Dhaka, June 20 (UNB) – Chairman of Centre for Policy Dialogue Prof Rehman Sobhan on Thursday said marginal communities have to gain political power along with increasing their capabilities to end repressions against them.

He also underscored the need for protecting traditional rights of small ethnic communities to land and called for incorporating their voices in the national budget.

“Those who have huge money and political power are involved in repression and grabbing land (of the marginal and the excluded groups),” he said at the inaugural ceremony of a two-day national convention and cultural programme at the LGRD auditorium in the city.

Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) organised the programme titled ‘Convention on Discrimination, Exclusion and Rights of the Marginal and Excluded People’ with the slogan ‘Leaving no one behind’.

Prof Sobhan, speaking as the chief guest, said: “The marginal communities must attain political power alongside capabilities to end repression against them.”

He pointed out that there are political parties comprising of minority groups in India. “The minority communities have to be visible in our country that way,” he said.

Some 300 members from 50 communities, including Bede, Horizon, Kayputra, Bihari and Rishi, are participating in the two-day event.

Chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, who presided over the inaugural ceremony, said the marginal communities must work together to address their problems.

Claiming that there is discrimination in the country’s development efforts, he said the government should think anew to this end.

In the keynote paper, SEHD Director Philip Gain said the government has so far recognised 50 ethnic communities and that more than 50 such communities should also be recognised.

Litterateur Harishankar Jaladas, Kamalganj upazila parish vice-chairman and Bangladesh Tea Workers’ Union General Secretary Ramvajan Koiri, CPD Distinguished Fellow Prof Rounaq Jahan, Executive Director of the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB) Joyanta Adhikari were, among others, present.

Prof Ainun Nishat, UNFPA officer Md Shamshuzzaman and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua presided over separate sessions on different topics.

A book named ‘Madhupur: The Vanishing Forest and Her People in Agony’ was launched at the programme while a documentary, ‘Aronyar Artonad’ was screened.
 

Dhaka, June 20 (UNB) - Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Javed Patwary on Thursday directed heads of all the police units to perform duties with efficiency and sincerity to implement the annual performance agreement (APA).

“Transparency and accountability of Bangladesh Police will be ensured through implementation of the APA. Above all, a dynamic administrative system will be ensured for it,” he said.

The IGP came up with the remarks while speaking at at a function at the Police Headquarters marking the signing of the APA for 2019-20 fiscal year with the heads of different units of Bangladesh Police.

The police chief said the government’s 7th Five-year Plan, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Vision-2021 and Vision 2041 are closely related with attaining the APA target. “So, achieving the APA target is very important for Bangladesh Police,” he added.

The IGP asked every police unit to perform duties dedicatedly to achieve the APA target.

The annual performance agreement was signed with the heads of 29 units, including Dhaka-based 15 and all metropolitan and range ones.

The IGP and the heads of the unit concerned signed the respective agreement.

Among others, Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Benazir Ahmed, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia, Additional IGP (A&O) Dr Md Mainur Rahman Chowdhury, chief of Anti-Terrorism Unit Mohammad Abul Kashem, Chief of Special Branch (SB) Mir Shahidul Islam, CID Chief Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, Additional IGP (F & D) Mohammad Shahab Uddin Qureshi and Additional IGP (HRM) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun spoke on the occasion.
 

Dhaka, June 20 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international agencies to help rehabilitate Rohingyas in their homeland after their repatriation to Myanmar.

She made the call when ICRC Head of Delegation in Bangladesh Ikhtiyar Aslanov met her at her Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office.

“The Prime Minister has urged the ICRC and other international organisations to help Rohingyas in Myanmar when they return to their homeland,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said while briefing reporters after the meeting.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh wants the international organisations to be active for repatriation and rehabilitation of Rohingyas.

The ICRC head of delegation highly praised the Prime Minister for her wise decision of giving shelter to the displaced Myanmar nationals on humanitarian grounds.

He said the ICRC will continue its support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue.

Noting that Bangladeshis are very resilient people, he said both the government and people came forward to look after Rohingyas.

Ikhtiyar Aslanov said the Prime Minister’s approach to engage Myanmar in the repatriation process is very well and good.

In reply, the Prime Minister said Myanmar signed an agreement but is yet to act accordingly.

She mentioned that the local people are suffering due to the presence of over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar.

The ICRC head of delegation praised Bangladesh for its disaster management.

In response, Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman initiated the disaster management strategy after the Liberation War by taking different measures, including setting up cyclone shelters, building Mujib Killas and engaging volunteers in coastal areas.

Ikhtiyar Aslanov expressed his gratitude to the government of Bangladesh and the Prime Minister for extending support to the ICRC operation during his tenure.   

PM’s Adviser for International Relation Affairs Dr Gowher Rizvi and PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan were present at the meeting.
 

Dhaka, June 20 (UNB) - Health Minister Zahid Malik on Thursday said Vitamin-A plus capsules have been tested several times in labs to avoid problems this time.

The minister said this at a press briefing at the Secretariat ahead of the Vitamin-A Plus campaign.

The campaign is scheduled to be held on June 22 across the country to feed Vitamin A-plus capsules to nearly 2.20crore children aged from six months to five years.  “There’s no problem over the quality of Vitamin-A Plus capsules. Some of the capsules, made by prominent local companies, have been brought from abroad.”

The rate of children’s night-blindness in the country has come down below one percent and it will be brought to zero level, he said.

The Health Minister also said the rate of night blindness was 3.76 percent in 1974 when this campaign was launched. 

Besides, additional 1.20 lakh permanent and 20,000 temporary mobile centres will remain open from 8:00am to 4:00pm, he said.
Children of remote areas will be fed capsules for three to five days more, the minister added. 
 

Khulna, June 20 (UNB) – Khulna Shipyard Limited, the state-owned ship construction and repair yard, has handed over three inshore patrol vessels to Bangladesh Coast Guard.

Besides, it started work to construct two high-speed boats (ferry) and two high-speed boats (driving) for the force.

The handover and keel laying ceremony was held at the shipyard on Thursday where Public Security Division Secretary Mostafa Kamal Uddin was the chief guest.

The programme was told that Khulna Shipyard Limited is constructing tug boats, floating cranes and pontoons for Coast Guard apart from inshore patrol vessels.

It has already built five patrol crafts and two large patrol crafts for Bangladesh Navy.

Director General of Bangladesh Coast Guard Rear Admiral M Ashraful Haque was a special guest at the ceremony while Khulna Shipyard Managing Director Commodore Anisur Rahman Mollah delivered the welcome speech.