United News of Bangladesh

After announcing bulk tariff hike by 5 percent, the government issued the gazette notification to raise power tariff at retail level on Thursday. As per the gazette notification, at the retail level, per unit of electricity (each kilowatt hour) will increase by an average Tk 0.70 (8.50%) to Tk 8.95 per unit from existing Tk 8.25. On the other hand, the life line subscribers will see a hike by Tk 0.28  per unit from Tk 4.35 to Tk 4.63. The new tariff will be effective retroactively from February 1. There are 1.65 crore “life line consumers”, said the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources giving a clarification to the latest tariff hike for thd retail consumers. Earlier, the government announced the new power tariff for bulk consumers raising it by 5 percent from existing Tk 6.70 per unit to Tk 7.04 meaning a rise of Tk 0.34 per unit (each kilowatt hour) with effect from February 1. The bulk consumers are mainly the distribution entities and large industries that receive electricity at 33 kV, 132 kV and 230 kV transmission lines directly from the single buyer and principal organization in the power sector, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). There are six distribution entities—Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco), Northern Electricity Supply Company PLS (Nesco), West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL) and also BPDB, which is itself involved in power distribution. As per a gazette notification, dated February 29, the distribution entities will purchase electricity from BPDB at Tk 8.44 per unit electricity at 230 kV, Tk 8.47 at 132 kV and Tk 7.62 at 33 kV level. Besides, a separate gazette notification was also issued raising the transmission charge as well for the entities. Earlier, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid at a press briefing said that the power tariff will be increased from February 1 instead of March 1, on Thursday (February 29, 2024) - meaning the new rates will come into effect retroactively, to cover February bills as well.  However, two days before, he had said the new tariff would come into effect from March 1. He said the power tariff would be hiked between Tk 0.34 (5 percent) and Tk 0.70 per unit (8.5 percent) for all kinds of consumers depending on their consumption volume while gas price will go up by Tk 0.75 per unit only for power plants.  He also said that dynamic fuel pricing will be introduced for the consumers from March 1 under which the price of petroleum fuel will go up and down in line with international market prices. “Each month fuel price will be declared for the consumers," he said adding neighbouring India does this every day. He noted that the steps have been taken to minimise the government losses caused by the increase in the dollar rate. “This year the government will incur a loss of Tk 43,000 crore due to the sale of electricity at a lower price,” he said. This step has been taken as part of the government's move to come out of the subsidy now being given to the power sector, said the minister. According to the BPDB’s Annual Report 2022-23, the fiscal year saw the production of 87,024 million kilowatt hours of electricity at a total cost of TK 98,646 crore.  Its per unit production cost was Tk 11.33, while it was selling electricity at Tk 6.7 per unit — incurring a loss of about Tk 4.63 per unit. This imbalance has led to a staggering loss of Tk 47,788 crore for the fiscal year, as the government grapples with purchasing power from private and international sources at significantly higher rates. With this huge loss, the government has been facing great trouble as it has to purchase electricity worth Tk 82,778 crore from private sector power producers, while it generates electricity worth Tk 13,307 crore from its generation plants. The annual report also shows that the BPDB’s average per unit production cost from its plants is Tk 7.63. At the same time, it is Tk 14.62 at the independent power producers or IPPs (private sector), at rental plants Tk 12.53, at public plants Tk 6.85, and imported power from India at Tk 8.77. The government purchases electricity from the private sector and India in dollars.

A fire broke out in a restaurant on Bailey Road of the capital Dhaka on Thursday night. Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters media cell, said the ablaze began in ‘Kacchi Bhai Restaurant’ on Bailey Road 9:50 pm. On information, eight firefighting units from several stations rushed to the spot and were trying to bring the flame under control, he said. Two more units have joinedd since then. The origin of the fire could not be known immediately, the FSCD officer said, adding that details on this matter will be shared later.

Two people, including a woman, were killed and four more injured in a head-on collision between a pickup van and a CNG-run autorickshaw on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Dakshin Surma upazila of Sylhet on Thursday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Nazma Begum, 43, wife of Sona Mia of Companiganj upazila of the district and autorickshaw driver Mansur Ali, 27, son of Dhanai Mia of Pirer Bazar Borni village of the same district’s Bishwanath upazila. Witnesses said the upazila-bound autorickshaw from Sylhet city collided with a pickup van coming from the opposite direction on the highway in Lalbazar area, leaving six people injured. Locals rescued the injured and sent them to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where the duo breathed their last. Confirming the matter, the hospital police outpost’s in-charge Jafar Imam said the bodies were kept at the morgue for autopsy.

A two-day Zakat Fair 2024 will begin at Aloki Convention Centre at Gulshan Tejgaon Link Road in the city on Saturday (March 2). Centre for Zakat Management (CZM) will organise the event with the theme of 'Making a Difference with Zakat'. Eminent economist and former advisor to caretaker government Professor Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman will inaugurate the fair at 11 am on Saturday. Former Secretary of the government Arastu Khan, convener of the fair organising committee, at a press conference at the Economic Reporters Forum Auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday said that a number of organisations are sponsoring the Zakat Fair 2024. They are Rahimafrooz, Khadim Ceramics, Kohinoor Chemicals, Rahim Steel, South Bridge, Hajj Finance Company Limited. Zakat Fair will be open for all from 09.00 am to 7.00 pm. It will have stalls of various financial and zakat institutions including zakat consultation desk, stalls of various Islamic books. Chairman of Zakat Distribution Committee of Centre for Zakat Management and former chairman of NBR Mohammad Abdul Majid, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mohammad Ayub Mia and Sheikh Abdur Rashid chairman of the audit committee of the CZM were present at the press conference. Arastu Khan said, "Zakat Fair is being organised to popularise the idea of ensuring social and economic security of Zakat". He urged the wealthy and all those concerned to visit the fair to learn about zakat-based activities and to know the details of business zakat calculation methods including the accurate calculation of personal zakat. A total of six sessions will be held during this year's Zakat Fair. The inaugural seminar titled "CZM's Zakat-based Programs: A pioneering Innovation for Poverty Alleviation" will be held at 11 am. A seminar on 'Importance of Zakat, Ushar and Waqf in Human Welfare' will be held for Khatibs and Imams at 11:00 am and a round table session on 'Role of Islamic Social Finance in Reducing Inequality' will be held in the afternoon. Prof. Wahiduddin Mahmud, Chairman, Economic Research Group will be present as the chief guest in the round table meeting to be chaired by Abdul Mueed Chowdhury, former advisor of caretaker government. Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Muhammad Abdur Rauf, Former Minister Lt: J: (Retd:) M Nuruddin Khan, Emeritus Professor Dr. Shahjahan Khan Islami Bank's Consultative Forum Vice Chairman AKM Nurul Bulbul and many other eminent personalities of the society are expected to attend the Zakat Fair as special guests and speakers.

The government has announced the new power tariff for bulk consumers raising it by 5 percent from existing Tk 6.70 per unit to Tk 7.04 meaning a rise of Tk 0.34 per unit (each kilowatt hour) with effect from February 1. The bulk consumers are mainly the distribution entities and large industries who receive electricity at 33 kV, 132 kV and 230 kV transmission lines directly from the single buyer and principal organization in the power sector, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). “So, it will have no effect on the power tariff applicable for the retail consumers until the government announces a new tariff for retail consumers,” a top official of the BPDB told UNB.   There are six distribution entities—Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco), Northern Electricity Supply Company PLS (Nesco), West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL) and also BPDB, which is itself involved in power distribution. As per a gazette notification, dated February 29, the distribution entities will purchase electricity from BPDB at Tk 8.44 per unit electricity at 230 kV, Tk 8.47 at 132 kV and Tk 7.62 at 33 kV level. Besides, a separate gazette notification was also issued raising the transmission charge as well for the entities.  Earlier, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid at a press briefing said that power tariff will be increased from February 1 instead of March 1, said on Thursday (February 29, 2024) - meaning the new rates will come into effect retroactively, to cover February bills as well.   However, two days before, he had said the new tariff will come into effect from March 1. He said the power tariff will be hiked between Tk 0.34 (5 percent) and Tk 0.70 per unit (8.5 percent) for all kinds of consumers depending on their volume of consumption while gas price will go up by Tk 0.75 per unit only for power plants.   He also said that a dynamic fuel pricing will be introduced for the consumers from March 1 under which the price of petroleum fuel will go up and down in line with international market price. “Each month fuel price will be declared for the consumers," he said adding neighbouring India does this every day. He noted that the steps have been taken to minimise the government losses caused by the increase in dollar rate. “This year the government will incur a loss of Tk 43,000 crore due to sale of electricity at lower price,” he said. This step has been taken as part of the government move to come out of the subsidy now being given to the power sector, said the minister. According to the BPDB’s Annual Report 2022-23, the fiscal year saw the production of 87,024 million kilowatt hours of electricity at a total cost of TK 98,646 crore.   Its per unit production cost was Tk 11.33, while it was selling electricity at Tk 6.7 per unit — incurring a loss of about Tk 4.63 per unit. This imbalance has led to a staggering loss of Tk 47,788 crore for the fiscal year, as the government grapples with purchasing power from private and international sources at significantly higher rates. With this huge loss, the government has been facing great trouble as it has to purchase electricity worth Tk 82,778 crore from private sector power producers, while it generates electricity worth Tk 13,307 crore from its own generation plants. The annual report also shows that the BPDB’s average per unit production cost from its own plants is Tk 7.63, while it is Tk 14.62 at the independent power producers or IPPs (private sector), at rental plants Tk 12.53, at public plants Tk 6.85, and imported power from India at Tk 8.77. The government purchases electricity from the private sector and India in dollars.

Police recovered the body of a newborn child from a footpath near the TSC area of Dhaka University on Thursday. Md. Shahadat, sub-inspector of Shahbagh Police Station, said they recovered the body of a newborn (girl) wrapped in a red cloth in a white bag from the footpath in the TSC area of Dhaka University. Later, the body was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital Morgue for an autopsy at 1:30pm, he added. "We are trying to identify the people who are involved with this incident," he added.

The much-debated Speedy Trial Act was placed in Parliament on Thursday aiming to make it a permanent legislation instead of implementing it step by step. Law Minister Anisul Huq placed the bill in the House on behalf of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal as he was not present in the House. The Act was first enacted in 2002 for two years. Later the duration of the law was extended in seven phases. The law was last amended in 2019 and its duration was extended. This law will expire on April 9. The government has decided to make the law permanent without extending it. This decision was taken in the cabinet on January 29. After the approval of the cabinet, the bill was placed in parliament on Thursday. The bill does not propose any amendment other than making the law permanent. Therefore, all the existing sections of the law will remain as it is now. In the objective of the bill, the home minister said that the speedy trial act was enacted in 2002 in a bid to speedy trial of serious offences like extortion, creating obstacles during the movement of vehicles, damaging vehicles, destroying immovable and immovable property, robbery, banditry, creating terror and anarchic situations, buying tenders and to improve the law and order situation of the country. At the time of enactment of the Act, its tenure was 2 years. Later, as per the requirements, the term was extended 7 times gradually and lastly on 10 April, 2019 it was extended from 17 years to 22 years which will expire on April9, 2024. In order to keep the overall law and order situation of the country normal and for further improvement, it is necessary to make this law a permanent law without extending it again and again at the end of the period, the home minister said in a written statement. Indictment under this law can result in two to five years of imprisonment with hard labour along with fines. The trials are carried out by multiple speedy tribunals in every district. Offences that fall under the Speedy Trial Act are supposed to be settled in 120 days. In case of failure to do so, another 60 days can be added to the term. Opposition Chief Whip and Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu strongly opposed placing of the bill, saying that when the BNP passed the law in 2002 the Awami League and all other political parties had criticised it. He said that although the name of the law is speedy trial law but, in the court, very few cases are being disposed of in the specified time. Chunnu also said that the law is considered only at the time of arrest. If the government has the intention with this law, there is a chance to harass the common people or opponents. “You (Awami League) are in power today, if someone else comes in power tomorrow, you will be harassed by this law,” Chunnu also said.   He demanded not to make the law permanent. If necessary, extend the term for one or two years. “You (AL) will suffer, people will suffer as well.” In response, the law minister said when this was enacted they had protested. “I want to say that when this law was passed in 2002, it was intended to persecute the Awami League and other parties who opposed the BNP. But if MPs see how this law has been implemented in the last 15 years, his (Chunnu) statement is not correct.”   Secondly, the law minister said that this law is necessary for maintaining the law and order situation of the country. Due to the presence of this law, many disturbances have not happened in the last 15 years. “From 2001 to 2006, this law was used only on political parties and political activists. Since 2009 to 2024, it has not been used against political activists or leaders. Many types of violence, chaos have been prevented by this law. This is why this law should be made permanent.” Later, the bill was sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Home Ministry to examine and report back to the House within two days.

The telecom industry is leaning towards women's empowerment in the digital realm, the leaders of the industry said at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. The four-day MWC began on February 26, with the participation of top technology manufacturers, providers, leaders, and policymakers from around the globe, said a press release. Officials from the Bangladesh telecom industry, regulatory bodies and other key stakeholders also took part in the mega event. Bangladesh mobile industry leaders discussed some of their initiatives regarding women’s empowerment through messages. Yasir Azman, AMTOB President-Elect and CEO of Grameenphone said, “In Bangladesh, where currently 29 percent of mobile internet users are women, we aim to increase this figure to 32 percent by 2026. To achieve this goal, we have initiated two key efforts. One involves educating and enhancing the skills of 2 million vulnerable individuals in Bangladesh, with 60 percent of this target being women.” The second initiative entails educating 10 million teachers and children on online safety, with 58 percent of this demographic being women and girls. These are the two commitments of Grameenphone aimed at increasing female internet users, he said. Shihab Ahmad, chief commercial officer, Robi Axiata Limited said, “Robi has been part of this initiative with GSMA since 2016. Our commitment to bringing women into the digital world remains a key focus for us at Robi.” “We have initiated Project Khadiza, aimed at fostering female developers to create solutions catering specifically to female customers within our national app store. Additionally, we have launched nationwide programs, targeting households, particularly in rural areas where access to women can be challenging. These initiatives are envisioned to elevate us to a national and industry-wide level, facilitating increased women's participation in the digital sphere. This reflects Robi's commitment to the cause,” he added. Taimur Rahman, chief corporate & regulatory affairs officer, Banglalink said, “We currently have approximately 26 percent of women as mobile internet users, and our commitment is to raise this number to nearly 30 percent within the next two years. We strongly believe that without empowering women, the country's development cannot progress. To facilitate this, we have taken initiatives such as developing the "My BL App," where ChatGPT also plays a role, ensuring that women can easily utilize these applications. We have utilized our entire network to support this endeavor.”

UNB Special Correspondent Muhammed Abdur Rahman Jahangir’s book styled “Dhaka: A City Plagued by Problems’ hit the Amar Ekushey book fair on Thursday. The book published by IJC Publications is available at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) stall (stall no-773). After the fair, the book will be available in Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Kazi Nazrul Islam Library and the libraries of various journalist associations. The book sheds light on Dhaka's transport, communication, civic issues and environmental concerns, drawing insights from leading urban and transport experts in Bangladesh. Two books on tea workers published and discussion held This book serves not only as a documentation of Dhaka's distressing problems but also as a resource for urban researchers seeking to understand their root causes and explore potential solutions. Despite infrastructural developments like flyovers and metro rail, the book explained why achieving sustainable growth remains still a formidable task for the Dhaka city authorities. It, however, anticipated that Dhaka can aspire to a more promising future with better governance, higher public awareness, strategic urban planning and proper enforcement of laws and regulations. The author expressed tribute to the late Mayor Annisul Huq of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), acknowledging his visionary leadership and efforts to Dhaka into a beautiful, planned, and modern city. Gazipur AL leader Azmat Ullah met PM Hasina, hand over books  “I hope that policymakers and city authorities will find insights from the book to devise well-thought-out plans and take effective steps to deal with Dhaka's mounting challenges,” said author Rahman Jahangir. He said the success of publishing the book will be judged by its ability to grab the attention of policymakers and make a little contribution to addressing the enduring problems of our beloved city. “I believe that this book holds significant value for journalism students and promising journalists as it can be an invaluable resource for learning the art of writing special stories on urban issues, social problems and developmental challenges,” the author added.

There is one hospital bed against every 990 patients in the country, Health and Family Welfare Minister Samanta Lal Sen told parliament on Thursday. He said that the total number of beds in all the government and private hospitals is 1,71,635. The minister said that the number of beds for every 50 people in the public hospital is 0.0211 and the government has a plan to increase the number of beds in each government hospital in phases. The health minister said this in reply to a query from an independent MP elected from Mymensingh ABM Anisuzzaman. “According to the information of the Health Bulletin of 2022, there are a total of 1,71,675 beds in the country with the number of government beds being 71,660 and the number of private beds being 99,975,”  Sen said. In reply to a query of independent MP Md. Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, the minister informed the House that there are only five graduate pharmacists in all government hospitals. In response to a supplementary question of Opposition Chief Whip and Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu, the health minister said that if MPs remain with him, he can certainly close the illegal clinics and diagnostic centres. He urged MPs to monitor whether the clinics or diagnostic centres in their respective areas have all the facilities and licenses. The minister said that he is not in favor of closing all hospitals. Hospitals that have the necessary equipment should run. In response to a supplementary question by AL MP HM Badiuzzaman, the health minister said that he will go to all the departments and identify the problems in the hospitals and arrange for quick solutions. “If the treatment of marginalised population is ensured, there will be no crowd of patients in cities like Dhaka and Chattogram and they will not have to lie on the floor,” he also said. In response to the question of AL MP Mahbub ur Rahman, the health minister said that 383 of the 429 functional upazila hospitals in the country have x-ray machines. Out of which 53 are inactive, said the minister. While replying to a query of Muhibur Rahman Manik, Awami League MP elected from Sunamganj, the health minister informed the House that the new Corona variant—SARS-CoV2 variant JN.1 has entered  Bangladesh through international visitors. He also said that the government has taken various measures to contain spread of the new variant of Corona as this variant has already spread to 71 countries of the world including India, Singapore, Indonesia and China. In reply to a query of AL MP elected from Chattogram M Abdul Latif, the health minister said the government has taken various measures to ensure universal health coverage under the health and family welfare ministry by 2030. “Initiatives have been taken to introduce social health insurance for formal sector government employees and garment workers. Necessary preparations are being made for this. In the future, the informal sector will also be covered under this insurance,” he added.