State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed on Thursday said that some 34,036 applications for design approval have been received in Rajuk since the start of online design approval process in 2019. “Among those, 22, 933 applications have been approved as those were submitted with necessary documents,” he said. The minister said this while responding to a tabled question from ruling party MP Anwar Hossain Khan. Ahmed said that the Rajuk launched an online service to ensure transparency and accountability in design approval from May 2, 2019. A total of 81 applications were rejected as per rules due to various inconsistencies.   At present, 3,859 applications are under process at various stages in the capital development authority.   Apart from this, 7,164 applications have been forwarded to the applicants at various times due to non-submission of required documents by the concerned owners or representatives. In response to the question of ruling party MP Mamunur Rashid, Education Minister Dipu Moni said that currently there are 20,316 secondary level educational institutions under the secondary and higher education departments across the country.   Read more: Rajuk on its way to redevelop centuries-old Old Dhaka Among them, 2,357 lower secondary schools (6th to 8th), 16,516 secondary schools (6th to 10th) and 1,443 schools and colleges. In response to the question of ruling party MP Nurunnabi Chowdhury, Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman said that BCSIR has so far invented 1,45 technological methods and obtained patent rights for 376 methods.   So far 263 technologies/methods have been leased to more than 300 industrialists or organisations. In response to the question of AL MP Manjur Hossain, the education minister said that the total number of Alia Madrasahs under the Technical and Madrasa Education Department is 9,292.   Of these, there are three government madrasas.   There are 8,229 madrasas under Monthly Pay Order (MPO) and 1,600 non-MPO madrasas.   Apart from this, there are 8,972 madrasas run independently.  

State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed visited Walton headquarters and laid the foundation stone of a 15-storey elevator testing tower Tuesday. The state minister visited several manufacturing plants, including those of elevators, generators, air conditioners, refrigerators, compressors, metal castings and cables. Walton Hi-Tech Industries Vice-Chairman SM Shamsul Alam and Managing Director and CEO Golam Murshed welcomed Sharif Ahmed. Read: Walton launches two Prelude laptops Since 2019, Walton has been manufacturing and marketing elevators using European technology. The company is manufacturing passenger elevators ranging from 300kg to 3,000kg and cargo elevators from 800kg to 4,500kg, according to a media statement.