Bangladesh
Protest against price hike: BNP men clash with police in Savar
Over a dozen of BNP activists were injured in a clash with police on Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Savar on Wednesday as the law enforcers allegedly obstructed them from bringing out a procession to protest the growing prices of commodities.
Former MP BNP leader Dewan Mohammad Salauddin said when the procession, which was brought out from his residence around 11am, reached Dhaka-Aricha highway police dispersed the BNP men.
Read: Govt let loose police against BNP, alleges Rizvi
Police charged baton on the BNP leaders and activists when they tried to hold a sit-in programme in front of Rangaban Nursery, alleged the BNP leader.
BNP convener Khandaker Shah Mainul Hossain Biltu and Ashulia Thana BNP leader Jahangir Alam were among the injured, he said.
Kazi Mainul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar Police Station, said two policemen were injured as BNP activists threw brickbats on them.
Police detained two BNP activists and a case will be filed, the OC added.
Earlier, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that Awami League is increasing the prices of commodities and utility services through forming a syndicate. “The government has no interest in controlling commodity prices as they are busy in suppressing the opposition party.”
On February 24, BNP and its associate bodies worked out an 11-day countrywide programme, including demonstrations, to protest the growing price hike of key commodities and utility services.
Read: New CEC’s sweet words not a guarantee: BNP
The programmes were also taken to push for the party’s demand for the sale of necessary commodities by the government at fair prices at the upazila level.
Beginning on February 26, the programmes will continue until March 15.
Govt let loose police against BNP, alleges Rizvi
BNP senior joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday alleged that the government has let loose law enforcers like "hyenas" against its leaders and activists out of fear of facing public wraths.
“The Illegal political forces are always sacred of facing public wraths. They get terrified with the loud voices of people. That’s why they've let loose the law enforcement agencies like hyenas to foil BNP’s different programmes,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Rizvi also said the government is shedding the blood of opposition activists through attacking political programmes of the opposition by law enforcers at different parts of the country.
He accused the government of establishing its control over every constitutional institution from the Election Commission to the judiciary by appointing people who hold the spirit of Awami League. “The entire nation has been colonised by the government by placing its own people everywhere.
The BNP leader said the government has obliterated democracy and snatched the civic and voting rights of people by usurping power.
READ: Covid restrictions maybe to stop BNP rallies: Rizvi
“They (govt) are using the state machinery to brutally suppress the democracy-loving dissidents. The same way, they’re now using its cadres and police force to obstruct BNP programmes across the country,” he observed.
The BNP leader said police and the ruling party cadres resorted to various repressive acts to foil their rallies arranged for protesting the hike in daily essential in Dhaka’s Savar, Patuakhali, Magura and Jhalakati.
He said police attacked their party’s peaceful rally on Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Savar without any provocation. “They charged batons on our leaders and activists, leaving at least 15 of them injured.”
READ: 300 injured in ‘police attack’ on BNP’s Habiganj rally: Rizvi
He said their party’s around 50 leaders and activists were injured in Patuakhali as police and the ruling party activists attacked their rally there.
Rooppur power plant not to be affected directly by War: Planning Minister
Planning Minister MA Mannan on Wednesday said Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant won’t be affected directly by the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war as the project is being executed completely under a bilateral agreement with Moscow.
“Equipment, manpower and finance (for the project) are coming through the single channel. No third party is involved here. So, the project will witness no direct impact,” he said while briefing reporters after the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC).
NEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting, joining it from her official residence Ganobhaban. Other NEC members including ministers and secretaries attended the meeting from the NEC Conference Room and the Cabinet Division’s Conference Room.
Read: No disruption foreseen in construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant: Rosatom
Replying to a question, whether the meeting discussed the war and its impacts on Rooppur plant, being built by Russia, the planning minister said Bangladesh is against any war. “The prime minister has clearly said we are a peace-loving country. We want peace,” he added.
Though they are fighting, both the countries are the friends of Bangladesh, he said.
“Ukraine is our friend. And Russia has been our friend for a long time. We always recognise the Russian role in our Liberation War. We had been able to achieve independence despite having many barriers due to their bold role,” he added.
UAE finds Bangladesh food processing industry promising for investment
UAE Ambassador in Bangladesh Abdulla Ali AlHmoudi on Wednesday said the food processing industry in Bangladesh looks promising for possible investment by his country’s businesspeople.
The ambassador made the remark during a courtesy call on the FBCCI President Md. Jashim Uddin at FBCCI office.
Read: Rising food prices despite record stocks defies analysis
The envoy said that different countries showcase their goods at the pavilions in the Global Village of Dubai.
The ambassador urged Bangladesh to take advantage of this. Bangladesh Pavilion in the Global Village would make it easier for tourists from different countries, including Dubai, to get information about Bangladeshi products.
UK donates 1mn more Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Bangladesh
The United Kingdom has donated 1 million more doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh to fight off Covid-19.
The vaccine consignment arrived in Bangladesh on February 23, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Read: US donates another 10mn doses of Pfizer’s vaccine
While welcoming the vaccines donation from the UK, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson said, “We welcome the arrival of 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the UK to Bangladesh. This bilateral donation adds to the 4 million doses that the UK donated through COVAX last year.”
He said this support from the UK takes them one step ahead to defeat the pandemic and further strengthens their commitment to stand with the people of Bangladesh to recover faster and build a healthier and prosperous future.
The latest bilateral donation from the UK will reinforce Bangladesh’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s economic recovery, the High Commission said.
Prior to this, the UK donated over 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh in December 2021 through COVAX facilities.
Complementing the vaccine donations, the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through its delivery partners, created an enabling environment for the Government of Bangladesh to accelerate and expand the vaccination program as well as reduce the transmission of the infection especially among the low-income people.
Read: Dhaka calls for sharing technology, know-how of Covid-19 vaccine production
This includes support for on-line vaccine registration for the disadvantaged, raising awareness, additional healthcare provider and technician support, training of health workers including vaccinators, and transporting vaccines to the districts as well as to the schools across the country.
Since the pandemic started, the UK government has reprioritised more than £55.9 million to fund Bangladesh’s National Preparedness and Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 including support for the Rohingya refugees and the host communities.
Hasina vows to accelerate country’s socio-economic development for better living standard of people
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday reiterated her commitment to improving the living standard of the people through socio-economic development of the country.
“I am working for achieving a goal…. I have to implement the ideals with which my father had made the country independent. That is my promise. In this position, I would say that I have to do it,” she said while presiding over a meeting of National Economic Council (NEC) held at the NEC conference room.
She joined the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Read: Hasina pins hope on youths to materialise Vision 2041
She said that she wants to make the life of people beautiful and dignified so they can walk keeping their heads high in the world - what the Father of the Nation always wanted and used to say.
Referring to the development of Bangladesh in the last 13 years, Hasina said that Bangladesh has already attained the status of a developing country, graduating from LDC.
“We will move forward as a developing country and become a developed one in the future,” she emphasised.
She said that now no one looks at Bangladesh with sympathy, rather regard it with respect.
The prime minister also highlighted the significance of the eventful month of March due to Bangabandhu’s historic speech on March 7, his birthday on March 17 and Independence Day on March 26.
She mentioned that this month is very important as in this month Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali of all time, was born.
“Bangabandhu gave the nation freedom and self-dignity as an independent nation,” she said.
Recalling the contribution of Bangabandhu in rebuilding the war-ravaged Bangladesh, Hasina said following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation, the government has taken massive development plans and is implementing those.
Read: Will spread Bangla, Bangla literature further globally: Hasina
“We are taking Bangladesh forward following his ideals.”
She also mentioned that Bangladesh's economy is moving forward even in the time of Corona pandemic.
The PM extended her gratitude to the people of Bangladesh who worked with sincerity even during this difficult time to attain the success.
Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 8 more deaths with 732 fresh cases
Bangladesh logged eight more Covid-linked deaths with 732 fresh cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
The daily positivity rate slightly declined to 3.22 per cent from Tuesday’s 3.35 per cent after testing 22,727 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On Tuesday, Bangladesh reported eight more Covid-linked deaths with 799 fresh cases.
Read: Pfizer shots protect kids from severe COVID even in omicron
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 29,053 while the caseload to 19,45,108.
Among the new deceased, three were men and five women.
Three deaths were reported from Dhaka division while two each from Barishal and Rangpur and one from Rajshahi division.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent.
However, the recovery rate rose to 93.93 per cent with the recovery of 4,824 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Read: Long COVID hits children far less than adults: study
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37 per cent reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
On December 9 last year, Bangladesh logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks.
The country reported first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.
Saudi FM due in Dhaka Mar 16 to discuss big investment proposals
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud will arrive in Dhaka on March 16 to hold talks with government leaders on identifying the potential areas of his country’s big investments in Bangladesh.
He is coming at the invitation of Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and will have bilateral meeting with him on March 16.
The Saudi foreign minister is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his visit apart from other engagements.
Read:Bangladesh shares updated info on continental shelf in Bay with UN
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan briefed media at the Embassy on Wednesday highlighting various aspects of the relations including Saudi investors’ desire to invest “extensively” in Bangladesh.
Engineering Dimensions, a Saudi Arabian Enterprise, has confirmed $1.8 billion investment in Bangladeshi, said the envoy.
He said Saudi Arabia is mulling establishing a special economic zone and considering scopes to invest in the construction of rail links connecting Dhaka and Payra port, including the development of Cox’s Bazar as an international tourist destination.
The ambassador said Saudi ACWA Power has already announced to invest $ 600 million to build 700 MW power plant and proposed a total $ 3.5 billion investment in Bangladesh.
He said Saudi Red Sea Gateway Terminal wants to invest $ 1.2 billion in Bangladesh, said the envoy.
Earlier, Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) of Bangladesh said the Saudi Ministry of Investment will soon send a delegation to Bangladesh to explore investment opportunities in the PPP projects.
Schools, universities to compensate students for learning losses: Dipu Moni
With schools and universities reopening, Education Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday said she hoped the academic institutions would compensate the students for learning losses caused by the Covid-induced closure.
“The students have been going through mental trauma for the past two years. Now with the educational institutions across the country reopening, efforts will be made to make up for the learning losses," she said.
"Though it is not possible to recoup the losses in one academic year, it can be minimised. Better days are ahead,” Dipu Moni told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the book distribution activities of classes XI and XII at National Curricula and Textbook Board (NCTB) headquarters this morning.
Read: Primary school students return to campus
“In-person classes for primary school students resumed on Wednesday while physical classes at all secondary, higher secondary and university-level educational institutions resumed earlier. We hope we can soon return to normal academic activities,” she said.
Dipu Moni also urged the authorities concerned to make up for the teaching losses endured by those who passed this year's HSC, through adequate assignments.
Describing the demand of the students of seven DU-affiliated colleges for separate universities as "illogical", she said, "The problem will be resolved soon and the authorities concerned are taking an initiative to reduce the session jam. Exam results will also be published soon.”
PM Hasina assassination attempt: Fugitive death row convict held in city
Police have arrested a fugitive death row convict in a case filed over the attempt to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2000.
Azizul Haque Rana alias Shahnewaz alias Ruman was arrested from Khilkhet Bazar in the capital on Tuesday.
Read: 4 arrested over killing of teenager in Cox’s Bazar
Police also seized two jihadi books, two mobile phone sets, a pen drive and a computer hard disk from his possession.
Police recovered a 76-kg bomb in front of a shop adjacent to Sheikh Lutfur Rahman Govt High School on July 20, 2000 where Sheikh Hasina was supposed to address a rally on July 22.
Another 40-kg bomb was also recovered by an army bomb expert squad from near Kotalipara helipad on July 23, 2000.