bangladesh
Light to moderate rains likely in Dhaka, other parts of the country
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers in Dhaka and seven other divisions of the country in 24 hours commencing at 9 am on Tuesday.
“Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at most places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions; at many places over Rajshahi and Chattogram divisions and at a few places over Dhaka, Khulna and Barishal divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country,” said a Met office bulletin.
Day temperature may rise slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
Besides, the axis of monsoon trough runs through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across northern part of Bangladesh.
Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay.
Flood submerges 10 villages in Sunamganj, rain continues
At least 10 villages in Dowarabazar upazila of Sunamganj district have been inundated thanks to onrush of hill water from Meghalaya and swelling of rivers caused by torrential rains for the last five days.
The villages are Camper Ghat, Andairgaon, Bogula, Chanderghat, Sonachara, Noagaon, Ramnagar, Terakuri and Kandagaon.
Incessant rain in Sylhet brings threat of flooding
The traffic movement on Doarabazar-Tengratila-Mohabbatpur road has become risky as it went under knee-deep water in Sharifpur Sidingghat area due to the overflow of the Surma River.
Besides, road connectivity between upazila headquarter and Narsingpur, Banglabazar, Bogulabazar, Laxmipur and Surma unions has been cut off from the upazila sadar due to the inundation of roads. Hundreds of hectares of Aman seedbeds have been submerged.
More than 100 fish farm owners are worried as ponds have already been submerged due to the rising water level. At the time of filing this report, the flood situation remains unchanged as rain continues.
Heavy rains may trigger short-term flood in Sylhet, Sunamganj
Executive Engineer of Sunamganj Water Development Board Md Mamun Hawlader said that the flood situation in all the upazilas of the district could soon become severe if the heavy rains in Cherrapunji of India do not stop.
Dowarabazar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Arif Morshed Mishu said the flood situation is normal now. “However, our monitoring system is active in all areas to deal with disaster. Besides, we are in constant touch with the district administration and local public representatives.”
Jamuna banks erosion washes away 50 establishments in Sirajganj
Erosion by the Jamuna River in Sirajganj’s Belkuchi upazila has turned severe over the last few days which has resulted in the destruction of over 50 establishments including Khidrchapari Government Primary School in the area.
Local residents are attributing the calamity to negligence and the illegal extraction of sand near the project area for the construction of a permanent dam.
River Teesta destroys 50 homes, school in Kurigram
A Tk 95 crore project was taken to construct a dam from Mehernagar in Belkuchi upazila to Enayatpur spur dam in Chauhali upazila for protecting the area from river banks erosion.
The establishments went into the gorge of the river as using geo bags remained suspended over the past few days due to rising water levels in the Jamuna River, they alleged.
Farid Ahmed Nayan, acting headmaster of Khidrchapari Government Primary School, said, “Established in 1940, it currently has 142 students. The academic building and shelter centre were constructed in 2008.”
N’ganj’s DND area gets waterlogged after heavy rains; no end to sufferings of residents
He said, “This year, prior to the monsoon, the school building was at risk of collapsing. Despite multiple appeals to various departments to take preventive measures, no action was taken. We have no place left to accommodate our students.”
Sujan Sarkar, president of Baradhul Union Swechhasebok League, said the adverse consequences are due to the illegal extraction of sand from the Jamuna River and the project contractor's negligence.
Low-lying areas in Sunamganj inundated; 322 mm rainfall recorded in 24 hrs
Farewell Aftab: Now the young ones leave
Aftab Ahmed died on the 3rd of July, that is yesterday. I had suddenly come to learn a few weeks back that he was unwell and hospitalized. But I couldn’t find any common friend to confirm the news. I sent a message to his wife on messenger-someone I didn’t know- that went unanswered naturally.
Yesterday a stray post on Facebook mentioned his death. It was past 12 and no way to call him and know more. One of the nicest persons who walked this earth is gone and I have none to share my grief with. Aftab Ahmed was a first generation staff of UNB.
Flourish Bengali culture keeping its uniqueness in tech-driven world: PM Hasina
Those were the happy days of journalism and the mixed crowd at UNB and Dhaka Courier were young, able and loved to laugh. That spirit can’t be recaptured now as it belonged to another history and age. Not only was Dhaka Courier the top selling weekly in town but UNB was strong and the most powerful news provider in Bangladesh. Those were heady days.
The line between the two –UNB and DC- was not always clear. This was because so many were friends, the young ones. Irteza, Huda, Aftab, Ayesha were close and on Thursday evenings when the cover page of DC was being done, they would all come to the top floor office of DC and chat and laugh and remind the world that they were young and spirited. Both Aftab and Huda were great at doing cover captions and the laughter that followed was always louder than the words that described the story.
Aftab was the nicest of the lot, an absolute gem of a human being. One of the most intellectually articulate people around, he bought a sense of humour and yet understanding of news value that was remarkable. I respected them all for their specialties if you will. Aftab was the quiet one, the deep one, the one who saw it all and said little. I respected him for that.
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Over time, as I drifted away elsewhere, contacts declined. I was a bit surprised that Aftab had joined the civil service but happy as he rose through the ranks. After a long time, his retirement actually, we met at a news media event last year. And of course we chatted about the old days. The same articulate, sharp witted, polite person he always was. I am bringing out a journal in English and asked him to contribute. He did. It will appear after he is gone. I wish he could be around to see it.
That old DC/UNB crowd is gone and dispersed. Irteza is in Malaysia and Huda is in the States and I am not in touch with either. Ayesha is with Prothom Alo (English) and our paths occasionally cross. But the crowd is gone. Now Aftab has left the building.
Farewell Aftab, keep laughing and talking and keep a seat for us too at the table. Best wishes and all my affections.
Flourish Bengali culture keeping its uniqueness in tech-driven world: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday stressed the need for flourishing the Bengali culture upholding its uniqueness in the age of technology.
“The attitude of our children is changing in the age of technology. So, we’ll have to flourish our culture keeping consistency with their thoughts and spirit so that they won’t forget our Bengali culture,” she said.
“We’ve uniqueness. We’ll have to protect our uniqueness and take steps accordingly,” she said while addressing a function at Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum in the city’s Shahbagh area through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban.
PM unveils foundation stones of six projects under cultural affairs ministry
In the event, she unveiled the foundation stones of six development projects of the Cultural Affairs Ministry, including the multi-storied building for the Department of Public Libraries.
Besides, she opened the newly constructed 12-storey Copyright Bhaban in the city for the Copyright Office of Bangladesh.
Hasina said her government will continue working towards building the cultural-minded, creative and talented nation through promotion of the heritage of Bengali nation, local culture and history, the spirit of the Liberation War and preservation of arts and literature, research and development.
“Now it is the world of technology. So, we want to impart technological knowledge and skills to our generation as well as use technology in our cultural practices in a bid to build a modern nation equipped with the latest knowledge. Our government has been working to this end,” she said adding that some projects are being implemented in this regard.
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The PM said the government has taken initiatives to promote the Bengali language by enriching and expanding its every branch including literature, music, film, arts, creativity and publication.
She said the Cultural Affairs Ministry arranges cultural fairs in every district, which paves the way to get grassroots hidden talents flourished.
She said now Bangladesh doesn’t lag behind. There are wifi connections throughout Bangladesh. Her government provided electricity connection to every house. Now the condition of the people even at union-level has radically changed, she added.
Putting emphasis on reaching cultural practices up to the grassroots people, she said, “We’ve many hidden talents at the grassroots. We’ll have to promote them and evaluate them on the national stage. So, we’ll have to take our cultural practices even to the grassroots level, not keeping it only at the district-level.”
The premier said the people of Bangladesh are liberal-minded and embodied with non-communal spirit. So, it needs to take measures to flourish these mentality and spirit further, she said.
She said her government has already taken many necessary steps to flourish and enrich the cultural practices of Bangladesh and will continue to take further steps in this regard.
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“We are improving the socio-economic condition of Bangladesh. So, we will go forward in case of cultural practice and protection of intellectuality in the same way,” said the PM.
The five other projects are Rose Garden in old Dhaka city, Kabi Nazrul Institute Bhaban in Dhaka, President Md Abdul Hamid Shilpakala Academy and Regional Cultural Centre at Mithamain in Kishoreganj, Muktagacha Cultural Centre in Mymensingh, and Children Library in the National Museum.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid chaired the function, while Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed delivered the welcome speech.
PM unveils foundation stones of six projects under cultural affairs ministry
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday unveiled the foundation stones of six development projects under the Cultural Affairs Ministry, including the multi-storey building for the Department of Public Libraries.
The PM also opened the newly constructed Copyright Bhaban in Dhaka for the Copyright Office of Bangladesh.
AL govt has proved it holds free, fair elections: PM Hasina at oath-taking of five city mayors
The premier unveiled the foundation plaques and inaugurated the Copyright Bhaban, joining a function at Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Auditorium of Bangladesh National Museum through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban.
The five other projects are Rose Garden in old Dhaka, Kabi Nazrul Institute Bhaban in Dhaka, President Md Abdul Hamid Shilpakala Academy and Regional Cultural Centre at Mithamoin in Kishoreganj, Muktagacha Cultural Centre in Mymensingh, and Children's Library at the National Museum.
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State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid chaired the function, while Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed delivered the welcome speech.
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As traffic returns to usual form, Dhaka's air quality still 'moderate'
Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the ‘moderate’ zone this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 70 at 8:45 am, Dhaka ranked 21st in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
India’s Delhi, Chile’s Santiago, and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 154, 144 and 143, respectively.
Air pollution 2nd biggest cause of deaths in Bangladesh in 2019, cost about 3.9-4.4% of GDP: World Bank
An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Besides, an AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
HC summons N’ganj DC, DoE officials for not complying with directives to control air pollution
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year.
Urgent, coordinated actions needed to curb air pollution in South Asia: World Bank
Bangladesh e-Passport Information Update: Step by Step Procedure, Related Costs
Over the years, Bangladesh has sequentially graduated from handwritten passports to MRP to e-Passports. Each of the iterations has brought about changes aimed to make the immigration process more convenient both at home and abroad. However, there is one caveat that is faced by many passport holders. That is changing or updating information on the Bangladesh passport. Whether it’s the marital status or a change of personal information, there is a strict process in place for the change. Here’s how it’s done.
Passport Information Update Process
In a broad sense, the information update process is the same as applying for a new Bangladesh passport or passport renewal. There is no way to update the information in an existing valid passport whether it is MRP or e-Passport. So essentially, a person will have to apply for a passport re-issuance.
Fortunately, the passport authority of Bangladesh has streamlined the process under one system. Whether it is an application for a new passport, passport renewal, error correction, or information update, it all starts from the E-Passport Portal.
Read more: These are the countries you can visit visa-free with a Bangladeshi passport in 2023
We have covered the Bangladesh passport renewal process in detail. It should give a comprehensive idea about how to get started with the application. Much of the initial process is the same for renewal as well as information update applications.
Now the information correction procedure for both MRP and e-Passport requires a hybrid modality. That means, a person will have to apply online as well as visit the regional passport office for a scheduled appointment.
How to Locate a Local Passport Office
Assuming the application is for an information update, there should already be an application account made for a new passport or passport renewal. Head over to the e-Passport portal and use the login credentials to start the application process.
Fortunately for the applicants, there is no need to physically locate the regional passport office. The first step of the application will ask about location information. Based on the provided information, the e-Passport portal will select the regional passport office for the applicant.
Read more: Bangladeshi Passport Renewal Process for Expatriates Living Abroad
Table: Required documents to update different types of information in a Bangladesh passport
Number
Subject
Document Required
Additional Information
1
Change of name (partial)
NID, BRC, Educational certificates (all inclusive)
Minimum one original document required
2
Change of name (full)
All of the above and an affidavit from 1st class Magistrate (if illiterate or doesn’t have NID)
Minimum one original document required
3
Change of name of parents (full or partial)
Same as above
Minimum one original document required
4
Change of age
Same as above
Minimum one original document required
5
Change of address (permanent)
Police verification certificate
6
Change of passport type
Retirement or dismissed certificate for official to ordinary.
NOC and GO of concerned ministry for ordinary to official.
Letter of concerned ministry from ordinary to diplomatic (vice versa)
Minimum one original document required
7
Change of profession
For technical professions, relevant professional certificates.
For general profession, certificate from competent authority.
Minimum one original document required
8
Change of marital status
Marriage or divorce certificate
Minimum one original document required
Read more: Bangladesh E-passport Error Correction Process
The applicant will need to attach these documents along with the above forms. In addition to these, general identification documents like NID and BRC should also be attached. In case of an application against a valid existing passport, the passport will need to be submitted as well. The passport fee payment slip will also have to be included.
The appointment will be scheduled based on available slots. The applicant might have to provide the biometric data depending on the nature of the information updated. And that will conclude the passport information update application process.
Final Words
The new passport information update application has been streamlined to be more efficient. Even a few years ago, the entire application process was analog where an applicant had to visit the regional passport office several times to get the information updated. But now with the hybrid model, it is easier than ever to update the passport information.
Read more: E-Passport for Children in Bangladesh: Application process, necessary documents
Motorcyclist hit by bus in Narayanganj dies
A motorcyclist who was hit by a bus in Narayanganj’s Araihazar upazila died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The deceased was identified as Murad Mridha, 22. He was a student of Mohammadpur Central College.
Monir Mridha, father of the deceased, said: "He went out in the morning. He said he would return home in the afternoon. But he didn't say where he would go. Later, I got the news that he was in a motorcycle accident.”
The accident took place at Banty village in Narayanganj’s Araihazar upazila. However, the details of the accident couldn’t be known immediately.
According to witnesses, Mridha was initially taken to a local hospital in Araihazar upazila. From there, he was taken to US-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
Later, Mridha was transferred to the emergency department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital at around 8:30pm where doctors declared him dead, said Inspector Md Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital Police Outpost.
UNDP, BSEC join hands to develop SDG thematic bonds
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to strengthen cooperation in the development of the ecosystem for the issuance of thematic bonds to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Bangladesh.
The signing ceremony took place at the BSEC office, where BSEC Chairman Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam and UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative, Stefan Liller, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
Under this MoU, UNDP Bangladesh will help design an impact measurement and reporting framework based on UNDP’s SDG Impact Standards; and support in developing the bond allocation and impact reporting, according to a press release.
UNDP is well positioned to provide technical assistance accompanied by long-term capacity-building support to build a strong ecosystem to manage SDG thematic bonds from pre-issuance to post-issuance and assist in stakeholder engagement to popularise thematic bonds among issuers and investors, the press release reads.
Speaking about the partnership, Stefan Liller, UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative, emphasised the significance of the thematic bond framework and the technical support provided.
He said: "The thematic bond framework and relevant technical support will help create an enabling environment to mobilise capital for SDGs achievement in Bangladesh. UNDP is committed to collaborating with regulators and providing catalytic support to an ecosystem for SDG financing in Bangladesh, while expanding opportunities for the private sector in advancing their sustainability initiatives.”
“We are very pleased to take this collaboration with BSEC forward with the overall goal of supporting Bangladesh in mobilising new finance to advance Agenda 2030 and Bangladesh’s climate change-related aspirations and commitments."
BSEC Chairman Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership and said: “This initiative is in line with various initiatives that Government of Bangladesh has already taken. BSEC has been successfully pursuing the establishment of a vibrant bond market. We have also included a separate section for green bonds in our Guideline for fixed income securities. I believe, popularizing the sophisticated green financial products such as thematic bonds or sukuks will ultimately strengthen the overall bond market along with efficient capital mobilization for SDG goal attainment.”
Islam elaborated on the importance of greening the economy and emphasized on starting it as soon as possible. He underscored the necessity of pushing the thematic products initially before the market grabs it spontaneously. He assured the commission’s readiness and willingness to support in designing the framework and its initial piloting.
The collaboration between the UNDP and the BSEC aims to accelerate sustainable development in Bangladesh by leveraging the potential of SDG and Thematic Bonds.
This partnership underscores the importance of international organisations and national regulatory bodies working together to promote sustainable finance and achieve the global development agenda.
Senior officials from the government and UNDP were also present during the signing ceremony.