To overcome the challenges and smooth transition of Bangladesh until 2026, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) on Monday suggested the government to sign FTA, PTA with potential countries or RTA with economic blocs, take preparation to implement the terms and conditions of TRIPS agreements, establish high-value product design and innovation centres.

Alongside these DCCI also recommended necessary policy and institutional reforms to increase private and foreign investment, modernization, automation of revenue structure for higher Tax to GDP ratio and efficient supply chain and logistics infrastructure.

These are expected to leverage the country’s economic graduation and gain its dividends for the best interests of the country.

The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (UN CDP) has recommended Bangladesh's graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC). The decision came after the second triennial review of the LDC category of UN CDP recently.  DCCI welcomes this endorsement of Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC.

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Bangladesh has met, for the second time, all three eligibility criteria for graduation involving income per capita ($1,827 against the threshold $1,230), human assets index (75.3 points out of 66), and economic vulnerability index (27.3 point less than 32).

DCCI feels it as an honour for Bangladesh as we received this prestigious recognition in the glorious year of golden jubilee of independence of Bangladesh and birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. And, this recognition was achieved with the frontier and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, through tremendous progress in all aspects of socio-economic state of the country during the last decade. Bangladesh, even in the tough time during the Covid-19, managed to sustain its economic growth and balance the live and livelihood to a large extent.

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The very timely initiative of the government to rescue the pandemic affected businesses through stimulus incentives was appreciated by all. The second review of UN CDP and their endorsement justify consistent economic development, firm resilience and commitment to the legacy of Bangabandhu’s Sonar Bangla aligning with various game-changing visions of the government, believed DCCI.

It is inevitable that every country that graduated from LDC status had to face some challenges with no exception to Bangladesh.

As an LDC, Bangladesh will enjoy duty free quota free access in the EU and other markets up to 2026 but after graduation, Bangladesh will face the challenges of industrial compliance and strong standard of IPR and TRIPS agreement.

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Moreover, as a middle income country, Bangladesh will compete with other similar countries in the export market as well experience erosion of preferences and privileges in the export market, loss of subsidy in various home grown infant industries.

Despite having these challenges, graduation will generate ample opportunities. After the successful graduation, the credit rating and worthiness of Bangladesh will be elevated, private sector would be competitive, foreign investors’ confidence and foreign investment trend would soar considering strong IPR infrastructure above all streams of international borrowing at a competitive rate.  

A Chittagong court has sentenced a driver and supervisor of Shyamoli Paribahan to 10 years and the helper to five years in prison respectively for transporting yaba in Chittagong. In the same verdict, each of them was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for non-payment of a fine of Tk 5,000.

The court of Chittagong 4th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Shariful Alam Bhunya passed the verdict on Monday (March 1) afternoon.

The convicts are: bus driver Md Sabuj (32), son of Abdul, Supervisor Palash Mandal (26), son of Sukumar Mandal and helper Nasir Hawladar (30), son of Rob Hawlader.

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Although the driver and helper were present during the verdict, the supervisor was absconding following a bail from the High Court.

Additional Public Prosecutor Anupam Chakraborty of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court said the court had sentenced the Shyamoli bus driver and supervisor to 10 years in prison and the helper to five years in prison and fined them Tk 5,000 each. Another 6 months imprisonment has been given for non-payment.

Also read: 5 ‘drug dealers’ held with Yaba pills in city

He added, "Charges were framed against the three on September 6, 2020." The court pronounced the verdict on Monday after a total of 10 witnesses were found guilty.

According to court sources, RAB signaled to stop the Shyamoli Business Class passenger bus (Dhaka Metro-B 14-974) leaving Cox's Bazar for Dhaka on June 29, 2016 at around 3 pm in front of the Kotwali Police Station Beach Hotel.

Also read: Sitakunda policemen suspended for ‘possessing seized yaba, letting drug peddler go’

Seeing the RAB team, the driver, supervisor and helper left the bus and tried to escape, but RAB detained them. After searching the bus and bodies of the driver, supervisor and helper, 19,000 yaba were recovered. A case was filed against them under the Narcotics Act at Kotwali police station.

The registration for the "Dhaka OIC Youth Capital 2020-21 Bangabandhu Youth Art Competition" began on Monday.

A press conference was held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy where the promo of the competition was launched.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel spoke at the programme while Shilpakala Academy Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky presided over the programme.

The registration window will close on March 31 and the jury board will select the top 100 artworks for the virtual exhibition hosted by the Shilpakala Academy.

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The organisers informed that interested young artists aged between 18-35 years from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states and Muslim countries will be eligible to join the competition.

Also, the participating countries have been divided into six regions – Bangladesh, the Middle East, the rest of Asia, Africa, North and South America, Europe, and Australia.

The artworks will be selected from April 1 to April 7 while the virtual exhibition is scheduled to be held from April 15 to April 30.

Twenty-four winners will be awarded from six regions. Also, there will winners in each category while all selected artists will receive a certificate of participation.

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Artists must follow the subjects given by the host to represent their selective thought and imagination to participate in the respective events.

The topics are Bangabandhu and Bangladesh, Covid-19 Pandemic, humanity in refugee crisis, youth spirit in technology, Islamic art and climate change.

The Istanbul-based Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), an entity affiliated to the OIC, declared Bangladesh as the "OIC Youth Capital 2020" on December 25, 2019.

Dhaka University teacher Samia Rahman, who was demoted for plagiarism in research papers, has claimed that she is a victim of “filthy politics” of the university teachers.

She also claimed on Monday that the letter of Chicago Journal based on which she had been demoted was “fake and fabricated”.

“I’ve been a victim of the vengeance and dirty politics of the university teachers,” the Mass Communication and Journalism Department teacher claimed at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

The DU authorities on January 28 last demoted three teachers, including Samia, for plagiarism.

Also read: DU demotes 3 teachers for plagiarism

Samia was demoted to assistant professor from associate professor. The article “A New Dimension in Colonialism and Pop Culture: A Case Study of the Cultural Imperialism” was jointly authored with DU lecturer Syed Mahfuzul Haque Marzan.

It was published in the DU Social Science Journal in 2016.

Samia claimed that she neither wrote nor submitted the article for which she was punished. She said Syed Mafuzul Haque Marzan, a lecturer of DU criminology department, wrote and submitted the article without her consent.

She said Marjan also gave a confessional statement in this connection.

“Indeed, the letter of Alex Martin of Chicago Journal based on which Dhaka University Syndicate formed an investigation committee and demoted me was totally false, fake and fabricated. No such letter was sent [to DU] from the Chicago Journal. I’ve been victim of a conspiracy,” Samia said.

She claimed to have communicated with Craig Walker, the Editor of Chicago Journal, through social media and learned that there is no one with the Journal by the name of Alex Martin.

Replying to a question, she said she has been deprived of justice and sought interference of the President, the chancellor of the university.     

Samia said that she would consider legal steps against the university’s decision.

Following the publication of their article in the University's Social Science Journal, Alex Martin, who introduced himself as an administrative assistant of Chicago Journal, sent a written complaint to DU in 2017 claiming that the article copied from Michel Foucault’s ’The Subject and Power’.

Later, the DU authorities formed an investigation committee to look into the allegation.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Aktaruzzaman could not be reached for comments.

Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested 224 alleged smugglers in connection with seizing smuggled goods, including drugs and firearms worth Tk 48.14 crore from across the country last month.

The arrests were made during anti-smuggling drives by the paramilitary force across the country, especially frontier districts.

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Besides, legal actions have been taken against 297 Bangladeshi nationals and nine Indian citizens for illegally crossing borders during the period between February 1 and February 28, says a press release issued by BGB headquarters here on Monday.

The seized contraband items include 5,72,413 pieces of Yaba pills, 62,878 bottles of phensedyl, 16,679 bottles of foreign liquor, 914 cans of beer, 2,069 kg hemp, 6.536 kg of heroin, 5,574 injections, 5,657 bottles syrup, 1,657 Sanagra tablets and 4,73,068 different types of tablets.

Also read: BGB seizes goods, drugs worth Tk 64.9 cr in Oct

The other seized smuggled goods are – 2.416 kg gold, 67 ,535 sets of cosmetics, 2,027 sarees, 470 sets of three pieces and, 895 readymade garments products, 729 kg tea leaves, 3,707 CFT wood, 33,000 kg coal, eight, seven private cars/microbus, six pick-ups, eight engine-run auto-rickshaws and 66 motorcycles.

Also read: BGB seizes goods, drugs worth Tk 372.09 cr in 8 months

The paramilitary force also seized two pistols, one one-shooter gun, one pipe-gun, four guns and one magazine during the period.