Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday paid a courtesy call to President Abdul Hamid at his office at the Jatiya Sangsad. "During the meeting, they discussed different state-level issues, especially the steps undertaken by the government for the socio-economic development of the country," President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB. Read more: PMO's Principal Secretary meets President Abdul Hamid Also, President Hamid thanked PM Hasina for unveiling his autobiographical book "Amar Jibanniti, Amar Rajniti" at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2023, he added.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said the schedule for the presidential election will be announced on Wednesday ( tomorrow). CEC Awal said this while talking to the media at his office in the city's Agargaon area after holding a meeting with Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at national parliament. Kazi Awal said the schedule of the presidential election will be disclosed after a meeting of the election commission to be held at 11 am tomorrow in the Election Commission. Parliament Secretariat Senior Secretary KM Abdus Salam and Election Commission (EC) Secretary Md Jahangir Alam were present during the meeting. Director ( Public Relations) of Parliament Tarik Mahmud said CEC met the Speaker of the Parliament and discussed the presidential election. Read more: Presidential election within February 23 : EC secretary Speaker Shirin Sharmin thanked the Chief Election Commissioner after being apprised of the developments. CEC informed the Speaker that they are ready to conduct the election in due time. According to the Constitution, a new president has to be elected within 90 to 60 days prior to the end of the incumbent president's tenure. The previous presidential election schedule was announced on January 25, 2018. Abdul Hamid was elected president unopposed for the second term on 6 February though the election slated for 18 February. President Abdul Hamid is set to complete his tenure on April 23 this year. Read more: CEC meets Speaker Tuesday to discuss presidential election

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed ban on carrying all kinds of weapons, explosives, other harmful substances and holding rallies around the Jatiya Sangsad and adjacent areas from Wednesday midnight ahead of the 21th session of the 11th Parliament   The 21th session of the 11th Parliament will begin Thursday.  DMP imposed the restrictions to ensure undisrupted movement during the parliament session, according to a notification signed by DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq.  Read more: Jamaat men to be brought to justice for attacking police: DMP Commissioner The roads and areas under restrictions are: From Mohakhali crossing on Mymensingh Road to Banglamotor crossing via Old Airport, from Western corner of Banglamotor Link Road to Hotel Sonargaon Road to SAARC Fountain, from the eastern end of Panthapath to Farmgate via Green Road link road, from Shyamoli crossing  to junction of Dhanmondi-18 (old-27) road, from Rokeya Sarani link road to old 9th division crossing to Bijoy Sarani Parjatan crossing, from the east end of Indira road to west end of Manik Mia Avenue, the restricted area of the Jatiya Sangsad and all the roads and lanes in the area.  The restrictions will be in force until the parliament session ends.  Read more: Metro Rail: DMP to provide security till specialised unit is formed  

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Health and Family Planning has recommended quick construction of a vaccine manufacturing and research plant in Gopalganj. The recommendation was made at the committee’s 16th meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital on Thursday. Besides, the committee discussed on the “National Diarrhoea Research Center Bangladesh Bill 2022” for making it time-befitting through corrections and additions. The committee suggested for engaging teachers of government and private medical colleges in various medical research projects.   Read: JS body recommends raising ETP capacity to 20,000 kiloliter at tannery estate The meeting was chaired by Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, chairman of the committee. Secretary and Additional Secretaries of the Health Ministry, Director Generals of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) along with other members of the committee were present at the meeting. 

The appellate division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday annulled a High Court order that declared the houses built for the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker on the premises of Jatiya Sangsad as illegal. A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddque, passed the order in the wake of a writ petition. Barrister Tanjib Ul Alam represented the petitioner’s side, while Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed appeared for the state during the hearing. In 2003, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and the Institute of Architects filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging the legality of the construction of the two houses on the Parliament premises, citing violation of the original design by renowned architect Louis I Kahn. Also read: HC forms expert committee to prevent plagiarism in PhD thesis Construction work began in 2002. On June 21, 2004, the High Court passed an order on the petition saying the construction of the new buildings were illegal and directed to declare the National Parliament House as "national heritage". Later, the appellate division suspended the High Court’s order after an appeal from the state and granted them leave to appeal against the order. Subsequently, the state's lawyers submitted a regular appeal against the High Court’s order. In the meantime, the construction of the residential buildings of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker was completed. Also read: HC directs to protect 952 ponds in Rajshahi city In 2015, during a hearing on the appeal, the appellate division asked the state to present the original design of Louis I Kahn, which it did later.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has started unveiling  the Tk 678,064 crore national budget for the financial year 2022-2023 with special focus on economic recovery from uncertainties caused by Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. The finance minister began rolling out proposed budget at the Jatiya Sangsad at 3:00 pm on Thursday. This is the fourth time Mustafa Kamal is presenting the national budget. This is the country’s 51st budget and the 23rd of the Awami League government in five terms.  Also read: Cabinet approves national budget for FY2022-23

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is set to place the national budget of Tk 6.80 trillion ( 6.80 lakh crore) in the Jatiya Sangsad  for FY2022-2023  on Thursday. The size of the budget will be about 15 percent of the country's gross domestic product or GDP. This is the country’s 51st budget and the 23rd of the Awami League government in five terms. The budget will see special measures of tax exemptions on agriculture, food processing and small sector development.   Also read: Gender budget framework needs to be redesigned, say discussants at a pre-budget dialogue The revenue collection target set for NBR is Tk 4.33 trillion, an increase of 9 per cent from the revenue target of the current fiscal year and annual development program (ADP) is set at Tk2.44 trillion. Experts emphasize on having measures to control growing inflation, stabilise foreign exchange rate and steps to ensure food security.   Tajuddin Ahmed presented the first budget as the first finance minister of the post-independence Bangabandhu government in 1972. In the upcoming budget, the target of GDP growth is set at 7.5 per cent and inflation will be kept at 5.5 per cent. In the proposed budget, the expectation of GDP is set 7.5 percent – around Tk44.50 trillion (Tk 44 lakh 50 thousand crore, which is Tk14 trillion more than the FY22, finance division sources said. The GDP size in FY 22 was Tk28.34 trillion or Tk 28.34 lakh crore. The government policy makers believe in the FY23, three major infrastructures of the country will help in achieving the GDP growth despite projection of decline in global economy due to Russia-Ukraine war.   Officials concerned think that three big mega projects will be launched in FY 23. The dream Padma Bridge will be opened on June 25. This will open new doors for business and trade, which will have a positive impact on the economy. The ministry officials said development of power, energy, communications and transport sectors will also boost growth following completion of these three mega projects. The impact of the development of these sectors will play an important role in achieving the growth of other sectors including industry. Naturally, importance is being given to agriculture for achieving growth. Therefore, emphasis is laid on ensuring supply of agricultural inputs and maintaining subsidy. Growth is expected to be accelerated if the ongoing reforms in various sectors (revenue sector and Investment) are implemented, they said. According to the finance division, the prices of food, fuel and fertilizer have risen sharply due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Farmers are getting it at a lower price as the government is subsidizing fertilizer. A plan has been taken to give a subsidy of Tk 12,000 crore in agriculture in the next financial year as well. Also read:Russia-Ukraine war creates uncertainties: Kamal on upcoming national budget The implementation of incentive packages in the new budget will also be continued. This will add to the sector based GDP. In this context, the former caretaker government's finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam told UNB that if there is no growth, there will be stagnation in the economy. “Poverty must be reduced by ensuring employment by increasing the coverage of social safety net programs,” he said. Dr. M. Masrur Reaz, economist and Chairman, Policy Exchange of Bangladesh said the budget faces challenges to keep a stable exchange rate of forex and import trade inflation. The budget should have measured inflation as well as price control of commodities and the health sector by developing institutional capacity of government entities. The government set an ambitious revenue collection target of Tk4.33 trillion, comfortably the highest ever, although meeting this target has never been the point. The national board of revenue (NBR), a wing of the internal resources division (IRD), usually collects revenue for the government. The upcoming budget is set to have a Tk4.33 trillion revenue target that is Tk 44000 crore more than the target in the budget for the current fiscal and 9.8 percent of GDP. As per the calculation, the budget deficit would stand at Tk2.44 trillion that is 5.5 per cent of GDP. According to sources at the finance ministry, the government would borrow Tk128,341 crore from the domestic sources and Tk1,16,523 crore  from abroad to meet the  deficit in the proposed budget. Of the domestic borrowing, Tk 93,889 crore would be taken from the banking system while Tk 34,452 crore from savings certificates.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed ban on carrying all kinds of weapons, explosives, other harmful substances and holding rallies around the Jatiya Sangsad from Saturday midnight ahead of the 16th session of the 11th Parliament  The 16th session of the 11th Parliament will begin Sunday. READ: 2 restaurants fined Tk 1.5 lakh in DMP drive DMP imposed the restrictions to ensure undisrupted movement during the parliament session, said a notification signed by DMP Commissioner Mohammad Shafiqul Islam. The roads and areas under restrictions are: From Mohakhali crossing on Mymensingh Road to Banglamotor Crossing via Old Airport, from Banglamotor Link Road to Hotel Sonargaon Road to SAARC Fountain, from the eastern end of Panthapath to Farmgate via Green Road link road, From Shyamoli crossing  to junction of Dhanmondi-18 (old-27) road, from Rokeya Sarani link road to old 9th division crossing to Bijoy Sarani Parjatan crossing, from the east end of Indira road to west end of Manik Mia Avenue, the restricted area of the Jatiya Sangsad and all the roads and lanes in the area. READ: No outdoor celebration on 31st night: DMP The restrictions will be in force till the parliament session ends.

Parliament on Sunday unanimously adopted a condolence motion expressing profound grief at the death of six former MPs. including an ex-minister and some noted personalities. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the condolence motion in the House in the beginning of the 15th session of the 11th parliament. Read: Parliament goes into session The six former MPs are ex-minister Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu (Chattogram-6 and 9), Dr Mizanul Haque (Kishoreganj-4), Md Fazlul Haque Aspia (Sunamganj-4), Mokbul Hossain (Pabna-2), Ali Osman Khan (Mymensingh-17 and Netrakona-4) and Sheikh Shahidur Rahman (Khulna-4). The House also expressed deep shock at the death of noted personalities, including veteran lawyer Abdul Baset Majumder, noted cultural personalities Dr Enamul Haque and Mahmud Sajjad, renowned journalist, dramatist and poet Rafiqul Haque, chairman of Sylhet Zila Parishad advocate Lutfur Rahman and former cabinet secretary Kazi Shamsul Alam. Read: President summons 15th session of Parliament on Nov 14 Besides, the Jatiya Sangsad expressed profound grief at the death of physicians, health workers, members of the administration, police, political leaders, media people, business and social dignitaries, other staff of the government and private sector, who lost lives in the coronavirus at home and abroad, and those who were killed in the recent Sierra Leone explosion caused by collusion between a fuel tanker and a lorry, and other accidents in different places at home and abroad. Before passing the condolence motion, a one-minute silence was observed and a munajat offered, seeking the eternal peace of the departed souls.

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of a policy to develop automobile industry in the country considering the growing demand. The Automobile Industry Development Policy 2021 was okayed at the weekly Cabinet meeting held at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. “We need to develop the automobile industry in our own interest amid growing demand…. We’re thinking of the development of the automobile industry to some extent, not remaining dependent only on import,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam during a post-meeting media briefing at the Secretariat. Also read: Working to build Bangladesh as regional automobile manufacturing hub: Humayun He said there is a potential for the development of the automobile industry in the country. The main objective of the policy is to develop the local industry by ensuring competence in automobile engineering and necessary facilities for production of automobiles and parts, he said. Khandker Anwarul said another objective of the policy is to enhance scopes for cooperation and joint-investment between local automobile industries and with international automobile brands so that the products of famous brands and models can be produced here at lesser costs. He said quoted Japanese ambassador in Dhaka as saying that a famous Japanese company has shown interest making their brands in Bangladesh. Also read: Bangladesh to produce own brand of automobiles: Minister Besides, the Cabinet gave the final approval to the draft of the Delimitation of Constituencies Bill, 2021 seeking to formulate an act to replace a military regime-era ordinance in line with the court’s judgment. “The proposed law has been designed aiming to make an act instead of the existing Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance 1976,” said the Cabinet Secretary. No major change was brought to the draft law, he said. The Cabinet also cleared a proposal for accepting the membership of OIC’s Women Development Organisation (WDO) as well as ratification and signing of the WDO Statute to this end.