Bangladesh
Sylhet sees 8 more Covid deaths
Sylhet division lost eight more lives to Covid-19 in the past 24 hours until early Friday.
Of the deceased, six were from Sylhet district and one each from Habiganj and Moulvibazar, according to the health bulletin of Sylhet division.
Sylhet recorded 531 new cases Friday after testing 16,680 samples, and the percentage of Covid-19 tests coming back positive stood at 31.61%.
Read: Covid: 13 more die at Rajshahi hospital
At least 48 people were admitted to hospitals during this time.
So far, Sylhet has confirmed 48,109 infections and 873 coronavirus-related deaths. However, 35,695 people have also recovered from Covid-19 cases.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh added 197 fatalities to its national tally Friday as Covid hospitalisations and deaths continue to soar.
Read: Dhaka to receive 10 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses shortly
As more people are falling sick with Covid-19 and dying, Dhaka division reported the highest 78 deaths, Chattogram 53, Khulna 18, Mymensingh 12, Barishal 11, Rangpur nine, and eight each in Rajshahi and Sylhet.
There have been 14,05,333 infections and 23,810 coronavirus-related deaths in Bangladesh since the pandemic began, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
Bangladesh reports 197 new deaths as it fails to take hold on Covid
Bangladesh added 197 fatalities to its national tally on Friday as horrific Covid hospitalisations and deaths continue to soar.
The country is averaging 200-plus single-day fatalities for the last three weeks. After weathering the first wave of the virus, Bangladesh is now yet to see any tangible signs that it is turning the corner.
However, the country is now reporting 10,602 new cases on average each day – 73% of the peak.
Bangladesh recorded 8,465 new cases Friday after testing 40,641 samples, down from 12,606 logged a week earlier on August 6.
The country reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatality number – 264 – on August 5 and 10, and 16,230 infections on July 28.
Read: Dhaka to receive 10 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses shortly
Bangladesh has been experiencing a surge of Covid-related caseloads and deaths since June 2021.
Bangladesh reports hospitalization of 211 more Dengue patients
As many as 211 new dengue patients were admitted to different hospitals in 24 hours till Friday morning as dengue infection rate keeps rising in Bangladesh amid the worsening Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the new patients, 210 were admitted to government and private hospitals across capital Dhaka.
Read:Dengue spike in Bangladesh: 242 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
So far, 24 suspected dengue deaths were reported to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) but it is yet to confirm any death from dengue yet, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Some 952 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Friday morning, according to the DGHS.
Most of the cases have been reported in the capital so far, said the health authorities.
Read:Uptrend in Dengue cases: 226 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Of them, 884 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the rest were listed outside Dhaka.
Bangladesh started seeing an uptrend in dengue cases from June. It started seeing over 200 Dengue cases every day since August 1.
Read:Dengue spike: 213 more patients hospitalized in 24 hrs
Some 5,645 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January, and 4,669 of them have been released after they recovered from the disease.
Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000, claiming 93 lives that year. In the years that followed, the country learned to deal with the disease much better, but it did become endemic. Fatalities almost fell to zero at one stage, before spiking again in 2018, leading to the horrific crisis the following year.
Bangladesh made impressive progress: Canadian Minister
Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould has said she is impressed by the resilience and the remarkable progress taking place in Bangladesh.
"Canada has been a friend and development partner to Bangladesh for nearly 50 years," she said, adding that they are committed to continuing to tackle the challenges together, including to support the needs of refugees and people living in extreme poverty.
Read:Dhaka seeks preferential trade facilities from Canada till 2030
The minister said it was important for her, as Minister of International Development, to undertake this virtual visit at this particularly difficult moment marked by challenges ranging from public health, to the economy, climate change, and the continued Rohingya crisis.
On Thursday, Karina Gould ended a "successful" three-day virtual visit to Bangladesh.
All events and meetings were hosted on digital platforms in order to minimize health risks.
“This was my first visit to Bangladesh and, although it was virtual, it allowed me to hear first-hand people’s stories and the challenges they face," said the Canadian Minister.
Minister Gould announced contributions to two important projects in Bangladesh.
The first will see Canada join Brac’s Strategic Partnership Arrangement for the next five years (2021-2026), with a contribution of $45 million.
Read:Canada joins hands with Brac to support vulnerable people
The second provides $2 million in additional Canadian funding to Unicef for the ‘Strengthening Quality Education in Cox’s Bazar’ initiative, to support preparations for the reopening of schools and learning centres.
PM mourns death of AL leader Abdur Rahman
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed deep sorrow at the death of Awami League Jatiya Parishad member and former president of Feni Awami League Abdur Rahman B.Com.
Abdur Rahman, also a freedom fighter, breathed his last at his home at the age of 80.
Also read: PM mourns death of Bangabandhu’s nephew Bablu
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Abdur Rahman left behind wife, three sons, two daughters and a host of relatives, colleagues and well-wishers.
Also read: PM expresses condolences at death of Talukder
AL general secretary and Highways and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader also condoled Abdur Rahman’s death.
Remembering Tareque Masud, Mishuk Munier on 10th death anniversary
The 10th death anniversary of late filmmaker Tareque Masud, a storyteller who is recognized for his creative brilliance and critical acclaim from home and abroad throughout his lifetime, is being observed in the country.
Tareque and Mishuk Munier along with three others were killed in a fatal road accident on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Ghior Upazila of Manikganj on August 13 in 2011. The accident happened when a microbus carrying the two short-lived celebrities crashed into a bus on the highway while they were returning to Dhaka from Manikganj after visiting a shooting location.
Read:Tareque Masud, Mishuk Munier’s 9th death anniversary today
The day is being observed this year through various programmes organized by different organisations, including Tareque Masud Memorial Trust, Moviyana Film Society, Kathaprokash and Lagvelki, to name a few, adopting the new normalcy of virtual events.
Tareque Masud Memorial Trust and publishing house Kathaprokash jointly organized a virtual book launching ceremony on Thursday night, publishing the remastered edition of Tareque Masud’s book titled ‘Chalachchittrajatra’,
Catherine Masud, Tareque's widow, an American-born producer-filmmaker, Tareque Masud Memorial Trust chairperson and joint editor of the book joined the event alongside filmmaker and joint editor of the book Proshoon Rahman, Moviyana Film Society president and joint editor of the book Belayet Hossain Mamun, Indian film scholar Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, artist Dhali Al Mamoon and Kathaprokash owner Jashim Uddin.
Lagvelki, the first online pay-per-view movie streaming platform in the country, is organising an online discussion programme at 5 pm on Friday. Scheduled to be streamed live from LagVelki’s official Facebook page, the event will be joined by filmmaker Proshoon Rahmaan who will talk about his new book, ‘Tareque Masud O Tar Shwapnoshonkranto’, alongside Lagvelki founder Shariful Islam Shaon.
Read:Tareque Masud’s 63rd birth anniversary observed
Indian film scholar Sanjay Mukhopadhyay will deliver the Tareque Masud Memorial Lecture on Friday at 8.30 pm, which will be streamed live on Moviyana Film Society’s Facebook page. The event, being organized by Tareque Masud Memorial Trust and Moviyana Film Society, will be joined by Catherine Masud and Moviyana Film Society president Belayet Hossain Mamun.
Born on December 6, 1956, in Faridpur, Tareque was involved with the film society movement in the late 70s. His maiden film is ‘Adam Surat’, a documentary on the legendary artist SM Sultan which was released in 1989.
'Matir Moyna', the most acclaimed film made by Tareque Masud, earned the FIPRESCI Prize in the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and became Bangladesh's first film to compete for the Academy Award for the best foreign-language film in the same year. His other major films are ‘Runway’, ‘Ontorjatra’ ‘Muktir Gaan’ and the unfinished 'Kagojer Phul'.
In addition to filmmaking, Tareque was also a pioneer of the independent film movement in Bangladesh. He was a founding member of the Short Film Forum, the leading platform for independent filmmakers. He organised the country’s first International Short and Documentary Film Festival in 1988.
Read:Google honours Tareque Masud with a Doodle
For his majestic and influential role in modern Bangladeshi filmmaking, Tareque Masud was posthumously awarded Ekushey Padak in 2012.
Mishuk Munier was a former faculty member of the Department of Journalism at Dhaka University and a well-revered cinematographer. He was the son of cultural activist Lily Chowdhury and Bangla Academy Award-winning educationist, playwright, literary critic and political activist Munier Chowdhury, an intellectual martyr who was assassinated by Pakistan Army and its local collaborators on December 14, 1971.
Dhaka to receive 10 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses shortly
Bangladesh will receive 10 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine on Friday evening from the Chinese government as a gift.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight is on the way to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Tianjin International Airport in China.
Read: 1.77 mln doses of Sinopharm vaccine on way to Dhaka
Earlier, Bangladesh received 11 lakh doses of Sinopharm as a gift from China.
These 10 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine are coming as a gift from China for Bangladeshi brothers and sisters, said Hualong Yan, Deputy Chief of Mission at Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on Friday.
Read:1.7mn Sinopharm vaccine doses to arrive soon
Bangladesh also received over 34 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine under the COVAX facility.
Bangladesh is also receiving Sinopharm vaccine doses under a commercial purchase agreement.
Hundreds gather in Kashimpur as Pori enters lock-up
Actress Pori Moni was taken to Kashimpur jail following denial of her bail plea by a Dhaka court on Friday.
“She has been placed in the women section of the jail with other accused,” Abdul Jalil, jail superintendent (acting) of Kashimpur Central Women's Jail told UNB.
Hundreds of curious people started flocking to the main gate of Kashimpur Jail in the afternoon to steal a glance of the actress.
Their presence got so overwhelming that additional police were deployed in the area to keep the situation under control.
Read: Banks asked to provide account details of Pori Moni, Helena, 6 others
A prison van carrying the talk of the town entered the jail premise at around 6:55 pm, reported our correspondent.
Many were disappointed for not being able to see the actress despite waiting for hours.
Some areas in Dhaka to see disruption in gas supply Saturday
Gas supply will remain suspended in different areas of the national capital for 10 hours from 9 am to 7 pm on Saturday.
According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, the areas include Boro Moghbazar, Taltala Gali, Jahabox Lane, Gabtala, Wahab Road, Nayatola, Chairman Gali, Modhubagh and their adjoining areas.
READ: Gas supply to remain suspended in parts of Narayanganj
The consumers of the areas will either have no gas supply or experience low pressure in supply due to works on gas pipeline relocation, said Titas Gas.
READ: Consumers may experience disruption in gas supply until June 16
Covid: 13 more die at Rajshahi hospital
Thirteen more Covid-related deaths were reported at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in 24 hours, health officials said on Friday.
Five of them were confirmed Covid-19 patients while seven showed symptoms and another died of post-corona health complications, said hospital director Brigadier General Shamim Yeazdani
Of the deceased, eight were from Rajshahi district, three from Pabna, and one each from Chapainawabganj and Natore districts. Seven of them were men while the remaining were women.
READ: Rajshahi sees 9 more Covid deaths in 24 hrs
Shamim said that 40 new patients have been admitted to the corona unit of the hospital in the past 24 hours. On the other hand, 44 people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period.
Besides, some 325 people are currently undergoing treatment at the 513-bed corona unit of the hospital.
READ: Covid: 10 more people die in Rajshahi
RMCH has been one of the most stretched hospitals in the country during the second wave of Covid-19, particularly since the latter part of May when the deadly Delta variant of the virus was identified in multiple samples of Rajshahi division.