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Bangladeshi children to be raised as global citizens: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is going to introduce a fresh national curriculum from the next year to raise Bangladeshi children as global citizens.
“We look forward to raising our children as truly global citizens. We are introducing a new national curriculum from next year. It will prepare our students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” she said.
The premier said this in a pre-recorded video containing Bangladesh's national statement, played at the UN Secretary General's Transforming Education Summit on Monday here in New York.
She said the new curriculum will make them aware of becoming climate resilient. It will turn them into the real agents of our Vision- 2041 to become a developed, knowledge-based economy.
In higher education, Sheikh Hasina said, "We are giving priority to research and development. For technical education, we aim to have better industry linkages."
She said Bangladeshi children should have skills that they can use anywhere in the world.
Read: PM Hasina in New York to attend UNGA
"We need international cooperation for mutual recognition of qualifications .We commit to improve access to foundational and lifelong learning,” she said.
To promote multilingual education, the Prime Minister said they have developed text books in the mother tongue of some of our ethnic groups.
"We are offering education in Myanmar curriculum to millions of children forcibly displaced from Rakhine State and sheltered in our land," she said.
For quality and inclusive education, she said her government must invest in regular training and incentives for our teachers.
They are responsible for making classrooms a safe space for our children. We commit to increasing budget allocation for education in proportion to our GDP, she said.
The Prime Minister said the development partners of Bangladesh need to live up to their fiscal commitments for SDG-4.
She thanked the UN Secretary General for organising the Transforming Education Summit saying that this Summit marks a new way of thinking about education with future changes in the world of work.
"The COVID - 19 pandemic caused learning losses all over. In Bangladesh, we have enrolled six hundred thousand out - of - school students into non - formal education since December 2021," she said.
The premier said they have started vaccinating children above 5 years of age. "Nearly 23 million students from primary level to high education get stipends and scholarships," she added.
She said Bangladesh shall continue to provide cash incentives through mobile gateways to hard - pressed families. "Our successful programmes involving stipends, midday meals and free text book distribution will be carried on," she said.
The pandemic also opened up scope for innovations in distance learning, she said, adding that a Blended Education Master Plan has been developed in Bangladesh.
"We shall set up nearly 59,780 multimedia classrooms by next year. We shall put focus on reducing the digital divide among our students," she added.
She said Bangladesh has made significant gains in achieving gender parity in primary and secondary schools.
“We shall continue to work on reducing gender gaps in higher and technical education. Educating our girls has always been one of my key priorities,” said Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh Air Force chief returns home from USA
Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan, BBP, BUP returned home on Monday after an official visit to USA.
The Chief of Air Staff left Dhaka for USA on 13 September for an official visit along with three entourage on an invitation of Chief of US Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, Jr, says an Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) media release on Tuesday afternoon.
During the visit, Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force made a courtesy call with Chief of US Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. and exchanged views on bilateral issues of mutual interests at the Pentagon.
After that, he joined 'International Air Chiefs Conference' hosted by the US Air Force in Washington DC. Air chiefs and high officials of the Air Forces of nearly 50 countries around the globe also took part in the said conference.
The conference included panel discussions on the issues of World View, Executive Mission Command, Operating in Today's Information Environment, Creating Healthy Culture etc.
Later, Chief of Air Staff attended an `Air Show’ marking 75th anniversary of US Air Force. It is expected that the visit of Chief of Air Staff will play a vital role for creating opportunities to strengthen relationship between two nations.
Smuggler held with 15 gold bars in Benapole
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Tuesday detained a man with 15 gold bars at Goga border in Benapole upazila of Jashore.
The detainee was Jalal Uddin, 35, a resident of the district.
Tipped off, a team of BGB-21 conducted a drive in the area and detained Jalal with the gold bars worth Tk 1.50 crore this morning, said commanding officer of BGB-21 Lieutenant Colonel Tanvir Ahmed.
A case has been filed at Sharsha police station in this regard, the commanding officer said.
What the late mayor Annisul Huq solved, has been undone
Although evicted by late Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq almost seven years back, truckers and covered van owners have recaptured the road from Saat Rasta intersection to Tejgaon rail crossing – causing commute woes for pedestrians, locals and triggering traffic gridlocks in adjacent areas.
Late Dhaka north mayor Annisul Haq recovered the road in the industrial area from encroachment despite violent protests by truck owners in 2015 but now it is back to its former self with hundreds of illegally parked trucks, covered vans and other heavy vehicles.
Read: Day 1 of Anti-dengue drive: DNCC realises over Tk 4 lakh in fines
Trucks, pick-ups and covered vans are parked on both sides of the road illegally that has narrowed it to a great extent – making it difficult for other vehicles to access.
Bangladesh reports 5 Covid-linked deaths, positivity rate rises to 12.73%
Bangladesh reported five deaths from Covid-19 with 614 more cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
With the new numbers, country's total fatalities rose to 29,345 while the total caseload to 2,018,829, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 12.73 per cent from Monday’s 11.60 per cent as 4,825 samples were tested.
Read: Global Covid cases top 617 million
Of the deceased, three were men and two women. Two of them were from Dhaka division while one each from Chattogram, Barishal and Mymensingh divisions.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 percent while the recovery rate declined to 97.15 per cent.
In August, the country reported 32 Covid-linked deaths and 6,689 cases.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Irregularities in leasing Egypt Air planes: ACC questions 7 CAAB officials
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has questioned seven officials of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) over two days as part of the investigation against allegation of irregularities over Biman Bangladesh Airlines processing two Egypt Air planes in 2009-14.
Deputy Director of ACC Public Relations, Muhammad Arif Sadeq, told UNB that the CAAB officials were questioned as the irregularities cost the national flag carrier a loss of Tk1,100 crore.
The Commission quizzed principal assistant director of CAAB, Saiful Haque, air worthness consultant Golam Sarwar, BFCC manager Sadequl Islam Bhuiyan and Kamal Uddin Ahmed today while chief engineer (maintenance) SM Siddique, principal engineer (I and QA) SM Hanif and principal engineer (MCC) Devesh Choudhury were interrogated yesterday.
However, director of flight operation and team leader of inspection team Israt Ahmed did not face the interrogation on the first day of the interrogation.
A team led by ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin and Assistant Director Jasmine Akhter is investigating the allegation.
On April 24, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism recommended the investigation.
According to the Commission, Biman Bangladesh lost Tk 1,100 crores for leasing aircraft from Egypt Air in 2014.
The engines of one of the aircraft were damaged after operating a flight in February 2015 while the national flag carrier Biman rented another engine from Egypt Air.
The rented engine was damaged a year and a half later while another engine was rented and the last engine was sent to another company in the United States for servicing without a timeline.
The Commission said it will question more officials if it found the information.
Dengue numbers keep rising: 1,560 patients undergoing treatment at hospitals
Another 438 dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till Tuesday morning as cases keep rising across the country.
Of the new patients, 315 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka and 123 outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On Sunday, this year's death toll from the mosquito-borne viral disease rose to 45 with another death reported from Chattogram division.
Read: No respite from Dengue: Death toll rises to 45
So far 21 deaths from dengue have been recorded in Dhaka division, four in Barishal division and 20 in Chattogram division.
A total of 1,560 dengue patients, including 1,191 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals in the country.
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
This year, the directorate has recorded 12,007 dengue cases and 10,402 recoveries so far.
Low pressure over Bay turns into well-marked low
Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal 3 as the low pressure over the northwest Bay and adjoining areas has intensified into a well-marked low.
It is likely to intensify further and move north-westwards, said the weather department in a bulletin.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.
They were also advised not to venture into the deep sea during the period.
No fertiliser crisis in Bangladesh, strict action against hoarders: Food Minister
Sending out a clear message to hoarders and rumour mongers,Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder Tuesday said that strict legal action would be initiated against anyone trying to create an artificial fertiliser crisis in Bangladesh.
“Fertiliser supplies in Bangladesh have not declined even by a single tonne over that of previous year. The number of agricultural land has decreased instead. So, there is no chance of a fertiliser crisis,” Sadhan told reporters after visiting the under-construction rice silo in Naogaon.
A panic has been created and as a result those who need one sack of fertiliser are trying to collect two, said the minister. "Even those who don’t need fertilisers are lining up to dealers to grab a sack."
Also read: Bangladesh purchases LNG, fertiliser at lower rates as prices fall in global market
"We will not spare anyone trying to create an artificial fertiliser crisis in Bangladesh by hoarding or spreading rumours. We will not let any corruption percolate into the sector," the Minister said.
Measures like jail custody, imposition of hefty fines and cancellation of dealership will be taken if necessary, he added.
Also read: Fertiliser price manipulators face legal action: Razzaque
More rains likely in Bangladesh
Brace for more showers in the next 24 hours. That's the latest prediction of the weather department.
“The low pressure area over the northwest Bay and adjoining areas has intensified into a well-marked low over the same area and is likely to intensify further and move north-westwards," the Bangladesh Meteorology Department said in a bulletin.
Light to moderate rains or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally winds and lightning flashes are likely to occur at many places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions, according to the bulletin.
Also read: Heavy rains, upstream water flood 4 villages in Feni
Also rains are likely to occur at a few places over Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions and at one or two places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy falls.
Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country.