Bangladesh
Bangladeshi American data scientist Dr. Rumman Chowdhury among US Science Envoys for 2024
The US Department of State has selected four distinguished scientists to serve as Science Envoys for 2024.
They are Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, Dr. Stephanie “Steffi” Diem, Dr. Sian Proctor, and Dr. Dawn Wright.
Through the US Science Envoy Program, eminent American scientists and engineers leverage their expertise and networks to forge connections and identify opportunities for sustained international cooperation to advance solutions to shared challenges, champion innovation, and demonstrate America’s scientific leadership and technical ingenuity.
The scientists selected to participate in 2024 make up the first all-female cohort in the history of the US Science Envoy Program, said the US Department of State.
The US Science Envoy program was established by the Secretary of State in 2010.
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Like their 30 predecessors, the 2024 Cohort will travel as private US citizens to engage internationally with civil society as well as government interlocutors.
Science Envoys help inform the Department of State, other US government agencies, and the scientific community about opportunities for science and technology cooperation.
The State Department selected the 2024 cohort to take advantage of their expertise in key issues facing the world today: Artificial Intelligence, Fusion Energy, Civil Use of Space, and Ocean Sustainability.
Dr. Rumman Chowdhury is a data scientist and social scientist. She is the CEO of Humane Intelligence, a technology nonprofit that builds a community of practice around evaluations of artificial intelligence (AI) models.
Dr. Chowdhury is also a Responsible AI Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.
Previously, Dr. Chowdhury served as Director of the Machine Learning Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability team at Twitter, as well as the Global Lead for Responsible AI at Accenture Applied Intelligence.
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She has earned numerous awards and accolades, including Time Magazine’s 100 most Influential People in AI, BBC’s 100 Women, Worthy Magazine’s top 100, the Bay Area’s top 40 under 40, and Forbes’ labeled her one of Five Who are Shaping AI.
Dr. Chowdhury holds two undergraduate degrees from MIT, a M.S. in Quantitative Methods of the Social Sciences from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, San Diego.
No crossing point for 2 months; man lends ladder to passengers for Tk 5, gets arrested
A youth was arrested on Sunday (March 17, 2024) after a video of him went viral on social media where he could be seen lending ladders to bus passengers in exchange of Tk5 on a highway in Narayanganj .
AKM Sharifuddin, In charge of Kanchpur Highway Shimla Police Camp, said they arrested him after watching the viral video.
Risky road crossing had become a common scene in the 3.3 km area for the past two months as there were no crossing points from the long distance route's road to the regional road which is at least 24 minutes walking distance.
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For the past two months, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) authority has kept the crossing point at Dhaka-bound road from Kanchpur Bridge in Siddhirganj to Kuwait Plaza area closed. As a result, passengers have been crossing roads by jumping the lane's divider.
According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the four-lane Dhaka-bound road from Kanchpur Bridge in Siddhirganj to Kuwait Plaza area was divided into two lanes with high dividers to stop risky road crossing and to ensure long-distance vehicles' direct route to Dhaka.
A gate was kept open in front of the RHD office for the movement of passengers from long-distance lanes to regional lanes, but the RHD authorities closed it two months ago.
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Narayanganj RHD's Executive Engineer Shahana Ferdous said, they tried several times to enforce the movement of bus services in the designated service line with Highway Police, but they failed to enforce it.
Old Dhaka's Iftar bazar heats up, even as prices pinch
As the month of Ramadan started, the bustling streets of Old Dhaka came alive with the aroma of spices and the sizzle of frying pans. The Iftar bazars in this ancient section of the capital are a battleground for traditional dishes vying to be crowned the ultimate feast to break one's fast.
Amongst the labyrinthine lanes of Chawkbazar, Islampur, Bangla Bazar, and the roadside tong shops, vendors engage in a spirited rivalry to tantalize the taste buds of the devout.
Chawkbazar stands as a bastion of tradition in the realm of Iftar markets, offering a cornucopia of culinary delights. Here, amidst the throng of eager patrons, one can find an array of Iftar staples: chickpeas, piaju, puri, chop, and juice, alongside a plethora of innovative creations.
The alleys of Islampur and Bangla Bazar also boast diverse assortments of Iftar treats, showcasing the rich culinary heritage of the region.
Central to the charm of Chawkbazar is the legendary 'Boro Baper Polay Khay' Iftar, a concoction steeped in tradition and flavor. Comprising an eclectic mix of 15 ingredients, including chicken, minced meat, cotton kebab, and an assortment of spices, it embodies the essence of Old Dhaka's culinary heritage. Priced between Tk 800 to Tk 1200 per kilogram, it stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of tradition.
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However, a newcomer to the scene, 'Shob Baper Polay Khay,' poses a formidable challenge to the reigning champion. Vendors tout its credentials, proclaiming, "This is the traditional food of Dhaka, the best of Chawkbazar." They claim that their food has a 78-year-old tradition.
Kebabs reign supreme in this gastronomic arena, with vendors proudly presenting an assortment of tantalizing options. From Tengri Kebab to Suti Kebab, Sheek Kebab, and Kathi Kebab, the choices are as diverse as they are delectable. Whole chicken roasts, quail roasts, and succulent leg of goat roasts vie for attention alongside savory beef haleem and fragrant biryanis. Vegetarian offerings such as vegetable naan, milk naan, and keema paratha cater to diverse palates, while vendors employ persuasive advertising tactics to attract discerning buyers.
Walton brings country’s first 6-star energy rating AC
Bangladeshi electronics giant ‘Walton’ has released BSTI’s 6-star energy rating certified split type air conditioner in the domestic market. In Bangladesh, only Walton brand ACs have achieved the BSTI’s 6-Star and 5.5 Star energy rating certificates.
It is the most energy-efficient AC in South Asian countries, according to a media statement.
Only Walton AC has a 5-inch TFT color display that shows various important information including running data, performance, timing, and indoor and outdoor temperature of AC.
Walton AC can be controlled from anywhere through IoT smart control system using smart apps solution function and electricity bills are also calculated easily using the apps. Beside any defects of AC can be diagnosed through smart diagnosis system, reads the release.
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In this summer, customers are offered ‘nonstop millionaire’ on the purchase of Walton AC from any Walton Plaza, distributor outlet or online sales platform ‘E- plaza’ across the country under the Walton’s digital campaign Season-20.
Besides, crores of taka sure cashback are also available. Customers will enjoy the benefits of season-20 from March 1 to till further announcement.
Under the Walton’s AC exchange offer, customers can purchase Walton’s brand new model of split ACs with maximum Tk 23,000 discounts in exchange of their old or used ACs of any brands.
Walton AC’s Chief Business Officer (CBO) Tanvir Rahman said, “Walton is manufacturing and marketing high standard ACs with world’s largest numbers of features. In continuation of this service, Walton has released the country’s first BSTI 6-star energy rating and South Asia’s most energy efficient AC for customers in the market. The price of this new model of AC is set at Tk 65,000.”
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He added that customers can check the energy efficiency of Walton AC by contacting Walton’s nearest sales point, service center or call center at 16267.
Walton AC’s customers are getting one year replacement facility, 10-year guaranty on compressor, 3-year warranty on spare parts and 1-year free after sales service.
Walton provides swift and fast after-sales service to AC customers through 82 service points across the country under the ISO Certified Service Management System along with 300 service partners.
The skilled and experienced engineers and technicians of Walton are providing free service to AC buyers in every 100 days, added the release.
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NBR’s three-pronged strategy to boost revenue collection
Aiming to significantly boost revenue collection from domestic sources, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is adopting a three-pronged approach.
These are: digital transformation, expansion of tax net, and enhancing administrative capacity.
The core idea is to make tax payments easy and transparent to improve taxpayer services which in turn will help NBR to collect more revenue, according to an official document.
According to the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26) of the Finance Division of Finance Ministry, the government has taken some Major reform measures to materialise the move.
The VAT & Supplementary Duty Act 2012 has been implemented in July 2019. With the implementation of the new act, the collection of VAT and supplementary duty is expected to receive a significant boost in the medium term. After the initial hiccup and the shortfall due to the outbreak of COVID-19, revenue collection accelerated in FY22.
The government has enacted the new Customs Act, which replaced the Customs Act 1969. International best practices in customs, including that of the World Customs Organization (WCO), the revised KYOTO Convention and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement have been incorporated here.
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The law aims to harmonise and simplify customs processes to facilitate the collection of custom duties.
The new Income Tax Act is also expected to create an enabling environment for taxpayers, streamline income tax assessment and collection, and facilitate domestic and foreign investment.
To implement the new VAT law, the NBR undertook the ‘VAT Online Project (VoP)’ which was in operation since 2013 and concluded in June 2021.
Under the VOP, the official document said that the three important automation measures have been completed. First, the Online VAT Registration began in March 2017. Again, the central registration system has been in force since July 2019. The NBR has introduced online return submission in July 2019. The digital filing system has been introduced in the form of online submission of VAT returns.
The NBR has rolled out the electronic payment (e-payment) of customs duties in 2017, income tax in 2012 and VAT in 2020. Income tax can be paid through MFS (mobile financial services) as well.
To facilitate real-time deposit of government money to the national exchequer, the government has launched the Automated Invoice Portal. This Automated Challan (also known as A-Challan) will act as the receipt window of the government. The payment of income tax has already been brought under the A-Challan system on a pilot basis.
The NBR now plans to expand its use for payment of VAT and customs duties. The A-Challan will ensure the timely deposit of money including the prevention of fake return submission and revenue evasion.Moreover, the discrepancy between the amount of revenue collected by the NBR and the accounts given by the Accounting Offices will be eliminated.
The Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26) said that individual taxpayers can now submit their tax returns online.
NBR extends deadline for filing companies’ tax returns to April 30
The NBR has successfully launched eTDS Environment for easy and hassle-free processing of income tax at the source. With the introduction of this system, taxpayers’ time, cost and visits have been reduced to almost zero. Taxpayers can now submit fourteen reports in the eTDS environment.
To stop evasion in VAT and enhance VAT collection, the government has introduced Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFD) with a sales data controller mechanism.
The government has already installed 9270 EFD/SDC (Sales Data Controller) machines. NBR has selected 24 sectors, including residential hotels, bakeries and fast foods, decorators and caterers, sweet shops etc. for this purpose.
To broaden the coverage, the government has decided to outsource the installation of EFD/ SDC machines with a target of 60,000 EFD/ SDC in the first phase and 3,00,000 in five years, if the first phase brings good results.
Besides, to prevent tax evasion and to bring transparency in VAT record keeping, the government has made the use of NBR-prescribed VAT software mandatory in VAT-registered industries with annual turnovers of Tk 5 crore or above.
The NBR has made provisions to enable internet-based companies, such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft etc. to pay their VAT on online sales.
This allows these companies to pay their VAT through their authorised VAT agents without opening their office in Bangladesh.
The NBR plans to operationalise the risk management system to ensure that no more than 10 percent of the import consignments are subject to physical examination. To that end, the NBR has established a Central Risk Management Unit/Commissionerate for Customs.
To streamline the bonded warehousing system, reduce its misuse and make it transparent, the government has taken a project that aims to automate the bond management system by June 2023. Meanwhile, the licensing module has started operation and other modules will become operational soon.
Bangladesh Customs will soon be conducting a Time Release Study in the major custom houses to take stock of the actual time taken in the release of imported consignments. The objective of the TRS will be to identify bottlenecks in customs clearance and to take measures to reduce clearance time.
The NBR strives to expand the number of taxpayers and has made the return submission mandatory for all TIN-holders with a few exceptions.
Other reform efforts by the NBR included – i) implementation and activation of Online National Single Window, Post Clearance Audit, Advance Ruling, Authorised Economic Operator, and thereby increasing dynamism in international trade; ii) full implementation of online income tax return submission under SGMP project; iii) implementation of “Individual Source Tax Deduction Monitoring Zone” to strengthen income tax deduction monitoring; iv) expansion of the e-Payment system in income tax; v) activation of transfer pricing and anti-money laundering activities; and vi) strengthening ICT infrastructure construction and automation activities.
Administrative expansion of the income tax department is underway, the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement added.
Introduction of the Document Verification System (DVS) has brought financial discipline and positively contributed to boosting tax collection both in income tax and VAT by increasing transparency.
NBR collects nearly Tk 2 lakh crore in 7 months, growth over 15%
Allegations of embezzlement against actor Apurba
Alpha Eye Studios Limited, a media company, has accused actor Ziaul Faruq Apurba of breach of contract and embezzling money.
According to the media company, Apurba signed a contract for 24 dramas with the company. The actor took Tk 33 lakh of the Tk 50 lakh contract. However, he only finished 9 dramas.
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Later, Alpha Eye tried to contact him but could not, they said.
"My lawyer will provide statements on my behalf. As the legal proceedings are underway, I prefer not to make any comments or discuss the matter further at this time," said the actor.
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Govt investigating whether BNP has connections with syndicates, hoarding: Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday (March 14, 2024) said the government is trying to identify those who are involved in market syndicates and investigating whether BNP has any link to the syndicates and hoarders.
The AL leader said this while speaking at an opinion exchange meeting at the Awami League's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.
BNP will get more isolated if it continues movement during Ramadan: Quader
Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, expressed worries that such syndicates could attempt to destabilise the government and disrupt the progress of the elected government.
Regarding the surge in commodity prices, the minister said the governmen under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working to bring the commodity prices within the reach of common people.
On the issue of commodity price control, Quader referenced his recent visit to Singapore, where he observed a significant rise in commodity prices.
“Efforts are being made to control prices in our country. The government is not inactive here. The Prime Minister is giving time to deal with the crisis. We have no negligence here. The whole world is facing the rise in gas, fuel and commodity prices. This crisis is also going on in the US, Europe, the other developed countries,” he said.
Responding to questions about the recent hijacking of Bangladeshi ship and crew in Somalia, the minister assured that the Foreign Ministry is engaged in securing their release.
He said 23 crew members have insurance coverage, and efforts are underway to ensure their safe return.
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Regarding the negative impact on relation with the US over the conviction of Dr Yunus, the minister said,” Dr Yunus is a person. I want to who he is in the US. He is a citizen of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has its own law and court and law is equal for all.”
JCD, Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, Chhatra Federation protest ‘BCL attack’ on DU law dept students
At least three student organisations have protested the "Chhatra League attack" on a group of students in front of Bangabandhu Tower on Dhaka University campus.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation issued official protest notifications late last night against "BCL’s attack" earlier yesterday, calling it "heinous".
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JCD’s notification -- signed by its DU unit president Gonsesh Chandra Ray Sahos and general secretary Nahiduzzaman Sipon -- reads, “Awami League’s student wing BCL thinks that everyone must follow the ideals of BCL and no one can oppose their ideology. That’s why they want to eradicate other ideologies by oppressing them. Such behaviour is nothing but a sign of fascism. We are protesting this heinous attack on students.”
Central President of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, Bin Yamin Molla, and General Secretary, Ariful Islam Adeeb, also condemned the attack and issued a notification on behalf of the organisation.
“Chhatra League has created a reign of terror in the last 15 years. The latest of which is today's (yesterday) attack on a discussion about Ramadan at DU,” the notification reads.
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Demanding immediate identification of the attackers and legal action against the culprits, they called upon all students across the country to stand against the "violent politics" of Chhatra League and strongly condemn such attacks.
Following the attack, students of DU's Law Department staged an immediate protest rally at the base of Raju Bhashkorjo at 5:20 pm on Wednesday as all the attacked students are from the Law department’s 48 batch.
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All crew members are safe on the hijacked vessel: KSRM Group’s media consultant
MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi cargo vessel, that was hijacked by a group of Somali pirates was around 150 nautical miles off the Somalian coast till Wednesday (March 13, 2024) evening.
“And the ship will reach the Somalia anchorage by tomorrow morning,” Mizanul Islam, media consultant of KSRM Group, told UNB.
‘If money is not given, they will kill us’: Audio message of hijacked ship’s chief officer
“All the crew members are safe and sound now on the hijacked vessel,” he added.
On Tuesday, the ship, carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE, was attacked around noon.
Please pray, says hijacked ship Abdullah's chief engineer to his family
MV Abdullah is owned by SR Shipping Lines – a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group.
All crew members are being held hostage by the pirates, said KSRM’s media adviser Mizanul Islam.
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‘If money is not given, they will kill us’: Audio message of hijacked ship’s chief officer
Mina Azmin, wife of Mohammad Atique Ullah Khan, chief officer of the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah that was hijacked by Somali pirates, had to be admitted to a hospital after fainting repeatedly.
Atique sent an audio message to his wife around iftar time on Tuesday (March 12, 2024).
Atique’s audio message said, “They are taking our mobile phones away. The bottom line is, if the money is not given, they will kill us one by one. The sooner the money is given, the sooner they will let us go. Please, get this message out.”
Atique is from Chandanaish upazila of Chattogram. He lives in the Nandan Kanan area of the port city with his mother, wife and three daughters.
His elderly mother Shahnoor Begum and children broke down in tears when this correspondent went to their home last night. Shahnoor Begum was crying and hugging a framed picture of Atique.
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"A day feels like a year! I was told that we’ll have to wait a few months to get our son back. How will I live with this sorrow?" — Shahnoor Begum wailed.
With her son held hostage by Somali pirates and daughter-in-law unwell, Shahnoor Begum was visibly worried. She said, "In his last voice message, my son told my daughter-in-law, ‘If they don't give the money, they will kill us.' She has been ill ever since she got that message.
“She is expecting. After losing consciousness several times on Tuesday night, we took her to a private hospital. After treatment, we brought her home. She is still ill!
“My son Atique took the responsibility of the whole family. He has been working on the ship since 2007. Now he is in terrible danger! I don't know how my son is, if he has food to eat.
“We were sitting down to have Iftar on the first day of Ramadan. I just put a date in my mouth; at that time the phone rang. My son said that Somali pirates had attacked their ship. The ship is now under their control.”
Please pray, says hijacked ship Abdullah's chief engineer to his family