United News of Bangladesh

Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen on Thursday said that the standard of medical professionals in Bangladesh is not lower than in any other country in the world. "Thousands of qualified doctors are coming out every year in the country. They are mostly skilled like doctors in the developed world," he said. The minister was speaking at a meeting at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical Education Conference Room organised by Sylhet Divisional Health Department. Drive against illegal clinics, diagnostic centers will intensify: Health Minister "Doctors of our country have efficiency to provide quality medical services if they are given better opportunities . . . we are working to provide special facilities to ensure better treatment for the people living in both urban and rural areas." He said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has attached the highest priority to the health sector aiming to provide better healthcare services for the common people. "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made me minister for improving the entire medical system. It is an honour for all medical professionals. So, we all have to work together with dedication for upholding the honour for us," he said. Bangladesh has one hospital bed for 990 patients: Health Minister "If you (doctors) don't work well, or if you don't do your office properly in the hospital, or if you don't fulfil your duties, I won't accept anyone's recommendation," he warned. Addressing the medical teachers, the health minister said, "Even if the number of quality doctors is less, there is no problem. You should focus on quality not quantity." Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Vice Chancellor of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Medical University Prof. A.H.M. Enayet Hussain, Secretary General of central committee of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Ehestashamul Haque Chowdhury and top authorities of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, among others, were present at the meeting with Director of Sylhet Divisional Health Shishir Ranjan in the chair.

The International Women's Day will be celebrated in the country and elsewhere across the world on Friday with due fervour. The theme for this year's International Women’s Day is 'Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress', targeting economic disempowerment. However, the campaign theme for the same year is 'Inspire Inclusion.' On the eve of the day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting all women across the world. Int’l Women’s Day: Monumental success of Coke Studio Bangla’s local gems Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and all private television channels have lined up special programmes for the day. The International Women’s Day is observed every year on March 8 to celebrate women’s movement and struggle for equality, in the face of deeply entrenched patriarchy. Marking this day, different organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes. Meanwhile, five women will be awarded for their contributions in different fields on the occasion of the International Women's Day, said State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Simin Hossain Rimi. 5 women to be honoured on International Women's Day She said each of the five winners will be given a cheque of Tk 1 lakh, crest, shawl and certificate. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be present as the chief guest at the event to be held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium at 10 am on Friday. Anar Kali of Mymensingh, Kalyani Minzi of Rajshahi, tea worker Kamali Rabidas of Sylhet, Jahanara Begum of Barguna and Pakhi Datta Hijra of Khulna will be awarded for contributions in their respective fields.

The historic March 7, a memorable day in the history of Bangalee's long and arduous freedom struggle, was observed across the country on Thursday in a befitting manner. In 2017, the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) recognised the historic March 7 Speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a world documentary heritage. On this day in 1971, Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of Bangalees, delivered his epoch-making speech of independence before a mammoth rally at then historic Racecourse Maidan, now Suhrawardy Udyan, in Dhaka city. In his 19-minute extempore speech before a million freedom-loving people, Bangabandhu had made a clarion call for a non-cooperation movement asking the nation to prepare for the war of independence to liberate the country from the exploitative Pakistan regime. “The struggle this time is for freedom, the struggle this time is for independence, Joy Bangla,” Bangabandhu declared from the massive rally. In his speech, compared with US President Abraham Lincoln's historic Gettysburg speech, Bangabandhu said: “Since we have learnt to give blood, we'll give more blood. Insha Allah, the people of this country must be liberated...turn every house into a fort. Face (the enemy) with whatever you have.” His speech worked like a magic spell inspiring the entire Bangalee nation to join the struggle for independence from the autocratic and repressive rule of the then Pakistani military junta. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina commenced the day by paying tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a wreath at his portrait in Dhanmondi-32, commemorating the pivotal March 7. The homage took place in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 7 am, where the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence, honouring the memory and legacy of Bangladesh's independence architect. Accompanied by key figures from the Bangladesh Awami League, Sheikh Hasina offered another wreath on behalf of the party, demonstrating collective reverence for Bangabandhu. Following the Prime Minister's lead, representatives from Awami League's associate organisations, including Awami Jubo League, Chhatra League, Mohila Awami League, Sramik League, Krishak League, Jubo Mohila League, and Swechchhasebok League, also paid their respects, marking the occasion with wreath-laying. Besides, Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi paid homage to Bangabandhu. Md. Mustafizur Rahman, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, initiated the programme by hoisting the national flag at the chancery premises and placing floral wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation along with the Mission officials. A discussion programme was organized at the Bangabandhu Hall of the Mission. On the occasion of the historic March 7, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh also paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In addition, Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations aired special programmes on the occasion while national dailies published supplements.

The government on Thursday set the automated retail prices of petroleum fuels for the month of March with effect from Friday (March 8). As per a gazette notification, issued on March 7, the new price of diesel and kerosene was set at Tk 108.25 per litre lowering by Tk 0.75 instead of existing Tk 109, while the price of octane was set at Tk 126 by cutting Tk 4 from Tk 130 per litre. The price of petrol was fixed at Tk 122 by lowering Tk 3 from Tk 125 per litre. Issuing the gazette notification in this regard, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources in a clarification said that the new price has been in line with the prices of the petroleum on the international market. About the octane and petrol prices the clarification said that these two items are mainly used by the private car owners. These two are deemed to be luxury items. So, the prices of the two items always are higher than of diesel’s. It also said that from now on the petroleum fuel prices will be adjusted every month under an automated formula and guideline. It mentioned that despite the fuel oil has been adjusted in the country, diesel is currently being sold at Rs 92.76 or Tk 133.57 (1 Rupee = 1.44 Taka) and petrol at Rs 106.03 or Tk 152.68 per litre in Kolkata, India, which is by Tk 24.57 and Tk 27.68 respectively. Earlier, the government on March 1 issued a “Fuel Pricing Guidelines” through a gazette notification to set an automated price for the petroleum fuels across the country. It said the local prices will go up and down in line with the international price and every month such prices will be announced by the government for one-month tenure. The Fuel Pricing Guidelines, however, giving an example for its effectiveness said that if it is planned to make effective from April 1, the prices of fuels of one month in the international market from February 21 to March 20 has to be taken into consideration to set an average price and then set the price for April. But the prices of fuels were set from March 8.

International Rescue Committee (IRC) has published its need assessment report where the effects of climate change and natural disasters on women and girls were focused.  Due to climate change the frequency of natural disasters has risen significantly, and it’s directly affecting the people who live in coastal areas of Bangladesh, said the report. Along with research farm DM WATCH, IRC took initiative to do the needs assessment report on disaster-prone areas like Barishal, Khulna, Shatkhira, and Bhola. According to this multi-sectoral needs assessment report, due to a lack of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health (SRH), many women in these areas are living their lives without getting any proper treatment or discussion about it, as a result, they are facing major health issues in the long run.  During a disaster, 66.9% of women and girls don’t feel comfortable going to the shelter due to a lack of safety and proper amenities such as toilets, it said.  The report shows how climate change and frequent disasters affect school dropout of children, child marriage, gender-based violence, loss of income, and many other factors.  On 7th March 2024, IRC organized a symposium in Dhaka’s Crown Plaza to reveal the report. Md. Mijanur Rahman, Director General, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief attended as the chief guest. “Despite various limitations, we made a separate room for lactating mothers in the cyclone shelters. We are making disaster-resilient infrastructures so those can be used as cyclone shelters,” he said. IRC’s country director Hasina Rahman said, ‘We need to ensure initiatives that  are inclusive and empowering, considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and priorities of different social groups, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, and marginalized communities.’  Along with the report findings, a panel discussion was also organized where people from different sectors such as NGOs, Govt. Ministry, Research Farms, and University Professors joined and tried to explore the solution of climate threat in Bangladesh’s coastal areas.  Research-based organization Center for Participatory Research and Development’s (CPRD) chief executive Md. Shamsuddoha mentioned, “We only see the success in disaster response as reduced human death loss. But the people who are going to the cyclone shelters, are not so aware of their rights. We need to shift our focus to that.”  In disaster-prone areas, gender-based violence such as sexual harassment is so common that it is putting women and girls in long-term physical and mental trauma. According to the report, the major driver behind gender-based violence is poverty (73.4%) and income loss (68%). Satkhira has the highest rate of intimate partner violence. In many cases, during disasters due to poverty and income loss, many women are facing forced abortion.  On the other hand, even though there are hospitals in these remote coastal areas, however during disaster many people are not getting proper and timely treatment. 74.1% of people in these areas do not get treatment, and 70% times the hospitals are closed during natural disasters.  The symposium was moderated by Shabira Sultana Nupur, Head of Advocacy andCommunication, IRC. The panel discussion was hosted by IRC’s country director Hasina Rahman.

At least 15 people were injured in a gas cylinder explosion following a fire at a car garage in Paschim Kul area of Mosharraf Ali Mia Bazar in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram on Thursday.The identities of the injured could not be known immediately. However, they were admitted to the Upazila Health Complex and Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Five adjacent shops were also gutted in the fire. Banshkhali Fire Service Station official Azadul Islam a fire service team rushed to the spot after receiving the information. However, the locals had brought the fire under control before the team reached.Sub-inspector Tanvir, of Baharchhara police outpost in the upazila, said a fire broke out while work was being done at the garage in the afternoon. After the locals extinguished the fire, a gas cylinder suddenly exploded and caught fire, leaving 15 people injured, he said . Ten of them were taken to different hospitals.End/UNB/Corr/MB/FH/1725 Hrs  

The ride-hailing services are playing a significant role for women to access the workforce as nearly three lakh women are expected to join Dhaka workforce by 2028 as per a study report released on Thursday. Uber, Bangladesh’s most preferred ride-hailing app, released the research report that sheds light on the transformative role of ride-hailing platforms in empowering women and fostering economic opportunities in Bangladesh. 5 women to be honoured on International Women's Day The industry report, titled "Ride-Hailing: A Platform for Women's Economic Opportunity in Bangladesh," unveils a compelling view of how these services are playing a transformative role in bringing more women into the workforce. The study reflects how ride-hailing services have become a vital vehicle for women to access the workforce or move up the ladder to achieve financial independence. Daraz Bangladesh celebrates International Women's Day As per the projections of the study, access to mobility could increase female workforce in Dhaka by over 13 percent by 2028 and nearly three lakh women will join Dhaka workforce with a ride-hailing boost to women. This bump up could result in a boost to the size of Dhaka's economy by over 1.5 percent by 2028, the study also projected. Women's Day events highlight gaps in gender equality Commenting on the report, Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Nur Mohammad Mazumder said access to safe and reliable transportation is crucial for women's economic empowerment, and ride-hailing services play a significant role in addressing this need. “The findings of Uber's research report align with our efforts to promote gender equality and create opportunities for women in the workforce. We commend initiatives like this that contribute to improving women's mobility and fostering economic inclusion in Bangladesh," he said. Country Head at Uber Bangladesh Nasheed Ferdous Kamal said, “Uber has been an important engine of economic growth and opportunity in Bangladesh since 2016. Greater women’s participation in the workforce is vital for Bangladesh to realise its economic potential.”   She said this research by Oxford Economics highlights how safe, reliable commuting options could get more women to participate in the workforce. “I’m heartened to see how Uber and other ride hailing options are helping solve this ‘gender commute gap’ by providing women a safe and convenient option to get to work, whether directly or to their nearest mass transit station. Uber is proud to help Bangladeshi women take part in the country’s economic success story - today and in the future,” she added. Lead Economist of Oxford Economics Bali Kaur Sodhi said women around the world still participate less than men in paid work. “This report gives an evidence-based policy recommendation for adoption of technology in helping remove mobility barriers for women to enter the workforce or move up in their careers,” she said. The research report also draws from a survey conducted on-ground in Dhaka. In partnership with Uber, Oxford Economics conducted a survey of Uber riders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the ride-hailing behaviours of women and men across Dhaka. It reveals interesting insights into the impact of ride-hailing on women's workforce participation as over one in three working women riders agreed that the availability of ride-hailing services enabled them to join the workforce. Nearly half of the working women surveyed said that ride-hailing services helped them balance their time across work and family, and manage a flexible arrangement at work. Nearly nine in 10 of the women surveyed who use ride-hailing to commute to work said they did so because it offered a safer option than alternative travel modes. Women in Bangladesh have lower labor force participation rates than their global peers. Compared with a worldwide female labor force participation rate of 47% in 2022, the figure for Bangladesh was 43%. As per the report, the two biggest challenges to women’s mobility are a lack of access to safe transport and the current imbalance in their work-family arrangements, said a press release.

Most of the petrol pumps in Dhaka city have been built in an unplanned way although there is a specific government policy to maintain minimum distance between two stations. Transport and petroleum sector insiders said this creates a problem for consumers to get fuel for their vehicles easily on their way to destinations. Mohakhali petrol pump explosion: one succumbs to injuries at DMCH According to them, the situation is getting worse as the number of motor vehicles is on the rise but the number of fuel stations is decreasing in the city.   Officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the principal body in the petroleum sector, said the government issued a gazette notification with some amendments on January 16, 2014 in regard to setting up new petrol pumps in city corporation areas, district towns and elsewhere. 8 burnt in explosion at petrol pump in Dhaka's Mohakhali As per the government policy, that there should be a distance of 1 km between two petrol pumps on the opposite side and 2 km on the same side. The distance is double for petrol pumps outside the city corporations and district towns which are mainly on highways. But in most cases, such distance was not properly maintained when the pumps were set up in Dhaka city.     Petrol pump owners who called strike backtrack A top BPC official admitted that the pumps in Dhaka city were set up in an unplanned way and the distance was not maintained properly. But all these were done before the new policy was framed, he said, adding, currently no new pumps are being set up. “Actually, people lack interest in setting up new petrol pump on a private land in Dhaka metropolitan area due to excessive value of land,” he told UNB. Echoing the same, president of Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association Nazmul Haque said it’s really tough to run petrol pump business on private land as using land for other purposes is more profitable.    Many pump owners are now closing their refueling businesses and trying to build residential or commercial complexes on the same land to get better return, he added. According to the Petrol Pump Owners Association, there are a total of about 4000 petrol pumps across the country while there are 300 in Dhaka district and 80 in Dhaka city. There are about 50 pumps located within Dhaka North City Corporation area while 30 are located under Dhaka South City Corporation. A good number of the filling stations were set up in a cluster manner in some locations close to the inter-district bus terminals, he said adding that Mohakhali, Gabtoli and Saydabad to Jatrabari are among such locations. Nazmul Haque informed that in the last 20 years 11 petrol pumps were closed by their owners and the lands were utilised for building high-rise markets, apartment or commercial purposes. He also noted that there has been an embargo from the district administration since general Ershad’s period on setting up filling station from Mohakhali to Shahjalal International Airport on security grounds. “There is only a pump in the Nikunja area, set up by state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC)”, he added.  He said primarily, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka provides permission to set up any petrol pump in any location within Dhaka district and the final permission comes from BPC. He, however, noted that there are 14 separate authorities including Department of Explosives, Fire Service and Department of Environment to get prior permission before the final approval from the BPC.

Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has urged young scientists to intensify their efforts to scale up renewable energy technology to cope with the local demands. “You have to lay more emphasis on development of technology to serve the country,” he told local engineers and scientists at the 7th International Conference on Development in the Renewable Energy Technology (ICDRET’24) in the city’s United International University (UIU) that began on Thursday. He also urged the organisations and companies working in the renewable energy sector to integrate their efforts with the clean energy initiative. He said the country has 1.2 million diesel-run irrigation pumps. 5 women to be honoured on International Women's Day If these pumps are converted into solar-run ones, and their additional power is given to the grid, it will save huge amount of foreign currencies in fuel import, he said. The conference is organized by the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and Centre for Energy Research of UIU. With Prof. Dr. Md. Abul Kashem Mia, Vice-Chancellor of UIU in the chair, the event was address by Prof. Dr. M. Rezwan Khan, Organizing Chair, ICDRET'24 and Executive Director, Institute for Advanced Research (IAR), UIU, Prof. Dr. Hasan Sarwar, Dean, School of Science and Engineering, UIU and Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Organizing Co-Chair, ICDRET'24 and Director, CER. Int’l bidding for offshore oil, gas exploration likely on March 10

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) is celebrating its 20th founding anniversary on Thursday with the slogan of ‘Smart Bangladesh Smart Rab. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 20th founding anniversary of Rab at its headquarters in the capital's Kurmitola on Wednesday. 120 officers of the elite force were awarded with ‘RAB Director General Award’ for their heroic performances and special services. RAB busts extensive network of brokers exploiting DMCH Rab DG M Khurshid Hossain adorned handed over the awards to the awardees at a programme at the Rab Headquarters in the capital on Thursday, marking the 20th founding anniversary of the force and Memorial Day-2024’. Rab DG also distributed financial assistance to the family members of 33 Rab personnel who died while performing duties.