bangladesh
Strong, modern UK-Bangladesh financial partnership can be mutually beneficial: Rushanara
A strong and modern UK-Bangladesh financial sector partnership has potential for mutual benefits, the UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy for Bangladesh Rushanara Ali MP said recently.
"The basic ingredients already exist: Bangladeshi banks are present in the UK, and British financial services companies like HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank, operate in Bangladesh. Others, including insurance companies, are exploring the market," she added.
Rushanara also applauded the economic goals Bangladesh has set to reach an upper-middle-income status by 2031 and high-income status by 2041.
The British High Commission in Bangladesh recently organised a webinar titled "Bangladesh Capital Markets: A New Frontier."
Planning Minister MA Mannan attended the event as chief guest. He was joined by Rushanara Ali.
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson delivered the welcome remarks. Deputy British High Commissioner Javed Patel and Development Director Judith Herbertson moderated different sessions.
The webinar explored the functioning of Bangladesh's capital markets and looked at how capital market reform and financial sector modernisation in partnership with the UK can support increased private sector investment and help Bangladesh achieve sustained economic growth as it enters its next 50 years.
Also, the event highlighted the need for broadening and deepening Bangladeshi capital markets and the opportunities for investors and issuers that reforms could bring.
Participants shared insights on the role of regulators, the important role pension funds and institutional investors could play, the private equity and start-up ecosystem, and the current state of the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market.
The discussion demonstrated how well the Bangladesh economy is performing relative to its neighbours and how best it can build on that success and improve its attractiveness to investors.
HSBC Bangladesh CEO Md Mahbubur Rahman said: "Despite challenges, Bangladesh's economy has proved to be resilient with consistently high growth in the last decade and growth volatility below the regional average. With constraints to investment by the public and private sectors like power and infrastructure gradually being addressed, Bangladesh has momentum in its favour as the country graduates from a least developed country to a developing one in 2026."
Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh CEO Naser Ezaz Bijoy said, "Bangladesh is getting ripe for M&A activities on the back of a probable post-pandemic K-shaped economic recovery, consolidation of market players, and significant unrealised potential of the country. However, the scope of M&A activities is much wider than the sale of distressed assets, and can enable both private and public sector companies to unlock greater value for themselves and their clients."
Nuzhat Anwar, the International Finance Corporation's acting country manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, said: "Well-developed domestic capital markets can be key to building more resilient financial systems – systems that better mobilise local currency finance from domestic and foreign investors and connect them to investments."
Srini Nagarajan, head of Asia for CDC, the UK’s development finance institution, said: "Bangladesh is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and we believe it could emerge as one of the strongest economies in South Asia. Since 2020, it has increased its market capitalisation by over a third. The opportunities for investors and businesses are abundant, and greater coordination between institutional investors, regulators, entrepreneurs and corporates, and banks will further support capital market development in Bangladesh."
Robert Chatterton Dickson highlighted the role London can play in helping to bridge the investment needs of Bangladesh's private sector.
He said: "Private capital investment in business and infrastructure will play an increasing role in powering the next stage of Bangladesh's growth after the country's graduation from the least developed category. Developing new channels of investment finance, both domestic and international, will spur business growth and job creation."
"London, as a preeminent global financial centre and home to some of the world's deepest and most sophisticated international capital markets, can play an important part in providing Bangladesh's government and private sector with a gateway to capital markets and investors," he added.
The webinar was also attended by senior government officials and representatives from private and public sector organisations including Sultana Afroz, secretary and CEO of Public Private Partnership Authority, Prime Minister's Office; Professor Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, Henry Tillman, chairman of Grisons Peak Services, Ifty Islam, chairman of Asian Tiger Capital, Fahim Ahmed, president of Pathao, Nishant Kumar, managing director of Asia at GuarantCo, Fiona Stewart, lead financial sector specialist at the World Bank, and Tarique Amin Bhuiyan, managing director of the Dhaka Stock Exchange.
Female tourist hurt during landing after parasailing at Cox’s Bazar
A female tourist on Thursday sustained a severe leg injury while landing after parasailing at Darianagar point of the Cox’s Bazar beach.
The injured was identified as Tinni Akter, 26, a resident of Khilkhet area in Dhaka.
Tinni’s husband Tariqul Islam said his wife went on a 5 minute parasailing ride costing Tk 2000.
As she was landing, her legs hit the beach first and she sustained severe injury on both legs, he said.
Her condition can be known after an operation at a private hospital in Cox's Bazar, said the husband.
Meanwhile, Parvej, a local, said the operator of the parasailing service owned by trader Farid Alam took the woman on a ride at 6 pm breaking the rules.
The accident happened due to darkness, he said.
Owner of the parasailing service Farid Alam couldn’t be contacted over phone in this regard.
Executive Magistrate (tourism cell) Sayed Murad Islam said, we are looking into the matter of breaking rules during the parasailing. Actions will be taken against the owner and driver if found guilty, he said.
Slander against prophet: President of puja celebration committee arrested
The president of the puja celebration committee of Bhola was arrested Thursday on suspicion of making slanderous comments on Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) on Facebook messenger.
Gouranga Chandra Dey was arrested under section 54 of the penal code and produced before court, said district police Superintendent Sarkar Mohammad Kaysar.
According to police sources, screenshots of messenger chat between two FB profiles named Gouranga and Jay Raam went viral on social media on Wednesday night.
In this regard Gouranga Chandra Dey himself filed a general diary at the police station the same night.
Meanwhile some miscreants damaged a personal vehicle of Gouranga by throwing brick chips.
On Thursday afternoon, activists of Islami Andolan Bangladesh north district branch gathered in front of Hatkhola Mosque premises in protest of the incident. The organization demanded exemplary punishment for the real accused and gave a 72-hour ultimatum to investigate the matter.
Police Super Mohamad Kaysar said Gouranga Chandra’s house is currently under police protection and investigation is going on to identify the real culprits.
Brac for increasing partner NGOs' capacity to better serve people
Brac Executive Director Asif Saleh has called for bringing dynamism to partner NGOs by increasing their existing capacities for improving the socio-economic conditions of disadvantaged people.
It is also important to look into how effectively and realistically these capacities can be used in emergency humanitarian assistance activities, he said.
Asif came up with the remarks while exchanging views with senior officials of Brac's partner NGOs at the development organisation's Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) office in Cox's Bazar town Wednesday, according to a media statement.
Sajedul Hasan, director of Brac humanitarian programme, KAM Morshed, senior director of advocacy for social change of migration and partnership strengthening unit, Hasina Akhter Huq, area director of HCMP, and others were present on the occasion.
Asif said: "We have to give importance to our development plan along with suggestions and development plans of international development organisations. Also, we need to design our plan of action for improving the conditions of deprived people, taking their basic demand and problems into consideration."
"We need to fix targets as per importance; strategic partnership and implementation capacity must be considered in this regard. Then it would help us in bringing dynamism in future activities," he added.
Over 20 representatives, including top officials of six partner NGOs of Brac, attended the meeting.
The six partner NGOs are Society for Health Extension and Development, Programme for Helpless And Lagged Societies, Alliance for Cooperation and Legal Aid Bangladesh, Gago Nari Unnayon Sangstha, NONGOR, and Help Cox's Bazar.
Representatives of the NGOs appreciated the steps taken up by Brac for improving the living conditions of local people.
To face future challenges, top Brac officials underscored formulating a budget, bringing dynamism and ensuring transparency, considering programme objectives and limitation of resources.
Indian High Commission celebrates 'ITEC Day 2021' in Dhaka
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka Thursday hosted a reception in the capital to celebrate the "57th Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day."
Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury graced the occasion as the chief guest and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami was also present.
ITEC, a flagship programme of India, was instituted in 1964 as part of the country's development assistance programme. Within this framework, India is offering the developing countries the benefit of its development experience and appropriate technologies.
Every year, more than 10,000 training slots are offered to 161 partner countries for training courses in areas such as accounts, audit, management, small and medium-sized business, rural development, and parliamentary affairs, according to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
PM flies for Finland Friday morning on her way to UNGA
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave for Finland on Friday morning as part of a two-week official visit to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 76) in New York, USA.
It is her first foreign trip since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. She is going to join the UNGA for the 18th time as the head of government of Bangladesh and will address the UNGA general debate on September 24.
Besides, Sheikh Hasina will attend the opening session of the UNGA general debate on September 21 and other sideline events in the UN headquarters (UNHQ) on September 20-24. She will also have talks with a number of leaders during her stay in New York. The PM is expected to return home on October 1 next.
The Prime Minister will depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Helsinki, Finland, by a VVIP chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG-1901) at 9am on Friday. The flight is scheduled to land at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport at 4:00pm (local time) on Friday, said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim on Thursday.
On September 19 (Sunday), Sheikh Hasina will leave Helsinki for New York by a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG-1902) at 3pm (local time). The flight is scheduled to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York at 6pm (local time).
She will stay at the Hotel Lotte Palace during her stay in New York from September 19 to 25.
On September 20 (Monday), the PM will attend a closed-door meeting for a small group of HOSs/HOGs on climate change at the UNHQ at 9am, plant a tree and dedicate a bench at the UN Gardens at 11:30am in honour of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of his birth centenary, and lay a floral wreath at the Peace Memorial at the North Lawn of UNHQ at 11:50am.
On Monday, Sheikh Hasina will sit in two separate bilateral meetings with EU Council President Charles Michel at 12:30pm (local time) and with Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at 2:45pm at her place of residence. Besides, she will join a virtual event of Sustainable Development Solution Network at 4:00pm.
Read: Vaccine equity, Rohingya, climate change on top of Hasina’s UNGA agenda
On September 21 (Tuesday), the PM will attend the opening session of the UNGA general debate at 9:00pm, sit in a bilateral meeting with Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in the afternoon and join Business Roundtable on US-Bangladesh Business Council at 4:00pm at the place of residence.
On September 22 (Wednesday), Sheikh Hasina will virtually attend three events. The events are the high-level meeting of the UNGA to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at 9:00am, White House Global Covid-19 Summit: Ending the Pandemic and building back better, and a high level side event on Rohingya crisis: imperatives for a sustainable solution at 3:00pm.
On September 23 (Thursday), the Bangladesh PM will attend two programmes by sending her prerecorded statements. These are the Leaders’ Network on ‘delivering on the UN common agenda: Action to achieve equality and inclusion’ to be organised by Swedish Mission to the UN at 8:00am, and the Food Systems Summit, as part of the decade of action to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, convened by the UNSG at 1:00pm.
On Thursday, Sheikh Hasina will sit in four separate bilateral meetings with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands at the place of residence, UN Secretary-General António Guterres at 1:30pm, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at 2:00pm and Vietnam President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc at 2:40pm at the UNHQ.
On September 24 (Friday), the Bangladesh Prime Minister will address the UNGA 76 general debate in the morning, sit in a bilateral meeting with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte at UNHQ, and will virtually join a community programme.
On September 25 (Saturday), Sheikh Hasina will depart New York for Washington DC by a Biman flight at 8:00am. She will stay in Washington DC from 25 to 30 September.
Hasina is scheduled to leave Washington for Dhaka on 30 September and will return home on October 1 after a stopover in Finland.
HC dismisses rule on appointing 1650 deputy assistant agriculture officers
The High Court on Thursday dismissed a rule issued upon a writ petition filed over appointing 1650 deputy assistant agriculture officers at the Department of Agricultural Extension.
A HC bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order during a final hearing on the rule issued in this regard..
Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed said with this order the appointment process of those officers has become legal.
Barrister Rokon Udin Mahmud, advocate Prabir Niogi, Subrata Kumar Kundu and Salauddin Regan presented the petitioner’s side at the court while Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed and Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Ray stood for the state.
On January 23, 2018 a notification was published to appoint 1,650 deputy assistant agriculture officers.
On January 17, 2020 after written exam and viva voce the results for the job examination were published.
Thirty-four of the attendees at the viva exam sent a petition to the Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension and the Agriculture secretary complaining of not following the quota system properly during the appointments.
Later Md Rashedul Islam and other candidates for the post filed a writ petition at the court after receiving no reply from the authorities.
HC directs lawyers to settle custody dispute over Japanese children in 12 days
The High Court on Thursday directed the concerned lawyers to settle the custodial dispute between Bangladeshi father Imran Sharif and Japanese mother Nakano Erico over their two daughters within 12 days.
Imran Sharif's senior lawyer Rokanuddin Mahmud and Eriko Nakano's lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir have been asked to meet and come to an amicable settlement over the matter by September 28.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition.
The HC bench also ruled that Eriko and Imran will stay with their daughters at the Gulshan residence in Dhaka, where they are currently staying.
Eriko will stay with the children from 8am on September 17 (Friday,)till 8am on September 18 (Saturday) and Imran will stay with the children from 8am on September 18 for the next 24 hours, according to the HC.
The similar arrangement will continue till September 28.
The HC also instructed to share the expenses of the residence where the two kids are now residing.
The bench also fixed September 28 for further hearing and delivering a final verdict on the matter.
On August 31, the HC directed the authorities concerned to shift the two children of Imran and Eriko to a residence at the capital's Gulshan from the victim support to ensure their welfare and a family environment for them.
Passenger movement through land ports relaxed: MoFA
Cross-border movement of passengers through land ports has been relaxed, considering the Covid-19 scenario in Bangladesh and the region.
With the lifting of the restrictions Thursday, passengers travelling to Bangladesh through land ports will no longer be required to obtain any objection certificate (NOC) from Bangladesh missions abroad.
Also, passengers exiting from the country through land ports will not be required to provide prior intimation to the concerned Bangladesh authorities before their exit.
The regular immigration hours and days will resume with immediate effect at the currently operational six land ports – Benapole, Akhaura, Sonamasjid, Hili, Darshana and Burimari – for cross border movement of passengers.
Read: MoFA introduces Public Diplomacy wing
Youth held with 1.162 kg of gold bars smuggled from Myanmar
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained a youth with seven gold bars weighing 1.162 kg on Thursday at Ukhiya-Marichya joint check post while smuggling them from Myanmar.
The arrestee was identified as Md Rifat,20, hailing from Bandarban .
Commander of 30-BGB, Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Faruque said, tipped off about a smuggling gang illegally entering Bangladesh from Myanmar with huge amount of gold, search operation at Marichya bazaar, Marichya-Goalia road, Marichya check post and other important points was intensified.
Around 10 am , BGB members held a CNG carrying Ibrahim for checking and recovered the gold bars from him.
In primary interrogation the arrestee confessed of smuggling the gold bars across the country after buying them from a Myanmar citizen at Tamabru border.
The youth was handed over to Ramu police station and the gold bars were submitted to Cox’s Bazar treasury office.