Bangladesh
GM Quader greets Tigresses for getting Test status
Jatiya Party Chairman Ghulam Muhammed Quader on Friday congratulated Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team for getting Test status.
“It’s a great achievement that Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team obtained the Test status,” he said in a congratulatory message sent to the media.
GM Quader, also the deputy leader of the opposition in Parliament, greeted the coaches concerned and officials of the board as well.
Besides, JP Secretary-General Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu congratulated the Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team.
The International Cricket Council on Friday awarded Test status to the Bangladesh Women’s Cricket Team.
Also read: Tigresses awarded Test status
Along with the Tigresses, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe women’s teams were also awarded the status.
In the ICC’s latest meeting, it was decided to award Test status to all women’s teams of the full-member nations of the ICC.
With the inclusion of three new teams, the number of women’s Test teams rose to 13.
Chowdhury Ataur Rahman awarded by Adivasi Samaj Unnayan Samiti
Dinajpur District Adivasi Samaj Unnayan Samiti has given a commemorative award to Chowdhury Ataur Rahman, a researcher and analyst on ethnic minorities, in recognition of his contribution to the diversity of cultural life at the national and international levels through the preservation and development of the language, traditions, way of life, diversity, characteristics and culture of ethnic groups.
Artists and organizers of ethnic communities in the Dinajpur region handed over the memento at a function organized on the occasion of the 37th anniversary of BTV's Bonaful Lok Lokalaya program.
Also read: 13 get 'Woman of Inspiration Award 2021'
Professor Ganesh Saran, President of Dinajpur District Adivasi Samaj Unnayan Samiti, presided over the award ceremony at Bhairabi Auditorium, Dinajpur.
In recognition for their outstanding contribution to the development of the culture of small ethnic groups in the Dinajpur region through the creation of folklore programs from BTV's Banful, Santal personality researcher Professor Ganesh Saren, cultural organizer of the Orao community late Budsha Orao and Bhagwat Tudo were also awarded honourary mementoes during the event.
Also read: 10 named for Independence Award 2021
Dinajpur District Adivasi Samaj Unnayan Samiti and Development Initiative for Inclusive People (DIP) have jointly organized the award ceremony.
PM calls for unity in war against nature
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon all to remain united in the war against nature to avert a possible loss for mankind.
“In our war against nature, we’ll lose unless we unite,” she wrote in the renowned magazine Diplomat in its April 2021 issue.
In the write up – ‘Forging Dhaka-Glasgow CVF-COP26 Solidarity’ – she said that humans are consciously destroying the very support systems that are keeping us alive.
“What planet shall we leave for the Greta Thunbergs or those at the Bangladesh Coastal Youth Action Hubs? At COP26 we must not fail them,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, currently the president of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), said, we want to see climate financing unleashed, not only towards low-carbon economy, but also for the promised US$100 billion, and 50 percent dedicated to climate resilience-building.
Also read: Leaders Summit on Climate: Kerry due Apr 9 to invite PM Hasina
“We want to see international carbon markets unlocked for transnational climate cooperation and solutions found to our profound loss, damage and climate injustice,” she added.
She mentioned that the CVF represents over one billion of the world’s most vulnerable communities, whose very survival is threatened by the slightest sea level rise, frequent hurricanes or rapid desertification.
In this connection, she said that for Bangladesh, often referred to as the ‘ground zero’ of natural disasters, climate change is a survival battle braved by millions of our resilient people whose homes, lands and crops are lost to the recurring wrath of nature.
Every year, 2% of country’s GDP is lost to extreme climate events. By the turn of the century, it will be 9%. By 2050, more than 17% of its coastlines will go underwater displacing 30 million.
Six million Bangladeshis have already become climate displaced. And yet the country continues to bear the 1.1 million Rohingyas from Myanmar at the cost of environmental havoc in Cox’s Bazar.
“Who will pay for this loss and damage?” She asked.
Also read: Climate adaptation: Bangladesh for making finance more accessible
The Prime Minister wrote that like Bangladesh, every CVF nation has an irreversible climate loss and damage story to tell.
“But they contributed little to global emissions. It is time to address this climate injustice.”
She said that international cooperation on climate had been de-prioritised by the US for several years. International climate finance was falling far short of the $100 billion pledged at Paris.
“The G-20, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of global emissions lacked the political will to finance transactional carbon markets to support low-carbon projects in vulnerable countries. Loss and damage remained a far cry.”
And then, she said, COVID-19 hit us like a bolt from the blue, triggering the triple perils of climate, health and nature. A rude awakening finally forced the world to heed to my warning that the climate crisis is indeed an emergency.
And any recovery had to be green, nature-based and resilient. Therefore, my first act as CVF President was to declare climate change a ‘planetary emergency’ and call upon all to be on a ‘war footing’ to arrest global temperature rise at 1.5 degrees.
Also read: Bangladesh with Maldives in fighting climate change: PM
“By Autumn 2020, I’d seen very few NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), and COP26 was postponed, so I launched the ‘Midnight Survival Deadline for the Climate’ initiative at the CVF Leaders’ Summit,” Sheikh Hasina said.
She said that US President Joe Biden’s returning to the Paris treaty was also inspiring.
“But those who failed to meet CVF’s midnight-deadline, I urge them, to submit ambitious NDCs ahead of COP26. CVF’s most vulnerable members pledged no less than a net-zero by 2030, including Barbados, Costa Rica and the Maldives.”
Talking about Bangladesh, she wrote that Bangladesh, the CVF member with the largest population, also submitted interim NDC updates with additional pledges over and above Paris to reduce methane emissions. For Bangladesh and the CVF, climate adaptation and financing is a prime ‘survival’ priority as we relentlessly struggle to protect our populations from recurrent extreme climate events.
“Realistically, my climate survival philosophy has been a common sense one. ‘Help thy self’ and wait for no one to rescue. Because, climate change is not going to spare us for our inactions.”
As a testament to this, she said, she had long championed locally-led adaptation and resilience-building at the heart of which are local actors, especially women and youth.
In 2020, when Category-5 Cyclone Amphan mercilessly hit Bangladesh and India, Bangladesh demonstrated its capability to evacuate 2.4 million people and half-a-million livestock to safety in less than five days.
Also read: Climate change: Hasina seeks more actions than words
That same year, two-thirds of Bangladesh went under water in flash floods during the pandemic.
Even though this double jeopardy cost $3.5 billion in GDP losses, disaster preparedness of Bangladesh saved millions of lives.
She said that Bangladesh has also learnt to self-finance its climate projects. The government has thus created a $450 million Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund that supports nearly 800 adaptation and resilience projects in its vulnerable coasts.
“We are spending on an average 2.5 per cent of our GDP – US$5billion each year – on climate adaptation and resilience-building.”
She said that Bangladesh built 16.4km of sea dykes, 12,000 cyclone shelters and 200,000 hectares of coastal plantation.
The scientists invented nature-based solutions for the country’s coastal communities, such as salinity and stress tolerant crops, rain reservoirs and pond-sand-filters, floating agriculture technology and mobile water treatment plants.
In Bangladesh, the Prime Minister wrote, we are now championing climate prosperity. By pioneering the ‘Mujib Climate Prosperity Decade 2030,’ named after Bangladesh’s Founding Father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman during his birth centenary, I have called CVF nations to initiate ‘climate prosperity plans.’ We have already planted 11.5 million trees under our plan.
These are strategic, low carbon investment frameworks integrated into national development plans for capturing our growth and prosperity. But the CVF can only do so much on its own.
“There is a limit to adaptation too!” she said.
“It is vital to build strong CVF-COP solidarity. We want to see a Dhaka-Glasgow-CVF-COP26 Declaration emerge from November’s meeting. We, the climate vulnerable nations want to see G20 submit ambitious NDCs before COP26.”
Health secretary Mannan tests positive for Covid-19
Health Secretary Abdul Mannan has tested positive for Covid-19.
His PS Mohammad Rashed Hossain Chowdhury told UNB, one or two days ago the secretary tested positive. Today he has been sent to Sheikh Russell Gastroliver Institute and Hospital for health checkup.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
"I was coronavirus infected too, after 12 days in hospital I returned home today. 2-3 more members of my family have been infected as well," he further said.
Abdul Mannan's wife Kamrun Nahar died on June 14 while undergoing covid treatment at the Combined Military Hospital.
Hefazat, police clash in Gazipur; 20 injured
At least 20 people were injured on Friday when supporters of Hefazat-e-Islam clashed with police at Gazipur’s Chandona.
The skirmish disrupted traffic at Board Bazar and surrounding areas.
Also read: Hathazari Hefazat-police clash: 2,500 accused in 7 cases
National Zoo, Rangpur Zoo shut
A record surge in fresh Covid-19 infection in the country has forced the authorities concerned to close Bangladesh National Zoo in the capital’s Mirpur and Rangpur Zoo on Friday.
They will remain closed for visitors until further order, according to a decision taken by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Fisheries Minister SM Rezaul Karim sought cooperation from all concerned parties in this regard, said a handout of his ministry.
"We’ve decided to keep the National Zoo and Rangpur Zoo, which are under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, closed from today (Friday, April 2) until further notice so that the coronavirus infection does not increase due to the gatherings of visitors," he said.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
The government is taking all possible steps to prevent the spread of the virus, said the Minister.
Bangladesh recorded more than 6,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Friday. It was the fourth time in five days that the country reported its highest daily case count.
The health authorities confirmed 6,830 new infections in the afternoon. The infection rate rose to 23.28 percent from 22.94 on Thursday when the country recorded 6,469 cases, the highest since the beginning of the virus outbreak in the country in March last year.
Noting that the Prime Minister's Office has already issued an 18-point directive, Minister Karim urged the people to follow the directives of the government.
Also read: Fighting the Second Wave: Govt seeks stricter implementation of PMO directives
On March 20, 2020 the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock closed down the National Zoo and Rangpur Zoo for the first time amid the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent transmission of the virus.
Later, the National Zoo was reopened for the visitors on some conditions on November 1, 2020 considering the entertainment issue, physical and mental well-being of the Dhaka city dwellers as well as the government’s revenue loss, said the handout.
The PMO on March 29 issued the 18-point directives for the next two weeks in an effort to restrict the spread of coronavirus in the country.
Also read: National Zoo to reopen from Nov 1
The directives mostly are related to restriction on public gatherings, using masks, ensuring 14-day quarantine rule and maintaining other Covid-19 health protocols.
All the ministries, divisions, departments and agencies concerned were asked to take necessary measures to implement the directives.
AIT launches Yunus Professional Masters Degree
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the leading university in Asean, has launched the Yunus Professional Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship.
The professional post-graduate programme will start enrolling students in August and is likely to appeal to its intended audience of mid-career professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus and AIT President Professor Eden Woon addressed the global launching of the programme online on Wednesday.
Professor Faiz Shah, director of Yunus Centre at AIT and also the academic head of Yunus Professional Masters Programme, presented the details of the content of the programme, the Yunus Centre said on Friday.
Also read: Dr. Yunus made chancellor of Malaysian University
He said this programme is a one-of-a-kind masters degree to translate the vision of the Nobel peace laureate.
Professor Yunus, a thought leader in social business and enterprise-led development, said: "The problems of the world are created in classrooms; they pass on to students only a narrow selfish narrative of the world."
He said education is like watching the same side of the moon, again and again, never allowing the students to ask the question of what is on the other side of the moon.
"In our campuses, we have to build new rockets and spacecraft to take us to the forbidden side of the academic moon. This masters degree will be an initiative to build that rocket to explore the other side," Professor Yunus said.
President Eden Woon said Professor Yunus has inspired millions around the world. "This programme will be highly attractive in this day and age when the world is not doing very well."
Also read: It’s universities’ job to redesign economic theories: Dr Yunus
The degree will be a curated programme, built from the School of Environment, Resources and Development and School of Management of AIT, containing an integrated practicum led by Professor Yunus, and connected with the social business academia network connecting 91 universities located in five continents.
Students learn development precepts and management principles through regular coursework and acquire practical exposure through the internship integrated into the Yunus Colloquium.
AIT, the entrepreneurial heartland of Asia, has accomplished the rank of top 20 in a global ranking for its commitment and performance around integrating the UN SDGs, particularly eliminating poverty, into the curriculum and research.
Variants of Concern: Bangladesh to join UK's red list of over 30 countries
Bangladesh, the Philippines, Pakistan and Kenya will be added to England’s red list over 30 countries from April 9, says the UK's Department for Transport on Friday.
From 4am on Friday 9 April, international visitors who have departed from or transited through Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh in the previous 10 days will be refused entry into England.
British, Irish and third-country nationals with residence rights (including long-term visa holders) arriving from these countries will be required to self-isolate in a government-approved hotel quarantine facility for 10 days. The move follows new data showing an increased risk of importation of variants of concern.
Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh will be added to England’s red list to protect the country against new variants of coronavirus (COVID-19), at a critical time for the vaccine programme, said the UK government.
Also read: UK variant hunters lead global race to stay ahead of COVID
With over 30 million vaccinations delivered in the UK so far, the additional restrictions will help to reduce the risk of new variants – such as those first identified in South Africa (SA) and Brazil – entering England, said the UK government.
So far, surveillance has found that few cases of the SA variant have been identified as being imported from Europe, with most coming from other parts of the world.
Only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights in the UK (including long-term visa holders), will be allowed to enter and they must stay in a government-approved quarantine facility for 10 days.
Also read: Bangladesh bans entry of passengers from Europe & 12 countries for two weeks
They will also be required to arrive into a designated port.
No direct flight bans from these countries will be put in place, but passengers are advised to check their travel plans before departing for England.
During their stay, passengers will be required to take a coronavirus test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8, and they will not be allowed to shorten their quarantine period on receipt of a negative test result.
They will also not be able to end their managed quarantine early through the Test to Release scheme.
Also read: COVID-19 not necessarily crossed from animals into humans in Wuhan: WHO expert
British nationals currently in the countries on the red list should make use of the commercial options available if they wish to return to England.
Commercial routes that will enable British and Irish nationals and residents to return to England continue to operate.
British nationals in these countries should check Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice and follow local guidance. The FCDO will continue to offer tailored consular assistance to British nationals in need of support overseas on a 24/7 basis.
Covid-19: Bangladesh records 6,000+ cases for 2nd straight day
Bangladesh has recorded more than 6,000 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day as the country ramps up efforts to contain the virus’ transmission.
It was the fourth time in five days that Bangladesh reported its highest daily coronavirus cases when the health authorities confirmed 6,830 new infections on Friday afternoon.
The infection rate rose to 23.28 percent from 22.94 of Thursday’s when the country recorded 6,469 cases, the highest in months.
On Wednesday, the number of new cases was 5,358. It was 5,042 on Tuesday and 5,181 on Monday.
The number of daily cases and infection rate dropped below 5 percent earlier this year but there was an unusual surge as people continue to flout health safety rules. The sudden spurt appears to have caught the health sector unawares.
Also read: Fighting the Second Wave: Govt seeks stricter implementation of PMO directives
There is hardly any bed available at hospitals treating coronavirus patients. The government is increasing the number of beds and covid-designated hospitals to deal with the situation.
Bangladesh has so far recorded 624,594 coronavirus cases, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Cosmos Dialogue on Dhaka-Washington ties premieres Saturday on Facebook
Experts from Bangladesh and the United States have been brought together for an online symposium hosted by the Cosmos Foundation to assess the Dhaka-Washington relationship in its present context and identify the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the effort to take it forward. The keynote address at the symposium titled ‘The Biden Administration in the United States: Prognosis for the Future of Bangladesh-US Relations’ will be delivered by Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director of the Asia Programme and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Wilson Centre in Washington, DC. Chairman of Cosmos Foundation Enayetullah Khan will deliver the opening remarks at the event, which is set to premiere on the Facebook page of Cosmos Foundation this Saturday, April 3, at 8PM BdST (10AM EST). Renowned scholar-diplomat and adviser on foreign affairs to the last caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury will chair the session.
Also read: Cosmos Dialogue on Bangladesh's relations with Nordic countries begins in city
The symposium is the latest instalment in Cosmos Foundation’s flagship ‘Dialogue’ series, in which a high-level expert panel is tasked with tackling pressing issues of the day, that has continued through the pandemic. Apart from the names mentioned above, the panel of discussants for the latest edition will comprise Ambassador Tariq Karim, Dr Nina Ahmad, Dr Ali Riaz, and Ambassador Serajul Islam. The full video of the event will be available for viewing on the Facebook page of Cosmos Foundation, and (elsewhere) from Saturday, April 3rd, 8PM BdST.
Also read: Cosmos Dialogue on Foreign Policy begins in city Before the pandemic hit, two-way trade between the United States and Bangladesh touched a record $9 billion, with the US remaining the largest single-country export destination for Bangladeshi products.
The potential of a relationship grounded in strong economic ties is proven, and the long-discussed US-Bangladesh Business Council is now very close to reality, with the US Chamber of Commerce set to host its launch in the first week of April. Bangladesh’s upcoming graduation from the list of Least Developed Countries has been well noted in the US media, and the Biden Administration’s outreach to Dhaka in Washington’s renewed commitment to fighting climate has been notable.
Also read: Cosmos dialogue on EU’s contemporary relevance begins Against this backdrop, Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of conglomerate the Cosmos Group, brings together the finest minds to arrive at a prognosis for the future of the relationship, in line with its commitment to eliciting strategic insights and policy solutions for Bangladesh as it charts its course toward a future that is ever-brighter.