Amid the recent dengue outbreak, both rural and urban life have been disrupted. In Bangladesh. total 11,978 dengue cases were recorded till July 2023.  Take a look some ways which keeps your home free from mosquitoes: Remove Stagnant Water The dengue mosquito lays its eggs on water-filled containers in the surrounding of your house. So it is very important to eliminate the stagnant water sources such as flower pots, pet bowls, etc. should be cleaned regularly. Special attention should be given to the drains, even small amounts of standing water in ponds or useless objects can act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes. You have to wear protective clothing and gloves, when removing stagnant water to prevent the aedes larvae. Use anti mosquito light and fan High brightness, low power consumption and energy saving mosquito lamp are getting popular now. Set up these lights in places around the house where mosquitoes tend to gather. At the same time anti mosquito fan is also very popular. But the fan should be Place in such a way that they do not pose an accident hazard. Curtains for window In the evening and early morning when the mosquito infestation is at its peak, you can use net or curtain in your window. But, you have to maintain one thing that is clean your curtains regularly for smooth air movement.  Using the Mosquito net is an effective natural method to keep mosquitoes away from home. The small holes of mosquito net can create a barrier for mosquitoes. Door-Window must be closed in dawn and dusk In the morning and evening when the mosquito enter into your home, keep your door and window close to get rid of mosquitos.  Some plants also works! Some plants are very effective for mosquito repellent. Plants such as basil, mint, rosemary and marigolds can be kept in your garden. These plants emit a natural fragrance that repel mosquitoes. In that case, the trees require regular care for their growth and maintenance. Clean your house premises Cleaning your house premises is also very important to eradicate the mosquito breeding.  Use mosquito net on your bed while sleeping A mosquito net can protect you while sleeping. If you use mosquito net on your bed, even if the mosquitoes enter the house at night, they will not be able to attack you. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the United Nations to take special and effective measures to stop the Ukraine-Russia war as soon as possible, saying as fast as the war will be ended it will be better for the people. "We are suffering a lot as a result of the war. Inflation has increased, especially due to non-arrival of goods for sanctions. People are suffering a lot because of this war, people are suffering all over the world. The war needs to stop as soon as possible," she said. The Prime Minister made the call during a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) Saturday afternoon (local time), as she arrived here in Qatar to attend 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5: From Potential to Prosperity). After the meeting, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen briefed the newsmen, while Senior Secretary of the foreign ministry Masud Bin Momen was present. Sheikh Hasina said that the UN Secretary General can take special initiative to end the ongoing Ukraine-Russia as soon as possible. She, however, opined that the countries making profit from the war should help other countries to lessen their sufferings. While discussing the Rohingya issue, the Prime Minister urged the UN Secretary General for undertaking special steps so that the Myanmar nationals can return to their homeland. Referring to her government's steps of relocating 30,000 Rohingyas at Bhashan Char, she requested the UN Secretary General to cooperate in shifting more Rohingyas there. Both the Prime Minister and the UN Secretary General agreed that the Rohingyas must go back to Myanmar soon whether there is any change taking place or not in political arena there. During the meeting, Antonio Guterres highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her unprecedented successes in development, diplomacy and in tackling Covid pandemic, saying: "The achievements is very much encouraging".  The UN Secretary General said that they are proud of a leadership like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who successfully tackled covid-19 situation and advanced Bangladesh further even facing the crisis due to Ukraine war.

India supports full and effective implementation of resolution 2231, which terminates United Nations resolution on Iran's nuclear policy, and encouraged the concerned parties to continue dialogue and diplomacy towards an early resolution of differences and return to full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While addressing the UN Security Council's meeting on non-proliferation, India's permanant representative Ruchira Kamboj said, "India supports the full and effective implementation of resolution 2231 and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). We encourage the concerned parties to continue dialogue and diplomacy towards an early resolution of differences and return to full implementation of the JCPOA." According to UN, the resolution 2231 (2015) provides for the termination of the provisions of previous Security Council resolutions on the Iranian nuclear issue and establishes specific restrictions that apply to all States without exception, according to the statement released by UN. Kamboj said, "India values the efforts of the IAEA to implement the Agency's verification and monitoring mandate. We take note of the recent reports of the Agency, which were also considered at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting recently."

Bangladesh has urged the United Nations (UN) to play an effective role in a durable solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis. The urge was made at a virtual meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and newly appointed UN’s Special Envoy on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer on Tuesday, a foreign ministry press release said in Dhaka today.   During the meeting, the foreign secretary expressed disappointment that in the fifth year of the crisis, Bangladesh is still grappling with multiple challenges of hosting more than a million forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. The prolonged presence of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh is creating security problems such as human and drug trafficking with ramifications across the region, he added. Masud emphasized that the office of the special envoy should work towards creating conducive conditions in Myanmar for the return of the Rohingyas in safety and security. Commending Bangladesh’s exceptional humanitarian gesture, the special envoy conveyed her sincere thanks and gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for demonstrating the highest level of humanity by hosting more than a million persecuted Myanmar nationals. She shed some lights on her priorities and future plans. She also assured that Rohingya issue would remain high on her agenda. Noeleen Heyzer was appointed as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar in October 2021. Source: BSS AH

Public transports will run across the country after abiding by the government directives to prevent transmission of lethal coronavirus. Following the health protocols buses will ply on the roads keeping the number of passengers on board according to the number of seats. Standing passengers will not be allowed the carry on buses. Trains and launches will ply keeping half of the seats vacant than the total number. Everyone has to wear face masks. Hand sanitizer has to be kept on the bus. Drivers and their assistants will not be allowed to provide service without having Covid vaccine certificate. Railway Secretary Dr. Humayun Kabir said, after abiding by the directives of government trains will carry passengers keeping half of the seats vacant from Saturday. According t BIWTA source, launches will carry half of the passengers than the allocated seats but fare will be unchanged. Dhaka road transport owners association general secretary Khandekar Enayet Ullah said, if we ply buses keeping half of the seats vacant than there will be public transport crisis. In this situation passengers will not get bus to board. BRTA Chairman has verbally confirmed about taking passengers according to the allocated seats on a bus. The government has imposed 11-point restriction to contain coronavirus transmission. Of the restrictions there was the direction to stop holding social, political and religious gatherings. The notification of the cabinet division also highlighted that road trans port and bridges ministry will take decision of controlling the number passengers on public transport.   In the recent time the transmission of coronavirus is increasing in geometrical rate. IN the last 24 hours 4,378 new cases were traced and six people died in the country. AH         

Law Minister Anisul Huq has said that there are effective laws to prevent Jefajat-e-Islam. He said this to the newsmen after taking the corona vaccine shot at Armed Forces Medical College at Kurmitola in the capital on Saturday afternoon. The law minister said, the government will take strict action if they (Hefajate Islam) try to create any harm to people’s properties or lives. He said, I want to make it clear that if anybody tries to create any type of anarchy in the country then this government will take stern action against them. People voted us-Sheikh Hasina to serve them. If anybody tries to create obstacle then legal action will be taken. About his reaction after taking the Covid-19 vaccine shot he said, I see no difference between first and second dose. I express my thanks to them who have vaccinated me. I felt no pain. I have taken the injection with comfort and for that I thank the authority. The law minister said, coronavirus is spreading in the world in a devastating look. Second dose can help us to get rid of infection, I think. We all have the ability to take the second dose. I would also request all to take the second dose. AH  

Pfizer says an early peek at its vaccine data suggests the shots may be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, indicating the company is on track later this month to file an emergency use application with U.S. regulators. Monday’s announcement doesn’t mean a vaccine is imminent: This interim analysis, from an independent data monitoring board, looked at 94 infections recorded so far in a study that has enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the U.S. and five other countries. Pfizer Inc. did not provide any more details about those cases, and cautioned the initial protection rate might change by the time the study ends. Even revealing such early data is highly unusual. “We’re in a position potentially to be able to offer some hope,” Dr. Bill Gruber, Pfizer’s senior vice president of clinical development, told The Associated Press. “We’re very encouraged.” Authorities have stressed it’s unlikely any vaccine will arrive much before the end of the year, and limited initial supplies will be rationed. “We need to see the data, but this is extremely promising,” said Dr. Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University. He ticked off many questions still to be answered including how long the vaccine’s effects last and if it also protects older people as well as younger people. If Pfizer’s vaccine ultimately pans out, “it’s going to be a while before this has a major impact at the population level,” said Goodman, a former chief of Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine division. The interim results were “an interesting first signal,” but questions remain, said Marylyn Addo, head of the tropical medicine unit at UKE hospital in Hamburg, Germany. Global markets, already buoyed by the victory of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, exploded on the news from Pfizer. All major markets in Europe, where infections have soared, are up 5%. In the U.S., Dow futures also rose 5% and were up about 1,400 points just over two hours before the opening bell. The shots made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are among 10 possible vaccine candidates in late-stage testing around the world — four of them so far in huge studies in the U.S. Another U.S. company, Moderna Inc., also has said it hopes to be able to file an application with the FDA later this month. Volunteers in the final-stage studies, and the researchers, don’t know who received the real vaccine or a dummy shot. But a week after their second required dose, Pfizer’s study began counting the number who developed COVID-19 symptoms and were confirmed to have the coronavirus. Because the study hasn’t ended, Gruber couldn’t say how many in each group had infections. Doing the math, that would mean almost all the infections counted so far had to have occurred in people who got the dummy shots. Pfizer doesn’t plan to stop its study until it records 164 infections among all the volunteers, a number that the FDA has agreed is enough to tell how well the vaccine is working. The agency has made clear that any vaccine must be at least 50% effective. No participant so far has become severely ill, Gruber said. Nor could he provide a breakdown of how many of the infections had occurred in older people, who are at highest risk from COVID-19. Participants were tested only if they developed symptoms, leaving unanswered whether vaccinated people could get infected but show no symptoms and unknowingly spread the virus. FDA has required that U.S. vaccine candidates be studied in at least 30,000 people. In addition to adequate numbers of older adults, those studies must also include other groups at high risk, including minorities and people with chronic health problems. And it told companies they must track half their participants for side effects for at least two months, the time period when problems typically crop up. Pfizer expects to reach that milestone later this month, but said Monday no serious safety concerns have been reported. Because the pandemic is still raging, manufacturers hope to seek permission from governments around the world for emergency use of their vaccines while additional testing continues — allowing them to get to market faster than normal but raising concerns about how much scientists will know about the shots. The FDA’s scientific advisers last month said they worry that allowing emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine could damage confidence in the shots and make it harder to ever find out how well they really work. Those advisers said it’s critical these massive studies are allowed to run to completion. Source: UNB AH

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni said, there is no link between our textbooks and the reality. For this reason higher degrees are not being effective in the real situation at the moment. So education system has been turned based on the reality. She said this on Wednesday at a program organized by Education Reporters Association of Bangladesh (ERAB) at the International Mother Language Institute. The Education Minister said, once upon a time it was a challenge to bring everyone under coverage of education. As that was succeed, so now emphasize has been given on quality education. Our children will be made experienced through providing quality education. For this reason a huge change has been brought in the textbooks for the students. Dipu Moni said, not only that excess examination methods have been made in the education system. Not only for the students but it also has created much pressure on the guardians. To run for fascination of GPA-5 they are being fallen into physical, mental and social pressure. To overcome this dependency on examination and certificate has to be lessened and learning will be made enjoyable. For this reason, to ensure quality education it is necessary to ensure financial security and dignity for the teachers. Currently we are working on it. Teachers will be responsible if we can ensure the matters. Learning will be made efficient by not making it based on textbooks. AH     

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said, e-passport will be effective from December. The German company which is assigned to implement the activities will be able to complete their work by December. Then Prime Minister will inaugurate. The finance minister said these while responding a question of newsmen after completing ministerial meeting on economic affairs at the secretariat on Wednesday. He said, e-passport will be effective by next December. It is hoped that Prime Minister will inaugurate it. The agreement regarding e-passport was signed between German government organization Veridos JMBH and DIP in Dhaka on July 19, 2018. It was scheduled to handover the modern passports to the people by December in that year. But it was deferred several times showing reasons for different complexities. Currently citizens of 119 countries of the world use e-passport. Now Bangladesh is going to be included in this list.      AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said collaboration among countries at regional and global levels is fundamental to accelerate progress in the Universal Health Coverage.   “Resource mobilization to ensure Universal Health Coverage is a fundamental obstacle in many countries. Effective global partnership to formulate healthcare financing strategy for each country could be an important tool to achieve UHC and ultimately SDGs by 2030,” she said.   The Prime Minister said this while addressing 'Multi-stakeholder Panel’ held in parallel to the High-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) on the theme 'UHC as driver of equity, inclusive development and prosperity for all'.   Sheikh Hasina along with her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez co-chaired the program held at ECOSOC Chamber of the UN Headquarters.   Hasina said, "I believe, collaboration amongst countries at regional and global level is fundamental to accelerate progress in Universal Health Coverage.”   "Inclusive development and progress mean two things -- everyone, irrespective of his or her social background, must get equal opportunity; and everyone must have equal access to the common benefit and resources,” she said. She said only generating growth and creating wealth are not enough for progress and wellbeing unless the access to and distribution of the wealth are just and proper.  “We’ve found out that securing universal health coverage is one of the pre-conditions for establishing a righteous and fair society as our health equates to our existence. While adopting Agenda 2030 in 2015, we committed that all individuals and communities should be able to receive essential health services,” she added. Although there has been some major progress, half the world's population still lacks access to necessary health services. About 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty each year because of health expenses, and 800 million people spend at least 10 per cent or more of their household budget on healthcare expenses," Hasina said. Noting that equity for all in availing of healthcare is an important issue, she said socio-economically disadvantaged people most often cannot access services from privately-owned health care providers resulting in inequity in overall health care benefits. The Prime Minister said lack of equity and absence of inclusive development may bring political instability and serious erosion of social cohesion. The PM said the equity in healthcare services could be ensured through Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by reaching to the poorest segment of the society with affordable and efficient health services. “We need to ensure that no family is forced into poverty because of health care expenses,” she said. As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for his or her health and well-being, she added. She said 90 percent of health needs can be met at the primary healthcare level. "Therefore, strong primary healthcare systems can be the first line of defence against communicable and non-communicable diseases." In Bangladesh, Hasina said, the government has established about 14 thousand ‘Community Clinics’ across the country to provide primary healthcare to rural areas so that the last one in line can be reached. The PM said some 40 patients take health services from each community clinic per day and 90 percent of them are women and children. More than 10 million average visits are made to these community clinics in every month. Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Maha Taysir Barakat, Chair of the Board of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria; Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International; and Jeffery Sachs, Professor and Director, Center for Sustainable Development, Colombia University, were the panelists of the event. Source: UNB AH