Lagunna driver dies falling off wall
A Laguna driver died after falling from the boundary wall of his own home at Kadamtali in the capital on Sunday.
The victim was identified as Md Nayan, 20, son of late Abul Hossain of Nurbagh in Dhulaipar of the city.
The accident took place at around 1:00 pm when he was returning after taking a bath from a nearby house.
Also read: 3 hanging bodies recovered from different parts of Naogaon in 24 hours
Hiron Mia, brother-in-law of Nayun, said Nayun went to take bath at a mess of Haji Saheb's house, next to his residence in Dholaipar Nurbagh Bagicha Dipti lane of Kadamtali on Sunday noon.
After completing his bath, he was trying to return home by climbing the boundary wall. He fell down as suddenly some bricks of the wall collapsed and he received severe injuries, he said.
He was later rescued and taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 2pm. He succumbed to his injuries at the hospital at around 3:30 pm.
Also read: Woman dies due to ‘wrong treatment’ in Narsingdi
Inspector Bachchu Mia, In-charge of the DMCH police camp, said the body was kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy. The matter has been reported to the concerned police station.
HC defers Tarique-Zubaida’s hearing in corruption case
The High Court (HC) has deferred till June 5 the hearing on a rule issued against the proceedings of a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during 1/11 against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman.
The court also delivers its opinion on whether Tarique and Zubaida can recruit a lawyer in the case as they are fugitives.
Also read:HC directs ACC to identify those involved in money laundering through e-commerce
A HC bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akand passed the deferment order on Sunday.
Lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali and Kaiser Kamal stood for Tarique and Zubaida.
On the other hand, an Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique deferred the hearing of Shamim Iskander, the younger brother of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia till June 5 in a case filed by the ACC for acquiring illegal wealth.
Lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokon stood for Shamim Iskander while Md Khurshid Alam Khan represented the anti-graft body.
ACC filed the case against Tarique, his wife Zubaida and her mother Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu of amassing illegal wealth and concealing information in wealth statements, with Kafrul police station on September 26, 2007. The accused later filed a petition challenging the legality of the case proceedings.
Also read: HC orders disposal of ex-MP Bodi’s graft case in 1 yr
In 2007, the ACC issued a notice seeking information on the assets of Shamim. In 2008, the ACC filed a case under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act with the Ramna police station in the capital alleging concealing assets against Iskander and his wife.
In 2016, the High Court rejected Shamim's application for seeking dismissal of the case, and they then appealed to the Appellate Division.