United News of Bangladesh

After being closed by government order for over one and a half years, The Daily Dinkal has announced its decision to resume publication starting September 1, 2024. The announcement was made during a meeting at the newspaper’s office in Tejgaon on Thursday, attended by journalists, officials, and staff members. Managing Editor Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Adviser Ad Ahmed Azam Khan, Special Reporter Atiqur Rahman Ruman, and Barrister Ragib Rouf Chowdhury, among others, spoke about the newspaper's future at the meeting. The date chosen for the resumption, September 1, coincides with the founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a significant day for the publication known for its association with the party. A temporary permit for the paper’s publication was granted by Dhaka’s Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman on August 11, facilitating the newspaper’s return to print. The Daily Dinkal first began its journey on September 1, 1988. In December 2022, Dhaka’s then District Magistrate, Mohammad Mominur Rahman, had canceled the newspaper’s declaration and printing notification under government directives. The Daily Dinkal’s authorities had appealed against this decision to the Bangladesh Press Council, but their appeal was rejected on February 19, 2023, leading to a halt in publication.

The government has annulled its agreement with S Alam Group for the Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) Unit-2 project. The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources announced on Thursday that it has decided to cancel the public-private joint venture agreement with S Alam Group for the ERL Unit-2 project. ERL is a subsidiary of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). The ministry has also directed BPC to prepare a revised development project proforma (DPP) reflecting updated foreign exchange rates and to submit this revised DPP to the Planning Commission. The revised plan should adhere to the public procurement rules (PPR)-2008 for all procurement activities. The recently ousted Awami League government had awarded the project to S Alam Group through a joint venture, granting the business house a 70 percent stake without a tender process, despite objections from the BPC.

Three members of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) have resigned from their positions. The members who submitted their resignations are Dr. Muhammad Yamin Chowdhury, Dr. Md. Helal Uddin, and Abul Khair Md. Aminur Rahman, according to a press release from the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources on Thursday. Following protests from the officials and employees of BERC, chairman Nurul Amin also resigned. The government has since appointed former Petrobangla chairman Jalal Ahmed as the new chairman of the commission.

Distinguished Professor of Illinois State University in US, Prof Dr Ali Riaz, on Thursday emphasized the need for rewriting Bangladesh’s constitution to break free from the cycle of centralized power and its misuse. “It is not possible at all to get out of this circle of politicization without rewriting the constitution,” he said, adding that a hastily conducted election would neither reflect the people’s needs nor serve as the right path for national reconstruction. The Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) hosted an informative session at a Dhaka hotel, announcing a series of dialogues to discuss the priority areas of reform for the interim government. Responding to a question, Prof Riaz said that media needs to play a vital role to amplify the voices of the people from all walks of life. He laid emphasis on telling the true story. Giving information accurately is the best way to reply to “misinformation and disinformation campaigns by the Indian media,” he added. “We all have a role. Let’s play our role,” Prof Riaz said. He said coming out of the culture of fear is vital for establishing democracy and the will of the people, and media along with everyone else plays a pivotal role in this time. Executive Director of CGS, Zillur Rahman, said that there have been a lot of wins by the people of Bangladesh but those wins did not last long. He said he remains cautiously optimistic, and termed the recent turn of events as a mass uprising. In Addition, he said, terms like “liberation” and “revolution” should not be thrown around lightly. He said the democratic system needs to be reconstructed from the ground up. The previous regime has damaged every institution, politicized it to the extreme, he observed. Prof Riaz said that he believes strongly that the reconstruction of constitutional institutions and decentralization of the government’s power in different sectors are necessary. He emphasized that if these changes are not made there will be room for another autocratic regime to rear its ugly head. Prof Riaz quoted the Chief Adviser, saying the key issues that are going to be focused on in the dialogues organized by CGS are going to be on constitution; human rights; and unlawful use of justice system, civil administration, constitutional bodies, law enforcement and intelligence agencies; financial policies, bank loans and foreign loans; and media. These dialogues are going to be held at both national and regional levels in four different divisional cities. CGS will create reports extracted from these dialogues and present them to the interim government. Prof Riaz, an advisory board member of CGS, emphasized that the civil society is not enough for change; all citizens must come together in order to make significant change.

The UK government is providing an additional £450,000 or Tk 7 crores of vital humanitarian assistance to support more than 36,000 people affected by flooding in eastern Bangladesh, where more than five million people have been impacted.  This builds on the £33,000 (BDT 5.2 lacs) of initial emergency funding released on Monday 26 August, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday. It brings the UK government’s total support to disaster preparedness and response across Bangladesh this year to over £1,500,000 (BDT 23.4 crores) and is additional to the UK government’s ongoing support to help increase Bangladesh’s resilience to climate change. This assistance will support people in seven of the worst affected districts: Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Moulvibazar, Khagrachhari and Chattogram. Some areas are facing their most severe flooding in 40 years. One component of this new UK support will be managed by Start Fund Bangladesh and implemented by NGOs. This will support over 36,000 people with food, cash transfers, clean water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. A second component will be managed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and provide emergency maternal, newborn and reproductive health services to 4,500 women and adolescent girls. This includes helping to establish and run 30 mobile medical camps, which will provide essential medicines and healthcare. British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said the UK government stands beside all of those affected by the current flooding in eastern Bangladesh. “I am pleased to announce the UK government is providing further humanitarian assistance to support those impacted.” This includes £450,000 of new funding released today (BDT 7 crores) to provide vital supplies and services to over 36,000 people. “This is in addition to the UK government’s responses to Cyclone Remal and flooding earlier this year in Bangladesh, and our broader support to increase Bangladesh’s resilience to climate change,” said the High Commissioner. “This contribution complements the active and ongoing response of the interim government of Bangladesh, civil society and local communities.” END/UNB/MK/FH

Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, head of the committee tasked with preparing a white paper on the state of Bangladesh’s economy, said on Thursday that the committee’s role is to analyze the causes and extent of corruption, not to identify or “catch” the corrupt. “This committee will explain why corruption occurs and assess its severity,” said Dr. Debapriya. “However, it is not our responsibility to identify who is involved in corruption. That task falls under the jurisdiction of the government and its relevant agencies.” Dr. Debapriya made these remarks while speaking to reporters following the committee’s first meeting at the General Economics Division (GED) office in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. He emphasized that the committee’s purpose is to promote transparency in the economic landscape of the country. “Through this exercise, the current government will better understand what they have inherited to govern the country,” he added. During the inaugural meeting, the committee members discussed several key topics, including the context and purpose of the initiative, the scope and methodology of their work, the tentative structure of the final report, outreach and communication strategies, division of tasks among team members, and other related matters. Dr. Debapriya also underscored that the committee is not responsible for implementing any reform measures. “We are not here to carry out reform activities,” he said. He further clarified that the committee will not conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the banking sector and financial institutions. “The government is planning to form a Banking Commission, which will be established in the future to address those issues,” Dr. Debapriya noted. Dr Debapriya, Distinguished Fellow at Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Convener of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, also said that the issue of bringing back siphoned money is a complex issue. He noted that the forthcoming report from the White Paper Committee on the state of Bangladesh’s economy would offer potential reform pathways for the government, helping to correct economic deviations that have occurred over the years. “The White Paper Committee will provide guidance to the interim government on various reforms and will inform the government’s reform programs,” said the noted economist. He added that the report would identify the challenges and barriers facing the economy, potentially helping to shape future government actions. Dr. Debapriya further said that the report would offer a roadmap to prevent the recurrence of economic missteps and loopholes that have developed over time. The committee will analyze available data, and if conventional data sources are lacking, it will consider alternative data to understand the foundation of the economy. He emphasized the importance of evaluating past policies, rules, and regulations in the context of both current and future needs, stating, “We don’t want to see a recurrence of previous mistakes and incidents...what should be the ideal safeguard?” Dr. Debapriya underscored the importance of accountability, saying, “It’s more important that the perpetrators get punished...I think they are in jail now as part of it.” He noted that the current government is aware of these concerns and sees no need to reiterate them. The committee’s head mentioned that the report would provide insights into the foundation and structure of the 9th Five Year Plan, steps toward achieving the SDGs, and ensuring a smooth and sustainable graduation from LDC status. He outlined a three-pronged approach for their operations: evaluation through criticism, utilizing think tanks and foreign firms, and holding discussions with stakeholders, including students and business leaders. When asked about publishing an interim report, Dr. Debapriya said that instead of waiting for the full 90 days allocated to the committee, they would aim to release draft reports on specific segments of the economy and seek feedback from various stakeholders to refine them. In response to another question, he clarified that the committee would not conduct an ADP portfolio analysis or project-wise evaluation but would provide recommendations to improve ADP utilization, particularly focusing on mega projects. Regarding the scope of their review, the economist said they would go back as far as necessary to understand the root causes of the current economic situation. “This committee is not for a full-fledged evaluation of the previous government’s actions; rather, it will assist the interim government in moving forward and avoiding past mistakes,” he added. On the issue of repealing the provision for whitening black money, Dr. Debapriya said that concerns have been raised about the country’s low tax-to-GDP ratio, prompting a discussion on internal resource mobilization. He acknowledged that the practice of whitening black money could be addressed, as many consider it counterproductive. Commenting on the alleged corruption involving billions of dollars in the financial and banking sectors, Dr. Debapriya emphasized the need to protect the rights of citizens and depositors while advocating for stricter criteria in granting licenses to institutions. He also highlighted the issue of public expenditure as part of the economic challenges, saying, “We’re now analyzing the status of the economy, not the trend over the years...sectors like education and health did not receive the desired allocations due to these deviations.” Other members of the committee—Professor AK Enamul Haque, Dean of Faculty of Business and Economics, East West University; Ferdaus Ara Begum, Chief Executive Officer, Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD); Imran Matin, Executive Director of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University; Dr Kazi Iqbal, Senior Research Fellow of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS); Dr M Tamim, Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and former Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor (2008); Dr Mohammad Abu Eusuf, Professor of Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka; Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD); Dr Selim Raihan, Professor of Department of Economics, University of Dhaka and Executive Director, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM); Dr Sharmind Neelormi, Professor, Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University; Dr Zahid Hossain, former lead economist, World Bank and eminent columnist—attended the meeting while Dr Tasneem Arefa Siddiqui, former professor, Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, and founding chair, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) joined the meeting through zoom.

The interim government has decided to cancel the provision of whitening black money as part of reforms in various sectors. The decision was taken at the weekly meeting of the Council of Advisers held at the state guesthouse Jamuna on Thursday with Chief Adviser Prof Yunus in the chair. “A decision has been taken to stop this. A clear decision has been taken against the provision of whitening black money,” Adviser on Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Syeda Rizwana Hasan told reporters after the meeting. NBR brings back individual black money whitening opportunities in next budget The government has given importance to moral issues instead of whatever money is coming through whitening black money. Earlier, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) expressed shock and disappointment over the 'unethical' provision in the recently announced budget that allows the whitening of black money disguised as undisclosed income. Junior finance minister gets coy over keeping provision for whitening black money in next budget The anti-graft watchdog feared that the facility to legalize black money with just 15 percent tax would discourage honest and legitimate taxpayers, as no authority would question the money and assets declared under this provision.  

The death toll from the recent flood in 11 districts has climbed to 52 with 21 more deaths reported in Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali and Moulvibazar districts till Thursday, according to the report of Disaster Management and Relief Ministry.Among the deceased, 14 people died in Cumilla, six in Chattogram , 17 in Feni, eight in Noakhali, three in Cox’s Bazar and one each in Brahmanbaria, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Lakshmipur districts respectively.Besides, 10, 72, 579 families have been stranded in 68 upazilas of 11 flood-hit districts--Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur and Cox’s Bazar. Death toll from floods stands at 27; Over 56 lakh people affectedMoreover, 54, 80, 463 people have been affected in 492 municipalities or unions of the 11 districts.One people still remain missing in Moulvibazar district.Meanwhile, at least 5, 02,501 people have taken shelter in 3,403 shelter centres while 36, 448 domestic animals were kept there, according to data from the ministry.A total of 595 medical teams are providing medical services in the flood affected areas. Flood victims in remote areas struggle as aid fails to reach themSo far, a sum of Tk 4.52 crore has been allocated in the flood-stricken districts while 20,650 tonnes of rice, 15,000 pieces of dry foods or other foods and baby foods and fodder worth Tk 35 lakh each were allocated, said the ministry.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Thursday urged Kuwait to take more skilled and semi-skilled manpower from Bangladesh. He made the call when Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bangladesh Faisal Mutlaq H Al Adwani met the President at Bangabhaban this noon. During the meeting, the President said Bangladesh's bilateral relations with Kuwait are very good and thanked the outgoing Ambassador for successfully performing his duties. President urges all to stand by flood victims Mentioning that Bangladesh has a lot of skilled and semi-skilled manpower, the President said that this manpower can play an important role in accelerating the ongoing development process of Kuwait. Expressing satisfaction over the bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Kuwait, the President said Kuwait has continued to invest in various sectors of Bangladesh. He urged Kuwaiti investors to invest more in Bangladesh in different sectors. At this time, the President expressed hope that the development partnership between Kuwait and Bangladesh will expand further in the future. Chief Justice, Appellate Division judges meet President Shahabuddin Noting that Bangladeshi manpower is making an important contribution to the development of Kuwait, the outgoing ambassador of Kuwait said that his government is interested in taking more skilled manpower from Bangladesh.  He expressed his gratitude to the President for providing overall cooperation in fulfilling his duties. President's Office Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Military Secretary Major General Mohammad Adil Chowdhury and Press Secretary Joynal Abedin were present during the meeting.  

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers in eight divisions, including Dhaka, in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Thursday. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna and Barishal divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over the country,” Met office bulletin said. Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country. Weather forecast: Rain and thundershowers expected across all divisions A low pressure area has formed over Central Bay and adjoining area. The axis of monsoon trough runs through Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. Monsoon is less active over Bangladesh and weak to moderate over North Bay.