Bangladesh
Youth must come forward as agri-entrepreneurs: State Minister Simeen Hussain
The government is extending all-out support to the agri-entrepreneurs and providing them with all sorts of stimulus packages and young people should take this opportunity to be the agents of change in the transformation of agriculture.
Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs Simeen Hussain (Rimi) was speaking in a day-long training program organized for agricultural entrepreneurs at Barun High School in Kapasia of Gazipur district on Friday.
United Commercial Bank PLC (UCB) organized this training under the agricultural support scheme, titled ‘Bhoroshar Notun Janala’, which is being implemented as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project in accordance with the directive of the Bangladesh Bank.
ATM Tahmiduzzaman, Additional Managing Director and Company Secretary, UCB PLC; Abul Alam Ferdous, Additional Managing Director of UCB PLC; Rezaul Karim Siddique, popular presenter of BTV’s agriculture-based show ‘Mati O Manush’ & an agricultural analyst, were present among other distinguished guests.
With the presence of 200 selected agri-entrepreneurs hailing from different upazilas of Gazipur district, the day-long training program shed light on different important issues related to business planning, marketing, managerial skills, banking and financial aspects of agricultural enterprises, and answered the various queries of the entrepreneurs as well.
Simeen Hussain opined, “Farmers are a great source of inspiration for us, so is our youth. It feels so good to see that many young entrepreneurs are nowadays getting interested in agriculture and contributing to the economy. But they need proper guidance. I feel that this initiative by the UCB bank will enlighten them and guide them to prosperity.”
Abul Alam Ferdous, Additional Managing Director of UCB PLC, said, “Our special CSR project will open a new window of trust in the minds of agri-entrepreneurs in the country. It will help to find a way to stand by the side of the farmers involved in agriculture and inspire them.”
ATM Tahmiduzzaman, Additional Managing Director of UCB, said, “Equipping the farmers and agri-entrepreneurs with the right information and knowledge is very crucial to making sure that the country is moving forward in the right direction to achieve food security. UCB aims to do that through our CSR project ‘Bhoroshar Notun Janala’ that has been designed to facilitate and empower entrepreneurs across the country.”
College student gang-rape in Natore: Fugitive death-row convict arrested from Dhaka airport
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a drive arrested a fugitive convict who was sentenced to death in a case filed over the gang-raped of a college student in 2012.
RAB arrested Sabbir alias Abu Sayed from the airport area of Dhaka at midnight on Thursday.
Tipped off, a team of Natore RAB camp conducted a drive in the area and arrested Sabbir with the help of RAB-1.
According to the prosecution, Sabbir was in a relationship with a college student of Chandai village in Baraigram upazila.
On October 19, 2012, Sabbir took the girl to Kalam Mirzapur village. Later, he along with his friends raped the girl near Mirzapur Eidgah.
Later, Baraigram police registered a case following a complaint lodged by the girl in this connection.
The police pressed charges against 11 people.
After examining records and witnesses, on April 5 last year, the judge of Natore Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced six people to death and four to life imprisonment.
Those sentenced to death are Sabbir alias Abu Sayed, Rezaul alias Rabbi, Nazmul Haque, Rajibul Hasan, Ripon and Shahidul.
Manirul Islam, Khairul Islam, Ataul Islam and Rezaul Karim were sentenced to life in prison.
A few accused including Sabbir have remained absconding since then.
DNCC mayor distributes umbrella, bottled water, saline among rickshaw pullers to protect from scorching heat
Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam on Friday distributed umbrella, bottled water and saline among rickshaw pullers to protect them from scorching heat as the county continues to experience a heat wave for the past few days.
He made the distribution at the sector No-4 in Dhaka’s Uttara on Friday morning.
Mayor said, "The heat wave is getting worse day by day. Every day the suffering of those who have to go out for livelihood increases. People with limited income, especially rickshaw pullers, suffer even more.”
He said the city corporation is providing umbrellas so that they can at least stay in the shade of the umbrella.
Atiqul said all the registered rickshaws under the DNCC will be delivered to this umbrella in phases.
Earlier, he inaugurated the walkway upon completion of the renovation work at the sector No. 4 Park.
Local lawmaker Khasru Chowdhury, RAJUK Chairman Major Gen Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Sarker and Ward Councillor Md Afsar Uddin Khan, among others, were present on the occasion.
$5 billion Asian Development Fund replenishment agreed to support most vulnerable in Asia and Pacific
Donors and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to a replenishment of $5 billion for ADB’s Asian Development Fund (ADF) 14 and Technical Assistance Special Fund (TASF) 8.
The commitment was made during ADB’s 57th Annual Meeting.
The following developing member countries are the primary recipients of grants from ADF 14: Federated States of Micronesia; Kiribati; Kyrgyz Republic; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Nauru; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tajikistan; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu.
Grants will also be available to support the people of Afghanistan and Myanmar, and for transformative projects in Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; Cook Islands; Fiji; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Mongolia; Nepal; Niue; Pakistan; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Sri Lanka; Timor-Leste; and Uzbekistan.
The ADF is ADB’s largest source of grants for operations in its poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries and is replenished every 4 years.
Keen to work together with Bangladesh on useful, impactful projects: ADB Vice President Bhargav Dasgupta
ADF 14—marking the 13th replenishment since the fund’s establishment—will support grant operations during 2025–2028.
The ADF 14 replenishment is about 22% higher than the $4.1 billion available in ADF 13, and will provide eligible ADB members with the largest-ever volume of ADF grants.
TASF 8 will provide grants that help prepare projects, build capacity, and provide technical or policy advice.
“Grants are more important than ever as our poorest and most vulnerable members seek to reverse recent development setbacks and take urgent action to combat the climate crisis,” said ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa on Friday.
“This remarkable replenishment demonstrates ADF donors’ continued partnership with ADB to address the pressing development challenges of those most in need.”
IFAD’s new office in Bangladesh marks strategic milestone, says its Vice-President
ADF 14 prioritizes dedicated assistance to small island developing states that are particularly vulnerable—especially to climate change—and to countries in fragile and conflict-affected situations.
ADF 14 will continue to play a critical role in supporting climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. It will enable expanded assistance for regional cooperation and regional public goods, and for transformative gender action.
It will also provide agile assistance in the event of emergencies through its crisis response window.
More than $2.5 billion, or 51%, of the replenishment will be funded by contributions from donors including two new countries: Armenia and Georgia. ADB will significantly increase its net income transfers to ADF, from just under $1.2 billion in ADF 13 to almost $1.6 billion in ADF 14, an increase of 35%.
Finance Minister Mahmood Ali seeks increased concessional finance, policy based lending supports from ADB
The remaining $0.9 billion will comprise transfers from earlier ADF cycles and income from liquidity investments. In parallel, ADB intends to provide $16.7 billion in concessional loans, which have very low interest rates over long repayment periods, during the ADF 14 period.
Overall, ADB will be able to provide more than $8 in grants and concessional loans for every $1 in donor contributions.
The following donors announced contributions to ADF 14: Armenia; Australia; Austria; Canada; Denmark; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; People’s Republic of China; Philippines; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Taipei, China; Türkiye; United Kingdom; and United States.
Bangladesh reports 10 COVID-19 cases in 24hrs
Bangladesh reported 10 more COVID-19 cases in 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total COVID-19 caseload rose to 2,050,038, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Hospitals asked to be ready to provide treatment to dengue patients: Health Minister
The official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,494 as no new fatalities were reported during this period.
The daily case test positivity rate was 4.24 percent as 236 samples were tested, said the DGHS.
Over 80% of neurological deaths, health loss occur in low- and middle-income countries: Study
The recovery and death rates stood at 98.41 percent and 1.44 per cent, respectively.
This year’s SSC, equivalent exams’ results to be published on May 12
The results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations for 2024 will be published on May 12.
The summary and statistics of this year’s examinations will be handed over to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban in the morning on this day, said MA Khayer, information and public relations officer of the Ministry of Education.
This year, SSC and its equivalent examinations began across the country on 15 February. The written exams ended on 12 March and the practical exams concluded on 20 March.
A total of 20, 24,192 students sat for the examinations under eleven education boards.
IFAD’s new office in Bangladesh marks strategic milestone, says its Vice-President
Vice-President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Gerardine Mukeshimana has said IFAD’s new office in Bangladesh marks a strategic milestone in their mission to be closer to their partners, foster stronger collaboration, and drive impactful change in rural Bangladesh.
Mukeshimana inaugurated a new country office in Bangladesh on Thursday on her first official visit to the country, marking another step forward in IFAD’s enduring commitment to supporting Bangladesh's rural development efforts.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mukeshimana said, “Over the past week, I have seen how IFAD and the Government of Bangladesh have worked together to empower small-scale farmers – especially women and youth - to adapt to climate change, increase their incomes, and produce more nutritious food for their communities."
The IFAD delegation, led by the vice-president, had earlier visited IFAD-financed projects in northern Bangladesh, where they met officials from implementing partners – the Local Government Engineering Department and Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation – in Nilphamari, and Thakurgaon districts, IFAD said on Friday.
They also engaged directly with project participants, including small-scale farmers and agribusinesses.
Through IFAD’s support, these communities have gained access to vital resources such as finance, inputs, training, and market linkage information.
“Today, as we open the new IFAD country office in Bangladesh, we applaud their commitment to advancing rural development. This milestone highlights our shared dedication to empowering communities and promoting sustainability. Wishing IFAD all the best on this new journey,” said Md. Hafizur Rahman, Additional Secretary and Wing Chief (Coordination and NORDIC), Economic Relations Division, government of Bangladesh.
“The inauguration of this office is an opportunity to celebrate all that IFAD and Bangladesh have achieved together on the path to building better lives and livelihoods for rural people. It also signifies a renewed energy and enthusiasm within the country team to enhance collaborative efforts to tackle persistent development challenges,” said Reehana Rifat Raza, IFAD Regional Director, Asia-Pacific.
As IFAD strengthens its presence and expands its financial resources in Bangladesh, it recognizes the immense potential for even greater impact through enhanced partnerships with the government, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, and the private sector.
IFAD-assisted interventions have invested in everything from ensuring easy and affordable access to rural finance and enhancing infrastructure development to promoting climate-smart agricultural practices.
“This new space signals the depth of IFAD’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh in reducing poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” said Arnoud Hameleers, IFAD Country Director, Bangladesh.
The ceremony was attended by guests, including Stephanie Micallef, Senior Adviser to the Vice-President, IFAD, Jiaoqun Shi, Country Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Bangladesh, and Domenico Scalpelli, Representatives, World Food Programme Bangladesh, were also present.
Since 1978, IFAD has supported the Government of Bangladesh in its ambitious rural development goals. Over the past 45 years, IFAD has supported 37 projects in the country, mobilizing US$3.9 billion in financing, to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 11 million families.
Gazipur train derailment: 2 BGB platoons deployed to help rescue work
Two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed to assist in the rescue work of two trains derailed after a commuter train crashed into an oil-carrying train in Joydebpur Railway junction in Gazipur on Friday morning.
The information came in a media release signed by Shariful Islam, public relations officer of the BGB headquarters in Dhaka.
The paramilitary members led by BGB-63 commander would remain deployed to maintain law and order and assist in the rescue operation, it reads.
Earlier in the morning, the Dhaka-bound Tangail commuter train smashed into Gazipur-bound freight train allegedly due to an error of the signalman on the south end of the railway junction.
Several compartments of both the trains derailed after the accident that occurred around 11am, disrupting rail communication with Dhaka and northern and western parts of the country.
Four people including the loco master of the commuter train sustained injuries in the accident.
Keen to work together with Bangladesh on useful, impactful projects: ADB Vice President Bhargav Dasgupta
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is keen to work together with Bangladesh and other partners on climate front, extending finance to important projects which are useful and impactful.
"We want to finance very impactful, very useful and very important projects with other private sector investors," ADB Vice-President (Market Solutions) Bhargav Dasgupta told UNB while responding to a question during an interaction on Friday.
Dasgupta, who assumed the position on December 4 last year, said in Bangladesh what they understand is that there is a lot of interest in diversifying the energy sources.
"We are happy to see how we can partner with the government of Bangladesh and how we can work together," he said.
ADB’s private sector operations are designed to empower businesses, unlock investments, and support the advancement of key development priorities in Asia and the Pacific.
ADB collaborates with a diverse range of stakeholders to address critical development challenges such as climate change, food security, and gender equality by providing innovative solutions to our clients.
Dasgupta, who is responsible for management of the operations of ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department and Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships, said ADB has been one of the most "respected and trusted" partners for the governments in Asia's developing countries.
"We are trying to continue the good work we do always," he said.
The ADB vice president said they have been playing a fair role in the private sector, but they need to increase and scale up that role.
In 2021, ADB announced its ambition to increase its cumulative climate financing to $100 billion between 2019 and 2030, and to allocate $34 billion of this amount for cumulative adaptation and resilience investments, and $66 billion for cumulative mitigation financing.
ADB also aspires to reach $12 billion in cumulative climate finance for private sector operations by 2030, and to crowd in an additional $18–$30 billion to support the development of more commercially viable and climate-friendly businesses.
In 2022, ADB committed climate financing from own resources reached $6.7 billion, of which $2.7 billion is on adaptation and resilience and $4.0 billion is on mitigation.
The ADB official said one of the numbers that they have studied that Asia needs $1.7 trillion to achieve net zero objective.
Talking about engagement in Bangladesh with the private sector, he referred that the ADB last month signed a $121.55 million financing package with Dynamic Sun Energy Private Limited to build and operate a 100-megawatt (MW) grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plant in Pabna, Bangladesh.
The plant is the country’s first private sector utility-scale solar facility to secure support from global financiers.
ADB arranged, structured, and syndicated the debt package as the sole mandated lead arranger and bookrunner.
The financing package comprises a $46.75 million loan from ADB, a syndicated B-loan of $28.05 million from ILX Fund I, an Amsterdam-based emerging market private credit fund focused on supporting the Sustainable Development Goals with ADB as lender of record, and a syndicated parallel loan of $46.75 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
“As Asia’s climate bank, ADB welcomes the opportunity to support renewable energy in Bangladesh, where obtaining long-term financing for such projects is a challenge,” said ADB Private Sector Operations Department Director General Suzanne Gaboury.
“This partnership exemplifies our lead role in mobilising financing for clean energy facilities and stimulating further investment in sectors where it’s needed the most.”
The solar power plant will generate 193.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and avoid 93,654 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
PM receives treatment at National Institute of Ophthalmology as an ordinary patient
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday morning received treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
The premier went to the hospital in the morning and received treatment by purchasing a Tk 10-ticket as an out-door patient like other ordinary patients, said the Prime Minister’s press wing.