February 16, 2022 - দ্য লিগেল ভয়েস

HIV: First woman in world believed to be cured of virus

| Analysis By James Gallagher Health and Science correspondent A US patient is believed to be the third person in the world, and first woman, to be cured of HIV. The patient was being treated for leukaemia when she received a stem cell transplant from someone with natural resistance to the Aids-causing virus. The woman has now been free of the virus for 14 months. But experts say the transplant method used, involving umbilical cord blood, is too risky to be suitable for most people with HIV. The patient’s case was presented at a medical conference in Denver on Tuesday and is the first time that this method is known to have been used as a functional cure for HIV. The patient received a transplant of umbilical cord blood as part of her cancer treatment and has since not needed to take the antiretroviral therapy required to treat HIV. The case was part of a larger US study of people living with HIV who had received the same type of blood transplant to treat cancer and serious diseases. The transplanted cells that were selected have a specific genetic mutation which means they can’t be infected by the HIV virus. Scientists believe the immune system of recipients can develop resistance to HIV as a result. 2px presentational grey line Analysis box by James Gallagher, health and science correspondent All HIV cure stories are genuinely remarkable and a cause for celebration – they prove that it can be done. But this approach does not bring us closer to a cure for the 37 million people living with HIV, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. The potential of stem cell transplants was demonstrated in 2007 when Timothy Ray Brown was the first person to be “cured” of HIV. He had a transplant from a donor who was naturally resistant to HIV. Since then the feat has been repeated only twice with Adam Castillejo and now the New York patient. All three had cancer and needed a stem cell transplant to save their lives. Curing their HIV was never the primary goal and the therapy is too risky to use on everybody with HIV. Remember, anti-retroviral therapy gives people with HIV a near-normal life expectancy. The main hopes of a cure remain focused on vaccines or drugs that can flush the virus out of the body. The woman’s treatment involved umbilical cord blood, unlike the two previous known cases where patients had received adult stem cells as part of bone marrow transplants. Umbilical cord blood is more widely available than the adult stem cells previously used and it does not require as close a match between donor and recipient. Sharon Lewin, president-elect of the International Aids Society, cautioned that the transplant method used in this case wouldn’t be a viable cure for most people living with HIV. But she added that the case “confirms that a cure for HIV is possible and further strengthens using gene therapy as a viable strategy for an HIV cure.” The findings around this most recent case study are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, so wider scientific understanding is still limited.

Biden rejects Trump’s claim of privilege for White House visitor logs

International Desk / Thelegalvoice24 : President Joe Biden is opposing another effort by former President Donald Trump to withhold information from the House committee investigating the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol, ordering the National Archives to hand over White House visitor logs the committee is seeking. In a letter to the National Archives, Biden’s White House counsel, Dana Remus, said Biden had rejected Trump’s claims that the visitor logs were subject to executive privilege and that “in light of the urgency” of the committee’s work, the agency should provide the material to the committee within 15 days. Biden had similarly decided last year not to support Trump’s claim of executive privilege over other batches of White House documents and records sought by the committee. Trump went to federal court to block the release of those earlier batches but lost. Citing in part the same reasoning as in the earlier case, Remus told the National Archives that the documents needed to be disclosed in a timely fashion because “Congress has a compelling need.” She said that “constitutional protections of executive privilege should not be used to shield, from Congress or the public, information that reflects a clear and apparent effort to subvert the Constitution itself.” It is unclear whether Trump will go to court again in an attempt to block or slow the release of the visitor logs. The White House sent the letter to David S. Ferriero, the archivist of the United States, on Tuesday, and planned to inform Trump’s lawyers on Wednesday morning. The New York Times obtained a copy of the letter. It is not clear what the visitor logs might show or how extensive and complete they are. In the letter, Remus said the records in this case “are entries in visitor logs showing appointment information for individuals who were processed to enter the White House complex, including on Jan. 6, 2021.” Under Biden and under President Barack Obama, the White House has made its visitor logs public, a move that proponents of government transparency have long said gives the public a greater sense of who has a direct pipeline to the country’s most powerful officials. But the Trump administration said in April 2017 that such logs should remain secret because of “the grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” Barring their disclosure made it far harder to determine which donors, lobbyists and activists had access to Trump and aides. In her letter to the National Archives, Remus pointed out that “the majority of the entries over which the former president has asserted executive privilege would be publicly released under” Biden’s policy. Committee investigators have made some progress in recent weeks putting together a better portrait of what Trump was doing inside the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, and who visited with him. In doing so, they have relied in part on lower-level staff members and Trump White House documents. Trump watched the protests from the West Wing on television, and according to letters released by the committee, initially refused pleas from aides to intervene to stop the crowd. Through testimony, the committee has learned that White House aides asked one of Trump’s daughters, Ivanka, “to intervene in an attempt to persuade President Trump to address the ongoing lawlessness and violence on Capitol Hill,” according to a letter the committee sent Ivanka Trump last month requesting she sit for questioning. The committee has also been looking more broadly at the efforts undertaken by Trump and his aides and advisers in the months after Election Day to stave off his defeat, and full access to the visitor logs could provide the committee with further information about who was in the White House during that period. Many members of the circle of outside advisers who had Trump’s ear after Election Day spent considerable time at the White House in the days and weeks leading up to the attacks. They include figures like his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was helping lead the push to challenge the results; the conservative lawyer John Eastman, who was making a case that Vice President Mike Pence could derail congressional certification of the Electoral College results; and the former national security adviser Michael T Flynn, who was pursuing baseless theories about voting fraud and manipulation of the results. © 2022 The New York Times Company

Children aged 12-17 to get vaccine without any document

Staff Reporter / Thelegalvoice24 : Children aged 12-17 years will now be able to take Coronavirus vaccine without any document, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque. The Health Minister said this at a function held at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College (ShSMC) in Dhaka on Monday. He inaugurated 120 dialysis beds at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital and Kurmitola General Hospital at the programme. Zahid Maleque said, “The government so far, has given more than 17 crore vaccines. Of these, more than 10 crore people received the first dose of vaccine. We have 100 crore doses of vaccine, but many people have not been vaccinated.” Children over 12 years old can get vaccinated with their name, age and mobile number even if they do not have a national identity card or birth registration, he added.

DU to hold ‘Gha’ unit test for 2021-22 session

Campus Correspondent / Thelegalvoice24 : Dhaka University has decided to hold the Gha unit admission tests, which allow students to change streams in enrolment, for the 2021-22 academic year. The university’s decision to abolish the exams stirred anger among the members of the university’s social sciences faculty, which oversees the tests. In response, the authorities decided to hold the tests this year at a dean’s committee meeting on Wednesday, said Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Samad, reports bdnews24.com. “This is the last time we are holding the Gha unit admission tests. A separate admission test will be held for humanities, social sciences and law faculties from next year.” The dean sub-committee of the university held a meeting to discuss a policy that will allow students to switch streams without them having to sit Gha unit exams on Feb 13 and 14. Prof Zia Rahman, the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, placed a ‘note of dissent’ urging the authorities to keep the Gha unit exams. The dean of the law faculty also filed another note to include law in the same unit under the faculties of humanities and social sciences. “The authorities discussed the recommendations of the dean sub-committee. They have decided to hold Gha unit exams this year considering the preparations already taken by students and convenience. The procedure will be changed in the future,” said one of the members of the dean’s committee. Students sit for exams in the Ka unit to study in the science stream, Kha for humanities, Ga for business studies, while Gha unit exams for those keen to switch departments. Cha unit exams are held for enrolment into the Faculty of Fine Arts. Admission seekers from science, business studies or humanities can apply to the Gha unit subject to their eligibility to switch streams for higher education. On Feb 7, the university issued a notice to hold admission tests under Ka, Kha, Ga and Cha units, scrapping Gha unit exams. The members of the university’s social sciences faculty, who oversee the tests, were surprised and irked by the decision to abolish the exams. But Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said the decision to scrap Gha unit exams was taken at the Academic Council meeting in light of the Admissions Committee recommendations following the Deans’ Committee meeting.

Four to walk gallows in garment worker Tanim murder case

Court Reporter / Thelegalvoice24 : Dhaka, A court here today sentenced four people to death and fined them Taka 20 thousand each in a case lodged over murder of Ashulia garment worker Md Tanim in 2017. The convicts are garment workers Sohel Rana, Forhad Hossain, Md Ashikur Rahman and Md Nazrul Islam. Of the fourt Nazrul is yet to be arrested and was tried in absentia. Dhaka 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge Ismat Ara pronounced the verdict today, also sentencing the convicts’ five-year more behind bars under another section of extortion. Tanim went missing on July 22, 2017, and his body was found in a jungle near Khagan Village in Ashulia three days later. Meanwhile, Tanim’s mother filed the case with Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in August, 2017, and the court ordered Ashulia police to probe the case. Police during its investigation found that the four abducted Tanim as he demanded his money that they took from him. They beat him and recorded his cry for mercy on mobile phone and received money from his mother through Bkash by sending the audio clip. The four later killed Tanim and dumped his body in that jungle. Police later arrested Sohel and he confessed his role in the killing and named all his partners in crime. The court on November 5, 2018, framed charges against the killers.

Singer-composer Bappi Lahiri dies at 69

16 Feb 2022 / Thelegalvoice24 News Desk: Bappi Lahiri is known for delivering popular songs in several films of the late 1970s-80s Singer-composer Bappi Lahiri dies at 69 Indian music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri passed away at Mumbai’s CritiCare Hospital. The 69-year old had been suffering from multiple health issues, reports the NDTV. “Lahiri had been admitted to the hospital for a month and was discharged on Monday. But his health deteriorated on Tuesday and his family called for a doctor to visit their home. He was brought to the hospital. He had multiple health issues. He died due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) shortly before midnight,” Dr Deepak Namjoshi, director of the hospital, told the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Wednesday (16 February). Bappi Lahiri was born on 27 November, 1952 in Jalpaiguri. He popularised disco music in Indian films during the 1970s-80s. “Bappi Da” as he was fondly known, was a prominent figure in Bengali music also. The singer’s last appearance on the screen was with actor Salman Khan on the reality show Bigg Boss 15, where he was promoting his grandson Swastik’s new song “Baccha Party”. His last Bollywood song titled Bhankas was for the 2020 film Baaghi 3. Bappi Lahiri: I only have some cough, haven’t lost my voice In April last year, the singer had been admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after testing positive for Covid. He recovered after a few days. Bappi Lahiri is survived by his son Bappa and daughter Rema

BNP’s ‘no’ to all means no to democracy: Hasan Mahmud

Staff Repoter /Thelegalvoice24 : Dhaka, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the habit of telling ‘no’ by BNP to everything is tantamount to saying no to democracy. “BNP is telling ‘no’ continuously to all. No one could give an example of such a participatory process even in many old democratic countries as how the search committee having discussion with political parties and the civil society,” he said. The minister added: “Initiative has been taken to form the Election Commission in a transparent manner. BNP supported intellectuals and those persons who talked in favour of BNP also went there (search committee). BNP’s habit of telling ‘no’ to everything is tantamount to saying no to democracy.” Hasan stated these while addressing a function of cheques distribution among the journalists at an auditorium of Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) in the city. Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust organized the function with its managing director Subhash Chanda Badal in the chair. PIB director general Zafar Wazed, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) president Omar Faruque, general secretary Dip Azad, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) president Quddus Affard and trust member Kashem Humayun, among others, addressed the function. Hasan said BNP and Jamaat did politics of arson and patrol bombs attacks which were not held in the contemporary world. But, the anti-people politics of the political party, BNP, is not being exposed in mass media, he added. He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stands beside the journalists of Bangladesh during the COVID-19 situation and there is no such example in neighbouring countries. About Taka 6 crore has been distributed as financial assistance through the trust to the journalists as per the directives of the Premier, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary. He said journalists irrespective of all opinions and beliefs got assistance. Even those persons who talked in front of Jatiya Press Club and wrote columns at newspapers against the government also got the assistance and it (assistance) will be continued in future also, he added. The minister said, “We did elections under the party banner. But, we are determined to do work for every person and for every party when we get the responsibility of running the state.” He said BNP leaders who criticized the vaccination (COVID-19) issue also got the booster doses. He also urged the BNP leaders who didn’t take the booster dose till now to take the dose soon. Hasan said journalists work like a beacon of a society and they played pivotal role in every movement including the struggle of freedom and to build the country after the independence. But, currently there are many inefficient journalists and fake mass media across the country when the mass media flourished vastly, he added. For this, he said, real journalists have been being defamed and it is needed to end. “According to the request of the journalists’ leaders, the ministry has decided in principle to make a database of journalists based on a policy. We have requested the press council to do this work. The real journalists will be placed in the database if they make the database based on the policy. And then discipline will be established in this sector,” he added. Later, the minister joined a webinar organized by Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a Japanese government-related organization, marking the 50 years anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Japan. In his speech, Hasan hoped that the friendly relations between the two countries will be strengthened in the upcoming days.

Walk-in Covid vaccines for children above 12: Health minister

Staff Reporter / Thelegalvoice24 : Children aged 12 or above will get walk-in Covid vaccines in the country from now on without showing any ID card, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said. Those aged 12 or above, who have not been vaccinated yet, will be able to get the vaccine at an inoculation centre, the minister added. He was speaking at an event at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital on Monday. The minister said, “So far we have given more than 17 crore vaccine doses. Of these, more than 10 crore people received the first dose. We have administered 10 crore doses of vaccines, but many have not been vaccinated yet,” Zahid Maleque said. For this reason, people over the age of 12, even if they do not have a national identity card or birth registration certificate, will get the vaccine with their name, age and mobile number, he added. The health minister opened 120 dialysis beds at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Mugda Medical College and Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital and Kurmitola General Hospital during the programme. He also inaugurated an oxygen generator plant at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, with a capacity of producing 532 litres of medical oxygen per minute. Daily Covid deaths, cases decline further Bangladesh reported 19 more deaths from Covid-19 and 4,692 new cases in the last 24 hours till 8am Monday with a drop in the positivity rate. The positivity rate dropped to 13.53% against 14.85% the previous day after 34,689 samples were tested across the country. On Sunday, twenty-eight deaths and 4,838 cases were reported. The latest figures took the country’s death toll to 28,838 and the case tally to 19,14,356. Also, 13,237 Covid patients recovered during the same period with the recovery rate recorded at 88.38%.

HC wants list of activities mainly responsible for air pollution

High Court Reporter / Thelegalvoice24 : The High Court has directed the concerned bodies of the government to identify and make a list of the activities, which are sources of major air pollution across the country, and to prepare a time-bound mitigation plan for the same. In response to a writ petition, the HC also asked the government bodies to set up air quality monitoring system in appropriate places, and to introduce a system of alert to save people from exposure to unhealthy, very unhealthy, and dangerous air. The authorities concerned have also been directed to develop an action plan about switching to alternate of burnt bricks and to submit a report to the HC after complying with the directives in four months. The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Maniruzaaman on Tuesday passed the order with rule after hearing a writ petition filed by a rights organisation, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), seeking necessary directives on the issue. In the rule, the High Court wanted to know from the respondents to explain as to why their failure to mitigate air pollution and protect public health shall not be declared without lawful authority. It also wanted to know in the rule as to why they shall not be directed to reduce air pollution and improve air quality through a time-bound action plan identifying every concrete action required and ensuring proper coordination, monitoring, and enforcement. Cabinet secretary, senior secretary of the local government division of LGRD ministry, environment secretary, industries secretary, public works secretary, health secretary, road transport and bridges secretary, finance secretary, Dhaka North City Corporation mayor, Dhaka South City Corporation mayor, director-general of the department of environment, chairman of Rajuk and other respondents have been asked to comply with the rule. Lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the BELA, while deputy attorney general Samarendra Nath Biswas represented the state. According to the writ petition, ‘Dhaka was almost placing to the top of the world in terms of air pollution since the beginning of 2022. According to a research report titled ‘Air Quality Life Index’ published by the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago, the average life expectancy in Bangladesh has decreased by about five years and four months and in Dhaka by about seven years and seven months due to air pollution.” “According to air quality watchdog Air Visual, Dhaka topped the list of 100 cities in the world for eight days in January, this year. Even in such a situation, the city dwellers are continuing their normal activities without any health warning and also consuming polluted air,” also read the petition.

RU to resume in-person classes from February 22

Staff Reporter / Thelegalvoice24 : RAJSHAHI, Rajshahi University (RU) has taken a decision for resuming classes in-person of all academic sessions from February 22 through maintaining health guidelines amid the Covid-19 pandemic. A RU press release said the offices will also resume as usual from 9 am to 5 pm from the day. Emergency services like power, gas, water, internet, healthcare and conservancy will remain operational as usual. RU authority has asked the students to follow the health guidelines. They were also asked to be more attentive to protect their health, the release added.

রংপুরে ডেঙ্গু সচেতনতা বৃদ্ধি ও পরিচ্ছন্নতা কার্যক্রম শুরু করেছে বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী যুবদল

বাজুস রংপুর জেলা শাখার নতুন প্রশাসকের সঙ্গে নেতৃবৃন্দের মতবিনিময়

হাটহাজারীতে আহত সেনা কর্মকর্তাকে দেখতে সিএমএইচে প্রধানমন্ত্রী

আইনি কাঠামোর বাইরে পদক্ষেপ বা ক্রসফায়ারের সুযোগ নেই : আইনমন্ত্রী

সৌদি আরবে অনুষ্ঠিত ৪৬তম আন্তর্জাতিক পবিত্র কোরআন প্রতিযোগিতায় বিজয়ী হাফেজদের সংবর্ধনা অনুষ্ঠানে তারেক রহমান

রংপুরে রিকশা শ্রমিক ইউনিয়নের আফিস ভাংচুরের প্রতিবাদে মানববন্ধন

গণমাধ্যম নিয়ন্ত্রণের কোনো ইচ্ছা সরকারের নেই : তথ্যমন্ত্রী

একনেকে ১ লাখ ৬৮ হাজার ৭৮০ কোটি টাকার মেট্রোরেলের ৩ প্রকল্পসহ ১২ প্রকল্প অনুমোদন

রংপুর সিটি করপোরেশনে ৫টি বর্জ্য পরিবহন ভ্যান হস্তান্তর