United News of Bangladesh

The government has incorporated 52 ministries and divisions into Quick Win Smart Initiatives in the Smart Bangladesh Plan and Implementation Progress Management Platform with the goal of creating a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future. The induction was done in a recent meeting titled 'Smart Bangladesh Plan Formulation (Phase 1) programme related briefing meeting'. In the 3rd meeting of the 'Smart Bangladesh Task Force Executive Committee' instructions have been given to implement the Quick-Win initiative for Ministries and Divisions based public welfare services as smart services fast. Every ministry or division is taking initiatives to convert implementable public welfare services into smart services within the next two years, according to an official document submitted to Parliament. Empowering Change: Policy Dialogue on disability inclusion in SMART Bangladesh held in city The government is formulating the 'Smart Bangladesh: ICT 2041 Master Plan' to take up the well-planned activities of the four pillars of Smart Bangladesh- Smart Citizens, Smart Economy, Smart Government and Smart Society and implement them properly. It also formed 15 sub-committees which will propose various programmes to implement each pillar in collaboration with government, private sector, development cooperation, academia. The master plan will be finalised by dividing these programmes into short, medium and long term. In addition to this, the document said, an initiative has been taken to revise the ICT Policy 2018 keeping in mind the challenges and possibilities of the fourth industrial revolution and the goal of building a Smart Bangladesh. Already, the ICT Department has formulated the 'Smart Bangladesh: ICT 2041 Masterplan' by adopting various programmes in light of the four pillars of Smart Bangladesh. Engineers are driving force for building Smart Bangladesh: PM Hasina All the short term plans will be implemented within the next five years. The government’s aim is to create at least 10 lakh more jobs in the technology sector in the next five years, attract investment and increase investment opportunities and increase annual export earnings. The target was set under the Smart Bangladesh 2041 vision are divided into short-term, medium-term and long-term plans. The smart citizens of Smart Bangladesh will be intelligent, skilled, innovative, creative, progressive, patriotic and problem-solving minded, said the document. A smart economy will be a knowledge-based economy consisting of a cashless, circular, entrepreneurial, research and innovation driven economic system. Smart government will be a citizen-centric, transparent and accountable government-system that will be paperless, data-driven, interconnected, interoperable, integrated and automated. 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041: Government undertakes 8 strategic initiatives And smart societies will be non-discriminatory, inclusive, just societies, which will be culturally rich tolerant societies and which will be safe and sustainable for all. Smart Bangladesh will be built on the basis of these four pillars which will ensure the future of a developed and prosperous Bangladesh with high income, the document said.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the High Court order that had awarded death penalty to two persons in a case filed for killing Ashiqur Rahman Khan Apu in 2008. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order. The two death-row convicts are—Manjurul Abedin Russel and Noushad Molla Robin. Besides, the SC also sentenced Mohammad Ali Munna and Iftekhar Beg Jhalak to life imprisonment unto death. The High Court had acquitted them. Advocates Mansurul Haque Chowdhury, Sarwar Ahmed and Moshtaq Ahmed stood for the accused while deputy attorney general Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state. According to the prosecution, the convicts kept Arifur Rahman Khan Setu, brother of Ashiqur Rahman Khan Apu and son of Advocate Rais Uddin of Wari Hare Street in Sutrapur area, hostages at gunpoint and dragged him to the Silverdale School ground from his residence on May 23, 2008. On information, Apu along with his another brother Atiqur Rahman Khan Bappi went to the spot to save their brother. At one stage, the convicts opened fire on the trio and left the place. The convicts did this for failing to realise Tk 12 lakh as extortion from them. Later, they were taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared Apu dead. Apu’s two brothers escaped death but they remained physically challenged for life. Atia Khan Keya, sister of Apu filed a case with Sutrapur Police Station. Maksudur Rahman, inspector of the then Dhaka Metropolitan Intelligence Police, submitted chargesheet against seven people.  On April 12, 2009, a court indicted the seven accused. On March 13, 2012, Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 Judge Shahed Nur Uddin sentenced two people to death and four others to life imprisonment in the case. Atiq Ahmed Shiplu, a chargesheeted accused of the case got acquitted from the case. On May 7, 2018, the High Court upheld the death sentence of the two convicts while acquitted two more convicts—who were sentenced to life imprisonment in the case. The lifers were Mahbub Alam, Mohammad Ali Munna, Iftekhar Beg Jhalak and Biplab Chandra Das. Among them, Mahbub and Biplab remained absconding.

The government will import a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Singapore. The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in a meeting on Tuesday approved a proposal of state-owned Petrobangla to import the LNG from Singapore's Gunvor Private Limited at Tk 601.64 crore. Govt moves to ramp up LNG terminal capacity, even as demand slows down on back of fiscal challenges Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali presided over the meeting. The LNG will be imported under the Rapid Increase in Supply of Electricity and Energy (Special Provisions) Act, 2010 as per Master Sale and Purchase Agreement (MSPA) from the international spot Market. The cost of LNG per MMBTU will be $12.9697 which was earlier $10.3000. Govt to import 3 cargoes of LNG to raise gas supply Meanwhile, the committee approved a proposal of state owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to import 6000 metric tons of lentil from a local supplier through open tender. Roy Agro Food Products will supply the bulk lentils at a cost of Tk 60.47 crore with each kg at Tk 100.79.

Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali is set to place TK 8.0 lakh crore national budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 in the parliament on Thursday. But the finance minister has been facing a challenge of making up the budget deficit as the revenue collection is not growing at desire level. He told UNB that in his first budget as the finance minister of the current government he will try to make both businesses and the common people happy. Notwithstanding the assurance, economists, businesses and the common people have concerns over price hike and inflation amid growing government borrowing and the dollar crisis in Bangladesh. CPD's Moazzem holds up dire contradictions in economy during presentation on budget According to sources in the Ministry of Finance, the government will borrow Tk 2.57 lakh crore from domestic and foreign sources.  An amount ofTk 1.57 lakh crore will be borrowed from the domestic sector, including banks. The remaining Tk1.0 lakh crore will be borrowed from foreign sources. On the other hand, the amount allocated for the payment of interest on foreign loans in the budget of the current fiscal year has been exhausted within 10 months. Over the past decade, foreign debt repayments have increased by 108 percent. In the FY 2023-24, for the first time, foreign debt repayment will exceed $3.0 billion, which will be increased further in the upcoming FY2024-25 as well, said analysts. The government now has to borrow more than ever to fund the budget. As a result, the debt repayment pressure is increasing. In addition, the dollar crisis and the high value of the dollar have put more pressure on the government to repay the debt. The government statistics show that domestic debt has doubled in five years. Bangladesh's external debt has crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time, indicating a challenging future amid foreign exchange shortage. Of the external debt, $79.69 billion was taken by the public sector and the rest by the private sector. About 85 percent of the loans are long-term and the rest are short-term. Parliament Secretariat approves Tk 347-cr allocation in budget for 2024-25 Former IMF Economist Ahsan H. Mansur told UNB in this regard that from now on one should be more careful in taking up projects with foreign loans. The terms, tenure, and interest rate of these loans must be analysed in line with the domestic economy. He said the budget allocation for the luxury project needs to be cut along with minimising the cost of the necessary projects till overcome the financial crisis. Apart from this, due to the ongoing dollar crisis, several foreign companies are having trouble repatriating profits from investments and sales of goods and services. The amount of money stuck is about $5 billion, which is a kind of liability for the country. Mansur, also executive director of PRI, a research organization, said that there has been a lot of discussion and criticism about the domestic and foreign debt situation for a year or two. So there should be a statement by the finance minister in the budget speech about how much debt is in which sector, and what is the source of the debt, and what is the repayment plan, he said. Foreign investors invest by looking at a country's debt situation, repayment capacity, whether they can take profits from the investment in the country. At present, several foreign companies are faced with various obstacles including the dollar-crisis to bring profits to the country, Mansur pointed out. Budget 2024-25: What can be expected? Dr Selim Raihan, Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka and Executive Director at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) told UNB that in terms of government liability, foreign debt repayment is usually discussed more. But to finance the budget, the government borrows a huge amount from internal sources such as banks, savings bonds and other sources. The amount of this debt is also raising concerns. The amount of borrowing from domestic sources has doubled in the last five years. Domestic debt has never grown so fast before, he said. According to sources in the Ministry of Finance, in the last fiscal year 2019-20, the government took a loan of Tk 78745 crore to meet the budget deficit. After that, the amount of debt only increased every year. In the current fiscal year, a target of taking a loan was set of Tk1.55 lakh crore. As per the latest from the finance ministry, so far (as of mid-May) Tk70,558 crore of loans have been taken from the banking sector. Another Tk 62,000 crore has been planned to be taken through various types of treasury bills and bonds this June to finance the budget. Apart from this, Tk23000 crore are expected to be taken this year from the non-banking sector, that is, mainly by selling savings bonds. The government has taken loan from bonds Tk11206 crores so far. Mainly due to non-collection of internal revenue, the government has to take loan from banks, financial institutions, and savings bonds to meet the budget deficit. In the first 10 months of the current financial year, the shortfall in revenue collection of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is over Tk 26,000 crore.

As technology becomes more accessible, the involvement of all classes of people on social media is increasing, and with it, the spread of religious misinformation is also on the rise. This misinformation often incites violence against minority communities, affecting social harmony and religious coexistence. The negative reactions to religious issues on social media frequently lead to conflicts among followers of the major religions in Bangladesh. These incidents not only result in loss of property but also in loss of life. Hindu houses, shops vandalised in Narail In recent years, negative comments or posts about religion on Facebook have led to significant incidents such as the 2016 vandalism of 19 Hindu temples and over 300 houses in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria, and the 2017 vandalism and arson of over 100 Hindu temples and homes in Gangachara, Rangpur, sparked widespread criticism. Beyond blasphemy, derogatory remarks about religious figures on social media have also led to attacks and conflicts. For instance, 88 houses and 7-8 family temples belonging to the Hindu community were vandalized and looted following allegations of derogatory comments about Islamic scholar Mamunul Haque in Shalla Upazila of Sunamganj on March 17, 2021. A groundbreaking study has unveiled concerning insights into how social media users in Bangladesh engage with religious misinformation. Conducted by Md. Sayeed Al-Zaman, assistant professor of Journalism and Media Studies department of Jahangirnagar University, it highlights the pervasive spread of misinformation and its destructive impact on societal harmony. The study, titled "Social Media Users’ Engagement with Religious Misinformation: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed-Methods Analysis," focuses on Bangladesh, the fourth-largest Muslim-majority country in the world. The rise of social media usage in the country has paralleled a disturbing increase in the dissemination of false religious information. This misinformation often incites violence against minority communities and threatens the fabric of interreligious relations. Bagerhat Hindu house attacked over altercation on India’s prophet comment issue Al-Zaman employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design for the study. This included a qualitative thematic analysis of 1,819 user comments on a specific misinformation incident, followed by a quantitative content analysis of 7,350 comments across five different cases. The findings revealed that users engage with misinformation through discourse topics, reactions, and appraisals. The majority of discourse topics were radical and political, with fewer discussions focused on purely religious issues. An overwhelming 94.1% of reactions to religious misinformation were negative. This negative engagement often manifested in destructive behaviors and sentiments, with negative reactions outstripping positive ones by over seventeen times. Furthermore, the study found that 69.3% of users tend to believe the misinformation they encounter, whereas only 25.9% were able to recognize and reject it. Nearly half of the users held radical views, reacted negatively, and believed in the misinformation simultaneously. Despite the existence of legal acts for punishment in cases of blasphemy, users often believe false or misleading religious information and react negatively and violently, leading to frequent social instability. Temples, Hindu households vandalised in Khulna: Puja Udjapan Parishad The research showed that the violence and tensions arising from religious misinformation are more politically motivated than purely religious. It also points out the role of social media algorithms in promoting such content, thereby exacerbating societal divisions. Al-Zaman's findings underscore the urgent need for effective strategies to counter misinformation. Policymakers, social media platforms, and civil society must collaborate to mitigate the spread of false information and protect interreligious harmony in Bangladesh. Sayeed-Al-Zaman suggested to prevent harmful or unacceptable information or content online, to protect users, and to address various online-influenced issues in society, the Cybersecurity Act 2023 was enacted. Nonetheless, it is crucial to adopt or enact specific measures or laws exclusively for misinformation prevention. In a religiously sensitive country like Bangladesh, proper digital literacy is also extremely necessary alongside misinformation prevention, he added.

The government has appointed Ernst and Young (EY) India to develop strategic foresight for the Smart Leadership Academy (SLA), which was set up to create smart leaders and promote a citizen-centric culture to navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The World Bank financed the Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) of the ICT Division signed a contract with EY India in this regard. Meanwhile, ICT Secretary Md Shamsul Arefin at a seminar on Tuesday asked the EY authorities to develop strategic foresight keeping in mind the rapid technological shift and meticulously outlining the tasks essential to effectively operate SLA for advancing the Smart Bangladesh vision. The workshop was held at the Conference room of EDGE in the capital's Rokeya Sarani on Tuesday. Chaired by Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project Director Md Shakhawat Hossain, the function was addressed, among others by, Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Ranajit Kumar, EDGE Policy Adviser Md. Abdur Bari, EDGE Policy Development Specialist Amdadul Huq. Debarchana, Director, People Consulting, EY India, presented the keynote on Strategic foresight tools and methodologies for Smart Leadership Academy. Officials of the ICT Division and representatives from industry and academia participated in the workshop and shared their opinions about the proposed strategic foresight for Smart Leadership Academy. Shamsul Arefin emphasized the urgent need to adapt to the swift technological transition reshaping our surroundings, cautioning that failure to do so would result in falling behind. He said there is apprehension of losing jobs with the emergence of frontier technologies, but the reality is more jobs will be created due to the use of more equipment in making robotics and AI tools. “The potential for job creation through domestic robot manufacturing is immense,” he said. Arefin asserted, advocating for the engagement of polytechnic students in digital and hardware skills training initiatives to establish a hub for hardware repair, thereby generating employment and curbing foreign currency expenditure.

Strict action will be taken if cattle-carrying vehicles designated for a particular market are forcibly taken to another cattle market in the capital, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman on Tuesday. Traders will have to put up a banner in front of the truck specifying its destination and if necessary, include the mobile number of the leaseholder of the cattle market on the banner, he said while speaking at a meeting held over the coordination of overall security arrangements at the cattle markets and traffic management. Motive behind MP Anar murder yet to be ascertained: DMP Commissioner Highway police and DMP will take steps in case of such incidents, he added. If such incidents happen, highway police in the area and DMP in Dhaka metropolitan area will take strict legal action. The cattle markets will be allowed on designated places set by city corporations and if anyone tries to set up a cattle market anywhere else, police officials concerned will look into it. District magistrates, city corporation magistrates, local police and lease holders of the cattle markets will work in a coordinated way, said the DMP Commissioner. He also urged the lease holder to erect barricades surrounding the cattle markets to keep the roads hassle-free. GD will be done on time whether online or manually: DMP chief Besides, police will provide assistance in identifying counterfeit notes while adequate police will be deployed to prevent dope gang activities, said Habibur.      

Bangladesh has sought China’s support in creating a “conducive environment” and engaging with the Myanmar government for early repatriation of the Rohingyas to their ancestral land.  Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen had a meeting with the Special Envoy of China for Myanmar Deng Xijun on the sidelines of the 13th bilateral political consultations at the host foreign office on June 4. BGB joins in firefighting Ukhia Rohingya camp fire During the meeting, the foreign secretary gave a detailed account of the situation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Cox’s Bazar. He highlighted that the camps in Cox’s Bazar are overcrowded, difficult to manage them within the limited space. Bangladesh cannot afford to shelter them for indefinite period, he added. Masud also underlined that the international community has predominantly focused on humanitarian aid for the FDMNs rather than actively participating in the repatriation discussions with Myanmar, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rohingya Repatriation: Hasan Mahmud urges UN, other partners to take coordinated steps The foreign secretary expressed grave concern about the ongoing conflict in Rakhine, which poses a “serious threat” to the bordering areas and could have spillover effects on Bangladesh. He urged the special envoy to negotiate with all the stakeholders in the ongoing conflict to deescalate the situation in order not to allow any opportunist groups to take advantage of the volatile situation. In response, the special envoy reiterated China’s commitment to continue to play a constructive role to initiate the repatriation process of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh. The idea of a tripartite mechanism among Bangladesh, China and Myanmar came six years ago in New York to evaluate the situation on the ground and take steps for the early repatriation and there had been few meetings.     The two sides agreed to remain engaged on this important issue on a regular basis. Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.3 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. Over 200 shanties gutted in Rohingya camp fire in Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh says Rohingyas are citizens of Myanmar and their successful repatriation to Myanmar is the only practical option to solve this long standing humanitarian catastrophe. This is not just a humanitarian crisis; rather, it is a security concern that demands a collective, comprehensive, and collaborative response from the regional and international community, Bangladesh thinks.

Bangladeshi youth Shougat Nazbin Khan has won the pitch competition and received the best Startup Award at the 10th OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum jointly organized by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Russian Government. OrgaSus, with a circular economy-based model, champions sustainability through the innovative utilization of natural fibers and agricultural waste, transforming them into artisanal treasures and crafting eco-friendly alternatives while empowering marginalized women artisans. In the past, Shougat was honored with the prestigious German Government’s Green Talent Award and GREEN Prize for her innovative contributions to sustainable energy and environmental initiatives. She has received other international accolades, including being appointed as United Nations Young Leader for SDGs, Asia 21 Young Leader, G20 Young Global Changer, Commonwealth Youth Awardee, and Forbes 30 under 30 honoree. Currently, Shougat serves as the Youth Representative of UNESCO's SDG4 Youth and Student Network, the youth and student constituency of the SDG4-Education 2030 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC) within the Global Education Cooperation Mechanism (GCM). She is also a distinguished fellow of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). Previously, she served as a Climate Ambassador at the World Bank's Global Youth Climate Network (GYCN) and as a Young Ambassador for ‘The Earth Project,’ supported by UNESCO and the International Geoscience Programme. As part of the award, Shougat has been invited to take part in the Startup Grand Final of the next International Entrepreneurship Summit. At the 10th OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, she competed with the participants of the OIC member States and during the next event she will compete with the finalists from all around the world. She established H. A. Digital School & College, serving students from underprivileged communities in Bangladesh with a focus on socio-economic empowerment of women. A total of 150 startups from the OIC member countries took part in the competition. Shougat developed a low-cost solar PV irrigation system for farmers for which she won the prestigious Green Talent award in 2015. She was also invited as a guest speaker to the third Kazan Global Youth Summit to be co-organized by the OIC and Government of Russia. The Summit is designed for four days on August 21-24 and consists of ministerial plenary sessions, panel discussions, interactive workshops and a cultural programme, according to the organizers. This is a unique educational and expert platform for exchanging opinions and best practices on youth policy and involvement of children and youth locally, regionally, and globally. In 2024, the Summit’s agenda will be dedicated to the following topics: digitalization; modern tools in youth policy; traditional values in the globalization era. Additionally, the event will feature sessions on best practices for artificial intelligence and virtual reality, digital trends and solutions in the youth environment, and the mental health of young people. Within the framework of the Summit, it is also planned to hold the high-level meeting of Youth and Sports Ministers with the participation of official representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The outcome of the Summit will be the Joint Resolution of the Action Plan, which will become the basis for the implementation of joint children's and youth initiatives and long-term cooperation programs in countries of Islamic World, BRICS and Asia-Pacific region.

Jahangirnagar University, famous for its unique green landscape, has lost another 200 trees recently as the authorities felled those for the construction of two buildings ignoring the students’ demand for a master plan ahead of implementing development project. The trees were felled behind the new registrar building of the university and in the extended part of Al-Beruni Hall on Sunday morning. Research on tree conservation and extension will be enhanced: SaberStudents said the university administration designated space behind the new registrar building for the construction of extended building of the Faculty of Arts and the extended part of Al-Beruni Hall for the construction of faculty building of the Department of Fine Arts. Although the work remained stopped for so long in the face of students’ protest, the felling of trees started Sunday in the presence of some teachers. On the other hand, on the basis of the opinions of the teachers, it was decided to construct a building next to the Faculty of Arts, but ignoring their opinion, about 200 trees were felled for the construction of the building beside the new registrar building, they alleged. Professor of History Department Khandaker Lutfol Elahi said, "It is very odd-looking to construct buildings in the absence of teachers and students during the vacation. We wanted the building to be built adjacent to the current building. Although the building was a little smaller, the environment and life and nature would not have been harmed. But they did not pay heed to it and fixed the place beside the lake.” HC seeks explanation over authorities’ steps to control tree felling Meanwhile, students formed a human chain at the place of tree felling adjacent to the registrar building of Bish^ School at 12 noon protesting the felling of trees. In this regard, Professor of History Kho. Lutfol Elahi said, "It is very eye-catching to construct buildings in the absence of teachers and students during the holidays. At the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, we wanted the building to be adjacent to the current building. Although the building was a little smaller, the environment and life and nature would not have been harmed. But they did not pay heed to it and fixed the place beside the lake so that the way for the construction of the third administrative building could be opened. Students formed a human chain at the place of tree felling adjacent to the registrar building on Sunday protesting the felling of trees. Arif Sohel, a student of the Department of International Relations, said, "We do not want buildings destroying the life and nature of the university. We are not against development, but we want development to take place on the basis of a master plan.” Alif Mahmud, president of JU Chhatra Union, said the culture of cutting trees during holidays was no exception this year. “The students are not in the halls, they are felling trees considering the time suitable for them. We have no objection to the construction of the buildings, our only demand is to construct the buildings through a master plan.” Project Director and Associate Professor of the Department of Fine Arts MM Moyez Uddin said, "We are constructing the buildings at the place designated by the syndicate of the university. We are not doing anything that harms the environment. Besides, we will plant trees take care of those. We will accept the recommendations of all the stakeholders and form a team with them so that they can monitor our progress.”