United News of Bangladesh

Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali on Wednesday expressed hope that the current pressure of inflation will ease to a bearable level by the end of the current financial year. The finance minister expressed this hope while presenting the budget implementation progress report for the first quarter ((July-September) of the fiscal year 2023-2024 in the Parliament. By the end of the current financial year, the expatriate income will also increase and the foreign exchange reserves will quickly return to their previous strong position, the finance minister said. 5.33 lakh vacancies in govt departments: Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali said that the country is experiencing significant inflationary pressure due to the increase in the prices of various daily necessities including energy in the international market and the rapid change in foreign exchange rates. However, the current inflationary pressure is expected to come down to a bearable level by the end of the current fiscal year, he said. The minister said that the government has taken various initiatives to control inflation. Gazette notification on Tangail Saree being Bangladeshi GI product Thursday He said that in order to take more effective measures, the Bangladesh Bank is moving forward to implement some pragmatic measures involving monetary policy.   “Interest rates have been hiked several times and loan interest caps have been lifted,” he said. The finance minister said that the current account balance was positive at the end of the first quarter (July-September) of the current financial year due to increase in exports, decrease in import costs and increase in repatriation income. However, he said, due to negative growth in the financial account, foreign exchange reserves have decreased as compared with figures on June 30, 2023. Death of house help: Daily Star executive editor, wife sent to jail The government has already taken various steps to increase foreign exchange reserves, he added. He expected that the foreign exchange reserves to return to their previous strong position very soon.

BRAC Academy, one of BRAC Education Programme’s flagship models, proudly announced the establishment of its second branch in Bogura, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards providing quality education to children across the nation. The first branch was launched in Cumilla in 2019, said a press release. Brac Bank secures Bancassurance business approval The Academy, is a child-centred affordable school chain offering primary education in district towns. It offers modern teaching-learning methods, enriched content, and skills to ensure students are nurtured towards successful adulthood by sparking their learning curiosity and instilling in them excellent values, behaviours, respect and responsibility. The Academy opened its door on 10 January 2024 and was officially launched by the Executive Director of BRAC, Asif Saleh, on Wednesday in Bogura, it added. The launching took place amidst great enthusiasm and anticipation from the local community. 102 students, ranging from Play Group to Grade 3, were warmly welcomed into the school, symbolising the beginning of a promising academic year filled with opportunities for growth and success. Brac Bank, DIU join hands to advance women entrepreneurship Safi Rahman Khan, director of Education, Skills Development, and Migration at BRAC, opened the event with a welcoming message for all the parents and students. The event was graced by the presence of esteemed guests, including Chief Guest, Additional District Commissioner (General), Mohammad-Al-Maruf; Special Guest Mayor, Md Rezaul Karim Badsha, and Special Guest Assistant District Primary Education Officer, Md Zaved Akhter.

A hawker died after an iron ladder fell on him from the under-construction part of the elevated expressway in Dhaka's Moghbazar on Wednesday. Police arrested one security guard at the construction site of the elevated expressway in connection with the incident. The deceased was identified as Motiur Rahman, alias Moti Mia, 50 of Ashugonj in Brahmanbaria. He lived in the Maniknagar area of the capital. Hatirjheel Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shah Md Awlad Hossain said the incident happened around 9:25 am on Wednesday when Motiour was crossing the area next to the railway line adjacent to the Moghbazar Dilu Road water pump. He died on the spot, said the OC. After being informed, police recovered the body and sent it to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital morgue for autopsy. A case was filed at Hatirjheel Police Station regarding the matter, added the police official.

Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain on Wednesday said in Parliament  that there are around 5.33 lakh vacancies in various departments of the government. The minister said this in reply to a question of ruling Awami League MP elected from Noakhali-3 Mamunur Rashid Kiran. Melinda Gates congratulates PM Hasina on re-election, lauds Bangladesh’s dev In a written reply, the minister said, according to the Public Administration’s latest document titled “Statistics of Government Servants 2022”, there are 5.33 lac vacancies against the posts of officers and employees of all ministries, departments, directorates and offices. Out of this, appointment was given to 3.58 lac posts in between 2019 to 2023, the minister said. Referring to the government's ongoing process of filling vacancies, the minister said that the regular process of filling up the vacancies is ongoing as per the rules. In view of the needs of various ministries-departments and the agencies under it, the vacancies of ninth (previously first class) and 10 to 12th grade (previously second class) are appointed through the Public Service Commission. Four dead as BRTC bus hits rickshaw vans in Dinajpur’s Chirirbandar He also said that according to the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the recruitment process is going on in the ministries and departments.

Tangail saree has been recognised as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of Bangladesh and a gazette notification in this regard will be published on Thursday. Zakia Sultana, senior secretary of the Ministry of Industries, confirmed this to UNB on Wednesday. Tangail residents protest India getting GI status for Tangail saree She said the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) under the Industries Ministry has recognised Tangail Saree as a GI product of Bangladesh. Earlier on Tuesday, the district administration applied to get the GI rights of the Tangail Saree, an ancient tradition of Bangladesh. Tangail Deputy Commissioner Kaisaru Islam made this application to the DPDT. On February 3, a news item was published that the Tangail Saree is not Bangladesh's, but India's.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday denied bail and sent Executive Editor of The Daily Star, Syed Ashfaqul Haque, and his wife Tania Khondoker to jail over the death of a 15-year-old girl who worked in their home. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibul Haque passed the order in the afternoon. 15-year-old domestic help's body recovered from in front of building where she worked; 2 in custody They face the charge of culpable homicide involving the death of the girl. Nazmul Hassan, investigating officer of the case and sub-inspector of Mohammadpur police outpost, produced them both in the court and pleaded for a five-day remand for interrogation. At the same time, the court permitted police to interrogate them at the jail gate within three days. Earlier on Tuesday morning, police recovered the body of a teenage domestic help from in front of a multi-storey building at Shahjahan Road in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur. The deceased was identified as Preeti, 15, hailing from Moulvibazar district. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Mohammadpur Police Station Mahfuzul Haque said that Preeti had been working at the flat of the journalist. Following the incident, police detained the journalist and his wife, added the OC. Haque told police that they were sleeping when the incident happened. They woke up and came to know that Preeti's body was found in front of the building. Later, a case was filed following a complaint lodged by Preeti’s father Lukesh Oran on Wednesday.

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) on Wednesday organized a  training programme for 250 public transport drivers to implement the Tobacco Control Act (amendment-2013). The organisation arranged the training titled 'Professional Drivers' Professional Skill and Awareness Training' in collaboration with Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at Zoar Sahara BRTC Bus Depot in the capital. First 'Safe Food Carnival' in the country starts from Feb 8 Adut Rahman Emon, programme officer of the Tobacco Control Project of the Health Sector of DAM, presented a documentary on implementing the Tobacco Control Act and health damage among professional drivers. In the training, public transport drivers including those of bus, CNG autorickshaw, human haulers, and tempo were made aware of the bad effects of direct and indirect smoking, and tobacco control laws.    Passengers, especially women and children, are indirectly exposed to smoke in public transport due to the smoking of drivers and their assistants. As a result, they are facing various health hazards. Smoking in public places such as bus terminals, airports, railway stations, seaports, public offices, and public places is a punishable offense. UP member suspended for marrying underage girl in Thakurgaon Dhaka Ahsania Mission and BRTA have been jointly conducting this training programme every week, aiming to make public transport 100% tobacco-free and implement the law.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said that there is no scope to show generosity of allowing more Rohingyas enter Bangladesh amid the ongoing clashes in Myanmar. “We are talking to the people concerned so that the internal conflict in Myanmar does not become a reason of fear or concern for us,” he said at Setu Bhaban in the capital this noon. “The government is particularly discussing with China and India. Myanmar's ambassador to Bangladesh has been summoned. They said they would take back those who fled to Bangladesh,” he said.   Mentioning Bangladesh will no longer allow Rohingyas to enter its territory, he said, “Earlier, we opened the border out of generosity. Now there is no chance to show that generosity. They have become a burden for us. International aid has been greatly reduced. How long are we going to bear this burden?” Earlier in the morning, Quader said that the government is implementing the road safety project at a cost of around Tk 5,000 crore to prevent road accidents.   He said this at a press briefing after a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank led by its Country Director Abdoulaye Seck. The five-year project will continue end in June , 2028, he said. The minister said he was not satisfied with the progress of the project.   “Road accidents and damages couldn’t be reduced. From now on, I will supervise and monitor the road safety project as a priority project. Strict action will be taken if anyone is involved in corruption in development projects,” he added.

Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in a meeting on Wednesday approved three separate proposals to import three LNG (liquified natural gas) cargoes from Singapore-based companies. Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali presided over the meeting. As per the proposals, placed by Energy and Mineral Resources Division, state-owned Petrobangla will import two cargoes of LNG from Golbar Singapore Limited.   Each LNG cargo, having 33.60 lakh MMBtu, will cost Tk 425.81 crore, with each unit at $9.847. The third LNG cargo will be imported from Vitol Asia (pvt) Limited, Singapore, at a cost of Tk 422.48 crore with each unit at $9.770. PM Hasina calls for holding regular sports tournaments for children and youth All the three LNG cargoes will be imported from international spot market through limited bidding process under the Rapid Increase in Supply of Power and Energy (Special) Act 2010. Sources in the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said that Bangladesh has planned to import a total of 13 LNG cargoes from January to June this year. Earlier the government signed 'Master Sale and Purchase' Agreement (MSPA) with 22 shortlisted companies  to import LNG from the international spot market. Imports of LNG from the spot market were suspended from July 2022 to January 2023 as the price of LNG from the spot market increased many times while the government was facing dollar crisis. Currently, the country has been experiencing a severe gas crisis as production came down to nearly 2500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) while the demand is about 4000 mmcfd. Foreign Minister in New Delhi, talks with Jaishankar today As a result, household consumers in many areas are not getting gas for their cooking while power and industrial productions are being seriously disrupted due to gas shortage.

Bangladesh Honda Private Limited unveiled the relaunching of the “new XBlade 2024” bike yesterday as 60,000 Bangladeshi customers picked the XBlade since its introduction in Dec 2019. The programme was held at the Aloki concvention centre at the city’s Tejgaon area. Introducing new XBlade 2024,  Managing Director & CEO Shigeru Matsuzaki said, “Honda's global vision is to provide people with the joy of expanding their life's potential through affordable and quality mobility solutions.”  Workplace Burnouts: Causes, Symptoms, Signs, and Remedies He also expressed his gratitude to the 60,000 Bangladeshi customers who trusted Honda and chose the XBlade since its introduction in Dec 2019. The new XBlade 2024 is designed to meet the aspirations of success-oriented young enthusiasts.  While explaining the XBlade features, Shah Muhammad Ashequr Rahman, Chief marketing Officer shared that, “The generation which aspires to be an ‘All Rounder’ will find it hard to resist Honda’s globally acclaimed superior technology delivering a perfect blend of performance & Style which will “Ignite New Thrills” with its Xpressive & Futuristic design.  "We are hopeful that the new XBlade 2024 will win the heart of Bangladeshi customers as it has advanced technology along with elegant, vibrant and radiant appearance," he added. Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Review: A High-end Gaming Device The company said they will also ensure “2 years or 20,000 km” whichever comes earlier, with 5 free services as part of Warranty policy while the price of bike  is fixed at BDT. 195,000 which available at all Honda Exclusive Authorized Dealer Showrooms nationwide from today.