Bangladesh
Health minister places icddr,b bill in Parliament
The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh Act, 2022 was placed in the Parliament on Tuesday in order to repeal the military regime ordinance over the icddr,b in line with a verdict of the higher court.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective standing committee for further examination. The Committee was asked to submit its report within one month.
As per the Bill, the institution shall be an autonomous, international, philanthropic, and non-profit Centre for research, education and training as well as clinical service.
The headquarters of the Centre shall be at Dhaka. The Centre may establish its branches any place in the country subject to the approval of the respective governments.
The Bill said that there will be a board consists of 12-17 members. Of them four members will be nominated by the Government, a member nominated by the World Health Organisation, a member to be nominated by a United Nations agency, 5-10 members nominated by the Board and executive director of the Centre.
Read: Bill streamlining regulations for medical/dental colleges passes into law
At any given time, no country shall have more than two members except for Bangladesh.
All members will be appointed for three years and it can be extended for one time. No member can be appointed for more than six years.
The Centre shall be administered by a Director who shall be selected and appointed by the Board for a term of three years which may be renewable for another term.
The Centre shall have its own fund which shall consist of grants made by the Government, grants and contributions from other Governments and their agencies, international organisations and private organisations, gifts and endowments, sale proceeds and royalties of publications, income from research and contractual undertakings; and other sources.
All funds of the Centre shall be kept in any scheduled Bank or Banks in Bangladesh as approved by the Board.
The Centre shall be exempted from the labour laws in force in the country. It shall be governed by its own by-laws as may be prescribed.
The Centre shall not be liable to pay any tax, rate or duty other than those paid by any other person in respect of any movable or immovable property which the Centre purchases or otherwise acquires from such person and other than those payable in respect of public utilities like water, gas, electricity, telephone and municipal rates.
All non-Bangladeshi experts, technicians and research scholars employed by the Centre and working in Bangladesh for the furtherance of the objectives of the Centre shall be exempt from paying income tax.
Dengue: 237 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Another 237 people were hospitalised with dengue – a viral infection – in the 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
Of them, 196 were admitted to the hospitals of Dhaka and 41 outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
As many as 712 dengue patients, including 601 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
Read: Dengue claims another life, death toll rises to 20
This year's death toll from the mosquito-borne viral disease rose to 20 Monday with one more death reported from Cox's Bazar. Of all the deceased, 11 were from Cox's Bazar and nine from Dhaka.
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
This year, the directorate has recorded 5,930 dengue cases and 5,198 recoveries so far.
Bangladesh now holds highest-ever food stock: Minister
Bangladesh’s current food stock is highest-ever in recent times, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said on Tuesday dismissing any possible food shortage in the coming days.
“In spite of the good stocks, efforts are on to increase import of rice to keep the price of the staple under control and ensure food safety,” he told reporters at Naogaon Circuit House.
During the Boro season, some 19.50 lakh metric tonnes of rice have been procured until Monday and the procurement drive will end on Wednesday. The Boro procurement target will be fulfilled by the end of this drive, he said.
The minister said there is no possibility of a shortage of any kind of food such as rice and wheat as the government has already decided to import wheat from Russia and Ukraine.
Read: No bar to import food from Russia, Ukraine: Tipu
The government has increased the number of open market sale (OMS) dealers three times for mitigating public sufferings, he said adding the number of OMS centers has been raised from 813 to 2363.
Not only that, the government is going to start open market sale (OMS) of rice from September 1 as per the directives of the prime minister, said Sadhan.
The TCB card holders can buy OMS rice showing their cards, while others can purchase rice by showing their NID cards twice a month, said the minister.
The authorities concerned will ensure that no person can purchase rice through OMS more than twice.
After the launching of OMS service and food-friendly programme, the rice price will come down at a tolerable level after a few days, he hoped.
We unmasked some people through Bachelet’s visit: Shahriar
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said the government had unmasked some people including a section of civil society and their political intentions through the recent visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.
“We believe in engagement. We are committed and we have enough goodwill (to look into human rights issues). We could prove it,” he told the reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that it is very “low and mean” as some people sought her intervention in terms of election.
The State Minister said those people who are spreading misinformation and sought UN rights chief’s intervention during her visit are actually helping the anti-Awami League political platform (BNP-Jamaat). “It’s an evil effort to malign the government.”
He said the BNP and Jamaat with their people at home and abroad have continuously been spreading misinformation.
The state minister expressed his surprise as some people raised some issues which go beyond the UN human rights chief’s mandate and said those people do not have adequate knowledge on how the UN system operates.
Shahriar said Bachelet made it clear during her meeting with a section of civil society that it is not within her mandate to address the demands related to the next national election in Bangladesh.
He described such effort “objectionable” and it is not a healthy practice at all.
Read:Bachelet raised no concern over country’s human rights condition: Anisul Haque
Shahriar said the UN human rights chief understood where these people came from and what their intention was.
He, however, said the government has a great respect for the civil society for their role in various areas while a section of it has a political intention.
Shahriar said the so-called opposition parties have a big “misperception and misconception” that their many demands will be met once they raise the issues with the UN human rights chief. “They live in a fool's paradise.”
The UN hss given a a list of 76 people who allegedly got disappeared.
Of them, the government traced 10 and submitted a report to the UN.
Of the remaining 66, there are many notorious criminals and such criminals generally go into hiding to evade the trial process, Shahriar said.
The government will continue its efforts to trace those people, he said.
The State Minister said Bachelet did not meet the opposition leaders but engaged her colleague to talk to them.
The government of Bangladesh invited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
She hoped her visit would build on the government’s engagement with the UN’s human rights mechanisms and help deepen cooperation with us, furthering the promotion and protection of human rights in Bangladesh.
In Dhaka, she met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ministers - foreign affairs, home affairs, law, and education - and other officials.
For all the significant human rights challenges ahead – economic, climate-related, political, social and humanitarian – she was convinced that if the powerful resources within the whole society are harnessed, and policies and responses are crafted with the participation of many diverse voices, Bangladesh will continue to shine brighter in its remarkable development journey.
Bangladesh sees zero Covid death, 172 cases
Bangladesh reported zero Covid death and 172 new cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
While the country's total fatalities remained unchanged 29,323, the new numbers took its caseload to 2,011,732, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate declined to 4.08 percent from Monday’s 4.74 percent as 4,215 samples were tested.
Read:Bangladesh logs 217 more Covid cases, zero death
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent. The recovery rate rose to 97.24 percent.
In July, the country reported 142 Covid-linked deaths and 31,422 cases, the highest monthly death toll and caseload since March this year.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
PM rules out Sri Lanka-like crisis in Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday made it clear that Bangladesh will never face an economic crisis like Sri Lanka as her government has been developing the country in a planned way.
“There is no use of making false accusations against us. Bangladesh will never become Sri Lanka and it can’t be,” she said.
The premier was addressing a commemorative meeting organised jointly by Awami League’s Dhaka north and south city units at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here to mark the National Mourning Day of August 15, the day the country’s founding leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most members of his family in 1975.
Hasina, who is also the president of governing Awami League, said her government has been placing the budget in planned ways for the continuation of the country’s economic development.
She said every development project is taken considering its economic return in the country.
“Before taking every development plan, we think how it will help benefit the country and its people once it is completed. We don’t at all think about getting a large amount of money as commission from a big project,” she said. “Sheikh Hasina doesn’t take any project thinking in this way (to get money as commission),” she added.
The PM said Bangladesh has been repaying the foreign debts in time. “We don’t eat ghee (clarified butter) by borrowing money. The amount of our debts is not so high that we would fall in (the debt) trap of anyone,” she said.
She, however, said Bangladesh had to face a Sri Lanka-like situation during the 2001-2006 regime of BNP, but her government has pulled the country out from that state.
Citing misrule of BNP regime, the AL chief said when BNP was in power, Bangladesh became the champion in corruption five times, and prices of essential commodities were soaring, there was scarcity of electricity, water and employment, the country witnessed militancy, violence and grenade attacks.
Enough kindness shown to Khaleda: PM
Noting that BNP is now staging a drama over sending Khaleda Zia abroad for treatment, the PM said the BNP leader, convicted of corruption, has been shown enough kindness.
“She (Khaleda) has been shown much kindness. It is not possible to show more compassion towards her,” she said, adding that Khaleda has been allowed to stay in her house by exercising PM’s executive authority considering her age, sickness and sufferings in the jail.
Khaleda, the PM said, goes to hospital wearing makeup and well dressed, and on the other hand, her doctor reports that her condition is very bad and her liver has been seriously damaged. Everyone knows what (drink/food) causes the liver to rot quickly, she added.
She once again alleged that Khaleda patronised the killers of her (PM’s) parents, backed attempts to kill her and insulted her during the death of Koko (the younger son of Khaleda).
Read: PM Hasina urges Myanmar to ensure dignified return of Rohingyas to their homeland
S Korea to provide $ 3.2 mn for Rohingyas, host communities in Bangladesh
The government of the Republic of Korea has announced its plan to provide US$ 3.2 million in 2022 to support humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas and their host communities in Bangladesh.
This year’s humanitarian assistance will be provided through international organizations such as UNHCR, IOM, WFP, UNICEF and IFRC operating in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, said the South Korean embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday.
According to the Embassy, some portion of this year’s funding will be allocated to the refugees in Bhasan Char for the second year in a row.
South Korea has supported UN agencies’ operation in Bhasan Char since the inception of the relocation to the island in 2021.
In addition, highly recognizing the generosity of the Bangladesh government and its people for hosting the Rohingyas, the Embassy stressed that a fair portion of this year’s assistance has been allocated to support host communities in Cox’s Bazar which were directly impacted by the refugee influx five years ago.
Read:Army to join drive against terrorism, drugs in Rohingya camps: Home Minister
Since 2017, the government of the Republic of Korea has continued to provide US$ 4 to US$5 million annually to the Rohingyas and their host communities in Bangladesh in close cooperation with the Bangladesh government and international organizations.
Korea’s funding has been used up for various humanitarian activities over the five years including the provision of LPG and food, humanitarian activities in response to fire in the camps, and the provision of services to protect gender-based violence.
In addition to annual regular funding, Korea has also assisted humanitarian activities in Cox’s Bazar through KOICA, Korea’s development agency.
KOICA is implementing ‘Project for Improving Menstrual Health Management of Adolescent Girls and Women in Cox’s Bazar’ through UNFPA with a budget of US$ 2.95 million.
Also, ‘Psychosocial Support Project for Rohingya Women’ has been kicked off this year in cooperation with a Korea’s non-governmental organization.
The Embassy said the Republic of Korea supports dialogues between the government of Bangladesh and Myanmar for the repatriation of the refugees and believes that safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their communities should be realized as soon as possible.
Govt to soon fix prices of 9 daily essentials
The Bangladesh government will soon fix the prices of nine essential commodities, including rice and wheat, to ease public sufferings, a senior Minister has said.
"The Tariff Commission will determine the reasonable prices of these products in the next 15 days," Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi told reporters after a meeting at the ministry on Tuesday.
Read: Government cuts fuel prices by Tk5 per litre
These nine products are rice, wheat, flour, refined sugar, edible oil, lentils, onions, MS products (rods) and cement.
Legal action will be taken against anyone found charging more than the fixed price, the Minister warned.
HC summons BFIU chief over 'incomplete report' on black money in Swiss banks
The High Court has summoned the head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) to explain an "incomplete report" filed in compliance with the Swiss envoy’s comment on black money stashed in Swiss banks.
A bench of justices Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Khizir Hayat passed the order on Tuesday, asking Md Masud Biswas to appear before it on Wednesday and explain the report -- filed in an affidavit form -- that contains no name, address or position of the person who submitted the same.
Submitting such a report is like taking an action but without any responsibility, the court observed during the hearing.
Deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin represented the state while advocate Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during the hearing.
Khurshid said the report submitted by BFIU was not appropriate as it does not mention who submitted it and also doesn't contain any signature. "The HC was disappointed with the report," he said.
On August 10, the Swiss ambassador in Dhaka Nathalie Chuard said that they have been providing the Bangladesh government with all information regarding deposits of Bangladeshi money in Swiss banks, "but no request has been submitted regarding any particular account".
Read:Bangladesh money in Swiss Banks: Swiss envoy’s comment is embarrassing: HC
On August 11, the HC bench ordered the government and the ACC to explain why the government didn’t seek information of deposits of Bangladesh money stashed in Swiss banks.
On August 14, BFIU was asked to submit a report in this regard in the affidavit form.
On August 21, following the HC order, BFIU’s report was submitted stating that the information regarding deposits of 67 Bangladeshis in various Swiss banks was sought from the authorities concerned in Bern.
But the Swiss authorities only provided the details of one individual in this regard which BFIU also submitted to the ACC, BFIU said in its report.
According to the report, the Swiss bank published its annual report on June 16 this year. On the following day, the Swiss authorities were requested to provide necessary information about the money deposited by Bangladeshi banks and individuals in various Swiss banks through Egmont Secure Web (ESW).
However, Bangladesh has not yet received any information. BFIU even asked FIEU for this information on June 17 last, it added.
Lightning kills 2 brothers in Sunamganj
Two brothers died while another sustained injuries after being struck by lightning in Sunamganj district on Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Khokon Mia and Jhilon Mia, residents of Bekhoijura village in Dharmapasha upazila, said Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Dharmapasha police station.
The tragedy occurred in the morning when the three brothers went to catch fish in Shaldigha Haor on a boat, said locals.
Also read: Patuakhali: Lightning strikes kill two in Galachipa
“Two brothers died on the spot and another was hurt. Locals later recovered the bodies,” said OC Mizanur.
Also read: Lightning strike leaves fisherman dead in Sylhet