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Rajshahi hospital logs 9 more Covid deaths
Nine more people have died of Covid-19 and related complications at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours, health officials said on Wednesday.
Four of them died of Covid, while five had symptoms of the virus, said hospital director Brigadier General Shamim Yazdani.
Of the deceased, four were from Rajshahi, two from Natore, and one each from Naogaon and Meherpur districts.
Read:21 more die of Covid at Rajshahi hospital
Besides, 16 people have been admitted to the corona unit of the hospital in the past 24 hours. On the other hand, some 32 people were discharged from the hospital after recovery during the period.
Currently, 261 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital, which has 513 beds. Of them, 20 are being treated in the ICU, said the hospital director.
Read:Covid: 11 more die at Rajshahi hospital
RMCH has been one of the most stretched hospitals in the country during the second wave of Covid-19, particularly since the latter part of May when the deadly Delta variant was identified in multiple samples in Rajshahi division.
Remembering natyacharya Selim Al Deen
Wednesday marks the 72nd birth anniversary of the Ekushey Padak-winning late dramatist Selim Al Deen, regarded as the pioneer of theatre in Bangladesh.
Like previous years, the day is being observed by several cultural bodies across the country. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the majority of these events are taking place online, the same as last year.
Read:Remembering Selim Al Deen on his 13th death anniversary
Jahangirnagar University's (JU) Department of Drama and Dramatics that was founded by Selim, Bangladesh Graam Theatre co-founded by him, theatre troupe Swapnadal and other cultural bodies are organising these programmes to commemorate the life and legacy of the eminent playwright.
Teachers and students of JU's Drama and Dramatics Department, led by its chairman Dr Soma Mumtaz, placed floral wreaths on Selim's grave on the university campus this morning.
Later, a special programme, titled 'Selim Al Deen in the story of Barin Ghosh's picture', took place around 12 noon.
Another programme, Masterclass, is scheduled for 3 pm which will be joined by Professor Dr Afsar Ahmed as the keynote speaker. 'Salim Al Deen in movies', another programme, will take place at 4 pm, which will be joined by media personality, director and Dhaka DocLab Chairman Nasiruddin Yousuff, apart from Morshedul Islam, Abu Sayeed and Nargis Akhtar.
All of these programmes will be streamed live on the Facebook page of the Drama and Dramatics Department of JU.
Theatre troupe Swapnadal is organising a two-day Selim Al Deen birth anniversary festival on Facebook, from August 18th to 19th. A documentary titled 'Opariharja Selim Al Deen O Swapnadal-er Bondhur Obhijatra' will be streamed as part of the festival on Wednesday evening.
Alongside the discussions, a video production of Selim-penned theatre production 'Hargaj' will be streamed on Thursday from Zahid Reepon’s Facebook page.
Read:Selim Al Deen Utsab ‘19 begins at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
Bangladesh Graam Theatre, Dhaka Theatre and other organisations are also scheduled to commemorate the great dramatist through their own virtual programmes and webinars.
Regarded as the pioneer of neo-theatre in the country, Selim was born on August 18, 1949, in Senerkhil village of Feni. He was the third child of Mofizuddin Ahmed and Firoza Khatun.
He passed SSC in 1984 from Mangalkandi Secondary School, Senerkhil, Feni, and HSC from Feni College in 1986. During that year, he got admitted to the Bangla department of Dhaka University.
While studying in second year, he left Dhaka University and entered Korotia Sadat College in Tangail. After graduating from there, he obtained his MA degree from the Bangla department of Dhaka University.
In 1964, Selim joined Jahangirnagar University as a lecturer in the Bangla department and later founded the Drama and Dramatics Department, in which he served as its chairman. He also obtained his PhD from Jahangirnagar University in 1995.
A founding member of Dhaka Theatre, Selim co-founded Bangladesh Graam Theatre in 1981-82 with playwright and filmmaker Nasiruddin Yusuff.
'Jaundice and Miscellaneous Balloons' (1985), 'Basan' (1985), 'Keettankhola' (1986), 'Keramatmangal: (1988), 'Chaka' (1991), 'Hargaj: (1992), 'Nimajjan' (2002) are some of his most notable plays.
Read: Selim Al Deen’s 70th birth anniversary Sunday
Deen died on January 14, 2008, at a private hospital in Dhaka. He was buried near the central mosque on the Jahangirnagar University campus.
For his noteworthy contribution to art and culture in the country, Selim received several awards, including Ekushey Padak in 2007, Bangla Academy Award in 1984, and National Film Award for Best Dialogue in 1994.
Human rights body sets up panel to probe infant murder in Chotomoni Nibas
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has formed a three-member panel to probe the murder of a two-month-old child in the state-run orphanage, ‘Chotomoni Nibas’, in Sylhet.
Headed by the director of the Commission, district and sessions judge Mohammad Ashraful Alam, the other members of the committee are the commission's deputy director Mohammad Gazi Salah Uddin and executive magistrate at Sylhet deputy commissioner's office, Rehena Akter.
Post-questioning of some people in connection with the case, judge Ashraful said on Tuesday night: “Already police have filed a case in this connection and a staffer of the orphanage also gave a confessional statement in the court."
Read: Nanny confesses to killing infant at state-run orphanage in Sylhet
“We are here to check any kind of negligence on the part of the authorities concerned and investigate the crime. We will submit our report soon," he added.
Sultana Ferdousi Siddiqa, employed by the department of social services as a nanny, gave her statement after police produced her before Sylhet Metropolitan Court's magistrate Saifur Rahman on August 14.
Sultana was arrested in connection with the case filed at Kotwali police station on a complaint from sub-inspector Mahbubul Alam Mandal on August 14.
Global Covid cases top 208 million
The global Covid-19 caseload has now surpassed 208 million, with the world still struggling to contain the second outbreak of the pandemic.
According to US-based Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 208,493,338 while the death toll from the virus reached 4,380,611 on Wednesday morning.
So far, 4,749,026,949 vaccine doses have been administered across the globe.
Read: US to recommend COVID vaccine boosters at 8 months
The US, which is the world's worst-hit country in terms of both cases and deaths, has so far logged 37,006,732 cases. Besides, 623,283 people have lost their lives in the US to date, as per the JHU data.
Meanwhile, U.S. experts are expected to recommend Covid-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot, to ensure lasting protection against the coronavirus as the Delta variant spreads across the country.
Federal health officials have been actively looking at whether extra shots for the vaccinated would be needed as early as this fall, reviewing case numbers in the US as well as the situation in other countries such as Israel, where preliminary studies suggest the vaccine’s protection against serious illness dropped among those vaccinated in January.
Brazil registered 434 more Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, raising its national death toll to 569,492, the health ministry said on Monday.
The ministry said that the total caseload rose to 20,378,570 after 14,471 new cases were detected during the period.
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.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 32,250,679 on Tuesday, as 25,166 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, as per the federal health ministry's latest data.
Read: Children account for 15% of new Covid cases in US
It was the lowest single-day spike in the past 154 days, according to the ministry.
Besides, 437 deaths due to the pandemic since Monday morning took the total death toll to 432,079.
Even though India is easing its restrictions amid a sharp drop in new Covid-19 cases, the threat of a third wave looms large, as experts predict another wave might hit the country by the end of August but say it will be less brutal.
The caseload will rise slowly instead of significantly, and the third wave will not be as chaotic as the second one, if the Delta variant remains dominant and no new variant emerges, experts have said.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh reported 198 more coronavirus-related deaths and 7,535 fresh infections in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The country has been seeing fatalities below 200 for the last five days, a slight improvement from the July 25-August 13 period when daily deaths were recorded over 200.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 24,547 and the Covid cases to 1,433,396, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The new cases were detected after testing 39,278 samples, which lowered the case positivity rate to 19.18 % from Monday’s 21.08%.
Read: Lower age bar for Covid vaccination further: JS body
Meanwhile, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.71%, said the DGHS.
During the period, the recovery rate rose to 91.73% with 12,950 more people recovering from the infection.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare on Tuesday recommended lowering the age limit to receive Covid vaccines further from the existing 25 years.
Bodies of 11 Rohingya boat escapees from Bhasan Char recovered
The bodies of 11 Rohingyas out of more than 40 who tried to escape by boat from Bhasan Char have been recovered, according to naval police officials.
The engine-boat on which Rohingya men, women with children were trying to flee from Noakhali’s Bhasanchar drowned in the deep-sea Friday night.
It was learned that 15 people were rescued after the incident, 11 bodies were recovered till Tuesday afternoon and 15 were still missing.
Coast Guard, navy and police have been conducting operations to recover the bodies since Saturday.
READ: Rohingya children must be educated in their own language: FM
Bhasanchar police officer in charge (OC) Rafiqul Islam told UNB that 41 Rohingya refugees including women and children, fled from different clusters of the Bhasanchar refugee camp in Hatia upazila of Noakhali around 11 pm on Friday in an engine-driven fishing trawler for Chattogram. The trawler sank into Bay of Bengal 20 km from Bhasanchar, at the area between Chittagong and Hatia upazila, at around 1:30 am due to a storm.
“A fishing trawler rescued 14 Rohingyas from the spot and took them back to the Bhasanchar Rohingya refugee camp on Saturday morning. Another missing Rohingya named Abdur Rahman (35) was rescued from Keranirhat area of Satkania upazila in Chattogram on Saturday night.”
A total of 15 Rohingyas have been rescued alive. So far, 15 people are missing in this incident. Rescue teams from the Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force are continuing their rescue operation, he added
Coast Guard east zonal commander Captain Kazi Shah Alam, said a total of 11 Rohingya bodies have been recovered from deep sea and Sandwip coast till Tuesday afternoon.
READ: Covid-19: Vaccination campaign begins at Rohingya camps
Among the recovered bodies two were women and six children, he added.
Sandwip Police Station OC Bashir Ahmed Khan said two bodies were found floating on the Sandwip coast. After recovering those the bodies were handed over to the Coast Guard.
BGMEA wants import consignments to be released from Ctg Port
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to allow releasing the imported goods from the Chittagong Port instead of private inland container depots (ICDs) to reduce time and cost.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the call during a meeting with Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Rear Admiral M Shahjahan in Chittagong on Tuesday.
Faruque Hassan said currently it takes around six to seven days to take delivery of imported consignments from the private ICDs as compared to only two days at the port, which increases cost of releasing goods.
READ: BGMEA pays homage to Bangabandhu on National Mourning Day
Moreover, the private ICD operators are charging higher fees and taking more time than the Chittagong Port for releasing the goods, he said adding that additional delay and charges are impacting the apparel industry at a time when the sector is struggling to turn around from the shocks created by the Covid pandemic.
The BGMEA President expressed hope that RMG exports would increase in the coming months and urged the port authority to plan ahead and take steps accordingly to enhance the capacity and efficiency of Chittagong Port so that they can handle the increased pressure of export-import smoothly.
Speaking at the meeting BGMEA First Vice President Syed Nazrul Islam urged the Chittagong Port Authority to make export-import activities quicker and timely to retain the competitiveness of Bangladesh apparel industry in the global market during this difficult time of Covid pandemic.
CPA Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan said the RMG industry has been making enormous contributions to the economic development of Bangladesh.
He said the Chittagong Port Authority is carrying out export-import activities quickly and efficiently despite having different limitations. He also presented CPA’s plans and initiatives for infrastructural development and increasing efficiency of the port.
The meeting with the CPA was a part of BGMEA’s continuous efforts to keep the flow of export-import shipment smooth and timely.
READ: BGMEA extends financial aid for ailing photographer Chanchal Mahmood
Earlier, BGMEA held several meetings with stakeholders including main-line operator (MLO) and buyers’ representatives in this regard.
After the meeting BGMEA President Faruque Hassan along with the CPA Chairman, the BGMEA leaders and other high officials visited Chittagong Port to see port operations.
BGMEA Vice President Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, Directors Tanvir Ahmed, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Haroon Ar Rashid, Navidul Huq, Rajiv Chowdhury, Md. Imranur Rahman, Md. M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Mohammed Abdus Salam, Tanvir Habib, A.M. Shafiul Karim (Khokon), Md. Hassan (Jacky), M. Ahsanul Hoq, Mohammed Meraj-E-Mostafa (Kaisar), former Director and Chairman of BGMEA Standing Committee on Customs (Sea) Anjan Shekhar Das, former Director and Chairman of BGMEA Standing Committee on Customs (Bond) Liakat Ali Chowdhury were present at the meeting.
Md. Zafar Alam, Member (Admin and Planning); Commodore Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Member (Harbour and Marine); Mohd. Omar Faruk, Secretary, Enamul Karim, Director (Traffic); Md. Kudrat-e-Khuda, Terminal Manager of Chittagong Port Authority were also present at the meeting.
Polluting canal: HC issues contempt of court rule against 5 govt officials
High Court issued contempt of court rule against five people including the Director General of Environment Department and Deputy Commissioner of Habiganj district for not determining the damage to a canal and locals due to pollution caused by ‘Maar’ company in Madhabpur upazila.
Bench of justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Kamrul Hossain Molla passed the order and asked the five government officials to submit their response to the rule within 14 days after receiving the notice.
Director of Department of Environment (monitor and enforcement), Director of Sylhet Environment Department and Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Madhabpur are the other officials against whom the rule has been issued.
READ: HC issues rule on depiction of smoking in movies, theatre
On March 15 the High Court bench ordered to submit a report within two months determining the pollution and damage of Ektiarpul canal and peoples in the area and to shut activity of the company for three months followed by a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
Later on June 15, the court ordered to keep the company shut for three months more.
However, the directed officials didn’t submit the report even after extending the time for 15 days.
READ: HC to resume hearings on anticipatory bail pleas Aug 22
During a hearing on the plea of Maar Company to open the factory today the court rejected the appeal and issued the rule against those five officials, said lawyer of BELA Sayeed Ahmed Kabir presenting petitioner’s side.
Fire breaks out at a bakery in city’s Nawabpur
A fire broke out Tuesday night at a bakery in old Dhaka’s Alu Bazar road in Nawabpur area.
Eight fire fighting teams managed to douse the flame at around 8:58 pm.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
Also read: Fire guts valuables at Gazipur RMG factory
According to fire service sources the fire broke out around 8:20 pm and the fire service teams reached the scene around 8:26 pm.
The origin of the fire and the extent of damages from it couldn’t be identified yet, said Raihanul Islam, station Officer (media) at Fire Service Headquarters.
Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad demands exemplary punishment for rape incident in Sunamganj
Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad, an organization of students from minority backgrounds, have protested the rape of a woman from the Hajong community in Sunamganj on August 14 and also demanded exemplary punishment of the rapist.
On Tuesday morning, the leaders and activist of Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad held this protest procession in front of the National Museum in the capital and also placed a five-point charter of demand.
The five points are: Appropriate compensation has to be paid to the five Garo families affected in Sreebardi upazila of Sherpur district and Range officers and beat officers, especially those involved in such heinous acts must be provide exemplary punished; ensure rights of traditional land of ethnic minorities’ people; the conspiracy of grabbing the land of ethnic minority group of Doluchhora in Moulvibazar, Garo and Khasia community have to stop immediately ; a separate land commission for the plain land’s ethnic minority communities
READ: Chamber judge stays bail to accused in ULAB student rape, murder
Organizing Secretary Badol Hajong conducted the program while its general secretary Alik Mree presided over the program.
Besides, expressing solidarity with the Parishad, Dhaka University's Sociology Department Professor Khairul Chowdhury Rupam and DU Anthropology Department associate professor Zobaida Nasrin Kona attended and also spoke at the program.
Professor Khairul Chowdhury said, ‘"The Incidents of torture and oppression against indigenous women are happening repeatedly in the country. And we are protesting only. I think it is time to form an indigenous human rights commission to solve their problems. And we also demand formation of a land commission for them."
Anthropology Department Associate Professor Zobaida Nasreen said, "Patriarchal society and culture of injustice are the main reasons behind such incidents in Bangladesh. It is not possible to tackle such crimes only through protests. To prevent this klinds of incident, everyone in society should be united and fight against rape."
Speaking on the procession Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad General Secretary Alik Mree said that five Adivasi families have lost crops worth several lakhs taka due to deforestation in the name of social forestry at Sreebardi upazila in Sherpur. There are more than 50 ethnic minorities’ families in fear of eviction. Not only in the case of Sherpur, but also in Sylhet, Tangail and Chittagong Hill Tracts of the country, the forest department is working to evict the ethnic minorities.
He said that the conspiracy of grabbing the lands of ethnic minority group have to stop immediately and also demanded exemplary punishment for raping a Hajong woman in Tahirpur.
READ: Grapes are Sour: Portraying the difficult experiences of women in our society
Bangladesh Adibasi Juba Forum President Ananta Bikash Dhamai, General Secretary of Hajong Students' Organization Ashish Hajong and among others also spoke at the rally.
Govt officials to face dope test, says the home minister
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Tuesday said the government officials and employees will be brought under dope test in a year and action will be taken against those who would test positive.
“The government has made dope test mandatory for government jobs in a bid to discourage use of drugs and many proposals are on line,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
“The educational institutions will be brought under the system and the students who will get enrolled in educational institutions, universities and colleges will be brought under dope testing. And the teachers too will undergo the test. We have a discussion in this regard,” said the minister.
Also read: Law equal for all, no exception for police: Home Minister
Replying to a question on when it would be implemented, the home minister said “The Cabinet secretary will tell about it.”
Referring to the clash between police and BNP at Chandrima Udyan in the city, the Asaduzzman said “BNP has violated the rule as the government has imposed restriction on public gatherings considering the Covid situation. A chaotic situation was created there as the BNP men entered there forcibly. They just forced the law enforcers to take action.”
Police will take further action against those involved in it, he said.
Earlier in the day, BNP activists clashed with police in front of Chandrima Udyan in the city on while visiting Ziaur Rahman's grave after the formation of new city committees.
Also read: Won’t tolerate anarchy: Home Minister
The clash broke out around 10:30 am when the newly-formed convening committees of BNP's Dhaka city north and south units went to place wreaths at the grave of the party's founder Ziaur Rahman.
He dismissed as baseless the talk of Bangladeshis leaving for Afghanistan.
“This is baseless and those who said it are wrong. Everything is closed now. Our air service has been suspended there. How would they go to Afghanistan? Did they go on foot? There is no way to go to Afghanistan?”
“The people of our country are Islamic minded and they did not support any militant activity and extremism. So what is happening in Afghanistan is its own business,” he said.