D H A K A T U E S D AY D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 2 0

REGD. NO. DA 781 VOL. XXX NO. 330 POUSH 7, 1427 BS JAMADIUL AWAL 6, 1442 HIJRI 16 PAGES PLUS LIFESTYLE PRICE : TK12.00

“India will remain silent, China will give veto. And our government will “With vaccines rolling “We’ve come to recognise that the president
say we have taken a magnificent foreign policy. The government is out, crime will increase has a blind spot when it comes to Russia.”
saying so just to stay in office.” dramatically.” US REPUBLICAN SENATOR MITT ROMNEY
BNP SECRETARY GENERAL MIRZA FAKHRUL ISLAM ALAMGIR ON THE ROHINGYA ISSUE INTERPOL CHIEF JUERGEN STOCK SLAMS TRUMP

6cr Covid shots

expected by June
Cabinet secy says these are in addition to 3 crore
approval-pending doses from Serum; experts see
distribution hurdles
MOUDUD AHMMED SUJAN
Bangladesh will get six crore shots of Covid-19 vaccines between May and June next year
from the COVAX facility, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said yesterday.
This will be in addition to 3 crore doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine from the
Serum Institute of India (SII) that the government expects to start reaching the country
between late January and early February, he said referring to Health Minister Zahid
Maleque’s words in yesterday’s cabinet meeting.
Officials had earlier said Bangladesh will buy the first 6.8 crore shots of vaccines under
the COVAX facility -- a global initiative coordinated by WHO, GAVI and CEPI -- at a
subsidised price ranging from $1.6 to $2.
The Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccines are supposed to arrive in Bangladesh in instalments
of 50 lakh doses every month, according to a trilateral memorandum of understanding
signed by the Bangladesh government, SII and Bangladesh’s Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd
on November 6.
“We’ll get three crore doses of vaccines for 1.5 crore people at the end of January or
early February next year and six crore doses for three crore people by May-June next,” he
told reporters after the cabinet meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat, reports BSS.
He said there may be “at best one month’s delay or advanced delivery” of the vaccine
shots from COVAX.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting, joining it virtually from the Gono
Bhaban.
On December 13, the government finalised the MoU by signing the procurement
contract.
Once the vaccine is approved for human application, Beximco Pharma will buy each
dose from Serum for $4 and then supply it to the government at $5 per dose. Relatives of a woman try to rush her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital from Mugda Medical College
PHOTO:
The timing of the arrival may not, however, be certain as the SII CEO said recently that and Hospital in a rickshaw van yesterday. The unconscious woman was brought to the Mugda hospital ANISUR RAHMAN
SEE PAGE 2 COL 3 from Uttar Manda on this van. Doctors there referred her to DMCH.

UK isolated HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX

BANGLADESH A strange scheme NEW VIRUS STRAIN
Saudi Arabia
over virus Bangladesh up BETWEEN 1990
AND 2019 to steal NID info suspends all
variant two notches HDI value increased Sandwip fishermen, others fall int’l flights
Dozens of countries
by 60.4 percent victim to a local racket for a week
FM MIZANUR RAHMAN Migrants in a pickle
impose travel bans Stays behind four neighbours Life expectancy
MOHIUDDIN ALAMGIR Krishnapad, 45, has spent his whole life in the coastal area STAFF CORRESPONDENT
AGENCIES at birth increased of Swandip’s Sontoshpur union and earned for his family
and himself as a fisherman. Saudi Arabia has suspended
The world yesterday scrambled to
Bangladesh has moved up two notches in the Human Development Index by 14.4 years He would have to struggle for his little income due to all international flights
this year, but remains behind four other South Asian countries.
contain a fast-spreading mutation of the the government ban on fishing and depend on aid from for a week amid reports of
Sri Lanka, Maldives, India and Bhutan are ahead of Bangladesh in the
coronavirus sweeping Britain, as a growing the appearance of a new
number of countries suspended flights
index, while Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan are behind. Mean years of different sources.
mutated strain of novel
United Nations Development Programme’s “The Next Frontier: Human In late 2018, a local came to their neighbourhood and
from the UK, sowing travel chaos ahead of
Development and the Anthropocene” was unveiled at the Planning
schooling increased told the fishermen that they would receive government coronavirus in the UK.
the holidays. by 3.4 years aid if they provide a copy of their National ID and their The suspension casts
Dozens of countries from India to Commission in the capital yesterday, six days after the global launch.
Top UNDP officials said Bangladeshmoved up two notches to 133 biometric fingerprints. uncertainty on the return
Argentina have banned flights from Britain Like Krishnapad, thousands of fishermen and poor of Bangladeshi expatriate
among 189 countries thanks to the remarkable progress made in life
in fear of the new virus strain, which
has delivered a bleak reminder that the expectancy, per capita income, and other socio-economic areas. Gross national people of Sontoshpur area have been providing their workers to their workplaces
Norway tops the HDI list, followed by Ireland and Switzerland. income per fingerprints and NID cards to the syndicate for two kgs of in the Gulf country.
pandemic is far from under control even The General Authority
In 2019, 24.6 percent of Bangladesh’s population was multidimensionally flour and two kgs of potatoes.
as vaccinations bring a rush of optimism.
poor, with a further 18.2 percent classified as vulnerable to multidimensional
capita increased But this substantially small aid turned into their of Civil Aviation (Gaca),
European stocks, oil prices and the
British pound all plummeted over the poverty, said Balazs Hovarth, senior economic advisor to UNDP Asia Pacific, by 220.1 percent nightmare as a huge number of mobile SIMs were Saudi Arabia in a circular
while making a presentation virtually on the new report. withdrawn using their NID cards and fingerprints. yesterday announced the
developments.
Both numbers have markedly fallen in the past decades. “But this is a Now these “unauthorized” SIM cards are active and temporary suspension of
At least 1.69 million people have been
killed by Covid-19 since the virus first serious area that requires policy attention,” he added. Around 25% of those who provided their information don’t know who are all international flights to
emerged in China a year ago, with more Besides, the pandemic might wipe out years of progress, he apprehended. population remain operating those.
A woman named Joshna Begum of the union lodged
and from Saudi Arabia.
than 10,000 people still dying daily. Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP Bangladesh resident representative, said It, however, said some
While experts do not believe the new multidimensional poverty identifies multiple deprivations at the
multidimensionally a General Diary with Sandwip Police Station on October flights would be allowed in
variant of the virus -- one of several -- is household and individual levels in health, education and living standard. poor 30, 2018, mentioning that 13 SIM cards were active against exceptional circumstances.
SEE PAGE 2 COL 1 SEE PAGE 2 COL 3 SEE PAGE 2 COL 3 SEE PAGE 2 COL 6

List money LOSSES BY STATE JUTE, SUGAR MILLS

launderers
with dual
citizenship
HC asks immigrations
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The High Court yesterday
sought a list of names and
addresses of Bangladeshi
nationals with dual
citizenships and dual
passports, who have
purchased or built houses
abroad by laundering
money.
While hearing a Suo
Moto (voluntary) rule
issued on November 22,
the court ordered the
immigration department
under the special branch
(SB) of police to submit the
list before it by February 28
next year.
The HC bench of Justice
Md Nazrul Islam Talukder
and Justice Ahmed Sohel
asked the head of the
immigration department
under the SB to submit
the list after collecting
information from records
of three international
airports -- Hazrat Shahjalal
International Airport in
Dhaka, Shah Amanat
International Airport in
SEE PAGE 2 COL 6
Mismanagement,
graft to blame
Researchers also point to lack
of proper planning
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Mismanagement, corruption and absence of proper
planning are responsible for the losses incurred by the
state-owned jute and sugar mills, and workers in no way
can be blamed, a group of educationists and researchers
said.
They revealed the findings of a research on the recent
closures of the jute and sugar mills at a press conference at
the Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.
They also said the argument that privatisation would
lead to the expansion of the industries had no basis.
They argued that about 75 industries in the country were
handed over private owners from 1993 to 2010. Thirty-one
of them were later found closed. Land and equipment of
those industries were either looted or huge bank loans
were taken showing the abandoned land.
Prof Mohammad Tanjimuddin Khan and Prof
Moshahida Sultana of Dhaka University and researcher
Maha Mirza revealed the research findings. The report was
prepared following field visits to different jute mills in
Khulna and sugar mills in northern districts.
Prof Anu Muhammad, Jyotirmoy Barua, sugarcane
farmer Ferdous Imam, and a former jute mills worker,
among others, spoke at the press conference, organised
by Sarbojonkotha, a journal on politics, economics and
society.
The government has recently closed 25 state-owned
Sacks of garbage, mostly single use plastic bottles, are dumped in the Buriganga river near Islambagh in jute mills due to huge losses incurred in operating them,
PHOTO:
the capital. It has been going on for so long that quite a bit of the river has been filled up. The photo was AMRAN HOSSAIN throwing around 50,000 workers into uncertainty.
taken yesterday. SEE PAGE 2 COL 1

2 NEWS
1,470
New cases in 24hrs
TELECOM NETWORK IN MYANMAR
Two UK banks under
pressure for lending money
STAR REPORT
Two of Britain’s biggest banks are under
pressure for lending tens of millions
of pounds to a technology company
building a telecoms network that is part-
owned and used by the Myanmar military,
which is accused of committing genocide
against the Rohingyas.
Human rights groups are demanding
that the banks explain why they lent the
money to such a company, The Observer,
a sister concern of The Guardian, reported
on Sunday.
HSBC and Standard Chartered have
loaned $60m (£44.5m) to Vietnamese
telecom giant Viettel in the last four years,
a period when the Myanmar military has
been accused of committing war crimes,
genocide and crimes against humanity,
said the report.
About 750,000 Rohingyas fled a brutal
military campaign in Myanmar’s Rakhine
state and took shelter in Bangladesh in
2017. Myanmar now faces a genocide case
at the International Court of Justice.
According to a report by the campaign
group Justice For Myanmar (JFM), Viettel
is a major investor in Mytel, a Myanmar
mobile network that, since its launch
in June 2018, has grown to become the
second-biggest operator in the country
with over 10 million users.
A Myanmar state-owned enterprise,
Star High Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the
military-operated Myanmar Economic
Corporation, has a 28pc stake in
the network; Viettel’s international
telecommunications investment
subsidiary, Viettel Global JSC, controls
49pc; and Myanmar National Telecom
Holdings, representing a group of
Myanmar companies, owns 23pc.
The shareholding structure, which
confirms Mytel is a major revenue
generator for the Myanmar military, has
been revealed by the JFM in a report,
says The Observer.
JFM says Viettel units, under the
Vietnamese Ministry of National
Defence, are mining user-data for
analysis in Vietnam. It alleges that the
Myanmar military has access to the data,
opening up the possibility it could be
used for military purposes.
JFM has established that HSBC loaned
UK isolated over virus variant
FROM PAGE 1
more lethal or will affect the impact
of vaccines, it may be up to 70 percent
more transmissible, according to early
data from the UK.
The European Union’s crisis team
was set to meet yesterday to discuss a
coordinated response to the new virus
strain -- just as the bloc’s health agency
is set to decide whether to authorise the
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
A German government source
said restrictions on air travel from
Britain could be adopted by the entire
27-member EU and that countries were
also discussing a joint response over sea,
road and rail links.
The rapid response thwarted travel
around the world just as families were
preparing to unite for Christmas.
“Please help us leave!” said one
British traveller who was among dozens
held overnight in German airports,
unable to leave until virus tests come
back negative.
The flow of goods from France was
also disrupted after Paris imposed
a 48-hour blockade on people and
lorries crossing the English Channel
-- just as companies are racing to shift
merchandise before Britain finally quits
European Union trade structures.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
was set to hold a crisis meeting about
the situation yesterday to discuss “in
particular the steady flow of freight into
and out of the UK”, a spokesman said.
The country’s critical south coast
port of Dover said late Sunday it would
close to all accompanied freight and
passengers due to the French border
restrictions “until further notice”.
Yet the Netherlands, another key sea
route from Europe to Britain, confirmed
its freight routes to the UK remained
open despite banning all passenger
Mismanagement
FROM PAGE 1
The government has also decided to shut
down six out of the 15 state-run sugar
mills, citing losses as the reason. The six
mills employ around 3,000 workers.
While reading out the research findings,
Maha Mirza said not only the jute growers,
the local economy of the entire Khulna
region was linked with the jute mills.
“We see that with the closure of the
jute mills, many grocery stores, hotels,
furniture and clothing shops and many
other small businesses in the industrial
area are under threat today,” she said.
“The closure of the jute mill does
not only mean that around 50,000
workers have turned jobless. It means the
destruction of the economy of an entire
region.”
Presenting the research report on the
sugar mills, Moshahida Sultana said, “The
rate of sugar extraction from crushing
sugarcane is comparatively much lower
here -- six to eight percent per tonne --
whereas in India or Brazil, it is 12 to 14
percent. As a result, sugar production is
low per tonne in Bangladesh.”
From 100kg of sugarcane, India or
Brazil can produce 12-14kg of sugar, but
in Bangladesh it is almost half. It increases
the cost of sugar production in the end,
she explained.
Prof Tanjimuddin said, “Losses of mills
are considered only through financial
calculations. The most important social
City
502,183
Total cases
$40m (£29.7m) to Viettel Global JSC
between 2016 and 2020, while Standard
Chartered’s UK arm loaned just over
$20m (£14.8m) over the same period.
“The report sets out very well the
position of Mytel in relation to the
Myanmar military and the position
of Viettel in relation to Mytel,” said
Christopher Sidoti, a former member
of the UN Human Rights Council’s
Independent International Fact-Finding
Mission on Myanmar.
“The facts establish that Mytel plays a
vital role for the military and that Viettel
makes Mytel possible.”
JFM says businesses with interests
in Myanmar have responsibilities
under UN human-rights principles
and Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development guidelines
to uphold international standards on
human rights. It also questions whether
HSBC and Standard Chartered may be
in breach of EU restrictive measures on
Myanmar.
“The report reflects where the money
trail leads,” Sidoti said. “Among other
places, it leads to HSBC and Standard
Chartered. The report does this very
cautiously, conservatively, not asserting
that HSBC and Standard Chartered
are liable for prosecution for crimes
under international law or that they
are directly aiding and abetting the
commission of such crimes. Rather, the
report puts these companies into a third
category of entities that have human-
rights due-diligence responsibilities that
they have breached. That is a conclusion
with which I agree.”
Yadanar Maung, a spokesman for JFM,
said: “HSBC and Standard Chartered
should be transparent and show exactly
how they monitor and prevent their loans
from financing human rights abuses.”
HSBC told The Observer: “HSBC
complies with sanctions, laws and
regulations in all the jurisdictions in
which we operate and strongly supports
observance of international human
rights principles as they apply to
business. We do not comment on client
relationships, even to confirm or deny
that a relationship exists.”
Standard Chartered declined to
comment.
ferries.
While India and Hong Kong joined
the move to suspend travel from the UK,
US officials signalled they were holding
off for now while Australian Prime
Minister Scott Morrison said he was
confident existing 14-day quarantine
rules for arrivals were sufficient to
handle the threat.
‘REDOUBLE CONTROL’
The coronavirus has changed into
many different variants as it has spread
around the world, an expected result
of interacting with different hosts with
different biological responses.
UK scientists first discovered a
particularly fast-spreading new variant
in a patient in September.
By the week beginning December
9, the new strain was accounting for
60 percent of cases in London, said
Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief
scientific adviser.
Its emergence comes as Europe is
trying to clamp down on winter surges
fuelled in part by the cold weather
that has pushed gatherings inside
and enables respiratory diseases to
flourish.
A WHO spokeswoman told AFP that
“across Europe, where transmission
is intense and widespread, countries
need to redouble their control and
prevention approaches”.
In response to data about the new
strain, the UK imposed tough new stay-
at-home orders on parts of the country
including London and announced news
curbs around Christmas gatherings.
At the weekend Italy announced
a new regime of restrictions until
January 6 that include limits on people
leaving their homes more than once a
day, closing non-essential shops, bars
and restaurants and curbs on regional
travel.
contributions of the mills at the local level
are not recognised. Education, medical
care, and housing for the families of state-
owned jute and sugar mills workers ensure
their human and social development.”
Jyotirmoy Barua said, “Section 32 of
the labor act clearly states that a worker
cannot be evicted from his or her home
without paying his or her dues. But we see
that the government itself is violating the
labor law.
“If the sugar mills had to be closed,
then why did the government killed three
people at Rangpur sugar mill in 2016
and burnt the houses of two-and-a-half-
thousand people? The state has to be held
accountable for this.”
In his speech, Anu Muhammad
said, “When eco-friendly industries are
being inspired all over the world, the
jute industries with huge potentials are
being shut down in Bangladesh through
coercion, deception and lies.”
Sugar industries are being destroyed
paving the ways for importing sugar.
It is being done for the interests of the
businesspeople, he alleged.
The speakers also placed a seven-point
demand that include taking necessary
steps to reduce the losses by increasing the
production capacity, immediately opening
the mills, identification of those involved
in irregularities and corruption at the mills
and taking legal action against them, and
modernisation of the mills equipment.
7,312
Deaths
Two workers trying to give a used excavator a new coat of paint at one of many workshops in City Gate area of
Chattogram yesterday. Earth movers used in Japan, Korea, Taiwan are imported, refurbished, and sold between
Tk 15 lakh and Tk 2 crore.
Bangladesh up two notches
FROM PAGE 1
“Bangladesh is on the right track,
but there should be steps to stop the
growing disparity. Disparity can harm
society,” he told The Daily Star.
Planning Minister MA Mannan said,
“Many people are living under the
poverty line due to unacceptable levels
of disparity. We need to reduce disparity.
We will continue our efforts to make an
equity-based society.”
In the Human Development Index,
Sri Lanka was ranked 72, the best
among the eight south Asian countries.
Maldives was the second best,
ranking 95. Bhutan ranked 129, India
131, Bangladesh 133, Nepal 142,
Pakistan 154, and Afghanistan 169.
Only Afghanistan was categorised as
having low human development.
Bangladesh has significantly reduced
the gap with several other South Asian
countries including India, said Sudipto,
adding that Maldives, Bhutan were
smaller countries that faced fewer
challenges.
Those two countries do not face
recurrent disasters and the impacts of
climate change like Bangladesh does, he
added.
‘IMPRESSIVE STRIDES’
Bangladesh has made impressive
A strange scheme to steal NID info
FROM PAGE 1
her NID, but police did not investigate
the incident at that time.
Now more than two years later, six
more victims of the Jaladas community
yesterday submitted a memorandum
to the Chattogram superintendent of
police, detailing mobile SIM forgery
against them by one Kefayat Ullah Khan
of Sandwip.
Fisherman Sunil Chandra told The
Daily Star, “Kefayat Ullah in the middle
of October came to our area and
said we would be given aid from the
government and asked us to be present
at Belal master’s yard along with our
NID cards.
“The next day, we went there and
Kefayat took copies of our NIDs and
fingerprints in an electronic device and
then gave us a token and asked us to
collect the aid from Jahir Sowdagor’s
grocery.”
Krishnapad said, “Like us, people
from Dirghapar, Urirchar, and Gachhu
unions also gave their fingerprints and
NIDs to them and withdrew the aid.
Three family members provided NID
and fingerprints at that time.
“Back then, we had no idea what was
6cr Covid shots expected by June
FROM PAGE 1
it will be available to the general public
in India in March-April, while UK’s
Guardian newspaper reported that the
vaccine’s approval may be delayed until
the beginning of January.
WHEN WILL THE VACCINE ARRIVE?
Pune-based Serum has an agreement
with AstraZeneca to manufacture the
vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, being
developed by Oxford University. The
vaccine has been named Covishield in
India.
While the Bangladesh government
has been saying the country will start
getting Covishield vaccines by early
January or late February, Indian media
reported that it may be available by
March-April for use by the general
public.
On December 7, the Serum Institute
of India, the world’s largest vaccine
manufacturer in terms of volume,
applied to the Drug Controller General
of India (DCGI) for emergency
use authorisation for the Oxford-
Astrazeneca vaccine, reports Hindustan
Times newspaper.
During a Hindustan Times
Leadership Summit on November
19, Adar Poonawalla, chief executive
officer of SII, said, “Emergency use
authorisation will be for healthcare
workers and other frontline workers,
and by March-April, the vaccine should
be available to the general public.”
He said emergency use licensure is
based on the positive UK results. “[In
the UK] There is a good T-cell and
antibody response but nobody at this
439,694
Recoveries
COUNTRY HDI RANK
Sri Lanka 72
The Maldives 95
Bhutan 129
India 131
Bangladesh 133
Nepal 142
Pakistan 154
Afghanistan 169
strides in human development, the
report said.
Between 1990 and 2019,
Bangladesh’s HDI value has increased
by 60.4 percent. The country’s 2019 HDI
score is above the average for countries
in the medium human development
group.
Life expectancy in Bangladesh at
birth increased by 14.4 years, mean
years of schooling (average number of
completed years of education of people
aged 25 years and older) increased
by 3.4 years, and expected years of
waiting for us. After one year, we came
to learn that using our fingerprints
mobile SIMs were withdrawn.
“Against my NID and fingerprints, a
total 14 SIMs were withdrawn which all
are active. I came to learn that when I
went to a local mobile shop to buy SIM
cards for my family members.”
Sunil said, “We failed to get the money
which was disbursed earlier from the
PM office during Covid-19 pandemic
due to the SIM complications. Apart
from that, opening bKash accounts to
receive stipends for our children has
also been halted.”
Nikhil, another victim, said, “We
don’t know who is using the SIMs and
for what purpose. We have assumed
that the SIMs might have been used for
anti-state conspiracies, so we came to
the police for a solution.”
Most of the victims said sometimes
their used SIMs have also been inactive
at times after the incident.
Local and political sources of
Sandwip confirmed that Kefayet Ullah
Khan alias Kefayat Khan introduced
himself as the president of “Nowkar
Notun Projonmo” of Chattogram city
unit. But he is now in Sandwip and has
stage can answer whether these vaccines
can protect in the long-term.”
The UK’s Guardian newspaper said in
a report on Saturday that authorisation
of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus
vaccine in the UK could be delayed until
the beginning of January.
Results from global studies have
shown that it can be 90 percent effective
in preventing an infection when a
person receives a half dose and then a
full dose.
Abdul Mannan, secretary of the
health services division, said the
timeline the government is talking
about is based on what Beximco
said in a meeting in presence of the
representatives of SII.
“What sir [cabinet secretary] said is
based on the information we [health
ministry] have… Beximco said, in
presence of Serum [SII] representatives,
that they will supply vaccines to the
market by February. As Serum has not
told us there will be a delay, we have to
stay on the February deadline.”
Asked again about the condition
of approval of the Oxford vaccines
from the World Health Organization,
Mannan said, “If that [WHO approval]
does not happen, it will not happen
anywhere in the world; not just here
[Bangladesh], but also in India.”
Meanwhile, when a safe and effective
vaccine is found, COVAX -- a global
initiative coordinated by WHO, GAVI
and CEPI -- will facilitate equitable
access and distribution to protect
people in all countries.
It aims to distribute 2 billion doses
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS
1,705,222
Deaths
PHOTO: RAJIB RAIHAN
schooling increased by six years.
Bangladesh’s GNI per capita also
increased by about 220.1 percent
between 1990 and 2019.
Bangladesh will have to adopt
inclusive growth which will not leave
anyone behind, said Sudipto.
Planning Minister MA Mannan said
there is no doubt that Bangladesh has
done well.
“But it is also true that we couldn’t
reach the level we desired. We have to
continue working,” he added.
“These types of reports help us
understand the reality...find our
weaknesses, and set our focus.”
The UNDP report usually measures
a nation’s health, education, and living
standards. This year’s 30th Anniversary
Edition includes a country’s carbon
dioxide emissions and its material
footprint.
These show how the global
development landscape would
change if both the wellbeing of
people and the planet were central
to defining humanity’s progress. For
example, more than 50 countries
dropped out of the very high human
development group, reflecting their
dependence on fossil fuels and
material footprint.
no post in local politics in the area.
The sources also said Kefayat ran the
syndicate in the name of giving aid to
underprivileged people in remote areas.
Mosharraf Hossain Imrul, Union
Parishad member of No.2 Sontoshpur
Union Parishad, told the Daily Star,
“After the incident, the victims came
and informed us. I informed police but
nothing was done.”
Sunil said, “We are feeling insecure
as we don’t know who is running the
SIMs, especially since Rohingya refugees
recently moved to Bhashan Char near
Sandwip from Cox’s Bazar. In case of
any criminal allegation by those using
our information, we would be the ones
accused!”
Chattogram’s SP SM Rashidul Haque
told The Daily Star, “After learning
about the incident, I have ordered the
Officer-in-Charge of Sandwip Police
Station to take action in this regard after
investigation.”
“It’s a very sensitive issue and
criminals will be brought to book if we
receive a written complaint.”
This correspondent tried to reach the
accused Kefayat but could not despite
repeated attempts.
of Covid-19 vaccines from several
manufacturers by the end of 2021,
according to the WHO.
Replying to a question, Cabinet
Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam also
said the government is now thinking
only of the Oxford vaccine, but would
not be rigid about any other vaccine
that gets WHO approval.
During the briefing, the cabinet
secretary also said the prime minister
had directed to implement the “No
Mask No Service” policy strictly.
VACCINE STORAGE AND
DISTRIBUTION
The training for vaccination has been
started and Expanded Programme
on Immunisation (EPI) vaccination
chain will be engaged massively for
the Covid vaccination, Khandker
Anwarul Islam said, adding that the
vaccine issue was raised during the
unscheduled discussion at the cabinet
meeting.
To distribute vaccines, the
government is close to finalising the
National Vaccine Deployment Plan,
according to officials.
Dr Shamsul Haque Mridha,
director of the EPI, told The Daily Star
yesterday, “Currently we have stored
3.5 crore doses of measle-rubella
vaccine which is additional to the
capacity for the regular vaccines. We
will not have any problem in vaccine
storage. We are also working to arrange
additional back-up storage.”
Experts, however, warned that
there may be chaos if the plan is not
consistent with field-level realities.
77,499,642
Total cases
China aircraft
carrier sails
through Taiwan
Strait raising
alarm
ALJAZEERA ONLINE
An aircraft carrier group led by China’s
newest carrier, the Shandong, sailed
through the Taiwan Strait on its way
to routine drills in the South China
Sea, China’s navy said yesterday, after
Taiwan mobilised its forces to monitor
the convoy.
The Shandong sailed through the
Taiwan Strait a day after a US warship
passed through the same stretch of sea.
China’s navy said the Shandong and
its accompanying ships had “smoothly”
travelled through the sensitive Taiwan
Strait on Sunday, heading for exercises
in the South China Sea, where China
has made extensive territorial claims in
the disputed waters.
The drills are part of “normal
arrangements made in accordance with
annual plans”, it said. “In the future,
we will continue to organise similar
operations based on training needs.”
The carrier’s move through the strait
comes amid rising tension between
China and Taiwan, which Beijing sees as
part of its territory. The democratically
ruled island says it has recorded almost
daily incursions into its airspace by the
Chinese armed forces in recent months.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National
Defense said the Shandong was
accompanied by four warships and had
set out from the northern Chinese port
of Dalian on Thursday. In a statement
on its website, it said the convoy
continued to move south.
Taiwan said it sent six warships and
eight military aircraft to monitor the
Chinese ships’ movements.
“The military has the confidence and
ability to protect its homeland, ensure
national security and maintain regional
peace and stability,” the statement said.
The Shandong is China’s second
carrier, and was formally commissioned
almost exactly a year ago.
Since then, it has successfully
completed tasks such as carrier-based
aircraft take-off and landing and use of
its weapons, the Chinese navy said.
“The combat capability of
the formation system has been
continuously improved in experimental
training,” it added, referring to the
group of warships which accompany
the Shandong.
China has been working to hone
its carrier operations but has little
experience compared to the United
States, which has operated integrated
carrier battle groups with multiple
vessels for decades.
Saudi Arabia
FROM PAGE 1
The Gaca said the suspension can
be extended for another week and
the instructions will be reviewed
and updated in accordance with
coronavirus-related developments.
Meanwhile, Biman Bangladesh
Airlines yesterday in a release said
all flights of the national flag carrier
to and from Jeddah, Riyadh and
Dammam have been canceled for a
week from December 21 due to the
suspension imposed by the Saudi
authorities.
Passengers of canceled flights will
be allotted seats on a priority basis
after resumption of flight operations,
subject to availability of seats, said the
circular.
Biman operates seven flights a week
on Dhaka-Jeddah, Dhaka-Riyadh and
Dhaka-Dammam routes while Saudia
operates 10 flights a week between
Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia.
A huge backlog of Saudi-bound
Bangladeshi passengers was created a
few months ago as air travel between
the two countries remained suspended
for over six months since March due to
the pandemic. The backlog was almost
cleared recently after resumption of air
travel in September, a Saudia official
said wishing anonymity.
The fresh suspension of flights
might again create uncertainty over
the return of Bangladeshi workers to
Saudi Arabia, he added.
List money
FROM PAGE 1
Chattogram, and MAG Osmani
International Airport in Sylhet -- in
the country.
The bench said Bangladeshi
nationals, who have dual citizenships
and dual passports and built and
purchased residences in different
foreign countries by laundering
money, have been going abroad and
returning to the country through these
three international airports.
Therefore, the airports must have
some records about the people who
built.
Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan
appeared for the Anti-Corruption
Commission while Deputy Attorney
General AKM Amin Uddin Manik
represented the state during yesterday’s
hearing.
Earlier on November 22,
the same HC bench issued an
injunction to restrain people from
laundering money abroad and
directed intelligence agencies to take
appropriate steps to stop money
laundering.
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS CITY 3

Iconic TSC soon No DJ, no alcohol

on New Year’s Eve
to be erased Says DMP commissioner
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Decision to replace DU structure with No DJ parties will be allowed on New Year’s
Eve to usher in 2021, and all bars must be
multi-storied building sparks criticism shut down in the capital before the evening
ASHIK ABDULLAH APU and AANILA KISHWAR TARANNUM on the day.
DMP commissioner Shafiqul Islam
In the wake of Dhaka University’s birth centenary in 2021, the decision to imposed the restriction yesterday.
bulldoze its historical Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) and replace it with a Addressing a coordination meeting at
multi-storied structure shocked students, alumni, and residents of Dhaka. the DMP headquarters on law and order
TSC is the work of legendary Greek architect and planner Constantinos and traffic management for Christmas and
Apostolos Doxiadis. The mastermind behind planning the city of Islamabad, thirty-first night, the DMP chief said there
Doxiadis was also the founder of Ekistics, a school of thought that concerns would be maximum security in churches
the science of human settlements, including regional, city, community for Christmas day.
planning and dwelling design. He designed TSC in the early 1960s. In addition, additional surveillance
The adjacent building was later constructed as part of the so-called and security arrangements will be made in
Decade of Development (1958-68) of the then Pakistani regime. Christian-majority areas and institutions,
The structure exemplifies a modernist architectural sensitivity toward he said.
spatial needs for tropical climatic conditions. It blends local parameters Shafiqul suggested that it would be good
of space-making -- particularly the indoor-outdoor continuum and for churches to organise multiple prayers in
generation of space around courtyards -- with international-style visual different times, for area-based residences.
expression of building forms. On the occasion of thirty-first night,
TSC’s dome-shaped structure is considered an iconic landmark not only the DMP boss said people would not
inside DU campus, but in the broader cityscape of Dhaka. It has been be allowed to gather in open spaces and
home to countless students who show up between or after classes for a cup organise any party.
of tea with friends, and holds immense nostalgic value for them on top of “No space or room can be rented in the
being a historically significant site. name of DJ party in hotels,” he said.
GOVT MAKING WAY FOR MULTI-STORIED TSC Yesterday’s TSC soon to become yesteryear’s... This all-too-familiar sight of the However, hotels will be able to arrange
PHOTO:
Public Works Department (PWD) of the government has already begun red and white dome is set to disappear as the government begins implementing PRABIR DAS programmes by their own in a limited scale
SEE PAGE 4 COL 3 its plan to replace the old TSC structure with a multistoried building. SEE PAGE 4 COL 3

Take steps to end SPS IN DISTRICTS

Be role models ‘I will go to court DIGITAL SECURITY ACT

border killings for people: IGP Case against Sylhet

BNP urges govt
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
BNP yesterday urged the government to take effective steps
to stop killings at the borders.
“We want an end to it (border killing). Our demand
is that the government take steps immediately in this
regard,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary General
of the party, said while speaking at an event organised
to observe the party’s “black flag programme”, protesting
border killing.
Talking to Journalists at the party chairperson’s Gulshan
office, he said a total of 1,510 Bangladeshi citizens have been
killed by Indian border force since 1962.
“Killing people in the border is a clear violation of human
rights,” he said.
Fakhrul said his party’s statements are not against people
or the government of India. It is the issue of security of the
citizens of Bangladesh.
Regarding Rohingya crisis, Fakhrul said the government
could not solve the problem. “India will remain silent,
China will give veto and our government will say we have
taken a great foreign policy. The government is saying so just
to stay in power.”
Referring to an interview of the foreign minister published
in The Daily Star, Fakhrul said, “Reading the article I became
skeptical as to whose foreign minister he is? Is he the foreign
minister of Bangladesh or India? In the entire interview, he
tried to defend India.”
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Inspector General of Police
Benazir Ahmed has asked
superintendents of police
(SPs) in the districts to act
as changemakers to serve
people and become role
models for others.
He was speaking at
a programme at Police
Headquarters on Sunday
night, where top police
officials and newly
appointed SPs in 13 districts
participated.
Benazir asked the SPs to
put an end to the practice
of brutality and behave
amicably with citizens. “If
you love people, you will
get love in return,” he said.
The police chief said he
wanted to see a corruption-
free, drug-free police force.
He stressed on
implementing effective beat
policing to have detailed
information about law and
order, criminals and crime
trends in respective areas.
to save town hall’
Says Cumilla reserved seat MP Anjum Sultana Sima Citizens’ group forms human chain
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Protesting the move to demolish the historic
Cumilla town hall to construct a “new
and modern establishment”, reserved seat
lawmaker Anjum Sultana Sima yesterday
alleged that Cumilla-6 MP AKM Bahauddin
Bahar, one of the initiators of the move, is
trying to do so for business purposes.
She said Saturday’s public hearing over the
acquisition of this century-old Birchandra
Ganapathagar and Nagar Milonayton
(the town hall) as a heritage property was
nothing but a charade.
“Only the followers of the lawmakers
spoke at the hearing. People of Cumilla do
not want the town hall to be demolished,”
she said while speaking at a press conference
at her office on in the town.
For the last couple of months, activists
and residents have been protesting the move
to demolish the historic town hall, a centre
for educational, cultural, intellectual and
socio-political activities.
The “new and modern” town hall
will include an auditorium, multi-storey
building, VIP lounge, car parking and other
facilities, according to officials concerned.
There is also a four-storey market on
the property, which is owned by lawmaker
Bahar, an adviser to the town hall committee.
“The town hall should be renovated not
demolished,” Sima told the press conference.
“If MP Bahar doesn’t change his decision,
I will go to court to save to the town hall... I
will file a writ petition against his decision.”
She also criticised the additional secretary
to the cultural affairs ministry, who presided
over Satuday’s public hearing, and the town
hall committee.
Established in 1885 in the heart of the
town in Kandirpaar area, Cumilla Town Hall
stands tall on a sprawling 3.4 acres of land.
It was constructed by Tripura King
Birchandra Manikka Bahadur. A library and
a two-storey auditorium were also built.
A witness to some of the most important
events in our history such as the Language
Movement and Liberation War, this town
hall has been graced by the presence of
many distinguished individuals.
journos protested
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Sylhet
Around a hundred people from all walks of life stood
for freedom of press and protested the misuse of the
controversial Digital Security Act at a human chain in
Sylhet city yesterday afternoon.
The human chain was organised by Sankhubdha
Nagorik Andolon in front of Sylhet Central Shaheed
Minar at Chowhatta area in the city.
They demanded withdraw of all cases filed against
journalists under the controversial law and urged
government to ensure press freedom by scrapping the
controversial law.
They also protested the case filed against Daily
Ekattorer Kotha’s Editor Chowdhury Mumtaz Ahmed and
reporters.
At the human chain, its organiser Abdul Karim Kim
said, “It has been 15 days of a case being filed against a
reputed journalist Chowdhury Mumtaz Ahmed and six
others. We are not only protesting the case but also the
law under which the case was filed.”
“The law is being misused to interfere with freedom
of the press in all possible ways. Freedom of press is
vital for democracy and we demand that the government
SEE PAGE 4 COL 4

Fire breaks out LOANS FOR COVID-19 RETURNEE MIGRANTS

at Kalshi slum Only 9cr of 200cr
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

A fire broke out at a slum in Dhaka’s Kalshi

area yesterday noon, gutting many shanties
and valuables.
The fire originated around 1:50pm at
the slum near Sabuj Bangla residential area,
said Lima Khanam, duty officer of Fire
Service and Civil Defence Headquarters.
Six firefighting units put the blaze out
around 5:40pm, officials said.
Ershad Hossain, another fire service
official, said around 55 structures were
damaged, while locals estimate over a
hundred homes were burnt. The cause of
the fire could not be known immediately..
Md Rubel, a street vendor, claimed the
fire originated from a home and spread to
other parts of the slum.
In November, at least three major fires
swept through three slums in Mohakhali,
Mohammadpur and Mirpur areas, burning
down several hundred shanties.
According to fire officials, flames from
burners, short-circuits from substandard
wires, burning mosquito coils, improperly
discarding cigarette butts and arson attacks
are behind most slum fires.
disbursed till now
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Probashi Kallyan Bank has so far disbursed about Tk 9 crore from the
Tk 200-crore special loan for coronavirus-affected returnee migrants’
reintegration, the bank’s acting managing director Abnus Jahan said
yesterday.
Till November 20, the disbursed amount was only about Tk 4.6 crore,
he told a discussion held at the capital’s Probashi Kallyan Bhaban.
Wage Earners’ Welfare Board (WEWB) organised the discussion,
marking International Migrants Day.
The bank started disbursing the loan from September 21, after the
expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry announced the
special scheme to support economic reintegration of the returnees.
WEWB provided the money from its fund to create the special loan.
Jahan said they have been working to accelerate the disbursement
process.
At present, the bank’s total workforce consists of 260 employees, and
it has 67 branches across the country, he said.
Addressing the discussion, Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, secretary to
the expatriates’ welfare ministry, urged the ministry’s officials and its
different institutions to be proactive and pro-people while providing
services.
SEE PAGE 4 COL 3

Bangladesh National Parliament officers and employees’ forum formed

PHOTO:
a human chain yesterday on Manik Mia Avenue, protesting the recent RASHED SHUMON
attack on the sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
4 CITY DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS

DoE knocks Turkish foreign

down three
illegal kilns
STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg
The Department of
Environment in Chattogram
has knocked down three
brick kilns in Lohagara
upazila, in line with a High
Court directive declaring
them illegal.
The HC on December
14 directed the DoE to
take necessary steps to
demolish all illegal brick
kilns operating within their
territory.
The demolished kilns are
Petanshah Brick, Khawaza
Brick, and Baro Awlia Brick,
said Mohammad Moazzom
Hossain, director of DoE
Chattogram region. The
demolition campaign was
launched last week as per
HC directives, he said.
“We have demolished
three kilns as of today
(yesterday). We have plans
to take down another
one named CBM. The
demolished kilns did
not obtain any clearance
certificate from DoE, nor
do they have approval from
district administration”, the
official added.
minister to land
in Dhaka today
UNB, Dhaka
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu is expected to
arrive in Dhaka today on a two-day visit.
Çavusoglu is likely to discuss bilateral and regional issues
and move bilateral ties forward – giving closer attention to
stronger trade and investment relations.
The Turkish foreign minister will have a meeting with his
Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen tomorrow, a
senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB.
The meeting will be held at state guest house Padma, and
the media will be briefed about it.
The two ministers are likely to join the inauguration of
the newly-built Turkish Embassy in Dhaka on the same day.
Dr Momen visited Turkey in September and joined the
formal inauguration of the newly built Bangladesh Embassy
in Ankara. PM Sheikh Hasina joined it as chief guest virtually.
Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman
Turan recently said his country eyed an increased investment
in Bangladesh with significant growth in bilateral trade
through product diversification.
“We see a Bangladesh which has a very bright future.
The country’s economy is growing fast like ours. Turkish
investors are keen to invest in Bangladesh as it offers
attractive incentives for foreign investors,” Turan told UNB.
A prominent Turkish company will invest $100 million
in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector in Chattogram.
Improving trade ties between the two countries, boosting
investment, enhancing cultural and people-to-people
contacts are among the priorities of Turkey in Bangladesh.
The bilateral trade volume between the two countries
The High Court has ordered the Dpeartment of Environment in Chattogram to start a campaign to demolish all illegal brick kilns in the region. now stands at around $1 billion, and the two countries are
As part of a drive, DoE yesterday demolished three such kilns in Lohagora upazila. PHOTO: COLLECTED looking forward to making the number bigger.

RU to hold Man held for rape of Iconic TSC

honours, masters neighbour’s daughter the
O C , UR
exams in January Police yesterday arrested a man on charge of raping his 2modernise
Dorms to remain closed
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Honours and masters examinations at
Rajshahi University, postponed earlier
due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has been
scheduled to be held from January 2,
2021.
The decision was taken during a
meeting of RU academic council chaired
by Vice-Chancellor Prof M Abdus Sobhan,
Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Ananda Kumar
Saha confirmed.
However, residential halls will remain
closed in order to prevent increased risk of
Covid-19.
In addition, authorities have also
decided to cancel the upcoming winter
vacation, the Pro VC added.
Departments that have already started
honours and masters exams for the
2015-16 and 2014-15 sessions but could
not finish, and departments that have
finished their courses but couldn’t start
the exams can both hold the examinations
starting from January 2.
The exams will be held following
health guidelines, RU authorities
reportedly decided.
process of rebuilding TSC after Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina on September
ORRESPONDENT Narayanganj
ordered the authorities concerned to
Dhaka Medical College Hospital,
neighbour’s daughter in Narayanganj.
Humayun Kabir (30), was arrested from his residence
in the afternoon after mother of the girl, a fifth grader at
a local madrasa, filed a case with Rupaganj Police Station
on Sunday, said SI Shatarupa Kundu of the police station.
According to the case statement, Humayun, a day
labourer, on December 13 asked the girl to come to his
house and raped her. She then informed her mother of the
incident, who filed the case, said police.
Mahmudul Hasan, officer-in-charge of the police
station, said they sought three-day remand for Humayun
from court.
Road crash kills three
OUR CORRESPONDENT, MYMENSINGH
Three passengers of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw were
killed and two critically injured in a road accident in
Mymensingh’s Gouripur upazila on Friday night.
The deceased are Monirul Islam (15) and Mulhok Ali
(48) , and Jahangir Alam (32), police said.
Quoting locals, Gouripur Police Station Officer-in-
Charge Md Borhan Uddin said the auto-rickshaw collided
with a sand-laden truck at Beltoli area on Mymensingh-
Netrakona road around 9pm.
Police recovered the bodies and handed them to family
while the two injured were admitted to Mymensingh
Medical College Hospital. A casse was also filed.
FROM PAGE 3
TSC, and public library.
“Dhaka University is our university and
we want to build TSC in a modern way,” said
the PM at a meeting on development projects
over video conference on September 2.
The TSC director provided a requisition
list to the university’s engineering
department, which was subsequently
submitted to PWD on October 18 by the
DU authorities. According to this list, one
auditorium with a capacity of 1,500 and two
with the capacity of 300 will be constructed.
The new facility will also include rehearsal
rooms for cultural activities, a gymnasium,
rooms with modern facilities for TSC-based
socio-cultural groups, indoor games room,
cafeteria, teachers’ lounge, three basements
for vehicle parking, guest house and more.
The entryway might be built near
the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps
contingent office and the construction work
may begin from the swimming pool area.
“WE’D RATHER KEEP THE OLD TSC”
The government’s move to rebuild TSC has
garnered criticism from teachers, students
and academicians who opined that an
establishment like TSC should be kept intact
considering its association with significant
moments in the university’s history and the
day-to-day lives of students.
“Yes, there may be a need to improve
some aspects of TSC. We do not oppose
modernisation of TSC either. But we do
oppose the move to rebuild it entirely,”
said Amit Pramanik, a final-year student of
Economics at DU.
He said this is reflective of the broader
problem of DU authorities paying no heed
to students’ needs and opinions. “Such
decisions should be made after consulting
with and surveying students. Yet students
never have a say in these decisions.”
“I don’t understand why modern
facilities cannot be incorporated into the
existing structure. Moreover, students do
not want a shiny, air-conditioned, multi-
storied building -- we enjoy the open and
welcoming environment of TSC and its
community,” added Amit.
Over the years, TSC didn’t stay exclusive
to DU students. The cultural and social hub
attracted people from all over Dhaka, such
as lawyer Anupoma Joyee.
“Although I did not study at DU, most of
my friends did which ensured that I know
which ‘mama’ at TSC sold the best morich
cha. Considering how limiting life in Dhaka
city is getting for women, lazying around at
TSC was a freeing experience. Events came
and went by, whether it was Ekushey Boi
Mela, Dhaka Lit Fest, Pahela Baishakh or just
a random concert, a cup of tea at TSC before
going home was a constant,” she said.
Architect Iqbal Habib mentioned,
“Architecture and literature are two
pivotal parts of human society that last for
generations to tell the history of a nation.
TSC is one of the first examples of modern
architecture in Dhaka. The attempt to
bulldoze such an iconic creation by Doxiadis
is an attempt at erasing the city’s history.”
“This shows a clear lack of empathy in the
part of the university. The compound could
have been expanded without demolition of
the original structure. By bulldozing such
valuable architectural creations, they are
depriving future generations from learning
the history and culture of our land,” he said.
Wahiuddin Mahmud, economist and
former professor of DU, echoed Habib’s
sentiments on preserving old architecture.
“Renowned universities of the world can
be recognised through their traditional
architectural styles. Even 100-year-old
buildings are carefully preserved. Yet TSC’s
legacy is about to be destroyed instead of
being preserved.”
The plan to rebuild TSC makes no
mention of how the community of students,
citizens and vendors around the area will be
affected by the reconstruction. The move to
demolish the existing TSC structure came
soon after a similar decision was made
regarding Kamalapur Railway Station. This
year, multiple heritage buildings in the old
part of Dhaka were demolished as well.
With such disregard for the significant
sites of Dhaka, the city’s history is now at
stake.

No DJ
FROM PAGE 3
Case against
FROM PAGE 3 local Daily Ekattorer Kotha, its publisher
maintaining social distancing, said the DMP commissioner.
No celebrations of New Year’s Eve can take place scraps the law or stops misusing it, and reporters, under the controversial
at Dhaka University (DU) or any other educational particularly against journalists,” Karim Digital Security Act for publishing a “fake
institution, he said, adding bars will be closed from the said. report” and sharing it on social media.
evening on the day. At the human chain, Sylhet Zilla Press The newspaper published a report on
“Shops can be kept open in accordance with social Club President Al Azad, Gonojagonon the ward councillor’s illegal activities,
distancing and proper hygiene rules. However, as usual, all Mancha Sylhet’s spokesperson Debasish including attempting to grab the land of a
fast food shops and markets will be closed after 8pm,” said Debu and others spoke. government primary school, and extorting
the DMP chief. On December 4, a Sylhet city councillor money from landlords and land owners in
At the meeting, DMP high officials also said they have sued 18 people, including the editor of his area.
taken some security measures, like deployment of sufficient
number of uniformed police personnel in each church.
Visitors will be allowed to enter each church only through
metal detector archways, and will also go through searches.
The venues will be checked with dog squad, and there
will be firefighting and ambulance on standby, according
to officials.
There will be uninterrupted power supply in church
areas, and no floating shops or hawkers will be allowed to
sit in the areas.
No one will be allowed to enter church with any kind of
bag, box or carton.
There will also be hand-washing and sanitising facilities,
temperature checks with thermal scanners, and disinfectant
spray machines or tunnels at each venue, according to a
statement issued by DMP. Masks are compulsory for all
visitors, organisers and staff.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the
DMP, representatives of the Christian community,
officials of various government intelligence agencies and
representatives of various service providers, the DMP
statement added.

Only 9cr
FROM PAGE 3
WEWB Director General
Hamidur Rahman said the
board will take measures
to increase quality of its
services.
Shamsul Alam, director
general of Bureau of
Manpower, Employment
and Training, and Saiful
Hassan Badal, managing
director of Bangladesh
Overseas Employment
and Services Limited,
among others, spoke at the
discussion.
At the programme,
WEWB handed over bank
cheques as educational
grant among migrant
workers’ family members.
An injured migrant worker
and family member of a
deceased worker received
bank cheque for the
workers’ service benefit.
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7 , 1427 BS COUNTRY 5

Good days for Nilphamari

quilt makers
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Nilphamari
Quilt makers in Nilphamari are all geared
up for their seasonal business as demand for
the item sees a rise amid fall of temperature
in the district ahead of the winter.
Met office at Saidpur airport said the
lowest temperature was recorded at 9.5
degrees Celsius in the district on Sunday.
The situation may worsen further with the
arrival of cold wind from the Himalayas.
Temperature may fall in next weeks as it
usually falls by 4 degrees Celsius from mid-
December to mid-January, predicts met
office.
Poor and low-income people, who
usually suffer from malnutrition and
have lower body resistance, are the worst
victims of the situation, informed health
department.
People particularly belonging to the
group rush to the quilt combers at haat and
bazars in rural areas or roadside shops in
the town either to buy new quilt or repair
old ones.
Abdur Rahim, an office bearer of district
quilt combers’ group, said most of their
720 members are passing busy time now as
each can make five to six ordinary quilts a
day and get Tk 175 as making charge for
per piece.
Workers at quilt shops across the district
are seen busy stitching quilts, he added.
Rezaul Islam, 45, who pules rickshaw
through Nilphamari-Jaldhaka road, said he
purchased a quilt at Tk 600.
Six to seven kg imported cotton is needed
to make an eight-feet long and 5-feet wide
good quality double sized quilt. It costs at
Tk 3500 to Tk 3800.
This quilt is highly demanded among
solvent people, said comber Akhtar Hossain
of Saidpur quilt market.
Quilt makers Hatem Ali and Shahidar
Rahman of Domar and Jaldhaka
municipalities said November–January is
the peak season for their business and the
rest of the year, they almost pass idle times.
The quilt makers maintain family from
the earning of this peak period, they said.

Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila’s Char Gokunda resident Milon Islam used to be busy with studies like his other third grader classmates when his
school was open, before Covid-19 broke out. But now, he spends most of his days working with his father at crop fields. PHOTO: S DILIP ROY

IMPACT OF COVID-19

Education takes a back seat in

char areas
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Lalmonirhat
Milon Islam is a student of class three from
a family that lives on agriculture, in Char
Gokunda on the Teesta river in Lalmonirhat
Sadar upazila. He has shelved his textbooks for
nine months as his school has been closed due
to the coronavirus pandemic.
He has been working along with his father in
crop fields on the char all this time.
In Shakhahati, a remote char on the
Brahmaputra river in Chilmari upazila of
Kurigram, fifth grader Jobed Ali did not open
his textbooks in the last nine months. He also
has been busy working with his father in the
char ever since his school closed due to the
virus.
Maminul Islam, a fourth grader in Char
Gonordhan on the Teesta river in Aditmari
upazila of Lalmonirhat, said he already forgot
where he kept his textbooks.
Farmer Shamser Ali, from Char Kodalkati in
Kurigram’s Rajibpur upazila, said their children
study only when the schools are open.
After the closing of schools due to the
pandemic, students in chars fell behind their
studies, as they cannot afford private tutors, he
added.
Upendra Nath Das, head teacher of Char
Mantala Government Primary School in
Chilmari upazila of Kurigram, said educational
activities of students in the chars are being
affected greatly after the schools closed down.
“It will not be easy to compensate for their
losses.”
According to offices of primary and
secondary education directorates in Kurigram
and Lalmonirhat, there are about 20,000
students in 95 primary and 17 high schools
in more than 300 chars on the Brahmaputra,
Teesta, Dudhkumar and Dharla rivers in the
two districts.
District Primary Education Officer in
Lalmonirhat Golam Nabi said parents in the
mainland are somehow continuing studies of
their children. Whereas, parents in the chars
cannot afford house tutors or lack awareness on
the importance of continuing studies of their
children at home.
Once the schools reopen, they would take a
decision on how to make up for the losses of Combers stitch quilts at Saidpur railway market in Nilphamari as demand for the item
students in chars, he also said. has increased with the advent of winter. PHOTO: STAR

Local people vandalize

this under-construction
four storey schoolhouse of
Dhanyakhola Secondary
School under Benapole
Port Police Station in
Jashore on Sunday,
bringing allegation of
irregularities by the
contractor concerned in
the construction work.

PHOTO:
MOHSIN MILON

Farmer
killed over
land dispute
OUR CORRESPONDENT,
Mymensingh

An elderly farmer was killed

by his rivals allegedly over
a land dispute in Phulbaria
upazila on Sunday.
The victim is Noor
Mohammad, 53, of Baruka
village in the upazila.
Quoting the victim’s
family members, police
said there had been a
longstanding rivalry
between Noor and his
cousins Abu Bakar Siddique
and Abdul Quddus over a
disputed land.
As a sequel, rivals hacked
Noor with sharp weapons
on Sunday evening, leaving
him critically injured.
Locals took injured Noor to
Phulbaria Upazila Health
Complex, where the doctors
declared him dead.

Body
recovered
OUR CORRESPONDENT,
Chapainawabganj

A man was found dead

at a mango orchard in
Gomostapur upazila
yesterday.
The deceased, Meherul
Islam, 33, a day labourer,
was son of Kabirul Islam of
Balugram village.
OC of Gomostpur
Police Station Dilip
Kumar Das said villagers
spotted Meherul’s body at
Begumnagar village in the
morning and informed
them.
Later, they recovered the
body and sent it hospital
for autopsy, he added.
6 INTERNATIONAL DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS

Vaccines effective against

new Covid strain: experts
AFP, Berlin
European Union experts believe existing
vaccines are effective against the new
fast-spreading strain identified in Britain,
Germany’s health minister said yesterday.
“According to everything we know so far”
the new strain “has no impact on the
vaccines”, which remain “just as effective”,
Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ZDF,
citing “talks among experts of European
authorities”.
Spahn was referring especially to the
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is already
being administered in countries including
the US and UK and which is on the brink
of receiving approval from the European
Medicines Agency.
A health ministry spokesman said the
EU experts’ meeting had taken place on
Sunday and included representatives of
Berlin’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for
public health.
A number of EU nations have banned air
travel from Britain in response to the new
strain, while France said it would block
people arriving from the UK and all freight
unless it is unaccompanied.
Within Britain, London has announced
tougher infection control measures
affecting some parts of the country.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
said Saturday the variant could be up to
70 percent more infectious than the main
strain, based on preliminary data.
The World Health Organization said
that nine cases have been detected in
Denmark and one each in the Netherlands
and Australia, while Italy said late Sunday
it too had detected a single case in a person
returning from Britain.
Germany, which holds the EU’s rotating
presidency, has organised a meeting of
experts to discuss the bloc’s response to the
new threat, the health ministry spokesman
said.
The meeting will be held under the
European Council’s IPCR crisis response
scheme, which can be invoked for health,
environmental or terrorist emergencies
among others.
Meanwhile, The EU’s drug regulator will
decide on Monday whether to authorise
the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine,
with desperate countries hoping for the
green light to finally start inoculating their
citizens.
The Amsterdam-based European
Medicines Agency dramatically moved the
decision on the jab ahead from December
29, following pressure to accelerate the
process from Germany and other EU states.
The clamour for action grew as Britain
and the United States have already started
giving their citizens the vaccine developed
by US giant Pfizer and German firm
BioNTech under emergency national rules.
The EU will start Covid-19 inoculations
on December 27 providing the EMA
grants a one-year conditional marketing
authorisation, the European Commission A mask-less Santa Claus waves from a float next to unmasked children during a parade in protest against coronavirus disease restrictions, as
has said. Toronto Police said the gathering had not been authorized by the city, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Nepal PM’s move challenged in SC Hack response of US will go

Seven ministers step down after parliament dissolution
REUTERS, Kathmandu
Opponents of Nepal’s prime minister turned
to the Supreme Court yesterday to challenge
his dissolution of parliament and the calling of
an election, denouncing it as a “constitutional
coup”.
Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s dissolution
of parliament on Sunday raises the prospect of
months of political turmoil in the Himalayan
country as it battles the novel coronavirus.
Seven government ministers stepped down
after Oli’s dissolution saying it was violation of
the “popular mandate” given to them in a 2017
general election. Protesters burned effigies of
him in the streets.
Supreme Court Spokesman Bhadrakali
Pokharel said three petitions against the
dissolution were “in the process of being
registered”.
“Under the constitution, the prime minister
has no prerogative to dissolve parliament,”
lawyer Dinesh Tripathi, who is one of the
petitioners, told Reuters.
“It’s a constitutional coup. I’m seeking a stay
order from the court.”
The president on Sunday set April 30 and May
‘CONSTITUTIONAL COUP’
10 as dates for the general election - more than
a year ahead of schedule - on the advice of Oli’s
cabinet.
Oli yesterday said his decision to dissolve
parliament was the only way to resolve disputes
and non-cooperation in his party that have led
to a “state of inaction”.
The prime minister has recently lost support
within his own Nepal Communist Party (NCP),
with some members accusing him of sidelining
the party in government decisions and shunning
members when making key appointments.
They have called on him to step down. His
supporters say that in a democracy, a new
election is the best way out of a crisis like this.
The strife comes as Nepal, one of the world’s
poorest countries, battles the coronavirus.
Nepal has had 253,772 infections and
1,788 deaths and the pandemic has battered its
tourism-and-remittance-dependent economy.
Tripathi said that under the constitution, the
prime minister should allow the formation of
an alternate government to ensure stability in
a country that has seen 26 prime ministers in
30 years.
If the court registers the petitions it could take
about two weeks for a decision, legal experts say.
Neighbours China and India, which jostle
for influence in Nepal, have not publicly
commented on the upheaval.
“I fear there will be more political instability,”
said Bhimarjun Acharya, a constitutional lawyer.
The political upheaval adds to the problems
posed for Nepal’s tourism-and-remittance-
dependent economy by the Covid-19 pandemic.
beyond ‘just sanctions’
Says Biden’s chief of staff; Russia denies role
REUTERS, WASHINGTON
The incoming White House
chief of staff said on Sunday
that President-elect Joe Biden’s
response to the massive hacking
campaign uncovered last week
would go beyond sanctions.
Ron Klain said Biden was
mapping out ways to push back
against the suspected Russian
hackers who have penetrated
half a dozen US government
agencies and left thousands of American
companies exposed.
“It’s not just sanctions. It’s steps and
things we could do to degrade the capacity
of foreign actors to engage in this sort
of attack,” Klain said on CBS’ “Face the
Nation.”
Options being mulled by the Biden
administration to punish Moscow over
its alleged role include financial penalties
and retaliatory hacks on Russian
infrastructure, people familiar with the
matter have told Reuters.
The Kremlin denies any role
in the hacking. Speaking at an
event to commemorate the
100th anniversary of Russia’s
SVR foreign intelligence agency,
Russian President Vladimir
Putin praised its work, saying he
was impressed by the “difficult
professional operations that
have been conducted.”
Biden, who becomes
president on January 20, would
likely have bipartisan support for a muscular
reaction to the espionage campaign,
lawmakers indicated on Sunday.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney said the
data breach was “extraordinarily damaging”
on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“This demands a response,” he said. “This
is something we have to address as soon as
possible.”
US Senator Mark Warner, the top
Democrat on the Senate Intelligence
Committee, said on ABC that the hack could
still be going on.

Farmers warm themselves on a cold winter morning at the site of a protest against new farm laws, at Singhu
border, near New Delhi, India yesterday. PHOTO: REUTERS
Rare celestial dance Rockets hit near US embassy in Iraq
Jupiter, Saturn set to come within AFP, Baghdad
A volley of rockets exploded near
planetary kissing range in sky the US embassy in Baghdad Sunday,
AFP, Paris as tensions mount ahead of the
anniversary of the US killing top
The solar system’s two biggest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, were set to come Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on
within planetary kissing range in yesterday’s evening sky, an intimacy that Iraqi soil.
will not occur again until 2080. AFP reporters in the capital’s east
This “great conjunction”, as it is known to astronomers, occurs heard at least five booms on Sunday
fortuitously on the winter solstice for those in the Northern Hemisphere, night, followed by whistling sounds.
and the beginning of summer in the global south. A few moments later, they heard
The two planets will, in fact, be more than 730 million kilometres (400 thunderous rapid-fire sounds and
million miles) apart. saw streams of red flares in the dark
But because of their alignment in relation to Earth, they will appear to sky, indicating the US embassy’s
be closer to each other than at any time in almost 400 years. C-RAM rocket defence system had
Optimal “conjunction” is set to take place at 1822 GMT. been activated.
Looking with a telescope or even a good pair of binoculars, the two gas Iraq’s security forces issued a
giants will be separated by no more than a fifth of the diameter of a full statement saying the attacks caused
moon. material damage, but no casualties.
With the naked eye, they will merge into a “highly luminous” double A security source told AFP at least
planet, said Florent Deleflie from the Paris Observatory. three rockets landed near the US
The last time Jupiter and Saturn nuzzled up this close was in 1623, but embassy in the high-security Green
weather conditions in regions where the reunion could be seen blocked Zone, while two others hit separate
the view. residential neighbourhoods.
Visibility was apparently better the time before that during the Middle An Iraqi man living across the
Ages, on March 4, 1226 to be precise. street from the US diplomatic
NEWS IN BRIEF
Indian farmers vow to carry Japan sets record military
on protests despite cold budget
Japan’s cabinet yesterday approved a record
REUTERS, New delhi budget proposal for the next fiscal year from
April, including stimulus for the pandemic-hit
Tens of thousands of Indian farmers, protesting over agricultural laws economy and another hike in defence spending
that they say threaten their livelihoods, have vowed to carry on their to counter China. The budget proposal totals
around-the-clock sit-ins despite cold weather that has already led to 106.6 trillion yen ($1.03 trillion), a 3.8 percent
some deaths among them. rise from the current year and the ninth straight
Farmers from the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh annual increase. Once again the government is
and the desert state of Rajasthan have camped on key national highways seeking a record defence budget, for the seventh
for weeks demanding a repeal of the laws, withstanding temperatures year running, this time of 5.3 trillion yen, up 0.5
dropping to 2-3 degree Celsius (35.6-37.4 Fahrenheit). percent from fiscal 2020 as Japan faces threats
The farmers, including a large number of older people, said they would from an assertive China and unpredictable North
endure the bitter winter sweeping northern India, including the capital Korea. Among the key items of military spending
New Delhi, to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration to are 57.6 billion yen to develop a next-generation
rescind the laws introduced in September. fighter and 33.5 billion yen for the development
“It’s very difficult to camp out in this weather, but we aren’t scared,” of a new missile.
said Balbir Singh, an octogenarian from the Patiala district of Punjab.
“We won’t go back until our demands are met. Even if we have to die FB removes anti-vaccine ‘fake
here, we will.” news’ in Israel
Since late November, when thousands of farmers arrived in trucks and
tractors to camp out on the borders of New Delhi, nearly 30 people have
died, several of them as a result of freezing weather, farmers said.
About ten people have been killed in road accidents near the protest
sites, they said.
“We don’t want more people to die in this protest, and I hope Modi
and his government take back the laws soon,” Paagh Singh, 76, said,
wrapped in a blue blanket. “It’s a democracy, and he (Modi) has to
listen to us.”
As temperatures dropped, one of the main protest sites turned into Facebook has taken down content that spread
a sea of small tents and tarpaulin-covered tractor trolleys. But some lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as
demonstrators have to spend the night sleeping in the open air. the government seeks to drum up support for the
programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday
became the first person to be vaccinated in Israel.
Opinion polls show some two-thirds of the public
want to follow suit. The Justice Ministry said
that, at its request, Facebook took down four
mission in a high-security residential autumn of 2019.
groups at the weekend that had disseminated
compound told AFP that his building Western and Iraqi officials have
texts, photographs and videos with “deliberately
was hit. blamed hardline groups, including the
mendacious content designed to mislead about
“Everyone is screaming and crying. pro-Iran faction Kataeb Hezbollah.
My wife is losing it from all the In October, these groups agreed coronavirus vaccines”.
terrifying sounds,” he said, preferring to an indefinite truce, but Sunday’s Trudeau to be vaccinated
to speak anonymously. attack is the third apparent violation. publicly ‘when turn comes’
The first, on November 17, saw
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will
a volley of rockets slam into the US
embassy and various parts of the Iraqi receive the Covid-19 shot in public once those
capital, killing one young woman. in his age group are in line to be vaccinated, he
On December 10, two convoys said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Canada
transporting logistical equipment for began vaccinating people in high-risk categories
the US-led coalition helping Iraqi -- including frontline health care workers and
troops fight jihadists were targeted residents and staff of long-term care facilities --
with roadside bombs. on December 14, with a relatively limited supply
The attacks have been claimed by of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. “Absolutely,”
groups that both US and Iraqi officials Trudeau told the CBC public network in a year-
A member of parliament told have described as smokescreens end interview. “When my turn comes, I will do
AFP that his home had been hit by a for well-known Iran-aligned armed it publicly and enthusiastically.”Trudeau added
rocket fragment, likely caused by the factions in Iraq. that he would follow the recommendations of
C-RAM’s deflection or explosion of But in an unusual move, several public health experts. Trudeau’s wife Sophie
incoming rockets. factions condemned Sunday’s attack. Gregoire Trudeau tested positive for the
The US embassy and other foreign Moqtada Sadr, a populist cleric coronavirus in March, and he spent two weeks
military and diplomatic sites have and former militia leader, tweeted in self-imposed quarantine.
been targeted by dozens of rockets that “no one has the right to use
and roadside bomb attacks since the weapons outside of the state.” SOURCE: AFP, REUTERS
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS LAW&OUR RIGHTS 7
“ALL CITIZENS ARE EQUAL BEFORE LAW AND ARE ENTITLED TO EQUAL PROTECTION OF LAW”-ARTICLE 27 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH • dslawdesk@yahoo.co.uk

LAW OPINION YOUR ADVOCATE

This week Your Advocate is Barrister Omar Khan Joy,

Making sense of the MPs’

Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He is the head
of the chambers of a renowned law firm, namely, ‘Legal
Counsel’, which has expertise in commercial law, family law,
employment law, land law, banking law, constitutional law,
criminal law, and IPR.

Constituency Works On gratuity scheme and associated

M JASHIM ALI CHOWDHURY
How problematic the constituency
activities of our MPs may appear,
parliament members’ constituency work
is considered necessary in all types of
representative democracies. Professor
Philip Norton of the UK House of Lords
has outlined at least seven aspects of the
MPs’ constituency work. They act as safety
valve for the freedom of expression and
participation of the people. They act as
providers of authentic information on
governance and public policies. They
also act as local dignitaries, advocates
of constituency causes, benefactors or
welfare officers for individual constituents,
powerful friends and lastly, as promoters
of constituency interests. While
constituency work may be considered an
important public relations tool for the law
makers, Bangladesh does not seem to bear
the hypothesis. Bangladeshi MPs feature
Within the parliament, our MPs are more constituency
men than law makers and accountability watchers.
They almost invariably use their parliamentary tools
like ministerial question, draw attention notice, motion
and general debate to pursue constituency benefits and
mostly shun down their role in democratic accountability,
legislative scrutiny and national policy making.
four out of Norton’s seven-role-narrative.
They mostly have been benefactors
for their constituents, powerful
friends, advocates and/or promoters
of constituency interests. Regrettably
they rarely act as representative and
participatory safety valve on behalf of the
people. They surely are not the providers
of information and/or transparency on
government activities and policies.
While the benefactor role has declined
in significance in advanced parliamentary
systems, trends in Bangladesh are the
opposite. In line with the clientelist
tendencies of our society, MPs vying for
infallible loyalty from their constituents
would need to earn and maintain their
reputation through private charity,
benevolence and patronage. They would
also need to channel official resources,
power and time towards that direction.
MPs also need to present themselves
as very powerful friends of their
constituents. Representing an extremely
hierarchical and unequal society, they
direly need to appear powerful enough
to have necessary connection, access and
persuasion at the centre or upper echelon
of government that can bring competitive
projects, public goods to their
constituents and also solve personal,
administrative and legal problems of
their people. In doing this, they tend to
take sides of corrupt political and social
allies and development contractors who
constitute a strong local power base
and control the local units of political
parties. While such a naked patronisation
of corrupt elements may appear self-
defeating from an electoral perspective,
elections in Bangladesh have their own
problems. Fought mainly on partisan
rhetoric and personality cults of the party
leaders, MPs do not need to bother much
about public opinion as long as their
local power bases and party endorsement
remain intact.
Within the parliament, our MPs are
more constituency men than law makers
and accountability watchers. They almost
invariably use their parliamentary tools
like ministerial question, draw attention
notice, motion and general debate to
pursue constituency benefits and mostly
shun down their role in democratic
accountability, legislative scrutiny
and national policy making. Several
arguments have been advanced to explain
this type of total localisation of national
politicians. One such explanation claims
that development of intense bi-partisan
competition between the AL and BNP in
the recent past has reduced the number
of ‘safe’ seats across the country. MPs
therefore need to hold their ground
strongly ever. Though this may be true for
a few strongly favourite local heroes, MPs
in general can barely rely on constituency
work as an assurance of their re-election.
People vote mostly in party line and for
the selection of prime minister rather
than individual MPs.
It appears that MPs do constituency
work not to secure re-election. It is
rather to secure re-nomination from the
parties. The central leadership in each
party “nominates” the candidates for
parliamentary polls. Unlike the matured
democracies, where constituency units
of political parties play a decisive role
in candidate selection, local units in
Bangladesh simply lack the luxury. It is
therefore vital for an incumbent to have
a very strong hold over the constituency
and the party units therein so that strong
leadership contenders do not rise from
within the party. They would nurture
factionalism within the party and
establish an army of loyal workers who
would prevent leadership challenge and
guard an ‘undisputed’ authority for them.
An aged and long serving MP would
install their children or family members
to take on the baton. This, of course,
is not to say that parties don’t change
candidates at all. They do. This, however,
is not for the emergence of new talent
from the grass root. The old ones might
have fallen out of favour of the central
leaders. His/her political heir may have
failed to garner enough hold over the
local units.
There is a high command’s interest
too. Central party leadership needs to
compensate the MPs against deprivation
of their rightful involvement in national
policymaking and parliamentary
oversight. In diverting them away
from parliament, party leaderships
accomplish at least two important goals.
First, subjugating and co-opting the
autonomously elected local government
bodies through political MPs is easier
than trying this through administrative
and bureaucratic machinery. Secondly,
Bangladesh’s political environment
makes it seriously important that
ruling party is not left solely with the
administration and police forces to
check anti-government mobilisation
from grass-root. Alert and powerful
MPs at the constituency level make sure
that opposition or mass mobilisations
do not rise from the root leaving the
administration to deal only with the
capital – Dhaka.
While the Supreme Court of
Bangladesh has offered inconsistent
views on the constitutionality of MPs’
local government interferences –
supporting it in Barrister Ziaur Rahman
Khan v Bangladesh 20 BLD (HCD)
120 and opposing it in Anwar Hossain
Monju v Bangladesh BLT (HCD) 86, the
people should have been the arbiter of
this democratic decay. Unfortunately,
that too is failing badly. While the
people in general are allergic to this
phenomenon, their objection is not
moored on institutional or constitutional
role awareness. If they are frustrated,
that is for the discriminatory or partisan
treatment they might receive from their
MPs, not for the MPs’ neglecting their
principal task – legislative and policy
oversight of the government. Hence the
parliamentarians’ constituency work is
duly acknowledged as a failure of formal
political representation and a shape
shifting towards informal representation
where “politics meet culture”.
THE WRITER IS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF
LAW, UNIVERSITY OF CHITTAGONG & PHD
CANDIDATE (LEGISLATIVE STUDIES), KING’S
COLLEGE LONDON
income tax benefits
Query
Dear sir,
I work in the Human Recourse Department of a reputed
multinational company. I am not very informed about the
gratuity scheme and associated income tax benefits, as I hear
different opinions from within my peer group. We would
appreciate if you can enlighten us on the matter.
Jafrul Islam, Dhaka.
Response
Thank you for your query. Gratuity is a discretionary monetary
benefit scheme offered by an employer upon completion
of service of an employee. For every type of separation,
the employee becomes entitled to an amount as either
‘compensation’ or ‘gratuity’ (if any), whichever is higher
as stated in the relevant provisions under the Bangladesh
Labour Act, 2006 (hereinafter referred to as BLA). In case, if
an organisation does not have any gratuity scheme, then the
employer is liable to pay compensation, as per the BLA at the
time of separation. Gratuity or compensation payment shall be
in addition to any payment of wage/salary in lieu of notice due
to separation of service of an employee on different grounds.
An employee will be entitled to gratuity only when he has
been in uninterrupted service for more than 01 (one) year with
the organisation. The definition of gratuity stated in Section
2 (10) of the BLA indicates that more than 06 (six) months is
considered as a full year. It is worth noting that completion
of more than 06 (six) months of service will be deemed as 01
(one) year from the second year.
The amount of gratuity depends upon the duration of
service. The amount of gratuity increases with the length of the
service of an employee. Gratuity is calculated at the mentioned
rate as per Section 2 (10) of BLA on the basis of the employees
latest basic wages received for every completed year of service.
Withholding of gratuity payment is permissible only in case of
dismissal of an employee for misconduct under Section 23(4)
(b) & Section 23(4) (g) of BLA and not otherwise.
Gratuity amount taxable or not
By adopting a gratuity scheme within an organisation, an
organisation can claim tax rebate against the gratuity fund as
well as the employee need not pay income tax on the amount
either. It may be also mentioned that as per the Income Tax
Ordinance 1984 (hereinafter referred to as ITO), gratuity
amount up to BDT 2,50,00,000.00 (Taka Two Crore & Fifty
Lac) only is not taxable.
However, to avail such income tax benefit, as per Section 2
(5A) of the ITO, the gratuity scheme needs to be recognised
by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in accordance with
the provisions of Part C of the First Schedule of ITO. For such
recognition, the organisation needs to create a separate gratuity
fund, manage the fund by a board of trustees. In order to do so
firstly the organisation has to form a trust and an application
is to be made in writing by the trustees to the NBR through a
prescribed procedure, along with the copy of the instrument
(i.e Trust deed and rules) and other necessary documents as
specified in the schedule. The Board, subject to fulfilling the
conditions, approves the gratuity fund within 3 (three) months
of the receipt of such application. The auditor shall have to
audit the fund account annually as per rules of the fund. The
fund will be treated completely separate from the fund of the
organisation. Hence, as per the provisions of the Schedule,
income derived from investments or deposits of an approved
gratuity fund and any capital gains arising from the transfer of
capital assets of such fund shall be exempted from payment of
income tax.
I hope that the above shall help to you to understand the
gratuity scheme.

LAW REVIEW

An analysis on the draft NRCC Act 2020

TAHSEEN LUBABA
The National River Conservation
Commission recently published the Draft
National River Conservation Commission
Act 2020 soliciting opinions on the Bill. The
2020 Bill is aimed at replacing the currently
applicable legislation in this regard, namely
the National River Conservation Commission
Act 2013. The new draft containing 108
sections would be a substantial improvement
to the existing laws and would incorporate
provisions which address the increasing
concerns on river encroachment and
pollution.
The Draft Act has been formulated
following the verdict of the Supreme Court
conferring legal personality to rivers of
Bangladesh. In a landmark judgment,
the High Court Division recognised the
importance of protecting the rivers of the
country by shedding light on the immense
significance of rivers as the source, depending
on which trade, business and commerce have
flourished since the beginning of civilisation.
Not only their economic importance,
but also their social, cultural and artistic
significance of rivers and how they contribute
to the scenic beauty of the country and have
inspired generations of poets and novelists
have also been highlighted with great
eloquence.
The spirit of the High Court Division’s
verdict is largely reflected within the
provisions of the draft. Most significantly,
the law acknowledges the doctrine of Public
Trust wherein the public’s right to clean and
healthy rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and habitable
environment has been given form. As such,
all rivers in the country have been declared
as public trust property under Section 16 and
have been acknowledged as living entities
under Section 15. In the same vein, ‘causing
death’ to rivers, encroachment and pollution
have been penalised in Chapter V of the Act.
One of the primary objectives of the draft
is to ensure the independence of the National
River Conservation Commission (NRCC).
As it has been made the ‘guardian in law’
to the rivers of the country and is entrusted
to act as the trustee, it is imperative that
the law sufficiently empower the NRCC to
take appropriate measures for the effective
implementation of the Act and play its part
in protecting the rivers from pollution and
encroachment. Chapter II lays down the
provisions of forming the NRCC. Section
3(2) of the Act states that the NRCC shall
be an independent, autonomous, and
neutral organisation and shall perform its
obligations with transparency, autonomy,
and accountability. With a view to ensuring
its fiscal autonomy, Section 4 states that a
fixed budget shall be allocated by the Finance
Ministry every year for the expenses of the
NRCC and the NRCC shall not be bound to
obtain the approval of the Government for
expending the said allocated budget.
Significant changes would also be brought
to the formation and constituent members of
the NRCC and the method in which they are
selected. A Selection Committee headed by
an Hon’ble Judge of the Appellate Division
of the Supreme Court (selected by the Chief
Justice) shall recommend the members of the
Commission who shall be appointed by the
President.
Chapter IV of the draft Act lays down the
corresponding duties of different stakeholders
with regard to protecting the special status of
rivers. Interestingly, educational institutions
have been directed to conduct a class on
the importance of rivers at least once every
two months and schools are directed to
conduct field-visits to rivers in their respective
localities. Respective Unions, Upazilas and
Districts have been directed to employ
necessary technology in order to draw up
maps of their areas correctly displaying the
rivers flowing through them. Bangladesh
Betar and Television have been directed to
broadcast documentaries on rivers weekly.
Similar directions have been provided to
industries and factories and their owners
to properly educate their staff on rivers and
their significance. These provisions echo the
directions issued by the High Court Division
and are certainly praiseworthy.
Chapter XII states that one or more River
Conservation Tribunals shall be established
in each division which shall be linked to
the Divisional office of the NRCC. The court
shall be presided over by one judge but they
shall be assisted by three assisting members
with specialist knowledge on rivers and
shall be of national or international repute.
Mobile Courts have also been empowered
subject to requisitions issued by Upazila
offices of the Commission to try offences
relating to river pollution in their areas.
The principles of international
environmental law such as ‘polluters pay
principle’ and ‘precautionary principle’
have been embodied in Section 96 of the
draft law, based on which compensation
is to be determined and recovered by
the Commission, mobile court, or river
tribunals. As per Section 97, 75% of the
recovered fine shall be deposited in the
government funds and 25% shall be
deposited to the funds of the NRCC. Under
Section 100, the Commission may declare
rivers and waterbodies as Ecologically
Critical Areas and issue such directions to
relevant stakeholders as necessary.
All in all, the draft incorporates directions
of the Supreme Court verdict on rivers.
Many of the provisions are ambitious and
detailed. However, some of the provisions
included deserve some critical analysis.
The conferment of jurisdiction on mobile
courts needs to be evaluated in the light of
the existing debates regarding the violation
of rights by mobile courts and the stayed
decision of the High Court Division
regarding the legality of the mobile courts.
Furthermore, Section 101 provides protection
to the NRCC from legal proceedings. It states
that no criminal or civil proceedings shall
be initiated against NRCC or any person
empowered on its behalf for acts done in
good faith. This creates a substantive hurdle
in ensuring accountability and stands in
contradiction to the requirement that the
NRCC acts dutifully and with transparency.
However, it remains to be seen how much
of the draft is retained in the subsequent
revisions.
THE WRITER WORKS WITH LAW DESK,
THE DAILY STAR.
8 EDITORIAL
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS
The urban poor
continue to go hungry
The pandemic has made things worse
I
T is widely known that hunger is a regular feature for
the urban poor that causes chronic malnutrition and
consequently makes them vulnerable to diseases,
thus affecting their overall well-being. Now, a Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics survey has quantified the level of
hunger urban households must deal with. The study has
found around 12 percent of households surveyed had no
food at all in the house, with eight percent going to bed
on an empty stomach and over 21 percent not being able
to eat what they preferred. Conducted last year, some of
the findings from this survey reveal the dire situation that
many people in cities such as Dhaka and Chattogram
face. And this was a pre-pandemic study—we can only
imagine how much worse the situation is now because of
joblessness caused by the sporadic shutdowns.
Many in the low-income groups had their incomes
fall drastically, and others became unemployed and had
no food stock during the 66-day countrywide shutdown
that started on March 26. A Brac survey conducted during
the first month of the lockdown found that 14 percent of
people in low income groups did not have any food at
home. Thus, food security for these people has decreased
during this year, which is something the government must
address on a priority basis.
The survey has also found that urban households spend
as much as 51 percent of their total expenditure on food,
followed by rent and healthcare costs, which are around 26
percent. Most households have no savings and completely
rely on the incomes they earn. Dhaka city is notorious
for the high rents that even the poorest urban families
have to pay. While jobs have come back with easing of the
lockdown, the urban poor are still suffering from hunger.
This is unacceptable for a country that has managed to
keep food production at pace with its population growth.
The government, in fact, has been able to ensure food
production even during the pandemic as well as during
the floods, when crops were destroyed. Yet despite such
commendable efforts, there is a gap in the distribution of
food, especially when it comes to the urban poor.
The government must identify these households and
provide food relief or make cash payments to poor urban
households who are finding it increasingly difficult to
afford their daily food requirements. The authorities,
however, must be extra vigilant about irregularities
in such distribution, the evidence of which has been
ample in the past months, especially in the case of rural
households. A proper system of registering the names of
such vulnerable families, making a list and distributing this
relief according to it with vigorous monitoring, can bring
some solace to the urban poor whose miseries have been
exacerbated by the pandemic. There is also a need to have a
comprehensive study, as the one done last year, on the state
of hunger among the urban poor in the year 2020. These
studies are extremely important for planning and policy-
making, and assessing the real picture of poor households.
Bringing middlemen
under a legal framework
It is essential for safe migration
I
T is good to know that the government is considering
bringing informal grassroots service providers, known
as middlemen or sub-agents, into the labour migration
sector under a framework to tackle fraudulence. These
informal service providers are not recognised by our
laws, despite the fact that they are an integral part of the
labour migration cycle. According to a joint report of the
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the
International Labour Organisation (ILO), our migrant
workers take the services of the middlemen because of a
major gap that exists in the government’s pre-departure
services to the migrants. They provide at least a dozen types
of services to migrant workers—they assist the migrants
in preparing necessary documents, collecting smart cards,
processing passports, etc, and also accompany the workers
to the airport. However, a large number of migrant workers
are being cheated by them in the process.
Although the middlemen provide a great service to our
migrants, there are widespread allegations that remaining
under the shadow of unscrupulous recruiting agencies, they
often take large amounts of money from unaware migrant
workers, giving them false promises of jobs. Reportedly,
many of them are even involved with national and
transnational trafficking gangs. According to a survey done
by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit
(RMMRU) of 5,407 households in the high migration-
prone district Tangail in 2017, 19 percent of people could
not avail overseas jobs despite paying Tk 1.95 lakh each
on an average. And most of them paid the money to the
middlemen.
Since our migrant workers depend on the informal
agents more than authorised recruiters and state
institutions, the government should find a viable option
to hold these middlemen accountable. They should be
brought under the coverage of the Overseas Employment
and Migrant Act 2013 and other government regulations
to ensure safe migration. Moreover, by bringing them
under a legal framework, the trafficking of our workers
can be checked and the overall migration costs can also be
reduced. We hope the government will waste no time in
doing the needful in bringing the middlemen under a legal
framework.
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
letters@thedailystar.net
Stop border killing
Killing of unarmed, innocent Bangladeshis by
the BSF on our borders has increased in recent
times. Despite repeated assurances by the Indian
authorities to stop border killing, the situation
has not improved. Such behaviour by BSF is
unacceptable. Many high-level discussions have
been held between the two countries, but with
no results. We are seriously concerned about the
security of our people. It is high time we sought
the intervention of the UN to stop border killing
once and for all.
Foysal Mahmud, University of Dhaka
Citizens’ petition on the
Election Commission
T
HIS has
happened
for the
first time in
Bangladesh’s
history. Last
week, a group
of conscientious
citizens called on
the President of
the Republic to
C R ABRAR
form the Supreme
Judicial Council
(SJC) to investigate allegations of graft
and other misdeeds committed by the
incumbent Election Commission (EC).
An eight page memo was attached to
the appeal, detailing the alleged gross
irregularities committed by the chief
election commissioner (CEC) and
other members and high officials of the
Commission.
Article 96 of Bangladesh’s Constitution
provides for the formation of the SJC,
comprising of the chief justice and two
other senior-most judges of the Appellate
Division of the Supreme Court, to probe
allegations against Supreme Court judges,
the Election Commission and other
constitutional bodies, and recommend
removal of individuals involved in the
allegations. The concerned citizens
were firm in their conviction that “the
allegations against the present EC will be
found true in the probe”.
At a press briefing after releasing the
contents of the appeal, the signatories
stated that “the current EC has broken
the record of corruption, irregularities
and misconduct compared to that of
previous ECs”. They went on to claim
that through its conduct, “the EC has
betrayed the blood of the Father of the
Nation and freedom fighters and let down
democracy”. The Commission members
and the chair were called upon to
voluntarily refrain from conducting their
activities pending the investigation.
The members of civil society alleged
that the EC spent Tk 2 crore for delivering
speeches as “special speakers” and Tk
4.08 crore in recruiting staffers for the
Commission. Gross misconduct and
irregularities were also committed in
the purchase and use of electronic
voting machines, and holding the
11th parliamentary elections, and also
elections to Dhaka North and South city
corporations and Khulna, Gazipur, Sylhet,
Barishal and Rajshahi city corporations.
The allegations were firmly shored up
with evidence.
The petitioners noted that with the
current EC at the helm, the country is
in a deep crisis. They felt at this critical
juncture, the nation looks up to its
A sad day for RAOWA
T
HE
STRATEGICALLY
SPEAKING
Department of
Social Welfare
(DSW) vide
their letter
of December
14, 2020,
BRIG GEN “temporarily
SHAHEDUL ANAM KHAN
NDC,PSC (RETD)
dismissed”
the Executive
Committee (EC)
of the Retired Armed Forces Officers’
Welfare Association (RAOWA) and
replaced it with a five member committee
consisting of two serving army officers—a
Brigadier and Major respectively, a retired
member of RAOWA of the rank of Major,
and two civil cadre officers of the rank of
Deputy Secretary. RAOWA is registered
with the DSW. There is yet another letter
from the Ministry of Defense (MoD), on
which we shall also dwell.
Needless to say, this was an
unprecedented, unforeseen, and, for
most of the members of the community
of retired officers, an unexpected step. I
am constrained to articulate my feelings
on the matter, aggrieved by the arbitrary
action of the DSW not only as a member
of RAOWA for the last 20 years, but also
because of my concern as an ordinary
citizen of Bangladesh at the abrupt action
of the DSW. The DSW has thousands of
associations and organisations under it. Is
this the normal procedure for dealing with
alleged procedural flaws? It does not need
repeating that RAOWA is an association
whose membership includes retired armed
forces officers. Highly decorated Freedom
Fighters and war veterans are members
of this association. RAOWA is graced by
officers who had offered their lives for the
independence of this country and to its
service.
My anguish is at the manner of
“dismissing” a body duly elected by
retired members of the armed forces of
Bangladesh, which numbers more than
4,000 members. Was dismissal of the EC
the only option open to the DSW? It was
an elected committee by members of a
private association. It is answerable for
its operation to the DSW, run as per its
guidelines and as per rules and procedures
deemed appropriate, formulated by it and
adopted by its members, conforming to
the law of the land in the conduct of its
activities.
Accountability strengthens democracy
guardian to act as s/he enjoys immense
moral and legal authority. They felt that
the list of alleged wrongdoings of the EC
only reveals that it was not a single act
of omission or indiscretion, but a series
of misconducts and other irregularities
that the EC resorted to since taking office.
Thus, finding no other recourse, the group
appealed to the President.
The petitioners did not merely express
apprehension of the EC’s misconduct
and irregularities; they furnished
documentation to substantiate their
claim. Included among those are
excerpts from statements of the CEC and
other commissioners, secretary of the
Commission, facts and figures provided
by the EC on the 2018 elections in
response to a petition filed under the
right to information act by Citizens for
Good Governance (SHUJAN), and reports
A woman displays her inked thumb after casting her vote at the 2018 general
elections, which the petitioners allege were marred with irregularities.
carried by credible media establishments
that were not contested or challenged by
the EC. The appeal was not premised on
a normative ground but was on robust
pillars of the Constitution, the supreme
law of the land.
Anyone with rudimentary knowledge
in state matters knows that receiving
money in exchange for anything other
than salary and allowances while
holding constitutional positions is a
clear violation of Article 147(3) of the
Constitution. Appropriation of more than
Taka two crore without delivering lectures
surely constitutes gross misconduct.
One of the commissioners had
alleged that in November 2019, the CEC
committed irregularities amounting
to Taka four crore in appointing
employees of the Commission. Likewise,
using a vehicle in addition to the
two allotted, some commissioners
squandered state resources, according
The Association was formed in March
1982 by a handful of retired military
officers that comprised of persons of
the ranks of three star generals as well
as captains and of all ranks in between.
It is a voluntary association, and as the
name suggests, dedicated to the welfare
of retired armed forces officers. The
association is run, like other similar
private organisations, by an executive
committee headed by a chairman, a senior
vice-chairman, a vice chairman and other
My anguish is at
the manner of
“dismissing” a body
duly elected by
retired members of
the armed forces of
Bangladesh, which
numbers more than
4,000 members. Was
dismissal of the EC
the only option open
to the DSW?
office bearers, elected annually by its
members through free and fair elections,
a process that has never been questioned
for its transparency and fairness in the 38
years of its history. The Association is run
under a constitution passed by the general
members, and approved by the DSW. It is
amended as necessary from time to time
in similar manner. Officers like General
Wasiuddin, Jabbar, and Khalil etc, had
graced the post of Chairman.
Three reasons cited for the step
taken are, “Not approving the Executive
Committee, not sending the yearly report
regularly, and, not communicating
for a long period with the registration
authority.”
I believe as a RAOWA member, I am
within my remit to ask if the reasons
cited in the said DSW letter merit the
extraordinary action that it has taken.
Did those necessitate the dismissal of
the entire EC at the stroke of a pen, a
body that was duly elected by members?
to Bangladesh Protidin. Thus, examples
of such irregularities have convinced
the petitioners that an investigation by
the SJC on the allegations would lead
to the impeachment of the election
commissioners.
The petitioners pointed out to the
President that the EC failed to take action
for breach of election code in pre-election
periods and during election violence
and gross irregularities. It also failed
to provide any explanation about the
inconsistencies in vote counts, including
100 percent casting of vote in as many as
213 centres during the 2018 elections. No
less significant was the data released by
the EC that in 590 centres, all votes were
cast in favour of a single candidate. The
EC’s inability to clarify was palpable in
the mismatch of number of votes between
those signed by the Returning Officers on
PHOTO: REUTERS/MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN
the polling day and the centre-wise data
that was made available subsequently.
In 32 constituencies, there was a rise in
the number of votes (45,596) and in 19
other constituencies, there was a drop in
votes by 5,820. There was a staggering
30 percent difference in voter attendance
between those centres where electronic
voting machines were used and those
where ballot papers were used. In the
final segment of their plea, a range of
irregularities in holding city corporation
polls of Dhaka (north and south), Khulna,
Gazipur, Sylhet, Barishal and Rashahi
were cited. The petitioners felt all these
constitute grave misconduct by the EC.
The citizens’ plea has received
widespread coverage in print, electronic
and social media, triggering a range of
responses. Many found it as a much-
needed civic assertion against rampant
wrongdoings by state institutions. They
felt it may mark the beginning of non-
Admittedly, the DSW has all the authority
to take actions that it deems necessary
for any act of commission or omission
of the EC. But, is dismissal the very first
action that is adopted by a government
department in dealing with alleged lapses
by agencies or associations under it? Were
all the due processes employed before
such a precipitate action was taken? Didn’t
an association like RAOWA deserve a
modicum of deference? May I ask, if it was
necessary to dismiss the EC at all, were
there no other retired officers amongst the
4,000 members of the association, to fill
the five posts of the ad-hoc committee?
Would I be remiss in asking if the EC
was given a show cause notice about the
three points mentioned in the referred
letter of DSW? As far as I have learnt,
nothing of the kind was done. If “not
approving the Executive Committee, or
not sending annual report” are acts of
omissions, how long has that been going
on for? And how many times had the
DSW reminded the EC of the omission
before sacking it? After all, it is as much the
responsibility of the supervising authority
to warn an organisation registered with
it for non-compliance or violation of
rules or regulations as much as it is the
duty of that association to comply with
those. Was that done? As far as “not
communicating for a long period with the
registration authority”, I believe the latest
communication between RAOWA and
the DSW was through a RAOWA letter of
November 25, 2020. What, may one ask, is
the DSW definition of “long period”?
But this is not where the RAOWA saga
ends. There is a letter from the MoD
to the DSW on December 10. What is
surprising are the directives contained
therein, directing the amendment of the
RAOWA constitution to include—firstly,
the provision for nomination, not by
direct vote, to the EC posts of Chairman,
Secretary General and Member Beverage.
The three would be nominated from the
“willing” members of the association.
Secondly, the other posts would be filled
by direct vote. Thirdly, the post of the
Chairman can be filled only by members
of the rank of brigadiers and above.
Fourthly, reformulating the articles of
the constitution to lay out qualifications
for participating in the election, and last
but not the least, making provisions for
cancelling the membership of officers
declared persona non-grata (PNG) on
disciplinary grounds.
violent resistance by the effectively
disenfranchised common citizens.
Unfortunately, some ruling party leaders
have viewed it otherwise. The citizens’
group was branded as belonging to the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
gharana (school) and it was asserted
that many of them are known for their
“anti-government” leanings. It has
been claimed that what the group has
suggested essentially reflects the BNP
position.
The response is not surprising. The
spectrum of the legion that signed the
petition adequately reflects their diversity
of ideological moorings and political
orientations. Included among them are
self declared Awami League sympathisers,
freedom fighters, retired senior civil
servants and professionals with
impeccable credentials, eminent jurists,
rights workers, corruption crusaders and
development practitioners. If they had
anything in common, it was their concern
about the gradual emasculation of the
constitutional bodies such as the EC and
the erosion of civil and political rights,
including the right to franchise.
The EC is an independent body. The
42 citizens have alleged wrongdoings
against the persons currently staffing
this important state institution. As
conscientious citizens, they have exercised
their right to express their opinion and
communicated their concern to the head
of the state.
The EC is not an organ of the
government and therefore, the
government has no reason to defend
the EC. There is no scope to make this
an issue between the government and
the opposition or the government
and dissenting intellectuals. Those in
government need to understand that even
if the SJC finds the EC guilty as alleged,
results of their actions, including that of
holding questionable elections, cannot
be undone. Therefore, it will be good for
the democratic journey of Bangladesh if
the executive refrains from intervening in
a matter pertaining to private citizens and
the President.
The petition of the 42 concerned
citizens has opened a new vista in
Bangladesh’s political history. For the first
time active citizens, the real upholders
of democracy, have implored the head
of the state to trigger Article 96 of the
Constitution to protect a vital state
institution. One hopes that the President
sees the merit of the petition and carries
his pledge to honour and protect the
Constitution.
C R Abrar is an academic with interest in migration
and human rights. He is a signatory to the petition
sent to the President on December 14, 2020.
I fail to understand the rationale of
the directives. Why the nomination and
that too, to the three posts only? Would
persons so nominated be answerable to
the association or to the authority that has
nominated him/her? And what if there are
no “volunteers” for the three nominated
posts? Why should the general members
be deprived of their fundamental right to
have the person of their own choice hold
these posts instead of having somebody
imposed on them? Can an administrative
fiat abridge the fundamental right of the
general members, which the country’s
constitution guarantees? The third directive
is even worse. Barring anyone below the
rank of brigadier or equivalent will create a
class, a situation that does not make for a
harmonious environment. It will create the
“Ashraf” and “Atrafs” in the association.
Even more, that would deprive everyone
below the rank of brigadier of his or her
fundamental and constitutional rights to
participate in elections as a candidate.
If captains and lieutenant colonels
can become MPs and hold cabinet posts,
and there are a few examples of this in
the present government, why can they
not contest in the post of Chairman of
RAOWA? Rank has no correlation with
competence or efficiency. Higher rank
does not automatically induce higher
levels of skill or ability to deliver. Many
officers retire early for various reasons and
not necessarily because of incompetence.
This organisation was once headed by a
retired Flying Officer. As for the PNG, the
less said the better, and I shall venture on
this issue separately later. Suffice to say
that the provision of PNG should be well
defined, since every government has used it
as a political tool. There are several retired
military officers who were declared PNG
during the rule of different governments
and had been members of parliament also.
Should they lose their membership of
RAOWA?
I firmly believe that RAOWA, being a
private association, should be allowed to
operate according to the existing general
law of the land. And it should be left to the
general body to decide how that should be
done within those parameters. Nominated
bodies or dictated constitutions cannot
help the development of the association.
Some may well feel that the directives
lack locus standi. I feel the dismissal order
should be rescinded immediately.
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan, ndc, psc (Retd), is a
former Associate Editor of The Daily Star.
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS OPINION 9

Scaling back coal-based power plants: A

step in the right direction
T
HE government’s
plan, as reported
in the media, to
reduce the number of
coal-based power plants
and thus the amount of
power to be generated
using coal, brings
relief to the concerns
of environmentalists,
BADRUL IMAM scientists and the
general public who
have been campaigning
against major coal use due to the danger it poses
to the environment and human health. Be it
for the failure to collect funds for the projects or
for environmental concerns, the plan, if agreed
upon, will take Bangladesh closer to the sensible
world, whose policies tend to downsize and
eventually discontinue coal as a major source
of primary energy. There is no official statement
yet and the decision is pending for a nod from
the highest authority of the Government. Media
sources, however, report that the government
may scale down the number of large coal-based
power plants to only five and scrap the other 13
in the pipeline.
Coal is a dirty fuel and has been pointedly
shown by climate scientists around the world
to be the prime polluter of the atmosphere,
resulting in heating up the world with severe
negative consequences. Most nations around
the world are pledge bound to take action and
move towards zero emission policies following
the Paris Climate Agreement, whereby the use
of primary sources of pollution like coal will be
gradually phased out in specific timeframes.
Bangladesh has for a long time been a gas-
based mono-energy country, and the energy
demand was primarily met by local gas supplies.
But the depletion of gas reserves and the
declining volume of gas production prompted
the government to diversify energy sources,
thus planning an energy mix with major coal,
liquefied natural gas (LNG), nuclear power and
import of power.
The foreign consultant engaged to prepare
a Power Sector Master Plan (PSMP) for
Bangladesh, in its report submitted in 2010,
suggested an energy mix with 50 percent coal
dependency for power generation. This plan
was revised in 2016 and the suggested use of
coal in the master plan was revised to 35 percent
But what about Rampal?
of total power generation. This translates into
generation of 10,500 MW of power in 2030 and
20,000 MW in 2041 using coal, when the total
power generation capacity is expected to reach
30,000 MW and 57,000 MW respectively. In the
above context, the annual consumption of coal
for power generation will be about 36 million
tons in 2030 and 70 million tons in 2040.
The present consumption of coal for power
generation is about 3.5 million tons per year
for the two coal-based power plants, one at
Barapukuria (440 MW) in Dinajpur and the
other is the newly commissioned Payra plant
(660 MW) in Patuakhali. This means that if the
Power Sector Master Plan 2016 is implemented,
the coal consumption for power generation
would be 10 times more in 2030 and 20 times
more in 2041 than the present consumption
level.
The PSMP 2016 formula of generating
35 percent of power by coal prompted the
government to move forward with an aggressive
plan of building coal-based power plants, both
in the public and private sector. As many as 33
coal-based power plant projects were approved
and coal-based power was supposed to be the
most important contributor of power. The
high concentration of coal power plants in
small areas led the general public to realise the
disastrous consequences of its environmental
impacts. For example, several large coal power
plants were planned to be built on the small
island of Moheshkhali, which means that
Bangladesh’s most valued tourist area, Cox’s
Bazar (which is in close proximity) would be
turned into a sink for the emissions and would
eventually damage and degrade the pristine
natural beauty and environment of the area.
The international independent
environmental watchdog Centre for Research
COLLAGE: SUSHMITA S PREETHA
on Energy and Clean Air’s (CREA) lead
analyst Lauri Myllyviro, in a recent webinar
presentation, focused on the high concentration
of coal-based power plants in Bangladesh.
It has been pointed out in the report that the
eight coal-fired power projects proposed in
Cox’s Bazar district (Moheskhali) constitute the
largest proposed coal-fired cluster anywhere
in the world. And this is in a location with a
very high population density and is close to the
tourism capital of Bangladesh. The plants would
emit an estimated 1,600 kg of mercury per
year into the air, of which one-third would be
deposited into land and freshwater ecosystems.
There are two sides to the coal burning
problem. One is the emission of carbon
dioxide, a major greenhouse gas which, when
entering into the global atmosphere, adds to
the warming up process of planet earth. The
second is the local environmental pollution
due to emissions of many other pollutants
including ash, nitrogen oxide, mercury,
sulfur, chromium and polluted waste water,
among others. Bangladesh’s contribution
to atmospheric pollution through carbon
dioxide is insignificant compared to the major
coal polluters of the world, but on the issue
of local environmental pollution, there are
serious concerns, especially for the one project
in Rampal, which is located very close to the
Sundarbans.
Ramplal has been in the centre of an
international campaign, in addition to the
national one, with respect to the danger
it poses to the UNESCO heritage site, the
Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove
forest. The campaigns’ points—that the Rampal
coal power plant will have negative impacts
on the Sundarbans’ ecosystem, will harm its
environment and eventually result in lasting
damage to the forest—has been substantiated
by several scientific reports. As many as 11
scientific reports prepared by international
scientists dealing with various components of
the pollution chain, such as toxic gas, mercury,
ash, coal dust, waste water etc, have been
made public in addition to submitting these
to the authorities. A UNESCO team visiting
the Sundarbans pointedly concluded that the
Rampal coal power project would harm the
Sundarbans.
The present government, to its credit, has
been successful in raising the power generation
capacity to a new high at a speed never seen
before in the country. There has been a positive
gap between power generation capacity (20,000
MW+) and power demand (8,000 MW to
13,000 MW), meaning our power generation
capacity far outpaces the power demand at
present. The government is in a position to
comfortably cut back on the power generation
master plan by reducing those of coal-based
plants. The list of coal-fired power plants the
government is supposed to scrap should include
the controversial Rampal project. This is the
right time to reconsider the Rampal coal power
project which, if built, will remain controversial
for a long time into the future. With such high
levels of successful development achieved, the
government can very well do without Rampal.
Dr Badrul Imam is Honorary Professor at the Department
of Geology, University of Dhaka.

Turkish shadow boxing reflects growing rivalry with Iran

T
URKEY is
leveraging
its successful
backing of Azerbaijan’s
recent war against
Armenia to counter
Iran in the Caucasus
and gradually challenge
Russia in Central
Asia, the heart of what
JAMES M DORSEY Moscow considers its
backyard. The Turkish
moves have elicited
different responses from Russia and Iran, two
countries Turkey views as both partners and
rivals.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
been careful not to jeopardise his newly found
status as a Russian recognised-player in the
southern Caucasus. By contrast, Erdogan seems
determined to provoke Iran with statements
and postings by his state-run broadcaster that
potentially call into question the territorial
integrity of the Islamic republic.
In doing so, Erdogan is fuelling Iran’s
deepest fears. Iran, not without reason, has long
believed that the United States and Saudi Arabia
are bent on instigating ethnic unrest in a bid to
force Tehran to alter policies, if not topple the
Iranian regime.
“Turkey’s sick president took steps to
break up Iran. Erdogan is single-handedly
implementing the West’s dirty policy in the
region,” said Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash, a
member of the Iranian parliament’s National
Security and Foreign Policy Commission.
Erdogan adopted his provocative posture
as he moved to exploit new geopolitical
transportation opportunities created by the
Russian-brokered deal that sealed Azerbaijan’s
defeat of Armenia in the recent Caucasus war.
The deal opens a corridor that links
Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan, an Azeri
enclave in Armenia that straddles the border
with Turkey. The opening boosts Turkish
efforts to expand transportation tie-ups with
the Caucasus, Central Asia, and China’s
infrastructure-driven One Belt One Road
Initiative that seeks to bind Eurasia to the
People’s Republic.
Turkish transportation minister Adil
Karaismailoglu was quick to announce that
his office was about to complete a study for the
construction of a railway through the corridor
as part of a USD 5.7 billion project to link
Turkish, Azeri and Georgian transportation
nodes and ports.
Turkey this month dispatched its first China-
bound freight train that travelled on the newly
opened rail line from the northeastern Turkish
city of Kars to the Azeri capital of Baku via
Tbilisi in Georgia and then across Kazakhstan
to Xi’an Province. The Caucasus ceasefire
deal includes no security provisions for the
use of the corridor by Armenia, even though
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
have suggested that a railway linking Armenia
to Iran was a possibility. Turkey’s advantage in
Nakhichevan reinforces the significance of last
week’s opening of a 220-kilometre long railway
linking Khaf in northeastern Iran to Herat in
western Afghanistan. Iran and Afghanistan are
discussing the extension of the rail link to China
with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Erdogan’s verbal toying with a break-
up of Iran as a nation state, like the railway
competition, is one facet of Turkish and Iranian
efforts to carve out their individual places in an
emerging rebalanced world order. In doing so,
Turkey and Iran are exploiting a vacuum created
by reduced US engagement, China’s economic-
driven approach to geopolitics, and challenges
across the former Soviet Union to Russian
hegemony in a swath of land that stretches from
Afghanistan via the Caucasus and the Eastern
Mediterranean into North Africa.
Erdogan’s provocative playing with words
and images that were certain to raise Iranian
eyebrows came as he was taking steps to
improve relations with Iran’s archrivals, Israel
and Saudi Arabia, which were certain to curry
favour with incoming US President-elect
Joe Biden. The Turkish president appointed
Ufuk Ulutas, a 40 year-old Hebrew-speaking
member of a think tank who studied the Middle
East at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as his
first ambassador to Israel in two years. The
appointment was announced as the United
States imposed long-anticipated sanctions on
its NATO ally over Turkey’s procurement and
testing of Russia’s S-400 air defence system.
Turkey has also diverged from positions
shared with Iran by significantly toning down
its harsh criticism of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab
states.
“Every country has the right to create ties
with any country it wants,” said Turkish Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in response to
Morocco becoming the latest Arab country
to formally recognise the Jewish state. Earlier,
Cavusoglu, in the first face-to-face meeting
between senior Saudi and Turkish officials since
the October 2018 killing of journalist Jamal
Khashoggi, met with his Saudi counterpart,
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on the sidelines of an
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
conference in the African state of Niger.
“A strong Turkey-Saudi partnership benefits
not only our countries but the whole region,”
Cavusoglu tweeted after the meeting. The
meeting came days after Saudi King Salman
telephoned Erdogan on the eve of last month’s
virtual summit, hosted by the kingdom of the
Group of 20 (G20), that brings together the
world’s largest economies.
Erdogan sparked the most recent spat with
Iran when he recited a nationalist poem by
Azeri poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh during a
military parade while on a visit to Azerbaijan.
The poem depicts as artificial the border along
the Aras River that divides Azerbaijan from
ethnic Azeri provinces of Iran. It suggests that
Azeris on both sides of the river will one day
unite again.
State-run Turkish Radio and Television’s
Arabic service this week published a map on
Instagram depicting Iran’s oil-rich province
of Khuzestan with its large population of
ethnic Arabs as separate from Iran. Iran has
blamed Saudi Arabia for intermittent attacks by
nationalist groups that it says are backed by the
kingdom.
The publication came days after the
disclosure that Habib Chaab, a leader of the
Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation
of Ahvaz, or ASMLA, had been kidnapped in
Istanbul by an Iraqi Kurdish drug baron in
cooperation with Iranian intelligence, and
transported to Iran. Chaab had been lured to
Istanbul in October from his exile in Sweden.
Turkish intelligence officers and police have
detained 11 men, all Turkish citizens, who have
been arraigned on charges that include “using
weapons... to deprive an individual of their
liberty through deceit,” a Turkish official said.
ASMLA aims to gain independence for
Iranian Arabs who have long complained
of discrimination and neglect. Iran blames
ASMLA for a 2018 attack on a Revolutionary
Guard military parade in the Khuzestan capital
of Ahwaz that killed 25 people and wounded
more than 50 others. Iranian and Turkish
officials have largely sought to downplay the
significance of the incidents.
“Based on my past knowledge of Erdogan,
it is very unlikely that he had any intention of
insulting our territorial integrity. He always
recites poetry in his speeches,” said Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani.
Rouhani may have helped to squash for
now an escalating spat, but statements by
protesters outside the Turkish consulate in
Tabriz, the capital of the Iranian province of
East Azerbaijan, carried by the semi-official Fars
News Agency, left little doubt about what Iran’s
true sentiments are.
“Those who have greedy eyes on the
territories this side of the Aras River had
better study history and see that Azerbaijan,
specifically the people of Tabriz, have always
pioneered in defending Iran. If Iran had
not helped you at the night of the coup, you
would have had a fate similar to that of former
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi,” the
protesters said, addressing Erdogan directly. The
protesters were referring to the failed military
coup against Erdogan in 2016 and the toppling
of Morsi in 2013 in a takeover by the Egyptian
armed forces.
A podcast version of this story is available
on Soundcloud,Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher,
TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr,
Podbean,Audecibel, Patreon and Castbox.
Dr James M Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and
a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S
Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore
and the National University of Singapore’s Middle East
Institute.

CROSSWORD BY THOMAS JOSEPH BEETLE BAILEY BY MORT WALKER

ACROSS to-eat shrimp 8 Poor
1 Party leader 34 Ruin 10 Caron of “Gigi”
5 “Nuts!” 35 Old photo tint 11 Woodwind
9 Kick out 36 Search blindly part
11 Indian coin 38 Foe 16 Scent
12 Tolerate 39 Franc 18 Young men
13 Wed in haste replacers 21 Con quarters
14 Cargo unit 40 Diamond 23 Nervous
15 Joined a bee cover 24 Goddess of
17 Ballooned 41 Citi Field teamwisdom
19 Place down 25 Paging device YESTERDAY’S ANSWERS
20 Flight part DOWN 27 Writer BABY BLUES BY KIRKMAN & SCOTT
21 Barracks bed 1 Track trials Leonard
22 Friday’s 2 River bends 28 Brewing
PABLO PICASSO creator 3 Harpsichord’s vessel
(25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) 24 Crunch targets cousin 29 Useful skill
Spanish painter and sculptor 26 Not rented out 4 TV’s Danson 30 Do in
29 Had a snack 5 Boring 31 Getup
Art is the lie that 30 Got wind of 6 Twin of Artemis 33 Walk unevenly
enables us to 32 Like ready- 7 Do over 37 Mai tai base
realise the truth. WRITE FOR US. SEND US YOUR OPINION PIECES TO
dsopinion@gmail.com.
10
Train staff boards the last scheduled Eurostar train from London to Paris ahead of
travel restrictions imposed by the French government on the UK, amid the coronavirus
disease pandemic, in London, Britain on Sunday night.
Bangabandhu
FROM PAGE 12
down their lives are materialised.
The cause for which they died
is partly realised. The people of
Bangladesh have achieved their
political independence, but the
economic emancipation of the
people is yet to come. So, the prime
minister urges all to come forward
to the service of the common man.
A society free from exploitation
must be established. Every man
must be ensured of two square
meals and of all the basic necessities
of life.
DOCUMENTARY FILM ON
BANGABANDHU
Famous Japanese film director
Nagisa Oshima is now busy making
a lengthy documentary film on
the life and achievements of
Bangabandhu. The film would be
shown on television in Japan and
other countries.
DHAKA-BUDAPEST JOINT
INDUSTRIAL VENTURE
Hungary is likely to participate in
the joint ventures in the industrial
field in Bangladesh. A nine-member
trade delegation, which recently
visited Bangladesh, expressed
their keen interest to participate
in joint ventures especially in
pharmaceutical manufacturing,
food processing and canning,
ginger processing and other fields
of mutual interests. Bangladesh and
Hungary are already negotiating for
further expansion of barter trade.
Source: December 23, 1972 issues
of Dainik Bangla, The Bangladesh
Observer and Ittefaq.
CMCH doc dies
FROM PAGE 12
Parkview Hospital and was
undergoing treatment at its ICU
since December 6, said Dr Faisal
Iqbal Chowdhury, general secretary
of Bangladesh Medical Association,
Chattogram chapter.
Dr Faisal added that Hasan
Murad died around 5:00am
yesterday.
Hasan, hailing from Chattogram’s
Satkania upazila, was a student
of 35th batch MBBS at CMC, said
Faisal, adding that with this death,
a total of 13 doctors have died of
Covid-19 in Chattogram so far.
City
Mercury may rise
FROM PAGE 12
dry, with temporary partly cloudy
skies over the country. Moderate
to thick fog may occur at places
over the country’s river basins and
light to moderate fog may occur at
places elsewhere over the country
during midnight to morning,” it
added.
In the next 72 hours, the bulletin
forecast that the temperature may
rise further.
Our correspondents from different
districts reported on the cold wave.
In Thakurgaon and Panchagarh,
people of low-income groups are
facing difficulties due to chilly
weather.
“We cannot stay indoors as severe
cold wind enters our rooms made of
bamboo walls,” said Majiran Nesa,
65, of Khalpara slum in Thakurgaon
town.
The adverse weather hits
businesses too.
“People don’t want to go outside
home due to cold weather. So, sales
have dropped significantly,” said
Omar Ali, a grocery shop owner.
Cold-related diseases are
spreading in the districts.
In Lalmonirhat and Kurigram,
many people are suffering from food
shortage as they cannot go out for
work.
“Our livelihood earners cannot go
outside home due to the biting cold.
So, we are suffering from a shortage
of food,” said Kohinoor Bewa, 86, of
Char Kulaghat in Lalmonirhat Sadar
upazila.
There is also a lack of warm
clothes.
“We don’t have enough warm
Gunmen kill journo
FROM PAGE 12
workers in the country, said on
Twitter.
Targeted killings of prominent
figures, including journalists,
politicians and rights activists,
have become more common in
recent months as violence surges in
Afghanistan, despite ongoing peace
talks between the government and
the Taliban.
Nekzad’s death follows the
assassination earlier this month of
female news anchor and activist
NEWS
PHOTO:
REUTERS
clothes. No one has given us any
blanket. We are passing hard days,”
said Akkas Ali, 65, of Char Kodalkati
in Kurigram’s Rajibpur upazila.
Contacted, Roumari Upazila
Nirbahi Officer Al-Imran said they
already started distributing blankets
among the poor.
Low temperature hits low-income
people, especially in the char areas
in Bogura. Normal life has been
affected by dense fog and bitter cold.
Besides, cold-related diseases are
increasing in char areas.
Mozzafal Hossain Pramanik, 60,
of Batir char in Bogura’s Sariakandi
upazila, said, “In the last 10-15 days,
severe cold affected our lives. We
cannot work on the cropland due to
the extreme cold.”
Mamun Mia, 35, of Dakatmara
char of the same upazila, said, “We
are low-income people. We don’t
have sufficient warm clothes. This
year, no one has given us warm
clothes yet.”
Rabiul Islam, medical officer
at Sariakandi Upazila Health
Complex, said, “Patients with cold-
related ailments are rising since last
week. Some 30-40 patients, mostly
children and aged people, are taking
treatment at our outdoor services for
diarrhoea, dysentery and breathing
problems daily.
On the other hand, 88 children
are undergoing treatment with cold-
related diseases at Bogura Shaheed
Ziaur Rahman Medical Hospital, said
Abdul Wadud, assistant directorof
the hospital.
[Our correspondents from
Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat and
Bogura contributed to this report]
Malalai Maiwand, who was shot
dead with her driver in Jalalabad
in an attack claimed by the Islamic
State group.
Last month Radio Liberty
reporter Aliyas Dayee was killed in a
car bomb attack in southern Lashkar
Gah city.
Much of the violence has been
unleashed by the Taliban as they
attempt to gain leverage in peace
talks, which opened in September
in Doha but are currently on a break
until early January.
World’s oldest
FROM PAGE 12
dating back to around
4300 BC.
Prior to the recent
discovery, experts had
placed the first rice paddies
some 3,000 years ago.
Rice is found in a
number of cultures around
the world, but has been a
way of life for the Chinese
for thousands of years.
Rice paddies, or wet rice
farming, survive in stable
conditions that are not too
hot or cold.
The fields are flooded
to supply water during
the growing seasons
and without modern
technology, harvesting
crops by hand is time
consuming and grueling
world.
Previous studies have
analyzed DNA of ancient
rice dating back nearly
2,000 years and compared
the results with that of
today’s.
The findings showed
that early humans dined
on a variety of rice, instead
of the two domesticated
varieties, japonica and
indica, we consume today.
The latest discovery
was announced by the
Zhejiang Provincial
Institute of Cultural Relics
and Archaeology and the
Ningbo Cultural Heritage
Management Research
Institute, CGTN reports.
Interpol expects
FROM PAGE 12
enforcement across its 194 member
countries, warning them to prepare
for organised crime networks
targeting Covid-19 vaccines, both
physically and online.
“As governments are preparing
to roll out vaccines, criminal
organisations are planning to
infiltrate or disrupt supply chains.
Criminal networks will also be
targeting unsuspecting members of
the public via fake websites and false
cures, which could pose a significant
risk to their health, even their lives,”
said Interpol secretary general Juergen
Stock.
Railways
FROM PAGE 12
However, the project cost would be
finalised later.
A committee, led by Railways
Ministry Secretary Salim Reza,
yesterday gave the go-ahead to a
preliminary development project
proposal (PDPP) of “Procurement
of Meter-Gauge and Broad-Gauge
Accident Relief Crane for Bangladesh
Railway).”
Apart from procuring the cranes,
12 BR engineers would receive one-
month foreign training under the
project.
Around Tk 1 crore would also be
spent on procuring transport vehicles
for the project.
Now, the proposal would be sent
to the Planning Commission for
approval and then it would be sent
to the Economic Relations Division
for managing foreign fund for the
project, Project Director Md Burhan
Uddin told The Daily Star yesterday.
The 3,018km railway network is
covered by the accident relief cranes
stationed at 12 sheds in two railway’s
zones.
Some 91 train accidents took place
during 2018-19 fiscal year. Of them,
78 were train derailments and in 10
incidents trains crashed into things,
according to railway information
book-2019.
After any accident is reported,
relief cranes from the nearby shed
is called for conducting the rescue
operation, but in some cases, the
authorities have to call cranes from
far away due to lack of capability of
nearby cranes, a railway official said.
“In many cases, rescue operation
takes more than usual time as most
of the cranes are outdated,” the
official, who have long experience
in railway operation, told The Daily
Star, wishing not to be named.
Burhan Uddin, also the chief
mechanical engineer (development),
said the addition of three cranes
would ensure quick salvage operation
after any accident to restore rail
communications.
About the financing in the project,
he said as per their proposal, 70
percent of the project cost would
come from foreign funds and 30
percent from the government funds.
Once the PDPP is approved,
they will prepare and submit
development project proposal
(DPP) for getting approval from the
Executive Committee of the National
Economic Council (Ecnec) to start
implementation of the project, he said.
“We hope to add the three cranes
to our fleet within the next two
years,” he said, adding that the cranes
would be stationed in Dhaka, Rajbari,
and Chattogram.
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS
Court accepts charge sheet
FROM PAGE 12
OC Pradeep Kumar Das and
suspended inspector Liaqat Ali of
Baharchhara Investigation Centre.
Yesterday, the senior judicial
magistrate’s court also accepted
the final reports in two cases, filed
by Teknaf police after the murder
of Sinha, and cleared lone accused
Shahadul Islam Sefat of arms and
drug charges. The two cases were also
probed by the Rapid Action Battalion.
Sinha was killed at an APBn
checkpoint on the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf
Marine Drive on the night of July 31.
Local police said suspended inspector
Liaqat’s team had taken over the check
post from three APBn officers before
the killing incident.
Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous, elder
sister of Sinha, had filed the murder
case with a local court on August
5. Later, Rab was tasked with its
investigation.
The retired army officer was
shooting videos for his YouTube
channel in Teknaf’s Marishbunia
before he was shot. He had been
residing in the area for a month for
filming.
RAB PROBE
Speaking at a press conference at the
Top HK court upholds
emergency protest
mask ban
AFP, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong government’s decision
to use a colonial-era emergency law to
ban face masks at protests last year
was both proportionate and legal, the
city’s top court ruled yesterday.
The ruling is a blow for democracy
supporters who had been hoping the
Court of Final Appeal would side
with a lower court and overturn the
order.
It also confirms that Hong Kong’s
chief executive -- a pro-Beijing
appointee -- has the power to enact
any law in a time of public emergency
without needing the approval of the
city’s partially elected legislature.
But its practical consequences were
unclear, given that the government
has made masks compulsory in public
areas to combat the coronavirus
pandemic.
Hong Kong was convulsed by seven
straight months of huge and often
violent pro-democracy protests last
year.
They were eventually quashed
by mass arrests, a virus-related ban
on public gatherings and Beijing
imposing a new national security law
on the city in June.
Face masks became ubiquitous to
reduce the risk of identification and
prosecution for those taking part in
peaceful marches, or violent clashes
with police.
In October last year Chief Executive
Carrie Lam banned anyone covering
their face at public rallies, using the
Emergency Regulations Ordinance, a
British colonial law from 1922.
Rab media centre in the capital on
December 13, Rab Director (legal
and media wing) Lt Col Ashiq Billah
said, “The conspiracy [of murder] was
hatched by OC Pradeep, Inspector
Liaqat, and local police sources
Nurul Amin, Mohammad Aiyas and
Nizamuddin.”
Liaqat, SI Nandadulal and three
APBn members then executed the
plan, he said. The APBn members
are: SI Mohammad Shahjahan and
constables Md Rajib and Mohammad
Abdullah.
“Besides, other policemen from a
nearby camp, namely SI Liton Miah
and constables Safanur Karim, Kamal
Hossain Azad, Abdullah Al Mamun
ensured that a wounded Sinha bled to
death ... ,” said Ashiq.
Constables Sagar Deb and Rubel
Sharma staged an act of recovering
narcotics from Sinha’s vehicle, the Rab
director told reporters.
The charge sheet named 83 people
as witnesses.
A total of 14 people were arrested
between August and September in
the case. All the arrestees but OC
Pradeep and constable Rubel made
confessional statements before
court.
Opposition lawmakers challenged
both the use of that emergency law
and the ban on wearing masks at
permitted rallies.
They argued the move breached
Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the
Basic Law.
A lower court had agreed with those
bringing the challenge and expressed
concerns about the emergency law
and the proportionality of the mask
ban.
But yesterday, a panel of top judges
unanimously backed the government.
“The ambit of the power to make
subsidiary legislation under the
ERO in a situation of emergency or
in circumstances of public danger,
although wide and flexible, was not
unconstitutional,” the judges ruled.
Banning face masks at both illegal
and legal rallies was proportionate
because it was aimed at “the
prevention and deterrence of violence
before a peaceful public gathering had
deteriorated into violence”.
Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong
lawyer who has written books about
the city’s protest movement, said
the judges’ conclusions could prove
controversial.
“Most striking is the extent to which
the Court of Final Appeal judgment
privileges one narrative -- of ‘violence
and lawlessness’ -- over any other, and
without the broader context in which
those incidents occurred, in reaching
their conclusion,” he told AFP.
Hong Kong’s judiciary has come
under significant pressure in the
politically polarised atmosphere that
has blanketed the city.
 e-mail: sports@thedailystar.net
DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS
Fed Cup to end long hiatus
Our preparations and practices have
always been of high-intensity with
the aim of challenging our players to
improve on a daily basis. Our team,
from both an individual and collective
points of view, has dramatically
improved from last season. We reach
the beginning of the Federation Cup in
good shape.
OSCAR BRUZON
BASHUNDHARA KINGS
No one really knows how football will
be in the new normal, it’s a situation
that none of us have ever faced before
and most important is the health of
the players. About being contenders,
I believe not only Abahani and
Bashundhara but also Chattogram
Abahani, Sheikh Russel and Saif will
have something to say too.
MARIO LEMOS
ABAHANI
Everybody is in the same situation
for the Federation Cup apart from
Bashundhara Kings, who I believe have
had an extended pre-season training
camp due to their involvement in the
AFC cup. Our first target is to get out
of the group stage and once we have
done that, anything can happen.
SEAN LANE
MOHAMMEDAN
Corona has affected football world-
wide, so it is not easy to have good
preparation because the players were
out of competition for eight months.
Season is not that easy but we are try-
ing to do our best. We spent hard time
in the last five weeks and have already
shown our performance in training.
PAUL PUT
SAIF SC
Mickey Arthur
relishing battle
with Boucher
REUTERS, JOHANNESBURG
Sri Lanka coach Mickey
Arthur is looking forward
to slugging it out with his
South African counterpart
Mark Boucher when the
teams start a two-Test
series in Pretoria on
Boxing Day, hailing the
former wicketkeeper for
his aggressive style on the
pitch.
Boucher was one of
Arthur’s most trusted
senior players when the
latter coached the Proteas
between 2005 and 2010
with excellent success in
the test arena.
“Mark Boucher and I go
back a helluva long way
and I am really looking
forward to locking horns
with him,” Arthur told
reporters on Monday.
“He was an aggressive
player and I’m sure he will
be an aggressive coach too.
It will be up to us to match
that intensity.
“There is a wonderful
familiarity for me now
walking into the grounds.
Africa never leaves you.
That knowledge of the
conditions will hopefully
be of great benefit to us.”
Arthur was in charge of
Pakistan when they lost
a Test series 3-0 in South
Africa last year.
‘Benzema is a focal point’
AGENCIES
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema kept up his
impressive run of form by scoring and providing two
assists in a 3-1 win away to Eibar on Sunday, taking the
champions level on points with La Liga leaders Atletico
Madrid. Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was again
grateful to Karim Benzema after victory over Eibar.
“Benzema is a match winner because what he’s
doing is on a different level, not just because of the
goals. I always repeat myself saying the same thing
about Karim. It’s not only his goals, he’s a focal point
in our game, he’s very important for us and when he
scores, he scores it’s even better, obviously, but he’s very
important for our team. We have to highlight everyone’s
performance,” said Zidane.
SPORTS REPORTER
F o l l o w i n g
Bangladesh’s return
to international
football last month,
the country is set to
welcome back domestic football
as the Walton Federation Cup,
featuring 13 top-flight teams, gets
underway at the Bangabandhu
National Stadium today.
Holders Bashundhara Kings
take on last season’s runners-up
Rahmatganj MFS in the opening
match at 5:30pm. Private satellite I think football will remain like in normal times
channel T-Sports will telecast the because the situation is same for all teams. The
match live. All sports activities standard may be a bit low initially but it will go
up as the tournament progresses. I am hopeful of
remained suspended in the country
fighting for the title because it is the same squad;
since the middle of March in the
they know what I want from them and I also
wake of the pandemic, prompting
know their ability.
Bangladesh Football Federation to
cancel the remainder of last season MARUFUL HAQUE
in May which eventually resulted CHATTOGRAM ABAHANI
in players sitting idle for nearly
eight months. for Bashundhara Kings.
However, national team The defending champions had
members returned to action 17 weeks’ preparation for the
through international friendlies season opener while Abahani,
against Nepal last month before Saif SC, Chattogram Abahani,
squaring off against Qatar in a Sheikh Russel, Sheikh Jamal and
World Cup Qualifying fixture Mohammedan SC had around
in Doha earlier this month. But four to six weeks of preparation
majority of top-tier footballers time. An exception is Brothers
are waiting to return to football Union who failed to submit
on the back of a brief pre-season players’ registration documents
preparation. within deadline and have not
“Bangladesh is not Europe started training as yet.
where players join in pre-season “I think every team will face
training camp after two to three difficulties after the long break.
weeks of holidays. It is really hard We have reconstructed our playing
to have good preparation in such style in the last few months with
a short period,” Saif SC’s Belgian impeccable belief,” said Kings’
coach Paul Put said yesterday at successful Spanish coach Oscar
the pre-tournament briefing, his Bruzon, who wants to win all
statement perhaps ringing true for trophies with new acquisitions
all the participating teams except from Brazil, Argentina and Iran.
SAFETY A CONCERN
Crowd flooded the Mymensingh Circuit House ground yesterday to witness the opening day’s action
of the Mymensingh Premier League (MPL), the first 100-ball cricket tournament of the country. Organised
by the Mymensingh Masters Cricket Association (MMCA), a forum of ex-cricketers, the five-day tournament
had already raised concern over a local association’s capacity in maintaining health guidelines and social
distancing. And despite the organisers’ claim, health safety and social distancing was nowhere to be seen
as the large portion of the crowd were even without masks. Mymensingh Thunders and Mymensingh Riders
won their encounters against Mymensingh Tigers and Mymensingh Eagles respectively on the opening day
but the real victory of the tournament would be to see everyone involved with the tournament, including
the invited former national team players and members of the World Cup-winning
Under-19 team, stay unharmed till it’s completion.
PHOTO: AMINUL ISLAM
‘I had a very bad time this summer’
REUTERS, Barcelona
PHOTO: REUTERS
Lionel Messi
has admitted
the ill feeling
between him
and Barcelona
over his attempt
to leave the club in the close
season has affected his form this
season, in which he has posted
his lowest goal and assist tallies
in 13 years.
Messi caused consternation
at Barca when he sent the club
a burofax (official notice) that
he wanted to leave in August,
but then president Josep Maria
Bartomeu blocked the move and
he committed to stay this season
to avoid a legal battle.
He has less than seven months
left on his contract and is able to
negotiate with other clubs from
January.
The players may lack fitness as we
had only four weeks’ training. It is not enough
time to prepare a team, but the good thing
is they have been together for the last two
seasons and have good understanding among
themselves. Our target is to get out of the
group stage and then think further.
SHAFIQUL ISLAM MANIK
SHEIKH JAMAL DC
Like Kings, 11-time champions
Abahani have also brought three
changes in their foreign line-up
with the inclusion of two Brazilian
players. The foreigners in will
undoubtedly make an impact
this time too as most teams have
already bolstered their foreign
acquisitions. “The new foreign
players were signed to improve the
team and we have confidence that
we can win the Fed Cup. It will not
be easy but are looking forward to
the challenge,” said Abahani coach
Mario Lemos.
Foreign coaches, too, will
have a key role in the campaign
as Abahani, Kings, Saif,
Mohammedan, Bangladesh
Police and Arambagh KS have
already appointed foreign coaches
while Muktijoddha Sangsad and
“Everything that happened
before the summer, how the
season ended, then the burofax
and everything else... I dragged
everything into the start of
the season a bit,” Messi said
in an interview with Spanish
television channel La Sexta.
“The truth is right now I’m
feeling fine but in the summer I
had a very bad time.”
The Argentine struck for the
643rd time for Barca on Saturday
to equal Pele’s goals record for
a single club. However, he has
drastically underperformed this
campaign, as have his side, who
trail leaders Atletico Madrid by
eight points in La Liga.
Messi, who finished top
scorer in La Liga last season
and routinely gets more than
40 goals each year for his club,
has only scored nine times in all
competitions this campaign, five
Brothers Union, too, are supposed
to rope in foreign coaches.
In last edition, Rahmatganj
stunned big teams like Saif SC,
Sheikh Jamal, Abahani and
Mohammedan to reach the final
but now they have a depleted side
with three foreigners yet to join the
squad a day before their opening
match.
As things stand, the title race
is expected to be fought among
teams with previous experience
COVID-19 PROTOCOL
Footballers and officials with Covid-19
negative reports will only be allowed
inside stadium
Each team will have to submit Covid-19
reports 72 hours before their match
Each team will undergo Covid-19 tests
once in 15 days
BFF has appointed a dedicated executive to
oversee the issues related to Covid-19
The ground and Stadium will be sanitised
today
No general spectators will be allowed
Only clubs’ own fans can enjoy matches,
maintaining health guidelines
BFF has already issued a small amount of
tickets to club authorities
of winning it, but veteran coach
Maruful Haque believes dark
horses may appear and upset the
applecart.
“In my opinion, this time more
clubs [other than Bashundhara,
Abahani, Saif, Sheikh Russel] will
be in the race and can challenge
for the title,” said Bruzon.
Babar, Imam
ruled out of
first Test
ICC
Babar Azam and Imam-ul-
Haq have been ruled out
of the first Test against New
Zealand, which begins on
26 December in Mount
Maunganui.
Pakistan named their
17-man squad for the two-
match Test series, which
forms a part of the ICC
World Test Championship.
Both Babar and Imam
had fractured their thumbs
during a training session
last week and will be
monitored closely by
the team’s medical staff.
Mohammad Rizwan will
lead in Babar’s absence,
becoming Pakistan’s 33rd
Test captain.
Pakistan head coach
Misbah-ul-Haq expressed
his disappointment on
losing the T20I series
against New Zealand but
his hopeful about the Test
team’s chances.
“It is disappointing to
lose the T20I series against
a well-settled New Zealand
side, who utilised their
resources and conditions to
their advantage,” he said.
“Contrary to the T20I
side, the Test side appears
to be pretty organised and
we boast some experienced
cricketers, both in batting
and bowling departments.”
Barcelona, who are currently
fifth in Spain’s top flight, will
be looking to return to winning
ways in La Liga when they take
on an improving Real Valladolid
tonight. They will hope that Lionel
Messi will lead from the front
and surpass Pele’s single-club
goals haul. Barcelona legend
Messi, who scored his first goal
for the Catalan club in 2005
against Albacete, equalled Brazil
legend Pele’s record of 643 goals
for a single club by scoring
in Saturday’s draw against
Valencia. Pele scored 643 goals
in 19 seasons for Brazilian side
Santos between 1956 and 1974.
Challenges
surrounding
Tigers’ return
SPORTS REPORTER
International cricket is set to return
to Bangladesh after a 10-month halt
due to the coronavirus pandemic as
the Bangladesh Cricket Board will
host West Indies for a three-match
ODI and two-match Test series starting from January.
The Tigers last played an international series back in
March this year against Zimbabwe and a big challenge
looms for the BCB to make sure that they put their best
foot forward both in terms of the cricket on the field and
the organisation off it.
TIGERS’ INJURY UPDATE
As far as cricket on the field, there are some injury headaches
in the Test squad. Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque
had undergone a surgery on his right thumb in the UAE on
December 10 after the left-handed batsman sustained an
injury while fielding during the Bangabandhu T20 Cup.
Another vital player in the longest format, off-spinner
Nayeem Hasan, also underwent surgery on his right
little finger, which he injured while fielding during the
Bangabandhu T20 Cup.
However BCB’s chief physician Dr Debashish
Chowdhury is confident that both cricketers will be able
to regain their fitness ahead of the two-match Test series
against West Indies.
“In the last two weeks, two of our cricketers underwent
surgeries and one of them is our Test captain Mominul
Haque. He had his surgery in Dubai and is now doing his
rehabilitation under our health guidelines. Then we have
Nayeem Hasan who injured his little finger and his surgery
has been done at a hospital in Dhaka. His rehabilitation
will also start within the next few days.
“Our aim is to get them back to proper fitness before
the practice game, which is scheduled for January 25 ahead
of the Test series. We are very hopeful that both cricketers
will be able to regain proper fitness before the warm-up
match,” Debashish told the media yesterday.
Another member of the Test squad, pacer Abu Jayed,
is also recovering from a Grade 1 thigh strain sustained
during the Bangabandhu T20 Cup is also expected to return
to the field by the first week of January, said Debashish.
Nayeem Hasan Mominul Haque
BCB’S HEALTH PROTOCOL
The board will conduct coronavirus testing on the first, third, and
sixth or seventh day of the West Indies squad’s arrival.
After completing a three-day quarantine, the West Indies team will
be allowed to practise from the fourth day. However, the visitors will
only be allowed to practise between themselves from the fourth to
the seventh day.
After undergoing three coronavirus tests in seven days, the West
Indies side will be allowed to have net bowlers in their training and
can interact with people related to the series.
According to the MoU, both teams will have separate transportation
-- separate flights and buses -- while traveling.
LESSONS FROM DOMESTIC TOURNAMENT
Another main challenge will be creating and maintaining
an effective health protocol and a bio-secure bubble for
the touring side as well as hosts. However, the board will
be encouraged by the fact that they arranged two local
tournaments -- BCB President’s Cup and the just concluded
Bangabandhu T20 Cup -- while maintaining a bio-secure
bubble. According to Debashish they will implement the
experiences of those two tournaments in the upcoming
home series.
Debashish also said that Cricket West Indies had already
given the green signal over the MoU provided by the BCB
for the upcoming series.
of which came from the penalty
spot. He also has no assists in 13
league games after contributing
21 last season, making the start
of this campaign his worst since
the 2007-08 season, when he
was 20-years-old and suffering
from injuries.
Barca face elections on Jan.
24 to pick the successor to
Bartomeu, who resigned in
October, and Messi remained
tight-lipped on where his future
lay, saying he was fully focused
on helping his side return to
form. “Right now I’m feeling
good and looking forward to
fighting for every competition
we have ahead,” he added.
PHOTO: TWITTER
“I know the club is in a
difficult moment at institutional
level and on the pitch and
everything surrounding Barca
right now is difficult, but I’m
feeling excited.”
12
City

DHAKA TUESDAY DECEMBER 22, 2020, POUSH 7, 1427 BS

Railways in 32 more die,

1,470 get
trouble with Covid-19
UNB, Dhaka

rescue cranes Covid-19 fatalities

Bangladesh rose to 7,312
with 32 more deaths in 24
in

Outdated cranes causing delays in hours ending at 8:00am

yesterday.
salvage operations, restoring rail Besides, 1,470 new
link; BR eyes 3 modern ones Covid-19 cases were
reported, taking the
TUHIN SHUBHRA ADHIKARY
caseload to 502,183.
Most of 22 relief cranes of Bangladesh Railway (BR) are The mortality rate
either outdated or broken, causing difficulties in carrying stood at 1.45 percent, the
out salvage operations after train accidents. Directorate General of
At least 10 are over 35 years old while three are between Health Services said in a
21 and 35 years old, according to BR documents. press release.
Three are now broken. Only six are within their So far, 439,694 patients,
economic life, which is 20 years. 87.56 percent, including
Of the 22 relief cranes, 15 are meter-gauge and seven 2,167 new ones have
broad-gauge, the documents show. recovered during the period.
Most of the outdated cranes are steam-operated and Bangladesh reported its
spare parts for them are not available in the international first cases on March 8. The
market, BR officials said. infection number reached
Besides, some of them are not capable of conducting the 300,000-mark on
salvage operations as they are too “small” and take more
August 26. The first death
than usual time to complete a rescue operation, causing
was reported on March 18
passengers’ sufferings, they said.
Under the circumstances, the BR has made a move and the death toll exceeded
to procure three relief cranes to ensure quick salvage 7,000 on December 12.
operation after accidents to resume rail communications, Until now, 30,91,339
officials said. tests have been carried out,
As per the plan, the two modern broad-gauge and one 15,669 new ones.
meter-gauge hydraulic accident relief cranes would be Bangladesh is seeing
bought at an estimated cost of Tk 230.8 crore between A devastating fire burned down 55 shanties at Kalshi Taltola slum in the capital’s Mirpur 11 2,948.70 infections,
PHOTO:
January 2021 and December 2023. yesterday. The fire service, after visiting the spot, said the blaze started around 1:45pm and was COLLECTED 2581.78 recoveries and
SEE PAGE 10 COL 4 doused around 5:00pm. 42.93 deaths per million.

Mercury SINHA MURDER CASE CMCH doc

may rise
Met office forecasts
STAR REPORT
Day-to-day life in many
districts is being hampered
due to the bone-chilling
cold and daily wage-earners
are the ones suffering most.
Yesterday’s lowest
temperature was 7.5
degree Celsius, which was
recorded in Tentulia of
Panchagarh.
“A mild cold wave is
sweeping over the regions
of Gopalganj, Sitakunda,
Cumilla, Sreemangal,
Badalgachhi, Tentulia,
Rajarhat and Chuadanga,”
said a weather bulletin.
“It may abate in
some more places,”
said the bulletin of
Bangladesh Meteorological
Department.
“Night temperature
may rise slightly and day
temperature may remain
nearly unchanged over the
country,” it added.
The Met office forecast
for 24 hours was released at
6:00pm yesterday.
“Weather may remain
SEE PAGE 10 COL 2
FIRST YEAR OF BANGLADESH
BANGABANDHU’S NATION-BUILDING CHALLENGES
Court accepts
charge sheet
Bangabandhu unveils
OUR CORRESPONDENT,
Cox’s Bazar
memorial plaque
A Cox’s Bazar court
yesterday accepted the
charge sheet in Maj (retd)
Sinha Rashed Khan murder
December 22, 1972 case.
Judge Tamanna Farah
SHAMSUDDOZA SAJEN
of Cox’s Bazar Senior
DRAW INSPIRATION FROM Judicial Magistrate Court-4
MARTYRS’ SACRIFICE accepted the charge
Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh sheet after hearing the
Mujibur Rahman renews his call prosecution and defence
today to all irrespective of their lawyers.
ideological or political affiliations to The court also issued
dedicate themselves to the great task an arrest warrant for
of rebuilding suspended assistant sub-
the country into inspector Sagar Dev, the
a truly Shonar only absconding accused
Bangla drawing in the case, said Public
inspiration from Prosecutor Faridul Alam
the sacrifice of of Cox’s Bazar District and
the martyrs of Sessions Judge Court.
the Liberation Struggle. Rab Senior ASP
The prime minister speaks on the Mohammad Khairul Islam,
occasion of unveiling of a memorial also the investigation
plaque dedicated to the memory of officer of the murder case,
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Shaheed intellectuals at Mirpur. He had submitted the charge
observes that the souls of the martyrs of sheet to the court on
consoling the relatives of the martyred December 13, accusing 15
the Liberation Struggle would not find
intellectuals at Mirpur on the occasion peace until and unless the high ideals people.
of the unveiling of the memorial and principles for which they had laid Among the accused
are suspended Teknaf
plaque on December 22, 1972. SEE PAGE 10 COL 1
SEE PAGE 10 COL 5
World’s oldest dies from
Covid-19
rice paddies STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Ctg
found in China A doctor of Chattogram
Medical College Hospital
(CMCH) died of Covid-19
at a private hospital in the
port city early yesterday
morning.
The deceased, Md Hasan
Murad, 48, was a lecturer of
Microbiology at CMC and
worked in the Covid-19 RT-
PCR laboratory at CMCH,
said principal of the college
Prof Dr Shamim Hasan.
After testing positive
for coronavirus, Hasan
was admitted to the city’s
SEE PAGE 10 COL 1
MAIL ONLINE
The world’s oldest rice paddies have been
uncovered in China that experts say were farmed
more than 6,000 years ago.
The ancient checkboard patterned fields were
found in the city of Yuyao, east China’s Zhejiang
Province and are said to cover about 222 acres –
only one acre has been excavated thus far.
Archaeologists said that the paddies had
different forms across three prehistoric periods PRAYER TIMING DECEMBER 22
that spanned about 2,000 years, with the oldest Fazr Zohr Asr Maghrib Esha
AZAN 5-20 12-45 3-455-22 7-00
SEE PAGE 10 COL 3
JAMAAT 5-55 1-15 4-00 5-25 7-30
SOURCE: ISLAMIC FOUNDATION

Gunmen kill VACCINE SHIPMENTS

journo in
Afghanistan
AFP, Kabul
Gunmen murdered an
Afghan journalist in the
eastern city of Ghazni
yesterday, the third reporter
in the violence-plagued
country to be killed in the
last two months.
Rahmatullah Nekzad
was shot dead with a
silenced pistol by unknown
gunmen near his home
while he was travelling to
a nearby mosque, Ghazni
province police spokesman
Ahmad Khan Seerat told
AFP.
No group has claimed
the murder so far but
the Taliban denied
responsibility.
Nekzad, aged in his
late 40s, had worked
on a freelance basis for
the Associated Press
news agency and the
Al Jazeera broadcast
network, according to the
Afghan Journalists Safety
Committee.
“AJSC strongly
condemns the serial killing
of Afghan journalists,”
the committee, which
reports on threats to media
SEE PAGE 10 COL 2
Interpol expects
‘dramatic’ jump
in crime
AFP, Berlin
Interpol chief Juergen Stock yesterday predicted a sharp
rise in crimes with robbers seeking to get their hands
on precious vaccines aimed at stopping the coronavirus
pandemic.
“With vaccines rolling out, crime will increase
dramatically,” Stock told business weekly WirtschaftsWoche.
“We will see thefts and warehouse break-ins and attacks
on vaccine shipments.”
The secretary general of the France-based global policing
agency said he also expected more cases of graft related to
Covid-19 vaccines.
“Corruption will be rampant in many places to get the
valuable vaccine quicker,” he said.
A vaccine produced by German company BioNTech and
US giant Pfizer has already been approved for use by 16
countries.
The European Union’s EMA was poised to make a
similar decision yesterday, with the first jabs to begin in
the bloc next Sunday.
In Germany, federal police will be deployed to secure
transportation of the vaccines, which will also be stored in
secret places.
Besides the threat of robberies, fears are also running
high of possible sabotage by anti-vaxxers.
On December 1, Interpol warned that organised
criminal networks could be targeting Covid-19 vaccines,
One of the finest ways to welcome winter in Bangladesh is with the traditional rice cakes (pitha). While nothing can quite beat the homemade and could look to sell fake shots.
ones, pitha-vendors scattered across the country provide the warmth of soft Bhapa, Chitoi or Tel er pithas at Tk five to 10 to those who have The agency said it had issued a global alert to law
to spend their days out and about. The photo was taken in Farmgate area yesterday. PHOTO: ANISUR RAHMAN SEE PAGE 10 COL 4

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