bangladesh
64,300 mts of coal for Matarbari coal-fired power plant arrives
A ship carrying 64,300 mts of coal for the Matarbari coal-fired power plant in Cox's Bazar's Maheshkhali arrived here from Indonesia on Friday.
The Panama flag-carrying MV-NAVIOS AMBER’ ship arrived at Matarbari deep sea artificial jetty this noon, said Alfaz Ahmed, security officer at Matarbari Coal Power Project.
Read: Coal for Payra power plant arrives, generation to resume soon
Later, the ship was taken to the coal power plant jetty from the outer anchorage of the port with the help of four tugs, including strong tugs Kandari 2 and 4 of Chittagong port.
NSU hosts workshop on negotiation and contract administration
Private North South University (NSU) has recently organized a workshop on ‘Negotiation and Contract Administration’, participated by students from the Global Procurement, Sourcing and various other majors in Supply Chain Management.
Farah Mohammad Shahrior and Chinmoy Bhattacharjee, renowned figures from Nestlé Bangladesh, shared their extensive knowledge and industry experience with students.
Read: Workshop on awareness building against disinformation held in Khulna
Dr. Atikur Rahman Khan, department chair, also spoke at the event.
A highlight of the workshop was a captivating negotiation-themed drama skillfully performed by current NSU students.
This artistic portrayal brought the concepts and challenges of negotiation to life, allowing participants to engage and immerse themselves fully in the learning process.
Read more: ULAB DEH organizes workshop on Critical Medical Humanities in 21st Century Bangladesh
President Shahabuddin off to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj
President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Friday left Dhaka on a 10-day visit to Saudi Arabia to perform the holy Hajj.
He will perform Hajj as the royal guest of the Saudi government, president's press secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB.
Read: State Minister Faridul visits Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims in KSA
He flew on a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines along with his spouse Rebecca Sultana and entourage members from Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport (HISA) at 2.30 pm.
Apart from president's family members, prime minister's Private and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Bangabhaban Secretaries and senior officials concerned are accompanying the president.
Shahabuddin will be received by Deputy Governor of Makkah Region Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Bangladesh ambassador to KSA Dr. Mohammad Javed Patwary and embassy officials on his arrival at Jeddah airport at about 6:30 pm (Bangladesh Time).
Read: President asks officials to focus on public interest in development schemes
According to the schedule, the Head of the State will reside at Al Safa Royal Palace in Makkah.
After performing all Hajj procedures, the president will move to Madinah for visiting (Ziyarah) the Mazar of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) on July 1.
He is scheduled to leave the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah, for Dhaka on July 2.
Bangladesh reports one more dengue death, 46 new cases
One more person died from dengue in the 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new number, the official death toll from dengue rose to 40 this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also, forty-six more people were hospitalised with dengue in the same period.
Read: 1 more dengue patient dies in 24 hours, 369 hospitalised
Of the new patients, thirty-six were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it
A total of 1, 382dengue patients, including 1, 073 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 6, 339 dengue cases, 4, 917 recoveries, and 40 deaths this year.
Read: 2 more dengue patients die in 24 hours; this year’s death toll rises to 38
The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
Read more:2 more dengue patients die, 323 new hospitalised
Coal for Payra power plant arrives, generation to resume soon
A ship carrying 41,327 metric tonnes of coal has finally arrived at Payra Port 18 days after the Payra thermal power plant halted power generation due to coal shortage.
The MV Athena – the vessel which brought the first shipment since the closure of the plant – is scheduled to unload some of the coal that arrived while anchored in the channel by 3 pm on Friday.
The vessel is scheduled to enter the jetty of the 1320 MW Payra thermal power plant on Friday night.
Four more coal-laden ships will arrive at Payra in the first week of July, according to plant officials.
Read: Coal shortage forces Payra Power Plant to shut down operation
Plant Manager Md. Golam Mawla said the Payra thermal power plant is likely to resume power generation after storing about 2 lakh metric tons of coal.
However, the official did not rule out the possibility of going into power generation from June 25.
The country's largest thermal power plant, Payra, was completely shut down on June 5 due to fuel shortage.
Due to the failure to pay the outstanding bills of $390 million caused by dollar shortage, production of a unit of the power plant was halted on May 25 as the companies involved stopped supplying coal.
Another unit's production continued until June 5 which was also shut down due to coal shortage. The shutdown of the country’s biggest thermal power plant led to weeks of nationwide load-shedding amid the hottest summer on record.
Read:Coal shortage: Production at another unit of Payra power plant may suspend after June 2
Shah Abdul Hasib, superintending engineer (operation) of Payra Thermal Power Plant, said the opening of the LC was delayed due to the dollar crisis.
Outstanding bills worth “$100 million have already been cleared through the World Bank,” he said.
Read more: Largest ship in the country’s history to arrive at Payra port in April
BSF officials Sonali Mishra visits Hili border check post in Dinajpur
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Additional Director General Sonali Mishra on Friday visited Hili border in Dinajpur and discussed issues relating to the international border.
During her visit, she held a meeting with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on border related issues.
According to BGB, Additional Director General of Kolkata Eastern Command Mishra visited the Hili border at 10 am on Friday. Later, she visited a BGB checkpoint.
Read: 2 farmers shot by BSF along B’baria border
BGB Dinajpur Sector Commander Colonel Rashed Asghar and Joypurhat-20 BGB Battalion Commander Lt. Colonel Rafiqul Islam greeted her with flowers.
Read: 1 Bangladeshi shot dead, another wounded by BSF along Lalmonirhat border
Later, at the invitation of the BGB, she held a meeting with BGB officials on the Bangladesh side of the check post.
The officials of these two border forces discussed various issues of the border, BGB said.
Read more: Bangladeshi shot dead by India's BSF along Lalmonirhat border
BNP-Jamaat out to destroy the country: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday warned if opposition BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami return to power they will destroy the country.
“Bangladesh must be established as a developing nation. That is possible if only the Awami League remains in power. But those who illegally grabbed power and the terrorist parties like BNP and Jamaat who don’t believe in the spirit of the liberation will destroy this country," she said.
Hasina, also the ruling Awami League president, made the remarks after paying homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at his portrait at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 this morning on the occasion of the party’s 74th founding anniversary.
Also read: ‘Does BNP want to come to power by selling St. Martin’s island?’ — PM Hasina asks
Highlighting the country’s development success in different sectors under her government, she said if Awami League stays in power this country will be more developed and prosperous.
“We will develop a smart Bangladesh, a smart population, a smart economy by 2041 and the country will move forward,” she stated.
The PM said her Awami League government has ensured food to the people, provided electricity to every house, illuminated every house with the light of education, reached healthcare service to their doorsteps up to grassroots level, improved the communication system through infrastructural development and ensured socio-economic advancement.
Also read: PM says recent visits to Switzerland, Qatar will accelerate multi-dimensional relations
She said today Digital Bangladesh has been built and Wifi connection installed up to grassroots level and the people now have technology and mobile phones in their hands.
PM Hasina said during the 2009-2023 the country’s poverty rate declined to 18 percent from 41 percent, while extreme poverty rate dropped to 5 percent from 25 percent.
The literacy rate has increased, maternal mortality rate decreased, child mortality rate dropped, the average life expectancy is up, she added.
Also read: Bangladesh won’t give in to any external pressure: PM Hasina says at SSF anniversary
“Bangladesh has become known as a role model for development throughout the world today by constructing the Padma Bridge with its own financing as part of infrastructure development. Today, Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing country,” she added.
Noting that Bangladesh is progressing in every sector including agriculture, science and health, the PM vowed to establish the country as a happy, prosperous Sonar Bangla, retaining the dignity gained for development and following the ideology of Bangabandhu.
"Awami League is the only party which thinks for the welfare of the people," she said.
Also read: Next general election to be held in time: PM Hasina tells Geneva reception
Turning to her party leaders and activists, the AL president said, "Let us pledge to change the fate of the people of Bangladesh and build the country as a Sonar Bangla (golden Bangla) as dreamt by the father of the nation."
Bangladesh Awami League was founded on June 23 in 1949.
After laying the wreath, the prime minister stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu.
Sheikh Hasina, flanked by senior party leaders, also paid tribute to Bangabandhu by placing another wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation on behalf of her party.
AL chief Sheikh Hasina along with AL general secretary Obaidul Quader inaugurated the day's programme by hoisting the national and party flags and releasing pigeons and balloons.
Dhaka’s air 3rd most polluted in the world Friday morning
Dhaka ranked third on the global list of cities with the worst air quality on Friday morning.
Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone with an air quality index (AQI) score of 152 at 9:01 am, according to the Air Quality Index.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Also read: Dhaka's air quality 'moderate' this morning
China’s Shanghai and Indonesia’s Jakarta occupied the first two spots on the list, with AQI scores of 161 and 153, respectively.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 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.
Also read: Dhaka's air quality 'moderate' this morning
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. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Also read: Dhaka's air once again world's most polluted this morning
Prof Abul Barkat honoured with “The Order of Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon” award
Professor Abul Barkat has been conferred with 'The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon' of the Japanese Government in recognition of his contribution to laying a strong foundation of Japanese studies in the academic sphere in Bangladesh.
The conferment ceremony was held at the official residence of Iwama Kiminori, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh on Thursday.
Read: Winners of 1st International Astronomy Olympiad receive awards at Russian embassy
Ambassador Iwama conveyed his sincere gratitude to Prof. Barkat for outstanding contribution in the creation of Department of Japanese studies at Dhaka University. He mentioned, “In his 41 years of illustrious career, Prof. Barkat had undertaken many crucial roles, and one such role was the establishment of the Department of Japanese Studies in the University of Dhaka, the most esteemed educational institution in Bangladesh”.
Prof. Barkat contributed to the development of Japan Study Center (JSC), as a director since 2012. In 2014, during Prime Minister of Japan late Shinzo Abe’s visit to Bangladesh, both countries pledged to further strengthen research activities conducted by “Japan Study Center”.
Read: 'Liceo Galileo Galilei School' adopted by Bangladesh Embassy in Rome receives awards of GAMUN for year 2023
In 2018, Japan Study Centre was upgraded to the Department of Japanese Studies in the University of Dhaka. This initiative has led students at Japanese Studies in the University to be able to attain a bachelor's and master’s degree at the department.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Associate Professor Dr. Abdullah-Al-Mamun, Chairman of Department of Japanese Studies, University of Dhaka attended the ceremony to celebrate the great contribution of Prof. Abul Barkat.
State Minister Faridul visits Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims in KSA
State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan visited the pavilions set up for Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims in Mina and Arafat.
The state minister made his visit to the tents on Thursday afternoon and inquired about the overall preparations, Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a press release.
Read: After long waits, new pilgrims prepare for Hajj's return, the first major one since COVID-19
During his visit, Faridul Haque Khan observed the situation of the hajj pilgrims and directed the officials of the Mecca Hajj Mission to ensure all the facilities.
Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary, Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, Deputy Head of Mission Md Abul Hasan Mridha, Hajj Counsellor Md Zahirul Islam and other senior officials were also present at that time.
Read: 1,550 Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims reached Saudi Arabia on Monday
More than one lakh Bangladeshi pilgrims have already reached Mecca to perform hajj this year.