Bangladesh
Mauritian president calls on Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban
President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Saturday said Bangladesh and Mauritius may establish cooperation in tourism, education, IT and ICT, blue economy, agriculture, manpower and air connectivity areas.
Shahabuddin said when visiting President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban in the afternoon.
President of Bangladesh along with his wife Dr Rebecca Sultana welcomed the President of Mauritius and his wife at Bangabhaban with flower bouquet
During the meeting, the presidents of the two countries discussed various aspects of mutual relations. They emphasized government and private visits to boost trade and investment.
Saying different types of passenger cargo ships are manufactured in Bangladesh, the President urged Mauritius to import ships from Bangladesh.
Besides, the President said Bangladesh has a lot of skilled - semi-skilled manpower. Mauritius can utilize this manpower for economic development.
He thanked the government of Mauritius for naming a road after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib in Plaine Verte in honor of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh.
Mentioning various steps of development and progress of Bangladesh, the President said Bangladesh is now considered as the model country of development.
He also highlighted the measures fpr building smart Bangladesh.
Shahabuddin also called for investing in special economic zones and hi-tech parks.
President of Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun praised the socio-economic development of Bangladesh.
He said Bangladesh and Mauritius will benefit if both countries work together in tourism, education, IT and ICT, blue economy, agriculture manpower and air connectivity areas.
He also said he will encourage investors of his country to invest in Bangladesh in the mentioned areas.
Secretaries concerned to the President were also present during the meeting.
Indian Ocean Conference: US wants to see regional architecture solidify to realise potential of region
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Afreen Akhter on Saturday said the United States is committed to regional and multilateral efforts that help advance prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region.
"We want to see this regional architecture grow and solidify, because we believe it is absolutely necessary in realizing the potential of this region," she said while speaking at the 6th Indian Ocean Conference that ended on May 13.
As she heads back to Washington, Afreen said, she takes the perspectives with her, noting that "Your voices will guide our efforts to help build a prosperous, peaceful, free and open Indian Ocean Region."
Next month, the United States will attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s (IORA) Strategic Dialogue—where IORA Member States and Dialogue Partners will gather to discuss collaboration in the Indian Ocean Region.
"Collectively addressing the climate crisis will be a key priority for us as an IORA Dialogue Partner," Afreen said.
Afreen said in Bangladesh the United States is implementing a $17 million, program over five years that will expand Bangladesh’s access to affordable clean energy and support innovation in the clean energy economy.
In addition, the United States is working with the Maldives, Sri Lanka and partners across the Indian Ocean region to stop the flow of plastic pollution, develop climate smart agriculture and adapt to the effects of climate change.
The United States is also supporting resilience and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region by responding to crises and making long-term investments.
The United States is committed to the Indian Ocean region, she said, adding thst from the Strait of Malacca to the Arabian Sea, this strategically important region is filled with promise and opportunity.
"We are already working across the Indian Ocean region to support transitions to clean energy," she said.
For instance, U.S. Development Finance Corporation invested $500 million in First Solar to boost solar power production in India.
JUST suspends 6 employees; 2 sent into forced retirement
Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) has suspended six employees after an investigation report found them working with fake certificates. Two employees were also sent into forced retirement.
The decisions were taken at the 90th meeting of the Board of Regents, the highest policy-making forum of the university, on Saturday afternoon, according to a press release.
The meeting was presided over by Prof Md Anwar Hossain, JUST vice-chancellor and president of the Board of Regents. Kazi Nabil Ahmed, lawmaker from Jessore-3 constituency and members of the board, Additional Secretary (University) of the Ministry of Education Md Abul Kalam Azad, were present at the meeting, among others.
The Board of Investigation submitted its report against the six employees at the Board of Regents meeting. Later, after the board found the truth of the incident, it was also decided to take action against the suspended employees as per the prevailing rules of the state and university.
Police HQ requests to call 999 for services during Mocha
Police headquarters on Saturday requested to contact the nearest police station or 999 for availing any services related to 'cyclonic storm Mocha'.
A senior officer of the police headquarters said it have already made all necessary preparations to deal with the cyclone 'Mokha'. It is requested to contact the nearest police station or 999 for availing any services related to 'Mokha', he said requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, very severe cyclonic storm Mocha over east central Bay and adjoining area moved North-Northeastwards and intensified further over the same area on Saturday.
It is likely to intensify further, move in a north-northwesterly direction and cross Cox’s Bazar-North Myanmar’s coast between 6 am to 6 pm on Sunday (May 14), according to Bangladesh Metrological Department.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 74 km of the very severe cyclone centre is about 170 kph, rising to 190 kph, in gusts or squalls.
Under the peripheral effect of very cyclone and steep pressure gradient, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram and their offshore island and chars are likely to be inundated by the wind driven surge height of 8-12 feet above normal astronomical tide.
The low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Bhola and their offshore island and chars are likely to be inundated by the wind driven surge height of 5-7 feet above normal astronomical tide.
Under the effect of very severe cyclone, Chattogram, Sylhet and Barishal divisions are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall. Due to very heavy rainfall landslide may occur a places over the hilly regions of Cox’s Bazar, Bandarbans, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Chattogram.
Under-trial prisoner dies
An under-trial prisoner was declared dead after being brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital here on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Md. Jahangir Mir (45).
Sources at the DMCH said he was brought to the DMCH at around 2:10pm from Keraniganj Central jail as he felt serious illness. On-duty doctor declared him dead right after his arrival in the emergency department of the hospital, said DMCH police camp in-charge Inspector Bachchu Mia.
He said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for post-mortem.
According to prison guard sources, he was a prisoner in a case at the Airport police station. However, he could not divulge further details of the case.
Son of Abdul Hashem Mir, Jahangir hailed from Jazira Upazila in Shariatpur District.
Country experiencing over 2000 MW load shedding
The country is experiencing huge loadshedding to the tune of over 2000 MW today (Saturday) as gas shortage forced the authorities to shut down a number of gas-fired power plants.
According to official sources, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) had to resort to about 2051 MW loadshedding at 12noon when power generation was 10,749 MW against a demand of 12,800 MW.
But many officials unwilling to speak on the record believe that the loadshedding was even more than 2000 MW.
"This happened as we are not getting adequate gas supply that forced many plants to go for shutdown," said a senior official of the BPDB.
Earlier, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division had informed that gas supply from two floating terminals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) will remain suspended from 11 pm on Friday due to the impact of the super cyclone Mokha.
As a result, gas supply to the Chittagong and Comilla regions will be disrupted on Saturday.
However, supply will resume soon after considering the situation.
As a consequence, operation of gas-fired power stations will remain off or partially closed in Chittagong, Meghnaghat, Haripur and Siddhirganj areas.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid regretted the temporary inconvenience.
Dhaka Power Supply Company (Desco) managing director Engr. Md. Kausar Ameer Ali said that the areas in Dhaka city under his jurisdiction experienced about 347 MW at 11 am in the day time on Saturday against a demand for 1157 MW.
The supply was 819 MW, he added.
Managing director of Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) Bikash Dewan informed that the areas under his company had to resort to 350-380 MW in the day time.
The extent of loadshedding may be even higher after evening on Saturday, he told UNB.
Indian Ocean Conference: Masud Momen advocates 'free, secure, inclusive region' in closing
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Saturday said Bangladesh envisions an Indian Ocean that is free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive, promoting shared prosperity for all.
"We remain committed to working with all our regional partners towards this end," he said, adding that Bangladesh advocates "shared prosperity" through "shared responsibility" over the region, through which they would achieve the global Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
While delivering his closing remarks at the 6th Indian Ocean Conference, Foreign Secretary Masud said if they fully appreciate and realize this, they can grow together towards peace, prosperity, and partnership for a resilient future.
Bangladesh considers the stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean as an essential component in achieving her ‘Vision 2041’ of establishing a modern, knowledge-based developed country by 2041, he said.
Read: US wants to provide $6mn for maritime security initiatives, partnering with Bangladesh and others
The Foreign Secretary said Bangladesh believes the Indian Ocean can significantly contribute to the global GDP, international trade, towards climate action, and growing technological advancements for ensuring global peace and prosperity.
He said Bangladesh stands ready to extend cooperation in the region towards a result-oriented focus that will augment achievement for the common good of the region.
Masud said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday suggested six priority areas where the Indian Ocean Region should focus on - maritime diplomacy; combating climate change and natural disasters; strengthening partnerships; strengthening mechanisms for maritime safety and security; promoting a culture of peace; and promoting equitable and sustainable development.
"In line with these, we may build on our cooperation and collaboration among the Indian Ocean countries to ensure a better future for us," said the Foreign Secretary.
On behalf of the government, he expressed sincere gratitude to all the participating countries in this 6th Indian Ocean Conference-2023 in Dhaka.
Read: A seamless transition into an Indo-Pacific is to our collective advantage: Jaishankar
"With your commitment and contribution, I believe this 6th Indian Ocean Conference has become a remarkable success and we can carry forward the take aways of this Conference to the next conference and other global discourses," he said.
President of Mauritius and Vice President of Maldives, among others, joined.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the conference.
The Foreign Secretary said the world’s centre of political and economic gravity is moving eastwards to Asia and Africa.
The importance of the Indian Ocean Region needs no reiteration especially for many countries whose existence, prosperity and security were, and will always be, intimately linked to it, he said.
Yet, he said, Indian Ocean Economy is perhaps not one of the highly economically integrated regions of the world.
"We should not also lose focus of the fact that the oceans are both an engine for global economic growth and a key source of food security," said the Foreign Secretary.
Bangladesh puts great emphasis on enhancing physical, institutional, energy, digital and human connectivity, facilitate movement of goods, services, capital, and people in a systematic manner, and promote technology transfer and access to innovations in the region, he said.
"We would like the other countries in the region to engage and cooperate proactively inpromoting food security, water solidarity, and disaster risk reduction," he said.
Cooperation among the countries to address the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, marine pollution, and other significant and harmful impacts on the environment is also critically important, said the Foreign Secretary.
Cyclone Mocha: Landslide warning for Rangamati, boating banned in Kaptai Lake
The Rangamati district administration has issued an emergency landslide warning with Cyclone Mocha, currently classified as a 'very severe cyclonic storm', approaching.
Besides, people who live in the risky areas around the foothills are advised to stay in the nearest shelters as heavy rains begin due to the impact of Cyclone Mocha in the Bay of Bengal.
Deputy Commissioner Md Mizanur Rahman said hundreds of thousands of people live in the foothill areas of Rangamati as the city itself is located on hills.
Apart from this, all kinds of boating in Kaptai Lake has been banned from 4pm on Saturday until further notice, he added.
The Deputy Commissioner also said that all the holidays, including weekly leave, of all the government officials working in Rangamati have been canceled until further notice to avoid possible damage from the upcoming cyclone.
"Nineteen shelters have been kept ready in the district to accommodate the people. Committees have been formed to deal with disasters in every union including Rangamati Municipality," added DC Mizanur
Earlier, BMD predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chattogram, Sylhet and Barishal divisions that may trigger landslides in five districts.
Due to very heavy rainfall, landslides may occur in the hilly regions of Cox’s Bazar, Bandarbans, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Chattogram, it said.
Cyclone Mocha: BTRC opens control room
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) opened a control room on Saturday to deal with various issues related to Cyclone Mocha.
The control room can be contacted at +8801552-202854 and +8801552-202886, said a press release.
Besides, Post and Telecommunication Division has already directed all its subordinate organisations to take necessary preparations to face Cyclone Mokha.
"A monitoring team has been formed in BTRC in this regard," added the release.
The control room is basically coordinating the monitoring team formed in BTRC and how the licensees operating in coastal areas are working to deal with Mocha.
Apart from this, mobile operators, NTTN, ISP and other concerned licensees are taking necessary action by informing the control room if they face any problem in the operation of the coastal areas.
The local administration of the coastal districts has also taken all necessary preparations to tackle the Cyclone.
“Cyclone Mocha is approaching . We’ve kept the cyclone centres ready and taken all types of preparation to tackle it,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 60th convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) as the chief guest on IEB premises.
Hasina said that electricity and gas supply will be shut in the cyclone-hit areas to save lives.
Meanwhile, the maritime port of Cox's Bazar has been advised to hoist great danger signal No 10, as the very severe cyclonic storm Mocha - over east central Bay and adjoining area moved North-Northeastwards and intensified further over the same area.
It is likely to intensify further, move in a north-northwesterly direction and cross Cox’s Bazar-North Myanmar’s coast between 6 am to 6 pm on Sunday (May 14), according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
Besides, the maritime ports of Chattogram and Payra have been advised to hoist great danger signal 8 while the maritime port of Mongla has been advised to hoist local warning signal 4.
DGHS prepared to face Cyclone Mocha
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has already taken all out preparations including formation of medical teams to face anything upto a super cyclonic storm, with Cyclone Mocha expected to slam the coast of Bangladesh and possibly Myanmar anytime from 6am to 6pm on Sunday.
DGHS Director General Prof. Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam held a meeting with all health officials of the 3 coastal divisions -Chattogram, Khulna and Barishal - and directors of medical college hospitals via teleconference Friday night.
The field-level officers of the DGHS put forward their preparedness to face the storm to the DG. The recommendations are--formation of medical teams, recruitment of an additional manpower for the emergency departments, fixation of a separate ward at each medical college hospital, cancellation of all leaves without emergency, keeping operation theaters prepared round the clock and reservation of sufficient medicine.
Moreover, the DGHS DG gave some directives like keeping control rooms open round the clock and communicating with the DGHS constantly.
He also directed the officials of the directorate to meet immediate demands placed by the coastal hospitals.
The DG asked the health officials to ensure their safety along with discharging duties amid the disaster.