Bangladesh’s three big challenges in the fields of economy, international relations, and politics are likely to get deeper centering the January 7 parliamentary elections, Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue has said. “Bangladesh today stands on the edge of a deep ditch,” he said adding that the problems faced by the country are likely to worsen if the upcoming polls become one-sided. The eminent economist shared his views on a wide range of issues from ongoing political unrest to economic situation and to international interest in an interview with UNB in Dhaka this week. 208 vehicles set on fire across the country since Oct 28 Political unrest and a one-party election will deepen the uncertainty in the economic sector further as around 80 percent population of Bangladesh wants a fair and internationally acceptable election that is very much needed for sustainable economic growth, Dr Debapriya said. Regarding elections without the participation of big political parties, he said the Election Commission is creating political parties giving registration as per their wish. The country is now getting the attention of global powers as they have different interests here. They are watching whether the upcoming election will be like previous ones or inclusive and participatory. Regarding economic challenges, he said people have been bearing the brunt of inflation for a long time, while many countries have improved in this sector after the pandemic and during the Russia-Ukraine war. Here the food inflation is around 12 percent and inflation in rural areas is more than in the urban areas, which was not seen earlier, he noted. Tilted Ctg building: 7-member probe body formed According to him due to the continuous slide of the domestic currency taka, people have to face imported inflation.  There is no visible sign of reducing this type of inflation in the recent months, Dr Debapriya said. He said the revenue generation fell severely due to an import decrease by one-fourth in recent past years. He said the inefficiency of the revenue board has resulted in low collection of revenue.  The government cannot implement already promised development work at the local government level, even in the election year, he mentioned. This stagnation will not go until an inclusive and free fair parliamentary election, which is necessary to establish accountability in every sector- is held, he said. He said the drastic fall of imports pushed price hikes in the domestic market and a group of syndicates using this as an option for raising prices. The revenue shortfall is widening, corruption and money laundering not reducing despite raising individual and overall income, which is happening due to lack of accountability. The government cannot ensure accountability at the top to bottom level as they are dependent on bureaucrats and state agencies in absence of political and moral legality, he pointed out. Not only that but also some influential countries are interfering in the domestic matter of Bangladesh, which never happened earlier. All of these are the outcome of faulty elections here and they (foreigners) are taking political disagreement and lack of moral legality of the government as an opportunity, he opined. Regarding the legitimacy of past elections Dr Debapriya said those elections had been legal in consideration of the constitution, but there was a lack of political and moral legality, he said. 20-year-old dies falling from 8-storey building in Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar A country becomes stronger when its independent state organs are strengthened, he said adding in Bangladesh both the constitutional institutions and other state agencies are playing a biased role. Regarding labour rights, Dr Debapriya said the Western world expresses concern over the working environment, illegal harassment, and forced disappearance of labour rights activists. Western people, who are the buyers of Bangladeshi garments and other goods, are very much conscious and concerned about these issues.   Bangladesh has to reform many areas, such as recovery of huge defaulted loans, reduce money laundering, ensure decent working environment and express their views without fear, he said. In the diplomatic sector, the country has to balance with global power keeping in mind that export destination of Bangladeshi goods, manpower, and remittances.

Eminent economist Dr Ahsan H. Mansur has said that political instability or uncertainty always affects the economy adversely. Dr Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute (PRI), a Dhaka-based think tank,  was talking to UNB on the ongoing political situation centred on the 12th national election and the opposition's hartal-blockade programs. “Bangladesh's macroeconomy is facing challenges not seen in the last 25/30 years, so tackling the grave situation politically is very important,” he said. The political unrest alongside the macroeconomic instability is a double blow for the domestic economy, so the current domestic situation is different from any other election period in the history of Bangladesh, Dr Mansur pointed out. Read: Blockades are bad for economy, scare foreign investors: FBCCI President He said, “If the national election is not credible to the international and domestic people, the concern will grow over what steps and reaction come from western countries, which is the export destination of most Bangladeshi products.” Meanwhile, the foreign countries have expressed concern over a decent working environment for labour, security of labour organisations' leaders, and desired wages in the export-oriented garment industries, he said. Bangladesh's human rights record was reviewed for the fourth time under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), an important UN human rights mechanism. Bangladesh's human rights record is under the scrutiny of the UN, EU, and USA, in this case, the steps for a political resolution and securing labour rights are very crucial, he opined. Regarding releasing the second instalment of the IMF’s USD $4.70 billion loan, Dr. Mansur, who is also a former senior economist of the IMF, said that there is no reason to delay the second instalment of the loan as Bangladesh met most of the conditions set by the global lender. Read: Economy bears brunt of ongoing blockades and hartals ahead of polls: Dr Atiur Rahman He said double-digit inflation has been prevailing in Bangladesh for a long time, while the South Asian countries including Sri Lank had succeeded in controlling inflation. In this area, Bangladesh has to do more to reduce the inflation rate to 4-5 percent.    He focused on a market-based foreign exchange rate to make the exchange rate sustainable instead of being controlled by the Bangladesh Bank or Bangladesh Foreign Exchange Dealers Association (BAFEDA). Dr. Masur suggested policy reform and effective measures to stop money laundering or capital flight for a sustainable domestic foreign exchange market, in that the central banks have to apply their regulatory authority without bias or influence. “Despite a huge workforce and advantage of geographical location, Bangladesh cannot attract big volume foreign direct investment (FDI) due to lack of policy reforms and weak regulatory authority. Political unrest will work as another barrier for FDI,” he pointed out. Read: An innovation leap: Nagad Digital Bank aims to extend reach to the unbanked and underbanked Regarding political resolution, he said that there is no alternative to dialogue amongst major political parties, and tolerance of opposition for those who are in strong positions or in power is very important. Dr Mansur said all parties' participation in the upcoming election is the best option for Bangladesh in consideration of the overall current situation, while dialogue and level playing field for political parties are important issues. He thinks that the situation is not normal, as what is happening in Bangladesh is being keenly watched around the world, so the authorities must proceed with reason. 

A young entrepreneur in Kurigram's Sadar upazila is reaping the benefits of orange farming, exemplifying self-reliance after completing his education. Abu Raihan Faruk, the enterprising youth, anticipates doubling his investment from selling a high-yield variety of oranges originating from China. Raihan, who finished his studies three years ago, chose entrepreneurship over job hunting. He started to cultivate various local and foreign fruits like mango, orange and grapes on his six-acre farm two and a half years ago. Recognizing the high demand for oranges in the local market, he focused on expanding his orange cultivation. Successful malta cultivation raises hope among farmers in Thakurgaon’s Ranishankail Starting with a single plant of the Chinese orange variety acquired from Bogura district, Raihan successfully grew 100 orange trees through graft cutting in just one and a half years. Encouraged by this success, he invested in commercial cultivation by dedicating two bigha of land to orange farming with an investment of Tk 20,000. Raihan found orange farming relatively hassle-free, requiring only compost fertilizer, pesticides, and anti-fungus spray for a healthy yield. He confidently expects to double his profits this year. He anticipates selling 15-20 maunds of oranges. The potential revenue from his orange harvest is estimated at Tk 80,000. Raihan also highlights the significant demand for oranges in Bangladesh, which currently relies on imports. He believes that local commercial cultivation could meet domestic needs and eventually lead to exporting oranges. Mohammad Kabir Hossain, a visitor to Raihan's orchard, is inspired by Raihan's success and plans to venture into orange farming himself. Biplab Kumar Mohonto, the deputy director of Kurigram's Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), acknowledged the novelty of orange cultivation in the district and offered support to Raihan. Returnee-migrant bets future on Malta farming in Rajshahi Raihan's journey illustrates how innovative agricultural practices can transform the livelihoods of young entrepreneurs and potentially reshape the agricultural landscape of districts like Kurigram.

President of President Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mahbubul Alam has called for shunning the politics of blockades and hartals saying that a day of such protests cost the economy up to Tk6500 crore. Talking to UNB this week Alam said, “We want change in government through fair elections. A strike or blockade causes a loss of Tk6500 crore a day. So we want political stability in the country.” “We do not want a strike or blockade. Strikes or blockades are very harmful to the economy. We are very concerned about this,” he pointed out. Also read: FBCCI urges NBR to extend tax return submission deadline till Dec 31 The FBCCI chief said these types of political activities are also causing violence on the highways, which is giving the wrong message to foreign buyers and investors. He said people are buying goods at higher prices as the supply line is disrupted and transport fares hiked due to the political unrest. The traders are not getting their pre-booked product in time as the vehicle movements on the highways are affected by political programmes. There is a panic among the suppliers and goods producers, he said. The industrial sector is facing disruption in production as the supply of raw materials is being hampered for hartal (general strike) and blockade. If such a situation continues, many factories will shut down, he feared. Also read: FBCCI urges political parties to avoid violence for economy's sake Alam said that Bangladesh Bank has to make dollar supply available for LC opening to import enough consumer items to keep the market stable during the upcoming Ramadan. He said the businesses are facing difficulty in LC opening for the dollar shortage. To overcome the situation he suggested the central bank stops import of luxury and unnecessary goods, and give priority in importing industrial raw materials and consumer goods up to Ramadan. After Covid-19 pandemic and the effect of rising fuel prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the entrepreneurs are not able to bear the losses caused by political violence, he said. The political parties must accept that without stability economic growth is impossible and the welfare of people will not come with lower economic growth, he said. Bangladesh is an emerging economy, and private sector entrepreneurs have set up several industrial units here with big efforts, he said. The destructive activities in the domestic arena will provide a negative signal to the foreign buyers, said the FBCCI chief. Also read: Thrust on good governance in banking sector discussed at FSDWC meeting In that case the export earnings might be affected, which is essential for the survival of the industrial sector as well as employment of youth, he said. So both the government and opposition parties should discuss political issues and set alternative programmes instead of hartal and blockade, he opined.

In an interview with the UNB former governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr. Atiur Rahman has explained how the current spate of blockades and burning of vehicles are taking a toll on the economy and suggested ways for reaching a solution. Dr Atiur, currently emiratus professor at Department of Development Studies in Dhaka University, said the fear of setting fire to the carriers is real. The protests have been called by BNP, Jamaat and some smaller allies, to protest the announcement of the schedule for the 12th parliamentary elections for January 7. The opposition demands that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina steps down and hand over power to a neutral administration to make the vote free and fair. The government has rejected the demand as unconstitutional. The economist said because of the protests the cost of transporting items for both domestic consumption and exports has gone up. Also, most of the drivers and helpers have lost jobs as the vehicles aren’t plying on the roads. These are mainly temporary jobs and thousands have been badly affected by this continuous political unrest, he said this week. He said the ongoing unrest has not only been disrupting the domestic supply chains but also impacting the international supply chains as the inter-district truckers and container vehicles cannot move on the streets. Read: FBCCI urges political parties to avoid violence for economy's sake While the agricultural producers are not getting the prices of their products due to this transport disruption the urban consumers of the same are being forced to pay higher prices, he pointed out. The unrest with threats of torching and attacks on the vehicles and shops has already created a situation where business confidence is gradually shrinking. This is having a huge impact on the levels of investment, according to Dr Atiur. The banks are also worried about the likely defaults of their loans as businesses are facing huge challenges. As the NBR chair has rightly pointed out this political unrest along with the slowdown of imports will have a significant impact on the collection of revenues, he pointed out. This again has an impact on the budget deficit and subsequent need for higher public borrowing. The inflation situation may worsen in such a complex situation. The country faced a similar crisis in 2014 and it was quite difficult for the regulators and government to pull back the economy on track following the political unrest. ‘We managed to come out of this culture of burning …subsequently leading to robust economic growth. However, the country is facing a negative culture of burning its assets after a long time. I hope good sense will prevail among all the stakeholders to avoid another round of political uncertainty and unrest leading to undesired loss of the economy.’ Dr Atiur said. The foreign exchange crisis is likely to be prolonged if the political unrest continues like this. Both imports and exports are getting the hits from supply-side disruptions and cancellations of orders from the buyers, he observed. Read: Economy buffeted by political unrest amid declining forex reserves: Analysts ‘’Also, the foreign direct investment is likely to be negatively affected if this political stalemate continues for a longer time. All these have both direct and indirect implications for the balance of payments which is already under severe pressure,’ he said. The first best solution will be to get all the political parties onboard the election train at any cost. If needed, the Election Commission may be more flexible in its schedule to attract more parties into the election process. Even if some parties still avoid the election train even after such adjustments let it move on with the candidates from contesting parties and individuals who are participating as independents. In the meantime, “we must continue to move further towards market-determined solutions in making both exchange rates and interest rates flexible to bring back our macroeconomic stability.” Simultaneously, the central bank should try to attract more medium-term foreign exchange loans or deposits from friendly central banks of the region to bolster reserves. Read more: Economy is moving towards right track: Finance Minister  Apart from this, the central bank must make its best efforts to attract more remittances through official channels by providing some more incentives to the small remitters and providing higher returns to fix dominated NRB bonds for the large remitters, said Dr. Atiur.

Chairman (additional charge) of the University Grants Commission, Prof. Muhammad Alamgir, has underscored the higher education regulator's commitment to quality, emphasising that no exemptions would be granted for irregularities in private or public universities. In an interview with UNB, Dr Alamgir highlighted the imperative of maintaining an unwavering focus on quality education without any interference. “Those who do not value education may seek alternative paths. When a university opens, some may not comprehend that it is non profitable. They may have different intentions, perhaps business-related. We maintain strictness in such cases. Consequently, we often face challenges in collaborating with private universities. However, the situation has significantly improved since before,” he said. Read: UGC, British Council sign deal to enhance quality education  Any educational complaints, he noted, would be promptly communicated to the Ministry of Education for resolution. When asked about the lack of quality teachers in universities or higher education, he said, there is no quality mechanism for producing teachers in our country. Many prominent universities do not even confer doctorate degrees, he pointed out. Expressing his worry about the brain drain issue, Alamgir noted, “Students who pursue higher education abroad no longer return. This contributes to a crisis in both public and private universities.” He attributed this trend to the inadequate salary structure for teachers in Bangladesh, significantly lower than neighbouring South Asian countries. “The salary structure for teachers in our country is inadequate. When compared to neighbouring countries in South Asia, the remuneration for university teachers in our country is very low. I am concerned about these issues,” he said. “If we aspire to provide quality education, we need resources. In a university, the primary resources are teachers and students. There is no alternative to quality teachers if we desire quality education.” Expressing his worry about the brain drain issue, Alamgir noted that students pursuing higher education abroad were not returning, leading to a crisis in both public and private universities. To address these challenges, Alamgir stressed the necessity of resources, identifying teachers and students as the primary assets for providing quality education. He said that quality teachers were indispensable for achieving educational excellence. Read: Proper planning needed for research to make it to global rankings: UGC  “If we aspire to provide quality education, we need resources. In a university, the primary resources are teachers and students. There is no alternative to quality teachers if we want quality education,” he said. When questioned about UGC's efforts to appoint quality teachers, Prof. Alamgir acknowledged the difficulties in ensuring quality education. “Ensuring quality education in universities is challenging. Universities may claim that they are not attracting qualified teachers due to insufficient advertising or budget constraints. They might express their inability to offer higher salaries. In such cases, universities might request the cessation of their programs,” he said. The UGC Chairman also shed light on the lack of standardised criteria for quality education in the country, stating that there were no specific benchmarks for universities to meet: “We lack standardised criteria for quality. There are no specific benchmarks that universities must meet. If a university performs well, positive outcomes will follow; otherwise, appropriate actions will be taken. Unfortunately, such standards do not exist in our country.” He said that a training academy, funded by the Government of Bangladesh and the World Bank, would be launched in early 2024. The initiative, with a total cost of around 4 thousand crores, aims to train all university teachers and provide a four-month training program for new educators. “The project has been approved, and a GEO will be issued by the Ministry of Education to commence the work. We expect the issuance of the GEO next week,” he said. Read: UGC asks universities to follow financial regulations properly  Turning to allegations of irregularities in private universities, Prof. Alamgir detailed UGC's efforts to bring them under a regulatory framework. He highlighted the government's initiative to amend the Private Universities Act 2010, emphasising the need for service rules in every private university, which must be universally implemented. Regarding allegations of irregularities in private universities, Professor Alamgir discussed measures taken to ensure compliance with the law. He mentioned that the UGC is working to bring private universities under a regulatory framework, and the government is initiating amendments to the Private Universities Act 2010. He stated, “Every private university should have service rules, and these rules should be universally implemented. Currently, we are not approving new departments beyond capacity. Universities must demonstrate their capabilities in terms of resources, space, and laboratories before approval for new departments is granted.” “We enforce strict limitations on the number of students admitted to universities. For science, engineering, and technology programs, the maximum is 40 students, and for social science programs, it is limited to 50-60 students. This is the maximum; it can be less but not more,” he said. Addressing the delay in private universities moving to permanent campuses, Alamgir expressed the UGC's reluctance. “We are somewhat hesitant about universities transitioning to permanent campuses because, according to the current law, they must move within 12 years. If any university fails to comply, they are not permitted to initiate new education programs, increase the number of seats, or receive star ratings,” he said.

The government of Bangladesh has launched an initiative to expand the Burimari Land Port, aiming to enhance services for passport holders and boost trade efficiency. This move involves the acquisition of 60.89 acres to develop the port’s infrastructure, signaling a significant step in its expansion. The local administration has already begun the land acquisition process for a project named ‘Expansion and Passenger Terminal Development of the Land Port’. Once completed, this project promises to transform the land port into a state-of-the-art facility. This initiative is part of the government’s strategy to increase export-import activities with neighboring countries, particularly India. It is anticipated that the expanded infrastructure will significantly elevate the port’s capabilities, facilitating increased trade between Bangladesh, India, and other neighboring nations. ‘Burimari Express’ to be inaugurated by PM on Dec 1 The port, currently spanning 11.15 acres, has been operating at full capacity since its inception. Its existing infrastructure includes an academic building, three digital weigh bridges, a fire hydrant system, a workers’ shed, storage sheds of various capacities, transhipment areas, and open yards. Deputy Commissioner of Burimari Customs, Abdul Alim, highlighted that the project’s completion will not only bring socio-economic benefits to the area but also generate employment opportunities, reducing challenges faced by passport holders and traders. Burimari land port shut for 6 days amid workers’ strike State Minister for Shipping, Khalid Mahmud, projected the establishment of a world-class land port in Lalmonirhat within three years. Additionally, Md Gias, assistant director of Burimari Port, emphasized the modernization’s role in streamlining passenger and port operations, which is expected to enhance revenue generation and combat irregularities and smuggling activities.

The government has dropped the plan to float international bidding for offshore hydrocarbon exploration in the Bay of Bengal before the upcoming general election. “We’re instructed not to proceed with the plan to invite any bidding right at this moment, before the election,” a top official of the state-owned Petrobangla said. “It was also decided not to proceed with ExxonMobil’s interest of expression (EOI). We’ve been asked to go slow on both issues,” he told UNB requesting anonymity. Read: Cyclone Midhili: Fish worth Tk 1 crore damaged due to rain Earlier, on July 26, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the draft ‘Bangladesh Offshore Model Production Sharing Contract (PSC) 2023’ in order to invite international bidding for hydrocarbon exploration in offshore areas of the country. The final approval for the draft Model PSC 2023 was given under a plan to invite the bidding round within December. Following the approval, on August 9, the then Energy Secretary Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder said that the government planned to invite international bidding for offshore hydrocarbon exploration within a month. Recently, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, at a contract signing ceremony with US-based Excelerate Energy for importing LNG, said that the government will invite bidding on hydrocarbon exploration when the new government is formed after general election. The government, meanwhile, signed a number of long-term deals with different companies to import LNG which drew criticism from energy experts, saying that the deals will make the country further dependent on imported energy. Read: More gas reserves found at SGFL's Kailastila Well No. 2 According to official sources, the new Model PSC was prepared as part of a plan to invite international bidding within the current year for offshore deep and shallow water gas blocks, to make Bangladesh more attractive to international oil companies and draw investment in hydrocarbon exploration in the Bay of Bengal. Under the initiative, the gas price was tagged with the price of Brent Crude in the international market to ensure flexibility. “Under the plan, we’re going to offer the price of gas at 10 percent of Brent Crude,” the Petrobangla official told UNB. The official said if Brent Crude is traded at USD 75 per barrel, the gas price would be USD 7.5 per thousand cubic feet (MCF). The gas price will always remain linked to the international oil price, he said, referring to the new provision of the Model PSC 2023. Alongside the Model PSC approval, the government was also in discussion with ExxonMobil which placed a USD 30 billion investment offer. “The offer was an EOI where ExxonMobil expressed keen interest in the whole maritime area, considering a single block instead of 26 offshore blocks,” an official said adding, the US company, however, did not mention any oil or gas price in the proposal. Official sources said the country has a total of 48 blocks, of which 26 are located offshore. Of the 26 offshore blocks, 11 are located in shallow sea (SS) water while 15 are located in deep sea (DS) water areas. Of the offshore blocks, 24 remain open for IOCs while two blocks — SS-04 and SS-09 – are under contract with a joint venture of ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd where drilling work has recently started. Bangladesh's offshore area remains unexplored despite the settlement of its dispute with neighbouring Myanmar and India over maritime boundary almost nine years ago. Read: US eases oil, gas and gold sanctions on Venezuela after electoral roadmap signed Currently, about 2300 mmcfd gas is being produced from 22 gas fields in the country, while about 700 mmcfd gas is being imported from abroad to meet the demand of about 4000 mmcfd, leaving a deficit of about 1000 mmcfd. The government had last amended the Model PSC in mid-2019, whereby the price of gas for any participating IOC, that is, the price at which they would sell the gas to the government, was raised to USD 5.5 per MCF for shallow water blocks, and USD 7.25 per MCF for gas extracted from its deep sea blocks. There was a target to invite international bidding in March 2020 for exploration in offshore areas, but that got postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic that emerged at the time. “The recent upward trend in oil and gas prices has pushed the policymakers to further raise the gas price by introducing more flexibility and incentives including keeping the export option open in the PSC,” said another Petrobangla official. He mentioned that the government had to import LNG at USD 36 per MMBtu while it was just below USD 10 early last year. The Russia-Ukraine war has further deepened the global market volatility, pushing petroleum price over USD 100 per barrel, the highest in the last 7 years. Now, again oil and gas prices are on a downward trend and Brent Crude is traded at USD 75 per barrel while LNG price is at below USD 14 per MMBtu.

Fish worth Tk one crore, kept under the open sky for drying, at Dublar Char in the Sundarbans were damaged due to the incessant rain triggered by the cyclonic storm ‘Midhili’. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, chairman of Dubla Fishermen’s Group, said 60,000 quintals (1 quintal = 100 kg) of fish have been damaged. Harun-or-Rashid, officer of Bagerhat-Mongla Weather Observatory Centre, said the Met office recorded 91 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, from 6 pm Thursday till 6 pm Friday, in Bagerhat. Tiger footprints cause panic in Bagerhat locality A total of 10,000 fishermen from the coastal areas gathered at Dublar Char, popularly known as “Shutki Polli” or Dried Fish Village, as the dried fish processing season kicked off on November 3. Every year, several thousand fishermen and hired hands flock to the area to catch fish and make shutki (dried fish) in Shelar Char, Narikelbaria, Majherkella and Alorkol of Sharankhola range of the East zone of Sundarbans. The dried fish processing will continue till March, next year. Dublar Char experienced intermittent rainfall for the past couple of days due to the depression in the Bay of Bengal. Motorbike-private car collision leaves 2 dead in Bagerhat Frustration gripped the fishermen at Dublar Char as fish worth Tk one crore were damaged due to the rain. Khalilur Rahman, in-charge of Dublar Char forest camp, said the authorities concerned informed the fishermen about the inclement weather through loudspeaker. The stench of rotten fish is prevailing in the area, affecting the environment and health of the fishermen and others living on the char, he said. “It is difficult for the fishermen to stay in the strong stench. It would be better to dump the fish damaged due to the rain,” said Kamal Uddin, chairman of Dubla Fishermen’s Group. 446 shelters prepared in Bagerhat Muhammad Nurul Karim, Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarbans East Zone, said the extent of the losses caused by the rain could not be ascertained yet. The periphery of the cyclonic storm Midhili crossed the Mongla-Payra coast near Khepupara as of Friday noon, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). Cyclone Midhili completed crossing the coast by the evening, it said.

Youths from Bangladesh working in different professions should explore Moscow, the capital city of Russia, as it offers a vast array of opportunities for them. Bangladesh's youth population has increased by 15.81 percent to 4.59 crore in the last decade, as per the recent census -- raising the stakes for the government to take measures to make the most of their potential. Russian House in Dhaka invites Bangladeshi students to participate in ‘Geographical Dictation’ UNB correspondent recently visited the Moscow under a New generation programme titled Russia is a country of youth opportunity and learned about the city with youth from different countries like Serbia, Armenia, Belarus, Lebanon, Moldova, India and Tajikstan. Around 42 people coming from different countries praised Moscow as they found the city most vibrant and habitable city which can be considered as one of best cities of the world to stay, learn,travel and work. Mikalai from Belarus told UNB that Moscow is a metropolis, where you can see the architecture of different styles and different centuries. Where despite the current situation in the world peacefully live people of different nationalities and faith live peacefully in the world. "In general, Moscow - a huge and beautiful city, which has its own vibe and city is worth visiting for everyone," he also said. Alaa Kanaan from Lebanon who is working for Russian House in the capital city Beirut shared his view with UNB. He described Moscow as distinguished by its unique architecture that reflects its nation, wide streets and great metro experience. It's a versatile city where many nationalities are living in it, and from all over Russian regions. It is a city of beauty, where you can find everything, with easy access. Beautiful parks are all over. "It's a destination for love, beauty and business," he also said. Student of the Russian presidential academy, Iakovleva Daria, referred to Moscow as one of the most developed cities in the world. "If we talk, for example, about food delivery. 30 minutes and you have pasta with meat at home. We have clean subway (really clean!), we have delicious food, doesn’t matter Russian, Italian or French cuisine," she said. He added that Moscow is the city where you can find all car diversity (rolls Royce, Porsche, Russian old cars - whatever). Secretary of Belarusian Youth Union Oksenyuk Ivan Evgenievich also talked to UNB and mentioned that Moscow is a city where many nationalities and religions live peacefully, where your rights are not infringed. Russian Pacific Fleet Squadron visiting Chattogram Port "A city where you can express yourself in any field. Moscow is about cultural values in their original form (family, children, religion, respect for elders). A huge city that always stood to the end, but if it was captured, the inhabitants themselves burned it so that it would not fall to the enemy," he added. Recently the Russian government has allotted 124 scholarships for Bangladeshi students for the 2024–2025 academic year while the total number of scholarships for the academic year 2023–24 was 110. The country also organising World Youth Festival to bring together the most passionate people from all over the world. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has officially decreed that the Festival would be held from March 1 to March 7, 2024, on the Sirius Federal Territory in Sochi. The WYF 2024 will bring 20,000 Participants from 180 countristay,leahere Bangladeshi youth from 15 to 35 can register themselves for the programme. According to the embassy of Bangladesh, more than 2000 Bangladeshi nationals are living in Russia. On the other hand, a significant 42.4% are considering leaving the country, citing socio-economic concerns (75.5%), skill-job mismatch (50.9%), and restricted educational options (42.3%) as reasons. Bangladesh Youth Leadership Centre (BYLC) and BRAC University’s Centre for Peace and Justice jointly conducted the research study titled 'Youth Matters Survey' to understand the aspirations, priorities, and viewpoints of Bangladesh’s youth. The total population now is 16.98 crore and 27.96 percent of them are aged between 15-29 years. In the last survey, the total population was 14.98 croreDaria er, 26.4 percent of which were youth.