Bangladesh
Banglalink customers in flood-hit Sylhet get free talk-time, data
Telecom operator Banglalink is providing free talk-time and data to its customers in the flood-hit Sylhet region.
Each Banglalink prepaid customer in the region will get 10-minute talk-time and 100MB data for free with a validity of three days.
READ: Banglalink signs agreement with Best Western Alliance Hotel
Also, the prepaid account validity of all the customers in the affected areas was extended for 30 days and the customers can also get an emergency advance balance of up to Tk200.
Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer at Banglalink, said: "We have taken this initiative given the immense importance of connectivity in the flood-affected areas. Along with helping people remain connected with their near and dear ones, it will support the ongoing rescue operations in the Sylhet region."
Bangladesh Red Crescent adopts Tk54 crore plan to support relief efforts in Sylhet
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has adopted a plan of Tk54 crore to carry out relief operations in the flood-hit Sylhet region.
It requested the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and all Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners for that support.
Among the relief activities, food and livelihood support, water and sanitation and shelter repair assistance are some key areas.
Md Nur-Ur-Rahman, acting chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said:
"At the moment, relief items are being provided in the flood shelters. Bangladesh Red Crescent Society is also working to provide cash assistance to the families most affected by the floods."
Also read:UK allocates over Tk 5 crore to support Bangladesh’s flood victims
More than 500 volunteers of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society are working to help the flood-hit people in the Sylhet region.
Teams of the Bangladesh Red Crescent are helping to evacuate flood-hit people to safe shelters and distribute dry and cooked food and clean drinking water in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and other affected districts.
The Society, with the support of the IFRC, already distributed 75,000 litres of safe drinking water. In addition, dry food to more than 6,000 people, 1,665 jerrycans and 1,000 hygiene parcels were distributed.
Free primary medical care services were provided to flood victims through four medical camps.
To help the flood victims, 15,000 water purification tablets, 7,200 packets of dry food, 1,200 jerrycans, 1,000 dignity kits, 500 hygiene parcels and 50 life jackets were sent.
A safe drinking water supply was started in Sylhet and Sunamganj through three mobile water purification units, allowing the Red Crescent to distribute 20,000 litres of drinking water each day.
Unilever Bangladesh launches refill machines to reduce plastic use
Unilever Bangladesh has introduced the first refill machines in Bangladesh to reduce plastic use by promoting the practice of reusing plastic packaging.
The refill machines allow anyone to refill Rin and Vim liquid at a discounted rate by bringing an empty container, an airtight jar and an old Rin or Vim liquid bottle.
Dr Abdul Hamid, director-general of the Department of Environment, inaugurated the first machine at Unimart Gulshan in Dhaka.
In alignment with its sustainability strategy, Unilever Bangladesh has committed to cutting the use of virgin plastic to half in its packaging process by 2025.
The machine is easy to operate where consumers can refill the bottle with very simple steps on the touch screen and can decide their volume ranging from 200ml, 400ml, 500ml, 800ml, 1 litre, and 1.5 litre and 2 litres.
The machine was developed by Unilever's research and development team in collaboration with a global startup company.
Unilever set up two machines at Unimart, Gulshan 2, and Agora, Japan Garden City, Mohammadpur.
READ: Unilever Bangladesh launches Sustainability Report 2021
The further expansion of this initiative will be evaluated based on the lessons learned from this pilot. The company is also working to develop another pilot at the end of this year targeting the consumer in rural areas.
Zaved Akhtar, chief executive officer and managing director of Unilever Bangladesh, said: "By adopting a 'test, learn and refine' mentality, we have developed innovative solutions that will help people cut their use of plastic for good. It is still early days."
"But by making refill and reuse formats more widely available, accessible, and affordable, we hope to use our scale and reach to drive lasting change"
UN launches SunSmart Global UV app to help beat skin cancer
Scientific evidence shows that overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the major cause of skin cancer.
To help people protect themselves adequately, a consortium of UN agencies Tuesday launched a new app that can help anyone, anywhere, determine the safe amount of time to stay outdoors, soaking up the rays.
The SunSmart Global UV app is the collective brainchild of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
"The app provides five-day UV and weather forecasts at searchable locations," Carla Drysdale, spokesperson for the WHO, said.
"It highlights time slots when sun protection is required and aims to help people around the world know when to use sun protection, to reduce the global burden of skin cancer and UV-related eye damage."
Developed by Australia's Cancer Council Victoria and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, the app is based on the UV index, which indicates the level of solar UV radiation at the earth's surface.
Read: UN launches $943 mn plan to ‘safeguard well-being, dignity’ of Rohingyas
The index uses a scale of 1 (or lower) to 11 and higher (or extreme). The higher the index value, the greater the potential for damage to the skin and eyes, and the less time it takes for harm to occur.
"Globally, it's estimated that over 1.5 million cases of skin cancer, that's melanoma and non-melanoma combined, were diagnosed globally in 2020," Carla said.
"During the same period, more than 120,000 people across the world lost their lives to this highly preventable disease."
Much of UV-related illness and death can be avoided through a set of simple prevention measures such as limiting time in the midday sun, seeking shade when UV rays are most intense, and wearing protective clothing, hats and sunglasses, and the use of sunscreen.
"The app combines meteorological, environmental and health expertise to help protect people from the sun both at work and in their leisure," said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Tallas. "It is unique because it uses data from country-level weather and UV measuring stations to provide accurate and location-specific UV Index readings."
Vera Paquete-Perdigão, director of the ILO's Governance and Tripartism Department, said the app was "a useful tool to assist companies and workers in identifying hazardous work and planning safety and health measures."
Meg Seki, executive secretary of UNEP's Ozone Secretariat, noted that the highly effective Montreal Protocol protects the stratospheric ozone layer which, in turn, protects human health and the environment by blocking out most of the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation.
"Skin cancer can result from overexposure to the sun, so everyone must remain vigilant and ensure they protect themselves adequately with hats and sunscreen. The SunSmart app is a fantastic UV monitoring tool, and I would encourage everyone to use it."
"It's now the time of the year when UV radiation is at its maximum in Europe, in the northern hemisphere," according to WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis.
"This is because of the position of the sun in the sky. Other factors that influence the amount of UV include the ground, clouds, and the ozone layers. So, all of these elements are being added into this app."
South Korean firm to collect toll from Dhaka-Mawa Expressway for 5 years
The South Korean firm Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) will collect the toll from Dhaka-Mawa Expressway which was named "Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Highway".
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in a meeting on Wednesday appointed the KEC for a five-year term as its service provider at a cost of Tk 717.04 crore.
Also read:Govt selects South Korean company for toll collection system on Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga expressway
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting which was attended by the committee members.
Additional secretary to the Cabinet Division Zillur Rahman while briefing reporters about the decision of the committee said this toll collection from the expressway will be in addition to the toll of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge.
The toll for the Padma Multipurpose Bridge has already been fixed by the Bridges Division.
But the toll of the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway will be fixed by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), he added.
He, however, did not give any detail of the toll structure of the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway.
The additional secretary also said that the KEC was selected through direct procurement method, which means it did not have to go through any competitive process to qualify for the contract.
He said the KEC will install the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and also run the operation and maintenance (O&M) service for the next five years.
The committee also approved 14 more proposals of which nine were for raising costs of its different construction and procurement projects of different departments and divisions including the Public Works Department (PWD), Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Local Government Division.
The CCGP approved a proposal of the Public Works Department to award a Tk 120.38 crore contract to The Engineers & Architects Ltd., to construct 430 flats at Asad Avenue in Mohammadpur Housing Estate (Grihayan Kanakchapa) and Satmasjid Road (Grihayan Dolonchapa).
Four residential buildings will be built under the project for the 430 flats.
Also read:Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway to open up new era of road connectivity
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a proposal in principle to procure three kinds of First line Anti-TB Drugs (FLDs) from ACI HealthCare Ltd, the lone local producer of the drugs.
These drugs will be distributed all over the country except Cox's Bazar district at free of cost to continue uninterrupted the health service to contain TB diseases under the Directorate General of Health Services' TBL and ASP Operational Plan.
But the committee rejected a proposal of the Directorate General of Health Services to procure "Cold Chain Equipment" through UN-body Unicef under "Covid-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness" project.
Pilot ‘Employment Injury Scheme’ launched for RMG workers
Workers in the export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) sector are set to get enhanced social security through an income protection initiative, says the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) in collaboration with the ILO, the Netherlands and Germany (GIZ) officially launched the pilot of an “Employment Injury Scheme” to that end.
Advisor to Prime Minister Salman F Rahman inaugurated the event in presence of State Minister of MoLE Begum Monnujan Sufian, Secretary, MoLE Md Ehsan-E- Elahi, Country Director of ILO Tuomo Poutiainen, and higher officials from the German, Norway and Netherlands Embassy.
Senior representatives from BGMEA, BKMEA, workers’ associations, development partners and other national stakeholders also participated in the ceremony.
Keeping in mind that workers in the ready-made garments industry play a remarkable role in the country’s growing GDP, it is important to consider their rights and security on priority, according to ILO.
Poutiainen highlighted ILO’s approach towards improved social protection for workers in Bangladesh.
He said the launch of ‘Employment Injury Protection’ scheme for RMG Workers in Bangladesh is an important and historic step in strengthening accident protection in the country.
“ILO is happy to support this effort and work with the Government, Employers and Workers to create a modern and contemporary compensation system for workers and their families that protect their incomes and living when they need it the most. Such a system also promotes sustainable business practices and provides right kind of signals to investors; as Bangladesh is step by step upgrading its social protection systems for the benefit of all.“
Read: RMG workers stage demo for third consecutive day demanding pay rise
Salman Rahman said social security is high on the agenda of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Ehsan-E-Elahi thanked ILO and said, “It is a historical day for as we launch the first-ever social insurance scheme, as envisioned in the ‘National Social Security Strategy’. We have the privilege to ensure that the pilot is designed in line with the ‘International Labour Standards’, taking the national settings into consideration.”
Speaking at the event, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said the ready-made garments industry of Bangladesh has made significant progress in the areas of safety and sustainability, especially workers’ welfare and industrial relations.
“The pilot of the ‘Employment Injury Scheme’ will contribute to the social well-being of workers and employers and above all improvement of the country's social security system. As we are committed to ensuring the safety, dignity and well-being of our workers, we look forward to collaborating in initiatives that benefit our industry and workers.”
Another pregnant woman rescued by Navy members in Sunamganj
Bangladesh Navy members have rescued another pregnant woman from South Kamlabazar area in Jamalganj upazila of Sunamganj on Wednesday.
The woman has been identified as Shiuli Akter, wife of Akkel Ali, who works at a local hotel.
Also read: Govt working to restore telecommunication in flood-hit areas
More Bangladeshis are becoming rich despite pandemic and inflation: BB
Bangladesh has seen an increase in the number of millionaires during the Covid-19 period, according to Bangladesh Bank’s updated data.
The data, made available to UNB on Wednesday, showed that the number of millionaire bank account holders stood at 1,03,597 in the first quarter (Jan-March) this year, which was 1,01,976 at the end of December 2021.
It means that number of millionaire bank account holders in the country increased by 1,621 in the first three months of 2022 despite the inflation threat fuelled by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Economist AB Mirza Azizul Islam told UNB that the global economy is recovering with the ease of Covid-19 pandemic related restrictions.
“The wheel of industry is turning as before. Bangladesh’s economy is also turning around. The rich people became richer more during the pandemic in Bangladesh and other countries in the world,” He said.
In March 2020, the number of accounts of individuals and institutions holding more than Tk One crore in the banking system was 82,625. After a year in September 2021, the number of such accounts exceeded One lakh.
In the January-March period of 2022, the BB’s Banks statistics showed that the deposits volume in the millionaire bank accounts have increased by Tk9,647 crore. As of March 2022, the total volume of deposit in the millionaire accounts stands over Tk6.63 lakh crore. It was around Tk6.54 lakh crore at the end of last year.
Read: Be vigilant to prevent financial crimes: BB governor
According to the BB data, the number of millionaire accounts is less that One percent of the total bank accounts, which hold about 44 per cent of the total deposit.
Till March 2022, the total number of bank accounts stood at 12.73 crores with a deposit around Tk15.15 lakh crore.
Since 2010, the number of millionaires with an asset value worth $50 lakh in the country has increased at an average rate of 14.3 per cent, the highest growth recorded in the world during the period.
In Bangladesh there were only 5 millionaires in 1972. The number increased to 47 in 1975. In 1980, there were 98 millionaires. The number was 943 in 1990, 2,594 in 1996, 5,162 in 2001, 8,887 in 2006 and 19,163 in 2008.
Govt working to restore telecommunication in flood-hit areas
The government is working to restore the telecommunication network in the flood-affected areas of the northeast districts of the country.
A total of 1,255 sites of Grameenphone, Robi, Banglalink, and Teletalk have been reactivated out of 2,008 damaged sites due to flood water. Works are underway to activate the rest 753 affected sites, said a press release of the Post and Telecommunication Ministry on Wednesday.
Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited has been working to set up 42 VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) under its own management and Bangladesh Army through Bangabandhu Satellite to restore telecommunication systems including the internet in the flood-affected districts.
Bangladesh Army has already installed six VSAT hubs at Sylhet High-Tech Park, Sunamganj deputy commissioner’s office, Sunamganj circuit house office, Gobindaganj, Duara Bazar, and Dirai. Two more VSAT hub installations will be completed on Wednesday in Jaintapur and Gowainghat upazilas.
Read: Rail communication with Sylhet snapped amid flood
Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited has set up VSAT at various places in Sylhet, Sunamganj, and Netrokona.
44th BCS preliminary test results published
The results of 44th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) preliminary test (MCQ type) were published on Wednesday.
Altogether 15,708 candidates qualified for participating in the written examination, said a press release of Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC).
Read:40th BCS final results published
The results are available at PSC website: www.bpsc.gov.bd. The results can be known through text messages by typing PSC44Registration Number and sending to 16222.
The preliminary test for the 44th BCS was held on May 27 this year.