Dhaka
Electric transformer catches fire behind Gulshan Central Mosque
A fire broke out in an electric transformer in Dhaka city’s Gulshan area on Monday (November 7, 2022) morning.
The blaze started at 8:30 am and soon spread to adjacent electric wire and dish cables behind Gulshan central mosque at Gulshan-2, said duty officer of fire service headquarters control room Rakibul Hasan.
Read more: Fire at Eastern Refinery in Ctg: 4 burnt
On information, two units of fire tender rushed to the spot and doused the flame after an hour.
The fire originated due to electric short circuit, said the officer.
Read more: 7 sustain burn injuries in Gazipur filling station fire
No injury or casualty was reported.
Weeklong gas supply disruption for some Dhaka areas, Narayanganj and Munshiganj from tomorrow
Consumers in the southern part of Dhaka city and adjoining areas, and Narayanganj and Munshiganj may experience disruption or low pressure in gas supply for a week – from tomorrow (November 6, 2022) to November 12 – due to technical work in the gas transmission line.
According to a statement from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, the areas where consumers may face gas supply disruption include some areas in the southern part of Dhaka city, Zinjira, Keraniganj, Meghnaghat, Sonargaon, Haripur, Narayanganj and Munshiganj.
Read: New gas found in Bhola field amid crisis
Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) will conduct “intelligent pigging” activities in its 60km long Bakhrabad-Shiddhirganj 30-inch-diameter transmission line during the period, said Titas Gas.
Dhaka, Delhi very special partners: Assistant high commissioner of India
Assistant High Commissioner of India in Chattogram Dr Rajeev Ranjan has said India and Bangladesh are very special partners.
"India's partnership with Bangladesh stands out as a role model in the region for neighbourly relations. This tie can be strengthened through educational and research exchanges," he added.
Dr Rajeev was speaking at the opening ceremony of the week-long "International training workshop on companion animal nutrition and small animal reproduction" at the Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) Friday.
Read: Sylhet important to close Dhaka-London relationship: Javed Patel
CVASU Vice-Chancellor Dr Goutam Buddha Das and Madras Veterinary College (MVC) Dean Dr R Karunakaran were also present.
CVASU students have been doing internships at MVC since 2002.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit in 2017, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was again signed between the two institutions for educational exchanges.
Korean Film Festival 2022 opens
Showcasing the brilliance of globally acclaimed Korean films, the three-day Korean Film Festival 2022 was inaugurated at the National Museum Auditorium in the capital's Shahbagh on Wednesday.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid joined the opening ceremony of the festival organised by the Korean Embassy.
South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-Keun and National Museum Director General Md Kamruzzaman also spoke.
"Bangladesh and South Korea have many similarities in history, tradition and culture. Based on our similarities and strong diplomatic ties, cultural exchange between the two nations can be one of the means of strengthening mutual cooperation. And this festival is a testament to that," Khalid said.
"2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and South Korea. To celebrate the occasion, cultural exchange between the two countries will be increased through special events."
Khalid expressed deep grief over Halloween stampede in Seoul, the capital of South Korea on October 29. A one-minute silence was observed at the ceremony.
Read more: Winners of K-pop contests Dhaka announced
The embassy has selected these five films for this year's festival from various genres of Korean films, including comedy, thriller, action and animation, which will reflect and showcase various aspects of Korean history, society and modern culture.
The festival began with "Escape from Mogadishu" at 6pm after the opening of the festival at the National Museum Auditorium.
Thursday, two movies will be screened at the festival – "Dude in Me" at 2pm and "The Battle of Zangsari" at 5pm. Friday, the festival will screen "Underdog" at 11am and "The Edge of Shadows" at 3pm.
Read more: Bangladeshi food products appreciated at South Korea fair
Bank official killed in city road crash
A bank official was killed as a lorry ran over him in the capital's Jatrabari area on Tuesday night.
The deceased was identified as Aftab-e -Alam,45, of Shimulhati village of Kishoreganj district. He was a principal officer of Pubali Bank's Islampur branch.
The lorry hit Alam on his way home in Shanirakhra area of Jatrabari around 9:30 pm, leaving him dead on the spot, said Mostafizur Rahman, sub-inspector of Jatrabari police station.
Read more: Couple among three killed in Cumilla road accident
Police recovered the body and took it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy, added the SI.
Police arrested the driver and seized the lorry, he said.
Dhaka’s air ‘unhealthy’ this morning
Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone on Monday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 153 at 9am, the metropolis ranked fifth in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and the UAE’s Dubai occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 391, 262 and 186, respectively.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Read: Dhaka’s air ‘unhealthy’ this morning as winter approaches
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Dhaka’s air ‘unhealthy’ this morning as winter approaches
Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone on Sunday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 168 at 8am, the metropolis ranked fifth in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and the UAE’s Dubai occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 337, 256 and 172, respectively.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
US opens new commercial service office in Dhaka to boost trade ties
United States on Thursday (October 27, 2022) formally opened a new commercial service office at the US Embassy, which will play an important role in strengthening trade ties between the two countries.
US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas announced the opening of the office.
“As the United States and Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations, it is an opportune moment to expand upon the strong foundation of our bilateral and commercial relationship,” said Venkataraman.
Read more: 'Media a key tool to promote safe migration'
“The new Commercial Service office here in Bangladesh will play an important role in strengthening trade ties between our countries, and how we support US companies doing business in such a dynamic and fast-growing economy. Trade between our two countries accounts for an estimated $10 billion, showcasing the vast existing and potential opportunities in this country.”
The US Department of Commerce will station a senior Foreign Commercial Service officer at the US Embassy in Dhaka to maximise US export opportunities and work collaboratively with Bangladesh to assist US companies considering entry into or expanding their presence in the Bangladeshi market.
The office will help facilitate one-on-one business counseling, provide tailored export expertise and information on the Bangladeshi market, and work to connect US businesses with potential Bangladeshi partners through business matchmaking and other services.
Read more: Bangladesh a key player in fight against climate change, says British envoy
The US Foreign Commercial Service is the export promotion arm of the International Trade Administration, a bureau of the US Department of Commerce.
The commercial service has an extensive global network consisting of 122 offices around the world and in over 100 US cities.
The new office in Dhaka will increase the number of international markets to 81. Across Asia, the wing will have a presence in 19 markets, including Bangladesh.
Read Currency depreciations risk intensifying global food, energy crisis: World Bank
The International Trade Administration (ITA) at the US Department of Commerce is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace.
ITA has more than 2,200 employees assisting US exporters in more than 100 US cities and 81 markets worldwide.
Saudi Deputy Interior Minister to visit Dhaka November
Bangladesh, KSA to hold JEC talks in Riyadh October 30-31
Energy-rich Saudi Deputy Minister of Interior Dr.Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Daoud will visit Bangladesh in the second week of November.
Before the planned visit, Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will hold the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting which will be held on October 30-31 in Riyadh.
The Saudi Deputy Minister is likely to visit Dhaka on November 11-12.
Bangladesh and KSA are likely to sign two agreements including security cooperation during the visit.
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef Essa Alduhailan met Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at his office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Momen expressed readiness and full cooperation from his office in making the visit fruitful.
They exchanged views on various bilateral issues of mutual interests.
The Ambassador expressed satisfaction at the state of excellent bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia which is growing rapidly encompassing various fields including political, economic, defense, manpower, business, trade and investment.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister and the Saudi envoy discussed and reviewed various issues of the existing and prospective investment initiatives including power and renewable energy sectors and new proposals under consideration from Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh.
The Minister stated that his office was ready to push forward any proposals from the Saudi side in making headways.
While reflecting on the current energy crisis in view of the Russia- Ukraine war, Momen said Bangladesh needed brotherly gesture from Saudi Arabia in meeting its energy need and urged the Ambassador to look into the possible Saudi investment in the LNG sector.
The Saudi envoy stated that he would take up the issue with the concerned Saudi stakeholders.
The Foreign Minister appreciated the progress and development under the present leadership and welcomed the recent appointment of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Congratulating the new leadership for his dynamic role for the Muslim world, he stated that people were looking forward to according a warm welcome to the Prime Minister to Bangladesh.
Welcoming the proposal, the Saudi Ambassador underlined the need for the Minister to undertake a visit to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Foreign Minister for his continuous support and guidance to take forward the bilateral engagements to new heights including Bangladesh’s valuable support to Saudi Arabia in the multilateral fora.
IMF team now in Dhaka to start negotiations on $4.5 billion loan
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team is now in Dhaka to discuss the terms and conditions of a prospective $4.5 billion loan for the Bangladesh government.
Officials of the Ministry of Finance said the global lender would hold meetings with various government departments during then visit slated to last till November 9.
IMF Mission Chief to Bangladesh Rahul Anand is leading the delegation.
Read:Not before January, officials say about IMF’s $4.5 bn loan to Bangladesh
Fatima Yasmin, senior secretary of the Ministry of Finance, said, ”We are optimistic about getting a loan from the IMF to deal with the ongoing crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war.”
She said this to reporters on Wednesday after meeting members of the IMF delegation who called on her at the Secretariat.
Earlier on October 21, the IMF in a statement released by its head office in Washington said the team would start discussions on economic and financial reforms and policies with the Bangladeshi authorities.
The two sides will be hoping to make progress towards a staff-level agreement on funding in the coming months – the loan agreement is not expected to be finalised before January.
A staff-level agreement means that the IMF team and the negotiating team of a sovereign country, in this case Bangladesh, are able to reach a deal on a country’s overall economic programme incorporating the loan, its disbursement schedule, and the planned reforms and policies. This will then be presented to the IMF Executive Board.
The purpose of the visit is to start that process formally. Discussions will include borrowing from the IMF's Enhanced Credit Facility (ECF), Enhanced Funding Facility (EFF) program, and New Initiatives, Resilience and Sustainability Fund (RST) program.
While the first two were part of the IMF’s existing lending toolkit, the RST was established last May, in light of the war in Ukraine breaking out to hurt the world economy’s recovery from the devastating pandemic.
Read:$4.5bn loan: IMF delegation due this week to discuss conditions
The newly-established fund is meant “to help countries build resilience to external shocks and ensure sustainable growth, contributing to their long-term balance of payments stability.”
Last July, the IMF confirmed that Bangladesh had become the fourth country to apply for a loan under the RST facility.
Abdur Rouf Talukder, Governor of Bangladesh Bank, recently returned from the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, and said there were positive indications on a loan agreement being reached between the two parties.