Bangladesh
UN agency IFAD reaches record level of support for world’s rural poor
The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) doubled down on its commitment to the world’s poorest rural communities in 2021, increasing support to reach 128 million small-scale farmers and vulnerable people, according to its annual report released from Rome on Thursday.
The record level of support for world’s rural poor came amid rising challenges posed by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic shocks.
In the IFAD Annual Report 2021, IFAD detailed how its efforts successfully targeted those who needed it most: data released during 2021 revealed that 49 per cent of direct beneficiaries were women, while 22 per cent were youth.
“We know that economic empowerment of women is the key to greater empowerment for all, while more than 600 million youth in rural areas globally need our help,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD.
“These investments will ultimately help deliver greater food security, poverty reduction and economic resilience to their broader communities – that is, the people who produce a third of the world’s food but are too often left behind,” he said.
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The annual report recaps the activities of the UN specialized agency and international finance institution, which mobilizes funds, technical expertise and other resources to combat poverty and hunger among the 3.4 billion people who live in rural areas of the developing world.
With global hunger on the rise and climate change impacting agricultural output, IFAD’s role in ensuring global food security has never been more crucial.
IFAD’s 177 Member States have recognised this by committing a record US$1.55 billion to the agency’s 2022-2024 core resources with the aim of doubling its impact by 2030.
Some of those funds went last year to expanding IFAD’s COVID-19 response initiative – called the Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF) – to help people survive pandemic-caused financial losses while also protecting the global food supply.
As traditional markets were upended due to COVID-19-related supply chain and transportation disruption, the RPSF stepped in to provide small-scale farmers with seeds, fertilizer, access to liquidity and information.
Support for digital services like e-marketing and e-money were also increased. Twenty million people have received support in 59 hard-hit countries through the RPSF so far in the past two years.
The Annual Report 2021 also highlights IFAD’s efforts to expand its resource mobilisation by enlisting the participation of private sector partners.
Also read: IFAD Member States to appoint next President July 7
This builds on IFAD’s A++ credit rating, attained in 2020, which has allowed the agency to pursue co-financing through partnerships and thereby complement its core three-year “replenishment” resources.
In June 2021, IFAD also launched a Sustainable Development Finance Framework to guide engagement with institutional impact investors who focus on sustainable finance.
Other milestones in 2021 for IFAD included continuing advocacy for rural people and for a transformation of food systems at major international events including the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the UN Food Systems Summit.
The initiatives laid out in 2021 are now serving as building blocks for IFAD’s stepped-up response to the crisis in 2022 prompted by war in Ukraine and the ensuing hike in food, fertilizer, energy and transport costs.
IFAD’s dedicated response to the impacts of the war, called the Crisis Response Initiative, focuses on 22 priority countries in urgent need, and work is now under way in the six in the most critical state – Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mozambique, Somalia and Yemen.
“Our mission is unwavering in the face of conflict, COVID-19 and climate shock: to transform rural economies and food systems, and to drive more sustainable and inclusive development for the most vulnerable small-scale farmers and their communities,” Houngbo said.
Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 4 more die, 618 new cases reported in 24hrs
Bangladesh recorded four more Covid-19-linked deaths with 618 new cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
With the latest figures, the country's total fatalities reached 29,284 while the caseload 2,004,188, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case positivity rate rose to 6.62 from Wednesday's 6.83 per cent as 9,338 samples were tested.
The deceased included two men and two women. Three of them were from Chattogram and another from Dhaka division.
Also read: Global Covid cases top 578 million
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent. The recovery rate rose to 96.80 per cent from Thursday's 96.79 per cent.
In June, the country reported 18 Covid-linked deaths and 20,201 new cases, according to the DGHS.
Bangladesh reported its first zero Covid death on November 20 last year since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020.
Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: 5 more die, 626 new cases reported in 24hrs
The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.
EU contributes to strengthening social security in Bangladesh with EUR 2 million
The European Union (EU) has transferred EUR 2 million (around Tk 20 crore) to the government of Bangladesh to strengthen key areas of its social security system.
It has a specific focus on strengthening institutional set-up, the overall Monitoring and Evaluation Framework of the social security services, introduction of a nutrition sensitive child benefit programme and having an improved social security framework for workers.
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said “We encourage the government to ensure an appropriate social protection system and measures that protect those who are in need.”
Beyond the immediate Covid-19 response initiated by Team Europe, he said, this programme represents a concrete first step towards the longer-term objective to establish an adequate and sustainable social security system.
“The EU and its Member States are committed to support efforts to establish adequate and sustainable social security for workers, with the shared objectives to protect lives and livelihoods,” said the EU member.
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The disbursement of this payment comes after a “positive decision” of the Budget Support Steering Committee (SSC) of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development in July 2022, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.
The European Consensus for Development enshrines the commitment from both the EU and its Member States to promote “adequate and sustainable social protection”.
With the proactive political commitment of the government of Bangladesh (GoB) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to ‘leave no-one behind’, the EU has been a committed development and humanitarian partner to Bangladesh since 1973.
The EU supports the Government of Bangladesh to implement its national social security reform agenda with the ultimate aim to streamline social protection services and to reach out to vulnerable communities, with a special emphasis on the Child Benefit Programme and workers at risk in the export-oriented sector and as such to contribute to Bangladesh’s overall development goals.
A EUR 247 million budget support programme is in place since 2019 to support the reform activities of the NSSS. Budget support is a means of delivering effective aid and durable results for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Budget support is directly linked to reforms and developmental results. This ensures development of effective systems to collect information on results, to monitor progress, and evaluate impact, based on which the sectoral reform process in funded.
It also aims to strengthen the capacity of the partner country in the implementation of the policy and public finance systems, also in improving the accountability of the government towards its citizens.
Freedom fighters to get smart ID cards, digital certificates
The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs on Thursday has launched smart ID card and digital certificate distribution among freedom fighters through which a total of 24,761 freedom fighters will receive smart ID cards and 46,803 digital certificates initially.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque inaugurated the programme at the Ministry’s meeting room on Thursday.
The Minister said that printing of smart ID cards and digital certificates of 17 districts has been completed.
Read: Freedom Fighters' rations recommended for review
“Printing of cards and certificates for the rest of the districts will be finished within next one and a half months. Among 46,803 freedom fighters who will receive digital certificates, 24,761 are alive and 22,042 are dead,” said the Minister.
In his welcome speech, Khaja Miah, Secretary of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, said that in rural areas, the ID cards and certificates will be distributed by Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs’) while Deputy Commissioners (DCs’) will distribute them in metropolitan areas.
“The ID cards and certificates will have to be distributed checking the consolidated list published on the Ministry’s website (www.molwa.gov.bd). Cards and certificates can’t be provided to those whose names have not been listed. Those freedom fighters who’ve already died will receive only digital certificates, not cards,” said Khaja.
Proparco supports Ananta Group with $13.8mn loan to strengthen its int’l competitiveness
Proparco, the private sector financing arm of Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group), has supported Ananta Group, a leading apparel producer in Bangladesh, with a $13.8 million loan to strengthen its international competitiveness.
With this loan, Proparco supports Ananta Huaxiang Limited (AHL), a subsidiary of Ananta Group in Bangladesh, to increase its sweater manufacturing capacity through the expansion of its production facility located in Narayanganj, Bangladesh.
This operation will allow AHL to emerge as a large volume sweater manufacturer and strengthen its competitiveness in the international market, said Proparco on Thursday.
“It gives us immense pleasure to support AHL, a responsible actor in Bangladesh’s garment industry committed to gender diversity,” said Diane Jegam, Regional Director – South Asia, Proparco.
By supporting the growth of a job-creating company committed to the well-being of its employees, women empowerment as well as the sustainable use of resources, Proparco is supporting the largest exporting sector of Bangladesh, said Jegam.
“This partnership with Proparco will greatly support our vision of sustainable factories scoring high on environmental and social compliance standards,” says the Managing Director of the Group, Sharif Zahir.
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Moreover, he said, the new capacity expansion financed by Proparco has been completed in record time and the factory is already in operation employing a gender balanced workforce and contributing to the export earnings of the country.
“Further, we are delighted to work with Proparco and look forward to grow this partnership in the coming year.”
Bangladesh is the second largest ready-made garment exporter in the world after China representing 81% of Bangladesh’s total exports and employing 4.4 million workers.
AHL ranks among the top 10 sweater producers in Bangladesh exporting mostly to Europe for various international brands.
With this project and the increase in high-end sweater manufacturing capabilities, AHL will be better able to serve its customers by producing over 10 million pieces of sweaters by 2023 at a higher quality level and price points than before.
Due to the quality of AHL’s working conditions and its various commitments towards women empowerment, the project qualifies for the 2X Challenge, a global gender finance initiative that Proparco has been contributing to since its launch in 2018.
The project also addresses 3 SDGs: SDG#9 by developing operations at best standards, SDG#8 due to above average salary package, and to SDG#5 due to the women-dedicated program that will be implemented.
‘Sheikh Hasina Tantpalli’ to create job for people of south-western region: Minister
The Ministry of Textiles and Jute is setting up ‘Sheikh Hasina Tant palli’ in Shibchar Upazila of Madaripur district at the Jajira end of the Padma Bridge to create opportunities for self-employment in the south-western region.
Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi said this while visiting the project on 120 acres of land in the upazila on Thursday.
Under this project, weavers will be provided with all kinds of facilities including residential buildings, handloom shed, dormitories, rest house, cyber cafes and power substations.
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There are plans to set up a ‘Tant Haat’ two days a week at Tantpalli where all kinds of raw materials including yarn will be sold and displayed.
“Everything from weaving cloth to making and selling garments will be arranged here,” said the minister.
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The minister also hoped that this project will revive the tradition of handloom industry.
He also visited the construction work of ‘Sheikh Hasina Textile Engineering College’ under Textiles Department in the upazila.
Rickshaw puller killed in city road crash
A 55-year-old rickshaw puller was killed when a truck knocked him down at Bashabo in the city early Thursday, said police.
The deceased was identified as Halim Bepari, son of Momin Bepari of Madaripur upazila. He was a resident of Kadamtala area.
Read:Taskforce on road crashes wants ban on movement of inter-district motorcycles
Faruk Hossain, sub-inspector of Sabujbagh Police Station, said the accident occurred around 4 am when the truck hit the battery-run auto-rickshaw, leaving him critically injured.
He was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 8 pm.
Govt conducting plant species survey: Minister
Bangladesh National Herbarium (BNH), an organisation under Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, is conducting a plant species survey in order to conserve the country's biodiversity and to protect forest and environment.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin said this at a workshop on plant species survey project of Barishal and Sylhet division held at Bangladesh National Herbarium in the city on Thursday.
It is necessary to know the statistics of the country's plant species for the conservation and sustainable management of plant species in all the ecosystems of the country, he said.
He said it is possible to know the updated statistics, location and conservation status of the country's plant resources only through a complete plant survey.
“The results obtained from the plant survey will play an important role in the country's botanical education and research, sustainable management and use of plant diversity, identification of endangered plant species and their protection, and formulation of national biodiversity conservation strategies and action plans and in achieving SDG goals,” said the minister.
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“Also all this information may be used in Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands,” Shahab Uddin added.
In this project, about 70,000 plant samples will be collected and two books containing information will be published and all information will be prepared and published on the website as an e-database for determining the actual status of the plant resources of Barishal and Sylhet divisions, documenting diversity, conservation and balanced use, through scientific survey at the field level.
Regarding the plant diversity, he said Barishal is an ever-changing in terms of plant diversity. The number of plant species in this category is estimated to be more than 1000, he said.
The number of plant species of Sylhet division is known to be more than 1500.
“However, no comprehensive survey of flora diversity of Sylhet division has been completed yet,” he said.
Earlier, BNH has completed a thorough survey of the vascular plant species of Greater Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, writing floristic documents and preserving specimens through the implementation of a project titled 'Survey of Vascular Flora of Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts'.
College student 'ends life' in Chuadanga
A 17-year-old college student allegedly ended his life by consuming poison over his parents' refusal to buy him a bike in Chuadanga.
The deceased was identified as Sabbir Hossain, a resident of Sadar upazila of the district. He was a Class XII student of Chuadanga Government College.
Read: Worker killed in Chuadanga boiler blast
Family sources said Sabbir consumed poison on Wednesday night as his parents didn’t buy him a bike despite his repeated pleas over the past few days.
Later, he was rushed to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital where he died during treatment around 11pm, said Mahabbur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Chuadanga Sadar police station.
The body has been kept in the hospital morgue for an autopsy, he added.
Six Khulna men to die for war crimes
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Thursday sentenced six Khulna men to death for their involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Mohamamd Shahinur Islam, handed down the punishment to the six -- Amzad Hossain Hawladar, Sahar Ali Sardar, Atier Rahman, Motasim Billah, Kamal Uddin Goldar and Nazrul Islam -- after holding them guilty.
Of them, Narzul was tried in absentia.
Public prosecutors Haidar Ali and Mokhlesur Rahman Badal represented the state, while advocates Abdus Sattar Paloan and Hazi MH Tamim appeared for the six.
Prosecutor Mokhlesur said, "We are satisfied with the judgment."
However, advocate Abdus said, “We did not get justice and we’ll file an appeal petition against the judgment.”
Also read: International Crimes Tribunal: Verdict against Tipu Sultan any day
On July 26, the tribunal fixed July 27 as the judgment day in the case.
Allegations against the convicts
First allegation: Amzad and four to five collaborators of Pakistani occupation forces launched ab attack on the house of Shanti Lata Mandal in Masalia village of Batiaghata upazila and shot Binod Mandal dead after torturing him on August 10, 1971.
Second allegation: The convicts unleashed torture on Haridas Majumdar of Purbahalia village in Batiaghata upazila and killed him on October 15, 1971.
Third allegation: The convicts killed four people of the Hindu community in Sukhdara village of the same upazila and looted valuables and torched the houses on October 21, 1971.
Fourth allegation: The convicts killed two freedom fighters -- Jotish Mandal and Abdul Aziz of Baroaria village in Batiaghata upazila -- on November 29, 1971.
All the charges against the convicts including looting, killings, arson, kidnapping and torture, have been proved before the tribunal.