February 7, 2022 - দ্য লিগেল ভয়েস

Bangladeshi injured in Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia

A Bangladeshi expatriate suffered minor injuries in a ballistic missile attack by Houthi militias on Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen reported on Sunday. Two expatriates — one Sudanese and one Bangladeshi — were injured when the missile fired by the Iran-aligned Houthi militias fell in the south of Saudi Arabia, the Khaleej Times reports. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. A number of workshops and civilian vehicles were damaged in the attack which targeted the industrial zone of Ahad Al Masarihah in south-western Saudi Arabia, the report said. The coalition has been fighting the Houthi group in Yemen since 2015. Apple Google Click to comment The Daily Star | বাংলা ৩৭ মিনিট আগে|বাংলাদেশ মির্জা আজমের বক্তব্য ‘অরুচিকর-অসংলগ্ন’ আওয়ামী লীগের সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক ও জামালপুর-৩ আসনের সংসদ সদস্য মির্জা আজম বলেছেন, ‘চোরকে চোর বললে ভেচকি মারে। আজকে কয়েকটি চোর, চোর সমিতি করে। তারা থ্রেট করে আমাকে, বিবৃতি দেয়। তারা আমার এমপি পদ থেকে… ৩০ মিনিট আগে|বন্দর চট্টগ্রাম থেকে ইতালির উদ্দেশ্যে প্রথম সরাসরি কনটেইনার জাহাজের যাত্রা Skilled migration & more NEWS ANALYSIS KL for 25 recruiting agencies: Can Dhaka stick to its no-cap stance? Porimol Palma Porimol Palma Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:40 PM A debate over syndication in labour recruitment in Malaysia is swirling around, especially after Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard on December 19. At the heart of the debate is the syndicate of 25 Bangladeshi agents and 250 subagents mentioned by Malaysian Human Resources Minister M Saravanan in a letter to Bangladesh Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad on January 14. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. In his reply, on January 18, Imran stressed on allowing all valid recruiting agencies of Bangladesh in the hiring process to ensure transparency, highlighting the Bangladesh Competition Act 2012 and the ILO charters on overseas labour recruitment. Despite such a stance by Imran Ahmad, it is evident from his statements made to the media on different occasions that he is in favour of quickly opening the Malaysian labour market, which has remained closed since September 2018. The then Mahathir Mohamad-government shut the market for high recruitment costs that led to forced labour and other forms of exploitation. Many suspect that for the sake of opening the market, the minister may compromise on the Malaysian preference for syndication which was the case in 2016. While media reporting brought up various aspects of corruption and labour exploitation under the G2G Plus arrangement since 2016, a group of recruiting agents – Sommilito Somonnay Front– recently came up with a stunning figure of money allegedly laundered at that time. In a letter to the prime minister on January 13, the Front, a fraction of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), said during 2016-18, an estimated Tk 5,000 crore was laundered to Malaysia from Bangladesh as payment to lobbyists and agents in Malaysia from each of the recruitment costs. According to the letter, 274,000 Bangladeshi workers paid on average Tk 350,000 each for a job in Malaysia during that time. The group also appealed to the PM to stop the recurrence of any syndication to protect the Bangladeshi migrants. Under the G2G Plus arrangement in 2016, Malaysia forced Bangladesh to accept its offer that 10 recruiting agents would do the recruiting job though Bangladesh then had sent a list of 745 agencies. But what was the basis of selecting the ten agencies was never explained. However, this time around, M Saravanan, in a statement on November 26 as the negotiation on the MoU was going on, told local media that Malaysia will become a “dumping ground” if 2,000 agencies in Bangladesh are allowed to send workers there. He said, however, the number of recruiting agents in Bangladesh should expand from the previous 10. The expansion was evident in his letter to Imran Ahmad. Recruiting agencies in Bangladesh argued it, saying not a single worker can land in Malaysia if it does not authorise. Now, the question is — what is the basis of selecting the 25 agents and 250 sub-agents which were suggested by Saravanan? Andy Hall, a migration researcher and activist, says there is no mechanism on assessing the quality of the recruiting agents in Bangladesh. If it was the case that there are categories of all agents in Bangladesh and that Malaysia will select the best 250 agents, it could be accepted. This is not the case, however. A Bangladeshi recruiting agent said since the 1990s, Malaysia opened and closed its labour market several times, and each of the closures was due to massive irregularities and labour abuses. Recent experiences suggest that recruitment cost was almost double when there was a syndicate. For example, the recruitment cost was on average Tk 2 lakh during 2006-2009 when there was no syndicate, whereas it was Tk 350,000 to Tk 4 lakh under a syndicated recruitment arrangement in 2016-18. Andy Hall, a UK citizen researching migration to Malaysia, said when there is monopoly in business, workers suffer the most. The experiences in Bangladesh-Malaysia corridor suggest that Bangladeshi workers suffered forced labour and debt bondage that are nothing but human trafficking over the years. Apple Google Click to comment The Daily Star | বাংলা ৪২ মিনিট আগে|বাংলাদেশ মির্জা আজমের বক্তব্য ‘অরুচিকর-অসংলগ্ন’ আওয়ামী লীগের সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক ও জামালপুর-৩ আসনের সংসদ সদস্য মির্জা আজম বলেছেন, ‘চোরকে চোর বললে ভেচকি মারে। আজকে কয়েকটি চোর, চোর সমিতি করে। তারা থ্রেট করে আমাকে, বিবৃতি দেয়। তারা আমার এমপি পদ থেকে… ৩৫ মিনিট আগে|বন্দর চট্টগ্রাম থেকে ইতালির উদ্দেশ্যে প্রথম সরাসরি কনটেইনার জাহাজের যাত্রা Migration No special quotas for expatriats Malaysian home minister says on recruitment Staff Correspondent Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Sun Jan 23, 2022 10:24 AM Star file photo Malaysian Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin yesterday said his country will no longer give special quotas for the recruitment of foreign workers, reports The Star. Hamzah said every application from Malaysian employers

Expatriate Bangladeshis sent $1.70 billion in January

Remittance hit a four-month high in January after the government increased cash subsidy to remitters. Expatriate Bangladeshis sent $1.70 billion in January, up 4.52 per cent from the month before, according to data from the Bangladesh Bank. The inflow logged the highest figure last month since October 2021 when remitters sent $1.64 billion. Remittances stood at $1.72 billion in September. The January’s figure, however, is 13.12 per cent lower than the same period previous year when remittances stood at $1.96 billion. A BB official said that the increased cash incentive declared by the government chiefly put a positive impact on the remittances. On January 1, the government went up the cash incentive for sending remittance through the official channel to 2.5 per cent from 2 per cent as the inflow saw an incessant downward trend, hitting the foreign exchange reserves adversely. The reserves crossed the $48-billion mark in August last year, after which the amount commenced to decline and stood at $45.13 billion on January 26. Click to comment | বাংলা ৩২ মিনিট আগে|বাংলাদেশ মির্জা আজমের বক্তব্য ‘অরুচিকর-অসংলগ্ন’ আওয়ামী লীগের সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক ও জামালপুর-৩ আসনের সংসদ সদস্য মির্জা আজম বলেছেন, ‘চোরকে চোর বললে ভেচকি মারে। আজকে কয়েকটি চোর, চোর সমিতি করে। তারা থ্রেট করে আমাকে, বিবৃতি দেয়। তারা আমার এমপি পদ থেকে… ২৫ মিনিট আগে|বন্দর চট্টগ্রাম থেকে ইতালির উদ্দেশ্যে প্রথম সরাসরি কনটেইনার জাহাজের যাত্রা Undocumented 7 Bangladeshis who died of hypothermia on migrant boat identified Star Digital Report Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:47 AM Last update on: Sun Jan 30, 2022 11:52 AM Seven Bangladeshi migrants, who died of hypothermia on a boat from Libya towards the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa on January 25, have been identified. The deceased were identified as Imran Hossain from Madaripur, Roton alias Joy Talukdar from Madaripur, Safayet from Madaripur, Jahirul from Madaripur, Bappi from Madaripur, Sajjad from Sunamganj, and Saiful from Kishoreganj, according to a press release of Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangaldesh, Italy. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. According to the press release, a two-member embassy representative team led by Md Erfanul Haque, Councillor of Labour Welfare, identified the deceased after speaking with the rescued people at the hotspot camp in the presence of Italy police. The Italian coastguard saw the boat overnight some 18 miles off the coast of Lampione, an uninhabited island near Lampedusa, and rescue operations were conducted. Lampedusa Mayor Salvatore Martello confirmed the death toll, adding the vessel was carrying 280 migrants, mainly from Bangladesh and Egypt. Click to comment | বাংলা ৩২ মিনিট আগে|বাংলাদেশ মির্জা আজমের বক্তব্য ‘অরুচিকর-অসংলগ্ন’ আওয়ামী লীগের সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক ও জামালপুর-৩ আসনের সংসদ সদস্য মির্জা আজম বলেছেন, ‘চোরকে চোর বললে ভেচকি মারে। আজকে কয়েকটি চোর, চোর সমিতি করে। তারা থ্রেট করে আমাকে, বিবৃতি দেয়। তারা আমার এমপি পদ থেকে… ২৫ মিনিট আগে|বন্দর চট্টগ্রাম থেকে ইতালির উদ্দেশ্যে প্রথম সরাসরি কনটেইনার জাহাজের যাত্রা Migration Most migrants on boat were Bangladeshis Says embassy in Rome after rescue op in Mediterranean Staff Correspondent Sun Jan 30, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Sun Jan 30, 2022 03:18 AM Some 273 out of 287 migrants recently found on a boat in the Mediterranean have primarily been identified as Bangladeshis, according to the Bangladesh embassy in Rome. The migrants were heading to Italy. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. However, the embassy was yet to ascertain identities of seven individuals, reportedly Bangladeshis, who died of hypothermia while crossing the sea from Libya. Arfanul Haque, labour welfare counsellor at the embassy, yesterday said their priority is to find out details of the deceased and send the bodies home. Following their rescue, the Bangladeshis were taken into custody of Italian authorities at different centres, Arfanul said over phone, adding that Bangladeshi authorities already talked with some of the survivors. Decisions regarding their fate will be as per Italian laws, he said. There might be some minors but no female migrants were among those rescued The boat also carried Egyptians, according to the embassy. On getting information on January 25, the embassy has been in constant contact with relevant Italian authorities, reads a press release issued by the embassy on Friday. Italian coast guard saw the boat some 18 miles off the coast of Lampione, an uninhabited island near Lampedusa, and rescue operations were conducted, Reuters reported quoting Prosecutor Luigi Patronaggio. Click to comment | বাংলা ৩২ মিনিট আগে|বাংলাদেশ মির্জা আজমের বক্তব্য ‘অরুচিকর-অসংলগ্ন’ আওয়ামী লীগের সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক ও জামালপুর-৩ আসনের সংসদ সদস্য মির্জা আজম বলেছেন, ‘চোরকে চোর বললে ভেচকি মারে। আজকে কয়েকটি চোর, চোর সমিতি করে। তারা থ্রেট করে আমাকে, বিবৃতি দেয়। তারা আমার এমপি পদ থেকে… ২৫ মিনিট আগে|বন্দর চট্টগ্রাম থেকে ইতালির উদ্দেশ্যে প্রথম সরাসরি কনটেইনার জাহাজের যাত্রা Migration Covid detection before trip: Migrants forced to cancel flights Rashidul Hasan Sat Jan 29, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Sat Jan 29, 2022 04:15 AM Some 550 Bangladeshi expatriate workers, including 200 UAE-bound ones, are forced to cancel their flights every day at the last moment, said sources at Dhaka airport. Their tickets get cancelled as they test positive for coronavirus, said officials of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, seeking anonymity. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. Talking to The Daily Star, multiple expatriate workers expressed serious concerns over their return to workplaces before the expiration of visas. One such expatriate worker Jumadin Ahmed, of Madaripur, said he was scheduled to go to Dubai on January 26.

5 Migrant destinations: Pandemic shoots down labour export

Bangladesh’s efforts to send workers to five countries have suffered a blow as those nations adopted restrictive measures before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Steps taken by Middle Eastern countries Bahrain and Iraq before the pandemic had made it difficult for Bangladesh to send workers there. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. Kuwait, Brunei and African island nation Mauritius have taken some measures caused by the pandemic, leading to a decline in the recruitment of foreign workers. Two of the five countries imposed restrictions on issuance of demand letters for labour recruitment and prioritised hiring locals. Also, the labour market in one of the five nations “reached saturation”. All these contributed to the downtrend in the export of Bangladeshi manpower to these countries. Insiders in the manpower export sector said Bangladesh’s diplomatic efforts to regenerate these labour markets were falling short of their expectations. The country sent about 6.17 lakh workers abroad last year. Only 2,091 or 0.33 percent of them went to these five countries, according to data of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). In 2017, Bangladesh sent 10.08 lakh workers abroad for employment. Of them, 87,270 were hired by the five countries, shows BMET data. The five nations recruited nearly 10 percent Bangladeshi migrant workers from 1976-2019. During this period, the country sent 1.28 crore workers abroad. Last year, Saudi Arabia alone hired 4.55 lakh Bangladeshi workers. Officials at the Bangladesh missions in those five countries said approval of demand letters by them came down to almost zero in 2020 when air communications between Bangladesh and those nations remained snapped due to the pandemic. Although the situation started improving in the middle of last year, the demand letter approval rate remained low, they added. At present, Kuwait, home to about three lakh Bangladeshis, is allowing foreign workers, including Bangladeshis, for public projects only, said an official. This measure was adopted mainly in line with the Gulf country’s steps taken to contain Covid-19 spread, the official said, preferring not to be named. The official said Kuwait imposed a restriction on issuance of demand letters and it remained in force till July last year due to the pandemic. Besides, it suspended air communications with many countries, including Bangladesh. Abul Hossain, labour welfare counsellor at the Bangladesh embassy in Kuwait, said they have started approving demand letters again. He expressed optimism that labour recruitment from Bangladesh would reach the pre-pandemic level soon. An official at the Bangladesh embassy in Bahrain said the Gulf country had stopped issuing employment visas to Bangladeshis in 2018. Although the Bahrain authorities did not specify reasons for this, they voiced concern at times over a large number of undocumented Bangladeshi workers staying there, said the official, wishing anonymity. “They wanted to reduce the number of undocumented Bangladeshis first before issuing new visas.” He said there were about 67,000 undocumented Bangladeshis in Bahrain in 2018. The number has now come down to about 25,000, thanks to regularisation of foreigners under the Bahrain government’s initiatives. M Tauhidul Islam, labour welfare counsellor at the Bangladesh embassy in Manama, said that they were working to resume recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. An official of the Bangladesh mission in Brunei said the Southeast Asian country recently completed some mega projects. The job market in Brunei has now “reached saturation”. About 15,000 to 20,000 Bangladeshis live in the country now, the official said. In Iraq, the authorities had stopped issuing employment visas to Bangladeshis in 2019, said sources. Although there was no official announcement in this regard, the authorities voiced concern over the “large number” of Bangladeshi workers there, they said. According to the sources, political instability in the Arab country is another reason for the low rate of recruitment of foreign workers. About 65,000 Bangladeshis now live in Iraq, said an official. In Mauritius, many companies reduced their quota for foreign workers amid the pandemic, said an official at the Bangladesh mission there. Besides, the government there has given priority to hiring locals who became jobless during the pandemic, he said. However, a small number of Bangladeshi workers have landed jobs in the country since November last year after the resumption of air communications, the official added. Sector insiders said the government needs to make effective diplomatic efforts and ensure an ethical recruitment process to regenerate labour markets in those five countries. They said the government also has to look into whether the job seekers are securing jobs as per contract. Fakhrul Islam, president of Recruiting Agencies Welfare Organisation of Bangladesh, said labour recruiting countries tend to pick workers from other countries if the number of migrant workers from a particular nation goes up significantly. However, a manpower exporting nation can get priority over the others in such a situation through strengthening its diplomatic efforts, he said. Fakhrul said Bangladesh previously did not make much efforts in this regard compared to what it did to receive remittances from abroad. Shakirul Islam, chairperson of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme, a migrant rights group, said labour-receiving countries are now more concerned about human trafficking as it harmed their image previously. “Once the ethical aspects in the recruitment process is ensured, Bangladesh will be able to attract the labour-receiving countries,” Shakirul said.He said efforts should be made to look for new job markets.

Moving to Bangladesh after growing up abroad

It’s not easy to uproot your life from one country and start calling a completely different place “home”. The feeling that you don’t belong usually comes with the culture shock as a package deal. I grew up in Saudi Arabia and moved to Bangladesh only a few years ago. I had to leave behind my closest friends, and the environment I was so familiar with, to shift to a place I barely knew. Soon after my arrival, I had a bone to pick with restaurants that called any random wrap a shawarma, and any rice with orange food colouring kabsa. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. Growing up abroad also meant missing out on growing up with extended family members. I never really had the chance to become friends with any of my cousins, or celebrate festivals with them. Even now, we are practically strangers. Many times, when speaking in Bangla, I have been told that I mispronounce certain words. This puts me in a minor existential crisis, having realised I’d been saying these words wrong for about 20 years. However, I soon understood that wrongly speaking a language would be the least of my worries. One of the first challenges I faced after moving to Dhaka was the need to get used to the chaos. I was accustomed to a quieter life back in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Here, no matter where I go, I always feel like there are too many people. I start to feel out of place and soon realise that perhaps I am too soft to survive this city. I stopped being as soft-spoken as I used to be when I realised that that trait has little to no value here. My safety concerns have increased drastically since moving. I still have to give myself a pep talk before crossing the roads and feel the need to stay on guard every second I spend outdoors. Although it is not easy for women in Saudi Arabia either, I feel it’s significantly more difficult in Bangladesh due to the additional challenges. On the upside, I’ve met wonderful people during my time here. I’ve made new friends, learned new things, and I have a better understanding of the culture in Bangladesh now. Settling into a new country, learning new norms and adapting accordingly was a difficult process, one that often confused and surprised me. There are things about my previous home that I’ll always miss, and the people I grew up with there will forever have a special place in my heart. For now, I’ll cherish my old memories and focus on making new ones at my new home. Nuzhat zones out every ten minutes. Tell her to snap out of it at nuzhatchowdhury07@gmail.com

Survival of the fittest Evolution

If you’re asked to picture an Evo (short for Lancer Evolution), chances are you have conjured up a CT9A Lancer Evolution in your mind, that too in either red, green or white. The seventh iteration of the Lancer Evolution was a massive departure from the red thoroughbred rally cars of the past from the triple diamond marque, for it was based on the back then, newly introduced Lancer Cedia, which looked nothing like the Lancers of the past. Ahbaar Milky Fri Jan 28, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Fri Jan 28, 2022 12:36 AM However, the CT9A cemented itself onto our consciousness to be synonymous with the word ‘Lancer Evolution’ despite being lamented as of late 2016 and out of 10 generations. Change is hard. And that was certainly the case with Evolution VII as the newly christened rally car for the road received lukewarm reactions from fans. Fast and Furious movies definitely helped ease the transition as a bright green Evolution VII with a wing received significant screen time, and did the same later with a bright red Evolution VIII with a wing. Although the Lancer Evolution would have done just fine without the stardom it gained throughout the years from the Fast and Furious franchise. These cars usually raced on a Sunday and sold on Monday, as Mitsubishi had motorsport pedigree in abundance. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The 2001 World Rally Championship (WRC) saw Mitsubishi enter two different generations of the homologated Lancer Evolution due to complicated contracts Ralliart (Mitsubishi’s motorsport wing) was under with the FIA. Both the outgoing CP9A Evolution 6.5 and the newly developed and WRC christened, Lancer Cedia-based Lancer WRC. This is probably why you won’t see pictures of the later iterations of the CT9A as the Lancer WRC competed till as late as 2007 with little to no success. Meanwhile, the road-going Evolution 7 shared the majority of its interior and trim components with the base Lancer. While the arches were flared and boxy, true to Evolutions of the past, the arches were wider than ever before, and the trunk spoiler was larger than ever. The turbocharged 4G63 power train was updated in terms of torque, while horsepower was capped at 276 due to the infamous gentleman’s agreement between Japanese auto manufacturers. In reality, most performance cars made power well above the agreed threshold. 2001 was a year of many firsts for the Mitsubishi brand, for they offered a dialled down automatic Evolution for the first time. The Tiptronic Evo brandished the ‘GT-A’ badge on the grille and on the trunk, which wasn’t the only distinguishing feature from its manual variants. The interior received chrome trims throughout the door handles and the tachometer, while the elephant in the room was the 5-speed automatic gear shifter. The seats were plusher than the hardcore Recaro in the other car. The GT-A also received a different steering wheel and a tachometer to house the PRNDL gauges, which many fans would say was quite ugly. Meanwhile, the bumpers were different from the GSR, as the GT-A had a nostril-less front bumper, a sleeker hood with no meshed scoop for added ventilation, and a shortened trunk, therefore, boot. While the clear tail lamps are a dead giveaway while distinguishing a GT-A. The GT-A, therefore, was a viable daily driven alternative, years before the final evolution debuted with the automatic SST gearbox, too many dull econoboxes on the market since it made significantly less power than its GSR brethren. This matte, Sonic the Hedgehog-like blue Evolution VII is slightly modified but still within the realms of OEM specifications, and for sale, courtesy of The Motor Company. The Evolution 8 Enkei wheels suit the polarising paint job better than the diamond cut 17″ the Evolution 7 wore and are sitting on Blitz coil-overs while the boot spoiler has been upgraded to the bigger GSR wing. The hood has also been replaced with a lighter GSR carbon fibre hood, and the interior is brought up to date with an android infotainment system. With Mitsubishi killing off the Evolution nameplate, these potent turbocharged AWD sedans are soon to be a relic of the past as global powers are doubling down on extinguishing the internal combustion engine, which is why now is as good a time as any to own a Lancer Evolution. Photos: Ahbaar Milky Apple Google Click to comment The Daily Star | বাংলা ২৬ মিনিট আগে|বাংলাদেশ মির্জা আজমের বক্তব্য ‘অরুচিকর-অসংলগ্ন’ আওয়ামী লীগের সাংগঠনিক সম্পাদক ও জামালপুর-৩ আসনের সংসদ সদস্য মির্জা আজম বলেছেন, ‘চোরকে চোর বললে ভেচকি মারে। আজকে কয়েকটি চোর, চোর সমিতি করে। তারা থ্রেট করে আমাকে, বিবৃতি দেয়। তারা আমার এমপি পদ থেকে… ২০ মিনিট আগে|বন্দর চট্টগ্রাম থেকে ইতালির উদ্দেশ্যে প্রথম সরাসরি কনটেইনার জাহাজের যাত্রা Shift Car hibernation: Tips and tricks During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are storing away our precious cars for a prolonged period as we have to stay quarantined for safety. Sadly a lot of people don’t know that without a hint, storing away cars for an extended period of time can damage the car unexpectedly. Repair costs may turn out to be expensive and time-consuming. Itmam Bashar Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:00 AM Check out our handy guide on maintaining your car during these hard times and ensure a safe car hibernation. Don’t put the handbrake on For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. When you have to put the car away for an extended period of time, putting the handbrake on can lead to the brake pads getting stuck to the discs or the drums, which would, in turn, lead to increased wear and tear. Try to avoid this damage by using wheel chocks or putting a brick or a piece of wood to avoid it from rolling over. It can also be left on 1st gear if the car in question has a manual transmission. Remove spark plugs

Go-karts, well, what are they?

Go-karting is a fun activity for people to blow off steam, regardless of whether they are a car enthusiast or a first-timer, or even someone who has never driven a car. Go-karts are simple, small, nimble, open-wheeled cars with a low centre of gravity that you can abuse around a track without breaking your wallet. Surprisingly, many professional drivers from F1 and NASCAR started their careers with go-kart racing. It is entry-level motorsports racing with low barriers and is easy to get into. F1 legend’s like Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and many more started their dominant careers from go-karts. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. Even though go-karts are very simple compared to sophisticated racing cars, people are usually intimidated by barebones go-kart racing. Fear not, for this week, we ran down the absolute basics that you should expect. While go-karts contain complex parts like engines and braking systems that may be hard to understand at first, it does get easier once you are familiarised with the essential parts and features. Seats Go-karts usually have bucket seats that are designed to wrap around your back for extra support. The shape of the seat prevents the drivers from being flung out of the kart when turning into a corner at high speed or holding you in when you are bumped onto. Recreational karts often have padded seats for comfort but on the competition side, they are made to be as light as possible, so the seats are usually made of plastic or fibreglass to reduce overall weight.Steering A straightforward steering wheel is used, which is usually made out of aluminium. They are usually around 10-12 inches in diameter and come connected to the steering shaft with three mounting holes. The steering shaft is attached to two tie rods which are joined to the spindles held by a kingpin bolt. The spindles turn when you turn your steering wheel, ensuring basic handling of turning left and right.Tires Go-karts tires are around 10-12 inches tall and 5-8 inches wide. Normally, there are wider tires on the back of the kart as the weight is mostly distributed towards the rear end. These tires have to be small in height and wide to keep the centre of gravity low. Just like racing cars, they have three different tires for three different occasions. There is a slick tire for dry conditions which are usually soft providing maximum grip, then wet tires for rainy days which are grooved to use in rainy conditions and lastly, special tires for off-roading or recreational activities which only provides a smooth ride and lasts a long time.Engine Go-karts have two different gasoline engines – two-stroke and four-stroke. Two-stroke engines have an RPM of up to 18,000 and are commonly used for racing in professional go-kart races. Four-stroke engines have an RPM range of up to 11,000 which is quieter and runs smoother. Then there are electric motor variants which have been getting popular in recent years due to the ridiculous acceleration, better weight distribution, lower centre of gravity, ability to reverse and are also considered environmentally friendly. But electric karts run out of battery fast.Frame You’ll notice that there is a metal frame around the whole kart. This outer metal cage is referred to as the guard frame. The frame will be protecting the bodywork from damaging collisions, accidents and bumps. You’ll also notice that the frame also covers the outer part of the wheels to ensure any wheel collision is avoided. Wheel collisions have serious consequences of flipping the whole kart dangerously and can result in serious injuries. Other features Unlike actual cars, go-karts don’t have regular gears since they don’t have a differential. The acceleration and brake pedals are divided by the steering wheel, so you have to accelerate with your right foot and brake with your left foot. They are still very easy to manoeuvre regardless of driving experience. They have a maximum speed of 60-80 km/h – a speed that is safe and as controlled as possible. The karts weirdly don’t have a suspension since they are designed in a way that it doesn’t need one, while the frame provides the necessary flexibility it needs. They have all the bare necessities of a car to go around the track. Go-karts are exceptionally safe due to their low centre of gravity and strong frames. However, it is important to follow basic safety regulations like wearing a helmet. Go-karts, relatively, are surprisingly affordable considering motorsports is considered to be the playground for the wealthy. Intrigued? You can experience go-karting in Bangladesh at two places – Xtreme Racing at the Fantasy Kingdom Complex in Ashulia and Go Kart Courtside at Madani Avenue in Dhaka.

In conversation with Oriental Phoenix, Champions of Arena of Valor Bangladesh 2021

In a casual conversation, team Oriental Phoenix, winners of this year’s Arena of Valor Bangladesh Championship 2021, shares with us the behind-the-scenes journey and future aspirations. Here are key snippets from the conversation. Toggle: Please share the names of your team members, as well as your player names. Oriental Phoenix: Our team name is Oriental Phoenix. We are Ashadullah Al Galib a.k.a. Sugarkid, the Team Manager; Abdullah Al Mashud a.k.a. Deathly, the Team Leader; Fahraz Zamin Sparsha a.k.a. Beast; Nafees Ahmed a.k.a. MrCharming; Abrar Shahriar Subat a.k.a. Worthless; Fardin Hasan a.k.a. Pika Pika and Sheikh Matiur Rahman a.k.a. Sycen. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. T: Tell us about your journey. How did you get into gaming? What made you interested in playing mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games? OP: This journey wasn’t easy for us. We have been playing MOBA games for the last 4 years. But with the same roster, we are playing for 2 years. We play MOBA games because it is our passion. We used to play different MOBA games like League of Legends, wild rift, and many more. We feel comfortable playing 5v5 MOBA games like Arena of Valor. It is sometimes too difficult to continue to play MOBA games but as competitive players, we are always hungry for big tournaments. In the past, we didn’t play in any tournaments like this one before. Bigger opportunities and tournaments in other countries always inspired us to continue. We are hopeful that one day we will play at an international level. T: Were there any challenges in your personal life that got in the way of you participating in tournaments like this or starting a career in gaming? OP: Yes, we had to face a lot of difficulties but Alhamdulillah, we had passed it. Sycen had some physical difficulties but still, the power and the love for the game made him stronger and he joined the tournament. The sacrifices that we made through our journey in this tournament allowed us to come out with a championship. We did it even without having a sponsor or coach for our team. As we have mentioned, we didn’t play that many tournaments and LAN events like this before in our competitive career, so we had lost motivation many times. But the ultimate bonding power that our team has with each other, made us become the champions of Bangladesh. T: How do you think esports changed your career? OP: We play MOBA games because it is our passion. However, right now we can’t dedicate ourselves to it and focus on it as our careers, as we don’t have that many opportunities yet. We’d rather say, this esports journey gave me a family and empowered me to pursue my passion. But now we can proudly say that we are esports players and we are going to represent Bangladesh globally. T: What encourages you to continue playing MOBA games and Arena of Valor? OP: We never feel bored when we play together. We can spend our time in our own way and it helps with our overall mental health. MOBA games need many strategies, tactics, perfect planning etc. We make our own plans by ourselves. When we see a MOBA game like Arena of Valor giving opportunities to players like us so that we can start our own gaming careers, it gives us inspiration. T: How does it feel to be the winner of the biggest esports tournament in Bangladesh to date? OP: Our team is really happy because all of our hard work paid off. The Arena of Valor Bangladesh Championship was the first and biggest official LAN tournament in our country. It was a great experience and after being announced the champions of the tournament, all of our members are feeling really happy. T: What were the team’s biggest strengths in the tournament? OP: Our greatest strengths in the tournament were; respecting our team leader’s words, our maturity and our ultimate team bonding. T: There were many big names and old teams like Yorozuya, WE Esports, MARTYRS etc. How did it feel to deal with such teams? OP: We all were a bit nervous as the games could have gone to either of the teams. Defeating Yorozuya was probably our best moment; they played like champions themselves. Nonetheless, we kept our calm in every game and made fewer mistakes which led to us winning against big names such as Yorozuya, WE Esports and MARTYRS. We respect the top 8 teams in Bangladesh and they are our equals. T: Tell us a bit of history about you and your teammates. How did you set up your team? Where did you meet? OP: It’s a big story. We have changed our roster many times before. But for the last 2 years, we have been playing together with the same team. There were many ups and downs but those times made us stronger. T: How did it feel to start the first match of the Grand Finale against Yorozuya, arguably the most dominating team in Bangladesh? OP: Playing against Yorozuya was totally new for us. We had to face them to start the final journey. There were two sides to this. First, we knew that if we win our matches, we are not going to go back home without the trophy. But if we lose, we will lose our mental strength a little bit. But perfect calculation and proper strategic gameplay made it possible. Yorozuya dominated the whole game but in the end, they made a mistake and we took advantage of that opening and we won the match. T: WE Esports Armada defeated your team during the Chittagong City Qualifiers Final, this time, you defeated them 2-0. What changed and how did it feel? Answer: We always believe that a comeback is stronger. We have to admit, that due to some game issues and bugs we couldn’t give our 100% in the Chittagong LAN final. That

‘An artist’s protest is in their art’

Students of fine arts at Rajshahi University (RU) have started a three-day-long protest, showcasing their artworks yesterday near the accident spot where Mahmud Habib Himel, a student of the same faculty, was crushed to death. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The programme, titled “An artist’s protest is in their art”, began at 11:30am. Al Amin Ronak, a master’s student of painting, oriental art and printmaking, said, “We are painting in different ways as a symbol of protest against Himel’s killing and a way of remembering him.” Md Saif, a protester, mentioned that they are going to organise an exhibition with the artworks in a few days. Around 100 students of different departments also held a candle-lit vigil yesterday remembering Himel. On Wednesday night, students drew graffiti in front of the fine arts building, saying graffiti is a symbol for all who die every day on the roads. Himel, a senior year student of graphic design, crafts and history of arts at RU, was killed on the spot by a truck that hit his motorbike at a construction site near Martyred Prof Habibur Rahman Hall on Tuesday night. Another senior year student, Rayhan Rimel, was also injured in the accident. The incident was followed by an all-out protest from RU students. The university authority filed a case with Matihar Police Station against the driver and helper of the truck. Police detained them on Wednesday.

First direct container ship leaves Ctg port for Italy

The first direct container vessel flagged off from Chittagong port for Italy today. The Liberian flagged vessel, MV Songa Cheetah, carrying 952 TEUs of export load containers, sailed out for Ravenna port in Italy at 2:55pm. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. This is for the first time, a container vessel is carrying export cargo directly to a European destination from the country’s premier seaport. The vessel is expected to reach Ravenna by the next 16 days, said Mohammad Rashed, chairman of the ships’ local agent firm, Reliance Shipping and Logistics Limited. Talking to media at a brief ceremony held at the Jetty No. 4 of New Mooring Container Terminal, Chittagong Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral M Shahjahan said this shipment would be a milestone for the country’s foreign trade. Songa Cheetah came directly from Ravenna on Saturday carrying 945 TEUs of empty containers and seven TEUs of import load containers and got a berth at the port jetty within two hours of its arrival. Liberian flagged vessel, MV Songa Cheetah, carrying 952 TEUs of export load containers, leaves Chittagong port for Ravenna port in Italy on Monday. Photo: Star Italian shipping company Kalypso Compagnia di Navigazione SPA has introduced this new direct waterborne service between Chittagong and Ravenna with two small-sized vessels Songa Cheetah and Cape Flores. Due to the port’s inability to accommodate bigger sized vessels, export containers are currently at first transported on small-sized feeder vessels to four transhipment ports including Colombo, Singapore as well as Tanjung Pelepas and Port Klang of Malaysia and some ports in China and then containers are loaded to connecting bigger mother vessels to Europe, USA and African destinations. Apple Google Click to comment The Daily Star | বাংলা ১ ঘণ্টা আগে|মতামত সরকার কেন কৃষকের কাছে আবহাওয়ার খবর পৌঁছাতে পারে না? পশ্চিমা লঘুচাপের কারণে গত কয়েকদিন দেশের প্রায় সব জেলায় হঠাৎ করে স্বাভাবিকের চেয়ে অনেক বেশি বৃষ্টিপাত হয়েছে। এতে সবচেয়ে বেশি ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছেন আমাদের দেশের কৃষকরা। বিদেশ করে উত্তরাঞ্চলের… এইমাত্র|এশিয়ার অন্যান্য দেশ ক্রিপ্টোকারেন্সি চুরি করে ক্ষেপণাস্ত্র প্রকল্পে অর্থায়ন করছে উ. কোরিয়া: জাতিসংঘ Economy Firms recovered 60% of business compared to pre-pandemic level: Sanem Star Business Report Mon Feb 7, 2022 02:22 PM Last update on: Mon Feb 7, 2022 02:27 PM Firms in Bangladesh have recovered about 60 per cent of their business compared to the pre-pandemic levels, found a survey. The survey, conducted by the South Asian Network for Economic Model (Sanem), found that firms recovered 60.6 per cent of their business during the October-December quarter last year, up from 56.8 per cent in the previous quarter. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. This was the seventh round of the survey that the Sanem carried out in July on 502 firms nationwide. The research organisation has been conducting the survey since July 2020 to track the situation of the economy and the sentiment of businesses during the pandemic. The Present Business Status Index (PBSI) was 59.20 per cent in the October-December quarter from 56.79 per cent in the earlier quarter. “It indicates a continuation of improvement. Over the quarters, there has been a gradual recovery in business activities,” said Sanem Executive Director Selim Raihan while sharing the findings of the survey. The improvement is visible in all sub-indicators. However, a considerable improvement has been observed in the profitability and sales or export orders of sub-indicators. Faster recovery has been observed in readymade garment, textile, restaurant, food processing, and pharmaceuticals sectors. However, overall business confidence in January-March 2022 faces a decline in comparison to the October-December period. Most of the sectors have expressed lesser confidence for the upcoming quarter, reflecting their growing concern about the advent of Omicron, the economist added. Apple Google Click to comment The Daily Star | বাংলা ৫৯ মিনিট আগে|মতামত সরকার কেন কৃষকের কাছে আবহাওয়ার খবর পৌঁছাতে পারে না? পশ্চিমা লঘুচাপের কারণে গত কয়েকদিন দেশের প্রায় সব জেলায় হঠাৎ করে স্বাভাবিকের চেয়ে অনেক বেশি বৃষ্টিপাত হয়েছে। এতে সবচেয়ে বেশি ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত হয়েছেন আমাদের দেশের কৃষকরা। বিদেশ করে উত্তরাঞ্চলের… ১ ঘণ্টা আগে|অপরাধ ও বিচার জায়েদ খানের প্রার্থিতা বাতিলের সিদ্ধান্ত হাইকোর্টে স্থগিত Economy Cotton production scanty despite huge market Refayet Ullah Mirdha Mon Feb 7, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Mon Feb 7, 2022 08:25 AM Cotton production in Bangladesh has been low as farmers prefer other cash crops to the white fibre, completely missing out on at least a $3 billion domestic market. The country managed to produce only 1.77 lakh bales of cotton last year, which was insufficient to meet the demand of even a single spinning mill. For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. This represents nearly 1 per cent of the total annual consumption of the key textile raw material of 9 million bales. Some 480 pounds, or 218 kilogrammes, make a bale. This has made Bangladesh one of the largest importers of cotton as it needs to feed the local apparel industry, the second-largest in the world. Spinners, millers and other users have to spend more than $3 billion annually to buy cotton from India, the US, African countries, Australia, Brazil, Pakistan, and Central Asian nations. Currently, cotton is cultivated on 45,000 hectares of land in about 40 districts. The output has increased by 10,000 bales annually over the last five years, but the quantity has not touched 2 lakh bales. Md Akhteruzzaman, executive director of the Cotton Development Board (CDB), blames the scarcity of arable land, emphasis on food production, and lower price of cotton for the farmers’ lack of interest in growing the textile raw material. Parvez Anwar, head of the Department of Agronomy of Bangladesh Agricultural University, said many other crops are grown during the cultivation period of cotton. Farmers also do not have the confidence to grow them abundantly as they do not get ready markets and better prices, he said. However, cotton prices have been better in the last two years, both in global and local markets, and it is expected that the higher rate

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