Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked all to be vigilant against the hoarding of foods and the black-marketing of these commodities during the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan. “We all will have to be alert so that no one would ever be able to hoard foods and do black-marketing of these items,” she said. The PM was addressing a discussion arranged in the city, marking the 103rd birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day-2023. Bangladesh Awami League organised the discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka. Hasina, also the AL president, said her government has taken all necessary measures so that the people do not suffer during the month of Ramadan. Talking about the food support programmes for the poor, she said the government provides rice at a subsidised rate of Tk 30/kg to one crore people through family cards and gives rice at Tk 15/kg to 50 lakh other people. The PM said the government has decided to provide rice to 50 lakh more people (at Tk 15/kg), if needed, so that the people do not suffer. Alongside rice, she said the government is also providing some other essential commodities including pulse, edible oil, sugar and chickpeas during the Ramadan at subsidised prices for the poor. AL general secretary Obaidul Quader delivered the introductory speech, while its presidium member Matia Chowdhury, joint secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud, organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain and Afzal Hossain, Health and population affairs secretary Dr Rokeya Sultana, its central working committee members Nurul Islam Thandu and Prof Merina Jahan Kabita, AL Dhaka city south unit president Abu Ahmed Mannafi and Dhaka city north unit president Sheikh Bazlur Rahman, spoke on the occasion. AL publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and deputy publicity and publication secretary Syed Abdul Awal Shamim jointly conducted it. On March 17, 1920, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was born at a village in Tungipara of Gopalganj. The premier criticised BNP leaders for their blank remarks, undermining her government’s successes and achievements in different sectors. “When Awami League comes to power, the economy of Bangladesh gets developed. Today we heard BNP leaders who are continuously saying that we (AL government) have made the country empty. If anyone pretends to be blind despite having eyes, that person can’t be shown anything,” she said. She also highlighted the government’s achievements in different aspects including economic index, and also in health, food and education sectors. “When the people of the country stay in good condition, the BNP-Jamaat gets hurt,” she said. Hasina, who chaired the discussion, said the people of the country would never allow the BNP-Jamaat alliance to assume power again and play ducks and drakes with their fate. “Those who carried out bomb, grenade and bullet attacks, engaged in the 10-truck arms haul and embezzled the public money and orphans’ funds would never be able to come to power. The people of Bangladesh will never accept them,” she said. The PM said they will build the country as Smart Bangladesh by 2041. There’ll be a smart population in terms of every perspective including education and technology. “This country will move forward. No one will be allowed to play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people anymore despite thousands of plots and conspiracies hatched,” she added. The AL president asked her party men to showcase her government’s development works before the people time and again to counter the falsehood spread by the BNP. “They (BNP leaders) want to establish a false as true by saying it time and again,” she said. Hasina said Bangladesh is a country of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the people of this country will move in the world arena keep its head high as a victorious nation. “On the birthday of the Father of the Nation, it is our vow that the Bangalis will move in the global stage raising their heads, what he had desired,” she said. The PM asked her party leaders to work for the welfare of the people following the ideology of the Father of the Nation.

Sate Minister for Water Resources Ministry Zahid Faruk on Thursday directed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to remain  vigilant to stop illegal sand extraction from rivers. The dams which are built on the rivers collapse due to the illegal sand extraction, he said while talking to reporters after the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference 2023 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. Sand can be extracted only from those places which the Water Development Board declares as ‘Balu Mahals’ (sand quarries) as sand is needed for the development of the country, he said. “In this way we will be able to meet the need for sand as well as prevent river erosion.” Due to climate change, river erosion and flood has increased in Bangladesh, said the state minister. “Last year we saw early flooding in rural areas. Even then we didn't let the crops get damaged. I have taken precautions.” Read more: Sand lifting from rivers at night to be banned: State Minister Stating that a few DCs spoke about the problem of river erosion in their areas, he said, "We are working, but the pace is slow due to the global recession." “When a problem is raised from an area, we take action after conducting a survey,” he said urging the engineers to talk to local public representatives and solve their problems.

President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday called upon the IT professionals to remain more vigilant for facing challenges created due to misuses of information technology. “IT has opened up the door of immense opportunities on one hand, but its misuses and fordulance activiites have created many challenges on the other. So, the IT experts will have to remain vigilant to tackling the challenges,” he said.   He said it at an event arranged on the ocassion of laying foundation stone of Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre in Kishoreganj. President Hamid said that e-commerce, especially online business, has grown exponentially in recent times.  "Some unscrupulous people and fraudsters are setting trap for stealing people's money in the name of online delivery. Many have not received any product after paying online. Again many people got the product but the quality was poor," he said. He also said these fraudsters are cheating people with various attractive offers using information technology as a tool to commit these fradulant activities. " But the expansion of e-commerce and online business must continue by preventing the misuse of information technology. Buyers should avoid palcing orders whimsically   seeing tempting offers," he added. READ: President asks stakeholders to come forward to protect haors Freelancing has added a new dimension in making  generation self-reliant, he said  adding there are 6.5 lakh active freelancers in the country and employment of many young people has been created in this sector.   He also said women should also come in freelancing profession so that they can move forward on an equal footing.  "Those who have been successful in the freelancing profession should not stop here. We need to expand the scope of the profession through investment. This is how the IT giants like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos started their career," he added. Hamid said that the implementation of Digital Bangladesh has created an opportunity to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution.  He emphasised the necessity to create human resources  skilled in advanced technology fitting for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Eighty-five percent of the country's population is under 35 years, he said adding this huge youth community of the country needs to be utilized through training so that they can take advantage of this opportunity and contribute to the socio-economic development of the country. He urged private entrepreneurs, professionals and all concerned to come forward alongside the government to face the challenges and utilize the potentials of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Presdient said there is no alternative to basic research and innovation to create a sustainable position in the world market in information technology and effective steps need to be taken for the development of software as well as hardware industry. ICT state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and local MPs were also present.