Bangladesh
Local admins can enforce lockdown, says Cabinet Secretary
District administrations have been given the authority to enforce lockdown in their areas if the Covid-19 situation deteriorates there, the cabinet secretary said on Monday.
The government has already given such an instruction to local administrations, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam at a press briefing after a virtual Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
“Deputy commissioners, civil surgeons, chairmen and mayors have already been told that if they think the situation would be harmful (deteriorate) in any place, they can close down that area,” said Anwarul Islam.
Read: Lockdown in Chapainawabganj extended for another week
The ongoing lockdown in Chapainawabganj was enforced as per the suggestion from the field administration, he said.
“We’ve told other district administrations that if they think it necessary, they can enforce a lockdown there. They also have authority to enforce lockdown only in bordering areas, not keeping the entire district under it (the restriction),” he said.
Anwarul Islam made the remarks in reply to a question over the suggestion of the Directorate General of Health Services to bring seven bordering districts under the lockdown.
Read:Variation between PCR and antigen test positivity rates hides true situation of Covid-19 in Chapainawabganj
The prime minister joined the meeting from her official residence Ganobhaban, while other Cabinet members from the Bangladesh Secretariat.
FM mourns death of Ex. SAARC Secretary General Q.A.M.A Rahim
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday expressed deepest condolence and grief at the sad demise of Ambassador Q. A. M. A. Rahim, the seventh Secretary General of SAARC.
“Ambassador Rahim was a distinguished Bangladeshi diplomat and I remember his contribution to our beloved motherland and in improving the SAARC process as the Secretary General," Dr Momen said.
Read:2 senior UN officials in city; visit to Bhasan Char planned
The Foreign Minister extended his deepest sympathies to the bereaved family members and prayed for salvation of the departed soul.
He also prayed to the Almighty to grant his family members courage to bear this irreparable loss.
Read:FAO lauds Hasina's leadership in attaining food security in Bangladesh
Q.A.M.A. Rahim, a Bangladeshi diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation from January 11, 2002 to February 28, 2005, passed away on Monday.
Rahim breathed his last at 12:30pm on Monday. He was 80.
He left behind his wife, two sons, host of relatives and well wishers to mourn his death.
He was buried at Uttara, sector 12 after Namaj-e-Janaza (after Asr prayers)
Lockdown in Chapainawabganj extended for another week
The local administration has extended the ongoing lockdown in Chapainawabganj for another weak due to the worsening Covid-19 situation.
The restriction will remain in force from June 1 to June 7, said Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Manjurul Hafiz at a press briefing at his office on Monday noon.
Read: Variation between PCR and antigen test positivity rates hides true situation of Covid-19 in Chapainawabganj
Superintendent of Chapainawabganj Police AHM Abdur Rakib, Civil Surgeon Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury, Additional deputy commissioner Zakiul Islam were present there.
All kinds of vehicles will stay off the road during the lockdown while vehicles used for providing emergency services including ambulance, goods-laden vehicles, patient carrying vehicles will be allowed to move on roads.
No vehicles from Rajshahi-Naogaon will be allowed to enter or exit the district.
All shops and weekly haats to remain shut during the shutdown. Grocery shops, kitchen markets and pharmacies will remain open.
Read: Week-long lockdown to contain Covid in Chapainawabganj
People will not be allowed to come out of home except emergencies.
Besides, mangoes can be sold or purchased in different designated places. Mangoes can be carried by trucks and the transportation of mangoes can be operated through courier services. The upazila administration will take necessary steps in this regard.
Everyone should wear mask and the industries will operate their services following health protocols. However, the respective industries must take measures to carry their employees in their own vehicles.
The offices, staffers, including members of law enforcement agencies, agricultural products (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides, machinaris), crops, food laden vehicles, health services, health workers involved in mass inoculation, power, water, gas, fire services, port activities, media (print and electronic media), private security mangement, telephone, and postal services will remain out of the purview of the restriction.
Read:PM launches special mango train on Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route
Hotels and restaurants can operate with takeaway/online services and only 20 people will be allowed to offer prayer at mosques during Juma prayer and others prayer.
On May 24, the authorities in Chapainawabganj imposed a week-long lockdown to break the chain of Covid transmission.
NOVOAIR, US-Bangla to resume Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar flights Tuesday
US Bangla and NOVOAIR airlines will resume flight operations on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route from Tuesday (June 01, 2021) after nearly two months of suspension.
US Bangla will operate two flights on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route every day following health guidelines as per the directives of the Civil Aviation Authorities of Bangladesh (CAAB).
Read Bangladesh to resume commercial flights on select routes
The flights will leave Dhaka at 9:30 am and 3:30 pm in a day while from Cox’s Bazar the flights will fly to Dhaka at 11:05 am and 5:05 pm.
The US Bangla will operate Boeing 737-800 aircrafts on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka route
The authorities concerned have fixed minimum fare at Tk 4299 for one way journey on the route with tax and surcharge while the fare will be Tk 8,598 including return facility .
Read:More people return to Dhaka from Thailand by special flight
Besides, NOVOAIR is set to resume its flights on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route on Tuesday.
Two flights will operate on Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar routes daily.
NOVOAIR has also announced 10% discount for all destination on the ticket fares for SMILES members.
Cox’s Bazar flights were suspended from April 5 as per the government directive to prevent coronavirus infection.
SMILES members can purchase tickets through NOVOAIR sales offices from June 1 to July 31, 2021.
Read: Biman to resume flights to Saudi Arabia from May 29
In addition, any valuable passenger can enjoy this offer by enrolled SMILES membership from NOVOAIR sales offices or website.
NOVOAIR is the first Bangladeshi airline to launch Frequent Flyers programme "SMILES" from 2013 to provide special services to the passengers.
Private companies’ 12 kg LPG price reduced to Tk 842 from June 1
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has re-fixed the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) of private companies at retail level with effect from June 1.
As per the new prices, the private companies will have to sell 12 kg LPG at Tk 842 instead of current price of Tk 906.
Read: LPG Growth in Bangladesh: Effective Alternative to Natural Gas
The regulatory body re-fixed the price adjusting with Saudi Contract Price (CP).
The price of LP Gas Company Ltd, the state-owned company, will remain same at Tk 591 for 12.5 kg LPG as it has no relation with Saudi CP.
In re-fixing the price, the value of per kg of LPG was considered to be Tk 70.17 including VAT and such price will be applicable for re-fixing the price of other weighed containers.
The other quantity’s LPG will be selling at lowered price to be fixed rationally.
The Auto gas price was also re-fixed at Tk 41.47 per litre against the current price of Tk Tk 44.70 under the price adjustment procedure.
Read:Private companies’ 12kg LPG price re-fixed at Tk 906
“This price will be applicable for the month of June until further adjustment in the Saudi CP,” said BERC Md Abdul Jalil while announcing the new price through a virtual briefing on Monday.
"The private companies' LPG price was re-fixed on the basis of Saudi CP," he told reporters.
Normally Saudi biggest oil company Armaco announces its CP for bulk LPG at the concluding state of every month for next month’s transactions.
Most of Bangladeshi private companies import their bulk LPG from the Middle-East on the basis of Saudi CP and market it in the country.
The BERC for the first time fixed the retail level LPG price on April 12 after holding a public hearing to comply with a High Court order.
About 20 private companies have been operating in the market with more than 95 per cent market share by annually importing 1.2 million metric tons of bulk LPG from mainly Middle-East while the state-owned LP Gas Company is locally producing 25,000 MTs of LPG from locally produced condensates at different gas fields.
Read: LPG operators to get services under one roof soon
The BERC chairman admitted that though they fixed the price, still product of some companies are selling at higher price in Dhaka city and some other places.
"We have sent letters to the Commerce Ministry and the Energy Division seeking their cooperation to enforce and monitor the new price", he said adding this is a responsibility of other administrative offices along with BERC.
Remove barriers to sending Khaleda abroad: BNP
BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Monday called upon the government to withdraw its restriction on sending their party’s ailing chairperson Khaleda Zia abroad for advanced treatment.
“Begum Khaleda Zia has been imprisoned unjustly and she’s now ill. We demand her release from jail as we want her to recover from illness,” he said.
Read: Khaleda’s body temperature under control: Fakhrul
The BNP leader said Khaleda should be given an opportunity to go abroad for the treatment she needs like any other citizen in Bangladesh and like other political leaders. “The restriction that has been unjustly imposed in this regard should be lifted.”
He came up with the call while inaugurating a photo exhibition arranged by Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) in memory of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, marking his 40th death anniversary.
Nazrul, a BNP standing committee member, said people have been living in miseries due the coronavirus outbreak for lack of a pro-people government.
"We want an end to the miseries of people. Establishing a democratic and responsible government is the only solution to the ongoing crisis in the country,” he said.
Read: Khaleda Zia suffering from fever
The BNP leader said a pro-people government can only be established through a credible parliamentary election under a neutral and non-partisan administration.
Stating that BNP has long been in a struggle to ‘restore’ democracy and overcome the country’s all crises and turn Bangladesh into a humanitarian state. “Our goal will surely be achieved.”
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 11, was admitted to Evercare Hospital on April 27 for a thorough health checkup. She was shifted to the CCU of the hospital with shortness of breath on May 3. She is still receiving treatment there.
On April 28, a 10-member medical board, headed by Prof Shahabuddin Talukder, was formed for the treatment of Khaleda at the Evercare Hospital, a day after her admission there.
She tested negative for Covid-19 on May 8, 27 days after she had been infected with the deadly virus, but the BNP chief is still suffering from post-Covid complications.
Read:Post-Covid complications affected Khaleda’s heart, kidneys: Fakhrul
Her family submitted an application to the government on May 6 seeking permission to send her abroad for advanced treatment, but it was turned down as a convicted person cannot avail of such an opportunity.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order on March 25 last year on conditions that she would take treatment at home and would not go abroad.
Yaas leaves behind Tk 60 crore worth of damage, losses in Khulna
The local administration has estimated a loss of Tk 60 crore in damage caused by Cyclone Yaas in the coastal areas of Khulna district.
Due to the impact of the cyclone, many houses, fish enclosures, some 100 kilometres of embankments and crop lands were damaged.
Read: Cyclone Yaas disrupts normal life in 23 chars of Bhola
The experts have estimated that the combined damage is worth up to Tk 60 crore.
In Koyra upazila, 50 villages under four unions of the district have been flooded by the river water while the tidal surge entered the localities through 11 points of the flood-protection embankment as the water levelof Kapotakkho, Koyra and Shakbaria rivers increased 6-7 feet above the normal level.
The local administration of Koyra upazila alone said the losses caused by the cyclone amount to Tk 35 crore.
Fish farmers of the upazila are the worst affected as fish of some 2550 hectares of shrimp enclosures and ponds have been washed away, counting a loss of fish worth Tk 15 crore.
Besides, the tidal surge inundated many low-lying areas of the upazila as embankments in many points including Dashhalia, Mathbari, Tetultala char, Angtihara, Gobra, Ghatakhali, Koyra headquarters, Katkata, Kashir Hatkhola, Katmarchar, Pabna, Kashir Khal, Hogla, Uttar Bedkashi, Gatir Gheri, Shakbaria, Noyani and Khorolkati have been damaged.
GM Abdullah Al Mamun, chairman of Maharazpur union, said “The volunteers have repaired the risky points of the embankments but they failed to protect villages and the tidal surge entered into the locality through many points of the embankments.”
Read: Yaas: How Bhasan Char prepared for the cyclone
Sagar Hossain Soikat, project implementation officer of Koyra upazila, said “Thirty-five villages in the upazila have been flooded due to the impact of Cyclone Yaas, rendering 25,000 people marooned. We have made a list of the damaged things and we found Tk 35 crore damage.”
Besides, 7050 houses were damaged during the cyclonic storm. Of these, 50 houses were fully damaged, 1200 houses were damaged partially and 5,800 houses were slightly damaged, said Sagar Hossain.
Animesh Biswas, Koyra Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said necessary assistance will be provided to the affected people.
In Paikgachcha upazila, 86 kilometres of roads of ten unions and a municipality have been damaged while 28 kilometres of the embankment was partially damaged.
Some 660 hectares of shrimp enclosures have been washed away, incurring a loss of Tk 1.15 crore.
Besides, 10,000 people have been affected by the cyclone.
Read:Cyclone Yaas: 4 teams formed to assess damage in the Sundarbans
Imrul Kayesh, project implementation officer of the upazila, said a number of villages were inundated by the tidal surge.
According to the sources in Dakope upazila, 200 hectares of fish enclosures were washed away and 34 kilometres of road, 24 kiloometre embankment, 15 mosques, five temples, and 2,828 houses were damaged. The overall estimate of losses caused by the cyclone in the upazila is Tk 11.27 crore.
Light to moderate rain likely
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Monday forecast light to moderate rain in the next 24 hours, commencing at 9 am.
“Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal , Chattogram and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country,” said Met office.
Also read: Rain, thundershowers likely
Mild heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Moulvibazar and Khulna and it may abate, said a regular bulletin of the Met office.
Also read: Rain likely in parts of country
Day and night temperatures may fall by 1-3 °C over the country.
Mango traders cashing in on higher price in season's peak
Mango traders are passing a busy time selling mangoes as it’s the peak of the mango season.
Baguri Bazar, a local bazar in Sharsha upazila in Jashore, is buzzing with the traders and wholesale customers as people from different parts of the country have thronged here to purchase the delicious fruit.
Vendors are experiencing a surge in good amounts of mango and they are happy with the price of the mango as it is higher than the previous year.
All varieties of mango including Himsagar, Langra, Lakhna are available in the local bazaars including Baguri Bazar and each maund of mango is being sold at Tk 800-2400.
Last year, one maund of mango (around 40k) was sold at Tk 2000-2200.
Talking to some mango vendors, they said this year the production is low but the price is good enough. Already the sales of Gobinda, Bombay, Gopalbhog mangoes are at an end and the market is now full with Himsagar and Langra varieties.
Read Chapainawabganj mango growers pin hope on weather
After a few days, Amrupali will hit the market.
People from different countries came here as the mango of the area is renowned for its delicious taste and sweetness.
Rafiqul, a mango grower of Kaibar Mohisha area, said “The mango selling is going on in its full swing. Last year, I sold each maund of mango Tk 1200 but this year one maund of mango is being sold at Tk 800-2,000.”
Korban Ali, another mango grower, said “This year the price of mango is good and if it continues we will earn a good profit.”
Enamul, a mango trader from Patuakhali, said one maund of Himsagar variety of mango is being sold at Tk 1400-2000 while Langra is being sold at Tk 1200-1500 and the Bombay variety is being sold at Tk 1800-2000 per maund.
Rajib Hossain, wholesale trader from Chapainawabganj, said “This year the price of mango is good and every year I visit the Baguri Bazar to purchase the delicious mango from here.”
Read Mango collection to start in Natore from May 20
Soutam Kumar Sheel, deputy director of Jashore Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said “Last year the mango growers were hit hard by cyclone Amphan but this year the traders are now happy with the good price of mango. This year, 680 hectares of land have been brought under mango cultivation in Sharsha upazila of the district.”
Global Covid-19 cases cross 170 million mark
With the new variants of Covid-19 spreading faster than ever before in several nations, the global corona cases have now topped 170 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count and fatalities surged to 170,188,075 and 3,537,835, respectively, till Monday morning.
Until date, 1,864,810,057 (1.86 billion) vaccine doses have been administered across the world.
The US, the world's worst-hit country in terms of cases and deaths, has so far logged 33,258,623 infections and 594,430 fatalities, respectively, as per the JHU data.
Brazil on Sunday reported 874 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the national count to 461,931, the Ministry of Health said.
A total of 43,520 more infections were detected, raising the nationwide tally to 16,515,120, the ministry said.
Brazil has the world's second highest COVID-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third largest caseload, following the United States and India.
Meanwhile, India has recorded 27,894, 800 cases as of Monday morning, with 325,972 fatalities.
India’s hospitals are packed with Covid-19 patients and the shortage of oxygen is only intensifying the woes of patients and their relatives.
Also read: Covid-19: 34 more die in Bangladesh as positivity rate jumps to 10.11%
Situation in Bangladesh
As the Covid-19 still remains grim in Bangladesh, it recorded 34 more Coronavirus-related deaths and 1,444 new cases in 24 hours until Sunday morning.
The latest figures pushed up the total fatalities to 12,583.
The new infections were detected after carrying out 14,277 sample tests, as the daily infection rate jumped above 10 percent once again.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 last year and the first death on the 18th of that month.
Also read: Bangladesh extends lockdown until June 6
The government has extended the ongoing lockdown by another week until June 6 to stem the spread of Coronavirus.
On Sunday, the Cabinet Division issued a circular in this regard.
Vaccination Drive
Bangladesh kicked off its vaccination drive on February 7 with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses it acquired from the Serum Institute of India.
Bangladesh signed an agreement with Serum for 30 million doses. But a record number of cases in India has made the delivery of the doses uncertain.
However, DGHS DG Prof ABM Khurshid Alam has said that Bangladesh will get 2.1 million doses of the vaccine by early May.
In the past 24 hours, 38 people have received the first dose and 83,540 have received the second dose of Covid vaccine, according to the DGHS handout.
Also Read:Covid vaccine stock running out: DGHS
So far, a total of 72,48,829 people have received the vaccine, of which 31,06709 got their second dose.