Dhaka, Oct 14 (UNB) – The Cabinet on Monday endorsed the Radioactive Waste and Used Nuclear Energy Management National Policy with a provision that polluters will have to bear the costs for disposing of radioactive wastes.

The approval came at the Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed reporters at the Secretariat after the meeting.

“The policy has been prepared to dispose of all the radioactive wastes to be released from atomic energy materials in different sectors across the country,” he said adding atomic energy is also used in ultrasonography test of the medical sector.

“There’ll be a company named RWMC (Radioactive Waste Management Company) to dispose of radioactive wastes. But the polluters will have to pay for it,” said Shafiul Alam.

About Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, he said Russia will take away the wastes of the plant and dispose of that in their country as per the agreement.

The Cabinet Secretary said the policy has been framed as per the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as there is no scope to go beyond the IAEA guidelines.

The policy was formulated aiming to prevent harms and any untoward incident to be caused by such radioactive wastes and nuclear energy, he said.

The Cabinet also gave the final approval to the draft of the Bangladesh Engineering Research Council Bill 2019 to promote engineering research and ensure the standard of technology for their pragmatic uses in the country.

“It’s a new law and new concept as well. We don’t have any institution for engineering research like that for agriculture and other sectors,” said the Cabinet Secretary.

A 10-member governing body headed by a chairman will run the council. The chairman will also be the Chief Executive Officer of the council, he said.

There will also be an advisory body headed by the Science and Technology Minister for the research council, he added.

Besides, the Cabinet gave approval to the draft of the Bangladesh Lighthouse Bill, 2019 making the existing the Lighthouse Act, 1927 as a time-befitting one, said Shafiul Alam.

As per the bill, there will be a port lighthouse authority to supervise and run the country’s port lighthouses, he said.

The levy (charge) collection process of lighthouses has been made easier in the bill.
 

Dhaka, Oct 14 (UNB) – Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Advisor Salman F Rahman  on Monday said more foreign countries are showing interest to set up exclusive economic zones in Bangladesh.

“After China, Japan and India, now many more countries including, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korea, are showing interest to set up economic zones to invest in Bangladesh”, he said while unveiling the prospectus of Power Pac Economic Zone (pvt) Ltd (PPEZL) at an “Investment Promotion” function at a city hotel.

Power Pac Economic Zone (pvt) Ltd, a concern of local conglomerate Sikder Group, set up the country’s first private economic zone at Mongla on a land of 205 acres near Mongla Port. The area is located within one kilometre of Mongla port and 20 km of Hazrat Khanzahan Ali airport in Bagerhat.  

The function was also addressed, among others, by Prime Minister’s SDG chief coordinator Abul Kalam Azad, Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) executive chairman Paban Chowdhury, executive member Mohammad Ayub and Power Pac Economic Zone (pvt) Limited’s managing director Ron Haque Sikder.     

Multinational company Unilever and some other concerns of Sikder Group were handed over the allotment of the plots of Mongla Economic Zone at the function.

The PPEZL officials said ongla Economic Zone is fully complete and ready for setting up industries.

They said about 44 percent of the plots have already been allocated to different industries while remaining 56 percent are being offered to interested local and international investors.

Addressing the function, Salam F Rahman said that the government is taking all protective measures to save environment while developing the economic zones in southern part of the country.

 “Already the concept of economic zones received huge response from local and international investors and so far agreements were signed for 28 zones”, he said.

Abul Kalam Azad said the government initiated the move for setting up 100 economic zones in order to ensure utility services to industries through one-stop service centre.

Appreciating Power Pac for coming forward to set up economic zone with a pioneering role, BEZA executive chairman Pabal Chowdhury said setting up of economic zone was a great challenge for the government as initially there was no response from investors to invest in such project.

“But after a series of failure, now it has been a lucrative venture for foreign investors to invest in the economic zones”, he said adding that now many more economic zones are being set up in different places including Mirsarai, Sylhet, Munshiganj and Barisal.
 

Chapainawabganj, Oct 14 (UNB) – Balloting was underway in the Sadar Upazila Parishad election here on Monday.

Voting started at 9am and will continue till 5pm.

Three candidates are contesting for the chairman post. They are Najrul Islam of Awami League, Tasikul Islam of BNP and independent candidate Ziaur Rahman.

A total of 381,914 voters of one municipality and 14 unions of the upazila are casting votes at 157 voting centres.

Motawakkil Rahman, returning officer and district election officer, said necessary steps had been taken to hold a peaceful election.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members were deployed as striking force beside Ansar, Police and BGB, he added.

Brahmanbaria, Oct 14 (UNB) – The maiden election to Nabinagar Municipality is being held on Monday.

Voting started at 9am and will continue till 5pm.

A total of 36,764 voters are expected to exercise their franchise at 12 centres using Electronic Voting Machines. Of the voters 18,824 are men and 17,940 are women.

Eleven candidates are vying for the mayoral post while 65 for councillor and 14 for reserved councillor posts.

An additional number of law enforcers were deployed to maintain law and order.

Dhaka, Oct 14 (UNB) – A flight of Singapore-bound Biman Bangladesh Airlines made an emergency landing on Monday morning at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The pilot suspected that the plane had hit a bird.

The Biman took off around 8:45am from the airport and made a safe emergency landing, said airport Director Wing Commander Towhid-ul-Ahsan.