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Dhk-Khulna, Dhk-Barishal highways turn perilous; 320 die in one yr
Roads in Bangladesh have become more dangerous with fatalities and injuries almost every day and the two highways from Dhaka to Khulna and Barishal are two of those which have witnessed 320 fatalities in the past one year.
Unskilled drivers, over-speed, negligence of authorities concerned and rules violation are blamed for the frequent road accidents on highways although the highway police claimed that several measures have been taken to reduce road accidents.
The recent deadly road crash on Dhaka-Khulna highway that claimed 15 lives raised question whether these measures were adequate to control the fatal accidents .
On April 16, 15 people including five members of a family died in a collision between a bus and a pick-up van on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Kanaipur of Faridpur district.
A five-member probe body was formed to investigate the accident and two more members including an expert from Buet were also included in the committee, headed by Additional district Magistrate Ali Siddique.
Faridpur road crash: 18-month old loses both parents
The committee was asked to submit its report within three working days. At least one representative from the Roads and Highways division, Highway police, district police and Fire Service were also included in the committee.
National Committee to protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) said the authorities concerned including police and BRTA can’t avoid responsibility for the Faridpur road crash on Dhaka-Khulna highway.
Condemning the authorities’ negligence, the NCPSRR said although carrying passengers on trucks, pick-up vans and good- laden vehicles is prohibited the vehicle was heading towards Dhaka from Faridpur’s Boalmari with 25-30 passengers on board.
On March 8, three people died and ten others were injured when a bus overturned on Dhaka-Barishal highway in Bhanga.
Besides, nine people died in separate accidents in January.
Roads and Highways division and highway police blame over-speed, unskilled drivers, reckless plying of motorbikes and pedestrians’ desperate bid to cross the highways behind the accidents and fatalities.
5-member probe body formed over Faridpur road crash
According to Faridpur Highway Police sources, the length of the Bangabandhu Expressway from Jatrabari in Dhaka to Bhanga in Faridpur is 55 kilometers. Of these, 32 kilometers are from Jatrabari to Padma Bridge and 23 kilometers from Janjira to Bhanga.
In the last one year, 131 people were killed in 135 accidents on the expressway and of these, 63 accidents occurred in Bhanga portion that claimed lives of 67 people.
There are five highway police stations, one police outpost and two camps under the 381 km highway in Madaripur region.
Shahinur Alam Khan, superintendent of Madaripur Region highway police, said 320 lives were lost on the two highways in the last one year but a number of measures have been taken to prevent road crashes.
In the past one year, 28,404 cases were filed and Tk 9,43,26,200 was fined for reckless driving on the two highways, said the SP.
Police, BRTA can’t avoid responsibility for fatal Faridpur road crash: National Committee
Besides, 271 cases were filed in 432 road accidents on Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways, he said.
Morshed Alam, superintendent of Faridpur police, said the owners and transport workers must play a big role alongside the passengers to stop accidents on highways.
Besides, the residents along the highways have to be more responsible while using highways, he said.
Petrobangla seeks to complete drilling of 48 wells by 2025 to add 618 MMCFD gas to national grid
State-owned oil, gas and minerals corporation Petrobangla seeks to complete the drilling of a total of 48 wells at different gas fields hoping to add 618 MMCFD to national grid by 2025.
This will be done through Petrobangla's own companies and outsourcing of contractors by next year.
"We're very serious about implementing the plan on time and if necessary, we will seek a waiver from the provision of a mandatory feasibility study to avoid a time consuming process", said a top official of the Petrobangla.
The official preferred anonymity as he is not authorised to talk to media.
The plan is to add a total of 618 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) gas to the national grid when power, industries as well as many other sectors are reeling from gas shortage.
Read more: Action against officials of Petrobangla companies if fail to achieve target: Nasrul
According to an official document, obtained by UNB, of the planned 48 wells, 23 will be drilled using the rigs of the Bapex (Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited) while the remaining 25 will be done by the outsourcing of the contractors at the existing onshore gas fields under a crash programme.
"These wells will be drilled as part of the government's ongoing plan to increase the gas production from the local gas fields ", another top official of the Petrobangla told UNB, also wishing anonymity.
He, however, declined to comment officially as some of the wells' approval process still remains pending with the government's highest authority.
Sources said Petrobangla took up the programme against the backdrop of the declining gas production with depleting reserve positions.
The country's 20 gas fields, out of total 29, produce between 1,600 and 1,900 MMCFD gas while another 1000 MMCFD gas is being imported to meet the demand for about 4000 MMCFD.
Read more: Petrobangla invites offshore bidding for oil, gas exploration
Officials said the local fields are depleting fast and gas reserves are declining.
Currently there is 9 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas in the country's reserve, out of a total of 30 TCF while 21 TCF has already been produced.
The gas demand is growing fast as many of the gas-fired power plants and new industries are being set up across the country.
As per a scenario -2 of a projection of the Petrobangla, the country's gas demand will go up to 5,092 MMCFD in 2029-30, 6072 MMCFD in 2034-35 and 6,986 in 2040-41.
Actually, the plan for drilling 48 wells is a part of the ongoing plan under which drilling of a number of wells has already been completed, said another official of Petrobangla.
Read more: Petrobangla now plans to invite int’l bidding for onshore blocks for hydrocarbon exploration: Chairman
These wells include Bhola North-2, Togbi-1, Elisha-1, Srikail North-1, Shariatpur-1, Titas-24, Beanibazar-1, Koilash Tila-2, Sylhet-10, Rashidpur-2, and Sundalpur-3.
These newly drilled wells have now been contributing 126 MMCFD gas to the national grid, noted the official.
Govt to raise capital spending for sustained growth: Official Document
The government has set a target to elevate capital expenditure in the medium term (2025-26 fiscal) aiming to achieve sustained economic growth.
The government has set the target as it thinks that there is no alternative to increasing capital expenditure which has profound impacts on the production level of the economy.
“In the medium term, capital expenditure has been targeted to increase to 6.68 percent of GDP by FY 2025-26,” according to an official document of the finance ministry obtained by UNB this week.
The allocation was estimated at 6.41 percent of the GDP for 2024-25 fiscal while 6.50 percent for the running 2023-24 fiscal year.
Finance Ministry stresses the importance of balancing recurrent and capital expenditure
The government allocated capital investment through either Annual Development Program (ADP) or the non-ADP capital expenditure.
It was 6.09 percent of GDP as per the revised budget for FY 2022-23, according to the official document titled ‘Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26)’.
The document mentioned that the focus of the ADP will be to sharply improve and strengthen infrastructure, build a social protection system, and alleviate infrastructure constraints to private investment by fast-tracking nationally important projects.
The ADP is the main source of public sector capital formation. Data shows that ADP implementation varies in different fiscal years.
Between FY 2016-17 and FY 2021-22, ADP implementation as a percentage of budget allocation was between 76.0 and 88.6 percent, and implementation as a percentage of GDP ranged from 3.6 to 4.7 percent.
ADB capital management reforms unlock $100 billion in new funding over next decade to support Asia, Pacific
The government has taken various steps to increase the implementation efficiency of relevant agencies, the document said.
The government has also launched the iBAS++ digital platform, bringing all the line ministries together on this platform, and has simplified the process of managing and releasing funds.
In addition, in the last fiscal year, project directors were given the power to release all instalments of government funds.
These initiatives will play an important role in ensuring maximum utilisation of project funds, reducing wastage, and expediting project implementation. In the medium term, the size of ADP will be aligned with that of the 8th Five Year Plan.
The Annual Development Programme (ADP) and Non- ADP capital expenditure are the two major categories of capital formation through government expenditures.
Moreover, capital expenditure includes loans and advances, development programmes financed from the revenue budget, non-ADP projects and Non- ADP FFW (Food for Work) and transfer.
The estimated size of the development budget is Tk 2,77,582 crore, which is 36.4 per cent of the total budget. Development budget's main component is the ADP, and its related expenses are 94.7 per cent.
Govt to include Smart Bangladesh in mid-term dev plan: Official Document
In a new move the Planning Commission seeks to include the goal of building Smart Bangladesh in the government's Medium Term Development Plan.
At present, initiatives have been taken to formulate the Ninth Five Year Plan (2026-2030) by the General Economic Department (GED) of the Commission, according to an official document procured by UNB this week.
Consider costs and benefits before taking up any new project: PM Hasina tells Planning Commission
It said that the possible development philosophies in the Ninth Five Year Plan will be- Implementation of 'Vision 2041' and construction of 'Smart Bangladesh, successfully addressing the challenges of transition from least developed countries (LDCs), achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Upper Medium income country status by 2031.
The others will be- accelerate growth, strengthen macroeconomic stability, Inflation control, employment generation and poverty alleviation, sustainable use of natural resources and natural disasters and coping with the impact of climate change, ensuring regional balanced development and planned urbanisation, and evelopment of important institutions and establishment of rule of law.
Planning Commission finalises Tk 205,145 cr ADP
In the plan, efforts will be made to implement the promises given in the election manifesto 2024 of Bangladesh Awami League besides incorporating the concept and strategy of building Smart Bangladesh in setting overall and sector-wise development targets, strategies and activities.
These are- keeping prices affordable; ensuring vocational education and employment; Building smart Bangladesh based on modern technology; Increasing efficiency and capacity in the financial sector including banking; making health care affordable for low-income people;Inclusion of all in the universal pension system; integrated farming systems, mechanisation and with a view to profitable agriculture increased investment in processing; and industries and services by leveraging visible infrastructure and increasing investment expanding the sector.
The document mentioned that current Awami League government has adopted a significant number of development plans in the medium and long term as part of the measures taken with the aim of economic development in the last 15 years (2009-2024).
As a result of the adoption and implementation of all these plans, Bangladesh has now been recognised as a role model for development in the world.
The current Awami League government formulated the "First Perspective Plan of Bangladesh (2010-2021)" as a long-term plan to achieve the specific goals of economic and social development of Bangladesh with the aim of "Vision 2021" to continue the overall development and progress of the country, one of the goals of which was To promote Bangladesh to an information technology dependent middle income country by 2021.
The government has adopted and successfully implemented the 6th Five Year Plan (2011-2015) and 7th Five Year Plan (2016-2020) as medium term plans to realise the development vision of “Bangladesh First Vision Plan (2010-2021)”.
As a result, on July 1, 2015, Bangladesh was upgraded from a low-income country to a lower-middle-income country. An average growth of 7.13 percent was achieved during the 7th Five Year Plan period.
The document said that present government formulated an integrated, centenary master plan, 'Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100', taking into consideration agriculture, fisheries, industry, forestry, public health, environment and environment etc., to address the impacts of climate change, food security, better water resource management and sustainable development.
The formulation and approval of this master plan in the continuous development journey will be marked as a milestone in the history of development planning of the country.
The implementation of 'Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100' has already started. Projects are being taken up and implemented by various ministries/departments in respective fields.
The vision of the 'Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100' is: 'Building a safe, climate resilient and prosperous delta'.
The current government has adopted "Realisation of Vision 2041: Vision Plan of Bangladesh 2021-2041" to make Vision 2041 a reality with the aim of building Golden Bangla, the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The plan is based on two main objectives, which are: (a) Bangladesh will be a developed country by 2041, with a per capita income of more than 12,500 US dollars at current prices and fully compatible with the digital world; and (b) Bangladesh will be a golden Bengal, where poverty will be a thing of the distant past.
The document stated that the “Vision 2041 or Vision Plan (2021-2041)” will be implemented through a series of four five-year plans, the first of which “8th Five-Year Plan (July 2020-June 2025)” is currently under implementation.
In preparing this plan, along with the main goals of Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fourth industrial revolution, challenges of transition from underdeveloped countries to developing countries have been taken into consideration.
In addition, the 8th Five Year Plan has also recommended some effective strategies to address the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The motto of this plan, formulated with the aim of sustainable development, is 'not leaving anyone behind, but development with everyone'.
The key themes emphasized in the 8th Five Year Plan are accelerated prosperity and maximum employment generation, inclusive growth, increased productivity and poverty reduction.
In this plan, promotion of labour-intensive, export-oriented manufacturing-based growth, diversification of agriculture, dynamism of cottage, small and medium industries, strengthening of modern service sector, increasing export of non-sector services, acceleration of technology-based enterprises and strengthening of foreign employment are particularly important in this plan.
3 more solar power plants await government nod
Three more solar power plants in private sector are under process to get the approval from the government.
According to official sources, the solar power plants are 100 MW power plant at Banshkhali in Chattogram, 300 MW at Islampur in Jamalpur and 100 MW at Sadar Upazila in Rajbari district.
The Consortium of Huiheng Wind Power Limited of Hong Kong and Jupiter Energy Ltd., of Bangladesh will develop the 100 MW Banshkhali plant while SAL-GTECH Consortium will set up the 300 MW Islampur plant and Consortium of Sungrow Renewable Energy Investment Pte. Ltd. and Theia Power (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., will set up the 100 MW Rajbari power plant.
Official sources said the Power Division has already moved three separate proposals to the Cabinet Division to place the offer of the three consortiums to the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) for final approval of the government.
“If the CCGP approves the proposals, the Power Division will ask the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to sign power purchase agreement with them,” a top official of the Power Division told UNB.
He, however, did not disclose the detail tariff rate of the solar power from these plants, but said the BPDB will buy electricity from the plants under long term contract with a tariff rate of about 10 US cents.
In recent months, the government has been emphasising increasing the share of renewable energy, specially, solar power for power generation as part of its plan to raise its share to 40 percent by 2041 from the existing below 3 percent.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has recently said that despite several odds Bangladesh will generate 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2041.
He reiterated the country's target at Ministerial-level Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on “Implementation of COP28 Decisions in the Energy Sector – Opportunities, Constraints, and Next Steps: The Way Head” in the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2024 on March 20.
Currently, as per statistics of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), so far about 989.61 MW of solar power plants were set up across the country of which 371.48 MW is off-grid and remaining 618.13 is on-grid while the country’s on-grid total power generation capacity is more than 25,000 MW and off-grid power generation capacity is another 5000 MW.
The Power Division’s official documents show that in the last 3 years the government approved proposals for setting up of about 13 solar and wind power plants having total capacity of 609 MW by 2025.
“Letter of intent (LOI) and notification of award (LOI) were issued to the private sponsors of these renewable energy projects,”said a top official referring to the documents.
He said of these projects, two are wind power projects having (30+70) 100 MW and remaining 11 are solar power projects.
Launch services see reduced demand ahead of Eid amid road transport improvements
The allure of river journey is facing a downturn as the Padma Bridge has significantly bolstered road transport options, leading to a noticeable dip in waterway passenger numbers. This shift is particularly evident at Dhaka’s Sadarghat launch terminal, where, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, launch owners are in limbo over the need for special services due to reduced demand.
Navigational challenges have further exacerbated the situation, lengthening travel times and inflating operational costs for launch owners. Consequently, travelers are increasingly shunning waterways in favor of road options.
“The enhanced efficiency in road transport, exemplified by the Padma Bridge, has directly impacted passenger flow to waterway services, with our figures halving recently,” stated Badiuzzaman Badal, Senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carrier Association (BIWPCA).
Moreover, severe traffic congestion in critical areas leading to the Sadarghat terminal has deterred potential passengers, contributing to the decline. Presently, only 50-55 launches depart daily for southwestern destinations, carrying fewer than half of their usual passenger loads.
Badal emphasised that unless there's an uptick in travelers, the number of operational launches will remain unchanged. However, he hinted at a possible increase in service should the Eid holiday rush materialise.
In the past, Eid seasons saw launches operating beyond their capacity. This year, however, the scenario has drastically changed, with passenger numbers dwindling to almost half. Despite the downturn, launch owners are refraining from raising fares, underlining their commitment to affordability.
Mohammad Shaheed Mia, President of the National Committee for the Protection of Shipping, Road, and Railways, highlighted the longstanding reliance on waterways by people of the southwestern region, noting a significant drop in passengers from Barishal and Chandpur.
Ashish Kumar Dey, President of the Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF), pointed out that while launch travel remains a preferred, cost-effective mode for many, its patronage has fallen by 35 to 45 percent over the last eighteen months due to various factors.
Despite the challenges, an estimated 2.5 million individuals are expected to depart Dhaka via launches this Eid, according to Dey.
Alamgir Kabir, Joint Director of the Bangladesh Inland Waterways Transport Authority (BIWTA), reported a subdued start to the Eid exodus at Sadarghat, with many launches operating at half capacity. However, optimism remains that passenger numbers may rebound as the Eid holiday draws closer.
Government plans to escalate recurrent expenditure to 9.5% by 2025-26
The government is set to increase its recurrent expenditure from 8.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the current fiscal year 2023-24 to 9% in 2024-25, with a further rise to 9.5% in 2025-26.
This projection marks a notable increase, according to the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance. Over the past five years, the recurrent expenditure averaged 7.4% of GDP, highlighting a significant upward trend in government spending.
Recurrent expenditure encompasses salaries for government employees, goods and services purchases, subsidies, transfer payments, and interest on both domestic and foreign loans. The government is keen on optimising these expenditures, particularly the pay and allowances for public service, to ensure effective delivery of services.
The adoption of Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for all governmental payments, including pensions, has bolstered the efficiency of the payment system, minimising leakages and leading to a decrease in salary and allowance expenditure as a percentage of the total budget from 14.9% in FY 2017-18 to 12.1% by FY 2021-22. This trend is expected to continue, with projected expenditures of 10.6% in 2023-24, and adjustments to 11% and 13% in the subsequent fiscal years.
The 'Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26)' outlines several initiatives aimed at improving the procurement and management of goods and services. These include the e-GP system for public procurement, digitalisation of inventory management, and various e-payment systems, leading to a more efficient management process.
Consequently, the average expenditure on goods and services has seen a decrease, with a projected slight increase to 7.6% by 2025-26, reflecting the government's commitment to fiscal efficiency while addressing growth needs.
The government is also adjusting its focus towards pro-poor growth strategies and rationalisation of subsidies, particularly in energy, by implementing regular price adjustments to reduce subsidy dependence. This strategy aligns with broader economic objectives outlined in the 8th Five-Year Plan, emphasising support for agriculture, export diversification, remittance enhancement, and green technologies.
Moreover, the document highlights efforts to incentivise remittance through banking channels by offering a 2.5% cash incentive and favourable exchange rates for expatriates, underscoring the government's commitment to encouraging financial inflows through formal channels.
Interest payments, a significant portion of recurrent expenditure, are carefully managed through a balanced mix of domestic borrowing and concessional external loans to mitigate interest payment obligations. Despite the challenges posed by fluctuating interest rates, the government's policy shift towards reducing borrowing from NSD instruments is a strategic move to manage this expenditure more effectively.
This comprehensive fiscal strategy, outlined by the government, emphasises efficiency, digital innovation, and targeted support to foster sustainable economic growth and development.
Cox's Bazar likely to draw huge number of tourists during Eid holidays
Cox's Bazar, the world's longest natural sea beach which witnesses a slump of tourists during the past three months of the current season, is now gearing up to welcome huge tourists during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Hotel businessmen, tour operators incurred losses in the past three months due to poor inflow of tourists amid tension along Bangladesh-Myanmar border, national election and frequent natural calamities but now they are expecting to make a turnaround centering Eid and Bangla New Year holidays.
The government imposed restrictions on traveling to St Martin Island for an indefinite period from February 10 due to security concerns amid conflict in Myanmar close to the Bangladesh border, forcing many tourists to leave Cox’s Bazar without visiting the popular island.
In the month of Ramadan, the Cox’s Bazar has worn a deserted look due to poor inflow of tourists.The traders and businessmen related to the tourism sector are expecting a huge crowd of tourists as people will enjoy an eight-day holiday during Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh, that falls a day after the Eid holidays.
Renovation works are going on in many different business establishments including hotels while many are installing fire extinguishing systems.
Businessmen expect that the tourist influx will continue for a month after Eid. Already, the authorities concerned have decorated some spots to attract tourists.
During a recent visit to Sugandha beach, which remains full of tourists from dawn to dusk, the correspondent found it completely empty. A few travelers were seen passing idle time there.The scenario of Sea Gull, Laboni and Kolatoli beaches is also the same.
Though the hotel-motel owners offered 60% discount on room rent to attract tourists, they didn’t get a response in the month of Ramadan.
Ninety Five percent of hotels, motels and resorts in the tourist hub remained vacant and owners were forced to keep their restaurants closed.
Meanwhile, officials and employees of different business establishments were given a month's leave due to lack of tourists.
Photographers, hawkers and small traders were seen passing an idle time while many shops were found shut in the daytime.Belal Hossain, an employee of Information Services and Complaint Center of the local administration, said a few tourists are coming and most of them are local people.Four hundred restaurants remained closed from the 1st day of Ramadan.
Abu Taleb, general manager (reservation) of Hotel Cox’s Today, said there are 170 rooms in the hotel. The hotel authorities have offered 50% discount but there are hardly any tourists.They are also conducting renovation work at the hotel with hope of tourist influx during Eid vacation.
Tourists stranded on St Martin's now back in Teknaf
The situation is the same in other hotels including Ocean Paradise, Sayemen Resort, Seagull, Long Beach, Sea Palace, Hotel Kallol, Royal Resort and others.
Morshed, director of Daria Tour Operator, said many tourists have booked rooms in hotels and motels ahead of Eid.
Abul Kashem, president of Cox’s Bazar Hotel, Resort, Guest House Owners Association, said many restaurant authorities are conducting renovation work while a large number of employees and staff were sent on leave in advance after paying salary and bonus to get their services during Eid.
"After the end of Ramadan, there will be a huge crowd of tourists during the Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh holidays for 7 to 8 days. Tourism-based businesses will see a boom,” he said.
Appeal Mahmud, additional deputy inspector general of Tourist police, said police have taken different steps to ensure security of the tourists.
Sundarbans Day: World's largest mangrove forest draws growing number of tourists
Shaheen Imran, deputy commissioner, said alongside the law enforcement agencies, a number of mobile courts led by executive magistrate will remain in the field to provide services and ensure interrupted tourism.
There will be special surveillance in the tourist areas to ensure safety of tourists, he said.
Move to fell century-old trees at Ctg’s CRB, Tiger Pass sparks concerns
Environmentalists and residents have raised serious concern over a recent move by Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) to cut 46 century-old trees and hill slopes from Tiger Pass to CRB area for the construction of a ramp of the elevated expressway.
Earlier in 2022, the government bid to construct a private hospital in CRB area was halted amid strong movement of the port city residents and green activists.
The CRB area, that takes its name from the Central Railway Building - built by the British colonial administration in 1872 as the headquarters of the Assam-Bengal Railway - is a scenic, hilly quarter of the Port City known for its Shireesh trees (Albizia Lebeck) Surrounded by centuries-old trees, hills, hills and valleys, this area is home to a variety of species of birds and animals.
Chattogram residents celebrate the Bengali New Year on April 14 every year on an open stage called "Shireeshtala" at CRB area. CRB also hosts the famed "Boli Khela", an annual freehand wrestling challenge that draws competitors from far and wide.
Read more: No cutting trees without permission in DNCC areas: Atiqul Islam
Environmentalists and civil society members fear that felling of trees and destruction of hills will cause environmental disaster.
Sources said CDA has already applied to the Forest Department and Bangladesh Railway for permission to fell trees and the trees that will be cut have already been marked.
Meanwhile, environmentalists and civil society representatives have called the decision "irresponsible" and requested the CDA to find an alternative plan for the construction of the ramp.
Ritu Parvin, an official of green organisation Environmental Movement Green Fingers Bangladesh, said, “CRB is marked as a heritage area. Bangladesh Railway wanted to build a hospital there, but the railway authority backed tracked due to people's agitation. No construction will be allowed in the CRB area and its surrounding areas which will destroy the environment. We will also stage protest. Already we have announced the sit-in programme at CRB on Monday.”
Read more: Plant more trees to protect environment: Environment Minister
According to the Bangladesh Railway, the Tiger Pass road was built on the hill slope to connect CRB and polo ground with the port area of Chittagong during the British period.
It is known as a double decker road to locals. The slope of the hill has been kept as a divider of this road. Hundreds of small and big trees were planted in the road division. Some trees are over 100 years old which are abode of many birds.
The construction of the 16 km long elevated expressway from Lalkhan Bazar to the airport at a cost of Tk 4,298 crore is in the final stage. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the expressway in November last year. But it has not yet been opened to traffic. The duration of the project has been extended till June 2024 as the work could not be completed on time.
Journalist Mohsin Kazi, Joint Secretary General of Civil Society Chittagong, said that CDA must consider an alternative to build ramps instead of cutting trees by damaging the environment. “If any government organisation tries to cut the trees we will again start movement.”
According to CDA officials, among the 14 ramps of the expressway, one will be constructed at GEC junction, two at Tiger Pass, four at Agrabad, one at Fakirhat, two at Nimtala, two at CEPZ and two at KEPZ.
One of the two ramps at the Tiger Pass intersection will be on the New Market-bound road via CRB, while the other will be on the Ambagan-bound road. CDA sent a letter to the Bangladesh Railway on March 25 seeking permission to use 14 decimal land for its construction.
Kazi Hasan bin Shams, Chief Engineer of CDA, said that the ramp will be constructed in the CRB area with utmost importance to the environment.
“It will not have any impact on the environment if the trees are cut to build the ramp. While 46 trees are planned to be cut for the construction of the ramp, more trees will be planted. The ramp will be constructed in the national interest without damaging the double-decker road on the hill slopes.”
Md. Sujan, chief estate officer of Railway Eastern Zone said, CDA has sought permission to use the land. “We have a seven-member departmental committee which will visit the area before approval. How much land is there, how many trees are there, whether the trees will be cut - the departmental committee will check all the issues and give a report. Then it will be sent to headquarters for approval.”
Read more: WFWP-ULAB organises events to inspire youth to plant trees
Banks offer hefty discounts in cashless shopping and traveling on card payment
Cashless payments are adding to the joys of Eid shopping, traveling, Iftar and Sehri meals. Thanks to the hefty discounts offered by banks and mobile financial services (MFS) credit card holders are making best use of the facilities.
Banks keeping in mind the demand of different types of their customers, provide up to 80 percent discount, cashback, and buy one get one offers in purchasing products and services using credit and debit cards during this Eid festival.
Some banks are offering discounts on the purchase of various products including Eid clothes, shoes, and jewellery. In addition, iftar prices are discounted throughout the month of Ramadan. There are also many 'Eid gifts' including buy one get one offers.
According to the people involved, the trend of increasing the prices of goods and services around the festival has been going on for a long time in Bangladesh. But with the passage of time, such a tendency is gradually decreasing; The picture is changing. Now in Bangladesh too, the prices of products are being discounted during the festival.
Read: Standard Chartered unveils special deals, offers Ramadan-Eid to promote cashless experience
“Banks have added a new level in terms of discounts. They offer many benefits in avoiding cash, which discourages the risk of carrying cash and encourages purchases on cards. Banks have arranged special offers for their card holders,” Mashrur Arefin, Managing Director and CEO of City Bank told UNB while talking about Eid offers of banks.
He said that as many as 300 lifestyle stores offer up to 60 percent and more than 50 jewelery establishments offer up to 80 percent discount for their cardholders.
In addition, customers will get up to 70 percent discount on online shopping payments. Besides, more than 130 restaurants have ‘buy one get one’ offer or up to 30 percent off on Iftar and Dinner.
Apart from this, various offers have been announced on airfares for returning home and traveling abroad during Eid, he said.
Encouraging a cashless society, currently, StanChart provides up to 60 percent discount, which is convenient to the customers in the use of seven types of credit cards to make Eid more enjoyable, said Sabbir Ahmed, head of consumer banking of StanChart.
“We hope our customers will go cashless to make the most of the benefits and privileges offered by our card offer", he said.
Read: Bangladesh moves towards cashless society: PM Hasina on launching Taka Pay card
Soumya Basu, Country Manager, Bangladesh, Nepal & Bhutan of Visa told UNB, “We are on way to becoming a truly cashless Bangladesh with the rise of non-cash forms of payment.”
“During the holy month of Ramadan, we have witnessed that Visa cardholders continue to avail the benefits of digital payments – its convenience, inherent security, and speed – while they shop and spend online and offline,” he said.
“We expect this trend of transacting digitally to accelerate in the days leading to Eid and are delighted to empower our cardholders with the security, ease of use, and power of the Visa network,” Soumya pointed out.
Moulude Hossain, Deputy General Manager, Strategy and Product, ‘Upay’ of UCB told UNB that upay has thousands of merchant points across the country so that our users can practice piety without any additional stress during the holy month of Ramadan and enjoy Eid festivity hassle-free.
To add further convenience to "our users’ lifestyles, we have recently introduced UCB-upay co-branded prepaid card, which anyone can avail of even without having a bank account," he said,
On the other hand, upay brought the most exciting offers for its valuable users in Ramadan to double the joy of Eid festivity, he said.
Read more: Nagad MD proposes cashless transactions to save billions and build a smart Bangladesh
More banks including Eastern Bank, Brac Bank, Bank Asia, NBRC Bank, AB Bank, and Islami Bank Bangladesh, among MFSs bkash and Nagad also offer discounts in Eid in cashless shopping and travelling.