United News of Bangladesh

EC commissioner Brig Gen Md Ahsan Habib Khan (Retd) on Thursday said that the turnout of voterd will increase in the second phase of upazila parishad election. He said it is true that in the first phase of upazila polls voter turnout was 36 per cent. I think it was not that much low and there were some reasons for low turnout as extreme heat wave, crop harvesting time and possible reluctance of voters.  Habib said in future the electoral system will be accepted by world as a role model. He made the remarks while briefing journalists after a view exchange programme with Jashore, Magura and Narail districts returning, assistant returning officers, law enforcement  agencies, election related officials ahead of second and third phase upazila parishad elections held at Jessore Shilpokala Academy auditorium. The EC commissioner said if any candidate  tries to create violence or any disturbance in the elections, the commission will not delay to take any action. “The electoral environment is good as the candidates can easily reach the voters. All credit goes to EC for making such favourable atmosphere. Last parliamentary  election and the first phase of upazila election were held in a free, fair and neutral manner”, he said. Habib said this commission has enacted laws for the protection of journalists. If anyone makes hindrance for journalist in discharge of their duties by carrying out attacks on them and breaking their camera, the EC will punish them. Replying a query, the commissioner  said MP’s would be allowed for casting their votes only, not for making campaign in favour of any candidate. Jashore Deputy Commissioner  Md Abraul Hasan Mazumder, Superintend of Police (SP) Proloy Kumar Zoardar, election official  Anisur Rahman and others were present.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on Thursday that Bangladesh Police has been able to maintain law and order in the country. "As a result, a breeze of peace is blowing in the country," the minister said at the inauguration of the newly elected Executive Committee 2024 of the Bangladesh Police Service Association at Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital. He said people now consider the police their place of trust. Now, police have been able to prove themselves as Bangabandhu’s "people's police.". Additional IGP of the Special Branch and President of the Bangladesh Police Service Association, Md. Monirul Islam, presided over the event, while Senior Secretary of the Public Security Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mostafizur Rahman, and Inspector General of Police, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, were present as special guests. IGP said that the members of the Police Service Association work tirelessly to provide services to the people as quickly as possible. He expressed his optimism that the members of the association will continue their efforts to make Bangladesh Police a service-oriented institution. Monirul was re-elected president of the Bangladesh Police Service Association in an election held on March 2 in the capital's Rajarbagh Police Auditorium, while Narayanganj District Superintendent of Police Golam Mostafa Russell was elected general secretary. Later, a 155-member full committee of the association was formed.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that environment-friendly, energy efficient green buildings are the need of the hour. “Along with saving energy in all areas, initiatives to make buildings energy efficient should also be continued,” he said. He was addressing the open architectural design competition for Design of the NESCO Main Control Center (MCC) in Rajshahi at the Institute of Architects, Bangladesh building on Thursday. Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) PLC has taken initiative to construct the Main Control Center for monitoring and controlling all NESCO substations in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions. NESCO organised the open architectural design competition in collaboration with the IAB to make the proposed building attractive and iconic. A team of 12 students, led by Mohammad Naimul Ahsan Khan, stood first in the competition. Nasrul Hamid said that in the 1960s, architects designed buildings keeping climate change in mind. Buildings in the power sector will be constructed keeping the country in mind, in sync with local culture, he added. He noted that as green building construction activities increase, a healthier environment will be developed faster, creating a positive outlook towards an eco-friendly future. With IAB President Professor Dr. Khandkar Sabbir Ahmed in the chair, the function was also addressed by Senior Secretary of Power Division Md. Habibur Rahman, Chairman of Power Development Board Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NESCO and Additional Secretary of Power Division Dr. Masum Ahmed Chowdhury and Managing Director of NESCO Zakiul Islam.

On May 11, 2024, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus had an audience with the President of Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella at the Presidential Palace along with his fellow Nobel Peace Prizes Laureates from the World Human Fraternity. Yunus meets Pope Francis, urges immediate action on Palestine and all conflicts across the world They discussed the outlines of the Peace Declaration formulated at the Peace Round Table earlier along with other global challenges facing humanity today, according to a media release from the Yunus Center. Dr Yunus meets Pope, co-chairs World Summit on Human Fraternity

Awami League joint general secretary and foreign minister Hashan Mahmud on Thursday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reorganised the Awami League, as well as taking the country forward with extraordinary development. "Sheikh Hasina's alternative is Sheikh Hasina. There is no alternative to Sheikh Hasina to take the country forward," he said referring to May 17, 1981, when she as the people's leader ignored all the obstacles and returned to the country. Hasan was speaking as the chief guest at a programme marking Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina's homecoming day that falls on May 17. India making efforts to keep Bangladesh under control: Fakhrul He said there were 19 times efforts to kill her but she remained firm in her position even after repeatedly returning from the valley of death.  She faced death threats repeatedly but never deviated from her struggle for people's rights, Hasan said.  Recalling the history, Hasan, who was injured in the grenade attack on August 21, said an attempt was made to kill Sheikh Hasina on January 24, 1988 by hunting people like birds in Chattogram.  "I was at the front of that procession that day. An attempt was made to assassinate her by burying an 81 kg bomb in Kotalipara and hurling grenades like rain on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on 21 August 2004. But after coming back from the door of death, the leader and daughter of Bangabandhu never compromised with her position. “ Hasan said after the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, the leaders of BNP have gone mad. BNP conspiring against country by joining hands with international Israeli lobby: Hasan Mahmud "They tried a lot to meet Donald Lu. But the US has signaled that it wants to deepen the relationship and take it forward. Because of this, BNP has lost its control now.” He said they used to see one or two leaders talking nonsense after losing their confidence but now the senior leaders are also losing their confidence.  "Their anti-state conspiracy has not gained any benefit," Hasan said. 

Currently about 70 per cent of total public procurement are being conducted through electronic Government Procurement (e-GP). Mirza Ashfaqur Rahman, Director (Additional Secretary) of Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), informed this while addressing an awareness workshop on BPPA’s functions and e-GP in Netrakona on Thursday. He said the public procurement system has been digitized through implementation of e-GP, resulting in widespread increase in the use of the system. Describing the progress of e-GP, he said, through the e-GP system, the average processing time of public procurement has come down to 57 days from 87.7 days. At present, 100% of tender notification and contract award notices are being published in the e-GP system. He noted that the use of the e-GP system saves 600 million US dollars every year. Besides, 105 crore pages of paper so far have been saved which has reduced 1.54 lakh tonnes of carbon emissions, he added. The workshop, organised under the Digitizing Implementation Monitoring and Public Procurement Project (DIMAP) of BPPA, was facilitated by Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP). With Rafiquzzaman, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), Netrakona, in the chair, the workshop was attended by representatives of procuring entities, tenderers and journalists. Dr. Zeenat Sultana, Program Director and Deputy CEO of Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) was also present at the programme. It was informed in the event that aiming at building Smart Bangladesh under the Vision 2041, the government is working to ensure sustainable development as part of the 8th Five Year Plan and the Perspective Plan. For this, all concerned must maintain maximum transparency and accountability while conducting public procurement in order to ensure the best use of public money.

Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Thursday said parliamentary diplomacy can play a supportive role in facing the challenges of the present world. “Parliamentary diplomacy can help to solve problems that affect the lives of people around the world,” she said. She said these while addressing a conference titled "First Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (2025)" held in Geneva, Switzerland  on Thursday. The Speaker said that World Conference of Speakers of Parliament is a very important event in the current context. “This event brings together Speakers from different countries' parliaments every five years to discuss contemporary global issues,” she said. She also mentioned that through discussion and collaboration, speakers can play an important role in innovative solutions to emerging challenges. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said that the Global Conference of Parliament Speakers will resonate with the aspirations of every people in the world. “Poverty, inequality, rich-poor disparity, immigration problem, economic recession etc are very relevant in the present time,” she said. She also hoped that the upcoming Speakers Conference should put these relevant issues on the agenda so that effective steps can be taken to address these challenges. President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Tulia Ackson, IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong, Speakers of the National Assembly of Angola, Canada and Zambia, Deputy Speaker of the Sura Council of Qatar, President of the National Assembly of Algeria were present at the conference.

No death from dengue fever was reported in Bangladesh in 24 hours till Thursday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). However, 24 patients were hospitalised with this viral fever during this period, it said. Of them, 14 were admitted to the hospitals in Dhaka city, while the rest were outside of the capital. Currently, 132 patients are receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. So far, 2,569 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024, said DGHS. 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.

There will be no crisis of sacrificial animals during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman said on Thursday. The government is fully prepared for the supply and management of sacrificial animals, he said at the inter-ministerial meeting on demand assessment, supply and ensuring  easy transportation of sacrificial animals on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha held at the conference room of the Department of Livestock. Like previous years, the demand for sacrificial animals has been determined, he said adding there are 22,77,973 more cattle than the demand. This year supply of 1,29, 80, 367 sacrificial animals is expected which is 4, 44,034 more than last time. The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and other government departments are working to ensure that Eid-ul-Azha can be celebrated with ease and full preparation. Implement ‘No Helmet, No Fuel' policy: Police HQ asks field level officers “In the past, we had to import cattle from other countries during Eid-ul-Azha. But we are now able to meet our demand with local cattle,” he mentioned. The minister said that necessary instructions will be issued in the bordering districts so that the illegal entry of cattle into the country does not occur. “Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, our livestock department officials, farmers and entrepreneurs have brought revolutionary changes in the livestock sector and our production has increased significantly, “he said. Calling to follow hygiene rules in the cattle markets, the Livestock Minister said that sick animals would not be allowed to be sold in the market. Special measures will be taken to ensure that buyers and sellers are not subjected to undue harassment and sufficient manpower will be deployed to maintain law and order in the markets, he added. He advised the traders and farmers to do financial transactions in a smart way instead of carrying cash as much as possible. NEC approves Tk 265,000 crores ADP for 2024-2025 fiscal year The minister said that like the previous year, the system of selling sacrificial animals will continue across the country on the online platforms to ease the sufferings of both buyers and sellers. “A veterinary medical team will be there in every authorised cattle market. The team members will check whether the sacrificial animals are safe and suitable for sacrifice or whether any harmful substances have been pushed into their bodies.” Besides, a control room (hot line-16358) will be operated from the Directorate of Livestock. If there is any problem in the cattle market, prompt action will be taken, he said. Among others, Secretary of Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Mohang Salim Uddin,, Additional Secretary ATM Mustafa Kamal and Director General of Directorate of Livestock Dr Mohammad Rayazul Haque, attended the meeting.

Speakers at a discussion on Thursday said that one in every four adults in Bangladesh is suffering from hypertension and it is one of the major risk factors for various non-communicable diseases including heart diseases, stroke, cancer, kidney diseases, respiratory diseases and diabetes. This information was highlighted at a discussion meeting titled “Hypertension Situation in Bangladesh and Way Forward” held at the capital’s BMA Bhaban on Thursday. The meeting was organised on the occasion of World Hypertension Day by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI). Progga workshop zeroes in on funding gap for tackling non-communicable diseases This year World Hypertension Day will be observed under the theme “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer”. During the discussion, the speakers said the prevalence of hypertension and hypertension-related various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is growing increasingly in Bangladesh. Although the government has taken several initiatives to control hypertension, ensuring necessary allocation for an uninterrupted supply of medicine across the country remains a challenge, they said. According to experts, premature deaths from NCDs can be reduced to a great extent by controlling hypertension alone. They recommended allocation of the necessary funding for this sector in the upcoming budget for FY 2024-25. According to WHO’s first Global Report on Hypertension 2023, 2 lakh 73 thousand people died of cardiovascular disease in 2019 in Bangladesh and 54 percent of these fatalities were attributable to hypertension. PROGGA and ATMA push for 63% tobacco tax hike  Although non-communicable diseases account for 70 percent of the total deaths in Bangladesh and the budgetary allocation dedicated to combat NCDs is alarmingly low, comprising only 4.2 percent of the total health budget. Prof. Dr ABM Abdullah, personal physician of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said , “Controlling hypertension can significantly curb the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. The government of Bangladesh has already made a decision to provide anti-hypertensive medicine from community clinics, which is highly commendable. However, necessary budgetary allocation must be ensured to keep the supply of the medicine uninterrupted.”   Dr. Md. Enamul Haque, Director General (Additional Secretary), Health Economics Unit said, “Research shows that investing Tk 1 for hypertension screening and medicines can yield an overall benefit worth Tk 18. Hypertension-related non-communicable diseases can be brought under control through increased investment and its effective utilization.” Dr. Md. Quiume Talukder, Line Director (CBHC), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said at the event, “We are working towards ensuring the availability of anti-hypertensive medicine from all Upazila Health Complexes and Community Clinics gradually. Successful implementation of this program will pave the way for substantial reduction in the prevalence of hypertension and non-communicable diseases.” Md. Zakir Hossain, Deputy General Manager (Sales & Marketing) of Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL) said, “We are optimistic about ensuring the availability of anti-hypertensive medicines from all Community Clinics from the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25.” Dr. Laila Akhter, Director, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), Professor Dr. S M Mustafa Zaman, Department of Cardiology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and President, Bangladesh Cardiovascular Research Foundation; Professor Dr. Syed Abdul Hamid, Institute of Health Economics, Dhaka University, Professor Dr. Khaleda Islam, Director, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, Dhaka University; Professor Dr. Malay Kanti Mridha, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health of BRAC University, Dr. Abu Jamil Faisel, President Elect, Public Health Association of Bangladesh; Dr Syed Mahfuzul Huq, National Professional Officer, WHO Bangladesh Office; Obaidul Kabir, Executive Editor, Daily Janakantha and ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA also spoke at the event. The event was moderated by Journalist Sukanta Gupta Alak. PROGGA’s Coordinator Sadia Galiba Prova presented the key-note with Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead of GHAI in the chair. END/UNB/ARJ/MAS