Chinese assisted National Data Centre in Bangladesh faces failure



News Desk, Barta24.com
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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Beijing has often been in news for supplying sub-standard and faultyequipments/arms/airplanes to its neighboring countries.

Now, an incident of failure of Chinese assisted National Data Centre has been reported in Bangladesh. The Chinese-assisted National Data Centre (NDC) of the Bangladesh Data Centre Company Ltd. (BDCCL) is facing problems these days in storing government data owing to un-licensed/ pirated software supplied by the ZTE of China.

The use of pirated software has led to failure in updating software and hardware patches, damage to one of the firewalls and considerable reduction in storage capacity, claimed to be 2.1 Petabyte.ZTE has offered to rebuild the NDC using its Cloud service, which may involve huge costs.

Till then, they are holding back on offering full services. It has always been a ploy of Chinese companies to first set up a faulty infrastructure and then blackmail the recipient country with huge costs to rectify and restore the system to its full capacity.

Meanwhile, the failure of Data Centre has compelled Bangladesh Government to look for alternate data storage companies, for storing the government data, post-filling up of the storage capacity of NDC.

The Bangladesh government is already in talks with Oracle Cloud, US which has proposed to provide sovereign-hosted cloud services to the Bangladesh Government.

Simultaneously, negotiations are also going on with a few UK-based companies. The credibility of China in the protection of personal data was hit badly when during Feb 12-15, 2023 the express delivery sector of China was itself afflicted by cyber theft leading to the leakage of private data of 4.5 billion customers. Anheng Information Co.Ltd, one of the leaders in the network security industry in China, had reported that a ChatGPT or an automated query robot had leaked 4.5 billion pieces of personal information in China pertaining to e-commerce or express logistics industry.

Users only needed to enter mobile phone numbers to query private information such as name, mobile number and detailed delivery address.

This data breach reflected poorly on the data protection measures adopted by the Chinese government to protect the personal information of individuals. Data is the most valuable asset in today’s world and its loss can be detrimental to growth or, in the worst case, it could result in the collapse of an economy.

The Bangladesh government needs to think as to how can a country guarantee protecting data of other country when personal data of its own people has been compromised.

Source: Bangladesh Live News

Three doctors are absent for a long time causing sufferings to the patients



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Pic: Barta24.com

Pic: Barta24.com

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The government has taken various initiatives to ensure the presence of doctors and officials in government hospitals. However, a different picture is seen in Barishal's 50- bed Agailjhara Upazila Health Complex. Three doctors of the hospital have been absent for a long time. As a result, patients have to suffer due to lack of proper healthcare.

Allegedly, medical services at the hospital have come to a standstill due to lack of strict supervision. Therefore, many patients are forced to seek treatment in private hospitals.

According to hospital sources, Dr. Abu Bakar Siddique joined Agailjhara Upazila Health Complex as Medical Officer on July 1, 2011. He has been absent since January 4, 2012 after staying at the hospital for just five months. Similarly, Dr. Soma Halder joined the health complex on October 8, 2014. She has also been absent since November 5, 2015, after serving for one year.

Sources also said that Dr. Shahana Rahman joined the hospital on November 25, 2023. She has not been coming to the hospital for the past 8 months.

Although the three mentioned doctors are absent for a long time, no appointments are being made in their place. As a result, patient services are constantly disrupted. Besides, the hospital authorities are also in trouble.

A responsible source of the hospital, on condition of anonymity, said that this alarming situation has arisen due to the non-punishment of those who are negligent in fulfilling their duties. Also there is a lack of strong supervision.

Upazila Health Officer Dr. Bakhtiar Al Mamun said that Dr. Abu Bakr Siddiq and Dr. Soma Halder have been given letters to join the workplace several times. But they are still not back to work. A departmental case is ongoing against them. In addition, Dr. Shahana Rahman has been given several letters to join the work. The Civil Surgeon's office has also been informed about the matter.

He also said that the information of doctors is sent to higher authorities and ministries every month. As such, the ministry is aware of the matter. According to the latest information, one doctor may be out of a job. Of the remaining two, one is abroad, the other I don't know where. Regarding the appointment of doctors, he said, appointment is not possible until the posts are vacant. As a result, it will take time to find a new doctor.

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Three coordinators in DB for interrogation



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Pic: Collected

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Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police has taken three people, including Nahid Islam, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, into custody from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital. The other two coordinators are Asif Mahmud and Abu Baker Majumdar.

A DB source confirmed this information on Friday (July 26) night.

DB said three coordinators have been brought to the DB office for security and interrogation purposes.

All three of them are students of Dhaka University.

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What the Home Minister said about lifting of the curfew



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, everyone has to wait a little with the curfew till public life becomes normal. We are looking at whether the curfew can be relaxed.

He said these things while talking to reporters about the ongoing situation on Friday (July 26) night.

The Home Minister said, we are seeing if the curfew can be relaxed. Police BGB, Army are working. We have to wait a little until public life becomes normal. People should be patient. He also said that a decision may be made subject to discussion on Saturday (July 27).

At that time, he mentioned that there were brutal killings in the name of the movement, and he said, who will take responsibility for this loss of the country? BNP said they are not involved in violence. So who did it? It is a question of the people.

Regarding the arrest of the quota activists, the Home Minister said that the quota agitator leaders themselves are suffering from insecurity. For their safety, law enforcement has been called. Further action will be taken after the inquiry.

Incidentally, the government clamped a curfew from 12 midnight on July 19 to keep the situation normal around the quota reform movement. The army was also deployed.

The curfew was later relaxed for a specified period but has not yet been lifted completely.

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Government to provide treatment & income to all injured: Prime Minister



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Photo: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Photo: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the government will provide treatment and income to all those injured in the recent violence, regardless of party affiliation.

She said this while visiting the injured at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday (July 26). Meanwhile, she inquired about the physical condition of the injured.

Sheikh Hasina said that the government will do whatever is necessary for the treatment of those injured in the violence. The government will take responsibility for the treatment of the injured, whichever party they belong to.

She also said, even after accepting all the demands on the quota, why is the movement not ending? Everyone at home and abroad should be vocal against the violence and brutality of BNP-Jamaat.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister visited several wards of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and inquired about the injured. She talked to doctors and nurses. She ordered to give all kinds of treatment to the injured.

Earlier in the morning, the head of government visited the Bangladesh Television (BTV) building damaged by vandals' attack and fire at Rampura in the capital.

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