Singapore’s Changi Airport has been named the world’s best airport for the 12th time by London-based research firm Skytrax. Skytrax, a UK-based airline and airport review and ranking website, compiles its list by surveying international visitors and asking them to score the entire airport experience — from check-in to departures and beyond. Changi Airport previously topped Skytrax's list for eight years in a row, but dropped a few points down the list in 2021 and 2022 as passenger counts fell during the pandemic, with Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, taking the top spot instead, CNN reports. In a statement, Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer for Changi Airport Group, said: “Changi Airport is honoured to be named World’s Best Airport for the 12th time. This recognition is great encouragement to our airport community, who stood firmly together to battle the challenges of Covid-19 over the past two years. We thank them for their dedication to serve Changi’s passengers and the perseverance to keep Singapore connected to the world.” Also Read: Bangladesh has capacity to patrol land and maritime borders, improved cargo and passenger airport screening: US report At the 2023 World Airport Awards ceremony held on Wednesday at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam, Changi Airport was also named Best in Asia, Best in the World for Leisure Amenities, and Best in the World for Airport Dining.  

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers have held a man “identified as Bangladeshi”, over suspected immigration violations, after he was seen walking along the train tracks on the Causeway. The country’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority posted a photo of the man in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 14, 2023). “On 9 Mar, a Bangladeshi male was spotted walking along the train tracks on the Causeway towards Singapore. The man was promptly intercepted by ICA officers from Woodlands Checkpoint, before he could pose a safety hazard to on-going train operations,” reads the post cited by a report published by The Straits Times. Also Read: Obaidul Quader off to Singapore for routine checkup The authorities said the man had no original identity documents or travel documents in his possession. “ICA takes a serious view on attempts to enter or depart Singapore illegally. Under the Immigration Act 1959, the penalties for illegal entry are fine of up to $1,000, or a jail term of up to six months, or both,” added the post. In 2022, 414 immigration offenders were arrested in Singapore, up from 355 in 2021, The Straits Times report said. Also Read: Govt to import 100,000 MT of rice from India and Singapore

Road Transport and Bridges minister and General Secretary of Awami League Obaidul Quader is going to Singapore for regular health checkup. He was scheduled to leave Dhaka around 8:30 am today , reads a press release of the ministry. Also Read: Obaidul Quader wants Bangla among official UN languages He will return to the country on March 3, according to Sheikh Walid Foyez, information officer of the ministry.  

The government will import 100,000 metric tons (MT) of rice from the international market. The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase, in a meeting with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair, approved two separate proposals in this regard. Read more: Rice, wheat import: Bangladesh Bank asks banks to keep minimum LC margin According to one proposal, placed by the Food Ministry, the Directorate General of Food will import 50,000 MT of non-Basmati boiled rice from M/S Bagadiya Brothers Pvt. Ltd., India at a cost of Tk 210.35 crore. The supplier was selected through open international tender and each metric ton of rice will cost $393.19 while previous price of similar rice was $443.05. Under another proposal of the same ministry, the Directorate General of Food will import the remaining 50,000 MT of non-Basmati boiled rice from M/S Agrocorp International Pte. Ltd, Singapore at a cost of Tk 213.40 crore. Read more: Cabinet purchase body approves import of 50,000MT rice The supplier was selected through open international tender and each metric ton of rice will cost $397. 03 while the previous price of similar rice was $393.19.

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader left for Singapore on Monday morning for a routine health check-up. Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, left Dhaka on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight around 8.30am for a routine health check-up at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said a press release signed by Sheikh Walid Fayez, senior information officer of the ministry.  Read more: Quader promises major remedial steps as AL smarts from polling debacles He will return to Dhaka on January 4. This AL leader has been suffering from chronic heart and lung problems for a long time. In 2019, three blockages were found in his coronary arteries.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday invited Singaporean investors to set up factories in Bangladesh's special economic zones. She put emphasis on setting up agro-processing industries in these special economic zones. She said this when Singapore's Minister for Transport and Minister in charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban. PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call on. Singapore's minister expressed his country's eagerness to work together with Bangladesh on sustainable and renewable energy alongside exploring new areas of cooperation. Also read: Bangladesh shares its aspirations with Singapore to emerge as facilitator of regional connectivity During the meeting they discussed about the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. PM Hasina appreciated the development of Singapore. Also read: Expedite implementation of Kuwait’s proposed petroleum refinery in Bangladesh: PM The Singapore's minister said both the countries have to explore new areas of cooperation and set up a joint working group to explore potential areas. Iswaran said both the countries have potential to cooperation in tourism sectors. He highly appreciated the development of Bangladesh saying it has grown strongly under the leadership of Hasina. Ambassador at Large M Ziauddin and senior secretary of PMOMd. Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present.    

Bangladeshi businesses and their Singaporean counterparts discussed business prospects, trade, and investment opportunities between their countries at an international business networking event in Dhaka Wednesday. They also spoke about how the firms of both countries can expand businesses for bilateral interests. A delegation of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), the apex business chamber promoting the interests of Singapore businesses in trade, investment and industrial relations, is now in Bangladesh to understand the country's investment climate. To connect local businesses with global ones to boost bilateral growth and opportunities, Bangladeshi Charter Accountancy firm Howlader Maria and Co (HmAC) and, organised the event at a Dhaka hotel. Read more: Bangladesh shares its aspirations with Singapore to emerge as facilitator of regional connectivity Maria Howlader, founder and CEO of HmAC, Soo Wei Chai, executive director of Global Business Division and Young Business Leaders Network of SBF, business leaders, chief executives officers of different companies, and business firms from both countries were present at the meeting. Businesses from Singapore have great opportunities to invest in Bangladesh, including in information technology, pharmaceuticals and hospitality as the country offers attractive tax exemptions and other facilities, participants from local businesses said. The Singapore delegation from multiple sectors shared their investment plans and tried to find out business opportunities in different sectors such as IT, agriculture, and construction. They also said Bangladeshi businesses can also expand their businesses by investing in Singapore. Read more: Singapore upbeat about Bangladesh’s economic potential Thanking the participants from both Singapore and Bangladeshi business houses, Maria said, "The networking event represents how we feel about doing business in Bangladesh and matching business to business" for further growth and expansion. Maria said Bangladesh has many inspiring stories of growth and development, with a strong track record of growth and development even amid rising global uncertainties.    

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources State Minister Nasrul Hamid has said the government is positive about a Singaporean company's proposal to set up a 400MW solar power plant in Matarbari of Maheshkhali upazila, Cox's Bazar . Nasrul said this as Singapore's Transport and Trade Relations Minister S Iswaran met with him at his office on Wednesday. "A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is likely to be signed within a few days," he said. Read more: Better coordination needed in power sector: Nasrul Hamid "We want to use Singapore's experience in the power and energy sector," the state minister said. "Bangladesh and Singapore can work jointly to implement projects on land-based LNG terminals, automation and IT sector, fast supply of petroleum products, human resource development, solar power and hydropower," Nasrul said. "If there is a framework agreement for cooperation in the power and energy sector, any project in these sectors can move forward quickly," he added. The state minister thanked the Singapore government for its continued cooperation with Bangladesh and also discussed different bilateral issues, mutual interest in the power and energy sector and areas of investment. Iswaran said his visit will strengthen Bangladesh-Singapore ties. Read more: Focus more on generating electricity from renewable sources: Nasrul Hamid "If an investment is undertaken by Infrastructure Trustee, it will yield good results,'' he added. "Singapore's experience in solar energy powered airport, floating solar power and power management can be shared." He also discussed the issues related to a framework agreement. The development of clean energy and issues of technical cooperation and fundraising also came up in the meeting. Singapore Non-Resident High Commissioner to Bangladesh Derek Loh Eu-Tse, Singapore Consul in Bangladesh Sheela Pillai, Bangladesh Power Development Board Chairman Mahbubur Rahman, North West Power Generation Company Chief Executive Officer AM Khorshedul Alam and Power Cell Director General Mohammad Hossain were also present.  

Describing Singapore as a "connectivity hub" for distribution of services as well as trade, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Wednesday shared the aspirations of Bangladesh to emerge as a facilitator of regional connectivity for the land locked countries and regions of South Asia.  Highlighting the need for more investment in infrastructure development, including sea ports and air ports, he sought more Singaporean investments to facilitate Bangladesh’s transition as a regional connectivity and manufacturing hub.  Minister of Transportation and Minister in Charge of Trade Relations of Singapore S Iswaran appreciated hardworking Bangladeshi workers and their contribution to their construction and other sectors. Read more: COP27: Momen thanks Egypt for focusing on "loss and damage" issue During his bilateral meeting with the Singaporean Minister, State Minister Alam said Singapore could consider intake of more skilled workers from Bangladesh especially in their health and other service sectors.  Both sides discussed how demographic dividends could be reaped with the use of advanced technology and digitization. Alam also flagged the high agricultural productivity in Bangladesh and the prospects of agro-based industries in the country, with special emphasis on the burgeoning middle-class consumers enjoying increasingly higher purchasing capacity. Read more: Dhaka, Tokyo relations to be strengthened through PM-level talks: Shahriar Alam The Singaporean Minister applauded sustained economic growth of Bangladesh under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and stressed the importance of further deepening and widening the economic relations between the two countries.  He shared Singaporean’s keenness on working in the areas of infrastructure development, energy sector, data mining and various high skilled areas such as digital connectivity and services, technology transfer for further enhancement of bilateral relations. Singapore is keen to explore the many possibilities that exist in its bilateral relations with Bangladesh and looks forward to harnessing the potentials to raise it to the next level. 

The International SeaKeepers Society organised the first-ever edition of The Ocean Collective Summit (TOCS) at ONE° 15 Marina Sentosa Cove in Singapore recently. TOCS is part of Blue Water EduFest 2022 and the inaugural event saw Guest of Honour Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration in attendance. He later delivered a speech reiterating the nation's commitment to coastal conservation as part of Singapore's sustainability endeavours. While weather patterns of late give a grim indication of the impact of climate change, the resounding message from the Conference was one of hope, encouragement and more importantly, one of personal responsibility. Speakers ranging from keynote speaker; famed Aquanaut, Oceanographic Explorer and Environmental Advocate, Fabien Cousteau; Dr Karenne Tun, Director of the Coastal and Marine and Terrestrial Branches, National Biodiversity Centre, National Parks Board (NParks); and Dr Steven Fong, Programme Chair DMAC, Republic Polytechnic; stressed the importance of personal action. Enayetullah Khan, conservationist and founder of WildTeam, attended the summit on the first day, November 3. Instead of waiting for work or action to be taken by the authorities or a collective group, individual action is just as important and should not be neglected, the conference conveyed. Speakers also urged attendees to look at making changes in their daily habits, a change of mindset, and even changing the language. For instance, instead of "seafood", the term can be replaced with "sealife" so that in time, sea creatures are seen as cohabitants of the planet and not just food for consumption. Dr Tun further shared the personal actions she's taking with her lifestyle as a demonstration of how everyone has a part to play to help achieve the targets set out in The Singapore Green Plan 2030. Read more: UNCLOS can be a pathway to ocean of opportunity for LDCs: Bangladesh The message of personal responsibility rings true for today's youth who formed a large part of the audience. The youth are identified as the group showing the most concern as well as the group most demanding for action to be taken. The message of personal responsibility and action resonated with the attendees and set the stage for the second day of the conference. The second day of the conference (Nov. 4) also explored how corporate citizens maintain the balance between commercial requirements and responsibility to the environment. Speakers from some of the world's most established brands, such as Citi Private Bank, SDAX, Archwey and VE Capital and Company, shared how their organisations provide solutions towards achieving sustainability. About The Ocean Collective Summit The Ocean Collective Summit (TOCS) is a programme initiated by The SeaKeepers in cooperation with Fabien Cousteau; the Founder of The Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Centre and Proteus Ocean Group; and famed for his work as an Aquanaut, Oceanographic Explorer and Environmental Advocate. TOCS aims to bring a focus on the ocean and its intricate connections to life and all the inhabitants of our planet, Earth. Through its annual conference, TOCS will gather thought leaders to educate, raise awareness and inspire action to be taken and work collectively towards a more sustainable future. The International SeaKeepers Society The International SeaKeepers Society was founded in 1998 by a small group of yacht owners who were alarmed by the deterioration of our natural environment. The organisation's initial focus was on the development and use of instrumentation on yachts to monitor marine conditions throughout the world's oceans. Today, The International SeaKeepers Society continues to work with yachts as a vital part of its programming. The International SeaKeepers Society strives to increase current knowledge about the oceans, promote and facilitate scientific discovery and raise awareness about critical ocean issues. The International SeaKeepers Society works directly with the yachting community as an essential component and contributor to ocean research and conservation efforts. The organisation runs several yacht-involved programs to accomplish this mission. Read more: UN Ocean Conf: Bangladesh reaffirms commitment to achieve SDG-14 The International SeaKeepers Society began expansion into Asia in 2016 with the SeaKeepers Asia chapter. Building upon established international programming, the focus in Asia is creating awareness of the current situation of our oceans in Asia in order to build a sense of appreciation and commitment to protect, conserve and restore when possible.