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Most Urgcnt From: PlO, PID, Dlraka For: Bangladoot, AII Missions Irax: 95,10553/95,10026 MSC:245/2020-21 E-rnuiI nid,lhukeOr:tnaiLcont Date. Sunday, 09 Ma,v 2021 \l eh: uii u.orcssrnlorm r.ov.hd

News Brief

The government at a virtual inter-ministerial meeting yesterday chaired by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen decided to extend the ongoing border closure with India for another 14 days, till May 23 keeping the same conditions to check spread of second surge of COVID- 19 virus. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader raised questions over the silence of the green activists while setting up a park at the historic during the regime of . "Ziaur Rahman, who became the country's President illegally, had established a children's park covering maximum areas of the Udyan to erase the memories of the venue. Why the green activists didn't raise any question at that time? Nobody made any comment during that period," he told a press conference yesterday. In the name of beautification, many beautiful trees were cut down from the sides of the streets in city and the beauty of the city was ruined during the period, he said. The Minister came up with the remarks amid protests of different professionals for cutting trees at Suhrawardy Udyan for setting up some eateries. The Minister urged all not to worry about the project the government has taken to make attractive the Race Course ground, now the Suhrawardy Udyan, the venue where Bangabandhu had delivered his landmark March 7 speech and Pakistani occupation forces surrendered to the liberation forces. Saying that the government is very much alert to this matter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going ahead with'realistic initiatives, he added, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu was first to plant saplings at the Suhrawardy Udyan and he created it as an Udyan or orchard. Recently, many improved varieties of paddy including BRRI -8i, BRRI -89, BRRI -92 and BRRI -100 have been invented. The yield of BRRI -81, BRRI -89 and BRRI-92 varieties of paddy is much higher. By cultivating these varieties, a new green revolution will take place in the country. Food production in the country will increase many times and there will be no food crisis in future. All of these would happen because of the country's scientists' relentless hard work to meet the growing demand for food of the country, Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said this while speaking at a program at Mushuddi-Kamarpara atDhanbariUpazila in Tangail yesterday. Earlier in the moming, the Minister inaugurated the distribution of VGF program worth more than Taka 1.43 crore to 31,187 families at Golabari Union Parishad in Madhupur as gift of Prime Minister on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. BNP Chairperson Begum is getting the highest medical facilities in the country, Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given instructions for her highest medical treatment. It is not clear why the BNP wants to take her abroad, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said this while speaking at a function marking World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day-2021 at Chattogram Press Club yesterday. BNP is not worried about the health of country's people rather all their thoughts are now focused on Begum Khaleda Zia'shealth, Dr. Hasan said. The Minister requesting BNP said, "Do not let your thoughts be immersed only in the health of Begum Khaleda Zia and stand beside the people." The l2th death anniversary of renowned nuclear scientist and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's husband Dr. M A Wazed Miah is being observed today. Due to the present global coronavirus pandemic, different organizations will observe the day on a limited scale abiding by health directives. Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen while talking to media said, there is nothing to be worried about the availability of COVID-l9 vaccines, noting that the government will have enough

0 /L,.-, vaccines soon from alternative sources. Dr. Momen said, is much ahead of many countries in procuring vaccines and launching vaccination drives across the country. Apart from China and Russia, there is much possibility to get vaccines from the US, he said. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said, the UN and the international partners need to support national governments in their efforts to protect and advance the cause of women. "During this trying time, let's redouble our efforts to ensure women empowgrment globally and their full, equal, and meaningful participation in all peace initiatives," he said. He was addressing a webinar titled "Women, Security and Peacebuilding: A 21st Century Perspective" on Friday night. Bangabandhu Centre for Bangladesh Studies in Canada-BCBS, in collaboration with the Bangladesh High Commission, Ottawa, Canada, organized the webinar. As the government gives priority to saving trees, no tree will be felled unnecessarily while implementing the mega plan at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan, the Project Director of construction (third phase) at the Suhrawardy Udyan, Md. Habibul Islam said to media. Around 1,000 saplings of tree will be planted at the Suhrawardy Udyan as part of a mega plan to preserve the memories of the Liberation War, he added. The 160th birth anniversary of Biswakabi Rabindranath Tagore, who reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as afts of Indian subcontinent with contextual modernism, was celebrated virtually yesterday through different programs. The holy Shab-e-Qadr, also known as Lailatul Qadr will be observed across the country tonight. President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen and the Muslim Ummah across the world on the occasion. A total of 250 COVID-l9 pandemic affected families of imam, muezzin and khadem in Sadar upazlla of Natore district received humanitarian food assistance as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday. In line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's call, Narail district Mohila provided food assistance among 50 poor and distressed women in the town yesterday ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. A total of 900 poor families of Manikganj district were given cash assistance and food stuffs to celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Fitr as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday. Distribution of Taka 85.06 crore among 18.09 lac families continues in Rangpur under the Vulnerable Group Feeding-VGF program to assist them in celebrating the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr festival, officials said. , Two p6sitive cases of COVID-I9 Indian variant have been confirmed in Bangladesh while four more cases are close to Indian variant, among the eight people, who entered Bangladesh from India, DGHS confirmed. Thecountryrecorded 45 fatalities from COVID-19 yesterday, takingthe deathtoll to 11,878. With 1,285 fresh cases, the tally of infections surged lo 7,72,727. At the same time recovery count rose to 7,06,833, DGHS disclosed this information in a press release yesterday. A total of 88,107 people were administered the second dose of the COVID-I9 vaccine yesterday, taking the total number of vaccine receivers given the second dose of vaccine to 34,01,531. ' Border Guard Bangladesh-BcB teams have been deployed on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia- Banglabazar routes in Manikganj and Munshiganj from last evening to stop the mad rush of homebound people in an attempt to curb the further spread of COVID-I9, officials confirmed. Strict actions will be taken against those gathering at the ferry terminals despite suspension on water vessels.

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