Bangladesh
BUILD wants greater participation of women-owned businesses in public procurement
Experts during a recent event underscored the need for capacity building of women entrepreneurs to increase their participation in public procurement.
Particular emphasis was laid on making them aware of the process to participate in bidding for tenders.
The discussion "Public Procurement and the e-GP system" was hosted by Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) on May 26.
The government procures a large number of goods, work and services every year through public tenders where the participation of women-owned businesses is very insignificant, the experts said.
In Bangladesh, about 45 percent of the budget is spent on public procurement and the participation of micro, small, and medium enterprises is very insignificant here, said Md Faruque Hossain, former secretary to the government and procurement policy consultant at the World Bank.
READ: Singapore to help Bangladesh to build ecosystem in e-commerce sector
It is to be noted that the Industries Ministry is looking to the enactment of the Subcontracting Act 2022, which would ensure open tender and an earmarked amount for the cottage, micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Ferdaus Ara Begum, CEO of BUILD, said some countries simplified public procurement rules and policies to increase the participation of women entrepreneurs.
In Chile, women's participation has increased by 36.5 percent with the simplification of policies where women-owned businesses can be hired directly for procurement under $600.
A similar threshold can also be announced in Bangladesh, Ferdaus Ara said.
One of two missing cousins in Bagerhat river turns up dead
The body of an 8-year-old child was recovered Monday from the Daudkhali river in Rampal upazila of Bagerhat.
The deceased was identified as Ahad Ali, son of Md. Omar Ali of Pargobindpur Ashrayan Project.
Ahad along with his cousin Jannat had gone missing in the river on Sunday. A search operation was launched that failed to make any headway on the first day.
Members of the Fire Service and Navy recovered the child’s body on Monday evening during a joint operation.
Golam Sarwar, deputy assistant director of the Bagerhat Fire Service and Civil Defense, said divers from the Navy and Fire Service had been conducting rescue operations since the two children went missing on Sunday.
READ: Two killed in Bagerhat road crash
“We have recovered the body of Ahad from the river and hopefully the other body will be found soon,” he said, not holding out much hope of Jannat turning up alive.
Ahad Ali and Jannat went missing while playing on the bank of the Daudkhali river adjacent to the Pargobindpur Ashrayan shelter project in the upazila.
HC grants anticipatory bail to four pro-BNP lawyers
The High Court on Monday granted six weeks’ anticipatory bail to four pro-BNP lawyers in a case filed over attacking pro-Awami League lawyers and vandalising the nameplate of Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary Abdun Noor.
It also directed two other pro-BNP lawyers accused in the case to surrender before the court.
An HC bench comprising Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman passed the order taking the plea of the accused.
Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum Supreme Court unit general secretary and BNP’s national executive committee member Gazi Md Kamrul Islam Sajal, Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum Supreme Court unit assistant general secretary Rasel Ahmed, Supreme Court Bar Association executive member Kamrul Islam and Supreme Court Bar Association information and research affairs secretary Sagor Hossain were the ones granted anticipatory bail.
On the other hand, lawyers Abdul Kaiyum and Nure Alam Siddique have been ordered to surrender.
READ: HC directs UGC to find out about pvt unis' benefits for FF children, underprivileged
Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali, Joynul Abedin, Mahbub Uddin Khokon, and Ruhul Kuddus Kajol stood for the accused while Deputy Attorney General Md Sarwar Hossain Bappy represented the state.
According to the case statement, pro-BNP and pro-Awami League lawyers locked in a clash over the post of secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association on May 18.
The following day, Rabiul Hasan, an administrative officer of the SCBA, filed a case with Shahbagh police station, mentioning six names.
Drum containing skeleton excavated from construction site in Jashore
Police recovered a human skeleton inside a drum from a construction site in Jashore city on Monday.
The skeleton was found at Bajlur Rahman’s land at Kazi Para Niribli area in the city, said Tajul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali police station.
Two of the construction workers, Nurnab and Sattar, said they found the drum during piling work and informed the owner of the plot Bazlur Rahman as there was a foul smell coming from it.
READ: Unidentified body, skeleton recovered in Savar
Bazlur, who hails from Benapole district. informed the police.
Bazlur said he bought the land some two and a half years ago from its former owner, one Motaleb from Kasba upazila.
“Just recently I started building a residential home on this land,” he said.
OC Tajul Islam said they suspect the skeleton is years old and will send it for an autopsy for identification.
Fire at Demra plastic warehouse brought under control
A fire has broken out at a plastic warehouse in the capital’s Demra on Monday night.According to Fire Service sources, the fire broke out at a warehouse of City Group in Demra’s Konabari at around 9.12 pm.
Also Read: 10 workers injured in Gazipur factory fire
After almost two hours of trying, 11 firefighting units managed to bring the fire under control at around 11.20 pm.No casualties have been reported yet, the sources said.
Bangladesh, US celebrate cooperation in livestock
Bangladesh and the US recently celebrated 50 years of their cooperation in the livestock sector.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, officials from the ministry, representatives from Bangladesh's industry and representatives from the US Livestock Genetics Export (USLGE) joined the celebration.
The USLGE is a non-profit trade organisation that brings together a broad base of US livestock organisations.
"Each year, Bangladesh sources more and more high-quality livestock and genetics from the US. Last year, the country imported more than $7 million, a record amount," US Deputy Chief of Mission Helen LaFave said.
"We have provided millions of dollars in funding to develop the livestock industry and are now looking to expand our trading relationship in the sector."
The event was the first time the US livestock industry representatives travelled to Bangladesh to learn more about the growing market.
The USLGE representatives and the American businesses met businesses and government stakeholders, travelled to the Bangladesh government's dairy farm, artificial insemination lab, and quality control lab in Savar, and visited commercial dairy farms in Saidpur, said the US Embassy Monday.
In the last 50 years, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Agency for International Development worked closely with Bangladesh to develop the country's livestock industry.
HC directs UGC to find out about pvt unis' benefits for FF children, underprivileged
The High Court has asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) for information on the number of students at private universities availing benefits as offspring of freedom fighters, or stipends as poor or under-privileged since 2010.
Besides, the court also asked the UGC to report how much money has been allotted for research by the private universities since 2010.
UGC will have to submit the information to the High Court within the next 60 days.
The bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order with a rule on Monday.
In the rule, the court also wanted to know why the inaction of the government in implementation of a law to facilitate 6 percent of the student body at private universities from poor backgrounds should not be declared illegal.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, counsel for writ petitioners the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said: "According to section 9(4) of the Private Universities Act, 6 percent seats should be reserved for the children of freedom fighters and meritorious students every year. According to section 9(6) of the law, a certain portion of the budget fixed by the University Grants Commission should be kept for research in the budget of private universities every year. These accounts must be sent to UCG. The UGC will later send the report to the ministry, and the ministry will send it to the parliamentary committee. They will take necessary action. We have tried to find out on behalf of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, and our investigation found that since 2010, no private university has met these requirements."
READ: HC orders probe on ‘disappearance’ of birth and death registration info
The education secretary and UGC chairman are among those made respondents of the rule and they have to explain to the court within the next four weeks.
The court has also fixed August 14 for the next hearing on the writ.
Deputy Attorney General Bipul Bagmar stood for the state.
Architect Mubasshar Hussein, on behalf of CAB, filed the writ petition last week.
Rohingya repatriation should be UNHCR's priority: Momen
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said the repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine state should be the priority of the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
They should work there to create an environment conducive to the sustainable repatriation of the persecuted people, he added.
"Our priority is the return of Rohingyas (to Myanmar). Your (UNHCR) priority should be the return of Rohingyas, too," Momen said, adding that Bangladesh does not endorse any remarks that might encourage the Rohingyas to stay back here.
READ: FM Momen rues long delay in Teesta deal with India
He made the remarks while responding to a question at his office Monday.
According to the foreign minister, there has been "no conflict" in Rakhine in the last five years, and it is "the right time" for the Rohingyas to go back.
Momen said he also raised the issue Wednesday when United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi met him.
Proactive engagement of the international community in confidence-building among the Rohingya people is crucial for a sustainable repatriation, he added.
India to supply additional 1500 MW of electricity to Bangladesh: Jaishankar
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said an additional 1500 MW of electricity is in pipeline from India to Bangladesh.
India currently supplies 1160 MW of electricity to Bangladesh.
Addressing a “NADI (River) Conclave 2022” in Guwahati recently, Jaishankar also said that inside Bangladesh, India is collaborating on a series of road projects, including improving the Ashuganj River Port-Akhaura Land Port Road under an LoC of more than US$ 400 million, reports The Economic Times.
“The road project connecting Baruerhat to Ramgarh on the India-Bangladesh border, which will increase Tripura’s road connectivity with Bangladesh, is also being implemented under another LoC of US$ 80.06 million,” he said.
READ: Bangladesh produces 14,001MW of electricity: A new record
Cross-border power transmission lines and digital connectivity infrastructure offer additional dimensions of connectivity, Jaishankar said, adding that the international gateway between Agartala and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh is helping to provide faster internet access and broadband services in Tripura.
“We will be reviewing all these developments and more at the Joint Consultative Commission Meeting with my Bangladesh counterpart in mid-June,” the Indian minister said.
The external affairs minister said that hydropower too offers great scope for cooperation, and this is relevant even more in an era of climate action.
LGRD Minister calls for differentiated pricing of water for rich and poor
Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam directed Water Supply And Sewerage Authority(WASA) to increase price in upper class area to provide water to lower class or slum dwellers at a subsidized price.
“Not only water, service costs of other utilities like holding tax, gas, electricity should also be fixed based on different zones,” said the minister.
The Minister made the directions at a seminar titled ‘Joint Research Project on Covid-19” by Dhaka WASA and ICDDR,B in the capital on Monday.
READ: LGRD minister bins Bangladesh's comparison with Sri Lanka
He said no organization can run on providing subsidies. “There is no scope to provide water to the rich at a lower price by taking revenue from the poor. WASA holds the authority to increase or lower water prices but it is not justified to give water at Tk 15 when the production cost is Tk 25.”
“Yes, it can be given at a subsidised price for low-income earners but not for the aristocrats living in elite areas. We need to establish equitable development,” he added.
Minister Tajul Islam also directed to install new pipe lines and take actions against those who are taking or giving illegal connections to ensure providing safe water to Dhaka dwellers.
He said, “WASA provides germ free water but when illegal connections are taken and not fitted properly germ enters or it grows in the overhead or reserve tanks of the houses.”
“In an area pipelines are at first laid to supply water to 5,000 homes but later the population gets multiplied over time and as a result a water crisis occurs. The number of users in Dhaka is much higher than the supply of water” said the minister.