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Fire at Gazipur factory doused
The fire which broke out at Safwan Foil and Quality Tex factory at Chandra in Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur district on Tuesday night, was doused after two hours of efforts, said fire service.
The fire broke out at the factory around 11:15 pm and spread soon, said Rakibul Hasan, duty officer at the Fire Service Control Room.
Fire breaks out at factory in Gazipur
On information, seven firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze after two hours.
The origin of the fire could not be known immediately.
3 arrested for setting BRTC bus on fire in Dhaka's Mirpur: Police
Fire breaks out at factory in Gazipur
A fire broke out at a factory in Gazipur’s Kaliakair, upazila on Tuesday.
Fire breaks out at ward councillor's office in Dhaka's Mirpur
The fire broke out around 11:10 pm, said Rakibul Hasan, duty officer at the Fire Service Control Room.
16 shops gutted in Gazipur fire
Upon receiving information, seven firefighting units rushed to the spot and were working to douse the fire at the time of filing this report.
5 of a family burnt in fire from ‘gas line leak’ in Narayaganj
Films can be part of cultural revolution to beat back arson terrorism: Info Minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Saturday said a cultural revolution is needed to protect the country from the shock and fire terror that has fallen on the country today and films can take that revolution forward.
The minister was addressing the National Film Award ceremony at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre in the capital's Agargaon on Tuesday evening.
PM Hasina gives away National Film Award 2022 to 33 winners
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over the prizes to the winners in 27 categories selected by the jury board from the films made in 2022 as the chief guest.
“Just as Bangladesh has changed under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the film sector is not far behind, it has turned around. Bangabandhu's biopic “Mujib: The Making of a Nation” is running on 200 screens in 158 halls of the country, 600 screens in 500 halls in India. Last year, Dhaka's films were released in 22 countries around the world. So our films will be respected not only in the country but also in the world arena.”
Make high-quality movies using modern technology: PM Hasina urges film industry
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, has formed the Film Artists Welfare Trust and allotted a loan fund of Tk 1,000 crore for the construction and renovation of cineplexes and cinema halls,” he said
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry Hasanul Haque Inu, MP was the special guest at the ceremony. Senior Secretary Md Humayun Kabir Khandaker delivered the welcome speech.
Zayed Khan to dance at National Film Awards ceremony
At the end, the artists of the film industry performed a cultural programme.
4 buses set on fire in Dhaka’s Mirpur in 3 hours
Miscreants set fire to four buses in the capital’s Mirpur area ahead of the 48-hour countrywide road-rail-waterway blockade called by BNP and other like-minded opposition parties.
Two buses of Manarat International University were set on fire at the Nobaberbagh Uttarpara Beribadh area at Mirpur 1 at 8:25 pm on Tuesday, confirmed Talha Bin Zashim, station officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (media cell).
Also read: Over 9 arson attacks reported every day on average since Oct 28: Fire Service
Two firefighting units of Kalyanpur Fire Station went to the spot and doused the fire, he said.
Also read: Truck set on fire in Dinajpur amid blockade
Benefits of Single Point Mooring still couple of weeks away
After the formal inauguration by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the country’s first Single Point Mooring (SPM) is going to be commercially commissioned at the end of the current month of November.
The PM inaugurated the SPM on November 11 along with some other projects including the first unit of 1200 MW Matarbari coal-fired power plant.
"We're hopeful of commissioning the project in the last year of November and the tentative date is November 24,” said a deputy general manager of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
Country to enter new era of efficient oil import with Single Point Mooring
He said initially the SPM will be operated by its Chinese contractor and later a private operator will be hired for its full-fledged operation.
The China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co Ltd is currently building the country's maiden SPM system as its contractor.
The state-owned BPC set up the SPM to facilitate the offloading of petroleum fuel directly from vessels and transport it through pipeline to the fuel tanker in the land.
Single Point Mooring: The project of deadlines may miss another
According to officials, the offloading of fuel oil from mother vessels through SPM will save at least Tk 800 crore per annum.
This SPM will make the country's energy management system more economical, sustainable and environment friendly, they said.
SPM Project Director Monjed Ali Shanto informed that it will take only 48 hours to transfer the imported petroleum from the mother vessel to storage tanks.
Currently, it takes 11 to 12 days by following offloading through lighterage ships, which is very time-consuming, expensive, and risky.
No lighterage would be required to carry fuel from the mother vessel, which is now moored at the outer quay, after the implementation of the project, he said.
The SPM was built on over 90 acres of land under a G2G project of Bangladesh and China at a cost of Tk 8341 crore at Maheshkhali Upazila in Cox's Bazar.
Covid-19 to further delay Single Point Mooring (SPM) project in Chattogram
Officials said that there are three tanks having a storage capacity of 1.80 lakh kilolitre crude oils and three tanks with 1.08 lakh kilolitre furnished oil.
A 15-kilometre-long pipeline has already been installed from land up to deep sea to directly unload imported petroleum oil to the SPM, which has the capacity of unloading 9 million tonnes every year.
A 120-kilometre pipeline was also built from the SPM project to Eastern Refinery Limited (EFL) to treat the crude oil.
The SPM also has a storage capacity of 45,000 tonnes of crude oil.
As part of the project work, approximately 135 kilometres (km) of offshore pipeline and 58 km of onshore pipeline have already been installed.
As part of the project, some six storage tanks were built of which three tanks will be able to store crude oil with 60,000 kilolitre capacity each and the rest be able to store diesel with 36,000 kilolitres each.
The Netherlands-based Blue Water completed the construction of SPM 'Boya' which is awaiting shipment to the project site.
The BPC currently pays $5.50 per tonne to lighterage or small vessels, owned mainly by the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, to ferry petroleum to its onshore tanks from larger mother vessels. The SPM will save the cost of the BPC.
Bangladesh annually imports around 6 million tonnes of crude and refined oil. Of that, 1.3 million tonnes are crude oil and refined petroleum products the remaining.
According to the officials, a 36-inch-wide pipeline from the mooring point carries the crude oil to the tank at Kalamarchara in Matarbari.
Later, the oil is taken to the Eastern Refinery in Patenga, Chittagong, 220 kilometres away, through an 18-inch wide pipe.
The 110km pipeline was built between a deep-sea mooring point and the Eastern Refinery Ltd in Patenga.
Unique Group, DNCC sign deal; Sheraton to run in full swing
Borak Real Estate Ltd and the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) have signed a deal, taking possession of their respective stakes in the DNCC Unique Complex [Hotel Sheraton] through mutual understanding, in accordance with a High Court order.
There is now no bar on Hotel Sheraton to be fully operational commercially. DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam and Borak Real Estate Managing Director Mohd Noor Ali signed this deal on behalf of their respective organisations at the DNCC office on Monday [November 13].
According to the deal, the DNCC has taken possession of their stake in the property. Meanwhile, Borak Real Estate has also taken possession of their stake, allowing Hotel Sheraton to operate in full swing.
According to the court order, the DNCC and Borak Real Estate Ltd. resolved their ownership stakes in the Banani DCC-Unique Complex up to 20 stories, or 201 feet, through the agreement.
On October 9, in the presence of both parties, the court ordered a resolution of this matter. The order further mentions that the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh approved up to 201 feet of the building’s height.
In this regard, the High Court issued status quo on the building on the 21st to 28th floors of the building. It then directed both parties to sign a deal sharing the building’s stake, in accordance with the orders previously issued on June 12 and August 29 this year.
The share allocation deal was signed as per court order. A high court bench of justices, Md Nazrul Islam and Khizir Hayat gave the order after a long hearing on October 9.
Borak Real Estate was represented at the court by senior lawyer and former justice ABM Altaf Hossain. He was accompanied by lawyers Md Abu Taleb, Sheikh Moshfeq Kabir, Abul Kashem and Enamul Haque Tuhin.
DNCC was represented by lawyer Imtiaz Moinul Islam Nilim, while lawyer Imam Hassan represented the Rajshahi Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK). Deputy Attorney General Md Saifuddin Khaled represented the state.
Also read: The Garden Kitchen at Sheraton Dhaka opens in Banani
It should be noted that there is no legal bar on the 28-story height of this building, as there was no height limit for multi-story buildings in the Banani area until 2009 due to Tejgaon Airport shutting down all flight operations.
The 28-storey Hotel Sheraton building was built before this timeframe and was completed in 2014.
So, this height limit should not be applicable to the building under any circumstances. Steps will be taken to allocate stakes in the building’s floors beyond 201 feet up to 28 stories, after the matter is resolved in court.
Also read: Unique Group MD Mohd Noor Ali receives Mother Teresa International Award
Following the construction of the multistory building, Borak Real Estate submitted a proposal to the DNCC on stake allocation of the property. Later, the DNCC Engineering Department tabled this proposal at the city corporation meeting.
As per the corporation meeting, Borak Real Estate proposal, and decisions taken at the DNCC second council’s 18th and 19th meetings held on November 27, 2022 and January 7, 2023, the DNCC will get 40 percent of the building’s extended 15th to 28th floors, instead of 30 percent.
Jahangir elected president of Steel Manufacturers Association, Suman secretary general
Mohammad Jahangir Alam (CIP) has been elected president, and Dr Suman Chowdhury was elected as the secretary general of the Bangladesh Steel Manufacturers Association (BSMA).
They were elected in the election of the Executive Council for the periods of 2023–24 and 2024–25, according to a press release.
The election was held at the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of BSMA at the Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon, it said.
Steel has huge potentials for exports to Commonwealth countries: RRM Group Chairman
Besides, Muhammad Shahidullah was elected senior vice president, and Md Abdus Salam as vice president. Ashraf Siddiqui and Soumitra Mutsuddi have been appointed as Joint Secretary and Shahriar Jahan as Director of International Affairs.
Manwar Hossain was the chairman, and Muhammad Shahidullah was the secretary general of the Bangladesh Steel Manufacturers Association for the biennium 2020–21 and 2022–23.
FBCCI appeals for govt support to help steel industry flourish
More gas reserves found at SGFL's Kailastila Well No. 2
A new gas reserve has been found in an abandoned well under the Sylhet Gas Field Limited at Golapganj upazila of the district.
The reserve was found at Kailastila Well No. 2, according to Sylhet Gas Field Limited (SGFL) officials.
Confirming the matter, Engineer Abdul Jalil Pramanik, general manager (operations) of Sylhet Gas Fields Limited, told reporters on Tuesday that it will take another week to go into gas production from this well.
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"We are expecting to extract 7 million cubic feet of gas per day from the layer," the SGFL official said.
According to SGFL sources, gas extraction from well no. 2 of Golapganj upazila under Sylhet GasField Limited had stopped long ago.
The new gas reserve was discovered for the first time since the re-drilling started on July 27.
“We already extracted gas from one of the layers of this well previously. However, gas extraction in this layer had to be stopped due to water ingress into that layer,” said SGFL general manager.
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“When we started re-excavation of the well after a temporary halt, we discovered several layers. Later, gas was detected in these layers during tests conducted on 9 and 11 November.”
Meanwhile, 70 barrels of condensate can be produced daily from the byproducts obtained from this well along with gas, according to SGFL.
The workover of the well is estimated to cost around Tk 71.85 crore, which is being funded by SGFL itself.
The government has started to explore, drill, and re-drill 46 wells across the country as a strategic move to address the current energy crisis. The excavations are set to be completed by 2025 and are projected to boost gas production by 618 million cubic feet.
As part of this plan, Sylhet Gas Field Limited (SGFL) is drilling and re-drilling 14 wells. Three of the 14 wells in Sylhet have already started gas production and with the discovery of the new layer, another well now stands ready for production.
779 water bodies handed over to Fisheries Ministry to boost fish production
The Land Ministry has initiated the transfer of 779 water bodies (ponds) (Jal-Mahal) in Sirajganj and Pabna districts to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock to enhance fish production.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two ministries in accordance with the Jal-Mahal Management Policy, 2009, at the secretariat on Tuesday, according to a press release.
Also read: Govt determined to harness potential of ocean-based economy: Fisheries Minister
Land Ministry Joint Secretary Delwar Hossain Matubbar and Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Joint Secretary Mohammad Anwar Hossain signed the MoU on behalf of their respective ministries.
Additional Secretary of the Land Ministry, Md Abbas Uddin; Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Md Abdul Qayyum; and officials from both ministries were present at the time.
The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will take steps to increase fish productivity through scientific methods by renovating these ponds. The Fisheries Department will also provide training to fish cultivators under local cooperative societies.
Also read: Hilsa price high due to profit-mongers’ greed: Fisheries Minister
These activities will be implemented through a project titled "Community-based Fisheries Resource Management in Nimgachi Area."
More than 39,000 water bodies under the Land Ministry collect over Tk 100 crore annually through leases, with the fish and other aquatic animals harvested meeting the country's protein needs. A significant number of people depend on these water bodies.
Also read: 22-day ban on hilsa fishing to begin on Oct 12: Fisheries Minister
PM Hasina gives away National Film Award 2022 to 33 winners
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday distributed the National Film Award 2022 among the 33 winners under 27 categories in recognition of their contributions to the film industry.
The award giving ceremony was held in the evening at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the city.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud presided over the event, while chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Hasanul Haq Inu and Information Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker spoke on the occasion.
The award is considered to be one the most prestigious prizes given for films in Bangladesh.
Eminent artists Kamrul Alam Khan Khasru and Rawshan Ara Ranu, Rozina have been honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' for their contributions to the film industry.
Md Tamzidul Alam’s Poran, and Muhammad Quayum’s Kura Pokkhir Shunne Ura have been jointly announced as winners in the 'Best Film' category in National Film Award 2022.
Every year, the government honours artists in various categories, for their contributions to the film industry.
Chanchal Chowdhury received the best actor award in the lead role (male) for the film 'Hawa' while Joya Ahsan and Rikita Nandini Shimu jointly got the award for the best actress in the lead role (female) for the film 'The Beauty Circus' and 'Shimu' respectively.
The 'Best Director' prize went to Syeda Rubaiyat Hossain, for "Shimu".
'Ghore Fera', directed by SM Kamrul Ahsan, won the award in the best short film category, while Bangabandhu and Dhaka University' got the award for the best documentary category.
The award for the best-supporting role award went to Nasir Uddin Khan for the film “Poran” while Afsana Mimi won the best supporting actress award for the film ' Paap Punya'.
Subhashis Bhowmik was awarded best actor in a negative role for the film 'Deshantor'. Deepu Imam got the award for comedy in the film 'Operation Sundarban’.
Muntaha Amelia won the best child artiste award for the film 'Birotto', while a special award in the children division went to Farzina Akter for the film ' Kura Pokkhir Shunne Ura'.
Ripon Khan (Mahmudul Islam Khan) bagged the best music director's award for the 'Paayer Chhap' film. Bappa Mazumder and Chandan Sinha jointly won the award in the best singer (male) category for 'E mon bhije jay' song in Operation Sundarban film and ‘Thikanabihin tomake’ in Hridita film.
The best singer (female) award went to Atia Akhtar Anisha for ‘E Shohorer Pothey Pothey’ from the ‘Paayer Chhap’ film.
The best lyricist award went to Rabiul Islam (Jibon) for the 'Dhire Dhire Tor Shopne’ song of the 'Poran' film.
Shouquat Ali Imon won the best composer award for the film 'Paayer Chhap'.
Faridur Reza Sagar and Khorshed Alam jointly won the best story writer award for ‘Damal’ and ‘Golui’ respectively.
The other award winners are: Mohammad Abdul Qayyum (screenwriter), SA Haque Alik (dialogue), Sujan Mahmud (best editing), Himadri Barua (best art direction), Asaduzzaman Mojnu (best cinematographer), Ripon Nath (sound designer), Tansina Shawon (costume and design) and Md Khokon Molla (best makeup artists).