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2,644 2,74,525 3,625 1,57,635 765,092 21,445,238

New cases in 24hrs Total cases Deaths Recoveries Deaths Total cases
HEALTH SECTOR SYNDICATE ‘Be a minister
Strange laxity or be in jail
for 25 years’
President says about a

let it off hook

MAHBUBUR RAHMAN KHAN
‘proposal he got from
Zia’ after Aug 15
BSS, Dhaka
President Abdul Hamid
Motazzaroul Islam Mithu might not have come this far had the Anti- has said then military ruler
Corruption Commission exercised due diligence years back. Ziaur Rahman had offered
Mithu, who has several medical equipment supplying companies him the opportunity to
including Lexicon Merchandize and Meditech Imaging Ltd, controls the become a minister after
tenders in the health sector, according to a letter of former CMSD director the brutal assassination
Brig Gen Md Shahidullah. of Father of the Nation
The syndicate of Mithu looted about Tk 450 crore without supplying Bangabandhu Sheikh
any medical equipment to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Mujibur Rahman.
Hospital, reads the letter issued to the public administration ministry on “Zia had offered me
May 30. through Colonel Mahfuzur
Amid controversies over the purchase of substandard PPEs and N95 Rahman the opportunity
masks, Shahidullah was taken back from Central Medical Stores Depot to become a minister....
(CMSD) to the Army Headquarters on May 23. He died of Covid-19 last At the same time, he also
month. threatened to throw me
In the letter, he further said the syndicate also controlled the purchases behind bars for 25 years if I
in the depot. did not agree to the offer,”
Besides, the ruling party MP of Noakhali-4, Ekramul Karim Chowdhury, the president said.
in June sought the prime minister’s intervention to bring Mithu to the book. He was talking about his
In 2013, when some serious anomalies in the health sector surfaced, the memories of Bangabandhu
ACC asked Mithu to submit a wealth statement following the allegation and the aftermath of
that he had amassed wealth about Tk 50 crore beyond the known source his killing in a recorded
of income. interview to the Bangladesh
But he did not bother to respond to the notice.
The following year, in November 2014, Mithu bought a villa in New
York spending Tk 6.6 crore ($847,500), according to a US-based real estate
IN TEARS, IN TRIBUTE Television (BTV) on
National Mourning Day.
Referring to the offer
information providing online service. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter Saima Wazed Hossain sprinkle petals of flowers on the by Zia, Hamid said he
PHOTO:
After waiting for his reply for three years, the ACC on May 10, 2016 graves of Bangabandhu’s family members who were killed by some disgruntled army members on August PID officially protested the
SEE PAGE 2 COL 3 15, 1975. The photo was taken at the Banani graveyard in the capital yesterday. SEE PAGE 2 COL 6

CLOSURE OF STATE-RUN JUTE MILLS

Murtaja Baseer (1932-2020)
Rab quizzes Cyberbullying now
Nothing for the Sefat, Shipra adds to her trauma
temporary workers
MD SHAHNAWAZ KHAN CHANDAN
Investigators looking
for motive
Some police officials among those trying
STAR REPORT
to smear Shipra, alleges family
More than 32,000 substitute and temporary workers of the 25 state-run MUNTAKIM SAAD and NILIMA JAHAN
jute mills that were closed down recently have been denied compensation The investigators yesterday quizzed
packages though many of them had worked at the mills for decades. Shahadul Islam Sefat and Shipra Debnath Shipra Debnath, a student of Stamford University and a crew member of

The passing of
a pioneer
ZAHANGIR ALOM
August 17 would have been eminent artist,
poet, litterateur, Language Movement
veteran and versatile genius Murtaja
Baseer’s 89th birthday.
The art maestro passed away today at
9:10am, while undergoing treatment at the
ICU unit of Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
His elder daughter, Munirah Baseer,
confirmed the news to The Daily Star.
Followed by his namaz-e-janaza, he
was buried at Banani graveyard yesterday.
He left behind three children -- Munirah
Baseer, Munijah Baseer and Mehraj Baseer.
The artist was admitted to the hospital
due to severe respiratory problems and
reduced oxygen consumption rate, along
with other old age-related ailments.
SEE PAGE 2 COL 1
Since the closure of the mills on July 1, the authorities laid off 24,886
permanent workers who are entitled to receive due wages, gratuity and
severance pay based on gratuity.
But no allocation was made for the 23,842 substitute (badli) and 8,463
temporary workers who toiled at the mills on a daily-wage basis.
One of them, Altaf Hossain, joined Star Jute Mills Limited in Khulna as
a “badli” worker in 2009.
“A permanent worker who joined the mill in 2009 will get Tk 7 lakh
to 9 lakh as gratuity and severance pay. I worked at the mill for the same
period but I am not getting even one taka as compensation,” lamented
Altaf.
Like him, Md Fariduddin, a temporary worker at Crescent Jute Mills
Limited in the same district, was upset.
“I have worked in various sections of the mill for 13 years. I served as a
clerk at the factory’s accounts department for the last six years...
“However, as a temporary worker, I was paid on the basis of no work-no
pay whereas all my colleagues in the department were permanent staffers,”
said Farid who studied up to 12th grade.
The status of these workers has been clearly defined in section 4(3) and
4(5) of Bangladesh Labour Law, 2006.
According to the law, a worker can be regarded as “badli” if he is
recruited in place of a permanent worker who remains absent temporarily.
It also states a temporary worker is someone who is recruited for a
temporary job that is to be finished within a limited period.
Section 4(8) of the law says probation period for technical workers
should be three months and that for non-technical workers six months,
SEE PAGE 2 COL 3
as part of the investigation of ex-Major
Sinha’s murder case.
Sefat was accompanying Maj (retd)
Sinha Md Rashed Khan when he was shot
dead at Shamlapur police check post on
Marine Drive in Teaknaf on July 31 night,
triggering an uproar across the country. He
is a key witness to the murder case filed by
Sinha’s sister following the incident.
Sefat, who saw the shooting, was
accused in a murder and a narcotics case
by Teknaf police while Shipra was arrested
under a narcotics case.
Both of them later obtained bail from court.
Private university students Sefat, Shipra,
and Tahsin Rifat Noor were in Cox’s Bazar
to shoot a travel video for Sinha’s YouTube
channel “Just Go”.
Rab also grilled the seven accused in the
murder case for the second consecutive
day yesterday.
“We are trying to find out who shot
Sinha dead and the motive behind the
killing,” Lt Col Ashik Billah, director of
legal and media wing of Rab told The
Daily Star yesterday.
SEE PAGE 2 COL 3
slain Maj (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, has fallen victim to cyberbullying,
her family alleged.
A group of people, including some top-ranking police officials, have
been posting her personal photographs along with provocative comments
on Facebook, trying to assassinate her character, said her younger brother
Shuvojit Kumar Debnath.
“It’s a nasty game being played by some people, especially those who
are holding responsible positions in our country,” he said, adding, “It
comes from dirty mentality.”
Shuvojit said police seized all of their devices and belongings during
the incident, and, while they still don’t know whether any photos were
leaked from those devices, it’s a matter of concern.
“They [Shipra and Sefat] are the people who suffered the most after the
[Sinha] killing incident. From the cases to jail, they are still going through
trauma,” he added.
Shipra, 25, was accused in a narcotics case following the killing of Sinha.
She and two other students of her university went to Cox’s Bazar with
Sinha on July 3 to take part in the making of a documentary by the former
major, who was killed in police firing on July 31 night at Shamlapur police
check-post, triggering nationwide outcry.
Shipra was arrested on charges of possessing liquor and marijuana, and
was released on bail amid widespread protests.
Since her release, she has been bullied on social media by top police officials.
In one instance, Superintendent of Police Mostafijur Rahman of
Satkhira shared some of her pictures on his Facebook profile on August
14 and took a dig at her character. In the post, he hinted that some more
pictures may come.
SEE PAGE 2 COL 1

Coronavirus
will leave on
its own
Says health minister;
34 more die, 2,644
test positive
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Health and Family Welfare
Minister Zahid Maleque
said that the Covid-19
will “leave the country on
its own”, when 34 more
Covid-19 patients died
and 2,644 people tested
positive for the virus
yesterday.
“Whether the vaccine
comes or not, coronavirus
will leave the country,” the
health minister said at a
National Mourning Day
event at the Bangladesh
College of Physicians and
Surgeons in the capital.
“We are happy that the
death rate and Covid-19
infection rate have
decreased in the country,”
the minister also said,
adding, “People are getting
treatment at home, they
do not need to come to
hospitals. As a result,
there are fewer patients in
hospitals.”
Earlier in the morning,
at another national
SEE PAGE 2 COL 1
Miscreants kill
a man, ‘with
help from cops’
Alleges family
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Faridpur
A group of miscreants drowned a youth in Betbaria village
of Rajbari’s Kalukhali upazila, family of the victim claims,
adding that police were also involved in the killing.
The dead is Rabiul Islam, 30, a resident of the same
village.
Family members of the victim said three policemen,
including SI Fazlul Haque of Kalukhali Police Station,
picked him up from his home on early yesterday and
handed him over to some drug peddlers -- Elias, Rakib and
Rafiq -- of the locality who later killed Rabiul by drowning
him in Munaiyer Beel in the locality.
Earlier on Thursday evening, a group of villagers had
an altercation with the drug dealers over selling drugs in
the village.
At one point local union parishad member Yousuf
Hossain intervened at the scene and drove the drug peddlers
away, said the family of the deceased, adding that Yousuf
maintains a good relationship with the perpetrators.
Contacted, Yusuf, however, said some of his rivals were
hatching a conspiracy against him.
Later on the same night, the drug dealers filed a case
accusing Rabiul and one Babul Biswas, said Kamrul Hasan,
officer-in-charge of Kalukhali Police Station.
Police arrested Babul in the case from his residence early
yesterday, the OC said, but he denied the arrest of Rabiul.
Contacted, Md Mizanur Rahman, superintendent of
A large part of the much-awaited Padma Bridge is now visible as the construction of the bridge goes on. Once the PHOTO: police in Rajbari, said they would investigate into the
construction work is completed, the 6.15km bridge will directly connect the country’s 21 southern districts with the ANISUR RAHMAN
incident when a case would be filed in this regard.
capital through road and railways. The photo was taken in Mawa of Munshiganj on Friday. SEE PAGE 2 COL 6
2 NEWS
US Postal Service warns of
delays for mail-in votes
AFP, Washington
The US Postal Service has sent letters
to most states warning that millions
of ballots cast by mail for November’s
presidential election may not arrive in
time to be counted, US media reports
said.
The letters, dated July 29 and
delivered to election officials in 46
states and in Washington DC, said
that even if voters meet their state
deadlines, the Postal Service could
not guarantee delivery in time, the
Cyberbullying now adds to her trauma
FROM PAGE 1
A similar post was made by Mohammad
Mizanur Rahman Shelley, SP (Dhaka
Metro -- South) of the Police Bureau of
Investigation, who also authored crime
fiction books.
He tried to justify the case filed against
Shipra by sharing similar photos of her.
Derogatory comments were then
made on the post where people tried
to assassinated the young woman’s
character. Some other police officers
also endorsed the posts of their SPs.
Similar derogatory posts were also
doing rounds on several Facebook
groups and pages, some of which were
administered by policemen, including
“Police e Janata, Janata e Police” and
“Salute to BD Police”.
The posts by the policemen also
touched off a firestorm of criticism by
many social media users.
Rezvi Ahmed Ocean commented
under SP Shelley’s post: “Who gave
you the responsibility to do moral
policing?”
Sheikh Fazleh Elahee wrote that the
pictures posted by the police officials
do not even prove that someone was
possessing drugs at that time of the
incident.
Shahriar Mursalin Deep reminded
the SP of the Digital Security Act 2018
by mentioning some of its section.
SP Mostafijur could not be reached
for comments on his phone despite
several attempts.
Asked, PBI SP Shelley said, “Yes, such
comments can be made [by police].
What’s the problem?”
About sharing personal pictures,
the police official said, “I didn’t take
the photos. She posted those pictures
publicly herself on her different social
media. You can see the links…”
The police official termed his post
merely a “general statement”.
This newspaper called and texted
Assistant Inspector General (Media)
Md Sohel Rana several times yesterday
evening for comments but he did not
respond.
The passing of a pioneer
FROM PAGE 1
Doctors confirmed that he was Covid-19
positive.
Murtaja Baseer had been given
oxygen artificially for several years due
to respiratory problems since 2013, and
had a heart failure due to increasing
fluid in his lungs last year.
The President, Prime Minister,
State Minister for Cultural Affairs, and
various artists and art connoisseurs
have expressed their shock at his
demise.
“We lost a true legend, a pioneer and
a versatile genius of Bangladesh. He had
a strong personality, uncompromising
to his creation of arts. Yet, he was a very
soft hearted man,” said eminent artist
Monirul Islam.
Born in 1932, the youngest son to
the eminent scholar Dr Muhammed
Shahidullah and Marguba Khatun,
Murtaja Baseer would regard himself as
“an artist by chance.”
Baseer’s six-decade career, starting in
1954, occupies a unique place in the
modern art history of Bangladesh, but
what makes this prolific artist stand out
is his continuous attempt to learn, grow
and evolve.
His works include the series Wings of
Butterfly, The Wall, and Epitaph for the
Martyrs.
Coronavirus will leave on its own
FROM PAGE 1
mourning day event in Manikganj, the
minister said the decision to import
vaccines will be made in a meeting with
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“There are attempts to invent vaccines
in many countries… The final decision
on how people will get vaccines will be
taken in a discussion with the prime
minister,” Zahid Maleque said at the
event in Manikganj Sadar upazila.
Earlier, on Wednesday, on the
sidelines of the cabinet purchase
committee meeting, the health minister
had said the decision on running a trial
of a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine in the
country may come next week.
During yesterday’s speech, the
minister claimed the transmission and
death rates are slowly sloping down:
“This is the contribution of the health
service.”
Experts, however, say transmission --
based on the day-to-day positivity rate
-- is actually on the rise.
Recently, a study revealed that nine
percent of Dhaka city dwellers have
already been infected with coronavirus
with 78 percent of them having no
symptoms.
The study, jointly conducted by the
Institute of Epidemiology, Disease
Control and Research (IEDCR) and
the International Centre for Diarrhoeal
Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b)
indicates that many undetected carriers
have been spreading the virus, experts
said.
“The study proves the number of
infected people is more than what we
Washington Post said on Friday.
They warn that “certain deadlines
for requesting and casting mail-in
ballots are incongruous with the
Postal Service’s delivery standards,”
according to several letters posted
on the USPS website following an
information request by the newspaper.
“This mismatch creates a risk that
ballots requested near the deadline
under state law will not be returned by
mail in time to be counted under your
laws as we understand them.”
Women rights activists expressed
concern and asked how policemen are
sharing personal pictures of the young
woman in a bid to defame her when the
women in the country are already in a
socially vulnerable state.
Rights activist Khushi Kabir said
the case against Shipra is under
investigation but police are provoking
others to humiliate her by sharing
photos and making such comments.
“Compared to a normal person
violating laws, when a member of a
law enforcement agency commits such
crimes, it becomes a serious offence
because they are the people who are
supposed to enforce the laws.
“If Shipra had committed a crime,
her character still has nothing to do with
her crime. Publishing such photos to
humiliate and assassinate the character
is just a proof of their loose morals.
This cannot be expected from police
officials,” she said.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Salma
Ali, human rights lawyer and president
of Bangladesh National Women
Lawyers Association said, “When they
see a case related to women, be it an
incident of sexual harassment or even
rape, everyone points their fingers at the
woman’s character, which only proves
the deep-rooted patriarchal mind-set
that is still prevailing in the country.”
She added that here, the case is under
investigation and sharing Shipra’s
personal photos of her partaking in
activities with her friends doesn’t prove
that she is guilty and the police have
no right to circulate her photos on
digital platforms and instigate public
defamation.
In the DSA 2018’s section 29 (1), it
is strictly mentioned that if a person
commits an offence of publishing or
broadcasting defamatory information
as described in section 499 of the penal
code 1860 on any website or any other
electronic format, then they will be
sentenced to a term of imprisonment
not exceeding three years or fine not
exceeding Tk five lakh, the lawyer said.
As a socially conscious artist, Baseer’s
paintings are much more than what
they appear to be. He would often try
to capture the struggles of the people
around him.
Baseer believes that his lifelong
dedication to important social causes
and affinity for paintings stemmed
from his adherence to the communist
ideology, starting when he became
an active member of the student wing
(Chhatra Federation) of the Communist
Party in 1947.
He is also acclaimed for his
meticulous style and unique choice of
themes in his novels. In 1954, he wrote
a novel titled “Ultramarine”, based on
contemporary life in Kolkata and the
social issues of the time.
Baseer’s collection of selected works,
Murtaja Baseer: Murto O Bimurto,
will remain as a treasure trove for
Bangladeshi art.
He joined Dacca Art College (now
the Faculty of Fine Arts, University
of Dhaka) as a student in 1949, also
studying mosaic and etching at École
nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in
Paris in later years.
The art maestro received numerous
accolades, including the country’s
highest civilian awards -- the Ekushey
Padak and the Shadhinota Puroshkar.
thought. The transmission is going
on extensively in an unknown and
uncontrolled way,” Prof Ridwanur
Rahman, an infectious disease specialist,
told The Daily Star recently.
Meanwhile, the positivity rate
continued to hover over 20 percent for
the second consecutive day yesterday.
On Thursday, it had dipped down to
19.88 percent, for the first time during
the past month.
According to the Directorate General
of Health Services (DGHS), a total of
12,891 samples were tested at 87 labs
across the country in 24 hours between
Friday and yesterday morning.
The positivity rate of Covid-19 cases
was 20.51 percent yesterday -- this figure
was 21.52 percent the previous day.
The fresh cases bring the total
number of positive cases so far in the
country to 2,74,525.
The total number of recoveries
currently stands at 1,57,635 -- with
1,012 patients recovering in the last 24
hours -- a recovery rate of around 57
percent.
With yesterday’s deaths, the death
toll rose to 3,625 -- around 1.32 percent
of all confirmed cases.
Among yesterday’s deceased, 24
were male and 10 female; one was aged
between 31-40 years, two between 41-50
years, nine between 51-60 years, and the
rest 22 above 60 years of age.
16 of yesterday’s deceased were from
Dhaka division, with seven each from
Chattogram and Khulna, one each from
Rangpur and Rajshahi, and two from
Sylhet division.
A Jubo League member distributes cooked food among some low-income people in front of the Central
Shaheed Minar in the capital yesterday, marking the National Mourning Day. The Awami League and its
associated bodies, including the Jubo League, gave away food to the poor, distressed, and orphans across the
country on the occasion.
Strange laxitylet it off hook
FROM PAGE 1
finally filed a case against him for not
submitting a wealth statement.
But the case did not roll into the
court as the then Commission decided
to conclude the case with a final report.
Contacted, ACC’s Assistant Director
Sirajul Haque, investigation officer of
the case, on July 14 this year said there
were some procedural flaws and that
was why the Commission decided to
give the final report instead of a charge
sheet.
Asked what exactly the flaws were,
Haque said he could not say it without
seeing the documents and asked this
correspondent to call later.
The correspondent tried to reach him
later over the phone but failed.
“Had thecharge sheet been filed at
that time, Mithu wouldn’t have become
so desperate,” said an ACC top official,
preferring to be unnamed.
ACC GOT ANOTHER CHANCE
In 2016, when the ACC filed the case,
Mithu also made news as his name
surfaced in Panama and Paradise Papers
leaks.
The first leak published by
the International Consortium of
Investigative Journalists in 2013,
contained names of 32 Bangladeshis.
In its second instalment in 2016, the
ICIJ named three new companies, 14
new addresses and 24 individuals with
links to Bangladesh.
The leak showed some shady
transaction among Mithu, two other
Bangladeshis -- Mohammad Moksedul
Islam and Benzir Ahmed -- and some
foreign organsiations.
Moksedul is the owner of Blair
Aviation, which is among 14 medical
suppliers recently blacklisted by the
Directorate General of Health Services
(DGHS).
He is also the managing director
of Lexicon Merchandize, as per the
company website. His New York
residence address is the same as Mithu’s,
according to the contact directory of the
city.
On the other hand, Benzir is a
neighbour of Mithu in New York. In
fact, he bought a villa on the same day
Mithu bought his. Benzir, chief executive
officer of Lexicon Merchandize, bought
it at $873,000, according to property
selling new sites in New York.
After the leak, the ACC formed a
three-member committee headed by
Rab quizzes Sefat, Shipra
FROM PAGE 1
Replying to a query, Ashik Billah said
three key accused in the case inspector
Liakat Ali, suspended officer-in-charge
of Teaknaf Police Station Pradeep
Kumar Biswas and sub-inspector
Nandadulal Rakhshit would be taken
for interrogation after the ongoing
remand is ended.
The seven people being grilled
include suspended policemen ASI
Liton Mia and constables Safanur
Karim, Kamal Hossain and Abdullah
Al Mamum.
The three other accused are Nurul
Amin, Nizam Uddin and Md Ayash,
who were made witnesses in the cases
filed by police. The seven were taken by
Rab for interrogation after Rab Senior
Nothing for the temporary workers
FROM PAGE 1
which can be extended up to a
maximum of three more months under
certain conditions.
Seeking anonymity, an official of
Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation
(BJMC) described how the mill
authorities kept doing injustice to these
poor workers.
“We used to sack these workers just
several days prior to completion of their
three-month probation. Then we would
reappoint them after a gap of several
days. In this way, their probation period
would never be completed and they
would never get permanent status,” he
noted.
These poor workers have not been
paid arrears from July 1, 2015, to
January 1 this year and also wages for
six weeks last year.
From March 25 this year, all the jute
mills remained closed for one and a half
months due to Covid-19 pandemic. The
permanent workers got their weekly
wages during the period, but the badli
and temporary workers didn’t get paid.
“In the previous years, if we attended
PHOTO: ANISUR RAHMAN
Deputy Director SM Akhtar Hamid
Bhuiyan to inquire about the persons
named in the leaks to find whether
money was laundered.
Contacted on July 16, Akhtar said
they had asked for information from
various authorities on the transactions
by the persons. “We haven’t got any
information yet. Our inquiry is going
on.”
While the ACC was struggling to get
information, Mithu was expanding his
empire in the US.
In 2017, he opened a medical
supplying company named M Gateway
Corporation, says opengovny.com,
which provides open access to data
issued by New York State Government
Agencies.
According to the website, Mithu is
CEO of the company, whose annual
revenue is $1 million.
The correspondent tried to reach
him over the phone at his M Gateway
Corporation. But the number belongs to
another medical equipment supplying
company owned by a Bangladeshi expat
and next door neighbour of Mithu.
MITHU DIDN’T FACE ACC
QUIZZING
On July 1 this year, the ACC summoned
five persons including Mithu to quiz
over the N95 mask and PPE scams.
He was asked to appear before the
Commission on July 9. But Mithu did
not come.
In a letter to the ACC, he said he
has been living permanently in the US
since 2015 and comes to Bangladesh
occasionally. “I’m not involved in any
irregularities.”
Contacted, ACC Chairman Iqbal
Mahmood said he was not aware of the
reason behind giving the final report
instead of a charge sheet in the case.
Regarding the Panama Paper leak
enquiry, he said the 2015 amendment
to the Money Laundering Act has
curtailed ACC’s power to deal with
money laundering allegations.
“We can now investigate and file
money laundering cases only against
government officials,” he said, adding,
“We’re not inquiring Panama Papers
Leak anymore. Other government
agencies will do it.”
Asked about media reports and
the lawmaker’s statement on Mithu’s
syndicate, he said, “We cannot prosecute
anyone without documents. The public
can raise many allegations but we don’t
ASP Md Khairul Islam taken over the
charge of the investigation officer (IO)
on Friday.
Khairul has a track record of
investigating around 600 cases in his
36 years of service career. He is an
experienced and skilled police officer,
Ashik Billah said.
PROBE COMMITTEE PUBLIC
HEARING TODAY
The four-member committee formed
by the home ministry to probe Sinha
killing is scheduled to hold a public
hearing over the killing of the retired
army major today. The hearing will
be held at 10:00am at the office of
Shamlapur Rohingya Camp in-charge
in Teknaf.
Shahjahan Ali, Cox’s Bazar
the last working day before the start of
a public holiday and then attended the
first working day after the holiday, we
used to get paid for the entire period,”
said Fariduddin.
“But this year, we were not paid for
one and a half months… This put us in
extreme financial hardship during the
coronavirus shutdown.”
Unlike the permanent workers, they
did not get any bonus before the Eid-ul-
Azha this year.
Moreover, they are in constant fear of
getting evicted from the premises of the
jute mills’ labour quarters where they
live in shanties.
“We have to leave this place if the mill
authorities ask us to do so. But where
will we go? Who will give us work amid
this pandemic? We will have no other
choice but to beg on the streets…,” said
Altaf of Star Jute Mills Limited.
Bangladesh Jute Mills Limited, one of
the closed mills in Ghorashal, has sent
eviction notices only to its substitute
and temporary workers.
Confirming this, Matiur Rahman
Mondol, project head at the mill, said,
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS
want to be a laughingstock at court for
prosecuting anyone without proof.”
He said they are handling corruption
in the health sector with iron fists.
“Enquiry is going on against Mithu.”
However, documents show that
the ACC filed money laundering
cases against businessmen apart from
government officials under the money
laundering act.
For instance, on May 13, 2019,
the ACC filed a case against BNP
leader Mosaddek Ali Falu and three
businessmen under the Money
Laundering Act for laundering Tk
183.92 crore to Dubai.
Pointing out the interpretation of two
High Court benches on ACC jurisdiction
over money laundering, ACC lawyer
Khurshid Alam said, “If the laundering
comes to the purview of corruption, the
Anti-Corruption Commission has the
jurisdiction to investigate it no matter
what is mentioned in the statute.”
“The High Court benches have
made the observation at least two years
ago. To my knowledge, the Appellate
Division to the date has not interfered
in it,” he added.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive
director of Transparency International
Bangladesh, said irrespective of the
way the ACC explains it, their role,
particularly the failure to act in due
course, definitely puts much of the
burden on itself.
“There are other factors why
corruption continues unabated, but it
is also beyond doubt that if ACC could
have set at least a handful of examples of
bringing to book some such nationally
and internationally listed ringleaders,
corruption in general and health sector
in particular could be much more
controlled,” he said.
The ACC is expected to explain what
really are the factors behind the dividing
line for which it continues to leave
such examples of deficits to exercise
its authority and remains confined to
small fries letting the big fish off the
hook.
He added that the Commission
must face the mirror to ask itself if such
failures, apparently due to its fear or
favour based on identity, status or links,
are not equating itself with those who
are more directly colluding, protecting
and promoting corruption in the
country.
additional district magistrate and also
a member of the probe committee,
earlier issued a public statement
requesting people to be present at the
office and give their witness accounts
today.
The public security division of the
home ministry formed the high-level
committee on August 2 headed by
Additional Divisional Commissioner
of Chattogram Mohammad Mizanur
Rahman to investigate into the
incident.
Two other members of the
committee are Lt Col SM Sazzad
Hossain, representative of the armed
forces division of Bangladesh Army and
additional deputy inspector general of
Chattagram range Zakir Hossain Khan.
“The temporary and badli workers built
shanties illegally on the mills’ property
and are using a large volume of water
and electricity. The mill cannot pay their
utility bills.”
Asked about the BJMC’s stance
regarding these workers, its Chairman
Md Abdur Rouf said, “These workers
were not made permanent to save costs.
“The mills were already burdened
with huge operational costs. So, it was
not possible to recruit more permanent
workers.”
He further said, “According to section
26 of Bangladesh Labour Law, severance
package is calculated on the basis of
gratuity. These workers are not entitled
to gratuity or severance pay. However,
it is not true that these workers will get
nothing from us. They will get their due
wages and arrears.”
Mohammad Lokman Hossain Mian,
secretary at the jute and textiles ministry,
said, “We are currently calculating their
wages and other benefits. At this point,
I can only say that all the workers will
be paid in due course according to the
labour law.”
Migrant arrivals
to Italy soar by
nearly 150 pc
AFP, Rome
Migrant arrivals to Italy increased by
nearly 150 percent over the past year,
with the majority of those arriving
from Tunisia, Italy’s interior ministry
said yesterday.
Italy has been struggling in recent
months to deal with daily arrivals of
hundreds of migrants to its southern
shores, a task complicated by security
measures imposed by the ongoing
coronavirus crisis.
With frustration growing among
local mayors, the government has
chartered massive ferry ships to hold
migrants under quarantine and called
in the army in some cases after some
migrants who tested positive for
coronavirus escaped from welcome
centres.
From August 1, 2019 to July 31,
2020, 21,618 migrants arrived at
Italy’s shores, 148.7 percent higher
than the 8,691 landings the year
before, according to data presented by
Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese
yesterday in Milan.
Despite the sharp rise, the number
of migrant arrivals is still far below
numbers recorded in recent years.
From 2016 to 2017, Italy recorded
182,877 migrant arrivals. After Italy
signed a deal with Libya for its coast
guard to prevent migrant departures,
the number fell to 42,700 in the 2017
to 2018 period.
Some 41.6 percent of the migrants
departed from Tunisia, followed by
Libya at 40.5 percent. Over a third of
those who arrived listed Tunisian as
their nationality, versus Bangladesh
at 12 percent and Ivory Coast at 7
percent of migrants.
Be a minister
FROM PAGE 1
barbaric assassination of Bangabandhu
by attending a discussion on February
21 in 1976 in Kishoreganj.
“In my speech, I had said: ‘From
Hitler-Mussolini to anybody else, no
autocrat has survived. No autocrat will
survive in this country as well,’” the
president added.
Hamid, who was then a student
leader-cum young parliamentarian,
said he was arrested a few days after
making the remark.
Recalling his memories with the
Father of the Nation, Hamid said, “I
was in the MP hostel on that fateful
night of August, and I heard multiple
noises before going to bed about 3:00-
400am on that night. I thought the
Dhaka University was rejoicing and
firecrackers were exploding.”
“It was about 7:00am... Khandaker
Nurul Islam, an MP who was staying
beside my room, knocked at my
door and subsequently conveyed
the bad news to me. After a while,
he came to me with a radio which
was telecasting killer Major Dalim’s
announcement on the assassination
of Bangabandhu.”
Hamid was elected as the youngest
member of the Pakistan National
Assembly from Mymensingh-17 in
the 1970 general election.
He was elected from Kishoreganj-5
in the first general election of the
country on March 7, 1973. He won
parliamentary polls in 1986, 1991,
1996, 2001 and 2008.
The president, who had been
involved in politics since his student
life, said being a new lawmaker, he
received Bangabandhu’s cooperation
on getting his first car.
Referring to the overall situation
before August 15, the president said
it seemed to him that something bad
would happen. “I met Bangabandhu
at the Gono Bhaban in the afternoon
of August 11, 1975.”
“Bangabandhu asked me to wait...
Later in the evening, he went for a walk
in the Gono Bhaban garden. I was
with him. I talked to him privately and
informed him about what I came to
know from an intelligence agency. But
Bangabandhu replied with a smiling
face -- ‘There was a little trouble...
Everything is fine now. Don’t worry’.”
Hamid, a close associate of
Bangabandhu, said he came back
being reassured and it was his last
meeting with Bangabandhu. “And
now I understand that nothing was
right then.”
Miscreants kill
FROM PAGE 1
No case was filed till filing of the
report last night, said OC Kamrul.
Meanwhile, five policemen were
abused by aggrieved locals when they
went to recover the body from a pond
in the locality yesterday morning, said
Kamrul Hasan, officer-in-charge of
Kalukhali Police Station.
Locals also kept them confined for
a while, he said.
The injured policemen are SI
Fazlul, SI Shohag, SI Firoz and two
other constables whose names could
not be known immediately.
Correction
In the article titled “The man, the
murder and his destiny”, published
in The Daily Star on August 15, it was
mentioned that there were 30 million
Bangladeshi refugees in India during
the Liberation War. Actually, the
number was 10 million. We regret the
inadvertent error.
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS
PM pays
homage to
Bangabandhu
UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina yesterday paid rich
tributes to Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,
marking 45th anniversary
of his martyrdom and the
National Mourning Day.
The prime minister
paid homage to the Father
of the Nation by placing
wreaths at the portrait of
Bangabandhu in front of
Bangabandhu Memorial
Museum at Dhanmondi
Road-32.
After placing wreaths
there, the premier stood in
solemn silence for some
time, showing respect to
the great leader and the
architect of Bangladesh’s
independence.
A smartly turned out
contingent of armed forces
gave state salute, while
bugle played the last post.
A munazat was also
offered there, seeking
eternal peace of the
departed souls.
After paying tributes
to Bangabandhu, Hasina
along with her daughter,
Saima Wazed Hossain,
visited the historic
residence of Bangabandhu
NATION MOURNS BANGABANDHU
in Dhanmondi, which
has now been turned into
Bangabandhu Memorial
Museum.
From there, she went to
Banani Graveyard where
SEE PAGE 4 COL 6
CITY 3
‘Zia wanted
to reestablish
Pakistan era’
Speakers tell webinar
BSS, Dhaka
Speakers at Awami League’s
webinar yesterday said
Ziaur Rahman wanted
to take the independent
Bangladesh back to the
condition during Pakistani
era after the heinous killing
of Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman.
Terming the assassination
of Bangabandhu on August
15, 1975 as most dreadful
one in the history of
Bangladesh, the speakers
said Bangabandhu was the
architect of Bangladesh and
without him, independent
Bangladesh would not have
been established.
Taking part in the
webinar, Awami League
advisory council member
Tofail Ahmed said the
people of the country
observed the day of August
15 every year with due
respect and regret because
Bangabandhu’s sacrifice and
leadership helped Bengalis
achieve independence.
He said Awami League
came to power after 21
years under the leadership
Clockwise from left, wreaths piled up in front of a portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu of Bangabandhu’s daughter
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the capital’s Dhanmondi-32 as the nation observed National Mourning Day Sheikh Hasina and then
yesterday. Like elsewhere in the country, Chattogram, Barishal, and Thakurgaon divisional and district the indemnity ordinance
administrations paid glowing tributes to the architect of independent Bangladesh, marking the day. was annulled and the
government began trying
Bangabandhu’s killers.
PHOTO: RASHED SHUMON, TITU DAS, QUAMRUL ISLAM RUBAIYAT, COLLECTED SEE PAGE 4 COL 4

Hilsa production on Gonoshasthaya’s

plasma centre opens
JUVENILE CENTRE
MJF demands CJ stresses prompt
the rise in South
justice for 3
killed boys
delivery of justice
Dr Zafrullah slams govt’s STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Officials, experts credit strict monitoring,
protection programmes for success
SUSHANTA GHOSH, Barishal
The last six years have been good for hilsa
fishing in the south.
For six years, production has
continuously increased in the region.
Hilsa researchers, officials, and fishers
attributed this success to the hard
monitoring against jatka netting and
various government programmes to
conserve the species.
Barishal Divisional Fisheries Office
sources said the production of hilsa has
been gradually increasing for last six years.
According to the fisheries department,
hilsa production in the division in 2014-
15 was 2 lakh 53 thousand 161 tonnes.
Bountiful hilsa has been a common sight in Barishal this year.
From there, it increased to 2 lakh 57
thousand 225 tonnes for 2015-2016. In
2016-2017 this rose to 3 lakh 24 thousand
298 tonnes, to 3 lakh 29 thousand 25
tonnes in 2017-2018 and stood at 3 lakh
41 thousand 119 tonnes in 2018-2019.
Divisional Fisheries Department
officials said the stats for this year are even
higher, although the numbers are yet to
arrive.
According to the department, the
production of hilsa in the country in
2018-19 was 5 lakh 15 thousand tonnes
which has increased to 5 lakh 33 thousand
tonnes in 2019-20.
SEE PAGE 4 COL 2
PHOTO: TITU DAS
Covid-19 strategy STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Expressing grave concern
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
over the incident of the
Gonoshasthaya Plasma Centre started its journey at killing of three boys
Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital’s Dhanmondi at the Jashore Juvenile
yesterday, to provide plasma therapy to Covid-19 patients. Development Centre,
Prof Dr Mohiuddin Ahmed Khan, Dhaka Medical Manusher Jonno
College and Hospital’s head of hematology department Foundation (MJF) has
and also head of the consultant committee on plasma demanded exemplary
therapy, inaugurated the centre while Gonoshasthaya punishment of the
Kendra (GK) founder and trustee Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury perpetrators through an
and Gonoshasthaya Pharmaceuticals’ lead researcher Dr impartial investigation.
Bijon Kumar Sil were present on the occasion. According to MJF,
Dr Zafrullah said every step the government has taken whatever the reasons
to tackle the coronavirus outbreak was wrong. behind the killings are,
“From China, we got vaccine trial proposal a month indifference and negligence
ago. If we would have started the trial and if it would of authorities have become
become successful, we would also have been benefited. But evident through it. There are
the government was in indecision,” he said. allegations that authorities
Zafrullah added that GK has suffered a loss of Tk 10 crore did not take any significant
as their Covid-19 antibody testing kit was not approved by action, despite receiving
the government. complaints of a clash
“We invented the first antibody test kit in the world. on August 13. Besides,
But due to the government’s indecision and other motives, according to media reports,
our kit was not approved. People have been deprived of its there was anger among the
benefits,” said Zafrullah. teens over mismanagement
Mentioning that 10 countries were eager to procure the in food distribution. There
antibody test kit, Zafrullah said that they couldn’t send it are also allegations that
overseas as the registration could not be completed timely. authorities beat them.
Dr Zafrullah said plasma is very important for many Currently, 280
Covid-19 infected people to beat the virus, and it should teenagers are staying in
be opened at every district. this development centre,
GK officials said initially the centre would provide and authorities cannot
plasma to 25 patients, after collecting it from the people neglect responsibilities of
who had recovered from Covid-19. From September, they their safety, security and
would provide plasma to 50 patients. The centre will only development, it said.
charge Tk 5,000-6,000 for the therapy. MJF demanded that
Anyone who has recovered from Covid-19 can donate the children be provided
plasma once every four months, Dr MA Khan said. physical and mental
“If we can treat elderly Covid-19 patients with plasma security instead of being
therapy in time, it can save many lives,” he added, saying abused and responsibility
plasma therapy could play an important role in treating of their maintenance be
the virus until an effective vaccine becomes available. formulated properly.
Dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman will come true if the country’s people
get justice in short time, said Chief Justice Syed Mahmud
Hossain yesterday.
The judiciary has been relentlessly working and will
continue to work in order to establish rule of law and
justice containing the ideology if the Father of the Nation,
he said.
The chief justice made the comment while presiding
over a virtual meeting with the judges of the Appellate
and High Court Divisions of the Supreme Court on the
occasion of National Mourning Day yesterday morning.
Four Appellate Division judges and 28 HC Division
judges attended the discussion through video conference.
Earlier in the day, the judges of the Appellate and HC
Divisions paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and most of his family members, who were
killed on August 15, 1975, through placing wreaths to the
portrait of Bangabandhu at Judges Lounge on the Supreme
Court premises, a SC press release said.
At the meeting, the CJ said Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman had struggled till his last breath for
the democracy and rule of law. “Bangabandhu had first
demanded for the separation of judiciary on February 6,
1956 when he was a member of the National Assembly
of the then Pakistan. Then, he gifted the Constitution on
December 16, 1972 with the provision of separation of
the judiciary,” he said.
Other judges told the meeting that they pledge bound to
establish justice and independence of judiciary in the spirit
and ideology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The judiciary has freed the nation from stigma by
completing the trial of killings of Bangabandhu and his
family members, the most heinous incident in the history,
they said.
Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office yesterday
organised a virtual discussion and prayer programme
in memory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, additional attorney
generals Murad Reza and Momtaz Udddij Fakir, deputy
attorney generals Bishwajit Debnath, Dr Md Bashir Ullah
and AKM Amin Uddin Manik, among others, attended the
discussion and prayers.

Improving disaster Lighter vessel

capsizes in Bay
safety everyone’s STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg

A lighter vessel carrying

concern: speakers 2,000 tonnes of raw sugar
capsized in the Bay of
UNB, DHAKA Bengal near Bhashanchar
yesterday morning.
Speakers at a webinar yesterday underscored the need for All 12 crewmembers
adopting urban resilient approach, coordination among of the vessel, MV City-14,
professionals and raising awareness among communities, were rescued by the crew
as Dhaka city is highly vulnerable to earthquake. of another vessel, passing
They came up with the opinion at a webinar titled through the area.
“Disaster imagination for safer Dhaka City” organised by The vessel owned by
RTI International under the World Bank-funded Urban City Group was heading
Resilience Project recently, said a statement issued yesterday. towards Narayanganj after
Dhaka is located near three major geographical fault loading the imported sugar
lines that make it highly susceptible to earthquakes, they from a mother vessel at
said. According to their estimation, a major earthquake the outer anchorage of
could claim thousands of lives and cause economic losses Chattogram port, said
by damaging key infrastructures.
Mohammad Salim, deputy
Abdul Latif Helaly, chief engineer of Rajdhani
director of Bangladesh
Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Dr Kimiro Meguro of RTI
Inland Water Transport
International, Dr Kit Miyamoto of Miyamoto International,
Authority (BIWTA).
Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, professor of civil engineering
The vessel sank at the
at Buet, and Dr Raquib Ahsan, Director of Buet-JIDPUS
joined the discussion. entry point of Hatiya
Helaly said enhancing disaster safety requires strong channel near Bhashanchar
participation from everyone such as architects, engineers, around 5:30am as water
technicians, bureaucrats, policymakers, contractors, and entered the engine room
even common people. due to the heavy current in
“It is not only Rajuk’s concern; it is everyone’s,” he said. the Bay, the BIWTA official
Speakers said disaster imagination is central to encouraging said.
government officials, professionals, educators, and the The master of the vessel
general public to demand and engage in disaster risk somehow managed to
reduction. drive it near the coast of
“We cannot reduce disasters that we cannot confront, Thengarchar so that there
and we cannot confront or prepare for disasters that we is no disruption in vessel
cannot imagine. This is important in a country that has not movement in the Hatiya Volunteering organisation Artonaad has set up this large graffiti on the road in front of Adarsha
PHOTO:
experienced a major earthquake in more than 100 years,” channel in the Bay, said the Bidyaniketan in the capital’s Mirpur Section-6. Depicting a mask-clad face, the artwork is meant to PALASH KHAN
the statement quoted speakers as saying. deputy director. encourage people to wear face coverings to keep themselves and others safe from the coronavirus.
4 CITY DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS

Pandemic leaves 20,000

jobless in Khulna city alone
Country’s 13pc people have become unemployed,
says BIDS report
UNB, Khulna
The coronavirus outbreak has left around
20,000 workers in Khulna city without
jobs over the last four months, and has
forced closure of 20 percent business
establishments.
Another 20,000 workers of small and
medium business establishments are at the
risk of losing their jobs because of the losses
incurred during the shutdown triggered by
the pandemic.
A survey by Bangladesh Institute of
Development Studies (BIDS) said about
13 percent of people have become
unemployed in the country due to
Covid-19 pandemic.
There are an estimated 200,000 staff at
50,000 business establishments, including
stationary, grocery, printing shop, computer
shop, bookshop, jewellery outlet, shoe shop,
restaurant and barbershop in Khulna city.
Traders say 20 percent of the businesses
have been closed down between March and
July, leaving 20,000 people jobless. Most of
the shops are running with a small number
of workers.
If the situation does not improve, more
workers will lose jobs.
Pradeep Sheel, a salon owner, said he
used to earn Tk 800-1,000 a day but after
the shutdown, his daily income has fallen
to Tk 150-200.
A worker in the New Market area said
the owner of the shop where he works has
dismissed two workers three months ago
and has not cleared their wages for several
months now.
“The owner is thinking of sacking more
workers. I don’t know how will I run the
family if I lose my job?” he said.
MORE BUSINESSES FACE CLOSURE
Shafiqul Islam, owner of a cloth shop in the
Railway Station area, said his shop raked in
Tk 10,000-12,000 in sales every day but the
pandemic has brought his business on the
verge of closure.
“I’ve already terminated two workers
from my shop and I don’t know if I’ll be
able to continue the business,” he told the
news agency.
Shahidul Haque Sohel, general secretary
of Bangladesh Computer Association of
Khulna, said the future looks grim.
“There’re 400 workers at 100 computer
shops in the city and the owners of the
businesses couldn’t sack them as they’re
well trained in software and kept counting
losses,” he said.
Rezaul Karim, President of Bangladesh
Shop Owners Association, said, “Twenty
percent shops of the city are now closed
and if the situation continues for another
two-three months, then more shops will be
shut down.”
Mafidul Islam Tutul, director of Khulna
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said
more and more businesses are sacking their
employees, owing to the financial crisis.
He urged businesses to be humanitarian Smog created by steel and rolling mills in Old Dhaka’s Shyampur has made the air so PHOTO:
AMRAN HOSSAIN
while dealing with workers. heavy that visibility is low even in broad daylight. The photo was taken yesterday.

17th death
anniversary of
Van puller killed in Rangpur Bring Bangabandhu’s killers
Amina Mashiur Youth
S R
stabbed dead in Cumilla
TAR EPORT
to book: Nirmul Committee
Rahman today Unidentified criminals killed a rickshaw-van His wife filed a murder case, said the OC.
UNB from Cumilla adds, a man was STAFF CORRESPONDENT conference, the committee’s President The Qudrat-e-Khuda commission
CITY DESK stabbed to death by a group of youths at Shahriar Kabir said the country’s recommended incorporating the
puller and took away the vehicle in Pirganj Digamboritola in Cumilla city on Friday Pro-Liberation War platform Ekattorer 1972 constitution was a reflection of state’s four core principles cited in the
upazila of Rangpur yesterday, said police. night over a trifling matter. Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee Bangabandhu’s political philosophy. constitution in the curricula of primary
Today is the
The deceased is Safayet Akand (40), The victim was identified as Rajib Hasan, yesterday demanded that the The country wouldn’t have to to post-graduate education, he added.
17th death
reports our Dinajpur correspondent. son of Shahin of Bajrapur area. government ensure trial and due experience the extent of bloodshed, “If Bangabandhu’s education
anniversary
The law enforcers said he was strangled. Anwarul Haque, officer-in-charge of punishment of those behind the brutal torture, criminal acts, and bombing in policy remained effective then the
of Amina
Residents of Latmithipur village in Pirganj Kotwali Model Police Station, said a local assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh the name of religion if the constitution country would not have to experience
Mashiur
upazila informed police as they found the young man, Riyad, locked into an altercation Mujibur Rahman. of 1972 remained unchanged, he said. communalism and killings in the
Rahman, The committee raised the demand
body of the rickshaw-van puller in a paddy with three other young men -- Polash, Roky Addressing the conference, eminent name of religion,” he added.
an eminent during an online conference on
field in the area in the morning. and Akhir -- in front of Bajrapur Government author and educationist Muhammad Justice Shamsuddin Choudhury said
social the topic “Bangabandhu’s Political
Police sent the body to Rangpur Medical Primary School around 12am. Zafar Iqbal said the constitution of many countries across the globe have
worker. At one point, Rajib came forward to settle Philosophy and the Unfinished Trial
College Hospital for autopsy after recovery. 1972 talks about a uniform education laws to try and punish perpetrators
To mark the occasion, the dispute siding with Riyad. of the Perpetrators of 1975”, arranged
Ruly Begum, wife of Safayet, said her system in the country. posthumously.
various programmes Amid a scuffle, Rajib suffered wounds in observance of National Mourning
husband did not return home after he had He said Bangabandhu bestowed the He stressed for posthumous
have been chalked out, in a knife attack carried out by Riyad’s rival Day and the 45th anniversary of the
gone out of home on Friday afternoon. responsibility of adopting the newly trial of those who were involved in
including a milad mahfil, group and he died on the spot, said the OC. assassination of Bangabandhu, said a independent Bangladesh’s education
Soresh Chandra, office-in-charge of Bangabandhu’s assassination after
Qurankhwani, and food Police arrested two youths in connection press release. policy upon eminent scientist Dr
Pirganj Police Station, said police are trying bringing required changes in related
distribution among with the killing. Presiding over the online Qudrat-e-Khuda. laws.
to arrest the criminals.
disadvantaged people of
Dhaka and her hometown
in Dimla upazila of
Nilphamari district.
Amina Mashiur
Hilsa production Zia wanted
FROM PAGE 3
CMP constable sent PM pays
Rahman was the first FROM PAGE 3 production. The river has increased lots
Women’s Affairs Secretary
of National Awami Party
At least sixty percent of hilsa produced
in the country comes from the southern
of plant and organic plankton. Getting
favourable environment, hilsa bred more
He said Sheikh Hasina has
been working to establish
a hunger and poverty-free
to jail for possessing FROM PAGE 3

her mother Bangamata

(Bhashani). She actively
took part in various mass
movements including 69’s
Mass Uprising.
She was the wife of
late politician and senior
minister Mashiur Rahman
(Jadu Mia).
On the eve of her
death anniversary, family
members have requested
prayers from all concerned,
seeking salvation for her
departed soul.
region, confirmed officials.
Hilsa researcher Dr Md Anisur Rahman,
principal scientific officer of Bangladesh
Fisheries Research Institute, said, “I think
more hilsa will be available this year than
previous years. There are two reasons for
this. One is instantaneous and the other is
effect of hard, long-term supervision.”
“A strict programme to protect hilsa has
been going since 2017. There’s a 65-day
ban on catching hilsa at sea area, which
ended on July 23. Besides, a 22-day ban
of hilsa netting to protect mother fish and
grow hilsa in the sanctuary for 2 months.”
SM Ajiar Rahman, Deputy
Commissioner, Barishal, said, they have
taken strict steps to protect mother hilsa
and prevent jatka killing.
District Fisheries Officer Abu Sayed
said the administration and the fisheries
department are keeping a close watch
on the prevention of jatka killing and
protection of mother hilsa every season.
“Last year, 48.92 percent hilsa eggs
hatched, which was 48 percent the year
prior. This means that the rate of laying
eggs is on the rise too,” Dr Anisur said.
‘’Another reason is that there has been a
lot of rainfall at the beginning of monsoon
this year, which is favourable for hilsa
and started returning to the rivers.”
He said that the main reason for getting
bigger hilsa is this higher rate of returning
Bangladesh as dreamt by
Bangabandhu.
AL presidium member
to the sea. For example, if a hilsa can go Matia Chowdhury said
back three times a year, the number of eggs Bangalis supported
laid also increases. This means that the
the historic six-
chances of hilsa growing are much higher point movement of
than before, resulting in an increase in the Bangabandhu and the
abundance of hilsa above one kg. whole nation rallied
Azizul Haque, divisional director at
around him when he
Barishal of Directorate of Fisheries, said proclaimed independence.
hilsa production are increasing every year AL General Secretary and
due to the implementation of government’s Road, Transport and Bridges
hilsa protection programme. Minister Obaidul Quader
Bimol Chandra Das, district fisheries in a video message said
officer (hilsa), Barishal, said the average National Mourning Day
weight of hilsa has increased from previous will have to be observed
years. So much so, that this year saw an with a pledge to build
Bangladesh based on the
increase of 10-20 percent in weight.
“Everything kind of clicked this season. ideology of Bangabandhu.
The weather has been favourable, rainfall Senior journalist Ajoy
has been great, people did not net jatka Dash Gupta moderated the
as much due to government restriction webinar while presidium
and strict monitoring. Also, the pandemic members Jahangir Kabir
forced many to stay ashore. Due to these Nanak and Abdur Rahman;
reasons, the rivers and sea have seen less editor of ‘Uttaran’ Nuh-ul-
pollution too,” he added.Mamun Dhali, Alam Lenin and Education
a fisherman from Mehendiganj Upazila of Minister and AL Joint
Barishal, said they have netted much bigger General Secretary Dr Dipu
hilsa compared to past several years. Moni also took part.
PHOTO: RASHED SHUMON
Fazilatunnesa Mujib,
740 pcs of yaba brothers Sheikh Kamal,
Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh
STAFF CORRESPONDENT Russell, and other martyrs
of August 15 were laid to
A Dhaka court yesterday sent Shamsul Islam -- a constable eternal rest.
of the Detective Branch (DB) of Chattogram Metropolitan
The PM placed wreaths
Police -- to jail for possessing 740 pieces of yaba tablets.
and spread petals on their
Metropolitan Magistrate Kanak Barua passed the
graves. She also offered
order after Md Towabul Islam -- sub-inspector of Pallabi
prayers seeking the eternal
Police Station and investigation officer (IO) of the case --
peace of their departed
produced Shamsul before the court upon completion of
souls.
his one-day remand.
B a n g a b a n d h u ,
In the forwarding report, the IO said the arrestee
admitted his involvement in the act. The IO then appealed his spouse Sheikh
to the court to send the constable to jail until the probe Fazilatunnesa Mujib, his
three sons -- Sheikh Kamal,
is completed.
No lawyer was present to defend Shamsul in the court as Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh
he did not appoint one. Russell -- and family
Earlier on August 12, Pallabi police arrested Shamsul members of three close
from Mirpur-7 in the capital while he was engaged in an relatives of Bangabandhu
altercation with a driver in the area. were assassinated in cold
Police said they recovered 740 pieces of yaba pills and blood on the night of
Tk 26,000 from his possession after searching him in the August 15, 1975.
duty officer’s room of Pallabi Police Station. Daughters of
Shamsul admitted that he, along with several others, Bangabandhu -- Prime
brought yaba pills from Chattogram and sold them in Minister Sheikh Hasina and
different parts of the capital and had been doing so for a Sheikh Rehana -- survived
while. Later, a case was filed against Shamsul with Pallabi as they were abroad at that
Police Station under the Narcotics Control Act. time.

Development work by Roads and Highways Department at Mograkanda road of Savar’s Bhakurta area has left its
transportation system in disarray, with all vehicles forced to ply on the very little of the road left usable.
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1 , 1427 BS COUNTRY 5

Bumper Aus yield

expected in Moulvibazar
MINTU DESHWARA, Moulvibazar
Farmers are expecting a bumper harvest of Aus
paddy this season, for the first time in Moulvibazar
in ten years.
The overall production of the crop in Sylhet
division is also good.
According to Department of Agriculture
Extension (DAE) in Moulvibazar, Aus has been
cultivated on 56,852 hectares of land in the district
this year against the target of 56,797 hectares.
The cultivation areas in 2019 and 2018 were
53,010 hectares and 49,440 hectares. This year
cultivation area of Aus in the district has been more
than Boro paddy, which was grown on 53,550
hectares.
Mahbubur Rahman, a farmer from Majidpur
area of Rajnagar upazila in Moulvibazar, said he
has cultivated Aus on five bigha of land and got 60
maunds (a maund = 40 kg) of yield.
Aus paddy has grown well this time due to
favourable weather, proper use of fertilizers,
pesticides and irrigation, said Mamun Mia, a
farmer from Majidpur village. He expects to get 80
a serious crisis of labourers to harvest paddy.
However, the authorities are providing the service
of combine harvesters at a subsidized rate to reap
paddy, much to the relief of the farmers.
Kazi Lutful Bari, DAE deputy director in
Moulvibazar, said 80 percent of the paddy in the
district has already been harvested, which amounts
to one lakh 45 thousand 60 tonnes.
“The total production will hopefully exceed the
target of 1.60 lakh tonnes. This is the first time in
ten years that the district saw a bumper yield of
Aus, which will be on par with Aman production,”
he added.
Mazumder Md Ilias, deputy director at the
Sylhet divisional office of DAE, said, 2.08 lakh
hectares of land was brought under Aus cultivation
in the division this year and last year it was 192,600
hectares.
This year, incentive amounting Tk 42.5 million
was given to 50,000 marginal farmers for the crop
in the division, he said.
Sreenibash Debnath, additional director at the The concrete blocks of the dyke on the bank of the Payra river in Barguna’s Amtali upazila PHOTO:
office, said, “We have provided all the necessary town have been washed away, threatening the town. COLLECTED

maunds of paddy from five bigha. cooperation and advice to the farmers since the

Amtali town protection dyke

Sajed Mia of the area said he cultivated Aus beginning of Aus season. The crop sees a bumper
paddy on 10 acres of land and got good yield. yield due to favourable weather conditions in the
Due to the coronavirus situation, there is division this year.”

under erosion threat

OUR CORRESPONDENT, Patuakhali
Many concrete blocks of Amtali upazila
town protection dyke on the Payra river in
Barguna have collapsed into the river due
to lack of repair, threatening the town.
Locals said several government and
non-government offices and other
establishments in the area are now under
threat of erosion by the river. If the dyke
is not repaired immediately, thousands
of houses including some government
establishments like the office of Water
Development Board, food warehouse,
Muktijoddha Government Primary
School, launch ghat and ferry ghat in the
town may go into the river anytime. The
town protection dyke has become fragile
due to lack of renovation work since its
construction over two decades ago.
According to the Barguna Water
Development Board (WDB), WDB built
the 1200-metre-long dyke on the Payra
river bank from the ferry ghat area to the
WDB office in Amtali municipality in
1998 to protect the town from erosion.
The dyke became risky after it was hit
Farmers harvest Aus paddy at a field in Mojidpur area under Rajnagar PHOTO: by cyclones Sidr in 2007, Aila in 2008,
MINTU DESHWARA
upazila of Moulvibazar a few days ago. Mohasen in 2013, Roanu in 2016 and the
latest Bulbul and Amphan. As a result, a
number of structures including timber
markets and crematoriums are now facing
erosion threat.
To renovate the dyke, WDB in 2014
took a project funded by the World Bank
but the contractor repaired 115 meters
of the dyke, leaving he rest of the work
behind. Since then the town has been
facing erosion threat. Most of the blocks
of the dyke went into the river in the last
22 years. Several structures collapsed into
the river during the time.
During a recent visit to the area, this
correspondent found that many concrete
blocks of the dyke on the river bank had
been washed away, threatening a number
of houses including the ferry ghat,
crematoriums, a government primary
school, launch ghat and food warehouse.
Md Ripon, a timber trader in the
municipality area, said the impact of the
Sidr has increased the intensity of river
erosion. As a result, the sufferings of the
people in the area are increasing day by
day.
Syed Md Masum of Launch ghat area
said the area is under threat of erosion
as the blocks of the dyke here have been
washed away.
He also demanded immediate repair
of the damaged dyke to protect the town
from erosion.
Matiar Rahman, mayor of Amtali
municipality, said the size of the
municipality is getting smaller due
to erosion of the Payra river. Many
establishments in the municipality area
are under threat of collapse as several
old concrete blocks of the dyke had been
washed away.
He further said if the dyke is not
renovated immediately, the government
and non-government structures in the
area may go into the river anytime. It is
necessary to build a three-kilometer-long
dyke on the bank of the river to protect the
town from erosion.
The mayor urged the ministry concerned
to reconstruct the dyke as soon as possible.
Barguna WDB Assistant Engineer Azizur
Rahman Sujan said a project proposal
has been sent to the higher authority to
renovate the town protection dyke. After
getting approval, the renovation work will
start.

Fifth deadline missed Man found

Delay in bridge construction work mounts sufferings on thousands
of villagers
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Lalmonirhat
The construction firms have missed
the deadline for fifth time to complete
the construction work of a bridge on
the Ratnai river at Karnapur village in
Sadar upazila of the district.
The 120-metre long and eight-
metre wide bridge under Local
Government Engineering Department
(LGED) was scheduled to complete
construction in November 2018.
But it has missed five deadlines for
completion in November 2018, May
2018, November 2019, May 2019
and May 2020. Till the date, 65 to 70
percent work of the bridge has been
completed.
As a result, thousands of villagers
of 10 villages in Mogholhat union of
the upazila have been suffering a lot,
said locals, adding that the villagers
have to spend extra money to cross
the river on boats during the rainy
season.
Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila
Engineer of LGED Shah Obaidur
Rahman said the contractor concerned
has already missed five deadlines to
complete the construction work of
the bridge. The construction work
began in September 2016.
Two private firms--Surma and Abu
Bakkar-- jointly obtained the work
order to construct the bridge at a cost
of Tk 6.2 crore, Obaidur said, adding
that he has already informed the
district LGED authorities about the
delay of the construction work.
Farmer Hemnata Chandra
Barmon, 62, of Karnapur village
in the upazila, said as the bridge
construction is still incomplete, they
are crossing the river on boat to go to
the district headquarters.
They have to spend Tk 10 as boat
fare for each trip, he said.
“We suffer a lot as the construction
work of the bridge is yet to be
completed and we don’t know when
construction work of the bridge
would be completed and opened for
traffic,” said the farmer.
Rahim Miah, 48, a resident of
Megharam village beside the under-
construction bridge, said although
the contractor is delaying the
construction work of the bridge,
dead
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Dinajpur
Unidentified criminals
LGED authorities are not taking any killed a man in Rangpur’s
action in this regard Pirganj upazila and took
away his rickshaw-van on
If the authorities concerned do
Friday night.
not take any alternative steps, the
The deceased, Safayet
construction work will be delayed
Akand, 40, was son of Joynal
more, causing immense sufferings to
Akand of Gaibandha’s
villagers, said Rahim.
Sadullahpur upazila.
Contacted, contractor of the bridge
Locals of Latmithipur
Golam Rabbani said the construction
village spotted Safayet’s
work was delayed as they had to face
body at a paddy field
huge troubles during the pilling work
yesterday morning and
in the river. informed the police, who
The construction work of the
recovered it and sent it to
bridge would be completed by Rangpur Medical College
November this year, he said. Hospital for autopsy.
Lalmonirhat LGED Executive
Engineer Ashraf Ali Khan told The
Daily Star that they served notice to
the contractor concerned mentioning
he would be blacklisted if he failed
to complete the construction work by
November this year.
“If the bridge construction over
the Ratnai river is not completed
by November this year, we will take
alternative steps”, said the executive
engineer, adding that of course,
department will take legal action
against the contractor as per rules.

Local people cross the Ratnai river by a boat as the under-construction bridge on the river PHOTO:
STAR
at Megharam village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila still remains incomplete.
6 INTERNATIONAL DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS

Fighting both ‘terrorism’

and ‘expansionism’
Modi takes dig at China, Pakistan in I-Day address
AGENCIES either Pakistan or China,
India’s Prime Minister “A neighbour isn’t just reported our New Delhi
someone who shares our correspondent.
Narendra Modi issued a
He said “today the
new warning to China geography but those who world stands with India
and Pakistan over border
tensions yesterday, using
share our emotions and values.”and to get 184 votes out
of 192 nations in the UN
his most important
for a (non-permanent)
speech of the year to
seat at the UN Security
promise to build a
Council is proof.”
stronger military.
The PM said
In his address to the neighbours were not
nation from the ramparts only those that India
of the Red Fort in Delhi shared a border with.
on the occasion of 74th “Today, neighbours
Independence Day, he Indian Prime Minister are not only those with
said that “from LoC whom we share our
(Line of Control with Narendra Modi
geographical boundaries
Pakistan)) to LAC (Line but also those with
of Actual Control with China), whenever whom we share emotions and values.
India has been challenged, our soldiers Today, India has close relations in the
have given a fitting response in a language greater neighbourhood. We are working
they understand.” together and have a lot of mutual respect
Referring to the clash with Chinese for each other,” Modi added.
troops in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh He also said efforts have been taken
on June 15 when 20 Indian soldiers were to make India “self-reliant” in defence
killed, Modi said “the world has seen in production.
Ladakh what our jawans can do, what the Meanwhile, Nepal Prime Minister K P
country can do. Today, I salute all those Sharma Oli yesterday spoke to Modi for
brave soldiers from the Red Fort.” the first time since a diplomatic spat over People place flowers at a makeshift memorial as they pay tribute to protester Alexander Taraykovskiy, who was killed during recent rallies
“Whether it is terrorism or a map and a disputed area of territory against the presidential election results, at the site of his death in Minsk, Belarus, yesterday. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko,
expansionism, India is fighting both,” erupted earlier this year between the after a talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin, yesterday rejected outside mediators to solve the post-election crisis as he faced growing
the Prime Minister said without naming South Asian neighbours. pressure to step down. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEWS IN BRIEF
Pentagon to set up new US ‘never been so isolated’ Taiwan finalises $62b
unit to investigate UFOs
AFP, Washington
Says Iran after UN rejects Washington’s bid to extend arms embargo
AFP, Tehran
purchase of F-16 jets
Taiwan finalised the purchase of F-16 fighter
jets from US aircraft manufacturer Lockheed
The result increases the likelihood
that the US will try to unilaterally Martin on Friday, a source confirmed to AFP, in a
The Pentagon said Friday it was setting up a new task force under the US Iran yesterday hailed a UN Security $62 billion, 10-year deal sure to anger Beijing.
force a return of UN sanctions, which
Navy to investigate UFO sightings. Council vote rejecting a US bid to Underscoring the sensitivity of the transaction,
experts say threatens to plunge the
With the creation of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force extend an arms embargo on the the Pentagon announced the contract without
Council into one of its worst-ever
(UAPTF), the Defense Department hopes “to improve its understanding Islamic republic, saying its foe has diplomatic crises. specifying the buyer, but a source familiar with
of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins of UAPs,” spokeswoman “never been so isolated”. “The Security Council’s failure the matter confirmed to AFP that it was Taiwan.
Susan Gough said in a statement. President Hassan Rouhani said the The self-ruled island, which China considers
to act decisively in defence of
Rather than little green alien invaders, the US military is actually United States had failed to kill off part of its territory, last year obtained the
international peace and security is
concerned about “unidentified aerial phenomena” connected with its what he called the “half alive” 2015 green light from Washington for the purchase
terrestrial adversaries. inexcusable,” said US Secretary of
deal with major powers that gave Iran State Mike Pompeo. of 66 new generation F-16s, which will allow
Washington is particularly concerned about China’s spying capabilities, relief from sanctions in exchange for
using drones or other airborne means. The embargo on conventional arms it to modernize its defenses. Taiwan already
curbs on its nuclear programme. Washington’s European allies has a fleet of F-16s purchased in 1992. The
“The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs is due to expire on October 18 under
“The United States failed in all abstained, and Iran mocked new contract, which the Pentagon said is for
that could potentially pose a threat to US national security,” Gough said. the terms of a resolution that blessed
this conspiracy with humiliation,” the Trump administration for only the Iran nuclear deal, officially known an initial delivery order of 90 jets, provides
The Pentagon take “any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our winning the support of one other
Rouhani told a televised news as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of for more modern aircraft with the newest
training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each country, the Dominican Republic.
conference. Action. technology and weaponry. Beijing insists that
report,” she said.
Only two of the Council’s 15 “In the 75 years of United Nations Since Trump pulled out of the Taiwan -- an island of 23 million people that
Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist approved the establishment
of the new task force on August 4. members voted in favour of the US history, America has never been JCPOA and slapped unilateral has been self-ruled since 1949 -- is part of its
The US Senate intelligence committee in June said it wanted to regulate resolution seeking to extend the so isolated,” said foreign ministry sanctions on Iran under a campaign territory and has vowed to respond with force
a Pentagon UFO program, confirming the existence of an informal embargo, highlighting the division spokesman Abbas Mousavi. of “maximum pressure”, Tehran if Taipei ever formally moves towards declaring
working group which was revealed by the New York Times in 2017. between Washington and its European “Despite all the trips, pressure and has since taken small but escalating independence.
In December 2017, the Pentagon acknowledged funding the secret allies since President Donald Trump the hawking, the United States could steps away from compliance with
multi-million-dollar program to investigate sightings of UFOs, although withdrew from the Iran nuclear accord only mobilise a small country (to the nuclear accord as it presses for Fish kills angler in Australia
it said it had ended in 2012. in May 2018. vote) with them,” he tweeted. sanctions relief. A 56-year-old fisherman has died in Australia
after being hit by a fish which jumped into
his boat, police said yesterday. “The man had
been fishing with family and friends on Darwin
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAPAN’S WWII SURRENDER Harbour when he was struck in his chest by
a large fish,” Northern Territory police said.
Japan PM Abe vows not to The party returned the man to shore, where
paramedics administered CPR. “Sadly the man

repeat the ‘tragedy of war’
REUTERS, Tokyo
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking on the 75th anniversary of
Japan’s World War Two surrender, pledged never to repeat the tragedy of
war and Emperor Naruhito expressed “deep remorse” over the wartime
past, which still haunts East Asia.
“Never to repeat the tragedy of war. We will continue to remain
committed to this resolute pledge,” said Abe, wearing a face mask at an
official ceremony for war dead yesterday that was scaled back because of
the COVID-19 outbreak.
Abe, who did not echo Naruhito’s reference to remorse, sent a ritual
offering to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine for war dead. But he avoided a
personal visit that would anger China and South Korea.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose ties with Japan have been
chilled by the legacy of the past, said in a speech Seoul was always ready to
discuss history disputes with Tokyo.
At least four Japanese cabinet ministers paid their respects in person at
Yasukuni, which honours 14 Japanese wartime leaders convicted as war
criminals by an Allied tribunal, as well as Japan’s war dead. The shrine is
seen by Beijing and Seoul as a symbol of Japan’s past military aggression.
The United States and Japan have become staunch security allies in the
decades since the war’s end but its legacy still haunts East Asia.
Koreans, who mark the date as National Liberation Day, resent Japan’s
1910-1945 colonisation of the peninsula.
China has bitter memories of imperial troops’ invasion and occupation
Students wearing protective face masks hold placards as they protest at Downing Street, amid the spread of the of parts of the country from 1931 to 1945.
“We must learn from history, let history be a warning for the future,
coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in London, yesterday. Students, parents and teachers in Britain continued their and show that we are prepared to fight in the event of a war”, said a
protest yesterday against algorithm-based A-level results after exams were cancelled due to the new coronavirus
commentary by the official newspaper of China’s military, the People’s
pandemic. PHOTO: REUTERS Liberation Army.
the man passed away,” police said. “This appears
to be a freak incident which is hugely distressing
for the people in the boat and other family and
friends of the man.” It was not immediately
clear what type of fish was involved. In a similar
incident nearby in 2018, a woman narrowly
survived when she was fishing and her throat
was slashed by a mackerel.
UN launches $565m
appeal for Lebanon
The United Nations launched an appeal Friday
to raise $565 million to help Lebanon recover
from this month’s devastating port blast that
killed 171 people. The UN said in a statement
that the funds would be used to support
Lebanon as it moves from immediate life-
saving humanitarian relief towards rebuilding
its shattered economy. The August 4 explosion
flattened surrounding neighborhoods, leaving
thousands homeless, damaged dozens of
hospitals and clinics and destroyed more than
100 schools. It also wounded at least 6,500
residents. The explosion was caused by a
huge stock of hazardous materials stored in a
warehouse, and was widely blamed on state
corruption. Western powers have pressed
Lebanon’s leaders for deep changes and a
government that reflects the will of the people,
and also insisted reforms be implemented to
unlock billions of dollars in international aid.
SOURCE: AFP, REUTERS

Greenland’s ice has melted ISRAEL-UAE NORMALISATION OF TIES

to a point of no return: study Deal has little in it for greater ME peace

REUTERS
Greenland’s ice sheet may have shrunk past
the point of return, with the ice likely to
melt away no matter how quickly the world
reduces climate-warming emissions, new
research suggests.
Scientists studied data on 234 glaciers
across the Arctic territory spanning 34
years through 2018 and found that annual
snowfall was no longer enough to replenish
glaciers of the snow and ice being lost to
summertime melting.
That melting is already causing global
seas to rise about a millimeter on average
per year. If all of Greenland’s ice goes, the
water released would push sea levels up by
an average of 6 meters -- enough to swamp
many coastal cities around the world. This
process, however, would take decades.
“Greenland is going to be the canary
in the coal mine, and the canary is
already pretty much dead at this point,”
said glaciologist Ian Howat at Ohio
State University. He and his colleagues
published the study Thursday in the Nature
Communications Earth & Environment
journal.
The Arctic has been warming at least
twice as fast as the rest of the world for the
last 30 years, an observation referred to as
Arctic amplification. The polar sea ice hit its
lowest extent for July in 40 years.
The Arctic thaw has brought more
water to the region, opening up routes for
shipping traffic, as well as increased interest
in extracting fossil fuels and other natural
resources.
Scientists, however, have long worried
about Greenland’s fate, given the amount
of water locked into the ice.
The new study suggests the territory’s
ice sheet will now gain mass only once
every 100 years -- a grim indicator of how
difficult it is to re-grow glaciers once they
hemorrhage ice.
In studying satellite images of the glaciers,
the researchers noted that the glaciers had a
50% chance of regaining mass before 2000,
with the odds declining since.
They said the Paris climate deal, if
implemented, can significantly delay the
ultimate meltdown.
AFP, Washington
The Israel-UAE agreement gives the United States
a rare diplomatic success in the Middle East --
but it is Iran which President Donald Trump has
in his sights, with a strategy that has already hit
roadblocks at the United Nations.
The White House has lavished praise on a
foreign policy coup which was sorely needed
by a president seeking re-election in November
who has little to show on the diplomatic front.
“This is a dramatic breakthrough that will
make the Middle East safer,” chief US negotiator
Jared Kushner told CBS. “It means less American
troops will have to be over there.”
Under the US-brokered agreement, the
United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed on
Thursday to establish full diplomatic ties,
making the monarchy just the third Arab country
to recognize the Jewish state, following Egypt in
1979 and Jordan in 1994.
“Assuming the deal works, it’s the first time
Israel has established normalized relations with
any Gulf nation and for that reason it’s significant,”
said Aaron David Miller, a former diplomat who
served as Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiator in
Democratic and Republican administrations.
But, Miller cautioned, “don’t blow this out of
proportion.
“I don’t buy that it’s on the same level of
magnitude or accomplishment as Egypt or
Jordan,” said Miller, now a senior fellow at the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“This is the UAE we’re talking about.”
Miller said the Israel-UAE normalization
agreement does little to advance Trump’s “vision”
of overall Middle East peace. What’s more, he
added, “the administration’s motivation has
nothing to do with Israeli-Palestinian peace.”
“It’s about domestic policy,” Miller said.
“This is about making the president look good,
demonstrating some measure of competency
and fulfilling at least some degree of what the
administration claimed it would do from the
beginning -- which is to make peace between
Israel and the Arab world.”
Above all, Miller said, “it helps give rise to the
image that there is an anti-Iran coalition.”
“But I’m not sure that’s going to get very far,”
he continued, unless Trump can get other Arab
countries such as Morocco, Bahrain and Oman
to sign on.
Since unilaterally repudiating the Iran nuclear
deal in 2018, Trump has also found himself
isolated by other Western countries when it
comes to the Islamic Republic. This isolation
came to the fore at the United Nations on Friday
when the Security Council soundly rejected a US
resolution to extend an arms embargo on Iran.
US may now try to force the Security Council
to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran which were
lifted in 2015 as part of the nuclear deal.
Barbara Slavin of the Atlantic Council,
another Washington think-tank, said that is
unlikely to get very far.
“The US is in a weak and legally dubious
position on that and this proto-normalization
between the UAE and Israel will have zero
effect,” she said.
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS HEALTH
starhealth@thedailystar.net
7

Public health considerations while ECOLOGY

resuming international travel

STAR HEALTH DESK
Many countries halted some or all
international travel since the onset of
the COVID-19 pandemic but now have
plans to re-open travel. Here are some
key considerations for national health
authorities when considering the gradual
return to international travel operations.
The decision-making process should
be multisectoral and ensure coordination
of the measures implemented by national
and international transport authorities and
other relevant sectors and be aligned with
the overall national strategies for adjusting
public health and social measures.
The gradual lifting of travel measures
or temporary restrictions should be based
on a thorough risk assessment, taking
into account country context, the local
epidemiology and transmission patterns,
the national health and social measures
to control the outbreak, and the capacities
of health systems in both departure and
destination countries, including at points
of entry.
The World Health Organisation (WHO)
recommends that priority should be
given to essential travel for emergencies,
humanitarian actions (including
emergency medical flights and medical
evacuation), travel of essential personnel
(including emergency responders and
providers of public health technical
support, critical personnel in transport
sectors such as seafarers and diplomatic
officers), and repatriation.
Cargo transport should also be
prioritised for essential medical, food and
energy supplies. Sick travellers and persons
at risk including elderly travellers and
people with chronic diseases or underlying
health conditions, should delay or avoid
travelling internationally to and from areas
with community transmission.
There is no “zero risk” when
considering the potential importation
or exportation of cases in the context of
international travel. Therefore, thorough
and continuous risk assessment and
management will help identify, reduce
and mitigate those risks, while balancing
the socio-economic consequences of
travel measures (or temporary restrictions)
against potential adverse public health
consequences.
The decision process should include
an analysis of the situation, taking into
account the local context in countries of
departure and destination. The following
factors should be considered: local
epidemiology and transmission patterns,
the national public health and social
measures for controlling the outbreaks
in both departure and destination
countries; public health and health service
capacity at national and subnational
levels to manage suspect and confirmed
cases among travellers, including at
points of entry (ports, airports, ground
crossings) to mitigate and manage the
risk of importation or exportation of the
disease; and the evolving knowledge about
COVID-19 transmission and its clinical
features.
Because the COVID-19 epidemiological
situation will vary among countries,
international travel, carries different
levels of risk of exportation/importation
of SARS-CoV-2 virus, depending on the
passenger’s country of departure and
country of arrival. Four scenarios are
considered:
• No cases: Countries/territories/areas
with no reported cases
• Sporadic cases: Countries/territories/
areas with one or more cases, imported or
locally detected
• Clusters: Countries/territories/areas
experiencing cases, clustered in time,
geographic location and/or by common
exposures
• Community transmission: Countries/
area/territories experiencing larger
outbreaks of local transmission defined
through an assessment of factors
including, but not limited to:
- Large numbers of cases not linkable to
transmission chains
- Large numbers of cases from sentinel
laboratory surveillance
- Multiple unrelated clusters in several
areas of the country/territory/area.
In addition to the public health risk
posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,
countries should also take into account
other economic, political and social
considerations when deciding on
resuming international travel. Such
considerations should be assessed with
relevant stakeholders and appropriate
experts and authorities.
Working across sectors is essential for
the proper implementation of public
health measures. The transport sector
is central to travel operations, but the
involvement of other sectors such as
trade, agriculture, tourism and security
are essential to capture all the operational
aspects associated with the gradual
resumption of international travels.
Countries should regularly reiterate the
risk assessment process and review the
capacity of their public health and other
relevant sectors while gradually resuming
international travels.
Source: World Health Organisation
Coronavirus transmission
risk increases along
wildlife supply chains
Coronaviruses were detected in a high proportion
of bats and rodents in Vietnam from 2013 to
2014, with an increasing proportion of positive
samples found along the wildlife supply chain
from traders to large markets to restaurants,
according to a study published recently in PLOS
ONE by Amanda Fine of the Wildlife Conservation
Society and colleagues. As noted by the authors,
the amplification of coronaviruses along the
wildlife supply chain suggests maximal risk for
end consumers and likely explains the coronavirus
spillover to people.
Outbreaks of emerging Coronaviruses in the
past two decades and the current pandemic of
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2) highlight the importance of this
viral family as a public health threat.
To minimise the public health risks of viral
disease emergence, the authors recommend
improving Coronavirus surveillance in wildlife and
implementing targeted wildlife trade reform.

CP therapy for severe COVID-19

IFFAT ARA
COVID-19 continues to spread
worldwide with rising positive cases
and deaths. Researchers are on the
race to develop antidotes for the
SARS-COV-2 virus. One of the most
mooted treatments that is in focus
right now is convalescent plasma
(CP) therapy. Researchers found
that CP therapy was well tolerated
and could potentially improve
the clinical outcomes through
neutralising viraemia in severe
COVID-19 cases.
Plasma therapy for COVID-19
consists of the idea of using plasma
Cardiology group recommends from a person who has recovered
from COVID-19 to transfuse into
a patient who is currently having
diabetes drugs for CV prevention the infection. Nobel prize recipient
German physiologist Emil Adolf von
New guidance from the American College of Cardiology Behring is considered the inventor of
suggests that for patients with diabetes and high
cardiovascular (CV) risk, clinicians should consider
plasma therapy who was the first to
use plasma to treat diphtheria.
prescribing sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) Plasma is the pale yellowish
inhibitors or glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor
agonists expressly to reduce CV risk. The expert consensus
liquid part that consists of about
55% of the body’s total blood
decision pathway was published in the Journal of the volume and carries minerals,
American College of Cardiology. proteins, nutrients and hormones
The group recommends that adults with type 2 to the different parts of the body. It
diabetes who have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease maintains blood pressure, electrolyte
(ASCVD), heart failure, or diabetic kidney disease — or and pH balance, protein supply,
who are at high risk for ASCVD — should concurrently blood clotting and immunity
undergo guideline-directed preventive therapy (e.g., system.
lifestyle changes, blood pressure and lipid management) Plasma contains antibodies that
and start an SGLT2 inhibitor or GLP-1 receptor agonist are highly specific in action and
with proven CV benefits. these antibodies are formed when
Appropriate SGLT2 inhibitors include canagliflozin, we get infected by any antigen
dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin. Options for GLP-1 or foreign particles. The ‘B’ cell
receptor agonists include dulaglutide, liraglutide, and of our immune system produces
injectable semaglutide. vast quantities of antibodies. It
The decision should be informed by patient specifically focuses on transferring
preferences, priorities, and medical history. For instance, antibodies from a donor who
some drugs have more favourable effects on heart failure has antibodies against COVID-19
prevention or weight loss. to the recipient via the plasma.
The World Health Organisation
(WHO) provides guidelines on
the appropriate use of plasma
from recovered patients and this
therapy has been trialed in previous
coronavirus and Ebola outbreaks
in 2013-2016. Like many countries,
Bangladesh is also pitching towards
plasma therapy as an effective mode
of treatment.
Plasma donation is similar
to blood donation but due to
complexity, it takes more time than
blood donation as the donor’s blood
goes through a special machine
for extracting the plasma from the
rest of the blood. The remaining
components of the blood are
returned to the donor’s body. It is
possible to donate plasma 2-3 times
a week.
According to WHO, collected
plasma should be transfused in
the patient’s body within 8 hours
or should be immediately made
frozen at a specific temperature in
blood bank refrigerators for up to
40 days and at or below -180C for
up to 12 months. Although, the
physician does not recommend it
because storing the plasma cause the
antibodies to be less effective.
However, the pre-formed
antibodies can block the patient’s
body’s immune system to respond
or grow. Receiving plasma from
another person is risky for
transmission of blood-borne
infection, to minimise the risk
screening the donor plasma to find
out compatibility is mandatory.
About 60 clinical trials are ongoing
worldwide on the effect of plasma in
COVID-19 and according to research
published in the American Journal
of Pathology, the administration
of convalescent plasma is a safe
treatment option for those with
severe COVID-19 disease.
It is safe to be prudently hopeful
about convalescent plasma therapy
for treating severe COVID-19.
The author is an undergraduate student
at the Department of Pharmacy,
Compression therapy effective in
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Science and Technology University,
Gopalganj, Bangladesh.
preventing recurrent leg cellulitis
E-mail: iffat.phr@yahoo.com
Compression therapy seems to prevent recurrent
leg cellulitis better than conservative management,
according to a trial in the New England Journal of
Medicine.
Roughly 80 patients with chronic oedema of the leg
and a history of cellulitis were randomised to receive
either compression therapy (usually fitted stockings)
plus education about cellulitis prevention, or education
alone.
The trial was stopped early after an interim analysis
revealed an efficacy difference between the groups.
After a median 6 months’ follow-up, the rate of
cellulitis recurrence was 15% in the compression group
and 40% in the control group.
8 EDITORIAL
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS
Murders inside a
juvenile correction
centre
Lack of accountability, state
negligence are responsible
W
E are dumbfounded by the murders of three
teenaged boys at the Jashore juvenile correction
centre allegedly by several staffers and senior
inmates on Thursday.
A grisly account of torture that led to the deaths
of these boys has been given by injured inmates who
had also been tortured, so grievously that they had to
be hospitalised. According to their accounts, the boys’
senior inmates, at the behest of the officials, started
pulling the hands of the victims through a grill while the
officials beat them mercilessly. The officials then handed
over the beatings to the senior inmates resulting in the
boys becoming unconscious. Three of those boys never
regained consciousness.
It chillingly resembles the brutal killing of Abrar Fahad,
a Buet student at the hands of Chhatra League members
in the university’s dormitory. Again it is a frightening
demonstration of the sadistic inclinations of those who
enjoy both power and impunity.
This particular incident has come to light because three
young boys are dead. One wonders whether this episode
of brutal torture would have been made public had they
somehow lived. It is a given that juvenile inmates are
supposed to be protected while in custody and this is the
state’s responsibility. But these murders and the extent
of the injuries of the other boys give ample indication
of the level of abuse by officials and other older inmates
that take place within the confines of the institution.
What is even more frightening is the secrecy and lack of
accountability within these institutions that have led to
these deaths.
Police have arrested five people, including the
superintendent and even a counsellor and others—all
responsible for the welfare of the boys. Ten others have
been taken for interrogation. The social welfare ministry
has suspended one of the officials for negligence of duty
and formed a probe committee to investigate which is
the minimum they are expected to do in such a horrific
case of coldblooded murder. But we must ask what kind
of supervision was exercised by the ministry over its
institution that such inhuman treatment could be meted
out to wards by those in charge of taking care of them?
This could not have been a one off case of torture but
rather part of a regular practice, the details of which we
hope will come out from the investigation.
The media has reported many times about physical
abuse of juveniles at these centres. Human rights
defenders have protested and appealed to the state to
bring about reform. And despite Bangladesh being one of
the earliest signatories of the Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC) that specifically states that children
accused of crimes “be treated in a manner consistent with
the promotion of the child’s sense of dignity and worth”
these incidents of physical torture and even death take
place.
Are we to believe that arrests and if we are lucky,
punishment of these murderers will take place only after
children are brutally murdered? Or will the ministry
concerned initiate urgent reforms within the system and
these institutions so that these children are treated with
dignity as all children deserve, that they are provided with
basic needs of health, nutrition, education and most of
all, that they do not live in constant fear of being tortured
or killed because they are at the mercy of officials or other
inmates.
Italy’s amnesty for
undocumented
Bangladeshi migrant
workers
A great opportunity for our workers
to get regularised
I
T is a positive development that around 12,746
undocumented Bangladeshi migrants in Italy
have applied for regularisation under an Italian
government declared amnesty programme which started
on June 1 amid the coronavirus pandemic and was
scheduled to end yesterday. The government of Italy has
also announced different stimulus packages for workers,
including one for low-paid workers with work permits. It
means that if our workers are regularised and have work
permits, they would not only get better jobs but they
could also get some financial support from the Italian
government to cope with the economic fallout of the
pandemic.
According to the data of the Italian ministry of labour
and social policies, around 1.45 lakh Bangladeshi
migrants with valid documents live in Italy while an
estimated 20,000 Bangladeshis work there without valid
documents. According to the Bangladeshi community
in Italy, the number could be as high as 50,000. Since
the outbreak of the pandemic, these workers have been
passing their days in economic hardship without having
any regular job or work.
Thus, the amnesty declared by the Italian government
is a great opportunity for our undocumented workers
to get regularised. Bangladeshi workers mostly applied
to the domestic work sector as caregivers. There is
also scope to be regularised in the agriculture sector.
However, the challenge is, to get regularised in the
domestic work sector or in the agriculture sector,
workers have to apply under specific employers. Besides,
this opportunity is also available for the unemployed
workers who can get work permits for a fee of 130 euros.
We think our mission in Italy has a big role to play
here. It should do everything in its power to help our
workers if there is any issue regarding their documents.
As their papers will be verified and they will be
interviewed by the authorities concerned before they get
their work permits, our mission can also consider taking
a programme to train them properly for the interview.
Regularisation of our undocumented workers is
crucial to ensure that they get a decent life in the foreign
country and do not fall into the trap of any trafficking
gang.
A quick and right exam decision
At least 7 million students will be less anxious
T
HE
decision to
recommend
by concerned
ministries to the
government to
scrap primary level
PEC and junior
secondary level JSC
exams as reported
MANZOOR AHMED
in the press is
welcome news
(Daily Star, August 12, 2020). A quick
decision will spare about six million
candidates for these exams and their
parents the additional anxiety about the
public exams on top of the pandemic-
induced mental agony they are suffering.
A decision about an abridged HSC will
do the same for a million students. The
benefits will far outweigh any presumed
loss in learning outcome.
It is unlikely that schools can safely
reopen in September. When they re-
open, it will not be prudent to go back
immediately to a normal daily routine.
It is likely to be partial and conditional
with safety restrictions continuing for
some time. Students, teachers and parents
who are in anxiety and fear now will be in
similar anguish when schools restart. This
would be hardly a conducive situation for
students to sit for a high stake public
examination.
The Bangladesh Examination
Studies have shown the
pernicious backwash
effects of shifting the
focus to test-taking from
learning, encouraging
memorisation,
increasing dependence
on private coaching and
commercial guidebooks,
and creating incentives
for corruption such
as question leaks and
marks tampering.
Our heritage sites need our help to stem
the ravages of time and negligence
T
HE
A CLOSER dilapidated
LOOK condition
of the lonely ruins
scattered across
the country can
be attributed to
many reasons.
Perhaps the most
concerning is the
TASNEEM TAYEB
abject apathy of
the concerned
authorities towards historical sites and
their preservation. A prime example
of which would be the indiscriminate
demolition of our heritage buildings.
According to local media reports, between
2008 and 2018, more than 600 historical
buildings have been demolished around
the country. A lot of these building were
Mughal era structures built in Old Dhaka
by the court grandees.
Case in point: the famous Amligola
Haweli built in the Mughal era which
has been completely razed to the ground.
And then there are structures that have
been illegally occupied by land grabbers.
These sites are at times turned into shops,
and at others into drug peddling haunts.
Without care or preservation measures,
these structures fall into disrepair with
time.
Unfortunately, even the national
archaeological sites that have been
recognised as World Heritage Sites by
UNESCO are not being taken care of by
authorities concerned. Let’s take the case
of the legendary 1,300-year-old Somapura
Mahavihara, situated in Paharpur,
Naogaon, for example. This ancient
Buddhist seat of learning is considered
one of the five great Viharas that include
Nalanda, Vikramashila, Odantapura and
Jaggadala—the last one also located in
Bangladesh, while the other three in the
eastern Indian state of Bihar.
Designated by UNESCO in 1985 as
a World Heritage Site, the Somapura
Mahavihara attract hundreds of thousands
of visitors every day. Unfortunately, it fails
to attract as much government attention
it seems. The deteriorating condition of
the site is a testament to the indifferent
treatment, if not gross neglect, by the
concerned authorities.
Under “South Asia Tourism
Infrastructure Development Project”
funded by the Asian Development Bank,
the Department of Archaeology (DoA)
undertook a renovation and polishing
initiative, from March 2014 to December
2016. The main temple along with
surroundings areas were supposed to have
been renovated. A separate staircase was
also built for the ease of visitors to safely
climb up and down the site.
With the renovation work completed,
more visitors were attracted: revenues
Development Unit (BEDU) of the
Ministry of Education has indicated six
options for the authorities about public
exams at the secondary level. These range
from cancelling examinations in case of
school shutdown beyond October and
exams on a reduced content and shorter
duration tests. It has only laid out options
without recommending a preferred
solution.
Education experts have for a long time,
ever since the PEC exam was introduced in
2010 and JSC exam in 2011, been sceptical
about their value as tools of measuring
learning achievement of students.
Studies have shown the pernicious
backwash effects of shifting the focus to
test-taking from learning, encouraging
memorisation, increasing dependence
on private coaching and commercial
guidebooks, and creating incentives for
corruption such as question leaks and
marks tampering.
Public exams at grade 5 and 8,
introduced in the name of improving
quality of education, have ended
up producing the opposite results.
International experience and research
show that quality improvement is
achieved by providing quality-enhancing
inputs, such as, skilled and motivated
teachers, sufficient learning time in the
class, manageable class size, attention to
lagging students in the class and so on.
Frequent public examinations is not the
answer, especially when it detracts time
and resources from the essential quality
inputs.
shot up drastically. A report published by
this daily, titled, “Somapura Mahavihara
losing lustre”, citing DoA figures suggest
that “the revenue in 2014-15 and 2015-
16 was around Tk 27 lakh. In 2016-17,
the income soared to Tk 72 lakh, and
increased further to Tk 77.25 lakh in the
following year. In 2018-19 the revenue
was Tk 76.60 lakh.”
However, three years into the
renovations, things have started to fall
apart. Salinity, a persistent problem
faced by the site, remains. And the
external staircase that has been erected to
facilitate the movement of the tourists, is
apparently harmful for the site. The report
mentioned earlier, quoted Swadhin Sen, a
professor of archaeology at Jahangirnagar
A complete view of the Somapura Mahavihara.
University as saying, “When we talk
about conserving an archaeological site,
we mean the site has to be maintained
as it is—which means changing the
appearance of an archaeological site is
prohibited by law. A large number of
visitors are using the stairs for climbing
to the main temple. This is damaging the
1,300-year-old historical architecture.” As
a ripple effect, revenue plummeted to Tk
56 lakh in 2019-20.
Even worse, some of the fabled
terracotta plaques of the monastery have
been removed during renovation. And
of the ones remaining, only 17 are being
properly displayed at Paharpur Museum,
while according to the newspaper report,
the rest have been stored away without
If the pandemic compels scrapping
the two exams this year, let this be an
opportunity to re-examine the student
assessment afresh. Most countries have
scrapped public exams at primary and
lower secondary level to assess and grade
individual students and have shifted to
assessment of the school system—how
the schools and teachers are performing
by measuring key competencies of
students, such as reading and math, at
key stages of primary and secondary
education.
The National Student Assessment
undertaken in Bangladesh every two years
at grade 3 and 5 levels is such a method.
This can be used more systematically to
assess the system’s performance and take
policy measures to remedy weaknesses.
The new Indian Education Policy
announced last month has gone for such
a system performance assessment at key
stages.
A matter of worry and anxiety for
about a million students and their parents
and teachers is the Higher Secondary
Certificate (HSC), which did not start on
April 1 as planned due to the pandemic.
It is an elaborate affair that goes on for
about six weeks and certainly of a much
higher stake than PEC or JSC exams. The
authorities face a conundrum because
they cannot predict when the condition
would be right for holding the exam in
the usual manner.
Moreover, there is legitimate concern
about how prepared the students would
be psychologically and emotionally to sit
proper measures.
The shoddy work at the Mahavihara
brings into question the quality of the
renovation. Around the world so many
preservation projects are implemented
with success every year. These renovations
last for decades. So, what went wrong at
Paharpur? The answer remains shrouded
in mystery, as one authority ping-pongs
the responsibility to another: the regional
director (Rajshahi and Rangpur) of DoA,
suggested that the project was controlled
directly by the DoA and “local officials
played no part in the projects besides
partial monitoring”, as mentioned in The
Daily Star report.
And Somapura Mahavihara is not
alone in its plight. Adnan MS Fakir,
director of Finding Bangladesh, an
indie documentary series highlighting
the hidden gems of Bangladesh’s rich
archaeological heritage suggests that there
are many other historical sites that are in
need of care and repair. The list includes,
“Chanchra Jora Shiv Temples, Jessore;
Abhaynagar 11 Temple Complex, Jessore;
Dhopadi (Moth) Temple, Jhenaidaha;
Shyamnagar Rajbari, Satkhira; Shonabaria
Temple, Kolaroa, Khulna; Rayerkathi
Rajbari and Temple Complex, Pirojpur
and Krittipasha Rajbari, Jhalokathi.”
And so, the heritage of our country,
its rich history and legacy wither away
bit by bit, in broad daylight and in
darkness, without care, and—as in the
case of Somapura Mahavihara—despite
for the usual and prolonged exam routine.
Learning evaluation experts generally
agree that a shorter well-constructed test
focusing on essential competencies related
to the core subjects at the higher secondary
level would be a better means of assessing
student abilities and would have a higher
predictive value regarding how students
will do in tertiary education.
While this question may be debated
further, at least for this year, it could be
announced now that once the pandemic
situation improves, a short and quick
HSC will be held. This would be on
core subject areas—a hundred marks
test on each of the languages, math,
science, social studies and one or two
other combined papers depending on
the academic stream, six or seven papers
altogether. The exam could be completed
within a maximum period of 10 days. A
decision now will be a source of needed
relief for the students and all others
concerned. They will also have a chance
to be intellectually and emotionally
prepared for this arrangement.
The basic premise that guides the
thinking of the education boards and
even BEDU, the experts on examination,
is that learning is divided into a
lockstep of syllabus and specified time
periods, for “covering” lessons and
exams within school and public ones
being the gateways. That students learn
at their own pace, that most students
are not at the level expected by the
lockstep arrangement and that learning
is cumulative and a continuum that
require re-integrating what was learned
earlier, and that lessons should “uncover”
knowledge and meaning does not enter in
the lockstep calculus.
The authorities are concerned about
how much of the syllabus has been taught
by the time the annual exams should be
conducted. Does it matter, if some topics
of math are not taught in grade 7, and are
picked up in grade 8? A good number in
any school in grade 8 would normally,
without the pandemic closure, be lagging
behind in any case and good pedagogy
demands that they be helped to catch
up. The exigencies of the pandemic have
provided another chance to consider
these questions, if we are ready to step out
of the box.
Dr Manzoor Ahmed is professor emeritus at Brac
University.
“renovation”.
While the remnants of the glorious
past of our ancestors bear the marks of
the cruel treatment inflicted upon them
by us, it is time we take action to save
whatever is left of them. The concerned
authorities must take lesson from the
ineffective renovation of the Somupura
Mahavihara, and roll up their sleeves to
initiate meaningful projects to save our
heritage sites. Accurate listing, through
inspection and a well-charted strategic
plan to protect our archaeological
masterpieces are essential for the
preservation of our history.
Since all of the historic sites are now
closed to the public due to the pandemic,
it is a good time to inspect the sites and
PHOTO: ANWAR ALI
identify the ones that need immediate
attention. It would be logistically difficult
to initiate effective and lasting renovation
project at all the sites all at once, so
these initiatives can be taken in phases,
depending on the state of the heritage
sites across the country. Partnerships
with donor partners, I/NGOs, the private
sector can also be undertaken to mobilise
resources to this end.
Our heritage sites are our pride, our
roots. If we allow these sites to fall into
decrepitude, we would essentially be
facilitating the corruption of our identity
as a people.
Tasneem Tayeb is a columnist for The Daily Star.
Her Twitter handle is: @TayebTasneem
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS OPINION 9

Who will guard the guards?

T
HERE is a
STRATEGICALLY common
SPEAKING refrain
amongst the public
circle whether things
would have moved
with the speed that
it has in the case of
Major Sinha, were it
BRIG GEN not for the fact that
SHAHEDUL ANAM KHAN he was a military
NDC,PSC (RETD)
officer. It would be
fair to suggest that,
considering the trend of police behaviour
in similar incidents in the past, it would
have gone the way the killing of councillor
Akram of Teknaf Municipality and many
more such killings have gone, virtually into
the backburner. In all likelihood, Shifat and
Shpira—instead of being alive and being able
to give the true account as eye witness, may
have met Sinha’s fate. And the perpetrators
would have gone about their merry ways as
they have been doing so long, with blatant
impunity.
And in this case too, everything was going
in that direction. The SP colluded in the
construction of an untruth. Their dubious
plans fell through this time, because of the
forum of retired military officers, RAOWA,
put up a very strong position in this regard.
But the several hundred others who have met
the same unfortunate fate as Sinha’s, many
under the watch of this particular OC, on this
very stretch of road, the Marine Drive, which
some have renamed “Killing Drive”, do not
have such a dedicated organisation working
for them to voice their just cause.
Thus, it is time to resurrect the issue of
police reform, and if I might add, reform of
the police as well, an issue which has been
pushed under the carpet for long. We are
still clinging on to a colonial relic—a code
of conduct that was formulated following
the First War of Independence in 1857 to
suppress the aspirations of the people.
Colonial rules, naturally, infuse colonial
mentality in those who are entrusted to
implement those rules. We saw that during
Salvage the Draft Police Reform Bill from the deep freezer
the Pakistan period, and we see that attitude
even now, unfortunately. To live with an
anachronistic and outdated law, under the
completely changed concept of a free society,
is a gross incongruity.
Regrettably, the police have never
been allowed to function even within the
parameters of the existing archaic Act of 1861,
which also calls on the police to follow “legal
orders”. Importance of police reform has been
well articulated over the past two decades by
all segments of the civil society. Senior police
officers at various times have called on the
government to, “save this vital organ of the
state from further corrosion” and go into, “in-
depth examination of the police organisation,
its mandate and its functional dynamics.”
But the long awaited reform has not, and
may never, come about. Why?
Readers would recall that the Draft Police
Ordinance—2007 (DPO-2007) was put up
to the government with well-considered
recommendations. But regrettably, a draft
ordinance that was informed by valued
opinions of practitioners, bureaucrats, lawyers
and representatives of civil society, including
human rights organisations, is gathering dust
on the shelves of the ministry.
Apparently, there is a resistance to change
the status quo, which was clearly betrayed
by the remarks of the Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Home, made to a Bangla daily
in August 2010 that the proposed ordinance
was unrealistic and impracticable. He did not
bother to elaborate on the “unrealistic” and
“impracticable” aspects of the document. It
is not hard to guess that the short shrift to
the issue by the bureaucrats and the political
leaders is perhaps because with the proposed
ordinance in place, the police may no longer
remain under their control since, among
many new proposals; DPO-2007 makes
illegal interference into police operations a
criminal offence.
It must be emphasised that there is a
difference between government control of
the service, which a must for accountability,
and political control which must be abjured,
for the sake of rule of law. However, with
the distinction between the administration
and the ruling party becoming completely
blurred, and with the unmitigated
politicisation of the service, the question of
government control has been rendered moot.
This is a view shared by many police officers
too.
It may be relevant here to mention
that that the two other countries in the
subcontinent that had inherited this colonial
legacy have moved more resolutely to purge
it. Pakistan has a new police act since 2002,
and in India, although the Police Act of 1861
has not been totally replaced, a “Model Police
Act” was introduced in 1981.
But while one talks of police reform in
Bangladesh, one must also mention reform of
the police psyche too, a state of mind that has
not been entirely of their own making. The
concatenation of events culminating in the
premeditated murder of Major Sinha, betrays
such a crude and debilitating culture that has
accreted over time, turning the police into an
object of fear and trepidation rather than an
agency that engenders confidence and trust
among the law abiding citizens.
But whatever reforms are introduced,
no substantive changes can be effected
without addressing the main problem
with political sincerity. At the root of the
problem is political interference, a feature
not unique to any one particular regime, but
to all regimes since our inception. The deep
extent of political control has been betrayed
in the way the police have been used as a
handmaiden of the political party in power,
to go after its political opponents. Almost all
its agencies had been made dysfunctional,
most of all the investigative agencies, which
were compelled to alter the course of many
criminal investigations. Such interference
at all levels even now are more common
than not. “We are seeing the spectacle of a
police force which simply enforces the wish
of the government or the party, and here the
rule of law is not a respected principle. Our
police have been active more in repressing
dissent rather than enforcing the law.” That,
according to former IGP who goes on to add,
“Our police have been rendered to act as
agents of the political executive rather than as
instruments of a democratic state.”
Change in police psyche is a tall order, but
necessary for an organisation to be effective.
It must realise that it is not a “force”—the
word force conjures up an idea of coercion,
and implies that it has enemies arrayed
against it. The people are not the enemy.
Thus I do not feel that combat camouflage
dress is an appropriate outfit for an agency
that is supposed to build confidence among
law abiding citizens. Of course this does not
apply to specialised forces, which I believe
has specific and specialised tasks. And for
that reason I feel that all and every specialised
force, and we have quite a few, should be
separated from the general police service
and brought under a separate set up under
the home ministry, and under a different
command altogether. The police should have
the mandate only to maintain law and order,
combat crime and investigate and help in the
litigation process.
An independent oversight body is an
essential adjunct in the administration of the
law enforcing agency, which the proposed
ordinance recommends to have. There also
are some very important features of the draft
policy including that of the provision of a
“police commission” which, among other
things, would oversee the workings of the
force and also recommend a panel of names
to the government for selecting the IGP. The
DPO-2007 would ensure that the police
conform to the democratic values and the
principle of universal human rights. It enjoins
upon the police, among other things, to be
answerable to the people, who want policing
by consent and not by force. Hurting your
own people using the uniform as a veneer of
legality is unacceptable.
Reform is necessary to ensure that the rule
of law is enforced, and every single breach of
law punished, and if it is a law keeper who
breaks the law, with even more severity than
the general public would be for the same
crime.
The police should work under the rule of
law, rather than the whims of the party in
power, intervene in the life of citizens only
under limited and controlled circumstances;
and be made publicly accountable. Those are
not my words but that of the said former IGP,
whose comments and opinions, I found, are
always informed by objectivity and backed by
rational arguments.
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan, ndc, psc (Retd), is a
former Associate Editor of The Daily Star.

Covid-19 and the challenges to children with special needs

MALEKA PERVIN this time. Most families that have a member with autism, so creating structure at home in a rocking chair, listening to music with autism may not tolerate a mask, isolation
with ASD have been directly impacted by can make a huge difference. As much as headphones, deep breathing, watching a in a new environment, or an unfamiliar

A
UTISM Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
is a neurobiological disorder
characterised by impairments in
social communication and interaction as
well as restricted and repetitive patterns of
behaviour which is increasingly recognised
throughout the world and Bangladesh is
not an exception. Services to the affected
and their families are at preliminary level
in most of the developing countries, while
health, education and social services related
to autism have achieved remarkable heights
in the developed nations. In this context,
children with special needs in Bangladesh are
primarily cared for at home rather than in
institutions. In general, ASD impacts the well-
being of the entire family.
At present, the uncertainty and sudden
changes caused by Covid-19 are difficult for
all families, but particularly for some families
and individuals experiencing anxiety and
autism. Children on the autistic spectrum are
generally susceptible to high anxiety daily,
and of course, for those children who manage
the anxiety with a daily routine, being out of
school and at home more will change that.
The management of autism spectrum
disorder often relies on routine and
regularity; however the coronavirus
(Covid-19) pandemic has massively
impacted many families’ ability to provide
this structure. Lifestyle changes including
social distancing, remote learning, and
self-quarantine, can certainly be challenging
to any parent. For parents of children
with special needs, specifically ASD, a
disruption in a well-established day-to-day
schedule can lead to fears of meltdowns
and steps backward. Therefore, individuals
with autism and their families may need
additional support that will be useful for
making decisions during times of stress and
uncertainty.
Every child is unique, but children with
autism tend to love structure and they
generally thrive when their days stay close to
the same as the day before, so a lot of kids
are going to be thrown for a loop during
the coronavirus pandemic. Coping with the
anxiety and uncertainty that we are feeling
during this time is something all parents
will need to address with their children. For
many children with ASD and their families,
the transition from a structured daily
schedule in home, school, or community
programmes to extended unstructured time
at home is challenging. Visual aids and social
narratives can be a helpful way to create
structure, provide guidance, and encourage
independence while your child is at home.
They used to help individuals predict or
understand upcoming events.
During this situation, a family with
a special child would prevent the child
attending his/her daily routines outside the
home environment including attending
special education classes, participating in
recreational activities and enjoying their
favourite entertainment. Disruptions in the
daily schedule can be difficult for children
possible, follow previously established
routines related to bed times, meals, breaks,
etc., at the same time each day. A visual
schedule will help your child understand the
new structure of their daily routine at home.
It is appropriate to include limited screen-
time within the daily schedule, but be sure
to provide transition warnings and visual
countdowns when transitioning away from
highly preferred activities. A lot of kids are
now participating in at-home education, so
making your home resemble the environment
a child with autism is used to can help them
feel more comfortable.
During the day, it will be important to
handle play activities, listening to music or
watching movies for a limited time could be
considered as okay for these children. Ideally,
individuals with autism have some coping
and calming strategies in their repertoire of
skills to access with support during their most
anxious times. These may include rocking
preferred video clip, brief periods of vigorous
exercise, or accessing a favourite activity or
material. If coping or calming strategies are
not yet part of the routine, caregivers can
prioritise the teaching of these skills during
this time of uncertainty. For example, LEGO-
based play is an increasingly popular social
skills programme for children and young
people with autism. In addition, use tried and
true ways that have worked for you previously
for reinforcing your child’s good behaviour
and for following the rules. Fun activities,
video games, snacks, late bedtime, etc. can
all be potential rewards. Make a bucket of
rewards that your child can pick from. The
element of surprise will add to the process
and decrease the likelihood of boredom from
using the same positive reward over and over.
Catch your children being good. Praise them
aloud. A little praise can go a long way.
Parents of a special child should always
attend to the needs of the child irrespective
of the outside normalcy or abnormality.
Children with autism often have difficulties
expressing their emotions including
fear, frustration and anxiety. Difficulties
in expressive communication may be
compounded by expressive communication
delays, limited verbal and nonverbal skills
and social communication deficits. They
may communicate heightened emotions
through changes in behaviour including
increased repetitive behaviours, tantrums and
behavioural outbursts, difficulty following
directions and a lower frustration tolerance.
If significant behavioural changes occur,
additional support from a behavioural
therapist, mental health or medical provider
may be needed. Talking with the healthcare
provider can guide decisions about how
to access needed equipment, supplies,
medications, etc., and whether it is best to
visit a healthcare facility or stay at home.
Moreover, parents of special children are
really worried about the direct impact of
this pandemic on the family. Children with
autism are generally prone to viral infections
due to weak immunity and a child with
health staff. They would not communicate
their bodily symptoms, physical needs and
emotional requirements. Admitting these
children to an inward facility in the absence
of a parent is virtually impossible. It is neither
practical nor possible to ask the special needs
child to self-isolate or stay alone. Thus it
is very important to keep the children safe
during Covid-19 situation all over the world.
Every parent should carefully ensure their
children’s safety and help them grow good
body immunity by eating healthy food and
supplements after consulting with medical
experts.
This pandemic has considerable impact
on all family members, it is important for
parents to care for themselves, both physically
and emotionally, and set realistic expectations
as they assume new roles in the family (for
example, working from home parent, teacher,
therapists, sports coach, etc.). Moreover,
social distancing is better understood as
physical distancing; maintaining social
connections is of high importance. Many
parents are expressing feelings of stress, guilt,
shame, and worry, among other negative
emotions at this time. Simultaneously, you
may also be experiencing joy, humour, love,
and deep connection to your loved ones.
Please remember and don’t forgot about
your self-care in whatever form that takes—
meditation, connecting with other parents
who understand the situation, watching
a favourite show, enjoying a snack alone,
exercise, or taking an extra-long shower.
The spread of the novel coronavirus has
resulted in unprecedented changes to the
daily lives of children and families and these
changes may be particularly challenging for
individuals with ASD, who tend to benefit
from structure and routines.During this
crisis, caregivers and health care providers
should take this into account when designing
strategies to understand and help children
with autism.
Maleka Pervin is Associate Professor, Department of
Psychology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Email: malekapervin@du.ac.bd

CROSSWORD BY THOMAS JOSEPH BEETLE BAILEY BY MORT WALKER

ACROSS 32 “Forget it!” vehicle
1 Be bold 36 “Piece of cake!” 9 Crazy talker
5 Low point 39 Receipt line 11 Head to the
10 In the thick of 40 Hilo Hello Arctic
12 Writer Jong 41 Custom 17 Possess
13 Botch 43 Mail, as 19 Gaul invader
14 TV’s DeGeneres payment 22 Grow rapidly
15 Low digit 44 Less colorful 24 One released
16 “For sure!” 45 Prophetic ones early
18 Appointment 46 Cruise stop 25 Impressive
MARCUS GARVEY misser 27 Strange YESTERDAY’S ANSWERS
(1887-1940) 20 Low digit DOWN 28 Sub systems BABY BLUES BY KIRKMAN & SCOTT
Jamaican political activist, 21 Coffee 1 Matt of movies 30 Words before
publisher and journalist. dispensers 2 – acids dare or tear
The ends you serve that 23 Corn unit 3 Valentine gift 33 Author Calvino
are selfish will take you 24 Gasp for air 4 Finish 34 Hoopster
26 Party leader 5 Call for 35 Put to use
no further than yourself
28 Shop tool 6 Singer Guthrie 37 Engine sound
but the ends you serve 29 Parka part 7 Waters down 38 Chow
that are for all, in 31 Mine material 8 Wind-driven 42 Maple flow
common, will take you
into eternity. WRITE FOR US. SEND US YOUR OPINION PIECES TO
dsopinion@gmail.com.
10
Pregnant woman
FROM PAGE 12
Dinajpur town.
Police said the victim and the accused
were friends. The victim along with
Pata, Shanto and Sazu went to visit
Laxmitola area, around 14-kilometer
away from the district town, on
Thursday afternoon.
While returning around 8:00pm,
they stopped at one of Sazu’s
relatives’ house at Kawgaon village
in Sadar upazila. Then several youths
gang-raped the girl.
Pata Sarkar acted as cohorts of the
rapists, said Bazlur Rashid, inspector
(investigation) of Dinajpur Sadar
Police Station.
Later, they let the girl go home and
threatened to face dire consequences
if she disclosed the matter.
After returning home, the girl
shared the incident with her mother,
who instantly filed a case. Later on
the same night, police arrested four
persons. The rest one is on the run.
Earlier on August 10, a college girl
was raped at a forest in Nawabganj
upazila of Dinajpur, when she went
there to visit with her classmates.
In Gazipur, police on Friday
night arrested a youth from Mawna
Uttarpara area in Sreepur upazila on
charge of raping a pregnant woman
and filming the rape scene.
The accused is Uzzal Miah, 32,
of Nayonkandi village in Manikganj
Sadar upazila.
Uzzal used to live at a rented
house in Mawna Uttarpara area in
Sreepur upazila of Gazipur and is an
electrician by profession.
The victim woman also lives at the
same house and the accused Uzzal
used to work as an assistant to the
victim’s husband.
On July 7, the victim was staying
at her residence alone. Taking the
chance, Uzzal forcibly entered into
her room, raped her and filmed the
rape scene.
Later, Uzzal raped her for multiple
times blackmailing her to send the
video to her husband.
At one stage, the woman shared
the incident to her husband, who
later shared the incident with the
house owner and another one local
influential person.
They assured the victim to
settle the incident through social
arbitration. But they worked against
the victim.
Few days later, they kept victim’s
husband hostage and took deposition
from the victim that the rape incident
was false. Later, the house owner
drove out the couple from his house.
Later on Friday night, a case
was filed case in this connection.
Following the case, police arrested
Uzzal. The house owner and another
accused is on the run, said Prodip
Chandra Saha, sub-inspector of
Sreepur Police Station.
Our correspondents from Dinajpur
and Gazipur contributed to this
report
Woman shot
FROM PAGE 12
of firing, Malek lied down on the
floor, said the OC quoting Malek as
saying.
As his wife and son were about to
step onto the floor, they were hit by
bullets, Uttam added.
Later, Malek with the help of locals
took her injured wife and son to
Dighinala Upazila Health Complex
where doctors declared Morsheda
dead.
Dr Tanoy Talukder, health and
family planning officer in the upazila,
said Ahad was undergoing treatment
at the health complex and he was out
of danger.
Police have sent the body to
Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital for an
autopsy.
Bangladeshis
FROM PAGE 12
According to The Star report, the
immigration department on July 9
raided a house in Cheras township
of Selangor. The house was used as a
base for forgery.
Immigration officials arrested two
Bangladeshi men and a Mongolian
woman from there.
That arrest led the department
to another house dwelled by the
mastermind in Old Klang Road in
Selangor the next day, reported Bernama.
Malaysian Immigration Director
General Khairul Dzaimee Daud said
the 39-year-old suspect has been
residing in Malaysia on a Temporary
Employment Visit Pass, also known
as PLKS, for the past 10 years.
He was involved in the service
sector. He began dabbling in
document forgery last year, the
official said.
“He charged RM 300 for a single
forged PLKS pass and RM 100 for a
forged passport,” the official said in a
statement on Friday.
At the Old Klang Road premise,
the department found nine forged
Bangladeshi passports, forged PLKS
passes, a laptop, a printer and various
other equipment to forge passports
and also Nissan Sentra vehicle, all of
which were seized, Bernama reported.
“The suspect is believed to have
made profits up between RM 8,000
and RM 10,000 a month for the forged
documents of which proceeds were sent
to Bangladesh,” Khairul Dzaimee said.
He said the suspect would drive
around looking for potential clients
around Kuala Lumpur before offering
his services for forged PLKS passes
and passports.
Members of conservative civic groups attack an ambulance during an anti-government protest, as concerns over a fresh wave of
the coronavirus cases grow, in central Seoul, South Korea, yesterday.
UNO in CHT leases khas land illegally
FROM PAGE 12
powered panel on that land.”
A government logo can be seen on
the solar panel on the land in photos
and videos circulated on social media.
The UNO, however, denied
cutting hills to make a road, and
also said the solar panel was not
public property, but something he
bought himself.
“As there is a government logo on
it, I will replace it,” he, however, said
in this regard.
Asked how he and the cooperative
were able to lease khas land, the UNO
said, “It is true that the government
Russia makes first batch of Covid-19 vaccine
FROM PAGE 12
a vaccine could be dangerous, but
Russia denounced criticism as an
attempt to undermine Moscow’s
research.
The Russian vaccine is called
“Sputnik V” after the Soviet-era
satellite that was the first launched
into space in 1957.
It was developed by the Gamaleya
research institute for epidemiology
and microbiology in Moscow in
coordination with the Russian defence
ministry.
The head of the institute, Alexander
Gintsburg, told the TASS state news
agency yesterday that volunteers
taking part in the final stage testing of
the vaccine’s safety and efficacy would
have two inoculations.
Russia has said that industrial
production is expected from
September and that it plans to
manufacture 5 million doses per
month by December or January.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko
said this week that the vaccine would
first be made available to medics and
2nd virus wave threatens Europe
FROM PAGE 12
Austria urged its citizens to return
from popular Mediterranean
destination Croatia before similar
rules come into effect Monday, while
Serbia introduced mandatory testing
for travellers from four neighbouring
countries.
And thousands of Albanians
queued for miles in their cars at the
Greek border before tougher entry
requirements designed to brake
mounting infections began.
The United States also said it was
extending a ban on non-essential
travel through border crossings with
Canada and Mexico throughout most
of September “to slow the spread” of
the disease.
TRAVEL RUSH
Britain’s new quarantine rules,
announced late Thursday, prompted
a frenzied 36-hour scramble to get
home.
Eurotunnel, which operates a
Philippine security forces ‘alert’ for reprisals after militant held
AFP, Manila
Philippine security forces were on
alert yesterday for possible reprisal
attacks after arresting a key leader of
an Islamic State-linked militant group
accused of kidnapping and beheading
several foreigners.
Abduljihad Susukan, a member
of Abu Sayyaf, was detained in the
southern city of Davao and flown to
the capital Manila on Friday, where he
was being held at the national police
headquarters.
He has been charged with 23 murders,
five kidnappings and six attempted
murders, a police statement said.
NEWS
approval is needed to lease khas land.
But we didn’t want to deprive the
people from whom we took the lease.”
The khas land were under the
control of some locals who also own
the rest 13 acres.
Md Musa, one of those locals, said
“We approached the UNO to sell our
land in the hills, including khas land
which was in our possession, but the
UNO suggested that he lease it instead
for 30 years.”
In addition to violating the law
by leasing khas land, the UNO also
failed to take permission from the
Khagrachhari Hill District Council,
would later be available to all Russians
on a voluntary basis.
With more than 917,000 confirmed
infections, Russia’s coronavirus
caseload is currently fourth in the
world after the United States, Brazil
and India.
Currently Russia has 92,000 people
hospitalised with the virus and 2,900
in intensive care, according to the
health ministry.
‘CHALLENGE’ TRIALS
US scientists are developing a strain
of the coronavirus that could be
used to deliberately infect volunteers
in so-called “challenge studies,” a
government agency said Friday.
The work is preliminary and the
government is continuing to prioritise
randomised clinical trials of vaccine
candidates, the National Institute
for Allergies and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID) said.
Several of these have entered their
final stages, including the vaccines
developed by Moderna, Pfizer and
AstraZeneca.
But NIAID has nonetheless “begun
drive-on train service for cars through
the Channel Tunnel, was fully
booked Friday while some air fares
from France to the UK were more
than six times more expensive than
normal.
Fiona Nicholson, 47, a professor
from the English city Portsmouth on
holiday in southern France, told AFP
from Nice airport Friday that she had
cut short her trip.
French holidaymakers in Britain
will face tough choices of their own, as
Paris pledged to impose a “reciprocal
measure”.
The Netherlands said it would
advise against all but essential travel
to Britain, but will not introduce a
quarantine of its own for arrivals.
Meanwhile, just 10,000 of the usual
250,000 pilgrims visited France’s
Lourdes Roman Catholic shrine
yesterday for the annual Assumption
mass, with mask-wearing compulsory,
according to organisers.
Listed by the United States as a
terrorist organisation, Abu Sayyaf is
a loose network of Islamic militants
blamed for the country’s worst terror
attacks as well as kidnappings of foreign
tourists and Christian missionaries.
“The Philippine National Police
along with the Armed Forces of the
Philippines remain alert and vigilant
to prevent and respond to any reprisal
attack,” police spokesman Brigadier-
General Bernard Banac told AFP.
The Philippine military said
Susukan was behind the April 2016
beheadings of Canadian tourists
Robert Hall and John Ridsdel, after
Manila and Ottawa rejected the
which is mandatory for leasing land
in the hill areas.
UNO Badruddoza admitted he
did not take permission from the Hill
District Council and claimed that he
took the lease “unofficially” only for
gardening work.
Mong Sheprue Chowdhury,
headman of Ramgarh mouza, said,
“It is unfortunate that no one took
permission regarding this.”
According to the Hill District
Council Act-1989 and Chittagong
Hill Tracts Regulation-1900, no land
-- including khas land -- shall be
leased out, settled with, purchased,
efforts to manufacture a strain that
could be used to develop a human
challenge model, if needed,” it said in
a statement.
In normal clinical trials, volunteers
receive either a medicine or a placebo
and their health is then followed over
the course of months of years.
Scientists look for how well the
vaccine or treatment worked when the
person was naturally exposed to the
pathogen.
A quicker way to test whether a
drug works is by deliberately infecting
volunteers, as has been done in the
past for influenza, malaria, typhoid,
dengue fever, and cholera.
In the US, advocacy groups like
1DaySooner support challenge
studies for Covid-19, but the subject is
controversial because of how serious
the disease can be and because its
effects aren’t fully understood.
NIAID said it would probably
reach a decision toward the end of
2020, when the late-stage clinical
trials that are underway start reporting
their results.
Denmark has made the wearing
of facemasks mandatory on public
transport across the country from
August 22 to try to contain the virus.
NEW NZ STRAIN
Elsewhere, New Zealand is battling
its second outbreak of infections
and extended a lockdown of its
largest city Auckland by at least 12
days, after officials detected a variant
of the virus previously unseen in the
country.
The Pacific island nation’s initial
response to the pandemic was hailed
a success, but a run of 102 days with
no reported community transmission
ended on Tuesday and a cluster of
30 virus cases was recorded in recent
days.
India recorded a single-day spike of
65,002 fresh cases of infection in the
past 24 hours. Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal yesterday said the
government will not open schools
unless it is “fully convinced” about
kidnappers’ ransom demands.
In 2017 Susukan’s group also
beheaded Jurgen Kantner, who was
abducted from his yacht off the
southern Philippines the previous
year, said military spokesman
Brigadier-General Edgard Arevalo.
“There is a strong possibility” that
Susukan was also behind the 2015
beheading of Malaysian hostage
Bernard Then, who was abducted in
Malaysia’s Sabah state, Arevalo told
AFP.
The authorities said Susukan
had gone to Davao, near where the
Canadians were abducted, to get a
prosthetic arm after losing one in a
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS
PHOTO:
REUTERS
sold, or transferred without
prior approval of the concerned
department.
“It is a violation of the law if anybody
or any organisation takes lease of khas
land in CHT without permission from
the district administration,” said the
Khagrachhari DC.
However, no action has so far been
taken against the UNO for his illegal
activities and misuse of power.
“As we did not get any official or
unofficial allegation against the UNO
of Ramgarh upazila, we could not take
action in this connection,” DC Pratap
added.
This would help it determine
whether challenge studies are needed,
safe and ethical, it added.
David Diemert, the director of
George Washington University’s
vaccine trial research unit who is
overseeing a trial of Moderna’s vaccine
in the US capital, told AFP he did not
think challenge trials were appropriate
for Covid-19.
“I think they’re a critical tool, but
only under the right circumstances,”
he said.
Diemert is himself leading a
challenge trial into a hookworm
vaccine.
But he said that for Covid-19, “we
don’t have a very clear understanding
of who is at risk of developing severe
disease and we have no treatment that
is guaranteed to cure someone if they
do develop severe disease.”
There’s also enough widespread
community transmission in the US
-- the worst hit country in the world
with 5.3 million confirmed cases
-- to mean challenge trials are not
necessary, he added.
the improved situation in the national
capital.
Meanwhile South Korea tightened
restrictions in Seoul and its
surrounding areas yesterday, as the
country reported the highest number
of new daily infections since March.
The tightened social distancing
guidelines involve restrictions on
gatherings and activities including
professional sports, which will be
played behind closed doors in the
capital area again.
But in the US -- which has more
registered infections than any other
country in the world -- museums, art
galleries and other cultural institutions
in New York will be allowed to reopen
later this month following a five-
month shutdown.
However, there will be mandatory
face masks, timed ticketing with
staggered entry and just 25 percent
occupancy, the state governor Andrew
Cuomo tweeted.
clash with security forces.
Police said they found him in the
home of Muslim rebel leader Nur
Misuari, who is awaiting trial for an
attack carried out by hundreds of his
armed followers on the southern city
of Zamboanga in 2013 that left more
than 200 people dead.
Despite the charges, Misuari has
government permission to live at his
home and travel.
President Rodrigo Duterte enlisted
Misuari’s help last year to negotiate
peace with various armed groups in
the country’s troubled south as well
as to help negotiate the release of Abu
Sayyaf hostages.
Mujib
FROM PAGE 12
JAPAN WILL DONATE MORE
TEXTILE GOODS
The Japanese industries minister
today announces his government’s
decision to make further donation of
textile goods to Bangladesh to relieve
the people there of their textile
shortage.
30 LAKHS AFFECTED BY FLOOD
Nearly 30 lakh people are affected
and crops of about four lakh acres
of land are damaged in devastating
flood that have ravaged seven
districts of Bangladesh. Flood this
year so far have claimed 24 lives and
2,500 heads of cattle in the affected
districts.
SOURCES: August 17, 1972 issues of
Bangladesh Observer, Dainik Bangla
and Dainik Ittefaq.
5 officials
FROM PAGE 12
Meanwhile, the social welfare
ministry has suspended Abdullah
for negligence of duty, said a letter
signed by Social Welfare Secretary
Mohammad Jainul Bari sent from
the ministry that same night.
Besides, the ministry formed a
three-member committee, headed
by Jashore’s additional district
magistrate, to investigate the
incident, said an office order signed
by Mahmuda Yeasmin, the ministry’s
assistant secretary.
The committee has been asked to
submit a report within five working days.
On Friday, the department of
social services formed a two-member
committee to investigate the
incident.
Young inmates on the correction
centre were allegedly tortured by
several staffers and senior inmates,
which led to the death of the three
boys.
The allegation was raised by
injured inmates who had also been
through abuse and are undergoing
treatment at Jashore General
Hospital.
At first, the teenagers were shown
a CCTV footage of the August 3,
the day a head guard of the centre
assaulted by some teenage inmates
and suddenly the beatings started,
the injured boys said.
At one point, the senior inmates
pulled the hands of the younger
inmates through a grilles while the
officials, including Masum, beat
them ruthlessly until they got tired,
they added.
The officials then handed over the
teenagers to the senior inmates, who
beat them until some of them were
unconscious.
Then, around 3:00pm, the beating
started again until many lost their
consciousness a second time, the
injured boys at the hospital said,
adding that three of them -- Parvez
Hasan Rabbi, 18, Rasel alias Sujon,
18, and Naeem Hossain, 17 -- never
regained their senses and died in the
evening.
Rabbi’s father filed a case against
the authorities of Jashore juvenile
correction centre with Jashore
Kotwali Police Station on Friday
evening in this regard.
Grey reef
FROM PAGE 12
The tags included acoustic
transmitters that could identify
individual sharks. Dozens of
receivers placed throughout the
area enabled the team to recognise
any other tagged shark that came
within 1,000 feet, according to New
Scientist.
Over the four years of the study -
the life of the transmitters’ batteries
- they found the sharks formed
incredibly stable groups.
Despite the presence of some
8,000 grey reef sharks around the
atoll, the tagged fish rarely strayed
into other cliques.
They also frequented the same
section of reef, year after year,
according to a report published this
week in Proceedings of the Royal
Society.
“We don’t think of sharks as social
animals, but they do have social
groups,” Yannis Papastamatiou, lead
author and head of the university’s
Predator Ecology and Conservation
Lab, told New Scientist.
“They form these sort of spatially
structured social groups where they
hang out with the same individuals
over multiple years.”
Papastamatiou described the
relationships as that of “associates.”
“They are not friends in the sense
of having any emotional bond with
each other,” he said. It’s not clear
how the sharks identify each other
or why they form such strong bonds.
Their nocturnal expeditions
happen in the open sea, too far for
the team’s transmitters to record.
But it’s possible that, by working as
a group, they improve their chances
of finding ample prey.
Regardless, such long-term
associations are rare in the animal
kingdom, and almost unheard of
among sharks.
Like many types of shark, grey reef
sharks are in serious decline: They
are sought after for their fins, which
are used in shark fin soup.
The International Union for
Conservation of Nature has classified
them as “near threatened.”
 e-mail: sports@thedailystar.net
DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS

SONY SIX TEN 2

England v Pakistan UEFA Europa League Semifinal
Second Test, Day 4 Sevilla v Man United
Live from 4:00pm Live from 1:00am (Monday)

Brutal Bavarians steamroll Barcelona

en route to semifinals
‘Better than
beating Brazil’
Record-breaking Thomas Mueller
said Bayern Munich’s 8-2 thrashing of
Barcelona in the Champions League
quarter-final on Friday topped the 7-1
hammering Germany handed Brazil
at the 2014 World Cup as he stole the
limelight from Robert Lewandowski and
Lionel Messi.
“When we (Germany) played against
Brazil we were not as in control as we
were tonight,” insisted Mueller, who also
scored in the historic World Cup semifinal.
“You can never completely turn Barcelona
off, but we gave their midfield practically
no room, we did what we wanted to do.”
The 30-year-old Mueller capped an
outstanding display by passing Philipp
Lahm’s record to become the German
with the most Champions League
appearances with 113 games.
“We need to stop talking about the
record, it’s just a statistic. There were a
lot of nicer things to say about the game.
Our team spirit is extremely good and the
main thing is we are doing what we want
to do on the pitch, everyone is torturing
themselves to put the work in. It was a
special evening: from the result alone and
the way it felt on the pitch.
“We can go to bed with a smile and enjoy
the atmosphere, but we want to stay in
the tournament.”
HIGHLIGHTS
For the first time in the history
of the UEFA Champions League,
a club scored eight goals in a
knockout match in the form of
Bayern Munich as they thrashed
Barcelona 8-2.
The last team to score eight or
more goals in this competition
were Real Madrid when they
hammered FC Wacker Innsbruck
9-1 in the last 16 of 1990-91
season of the then European Cup.
Barcelona suffered defeat by a
six-goal margin for the first time
since April 1951 when the Catalan
side were beaten 6-0 in a La Liga
match by Espanyol.
The Spanish giants conceded
eight goals for the first time
in 74 years when they were
embarrassed 8-0 by Sevilla in
Copa del Rey in 1946.
German powerhouse Bayern have
engraved their name in the semi-
final of the Champions League
for the 12th time, and they are
bettered by only Real Madrid (13).
Bayern’s star striker Robert
Lewandowski became the first
player to put himself on the score-
sheet in eight or more consecutive
Champions League matches since
Cristiano Ronaldo in April 2018
Serge Gnabry sets off on celebration after scoring Bayern Munich’s fourth goal in the 27th minute of their Champions League quarterfinal against PHOTO: (11 games).
REUTERS
Barcelona, whose players were shellshocked. The Bavarians would add four more and walk away with an incredible 8-2 victory.
AGENCIES, Lisbon “a tremendously painful defeat”.
Bayern coach Hansi Flick hailed an
WHAT THEY SAID
German

humiliated
champions
Bayern Munich utterly
Barcelona
with an extraordinary
8-2 demolition job on
Friday that sent them through into the
semifinals of the Champions League.
Thomas Mueller scored twice for a
rampant Bayern, who led 4-1 after 31
minutes, as Lionel Messi’s team were
condemned to a thrashing that felt like
the end of an era for the Catalan club.
“We feel devastated, although shame is
the real word I’m looking for,” said Barca
defender Gerard Pique, adding that the
BARCELONA 2 - 8 BAYERN MUNICH historic defeat called for urgent changes
ALABA (OG) 7’ MUELLER 4’, 31’,
SUAREZ 57’ PERISIC 21’, GNABRY 27’ across the club. “We need to take stock and
changes are needed at the club. I’m not
KIMMICH 63’,
LEWANDOWSKI 82’ talking about the players or the coaching
COUTINHO 85’, 89’ staff, but something more structural. We
have to change the direction we’ve been
headed in for a number of years now.
BARCELONA’S We’ve hit rock bottom.”
FIVE WORST DEBACLES Piqué was not alone in his take on
Barça’s predicament. The Blaugrana’s
Sevilla 11 - Barcelona 1 (La Liga, 1940) major dressing-room figures are fully on
board with his comments, including a
Real Madrid 8 - Barcelona 2 (La Liga, 1935)
suggestion that some of the team’s old
guard may need to be sacrificed and
Bayern Munich 8 - Barcelona 2 (Champions
fresh blood brought in.
League quarter-final, 2020)
“Nobody is untouchable. If new blood
Liverpool 4 Barcelona 0 (Champions League has to come and change this dynamic, I
will be the first to pack up and leave,”
2019 semi-final)
Pique added.
AC Milan 4 - Barcelona 0 (Champions The players were swift to assume their
League final 1994) own culpability for their mauling by
Bayern, acknowledging that they were
Historic humiliation!
outplayed and outfought, but they also
believe that years of erratic off-the-field
decision-making led to the humiliation.
They feel they weren’t well prepared
enough tactically, and were undermined
by what is an unbalanced squad.
Pique and others also expect club
president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, to
be brave enough to do what is best for
Barcelona’s destruction by Bayern
Munich in the quarterfinal of the
Champions League resulted in a rare
occasion for media in Catalonia and
the rest of Spain echoing the same
sentiment. “Historical humiliation,”
“Shame” and “End of a shameful
cycle” were some of the headlines
on the front page of the Spanish
sports newspapers yesterday.
MARCA headined: “A historical
humiliation for Barcelona. No
Spanish team in the Champions
League semifinal for the first time
in 13 years.” Diario AS wrote that “a
disaster for Barcelona and the defeat
could provoke a reaction within
the club that would affect every
level of the Catalan giants”, while
Mundo Deportivocalled it “The end
of an embarrassing cycle as Bayern
humiliated Barcelona in incredible
fashion.”
Barcelona and call elections -- which
are due to take place in summer 2021 --
ahead of schedule. Spanish radio station
Cadena COPE has reported that Lionel
Messi has demanded that elections be
called; otherwise, he will not renew his
contract in 2021, his camp says.
Barca coach Quique Setien, who is
unlikely to survive the inquest, called it
“outstanding” display from his side but
stressed that they were firmly focused
on the semifinal, which will be against
Manchester City or Olympique Lyonnais.
Mueller added: “We had so much fun
today. Of course, Barcelona are special,
so we had to be even more aggressive
and come back again and again. You can
imagine we feel good after this match
but we have to be quiet and regenerate.”
The scoreline recalled Germany’s 7-1
semifinal win over Brazil in the 2014
World Cup, a game where Flick was
on the bench as the national team’s
assistant coach. Now, Flick warned that
his players would let their stunning win
sink in for a day but if they are to win the
title they still need to work hard.
“You know that I do not look back
because only the here and now matters,”
Flick said when asked about comparisons
to Germany’s 2014 win. “Yes, we played
an outstanding game and we can be
happy but we all know we still have hard
work to do if we are to stand in the end
where we want to stand,” he added.
“We know how quickly it can happen
in football. We must recharge from
tomorrow for the semifinals,” Flick said.
“It is a win and we wanted to reach
semifinals. OK, it is impressive, we set a
small marker but the experienced players
know that the next game awaits and we
will need the same performance. Let it
sink in, analyse and then prepare for the
semifinal,” Flick said.
“We knew it is never easy against
Barcelona, but this is an unbelievable
result. It’s hard to comprehend.”
-- Joshua Kimmich, who scored
Bayern’s fifth goal
“No, it didn’t hurt, it was fun actually”
-- Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka
when asked if it hurt embarrassing his
childhood idol Lionel Messi
“We have hit rock bottom. This is not
the first, nor the second, nor the third
time. We are not on the right path....
Tonight was unacceptable for Barce-
lona. It was a disgrace “ -- Barcelona
defender Gerard Pique
“It’s a very difficult night, the defeat
is very hard for the supporters, the
players ... We are sorry for everyone.
We have not lived up to the club that
we are. It was a disaster.” -- Barcelona
president Josep Maria Bartomeu
“Obviously it’s a great result for us, but
you don’t want your national team
colleagues to experience something
like that,” Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer
about his opposite number Marc-Andre
Ter Stegen
“In the end, I really must pay the team
a huge compliment as the way they
played, the attitude is top. To maintain
this spirit for 90 minutes is impressive.”
-- Bayern coach Hansi Flick

No cricket at home this year?

Shakib likely to join Tigers in SL, says Hassan
SPORTS REPORTER
Bangladesh Cricket
Board (BCB)
president Nazmul
Hassan informed
that if the current
coronavirus
situation in Bangladesh does
not improve and until a vaccine
is invented, he does not see any
logical reason to resume the
Dhaka Premier League or stage the
Bangladesh Premier League.
A total of five bilateral series for
the Tigers have been postponed
since the coronavirus outbreak.
Hassan informed that apart from
the series against Australia, BCB
has already rescheduled the four
other series.
“We have already missed quite a
few series where Australia and New
Zealand were scheduled to tour
Bangladesh.
“We also have a Test remaining
against Pakistan along with the
Ireland tour and we have almost
prepared the re-scheduling of those
series and none of the matches will
be missed except for one. We are
yet to confirm the series against
Australia as the timings of the two
boards are not matching,” said
Hassan.
There was some good news
as Hassan seemed hopeful that
ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan,
whose one-year ban from all sorts
of cricket by the ICC which will be
lifted on October 29, will join the
Tigers’ camp during their tour of
Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh are scheduled to
play three Test matches in Sri
Lanka, with the first Test expected
to start in mid-October. According
to Hassan, the star all-rounder will
have to go through fitness tests and
other processes before joining the
team.
However, the BCB boss, during
a briefing at the Sher-e-Bangla
National Stadium in Mirpur
yesterday, urged media not to put
too much focus on Shakib as it
may work against the cricketer if
found to be breaching any clause
of the suspension.
“I had a chat with him but I
am not going to disclose that.
Once Shakib’s ban gets lifted, only
then he can play for us. He will be
available once his suspension ends
and we are all eagerly waiting for
his return. But this is also related
to his fitness and preparation and
for that he will practise on his own
and he is expected to return to the
country this month before starting
training. We are hoping that he
remains fit and everything remains
fine and he will join us in Sri Lanka
and play, if he is able to,” Hassan
told media.
“Don’t try to do much news
on Shakib as it is also part of the
condition [set by the ICC] that he
wouldn’t be playing [anything]
that comes to media. He is not
allowed to be with us until his ban
gets lifted although he can play
cricket in the neighbourhoods if
he wants,” Hassan added.
The BCB boss also spoke about
the national teams’ training camp
and suggested on minimising
the risk of arranging the camp
in Bangladesh and focusing on
spending more time in Sri Lanka
which is comparatively safe from
the corona virus in the recent
times. He also added that the
cricketers will have to go through
three Covid-19 tests before joining
the residential camp. Rain swept through again, washing out the first session on the third day of the
“At the moment they are doing second Test. Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on an impressive 60 the
individual training as we provided previous day, with Pakistan on 223 for nine in their first innings. PHTO: REUTERS
all the facilities by following safety
measures upon their request. There
are groundsmen and support staff
and players themselves, none of
Rain continues to disrupt play
whom have gone through tests, so REUTERS, Southampton bowled on the first two days as Pakistan,
we can’t say they are safe. There will batting first, reached 223-9. With more
Bad weather continued
be risks but we have to minimise bad weather forecast, a draw was quickly
to dog the second Test
that and that is the reason I have emerging as the most likely result.England
between England and
suggested to shift training more to lead 1-0 in the three-match series.
Pakistan on Saturday as
Sri Lanka and get prepared there a combination of bad light and drizzle “We are a bit disappointed we have not
as much as possible as we assume wiped out the morning session on the bowled Pakistan out – they have played
Sri Lanka’s situation is much better third day at the Rose Bowl. really nicely at times and we have missed
than here. We will try to follow There was no word of if, or when, it a few chances and maybe not been as
proper isolation process during would be possible for play to restart. ruthless with the ball as we could have
our camp in the country,” he said. Only 86 of a possible 180 overs were been,” said England bowler Stuart Broad.
12 DHAKA SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2020, BHADRA 1, 1427 BS

5 officials of
UNO in CHT correction
leases khas centre held
Superintendent
suspended over
land illegally
SANJOY KUMAR BARUA
killing of 3 boys
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Benapole
Police arrested five people,
The upazila nirbahi officer of Ramgarh upazila in including Abdullah Al
Khagrachhari allegedly misused his power to lease five Masud, superintendent
acres of khas land illegally for a personal project. of the Jashore juvenile
Ramgarh UNO ANM Badruddoza’s actions went viral correction centre, on Friday
recently on social media where it was revealed that he, on night in connection with
behalf of a cooperative, took lease of 18 acres of land in the the incident of torturing
upazila -- including five acres of khas land -- for a period three boys of the centre to
of 30 years. death.
“Since 2003, khas land settlement for personal interest The four other arrestees
was completely stopped in Chattogram Hill Tracts following are Masum Billah, assistant
a circular of the CHT affairs ministry,” said Pratap Chandra superintendent, Mushfikur
Biswas, deputy commissioner of Khagrachhari district. Rahman, psychosocial
Contacted, UNO Badruddoza said, “We took 18 acres of counsellor, and physical
land, including five acres of khas land, from locals in the instructors Shahanur and
area in the name of Friends Fund Shomobay Samity for 30 Omar Faruk, police said.
years on April 1 this year. On Friday, police took
“I am a member of the Samity and the other fourteen 10 people, including several
members are my friends.” officials and inmates of the
Badruddoza, a BCS cadre from the 29th BCS, joined his correction centre, in custody
current posting in Khagrachhari on February 23 this year, for interrogation.
according to the local government website. Of the 10, five were
He took the lease at Tk 10 lakh, according to the arrested as police primarily
documents obtained by this newspaper. found their involvement
The UNO also allegedly installed a government solar- in the murder, said
powered panel for his personal use and levelled a hill to Mohammad Ashraf
make a road on the land last month. Hossain, superintendent
Md Saiful Islam, a local journalist who visited the site, of Jashore Police, while
said, “The UNO razed a hill with an excavator around
Strong current of the Kirtankhola river has washed away a part of road that connects Lamchhari village in Charbaria speaking to reporters on
PHOTO:
a month ago and had been using a government solar- union to Taltali area in Sadar upazila. Many other roads in Barishal districts faced a similar fate due to the flood. TITU DAS Friday night.
SEE PAGE 10 COL 2 People are seen trying pass a particularly bad section of the road. SEE PAGE 10 COL 6

Russia makes FIRST YEAR OF BANGLADESH

FRAUD GANG
Bangladeshis Grey reef sharks
Woman
shot dead in
first batch of BANGABANDHU’S NATION-BUILDING CHALLENGES
arrested in
Mujib to stay in Geneva till form long-term Khagrachhari
vaccine Malaysia OUR CORRESPONDENT,

Says report as US full recovery STAFF CORRESPONDENT

friendships Bandarban

A woman was shot dead

Malaysian Immigration
developing virus strain for August 16, 1972 Department has
and her 10-year-old son
injured after unidentified
human ‘challenge’ trials SHAMSUDDOZA SAJEN
reportedly busted a criminals opened fire in
“document forgery” ring Khagrachhari’s Dighinala
AGENCIES and nabbed four of its
TALKS WITH UK MINISTERS LIKELY upazila early yesterday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will stay in Switzerland members, including three The dead, Morsheda
Russia has produced the first batch of its
until complete recovery of his health as the guest of the Swiss Bangladeshi men. Begum, 45, was from
new vaccine for Covid-19, the Interfax
news agency quoted the health ministry as government. Earlier the prime minister was to spend 10 days in One of the Bangladeshis, Babuchhara area in the
saying yesterday, hours after the ministry Switzerland but he has now decided that he would stay there until aged 39, was claimed to same upazila. Her husband
reported the start of manufacturing. complete recovery of his health. be the “mastermind” of Abdul Malek is the
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday Bangabandhu is improving satisfactorily In London, according the ring, who would earn president of Sonamia Tila
announced it had been first in the world to to a health bulletin issued by his personal between RM 8,000 and RM Bhumi Rokkhya Committee
approve a vaccine. But the announcement physician. Despite weakness the prime 10,000 a month from the MAIL ONLINE in Babuchhara.
was met with caution from scientists and minister is meeting his visitors and taking forged documents. Police could not
the World Health Organization who said it interest in various issues of national The syndicate was Sharks have a reputation for being heartless immediately give any
still needed a rigorous safety review. interest. He spent a very busy day today. crippled following two killers, but at least one species forms long-lasting reason why the criminals
“The first batch of the novel coronavirus Among those who called on him today months of surveillance. “friendships,” scientists have discovered. opened fire.
vaccine developed by the Gamaleya are Indian Foreign Secretary TN Kaul, Malaysian English- Grey reef sharks are swift, large-eyed predators Dighinala OC Uttam
research institute has been produced,” the Secretary General of Amnesty International Martin Ennals and language daily The Star that frequent coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Chandra Deb said some
health ministry said in a statement quoted President of Bangladesh National League Ataur Rahman Khan. yesterday ran a report on Oceans. unidentified criminals
by Russian news agencies. The prime minister is expected to receive some more British its online version on the They often head out to the open water at night fired shots indiscriminately
Putin said the vaccine was safe and ministers before he leaves for Switzerland. incident, after the country’s to hunt. But during the day, they return to the same in Babuchhara, nearly
that one of his own daughters had been CONSTITUTION BODY FINALISES POWER OF PRESIDENT national news agency spot on their reef, congregating in clusters of up to 12 kilometres away from
inoculated, though clinical trials were The Constitution Committee of the Constituent Assembly of Bernama ran a similar 20 individuals. Dighinala town, around
not yet complete and final stage testing Bangladesh today finalises the matters connected with power and report on Friday. To study this social behaviour, marine biologists 1:30am.
involving more than 2,000 people only function of the president. The committee has been working for the None of the reports, at Florida International University tagged 41 grey reef The couple and their son
started this week. last few days to finalise the draft constitution for placing before the however, mentioned sharks near the Palmyra Atoll, a remote Pacific island were asleep at home when
Western scientists were sceptical, with House when it goes into next session. names and details of the more than 1,000 miles from the coast of Hawaii. the criminals opened fire.
some warning that moving too quickly on SEE PAGE 10 COL 6 Bangladeshi suspects. SEE PAGE 10 COL 6 Waking up to the sound
SEE PAGE 10 COL 2 SEE PAGE 10 COL 1 SEE PAGE 10 COL 1

Pregnant 2nd virus wave

woman,
teen raped
STAR REPORT
A teenage girl was allegedly
gang-raped by a group of
miscreants on Thursday
in Dinajpur, while police
on Friday arrested a youth
allegedly for raping a
pregnant woman.
The victim of Dinajpur
is a 17-year-old and a
tenth grader of a local high
school in the district town.
Police arrested four
persons in connection with
the incident.
The arrestees are Shanto
Kumar, 20, of Sweeper
Colony in Balubari area
of Dinajpur town; Bulbul
Islam, 18, of Umarpail
Balubari area; Sazu Mia,
18, and Pata Sarkar 18,
of Mission Road area of
SEE PAGE 10 COL 1
PRAYER TIMING AUGUST 16
Fazr Zohr Asr Maghrib Esha
AZAN 4-25 12-45 4-456-38 8-00
JAMAAT 5-00 1-15 5-00 6-41 8-30
SOURCE: ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
threatens Europe
S Korea reports spike in cases
as NY museums, galleries to
reopen from Aug 24
AGENCIES
British holidaymakers returning home from parts of
Europe began having to quarantine under new restrictions
yesterday, as a second wave of virus infections threatened
more disruption and economic chaos on the continent.
The UK opted to remove France, the Netherlands, Malta
and several other countries from its list of places exempt
from self-isolation rules, sparking a rush for plane, train
and ferry tickets by Britons desperate to get back before the
0300 GMT change.
All travellers arriving from the three countries -- as well
as Monaco, and Caribbean island states Turks & Caicos and
Aruba -- after the deadline must quarantine for 14 days.
French student Antoine, 23, cut short his holiday to
rush back to Bristol, in southwestern England, where he
is at university.
“I’m a waiter in a small cafe near college, I can’t afford to
spend 14 days in the house,” he said at London’s St Pancras
railway station after arriving on a Eurostar train.
France is facing a resurgence of the disease that emerged
in China late last year and has so far infected over 21
million people and killed more than 766,000 globally.
French authorities have reported more than 2,500 new
cases on each of the past three days -- levels not seen since
May.
Meanwhile Germany added most of Spain -- where
cases have also surged in recent weeks -- to its list of regions
Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital’s Dhanmondi inaugurates a plasma bank for fighting Covid-19. from where arrivals must show a negative Covid-19 test or
PHOTO:
A plasma donation campaign was hosted there yesterday where people who have had Covid-19 and have ANISUR RAHMAN quarantine for two weeks.
recovered fully donated blood. SEE PAGE 10 COL 2

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