PM
Mango diplomacy: PM sends mangoes to the Maldives president
In continuing her mango diplomacy Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent 500 kgs of "Harivanga" mangoes to Maldives’ president Ibrahim Mohammed Solih as a token of friendship.Rear Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to the Maldives handed over the mangoes to Aishath Shaan Shakir, Chief of Protocol of Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.Aishath received the mangoes on behalf of the president and expressed gratitude to Sheikh Hasina for the special gift.
PM Hasina has earlier gifted Harivaga mangoes, a juicy and tasty variety grown mainly in the northern district of Rangpur, to the leaders of India, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Mangoes were sent also to chief ministers of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam.
PM greets Tigers for ODI series win against Zimbabwe
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday congratulated the Bangladesh cricket team for their ODI series win against the hosts Zimbabwe.
In a congratulatory message, the prime minister greeted the players, coaches and officials of the national cricket team.
Also read: Shakib shines in Tigers series win against Zimbabwe
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by three wickets today to win the three-match ODI series with a match to spare.
Working to build a service-oriented administration: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the aim of her government is to build a fully service-oriented administration to ensure the welfare of people.
“Our aim is to build an administration that will serve people and ensure its accountability to people,” she said at a function marking the signing of the Annual Performance Agreement (APA) of ministries and their subordinate bodies.
The programme was arranged at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium with the PM joining it from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Mentioning that remaining in power does not mean enjoying government facilities, Hasina said, “We’ve our responsibilities to the people. Our responsibilities are to ensure the welfare of people and their interests and change their fate,” she said.
Also read: Promote right persons in Army: PM Hasina
At this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said, the government aims to make sure that mass people must not face suffering in any way. So, the government has fulfilled their demand for food and is providing medical facilities and assisting them economically to get rid of the curse of pandemic,” she said.
She mentioned that the government from the beginning of the pandemic started giving stimulus packages and announced 28 packages worth Tk 131,641 crore and implemented those.
The Prime Minister thanked all for their sincere efforts which resulted in keeping the national economy moving since March 2020.
As coronavirus is a global problem, Bangladesh alone has nothing to do, she said, adding: “We’re trying to contain the transmission of the virus, protect the lives and livelihoods of people keeping the socioeconomic condition moving.”
She also said the government wants to make sure that its efforts to change the fate of people should not stop in any way. “Coronavirus virus put the whole world into a deep crisis. This type of crisis was never seen in the past. It has hit socioeconomic development hardest unlike any time before. But the painful fact is that the government was moving the country towards development before the pandemic that suffered a huge shock.”
The Prime Minister thanked the administration, law enforcement agencies and armed forces for their courageous role. “They worked in a very abnormal situation. Or else, the situation could have been much worse.”
Also read: Increase oxygen supply, Corona beds: PMO
Regarding vaccination, the Prime Minister said her government has long been working tirelessly to ensure it free for all. “We’ve taken the move so that all could get vaccines gradually, we’ve started giving vaccines; it’s coming. We’ll procure all vaccines that will be needed for the people of the country. We want no one to be left out from the vaccination,” she said.
State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, Finance Division’s Senior Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder and ICT Division Secretary NM Zeaul Alam also spoke at the programme.
The senior secretaries and secretaries in charge of various ministries and divisions handed over a copy of their respective Annual Performance Agreement to the prime minister.
The cabinet secretary, on behalf of the prime minister, signed the APA.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq received the APA on behalf of the prime minister.
Under the agreement, the ministries will set their visions, missions and strategic goals in line with the development priorities of the government, take short- and long-term plans as per budgetary allocations.
The government introduced the method of the APA in the 2014-2015 fiscal year for the public sector to ensure institutional transparency, accountability, proper utilisation of resources and, above all, enhancing the institutional efficiencies.
Also read: Can’t put lives of students in danger: PM about school, college closure
The main purposes of introducing APA are moving the focus of the ministry from process-orientation to result-orientation, and providing an objective and fair basis to evaluate the overall performance of the ministries and divisions at the end of the year.
The APA is an internal mechanism of the civil administration from top to the grassroots level to ensure accountability of the government officials aimed at evaluating their yearly performances and making them accountable to their responsibilities.
The government has signed the APA with the ministries and their subordinate bodies which also included divisional, district and upazila-level offices of the government.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, on behalf of the Prime Minister, handed over the APA and national integrity service awards among 10 winners.
Hasina’s mango gift now goes to Sri Lankan PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent her beautiful gift of Bangladeshi mangoes as a goodwill gesture to Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Tareq Md Ariful Islam handed over the mangoes.
The Sri Lankan Prime Minister expressed his wholehearted gratitude and thanks to the Bangladesh Prime Minister for the gift.
Also read: Sheikh Hasina gifts 2,600kg mangoes to PM Modi, Mamata Banerjee
He hoped that it stays symbolic of their fruitful relationship between the two countries.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sent mangoes for her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
She also sent mangoes for Indian President and a number of Chief Ministers in India.
Also read: 300 kgs of mangoes handed over to Tripura CM
Ashrayan Project: Govt thoroughly scrutinizing “irregularities”
The government is examining on a case-by-case basis the alleged irregularities and flaws in building houses under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s dream Asrayan Project of providing free homes to the landless and homeless people.“We will attend each and every case properly, nothing will leave unattended,” project director M Mahbub Hossain told journalists after on-the-spot inspection of a project site at Burigari Khanpur of Sherpur upazila under Bogura district on Saturday.
He said that there might be unintentional flaws while implementing any project.“We are looking into the matter, the allegations that came in the media …. whether those were intentional or unintentional,” he said.
Also read: No laxity in costruction of Ashrayan houses to be tolerated: Project Director
Noting that the landless and homeless families are getting free houses and lands under the Ashrayan-2 project, he said it is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “model for inclusive development.”He said that the upazila administration and public representatives worked together for this gigantic task to provide 118,380 houses (to landless and homeless families) during this corona period.The PMO has initiated the inspection as some newly constructed houses were damaged with the advent of monsoon and news of alleged irregularities in some places surfaced.In two phases the government this year has provided some 118,380 two-room tin-shed pucca houses to the landless and homeless families as gifts of the prime minister marking the Mujib Year.It also has a plan to provide one lakh more houses to homeless families under the Ashrayan-3 project that is run by the PMO in the Mujib Year.
Also read: ‘Massive corruption’ in building houses as PM’s gift: BNPResponding to a question, he said that already five teams are out to inspect the alleged irregularities or flaws in different parts of the country.“We are finding out the problems and taking steps accordingly,” he said.The project director mentioned that from the Prime Minister Office directives have already been given to form technical committees in respective District Administration and Upazila Administration.“Through these committees every damaged house will be inspected for immediate repair,” he added.Regarding the partially-damaged seven houses in Burigari Khanpur, Mahbub Hossain said that 22 houses were built here beside a canal and of them toilets and kitchens of seven houses were damaged due to a landslide in heavy rain.In this regard he said that there were RCC pillars, but those could not sustain.He also mentioned that the government is placing GO bags for avoiding further landslides while there will be a drainage system for quick outflow of rain water.Replying to a question about selecting the spot for Asrayan Project he said that the instruction was to select Khash land which remained dry during 1988 floods.“All houses of the Ashrayan Project were built on khash land. Some of the sites are not above the flat agricultural lands. Some of the sites are at the same level of the agricultural lands,” he said.As a result, he mentioned that in some places there had been waterlogging due to heavy rain.“Local administration has taken steps to remove the water and renovate the houses,” he said.Five teams of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Friday started their visits to inspect the quality and design of Ashrayan houses in different parts of the country.Despite of Covid-19 lockdown, the PMO teams will conduct their grassroots visits for the next few days to inspect the houses that have already been constructed or are under construction under the Ashrayan-2 Project.The visiting teams will have to prepare reports with the use of pictures following their inspection.
PM to open V20 Finance Summit Thursday
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently the Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), will open the V20 Climate Vulnerables Finance Summit virtually on Thursday.
Heads of state and government, G20 and major International Financial Institutions, including Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres will join the summit scheduled to be held from 7.30-9.50pm.
Read: Climate change project in Bangladesh gets 2-year extension
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Chair of the V20, made the announcement at a virtual briefing on Wednesday saying the Summit is poised to become one of the most crucial and eminent platforms for decisive climate action in the lead up to COP26 Glasgow.
Formed in 2015, the V20 Group of Finance Ministers is a dedicated cooperation initiative of economies systematically vulnerable to climate change.
At present, the Vulnerable 20 (V20) membership extends to 48 countries.
The V20 represents the economies of a collective 1.2 billion people with some of the consistently highest growth rates in the world yet facing existential threats from growing perils of climate change.
Collectively, V20 countries seek a transformational approach to global economic activities anchored in keeping global warming to below 1.5 degree Celsius while simultaneously maintaining the growth trajectory of the world economy.
The summit will feature heads of state/government from Climate Vulnerable Forum member countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and the Marshall Islands; V20 finance ministers from countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Ethiopia, Fiji, Grenada, Honduras, the Maldives, Marshall Islands, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Sri Lanka; along with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change of Bangladesh.
In close cooperation with the United Nations, international financial institutions and key development partners, the dialogue will shape globally cooperative responses on a global magnitude in order to ensure fast-tracked efforts in building resilience.
Partners represented by at least 25 Finance Ministers, UN Secretary General, heads of state/government from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Colombia and the Marshall Islands, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, World Bank (WB) President, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President, European Investment Bank (EIB) President, Global Environment Facility (GEF) CEO, Green Climate Fund (GCF) Executive Director, International Renewable Energy Agency Executive Director, United Nation University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Insurance Development Forum, and other stakeholders will constitute the parties in attendance at the summit.
BNP hits back at PM over her remarks on Zia, Khaleda
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday termed ‘unexpected, indecent and devoid of political etiquettes’ the Prime Minister's statements in parliament about Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and BNP.
“Sheikh Hasina’s statements as the Leader of the House were nothing but tasteless and cooked-up ones,” he said at a virtual press conference.
Fakhrul alleged that the Prime Minister tried to demean BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia with her ‘imaginary’ remarks in parliament on Saturday.
“The nation doesn’t expect such statements from the Leader of the Parliament. We think she’s set a bad example as the Leader of the House. We strongly condemn and protest her statements,” he observed.
The BNP leader said their party standing committee at a virtual meeting on Saturday condemned Law Minister Anisul Haq’s remark in parliament that Khaleda Zia has to first confess to her corruption offences and then applied to the President seeking clemency to go abroad for her treatment. “His comment is audacious and indecorous.”
Read: Khaleda temporarily released after over 25 months
“The meeting thinks Khaleda Zia has been convicted and sent to jail in false and fabricated cases out of political vengeance. She’s not even granted bail, though almost all the other accused of such charges got bail,” he said.
Fakhrul said Khaleda was temporarily shifted to her Gulshan residence from jail in March last year through an administrative directive following an application by her family. “There’s nothing mentioned in the laws that the government cannot allow her (Khaleda) to go abroad for treatment.”
He said it can never be acceptable that a three-time former prime minister cannot be allowed to go abroad for treatment on humanitarian grounds.
The BNP leader said there is a scope for the government to permit the BNP chief to go abroad under Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) if it wants. “In fact, they (govt) are curtailing their own power to show a hostile attitude towards Khaleda Zia.”
He said their standing committee hopes the government will allow the BNP chief to receive treatment abroad coming out of its negative attitude towards her.
Sought his comment on Awami League General Secretary Obadiah Quaver’s statement that many BNP leaders are trying to join the ruling party, Fakhrul said the government never succeeded in its effort to split and weaken BNP.
He also said BNP will not be affected much even if some of its leaders leave the party since it enjoys popularity.
Read: Khaleda subjected to “state repression”: BNP
Earlier, speaking at a virtual discussion, Fakhrul wondered as the health minister is not resigning from the Cabinet in the face of huge criticisms by MPs in parliament.
“What a shameless person this health minister is! MPs from his party and from the opposition have raised voices against him in parliament, but he’s not stepping down. It seems he has no sense of shame,” he observed.
Pro-BNP faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) arranged the virtual discussion on press freedom.
Fakhrul said the government is trying to regulate press freedom by ‘abusing’ the Digital Security ACT (DSA).
He said journalists are being repressed and harassed by implicating them in cases under the DSA if they criticise the government or write anything against it.
Vaccines start arriving in fulfilment of prime minister’s commitment, says Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday said that corona vaccines have started arriving in the country as promised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"Already 2.5 million doses of vaccine have reached the country, more vaccines will come in a few days," he said during his regular briefing from his official residence.
Read: Obaidul Quader pleased by 'development-friendly' budget
Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, urged the people to adhere to corona health rules and stay home to prevent high rates of infection during the ongoing lockdown.
Turning to BNP, the AL leader said that the opposition party’s only job is to dispute the government’s achievements. This has become their ploy to divert people’s attention from their failures, he said.
He alleged that BNP has continued to spread lies to confuse people about corona pandemic and government’s sincere efforts to handle the situation.
Read: Obaidul Quader: Covid vaccines to be collected, no matter what
Meanwile, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday night received the first consignment of 2.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine under the COVAX framework.
This consignment is part of the US government's recent allocation of 25 million vaccine doses for countries in Asia through COVAX.
Can’t put lives of students in danger: PM about school, college closure
Admitting the losses Bangladesh’s education sector has suffered for the prolonged closure of educational institutions, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the government cannot put the lives of students at stake knowing it clearly that Covid-19 will infect them as well.
“Children are also getting infected by coronavirus. [This is good] they’ll learn but the question is whether we should force them to the verge of death knowing this virus will infect them, too,” Sheikh Hasina said.
The Prime Minister said this while delivering her winding-up speech at the budget session in Parliament as a number of opposition MPs, including deputy leader of the opposition GM Quader, criticised the government for keeping educational institutions shut for an indefinite period.
Also read: Schools, colleges to reopen on June 13: Dipu Moni
Sheikh Hasina, also the leader of the house, said the government will open the educational institutions after vaccinating students.
She mentioned that the parents of students are also not interested in sending their children to educational institutions. “Those who’re most vocal about it have no children who are students or their children have already completed their education.”
Hasina said the government has already vaccinated the teachers and will provide vaccines for the students following the instructions of the World Health Organisation (WHO). “We’ve to follow WHO. Keeping that point in mind, we’ve started our job regarding vaccination of the students.”
Talking about the problem of getting coronavirus vaccines, the Prime Minister said the government has procured vaccines from India with cash. “But the sudden spike in coronavirus infections in India forced the country to impose a ban on vaccine export. We’ve faced problems for some days,” she admitted.
Hasina informed the House that a good number of doses of Pfizer, Moderna and Sinopharm vaccines have already arrived in the country. “We’re also communicating with the countries where the vaccines of coronavirus are available. We’ll procure more vaccines; we’ll buy, no matter what the price is. For that, we’ve allocated separate funds.”
The Prime Minister said the government is communicating with China, Russia, the USA, Japan and Australia to collect vaccines, and the government will provide free vaccines to up to 80 percent of people. “We’ve made the Covid-19 test free as the number of infected people has surged at the district level in recent times,” she added.
Also read: Ecnec rejects Tk 17,290-cr primary school meal project
Vaccine funds
The Prime Minister said the government has been allocated Tk 32,236 crore for vaccine procurement while an additional amount of Tk 10,000 crore has been kept aside for emergency purposes.
Talking about the lockdown, she said the government will look after the food security issue of people and called on all to keep themselves safe from coronavirus and other health hazards. “Please follow the health guidelines, let no coronavirus spread further,” she appealed.
Hasina also mentioned that before the Eid-ul-Fitr she had requested people repeatedly not to move from the places where they were. “But many did not pay heed to that, they rushed (to their village homes). What’s the result of that now-- the spread of the virus! If everyone had listened to our call this spread might not have occurred!” she said.
Economy
Hasina said the government has been able to maintain the pace of the economy during the pandemic. “That’s why inflation is under control while the growth is maintained properly.”
“Although we couldn’t achieve the growth that we had wanted, we have attained the highest growth in South Asia,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the aim of this year’s budget was to face the coronavirus and revive the economy that suffered heavily due to this deadly virus, bring the marginal people under the coverage of social safety net and give topmost priority to health services.
Also read: 170,000 schools to be connected with high speed internet by 2030: Palak
She also briefly described the various measures of the government, including the stimulus packages given by the government, to offset the impacts of the pandemic.
Drug abuse
Talking about drug abuse, the Prime Minister said it is now a problem for the whole world, including Bangladesh. “We’re taking action against it, but this cannot be controlled,” she said.
Hasina requested parents and guardians to look after their children. Guardians and teachers have to give good lessons to the children so that they do not go down any wrong path, she added.
China is a trusted partner in Bangladesh’s socio-economic development: Hasina
Describing China as a trusted partner in socio-economic development of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for exploring more avenues to take the strategic partnership between the two countries to a new height.
“We would like to explore more avenues to take the Bangladesh-China strategic partnership to new heights and also work together to address the regional and global issues for peace, security, stability and development,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this in her prerecorded message shared on Thursday afternoon at a function arranged, marking 100 years of founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC).