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Nearly 4 lakh posts vacant at ministries: Farhad
A total of 392,117 posts are now vacant under different ministries, State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said Thursday.
He made the disclosure while replying to a query from Awami League lawmaker Benjir Ahmed at the parliament.
Replying to another question from ruling party lawmaker Ali Azam, the state minister said the public administration ministry recommended the recruitment of 41,566 candidates for cadre posts through Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations from 2010.
Also Read: Fatima made new Finance Secretary, Sharifa ERD secretary
During this time, 5,143 candidates were recommended for non-cadre first-class posts and 7,161 for second-class posts (10th -12th grades), said Farhad.
PM seeks support of Japan to become a developed nation
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday sought the support of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency-JICA to fulfill the vision of Bangladesh to turn into a developed nation by 2041.
“I hope Japan and JICA will be with us to fulfill our vision to become a developed nation by 2041,” she said.
The premier said this in her video message aired in the celebration programme of the 50 Years of Cooperation between Bangladesh and JICA.
Also read: Southern region won’t remain neglected anymore: PM
She said Bangladesh is marching forward to fulfill the Father of the Nation’s dream of turning Bangladesh into a developed nation. Bangladesh has already attained recognition for graduating to a developing country in 2026, she added.
Recalling the visit of the then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe to Bangladesh in 2014, she said the both countries affirmed commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
“We have launched the ‘Japan-Bangladesh Comprehensive Partnership’ to elevate the friendly relationship to a new height. Our comprehensive partnership is now poised to be raised to a strategic partnership in the near future,” she said.
Hasina said Bangladesh and Japan have been maintaining and furthering relations based on those values and common interests.
“We believe that sincerity, friendship and mutual respect are the core values for long-lasting bilateral relations,” she said.
The PM said Bangladesh and Japan have been enjoying excellent relations since Bangladesh's independence in 1971. “We remain deeply grateful for the invaluable support and contribution of Japan and its people during our War of Liberation,” she said.
“We recognize that Japan is one of our most trusted friends and the single largest development partner,” she said, adding that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman laid the foundation of Bangladesh-Japan relations through his maiden visit to Tokyo in 1973.
Also read: Mega projects won’t affect the economy: PM
She said it was an honour for her to carry on her father’s legacy and she visited Japan in 1992, 1997, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2019 to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
Starting from 10.6 million USD commodity grant aid in the financial year 1971-72, JICA's financial assistance portfolio to Bangladesh now stands at 28 billion USD, the PM mentioned.
Matarbari Coal-based Power Plant, Matarbari Port Development Project, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Rail Bridge over the river Jamuna, Metro-rail network at Dhaka city and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expansion Project are some of the transformational projects currently being implemented with JICA's assistance, she cited.
On the occasion of the golden jubilee of the cooperation, Hasina conveyed her warmest greetings to the Emperor, the Empress, the Prime Minister and the friendly people of Japan.
Fatima made new Finance Secretary, Sharifa ERD secretary
Fatima Yasmin, a senior bureaucrat, has been appointed the country’s first woman finance secretary, according to an official announcement on Thursday.
She will transfer to the new assignment on July 11 from the finance ministry’s Economic Relations Department where she has been serving also as a secretary since February 23, 2020.
She succeeds Finance Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder who has been named as the governor of Bangladesh Bank, according to the Public Administration notification.
In another development Planning Commission member (secretary) Sharifa Khan is joining ERD as secretary on July 11, said a Public Administration notification.
Fatima, also the first woman ERD secretary of Bangladesh, joined the Bangladesh Civil Service in 1991.
Also Read: Aligning with changing business trends must to remain competitive: BGMEA
She obtained an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka. She also obtained a master degree in development economics from the Australian National University.
Fatima was also a Public Policy Fellow at the US State Department's Hubert H. Humphrey at Rutgers University in the United States. She has completed the Executive Program from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
ERD's new secretary Sharifa is also a 1991 batch officer of BCS. She held various posts in the Ministry of Agriculture, BPATC, Deputy Commissioner's Office, Dhaka, WTO Cell and Ministry of Commerce.
Sharifa served as a counselor at the Bangladesh High Commission in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2011 to 2017. She has been serving as the Member (Secretary) of the Planning Commission since February 9, 2021.
Aligning with changing business trends must to remain competitive: BGMEA
Aligning business strategies with changing trends in the fashion industry and building capabilities accordingly are a must to sustain in the global competitive market, said Faruque Hassan, President of BGMEA.
Globally the apparel industry is undergoing rapid and notable changes mostly driven by evolving technologies, and requiring businesses to cope up with new business landscape, he said.
Bangladesh’s RMG industry is focusing on remodeling business, product diversification, and technology upgradation to remain sustainable and cost competitive, he added.
Faruque made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 9th edition of Intex South Asia as a special guest.
Minister of Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi (Birpratik), MP attended the programme as chief guest, which was organized Worldex India in Dhaka on Thursday.
Also Read: Bangladesh, Brazil can bring more mutual trade benefits: BGMEA chief
Executive President of BKMEA Mohammad Hatem, Managing Director of Worldex India Rajesh Bhagat, and Director of Worldex India Arti Bhagat also spoke at the event.
The BGMEA president said Bangladesh’s apparel industry is laying emphasis on non-cotton products as the man-made fiber has
been dominating the global market for a long time, and would be continued in the coming days as well.
Manufacturing landscape would be influenced by 3Cs - Cost, Competitiveness and Closeness while industry 4.0 would be the key for achieving manufacturing and supply chain excellence, he said.
Faruque also stressed on the exchange of knowledge, expertise and technologies within the South Asian region, saying the cooperation and collaboration is very important for sustainable and inclusive growth and development.
Youth with disabilities deprived of learning, employment scopes: Study
The country’s youths with disabilities are being deprived of learning and employment opportunities in the country, said a study conducted by Sightsavers & BRAC University.
It also said such young people are also facing multifaceted challenges in terms of equal livelihood.
“They’re often also deprived of their rights as per the Disability Act 2013,” said the study report released on Thursday at a programme jointly hosted by Sightsavers and BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health.
The study project, “British Academy Youth Futures Research”, captured the experiences of young people with disabilities living in urban and rural settings in Bangladesh, said a press release.
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The research was conducted, led by a group of young peer researchers who have disabilities. They will be trained and supported to shape national policy on disability inclusion.
State Minister for Social Welfare, Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru attended the programme as the chief guest. Dr Mrittika Barua and Sayema Akter from BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health of BRAC University presented the key findings of the research.
Neuro-Developmental Disability Protection Trustee Board chairman Prof Dr Golam Rabbani and Sightsavers Bangladesh Country Director Amrita Rejina Rozario also spoke at the programme with Dr Malabika Sarker from BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health in the chair.
The research tried to understand the experiences, aspirations, and challenges of youths with disability in their livelihood in Bangladesh and, to explore the inclusion of young people with disabilities into policy dialogues.
The key objective of the study was to enhance the advocacy capacity of the youth with disabilities (peer researchers) so that they can advocate with the government and relevant stakeholders for their own rights.
Speaking at the programme, State Minister Ashraf Ali said research is an important component of societal development. “There’s no alternative to research for development.”
He praised the research as it helped understand the aspirations of youth with disabilities in relation to livelihoods and determine barriers to realising those aspirations.
Amrita Rejina said, “By employing young researchers with disabilities, we got an authentic insight, and the research has also empowered them to help shape and contribute to the policy decisions that affect their lives."
Also read: Lack of reliable data affects policies on people with disabilities: speakers
She said Sightsavers is committed to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities through research and other development initiatives.
Amrita said the study followed the method of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and employed young people with disabilities from Sirajganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi districts as peer-researchers who worked alongside local and international researchers to gather and analyse data for the study.
Covid positivity rate surges to 5.76 % with 357 cases, zero death reported
Amid surging positivity rate Bangladesh recorded 357 new Covid cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning taking the country's total caseload to 1,954,994, the health directorate said.
The country's total fatalities, however, remained unchanged at 29,131 as no death was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily test positivity rate rose to 5.76 per cent from Wednesday’s 3.88 per cent with 6,200 samples tested during the period.
Also read: WHO: COVID-19 deaths rise, reversing a 5-week decline
The country on Wednesday saw 232 cases with zero death.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent. The recovery rates remained static at 97.49 per cent as 114 patients recovered during this period.
In May, the country reported only four Covid-linked deaths and 816 new cases, while 7,356 patients recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS.
Among the four deaths during the period, one was vaccinated with single dose of Covid vaccine while three were vaccinated with two doses.
The country reported its first zero Covid death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 cases, since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020.
Also read: 162 Covid cases reported in 24 hours, no death
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest positivity rate of 33.37 per cent.
The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.
Dentist murder in city: Prime accused held
Police have arrested the prime accused in a case over the killing of a dentist by muggers at Shewrapara in the capital.
The arrestee was Md Ripon, said the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
He was arrested on Wednesday from Bhairbpasha in Nalchhity upazila of Jhalakathi district, said Md Harunur Rashid, Joint Commissioner (cyber& special crime and DB-North) in a press briefing on Thursday.
Dentist Ahmed Mahi Bulbul was heading towards Shewarapara bus stand on an auto rickshaw in the early hours on March 27. As he reached Kazipara Begum Rokeya Sarani Road five muggers intercepted the vehicle and attempted to snatch his valuables.
At one point, the muggers stabbed the doctor as he resisted the mugging.
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He was taken to Suhrawardi Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
A case was filed at Mirpur Model Police station upon receiving a complaint from Bulbul’s wife.
On March 30, DB Mirpur zone team arrested four people in connection with the murder. They are Raihan Sohel alias Apan, 27, Rasel Hossain Hawlader, 25, Ariyan Khan Ridoy, 23, and Solaiman, 23.
All of them gave confessional statement before court.
In primary interrogation Ripon confessed to stabbing Bulbul with a knife, said Joint Commissioner Harunur Rashid.
Ahmed Mahi Bulbul used to work in a clinic at Moghbazar. He was known as ‘Gariber Doctor’ (The doctor of the poor) in his locality.
UCB holds MCD orientation programme
Universal College Bangladesh (UCB) held the Monash College Diploma (MCD) orientation programme for its newly enrolled students at its Gulshan campus on Thursday.
UCB is an exclusive partner of Monash College, Australia. Monash College Diploma (MCD) is a first-year undergraduate degree equivalent program jointly administered by UCB and the Australian university.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UCB Dr Sandeep Ananthanarayanan, Dean of Academic Affairs Prof Sarwar Uddin Ahmed and other faculty members and staff of the college were present at the orientation program.
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The guests delivered speeches welcoming the new students and explaining guidelines related to the MCD program and other tiny details related to academic integrity and misconduct and essential academic tools.
Monash University Australia’s Team Leader of Special Projects Ms. Asha Balaji and Monash University Malaysia’s Senior Executive Daniel Lum joined the event virtually to talk about the student’s education transition to their respective Monash campuses in Australia and Malaysia once the student completes their pathway programs at UCB.
Universal College Bangladesh (UCB) is the only Ministry of Education-approved international education provider in Bangladesh. They offer the MCD program, which is equivalent to Monash University’s first year and the Monash University Foundation Year (Grade 12 equivalent) studies.
Also read: UCB hosts Monash College diploma orientation programme
Upon fulfilling the entry requirements of Monash University, students complete MCD from UCB become eligible to continue their second year studies at the Monash University with the facility of all the credits transferred.
Aspiring students can also transfer their credit to other universities of their choice (depending on the rules of the respective university).
Dengue cases keep rising: 31 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
The health authorities confirmed 31 more dengue cases in the 24 hours till Thursday morning.
All the new patients were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Ninety dengue patients, including 87 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
After a few months of low dengue figures, cases are creeping up again in Bangladesh.
This year, the DGHS has recorded 661 dengue cases and 571 recoveries so far. The directorate has not yet reported any death from the mosquito-borne viral disease.
Dengue – a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries – was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 and claimed 93 lives. In three years, the fatality number almost fell to zero.
However, 105 dengue patients, including 95 in Dhaka division, died in 2021.
Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
Read: Dengue: 20 new patients hospitalised
About 4 billion people, almost half of the world's population, live in areas with a risk of dengue, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each year, up to 400 million people get infected with dengue while almost 100 million get sick from infection, and 40,000 die from severe dengue, it says.
"There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue. Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1 percent," according to the World Health Organization.
Prophet remarks: Police halt Islami Andolan’s march towards Indian High Commission
Police on Thursday set up barricades to stop activists of Islami Andolan Bangladesh from a march towards Indian High Commission in Dhaka protesting the derogatory remarks on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by two BJP leaders.
Several thousand leaders and activities started the march from the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area around 11 am as part of their earlier scheduled programme.
When the procession, led by the party’s Ameer Mufti Rezaul Karim Pri Saheb Charmonai, reached Santinagar intersection at noon police in riot gear barricaded them.