Bangladesh
Woman arrested with 20 gold bars in Chuadanga
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Wednesday arrested a suspected woman smuggler with 20 gold bars worth over Tk 2.34 crore in Darshana upazila of Chuadanga.
Shahanara, 48, is wife of late Md Kashem of Nastipur village under the upazila in the district.
A team of the border force led by Baradi Border Outpost (BOP) Commander Md Ahsan Kabir conducted a drive in Jhora Graveyard area along India border after being tipped-off that a consignment of gold will be smuggled to India through the border, said a press release signed by Lieutenant Colonel Sayeed Mohammad Jahidur Rahman, a director of the BGB-6.
Suspecting movement of the woman who arrived there by an auto-rickshaw, the BGB personnel challenged her and searched, it said.
Later, 20 gold bars weighing around 2.341 kilograms were recovered from her possession during the drive, it said, adding that the market value of the gold is about Tk 2.34 crore.
The gold bars were deposited.
BNP’s leader Chand faces another case for threatening to kill Sheikh Hasina; arrest warrant issued
One more case under the Digital Security Act (DSA) was filed on Wednesday against Rajshahi chapter BNP’s Convenor Abu Sayeed Chand for making a “death threat” against Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina at a recent rally in Rajshahi.
Magura chapter Jubo League Convenor Fazlur Rahman filed the case at the court of Magura First Class Magistrate Humayun Kabir.
Taking the case into cognisance, the court issued an arrest warrant for the BNP leader and directed officer-in-charge of Magura Sadar Police Station to record it as first information record (FIR), said the plaintiff’s counsel Shakarul Islam Shakil.
According to the case statement, there is a fear of losing the life of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina due to direct threat by the BNP leader at a recent rally in Rajshahi.
On Friday, Chand threatened the prime minister at a public rally of metropolitan and district BNP at Shibpur High School ground in Puthia Upazila of Rajshahi as part of the central programme.
"No more 27- or 10-point demand, just one point now – send Sheikh Hasina to the grave! We will do whatever is necessary to get Sheikh Hasina to resign,” he said.
Meanwhile, a video of the threat went viral on social media, triggering a series of protests among Awami League leaders and supporters.
Several cases have so far been lodged against the BNP leader in parts of the country.
Qatar's Amir promises larger supply of LNG to Bangladesh
The Amir of Qatar on Wednesday assured Bangladesh of providing all sorts of facilities to Bangladesh regarding larger supply of LNG from his country.
“I promise you that I, being the Amir, will provide all sorts of facilities to you as you are a friendly country,” Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani was quoted as telling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a meeting at Amiri Diwan in Doha.
The two leaders also discussed different issues of bilateral cooperation on energy, business, investment, Bangladeshi manpower as well as Muslim Ummah and development of Bangladesh
“This meeting was held in a very warm environment,” said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at a press briefing here.
About energy, the Amir said the negotiation of signing a new contract over the larger supply of energy from Qatar to Bangladesh remains pending for a few months.
Momen said it (the promise) is a big achievement for Bangladesh, adding that this fresh contract might be signed anytime soon.
Now Bangladesh is importing some 40 containers of energy that means 1.8-2.5 MTA as per a 15-year contract signed in 2017. But now Bangladesh seeks the larger supply of LNG from Qatar.
Praising Hasina’s leadership, the Amir of Qatar said that they once knew that Bangladesh was a disaster and poverty-stricken country. But when Sheikh Hasina came to power, she removed the food deficit in Bangladesh.
In this context, the prime minister said her government brought down the poverty rate to 18.5 percent from 41 percent and the extreme poverty rate to 5.6 percent from 25 percent in the last 14 and a half years. “I’ve made Bangladesh free from poverty. Poverty is a curse,” she was quoted as saying.
PM Hasina said she has the only goal to turn Bangladesh into a developed country as dreamt by her father (the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman).
“We’ve progressed to some extent. But my work has not finished. I want to work more. But I alone can’t do it. I seek your assistance. I need more investment. I have opened my country. You can come with investment for mutual benefits,” she told the Amir.
Hasina invited the Amir of Qatar to visit Bangladesh, if possible within this year.
In response, the Amir said he would definitely visit Bangladesh.
Talking about the Muslim Ummah, the PM said the Muslim countries get engaged in conflicts on trivial matter in some cases, which is a barrier for the unity of the Ummah.
She requested the Amir of Qatar to work for the unity of Muslim Ummah for the development of the world Muslim community.
In reply, the Amir said he may not be able to make the Muslim Ummah united, but he will endeavour in this regard.
About the fear of losing jobs among Bangladeshi workers in Qatar, the Amir said 370,000 Bangladeshis are currently here and they are blessings for Qatar. Qatar is going to take new projects and the Bangladeshi people will stay here and they are industrious and working sincerely. “We’re very happy with Bangladeshis,” he was quoted as saying.
Momen said the meeting was very warm. “This is a significant thing. He received her from her car,” he said.
Later, the prime minister visited Awsaj Academy, a specialized school for the children with special needs, which runs under Qatar Foundation here in Doha.
Hasina visited several classrooms of the academy. There are some 500 students aged from 3 years to 25 years and 185 teachers in the Awsaj Academy
Artworks drawn by its students were presented to the Bangladesh prime minister. She also gifted four artworks drawn by Bangladeshi autistic children to the academy.
At the time, the PM sought assistance from Qatar over training for teachers of such schools and early detection of autistic children in Bangladesh.
The authority assured that they can train Bangladeshi teachers through a virtual platform, said Momen.
‘We are economically well, don't be afraid,’ says Planning Minister
Bangladesh is currently under slight financial pressure but there is no reason to be worried, said Planning Minister MA Mannan on Wednesday.
“The whole world is in turmoil for various reasons. We are economically healthy amid this situation. Don’t be afraid,” he said.
“We are not at the level we were before Covid. That's why you sometimes think that the pace of development has slowed down. We will soon be able to achieve this speed, let’s complete the tasks at hand. There's a lot more work to be done,” he said.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on development of Moulvibazar district at the hall room of Moulvibazar Rest Inn Hotel.
At the seminar, the speakers demanded the construction of Government Medical College, Agricultural University and an alternative bridge over the Manu River in Moulvibazar. Later, the Planning Minister assured them that their demands would be met.
“Work must be done carefully in the wetlands of the haor. If dams are built in haor, the movement of water is obstructed. The water flooded houses. The administration is regularly monitoring the protection of the environment in the haor area. We also lack awareness,” the minister said.
Presided over by Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Dr Urmi Bint Salam, the function was attended, among others, by Moulvibazar-3 MP Nesar Ahmed and reserved women MP Syeda Zohra Alauddin.
Dengue cases surge: 35 patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Thirty-five more people were hospitalised with dengue in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
Of the new patients, 30 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 164 dengue patients, including 140 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 1,568 dengue cases, 1,391 recoveries, and 13 deaths this year.
The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
Tk 6000 crore additional tax can be collected from property tax: CPD
The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) on Wednesday proposed to impose property tax and inheritance tax to reduce wealth inequality and increase revenue collection.
The CPD says that an additional amount of Tk 6,000 crore can be generated from property tax by proper implementation of their recommendations.
The proposal came from the CPD Dialogue on ‘State and scope of property taxation in Bangladesh’, held in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Also read: CPD bats for special increment for inflation-hit public/private employees in next national budget
Saifuzzaman Chowdhury MP, minister for land, was present as the chief guest, while Shameem Haider Patwary MP was the special guest.
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of the CPD, presented a keynote paper on the topic, highlighting that proper collection of property tax, holding tax and inheritance tax will create opportunities to reduce wealth inequality.
Inheritance tax, a form of wealth tax, is levied on property and money is acquired from gifts or inheritance.
Debapriya said that the growing wealth and income inequality within the country highlights the need to enhance tax fairness by increasing tax collection.
He said that fairness in revenue collection and taxation should be taken seriously to deal with the trends of rising income disparity and the increasing wealth inequality in the country.
Also read: Stick to global lending sources for long-term, low-interest loan, CPD tells govt
“So, the introduction of wealth tax has become imperative now," Dr Debapriya said.
Currently, there is no specific tax referred to as a "wealth tax" in the country. There are six types of taxes and duties that can be roughly categorised as wealth-related tax.
These include the land development tax, holding tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty, wealth surcharge, and, to a lesser extent, the gift tax, though its effectiveness is limited.
Also, there is no specific tax imposed on the gifting of wealth from relatives, nor is there any form of inheritance tax in place, he said.
Dr Fahmida Khatun, Executive director of CPD, was in the chair while Maurizio Cian, head of cooperation of EU to Bangladesh, former chairmen of NBR Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid, Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed, and Ahsan H Mansur, Executive Director of Policy Research Institute (PRI), Snehasish Barua, charter accountant, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Time to move beyond volume, focus on value addition: BGMEA chief
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has emphasized the need for a strategic shift from volume-based production to value addition in order to foster sustainable growth of the readymade garment industry in Bangladesh.
“This transition is very much important for long-term success of the industry,” he said.
The BGMEA chief came up with the observations while speaking at the opening ceremony of a training session on ‘creating high-end fashion heritage materials from Bangladesh’ held at BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka on May 24.
The training initiative is a part of the High End Fashion Project (Linking Bangladesh’s Heritage Material to the International Export Market) under EIF Export Diversification and Competitiveness Development Project (TIER 2).
The training, conducted under the Centre of Innovation, Efficiency and Occupational Safety and Health (CIEOSH) of BGMEA, aims to create fashion professionals and designers with knowledge and skills necessary for developing high-end fashionable garments using heritage fabrics and materialsBGMEA Director Neela Hosna Ara also spoke at the opening ceremony.
Faruque Hassan said that while Bangladesh had achieved remarkable progress in terms of garment exports, it was now imperative to move beyond volume and pay attention to value addition.
By focusing on value addition and high-value fashion items, the industry could enhance its competiveness, explore new opportunities and thus secure sustainable growth in the context of changing global trends, he added.Stressing on the importance of developing garments linking rich culture and heritage of Bangladesh with fashion, he said it would help to boost the export earnings and enhance the image of Bangladesh as a hub of high-value garment manufacturing.
When people in other countries wear apparels made using our homegrown heritage materials like Muslin, Jamdani, Khadi, Silk, and Monipuri, the fashionable garments will represent Bangladesh’s culture and heritage internationally. Thus it will increase the brand image of Bangladesh,” Faruque Hassan said.
Renowned fashion designer and founder of Chicago-based fashion brand Neval Anadil Johnson is conducting the training sessions attended by designers, pattern markers, merchandisers, weavers of indigenous textile materials and fashion and textile students.
A total of 160 professionals will be imparted intensive training on high-end fashionable collection development and sustainability issues.
Public Security Division secretary Mostafizur gets promoted, to stay for another year
The government on Tuesday promoted Mostafizur Rahman, secretary of the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry, to a senior secretary -- a day before he was scheduled to retire.
His post-retirement leave (PRL) was cancelled on Wednesday, the last day of his service, and he was appointed on contract basis for the next one year.
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gadget notification on Wednesday in this regard.
“According to section 49 of the Government Service Act 2018, BCS administration cadre officer and senior secretary Md. Mostafizur Rahman has been appointed as senior secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs on contract basis for a period of one year from May 25 or the date of joining on the condition of suspension of his post-retirement leave and related benefits,” the notification reads.
Mostafizur joined the Bangladesh Civil Service (Administration) cadre as assistant commissioner and magistrate in 1991.
Later, he spent his tenure at all levels of field administration and in important positions in the central administration.
Before joining the Public Security Division on April 2 this year, Mustafizur was the land secretary.
He was scheduled to go to PRL on Wednesday.
Historical structures to be renovated, preserved in phases: Mayor Taposh
The historical structures under the DSCC area will be renovated and maintained in phases, said Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Wednesday.
He came up with the announcement while talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of the renovation work of historic ‘Dhaka Gate’ adjacent to the mausoleum of three national leaders in Dhaka University area.
He said they have started the renovation work of a historic site for the first time after a long time and renovation of historic ‘Lalkuthi’ has also started.
Recalling his electoral pledges, he said they will have to preserve the historical sites of Dhaka and show those to the world.
DSCC Chief Executive Officer Md Mizanur Rahman, Chief Engineer Saleh Ahmed, Secretary Akramuzzaman and Transport Managing Director Md Haider Ali, among others, were present at the ceremony.
Banks’ chief executives must bear responsibility to control defaulted loans: BB Governor
Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder said on Wednesday that management and chief executives of the banks will have to shoulder the responsibility to reduce defaulted loans as such bad loans have become a serious headache in the banking sector.
The Governor made the statement while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Digital Transformation Summit, organised by the Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday (May 24).
He said that 75 percent of the country's transactions will take place through digital channels by 2027.
On Monday, the ABB held a press conference and said that it is not possible for the banks and the Bangladesh Bank alone to control defaulted loans. The ABB leaders said that it would require social commitment. The apex body had also said that legal measures should be tightened and manpower should be increased in the sector to control defaulted loans.
On Wednesday, the BB Governor, however, pointed at the banking sector leaders, especially the chief executive officers, to shoulder the responsibility for controlling bad loans.
“If the top authorities take strong action, the problem of defaulted loans in the banking sector will be reduced. The central bank is trying to formulate a far-sighted policy in this regard,” the Governor said.
He also said that it needs to change the banking culture to reduce the bad debt of the banking sector and to ensure good corporate governance.
“To do this, separate planning and effective initiatives are required. Apart from this, for the ongoing efforts of digital transformation of the banking sector, strong risk management should be developed so that the development of the bank is not hindered in this process of transformation,” the Governor said.
ABB Chairman Salim RF Hossain said that the conference will provide observations on how the growth of digital financial services in the country can be accelerated. It will help banks adopt necessary strategies to ensure digital transformation faster.
The ABB chairman suggested research should continue on policies that could affect the financial services sector.
He also emphasised on increasing mutual understanding between banks and fintech companies in the current context.
More than 150 officials of 46 commercial banks were attending the conference along with top officials of banks. Experts from local and international companies and organisations conducted various sessions. The two-day conference will end on Thursday.