United News of Bangladesh

An inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday decided to formulate guidelines for using vetiver grass, locally known as binna grass, to help prevent erosion of roads and embankments. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat, according to a press release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. During the meeting, Dr Mohammad Shariful Islam, a teacher and researcher at the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), presented a proposal on the use of vetiver grass. The meeting discussed the benefits of vetiver grass and its potential use in road and embankment construction projects across the country. It also decided to form a technical committee, headed by Prime Minister’s Finance and Planning Adviser Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, to conduct a detailed review and identify projects where vetiver grass could be used. Dr Mohammad Shariful Islam will be a member of the committee. The meeting further decided to formulate guidelines on the use of vetiver grass in coordination with the Ministry of Planning. Vetiver grass, also known as binna grass, is used in various countries to protect embankments from erosion. Its long, deep roots help bind soil and strengthen slopes, according to the proposal presented at the meeting. The grass can withstand a range of harsh environmental conditions, including extreme heat and cold, and is known for its tolerance to waterlogging and salinity.  

The government on Wednesday said 28,849 expatriates, mostly from the Middle East (ME), will return home within the next couple of weeks. 

Amid the growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic which is ravaging the entire world, the government has decided to bring back Bangladeshi expatriates from some countries on humanitarian grounds after scrutiny.   The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry on Sunday, said Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad.   He said the government has taken steps for ensuring food, medical services and other necessary things for the expatriates living in different countries and the government has allocated Tk 4.5 crore to this end.   In the first phase, the government will bring back 316 Bangladeshis from Kuwait on a flight and send relief materials and food for Bangladeshi nationals living there, the minister said.   Meanwhile, 150 Bangladeshis working in South Korea and 26 students pursuing study there, who returned home earlier, will be sent to South Korea by a chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, he added.   In case of accommodation crisis, the Bangladeshi mission concerned has been asked to extend necessary assistance in this regard, Imran said.   It was also decided at the meeting to provide financial help or loans through Probashi Kallyan Bank for the rehabilitation of the expatriates coming to the country.   Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, who was present at the meeting, said the expatriates who will be brought back will be kept in compulsory quarantine.   Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen also attended the meeting. “It’s our moral duty to stand by the Bangladeshi expatriates. They’ll be brought back following requests made from different countries,” he said.