bangladesh
National logistics strategy underscored at BUILD’s meeting
Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) and Prime Minister’s Office jointly organised the Logistics Infrastructure Development Working Committee meeting on Saturday.
The virtual meeting was co-chaired by Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office, and Abul Kasem Khan, Chairperson of BUILD.
Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah started by attesting that Bangladesh cannot move forward without supporting the private sector during this worldwide economic transition period.
He said, logistics needs more investment, and the existing policy needs reforms so that more investment is made. He recommended that the sector should be based on technology and skill.
Adding that the private sector should also assist with value-backed data, he emphasised advocacy for logistics.
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Abul Kasem Khan, Chairperson of BUILD informed that developing countries invest 9-10% of their GDP to improve their logistics environment.
“Success stories of China, India, and Vietnam stand out as best practices in logistics. The return on investment is one of the highest in the world. Structural reform is required to mitigate key bottlenecks of the logistics system in Bangladesh. Logistics sector should be declared as a thrust sector besides a high priority sector and proper incentives should be declared to attract local and foreign investment.”
Rizwan Rahman, President, DCCI, focused on the specific solution as: (1) logistics should be included in the industrial policy as a sector, (2) privatisation of airports, seaports, railroads is the demand of time, 3) decentralisation of industrialisation should be incentivised to attract investment, (4) Special Procurement Act should be considered to prepare logistics policy.
Mahbubul Alam, President, CCCI, said that there is no policy on the in-out time of container trucks in Chattogram.
The establishment of a central truck terminal may reduce the congestion stemming from this and water connectivity may reduce over-dependency on the road, he said.
Ferdaus Ara Begum, CEO, BUILD in her presentation informed that BUILD and the Ministry of Industries are working together to include logistics as a high priority sector and declare investment incentives for logistics and its sub-sectors in a separate chapter of the upcoming National Industrial Policy 2021.
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Formulation and implementation of the National Integrated Logistics Policy or Master Plan could help attract investment and increase export competitiveness to realize the targets of 8th Five Years Plan and Perspective Plan 2041.
It was decided in the meeting that two issues will be presented in the 3rd meeting of LIDWC, (1) framework or position paper will be prepared to set the national target of reducing logistics cost and (2) outline to prepare National Logistics Policy/Plan/Strategy.
Tatiana Peralta Quiros, Senior Transport Specialist of World Bank Group made the keynote on Reducing Logistics Costs to Enhance Bangladesh’s Trade Competitiveness and Export Growth.
She said that logistics cost increases the overall production and business operation cost by 4.5-48%. Implementation of three initiatives like reducing dwell times at Chattogram Port and national highways congestion along with initiation of national logistics strategy would increase overall export of Bangladesh by 19%.
Captain Kamrul Islam Mazumder, Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) said that increased cost of fuel will increase the cost of doing business as well as the cost of container handling transport cost while Syed Ershad Ahmed, President, AmCham stressed on proper utilization of Pangaon Port and Dherasram Project which should be linked with temperature-controlled logistics. 98% of the freight forwards operators in Bangladesh suffers from lack of modern technology and equipment.
Kabir Ahmed, President, BAFFA urged on proper utilization and equipping of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, one of the most important gateways to export for Bangladesh. Sectoral recognition and policy reform for the sub sectors of logistics should be ensured.
The meeting was attended by Zubaida Nasreen, Director General-I, PMO, Anisur Rahman, Director-1, PMO and Mohammad Lutfullah, Senior Private Sector Specialist, International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group including representatives from 16 government ministries and private sector leaders.
SSC, equivalent exams begin Sunday
The much-awaited Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations will begin on Sunday, maintaining health protocols.
Usually, the SSC examinations are held in February but this year these could not be held as per schedule due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
An uncertainty was created over the public examination due to prolonged Covid-forced closure of educational institutions and Delta variant-driven resurgence of Covid cases from the beginning of the year.
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With the improvement in the Covid situation, the government finally reopened educational institutions on September 13 and on September 27, and it announced plans to hold the SSC and HSC examinations with shortened syllabuses.
Some 22,27,113 students are expected to take part in the SSC and equivalent examinations this time while the number was 20,46,779 last time.
The number of candidates has increased by 1,79,334 with a growth rate of 8.76 per cent.
The examinations will be held with short syllabuses on three elective subjects on a group basis.
About 18,00,998 candidates will sit for the SSC examinations under nine general education boards, 3,01,887 for Dakhil exams under Madrasa Education Board and 1,24,228 for vocational exams under Bangladesh Technical Education Board this year.
Besides, 429 students will take part in the examination from abroad. Some 3,679 centers are set to sit for the SSC exam across the country.
This year, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and other social media will be monitored to prevent question paper leak. If any ID is suspected, law enforcers will monitor and take immediate action.
The decision was taken at a meeting on the security of SSC exams with law enforcement agencies at the Ministry of Education on October 13.
READ: SSC exams: Coaching centres to remain shut from Nov 8 to 25
According to the schedule, the SSC and its equivalent examinations will end on November 23.
Educational institutions across the country were closed in March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure was extended several times.
Last year’s HSC examinees were evaluated on the basis of their results of JSC and SSC exams, a decision which received a mixed reaction.
Daniel Seidl describes an upbeat account of Bangladesh in his book
Daniel Seidl, a German citizen, has described the development and achievements of Bangladesh in an engaging and upbeat account in his book, marking the 50 years of Bangladesh.
The book, formally launched by Daniel Seidl at a ceremony at Economic Reporter Forum (ERF) in the capital on Saturday, is considered as the first-ever such work by a foreign national on Bangladesh.
Having been associated with Bangladesh for long 25 years, the author not only gives a general overview of facts but also addresses future-relevant issues.
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Seidl describes the development and transformation of Bangladesh that had to fight hard for its liberation, emerging from the struggle for independent and transformation to become a global manufacturing hub with exceptional economic growth.
Driver, helper held over death of 10-year-old girl in city road crash
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested a bus driver and his helper from Tongi and Abdullahpur areas of the capital on Friday night in connection with the death of a 10-year-old girl.
The arrestees are bus driver of Raida Paribahan Raju Mia, 25, son of Hossain Mia and Imran Hossain, 33, helper of the bus driver and son of Sohrab Hossain.
Tipped off, a team of Rab-1 conducted separate drives after examining CCTV footages and arrested Raju and Imran.
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Mariam Akter, 10, daughter of Rony Mia, a private car driver, was crushed under the wheels of a bus of ‘Raida Paribahan’ while she was getting down from it on November 9.
Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab legal and media wing, at a press briefing said after primary interrogation it was known that Mariam used to beg and she boarded the bus on that day to beg money from the passengers.
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The bus driver and the helper asked her to get down. When she was trying to get down hurriedly the bust started to move and she was crushed under its wheels in front of Jamuna Future Park area in the city.
Covid: Students in Manikganj queue up for a shot in the arm
Senior students of Government Debendra College in Manikganj formed queues at a Covid jab centre in Sadar upazila on Saturday to get a shot in the arm.
Some 1,542 Class 12 students of the college are slated to get Covid jabs during the day as part of the government's ongoing drive to vaccinate school-goers of the 12-17 age group against Covid-19.
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Authorities of the local health department said that these students would get the first dose of a Covid vaccine at Health Training Center in Sadar upazila on Saturday.
The vaccination drive began around 9am in four booths -- male and female separate -- set up at the centre. Besides, 14,000 more Higher Secondary Certificate examinees will be vaccinated in phases in the district.
Dr Lutfur Rahman, the acting Civil Surgeon of the district, said that the Bangladesh government has set a target to vaccinate 50,000 students under the campaign.
In fact, the campaign to vaccinate the school students against Covid-19 began in Dhaka on November 1.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Education Minister Dipu Moni had jointly inaugurated the vaccination campaign at Motijheel Ideal School and College.
Read: France to donate 2mn doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh: FM
According to health authorities, so far, 6.23 lakh people have received the first dose in the district, while 3.42 lakh people in the district got both the doses of a Covid jab.
Dhaka University ‘Cha’ unit admission test results on Sunday
The results of Dhaka University’s ‘Cha’ unit admission test under the Fine Arts Faculty for the 2020-21 academic session will be published on Sunday.
Vice-Chancellor of the university Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman will announce the results at 12.00 pm at Professor Abdul Matin Chowdhury virtual classroom, said a DU press release on Saturday.
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Admission test results can be checked through official admission website admission.eis.du.ac.bd. It can also be checked by sending mobile SMS as per the instruction mentioned in the admit card.
The admission test of ‘Cha unit’ was held on October 9 where a total of 15,496 admission seekers vied against 135 available seats.
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Two sisters killed in Laxmipur road accident
Two sisters riding pillion on their uncle's bike were killed after being run over by a speeding truck in the Palerhat area of the Laxmipur-Ramganj highway on Saturday morning, police said.
The deceased were identified as Sanjida Akhter, daughter of Arif Hossain of Raipur upazila, and Famida, daughter of Alamgir Hossain. Sanjida and Famida were cousins.
Read: 3 farm workers killed in Sirajganj road crash
Sanjida, a Class VIII student of Laxmipur Govt Girls School, and Famida, a IX grader of Dhaka Segunbagicha High School, were on their way to their grandfather's house when the accident occurred.
The sisters were ran over by the killer truck when they fell off their uncle's bike after he suddenly lost control of the two-wheeler on the high-speed corridor, police said.
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Agitated passersby caught the truck driver and handed him over to the police. They dispersed only after cops assured them of action in the case.
"Legal action will be taken against the truck driver after a probe," said a officer from Laxmipur Model Thana.
UP member killing sparks protests in Gaibandha
Local people on Saturday blocked Gaibandha-Sundarganj road at Laxmipur Bazar in Sadar upazila demanding exemplary punishment of killer of newly-elected member of Laxmipur union parishad Abdur Rauf Master.
They took to the streets in the morning and staged demonstrations protesting the killing of Abdur Rauf .
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They also placed logs on the road and set a tyre afire around 10 am, halting traffic movement for about four and a half hours.
Earlier, on Friday night, Abdur Rauf, a newly elected member of Laxmipur union parishad, was killed by a youth in Gobindapur village of Sadar upazila.
Police claimed to have arrested a man, identified as Rezaul, in connection with the murder.
Touhidul Islam, superintendent of Gaibandha Police, said “A compliant was lodged with Sadar Police on Saturday and the attacker might have killed him over previous enmity.”
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Khaleda to be taken to Evercare Hospital again today
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will be taken to Evercare Hospital again on Saturday for follow-up treatment, nearly a week after she was discharged from the same hospital.
"Madam [Khaleda] will be taken to Evercare Hospital around 3pm today (Saturday) for follow-up treatment and health checkups. All the arrangements have been made in this regard at the hospital,” said the BNP chief’s media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
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On Oct 12, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital for the second time with fever and some other health complications.
She returned home on November 7 from the hospital after treatment for 26 days.
Khaleda’s doctors said they discharged Khaleda from the hospital as her condition improved.
On October 25, the BNP chief underwent a surgery and biopsy test at Evercare Hospital as she had a small lump in one part of her body.
Later, her biopsy report was sent to the USA and the UK for review and no sign of cancer was detected.
The BNP chief’s doctors said she has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ophthalmological and dental complications.
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Her family applied to the government twice in May and August this year seeking permission to take her abroad for better treatment, but the government turned it down saying there is no scope for a convicted person to avail of such a scope.
Earlier on April 27, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital with Covid infections. She received treatment there until June 19 for post-Covid complications and some other underlying health problems.
Woman attempts suicide after killing son in Sirajganj
A mentally retarded woman tried to end her life after allegedly killing her five-year-old son in Chandidasgati village of Sadar upazila on Friday night.
The deceased was identified as Limon, son of Imrul Kayesh and Lipi Khatun.
Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, said that Lipi suffocated her son to death when other family members were busy with household chores.
Read: Gaibandha: UP member killed by youth
Later, he tried to kill herself by slitting her wrist with a blade. However, she was rescued by the family members and rushed to a local hospital.
"We have taken the body into our custody. A probe is also on," the OC said.
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