Bangladesh
The chief justice meets President Hamid and brief him about SC activities: Bangabhaban
The newly appointed chief justice of Bangladesh Justice Hasan Fayez Siddiqui on Thursday paid a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.
During the meeting, the chief justice briefed the president on various activities of the Supreme Court, especially the operation of virtual courts during Covid-19 pandemic.
Justice Hasan also apprised the president of the steps taken to reduce the load of pending litigation.
Congratulating him, the President said that the judiciary has been the last resort for the people to get justice.
The judiciary must continue its efforts to ensure that people get justice without any harassment, he said.
Read: Canadian envoy presents credentials to President Hamid
President Hamid hoped that under the leadership of the new chief justice, the judiciary would be able to meet the expectations of the people through speedy execution of justice.
Secretary to the President's Office Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary to the President Md. Joynal Abedin and Secretary (attached) Wahidul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.
DB to investigate case against BNP leader Fakhrul, 14 others
A Narayanganj court on Thursday directed Detective Branch (DB) of police to investigate a case against 15 people including BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir , joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and 13 others over making derogatory comments on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Kawsar Ahmed accepted the case and directed the district DB police to investigate it.
On December 22, Md Akram Hossain Badal, president of Joybangla Muktijoddha Projonmo League central committee, as a plaintiff appealed to Chief Judicial Magistrate Shamsad Begum’s court for filing a case.
Also read: Filing ‘fictitious’ cases now a regular matter: Fakhrul
Moazzem Hossain Alal was made the main accused in the case.
The other accused in the case are BNP’s Ishraq Hossain, Major Delwar Hossain, Nurul Haque Nuru, Major (Retd) Shahidul Islam Khan, Md Nure Ilias Ripon, M Rahman Masum, Atiqur Rahman Shobuj, Jahangir Alam, Rezaul Karim, Ilias Molla, Zakir Hossain, Sheikh Md Titumir Akash and journalist Ilias Hossain.
Plaintiff’s lawyer Nurul Huda said as a freedom fighter the plaintiff could not bear such comments on the Prime Minister and filed the case against these 15 people.
Also read: Govt conspiring to "kill" Khaleda: Fakhrul
MoFa holds training on e-governance on easy and quick services
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said e-governance and innovation will make the service receiving easier and more comfortable ensuring transparency and accountability to the people.
The MoFA said it has the necessary foundations for delivering e-governance promises and instituting innovation in its architectural framework.
This was acknowledged at an online training session on “E-governance and Innovation.” It was presided over by Secretary (West & ICT) Ambassador Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury.
Wing Heads and officers of the ministry attended the session.
Read: Bangladesh now an important economic, political partner: Germany
Along with discussing the successful initiatives (digitalising consular services, implementation of E-nothi in the Ministry, meeting on Boithok platform) taken by the ICT wing of the ministry, senior officers of the Ministry suggested the future course of actions.
There will be a similar session to brief the missions on “E-governance and Innovation” next week and the process of reconstituting the innovation team will soon be finalised.
The chair thanked everyone for their presence in the session and requested everyone to provide their suggestions for easing of service provisions.
EIB provides €250mn to support Covid-19 immunisation in Bangladesh
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union and the largest multilateral lender in the world, will provide €250 million to Bangladesh to support the procurement of safe and effective vaccines and country-wide immunisation against Covid-19.
Vaccination efforts will also include Rohingya refugees from Myanmar currently hosted in Bangladesh.
The financing will help Bangladesh mitigate the health effects of the coronavirus pandemic and enable the country to strengthen its healthcare system and protect its people from Covid-19 with effective vaccines, said the European Union Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.
These are all key preconditions for continued sustainable economic and social growth.
This is the first operation allocated under the €425 million South Asia Public Healthcare Covid-19 programme approved by the EIB in 2021.
This programme aims to provide long-term support for Covid-19 vaccination, pandemic preparedness and health system resilience in Bangladesh, the Maldives and potentially other countries in South Asia.
EIB Vice-President Christian Kettel Thomsen, who is responsible for operations in South Asia, said the EIB is very proud to expand Team Europe support for Bangladesh, ensuring its people are protected from coronavirus with effective vaccines.
Read: EU assures continued trade benefits to Bangladesh after LDC graduation
"Together with the €1.3 billion in EIB support already extended to the COVAX vaccine-procurement initiative, operations like these are a key step in accelerating global immunisation and a quick and effective victory over the virus.
At the same time, this operation underlines our strong, long-term commitment to working with other members of Team Europe and the government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to ensure a safe, green and sustainable future for Bangladesh and its people.”
Bangladesh Ambassador to the European Union Mahbub Hassan Saleh said the EIB’s loan of €250 million to the government of Bangladesh for procuring Covid-19 vaccines is the biggest and most significant development in the 22-year long journey of the Bangladesh-EIB partnership.
He said the footprint of the EIB in Bangladesh is becoming larger and expanding into new areas, which would continue in the days ahead and contribute to greater socioeconomic development in the country.
"Climate change, infrastructure and renewable energy are some key areas of importance to Bangladesh and the European Union, where the EIB’s involvement can be robust in the coming days.”
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said the substantial support from the EIB that is being confirmed today marks a very welcome addition to the Team Europe partnership with Bangladesh to fight the pandemic.
"EU relations with Bangladesh are expanding in so many fields: from climate change to business, from connectivity to people-to-people relations. This commitment in the health sector is a further signal of the strengthening of our ties," he said.
The operation is covered by the EU EFSD+ Comprehensive Guarantee and its Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI).
Read: Govt to import 1.490mn MT of refined petroleum
Team Europe and the EIB accelerate COVID-19 vaccine deployment across the world.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the EIB has been providing long-term financing to support national healthcare systems, including to accelerate local vaccine deployment in countries throughout the world.
The EU bank has been supporting vaccine research and production as well as COVID-19 diagnosis and treatments.
With EIB innovative cost-sharing financial instruments and contributions from the European Commission and EU countries, Team Europe has committed more than €3 billion to COVAX, the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in the history of the world.
Europe is exporting more vaccines than any other region in the world, with the EIB actively supporting build-up of vaccine production capacities in less developed regions across the globe.
In January 2022, COVAX delivered the 1 billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose, following distribution of the life-saving vaccines to some 144 countries.
As part of its global COVID-19 response in 2021, the EIB Group increased its financing for the health and life sciences sector to almost €5.5 billion, with €1 billion invested into health and life sciences funds. Overall, more than 780 million people around the world will benefit from improved health services, including COVID-19 vaccines, made possible by EIB financing.
EIB Global: a new partner for Team Europe
Last year, the EIB Group provided €8.1 billion of financing to projects in more than 160 countries outside the European Union including Bangladesh, bringing the total amount of investments outside the EU to more than €1.5 trillion.
In January 2022 the EIB announced the establishment of EIB Global, its branch dedicated to international partnerships and development finance.
EIB Global will bring together all of the EIB’s resources and expertise gained outside the European Union under a clear management structure that can make a stronger, more focused contribution to Team Europe projects and initiatives.
The first regional hub of EIB Global opened in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, with more offices planned as the EIB strengthens its presence in developing countries, including offices in Jakarta, Indonesia and Suva, Fiji.
Govt preparing roadmap to increase rice production to control price
The government is preparing a roadmap to boost rice production within two years to meet the increasing demand, said Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Thursday.
“This year aus, aman and boro paddy production reached record and government stock is at its highest yet price of rice has remained out of control,” he told journalists at the Secretariat after attending a meeting on increasing cultivation of inbred and super hybrid varieties of paddy to enhance production.
He said production has to be accelerated by cultivating very high-yielding inbred and super hybrid varieties to make the grain affordable to low-income people.
Also read: Rice price is increasing beyond control despite having highest stock: Razzaque
The minister said agricultural land is on decline and to increase production the newly invented high-yielding varieties will need to be taken to the field immediately.
The government has taken time-bound specific plans to increase aus, aman and boro rice production in the next season and expand their production in hill, haor and adverse areas, said Razzaque.
Newly innovated BRRI 89 and BRRI 92 boro varieties can yield around one maund of rice cultivated in a decimal.
To take it to fields immediately, a list will be prepared of the farmers who will produce these two varieties and their rice will be purchased as seed at higher prices than the market, he said.
To encourage the farmers, seeds of these varieties will be provided free of cost and fertiliser at subsidised rates, he added.
The minister urged Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the Department of Agricultural Extension to create a more reliable statistic on rice demand, production and productivity to remove discrepancy for taking the right decision.
The minister said rice prices in the country are currently rising and unstable as in the global market the prices of food grains have increased.
Also read: OMS: Rice to be available at Tk 30 per kg from Thursday
Wheat prices which were between $230 to $280 per tonne has now increased to around $450, he said.
“Around 48 lakh tonnes of wheat were imported in the 2020-21 fiscal year but only 16 lakh tonnes were imported until January this fiscal year for its high prices”, he said.
“There are currently 10 lakh Rohingya citizens in the country and every year 22 to 24 lakh new population get added so demand and consumption is on rise hence the rice price is a bit high but there is no food crisis in the country”, said Razzaque.
Now African lioness dies at Gazipur Safari Park
An African lioness died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur on Thursday.
The death was reported when mystery shrouded the deaths of 10 zebras in the park within a span of one month.
The lioness aged around 11 years had been suffering from illness since August last year and it breathed its last at 1 am on Thursday, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
It was given treatment by the park’s veterinary officer after regular consultation with Dr ABM Shahidullah, former curator of National Zoo in Mirpur and Professor Dr Md Rafiqul Alam, director of Surgery and Obstetrics department of Veterinary Teaching Hospital under Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.
The condition of the lioness kept worsening and it deteriorated further on Wednesday afternoon as its whole body started shivering, said Dr Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman, Veterinary surgeon who treated her.
Read: Zebra deaths: Safari Park project director shunted out
Ten zebras died at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Parkin in a space of one month till Saturday. Nine of the earlier population of 22 zebras at the park died between January 2 and 24, according to the park authorities.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change formed a five-member inquiry committee to find out the cause of the zebra deaths and fix accountability. It has been given 10 days to submit the probe report.
Project director Md Zahidul Kabir, assistant forest conservator and in-charge of the park, Tabibur Rahman, and vet Dr Hatem Sazzad Md Julkarnine were removed from their positions and transferred by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change n the wake of the deaths of the animals in the park.
Air quality worst in Gazipur, best in Madaripur: Study
Bangladesh’s most polluted air is in Gazipur, but Madaripur district is blessed with the country’s best air quality, according to a countrywide study.
The study says the air pollutant concentration, PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5), is 263.51 microgram (which is considered as very unhealthy) in Gazipur, while it is 49.08 (healthy) in Madaripur.
Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) of Stamford University Bangladesh published the findings of the study titled “Countrywide Air Quality Study in 64 districts,” at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Thursday.
Also read: Dhaka’s air still ‘very unhealthy’
Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof Mohammad Ali Naqi presided over the function and CAPS Founder and Chairman Prof Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder presented the findings of the study.
Canadian envoy presents credentials to President Hamid
Resident High Commissioner-designate of Canada Lilly Nicholls presented her credentials to President Abdul Hamid him at Bangabhaban on Thursday.
The president told the new envoy that Bangladesh has always maintained an excellent relation with Canada.
He said the relationship is expanding in various fields, particularly in trade and investment, Joynal Abedin, president’s press secretary told reporters.
President Hamid recalled Canadian’s co-operation in ensuring duty-free- quota-free market access to Bangladeshi products to Canada, terming Canada as one of the country’s largest export destinations.
Hamid also thanked the Canadian government for providing support with vaccines and other medical equipment during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The high commissioner lauded the Bangladesh’s humanitarian role in sheltering Rohingya people, calling it a brave step and an example of humanitarian act.
She also told the president that her country would continue to provide necessary support to Bangladesh’s development.
She hoped that trade between the two countries would further increase during her tenure.
President's Office Secretary Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin, Secretary (attachment) Md Wahidul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.
BB asks banks to follow Covid guidelines till Feb 21
Bangladesh Bank (BB) has instructed banks to follow until February 21 the guidelines it issued earlier for operating banking activities to fight off Covid-19.
The payment system department of BB on Thursday asked banks to follow the guidelines till February 21 considering the present situation of Covid-19 pandemic.
On January 24, the central asked banks to operate those with half of their manpower as per the government’s instructions to prevent Covid-19 virus infection.
The central bank’s Department of Off-Site Supervision issued guidelines adding that banking activities should be conducted with half the staff through roster following the hygiene rules.
However, the concerned institution will be able to decide on its own need to continue the required banking services, it said.
The central renewed the instruction on Thursday and sent it to the top executives of banks to follow the hygiene rules for preventing the spread of coronavirus.
As per the guidelines, officers / employees doing office physically must be fully vaccinated.
Read: Bangladesh Bank announces 4 pc export subsidy on bicycle, cement sheet, and MS steel
It said officers / employees absent from the office at that time will be considered as working from home.
Officers / employees working from home will be stationed at their respective workplaces and will complete the official activities virtually (e-tendering, e-mail, SMS, WhatsApp and other means).
Hygiene rules must be followed by all officers / employees of banks-financial institutions. Customers who come to receive services must wear masks.
The central bank also instructed banks to keep enough money in the ATM outlets and Mobile Financial Service along with assigned adequate manpower for ensuring uninterrupted financial services to meet necessary cash demand of customers.
Bangladesh now an important economic, political partner: Germany
Germany has praised Bangladesh saying the economy of the “up-and-coming” country continues to grow rapidly, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the poverty rate has been halved since 2000.
“In a rapidly developing region, Bangladesh is now an important economic and political partner for Germany,” said the German Federal Foreign Ministry in a statement on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Germany.
By 2026, Bangladesh will have officially left the status of a Least Developed Country (LDC), and by 2041, the country aims to become a high-income industrialized country (HIC).
“For 50 years, Germany has been working closely with Bangladesh in development cooperation,” said the German foreign ministry on Thursday.
In 1972, Germany was one of the first countries in Europe to recognize Bangladesh.
Today, the focus of the bilateral cooperation lies on managing the consequences of climate change, as well as ways to achieve sustainable economic growth and stability in the region.
On 4th February 1972, the Federal Republic of Germany was the first European country to recognise Bangladesh and to establish diplomatic relations.
The existing Consulate-General in Dhaka was transformed into an Embassy and relations at ambassadorial level were established.
Read: No possibility of expansion of sanctions: Shahriar
Germany has contributed around 3 billion euros to bilateral development projects. The next bilateral consultations are scheduled for this year.
“The focus of the cooperation is adaptation to the consequences of climate change and climate protection measures aimed at making Bangladesh's dynamic growth sustainable,” according to the statement.
In addition, Bangladesh is a pilot country for the Federal Foreign Office in which it is successfully supporting measures for early warning and risk prevention in the event of natural disasters, it said.
Bangladesh is already exposed to a number of hydro meteorological and seismic risks and is increasingly having to cope with the consequences of climate change.
Some 10 per cent of the country is no more than one meter above sea level, and around 25 million people live in the coastal regions, according to the statement. “Their livelihoods are threatened by flooding, monsoon storms and soil salinization.”
Bangladesh's economic success is primarily based on its textile industry, which accounts for 10 per cent of the gross national product and 80 per cent of the export earnings - Bangladesh is the world's second largest exporter of textiles. Germany, as the second largest importer of products from Bangladesh, is a close economic partner of the country.
This also means that the German economy has the responsibility to work with the governments of both countries to ensure compliance with fundamental social and environmental standards in production. Germany and Bangladesh are therefore in close bilateral dialogue.
Despite its high population density, Germany said, Bangladesh welcomed over 900,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in 2017.
“Their situation remains extremely difficult. With more than 700,000 residents, the camp in Cox’s Bazar is the largest refugee camp in the world. Germany supports Bangladesh’s efforts through, among others, humanitarian assistance and development cooperation funds,” said the statement.