United News of Bangladesh

Chittagong Port has received 22,000 metric tonnes of Atap rice from Myanmar, transported by the MV Golden Star vessel. The rice consignment, imported on a government-to-government (G2G) basis, marks the first shipment of its kind under the current interim government, said the Ministry of Food in a media release issued on Friday (Jan 17). Bangladesh to import 100,000mt of rice from India and Pakistan It said samples from the shipment will undergo physical testing before unloading begins and all necessary arrangements have already been made to ensure a smooth process. This shipment follows a separate agreement between Bangladesh and Pakistan to import rice. On January 14, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Food Ministry between the Directorate General of Food and Pakistan’s Trading Corporation (TCP). Record Aman harvest, yet rice prices soar: Who's to blame? Abdul Khalek, Director General of the Directorate General of Food, and Syed Rafi Bashir Shah, Chairman of TCP, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations. According to sources at the Directorate General of Food, the procurement process will commence following approval from the government’s purchase committee. Shipments from Pakistan are expected to begin arriving by February. Consignment of 2,450 metric tonnes of Indian rice arrives at Darshana Port The Food Ministry stated in its release that the MoU is anticipated to stabilise the domestic rice market while fostering economic and trade relations between the two countries. "This agreement is expected to open a new chapter in strengthening bilateral ties and ensuring food security," the statement said.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a bid to implement ‘e-Visa/e/-TA’ in the capital on Tuesday (October 18, 2022). Security Services Division under Home Ministry Md Abdullah Al Masud Chowdhury and UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdulla Ali Abdullah Khaseif Al Hamoudi singed the MoU on behalf of the respective countries with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in the chair at a programme at the conference room of the ministry. Minister Asaduzzaman said the initiative to implement ‘e-Visa/e/-TA’ system on the basis of ‘G2G’ was taken through the MoU sign. Read: Bangladesh, UAE sign four MoUs on big projects Terming the MoU as a big achievement in the bilateral relations of the countries, he said the day (MoU signing day) will be marked as a milestone for Bangladesh and the UAE in digitalisation of the country’s ‘e-visa’ system. Describing UAE as a tested-friend, he said Bangladeshi workers have been playing an important role in the development of the both countries over the time. The minister said the UAE is one of the main investment partners of Bangladesh and mutual respect and significant cooperation between the countries is the historic base of the bilateral relations.   Read UAE Golden Visa, Green Visa, Job Visa 2022: How to apply He said the implementation of the ‘e-visa’ is one the significant pledges of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to digitalise the country as the current government has underscored on the use of digital technology. Asaduzzaman said the security services division will be able to provide online visa service once the ‘e-visa’ system is implemented. He hoped that number of foreign tourists and investment will be boosted to a great extent after the ‘e-visa’ is launched in the country. Read Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H): Who's eligible for Malaysian Golden Visa or Investor Visa The minister thanked the UAE government for their support to implement the ‘e-visa’ system.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government is going to set up an international vaccine institute to produce vaccines, including the Covid-19 ones, in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina said this in Parliament while replying to a tabled question from Awami League MP Ahasanul Islam Titu (Tangail-6). Read: Bangladesh approves single-dose Janssen Covid-19 vaccine She said the government will sign an agreement with South Korea to set up the vaccine institute and the issues relating to ratification, accession and approval of the agreement by the Cabinet are under process. The Prime Minister said the government has taken an initiative to produce Covid-19 vaccines in the country alongside collection from foreign sources to check the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Hasina said government-to government (G2G) negotiations are underway with the countries that have developed vaccines for transferring technology to this end. Read: Second consignment of Sinopharm vaccine arrives