Cyclone ‘Amphan’ causes loss of Taka 1100 cores



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Barta24.com

Photo: Barta24.com

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Super cyclone ‘Amphan’ caused a loss of Taka 1100 crore as it damaged homesteads, roads, crops, coastal embankments and fish firms and claimed at least 10 lives across the country on Wednesday, State(May 21) Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Dr. Md Enamur Rahman said.

We have primarily received an estimate of Taka 1100 crore loss caused by the super cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ to different sectors in the country. However, at least one week is needed to estimate the total damage caused by the giant storm across the country, he said while addressing a virtual press briefing at his offices at the secretariat here this afternoon.

Dr. Enam said the ministries of fisheries and livestock, water resources and agriculture ministries and Local Government Division (LGD) have given a primary estimation of loss to the sectors while some other ministries reported no such causalities caused by the super cyclone ‘Amphan’.

Noting that the ferocious cyclonic storm claimed at least 10 lives, including a volunteer of Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, he said the storm hit 26 costal districts.

The family of CPP’s Dhankhali Village unit leader’s mother, who died while she was out to aware the people about the cyclone, in Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali district will get an assistance of Taka 5 lakh, he added.

About 200 bridges and culverts and 233 local government offices in the cyclone prone areas have been damaged by ‘Amphan’ havoc, the state minister said, adding, however, the storm caused severe damages in Bagerhat, Satkhira
and Khulna districts.

Though the super cyclonic storm could not cause massive damages to Boro crop, he said, but it caused severe damages to mango orchards.

The damages to the mango orchards have been approximately estimated to be worth of Taka 150 crore, Dr. Enam said, adding the government, however, is considering distributing the mangoes among poor people as relief item.

About 150 kilometers flood control embankments under the Water Development Board(WDB) were damaged and another 84 have been cracked that would require Taka 200-300 crore to repair, he said.

Postal and Telecommunication Division said that their network was also damaged while Power division said they would resume the electricity supply by 24 hours, the state minister added.

The Fisheries Ministry said that the cyclonic storm caused damages to the livestock about Taka 140 crore and fisheries Taka 340 crore, he said.

Dr. Enam said 500 bundles of tins and Taka 15 lakh were allocated for each of the 26 districts affected badly by the cyclone.

   

India's Foreign Secretary's visit to Dhaka postponed



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra's visit to Bangladesh has been postponed.

A diplomatic source confirmed the matter on Thursday (April 18).

According to sources, the visit will take place on a mutually convenient new date. This is part of the high-level exchange between Bangladesh and India and the review of the progress of the bilateral cooperation agenda of the two countries.

A message in this regard has also been given to the guests invited to attend the dinner with the Indian Foreign Secretary on April 20. It said, "The trip has been postponed."

Although no official announcement was made from Dhaka and New Delhi regarding the visit, he was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Saturday for a brief visit.

In addition to the meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, the Indian Foreign Secretary was supposed to have a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud.

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‘Amrita Sagar’ variety banana of Narsingdi gets GI recognition



Sharif Iqbal Russel, District Correspondent, Barta24.com
Amrita Sagar

Amrita Sagar

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Narshingdi: Narsingdi's ‘Amrita Sagar’ variety banana has received Geographical Indication or GI (Geographical Indication) product recognition. Farmers are happy to get this recognition. The Deputy Commissioner said that Narsingdi's position has been taken higher.

In the context of the soil, water, and weather of a specific territory of a country, if the culture of the people there plays the most important role in the production of a product, it is recognized as a GI product of that country.

Recognition of GI is very significant in domestic and international trade. Now in the list of GI products Narsingdi’s ‘Amrita Sagar’ banana. On February 8, the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, an institution under the Ministry of Industries, granted the Geographical Indication or GI product recognition to Amrita Sagar banana of Narsingdi. The GI certificate was handed over to the Prime Minister on February 11. Banana cultivators are happy with this recognition.

According to the sources of Narsingdi Agricultural Extension Department, because of loam and sandy loam soil in Narsingdi, cultivation of Amrita Sagar banana is high here. Amrita Sagar banana is supplied to the surrounding districts and the capital to meet the local market demand.

Not only that, this banana is also being exported outside the country. In this context, an application was made by the district administration to include Narsingdi’s latkon and Amrita Sagar banana as geographical indication products in collaboration with e-commerce development center. Following the application, the authority recognized Sagar banana as a GI product after vetting the application.

Narsingdi Deputy Commissioner Dr. Badiul Alam said, due to recognition as a GI product, Amrita Sagar banana will have a huge response in commercial exports in the country and abroad.

According to the information of the District Agriculture Department, Amrita Sagar banana has been cultivated in 580 hectares of land in the district this year. In this recognition, its cultivation will increase further next year, and there is optimism in the conscious community.

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242 metric tons of Indian sugar seized in Pabna, 23 detained



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
ছবি: সংগৃহীত

ছবি: সংগৃহীত

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Pabna district police seized 12 trucks with 242 metric tons of Indian sugar smuggled from India by evading customs duty. At this time, 23 people including the truck driver and helper were arrested.

They were arrested in a special operation by the District Intelligence Police on Thursday (April 18) afternoon.

Pabna Additional Superintendent of Police Masood Alam confirmed the matter.

He said that for a long time a gang was bringing illegally imported Indian sugar to the country and selling it in different districts. Based on such news, the police entered the field. Later they were arrested in a raid in the Kazirhat Ghat area. At that time they could not show the valid documents of the goods. They were later seized and 23 people were arrested.

Additional Superintendent of Police Masood Alam also said that the case is under process. Details will be given after the investigation.

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Parimoni has been summoned to appear in court



Special Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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The court has issued a summons to the plaintiff businessman Nasiruddin Mahmud to appear in the court in the case of attempted murder in the case against the popular and criticized actress Parimani. At the same time the accused Junaid Bogdadi Jimmy asked to appear in court.

Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate M Saiful Islam gave this order on Thursday (April 18). Nasiruddin, the plaintiff in the case, had applied for the issuance of an arrest warrant against Parimoni.

The plaintiff's lawyer Abul Kalam Mohammad Sohail gave this information.

Earlier, the investigation officer of the case, police inspector Monir Hossain filed a report in the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court stating that the allegation of beating and intimidation against Parimoni and her costume designer Junaid Bogdadi Jimmy alias Jim was found to be true.

However, the report mentions that the allegations against another accused, Fatema Tuz Jannat Boni, were found to be true.

Businessman Nasiruddin filed the case in court on July 6, 2022.

In the statement of the case, it is said that Parimoni and her associates are alcoholics. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they entered various famous clubs and drink alcohol and do not pay the price with the parcel. Parimoni threatened harassment by filing false cases with police officials she knew. On June 9, 2021, after 12 midnight, the accused entered Savar's Boat Club and used the washroom on the second floor.

Later they sat inside the club and drank alcohol. When the plaintiff and his accomplice Shah Shahidul Alam were leaving the club at around 1.30 am, Parimoni purposefully called the plaintiff Nasiruddin and requested him to sit with them for some time. At one point Parimoni tried to lure Nasiruddin through obscene gestures and pressured the plaintiff to give the parcel a bottle of Blue Label alcohol free of charge.

As the plaintiff did not agree to this, Parimoni insulted the plaintiff. During an altercation between the plaintiff and the accused, Paramoni threw a serving glass at the plaintiff and also threw the mobile phone in his hand. Nasiruddin was injured in the head and chest. Parimoni and her accomplices beat up and threatened to kill Nasiruddin and vandalized him. 

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