Dhaka, Oct 27 (UNB) - The government wants to work in a more focused way to detect rumours and ensure the credible flow of information to mass people, says State Minister for Information Tarana Halim.

“It [keeping people away from rumours] has now become a demand of the time,” she told UNB in an interview recently explaining how mere a rumour sometimes appears as ‘credible’ information to mass people causing a big harm to society.

The State Minister said they will work in a more organised way through recently formed social media rumour detection and monitoring cell to help people stay away from rumours.

Responding to a question, she said a process had started before she joined the Information Ministry over registration of online newspapers. 

The applications for registration of online portals have been sent to the Home Ministry for further evaluation and the government will give the approval after proper evaluation.

“Once the registration process is done, we can say these are the approved online newspapers,” Tarana said adding that it will be individual’s matter if she or he believes the news of unapproved online newspapers. 

In response to another question, the State Minister said the full digitisation of state-owned television BTV is underway to further improve the quality of programmes and contents.

“We’re trying to look at BTV in a holistic approach,” Tarana said adding that BTV will emerge as a better platform with quality programmes through required changes.

The State Minister said they are trying to be more “brief but informative” while disseminating information to mass people through BTV in a faster way.

Talking about her election plan, Tarana said she will contest the upcoming national election but prefer party decision rather than coming up with her personal one. 

“I’ll contest. I’m working….but I’m ready to work for party election symbol under the directive of the Prime Minister (Sheikh Hasina),” she said adding that she has been working honestly for the last nine years. 

The State Minister wished a great 2019 for Bangladesh, for the pro-liberation forces and for a country to be fully free from militancy.
 
Tarana who got involved in politics in student life said student leaders have many positive roles to play beyond politics. “It’ll be good if there’s cohesion between social activities and politics.”    

The State Minister said the values, she maintains, are the best achievements in her life. “I want to walk straight way. I get hurt if anybody wants to buy my principles.”

Tarana, a former actress, said she had to leave acting while setting priorities from multiple areas of engagement. 

Earlier, she served as the state minister of the Post and Telecommunications Division under the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology.

Bagerhat, Oct 27 (UNB) – Fishermen in coastal districts are taking preparation to go to the Bay of Bengal to catch hilsa as the 22-day government ban on fishing the delicious fish comes to an end on Monday.

The government imposed a ban on catching, selling, hoarding and transportation of hilsa in different rivers for 22 days from October 7 to 28 to boost Hilsa output through protection of the mother fish during its peak breeding season.

During a visit to KB Bazar Ghat adjacent to Doratana River on Friday, the UNB correspondent saw the fishermen preparing their trawlers and fishing nets to go to the Bay of Bengal to catch hilsa.

Trawlers were being towed to rivers from the dockyard. Fishing nets, fuel and daily essentials were being loaded in the trawlers. 

Thousands of fishermen are waiting to start their journeys to the sea.

Local fishermen alleged that fishermen from India enter Bangladesh water territories illegally to catch hilsa during the ban.

They demanded government steps so that the Indian fishermen cannot enter Bangladesh territory.

Officials at the Fisheries Department, Bangladesh Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, district and upazila administration, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted drives to prevent hilsa fishing during the period.

Besides, executive magistrates conducted mobile courts and punished a good number of fishermen who violated the ban.

Haque Islam, a fisher of ‘FB Sabbir’ trawler of Khulna district, said that they returned to the ghat from the Bay on October 6 obeying the government ban. Now, they are taking preparations to go again for catching hilsa. Their trawlers and nets are prepared to resume fishing.

Sheikh Idris Sheikh, president of Bagerhat Coastal Fishermen Association, sought government steps so that foreign fishermen could not enter Bangladesh territory to catch fish.

Zia Haider Chowdhury, district fisheries officer, said, "Now we've to save Hilsa fry (under 10 inches). The authorities will impose a ban on catching Hilsa fry from November 1 to June 30 in coastal areas."

According to the information of the Department of Fisheries, there are 16.20lakh registered fishermen in the country. Among them, a total 39,103 fishermen are in Bagerhat district. The production of hilsa in 2017-18 fiscal year was 5.09lakh metric tons. 
 

Dhaka, Oct 27 (UNB) - Bangladesh and Myanmar will sit together on Tuesday to discuss the Rohingya repatriation issues as there is “intensive efforts” to begin the repatriation, at least completion of the first batch of verified Rohingya repatriation before the next national election, officials indicate.
 
The joint working group meeting between Bangladesh and Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation will be held here on October 30 which will discuss how the repartition will start, a senior official told UNB.
 
There is a chance to complete the first batch of repatriation of the verified Rohingyas before the next national election though it is difficult to predict about such a complex issue, said a diplomatic source adding that China is pushing for quick implementation of repatriation agreements between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
 
Visiting Chinese Minister and Party Committee Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security Zhao Kezhi and his Bangladesh counterpart  also discussed the Rohingya issue on Friday.
 
The Bangladesh side sought China's role in repatriating Rohingya people from Bangladesh to their homes in Myanmar.
 
“There’ll be a tripartite meeting among Bangladesh Foreign Minister (AH Mahmood Ali) and his Chinese and Myanmar counterparts where they will discuss the issue further,” said Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
 
But the Home Minister did not elaborate when and where this meeting will be held. 
 
Similar meetings were held in New York and Beijing on the sidelines in the past months that indicate pressure on Myanmar is mounting.
 
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said China always believes that the international community should play a constructive role in the Rakhine State issue, and its actions should be conducive to promoting consultation and cooperation between Myanmar and Bangladesh.
 
Foreign Ministry officials said the Bangladesh side of joint working group is likely to discuss the broad issues on Sunday before the joint working group meeting that will be held on Tuesday in the capital city.
 
The joint working group members from both sides will visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar on October 31. “They'll have interactions Rohingyas,” an official told UNB.     
 
He said Bangladesh will seek updates on what steps are taken for the safe and sustainable return of Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar from Bangladesh.
 
Bangladesh wants to make sure that the Rohingyas who are expected to return to Myanmar in the first batch of repatriation may have houses and other facilities to live in their own villages.
 
“We’ve completed the village-wise verification of 8,000 Rohingyas to know who came from which village. We want to make sure they can start living in houses in their own villages,” said Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on October 15.
 
The Foreign Minister mentioned that India has built 250 houses while China is building 1,000 more. “The returnees will first stay at reception centres n Myanmar and then will go to their villages.” 
 
Myanmar has so far failed to take steps to ensure the safe and sustainable return of Rohingyas to their homeland.
 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the 73rd UN General Assembly made three recommendations for solving the Rohingya crisis at its root, including the abolition of discriminatory laws, policies and practices of Myanmar against the minority group.
 
According to her second recommendation, Myanmar must create an acceptable environment by building trust and guaranteeing protection, rights and pathway to citizenship for all Rohingyas. If needed, it should create a “safe zone” inside the country to protect all civilians.
 
Her third recommendation says atrocious crimes against Rohingyas in Myanmar should be prevented by bringing accountability and justice, particularly in the light of recommendations of the Fact-Finding Mission of the UN Human Rights Council.
 
Foreign Minister Ali has emphasised the need for accelerating efforts to create a conducive environment in northern Rakhine State and build houses and villages for returnees to facilitate repatriation.
 
Minister Ali along with joint working group members in August this year visited the northern Rakhine State and saw the ‘trail of widespread devastation’ suffered by people there, said the Foreign Ministry officials.
 
Bangladesh Foreign Minister also visited Shwe Zar village where around 148 prefabricated houses for returnees are being built with assistance from the government of India.
 
Bangladesh and Myanmar formed the Joint Working Group (JWG) on December 2017 to start repatriating Rohingya refugees by January 23, 2018.
 
Meanwhile, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Chairperson Charles Santiago (MP, Malaysia) said the Rohingya community has suffered decades of state-sponsored oppression, discrimination, and violence in Myanmar.
 
“It's abundantly clear that the conditions for the Rohingyas' safe and dignified return to their homeland are far from being met. Any initiatives to return the refugees to Myanmar must be transparent and meet international human rights standards,” Santiago said in a statement on Friday.
 
There has been an announcement that a team of ASEAN foreign ministers will visit Myanmar in November to assist in the repatriation process of Rohingya in Bangladesh to Myanmar:
 
Santiago said the Rohingya have suffered unspeakable abuses and must have a seat at the table to determine their own futures.
 
“Repatriation must not begin until a safe and secure environment for the voluntary return of Rohingya is put in place. This should include Myanmar's government abolishing discriminatory state policies and practices, and guarantees that returnees will not be settled indefinitely in internally displaced persons camps,” reads the statement.
 
Santiago said Rohingya must also be allowed to worship freely, access education, be compensated for their loss of land and livelihood, and receive a degree of international protection so they are not left at the mercy of the Myanmar security forces.

Naogaon, Oct 26 (UNB) – More than 600 rice mills in the district have been closed due to staggering losses reportedly caused by rice import, leaving thousands of labourers out of job.

Millers claimed that they have been compelled to roll back their business as the price of local rice dropped due to ‘unnecessary’ import from India.

According to the millers, they had taken loan, amounting to Tk 500 crore, from different banks and financial institutions for the development of their business, but they could not repay it due to sharp fall in the rice prices.

There are some 1,800 rice mills across the district. Of them, some 600 have been closed while 300 will be closed in the coming days if necessary steps are not taken immediately, the millers said.

On October 7, the leaders of district Rice Mills Owners’ Association sent a memorandum to the Commerce Minister through the deputy commissioner of the district after organising a press conference at Alupotti in the town.

At the press conference, the millers described their sufferings caused by the ‘unnecessary’ import of rice from the neighbouring country.

They urged the authorities concerned to immediately stop the rice import to protect the interest of the local millers.

They also urged the banks and financial institutions to bring the interest rate to nine percent as suggested by the government.

Rafiqul Islam, president of district Rice Mills Owner Association, said the country experienced food shortage due to a natural disaster in the past years.

“Then the government cut down the import duty from 28 percent to two percent and opened the door for the importers to import huge rice to meet the local demand,” he said.

The millers also said the government fixed bank interest rate at 9 percent for industries, but the local banks are still charging 12 to 14 percent interest from the rice millers.

Although the farmers across the country have harvested bumper yield of rice this year, the government continues the rice import from India, said Rafiqul Islam.

As a result, he said, around 80 percent of rice mills have been closed.

“This also makes the rice growers and farmers to face huge losses because customers are not interested to buy local rice,” the leader added.

Contacted, district food officer Md Abdus Salam said this is not true that 80 percent mills in the district has been closed. “Except the automatic rice mills, a section of mill owners, in fact, do seasonal businesses and keep their mills closed in other time,” he added.

Dhaka, Oct 25 (UNB) – The move to set up a solar power plant at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) here has gathered pace as a 7-member high-profile team visited some of the international airports in India and found it viable for Bangladesh as well.

According to official sources, the committee, headed by an additional secretary of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, visited India in in mid-September to physically observe the operation of solar power plants at airports there and other related technical and engineering issues.

The committee prepared a report on the basis of the experience gathered during the tour.

The team members were included from Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Power Development Board (PDB) and Power Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

India has already turned a number of airports into solar-powered ones by setting up photovoltaic solar plants on their premises to meet their electricity demand from their own sources.

Cochin International Airport in Kerala, Bengalore Kempgowda International Airport, Indiara Ghandi International Airport in New Delhi and Netaji Subas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata are among the airports turned into solar-powered ones.

Of the Indian airports, the Bangladesh team visited the last two and exchanged their views with the authorities concerned there to get the right idea of implementing solar power projects at airports.

“We found the solar projects there very effective and such projects could be implemented at HSIA and other airports of Bangladesh,” Mohammad Alauddin, joint secretary of the Power Division, who was a member of the team, told UNB.

1. said there are similarities between the airports in India and Bangladesh as the weather, sunlight and other related things are almost the same.

As per their experience gathered from the visit, he said, they believe HSIA could generate about 15-17 MW of electricity from the solar project, which would meet one-third of its own electricity requirement.

Alauddin said the HSIA has 1981 acres of land of which more than 40 acres may be used for the development of a solar PV power plant.

Solar energy experts believe free space and rooftop of HSIA can offer a cheaper option for solar power generation with a nominal cost.

With the technological advancement, they said, all the concerns over solar PV installation at the airports have been addressed.

They said modern solar PV panels are made with dark-colored materials and covered with anti-reflective coatings which minimize the glare effects.

“Solar PV modules also don’t emit electromagnetic waves over distances that could interfere with radar signal transmissions. Exploiting advanced technology solar PV systems are increasingly being installed at airports across the world,” said a solar technology expert.