‘Everything will open gradually after August 5’



Senior Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Strict lockdown is underway to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. This severe lockdown has started from last July 23 and will continue till midnight of 5 August 5. All government, private offices, factories, garment industry and all other activities are closed in the lockdown. During the 14-day lockdown, movement of people from one end of the country to the other has been banned.

The government has imposed restrictions to prevent further spread of corona infection. However, people are not going to be controlled. People are leaving the house on various excuses. Therefore, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed to strictly enforce the lockdown. Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Malek told reporters that he had instructed the law enforcement agencies working in the field administration to be strict in implementing the lockdown.

However, this long lockdown has created a kind of discomfort among the people. Besides, it is becoming difficult to make a living. In this situation, the government is focusing on how to keep people at home till at least August 5.

Will the lockdown extend after August 5? In response to such a question, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain told Barta24.com, “Everything will be opened gradually. Not at once. All will be opened step by step. Not all will be open at a time. ”

The state minister said we should all try our best. We can't live like this. We have to wear masks, we have to work. Our vaccine crisis is over. Now everyone will be brought under the vaccination program. In response to the question of whether the offices will be opened with half the manpower, the state minister said, "Yes, it is like that."

Asked if there is any possibility of opening the garments in a day or two, he said the chances are very slim this month. We want to bring everyone under control. I will open the garments in two weeks. I will open all export oriented industries. Regarding whether it will be opened from August 1, he said, the decision will be taken after understanding the situation.

Meanwhile, after the cabinet meeting, the Health Minister told reporters that many people are reluctant about the lockdown. But reluctance will not work. Life will live first then the economy. First you survive, then your economy. What to do with the economy? If we want to save the economy, we have to save lives. In order to save lives, you have to accept the lockdown and get vaccinated, you have to adhere to social distance and everyone has to wear a mask. But we painfully notice that the lockdown has been going on for four days today, but we are very sorry about the way people are moving on the road, cars are coming out. They are breaking the lockdown. They are harming themselves.

The minister said there was no alternative to lockdown in corona control. Lockdown must be observed. Those in charge of implementing the lockdown need to be more stringent. People need to be a little more aware. Adults should be vaccinated and tested. The elderly should not go where they are being infected. The reality is that if the infection does not decrease, the patient will not decrease, if the patient does not decrease, the death will not decrease and there will be no place in the hospital. 

   

Dhaka is the sixth most polluted city in the world, Seoul is on top



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Today, Dhaka is sixth in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality of the capital has become 'unhealthy' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 172 at 6:50 am today.

South Korea's capital Seoul topped the air quality index with 343. South Korea's Incheon, Pakistan's Lahore, Vietnam's Chiang Mai and India's Delhi occupy the second, third, fourth and fifth places in the list with AQI scores of 217, 187, 179 and 177 respectively.

An AQI score between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. An AQI score between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. And an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing a serious health risk to residents.

AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 parameters of pollution, namely - Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).

Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.

In March 2019, a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank stated that the three main causes of Dhaka's air pollution are brick kilns, smoke from vehicles and dust from construction activities.

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Taka 400 crores laundered through digital Hundi, controlled by Dubai



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 5 people for allegedly laundering around Tk. 400 crore abroad through Digital Hundi using Mobile Banking Service (MFS).

CID Chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia informed this in a press conference at CID headquarters on Thursday (March 28) afternoon.

The arrested are - Nasim Ahmed (62), the owner of Tasmia Associates, Fazle Rabbi Sumon (32), the territory sales manager of Agent SIM, Md. Kamruzzaman (33), Zahir Uddin (37), representative of Jet Robotics Apps Bangladesh and Khairul Islam alias Pius (34).

Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia said, a gang has smuggled around Tk. 400 crore abroad through digital Hundi using mobile banking services. Five members of this gang were arrested during the operation.

He said that Tk. 400 crores illegally came to Bangladesh through Jet Robotics app in the last few months. Police traced the app through intelligence.

He also said that the money of this gang was transacted from the Chattogram based distribution house. Five members of the gang were arrested in separate raids in Dhaka and Chattogram on Wednesday night.

He said that Tk. 28 lakh 51 thousand cash was seized from them at the time of arrest. He said that they used to rent development agent SIMS and deliver money through them to the grassroots level.

The head of CID said that Mamun, the master of this gang lives in Dubai. He is using agent SIM here. This app used for smuggling cannot work outside 48 SIM along the specific link sent from Dubai. Only seven people can enter this app.

Referring to this as a modern form of Hundi business, he said, money is being circulated in the country through this app by blocking remittances coming to Bangladesh. Already we got 5-7 more such organizations who are working like this.

He said, in the last three months, Tk. 400 crores have been hindered from coming to Bangladesh through Jet Robotic Apps. Five people using these apps have been arrested and their devices seized.

He said, Chattogram's development distribution house Tasmia Associates company has 1000 Bkash Agent SIMs. These agent SIMs who are not performing well, the agent SIMs provide DSOs to the users of Jet Robotic Apps.

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Demand for punishment for those responsible for electrocution death in Moulvibazar



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The death of 6 members of the same family due to electrocution in Moulvibazar is very shocking and heartbreaking. The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmed said that the main responsible person and institution should be brought under accountability.

He made this comment at a discussion on 'Role of Media in Protection of Human Rights and Consumer Rights' organized by 'Business Digest' at a hotel in the capital on Thursday (March 28).

The Chairman of the Human Rights Commission said, after investigating the incident of Moulvibazar, appropriate legal action should be taken against those responsible and necessary measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We could not do anything for one family, but we have to do for hundreds of such families.

He also said that the issue of rights is directly and indirectly the daily practice of the media. Media can question all the irregularities; make people aware of their rights and duties and play an important role in establishing rights. We can carry out reformative activities only in view of the news published in the media.

Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed called on the media workers to take all-out efforts to spread the necessary knowledge about the constitution, law and rights among the people.

At one stage of the discussion, he said about the recurrence of fires, we have not learned proper lessons from the big fires and explosions in Nimatli, Newmarket and Bangabazar in the past years. Had we taken effective measures, recurrence of fires could have been prevented.

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Suggestion to introduce Human Rights Wing in the Foreign Ministry



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended setting up a new wing on human rights to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The suggestion was made at the parliamentary committee meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan on Thursday (March 28). After the meeting, this information was informed in a press release of the Parliament Secretariat.

The meeting recommended taking necessary steps to recognize March 25 as International Genocide Day. A proposal was made in the meeting to visit the Rohingya camps Kutupalong and Bhasanchar with the members of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chairman of the committee AK Abdul Momen chaired the meeting and members of the committee and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Shahriar Alam, Nahim Razzak, Nizam Uddin Jalil, Nurul Islam Nahid, Habibur Rahman, Saimum Sarwar, Zara Zabeen Mahbub took part in the meeting. #

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