The ‘BSRF-Walton Sports Festival-2022’ will kick off Monday. Mesbah Uddin, secretary to youth and sports ministry, is expected to inaugurate the festival around 9.30am, Tapon Biswas, president of the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporter's Forum disclosed this at a press conference at the media center in secretariat on Sunday. Read more: Jatiya Press Club launched 10-day sports festival on Monday A total of seven events will held at the festival while members of the BSRF will participate in six events and another event is for non-member journalists. The events include chess, single and dual carom, card, table tennis, ludu for members and non-members.

The government will start open market sale (OMS) of whole-wheat flour packets across the country from October 1, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said today (September 13, 2022). The process of packaging whole-wheat flour for OMS has already started, he said at the ‘BSRF Dialogue’, organised by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat. “Packed whole-wheat flour may cost a little more. However, it will be sold at half the price of the flour that is being sold in the market,” he added. Read:OMS will continue till rice market is stable: Food Minister “We will allocate one tonne of whole-wheat flour per day to dealers in districts and city corporations for sale from October 1,” said the minister. Besides, the shipping of imported wheat has also started, he added.

It is up to the prime minister to decide whether AK Abdul Momen will remain the foreign minister or not, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said today (September 7, 2022). The minister made the remark while speaking at a programme organised by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporter’s Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat in Dhaka. The foreign minister is also “a human being and he can be unwell”, Quader added. Read: Lawyer moves SC seeking Momen's disqualification “I have no authority to say whether he will remain a minister or not… He said certain things a few days ago that were a slip of the tongue. The jurisdiction (to decide whether Momen will retain his post) belongs to the Prime Minister,” he said. Besides, the foreign minister does not always have to accompany the prime minister during every state visit, said Quader. “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited here, was (the India) foreign minister with him?” he asked. Read:Momen not in PM’s entourage in India, cited “illness” as reason: Official BSRF general secretary Masudul Haque presided over the dialogue chaired by its president Tapan Biswas. On Monday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen did not accompany Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her India visit citing “illness”. At the invitation of Indian PM Narendra Modi, Bangladesh PM Hasina is on a state visit to New Delhi from September 5-8. Read 2 tubes of Bangabandhu Tunnel likely to open this Oct, Nov: Quader Hasina, now in New Delhi, is visiting India after three years.

The inauguration of Bangabandhu Tunnel, under Karnaphuli river, will be done in two segments and open to traffic in October and November this year, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said today (September 7, 2022). “As it (the tunnel) has two tubes, the first tube will be inaugurated in October and the other in November. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate both tubes of the Bangabandhu tunnel,” he said. The minister revealed this information while speaking at a programme, organised by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporter’s Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat in Dhaka. Read: Chinese firm CCCC tipped for toll collection, maintenance of Bangabandhu Tunnel Besides, construction work of Kalna Bridge will be finished this month (September) and the PM will inaugurate it any time in October, he said. Talking about Dhaka Metro Rail project, the minister said 94% work of the metro rail – from Uttara to Agargaon point – has been completed, which will be inaugurated this December. Metro rail from Uttara to Motijheel point is expected to be inaugurated in December, next year. He also said, 52% of construction work of the Elevated Expressway has been finished and it is going on in full swing. Read Light at the end of Karnaphuli tunnel BSRF general secretary Masudul Haque presided over the dialogue chaired by its president Tapan Biswas.

A discussion on digital transactions in shariah-based financial management in the country was held in the capital Monday. The programme, arranged by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) with support from mobile financial services Nagad, focused on the role and advancement of digital transactions in Islamic financial management. State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan said: "For the last three years, Nagad Islamic has been providing various shariah-based transaction services, allowing the people to conduct financial transactions digitally following the Islamic way of life." READ: Tapan, Masud elected to lead new BSRF committee Mohammad Aminul Haque, executive director of Nagad and a member of Nagad Islamic Shariah Board, said: "Nagad today has 60 million subscribers in just three years. Even at the marginal level, we know that there is a high demand for shariah-compliant transactions among customers." Nagad Islamic's Shariah Supervisory Board Chairman Professor HM Shahidul Islam said: "The service of Nagad Islamic is not only for the marginal population but also for all the people. I would like to reassure everyone that all the services of this platform are recognised by the shariah board." Md Anisuzzaman Sikder, director of Imam Training Academy at Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh, Tapan Biswas, president of BSRF, and Masudul Haque, general secretary of the forum, were also present at the programme.

The fifth-generation (5G) technology for broadband cellular network will be launched in Bangladesh on a trial basis this year, said Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar. The minister revealed the information at 'BSRF Dialogue' organized by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Media Centre of the Secretariat on Wednesday. “All preparations are complete. You’ll be happy to know that state-owned telecom operator Teletalk will launch the fifth-generation (5G) technology on trial run,” Mostafa Jabbar said, adding that the government will arrange an auction for 5G spectrum for other operators in 2022. Jabbar said Teletalk has already prepared five sites. “We’ll expand it in 2022 and a spectrum auction will be held in the first quarter of 2022. Hopefully, all operators will be able to develop 5G technology from 2022.” Read: 5G to be rolled out through Teletalk by December: Jabbar

A survey is underway to assess the feasibility of building a tunnel alongside Bangabandhu Bridge as an alternative passage under the Jamuna River, said State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury. Talking to reporters at the secretariat on Wednesday during an event organized by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF), he said an alternative passage along the Bangabandhu Bridge is needed. “A feasibility study is underway. If its results are found to be positive, then the country's second tunnel after the Karnaphuli one will be built there,” he said. Read Karnaphuli Tunnel Project makes "breakthrough" amid Covid-19 About the encroached lands along the river banks, he said, “We want to give some time to the industrial establishments on the river banks as they’ve made huge investments there. Government lands have been demarcated while notices have been issued to the encroachers in this regard.” To secure 10,000 kilometers of waterways, illegal establishments have been removed from nearby rivers, the state minister said, adding that 3,000 kilometers of waterways have already been secured.

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain on Tuesday said the Rules of Business does not allow addressing the government officials as sir or madam. “There is no directive to address the government officials as sir or madam as it is against the Rules of Business. The Father of the Nation’s directive to government officials had been to become the service provider of people,” he said.  Farhad said this while speaking at a dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF)  held at the Secretariat. “Your (government officials) attitude is most important to the people. If you get angry or snub someone then it will be considered as corruption. Misbehaviour is tantamount to corruption. We’ll not allow it as your (government officials) behaviour is the behaviour of the government,” said Farhad. Also read: Take preparations for future challenges: Farhad Hossain

Tapan Biswas of Dainik Janakantha has been elected as president, while Masudul Haque of UNB as general secretary of the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF). The executive committee election for the 2021-22 term was held on Sunday at the National Press Club from 10 am to 3 pm, and the results were declared in the evening. Motahar Hossain was elected vice-chairman of the committee for the 2021-22 term. Of the 17 posts of the executive committee, voting was held for all except the training and research secretary post, for which Tauhidul Islam was elected unopposed. Besides Tapan and Masud, Mehedi Azad Masum was elected assistant general secretary, Akhtar Hossain organising secretary, Md Shafiullah Sumon finance secretary, Moskayet Mashreq office secretary and Bahram Khan publicity and publication secretary. The elected executive members of the committee are:  Ismail Hossain Russell, MA Jalil Munna (Munna Raihan), Mainul Hossain Pinnu, Shahjahan Mollah, Hanif Mahmud Shah, Shahadat Hossain (Rakib), Md Belal Hossain and Rubayet Hasan. Information Minister Hasan Mahmud congratulated all the newly elected members of the committee.