Bangladesh
ASEAN countries urged to help expedite Rohingya repatriation efforts
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday urged the ASEAN member states to intervene in the Rohingya issue and help expedite their repatriation to Myanmar.
"For the last four years, there is no violence in the Rakhaine State, yet none of the displaced people of Myanmar returned to their homes mostly because of fear of uncertainty and trust defect," he said.
Read: Bangladesh receives $590 million World Bank financing to tackle Rohingya situation
Dr Momen was addressing a virtual programme on the occasion of the 54th ASEAN Day organized by ASEAN Dhaka Committee.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Haznah Md Hashim, High Commissioner of Malaysia and Chair of the ASEAN Dhaka Committee, Haji Haris bin Haji Othman, High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam; Rina P. Soemarno, Ambassador of Indonesia; Aung Kyaw Moe, Ambassador of Myanmar; Pham Viet Chien, Ambassador of Vietnam; Panom Thongprayoon, Chargé d’Affaires, Royal Thai Embassy; Leo Marco C. Vidal, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Philippines; Sheela Pillai, Head of Mission of the Singapore Consulate, Dhaka; Foreign Ministry officials and diplomats from ASEAN member countries joined.
Dr Momen said ASEAN should work together to address their lack of trust and uncertainty and facilitate their safe repatriation.
The prolonged presence of such a huge number of displaced people entails serious ramification on the economy, environment, security, and socio-political stability of not only Bangladesh but the entire region including the ASEAN, he said.
Dr Momen said they need to make a tangible progress in terms of a safe, secure and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland, Myanmar.
Myanmar agreed to take back their displaced people from Bangladesh and agreed to provide them safety and security and also to create a conducive environment in the Rakhaine State for their return but the pledge remains unmet.
Out of a humanitarian consideration, the Foreign Minister said, Bangladesh is sheltering to 1.1 million Myanmar nationals who were forcibly evicted from their homeland.
Dr Momen said ASEAN is standing at a crossroad of previous success and future opportunities.
Read: Repatriation is the only solution, not integration: FM about Rohingya crisis
Bangladesh considers it crucial to maintain regional peace, stability and security if the region is to attain full potential, he said.
Bangladesh says it is willing to work with ASEAN for the betterment of the people of this entire region and attain the shared vision of future prosperity.
Bangladesh, being located between ASEAN and SAARC, provides a lot of opportunities and potentials to furthering trade, investment and wide economic relations with the ASEAN countries, Dr Momen said.
Bangladesh applied for the status of Secretarial Dialogue Partner of ASEAN, which if received, can add impetus in Bangladesh’s role in bridging these two important regions of the world.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) brings together ten countries with over 660 million people, about 9% of the world’s population, and a combined gross domestic product of more than USD 2.5 trillion.
Throughout the last 50 years, Dr Momen said, the ASEAN has transformed from a loosely constructed regional organization to one of the major players in the world encompassing almost all countries in Southeast Asia.
With its unique geographical location, Bangladesh can act as a “bridge” between South Asia and South East Asia acting as a gateway to the land locked countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Northeast India for the ASEAN countries, Dr Momen said.
The ASEAN Dhaka Committee (ADC) hosted the 54th ASEAN Day to commemorate the founding of ASEAN on 8 August 1967.
Under the national Chairmanship of Brunei Darussalam, the theme for 2021 is “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”.
Read: Bangladesh against any idea leading to Rohingya integration: FM
Haznah Md Hashim highlighted the achievement of ASEAN, after 54 years since its establishment, in bringing peace and prosperity to the region, and that ASEAN has been working together in finding a sustainable response to the current pandemic.
She reiterated the significance of ASEAN-Bangladesh relations, and that the ADC will continue to play an active and constructive role as the bridge for the ASEAN Member States in engaging the host government.
Bangabandhu: Bangladesh’s liberator as proclaimer of independence
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque has said a vested quarter made evil efforts to outshine Bangabandhu’s long struggle for the country’s Liberation War with a false campaign about the proclamation of independence by Ziaur Rahman.
“This is unfortunate that a false campaign was carried out about the proclamation of the country’s independence after Bangabandhu’s assassination in 1975,” he said.
Read:History has forgotten those who tried to erase Bangabandhu, says Quader
Speaking at a webinar on Saturday night, the minister also said Ziaur Rahman had just read out the proclamation of independence on March 27. “But an effort was made to undermine Bangabandhu’s struggles of 24 years for the country's independence through it (false campaign about the proclamation of independence.”
Out of his 24 years’ struggle, he said, Bangabandhu had been in jail for nearly 14 years and he gradually created the ground for the Liberation War through different movements and programmes. “Who did give Zia the right to declare independence? People gave only Bangabandhu the authority, right and mandate to proclaim the independence through casting their votes in the 1970 general election.”
The virtual programme titled ‘Bangabandhu, Bangladesh and the Young Generation' was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Better Bangladesh Foundation (BBF) on Saturday night. BBF Founding Chairman Prof Masud A Khan moderated the webinar.
Mozammel said Bangladesh and Bangabandhu have become synonymous – a single identical symbol to people. “He engaged himself in serving people since his childhood. The day Pakistanis denied Bengali, the mother language of 56 percent of people of the country, the young student leader, Sheikh Mujib, realised that we got Punjabi exploiters after getting rid of the British rule.”
He said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman first thought of liberating the country through founding Chhatra League on January 4, 1948.
The minister said Awami League under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman won the general election on December 7, 1970.
“With this election, the Bengali nation gave Bangabandhu the unilateral mandate to lead the country and raise voice in favour of them. He then prepared the nation and finally proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh in the early hours of March 26. People joined the war responding to his call and liberated the country through a nine-month-long battle,” he said.
Read:Second photo exhibition on life, legacy of Bangabandhu begins in Seoul
Mozammel urged the young generation to know the history and the objectives of the country’s Liberation War and work for materialising Bangabandhu's dream of building a hunger- and poverty-free 'Sonar Bangla'.
Bangladesh Bank’s former Governor Dr Atiur Rahman said Bangabandhu inspired the young generation to liberate the country under his able leadership. ”The average age of our freedom fighters was 21-22, and 78 percent of them were the children of farmers.”
He said Bangabandhu thought about the welfare of the young generation throughout his life. “He had great feelings for the youth. He was the leader who could transmit energy among the youth.”
Dr Atiur said Bangabandhu was the heart of Bangladesh and this heart was torn out on August 15, 1975, “The killers had thought the name of Bangabandhu will be eliminated through his assassination. But he returned among us very strongly and will always remain among us. Bangabandhu is an eternal name which will glitter always.”
He said Bangladesh has been progressing fast under the able leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina. “The country now needs to focus on skills development of its workforce to face the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). We also need to take initiatives for re-skilling and upskilling of our workforce involving the youths.”
Atiur said the government should focus on improving the ease of doing business for boosting the country’s progress and creating more employment for the young generation.
Read:Bangabandhu Corner to be established at Lovely Professional University in Punjab
Bangladesh Ambassador to Jordan Nahida Sobhan said Bangabandhu was active over the issues of people’s rights and he demonstrated his high leadership quality since his early student life. “He took the country towards the independence gradually by preparing the nation for the Liberation War.”
“So, I urge the young generation to know the life and works of Bangabandhu and get inspired to play a significant role in taking the country forward,” she said.
Covid: Barishal division logs 20 more deaths
Barishal division has logged 20 new Covid deaths in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Sunday morning.
Of the deceased, eleven were tested positive for Covid-19 while the remaining nine showed symptoms of the virus infection.
Read: Covid claims lives of 12 people in Kushtia in 24 hrs
Eleven of them died at Sher-E-Bangla Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) while the others in different hospitals, the officials said.
Divisional Health Director Dr Basudev Kumar Das said that 547 patients have died of Covid-19 in the division so far.
Besides, 479 people have tested positive for Covid in Barishal division in the past 24 hours and of , 177 alone are from Barishal district.
Read: Bangladesh records second highest 261 Covid deaths in 24 hours
Some 38,296 active Covid patients have been identified in the division to date, according to the officials.
Moreover, 280 patients are currently undergoing treatment at the corona unit of SBMCH.
Light to moderate rain likely over country
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Sunday forecast light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind over the country in the next 24 hours until 9 am on Monday.
Read: Dhaka can’t take a break from waterlogging; intense rains drown many roads
“Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at many places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country,” Met office said.
The axis of monsoon trough runs through Rajsthan, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh.
Read: Heavy rains batter Khulna, cause sufferings
One of its associated trough extends up to North Bay. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay.
Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
Another dead dolphin found on Kuakata sea beach
Local fishermen found a dead dolphin on Kuakata sea beach in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali district on Saturday.
Local people said, the dolphin, about 6-7 feet long, had injury marks on its mouth and they suspected that the dolphin might have died after being hit by fishing nets.
Read:Another dead dolphin found floating in a canal in Chattogram
Apu Shaha, Fisheries and Livestock official of Kalapara upazila, said, “The dolphin belongs to the Ganges river dolphin specie which live on eating fish. It might have died after being hit by fishing nets.”
Five women receive 'Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Award'
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday handed over the newly- introduced "Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Award" to five women in recognition of their outstanding contributions to different sectors.
Read: Even as President’s son, Kamal led a simple life: Hasina
The recipients are freedom fighter from Brahmanbaria Prof Momtaz Begum (posthumous) in Independence and Liberation War category; Tangail's Joya Pati (posthumous) in Education, Culture and Sports; Pabna's Nurunnahar Begum in Agriculture and Rural Development; freedom fighter from Cumilla Principal Jobeda Khatun Parul in Politics; and Netrakona's Nadira Jahan (Surma Jahid) in Research.
The award is considered as the highest state award for women in the "Ka" category, according to the Women's and Children Ministry.
The award-giving ceremony was held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
Organized by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined it virtually as the chief guest.
Read: Better housing: Hasina distributes flats among 300 low-income families
The government has introduced the award to recognize five Bangladeshi women in different categories -- politics, economics, education, culture and sports, social services, independence and Liberation War, research, and agriculture and rural development -- every year.
Each awardee received a medal made of 40 gm of 18-carat gold, a replica of the medal, a cheque for Tk 4 lakh and a certificate of honour.
Begum Fazilatun Nesa, the mother of the Prime Minister and wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, embraced martyrdom along with Bangabandhu and other family members in a brutal attack by some army personnel on August 15, 1975.
She was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj on August 8, 1930, and struggled for an independent Bangladesh alongside Bangabandhu.
Read: All will get Covid vaccine shots, reassures PM Hasina
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira, on behalf of the Prime Minister, distributed the award among the winners.
On behalf of the award winners, freedom fighter from Cumilla Principal Jobeda Khatun Parul expressed her feelings at the event.
Global Covid cases surpass 202 million
The global Covid-19 caseload surpassed the 202-million mark, as the second wave of the pandemic continues to wreck havoc across the world amid mass inoculation efforts.
The total caseload and fatalities stand at 202,211,438 and 4,285,595, respectively, as of Sunday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 4, 376,808, 997 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 35,738,700 cases. Besides, 616,713 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Brazil, which has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States, and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India, registered 990 more COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the national death toll to 562,752, the health ministry said on Sunday.
Also read: Little new evidence emerges in US probe of Covid-19 origins
Meanwhile, the nationwide caseload rose to 20,151,779 after 43,033 new cases were detected.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 31,895,385 on Saturday as 38,628 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, as many as 617 deaths were recorded since Friday morning, taking the death toll to 427,371.
Also read: Covid’s frightening peak in Bangladesh; record 231 more die
Situation in Bangladesh
With Coronavirus and its new variant posing a real danger to the public health in Bangladesh, the country came up with another shocking figure of 261 fresh deaths on Saturday.
This is the second-highest single day deaths from the viral disease in Bangladesh as Covid-19, fueled by the deadly Delta variant, continues to wreak havoc in the country.
The country has been reporting over 200 single-day fatalities for the last two weeks as it races to head off a surge in Covid-19 cases driven by the unrelenting Delta variant.
After weathering the first wave of the virus, Bangladesh's hospitals are almost overwhelmed.
Also read: France: Thousands protest against vaccination, COVID passes
The country registered 8,136 new cases on Saturday after testing 31,714 samples. It reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatality of 264 on August 5 and 16,230 infections on July 28.
As more people are falling sick with Covid-19 and dying, hospitals in Dhaka and other cities are running out of beds.
There have been 1,343,396 infections and 22,411 coronavirus-related deaths here since the pandemic began, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
Covid claims lives of 12 people in Kushtia in 24 hrs
Twelve more Covid-related deaths were reported at Kushtia General Hospital in the last 24 hours until Sunday morning.
Of the deceased, 11 were confirmed Covid-19 patients while remaining had symptoms, said statistics officer of Kushtia General Hospital Md Mejbaul Alam.
Besides, 114 people have tested positive for Covid in the district in the past 24 hours. "Some 499 samples were tested during the period," he said.
Read: 7 more die of Covid at Kushtia hospital
The positivity rate currently stands at 22.84%.
A total of 226 people with Covid symptoms are currently undergoing treatment at the leading medical facility.
Read:Covid-19: 18 more lives lost in Kushtia
So far, 15,808 people have been infected with the virus in the district, while the death toll topped 618.
On the other hand, 12,152 people have recovered from Covid to date.
BYLC Youth Leadership Summit 2021 aspires for a more inclusive future
Aspiring towards more inclusiveness in the society and emphasizing diversity in leadership among the youth of the country, Bangladesh Youth Leadership Centre (BYLC)’s Youth Leadership Summit 2021 concluded on Saturday.
The four-day virtual summit, supported by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government, brought together over 300 youth who had been competitively selected from all over Bangladesh, in order to mobilize them towards taking steps forward in building a prosperous Bangladesh that provides equitable opportunities for all its citizens.
Connecting the delegates from 149 educational institutions across 45 districts, the theme of this year’s summit was ‘Journey towards an inclusive Bangladesh’. The sessions focused on listening to the concerns of marginalized youth, including young people with disabilities, youth from Dalit, madrassa, and low-income backgrounds, and transgender youth - according to the organizers.
The ultimate goal of the summit has been to guide delegates working together to craft solutions towards achieving inclusivity in terms of opportunities to work, exercising equal rights, access to better health, livelihood, education, and skills development within the society.
United News of Bangladesh - UNB was the official online news partner of this year’s summit.
A virtual closing ceremony titled “Reaffirming our commitment for a more inclusive tomorrow” was arranged on Saturday evening, marking the closure of the four-day long summit.
The closing ceremony was joined by lawmaker Nahim Razzaq MP, also the co-chairperson of United Nations Youth and Students Association Bangladesh (UNYSAB), alongside Robert Chatterton Dickson, British high commissioner to Bangladesh and BYLC Founder and President Ejaj Ahmed.
Lauding the summit, Nahim Razzaq said, “Bangladesh is a small country but we have progressed massively in the last few decades. It is the only nation in the world that has achieved independence on the basis of a youth-led language movement. Our youth should be able to voice out against issues and advocate knowledge-based solutions, and we need to initiate policy advocacy and youth-led actions to drive positive change and development.”
“There goes a proverb that If you think positively, positive things will happen to you. One-third of our population is the youth, and their contribution is very significant for our society. There have to be problems, and without problems, we cannot think about success,” he said to the participants of the summit.
British high commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterson Dickson said, “If the world is going to achieve the goals it set out for itself, the only way it can achieve it is to have partnerships with young leaders. I always feel very optimistic whenever I engage with young people in Bangladesh. The degree of resilience, optimism that young people display is highly commendable.”
BYLC Founder and President Ejaj Ahmed said, “For the last four days, we have talked about inclusiveness, diversity, and where our youth want to take Bangladesh. It is very easy for a young person to resign but we need to address this. Even when we fail, it is how we deal with the failure and that determines our long term success. As an organization, BYLC has had a lot of failures in the last 13 years of its journey but we haven’t resigned because of the failure, and we want our youth not to resign when facing difficulties in the journey of leadership.”
The summit concluded with a virtual cultural event where the participants showcased their cultural performances including fascinating presentations of songs, dance and poetry recitations.
Temples, Hindu households vandalised in Khulna: Puja Udjapan Parishad
At least four temples and several Hindu households and shops were vandalised on Saturday evening in Rupsha Upazila of Khulna.
According to a statement circulated to the press on Saturday night by Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, some Hindu women had locked horns with their neighbours from the majority community at Shiali village of the upazila over singing Kirtan( a call-and-response style song or chant, where multiple singers describe a legend or express loving devotion to a deity, or discuss spiritual ideas).
Although the matter was supposed to be settled today by the elders, suddenly hundreds of people from neighbouring villages gathered at the Hindu majority areas of the village and started vandalising their temples, households and shops, added the statement.
The Durga Mondir, Mohashoshan Mandir, Govinda Mandir and Hari Mandir were vandalised, it said.
However, there has been no confirmation so far from law enforcement agencies.