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Expectations abound as tourists set to return to Sundarbans from Sept 1
On the verge of completing a somewhat opportunistic three-month ban on tourism in the Sundarbans, there is a growing buzz within the travel and tourism community over the opportunity to return to, or experience anew its unique wonder and tranquillity.
The Bangladesh portion of the world’s largest mangrove forest, also the country’s first World Heritage Site as designated by Unesco, is set to reopen for tourists from home and abroad on September 1 (Thursday).
Read: Jute growers paying for drought that resulted in discoloured fibre
Earlier, the Forest Department had imposed a three-month ban on tourists from June 1 to August 31 in the Sundarbans, to coincide with what is the peak breeding season for most animals in the forest.
It came on top of the various limits and restrictions that piled up over a period of two years during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Forest Dept. was probably able to announce the tourism ban during the breeding season this year due to the already depressed state of the industry.
Rupsha rail bridge to have 100-year longevity; a challenging engineering feat: Official
Rupsha rail bridge, part of the Khulna-Mongla port rail line project, will have 100-year longevity and it is a challenging engineering feat as it required specialized base grouting technology for piling work, says its project manager.
“The bridge has been constructed over the Rupsha tidal river and this was a challenging engineering feat,” Amritosh Kumar Jha told UNB.
He said everything has to be maintained properly to ensure longer longevity of the bridge and hoped that the bridge will bring multiple benefits.
Working in the navigation channel for safe movement of ships was a challenging job, said the project manager thanking all for extending support to them for successful implementation of the project.
The 5.13-km broad-gauge single-track railway bridge, taken up under India’s concessional Line of Credit (LOC), was completed on June 25.
The Rupsha rail bridge has been constructed by Indian EPC Contractor M/s L&T and has connected Khulna with the Mongla port city via a rail line.
A total of 856 pile foundations were constructed on viaduct sections and 72 pile foundations were constructed for the steel bridge section with an average pile length of 72 m.
Jute growers paying for drought that resulted in discoloured fibre
Although local markets in Faridpur district, better known as hub of jute production, have been buzzing with the presence of buyers and sellers, the smile on the faces of jute growers is fading due to low price their yield is fetching.
People involved with jute purchase say that the reason for not paying higher is the discoloured fibre they are getting, as the jute plants were not decomposed properly.
Jute growers have started appearing with their fibres at different local markets in several upazilas including Saltha, Nagarkanda and Boalmari of the district for the last few days. But they are in a sombre mood due to the low price they are getting, that is often short of their production cost during what is the peak season of jute.
The jute growers claimed that they had to count an extra cost for the process of retting that they must put the jute plants through this year, using underground water lifted by shallow machines that run on diesel.
Price gauging by Dhaka bus operators pinches commuters
Be it government employees or those working in the private sector, the recent bus fare hike is hurting commuters already burdened by inflation.
Jannatul Ferdous, a government officer, for instance, is now forced to shell out Tk 100 for a 'Green Dhaka' air-conditioned bus ride to Paltan from the Bashundhara Residential Area, instead of the earlier Tk 60.
The fare hike seems to be whimsical on Green Dhaka's part, given the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) on August 6 allowing bus operators in the capital to increase the same by 35 paisa to Tk 2.50 per kilometre from the earlier Tk 2.15.
From the main gate of the Bashundhara Residential Area to Paltan, the distance is roughly 10 kilometres.
Also read: Fuel price hike: Govt raises bus fares
Had Green Dhaka followed the BRTA’s direction, Jannatul’s daily bus fare would have risen only by Tk 3.50 and not by Tk 40 -- which is almost tenfold more.
On August 5, the government hiked the prices of fuel in Bangladesh. Diesel prices were increased by Tk 34 to Tk 114 per litre, octane by Tk 46 to Tk 135 per litre and petrol by Tk 44 to Tk 130 per litre.
Rajuk on its way to redevelop centuries-old Old Dhaka
Imagine an Old Dhaka with wider roads, less congestion, better water and electricity supply.
That’s what the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) wants to achieve in its ambitious plan to refurbish the centuries-old Mughal-era parts of the capital city, better known as Old Dhaka.
The city development authority has selected seven spots for renovation of Old Dhaka where feasibility studies are going to start soon.
The spots are Islampur, Chawkbazar, Bongshal, Moulvibazar, Hazaribag, Swarighat and Kamrangirchar, where the dwellers face problems like narrow lanes, rundown buildings, high population density, risky electricity connection, lack of pure drinking water, decreasing open spaces and faulty drainage system, said Ashraful Islam, Chief City Planner of Rajuk and Project Director of Rajuk’s Detailed Area Plan (DAP).
Read: Chemical warehouses: Old Dhakaites still living with ticking time bombs
How the record hike in fuel prices manifested in Dhaka’s kitchen markets
With prices of everyday items still maintaining an upward trend, the ordinary folks’ frustrations are often spilling out in public, often in the markets when they are confronted with some outlandish hike in the price of some item they are used to having - the most obvious and recent example being eggs.
As is always the case with inflation, it is the people who are on fixed incomes i.e. the majority of people who are in jobs earning salaries, who almost inevitably suffer the most. This is because inflation at any time in any place always acts as a drag on the real value of your income, i.e. it diminishes the real value of your wages aka real wages.
Though prices of almost all commodities have increased in the recent blow of price hikes, salaries i.e. remained in their previous form. As a result, people on fixed incomes, as well as lower middle-class groups, are facing distressing times these days, forced to curtail consumption in order to maintain household expenses.
Some of them are also engaging more heavily in arguments with the shopkeepers over some pricing policy or the other, asking for clear reasons or analysis, and occasionally even exposing the lack thereof.
Even these small victories however, do not lead to any reversal of the pricing policy, nor do they accrue any lasting benefit - in the final analysis, the seller always wins.
Given the volatility prevailing in the market, trying to predict where prices will go or chart their future course is a hazardous exercise.
Visiting Karwan Bazar, Malibag, Rampura, Khilgaon, and Shanti Nagar Bazar, our correspondent observed that price of every single item on his shopping list - including rice, wheat, fish, vegetables, egg, chicken, milk-powder, soap, and detergent - have gone up.
In some rare cases, the price of an item may just have decreased over the last few days after having gone up over a sustained period prior to that - with the overall effect that it is still more expensive than it was, say six months ago.
The Directorate of National Consumers Rights Protection (DNCRP), has carried out drives wherever it has received information on price manipulation, said market insiders, with the agency’s chief often at the head of such operations.
Rice: the Ultimate Barometer
Using the volatility often talked about in energy markets as an excuse, the price of coarse rice has increased by Tk150-200 per 50kg sack in the wholesale market, while this rice is retailing Tk 5-6 per kg higher than it was just 5 days ago.
The chinigura pulau rice, which is a finer variety produced here, was sold at Tk 5400 (50 kg sack) on August 14. Today if you go to the market you will see how the asking price has jumped to Tk5850 in the wholesale market recently - an 8.3 percent jump
Fine quality rice including minicate and Nazirshail are selling at Tk 80 to Tk85 per kg while the superior quality of this rice was selling at Tk90 to 95 in the super shops.
Rois Uddin, the owner of a gusher shop on the Eskaton Dilu Road, told UNB that he bought coarse rice (BR-28) for an extra Tk200 on top of the Tk2700 per 50 kg sack.
In the absence of the authorities’ effective price monitoring, a group of dishonest traders raised the price, referring to fuel prices, said Ekabbar Hossain, who had gone to buy a 50 kg sack of rice at the Khilgaon Katcha Bazar, a popular kitchen market, on Wednesday.
As Ekabbar, a retired school teacher, would find out - unless he was willing to settle for one of the coarser varieties - he had badly under-budgeted, and was forced to settle for a 25 kg sack that evening instead.
“Rice price may increase by Tk 5 per 50kg sack as the government fixed the transport fare after oil price hiked, but how can it increase by Tk5-6 per kg,” he exclaimed to the seller while paying, who was only too ready with his well-practised ‘Ukraine War-record hikes in energy-price level rise’ line of reasoning by now.
Ekabbar noted fish prices had increased by Tk 10-60 per kg, all arguing the same line of reasoning as the rice seller.
Vegetables like eggplant, long beans, brinjal were selling at Tk60-80 per kg, which was Tk55 -60 per kg before the oil price hiked.
Prices of tomato, carrot, potato, onion, ginger and garlic had jumped by Tk 5-30 per kg. Even vegetable sellers were blaming the war and record energy prices.
“But actually it is the result of syndication by a group of dishonest businessmen, thriving on lax price monitoring by the government,” he said.
He urged the government to control the runaway price hike, telling UNB that otherwise, people like him (retired and marginal group) would soon fail to bear the monthly household expenditures.
Read: Spice prices shoot up ahead of Eid despite sufficient stock
Continuing to monitor the prices as an ordinary buyer, the UNB correspondent recorded a substantial hike between Tk 30-50 per kg in the prices of layer, Pakistani, Sonali and indigenous chicken varieties, compared to their price before the Bangladesh government hiked fuel prices.
The well-publicised jump in the price of farm eggs, that reached a scarcely believable Tk 150 per dozen, fell back to Tk 130 after effective intervention on the ground by DNCRP.
Away from the markets, A.H.M. Shafiquzzaman, the Director General of DNCRP, told UNB that they are doing their best to make their presence felt on the floor of the markets, working in coordination with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
“There can be no scope for any sustained, unjust hike in the prices of everyday items including food, that uses the hike in fuel prices as an excuse or cover,” Shafiquzzaman said.
Their drives against such irrational and uncalled for price hikes in the capital’s kitchen markets would be reinforced and stepped up, said the DG of DNCRP.
Unmanned rail crossings are mostly to blame for rail accidents
On a sunny afternoon last month 11 students were happily returning from an excursion at a waterfall at Mirsarai in Chottogram. The students died as the hired microbus carrying them got through an unmanned level crossing and was hit by a speeding train.
The July 29 accident occurred only a couple of weeks after a train ran over a newlywed couple at a rail crossing in Sirajganj.
There are definite reasons behind such horrible accidents, and the topmost of them is illegal and unmanned rail crossings.
According to data from the Railways Ministry, among the 2,822 rail crossings of Bangladesh Railway (BR), 1,354 are illegal and 2,258 are without gatemen.
Among the legal rail crossings, 904 are unmanned.
Also read: Mirsarai tragedy: Probe body finds microbus driver, gateman responsible
BR data shows that almost 90 per cent of rail accidents happen at rail crossings. In the last one decade, a total of 936 accidents happened at the country’s rail crossings, which took away a staggering 516 lives.
Among thousands of rail crossings spread all over the country, only 564 have gatemen, majority of whom is hired temporarily under different projects. Among these gatemen, only 331 are holding permanent positions.
At least six persons are needed to operate a single rail crossing properly, which the BR lacks. To fill up the gap, BR has to recruit around 16,932 people, which the government body is failing to do.
Asked about rail accidents, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan told UNB that rail accidents happen due to vehicles getting on rail tracks from roads.
“Up to 90 per cent of rail accidents happen at rail crossings. A train doesn’t hit anything, rather other types of vehicles hit trains. A train moves along the rail tracks and it’s not the Railways Ministry’s responsibility if a vehicle gets in its way and causes accident,” Sujan said.
The minister added that awareness has to grow among people to avert rail accidents.
“Coordination is needed among all the related stakeholders and everyone has to do their duties accordingly. We hire people to operate the rail crossings but other agencies build roads over the rail tracks. These agencies have to take the responsibility for ensuring safety at rail crossings,” Sujan added.
Sujan also said that rail accidents will decrease if illegal rail crossings are closed.
“We couldn’t stop illegal rail crossings from operating after much effort. Local people commit a crime when they build such illegal rail crossings. To prevent the establishment of illegal rail crossings, we put up iron barricades on both sides and cut the connecting roads but to no avail. Some people always find a way to foil our attempts,” Sujan said.
Asked about BR’s attempts to prevent rail accidents, Dhirendra Nath Majumder, director general (DG) of BR, said that they are taking up a project to avert accidents at rail crossings.
“We’ll set up sensor-like special alarm systems in all the legal rail crossings. These systems will detect an approaching train from one kilometer away. We’re trying to install these systems as soon as possible,” said Dhirendra.
Dhirendra added that they are also employing additional gatemen at all the legal rail crossings.
“We’re trying our best to either close the illegal rail crossings or turn them into legal ones by building the gates properly and employ gatemen for them,” Dhirendra added.
Mohammad Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, said that legal steps have to be taken against those who build illegal rail crossings even if they have political influences.
Also read: Rail crossings become death traps: GM Quader
“BR has to find out their shortcomings and take immediate steps to close the illegal rail crossings through taking the local administration by their side. Averting rail accidents will be easier if BR can coordinate with the local government bodies. BR needs to be modernized and the first thing to do in this regard is to take care of the deadly rail crossings scattered all over the country,” Mozammel said.
Inmates at overcrowded Faridpur jail suffer in absence of medical facilities
There is just one pharmacist at Faridpur district jail to serve 914 inmates, as the post of an assistant surgeon for the jail remains vacant for long, thanks to the negligence of the authorities.
There are no physicians, no diagnostic centre or any other medical facilities inside the jail.
In 1825, Faridpur district jail was established at Jhiltuli on 34 acres of land.
A corrugated tin-shed room is available at the jail for providing medical services to the jail inmates, but it remains unfit for use.
Abdullah Al Mamun, the supervisor of Faridpur Jail, said there is a capacity of 420 inmates, but it currently counts well over double that: 897 male and 17 female inmates. The post of assistant surgeon has remained vacant for a long period of time.
“If we find any prisoner sick, we used to take him/her to the Faridpur Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College and Hospital. Besides, a physician has been appointed but he is not regular. A senior pharmacist is available to provide medical care to them,” he said.
Besides, three attendees are required with a patient when sent to the hospital outside the jail, hampering the normal activities of the jail due to the manpower crisis, said Al Mamun.
Read: Any role in artificial fertilizer crisis
Pharmacist Ashraful Alam, who is available at the jail for providing first aid, said minimum 2-3 physicians are needed for providing healthcare services to the jail inmates.
He also stressed the need for a permanent hospital for medical care of the inmates alongside 3-4 nurses and a diagnostic center.
According to the district jail sources, some 1050 jail inmates took healthcare services in the past three months and two inmates are undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College and hospital and one died while undergoing treatment.
Many jail inmates from other jails adjacent to Faridpur district also came here to avail medical treatment.
Kabirul Islam Siddique, jail inspector of Faridpur jail, said the prison is crammed and the number of inmates well over their capacity, is a major problem.
“It is true that the inmates are suffering a lot due to the manifold crises but the authorities concerned should take measures in ensuring the medical services to the prison inmates," Siddique said.
District Magistrate Atul Sarka said a physician was attached to the jail and local administration also visited the jail regularly and inquired about the facilities of the inmates.
END/UNB/Corr/MAS/ssk/0032
Govt plans to send 8.10 lakh workers abroad in 2022-23: Document
The government has worked out a plan to send 8.10 lakh Bangladeshi workers abroad and provide skills development training to 5.20 lakh ones in the current fiscal year(2022-23).
Besides, to train up more workers for meeting the demands overseas job market it expected to start operation of some 100 technical trainer centres in different parts of the country.
According to an official document, it is necessary to provide necessary training to workers for their skills development and ensure their better jobs abroad.
To this end, all the training programmes of technical training institutes and institutes of marine technology are conducted under the National, Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF) from the last fiscal year( 2021-22).
Also read: Friendly conditions to be created for Bangladeshi immigrants in Portugal: Francisco Andre
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) activities has been taken up for effective use of the learning by migrant workers abroad to increase their earnings in the overseas labour market.
Apart from this, foreign language teaching courses are going on in the 43 Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs).
In addition, for bringing discipline in the immigration system three new online systems titled- ‘Employee Connectivity Reporting System’, ‘Online Grievance Management System’, and ‘Recruiting Agencies Information Management system (RAIMS)’ have been introduced, said the document.
The government has taken up a range of initiatives for the welfare of both expatriate workers and workers returning from abroad.
The discipline in the immigration system has been ensured through monitoring the activities of the recruiting agencies on regular basis.
The document mentioned that this sector has been completely digitalised through different programmes like- creating professional database for employee recruitment; scrutinizing visa forms through mobile apps; separate portal for receiving grievance petitions and automation of the activities of the ‘Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training’ (BMET).
Also read: ‘Incentive still inaccessible for most migrant workers’
A number of activities are going on for the purpose of re-integration of migrant workers who have returned home and providing soft investment loans for their self- employment; providing scholarships to the meritorious children of the expatriates and providing medical assistance to the disabled expatriate workers on their return.
A plan of action for establishing technical training institutes at every Upazila in phases has been taken up for inspiring the marginalised communities across the country.
The document said that in 2020-2021 FY the growth of remittance stood at 36.10 percent. However, since the very beginning of fiscal 2021-2022, the income from remittances slightly decreased.
With a view to encouraging remittance through legal channel, the government has raised the rate of incentives 0.5 percentage point to 2.5 percent from January, 2022.
The government has withdrawn the mandatory provisions for submission of earning documents of the remitters in the case of availing cash incentives against remittances exceeding the amount of US$ 5,000.
It is expected that, a satisfactory growth of remittance will be back on track soon, said the document.
In 2019, $18.32 billion was remitted to Bangladesh, the third-highest recipient of remittance in South Asia.
Over 10 million Bangladeshis are living and working abroad, mainly in the Middle East. They are the second largest contributor of the country’s foreign remittances after the garment sector. Last year alone, they sent over $22 billion back home, according to Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training data.
According to the BMET, in 2019 alone, over 700,000 migrant workers left the country in search of employment abroad and over 73% of remittances were sent from Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Remittance inflows to Bangladesh directly impact socio-economic development and act as a lifeline to vulnerable communities.
There should be an investment in education and skills upgrade so that lower-skilled migrant workers can earn more and break the cycle of debt, International Organisation of Migration suggests.
Bangladesh may prefer to import Russian oil via third country
Bangladesh may prefer to import Russian oil via a third country to avert possible risks of the business.
According to official sources at the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, neighboring India might be such a preferred third country with regard to importing Russian oil.
"Currently, India has been importing Russian oil defying the US sanctions while Bangladesh has a long term contract with India to import refined oil from its refinery at Numaligarh in Assam state, '' said an official at the ministry preferring anonymity.
“If there is a bilateral arrangement between the two nations, such a business is very much possible,” he said, adding it could be a possible way to avert the risk in import of Russian oil at a cheaper rate.
The possibility of importing petroleum fuel from Russia came into discussion at the policymaking level following an offer from a Russian company to sell its refined petroleum, specially diesel, at a cheaper rate to Bangladesh.
Russneft, a Russian oil company headquartered in Moscow, recently offered the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) petroleum fuels at $59 per barrel against a global market price of over $100 per barrel.
As per the offer, the Russian company will reach its refined petroleum to Chattagram port at the rate which includes the premium and shipping cost as well.
However, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has not yet officially disclosed anything about the Russian company’s offer.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid declined to give any detail of such an offer.
Read: Russian oil shipments to central Europe expected to resume
“No more update as yet,” he told UNB on Thursday.
Sources at the BPC said the import of Russian oil is not like fuel import from other countries.
They said Bangladesh is assessing its possible risks to import petroleum fuels from Russia as such imports may invite anger from the USA and its Western allies.
Russia has been facing huge economic sanctions from the USA and its European allies following its war with Ukraine.
If any country directly imports Russian oil it may face similar sanctions, said the officials, adding that is why any move in this regard will not only depend on the decision of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
According to official sources, after receiving the offer from Russia on petroleum fuel sale, now different concerned ministries including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources are assessing the potential risks and different processes of such import.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the ECNEC meeting on August 16 said that the government wants to buy fuel oil, fertilizer and wheat from Russia.
In this connection she mentioned she had given the responsibility to her Principal Secretary to talk to the Russian Ambassador regarding the matter.
“The Foreign Ministry can take initiative in this matter, we will procure fuel oil from them (Russia) with our own funds as the SWIFT is closed and the price of dollar is very high,” she said.
Meanwhile, Power Cell director Mohammad Hossain said that if the government can manage the import of diesel at cheaper rate, operation of the diesel-run power plants will be resumed to increase the power generation.
As part of an austerity measure, the government suspended the operation of the diesel-fired power plants from July 19 and introduced area-wise load shedding to reduce diesel imports and save foreign currency.
Although area-based load-shedding was scheduled for one hour, it continued for three hours at a time in some city areas across the country. Load-shedding in rural and remote areas, however, stretched for more hours, consumers claim.
Markets and shopping malls can now stay open until 8:00 pm. The government also prohibited illumination in different social gatherings in community centers, shopping malls, shops, offices and houses since July 7.
Finally, it introduced a holiday staggering for industries on August 11 as part of the plan to save power and natural gas.