United News of Bangladesh

Measures to introduce or facilitate two-year or long-term visas to reduce difficulties and pressure for obtaining Indian visas will be taken after the Indian elections, said Minister of Textiles and Jute Jahangir Kabir Nanak. He said this during a press briefing at the Ministry of Textiles and Jute following a courtesy meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma on Tuesday afternoon. Nanak said, “Today, we discussed many issues with the Indian High Commissioner. Among them, we requested to simplify the visa process to alleviate the difficulties people face in obtaining Indian visas, enabling quicker visa issuance.” When asked about India's response to simplifying the visa process, he replied, “They agreed with the issues we raised. They acknowledged the existing problems and are trying to address them. However, they also face an overwhelming load at times, which needs to be managed appropriately.” The Minister added, “Last year, during my visit to India last year, I discussed this issue with senior Indian officials.” When asked if any initiatives would be taken to introduce on-arrival visas in India to ease the pressure, Nanak said, “This was discussed with them. I cited Saudi Arabia as an example, which has significantly simplified its visa process. You cannot remain stuck in the past. They admitted to being overwhelmed and agreed that introducing two-year visas would help reduce the load. The High Commissioner agreed on the need to extend the visa duration and said that necessary measures would be taken after the elections.” Regarding discussions on anti-dumping duty for jute, the Minister said, “India is currently in the midst of elections. Post-elections, there will be discussions between the two governments, and we are hopeful for a fruitful outcome.” The Minister also mentioned, “Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi share a strong relationship. We have discussed further investment in our jute mills. Three Indian companies have expressed interest in investing in our jute mills, and agreements have been made with some.” He added, “We import 70-75% of our jute seeds from India. We have requested high-quality jute seeds to be delivered on time without any delays. We sought cooperation from their relevant ministry on this matter.” Mentioning India has advanced significantly in silk production, Nanak said Bangladesh requested technical assistance and training for quality silk production. “We have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the textile sector and have asked for more investment in our medium and small industries. Many of our jute mills are closed, and we aim to revitalize them,” he said. When asked if there are plans to increase jute seed production, Nanak responded, “There is an ongoing project through the Department of Jute to provide financial support to farmers nationwide for jute seed production, which will reduce our reliance on imports.”  

The size of the next national budget of Bangladesh, for the fiscal year 2024-25, will be Tk8 lakh crore. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the Tk 8 lakh crore budget when it was placed before her. The budget is scheduled to be presented in the parliament on June 6, sources of the Finance Ministry confirmed UNB on Tuesday (May 14). She gave an opinion in favor of discouraging the import of luxury goods in the next budget as well. Like the current fiscal year, the prime minister said that inflation control will be the top priority of the next budget. The Prime Minister wanted to see whether the election manifesto is reflected in the first budget of the current term. She expressed satisfaction that the allocation of the budget set up by the Ministry of Finance reflects that. The budget summary of FY2024-25 was presented in a meeting held at Ganobhaban on Monday chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to the meeting sources, the Prime Minister has emphasized on control of inflation, increase in foreign direct investment (FDI), proper control of imports, careful undertaking of development projects, increase in revenue collection and taking necessary steps for this, increase in the income of expatriates through legitimate channels, increase in the number of beneficiaries under social security programs, etc. Planning Minister Major General (Retd) Abdus Salam, state minister of finance Waseqa Ayesh Khan, state minister of planning Md. Shahiduzzaman, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rauf Talukdar, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Muneem, Finance Secretary Dr. Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder along with the senior officials of the finance division, ministries of finance and planning were present in the meeting. Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali was connected to the meeting through an online facility.    

Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossen Chowdhury has stated that the government is adopting and implementing various effective initiatives on a priority basis to protect people with special needs from climate risks. He emphasized that the current government, through its 'whole-of-society' approach, is considering the protection and safety of vulnerable people in society as of utmost importance. The Environment Minister discussed matters with Afiya Kabir Anila, who represents individuals with special needs, focusing on climate change and special needs, at the office chamber of the Ministry of Environment at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday (May 14). Afiya Kabir Anila, a prominent motivational speaker, activist, and recipient of various awards, who serves as the Executive Director of Tori Foundation, said that the rise in sea levels due to climate change will lead to many people in Bangladesh becoming displaced. Therefore, she specially requested the Minister to take necessary measures, including extensive tree planting, to mitigate climate change impacts and protect people. The Environment Minister attentively listened to her various claims and assured her of taking necessary actions.

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) arrested 12 suspected pirates from the Bay of Bengal early Tuesday. The arrestees were identified as Md Salauddin (26), Md Anwar Hossain (23), Kamal Hossain (23), Md Imon (19), Md Abu Taher (32), Md Islam (27), Md Faisal (20), Md Raju ( 37), Siratul Mustakim (17), Piyas Mondal (23), Md Alamgir (30) and Md Arif (30). Media officer of the BCG Headquarters Lt. Siam-ul-Haq on Tuesday afternoon said, the BCG Base Chattagram got a secret information that a group of pirates (dacoits) were staying in Chattagram outer anchorage area for committing dacoity in foreign ships. Based on the information received, a team of BCG Base Chattagram was stationed in the outer anchorage area in a few boats in disguise on early Tuesday at around 12:30 am. When the BCG members saw the movement of an engine driven wooden boat about 2 miles north east of the Chattagram outer anchorage suspicious, they gave a signal to the suspected boat to stop. Sensing danger, the gangsters tried to escape quickly. But the boat was caught after a 1 hour chase in rough sea. The BCG arrested the 12 suspected robbers and recovered some local weapons, including 11 ramdas, one saw, one shabol, one plier, one spanner and 12 mobiles from their possessions. During preliminary interrogation, the arrestees revealed that following the directives under the command of Md. Akbar, the main leader of the dacoit group, and led by Md. Salauddin (26), the dacoit group went to Chattagram outer anchorage by boat from Ichanagar new bridge ghat under Karnaphuli police station in Chattagram around at around  21:30 pm on May 13. It is also known that the bandits have been conducting such activities for a long time, the media officer said. Lt  Siam-ul-Haq further said that the arrested gang and seized goods were handed over to Patenga Model Police Station for further legal action.

State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury said on Tuesday that the 'Upazila Migration Coordination Committee' is being formed at the upazila level with union parishad chairman, upazila nirbahi officer and upazila parishad chairman at the local level as a combination of recruiting agencies with the migrants. He said this at a meeting on the progress of implementation of the decision taken at a review meeting on increasing skilled manpower export and remittance flow under the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment at the conference room of the ministry. It was learned from the meeting that the Upazila Migration Co-ordination Committee will work as a platform to increase awareness about migration and take steps for capacity development, provide redress to the deceived workers and assist in the reintegration of the returnee workers, identify the existing gap between the service recipients and service providers in obtaining migration related services and advise them to overcome them. Secretary to the ministry Md Ruhul Amin and Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) Director General Saleh Ahmed Muzaffar, among others, were present at the meeting. Managing Director of Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) Dr Mallick Anwar Hossain, Director General of Wage Earners' Welfare Board Md Hamidur Rahman, Managing Director of Probashi Kallyan Bank Md Mojibur Rahman and senior officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.    

The governments of Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan, together with UNFPA, will host a two-day event titled “ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development” that begins in Dhaka on Wednesday morning. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to attend the dialogue as the chief guest that creates a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world’s shifting demographics. 2024 is the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh Dr Rokeya Sultana, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan Yasushi Hosaka and Representative from the Government of Bulgaria are expected to join the opening ceremony. The global dialogue will unpack global and regional population dynamics and diversity, covering topics such as intergenerational wellbeing and healthy ageing, the future of population data, and the changing demography of rural communities, according to UNFPA. Around 200 representatives from local and national governments, academia, think tanks, technical experts, civil society organizations, and the private sector will share practical insights into the investments in health, education, housing or infrastructure, population change that are needed to adapt to changing demographic trends. This dialogue will honour that legacy by focusing on practical responses to demographic change that reinforce a human rights-based approach to population policies that put gender equality and reproductive rights at the core. Other sessions will cover - demographic diversity and dividends – promoting sustainability in a context of changing fertility and mortality; gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, and demographic resilience in contexts of low fertility: unlocking the 1st demographic dividend in a context of high fertility and youthful populations; Future of sexual and reproductive health in a context of population change technology and life science: Promoting resilience for a smart future; Intergenerational wellbeing, and healthy ageing and the future of population data. The second will cover - Population dynamics and the climate crisis; Inequality of climate risks and impacts; Where will we live? The impact of climate on habitable spaces, relocation and forced migration; Universal Health Coverage and strategies for strengthening health systems in light of demographic change and technology advances; Promoting green, diverse ICPD - friendly cities; the changing demography of rural communities; and the future of population policies for the post-2030 agenda and sustainable development.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is prioritizing international organizations over climate-vulnerable countries in granting funds, contradicting its core principles, according to Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB). This has resulted in developing nations like Bangladesh being deprived of necessary support. TIB’s findings highlight GCF’s failures in fulfilling its mandate over the last 12 years, including inadequate fund collection from developed countries and the imposition of loans instead of grants on climate-vulnerable nations. TIB released the research “Accessing Green Climate Fund (GCF) for Vulnerable Countries like Bangladesh: Governance Challenges and Way Forward” during a press conference in Dhaka. This study, conducted from January 2023 to May 2024, used both qualitative and quantitative methods. UZ elections: Predominance of businessmen points to era of politics for profit, says TIB TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized GCF’s stringent conditions, which have nearly barred developing countries from accessing funds. He emphasized that GCF’s failure to adhere to its principles has led to significant delays in fund transfers and insufficient grant amounts for the intended recipients. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman pointed out the GCF's preferential treatment of international organizations like the UNDP, IDB, ADB, and EBRD, calling it unacceptable and contradictory to the GCF’s mission. He also highlighted the problematic shift towards loans over grants, burdening countries like Bangladesh with additional financial strain. Furthermore, despite corruption allegations, the UNDP’s accreditation was renewed, undermining GCF’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption. DUJ, DRU, TIB condemn ban on journalists entering Bangladesh Bank The research revealed that GCF’s recognition process is overly complex and time-consuming, hindering vulnerable countries like Bangladesh from directly receiving funds. It found a disproportionate focus on mitigation over adaptation, with GCF failing to achieve a balanced 50:50 funding ratio or set a timeline for this goal. Despite the need for USD 215 to 387 billion, GCF provided only USD 5.9 billion for adaptation in developing countries. The study also noted a worrying trend of increasing loans compared to grants, contrary to the Polluters-pay-Principle that mandates developed countries to provide grant-based climate finance. Currently, 40.6% of GCF’s finance is in loans, while 41.6% is in grants, adding financial pressure on already burdened countries. In Bangladesh, the selection of the National Designated Authority (NDA) for GCF has been criticized for lack of transparency and clear policies. The accreditation process for government entities has seen significant delays, with four entities yet to receive accreditation after five years of attempts. A Bangladeshi organization had to wait two years for accreditation due to insufficient support from the GCF Secretariat. Arbitrary introduction of mergers caused further unrest in banking sector: TIB The analysis of GCF project financing revealed that Bangladesh has received inadequate funding for its climate needs. Of the USD 12 billion required by mid-2025, only USD 1.18 billion (9.9%) has been approved from various sources, with USD 448.8 million allocated from readiness and GCF funds (3.7%). Furthermore, GCF has allocated USD 256.4 million (76.9%) for mitigation projects and USD 76.8 million (23.1%) for adaptation projects in Bangladesh, with 75% of these funds as loans and only 25% as grants. Disbursement has been slow, with only 13.3% of funds released for Bangladesh's nine GCF projects, including a three-year delay for the first instalment of one project. The press conference featured TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Adviser-Executive Management Professor Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Director of Research and Policy Muhammad Badiuzzaman, and Senior Research Fellow Md. Mahfuzul Haque. The event was led by TIB Director of Outreach and Communication Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, with research presentations by Research Fellow Newazul Moula and Research Associate Md. Shahidul Islam. TIB voices concern on relaxing wealth statement provision for govt servants  

Twenty-eight  patients were hospitalised with dengue in the country in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). However, no death was reported during this period. Of them, ten people were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka city, while the rest outside the capital. Currently, 138 patients are receiving treatment at hospitals across the country. So far, 2,524 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024, said DGHS. Last year, a total of 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record. The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries last year. Last year’s September was the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak, with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.

A parliamentary delegation headed by Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will leave Dhaka on Tuesday night for Switzerland to attend a meeting in Geneva. They will participate in an event titled "First Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament” to be held on 16-18 May. Additional Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat MA Kamal Billah and joint secretary Md Enamul Haque are other members of the delegation. During the visit to Switzerland, the Speaker will also participate in the meeting titled "Preparatory Committee for the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament" at the headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The Speaker is scheduled to return home on May 20, 2024.

Wouter van Wersch, the Executive Vice President of Airbus, held a meeting with Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury on Monday. The meeting highlighted the critical role of satellite technology in monitoring environmental changes and climate phenomena, reads a press release of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Minister Saber commended Airbus for its leadership in satellite technology and welcomed the prospect of strengthened cooperation between Airbus and Bangladesh in the field of environmental monitoring and climate resilience. He said Satellite technology has emerged as a pivotal tool in the global efforts to monitor and address environmental challenges ranging from tracking deforestation and biodiversity loss to assessing climate patterns and supporting disaster management initiatives. During the meeting, discussions centered around the latest advancements in satellite technology developed by Airbus, aimed at enhancing the precision and scope of environmental monitoring. Van Wersch expressed Airbus's readiness to collaborate with Bangladesh in harnessing satellite technology to address pressing environmental concerns. He emphasized the importance of partnerships between government, industry, and international stakeholders in tackling complex environmental issues. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to explore concrete avenues for collaboration, leveraging satellite technology to support Bangladesh's efforts towards a greener and more resilient future, added the release. French Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marie Masdupuy emphasized the collaborative efforts between Airbus and Bangladesh in leveraging advanced satellite technology for environmental stewardship.