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74th Republic Day of India celebrated in Dhaka
High Commission of India, Dhaka has celebrated the 74th Republic Day in Dhaka.
High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Verma unfurled the national flag and also read the President’s address.
Members of Indian diaspora sang patriotic songs on the occasion held on Thursday.
Digital connectivity key to build Smart Bangladesh: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said digital connectivity would be the key to transform Bangladesh into a smart nation in every way.
“Digital connectivity will be the key tool to build Smart Bangladesh. Smart citizens, smart economy, smart government and smart society will be developed on the basis of digital connectivity,’’ she said in a video message aired at the inaugural ceremony of the Digital Bangladesh Fair-2023.
Posts and Telecommunications Ministry arranged the three-day Digital Bangladesh Fair at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) for showcasing the IT and ITES products and services in the country.
She also hoped that the digital goods would play a significant role in investments and exports.
Hasina said that Digital Bangladesh is now a reality and the next target is to build Smart Bangladesh and Smart Nation.
Also read: PM directs DCs to increase food production, exercise austerity
“There is no substitute for using ultra modern technology to achieve the target of building Smart Bangladesh,” she said.
The prime minister said her government wants Bangladesh to become prosperous economically, ensuring maximum use of the digital technology that includes artificial intelligence, internet, virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics and big-data.
In this connection, she said that 5G services will be ensured at the industrial regions.
She mentioned that a revolution has taken place in Bangladesh in terms of digitisation.
Also read: Next stop, Smart Bangladesh: PM lays out renewed vision at BASA meet
“Young generation is now seeing the dream of building Smart Bangladesh.”
The Prime Minister said that her government had launched Bangabandhu Satellite-1 in the orbit in 2018 which has brought a revolutionary change in the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors.
She said that Bangladesh is earning a huge amount of foreign currency by using unused frequencies from satellites.
PM Hasina said that steps have been taken to install Bangabandhu Satellite-2 with multifaceted working capacity aiming to materialise the target of establishing Smart Bangladesh.
She said her government is going to set up a third submarine cable by 2024 as they have already installed the first and second submarine cables, adding that Bangladesh has so far achieved a bandwidth capacity of 3400 GBPS.
“The bandwidth capacity will be increased to 7200 GBPS in the middle of this year, while it will be 13200 GBPS after installation of the third submarine cable.”
She mentioned that Bangladesh is earning US$4.81 million every year through giving bandwidth leases to Saudi Arabia, France, Malaysia and India.
The PM said Bangladesh doesn’t need to depend on foreign satellites any more.
She noted that nearly 956298 kilometers optical fibre cables have been set up at union levels across the country while 10 Gigabyte capacity has been ensured in every union which help give high speed internet to the people and the government offices.
She said that a total of 8600 post offices across the country have been turned into digital ones using the infrastructure, she said, adding that nowadays 18 crore mobile SIMs are being used while the number of people using the internet is 12 crore.“The digital inequality and prices of broadband internet between the rural and urban areas has been erased due to it,” she added.
At the function, the newly introduced Posts and Telecommunication Award was distributed among 22 organisations and individuals in 14 categories in recognition of their praiseworthy works in the telecom sector to build Digital Bangladesh.
Education Minister Dipu Moni, Posts and Telecommunications Division Minister Mustafa Jabbar, Posts Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry's Parliamentary Standing Committee President AKM Rahmatullah, and Secretary of Posts and Telecommunications Division Abu Hena Morshed Zaman spoke at the function.
JSS man shot dead in Rangamati
An activist of Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS-Santu Larma) man was killed in a gunfight between JSS activists and Mogh National Party (MNP) at Gongrichhara in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati district on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Samrat, 32.
Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Chandraghona Police Station, said the gunfight took place between the supporters of JSS and MNP in the area in the afternoon.
Also read: UPDF man gunned down in Rangamati
On information, a team of police and army rushed to the spot and recovered the body of Samrat around 10:45 pm.
The body was kept at Chandraghona Police Station.
Bangladesh condemns desecration of the Holy Quran by far-right activist in The Hague
Bangladesh has strongly condemned the recent act of desecrating the Holy Quran by a far-right activist in The Hague, Netherlands.
Bangladesh has expressed grave concern over the incident and rejects any act of insulting the sacred values and religious symbols of the Muslims — for that matter of all religions — all over the world under any circumstances, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read more: Bangladesh condemns desecration of the Holy Quran by far-right activist in The Hague
Bangladesh urged all concerned to put an end to such unwarranted provocations and Islamophobia for the sake of harmony and peaceful coexistence.
Biker dead after motorcycle skids off road at Dhaka’s Hatirjheel
A 35-year-old man died when a motorbike skidded off the road at Hatirjheel intersection in Rampura area of Shaka early today.
The deceased has been identified as Md Ishak.
Quoting witnesses, Inspector Bachhu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police camp, said the accident occurred around 1:30 am when a motorbike skidded off the road as the biker lost control over the two-wheeler, leaving him injured.
Also read: Woman killed by husband in Dhaka
Later, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 2:30 am.
Saraswati Puja being celebrated today
Saraswati Puja, a major religious festival of the Hindu community, is being celebrated across Bangladesh today with much enthusiasm, festivity and religious fervor.
Saraswati Puja is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the Bangla month of Magh.
The day is called 'Vasant Panchami'.
Hindu devotees, especially students, worship Goddess Saraswati and celebrate the puja at educational institutions and temples.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday greeted the Hindu community on the occasion of Saraswati Puja.
Also read: Saraswati Puja being celebrated
Jagannath University central Puja Udjapan Committee is organizing Saraswati Puja on the campus.
Besides, in the capital, Saraswati Puja will also be arranged at different places.
Bangabandhu Foundation pays tribute to Father of the Nation marking its 21st anniversary
The Bangabandhu Foundation has paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking its 21st anniversary.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, also president of the Bangabandhu Foundation, paid homage by placing a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Leaders and members of the foundation were also present at that time.
The foreign minister later celebrated the anniversary of the Bangabandhu Foundation by cutting a cake with the leaders and members.
Read more: Bangabandhu Foundation pays homage to ‘Father of Nation’ at Tungipara
Climate hotspots: 1m people to get safe water, sanitation services through Brac project
One million marginalised people will get safe water and sanitation services at 45 upazilas of 14 districts from four climate hotspots through a new project implemented by Brac.
The project "Equitable and Sustainable WASH Services in Bangladesh Delta Plan Hotspots 2022-2026" started its journey with an inception workshop Wednesday in the capital.
The Dutch Embassy will provide financial support to the project. IRC Netherlands will join Brac as the implementing partner, according to a media statement.
Md Khairul Islam, the Local Government Division's additional secretary for the water supply wing, said only 33 percent of households had hygienic latrines and 25 percent had unhygienic latrines in 2003. "Open defecation was very common."
"Now in 2023, almost every family has access to latrines. The present status and sanitation of Bangladesh in coping with the challenges of climate change and global warming and in protecting the environment have been highly acclaimed by the development partners," he added.
Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh Anne van Leeuwen said her country and Bangladesh began a partnership with WASH in 2005.
"Our partnership with Brac began just next year in 2006. Some aspects of the Bangladesh Delta Plan are huge and expensive. But there are WASH solutions also that are not expensive, and they are innovative too, in terms of ensuring equitability and sustainability," he added.
Read more: Experts for increased allocation in water, sanitation, hygiene
Asif Saleh, executive director of Brac, said, "We have progressed a lot but there are still 20 million ultra-poor in this country. The conversation has started everywhere that water is going to be the next scarcity. There is going to be a severe water crisis if we don't act now, and if we don't have serious planning in place."
The Brac WASH programme implemented several projects with "innovative approaches and strategies" to achieve the goals of safe water and sanitation from MDGs to SDGs. In line with that, this new project is striving to improve the gap between access to and quality of services, especially for the marginalised communities in hard-to-reach areas.
Enamur to bat for 'speedy passage' of Tobacco Control Act
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman has said he will play an active role in favour of the revised draft law of the Tobacco Control Act when it will be placed before the cabinet.
"All parties will benefit if the law is passed quickly. The revised draft law will play an effective role in reducing tobacco use. This act needs to be passed quickly to make the initiative taken by the prime minister to protect public health a success," he added.
The state minister was speaking at the seminar "Expectations to policymakers to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh before the year 2040" organised by Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP) in the capital Wednesday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made a commitment to making Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040. She has also pledged to amend the Tobacco Control Act in line with the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The draft Tobacco Control Law Amendment Committee has been formed to further strengthen the Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act 2005 (amended in 2013). The final draft is now being reviewed by the cabinet.
The six proposals to strengthen tobacco control laws put forward by DORP are the abolition of designated smoking areas in all public spaces and public transport; ban on tobacco companies' corporate social responsibility activities, display of tobacco products at sales points; ban on the import, production, consumption, and marketing of e-cigarettes or emerging heated tobacco products and increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on bidi and cigarette packs from 50 percent to 90 percent.
Read more: Tobacco Control Act: BSOA wants quick approval of proposed amendment
Enamur said that the six proposals attached in the revised draft are very timely and effective.
He said there will be a detailed discussion on the amended law in the cabinet. He hoped that everyone would give their opinion in favour of it.
Also, founder and Chief Executive Officer of DORP AHM Noman said the government has taken some effective steps to prevent the spread of tobacco products. He hoped that the revised draft tobacco control law would be passed soon in line with the trend.
Gaibandha-1 MP Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, Health Services Division Additional Secretary Kazi Zebunnessa Begum, National Tobacco Control Cell Coordinator Hossain Ali Khondoker, and DORP Executive Advisor Md Azhar Ali Talukder also spoke at the event.
Read more: Campaigners demand quick amendment to tobacco control law
Zero tolerance against corruption: ACC chairman directs DCs
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah on Wednesday directed the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to show zero tolerance against corruption.
Country’s development is not possible with corruption, the matter has been brought to the notice of the DCs and Divisional Commissioners, he said while talking to reporters on the 2nd day of Deputy Commissioners’ Conference 2023 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.
The DCs were asked to inform any corruption allegation to the ACC if there is no scope for taking action against anyone, he said.
“We have to prevent corruption at any cost, and whoever it is we are ready to investigate it,” he said.
Read more: PM Hasina opens annual DC conference
When asked about the corruption in the land offices, the ACC chairman said digitisation will help reduce corruption in the land offices to some extent.
Regarding the allegations of corruption against the DCs, he said, “I do not have the authority to give warnings on the issue of corruption. It is in our constitution. In view of that, laws have been made, commissions have been formed.”
He said that if there is any corruption case with merit for investigation, no matter who the person is, an investigation will take place.