bangladesh
PM to visit Rome later this month to attend UN Food Systems Summit; bilateral deals on energy, migration likely
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit Rome, Italy later this month to discuss bilateral issues and attend the UN Food Systems Summit.
The 2023 UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment will be held in Rome, Italy on July 24-26 at the premises of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
It will be hosted by Italy in collaboration with the Rome-based UN Agencies (FAO, IFAD, WFP), the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and the wider UN system.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to be in Rome from July 23, said a diplomatic source.
Also read: PM Hasina to visit Japan on April 25-28
She is likely to have a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni during the visit.
PM Hasina will speak at the Food System Summit in Rome while her Italy visit is likely to see the signing of half a dozen bilateral documents in the areas of energy, migration, ICT and cyber security.
Bangladesh and Italy have been discussing a possible memorandum of understanding (MoU ) on mobility and migration — to encourage regular migration and prevent irregular ones.
“We want to go further in our cooperation on migration issues. In particular, creating and enlarging the existing legal channels or legal pathways for migration while stemming the irregular one,”
Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Enrico Nunziata told UNB in an interview recently.
Also read: PM leaves Geneva for home ending 3-day visit
The envoy said the two countries have to deepen cooperation for preventing irregular migration, trafficking and so on.
Ambassador Nunziata recalled one of the deliverables during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Italy in 2020 — reinsertion of Bangladesh in the list of countries whose nationals can benefit from a quota for work.
Talking about collaboration in the defence sector, he said there is possibility of collaboration and transfer of know-how as well on a win-win basis. “So this is another important sector.”
The ambassador said a memorandum of understanding in the cultural sphere for programmes of cultural exchanges is also in the pipeline.
Also read: PM to brief media on the outcome of her Switzerland visit on Wednesday
The Italian ambassador also said they want to collaborate in the shipbuilding industry for the Navy or Coast Guard by sharing know-how and technologies with Bangladesh. “I mean that level of know-how that Bangladesh has not reached in shipbuilding yet. Together we can do more on that in shipbuilding as well as in other sectors.”
The 2023 UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment will build on the momentum of the 2021 Food Systems Summit and will create a conducive space for countries to review commitments to action that were made during the Summit, share stories of success and early signs of transformation, maintain the momentum for bold acceleration and bold action to further the resilience of food systems, advocate for their adaptation to climate change, ensure they contribute to communities’ resilience to further shocks and crises, and boost the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Read more: PM Hasina leaves for Geneva to attend World of Work Summit
Transport worker hit by train dies in Dhaka’s Malibagh
A transport worker has died after being hit by a train at Dhaka’s Malibagh rail crossing.
The deceased was identified as Najir Ahmed (40), son of late Abul Hossain of Chattogram’s Chawkbazar upazila.
Also read: Saudi expatriate killed as train hits him in Dhaka's Malibagh
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Dhaka Railway Police Station Faruk Ahmed said the body was recovered from the spot and sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue on Thursday morning after legal proceedings.
Najir was hit by a train and died on the spot after suffering severe head injuries on the railway crossing, ASI Faruk said, quoting witnesses.
Also read: 70-year old jumps before train in Dhaka’s Khilgaon, dies
Najir Ahmed used to work with a bus service at Malibagh Railway Gate and used to stay there.
Flood situation in Netrokona’s low-lying areas may improve in 24 hours: FFWC
Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) predicted that the flood situation in low-lying areas of Netrokona districts may improve in 24 hours.
FFWC, in its regular bulletin, said Brahmaputra River remains unchanged but Jamuna river water is in a rising trend, which may continue in 24 hours starting from 9 am on Thursday (July 06, 2023).
Read: Rise in Teesta water may cause short-term flood in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari in 24 hours: FFWC warns
Water in the Ganga-Padma Rivers is in a rising trend, which may continue in 72hours, it reads.
Besides, major rivers in the northeastern region of the country are in a falling trend except Khowai, Monu and Dhalai, which may continue in 48 hours, the bulletin said.
Read more: Better flood management: China offers assistance for dredging rivers in Bangladesh
Indian External Affairs secretary Saurabh Kumar in Dhaka
Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India Saurabh Kumar is visiting Bangladesh.
He arrived in Dhaka on Thursday to discuss BIMSTEC issues with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
Read: Over 50% of trafficked children victims of domestic trafficking: IOM-Harvard Report
Director General (South Asia) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs A.T.M. Rokebul Haque received Secretary Saurabh Kumarupon his arrival in Dhaka.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma was also present.
Weather forecast: Light to moderate rain likely in Dhaka, other parts of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers in Dhaka and seven other divisions of the country over 24 hours, starting from 9 am today (July 06, 2023).
“Light to moderate rain/thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions; and at many places in Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country,” said a Met Office bulletin.
Read: Rain, few vehicles on the street during Eid holidays make Dhaka air quality ‘moderate’
Day temperature may fall slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
The axis of monsoon trough runs through India’s Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal to Assam across the central part of Bangladesh. One of its associated troughs extends up to North Bay.
Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay.
4 dead, 3 injured as truck collides with ambulance in Gopalganj
Four people were dead and three sustained injuries in a head-on collision between a truck and an ambulance at Purba Miapara of Gopalganj Sadaru pazila on the Dhaka-Khulna highway around 7 am today.
At the time of filing this report, one of the four victims was identified. The identified deceased was Momin, driver of the ambulance.
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Injured truck driver Md Ali said, "I left Dhaka, and when I reached Gopalganj, suddenly I saw an ambulance coming from the wrong side at a fast pace. I had a total of four people on my truck; I don’t know how they’re doing.”
Officer-in-Charge of Gopalganj Sadar Police Station Md Jabed Masud said the accident occurred while a Dhaka-bound ambulance collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction at Purba Miapara area of Gopalganj Sadar on Dhaka-Khulna highway, leaving three people dead on the spot and four injured.
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On information, police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot and took the injured to the Gopalganj 250-bed General Hospital, where the ambulance driver succumbed to his injuries, the officer added.
Over 50% of trafficked children victims of domestic trafficking: IOM-Harvard Report
A report conducted by International Organization for Migration (IOM) and François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University (FXB) revealed that more than half of child trafficking victims are trafficked within their own countries.
The report also found that in cases of international trafficking, children are mostly trafficked to neighbouring, wealthier countries.
Close to half of the child victims of trafficking were being trafficked for forced labour (mainly boys), in a wide range of industries, such as domestic work, begging and agriculture. Sexual exploitation, including through prostitution, pornography, and sexual servitude, is also prominent — affecting 20 percent of trafficked children, predominantly girls.
According to the report titled ‘From Evidence to Action: Twenty Years of IOM Child Trafficking Data to Inform Policy and Programming’, child victims trafficked for sexual exploitation were commonly trafficked internationally, while those trafficked for forced labour were more likely to be trafficked domestically. Involvement of family and friends in their recruitment, is a prominent trend with more than half of child victims experiencing this.
Read: US condemns murder of labour leader Shahidul Islam, calls on authorities to hold perpetrators accountable
Irina Todorova, Head of IOM’s Core Protection Unit said, “The report shows that child trafficking is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon that continues to spread and evolve within and across borders. No age range, no gender, and no nationality is immune to child trafficking; it is a truly global phenomenon.”
For instance, boys were almost twice as likely to be trafficked as children than girls and had 39 percent less likelihood of being trafficked internationally than domestically, as compared to girls, it said.
The report further stated that victims with little or no education were more than 20 times more likely to be trafficked than victims who had attended high school while children from low-income countries were five times more likely to be trafficked as a child (rather than as an adult) when compared to victims from high-income countries.
Read: Better flood management: China offers assistance for dredging rivers in Bangladesh
Child dies after falling into under-construction drain in Chuadanga
A three-and-a-half-year-old girl died after falling into an under-construction drain at Collegepara of Alamdanga municipality in Chuadanga district on Wednesday evening.
The deceased was identified as Samia, daughter of Rokonuzzaman, resident of Collegepara area.
Read: 5 children drown in Noakhali
Alamdanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Biplob Kumar Nath said that Samia fell into an under-construction drain that was not covered on Wednesday evening while playing in front of her father's shop on Collegepara road.
Locals recovered her body from the water in the drain around 9:30 pm, the OC added.
Monsoon keeps Dhaka’s air quality ‘moderate’
Dhaka's air quality is ‘moderate’ this morning (July 6, 2023) as monsoon is fairly active in Bangladesh.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 64, the capital of Bangladesh ranked 27th in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality at 8:30 am today.
Delhi of India, Johannesburg of South Africa and Jakarta of Indonesia occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 170, 157, and 159, respectively.
Read: 5 children drown in Noakhali
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered ‘good’ while an AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. Meanwhile, an AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘poor’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
Read: Dhaka’s air quality ‘good’ this morning
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person's chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Read more: Bangladesh to get assistance on priority basis to deal with climate change impacts, natural disasters.: UN ASG Mami
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
US condemns murder of labour leader Shahidul Islam, calls on authorities to hold perpetrators accountable
The United States has condemned the murder of union organizer Shahidul Islam, and called on Bangladesh authorities to investigate the crime thoroughly and hold the perpetrators accountable.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas made the call on Wednesday.
Also read: US committed to continued cooperation with Bangladesh to improve labor rights: Donald Lu
Ambassador Haas visited the headquarters of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation to express condolences over labor leader Shahidul Islam’s death.
The United States said it supports the rights of workers everywhere to organize and bargain collectively without fear of violence or retribution.
Also read: Bangladesh considers labour rights related recommendations from US, EU, ILO with due importance: PM's Adviser
"We will be watching the case carefully to make sure that there is accountability," Ambassador Haas said.
He said they hope that there will be a complete investigation into the murder and those responsible will be held accountable.
The US envoy said he knows they (law enforcement agencies) are capable of identifying who is behind this and capable of holding those people responsible.
Also read: Bangladeshi children subjected to worst forms of child labour: US Department of Labor
Shahidul Islam was president of the Gazipur unit of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation.
His colleagues alleged that local criminals attacked him for speaking in favour of clearing workers’ wages.