Sheikh Hasina
PM congratulates Tigers on historic win
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday congratulated Bangladesh cricket team for its maiden win over mighty Australia in T20 format of cricket.
Also read: Tigers create history winning first T20I v mighty Australia
Tigers beat touring Aussies by 23 runs in the low-scoring first T20I of five at the Sher-E-Bangla Cricket Stadium.
PM shocked at death of AL leader Hafizunnesa
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday expressed deep shock at the death of Madaripur district Mohila Awami League president Begum Hafizunnesa, wife of former MP late Dr Abul Kashem.
Hasina, also the president of Awami League, prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.
Also read: PM shocked at Zead Al Malum’s death
Hafizunnesa breathed her last at 7pm at a hospital in the capital at the age of 90.
She left behind six sons, one daughter and a host of relatives, colleagues and well-wishers to mourn her death.
Also read: PM shocked at Kabori's death
AL General Secretary and Highways and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader also expressed grief at the death of Hafizunnesa.
After 56 yrs, Bangladesh-India rail link to reopen Sunday
After nearly 56 years, commercial services on the restored Haldibari-Chilahati railway corridor between India and Bangladesh will resume Sunday.
The revamped railway corridor was inaugurated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on December 17 last year.
Read: 3 more haats to be set up along Bangladesh-India border: Tipu
A freight train will make the journey to Bangladesh from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on the restored 12km corridor, the Indian Railways announced Saturday.
"The first goods train to Bangladesh through the re-opened Haldibari-Chilahati rail link is being loaded with stone chips at Damdim station of Alipurduar Division, NFR. The train is scheduled to reach Chilahati (Bangladesh) on 01.08.2021," the Northeast Frontier Railway tweeted.
Read: Jaishankar arrives Thursday to deepen Bangladesh-India ties
The railway corridor had been lying defunct since 1965 after train links between India and then East Pakistan snapped. And once in operation, the corridor will boost bilateral trade between the two countries.
While the distance between India's Haldibari Railway Station and the international border is 4.5 km, it's another 7.5 km on the Bangladesh side from the 'zero point'.
Paris Mission receives Public Administration Award
Bangladesh Embassy in Paris has received the Public Administration Award for its collective contributions in internationalizing the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at UNESCO.
The members of the Embassy team are Bangladesh Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate of Bangladesh to UNESCO Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Minister (Political) S M Mahbubul Alam, First Secretary and HoC Dayamayee Chakraborty and First Secretary Nirjhar Adhikary.
Ambassador Kazi Imtiaz Hossain received the award on behalf of the Embassy team.
The award was given in general category considering administrative and diplomatic efforts of the Embassy marking the Public Administration Day.
Read: Bangladeshi artist wins international award
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined (virtually) the function held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city on Tuesday .
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque who joined the function in person handed over the awards to a total of 35 individuals and institutions for the year in 2020 and 2021 on behalf of the Prime Minister.
State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain chaired the function.
The establishment of the “UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy” was unanimously approved by acclamation at the 210th session of UNESCO’s Executive Board.
Read: 6 receive Unsung Women Nation Builders Award 2021
Named after the Father of the nation of Bangladesh, the UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy will award, every two years, US$50,000 to an individual or organization with recognised excellence in nurturing entrepreneurship among young people in the cultural and creative industries.
The first iteration of the Prize will be awarded in the fall of 2021 during UNESCO’s 41st General Conference 9-24 November 2021 to mark the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development.
Don’t be hesitant about taking Covid test: PM to rural people
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday urged villagers not to be reluctant about taking Covid-19 tests and having proper treatment as the virus is highly contagious.
“Still, there’s a problem here. I receive news from rural areas that people there don’t go for Covid tests out of the fear that they’ll be treated as untouchables if their information of Covid positive spread around. They fear that no one will mix with them. This is not the right mindset,” she said.
The Prime Minister made the remark while addressing the 27th founding anniversary programme of Bangladesh Awami Swecchasebak League (BASL), joining it virtually from Ganobhaban.
BASL, an associate body of ruling Awami League, arranged the programme at the Awami League’s central office at the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue.
The prime minister said if anyone goes for Covid test, he or she would be able to receive medical treatment in addition to not infecting other with the virus.
“This is how will be able to save other’s lives. This attitude should be there among people,” she said.
READ: PM unveils commemorative stamp to mark Joy’s birth anniversary
Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Awami League, asked the party workers and its associate bodies to convey this message to the common people to remove their reluctance about the Covid test.
She said her government has long been taking measures to bring 80 percent of the country’s population under the Covid vaccination coverage.
The PM said people will be able to get vaccinated with spot registration using their NID cards in rural vaccination centres.
Hasina also asked BASL leaders and activists to help and motivate people to get vaccinated as the government has taken an initiative to launch a massive vaccination drive at the grassroots level across the country.
Hasina said the Swecchasebak League always stood beside people, setting an example, and asked its members to continue their services to humanity.
Talking about the birthday of PM’s ICT Affairs Adviser and her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, she recalled Joy’s contribution towards making Digital Bangladesh.
READ: All will get Covid vaccine shots, reassures PM Hasina
“Today’s Digital Bangladesh is his brainchild. He (Joy) always suggested to me what to do…. Today we’ve got Digital Bangladesh. Here everything has been done as per Joy’s suggestions,” she said wishing him a long life and good health.
Hasina greeted all the members of Swecchasebak League on its 27th founding anniversary.
A documentary on BASL activities in the last year and on the occasion of the birthday of Sajeeb Wazed Joy was screened at the function presided over by BASL President Nirmal Ranjan Guha.
Besides, the Prime Minister unveiled the cover of a book “One Year of Swecchasebak League,” that focuses on its activities over the last year.
AL joint general secretary and former president of BASL AFM Bahauddin Nasim also spoke as special guest at the function moderated by BASL general secretary Afzalur Rahman Babu.
PM unveils commemorative stamp to mark Joy’s birth anniversary
Bangladesh Post Office on Tuesday released a special commemorative postage stamp, an opening day cover and a Data Card marking the 50th birth anniversary of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, grandson of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ICT affairs adviser.
The prime minister unveiled the Tk 10-commemorative postage stamp, a Tk 10-opening day cover and a Tk five-Data Card at a simple ceremony at Ganobhaban.
Also read: PM releases commemorative stamp marking Golden Jubilee
PM sends mangoes to Indonesian president
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent 1,000kg of mangoes for Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Jakarta received 1,000kg of mangoes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a gift for Indonesia.
Also read: Sheikh Hasina gifts 2,600kg mangoes to PM Modi, Mamata Banerjee
The embassy in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia handed over 1,000kg of Bangladeshi mangoes for the president at Merdeka Presidential Palace in Jakarta recently.
Presidential palace protocol of the president secretariat, personal officer staff of the president and protocol officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia received the gift.
Also read: 300 kgs of mangoes handed over to Tripura CM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier sent mangoes for South Asian leaders, including Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives' President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
PM greets Tigers for T20 series win against Zimbabwe
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday congratulated the Bangladesh cricket team for their T20 series win against the hosts Zimbabwe.
In a congratulatory message, the prime minister greeted the players, coaches and officials of the national cricket team.
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by five wickets today to win the three-match T20 series 2-1.
250 US made portable ICU ventilators reach Dhaka
Five Bangladeshi American doctors have sent 250 portable intensive care unit (ICU) ventilators at the call of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carried the ventilators from India with the support of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher wrote on his Facebook page.
Read: India's Oxygen Express arrives in Bangladesh
The ventilators provided by a voluntary organization of Bengali doctors based in the United States come to India under the supervision of an organization based in Bangalore, India, said the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.
The ventilators were stored in a warehouse of the company in Delhi.
At the direction of the government, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi received the ventilators from the Indian company after paying the incidental expenses.
After completing the customs and other airport formalities through a clearing and forwarding agency appointed by the High Commission, the ventilators arrived in Dhaka on a special cargo flight of Bangladesh Biman without any fare.
At the airport, in the presence of Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen and Health Services Secretary Lokman Hossain Miah, the Prime Minister's personal physician Prof. Dr. ABM Abdullah received the ventilators.
Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, on behalf of the government of Bangladesh, paid 25 lakh rupees for tax and relevant expenses to send the ventilators to Dhaka, Shaban Mahmood, Minister (Press) at the High Commission told UNB.
PM's shock at passing of folk icon Fakir Alamgir
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of one of the members of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kedra, and prominent Gono Sangeet artist of the country Fakir Alamgir.
Read: Fakir Alamgir on life support
In a condolence message shortly after news broke of the singer's death, she said that the role of Fakir Alamgir will always be remembered for his contribution in the musical arena of the country, especially his role in popularisong Gono Sangeet.
Read: Folk legend Fakir Alamgir leaves the stage for the last time
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen , Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also released statements to mourn an iconic figure's passing.
Momen, in a message, expressed deep shock at the death of freedom fighter and singer Fakir Alamgir.
"Fakir Alamgir was a shining star of the country's cultural arena. People will remember his contributions forever," he said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also expressed deep shock at the death of singer Fakir Alamgir.
He conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members and sought salvation of the departed soul.
Fakir Alamgir, whose songs became entwined in the everyday lives of his countrymen, lost his battle with the coronavirus on Friday night, passing away in the capital's United Hospital after his condition deteriorated in the evening.
The beloved singer breathed his last at 10:56pm in the hospital's ICU, where he was receiving treatment for over a week. He was 71.