United News of Bangladesh

The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads, and Railways (NCPSRR), a prominent civil society group, has vehemently opposed Bangladesh Railway's decision to eliminate fare discounts starting May 4, which will lead to a significant increase in train fares by 20 to 30 percent for journeys exceeding 100 km. Md Shahid Mia, the convener of NCPSRR, and Ashish Kumar Dey, the general secretary, expressed their concerns through a public statement on Tuesday. Nat’l Committee demands reduction of Dhaka-Bhanga train fare by 40% They highlighted the current economic hardships, including the steep rise in the cost of living, exacerbated by an ongoing heatwave and reduced incomes among laborers and the lower-middle class. The fare increase, under these circumstances, is completely illogical and against public interest, the NCPSRR leaders stated. The statement also referenced the challenges posed by crop failures and anticipated hikes in agricultural product prices, stressing that such an environment makes the fare increase particularly burdensome for ordinary citizens. Train fares not increasing: Railways Minister Governments worldwide often subsidise state-run transport to ease public burdens, a practice that includes Bangladesh. The government is no exception in providing subsidies, and it could increase these subsidies instead of letting the public suffer through fare hikes, said the statement. The leaders of NCPSRR called on all relevant authorities to reconsider the planned fare adjustments, advocating for the continuation of subsidies to prevent additional financial strain on the populace during these trying times.

The High Court has formed a four-member committee consisting of secretaries to identify and recommend state recognition for the “resistance fighters” (1975-1979) who protested the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members. The committee, comprising the secretary of the Liberation War Affairs Ministry, the home secretary, the social welfare secretary, and the finance secretary, has been asked to submit its report to the court by August 4. A High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque passed the order on Monday after the final hearing of a writ petition filed by five individuals. The writ petition sought state recognition and rehabilitation for the “resistance fighters”. The court observed that despite their sacrifices, the “resistance fighters” had not been given state recognition even after 47 years of Bangabandhu's assassination. The court also directed the committee to take necessary steps to provide rehabilitation to the “resistance fighters” who are still alive. Lawyer Bakir Uddin Bhuiyan appeared for the writ petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta represented the state. On August 15, 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation, and his family members were assassinated by a group of army officers. Following the assassination, a military government was established in the country. In the aftermath of the assassination, there were protests against the military government. These protests were led by students, youths, and some freedom fighters. Two armed resistance forces, namely the Jatiyo Mukti Bahini (National Liberation Force) and the Jatiyo Mujib Bahini (National Mujib Force), were also formed. However, the “resistance fighters” were not given state recognition by the subsequent governments.

China expressed its keenness to import mango from Bangladesh this year, said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen. The Chinese Ambassador came up with the information while talking to the Agriculture Minister Dr Md. Abdus Shahid at the Secretariat on Monday. An expert delegation from China will likely visit the country, specifically the mango orchards and production facilities, in the first week of June. Food Minister seeks support from FAO to boost mango export Bangladesh will approve the export of mangoes based on the report of the Chinese delegation. Additional secretary to the Agriculture Ministry Moloy Chowdhury, joint secretary Md Mahmudur Rahman were present there. Expecting Chinese investment in the agriculture sector, the minister said Bangladesh needs the modern and technical assistance to modernise and mechanise agriculture sector, especially, the country's farmers need China's cooperation so that the farmers can get modern agricultural machinery at low price as we can purchase machines from China at a relatively low price.” Earlier, the Agriculture Minister met Ambassador of the Netherlands in Bangladesh Irma van Dueren. The meeting stressed the need for strengthening mutual cooperation in the agriculture sector and working together on strengthening agricultural research and technology exchange. Off year for mangoes in Chapainawabganj? Farmers fear potential loss The meeting also discussed the construction and launch of onion storage in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka at the initiative of the Netherlands government. Onions can be stored throughout the year in this storage, which will be inaugurated officially on May 2. Noting that onion is an important crop of Bangladesh, the minister said “To become self-sufficient in onion, we are emphasizing on increasing onion production and preservation.” The initiative of the Netherlands government will play a very helpful role in this regard.  

Chairman of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Nurul Amin on Monday said rules and guidelines will be formulated to make the use of LPG cylinders safe. "The LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) sector has unlimited potential," he said, adding that in order to create responsibility as well as awareness, the sector-wise planning is very important. The BERC chairman was addressing a discussion meeting titled: "The Impact of LPG as Clean Fuel on Health and Safety" organised by Omera, the country's leading LPG operator, at its headquarters in the city on Monday.   The discussion delved into the current growth of Bangladesh's LPG sector, addressed regulatory hurdles faced by operators, and explored the health and safety implications of LPG. Mentioning that there is a huge market for LPG in the country, the BERC chairman said, "Earlier we used to see fish markets in villages, later we saw tree markets. Now we see LPG markets in rural areas." He announced that BERC will organise a workshop with stakeholders, businessmen and others related to the sector. The discussion on World Day for Health and Safety, aimed to uphold the International Labor Organization's (ILO) mission to raise awareness and advocate for safer and healthier workplaces worldwide. The roundtable was also addressed by Dr. MD. Helal Uddin, member of BERC; Mohammad Faruque Hossain, Chief Inspector, Department of Explosives; Md Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, BFM, Deputy Director (Operations & Maintenance) Fire Service and Civil Defense Directorate; Major (Engr.) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury (Retd), Member (Development), RAJUK; Liakat Ali Bhuiyan, Sr. Vice-President, Real Estate & Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB); Imran Hassan, Secretary-General, Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association; Jahir Khan, President, Chef's Federation of Bangladesh; HM Hakim Ali, President, Bangladesh International Hotel Association and Muhammed Ahsanul Jabbar, Secretary General, LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB). The meeting was moderated by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tanzeem Chowdhury of Omera Petroleum Limited. He said Omera, as the largest LPG operator in Bangladesh, reaffirms its commitment to providing environmentally friendly alternative energy solutions. During the meeting, the speakers said the impact of LPG on the environment and health is profound and positive. In comparison to other fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, LPG emits significantly fewer pollutants, with CO2 emissions being 33% less than coal and 12% less than oil. Furthermore, they said, LPG combustion does not produce smoke, making it a cleaner option for indoor and outdoor use. In terms of environmental conservation, just one metric ton of LPG can save the equivalent of 47 full-grown trees, highlighting its role in mitigating deforestation, they observed. It was noted in the discussion that the Bangladesh LPG sector has witnessed investment to the tune of $3 billion, overwhelmingly from the private sector and accordingly 98%  of the market share is held by private companies. Many factors act as catalysts in the development of this sector. Speakers at the event said that the use of LPG cylinders in homes and commercial segments in Bangladesh has increased a lot. Consequently, caution and awareness in LPG use is more important than before. Besides, it is important for the government to pay attention to this sector with policy support. Mohammad Faruque Hossain, chief inspector of the Directorate of Explosives, said that in many cases negative propaganda is done about LPG cylinders without knowing. In the last two and a half months, including the Bailey Road accident, three major incidents in Dhaka and Gazipur have been said to have involved cylinder explosions, but we have not found any evidence. RAJUK Member (Development) Shamsuddin Ahmed Chowdhury (retd) said that RAJUK has been making separate structures for gas cylinders for a long time in building buildings. RAJUK has plans to make gas tanks in the near-future. According to the LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) forecast, LPG demand is expected to grow at an annual rate of around 7.4% till 2030. As natural gas reserves are depleting and LPG prices are fluctuating, the industrial sector is showing increasing interest in using LPG as an alternative fuel source. The average monthly market size of LPG in Bangladesh is around one and a half lakh metric tonnes. Of these, 5 operators including Omera are meeting-up more than 50 percent of the total demand.    

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that the ministry has taken the initiative to include topics related to environmental protection and climate change in the curriculum for students from class III to class VIII.  The minister said that such an initiative is being taken by the ministry as an urge to make children aware from an early age by adding the subject of environmental protection to the curriculum.  He said, besides, effective steps are being taken to prevent air and noise pollution. Saber was addressing the chief guest at the national roundtable Citizen roadmap to advance sustainable urbanisation and environmental protection at Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital on Monday.  The minister also urged everyone to change their habitual daily habits in the field of environmental protection.  He urged everyone to be more aware of the use of plastic.  He called upon the city concerned to play an effective role in waste removal.  The minister said that the government cannot do anything alone; it has to work with everyone.  The minister called for a caucus in Parliament with the 46 MPs who had promised waste management ahead of the elections. Mohammad Khan, Director of USAID's Bangladesh Office, Gwendolyn Apple, Vice President of Programs of Counterpart International, Dr Ijaz Hossain, former Professor and Dean of Bangladesh University of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering spoke at the seminar, among others.  

Police officers have been asked to take action against those involved in destroying communal harmony through spreading rumours, Additional Inspector General of Police Atiqul Islam said today. “If any such rumor spreads, immediate measures should be taken to deal with the situation with the assistance of public representatives and all concerned,” he said while speaking at a monthly meeting at Police Headquarters on Monday. He also put emphasis on increasing intelligence activities to prevent rumors. Colleges turn to police to quell pro-Palestinian protests ahead of graduation ceremonies Metropolitan Police Commissioners, Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police and superintendents of police participated in the meeting through online. The field level police officers have been asked to take effective measures to prevent road accidents, he said. No unfit vehicles will be allowed to ply on road and steps will be taken against all unfit vehicles, said Atiqul. Referring to missing mobile phones, the additional IGP stressed the need to strengthen the patrolling and conduct drives in selling and purchasing old mobile phone areas on a regular basis. The meeting also suggested ensuring justice to the convicts in robbery cases and asked the police officers concerned to dispose of the cases filed for killing policemen and monitoring the prosecution activities. Police, BRTA can’t avoid responsibility for fatal Faridpur road crash: National Committee

Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda has directed land officers to identify areas for increasing revenue collection in the land sector. He said this while addressing a workshop on “Implementation of Corruption-free Smart Land Management” organised by the Land Reform Board at the conference room of the Rangpur Divisional Commissioner's office in Rangpur on Monday. The land minister also emphasised that the e-mutation fee should vary according to land type, such as fallow or uncultivable land, fertile agricultural land, residential, luxurious, industrial, or commercial areas of the city. He also directed officials to examine the legal aspects of land usage and value-based e-mutation fee. He noted that revenue collection in the land sector has significantly increased due to the digitization of the land development tax and mutation system. The land minister instructed officials to identify khas land, canal-beels, and water mahals across the country and upload their complete information to the land data bank. He stressed the importance of taking measures to recover illegally occupied Khas land and to re-excavate filled canals. Additionally, the land minister urged citizens to engage in development communication and publicity activities at the local level to raise awareness about land issues. Chairman of the Land Reform Board Md Abdus Sabur Mondal was present as the keynote speaker. Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Md Zakir Hossain presided over the workshop, with Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Land, Ziauddin Ahmed, as a special guest.  

The latest “Telenor Asia Digital Lives Decoded” regional survey of 8000 people across Asia reveals that Bangladesh is unlocking the potential of the mobile technology to increase productivity at work, upskill for a digital future, and earn additional income from freelance opportunities. The mobile phone continues to play a vital role in Bangladeshi society. Nearly 6 out of 10 respondents in the survey stated that they spend more than half their day with their phones, and 62 percent expect to increase their usage in the next 1 to 2 years, said a press release issued on Monday. Progressive policies needed to build better digital lives for Bangladesh: Telenor Asia Work (75 percent) is the main driver for the increase, followed by access to everyday online services (67 percent) like groceries, retail and banking. The study also reveals that an overwhelming 96 percent say that owning a mobile phone has improved their work-life balance. “Mobile technologies continue to empower people in Bangladesh, and we are encouraged by how the mobile phone remains an essential tool for leading better digital lives,” says Manisha Dogra, Senior Vice President and Head of External Relations at Telenor Asia. “Our Digital Lives Decoded study shows that people in Bangladesh are overwhelmingly positive about the impact of mobile connectivity and are embracing the mobile to unlock new opportunities. We need to work together to build on this positive momentum to enable a thriving digital economy and realise the full potential of new technologies like AI for individuals, businesses, and society at large, she said. Tapping into new technologies for business growth and new income streams The positive impact of mobile phone and mobile technology is clearly shown in this survey, as a staggering 93 percent of respondents stated that work performance and quality have significantly improved or improved during the past 5 years, and 82 percent stated the same positive effect on work productivity. Freelancers and online consultants in Bangladesh have benefitted the most, as 6 out of 10 respondents in Bangladesh indicated that they leverage mobile devices to provide such services online. The survey also reveals that businesses in Bangladesh are ready to embrace new digital technologies like generative AI. 65 percent of respondents say that the company they work for supports the use of new technologies and generative AI, and nearly half (47 percent) believe that the use of generative AI will increase in the next six months. To prepare for a digital future, almost all respondents would like to see their employers provide more training in new technologies, to support digital transformation. Upskilling on the mobile People in Bangladesh are highly confident that they have digital skills to get the most out of their online world and in their ability to keep pace with future changes. 86 percent of respondents indicate that leveraging mobile technology has improved their career and skills development and 91 percent have used their phone to develop new skills in the past 12 months. Telenor unveils 5 tech trends that will shape 2022 While Bangladesh is leading in the region when it comes to confidence in digital skills, the confidence level differs between male and female respondents. Male respondents are generally more confident in their digital abilities (73 percent of males vs 58 percent of females are “very confident” in their digital skills) and less concerned about keeping pace with future technologies (28 percent of males vs 15 percent of females indicate that they are “not concerned”). “Enhancing digital skills and digital inclusion is an important step in narrowing this gap by making everyone confident and comfortable with a digital-first approach, enabling everyone to safely participate as creators and consumers of digital content,” says Manisha. There must be a collective effort to ensure that every individual, community and business benefits from mobile connectivity, advanced data services and adoption of emerging technologies such as AI,” she said.   END/UNB/M-MAS

Speakers at a workshop on Monday emphasized the critical need for sufficient funding in the national budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 to effectively tackle the escalating prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the leading causes of death in Bangladesh. They said that NCDs, including heart diseases, stroke, cancer, kidney diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and hypertension, collectively account for a staggering 70% of the nation's total mortalities. However, the experts bemoaned that the budgetary allocation for combating NCDs is alarmingly low, clocking just 4.2 percent of the total health budget - which itself is held to be an inadequate proportion of the overall budget, in view of all the challenges that present themselves in the sector. Research and advocacy organisation Progga (the name is derived from the Bangla acronym for Knowledge for Progress), with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) arranged the workshop for journalists titled “Budgetary Allocation to Combat NCDs: Bangladesh Perspective” at the capital’s BMA Bhaban. PROGGA and ATMA push for 63% tobacco tax hike  Twenty-eight journalists working in print, television and online media participated in the workshop. Dr Md Enamul Haque, Director General (Additional Secretary) of the Health Economics Unit at the Health Services Division, said the World Health Organization recommends countries allocate at least 15% of their total budget to the health sector. Considering the practical context, he mentioned that the latest strategic investment plan of the Bangladesh government suggests increasing the budgetary allocation in the health sector to 7%. However, Haque said the health budget has remained within 5% over the past few years. To combat NCDs, he said it is necessary not only to increase the allocation but also to enhance efficiency in terms of expenditure. Md Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead of GHAI, said many lives can be saved and the risk of serious non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks and strokes can be reduced significantly by allocating necessary funding to ensure the availability of anti-hypertensive medicines in community clinics alone. PROGGA urges banning cigarette filters and vaporisers to address plastic pollution Prominent journalist Julhas Alam, AP bureau chief in Dhaka and managing committee member of the National Press Club, Mortuza Haider Liton, convenor of the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), Mizan Chowdhury, co-convenor of ATMA, and ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, were present at the workshop as discussants.    

The High Court (HC) on Monday directed the authorities concerned to take effective measures to stop the price hike of medicine by drug companies on their own will. HC Justice Md Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order after an initial hearing of a petition submitted by Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) in the public interest. The court also issued a rule asking why the inaction by the Directorate General of Drug Administration to fix the price of medicine as per section 30 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act-2023 won’t be declared illegal. Moreover, the HC sought to know why directives wouldn’t be given to set prices of all medicines through formulating a rule as per section 76 of the act. The health secretary, director general of Health Services and director general of Drug Administration, director general of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI),  director general of Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection, and chairman of Bangladesh Competition Commission were made respondents to the rule. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua stood for the petitioner in the court while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy, Assistant Attorney Generals Selim Azad and Anis Ul Mawa represented the state. After the hearing, lawyer Jyotirmoy told the media that the HC directed to stop import of raw materials for drug production from abroad and sale of foreign medicine by the drug companies, he said. He informed that the CAB submitted the petition after several media outlets reported ”price of medicine shot up by upto 140 percent in two weeks”. Prices of all kinds of medicine including antibiotic tablets, insulin and injections for diabetic patients were hiked by the drug companies. However, the drug companies held the devaluation of local currency against dollar and the increase in the price of raw materials in the international market responsible.  Besides, the price hike of gas and electricity was also blamed, they claimed. Though the government has authority to fix the prices of medicines through a gazette notification it has not issued any such gazette notification since 2000.