United News of Bangladesh

Sharing knowledge and best practices and collectively exploring climate smart techniques for sustainable and climate resilient aquaculture and fisheries sectors would be the key factors of fostering regional collaboration between Bangladesh and ASEAN. Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political Security Community and Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock agreed on this while speaking at the inaugural session of an international workshop on “Building Climate Resilience in Aquaculture and Fisheries: An ASEAN-Bangladesh Initiative” and a training on “Regional Knowledge Exchange to Apply Ecosystem Approaches in Managing Inland Fisheries: An ASEAN-Bangladesh Training Initiative” held on Monday at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. UN, ASEAN urged to act to save Rohingyas from further genocide in Myanmar As Special Guests, Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral-East and West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam and Bangladesh Ambassador in Jakarta, Md. Tarikul Islam delivered remarks. In addition, the session was attended by among others, Md Tofazzel Hossain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Md. Rais Hasan Sarower, Director General of Regional Organizations Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Syed Md. Alamgir, Director General, Department of Fisheries and Representatives from Permanent Missions of member countries to ASEAN, diplomats, bureaucrats, policy makers, researchers, academician, and participants from nine ASEAN countries and Bangladesh. UN, ASEAN urged to act to save Rohingyas from further genocide in Myanmar The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ASEAN Secretariat have organized a three days long workshop and training under “ASEAN-Bangladesh Cooperation project in Fisheries and Aquaculture” with a view to strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and ASEAN in this field. It is expected that the experts from ASEAN and Bangladesh will share their experiences and best practices to come up with sets of valuable recommendations for forging new ways of collaborations between Bangladesh and ASEAN in the aquaculture sector. ASEAN envoys hold meeting with ICC Bangladesh President Bangladesh has recently taken a number of initiatives to enhance its engagement with the ASEAN in its efforts to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. In this endeavors, Bangladesh funded “ASEAN-Bangladesh Cooperation Project on Fisheries and Aquaculture”, the first ever project between ASEAN and Bangladesh will be completed with the closing of these workshops and training on May 29 in Jakarta. Under that project, an international workshop on sustainable aquaculture was earlier organized in Mymensingh and Cox’s Bazar in March this year. On the sideline of the inauguration, a bilateral meeting between Md. Rais Hasan Sarower, Director General of Regional Organizations Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political Security Community was held. In the meeting, a fruitful discussion on inclusion of Bangladesh’s candidature as Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in the upcoming ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting to be held in Vientiane in June 2024, enhancing cooperation in fisheries, information and communication technology, tourism, disaster management, trade and investment as well as holding of short course for mid-career diplomats from ASEAN in Foreign Service Academy this year were held.

Though the activities at the country’s premier seaport Chittagong Port have been suspended for the past two days due to Cyclone Remal, the port partially got activated through handling containers at jetties and yards and transporting goods on Monday noon. However the vessels are yet to dock at jetties. Omar Faruq, secretary of the port, said no ships arrived at the port from the outer anchorage on Monday due to adverse weather conditions. Operational work can begin if ships arrive within the next few hours. He, however, said administrative and internal port activities have started at noon. Earlier, on Saturday night, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) asked the Chittagong Port to hoist danger signal number 6 under the impact of the Remal.  Cyclone Remal: Chittagong Port Authority issues alert 3 In response, the port authorities issued their second-highest alert level, ‘Alert-3’, which ordered the suspension of cargo handling and unloading activities. Subsequently, on Sunday morning, the BMD issued the great danger signal No- 9 while the port authority imposed its own Alert-4', meaning the highest level of internal alert. As a result, all ships were sent to deep sea from the port jetty and all port activities were declared suspended considering the overall condition. 500 acres of land transferred to Chittagong Port Authority for expansion: Hasan Mahmud Meanwhile, to avoid damage from the cyclone, Bangabandhu Tunnel, constructed under the Karnaphuli River in Patenga in the port city of Chattogram, was reopened after being closed for 18 hours on Monday.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has decided to allow black money whitening by paying just 15 percent tax for individuals. In the next budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, the NBR brings back the opportunity of individual black money whitening closing such opportunities as investing in Economic Zones or high-tech parks. In the last five years, the opportunity of whitening black money was available in EZs, but not a single penny of black money was being invested. Under the new rules, black money can be turned into white without question by paying only 15 percent tax, said sources of the budget section of NBR. According to the sources, to bring black money into the mainstream of the economy, the 2019-20 budget allowed unquestioned investment in economic zones or hi-tech parks. Then finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said in the budget speech that the income arising from the production of goods or services in economic zones and hi-tech parks has been given tax exemption at various rates for 10 years. Junior finance minister gets coy over keeping provision for whitening black money in next budget A tax of 10 percent on the money invested from undisclosed income in setting up industries in economic zones and hi-tech parks to increase investment and create employment. Such investment would not raise any question from the Income Tax Department about the source of that invested money. After several years economic zones or hi-tech parks got the opportunity to invest black money. But no one took this opportunity in 5 years. This facility is scheduled to expire on June 30 of the current fiscal year 2023-24. Therefore, black money investment in new economic zones or hi-tech parks is not allowed as part of the advice of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Instead, an opportunity to legitimize black money or undeclared income is being offered under a general amnesty (tax amnesty). Of course, for this, you will have to pay more income tax than before. HC summons BFIU chief over 'incomplete report' on black money in Swiss banks Earlier black money could be whitened by a 10 percent tax, in the future, it will be 15 percent. If the money is legalized in this way, no other organization of the government can question this, said an official of NBR.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) on Monday deployed over 5,300 sanitation workers and 10 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to clear the waterlogging caused by Cyclone Remal. Each QRT consists of 10 members, bringing the total number of personnel involved in the operation to 100, according to a press release. Coastal Satkhira still experiencing impact of Cyclone Remal Additionally, 94 locations were identified through DNCC's hotline number 16106 where water had accumulated. These spots were promptly addressed and cleared of water. In the 10 DNCC zones, a total of 108 large and medium trees that had fallen on roads were removed to ensure smooth traffic flow Heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in 8 divs The entire waterlogging clearance operation was monitored around the clock from the central monitoring centre at Nagar Bhaban. DNCC Mayor Md. Atiqul Islam visited the central monitoring centre in the afternoon to inspect the progress of the activities. He reported that approximately 125 millimetres of rain had fallen from morning to 5 pm on Monday. Remal weakens into depression, lies over Manikganj Despite the heavy rainfall, he stated that there was no prolonged waterlogging on the main roads in the DNCC area. He commended the tireless efforts of over 5,000 sanitation workers and 10 QRTs of Dhaka North City Corporation in addressing the waterlogging. He also mentioned that necessary actions were being taken based on information received through the hotline number.

The cyclonic storm Remal continues to wreak havoc in the country’s southern district of Satkhira with its effects far from over. Since Monday morning, under the influence of the storm the entire district has been experiencing heavy rainfall accompanied by powerful gusts of wind, causing disruption of daily life. Local authorities estimated that over 800 houses in the coastal areas of the district have been damaged by the cyclone. The cyclone's impact has been particularly severe in the coastal regions of Assasuni and Shyamnagar, where river embankments have been breached, allowing tidal waters to flood several areas. The areas Gabura, Padmapukur, Burigoalini, Dandinakhali, Munshiganj, Pratappur, and Durbarbati under Shyamnagar upazila have reported significant flooding, with many shrimp closures submerged. Tidal waters have risen 3 to 4 feet above normal levels. Remal weakens into depression, lies over Manikganj The most significant damage in the district has been to the mango crops during its peak season, with varieties such as Himsagar, Langra, and Amrapali still on the trees. The cyclone has caused these fruits to fall, resulting in losses worth several crores of Tk. Masudul Alam, Chairman of Gabura Union Parishad, informed that cyclone Remal crossed the district coast around midnight on Sunday. However, the Sundarbans coastal rivers continue to experience massive waves.  

Dnet-Development Research Network on Monday organised a roundtable discussion on E-Governance in Bangladesh highlighting significant gaps in accessibility to digital services among low-income women. In facilitating this event, the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh provided crucial technical support. This enabled the convening of prominent experts and specialists from the public and private sectors, academia, and international development partners. Co-Founder & Executive Director of Dnet M. Shahadat Hossain said that they had recently conducted a study to understand the digital divide amongst low income women both in the formal and informal sectors. He said the findings revealed stark disparities in digital access, literacy, and usage in both sectors. “Despite the proliferation of government service apps aimed at enhancing citizen engagement and service delivery, the study revealed significant gaps in their accessibility among low-income women. While this study is limited in scope it does give a glimpse into the gaps that exist in the domain," he said. The roundtable discussion aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of e-governance in Bangladesh, focusing on service delivery, transparency, and accountability. It will address challenges like the digital divide and organizational issues, propose solutions for equitable access, and develop strategies to raise awareness among all citizens, particularly young, female, vulnerable, rural, and hard-to-reach populations. This roundtable discussion also highlighted the need so that digital services are simultaneously efficient and inclusive, to avoid increasing current inequality. According to a UN report, Bangladesh achieved the highest E-Government Development Index (EGDI) score among the top Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and has continued to rank highly in two surveys. Bangladesh has moved up 37 spots in 8 years from 2014-2022) on the index. This achievement can be attributed to the government’s efforts to streamline and improve the provision of public services. However, with vision 2041 and smart Bangladesh there’s still a long way to go to reach the desired level. Deputy Secretary of Development, Implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation Branch of ICT Division Mohammad Manir Hossain, representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kurokami Minami, Norwegian Embassy Trade Adviser Bayzid Sayeed, Programme Manager of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Fani Farmaki and Head of Sector (Governance) Enrico Lorenzon spoke in the programme. Professor of Public administration DU Dr. Sadik Hasan moderated the session.

Heave to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in eight divisions of the country. “Under the influence of deep depression heavy (44-88mm/24 hrs) to very heavy rainfall (89mm/24 hrs) is likely to be experienced over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions during next 24 hours commencing at 6 pm Monday,” said the special bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). Intense heat wave, rains forecast in parts of India Due to heavy rainfall, landslides may occur at places over the hilly region of Chattogram division.  

The deep depression over Jashore and adjoining area moved Northeastwards and weakened into a depression, now lying over Manikganj and adjoining area. It is likely to move northeastwards further and weaken gradually by giving precipitation, said a special bulletin of Met office.. Maritime ports of Payra and Mongla have been advised to lower danger signal number ten but instead hoist local cautionary signal number three. Cyclone Remal: Another man dies on the way to shelter Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till tomorrow morning and then proceed with caution. Cyclone Remal: WFP dispatches cash assistance to families most at risk across Khulna, Barishal

Power supply was disrupted by Remel not only in coastal areas of the country, but also severely disrupted in Dhaka city and adjoining areas. According to power utility officials, electricity supply at a vast area under Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) was heavily disrupted by falling trees on the power distribution areas. A good number of areas in Mirpur, Uttara, Gulshan, Banani, Rampura plunged into darkness after the fall of the trees on the line following the cyclone Remal hit the area. Cyclone Remal causes Tk 96 crore in damages to power supply infrastructure, as per initial estimates  “At least 25 feeders were shutdown. But later our teams cleared the falling trees and restored power supply,” said Executive Director of Desco Zakir Hossain. Still the Desco teams are working in some areas,” he said adding, the power demand came down to 800 MW from the normal demand of 1200 MW. Power supply in many areas in Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) also were affected by the Remal. Some 2-3 feeders in each of the 36 power supply division were affected by the storm and power supply came to halt in the areas under those feeders, said Shafiqul Alam, executive director of DPDC told UNB. Cyclone Remal leaves 2.22 crore people without power He said the DPDC teams are trying to restore power supply in the affected areas. He said the power demand fell to 814 MW from the normal demand of 1800 MW in DPDC areas.    

The Election Commission (EC) ordered Inspector General of Police (IGP) to withdraw four Officers-in-Charge (OCs) from Chattogram division due to their controversial records to ensure a free, fair and neutral election of the sixth upazila parishad polls. A media release signed by Md Mizanur Rahman, deputy secretary (current charge) of the EC said this on Monday. In the release, the IGP was ordered to withdraw OCs of Chattogram’s Anowara and Chandanaish police stations Mohammad Sohel and Obaiduil Islam resepcetively. Moreover, OCs of Cumilla’s Debidwar and Chandpur’s Fardiganj police stations were included in the list of withdrawal, it reads. The IGP was ordered to attach the four OCs with the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) office and inspectors (investigation) of the police stations were also ordered to perform duty till May 31, according to the release. Additionally, the EC decided that the OC of Dumki police station in Patuakhali will be attached to the office of the DIG office until the election is completed. The inspector (investigation) of that station will assume the responsibilities in the interim.