Bangladesh
Nihad Kabir joins BUILD as chairperson
Nihad Kabir, former President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), has taken over as the chairperson of the Trustee Board of Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) for the year 2022-23.
She succeeds Abul Kasem Khan, former President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), who was the Chairperson of BUILD for 2020-21, said a media release on Monday.
Nihad Kabir is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
She is a senior partner of Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad and Associates, one of the country's prominent law firms.
Apart from her role as an independent director on the board of Square Textiles Limited, Kabir also serves as a director of the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL).
Also raed: Bangladesh elected Chair of UN Peacebuilding Commission
She has previously chaired the Boards of BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Limited and BRAC EPL Investment Limited and has been a board member of Bkash, BRAC Bank and several other listed companies.
She is a Senior Fellow and Board member of BIDS, a member of the Board of Governors of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, and Chairperson of Ain o Salish Kendra, a legal aid institution.
Kabir has been a member of the National Pay and Services Commission and the National Education Policy Committee, Government of Bangladesh.
She was also the Chairperson of BUILD for 2017.
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Abul Kasem Khan, former Chairperson, BUILD, will continue as a nominated Trustee Board Member from DCCI, while Syed Mohammad Tanvir, Director, CCCI is a nominated Trustee Board Member from CCCI for the years 2022-2023.
In addition to the new trustees, the Trustee Board for 2022 includes Md. Saiful Islam, President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI); Rizwan Rahman, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI); Mahbubul Alam, President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI); Farooq Ahmed, Secretary General of MCCI; Afsarul Arifeen, Secretary General of DCCI; and Engr. Mohd. Faruque, Secretary of CCCI. Ferdaus Ara Begum, CEO of BUILD, is in the Trustee Board as the Member Secretary.
BUILD is a public-private dialogue platform formed by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry .
Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Daily positivity rate declines, deaths hit 38
Bangladesh logged 38 more Covid-linked deaths with 9,369 fresh cases in 24 hours till Monday morning.
The daily positivity rate slightly declined to 21.07 from Sunday’s 21.50 per cent after testing 44,471 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The number of deaths is highest in nearly six months as the country last recorded 43 deaths on September 19, last year with 1,383 cases and the daily positivity rate at 5.62 per cent.
On Sunday, Bangladesh reported 29 more Covid-linked deaths with 8,345 fresh cases.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,627while the caseload mounted to 1,870,901.
Read: All to be fully vaccinated in Bangladesh by Dec: Health Minister
Of the 226 deaths recorded from January 31 to February 6, some 28.8 per cent received Covid vaccines while 71.2 per cent did not, the DGHS mentioned.
Comorbidities among the deceased patients declined 9.7 per cent this week compared to the previous one. Comorbidity means the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient.
Among the new deceased, 28 were men and 10 women.
Sixteen of the deaths were reported in Dhaka division while six in Chattogram, five each in Rajshahi,and Khulna, three in Sylhet, two in Mymensingh, and one in Rangpur divisions.
Trains to run with full passenger capacity from Wednesday: Bangladesh Railway
Trains will run with full passenger capacity from Wednesday (February 9) as the authorities decided to relax the Cobid-19 curbs amid declining infection.
The railways ministry took the decision following the fall in infection rate of Covid-19, said press release issued on Monday.
According to the notice, the government has strengthened the vaccination programme and the people are travelling to many places after taking Covid jabs, which increases the pressure of passengers. So it is needed to fulfil the demand of the passengers to roll down the wheel of the economy.
Also read: Trains to operate with 50% passengers from Jan 15
The ministry also reminded the train passengers to strictly maintain Covid-19 health guidelines such as wearing mask and use of sanitizer.
Trains were ordered to run at half the capacity on January 15 amid a surge in the pandemic, especially the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus.
Also read: No decision yet over operating trains with 50% passengers: Minister
Make overseas employment process transparent, PM asks ministry
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry to make the overseas employment process very transparent and conduct massive campaign to raise the jobseekers’ awareness.
She asked authorities concerned to promote overseas jobseekers to take loans from Probashi Kallyan Bank instead of selling lands to go abroad.
Sheikh Hasina gave the directives while chairing the virtual Cabinet meeting from her official residence Ganobhaban.
The other concerned were connected with the meeting from the Bangladesh Secretariat.
“The Prime Minister has instructed that the process will have to be made very precise and transparent for those who would go abroad,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters at the Secretariat after the meeting.
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“The Prime Minister also instructed to carry out massive campaign in media – television channels, radios and newspapers—informing them (overseas jobseekers) about the exact authority and the amount of expense and asking them to go abroad taking loans from Probashi Kallyan Bank, if they need money, as the bank doesn’t provide a loan without job confirmation letters. So, they will be safe… they will not be deceived,” he said.
The ministry also asked to take steps so that Bangladeshi workers need not to pay extra money for getting the overseas jobs and they can go abroad contacting the ministry and its directorates concerned, said the Cabinet Secretary.
Because, many Bangladeshi workers go abroad making direct payment and knowing nothing about the jobs upon assurance by a class of middlemen, he said adding some such cases were also discussed in the Cabinet meeting.
“If they take loans from the bank instead of selling lands, the bank would not pay money until confirmation of their appointment. So, they would remain safe,” he added.
Some Bangladeshis went to Malaysia spending Tk 3-4 lakh, but many of them could not recovered their cost in two years and returned home empty handed, said Anwarul Islam.
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In the meeting, the Prime Minister also instructed the authorities concerned to raise another issue before the jobseekers that tens of thousands of workers will be required in the 100 industrial parks including Mirsarai economic zone which are now being constructed at different places in the country.
In order to get a job with handsome income in the country, the jobseekers can be asked to build their capacity and take training knowing the job requirements in the industrial parks, she said.
The Cabinet approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation Act, 2022, aiming to run the corporation under a time-befitting law.
The meeting also endorsed the draft of Bangladesh National Conservation Strategy 2021-2036, formulated in both Bengali and English in a bid to conserve the natural environment and resources properly.
“Some 10-12 ministries are involved here who will sit regularly to take plans as per the strategy and implement the programmes to protect our environment,” said Anwarul Islam.
Besides, the Cabinet approved the Import Policy Order, 2022-2025, aiming to make the policy a time-befitting one.
As per the policy, the retailers can import goods of maximum US$ 0.5 million instead of US$ 0.2 million through TT (Telegraphic Transfer of money) instead of LC.
Body of another fisherman recovered: 11 still missing
The body of another fisherman, who went missing after several trawlers capsized in the Bay of Bengal during a storm on Friday, was recovered from the Bay on Monday.
The identity of the deceased could not be known yet.
Members of Coast Guard, Forest Department officials and local fishermen conducted rescue operation for the third consecutive day on Monday in Dublar Char area and recovered the body, said in-charge of Dublar Char Forest camp.
With this, bodies of three fishermen were recovered.
Earlier, on Sunday, members of the Coast Guard recovered bodies of Mamun Sheikh, 40, son of Anwar Sheikh of Kaliganj village in Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat district and Ismail Khan, 36, son of Azizul Khan of Janerpar village in Matbaria upazila of Pirojpur district from the Bay.
Read: 3 killed in Cox's Bazar road accident
Earlier, the Coast Guard members rescued three fishermen hours after several trawlers sank during a sudden storm.
Eighteen fishing trawlers sank within 8 kms of Dublar Char and 18 fishing trawlers capsized in different areas of the Bay of Bengal, 45 kms off Dublar Char.
Over 150 fishermen were rescued while 14 others went missing.
3 killed in Cox's Bazar road accident
Three people were killed and 10 others injured in a collision between a bus and a mini-truck in Medhakachchapia area in Chakaria upazila on Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway in early hours of Monday.
The deceased were identified as bus driver Bazlul Haque, 40, of Kalkini in Madaripur district, his helper Alal of Dhamrai in Dhaka and truck driver Maulvi Khaled, 35, of Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar.
Read: Man dies after being hit by train in city
Police and locals rescued the injured people and admitted them to Malumghat Memorial Christian Hospital and Chakaria Upazila Health Complex.
Mohammad Osman Gani, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chakaria Police Station said the Chittagong-bound picnic bus collided with the salt-laden mini-truck, leaving three people dead on the spot.
Of the injured, six are in critical condition, the OC added.
Man dies after being hit by train in city
A 30-year-old man was killed as a train hit him at Dhaka Airport Railway Station on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Md Abdullah.
Police said a Kishoreganj-bound train knocked down Abdullah while he was crossing the rail track at platform 1 of the Airport Railway Station around 11am.
Read: 3 killed in Cox's Bazar road accident
Later, he was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where a doctor declared him dead at noon, said Inspector Md Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost.
The body was kept at DMCH morgue, he said.
The Railway Police was informed of the accident, he added.
Teenager, another killed in Ctg UP polls violence
Two people including a teenage boy were killed and several others injured in clashes between supporters of chairman candidates during union parishad elections in Satkania upazila of Chattogram .
The deceased were Md Abdur Shukkur, 34, of Bajalia union and Tasif, 13, a seventh grader and son of Jasim Uddin of Nalua Union.
Satkania Upazila Election Officer Abu Taleb Talukder said they were killed during clashes.
According to the locals, at Nalua Union, Tasif was stabbed dead in a clash that broke out between the supporters of two chairman candidates over occupying Morphala polling center in Ward 8 at noon.
The relatives of the deceased blamed the supporters of the boat candidate for the death.
Read: Bodies of 2 fishermen recovered from Bay; 12 still missing
In Bajalia union, Abdur Shukkur sustained bullet injuries during a clash between supporters of two chairman candidates in Ward No. 2.
Later, he was rushed to Keranihat Ma O Shishu Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, said Dr Md Rakib Uddin, Resident Medical Officer of the hospital.
Meanwhile, in Khagaria union, supporters of Awami League-backed candidate Akhter Hossain and independent candidate Jasim Uddin clashed in wards 6 and 7 and a few rounds of bullets were exchanged between the two groups around 10am.
Superintendent of Police (SP) SM Rashidul Haque and Executive Magistrate Omar Faruq visited the spot after the clashes and postponed elections at two centers in the union.
Additional police were deployed at these two centres to bring the situation under control, said Md Abdul Jalil, officer-in-charge (OC) of Satkania Police Station.
Voting is underway for the seventh phase of local body elections to 138 Union Parishads (UPs) in 24 upazilas of 20 districts.
The voting began at 8am Monday at 1,350 polling stations and will continue till 4pm without any break.
90pc Cabinet’s decisions implemented in 3 years
Some 90 percent decisions, taken by the Cabinet in three years from January 2019 to December 2021, have been implemented, while the implementation of remaining 10 percent decisions is underway.
The Cabinet took a total of 689 decisions during the period. Of them, 615 have already been implemented and the implementation of 74 others is underway, according to a report placed at the Cabinet meeting held on Monday.
Read: Cabinet clears draft law over EC formation
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting, joining it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban, while the others concerned were connected from the Bangladesh Secretariat.
“The implementation rate of the cabinet’s decisions taken in the three years is 89.26 percent,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters at the Secretariat after the meeting.
Some 251 decisions (97.29pc) out of 258 decisions taken by the Cabinet in 2019 were implemented, while 232 ones (92.43pc) out of 251 decisions taken in 2020 were executed and 132 ones (73.33pc) out of 180 decisions taken in 2021 were implemented.
Read: Cabinet body okays extension of deals with 4 rental power plants
In the three months from October 2021 to December 2021, the Cabinet took 56 decisions. Of them, 34 decisions have already been executed and the implementation of remaining 22 ones is now underway.
All to be fully vaccinated in Bangladesh by Dec: Health Minister
All the people of the country will get the two doses of vaccines and the booster one against Covid-19 by December as per the target, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday.
"Bangladesh has been successful in its vaccination campaign. Around 10 crore people in the country have been vaccinated so far," he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.
Read:Mohibul says student vaccination makes progress; 64 % done
The minister said the government has so far spent more than Tk 20,000 crore on vaccinating the people of the country.
“About 70 per cent of people have been vaccinated. Among them, around 6.75 crore people have received the second doses and 26 lakh people got the booster shots,” he said.
“The government is not finding people to vaccinate,” he said.