United News of Bangladesh

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday urged all concerned to take effective measures to build a neutral, orderly, affordable and transparent migration system. “Migration should be viewed as one of the important means of development and poverty reduction,” he said. The President made the remarks when a delegation of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), led by its Executive Director Dr Tasneem Siddiqui, paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban. During the meeting, the delegation proposed an initiative to declare a “Decade of Migration” to make more effective use of the contributions of migrants. Tasneem, also a former teacher of the Department of Political Science at Dhaka University, invited the President to attend an event marking RMMRU’s 30th anniversary as the chief guest. The President assured the delegation that he will attend the programme. During the meeting, Tasneem briefed the President on RMMRU’s 30 years of research, field-level activities and achievements. She said the organisation has been conducting research and working at the policy level for a long time on issues related to labour migration, internal displacement, refugees and migrant workers.  

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday urged bank owners and bankers to work towards restoring public confidence in the country’s banking sector and regaining its reputation. He made the call when a delegation of the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB), led by its Chairman Abdul Hai Sarker, met him at Bangabhaban in the afternoon. President's Press Secretary Md Sarwar Alam briefed reporters after the meeting. Chairmen, managing directors and chief executive officers of 26 state-owned and private banks were part of the delegation. The President said while the people had been struggling over the past years to establish democracy and good governance, “unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of crores of taka were siphoned out of the country through the banking system with the backing of powerful quarters.” As a result, the banking sector has become extremely fragile, he said, stressing that everyone must work responsibly to overcome the severely weakened economy and fragile banking system and restore the confidence of customers and the people in the overall banking sector. Mirza Fakhrul expressed hope that the situation could be overcome within a short time through sincere efforts by the government and all concerned. He said banks were taken over during the previous “fascist regime” through the alleged misuse of intelligence agencies, while shares were forcibly taken away. The President said no political figures were being appointed as directors of banks under the current government. The initiative, he hoped, will play a positive role in preventing irregularities in the banking sector. Mirza Fakhrul also urged bank owners to use funds allocated for corporate social responsibility (CSR) for establishing technology and engineering education institutions, hospitals and colleges, as well as for social development and human welfare. He called upon the bankers’ leaders to ensure credit facilities for new and young entrepreneurs and encourage investment in innovative sectors, including agro-processing industries. During the meeting, the BAB delegation said the banking sector is a major driving force of the country’s economy. But, they said, thousands of crores of taka had turned into default loans as powerful groups siphoned off money from banks in the past, terming the failure to protect the interests of depositors “humiliating” for them. The BAB leaders said only around 30 percent of the country’s total financial transactions were conducted through banking channels and stressed the need to promote the digital economy and introduce QR code-based transactions. They also emphasised increasing employment in the banking sector, opening bank branches at the village level, maintaining the existing rules regarding paid-up capital and dividend payments, and ensuring law and order. They briefed the President on the current problems, challenges and prospects of the banking sector. The President’s secretaries were present during the meeting.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday stressed the need for greater awareness among farmers and other stakeholders to curb the excessive and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture. “Excessive and unnecessary use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is causing long-term and severe damage to soil health, the environment and public health,” he said when a delegation from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban. President's Press Secretary Md Sarwar Alam briefed reporters after the meeting. He urged agricultural universities and relevant institutions to work in a coordinated manner to raise farmers’ awareness about the harmful effects of excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. During the meeting, President Fakhrul stressed the effective field-level application of research-based technologies, safe food production and environment-friendly agricultural practices to build a sustainable and modern agricultural system. He also called for closer coordination among agricultural education, research and extension activities. The delegation, led by Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Abdul Latif, briefed the President on the overall activities of the university. Secretaries to the President’s Office were present at the meeting.            

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said the democratic environment has returned to Bangladesh after years of struggle and sacrifice, and protecting democracy and giving it an institutional shape is now the biggest responsibility of all. He said both ruling and opposition parties have a responsibility to sustain the democratic system and make Parliament effective. The President made the remarks while addressing a civic reception hosted by Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) in his honour in the afternoon. His wife Rahat Ara Begum was also present. “We have achieved democracy. Protecting democracy is now our biggest task and responsibility,” he said. Mirza Fakhrul said Parliament must be made effective and political differences should be resolved through dialogue. He said people had made immense sacrifices for democracy in the past and the opportunity created through those sacrifices must not be wasted. “Now our biggest challenge is to rebuild the country, strengthen democracy and build a healthy, beautiful and liveable Bangladesh for future generations,” the President said. He called on people, irrespective of political affiliation, to work together in the national interest and make the most of the opportunity that has emerged after years of struggle. Recalling his long-standing ties with Sylhet, Mirza Fakhrul said the region is one of his favourite places and that he visits whenever he gets the opportunity. He expressed gratitude to the people of Sylhet for their warm hospitality. The President highlighted Sylhet’s rich history, culture and heritage, saying many eminent personalities who have contributed to different fields of the country were born in the region. He said Sylhet has made significant contributions to literature, music, culture, the War of Liberation and political movements. “The region’s distinct identity has also been enriched by the cultures of ethnic communities, tea estates and its large expatriate population.” Referring to Sylhet’s tourism potential, Mirza Fakhrul said its hills, rivers, waterfalls, tea estates, forests and haors make it one of Bangladesh’s major tourist destinations. Greater development of the tourism sector is possible if these resources are utilised through proper planning, he said. Calling on Bangladeshi expatriates to invest in the country, the President said the Sylhet diaspora makes an important contribution not only to the regional economy but also to Bangladesh’s overall economy. He said their investments should be integrated with tourism, agriculture, agro-processing, tea, fisheries, gas, information technology and small entrepreneurship. Mirza Fakhrul also highlighted the potential for fish farming centred on Sylhet’s haors and water bodies and said there are opportunities to develop new industries by utilising the region’s natural resources. He called for increased government, private-sector and expatriate investment in these areas. On overseas employment, the President said the minister responsible for expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment is already working with different countries to expand labour markets. “Initiatives have also been taken to reopen some markets that had been closed,” he said, expressing hope that the sector will advance further. Regarding Sylhet’s development, he said ministers, lawmakers and local representatives from the region are working on its problems and prospects, while efforts are underway to advance several major development projects. Praising Bangladesh’s communal harmony, Mirza Fakhrul said people of different faiths and communities, including Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians, have long lived together in the country. Commerce, Industries and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Labour and Employment, and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, Whip GK Gouse and Ambassador Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey spoke as special guests at the reception, with SCC Administrator Abdul Quiyum Choudhury in the chair.    

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday underscored the importance of an independent and responsible media in strengthening democracy, ensuring good governance and building a just society. He made the remarks while exchanging views with members of the executive committee of Thakurgaon Press Club at his residence during his two-day visit to the district. The President urged grassroots journalists to faithfully reflect the voices, concerns and aspirations of people particularly those living in rural and marginalised communities. Thakurgaon journalist leaders raised various issues and demands concerning district-level journalists, including expansion of Thakurgaon Press Club building, more funding for the Journalist Welfare Trust to support local journalists who faced persecution during the Awami League government, and the formation of a Wage Board for journalists. The President assured them that he would discuss their problems and demands with the authorities concerned and take necessary measures. He also stressed the importance of unity among journalists. President Mirza Fakhrul said division among journalists is one of the major reasons behind their present difficulties and urged them to overcome their differences. “Today, there is division everywhere. It is not only in Thakurgaon but also in Dhaka. Such division is not desirable. Opportunists take advantage of it,” he said. President’s Press Secretary Sarwar Alam, Thakurgaon Press Club President Lutfor Rahman Mithu, General Secretary Tanvir Hasan Tanu, government officials concerned and representatives of the Press Club’s executive committee were present.  

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said there is scope to make the Bangladesh-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade more balanced and mutually beneficial, taking into account the economic realities and interests of both countries. The President said the agreement marked an important step towards expanding trade relations between the two countries. He came up with the remarks when US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban. During the meeting, the President recalled the past US investment and cooperation in the development of Bangladesh’s agriculture sector, including support for the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute. He urged the US to further increase investment and cooperation in the country’s agriculture sector. The President also highlighted the investment and significant role of US-based Chevron in Bangladesh’s energy sector and called for increased US investment in the country’s energy sector. He said Bangladesh has significant potential in various sectors, including information technology, infrastructure, healthcare and high-tech industries. The President also emphasised the importance of technology and skills transfer. He urged the United States to review and simplify the existing ‘visa bond’ system for Bangladeshi businesspeople and genuine tourists travelling to the US. He sought continued US support for ensuring the safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland. The US ambassador assured the President of continued cooperation and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation among ASEAN countries in this regard. During the meeting, Ambassador Christensen congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam on assuming the office of President and conveyed his best wishes to him. Thanking the ambassador, the President said the US is one of Bangladesh’s important development and trade partners. He said the existing trade relations between the two countries have been playing an important role in Bangladesh’s economic development. Bangladesh believes in maintaining friendly relations with all countries and expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the President said. He said Bangladesh attaches the highest importance to the principles of independence, sovereignty, national interest, mutual respect and equality in international relations. The President expressed hope that bilateral relations with the US would be further expanded in the days ahead through mutual respect and protection of shared interests. The US ambassador reaffirmed his country’s interest in further deepening and broadening its relations with Bangladesh. The President’s secretaries and senior government officials were present at the meeting.