bangladesh
3,000 more hospital beds to be ready for Covid patients: Minister
Three thousand more beds will be added to hospitals across the country in the wake of sharp rise in coronavirus cases, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Wednesday.
The minister revealed this while responding to questions from reporters following a meeting on MBBS admission test at his ministry's conference room.
Also read: Remain alert as Covid-19 infection rising: Health Minister
“The number of Covid patients need to be reduced fast. If the current rate of virus infection continues, it won’t be possible to tackle the situation with the existing arrangements,” he said.
"We’ve turned some non-Covid hospitals into Corona dedicated hospitals. We’ve also issued instructions to increase beds at Lalkuthi Hospital, Mohanagar Hospital, Government Employees Hospital and Kurmitola Hospital," the minister said.
Outside Dhaka, the concerned authorities in Tongi, Gazipur and Tangail have also been asked to take necessary measures, he said, adding, “If we can do these, we’ll be able to create 3000 new beds.”
Modi due Friday as main attraction of 10-Day celebration
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the main attraction of the ongoing twin mega celebrations, will arrive here on Friday as the two countries plan for taking the time-tested historical relations to a new height with focus on all areas of cooperation.
Briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the biggest attraction is “Mujib Borsho” and 50 years of Bangladesh’s Independence and the visit will mainly focus on the joint celebrations.
Also read:Vaccine gift a sign of Hasina-Modi strong ties: FM
He said they are still in negotiations and a number of MoUs have been finalised on major issues. “I can’t tell the exact number at this moment.”
Responding to a question on Teesta issue, the Foreign Minister said the two countries agreed on signing the Teesta Water sharing deal in 2011 but it could not be signed, delivered and implemented. “You know the reason.”
He said they always remain hopeful that the Teesta deal will be signed one day.
During the virtual Summit in December last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the need for early signing of interim agreement for sharing the Teesta waters, as agreed upon by both the governments in 2011.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s sincere commitment and continued efforts of the government of India to that end.
Foreign Minister Dr Momen said they are working to make the relations stronger saying any issue can be resolved if the relations remain good.
He said Bangladesh and India share 54 common rivers and they are now discussing on six major rivers apart from Teesta.
Also read:Hasina, Modi to meet virtually in December: FM
Bangladesh and India stressed the need for early conclusion of Framework of Interim Agreement on sharing of waters of six joint rivers, namely, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar.
Modi's Engagements
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to arrive on Friday morning by a special flight on a two-day official visit. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive her Indian counterpart upon his arrival in Dhaka.
The Indian Prime Minister will receive 19 gun salutes and will be given the guard of honour.
He will visit National Martyrs Memorial at Savar and Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in the city to pay tributes to Liberation War martyrs and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Modi will place wreaths and plant sapling at the National Martyrs Memorial and will sign visitors’ book there.
He will also place wreaths on the portrait of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and sign the visitors’ book there.
The Indian Prime Minister will attend the National Parade Ground programme on Friday afternoon. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, among others, will join.
He will jointly inaugurate Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum and attend state banquet preceded by a cultural programme hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Modi will have one-to-one meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart and will hold bilateral talks at the Prime Minister’s Office. He will also meet President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.
One minute ‘blackout’ at 9 pm on March 25 night
One-minute 'Blackout' will be observed across the country from 9 pm to 9:01 PM on March 25, marking the Genocide Day.
Also read:Genocide Day today
But Key Point Installations (KPIs) and emergency establishments will remain out of the blackout purview, said a handout of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on Wednesday.
Also read:'Genocide Day' observed
Besides, no lighting will be allowed at the government, semi-government, autonomous and private institutions on March 25 night. There will be no restriction on Illumination from March 26 evening, said the handout.
$ 20mn required to respond to urgent needs after Rohingya camps fire: IOM
International Organization for Migration (IOM) has pledged US$ 1 million from its emergency fund to the relief efforts after the Rohingya camps fire and it said further US$ 20 million is required to respond to the most urgent needs.
The massive fire swept through three IOM-managed sites Monday displacing roughly 45,000 Rohingya refugees and causing catastrophic damage in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee camp.
Also read:Dhaka seeks proactive global support to end Rohingya crisis
More than 10,000 shelters were damaged in the fire and the largest health centre in the camp was destroyed.
The loss of the 24/7 health centre, which served more than 55,000 people in the last year, now further complicates the challenge of responding to COVID-19, IOM said.
The fire that raged through the camps only slowed once it reached the main roads, slopes, canals and rice fields.
It has since subsided, but not before consuming essential facilities, shelters and the personal belongings of tens of thousands of people.
Also read:IOM, UK EMT continue Covid health support for Rohingyas
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
According to humanitarian agencies and local authorities, 11 people have lost their lives, more than 500 people have been injured and roughly 400 are still missing.
“This disaster is a terrible setback that exacerbates the humanitarian needs of refugees in Cox’s Bazar,” said IOM’s Director General António Vitorino.
"We will need to start from zero to rebuild. Our hearts are with all those affected. We are committed to helping them build back safer with the support of the government of Bangladesh, our donors, partners and humanitarian actors.”
In the immediate aftermath, government response services, including the fire brigade, the army and humanitarian agencies rushed to the area to put out the fire.
Medical college admission test on Apr 2 as per schedule: Minister
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Wednesday said the test for admission to medical colleges will be held on April 2 next in compliance with health guidelines.
"Examinees will sit at a distance of 3 feet. Everyone has to wear a mask, and there’ll be sanitizers," he said while talking to reporters after a meeting on medical college admission test at his ministry's conference room.
Also read: 5 held for fraudulence with fake MBBS test question paper
The minister said around 1.22 lakh examinees will sit for this year's examination which will be held at 55 centres. The number of centres will be increased, if needed, he added.
Zahid Maleque said," Coaching centres will remain closed before, during and after the examination, and no photocopy machine will be allowed in the vicinity of any exam centre. "
PM for building infrastructures to reap highest benefits from PTA
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday put emphasis on constructing necessary infrastructures to reap the highest benefits from the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) signed between Bangladesh and Bhutan.
She made the observation during a meeting with visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering at her office.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
He said that both the Prime Ministers discussed on various fields of cooperation between the two countries, especially trade and connectivity.
Both of them agreed to activate the riverine routes so that trade between the two countries could be expanded.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on building more ports of call. For establishing cooperation in hydropower project, she asked for formulating bilateral or tripartite MoU in this regard.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister requested Prime Minister Hasina to issue one time multiple full term visa for their students who are studying in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister agreed upon the issue and asked the officials concerned for taking necessary steps.
She also said that Bangladesh would cooperate Bhutan in ICT sector, especially providing broadband internet.
Both the leaders also agreed on working together in the United Nations and other forums.
Also read: Bhutanese PM pays tributes to Bangabandhu, Liberation War martyrs
Earlier, the two Prime Ministers also held a tête-à-tête for 45 minutes.
Prime Minister Dr Tshering conveyed the warm greetings of The King and the people of Bhutan to Bangladesh during the meeting.
Close shops by 8 pm: Mayor Taposh
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has urged the shopkeepers and owners of business establishments to close those by 8 pm to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.
The DSCC mayor came up with the request while talking to reporters after visiting Gopibagh Boys’ Club field in the city on Wednesday.
Also read:Taposh promises masterplan to solve waterlogging 'soon'
“I’ve two requests to Dhaka dwellers -- please close shops and all business establishments by 8 pm as the Coronavirus infection rate is on the rise again,” the mayor said.
The government has issued a public notice in this regard, he said, adding that the transmission rate will come down if health safety protocols are maintained.
DSCC Chief Executive Officer ABM Amin Ullah, Chief Waste Management Officer Air Commodore Md Badrul Amin, Chief Engineer Rezaur Rahman, Secretary Akramuzzaman were, among others, present.
Also read:Taposh and Khokon going pound-for-pound at each other
Meanwhile, 3,554 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in Bangladesh in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, the highest number of infections registered by the country in a single day.
Bangladesh also recorded 18 more Covid-related deaths during the period, raising the death toll to 8,738.
With the fresh cases, Bangladesh has seen the worst daily increase since July 15, 2020, pushing up the total infections to 525,994. The infection rate jumped to 13.69 percent from 11.19 percent a day before.
Bangladesh is seeing an alarming rise in coronavirus infections in the past few weeks after a downtrend in both the death toll and new cases.
On January 19, Bangladesh reported its virus infection rate at just 5 percent and at one stage it fell below 3 percent. The cases have started soaring again since February 9.
Also read:Taposh wins DSCC election by big margin
Bangladesh reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8, 2020, and the first death on March 18 the same year.
In Bangladesh, Covid-19 tests are conducted at 118 government and private hospitals.
Dhaka's air quality continues to be 'unhealthy'
On Wednesday (March 24, 2021), Dhaka occupied the third position in the list of world cities with the worst air quality. The capital's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 198 around 11.35 am.
India’s Delhi and Nepal’s Kathmandu occupied the first two positions in the list, with AQI scores of 266 and 213, respectively.
Read Dhaka is world's most polluted city
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups. Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
Read Public health issues like air pollution, environment not getting due attention
In Bangladesh, the overall AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone (O3). The Department of Environment has also set national ambient air quality standards for these pollutants.
The densely populated capital of Bangladesh has long been grappling with air pollution issues. The air quality usually improves during monsoon.
Read Lung cancer on the rise in Bangladesh: Report
A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in March 2019 pointed out that the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka "are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from construction sites".
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Also Read: No respite from pollution as Dhaka's air quality still 'unhealthy'
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Over 80 percent living in urban areas which monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO guideline limits, with low- and middle-income countries most at risk.
Also Read: Dhaka keeps grappling with 'hazardous' air
Global Covid-19 cases surpass 124 million
With the Covid-19 situation worsening around the world, the global caseload crossed 124 million on Wednesday.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the global Covid-19 tally and fatalities now stand at 124,143,841 and 2,733,380, respectively.
The US has recorded the highest number of cases and deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. The North American country's case count and deaths now stand at 29,920,561 and 543,793, respectively, as per the latest university data.
Brazil reported more than 3,000 Covid-19 deaths in a single day for the first time on Tuesday, amid calls for the government and the new health minister to take action to stem the nation’s resurgence of coronavirus infections, reports AP.
In recent weeks, Latin America’s largest country has become the pandemic’s global epicentre, with more deaths from the virus each day than in any other nation.
Tuesday’s record toll of 3,251 deaths was driven by the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous, which recorded 1,021 new fatalities, far above the previous high of 713 last July.
The total case count reached 12,130,091 while deaths climbed to 298,676 on Wednesday morning.
Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by the virus worldwide in terms of both deaths and cases, second only to the United States.
Also read: Global Covid fatalities top 2.7 million
India's Covid-19 tally reached 11,686,796 on Wednesday, as 40,715 new cases were reported from across the country.
Besides, 199 deaths since Monday morning took the toll to 160,166, showing the highest number of fatalities in a day this year so far.
Situation in Bangladesh
Some 3,554 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in Bangladesh in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, the highest number of infections registered by the country in a single day.
Bangladesh also recorded 18 more Covid-related deaths during the period, raising the death toll to 8,738.
Also read: Global Covid cases near 122 million
With the fresh cases, Bangladesh has seen the worst daily increase since July 15, 2020, pushing up the total infections to 525,994. The infection rate jumped to 13.69 percent from 11.19 percent a day before.
Bangladesh is seeing an alarming rise in coronavirus infections in the past few weeks after a downtrend in both the death toll and new cases.
On January 19, Bangladesh reported its virus infection rate at just 5 percent and at one stage it fell below 3 percent. The cases have started soaring again since February 9.
Bangladesh reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8, 2020, and the first death on March 18 the same year.
In Bangladesh, Covid-19 tests are conducted at 118 government and private hospitals.
Also read: Global Covid cases top 121 million
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 vaccination drive is underway across the country. So far, 4,911,902 people have been vaccinated in the country since the drive began with the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab on February 7.
Ashes of Sylhet: Gomragul v Tabalpur triggers on-field brawl again
At least 20 people were injured in a clash between two groups of people over a cricket match in Bishwanath Upazila of Sylhet.
The clash took place between residents of villagers on Tuesday (March 23rd) afternoon.
According to eyewitnesses, the semi-final match of the Union Cricket League, organized by the Khazanchi Union Cricket Association, was played on Tuesday afternoon between the teams of Gomragul in Ward 5 and Tabalpur in Ward 8.
After the break, local UP chairman Talukder Gias Uddin and some other guests left the venue. Whether this acted as the trigger is unclear, but within minutes an on-field clash ensued between two opposing players. People of both the villages in the spectator gallery entered the field and got involved in the argument.
Also read: 1 dead, at least 5 shot in Noakhali as Quader Mirza’s supporters, rival AL activists clash
Meanwhile as the clash continued, several furnitures in the stage and of the adjacent Agriculture Bank were looted and vandalised.
Upon receiving the news, police rushed to the spot and tried to remove the people from both the villages to bring the situation under control. The people of Tabalpur village got angry and started throwing brickbats at the police. At that time, the people of Tabalpur village were chased by the police. However, no casualties were reported. Currently the situation is calm and police are on the scene.
Also read: Over 50 injured in Faridpur AL factional clash
According to sources, there has been tension between the two sides for about a month over the semifinal match between Gomragul and Tabalpur villages. At one stage, the matter was settled in the presence of dignitaries of the area and the organizing committee of the game organized the match.
Many in the area commented that since the game was being played between the players of the two villages from the east, it would have been possible to avoid this unfortunate incident if the game had been organized by informing the police before the game.
Also read: 2 AL factions clash in Rajshahi over mayoral polls; 1 hurt, shops vandalized
In this regard, Khazanchi Union Parishad Chairman Talukder Gias Uddin said, "Today's game was held on the basis of everyone's opinion after the previous dispute between the two villages over the game was settled in the presence of dignitaries of the area. I came to the Union Parishad Complex to have tea with the guests in the middle of the game and when I returned to the field after saying goodbye to the guests, I saw not cricket but rather huge clash between the two sides.
Bishwanath Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shamim Musa said the situation came under control when police personnel were sent to the spot immediately after receiving the news. Currently the situation is calm. However, police members are still stationed in the area.