Dhaka: UK Foreign Secretary for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, is arriving in Dhaka on a two-day visit on Saturday (November 16). This will be the first visit by a British official after the formation of the interim government.

Sources said that the British Under-Secretary will arrive in Dhaka next week. However, the relevant parties did not give any message about the agenda of her visit.

However, during Catherine's stay in Dhaka, the Indian Ocean Strategy will be of importance in several meetings. In addition, the democratic transition of Bangladesh, politics, economy, fundamental human rights and basic issues of bilateral relations and contemporary global and regional issues will also be discussed.

Catherine West will pay a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. In addition, she will meet with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain. She may also exchange views with civil society and the media.

Catherine West is the UK's Foreign Office's foreign affairs State-minister, overseeing the UK's interests in China, North-East Asia, South-East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. She also oversees the economic security of the Indian Ocean region; particularly export controls, economic diplomacy, and the diffusion and application of technology.

It is worth noting that this is the first visit to Bangladesh by a senior leader of the UK government since the interim government took office on August 8.

Rajbari: The immortal icon of Bengali literature, novelist, playwright and prose writer 'Bishad-Sindhu', the author of the literary emperor Mir Mosharraf Hossain, is on his 177th birth anniversary today, Wednesday (November 13).

This pioneer of Bengali Muslim writers was born on November 13, 1847, in Lahunipara on the banks of the Gorai River in Kumarkhali, Kushtia district. His father's name was Syed Mir Muazzam Hossain and his mother's name was Daulatan Nesa. When this great scholar died on December 19, 1911, he was buried in Padmadi village of Nawabpur Union, Baliakandi, Rajbari.

The practice of literature in a modern style and style began through his works, breaking the half-century-long inertia of Bengali Muslim society. His novels 'Udasi Pathiker Moner Kotha' (1890), 'Gazi Miaar Bastani', 'Zamidar Darpan' (1873), autobiographical works 'Amar Jiboni', 'Bibi Kulsum' (1910), and 37 other stories, novels, plays, poems, essays, and religious subjects are immortal creations of Bengali literature.

To mark the birth anniversary of Mir Mosharraf Hossain, one of the leading prose writers of the Bengali language, the Bangla Academy, the administration, Mir Mosharraf Hossain Degree College, Mir Mosharraf Hossain Smriti Sangsad, and various local socio-cultural organizations have undertaken various programs at the Mir's tomb in Padmadi, Nawabpur, Baliakandi. The programs include tributes, Doa mahfils, and discussion meetings at the tomb of Mir Mosharraf Hossain.

According to the invitation letter of Bangla Academy Director General Professor Mohammad Azam, they will pay homage at Mir Mosharraf Hossain's tomb at 9 am on Wednesday on the occasion of his birth anniversary. Then there will be a seminar at 11 am. Rajbari Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah will preside over the seminar.

Bangla Academy Secretary (Joint Secretary) Mohd Nayeb Ali will be the chief guest, Baliakandi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (Acting) Hasibul Hasan will deliver the welcome speech, and Professor Tariq Manjur of the Bangla Department of Dhaka University will be presenting the key-note paper.

In addition, teachers from various Universities and colleges and the activists of local social organizations will be the discussants. 

Dhaka: The number of patients and deaths from dengue fever, a disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, is increasing day by day. In the last 24 hours, 7 people have died from this disease across the country. With this, 367 people have died from dengue this year. In addition, 1,211 people have been admitted to hospitals due to dengue in the last 24 hours. With this, the number of infected people has increased to 74,800.

This information was given in a press release on dengue sent by the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services on Tuesday (November 12) evening.

The release said that among the dead, 3 are from Dhaka South City Corporation and 1 each from North City Corporation, Dhaka Division and one each from Chattogram and Barishal Divisions.

Among the infected, 221 are from Dhaka North City area and 190 are from Dhaka South City area. In addition, 291 people in Dhaka division, 139 in Chattogram division, 108 in Barishal division, 130 in Khulna division, 43 in Mymensingh division, 67 in Rajshahi division, 18 in Rangpur division and 4 in Sylhet division have been admitted to hospitals.

The notification further said that currently 3,980 dengue patients are admitted to various government and private hospitals in the country. Of which 1,838 are in Dhaka, while the remaining 2,142 are in various departments outside Dhaka.

The dengue situation has taken a terrible shape since June 2023. Last year, 321,179 patients were admitted to hospitals in the country and received treatment. On the other hand, 1,705 people have died from this mosquito-borne disease. This is the highest death record in the country's history so far.

Earlier, 1,11,354 people were infected with dengue nationwide in 2019. At that time, about 300 people, including doctors and health workers, died.

Although dengue infections were not seen much during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, 28,429 people were infected with dengue fever across the country in 2021. 105 people died from dengue that year. In addition, a total of 62,382 people were hospitalized with dengue in 2022. 281 people died from the mosquito-borne disease that year.

Dhaka: The Chief Adviser to the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, said that most climate-vulnerable countries with limited decarbonization capacity need adequate financial and technical support to develop green industries.

He said that Bangladesh is willing to work with the Climate Club by leveraging international cooperation in capacity building, technology transfer and concessional decarbonization finance.

The Chief Adviser made these remarks on Tuesday (November 12) while addressing a high-level Climate Club leaders’ meeting hosted by Germany and Chile on the sidelines of the COP-29 conference in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

Dr. Yunus said that comprehensive international action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a more rapid and sustainable manner and to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent by 2030 and limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to reach net-zero by 2050.

He called for the demonstration and deployment of proven low-emission technologies, especially in emerging markets and developing economies.

The Chief Adviser said, “Many decarbonizations technologies require significant upfront investments. Such high capital investments can be a barrier for industry in countries with limited access to finance, especially in the most vulnerable developing countries like Bangladesh.”

The Chief Adviser stressed the need to develop financial mechanisms to finance industrial decarbonization by encouraging private sector industry to access concessional finance in emerging developing economies like Bangladesh.

He said it is essential to ensure international cooperation, capacity building and technology transfer under Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, emphasizing the need for an international agreement on carbon pricing or cap-and-trade taxes to create a level playing field by imposing a fair carbon cost on imports, said that least developed countries (LDCs) will need preferential treatment given their specific circumstances and development needs.

On industrial decarbonization, he said, carbon emissions could reduce the incentives for innovation based on low-carbon technologies globally, as some sectors may prioritize costs over sustainable management practices.

Dr. Yunus added that to mitigate these risks, policies such as carbon cap coordination and international cooperation are essential to balance decarbonization efforts with economic stability.

On the other hand, these policies could affect the competitiveness of companies in particularly vulnerable developing countries like Bangladesh. Higher emissions policies will make them less competitive globally in the face of higher production costs, the Chief Adviser added.

He added, “Therefore, preferential arrangements will be required for least developed countries given their specific circumstances and development needs.” ’

The Chief Adviser said that ambitious mitigation policies in a fragmented manner are pushing industrial activities into regions with no or less stringent carbon pricing policies, which could lead to carbon emissions and thus hinder the global goal of reducing overall global carbon emissions.

He said that the EU’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) could encourage countries to strengthen their climate policies by indirectly applying emission standards to exported products and preventing carbon emissions.

Professor Yunus said that international cooperation is needed to support a just and inclusive transition, as well as to boost economic growth and create new job opportunities in emerging markets.