United News of Bangladesh

No fresh death due to dengue was reported in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till Monday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). However, 15 more patients were hospitalised with viral fever during this period, according to the DGHS. Of them, one was admitted in Dhaka hospitals, while the rest were outside the capital. A total of 63 patients are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. So far, 1,525 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024. Last year, a total of 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record. The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries last year. Last year’s September was the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak, with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.

A fire broke out in a six-storey building near Hatirpool kitchen market on Thursday. The fire started on the second floor of the building around 6:13 am, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defense. On information, seven firefighting units rushed to the spot and are trying to bring the blaze under control.    

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has said the government of Bangladesh, as the host country of Islamic University of Technology (IUT), would continue its support in the further development of IUT - both in expanding its infrastructure and academic activities. Vice-Chancellor of Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Prof. Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, briefed the Foreign Minister about the history, structure, governing body, academic activities, budgetary situation and future plans of IUT during his meeting on March 13 at the latter’s office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The Foreign Minister appreciated the continued exemplary performance of the University and applauded the work of IUT in creating a conducive environment for almost three thousand students coming from 24 OIC countries.  He hoped that IUT will continue its good work to establish itself as a symbol of Islamic solidarity where students will receive education in the latest curriculum through enriched faculties.

The UK is providing an additional £5.2 million (Tk 73.2 crore) of humanitarian support to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday. The UK announced this at the launch of the 2024 humanitarian appeal for the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, the Joint Response Plan, in Geneva on Wednesday. Implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), this new package of UK assistance will provide food and cooking gas to Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. Food Minister seeks support from FAO to boost mango export British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, said: “I am pleased to announce this new package of £5.2 million to respond to humanitarian needs in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, and provide vital food and cooking gas to the Rohingya." The UK stands with Rohingya refugees and neighbouring Bangladeshi communities affected by this crisis, she said. "We recognise Bangladesh’s significant efforts in its hosting of the Rohingya, and remain committed to finding a long-term solution," said the High Commissioner. “In the interim, we are providing humanitarian assistance to support those affected. We will be announcing additional support later this year," she said. ADB approves $71 million loan to improve flood control, water resources management in Gopalganj and Madaripur This new UK support includes: £2.8m to WFP to provide food to over 311,600 Rohingya refugees while £2.4m to IOM and UNHCR to provide cooking gas to over 489,800 Rohingya refugees. Since 2017, the UK has provided £379 million of humanitarian support to Rohingya refugees and neighbouring communities in Bangladesh.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Thursday sought support  from the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) to increase mango export from Bangladesh. He sought the assistance when Dr Jiaoqun Shi, FAO representative in Bangladesh, paid a courtesy call on him at his secretariat office. CPD wants adjustment in capacity charges instead of raising power tariff to reduce subsidy During the meeting, they discussed the development of the country's food management and international commercialisation of local fruits. The food minister said Bangladesh has achieved self-sufficiency in the production of cereals. Besides, the production of fruits and vegetables has also increased a lot, he said adding that the country produces about 25 lakh tonnes of mangoes annually but the amount of export is low compared to production. Jiaoqun Shi said FAO is working to strengthen food security around the world and it will continue its support to ensure food security in Bangladesh. Cabinet nods draft of Road Transport (Amendment) Act 2024 in principle   Food Secretary Md Ismail Hossain, Director General of Food Directorate Md Shakhawat Hossain, among others, were present at the meeting.

Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah which was hijacked by Somali pirates with 23 crew on board anchored at Hobyo port in Somalia on Thursday, said Director General of the Department of Shipping is Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam. MV Abdullah anchored around 2 pm at Hobyo port, he said adding “However, none of the pirates has contacted the owners and made any demand to them.” He also assumed that the pirates will contact Bangladesh authorities soon. Hijacked Bangladeshi cargo vessel likely to reach Somali’s coast by Thursday: BMMOA On Tuesday, pirates took control of the ship, carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE, around noon. During the hijacking, the vessel was 600 nautical miles off Mogadishu in Somalia. MV Abdullah is owned by SR Shipping Lines – a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group. Mizanul Islam, spokesperson of KSRM, said they have heard that the vessel anchored at Somalia port but the pirates have not communicated yet.

The death of a Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) sanitation worker after being hit by a pickup van on the Gabtoli-Dwipnagar road sparked protest in Gabtoli area Thursday morning. Co-workers of victim Ameena Begum, 45, staged a protest blocking the Gabtoli road for nearly three hours from 6 am to 9 am, disrupting traffic. Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mofizur Rahman Palash of Mirpur's Darus Salam Zone informed the media that following the accident, hundreds of sanitation workers stationed in the Gabtoli area staged demonstration occupying Dhaka-Aricha highway, halting traffic and causing severe traffic jam on both sides of the road. Police personnel from Mirpur Division rushed to the scene to control the situation. However, the protesting sanitation workers insisted on their demands, stating that they would not resume work until their safety concerns are addressed. Hijacked Bangladeshi cargo vessel likely to reach Somali’s coast by Thursday: BMMOA City corporation officials later intervened and managed to calm the situation. Traffic resumed to normal around 10 am after the sanitation workers dispersed from the road. The pickup van involved in the accident was seized, and its driver, Nazmul Islam, was arrested. Legal proceedings are underway at the police station, said the police official.

MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi cargo vessel, that was hijacked by a group of Somali pirates was around 150 nautical miles off the Somalian coast till Wednesday (March 13, 2024) evening. “And the ship will reach the Somalia anchorage by tomorrow morning,” Mizanul Islam, media consultant of KSRM Group, told UNB. ‘If money is not given, they will kill us’: Audio message of hijacked ship’s chief officer “All the crew members are safe and sound now on the hijacked vessel,” he added. On Tuesday, the ship, carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE, was attacked around noon. Please pray, says hijacked ship Abdullah's chief engineer to his family MV Abdullah is owned by SR Shipping Lines – a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group. All crew members are being held hostage by the pirates, said KSRM’s media adviser Mizanul Islam. Govt in touch with international bodies to rescue hijacked Bangladeshi ship, its crew: FM

Mina Azmin, wife of Mohammad Atique Ullah Khan, chief officer of the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah that was hijacked by Somali pirates, had to be admitted to a hospital after fainting repeatedly. Atique sent an audio message to his wife around iftar time on Tuesday (March 12, 2024). Atique’s audio message said, “They are taking our mobile phones away. The bottom line is, if the money is not given, they will kill us one by one. The sooner the money is given, the sooner they will let us go. Please, get this message out.” Atique is from Chandanaish upazila of Chattogram. He lives in the Nandan Kanan area of the port city with his mother, wife and three daughters. His elderly mother Shahnoor Begum and children broke down in tears when this correspondent went to their home last night. Shahnoor Begum was crying and hugging a framed picture of Atique. Govt in touch with international bodies to rescue hijacked Bangladeshi ship, its crew: FM "A day feels like a year! I was told that we’ll have to wait a few months to get our son back. How will I live with this sorrow?" — Shahnoor Begum wailed. With her son held hostage by Somali pirates and daughter-in-law unwell, Shahnoor Begum was visibly worried. She said, "In his last voice message, my son told my daughter-in-law, ‘If they don't give the money, they will kill us.' She has been ill ever since she got that message. “She is expecting. After losing consciousness several times on Tuesday night, we took her to a private hospital. After treatment, we brought her home. She is still ill! “My son Atique took the responsibility of the whole family. He has been working on the ship since 2007. Now he is in terrible danger! I don't know how my son is, if he has food to eat. “We were sitting down to have Iftar on the first day of Ramadan. I just put a date in my mouth; at that time the phone rang. My son said that Somali pirates had attacked their ship. The ship is now under their control.” Please pray, says hijacked ship Abdullah's chief engineer to his family

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a think-tank, has advised the government to come out of the burden of capacity chargers by making adjustment to into it to reduce the subsidy instead of raising the power tariff repeatedly. It also observed that the government is trying to shift the onus of the wrong policies and strategies on the shoulder of the consumers. The wrong policies and strategies have resulted in the current burdens of capacity charges, it said at a press conference in the city on Wednesday. CPD research director Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem made the keynote presentation titled: “Recent Electricity Tariff HikeIsn't there a better alternative for subsidy adjustment?” while the study team member Preoty Research Associates Helen Mashiyat and Mashfiq Ahasan Hridoy and Programme Associate Faisal Quaiyyum were present on the occasion. The CPD said that the government has made an upward adjustment to the electricity tariff as part of rationalising subsidy in the power sector. The decision aligns with the IMF's conditions linked to a $4.7 billion loan, including the implementation of an automated pricing formula for petroleum and raising electricity and gas prices to reduce subsidies in the power sector. “Through such an adjustment, the burden has fully passed through the consumers of electricity in household, agriculture, industry, businesses, services, and other economic sectors”. It said the tariff hikes, especially in gas and electricity, are expected to elevate production costssignificantly leading to higher prices for consumer goods. The government claims that the tariff adjustment is not a hike but a necessary step to align with the increased production costs and global energy pricing practices. At the same time, by passing the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) and the lack of public consultation raised concerns over transparency and the impact on consumers. Dr Golam Moazzem said the rising subsidy for the power sector over the years is directly related with substantial amount of capacity payment provided for unutilised generation capacity of different power plants which is a reflection of faulty planning for power generation in the earlier years. He said the loss of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) incurred a loss of Tk 43,539 crore in fiscal 2022-23 necessitating a subsidy of Tk 39,534 crore. The BPDB’s loss is mainly driven by the cost ofelectricity purchase from IPPs, rentals and quick rental power plants. He noted that despite increasing the electricity tariff for the 4th time in last one year, the subsidy burden is still persistently hovering on the government. According to the state minister, the tariff hike will reduce the amount of subsidy by Tk3000 crore and about BDT36, 363 crores of subsidy will have to be paid. Dr Moazzem said the new amendment of BERC ordinance has weakened the institutional framework of electricity pricing by eliminating the process of public hearing and involvement in the price revisionprocess. “Such amendment has questioned the transparency and accountability of the regulatory process. As the result, the whole burden has been passed on to the consumer’s shoulder which is neither expected nor appreciated”, he said. The CPD proposed a blend approach to reduce the subsidised amount paid to the BPDB without significantly increasing electricity prices or shifting the financial burden onto consumers. This approach includes phasing out fossil fuel-based power plants on time and implementing a "No Electricity, No Payment" policy. According to CPD's calculations, it could eliminate subsidies by 2028 and create a positive surplus for the BPDB and limit the electricity price increase to only 6.8 percent over 5 years to reach a zero-subsidy scenario, in contrast to the IMF's estimation of a 12% price increase over 5 years. “This strategy will significantly reduce the fiscal burden while it is important to initiate competitive bidding process in power purchase agreement (PPA) for which abolishment of ‘emergencypower and energy supply act’ is required. “This will significantly reduce the purchase price of electricity and 40 percent of renewable energy-based power generation needs to be ensured.”