bangladesh
Two buses gutted in Motijheel garage fire
Two buses of a private transport company were gutted in a fire at a motor garage in the city's Motijheel area on Sunday.
The fire broke out around 11:05 am in the garage at Gopibagh Balur Math area.
Six units of firefighters rushed to the spot and doused the fire after around one hour of hectic effort , said Ershad Hossain, an official of the control room of Fire Service and Civil Defense.
READ: N’ganj Factory fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, two sons granted bail
Khulna division logs 45 more deaths
Khulna division has logged 45 Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours until Sunday morning, health officials said.
According to the health director's office, 15 people died in Kushtia, 11 in Khulna, six in Jashore, three each in Magura and Meherpur, two each in Jhenaidah and Bagerhat and one each in Satkhira, Narail and Chuadanga districts.
The total death toll in the division has now reached 2,171, said the health officials.
READ: Khulna division logs 33 new Covid deaths
Some 1,271 people tested positive for Covid-19 during the period, according to the divisional health department.
Some 87,062 cases have been detected in 10 districts of the division since the onset of Covid.
In Khulna division, the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Chuadanga on March 19, 2020.
READ: Covid claims 30 more lives in Khulna division
Environment Minister to highlight Bangladesh priorities at 'COP26 July Ministerial'
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin MP is leading the Bangladesh delegation at the two-day "COP26 July Ministerial" that began on Sunday in the United Kingdom (UK).
Shahab Uddin is expected to highlight Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s priorities at the COP26 as a state party to the UNFCCC and also as the President of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF).
Read:COP26: Young people urged to raise voice to save planet
The UK-hosted July Ministerial is aimed to give an opportunity for the Environment Ministers of the state parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to come together in person to discuss their expectations for a successful COP26 scheduled in Glasgow this year from 1-12 November.
Shahab Uddin reached London on Saturday afternoon on an official visit to the United Kingdom (UK).
Read: Dhaka, London hopeful of signing climate accord before COP26
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem received the Minister at the London Heathrow International airport.
Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Director General, Department of Environment are accompanying the Minister during his visit to attend the COP26 July Ministerial organized by the United Kingdom.
Momen mourns loss of lives in Maharashtra landslides
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has expressed deep shock over the loss of lives in landslides triggered by monsoon rain floods in Indian State of Maharashtra.
In a message sent to External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Minister Momen said Bangladesh stands ready at this difficult time to extend support in every possible way as and when required.
Read: Floods & landslides in India kill over 100
He said, in light of increased scourges of climate change, Bangladesh and India need to work together to manage and cope with the post disaster impacts.
Dr Momen mentioned that Bangladesh and India signed an MoU on cooperation for disaster management during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2021 to attend the celebrations of Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation and the Golden Jubilee of Independence of Bangladesh.
Read:Momen mourns loss of lives in deadly floods in Germany
Foreign Minister Momen prayed for the eternal peace of the deceased souls, speedy recovery of the injured persons as well as for the bereaved and affected families so that they have the strength to bear the irreparable loss.
19 more die of Covid at Kushtia General Hospital
Nineteen more Covid-related deaths were reported in 24 hours at Kushtia General Hospital amid a devastating virus situation across the country.
Of the deceased, 15 were confirmed Covid patients while the remaining four showed symptoms of the virus, said Statistics Officer of Kushtia General Hospital Md Mejbaul Alam.
Read:Covid claims 20 more lives in Kushtia
Besides, 260 people have tested positive for the virus in the district in the past 24 hours and 841 samples were tested during the period, he said.
The positivity rate currently stands at 30.91%.
Read:12 more die of Covid at Kushtia hospital
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 patients in the hospital has slightly decreased. A total of 208 people with Covid symptoms are currently undergoing treatment at the leading medical facility.
So far, 13,199 people have been infected with the virus in the district, while the death toll from Covid topped 504. On the other hand, 9,065 people have recovered from Covid to date.
Youth killed over football match in Jashore
A speech-impaired youth was killed in over a football match in Jhikargachha upazila of Jashore on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Nayan Hossain, 24, son of Shahidul Islam of Taura village in Jhikargachha upazila.
Read:Residents of Jashore juvenile home go berserk seeking better facilities
Police and witnesses said a football match was held at a local playground on Saturday afternoon.
There was a dispute between the two teams over scoring a goal in the game.
At one stage, 12/15 people led by Sarwar,a member of Ward No 6 of Panisara UP, beat up and stabbed the players of the opponent team, leaving four people injured.
Later, locals rescued them and admitted them to Jhikargachha Upazila Health Complex. Nayan and Zahurul were transferred to Jashore General Hospital where doctors declared Nayan dead.
Read:4 killed in Jashore road crash
Abdur Razzak, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jhikargachha Police Station said police have not yet arrested anyone involved in the incident.
The body has been sent to Jashore General Hospital Morgue for an autopsy, the OC added.
BD-Japan relations: Ito’s 5 challenges in keynote drive interest in event premiere
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito provides the centrepiece, as experts from Bangladesh and Japan are brought together (in the safety of cyberspace) by Cosmos Foundation, for a dialogue on the bilateral relations between two important partners in growth, development, and increasingly trade. The keynote address at the online symposium titled “Bangladesh-Japan Relations: Prognosis for the Future”, will be delivered by Ambassador Ito, who has now served in the post for slightly more than 18 months.
Read: Japan to send 2.9 mn doses of AstraZeneca vaccine for Bangladesh: Envoy
A key thrust of the ambassador’s address will be the identification of 5 challenges, that he believes must be overcome in order for the bilateral relationship to fully thrive in the years ahead.
Chairman of Cosmos Foundation Enayetullah Khan will set the stage in his opening remarks for a richly engaging discussion, that premieres tonight (Sunday, 8PM BST) on the Foundation’s Facebook page.
As is by now customary for the Foundation’s flagship events, chairing the proceedings will be the renowned scholar-diplomat, as well as adviser on foreign affairs to the last caretaker government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury.
Read: ‘Thanks Japan’, Dr Momen says over vaccine supply It would be the latest instalment in the Foundation’s ‘Ambassador Lecture Series,’ where a foreign emissary based in Dhaka is invited to deliver a keynote, before engaging at length with a high-level panel of experts, who are chosen for their particular knowledge and experience relating to the day’s topic. For the edition premiering tonight – and thereafter available for viewing at any time - the expert panel comprises Md Abul Kalam Azad, Special Envoy, Climate Vulnerable Forum; Hayakawa Yuho, Chief Representative, JICA Bangladesh Office; Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former Governor, Bangladesh Bank; Prof Masaaki Ohashi, Professor, University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo; Manzurul Huq, columnist, writer and academic; Prof Takahara Akio, Dean, Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo and Ambassador (Retd) Tariq A Karim, Honorary Advisor Emeritus, Cosmos Foundation.
Read:Cosmos Dialogue on Dhaka-Washington ties premieres Saturday on Facebook Cosmos Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Bangladeshi conglomerate the Cosmos Group. Registered to operate under a trust structure since 2016, it is committed to bringing together the finest minds from home and abroad onto common fora - such that they elicit strategic insights and policy solutions for the most pressing issues facing Bangladesh, as it charts its course towards a future that is ever-brighter.
Don’t forget to catch the premiere via Facebook of the entire discussion tonight, at 8pm BST. Thereafter it will be available for viewing entirely at your discretion and convenience, from Cosmos Foundation’s Facebook page, as well as the www.facebook.com/unbnewsroom page. You can also catch up on previous editions.
Global Covid cases near 194 million
The global Covid-19 caseload is inching closer to the 194-million mark, as the second wave of the pandemic continues to devastate countries across the world even amid the mass inoculations efforts.
The total caseload and fatalities stand at 193,639,328 and 4,151,435, respectively, as of Sunday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Read:Countries have responsibility to help scientists find Covid origin: WHO
So far, 3,815,101,425 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 34,427,939 cases. Besides, 610,834 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Brazil registered 1,108 more Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its national death toll to 549,448, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday.
Additionally, another 38,091 new cases were reported in the same 24 hours, bringing the total caseload to 19,670,534.
Brazil currently has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after the United States and the third-largest caseload after the United States and India.
Read: Global Covid fatalities up one-third over past week
The third worst-hit country, India's COVID-19 tally rose to 31,332,159 on Saturday as 39,097 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.
Besides, 546 deaths due to the pandemic since Friday morning took the death toll to 420,016.
Situation in Bangladesh
Although the country saw well below 200 fatalities for three consecutive days as of Friday, it came close to the grim landmark again as 195 people died of Covid-19 in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
Bangladesh recorded 6,780 new cases of infections during the period after testing 20,827 samples.
With Covid's Delta variant spreading fast, the country's fatalities had been hovering at nearly 200 for the last two weeks. It reported the highest daily Covid-19 fatality number – 231 – on July 19 and 13,768 infections on the 12th of the month.
Read:Bangladesh to go for Covid vaccine coproduction soon: FM
There have been 1,153,344 infections and 19,046 coronavirus deaths here since the pandemic started, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Meanwhile, the daily test positivity rate increased to 32.55 % from Friday's 31.05%, when the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
The death rate increased to 1.65% after remaining static at 1.64%for some days.
Bangladesh joins Import Goods Fair-2021 in Seoul
The Embassy of Bangladesh in Seoul has participated in the 18th Import Goods Fair (IGF) held at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in Seoul.
Korea Importers Association (KOIMA) organizes the fair annually to showcase the new products imported from the partner countries.
Read CSR brings opportunities for businesses: Korean envoy
This year, Embassies from 40 countries joined the fair along with 22 companies from different countries. The fair ended on July 24.
Chairman of KOIMA Mr Hong Kwang-hee, and Director General of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) Young-tae Choi inaugurated the IGF 2021 on 22 July in presence of the Ambassadors and representatives from the Embassies of the participating countries.
After the inauguration, Ambassador Abida Islam invited the Chairman of KOIMA, Director General of MOTIE, and other Ambassadors to the Bangladesh stall and presented them with traditional handicrafts.
Read S Korean envoy discusses investment opportunities in Bangladesh
During the fair, export items from Bangladesh, received with the complements of the Export Promotion Bureau, were displayed which includes RMG products, jute and leather products, ceramic items, and handicrafts like brass items and traditional dolls.
Korean businessmen showed their keen interest in the leather items and ceramic products of Bangladesh.
Organic food items from Fargo like mixed nuts, honey, moringa tea, and ghee (clarified butter) also attracted the dignitaries and visitors. Due to social distancing, the audience was comparatively less this year but around 100 visitors visited the Bangladesh stall during this three-day event.
Read Korean envoy seeks jabs for all foreign investors in Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Embassy continues to play a positive role in attracting Korean traders and buyers to Bangladeshi products by participating in this Fair which is playing a positive role in further strengthening bilateral trade and commercial relations between the two countries.
However, the participation of small and medium-size enterprises of Bangladesh in this fair in the future is expected to play a more effective role in furthering the bilateral trade relations between Bangladesh and Korea.
Read Bangladesh booth steals limelight at Seoul Int'l Tourism Fair 2021
Linde Bangladesh to continue medical oxygen import from India
Linde Bangladesh has said it will continue the import of medical oxygen by train to supplement its local supply with active assistance from Linde India, the governments of India and Bangladesh.
This is one of several initiatives that Linde Bangladesh has embarked on to help support the fight against the current Covid-19 crisis, including the Medical Oxygen Booths inaugurated at Khulna Medical College Hospital earlier this week, it said.
Read:Oxygen imported by pvt sector 'ready for unloading' in Benapole
A spokesperson from Linde Bangladesh said the Oxygen Express was an initiative that Linde India worked on with the government of India, and “we’re glad to be able to adopt it for the growing crisis in Bangladesh as well.
The medical oxygen supply was sourced from Linde India plants in India and will be distributed to the Covid-19 dedicated hospitals nationwide.”
Read:India working to resume vaccine export to Bangladesh, reiterates Doraiswami
To meet the growing demand of medical oxygen in Bangladesh due to the rising Covid-19 cases, Linde Bangladesh on Saturday imported 200 MT of medical oxygen by train from India.
This first-of-its-kind initiative saw 10 ISO tankers being transported on the Oxygen Express from Jamshedpur, India and arrived at Bangabandhu West railway station via Benapole.
Linde Bangladesh Limited is a member of The Linde PLc that has been present in Bangladesh since the 1950s.
Read: “Green Corridor” for oxygen tankers at ICP Petrapole
A pioneer multinational company in the gases business, Linde Bangladesh has operations in Rupganj, Shitalpur and Khulna.
With close to 20 sales centers spread throughout the country, Linde Bangladesh serves over 35,000 customers from a wide array of industries - from hospitals to fabrication and from steel to food packaging and beverages.