Bangladesh reported eleven more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Wednesday morning. With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,840, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,445 as no new fatalities were reported. The daily case test positivity rate increased to 0.57 percent from Tuesday’s 0.56 percent as 1,940 samples were tested. The recovery rate increased to 98.29 percent. However, the death rate remained unchanged at 1.44 percent. Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and highest number of fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.

Bangladesh reported eight more Covid cases in the 24 hours to Friday morning. With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,738, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,445 as no new fatalities were reported. The daily case test positivity rate rose to 0.67 percent from Thursday's 0.45 percent as 1,201 samples were tested. The recovery rate increased to 98.09 percent. However, the death rate remained unchanged at 1.44 percent. Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and highest number of fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.

A total of 690 audit objections amounting to a total potentially worth Tk 1. 06 lakh crore was placed in parliament on Tuesday. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed 53 audit and accounting reports of different ministries and government departments' 2019-20 accounts, in accordance with Article 132 of the Constitution. “The reports of the Auditor General relating to the public accounts of the Republic shall be submitted to the President, who shall cause them to be laid before Parliament,” states the Constitution.  Read more: Atomic Energy Commission (amendment) Bill passed in JS  The report tabled in the Parliament showed that in the financial year 2019-20, there were 30 objections to the compliance audit on plot-flat allotment-expenditure, other matters related to under-implementation and some development projects under the National Housing Authority. Another audit report was on Telecom Regulatory Commission's Compliance Audit Report for fiscal 2019-20. The amount of money involved in some 12 disputes in this regard is around Tk 14,392 crores.  

Six more Covid-linked deaths and 718 fresh cases were recorded in Bangladesh in 24 hours till Monday morning. With the new numbers, country's total fatalities rose to 29,359 while the total caseload to 2,022,408, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily case test positivity rate declined to 13.58 per cent from Sunday’s 12.96 per cent as 5,288 samples were tested. Read: Bangladesh’s Covid-19 death toll stands at 2,668 The latest deceased included three men and three women. Of them, two each were from Dhaka and Barishal divisions and one each from Chattogram and Rajshahi  divisions. The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 per cent while the recovery rate declined to 97.08 per cent respectively. In August, the country reported 32 Covid-linked deaths and 6,689 cases. Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.

Bangladesh recorded three more Covid-linked deaths with 387 fresh cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning. With the latest numbers, the total fatalities reached 29,295 while the caseload 2,005,993, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The daily case positivity rate rose to 7.72 per cent from Monday's 5.86 percent as 5,008 samples were tested. All the deceased were men. They were from Dhaka, Chattogram and Rangpur division. Read: Bangladesh sees 142 Covid deaths, 31,422 cases in July, highest in 5 months The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent. The recovery rate rose to 96.92 per cent from Monday's 96.90 per cent. In July, Bangladesh reported 142 Covid-linked deaths and 31,422 cases, the highest death toll and cases in the last five months since March this year, as per DGHS. Among the deceased, 57 were unvaccinated while seven received the first dose, 52 the second dose and 26 the third dose, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Besides, 34,901 patients recovered from the disease during this period. Bangladesh reported its first zero Covid death on November 20 last year since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020. The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.  

India on Thursday reported the first monkeypox case in the southern state of Kerala with the infected person being a traveler who reached the state on July 12, an official said at the federal health ministry. After the detection of the first monkeypox case, the federal government is rushing a multi-disciplinary team of senior doctors to Kerala to help the state government in investigating the outbreak and initiate requisite public health measures, said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary (Public Health) at the federal health ministry. Earlier during the day, the federal government had asked all the state governments to ensure screening and testing of all suspected monkeypox cases at all entry points and in the community as part of the country's overall preparedness against the disease, local media reported on Thursday. Read: Monkeypox cases triple in Europe, WHO says, Africa concerned The federal government also asked the states to identify hospitals and ensure adequate human resources and logistic support to manage any suspected or confirmed Monkeypox cases. ■

Robi ended the third quarter of the year with a profit after tax (PAT) of Tk86.5 crore. The company's PAT grew 85.4 per cent compared to the last quarter. Compared to the same quarter last year, Robi's PAT grew 122.3 per cent in Q3 of 2021. In comparison to the first nine months of last year, Robi's PAT for the first nine months of this year grew 44.3 per cent. Read BBS partners with Robi to deliver Bangladesh's 1st digital census data Supported by steadily rising revenue, and efficient cost management, the company's PAT for the first nine months of the year reached Tk167.4 crore. Robi's financial results for Q3 were released Sunday at a virtual press briefing event. Compared to Q2 '21, Robi's 4G subscriber base grew 12.7 per cent in Q3 '21; compared to the same quarter last year, its 4G subscriber base grew 51.1 per cent. Out of a total subscriber base of 5 crore 30 lakhs, 2 crore 24 lakhs are 4G subscribers. Besides, 74 per cent of the company's subscribers are now data users.  Read Robi launches iftar distribution programme for underprivileged children outside Dhaka Although the subscriber base grew 5.8 per cent compared to the same quarter last year, Robi's subscriber base grew 2.3 per cent in Q3 '21. Robi’s subscriber market share stood at 29.5 per cent at the end of Q3 '21. Robi's revenue reached Tk2,085 crore in Q3 '21 following a rise of 2.7 per cent compared to the last quarter. Compared to the same quarter last year, Robi's revenue rose 7.8 per cent. In the first nine months (January to September) of this year, Robi's revenue reached Tk6,097 crore. Read Robi wins silver at ICMAB Best Corporate Award Robi's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) in Q3 '21 stood at Tk861.2 crore, following a rise of 0.8 per cent compared to the last quarter, compared to the same quarter last year, EBITDA grew 9.3 per cent. EBITDA margin at the end of Q3 '21 stood at 41.3 per cent. The company's earnings per share (EPS) in Q3 '21 was Tk0.17; in Q2 '21 the EPS was Tk0.09, and in Q3 '20 it was Tk0.08. However, for the first nine months of this year (January to September), the EPS was Tk0.32. Including a capex investment of Tk650.7 crore in Q3 '21, the total capex investment in the first nine months of the year reached Tk1,386 crore. Robi paid Tk1,119 crore to the government exchequer in Q3 '21, which was 53.7 per cent of its revenue for the quarter. Read Robi partners with Green Delta to provide health insurance package The total amount paid to the government exchequer during the first nine months of this year reached Tk3,373 crore, which is 55.3 per cent of the company's total revenue for this period. The company had 14,466 sites at the end of Q3 '21. Robi's Acting CEO and CFO M Riyaaz Rashid said: "We are very happy to see our profit rising steadily every quarter this year. However, it is very disappointing to note that our PAT in the first nine months could have been Tk289.3 crore, instead of Tk167.4 crore, had we not been subjected to a further 2 per cent minimum turnover tax. Our shareholders are certainly being deprived of the value they deserve for their investment in the company due to this reason." Read Victory Day celebration: Robi to recreate 'Purbo Digonte Shurjo Utheche'

The Postal Department’s mobile financial service Nagad will sponsor Dhaka Reporters Unity’s annual event of awarding the year’s best reports in different categories. This announcement on “Nagad-DRU Best Reporting Award 2021”  was made on Thursday  at a press briefing of DRU at its Sagar-Runi Auditorium. Read: Nagad secures 18,000 accounts' balance This year, 22 best reports will be awarded in two segments- print and online, and television and radio. Ten veteran editors of the country will be on the judges’ panel.   DRU members can submit their reports published or broadcast from October 1, 2020 to September 20, 2021 for the award nomination. The submission deadline is until 8pm on October 8 and it will not be extended, said DRU General Secretary Mosiur Rahaman Khan. At the end of October, the award will be handed over to the winners at a ceremony. Nagad Executive Director Niaz Morshed Elite said, “Collaborating with DRU to selecting the best reports of the year was a big opportunity for us. We are always in favour of responsible and pro-people journalism.” Creating hype with so many innovations Nagad is already a payment partner of DRU. Read: Nagad hands Tk 3.32 Cr to postal department as revenue share in fiscal 2020-21 President of DRU Mursalin Nomani and its general secretary inaugurated the organization’s annual frees payment procedure by depositing their fees through Nagad. After formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in March 26, 2019 Nagad has now 5.5 crore subscribers with a daily average payment of BDT 750 crore Convener of “Nagad-DRU Best Reporting Award 2021” Mynul Hasan Sohel and other leaders of the organization were present on the occasion.