United News of Bangladesh

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.    

Mission Director for the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) in Bangladesh Reed Aeschliman on Monday said their investments in Bangladeshi workers go beyond the factory walls. “Today’s job fair is a great example of how our partnership with private businesses, community service providers, and workers can pave the way for greater career opportunities – especially women – and pave the way for greater economic growth for the country,” he said. USAID’s Women Thrive in Bangladesh project jointly organized a job fair in Savar for local job seekers to meet directly with numerous employers and local service providers, and avail opportunities to advance their career potential. Approximately 1,000 people attended the event, in which seven businesses and three local organizations hosted exhibit booths to share job opportunities and provide information about community services available to workers, according to the organizers. During the visit, Najeeb Sayed, Country Manager for PVH Bangladesh, and Ram Das, Country Director of CARE Bangladesh were present. Implemented by CARE Bangladesh, USAID’s Women Thrive in Bangladesh project partners with global brand PVH to empower women in the ready-made garment sector with market-oriented soft skills and overcome social norms and gender barriers. Mission Director Aeschliman visited 4A Yarn Dyeing Limited at Savar to observe initiatives of the project, meet with factory management and workers, and learn about their successful approach in creating opportunities for women to advance their career opportunities. During the visit, Aeschliman and the team conversed and distributed certificates among the graduates of Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) trainees. With support from USAID and The PVH Foundation., CARE Bangladesh is committed to providing life and professional skills training to over 100,000 women workers in Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) sector by 2026. Through this program, CARE Bangladesh aims to work with 75 PVH supply chain factories to serve women’s economic empowerment by equipping them with skills and confidence.  

As temperatures soared to a sweltering 43 degrees Celsius, Bangladesh faced unprecedented power shortages on Monday, with load shedding peaking at around 3200 MW — marking the highest record of power cuts in recent times. Officials from the power utilities disclosed that at 2 pm on Monday, the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) at the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) reported a record shortfall of 3196 MW. During the peak hours of the day, the country's power generation stood at 12,753 MW against a demand of 16,200 MW, resulting in a deficiency of 3,447 MW. This shortfall was anticipated to worsen during the evening peak hours, with demand expected to exceed 17,200 MW. The situation on Sunday also saw significant load shedding, with 1864 MW reported at noon. The highest power generation recently was recorded at 16,233 MW at 9 pm last Monday (April 22); however, ongoing load shedding persisted across the country due to the increased electricity demand fueled by the ongoing heatwave. Gas supply situation slightly improves, load shedding continues Rural areas, in particular, have been disproportionately affected. Officials from different power utilities at the rural level argue that the extent of load shedding is considerably underreported. Interruptions in the rural power supply often go unrecorded, exacerbating the situation for consumers who may face several hours without electricity during both day and night. According to an official from the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), "Power outages in rural areas are so frequent that any interruption means consumers have to wait several hours to get electricity back." Despite weekly holiday, Saturday starts with 1,636 MW of load shedding Official sources indicate that the majority of the load shedding burden is strategically shifted to rural areas to prevent power outages in the capital Dhaka, and other major cities. This policy decision has significantly aggravated the hardships faced by rural populations amid the intense heat. Moreover, state-owned Petrobangla’s latest figures reveal that the country’s gas production stands at 3,105 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD), significantly below the demand of about 4000 MMCFD. This gas shortage has led to several power plants, especially those reliant on gas, halting production, further straining the power supply during this critical period.  

Due to the ongoing severe heatwave, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has announced the closure of all government primary schools, child welfare trust schools, and learning centers under the education bureau until Thursday. Senior Information Officer of the ministry, Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, signed the notification on Monday, emphasising that the decision was made to ensure the health and safety of children. Additionally, educational activities at all institutions below the secondary level and vocational educational institutions in Dhaka, Chuadanga, Jashore, Khulna, and Rajshahi districts were suspended for Monday. Guidelines issued for primary schools reopening tomorrow amid heatwave A separate notice from the Education Ministry, signed by MA Khayer, public relations officer, was issued on Sunday following consultations with the Health Ministry and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. However, educational institutions equipped with air conditioning were allowed to remain open. Despite the ongoing heatwave, which began in the first week of April, schools and colleges had initially resumed classes on Sunday after the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays and their subsequent extension due to the heat. Primary schools conducted classes on Monday since no directive had been issued by the concerned authorities until Sunday night. This reopening came even though there has been no significant relief from the heatwave, raising concerns among parents, particularly those with young children. Heat wave: Assembly at all govt primary schools suspended Originally, schools and colleges were set to reopen on April 21 after the Eid holidays, but the persistent extreme temperatures prompted authorities to extend the closure until April 27. The Ministry has advised parents and guardians to stay informed through official updates as the situation develops.

Speakers at a roundtable meeting have called upon authorities concerned to include workers’ security-related provisions into labour laws and ensure trade union rights to uphold workplace safety for a democratic Bangladesh. They made the call at a roundtable, titled “Creating a Path forward for Health, Safety and Trade Union Rights in the RMG Sector and Beyond”, organised by Solidarity Center at a Dhaka hotel on Monday, commemorating the 11th anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy. Addressing the event, former Member of Parliament Shirin Akhter said, “It is mandatory to resolve the cases related to the Rana Plaza incident. Flights from Tel Aviv part of bilateral air agreements with US, transporting RMG: CAAB “The victims should be identified and rehabilitated and the reasons behind the incident should be identified to ensure that it does not happen again in the future. Before the 12th anniversary of the incident, we, as a country, should be able to say that we have done it,” Akhte added. The function was also addressed, among others, by President of Bangladesh Revolutionary Garment Workers’ Federation Salahuddin Shapon, General Secretary of Sommilito Garment Workers’ Federation Khadija Akter, Executive Director of Safety and Rights Sikandar Ali Mina, Director of Karmojibi Nari Sunzida Sultana, and District and Session Judge of Labor Appellate Tribunal Dhaka M A Awal. Industrial police inspecting RMG factories to oversee payment of workers' salaries, bonuses The seminar adopted a number of recommendations including setting up hospitals for workers in labour-intensive areas, speedy resolution of Rana Plaza-related cases, reinstating the International Accord, bringing workers’ safety provisions into labour laws, proper implementation of Bangladesh Labour Act and minimum wage structure in the labour sector, identifying workplace hazards, and developing women leadership.Solidarity Center Deputy Country Program Director Monika Hartsel said, “Still to this day, there are thousands of workers in the readymade garment sector and in a wide range of other sectors who do not have access to safe and healthy workplaces.” “There is violence and harassment against trade leaders and workers who stand up for their rights on the job. With the murder of union leader and organiser Shahidul Islam, and the four workers killed and many more injured during the minimum wage protests, this past year was a painful reminder that the industry is not yet safe,” she added. Solidarity Center Country Program Director AKM Nasim said, “We should ensure that Safety Committees are formed at workplaces in a proper and transparent manner”. He said these committees should be made effective, particularly through the active involvement of worker representatives. Currently, the meaningful contribution of worker representatives in the Safety Committees as outlined in the Bangladesh Labour Act and rules is lacking. He also said, “DIFE’s (Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment) role should prioritise accountability. It is essential for DIFE to be effective in ensuring workers’ safety across all sectors.” Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS), said that following the Rana Plaza incident, the International Labor Organization (ILO) declared workers' occupational safety and health a fundamental right. “The wage revision for garment workers every five years has also been introduced after this incident. But to ensure all this, we don’t see any activities of the Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments,” he said.

Some 40 to 50 unidentified people were sued for vandalising Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) vehicles and obstructing them from performing duty at Dashmail in Kaharole upazila. Abdul Khaleque, leader of Kaharole fire station, filed the case against the unidentified accused on Friday. Indian man arrested along Kurigram border for trespassing According to the case statement, the fire broke out in Arif Filing Station in Dashmail area under the upazila around 8:19 pm last Thursday. Being informed, two firefighting units rushed to the spot but the locals accused the firefighters of delaying to reach the spot. At one stage, the filing station staff and others vandalised the FSCD vehicles with sticks, iron rods and bricks, it reads. Transport strike called off after 12 hrs in Ctg Moreover, the unruly people hit fire service’s warehouse inspector Md Rezaul Karim and driver Abdul Mottaleb. Later, the injured were sent to Dinajpur M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital.

A 25-year-old youth was crushed under the wheels of a train in Khilgaon rail gate area in Dhaka early Monday. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. 3 bikers killed in road accident in Sylhet Md Bachhu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police outpost, said pedestrians brought a youth, whose two legs were severed, to the hospital and he breathed his last while undergoing treatment around 5:20am. The matter was informed to Dhaka Railway Police, he added.

A heatwave sweeping through Bangladesh has left importers at Dinajpur's Hili land port grappling with significant losses as scorching temperatures are causing imported potatoes from India to rot. This situation highlights a critical lack of infrastructure at the land port. Harun-ur-Rashid, president of the Hili Land Port Import-Export Group, expressed concerns over the lack of cold storage facilities, which has become a pressing issue with the current climate conditions.  "To meet local demand, traders imported potatoes after the government's green light. Typically, these potatoes are stored in warehouses for two to three days before distribution nationwide. However, the heat has accelerated spoilage, undermining our operations," Rashid explained. Read: 370 tonnes of imported potatoes still wait for unloading at Benapole The adverse effects of the heat are not only causing physical damage to the potatoes but also deterring wholesalers from purchasing the stock, further straining the importers. Rashid highlighted the need for governmental intervention. "If the affected importers are not compensated through incentives, it could deter future imports during crises, which the government needs to address," he added. At the wholesale market of the Hili land port area, imported Indian potatoes are currently selling for Tk 38-40 per kg, while locally sourced potatoes fetch around Tk 48 per kg. Despite the lower price, consumer preference leans towards local varieties. Siraj Hossain, a representative for the importers, noted that local potatoes are generally more expensive than those imported from India. However, the intense heat has led to substantial spoilage, with two to three kilograms of potatoes rotting per sack. "The recent price surge in Indian potatoes further complicates matters. A cold storage facility here could have mitigated these losses significantly," Hossain stated. Read: Govt to import 3 cargoes of LNG to raise gas supply Asadur Rahman, a local resident, reported that rotten potatoes are being dumped beside the Dangapara-Chhatni road, raising environmental and health concerns. Echoing Hossain's sentiments, Sohrab Hossain Mallik, public relations officer at the privately-owned Panama Hili Port Link Limited, emphasized the urgent need for cold storage facilities to preserve perishable imports like potatoes. This infrastructure would not only prevent spoilage but also ensure the viability of import operations during extreme weather conditions.