08-04-2021

Thursday, Dhaka, April 8, 2021, Chaitra 25, 1427 BS, Shaban 24, 1442 Hijri
Biden ‘committed to strengthening’
ties with Bangladesh
DHAKA : US President Joe Biden and
Secretary Antony J.?Blinken?are "committed
to strengthening" the Dhaka-
Washington relationship as the two
countries address common challenges,
says a senior US official, reports UNB.
The two countries address some of
the most pressing regional and global
challenges together, including the
Rohingya humanitarian crisis and global
challenge to tackle climate change,
said the official.
"Bangladesh's impressive economic
sector provides a solid platform on
which to expand and deepen our relationship,"
said Marcia Bernicat, senior
official for economic growth, energy
and the environment. She made the
remarks while addressing virtual
launching of the U.S.-Bangladesh
Business Council on Tuesday.
Bernicat said the United States is
proud of the partnership that they have
built with the Bangladeshi people since
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led a proud
and determined people to achieve their
independence 50 years ago.?
"How fitting that we honor that
important anniversary today by launching
the U.S.-Bangladesh Business
Council," she said.
She said the US continues to look for
ways to help make Bangladesh more
attractive for investment, which in turn
provides for the transparency and rule
of law that all companies thrive in.???
Similarly, Bernicat said, they look forward
to welcoming Bangladeshi investment
into the United States from the
country's increasingly internationally
competitive companies.
She said President Biden has emphasized
the challenge of climate change,
stating that "the United States and the
world face a profound climate crisis"
and by placing climate change at the
center of our foreign policy, diplomacy,
and national security.?
The US official said Bangladesh's
leadership in addressing climate change
offers the United States - and the world
- a great partner to tackle this climate
crisis.?
Pragmatic efforts to
make D-8 "more vibrant,
active, effective"
DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK
Abdul Momen on Wednesday said
Bangladesh will take all pragmatic initiatives
to open new avenues of cooperation
among the D-8 Member States
with the aim of making this Group even
more vibrant, active and effective,
reports UNB.
In order to minimise the worsening
effects of Covid-19 on the world economy,
Dr Momen said, Bangladesh wants
to explore all avenues for economic
recovery through collaboration among
the D-8 Member States.
"Bangladesh believes in a free and
equitable access to markets for not only
products but also services. It would
obviously facilitate D-8 governments
and private sectors to come together to
highlight how D-8 Member States can
deepen connectivity, networking and
collaboration in light of experiences of
the Covid-l9 era," he said.
The Foreign Minister was addressing
the D-8 19th Council of Ministers
(COM) as Chair of the COM.
Foreign Ministers of D-8 Member
States including immediate past chair
and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu and D-8 Secretary General
Ambassador Ku Jaffar Ku Shari joined.
Since the overall objective of the global
organisation is to improve Member
States' life and livelihood situation
through multiple approaches, Dr
Momen hoped to create a D-8 digital
marketplace, and create a suitable-forall
resilient post-pandemic cooperation
model to ensure the common interests
of all member states.
"As the whole world is experiencing an
unprecedented global public health and
economic crisis caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, I personally feel the urge
that, we, the D-8 Member States need to
stand together more than ever," he said.
After chairing the D-8 Organisation
for Economic Cooperation for two years
during the period of 1999 - 2001,
Bangladesh is going to hold the
Chairmanship of the D-8 for the second
time after two decades.
"This is happening at a time when we
are celebrating the birth centenary of the
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and we are
also observing the Golden Jubilee of our
independence," he said.
Moreover, Dr Momen said, recently
Bangladesh has fulfilled the UN criteria
for graduating from the LDC Group of
countries.
"We are indeed honoured and happy
for having the opportunity of chairing
the D-8 at this historic moment," he
said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will
lead the Bangladesh delegation at the
10th D-8 Summit on Thursday to be
participated by the leaders of Egypt,
Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria,
Pakistan and Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan will hand over the
Chairmanship of the D-8 to Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina.
As president of the Climate
Vulnerable Forum and the Vulnerable
Twenty Group of Finance Ministers,
Bangladesh has a leading voice and can
make irreplaceable contributions
toward a successful COP26, she said.
As a climate vulnerable country,
Bangladesh will require significant climate
adaptation and resilience, especially
in view of its increasingly ambitious
climate goals, Bernicat said.
The?US companies are well placed to
deliver many of the solutions
Bangladesh will need to sustainably
grow its economy, she said.
Bernicat said this is an exciting time in
U.S.-Bangladesh relations, and it is a
particularly timely moment to inaugurate
this organization to support closer
US-Bangladesh economic cooperation.
The US-Bangladesh Business
Council and the American private sector
will be invaluable partners to help
Bangladesh reach the ambitions laid
out in its Bangladesh Vision 2041,
including to become a high-income
country, she said.
Accidents on
waterways in
Bangladesh
declining: Minister
DHAKA : Home Minister Asaduzzaman
Khan on Wednesday said accidents on
waterways are declining in the country
because of changes in vessel designs,
implementation of necessary measures
and stronger monitoring, reports UNB.
"We used to see major accidents during
holidays every year. Now such accidents
have decreased. But I would not
say these have totally gone," he said
while addressing the inauguration of the
River Security Week 2021.
He virtually joined the inaugural function,
held at the conference room of the
Shipping Ministry, as the chief guest.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid
Mahmud Chowdhury was present as
the special guest.
Asaduzzaman said the main reasons
behind the fall in waterway accidents
are the changes in vessel designs and
stronger monitoring in addition to other
necessary measures.
He mentioned that the importance of
the shipping sector in the graduation of
a riverine and coastal country like
Bangladesh from a least developed
country to a developing one is immense,
and put emphasis on consolidation of
this achievement.
The minister said one of the major
responsibilities of the Shipping
Department is to develop an accidentfree
shipping system. "The department
has taken a number of effective measures
for the safety of public life and
property."
An online digital database containing
vessel survey data, registration reports
and all the information related to vessels
and sailors in the inland sector of
Bangladesh is being maintained, he
said.
Power workers are risking their lives by climbing high poles to keep the uninterrupted power supply in
the capital. The picture was taken from Rampura area on Wednesday.
Photo: PBA
Long-route passengers are reaching their destination in this way.
Cabinet purchases body
approves LNG, rice import
DHAKA : The Cabinet Committee on
Public Purchase approved seven proposals
including the import of liquified
natural gas (LNG) from a Swiss
company and rice from an Indian
company.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa
Kamal presided over the meeting.
State-owned Petrobangla, under
the Energy and Mineral Resources
Division, will import the 3.360 million
MMBtus of LNG from AOT
Trading AG, Switzerland at a cost of
Tk 243.3 crore with per MMBtu price
at $7.2855, reports UNB.
The Directorate General of Food
under the Food Ministry will import
50,000 metric tonnes of non-bashmoti
parboiled rice from PK Agri
Link Private Ltd, India, at cost of Tk
174.65 crore, with per MT price at
$411.93.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet committee
approved a proposal of the Roads and
Highways Department to award Tk
103.37 crore contract to the Joint
Venture of Reliable Builders Ltd, Md
Moyenuddin (Bashi) Limited
andOrient Trading and Builders Ltd,
for implementing package No-WP-
02 of the project on Improvement of
Shariatpur (Monohar Bazar)-
Ibrahimpur Road upto Ferry Ghat.
The committee approved awarding
Tk 106.84 crore contract to the Joint
Venture of Md Badrul Iqbal Ltd,
Hassan Techno Builders Ltd, and
Oyster Construction and Shipping
Company Ltd, for implementing the
works of the package WP-03 of the
Lockdown unproductive due
to mismanagement: BNP
same project.
Another project of the Roads and
Highways Department received
approval of the committee to award a
contract of Tk 788.38 crore to Afcons
Infrastructure Limited, India, for
implementing the package No-WP-
03 for upgrading Ashuganj
Riverport-Sarai's-Dharkhar-
Akhawra Highway into four lanes
and its maintenance work.
The committee approved a proposal
of Tk 243.18 crore of the Bridge
Authority under the Bridges Division
to award a contract for appointing
consultant for conducting feasibility
study about construction of bridges
on Shariatpur-Chandpur Highway
and Gazaria Munshiganj Road for
crossing the Meghna River to connect
Chandpur and Shariatpur districts.
A Joint Venture of Tecnica Y
Proyectos SA (TYPSA), Spain,
Nippon Koei Co Ltd, Japan,
DOHWA Engineering Co Ltd, South
Korea, Development Design
Consultants Ltd Bangladesh, BCL
Associates Ltd, Bangladesh and Dev
Consultants Ltd, Bangladesh, won
the contract.
The committee approved a proposal
of Public Works Department
for re-evaluation of the tender proposal
for the work package of WD-
01 of the Khulna Development
Authority's Khulna Shipyard Road
Widening and Development Works
by cancelling the recommendation
of Tender Evaluation Committee
(TEC).
DHAKA : BNP on Wednesday alleged
that the weeklong lockdown, enforced
by the government, is only causing public
sufferings instead of yielding any positive
outcome to contain Covid transmission
due to mismanagement,
reports UNB.
"The reality is that neither lockdown
nor the restrictions are being implemented
at the field level due to mismanagement
of the government," said BNP
acting office secretary Syed Emran Saleh
Prince.
Speaking at a press conference at
BNP's Nayapaltan central office, he also
said people remain at a high risk of coronavirus
infection because of the government's
contradictory moves.
"Everything is in a mess everywhere,
putting people in limitless troubles."
The BNP leader also alleged that the
government has enforced the lockdown
without any prior preparation.
He said long traffic jams on roads and
highways are the proof that the lockdown
has been ineffective. "People are
waiting in long queues for transports at
different places in the city. Basically,
everything is going on as before."
The BNP leader said the government's
policy makers took such a decision of
enforcing a lockdown sitting in air-conditioned
rooms without proper planning
as they do not need to think about
salary utility bills and money for managing
food. "But people have to ensure sufferings
as a result of this unplanned and
unprepared move."
Prince, also a BNP organising secretary,
said the government's response to
tackling the second wave of coronavirus
is uncoordinated, unplanned, shortsighted
and irrational as happened last
year. "This time the government got a lot
of time. But due to lack of prior preparation,
the situation turned chaotic as it
was last year."
He also said corona-infected people
are struggling to receive treatment for
lack of sufficient vacant seats, ICUs, ventilators
and oxygen supply at the hospitals
in the cities and different district
towns.
"Patients with corona infections are
dying on the streets as they are running
from one hospital to another for treatment.
"The government has to shoulder
the responsibility for this," the BNP
leader said.
Prince demanded the government
take effective steps to ensure adequate
healthcare facilities, ICUs, ventilators
and oxygen at hospitals and conduct
free Covid tests.
Photo : Star Mail
Indramohan Rajbongshi
Folk singer
Indramohan
Rajbongshi dies
DHAKA : Prominent folk singer,
researcher and Swadhin Bangla Betar
Kendra vocal artiste Indramohan
Rajbongshi died of Covid-19 at a hospital
in Dhaka on Wednesday, reports UNB.
Indramohan, who had tested positive
for Covid-19, breathed his last at
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical
University (BSMMU) around 10:20 am.
The Ekushey Padak recipient was
admitted to the hospital on Monday
with multiple health complications.
In the early 1950s', Rajbongshi started
to learn music from his grandfather
Krishna Das Rajbongshi.
In 1998, Rajbongshi established a folk
organisation, Bangladesh Lok Sangeet
Parishad (Folk Song Council).
He wrote about 100 folk songs for
children, songs on the Liberation War
and the Language Movement.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
expressed deep shock and sorrow at the
death of Indramohan Rajbangshi.
In a condolence message, she said that
the contribution of the Ekushey Padak
winning brilliant singer in flourishing the
country's folksongs will be remembered.
She prayed for the eternal salvation of
the departed soul and expressed sympathy
to the bereaved family.
Ridesharing bikers,
shop owners block
Dhaka roads in protest
DHAKA : App-based ridesharing bikers
and shop owners brought traffic movement
to a grinding halt in parts of Dhaka
Wednesday, protesting the government's
restriction order on their services
amid a record surge in Covid-19 cases,
reports UNB.
The pedestrians said bikers of
ridesharing services gathered at
Moghbazar intersection at noon and
staged a protestdemandingan end to the
ban on their servicesduring the weeklong
restriction on movement of people
and transport.
Traffic came to a standstill at that time
as the angry bikers began to
protest.Later, they tried to take position
in front ofDhaka Metropolitan Police
Headquartersbut failed as police gave
chase to disperse them.
Earlier, the bikers gathered at the
Mohakhali area at around 11am and
demonstrated on the streets,causing
traffic congestionfrom Mohakhali to
Bangladesh Navy Headquarters in
Banani.
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Executive Editor : Sheikh Efaz Ahmed, Managing Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka.
Editorial and News Office: Bangladesh Timber Building (3rd Floor) 270/B, Tejgaon I/A Dhaka-1208. Tel : +8802-8878026, Cell : 01736786915; Fax: + 880244611604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com