Bangladesh
Export-oriented industries to remain open during lockdown: BGMEA president-elect
The export-oriented industries in the country will remain open during the lockdown, Faruque Hossain, the president-elect of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said Sunday.
He said a special meeting was held on April 9 with Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi. Along with Faruque, former BGMEA presidents Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin and Salam Murshedi, BKMEA President Selim Osman, and BTMA President Mohammad Ali Khokon participated in the meeting.
The goal was to avoid the impending crisis of RMG and export-oriented factory closure during lockdown.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
In a statement sent to the media, Faruque said the team “effectively negotiated” and pleaded the cases in favour of keeping factories open to all key policy and decision-makers of the government including the Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary as well as the prime minister.
60kg Baghair fish on sale in Sylhet's Lalbazar
A giant Baghair fish weighing around 60kg went up for sale in Sylhet city's Lalbazar on Sunday afternoon.
The fish was netted from the River Kushiyara in Fenchuganj upazila of Sylhet district on Saturday night.
Many curious people gathered to see the rare-breed fish and take a photo of it. Mujibur Rahman, a fish trader at Lalbazar market, said he bought the giant Baghair fish from Fenchuganj in the morning.
Also read: Marine fisheries policy designed for proper sea fish production
Many customers had been urging the trader to cut the fish into pieces and sell it at a fixed per kg price.
Mujibur said, "It is less likely that someone would buy the whole fish. I would cut it into pieces on Monday if the expected price of the fish is not attained."
The trader expects to earn more than Tk1 lakh from selling the fish pieces. Earlier, per kg Baghair fish was sold for Tk2,000 to Tk2,500 in Lalbazar.
Also read: After lockdown blues, dried fish industry buzzing again
Baghair, which is available in freshwaters of Bangladesh, India, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sumatra, Borneo and Java, is an endangered fish.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the species in its Red Data as one of the "critically endangered" freshwater fishes of Bangladesh.
Nature of peacekeeping has changed: FM
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said the nature of peacekeeping has changed due to the use of advanced technology and sophisticated weapons, the misuse of social media and the ongoing global epidemic.
He made the remarks at the “Army Chiefs' Conclave” at multipurpose complex of Dhaka Cantonment.
Bangladesh Army organised the seminar with the participation of local and foreign military and civilian dignitaries.
Also read: Bangladesh tops in UN Peacekeeping Mission
Foreign Minister Momen said meaningful mutual cooperation, increased participation of women and development of health-related emergencies were essential to address the challenges posed by this unprecedented global epidemic in establishing world peace.
The main topic of discussion at the seminar was ‘Future Trend of Global Conflict: The Role of UN Peacekeepers’.
Nine infected with coronavirus at BNP chief Khaleda’s house
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and eight other people at her Gulshan residence have been infected with the coronavirus.
“A total of nine people of this house, including Madam (Khaleda), tested positive for Covid-19,” her personal doctor Mamun told reporters after visiting the BNP chief at her house on Sunday afternoon.
Mamun said Khaleda’s condition is stable and she has no Covid symptom like fever, cough, throat ache and breathing problem.
The physician said a staffer at the BNP chief’s Gulshan house tested positive for coronavirus five-six days ago. “We tested other staff who stay in his room. All of them were positive,” he said.
Khaleda’s domestic help Fatema had also tested positive. A Covid test was arranged for the BNP chief even though she showed no symptoms.
“Her test report came out positive,” Mamun said, adding that a medical board of Khaleda’s personal physicians are treating her.
Also read: Khaleda Zia infected with Covid-19
He said they have made all arrangements for ensuring proper treatment of Khaleda at her residence. “We’ve turned her house into a [makeshift] hospital. We’ve all the preparations, including oxygen and other equipment,” the doctor said.
Besides, Mamun said they have booked a cabin at a private hospital in case of emergency.
He said he did not disclose information about Khaleda’s infection in the morning to protect her privacy “as per the rules of our profession”.
Mamun said other infected people at Khaleda’s house Firoza have also been given necessary treatment.
Earlier, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul slam Alamgir at a press conference said their party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s condition is completely stable with no symptom of Covid-19 though she has tested positive.
He said Khaleda’s samples were taken to icddr,b on Saturday.
Also read: Khaleda tests positive for Covid with no symptom: BNP
At a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he said she is now receiving treatment under her personal physicians, led by respiratory medicine expert Prof Dr FM Siddiqui.
“She’s stable and fine. She has no visible Covid symptom,” the BNP leader said.
He said her personal physicians will take steps for further treatment, if necessary.
Fakhrul said Khaleda urged the people to pray for her speedy recovery. “Especially, I urge our party’s leaders and activists at every level to seek divine blessings for our leader’s quick recovery."
“We’d like to assure the people that she’s fine and receiving treatment under her personal physicians who are famous in the country,” Fakhrul added.
Earlier in the day, Health Ministry’s senior information officer Maidul Islam Prodhan said the BNP chief underwent Covid test on Saturday evening and the results came out positive.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government freed Khaleda Zia from jail for six months through an executive order suspending her sentences on March 25 last year.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths
She was released from the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) the same day, and she has been staying at her Gulshan house since then.
On August 27 last year, the government extended her release for six more months and it was extended again for six months on March 15 last.
On February 8, 2018, Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail after a subordinate court sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case. The High Court later doubled her jail term.
Khaleda was found guilty in another corruption case the same year. Her party claims both the cases are politically motivated.
Appellate Division to operate virtually 3 days weekly from Apr 12
The Appellate Division of Supreme Court (SC) will operate virtually for three days weekly from April 12, to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus.
Directed by the Chief Justice Appellate Division registrar Md Badrul Alam Bhuiya issued a circular on Sunday in this regard.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
The directive will remain in action until further notice.
The Appellate Division will operate on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 12 pm on limited scale.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths
Appellate Division remained closed from April 5 during the nationwide lockdown.
Only virtual Chamber Bench operated on Tuesday and Thursday from 11 am during the lockdown.
Also read: Virtual court a new chapter in law: Anisul
Banks to operate from 10am to 1 pm for general transactions on Monday,Tuesday
Banks will operate from 10am to 1 pm for general transactions on April 12 (Monday) and 13 (Tuesday). If necessary, they can remain open up to 3pm for execution of other required activities.
Bangladesh Bank issued a circular on Sunday in this regard as follow-up of previous circular issued on April 4, saying that all other instructions will remain unchanged given in the previous one.
Earlier, the central bank instructed banks to operate from 10am to 12:30pm for general transactions during the lockdown period from April 5 to 11.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
It also said that during the banking transaction hours, the banks have to ensure different kinds of services including clearing of cheques, withdrawal and deposits of money, money transfer, release of remittance, encashment of different instruments and also receipt of the payments of bills of different utilities.
The banks can operate one branch where they have more than one branches within the radius of two kilometres in metropolitan and district headquarters through internal coordination, it said.
BB said banks have to continue services like disbursement of loans, incentives,
payment of salaries of different industries and also the purchase of export bills, loan sanction and distribution.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths
They have to keep open branches designated as authorised dealers for facilitating the export-import business.
The banks have to ensure maintaining the health and safety instructions about the coronavirus in discussion with the local administration and other authorities, it said.They have to ensure operation of the ATM booths to facilitate transaction through cards by supply of adequate cash in the machines while the evening banking and weekly holiday banking activities will remain closed until further order, said the earlier circular issued on April 4.
'Accredited labs to be launched to ensure global standard of agricultural goods'
The government is going to launch accredited laboratories soon to ensure the quality of agricultural goods to face the competitive global market.
Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said this on Sunday during an online discussion programme with vegetable and fruit exporters.
"The government aims to make the agriculture sector profitable through marketing and processing. For that, the agricultural export market must be expanded," he said.
Also read: Cabinet nods Agricultural Good Practices Policy to ensure safe food
Also, the government is working on reducing barriers to exports of agricultural goods and considering setting up the processing industry and finding ways to give more support to the entrepreneurs, Razzaque said.
"Those who are involved with the export and improving the quality of agricultural goods will get all the assistance," the minister added.
"Agriculture is vital for Bangladesh as it ensures food security and provides raw materials for different industries. We can export agricultural goods to the international market if we can produce safe vegetables and fruits and process them."
483 upazila health complexes get Tk 14.49 cr allocation
The Health Ministry has allocated a total of Tk 14.49 crore to the 483 upazila health complexes to ensure emergency health services across the country.
Each of the health complexes received Tk 3 lakh to provide health service for the people of grass level root, said a press statement of the Ministry on Sunday.
The allocated money will be utilized for machineries (logistic support), medicine, oxygen and other necessities for the patients of Covid-19 isolation hospital.
The ministry issued the notice signed by Senior Assistant Secretary of Health Ministry Sushil Kumar Pal.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
Covid-19 in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has reported its highest single-day coronavirus fatalities on Sunday, surpassing Saturday’s figure.
The health authorities confirmed 78 deaths during the last 24 hours till morning. A day earlier, the country recorded 77 fatalities, the highest since coronavirus cases were first reported in March last year.
Fatalities from Covid-19 rose to 9,739 as the mortality rate remained static at 1.42 percent for the third consecutive day.
Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus death on March 18 last year. The virus claimed 568 lives in January this year, 281 in February and 638 in March.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths
Meanwhile, 5,819 new cases were reported, pushing the local tally to 684,756, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The infection rate slipped to 19.81 percent from 20.49 percent of Saturday’s. So far, 5,002,865 samples, including 29,376 in the last 24 hours, have been tested.
F-commerce entrepreneurs rising significantly: Palak
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Sunday said the participation of young entrepreneurs in F-commerce (Facebook commerce) is on the rise significantly.
“At least 400,000 new entrepreneurs are engaged in F-commerce. Bangladesh Bank is going to arrange small loans at 4 percent interest for the entrepreneurs who are engaged in F-commerce and Startup business,” he said at a virtual conference.
Also read: Govt planning to formulate data privacy protection law: Palak
The e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) arranged the virtual conference on Rural to Global E-commerce Policy Conference. LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Tazul Islam inaugurated the event.
Palak also highlighted different initiatives taken by the government for e-commerce and its entrepreneurs in the first session of the conference.
The LGRD minister said people are choosing e-commerce to sell and purchase goods, from food to luxurious products. “Though it (e-commerce) began small, now a sort of dependency (on e-commerce) has been created,” he said.
Also read: Palak unveils software to bridge jobseekers with disabilities ...
Addressing the function, Senior Secretary of Commerce Ministry Dr Jafar Uddin said the commerce ministry has formed a digital commerce cell to implement the digital commerce policy.
“The work is on to finalise the digital commerce operation guidelines 2021. We keep the matter of inclusion of social media commerce entrepreneurs in the guideline under the consideration of the Commerce Ministry,” he said.
Chief executive officer of Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) Obaidul Azam, deputy governor of Bangladesh Abu Farah Md Nasser and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Syed Almas Kabir, among others, spoke at the conference presided over by e-CAB president Shomi Kaiser, said a press release.
Read Startup Bangladesh Ltd to invest Tk 100 crore for 50 startups marking birth centennial of Bangabandhu and Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh
Stabilise prices ahead of Ramadan: Home Minister
Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan, MP, on Sunday called upon businesses to stabilise the prices of essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan as people's incomes have been hit hard by Covid-19 in the country.
“The prices of daily essentials come down in all Muslim countries in the world during the month of Ramadan but the prices go up in Bangladesh in this time. So, we need assistance from businesses,” the minister said in a webinar of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) on “Law and order situation and keeping prices of essentials stable in the upcoming Ramadan.”
The minister said Bangladesh will go for a hard lockdown to save lives from April 14. “We will take necessary steps for the sake of the countrymen. The extortion is under control now. We could not control it hundred percent but we are tough against it,” he added.
He urged all to maintain health advisories and instructions from the government. “We want the help of businessmen to keep the prices stable not only in the month of Ramadan but also all the year round. Law enforcement agencies are now largely capable and expert so you are requested to take their help any time,” he also added.
Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said, “We have to be united and work together to stabilise the market. DSCC has already formed a committee comprising nine councillors for market monitoring. We regularly conduct mobile courts. DSCC is a business friendly service organization. We will work for the greater interest of city dwellers.”
The mayor stressed on awareness for Covid-19. “We sometimes see negligence in terms of obeying health advisories. Coordinated efforts will help us to come out of this pandemic. Extortions are now very low and our fight against extortionists will continue,” he added.
DCCI President Rizwan Rahman said when the economy was in the way of recovery, at that moment the second wave of Covid 19 comes back. The worldwide supply chain and production are hampered and are responsible for inflation.
“Price hike in the international market and volatility in supply chain have an impact on price hike in Bangladesh. Besides, the issue of international market, creating artificial crisis by hoarding, lack of market monitoring, extortion in the transportation sector, increased transportation cost are some of the reasons of price spiral especially in the month of Ramadan,” he added.
Mentioning SANEM survey, he said poverty rate rose to 42% due to pandemic which was 20.5% a year ago. In this scenario, if prices of essential commodities increased people will suffer a lot in the month of Ramadan.
To keep prices under control Rizwan suggested releasing essential goods from the port considering it as a priority. “Law enforcement agencies should take stern action against the extortionists in the transportation sector. We have adequate laws, but we need to execute the rules and laws.”
The Vice President of Consumer Association of Bangladesh S M Nazer Hossain said the essential market is unstable every year due to lack of market monitoring. There is also blame game between large and small businessmen.
He urged for a coordinated market monitoring system and also called upon the businessmen to accept lower profit margin in the pandemic crisis.