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Vegetable output grows by 36 pc in 5 yrs but consumption still poor
Dhaka, Jan 22 (UNB) - Although vegetable production increased by 35.24 percent over the last five years (from2013-14 to 2017-18 FY) in the country, the consumption rate is still poor for various reasons, including its high price at the consumer level, said agriculture experts.
On the trail of Lutfar Rahman: ‘The 1 Taka Master’
Gaibandha, Jan 21 (UNB) – Imbued with the light of education, Lutfor Rahman has been involved in spreading education to poor children living in the villages along the banks of the Brahmaputra River in the district, exceptionally in exchange of only one taka from each student since 1984.
Bangladesh has the answer to polythene menace
Dhaka, Jan 21 (UNB/IPS) - Polythene bags are everywhere – literally – and the world is not sure how to deal with them. Shopping bags made from polythene have become ubiquitous, showing up everywhere from the summit of Mount Everest to the deep ocean floors to polar ice caps.
Rohingya Crisis: Experts for moral diplomacy to mount pressure on Myanmar
Dhaka, Jan 20 (UNB) - Bangladesh can explore more ways with much importance on “moral diplomacy” reaching out to everyone in global society to put pressure on Myanmar for ending the Rohingya crisis, says a US professor.
Emu pilot project in Khulna draws people’s attention
Khulna, Jan 19 (UNB) – A farm of Emu bird, popular worldwide for its meat and oil, has been set up in Batiaghata uapzila here purely on experimental basis. Now the farm is abuzz as visitors stream in every day.
Ashraful Alam Khan, chairman of Bhatiaghata upazila, set up the farm on one bigha of land at Kismat Fultola, aiming to create jobs for youths. Now people from different corners of the upazila are visiting his farm every day to see it for themselves.
After drubbing in Dec 30 election, BNP now plans to boycott UZ polls
Dhaka, Jan 19 (UNB) - Still reeling from the shock of its massive defeat in the 11th parliamentary election, BNP is unlikely to join the upcoming upazila elections as most of its senior and grassroots leaders think the party should boycott all the elections under the current Election Commission (EC) following their bad experience in the December-30 polls.
Govt to spend Tk 2,000cr to ensure non-stop power supply to Dhaka, N’ganj
Dhaka, Jan 18 (UNB) - A move is underway to implement a Tk 2,000 crore project to ensure uninterrupted power supply to Dhaka’s central and south-west zones and major parts of Narayanganj within the next three years.
According to official sources, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) has undertaken the project to implement it during the 2019-2022 period as part of its development programme.
“Once the project is implemented, the DPDC will be able to build a power distribution system to ensure non-stop electricity supply to consumers living in major parts of the two cities,” DPDC Executive Director Ramiz Uddin told UNB.
He said the project got the approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on November 7 last year, which was its last meeting under the previous government.
Of the total cost, the government will finance Tk 1,882 crore while the DPDC will provide Tk 78 crore from its own funds to implement the project.
“Now we’re preparing tender documents to float the tender to award contract for the job,” he added saying it may take one month or two to complete the tender invitation process.
Power Division officials said the new project was undertaken as part of the government’s current target to improve power distribution and transmission system after its success in power generation.
They said although the country’s power generation reached a benchmark of over 11,000 MW through its installed generation capacity of 18,000 MW but uninterrupted power supply in the capital city and elsewhere in the country is yet to be ensured due to poor distribution and transmission network.
“As a result, many areas face power outage despite surplus power generation,” said a senior official at the Power Division.
Officials said DPDC mainly operates power distribution systems in Dhaka’s central and south-west parts and major parts of Narayanganj city, and the project will be implemented in the two cities.
Officials said the project will facilitate the uninterrupted power supply until 2030 and another new project will be required to continue such facility.
Under the project framework, a good number of old substations, each having 33/11 kV capacity, will be replaced with new ones while 165 km of new source lines will be built and 33,157 electric poles will be installed, 1,642 km of overhead lines will be renovated.
Installation of 361 km 11 kV underground distribution lines and 2,575 transformers have been included in the project, according to the official sources.
DPDC now distributes about 1,531 MW of electricity among its 1.178 million consumers and the electricity consumption in its command area has been witnessing about 12 percent growth a year.
6 new departments breathe new life into KMCH
Khulna, Jan 18 (UNB) – The quality of service has improved greatly in recent months at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH), thanks to the efforts of its Superintendent Dr ATM Monjur Morshed and his staff.
10 pc GDP growth achievable in 5 years, experts say how
Dhaka, Jan 18 (UNB) – Although the government expressed the hope before the December-30 election to achieve 10 percent GDP growth by 2021, noted economists have said it will be very difficult to achieve it within the time but it is possible in five years.
Climate change-induced salinity affecting soil across coastal Bangladesh
Dhaka, Jan 17 (UNB /IPS) - As a country with a large coastline, the adverse impacts of saltwater intrusion are significant in Bangladesh. Salinity mainly affects land and water in the coastal areas.