Others
Forex reserves still enough to cover 5 months' imports: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said Bangladesh still has adequate reserves of foreign exchange - enough to meet five months' import expenditures.
“The forex reserve was US$ 35.72 billion on November 03, 2022. Still it is possible to import goods for five months with our reserve of foreign currencies. Whereas international standard is to maintain enough to pay for three months' import,” she told Parliament.
Sheikh Hasina, also the Leader of the House, was addressing the valedictory speech in the 20th session of the 11th Parliament.
She said everyone now talks about the reserve and everyone has become expert over it. The reserve was only US$ 2.12 billion in 1996 but her first government raised it to nearly US$ 4 billion by 2001.
Read: PM at World Marketing Summit: 'Bangladesh an ideal place for investment'
The PM said the AL government, coming to power again in 2009, found the forex reserve of US$ 5.35 billion on January 06, 2009, which was raised to 17.47 billion on 08 January, 2014, US$ 32.09 billion on January 7, 2019, US$ 36.04 billion on June 30, 2020 and $46.39 billion on June 30, 2021.
She said the forex reserve went up to nearly US$48 billion during the Covid-19 as the import of goods declined sharply and the capital machinery was not imported during the pandemic.
when the Covid restrictions were withdrawn, the imports of goods normally increased. So, the forex reserve declined, she said.She, however, stressed the need for reducing the import of luxurious goods and imposition of high taxes on the import of less necessary products.
Read: Don’t forget BNP-Jamaat's arson, violence in 2013-15: PM
Besides, Sheikh Hasina, in her speech, focused on the government’s steps taken to ensure enough stock of foods, to ease the dollar crisis, to lessen import expenditures and to expand food-friendly programmes including OMS.
She also highlighted subsidies to different sectors, expansion of the social safety net, the export growth, dengue outbreak, the amount of the government’s loans and foreign debts.
Later, the 20th session of the current parliament, which lasted for six sittings, was prorogued.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the President for the session that started on October 30 last.
The PM said Bangladesh is now also facing the consequences of the global economic crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, and the sanctions and counter-sanctions in its wake, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Bangladesh is not isolated from it. Bangladesh is suffering its consequences,” she said.
She said inflation has hit records in almost all the countries across the world. The continuous rise in the value of the dollar against different currencies deepened the crisis further, she added.
About the subsidies, the premier said the government needs to provide additional subsidies to different sectors including electricity, energy, food imports, and food-friendly programmes due to the crisis. The total demand for subsidy has increased by Tk 105,000 crore, she said.
Talking about the food, she said there is nothing to be worried about as there is a stock of 1,573,485 tons of food grains right now in the nation's coffers. Besides, the government has taken steps to import more food.
Sheikh Hasina said 29 percent of families in the country have been brought under the social safety net and different food-friendly programmes were strengthened and OMS (Open Market Sale) scheme was taken down to the Upazilas. “We’ve taken preparation to provide a larger amount of essentials to the poor through OMS,” she said.
“We’ve been working for the people of the country. We’re making our best efforts so that the people of the country remain well,” she said.
The PM said the export earnings and remittance inflow witnessed positive growth of 7 percent and 2 percent respectively during the July-October period of the current fiscal year, while the LCs opened for import declined by 11.7 percent.
She said the government is keeping an eye so that there would be no dollar crisis in the country from January 2023.
About the foreign debt, Sheikh Hasina said the total loan of the government is only 36 percent of the GDP and its foreign debt is only 13.5 percent of the GDP. “After formation of the AL government, we (Bangladesh) never failed to repay loans or loan defaulters and will not be a failure in future,” she said.
“We’ve been trying our best to keep our economy vibrant,” the prime minister told the House.
In this context, she urged all people to exercise austerity, stop wasting resources, raise food production and reduce dependency on imported goods.
Lack of awareness fuels dengue menace: Army Chief
Mentioning that creating awareness on dengue among the public is a must, Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed has said that due to the lack of awareness, dengue outbreak and fatalities are both increasing at an alarming rate across the country.
The army chief said this while inaugurating the Dengue Eradication Campaign at Dhaka Cantonment on Sunday.
Read: Stay united to face any threats: Army Chief
In his directional speech, General Shafiuddin emphasized awareness and directed to take necessary measures to eliminate dengue in all cantonments including Dhaka.
PM at World Marketing Summit: 'Bangladesh an ideal place for investment'
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said many renowned companies from around the world are setting up their factories in the economic zones of Bangladesh.
"Bangladesh has emerged as an ideal place for investment with a favourable investment climate. We are building 100 Special Economic Zones across the country with all amenities available. Many of the world's famous companies are setting up their factories in these zones," she said.
The premier said this in a pre-recorded speech played at the World Marketing Summit-2022 that started on Sunday.
She said Bangladesh has the potential to be a large marketing hub for over three billion consumers due to its geographical location.
Read: Don’t forget BNP-Jamaat's arson, violence in 2013-15: PM
"It has its own market of 165 million people. There is a market of half a billion on its East and over a billion on the North. Besides, a market of another billion people lies in the West," she said.
Besides, she said that Bangladesh has been improving its connectivity within the country and also with neighbouring countries.
Harking back to June this year, she said, "We inaugurated the country’s longest bridge, the Padma bridge, that has connected 19 southern and south-western districts directly with the capital Dhaka and other parts of the country."
She added that marketing is a discipline that can play an important role in changing the world in terms of creating jobs and making commodities available.
The prime minister hoped that the deliberations of the summit will help create a better world for future generations.
She thanked President of World Marketing Summit 2022, Professor Philip Kotler for inviting her to address the summit.
In 2012, Sheikh Hasina said she inaugurated the first World Marketing Summit held in Dhaka.
"I hope that the 3rd summit will focus on the ongoing challenges in the marketing arena in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, and the subsequent sanctions and counter-sanctions," she said.
Read: Don’t resort to violence in name of movement: PM Hasina warns BNP
Noting that this year’s theme of the summit “Marketing Changes to Meet Sustainability Goals”, she said, "I think, is appropriately chosen."
The Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, and the subsequent sanctions and counter-sanctions have made the commodity markets unstable across the world, she said.
She added that food and oil prices have gone up beyond imagination, and the supply chains got disrupted.
As a result, import-dependent countries like Bangladesh have been facing a formidable task in meeting the demand of essential commodities, she said.
Along with these, the premier said that the depreciation of currencies, high inflation and economic stagnation are making the situation more complicated.
In Bangladesh, she said, "We have been working to turn Bangladesh into a happy and prosperous country as dreamt by our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman."
Bangladesh has made an impressive progress in socio-economic fronts in the last 14 years, she said.
The PM said, "We are now self-sufficient in food production. Cent percent households are brought under electricity coverage."
Healthcare facility has been reached upto the remote villages with establishment of Community Clinics and Union Healthcare Centres, she added.
Read: AL has no problem with non-violent BNP protests: PM Hasina tells MPs
Bangladesh is at the top of the South Asian nations in women empowerment, she said.
"Per capita income rose to US dollar 2,824 from just US dollar 540 in 2006. Poverty rate went down to 20.5 percent from over 41 percent during the period. Bangladesh has been qualified for graduating from the LDC status," she went on saying.
Bangladesh faced the Covid-19 pandemic striking a balance between lives and livelihoods, she said.
She pointed out that Bangladesh has ranked 5th out of 121 countries in the Nikkei Covid-19 Recovery Index while the country secured top position among the South Asian countries.
Almost all eligible people have been brought under vaccination program, she informed
"Bangladesh is the top-ranking country in implementing SDGs. But the gains we have made over the years are being eaten away by the impacts of the pandemic and the war," she said.
The world must resolve the ongoing crisis immediately for the sake of protecting humanity from disastrous consequences, she said.
Govt fixes cost of dengue test
Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Sunday said from now the NS-1 antigen test to identify dengue patients will cost Tk 100 at government hospitals and Tk 300 at private hospitals.
This means people will not get the free dengue testing facility at hospitals anymore, even as the number of dengue cases remains high in the country.
The minister said this replying to journalist’s questions after attending a meeting titled ‘Review on ensuring community level mental health services,’ in the city.
Also read: No let-up in Dengue in Bangladesh, 29 die in five days of November
He said a direction has been given in this regard to all hospitals, that is in effect now.
Earlier in 2019, the year of the worst dengue outbreak in the country till now, dengue test was made free for all by the government.
Also from now on CBC (complete blood count) and IgM (Immunoglobulin M) tests will cost Tk 250 at Government hospitals.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) recorded 29 deaths from dengue in the first five days of November, amid a sharp rise in dengue cases in different parts of the country.
The directorate has recorded 43,107 dengue cases and 39, 569 recoveries so far this year.
Also read: No respite from Dengue: Death toll rises to 167
On Thursday, the country reported nine dengue deaths, the highest death toll from dengue in a day this year.
Dengue outbreaks in Bangladesh exceeded all previous records in 2019, mostly in the capital city of Dhaka. A total of 101,354 dengue cases with 179 dengue-related deaths were officially recorded.
DSCC evicts 188 illegal shops in Nilkhet
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) conducted a mobile court drive to evict a total of 188 illegal shops from its three-storied Roadside market or Tula Market in the capital’s Nilkhet area on Sunday.
The drive was led by Md Muniruzzaman, Estate Officer and Executive Magistrate of DSCC.
During the drive, only 35 shops on the first floor of the market were found to be legal. Thirty-eight shops on the first floor were extended illegally, while 75 shops on the second floor and another 75 shops on the third floor were being run without permission.
“A vested group had built these shops illegally without taking any approval from us. All of these shops excluding the 35 legal ones on the first floor will be taken down. The drive will continue until it’s done,” said Muniruzzaman.
Read: DSCC to launch special five-day anti-dengue drive Sunday in five wards
The drive was supervised by DSCC’s Chief Estate Officer Rasel Sabrin and will resume on Monday.
Grameenphone can't sell new or old SIM cards: BTRC
After indefinitely suspending new Grameenphone SIM card sale, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) now says the telecom operator cannot sell old SIM cards either.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder made the announcement at a programme held at BTRC building on Sunday (November 06, 2022).
He said BTRC's approval to Grameenphone for selling 13 lakh old SIM cards has been suspended today.
Read more: Mustafa Jabbar directs Grameenphone to ensure quality service
On June 29, 2022, BTRC placed an indefinite suspension on new Grameenphone SIM card sale due to the operator’s “failure to provide quality service”.
BTRC imposed the indefinite suspension on Grameenphone as it is not providing quality service to its users despite repeatedly being asked to do so, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar told UNB at the time.
“The telecom company has no intention to provide quality service, as it is not doing anything to fix the problems that its subscribers are facing,” he said.
Read more: Q3 2022: Grameenphone reports 6% revenue growth despite ban on SIM sales
Bangladesh reports another Covid death, 46 cases
Bangladesh reported another Covid-19-linked death and 46 fresh cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total fatalities rose to 29,426 and caseload to 2,035,828, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate dropped to 1.00 per cent from Saturday’s 1.96 per cent as 4,621 samples were tested during the period.
The latest deceased was a man from Sylhet division.
Read: Bangladesh reports 37 more Covid cases, zero death
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 percent while the recovery rate rose to 97.38 per cent.
In October, the country reported 60 Covid-linked deaths and 10,043 cases.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
No let-up in Dengue in Bangladesh, 29 die in five days of November
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has recoded 29 deaths from dengue in the five days of the current month till Sunday (November 06, 2022) amid a sharp rise in dengue cases in different parts of Bangladesh.
Three more deaths from dengue in 24 hours till Sunday morning raised this year’s fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 170, the second-highest on record after the 179 deaths recorded in 2019.
During the 24-hour period, 908 patients were hospitalized with the viral fever, according to the DGHS.
Read more: No respite from Dengue: Death toll rises to 167
The gradual increase in dengue infections has created panic among the residents of Dhaka city.
Hospitals are failing to cope with the pressure of dengue patients despite setting up new wards.
Doctors and health experts say that measures taken by the city corporations and other authorities are not proving to be effective. The publicity and drives carried out by the authorities to destroy larvae of Aedes mosquito, the carrier of the dengue virus, are appearing to be inadequate.
Read more: PM urges all to keep their houses clean to prevent dengue
Of the latest deaths, two were reported from Dhaka and one from Chattogram division.
The new figures raised the death toll in Dhaka division to 105, in Chattogram division to 43.
Of the new patients, 476 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka and 432 outside it, according to the DGHS.
Read More: Food, Drinks during Dengue: What to consume, what to avoid
A total of 3,368 dengue patients, including 2,042 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
The directorate has recorded 43,107 dengue cases and 39, 569 recoveries so far this year.
On Thursday, the country reported nine dengue deaths, the highest death toll from dengue in a day this year.
Read More: Govt fixes cost of dengue test
Dengue outbreaks in Bangladesh exceeded all previous records in 2019, mostly in the capital city of Dhaka. A total of 101,354 dengue cases with 179 dengue-related deaths were officially recorded.
Action if any attempt is made to leak questions: Education Minister
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni has said that measures will be taken if anyone tries to leak questions of the ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams of 2022.
The Minister said this while talking to reporters after visiting Begum Badrunnesa Government Women’s College exam center in the capital on Sunday.
“We’ve taken action against some people who had tried to leak questions of this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams in Kurigram’s Bhurungamari upazila. We’ll collectively prevent such attempts this time too by punishing those who’ll commit such offence,” Dipu said.
The Minister also urged the parents not to stay outside the exam centers as this makes entrance of the examinees difficult.
Replying to a question about coaching centers, she said Coaching centers are needed as it’s impossible for teachers to pay attention to each and every student in the classrooms.
Read: June 25 SSC exam rescheduled to June 24: Education Minister
“We hope that the need for coaching centers will decrease once the new curriculum is introduced. However, we’ve given directives to shut coaching centers during public exams. To implement this directive, we need help from the local administrations,” Dipu added.
It was planned to hold this year’s HSC exams in July-August period but couldn’t do so due to flooding in the country’s northeast, she said adding, “If natural disasters hit any part of the country in the future, we’ll postpone exams in that area and hold exams in other areas as per schedule. Later, we’ll hold exams in the disaster-hit area within the quickest possible time.”
Don’t forget BNP-Jamaat's arson, violence in 2013-15: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday (November 06, 2022) asked the countrymen not to forget the dreadful days of arson and violence unleashed by BNP-Jamaat in the name of protests in 2013-15.
“I would like to ask people of the country to remain alert so that no one can resort to such incidents anymore,” she said.
The premier was addressing an event titled 'Cries of arson, violence victims: A partial scenario of BNP-Jamaat's fire attacks, anarchy and violation of human rights' organised by Bangladesh Awami League at National Museum Auditorium in Dhaka.
Read more: Mustaque, Zia behind Nov. 3 jail killing: PM Hasina
Sheikh Hasina said some 500 people were burnt to death and over 3500 were injured during the arson and violence of BNP-Jamaat. “We tried our best to stand beside them and took steps for their treatment. But it is not possible to take away the pain and suffering of the people who lost their loved ones,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina said those who were burned had dreams and aspirations, but their aspirations were burned to ashes. “I would like to tell the people of the country that no one should forget that terrible time,” she said.
“We don’t have any objection (with healthy politics). But if anyone attacks people, they (attackers) will not be spared. It (violence) can’t be tolerated. No man can endure it,” she said.
Read more: Don’t resort to violence in name of movement: PM Hasina warns BNP
She said every person, irrespective of political identity and creed, has the right to life and livelihood. “We have the responsibility to protect the rights,” she added.
PM Hasina said she lost her father, mother and brothers just in a single day. “So, we “I can feel their pain, (who lost dear ones in the arson violence),” she said in an emotion-choked voice.
She said the people were killed alive setting fire to buses again and again in 2013, 2014 and 2015. “Why did they destroy the lives of the people this way? How could it be called a movement? We never saw such movements before,”
She said they (AL) waged movements on many occasions since her school life and joined the movements against every military dictator. “We also waged movements against Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zia. But we, even in our dreams, never thought killing the common people through petrol bombs and arson attacks,” she said.
Hasina said the BNP had announced a blockade and strike, but their aim was to kill people. “Such attacks are gross human rights violations,” she said.
She said there are cases against those who are involved in this kind of arson violence, many are being punished and more will get punishment in the future.
Talking about the masterminds of the violence, the PM criticised those who support the order givers despite resorting to such destructive activities.
“I don’t know how anyone can support those who could unleash such destructive attacks and cause sufferings for the people,” she said.
Mafruha Begum, who survived but lost her husband Nuruzzaman Bablu and her 10th-grader daughter Maisha in a petrol bomb attack on their bus in Chauddagram of Cumilla in 2015, questioned why she had to lose her loved ones without any offense.
“We neither do politics nor understand it. Why are we leading a hapless life losing family members in arson violence? What was the crime of my daughter Maisha? I can’t see and hear voices of my daughter and my husband for eight years. I can’t hear Maisha calling me mother,” she said.
Mafruha said she could survive the fire as the husband threw her out through the window, but she could not save him and her daughter.
“My daughter and husband died from burns in front of my eyes. I still hear the scream and the call of ‘mother,’ the last word of my Maisha. I still can’t sleep throughout the night,” she said in a traumatized voice.
Salauddin Bhuiyan, who got huge scars on face due to burn injuries sustained in the arson violence in Jatrabari while going to Narsingdi from Dhaka by a bus in 2013, said he is often suffers neglect.
“I used to lead a happy life with a nice face. Now I live with deep mental agony. But I don’t get any job now. I still have the ability to work but none employs me,” he said, showing his two hands.
“When I get on a bus now, no passenger can sit beside me due to my disfigured face,” he added.
Like them, covered van driver Ramzan Ali who lost his 14-year son Munir Hossain in the parked covered van in Gazipur when it came under the petrol bomb attack in Gazipur; Runi Begum, who lost her son Nahid in arson attack in Shahbagh, Nasrin Akter, wife of BGB member Shah Alam who was beaten to death while on duty in Kanchpur; and Maya Begum, wife of Police constable Zakaria who was killed in the 2013 violence, Khodeza Nasreen Akhter Hossain MP who sustained burn injuries in the capital; and Laila Begum, wife of Police member Hazrat Ali who was killed in 2013, among others, shared their miseries and agony.
The Prime Minister talked to the victims of arson and violence unleashed by the BNP-Jamaat alliance during 2013-2015.
at the event, some victims, who are still suffering from the injuries or bear scars, and the victims' family members shared their trauma and demanded punishment of the perpetrators.
Read More: 70 BNP activists including Ishraque sued over vandalisation at Barishal AL office
The family members said they are now enduring serious financial hardship and mental agony after losing their loved ones during the political violence in 2013-2015. Noted Bangladesh's cultural personality Asaduzzaman Noor MP conducted the event.