La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

(09 juillet---15 juillet)

Ma Semaine Gastronomique

Date	Petit-déjeuner	Déjeuner	Dîner	Snacks,Sucreries,Boissons et Fritures
09	Pain tchapati,Gourde serpent et concombre,Thé sans sucre	Riz,Épinards malabar,Tête de Ruhi poisson dans soupe aux haricots mungo et pommes de terre,Anchois gangétique	Riz,Épinards malabar,Tête de Ruhi poisson dans soupe aux haricots mungo et pommes de terre,Anchois gangétique	Mangue,Thé sans sucre
10	Pain,Papaye et pommes de terre,Mangue, Thé sans sucre	Khichri,Omelette, Papaye et pomme de terre	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Lait sucré	Thé sans sucre, un bun(un type de pain que je n'ai pas réussi à faire )
11	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Œuf poché, Papaye et pommes de terre,Thé sans sucre	Riz,Purée de pommes de terre,Rita poisson	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Rita poisson	Thé sans sucre
12	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Rita poisson,Thé sans sucre	Riz,Rita poisson,Papaye-Gourde épineuse,Purée des pommes de terre,Poulet,Soupe des lentilles	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Gourde épineuse avec Papaye	Riz battu dans lait avec Mangue et Aloe Vera,Riz gonflé,Thé sans sucre
13	Pain tchapati,Papaye et Gourde épineuse,Thé sans sucre	Riz,Gourde calebasse,Épinards du buffle,Rita poisson	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Épinards du buffle et Rita poisson	Riz gonflé,Nouilles
14	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Gourde calebasse, Thé sans sucre	Riz,Épinards d'eau,Gourde calebasse, Luffa,Wallagu attu poisson	Pain chapati(fait par moi),Wallagu attu	Riz gonflé et lait chaud,Thé sans sucre
15	Pain tchapati(fait par moi),Wallagu attu curry,Thé sans sucre	Pilaf,Papaye-Pommes de terre-Farine de maïs,Épinards malabar,Concombre,Œuf dur,Purée de pommes de terre	Pilaf,Papaye et haricot vert,Épinards malabar	Riz gonflé,Lait chaud,Thé sans sucre

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

(09 juillet --- 16 juillet)

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

(02 avril --- 09 avril)

Selon un reportage, la propagation de Covid-19 est devenue pire. Plus de 7.000 cas de Covid-19 ont été détectés chaque jour. Le jeudi 74 morts ont été enregistrées, le plus dans un jour. Le Center for Disease & Prevention des États-Unis a élevé le niveau de la propagation de Bangladesh à la 4ème position et a prévenu les Américains de voyager le pays. Une enquête conjointe, faite par icddr,b et le bureau de la santé, a divulgué que le variant sud-africain a ciblé de plus en plus de gens au Bangladesh.

Selon un reportage, une bande de gens inconnus ont attaqué les maisons et bureaux de conseiller et fonctionnaire de Saltha à Faridpur. Quand des policiers et une fonctionnaire avaient tenté d' imposer mesures de confinement, une bagarre a rendu violente. 30 personnes ont été blessées et 1 a été tuée.

Selon un reportage, le gouvernement a déployé mitrailleurs avec mitrailleuses dans 18 gendarmerie à Sylhet où installations publiques et gendarmeries ont été ciblées pendant manifestations d' un groupe fanatique.

Selon un reportage, un bateau a été chaviré dans un fleuve de Narayanganj après avoir percuté par un bateau-citerne. 34 personnes ont été mortes dans l'accident.

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

(26 mars --- 02 avril)

Selon un reportage, la deuxième vague de propagation de covid-19 a ciblé le pays. Le virus a péri 52 personnes le mercredi. Chaque jour en moyenne 5.000 cas de covid-19 ont été détectés. Il y a une crise de service de réanimation à travers de pays. Le gouvernement a introduit 18 points de confinement dont 60% augmentation du prix de billets de bus et train, arrêt de service de moto-partage, interdiction de déplacement après 10 heures du soir.

Selon un reportage, des grévistes ont encore vandalisé la ville de Brahmanbaria où 3 personnes ont été tuées par balles, en faisant un bilan de 14 morts. Mais le plateforme de groupe fanatique s'est dit que 17 personnes avaient été tuées. A Brahmanbaria , 7 installations de gouvernement ont été incendiées. Un centre culturel a été attaqué. De plus, maisons de 5 dirigeants du parti en exercice ont été ciblées. 43 plaintes ont été déposées contre 20.000 personnes.

Selon un reportage, Facebook dans un communiqué s'est dit que son service a été perturbé au Bangladesh. Après deux jours de fermeture, les utilisateurs ont recommencé à utiliser Facebook.

Selon un reportage, incendie a ravagé une partie de campe de Rohingya à Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar. 3 Rohingyas ont été tués dans l'incendie.

A Vaccine For The Poor

Lukewarm response to vaccine registration,
Very few effective vaccines are in action.
But there is no vaccine for the poor,
Delay in showing COVID-19 the exit door.

With a sigh of relief Bangladesh has started a country wide vaccination program. With much fanfare ministers, MPs and concerned officials have taken vaccines, supplied by AstraZeneca via India's Serum Institute, in front of flashing cameras of the press. Around 1000 hospitals across the country are prepared for the vaccination program. Earlier government launched an application that would deliver the date of vaccination in a reply message. As many Bangladeshis are not at ease with such application, government also introduced registration forms at the vaccination centers.

Congestion during the photo session of the health minister taking vaccine caused debate on the press about violating the standard operating procedures of COVID-19. It is interesting that a great number of people did not show any keen interest to register for vaccine.Ruling party politicians, MPs and government officials pledged everyone to take vaccine trashing all all rumors and negative narrative.

Bangladesh got the vaccine pretty quickly, as one of its private company inked deal with Serum Institute, India, for the vaccines of AstraZeneca. Bangladesh signed an agreement for 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.India as part of its "neighbor first" policy donated Bangladesh another 2 million doses of vaccines. Till to date Bangladesh received 7 million vaccines, including the 2 million gifted by India. In addition, Bangladesh also joined the global alliance on vaccine for COVID-19. Under this alliance Bangladesh will also receive the doses of AstraZeneca.

Some Bangladeshi companies also applied to the government for third-phase trial. But their small initiatives are met with hurdles that only delay the procedure. If government were a bit kind towards such companies we would see a home-developed vaccine by this time. Even Nepal , a neighboring country, showed keen interest on it when the news first broke.

I came across a news report claiming AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective to South African variants of the vaccine. The new strains are already causing unprecedented havocs in the world with surge in new cases and rising rate of mortality.

We should have welcomed other vaccines if they are easily available. For instance, government recently allowed Sputnik vaccine to the workers and engineers from Russia and Ukraine on the condition that project implementation authority bears all responsibility in case of any adverse consequences. Meanwhile, Lancet, medical research journal, claims that Russian vaccine is 92% effective against COVID-19. Bangladesh government should approach the Russian government to mass produce the vaccine at home. Earlier, Bangladesh had failed to capitalize from SinoVac's clinical trial at home. Other Chinese pharmaceutical companies are also showing great interest.

Bangladesh government mobilized resources to procure vaccine. World Bank, ADB, France and other development partners provided soft loans to purchase vaccine. Though Bangladesh is offering the vaccine at free of cost to all citizens , I personally think it should not be free to those who could afford it.Ministry of Health has not yet finalized the rules for private purchase of vaccines from pharmacies and health centers. Since it is necessary to bring majority of people under the vaccination program to make sure herd immunity, government may not have any option but to open so many vaccination centers across the country. But private procurement should be there.Government can deduct the cost of vaccination from salaries or annual fund for an office. Due to Corona, many branches of the government either cut their development spending or do not utilize them at all. Part of this spending could easily be redirected to repay the vaccine credit. Government bodies that are less transparent or accountable should easily vie for this kind of deduction/contribution.

Request can also be made to individuals , professional bodies, corporate houses to make voluntary contribution to government vaccination program. There is already a popular mean: imposition of supplementary duty on mobile talk time and data. Communities, neighborhoods can also step forward to finance their own vaccination program.

To develop our own vaccine is the key to mass vaccination in the wake of any new variety of COVID-19. Those who could afford vaccines capable to deal with newer strains ultimately will buy those vaccines from the market later when private purchase will be allowed.Left-outs have no choice but to go for home-produced vaccine if there is any.If government could show interest in funding them , then they will prepare vaccines for the new variant as well. This crisis should be seen as an opportunity to increase the capability and strength of our pharmaceutical companies instead of clipping their wings. There is no vaccine for the "poor". I think we should mobilize efforts to develop a vaccine for the poor. It is a pity that a country that led from the front in the fight against cholera by devising oral saline has not yet come forward with a vaccine for all. It is naïve to assume that the world will develop a vaccine for the poor amid this strong wind of vaccine nationalism.

Under the banner of"Extended Program for Immunization", which aims to vaccinate childs against some key diseases like polio, diphtheria Hepatitis etc, Bangladesh has the experience to conduct such large scale vaccination program. So this scale of vaccination program will not pose a huge challenge to authority.

There will be no herd immunity unless most of the population get vaccinated. At the same time, there will be no normalcy unless government is prepared for the most aggressive and nefarious variants of the COVID-19. Very few people and government could afford a vaccine cost between $15 and $10. So there is no option but to develop a vaccine that will be afforded by all.

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

(29 janvier --- 05 février)

Selon un reportage, un journaliste a été sévèrement battu pour avoir pris des photos sur extraction de sable depuis un fleuve. Des gens inconnus ont aussi volé son portable et appareil photo.

Selon un reportage, abus d'alcool a provoqué mort de deux universitaires à Dacca. Police soupçonne que toxicité dans l'alcool domestique a provoqué la tragédie.

Selon un reportage, alcool domestique a provoqué mort de 16 personnes à Bogura. Ils ont acheté alcool dénaturé depuis pharmacie homéopathique. Police a appréhendé 4 personnes de distilleries locales.

Selon un reportage, un journal hongrois s'est dit que l'Hongrie n'avait jamais fait requête au Bangladesh pour 5.000 ampoules de vaccins. Au contraire, Bangladesh tentait d'offrir les ampoules pour remercier rôle hongrois dans chirurgie plastique des patients bangladais. Hongrie n'a pas l'intention d' accepter vaccin depuis Bangladesh.

Selon un reportage, témoignage d'un dirigeant a divulgué que des salariés de la Banque centrale avaient reçu le pot-de-vin depuis une institution leasing qui se trouve dans une condition précaire après des années d'escroquerie.

Winter Is Coming!

Showroom, school fill empty factory space,
Vans with sold-out machine rob smile from owner's face.
Vibrant street market becomes thinner.
Winter money making comes under scanner.

1.
The pockets of textile/garments zone of Dhaka have become quiet. I am a frequent visitor to one such pocket. I see rickshaw vans flank the key road of that textile zone. Vegetable vendors, fruit sellers, utensil sellers, snack vendor, mobile beautybox sellers shout cheap prices for their articles at the rushing column of garment workers going home in a hurry to prepare the meal before they go to bed.

Nowadays that column becomes thinner, so does the number of shouting vendor.But this time around the winter, factories are packed with workers to make sure owners deliver the goods in time to super stores and brands in western hemisphere.And the street I am talking about is abuzz with people giving an aura of village fair. That is gone. A subdued activity occupies the street instead. Something bad is happening.The virus attack is unleashing its ugly face on Bangladesh's hard earned currency.

Across the street, arrays of grocery shops also catch the sombre mood. Months after months, shop owners lent workers rice, lentils and other essentials, hoping in good time they would be able to clear the dues.But the good time is still at the far end of the tunnel. Many lost jobs. Many found it difficult to pay the rent of the room they coshared with others. Landlord's patience worn thin.Some vacated house and left for the village or the mofussil district. Vibrant street market goes quiet, it will be quieter in the weeks down the line.

2.
More than a week ago, president of Bangladesh garments exporters' platform, BGMEA, wrote a letter to the government seeking moratorium on credit repayment. In the wake of COVID-19 crisis, government unveiled a Tk 50 billion credit package, which later rose to Tk 91.88 billion,for the garments sector to pay the salaries of the workers provided that six months later exporters would start repaying the instalment.In January, rebate on repayment ends. Since end of November,second wave of COVID-19 has been sweeping across the European and North American countries. First wave already cost 18% less export in the previous fiscal year, a news report claims. Current fiscal year started with optimism.However, some of the big retailers and brands that regularly imported clothes from abroad went bankrupt. The names include Primark and Debenhams. Local staffs of Debenhams Bangladesh even held press conference demanding their dues.

Major destinations of Bangladeshi exports also portray a grim picture: there is a surge in job cut in US in December; UK has gone into lockdown; France has shut all retail stores but the ones selling essential items; Germany has declared lockdown till 31st March. Shrinking income does not translate into buying more clothes. And social security benefits are never used in buying clothes. When uncertainty grips , people save money,slash consumption. More bad news and bad times coming for Bangladeshi exporters.

3.
In the first two quarters of current fiscal year,Bangladesh has exported $19.23 billion worth of goods, according to a news report. The sum is 36% lower than what it exported in the previous year. Lockdowns during the second wave will make further dent in the earnings. Since demand for Bangladeshi apparel items depends a lot on foreign household spending , significant reduction in foreign household income and consumption inevitably augurs ill for Bangladeshi apparel items.

Government support package so far is restricted to clearing the salaries of the workers. Even it is not controversy free. Sporadic protests were staged across the industrial areas, hinting irregularities in the salary payment through mobile financial service.

When it comes to supporting the initiative of creating demand for Bangladeshi apparel goods, government did little.In one of my earlier pieces, I elaborated how to create demand for Bangladeshi goods at home and abroad.Our annual development program (ADP), PM's relief fund could easily support development projects in other friendly countries. If our development program could accommodate uniform purchase program for police, school children in foreign countries or road building projects in other countries then demand for Bangladeshi goods will be created.By increasing the reach of our ADP program, we explore new markets where Bangladeshi goods have potential to enter.

By the same token, government can finance purchase of school dress for 50 million school children in Bangladesh. Or, it can provide incentives to government employees to buy Bangladeshi shirts. This indirect incentive will keep running the factories for at least couple of months and will help easing the employment crisis.

4.
Nowadays I catch sight of vans carrying sold-out electric sewing machines on far too many occasions. Orders are drying up. Factory owners, the ones work as subcontractors, are going out of business. They are selling their equipments. Empty factory buildings in some part of Dhaka are turning into school, private clinic or showroom for home appliances.Some remain empty.

For the winter vegetable sellers on that partly-dark, partly-bright street , there are not too many workers left to shout at. Cheap vegetables remain unsold.Bad time is really contagious. The industry that sustains the economy, logistics company and financial institutions is finally showing signs of weakness. In all these years, winters mean making money. Now, winter is really coming for Bangladeshi RMG industry!

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

Selon un reportage, Facebook a déposé plainte contre une société bangladaise pour avoir mené un site au Bangladesh en falsifiant la marque de Facebook.

Selon un reportage, un cambriolage s'est déroulé dans une banque publique à Chuadanga. Les cambrioleurs sont arrivés à voler Tk 500.000 depuis la banque.

Selon un reportage, le site statistique Worldometers est classé Bangladesh 5ème parmi les pays de l'Asie où plus de cas de covid-19 ont été enregistrés.

Selon un reportage, des ouvrières d'un atelier de confection se sont insurgées contre l'autorité d' atelier en Jordanie. Elles demandent revalorisation leurs salaires. Cadavre d'une ouvrière à côté de la rue a provoqué la manifestation.

Selon un reportage, le gouvernement a donné Tk 59,06 milliards à 390 villages pour refaire les rues endommagées par inondations fréquentes, pluies torrentielles. Bangladesh a connu assez inondations et pluies torrentielles dans l'année actuelle.

Selon un reportage, la force élite bangladaise a appréhendé un homme pour avoir menacé de tuer vedette cricketeur Sakib al Hasan. Sakib a récemment participé à une soirée de prière dans un temple de Kali à Kolkata, ville indienne avoisinant de Bangladesh. La personne fanatique a menacé le cricketeur de tuer en montrant une machette dans une vidéo diffusée dans son compte de Facebook.

Selon un reportage, le parlement bangladais a dit oui à projet de loi qui augmente la peine encourue pour viol à mort.

Selon un autre reportage,une cour bangladaise a condamné une personne à prison à vie pour avoir violé une universitaire en janvier cette année.

Selon un reportage, un couple américain, originaire du Bangladesh, ont été appréhendé par police pour avoir financé deux djihadistes de Daech.

Selon un reportage, Facebook a déposé plainte contre une société bangladaise pour avoir mené un site au Bangladesh en falsifiant la marque de Facebook.

La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux

Selon un reportage, le groupe indigène Mro s'est insurgé contre construction d'un hôtel à Bandarban. Des gens indigènes craignent que l'hôtel les expulse depuis leurs villages natales.

Selon un reportage, police a appréhendé 3 universitaires pour avoir gardé et vendu des images nues des adolescentes aux sites pornographiques. 3 pays ont demandé info à Bangladesh à ce propos.

Selon un reportage, la cour d'appel a donné son aval à recueillir impôt, TVA depuis les plateformes de réseau social.

Selon un reportage, incendie dans une cimetière à Narayanganj a brûlé 5 ouvriers.

Selon un reportage, police bangladaise a fait une requête à Interpol pour trouver et appréhender un trafiquant de l'homme. Police a reçu beaucoup de plaintes contre lui.

Selon un reportage, des gens inconnus ont mis 9 bus à feu dans plusieurs endroits à Dacca. Une bi-élection législative s'est déroulée dans une circonscription électorale à Dacca en ce moment là.

Selon un reportage, encore une fois établissement scolaire est tombé victime de la mesure sanitaire. Le gouvernement a prolongé la fermeture des écoles jusqu'au 19 décembre.