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Global Covid cases top 209 million
The global Covid-19 caseload has now surged past 209 million as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to devastate several countries even with mass inoculations underway.
The total caseload and fatalities stand at 209,222,017 and 4,392,130 respectively, as of Thursday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
So far, 4,787,668, 861 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
Read:'India likely to have Covid shot for children by September'
More than 4.4 million Covid cases and 66,000 deaths were reported worldwide in the past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday.
The number of new infections in seven days surpassed last week's number by 2%, while the mortality rate was roughly flat, the UN agency added.
A total of 4,444,632 people were infected with Covid-19 across the world and 66,506 patients died from August 9 to 15.
As of August 18, some 208,833,116 coronavirus cases had been recorded in nearly 200 countries. Since the start of the pandemic, the Covid-19 death toll has reached 4,386,814.
So far, the US, India and Brazil have seen the highest number of confirmed cases and fatalities.
The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 37,148,877 Covid cases. Besides, 624,209 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Read:Over 4.4 million Covid cases reported worldwide in one week
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.
The country has recorded 20,457,897 cases with 571,662 fatalities so far, according to the health ministry.
The third worst-hit country, India's Covid-19 tally rose to 32,285,857 on Wednesday, as 35,178 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, according to the federal health ministry.
Besides, as many as 440 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 432,519.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 172 more coronavirus-related deaths and 7,248 fresh infections in 24 hours till Wednesday morning as concerns remain over the virulent Delta variant of the virus.
The country has been seeing fatalities below 200 for the last six days, a slight improvement from the July 25-August 13 period when daily deaths were recorded over 200.
Read: Bangladesh reports 172 more Covid deaths, 7,248 fresh cases
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 24,719 and the cases to 1,440,644, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
The new cases were detected after testing 41,014 samples, which lowered the case positivity rate to 17.67 % from Tuesday’s 19.18%, still much higher than the WHO recommendation of bringing it below 5%.
Meanwhile, the case fatality rate has increased to 1.72% after staying unchanged at 1.71% for some days.
Dhaka-Narayanganj rail services to resume after 2 months
The railway services on Dhaka-Narayanganj route, suspended almost 2 months ago, will resume from Thursday, railway officials said.
Railway workers have been busy repairing the Dhaka-Narayanganj railway line in Isdair Bazar area since last Tuesday.
Demu (Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit) trains were seen running without passengers on this route several times on Wednesday.
Narayanganj station master Kamrul Islam Khan said the train service on the Dhaka-Narayanganj route will resume from Thursday.
“Instead of 16 pairs of trains, 10 pairs including 4 pairs in the morning and 4 pairs in the afternoon would carry passengers.”
Preparations have been made accordingly. To see whether the path was navigable the trial was being given by Demu train, he added.
Passengers could reach Dhaka from Narayanganj and from Narayanganj to Dhaka in 45 minutes with a fare of only Tk 15. Whereas it takes almost one hours and Tk 36 when travelling by bus.
This made the railway service popular on this route.
The service on this route has been closed since June 22 due to the increasing Covid-19 infection rate.
BenarNews wins Murrow Award for Covid-reporting on Bangladesh
Radio Free Asia (RFA) online affiliate BenarNews was named a National Murrow Award winner Tuesday by the Radio Television Digital News Association for its incisive journalism on the impact of Covid-19 in Bangladesh.
This year, RFA joins NPR, ABC News, and CBS News Radio among others, as winners of the 2021 National Murrow Awards.
BenarNews' "Bangladeshi volunteers help bury abandoned Covid dead" won in the international juried competition's category for the small digital news organisation.
READ: Covid in Bangladesh: Seniors far more likely to face the worst
For millions with little or no access to uncensored local news, RFA-affiliate BenarNews is a crucial conduit for reliable, timely information, said RFA President Bay Fang. "This award is a testament to the vital role of responsible journalism, especially for those around the globe struggling through the nightmare scenario of a deadly pandemic."
"BenarNews Bengali has done outstanding work highlighting the heroism of regular people during a crisis. Their compassion and their courage amid the pandemic's uncertainty are front and centre in this report, for which our journalists deserve full credit," said BenarNews Managing Editor Kate Beddall.
BenarNews' video was filmed in June 2020, shortly after the Bangladesh government reopened the economy and mosques after a two-month nationwide lockdown.
While putting their own lives at risk, volunteers transported hundreds of bodies to burial sites, sometimes travelling hundreds of miles to ancestral homes to honour the deceased.
BenarNews used Skype interviews and amateur footage to provide intimate coverage of people on the front lines of the pandemic. It provided a platform for them to tell their own stories, too, inviting them to submit their video while coaching them on respecting the privacy of people around them.
At the time, Bangladesh had nearly 100,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and over 1,200 confirmed deaths. Today those numbers exceed 1.4 million and 24,000.
READ: Over 2.5 lakh recover from Covid in Bangladesh
BenarNews provides audiences in Southeast and South Asia with credible news, in context and clearly explained, about security, politics, geopolitics and human rights.
With home pages in Bengali, Thai, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia and English, BenarNews focuses on the big picture, cross-border issues, and topics that are censored or overlooked.
People don’t believe propaganda against Zia: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said people do not believe the ruling party’s ‘false’ campaign that Ziaur Rahman was involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.“The current Awami League government is a puppet one and it has got isolated from people…no one believes false campaigns against Ziaur Rahman as he has been there in the hearts of the country’s people,” he said.
Speaking at a virtual discussion, the BNP leader said the government has been trying to mislead people and the new generation to perpetuate its power by resorting to lies.Fakhrul alleged that the ruling party leaders have been carrying out various ‘false’ campaigns to establish a ‘distorted’ history of the Liberation War. “So, we must uphold people’s right to know the truth and the culture of practicing true history in the interests of the entire nation and the future generations.”He said Law Minister Anisul Huq’s comment involving Ziaur Rahman in the assassination of Bangabandhu is false, baseless, and politically motivated.
READ: Bid to implicate Zia in Bangabandhu killing a political vengeance: Fakhrul
The BNP leader said the law minister has put the verdict of Bangabandhu murder case under a question through his that remark.He said the trial of the murder case was completed after a long investigation and examination of the documents and witnesses with utmost sincerity.He questioned as to why the law minister is trying to create a fresh controversy over the murder of Bangabandhu which is a ‘past and closed chapter’ with the completion of the trial.BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said Awami League is distorting the history to confuse people and the new generation by hiding the fact.
He said Awami League leaders themselves created the ground for the August 15, 1975 incident and they were involved in it. “They’re now trying to shift the blame for the incident onto others to protect their political existence. I would like to say they must be accountable to people for distorting the history.”BNP Vice-Chairman Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said Awami League wants to belittle Zia out of jealousy due to his outstanding contributions to the Liberation War and the development of the country.
READ: Dhaka city BNP bodies to help- bring positive changes in politics: Fakhrul
“They have started saying that Ziaur Rahman was involved in Sheikh Mujib's assassination. They think it's been almost 50 years. So now is the time to make such lies true. They have taken this evil initiative to brand Zia as a killer conspirator through false propaganda.”
HC upholds death sentence to a couple for murdering a man in Jashore
The High Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence awarded to a woman and her boyfriend for murdering a man in Jashore.
The convicts are Sabana Khatun and her estranged boyfriend Abdul Alim.
The HC bench of Justice Sahidul Karim and Justice Md. Akhtaruzzaman delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ahmed, who represented the state during the hearing, confirmed the information to UNB.
READ: Polluting canal: HC issues contempt of court rule against 5 govt officials
According to locals, Abdur Razzak of Azmatpur village of Chaugachha upazila was strangled to death by his wife Sabana and her boyfriend Alim on the night of March 9, 2014,. Mintu, the victim's brother, filed a murder case with the Chougachha police station on March 11 accusing them.
Besides, Sabana confessed committing the murder and her extra marital affair under section 164 following her arrest.
READ: HC issues rule on depiction of smoking in movies, theatre
Jashore Additional District and Sessions Judge Sharif Hossain Haider sentenced Sabana and Alim to death for killing her husband on March 14, 2016.
The accused appealed against lower court’s verdict before the HC.
Biman to resume flights to Delhi and Kolkata from Aug 22
Biman Bangladesh Airlines has announced a new schedule to operate flights from Dhaka to India from August 22 (Sunday).
Flights will operate on the Dhaka-Delhi route two days a week - Sundays and Wednesdays.
On Dhaka-Kolkata route it will fly three days a week - Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, said a media release on Wednesday.
The state-of-the-art Dash 8-400 aircraft manufactured by Canada's De Haviland will be used on the Dhaka to Delhi and Kolkata routes.
READ: Biman temporarily closes online ticketing
These new aircraft have HEPA filter technology that will make the indoor air bacteria, viruses and other germs free in just four minutes.
Passengers must undergo RT/PCR (Covid test) within 72 hours of boarding the flight and must follow hygiene rules, the release said.
READ: Two Biman chartered flights take off with stuck students, expat workers
Tickets for these routes can be collected through any of Biman's sales offices, Biman Call Center - 01990 996 996 and authorized travel agencies.
Bangladesh-Netherlands photo, video contest launched
Bangladesh Embassy in The Hague, in partnership with top Dutch water institution (Deltares), has launched a unique photo and video contest, among Bangladesh and the Netherlands nationals titled ‘Bangladesh@50 The Water Story.’
The embassy took the initiative to mark 50 years of Bangladesh-Netherlands diplomatic ties (in 2022), to "celebrate friendship" between two peoples.
The embassy has invited interested Bangladeshis to take a click and submit in the web portal by 30 October 2021.
Both Bangladesh and the Netherlands are active delta where people have stories to tell when on our engagements with water.
READ: Ambassadors from the Netherlands and Thailand present credentials to President Hamid
As Bangladesh celebrates its 50 years of independence in 2021 and 50 years of Bangladesh- Netherlands ties in 2022, there can be no better common element than water to highlight collective aspirations, resilience and innovation of Bangladesh and Dutch people.
The themes of the photo and video contest are: i) Living in Land and Water (in Bangladesh or Netherlands, ii) Inspiring People and Water (in Bangladesh or Netherlands), iii) Thriving Economy and Water (in Bangladesh or Netherlands).
There will be one grand prize (250 Euros) and nine theme prizes (150, 100 and 50 Euro respectively)
Winning photos will be presented in first quarter of 2022 in a photo-book.
An exhibition will later highlight some of the key water-related developments and achievements evolving from the 50 years of Bangladesh independence and 50 years of Bangladesh – Netherlands diplomatic relations.
READ: Netherlands to ban flights from India over virus fears
The contest is open to all Bangldeshis: children, youth, amateurs, professionals.
Contest details are accessible at: http://www.photocontestbangladesh.com/
Helena gives confessional statement in narcotics case
Helena Jahangir, expelled ruling party activist and businessperson, on Wednesday gave confessional statement under section 164 in a case filed under the Narcotics Control Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Dhiman Chandra Mandal recorded her statement when CID Inspector Sajeda, the investigation officer in the case, produced her before the court, said court sources.
When she was giving confessional statement, lawyer Shafiqul Islam submitted a petition for her bail in a separate court.
However, the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan fixed Thursday for the bail hearing.
READ: Helena Jahangir gets bail, but cannot walk out of jail
Earlier in the day, another Dhaka court rejected a bail petition of Helana Jahangir in a fraud case filed with Dhaka's Pallabi Police Station.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jashim passed the order after her lawyer moved a petition seeking bail in the case.
The same court on Tuesday granted her bail in another case filed with the same police station under the Telecommunications Control Act.
On the night of July 29, members of Rapid Action Battalion-1 (Rab) arresed Helena Jahangir from her Gulshan residence, four days after she was removed from her post of a ruling party sub-committee.
The elite force members "seized foreign liquor, illegal walkie-talkie sets, casino equipment and deer skins" during a four-hour raid on her home.
READ: Banks asked to provide account details of Pori Moni, Helena, 6 others
Later another raid was conducted at Joyjatra IPTV station in Mirpur and it was sealed after recovering illegal equipement.
Later the court placed Helena on a 17-day remand in four cases
Walton compressor gets ACMI award
Walton compressor received the best paper award at the International Conference on Automation, Control and Mechatronics 4.0 (ACMI 2021).
The mechatronics engineering department of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology organised the international conference virtually during July 8-9.
Walton compressor won the award in the machine dynamics, mechanics and industry 4.0 category for its research paper "Determination of starting and running torque and their effects on a household refrigerator hermetic reciprocating compressor."
Engineers Md Shamiul Islam and Md Zahid Hasan of Walton's compressor research and development department presented the research paper at the conference.
ACMI is a leading international conference that aims to serve as a meeting place for high-quality education, research, and innovation in the area of mechatronics engineering and technology. This year, more than 50,000 participants attended the virtual conference.
University Grants Commission of Bangladesh and BATCO Engineering sponsored the international conference while the New York-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Bangladesh section was the co-sponsor.
READ: Walton Primo ZX4 Review with Price in Bangladesh
Walton Compressor's Chief Business Officer Rabiul Alam said, "We have already started the production of the compressor's model, on which the award-winning research paper was presented at the international conference. Very low noise levels, as well as durability, are the unique features of the Walton compressor."
READ: Walton gets Sheikh Kamal sports award
Bangladesh Bank, IBBL sign automated challan system agreement
Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Bank Tuesday for collecting payment of government revenue and fees through an automated challan system (ACS).
Ahmed Jamal, deputy governor of the Bangladesh Bank, joined the program as chief guest.
Mohammed Monirul Moula, managing director and CEO of IBBL and Md Forkan Hossain, general manager of the Bangladesh Bank, signed the agreement.
Read: IBBL Dhaka zone holds online conference
AKM Mohiuddin Azad, executive director of the Bangladesh Bank; IBBL Additional Managing Director Md Omar Faruk Khan, Deputy Managing Director JQM Habibullah, Senior Executive Vice-President Md Mahboob Alam, and Executive Vice-President Md Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan also attended the programme.
Now government revenue and fees including income tax and passport fees can be paid through this service from IBBL branches and sub-branches.
Read: IBBL inaugurates Bauphal sub-branch in Patuakhali