Tag: Bangladesh

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Business

US investors urged to set up Covid-19 vaccine plants in Bangladesh

vaccine_reuters
vaccine_reuters

Bangladesh has urged US investors to set up Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing plants in Bangladesh to ensure its availability at lower cost for people of the country.

An inter-session meeting of Bangladesh and USA in the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) was held today where this demand was made. This is an inter-session meeting between the fifth and sixth rounds of TICFA meeting.

The fifth round was held in Dhaka in March this year.

“We need a lot of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for our country’s development. US companies are the largest investors in Bangladesh mainly in power and energy sectors. …

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National

Padma Bridge construction to be completed by 2022: Finance Minister

Padma Bridge construction
Padma Bridge construction

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said the construction works of Padma Bridge will be completed by 2020.

The construction work of Padma Bridge was scheduled to be completed by June next year but it has been delayed due to coronavirus pandemic and excessive floods, he said. 

AHM Mustafa Kamal disclosed this information after attending the 20th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, the meeting approved a total of six proposals, including one for extending the tenure of contract of Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) & Associates, the Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC) for Padma Bridge.

Read More the daily Observer
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Education

NSU holds webinar on Rohingya Crisis

NSU holds webinar
NSU holds webinar

North South University (NSU)) in collaboration with the Center for Peace Studies (CPS) of South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), NSU and the High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh organized a webinar on “The Rohingya Crisis: Western, Asian, and Bilateral Perspectives” on Monday.

Former Foreign Minister of Malaysia Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr. Syed Hamid Albar joined the programme as the speaker of “Asian politics: role of ASEAN and other regional forums impacting Rohingya Crisis” session while US ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R. Miller on “US policy on Rohingya crisis”, SIPG senior fellow Md. Shahidul Haque on “Rohingya crisis in the context of Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral relations” session, Canadian high commissioner to Bangladesh Benoit Préfontaine on “Canada’s approach to the Rohingya crisis” and foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen on “Bangladesh’s approach towards hosting Rohingya” sessions.

The webinar was moderated by Dr. Ishrat Zakia Sultana with NSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Atiqul Islam in the chair, said a press release.

Read More the daily Observer
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Education

Qawmi madrasas get permission to hold exams

Qawmi madrasas
Qawmi madrasas

The government has given permission to qawmi madrasas for arranging examinations equivalent to degree and masters level on condition of following the health guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, academic activities of the madrasas will remain suspended. 

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told journalists after cabinet meeting on Monday.

“The government has agreed to qawmi madrasas’ appeal on organising the exams. No decision was made on the reopening of madrasas,” he said.  

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National

No new law scrapping those of Bangabandhu era: Cabinet

Bangabandhu
Bangabandhu

he cabinet has decided not to formulate new laws scrapping the old ones either enacted or promulgated from January 1, 1972 to August 5, 1975, during the rule of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The cabinet says those laws and ordinances will only be amended.The decision came from the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. She attended the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said it is a groundbreaking decision of the cabinet.

Read More Daily Sun
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National

Families of Teknaf ‘Gunfight’ Victims: The false hope of ‘public hearing’

Families of
Families of

People taking turns to talk on a particular issue, placing testimonials, and administrators listening cautiously and coming up with certain commitments publicly is how a public hearing takes place.

And people in Teknaf turned up at the office of the in-charge of Rohingya Camp-23 at 10:00am yesterday expecting something like this.

But a public hearing is not what they got. At 11:25am, a high-level investigation committee, formed by the home ministry to investigate the killing of Major (retd) Sinha Rashed Khan in police firing, began a closed-door meeting at the office in Shamlapur area, only with a handful of preselected persons. The meeting continued till 4:40pm and those persons were sent home through a back door.

Read More The Daily Star
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National

FM seeks cooperation from diplomats in bringing back Bangabandhu’s killers

FM seeks
FM seeks

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday sought cooperation from foreign diplomats in bringing back fugitive killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

He was addressing a virtual discussion with foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka and New Delhi marking the National Mourning Day to commemorate the 45th anniversary of martyrdom of Father of the Nation.

Law Minister Anisul Huq and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also spoke at the discussion while Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen delivered the welcome remarks. 

Around 83 diplomats stationed in Dhaka and New Delhi joined the discussion hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

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Business

Lufthansa cabin crew union members back cost cut deal

Lufthansa cabin
Lufthansa cabin

Cabin crew at Lufthansa have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a deal to stop pay rises and cut hours, the UFO trade union said on Saturday as the German airline battles to rein in losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lufthansa reached the deal in June with UFO, which represents 22,000 cabin crew, to reap more than 500 million euros ($592.05 million) in savings from shorter hours and an equivalent cut in pay as well as a temporary reduction in pension contributions.

Last week, the airline put German workers on notice of compulsory layoffs, saying the slump in travel and slow progress in union negotiations meant cuts were unavoidable after the carrier lost 1.7 billion euros in a single quarter.

Lufthansa, which in June received a 9 billion euro government bailout to secure its future, said last week it expected capacity to recover to only around 50% of normal by the end of 2020 and to two thirds of last year’s level in 2021.

Read More The Daily Star
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Business

Malaysian economy shrinks most in over 20yrs

Malaysian economy
Malaysian economy

Malaysia’s economy suffered its worst contraction in more than 20 years during the second quarter, hit by a collapse in global trade and tough curbs to contain the coronavirus, the central bank said Friday.

The economy shrank 17.1 percent on-year in April-June — the first since the global financial crisis in 2009 and the deepest since the Asian financial turmoil 11 years before that — putting it on course for recession.

The reading was much worse than the 10.9 percent drop forecast in a survey by Bloomberg News, despite interest rates being cut to record lows.

It shrank 16.5 percent on-quarter.Wan Suhaimi Saidi, an economist at Kenanga Investment Bank, warned that the trade-dependent economy was  “heading into a recession since there is no sign of a full recovery in demand and business activity”.

Read More The Daily Star
Categories
National

Health Sector Syndicate: Strange laxity let it off hook

Health Sector
Health Sector

Motazzaroul Islam Mithu might not have come this far had the Anti-Corruption Commission exercised due diligence years back.

Mithu, who has several medical equipment supplying companies including Lexicon Merchandize and Meditech Imaging Ltd, controls the tenders in the health sector, according to a letter of former CMSD director Brig Gen Md Shahidullah.

The syndicate of Mithu looted about Tk 450 crore without supplying any medical equipment to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, reads the letter issued to the public administration ministry on May 30.

Read More The Daily Star