October 2022 Full PDF final

CONTENT
Page
4
COVER STORY
RUSSIA-UKRAINE
WAR: WHERE
IS IT HEADED?
Page Page Page
10 14 26
THE WORLD IS IN CRISIS:
ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS
RECESSION?
AVIATION INDUSTRY
NEW FACELIFT OF
BANGLADESH
REFORMING
BANGLADESH’S
GDP GROWTH MODEL
Page
34
HEAT ON THE GROUND:
AL SENSES VIOLENCE, BNP
SEES POPULARITY TEST
Page
50
LIZ OUT, SUNAK IN
UK’S UNPRECEDENTED 44
DAYS OF UNCERTAINTY
Page
64
WHY STROKE IS RISING
AMONG YOUNG ADULTS
IN BANGLADESH?
Page
40
MODELING THE FUTURE
OF RELIGION
IN BANGLADESH
Page
54
BUILDING MODERN PORT-LED
NETWORK, BOOSTING
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Page
68
TACKLING THE
GROWING MENACE OF
CYBERCRIME
Page
46
IS US DOLLAR'S
DOMINANCE
UNDER THREAT?
Page
60
STRENGTHENING
BRUNEI-BANGLADESH
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP
Page
73
HONOURABLE PRIME
MINISTER DOESN’T
USE SOCIAL MEDIA
Page
74 80
INDIA’S SELF-SUFFICIENCY
IN DEFENCE PRODUCTION:
CAN BANGLADESH BENEFIT?
Page
PUNORJONMO SEQUEL
AUDIENCE GROWS WITH
TWISTED TALES
Page
82
FOOTBALL’S BIGGEST FIESTA
FIFA WORLD CUP 2022
DETAILED
OCTOBER 2022
PRESS XPRESS
1

ISSUE INFORMATION
OCTOBER 2022 VOL. 1 ISSUE NO. X
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Syed Badrul Ahsan
Barrister Ali Asif Khan
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EDITOR’S NOTE
It has been 10 months since Russian troops crossed into Ukrainian border,
which was dubbed as a ‘special operation’. That very operation
has turned into a full-fledged war with no sign of slowing down. The
impact of the war has crossed its border and regions to the global stage.
The western reactionary policy of financial sanctioning on Russia has
created a much more compli-cated geopolitical and socioeconomic crisis.
The socioeconomic situation around the world is very much volatile
at present. Our Prime Min-ister is envisioning a severe food shortage
next year around the globe and has called for the wars to stop. The
economic volatility mixed with a food shortage may spur a significant
human-itarian crisis thereof. Prime Minister’s plan to tackle the looming
food shortage must be com-plied without an iota of compromise.
What goes beyond our border might not be in our hand, but we must
ensure the much-needed political stability necessary to fight any crisis.
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In our national front, field politics is getting heated with the fast-approaching
12th National Parliamentary election. BNP seems to be bolstered
with its root level joining mass rallies across the country. Fierce
debate, constructive criticism, and talks on future policy from the opposition
camp are the most welcome moves for any democracy, which
are unfortunately the missing pieces in those rallies. Bangladesh in the
last decade has gone through tremendous socio-economic growth. To
consolidate the upward trend, politics that creates instability must be
avoided.
TANZEEN W. BRISTY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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2 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 3

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
WHERE IS IT
HEADED?
Russian troops entered Ukraine in the month of February in order
to ‘demilitarise’ and ‘de-nazify’ Ukraine as claimed by the Russian
President Vladimir Putin. The special operation was launched believing
that it would result in a quick victory on part of Russia.
But it proved to be a gross miscalculation. Russian forces failed
to destroy resilient Ukrainian forces. Throughout their campaign,
the Russian military has been continually forced to reassess its
strategic objectives and positioning. Which way this war is heading,
what consequences this war may result in and what are the
possible implications of this war, writes MOHAMMAD RAFIUL
HASSAN WITH NASHIR UDDIN
Russia’s war in Ukraine is the most disruptive conflict
that Europe has seen since 1945. In Ukraine,
there is no question that Putin lit the match when
he ordered Russian troops to invade on the fateful
February 24. He probably believed that it would
be a short, sharp war with a quick victory and that
airborne troops would capture the airport, while advancing
tanks would seize Kyiv – thereby removing
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and installing
a puppet government. Russian President Vladimir
Putin told his people that he was conducting a
THE WAR INSIDE PUTIN’S MIND
special military operation to ‘de-nazify’ Ukraine and
prevent NATO from expanding to Russia’s border.
But little has gone to his plan since Putin ordered his
tanks across the Ukrainian frontier. Russian blitzkrieg
failed and the conflict became bogged down in
months of grinding stalemate before Ukraine successfully
launched counter-offensives in the east
and south. This has put outcome of the war highly
uncertain, and the embattled Russian president under
pressure.
It’s necessary to understand what’s actually happening in Ukraine is the result of a vision
of Russia that’s deeply embedded in the mind of Putin. What we know from his own writings,
and various biographers is that the intermediate cause was refusal to see Ukraine as
a legitimate state. Putin lamented the breakup of the Soviet Union, which he had served
as a KGB officer. Owing to Ukraine and Russia's close cultural affinities, he considered
Ukraine a phony state. He also thought Ukraine had been ungrateful – thereby offending
Russia with its 2014 Maidan uprising that removed a pro-Russian government, and
Ukraine’s growing trade ties with European Union.
In 2008, he punished Georgia for its desire to leave the orbit of the old imperial power.
In 2014, he annexed Crimea and prevented Ukraine from joining NATO by sparking
Donbas conflict. But that’s not enough for him. Now Putin says he wants to ‘de-nazify’
Ukraine, but the senselessness of that claim should
be obvious – not least because Ukraine’s President
Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish. So, what’s Putin’s
endgame? Does he want to punish NATO by destroying
Ukraine’s military infrastructure? Does he intend
to install a puppet Ukraine government by replacing
Zelensky?
THE WAR AND THE UKRAINIAN RESISTANCE
A spirited defence by Ukraine has
already foiled Russia’s primary plan
to seize Kyiv and other key points.
Russia has also failed to force
Ukraine into submission anyway.
Having been unsuccessful, Russian
forces had to shift their plan to
capture Donbas and create a "land
bridge" from Russia to Crimea.
On the other hand, defending the
sovereignty of their nation has
proven to be enough for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military, steadfast
in their goal, has demonstrated
consistency throughout the war. A
well-trained and efficient army is
necessary to conduct strategic war
properly. Over the past six years,
Ukraine with the help of Western
allies has been able to build a military
capable of such a war. As part
of the war, Ukrainian military has
done wherever resistance has been
needed, such as Kyiv. Similarly, the
military withdrew itself from where
it’s been necessary to retreat, such
as Donetsk and Luhansk. Adopting
simple military strategy, Ukrainians
continue attacking the Russians
wherever they can hurt most
– thereby making the latter exposed.
Ukraine prefers attacking
The answer to these questions might be yes. But
Putin’s real reason for invading Ukraine seems to be
far less pragmatic, and more alarming. He seems to
have succumbed to his ego-driven obsession with
regard to restoration of Russia’s status as a great
power with its own clearly defined sphere of influence.
the weakest physical support systems
of the invading army in the
field – communications networks,
logistic supply routes, rear areas,
artillery and senior commanders in
their command posts – resulting in
the successful defence and restoration
of some territories.
The Russians also somehow handicapped
themselves by launching
the invasion during the muddy season
– thereby confining themselves
to small concrete roads and severely
restricting their mobility. Experts,
however, think Russia's initial
4 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 5

COVER STORY
strategy in the war was marred by
poor planning coupled with worse
tactics, which is why, Russian army
was forced to withdraw from Kyiv in
March and Ukrainian army was able
to recapture a large area around
Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk
from occupation forces. To
make matters worse, the Crimea
Bridge that connects the annexed
Crimean peninsula with mainland
Russia was partially blown up in
a dramatic explosion thought to
be orchestrated by Ukraine forces.
Russia accused Ukraine of attacking
the bridge in an act of terrorism
and retaliated immediately with
missile and drone strikes. The losses
have been huge, as it seems, on
the battlefronts in Ukraine. Russia
thereafter announced a partial mobilisation
of reservists and declared
martial law in the recently annexed
regions. Russia also warned of nuclear
options.
After faltering in the early days,
Russian commanders now realise
that they lack skills to win a
manoeuvre-style war. Accordingly,
they have changed the style of war
to ‘war of attrition.’ In such wars,
movement of troops and military
equipment is restricted. These are
deployed targeting certain areas so
that enemy can be completely destroyed.
It’s thus clear that Ukraine
seemingly fared better than Russia
in terms of military strategy despite
being much smaller as force.
Russia's military budget in 2022
is $4,580 crore, whereas Ukraine's
$470 crore. This implies that Russia’s
defence budget is 10 times
bigger than that of Ukraine’s. Despite
its enormous difference in
defence budget and force size,
there’re a number of apparent miscalculations
that actually made
Russia seemingly unsuccessful.
THE WAR MISCALCULATIONS
Previous instances blatantly show that geopolitical arrogance has fatally accelerated political stupidity and it’s
been proven again and again starting from the ancient Greek and Roman empires to the invasions of the French,
German and British powers of recent history. Putin's arrogance can be blamed for the failure to achieve the Kremlin's
dream of a quick victory when the tide turned against Russia in the Ukraine war. Experts of international
relations thought of five fatal mistakes behind this:
First mistake
President Putin overestimated the military's readiness for a protracted war. Along with that, he has
wrongly considered the desire of the citizens to establish the Russian Empire. Against a backward but
determined enemy, Russia is now paying a heavy price and is also in a humiliating situation in the conflict.
Russian soldiers are deserting their units. Russian men also began to flee after citizens were urged to join
the war. On the other hand, Ukrainians are willingly fighting and sacrificing themselves for the country.
Protesters chanting slogans against Russian President Vladimir Putin
Fifth mistake
Putin assumed the United States was now in total decline, bogged down by mistakes in Afghanistan
and Iraq, economic and domestic problems, and the rise of China. Due to which Washington will not
react much to the Ukraine crisis. He was wrong again. The US has used Russia's Ukraine campaign as
an opportunity to mobilize Western power against Moscow and cripple Russia's economy.
THE RETURN OF NUCLEAR THREAT
Second mistake
Putin's second assumption was that Kyiv would capitulate within days of the attack. He made the same
mistake as other imperialists. He belittled the Ukrainians' resistance to occupation and their commitment
to freedom. Ukrainian patriotism has been awakened in a way never seen before and it has been fully
aided by Western support.
Third mistake
Another estimate that Putin likely made is that the West would not come to the aid of Ukraine, since the
West did not react much to the 2008 invasion of Georgia or the 2014 annexation of Crimea. He might have
thought that NATO is now weakened due to Donald Trump's 'America First' policy on Western security.
But the reality is, over the course of time since the war began, weapons continue to flow into Ukraine from
western allies.
Fourth mistake
Putin also believed that Europe's dependence on Russian oil and gas would make it difficult for them to
break ties with Moscow over the Ukraine issue. Here too he was proved wrong. Europe's rejection of a bold
and aggressive Russia and US assertiveness have brought the two sides of the Atlantic closer together.
With more than 6,300 nuclear
warheads, Russia has the world’s
largest nuke arsenal. President
Putin therefore said, "If the territorial
integrity of our country
is threatened, we will, of course,
use all means at our disposal to
protect Russia and our people.
This is not a bluff." Putin added.
"And those who try to blackmail
us with nuclear weapons should
know that the weather vane can
turn and point at them."
Many have interpreted Putin's
statement as a threat to use nuclear
weapons. Wolfgang Richter,
a senior research associate for international
security with the German
Institute for International
and Security Affairs (SWP), thinks
that the idea behind this is probably
a message to Western states,
which is, if you interfere in the war
or attack Russian territory, then a
nuclear strike becomes more likely.
In response, US President Joe
Biden vehemently warned Putin
against using nuclear or chemical
weapons. "Don't do it!" Biden
said. "It would change the face of
war like nothing else since World
War II." US Senator Lindsey Graham
declared that any nuclear attack
on Ukraine by Russia would
be equivalent to a nuclear attack
on NATO itself that would produce
an overwhelming and catastrophic
reply.
However, Wolfgang Richter thinks
that the nuclear war is unlikely.
It is because if Russia breaks the
nuclear taboo that has existed
since 1945, he said, the country
would also be isolated and ostracised
throughout the world and
would lose all allies that would
have incalculable consequences
for the political, economic, and
social survival of Russian Federation.
6 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 7

COVER STORY
COVER STORY
NATO’S REVIVAL
French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview
in 2019 claimed that NATO was experiencing a "brain
death." He attributed this at the time to Donald
Trump's refusal to work with Europe on security, and
amongst several other reasons. But today, almost
three years later, NATO has turned things around
and is currently undergoing a revitalisation.
Russia's willingness to go to war has forced the hand
of several countries like Finland and Sweden into
taking step towards joining NATO. Even a famously
neutral country like Switzerland has reconsidered
their neutrality. Sweden was neutral throughout the
Cold War when Soviet power was at its height. Finland,
however, fought two wars against Soviet Union
during World War II. But they’ve maintained good
relations since then. Although neutral as of now,
they’ve been stepping away from Russia's influence
for quite some time. Finland and Sweden have been
parts of NATO's partnership for peace. They were essentially
associate members, but now they’ve submitted
formal applications to join NATO. Moreover,
with the war ongoing, the rest of the member states
in Europe is on heightened alert and have bolstered
their security. NATO member states are reportedly
planning to increase their defence budgets of approximately
$208 billion.
Despite this hike, most of NATO's military might
come from the United States and Biden is at the moment
fully committed to NATO. He even termed Sweden
and Finland's applications as a "revived NATO."
NATO has condemned the war and while they are
not sending any troops to Ukraine, they are assisting
the Ukraine military. NATO is bolstering the eastern
flank by supplying battlegroups, an increased number
of jets and carrier strike groups, submarines and
combat ships deployed on a permanent basis.
Black smoke billows from a fire
on the Kerch Strait Bridge that
links Crimea to Russia
FRESH MILITARISATION ON THE RISE
A NEW GEOPOLITICAL FAULT-LINE
After the Ukraine invasion, the
US and its allies have circled the
wagons against Russia as their
common enemy in Europe. The
Soviet Union of the Cold War era
does not exist anymore, but Russia
that was a major portion of
the USSR is no less a threat to the
West.
In a unique common stance, the
US, the EU, the UK, Canada and
Australia have applied sanctions
on Russia – thereby drawing a
decisive line with the giant of a
country. Unable to directly join the
Ukraine war for fear of escalating
the conflict into a wider bloodbath
and also because Ukraine is not a
NATO member, they now want to
choke Russia economically.
China, on the other hand, has not
applied sanctions. It’s been maintaining
neutrality on the issue.
So does India. Brazil, Mexico and
South Africa also refused to apply
embargoes. China has a considerable
sway over Africa and
South America. So, the countries
in these regions are likely to follow
China.
However, it seems Saudi Arabia
now has found its own mind by
refusing to hold talks with the US
on augmenting oil supply – thereby
giving away its sentiment on
the US stance on Jamal Khashoggi
murder. So, whatever turns out to
be the outcome of the war, this
fault-line is likely to develop even
deeper. The new blocks are likely
to work in closer collaboration on
geopolitical issues.
The war exposed new realities for
both sides of the new fault-line.
Europe feels its security is no longer
assured. It’s felt more acutely
by NATO’s tiny nations that have
limited resources and population.
Such ground realities and its own
security concerns have forced Europe
to rethink its defence strategies
and to increase its military
spending. Germany, which has
always favoured the principle of
pacification, has also dramatically
upped its military spending.
An initial injection of €100 billion
will be followed by a guaranteed
sum of at least 2% of GDP to be
spent for bolstering defence in
each budget.
Germany has also side-stepped
its policy of not selling weapons
in war zones and has offered military
aid to Ukraine. It’s sending
troops to Lithuania and Slovakia,
while air and sea deployments
have been made to Romania, the
Baltic and the Mediterranean.
Sweden, Romania, Denmark, and
Poland are also driving up military
spending, while the UK, France
and Canada are also proceeding
with increased defence spendings.
On the other hand, Russia
and China are working on a new
dawn of relationship. The Asian
giant has decided to increase its
military spending by 7.1% in 2022.
To sign off, the Russia-Ukraine
war shows no signs of slowing
down or ending anytime soon. The
way the Moscow forces are moving
now, it’ll take them at least
a decade to take over Kyiv. With
money and men constantly running
out, it doesn't look like Russia
will be able to drag this war out
that long. It can, therefore, be said
that such a war can continue until
one of the two sides is completely
defeated or destroyed. In that
case, the Russia-Ukraine war may
continue for years. Neither Russia
nor Ukraine has so far shown the
ability to defeat each other.
A possible consequence is that
this war is going to be another
disastrous war for Russia. Earlier,
they had the same situation in
the 10-year war in Afghanistan.
It seems Ukraine will not agree to
give up any territory occupied by
Russia. Another possibility is that
as time goes on, this war can go in
favour of Ukraine. Because they
are getting new weapons from
the West. In fine, it can be said
that pride and arrogance tend to
cancel each other out that results
in even greater blows and the
eventual downfall of the power
what we may see in the coming
future.
8 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 9

GEOPOLITICS
THE WAR AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US
WORLD IN CRISIS
ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS RECESSION?
As the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war takes a heavy toll on global economy, a looming recession coupled
with inflation has drawn intense scrutiny worldwide. Governments across the world are under extreme
pressure with the downturn economic condition that makes them caution their citizens repeatedly to
prepare for any unpleasant consequences whatsoever. Echoing the voice of the world leaders, Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the countrymen to make all-out efforts so that Bangladesh never
has to face any famine or recession-like situation and food insufficiency due to prolonged war in Europe.
Why is this happening? And what do we need in case of any unexpected situation. MOHAMMAD RAFIUL
HASSAN comes up with his take on this
There is no doubting the fact that
the global economy was already
suffering from the repercussions
of several manmade conflicts, climate
shocks, COVID-19 pandemic
and rising costs over the past few
years. The Russian-Ukraine war has
only intensified these challenges
on an unprecedented scale. This
manmade war against Ukraine and
sanctions on Russia are hitting the
global economy hard. Fuel and food
prices have skyrocketed and inflation
got spiked across the globe
due to the war. Experts, therefore,
anticipate that the conflict could
trigger a global recession because
of the impact on food, energy and
fertiliser prices. Some even apprehend
stagflation and the possibility
of famine.
Of late, World Bank President David
Malpass said most countries are
heading towards recession. Some
predict the world may even return
to the stagflation of the 1970s in
which the inflation rate was high,
the economic growth rate slowed,
and unemployment remained
steadily high. International Monetary
Fund (IMF) Managing Director
Kristalina Georgieva said the future
of the global economy is bleaker
and more uncertain. Taking their
views into account and observing
the world’s gloomy condition, Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
has asked the countrymen to
be thrifty, and hardworking to avoid
possible recession or famine in the
days to come. She urged people
to make maximum use of land for
food production. It is, therefore,
important to know where the war
is taking us, and pay heed to the
premier’s warning as well as take
preventable measures for any upcoming
unpleasant situation.
The Russia-Ukraine war has created
a great deal of geopolitical
turbulence and a host of problems
in the global economy. The war is
having an outsized impact on the
global supply chain, impeding the
flow of goods, fuelling dramatic
cost increase, and creating catastrophic
food shortages around
the world. It has boosted inflation
and dented prospects for world’s
economic growth which led the
World Bank recently to reduce
‘2022 global growth forecasts’
from 4.1 per cent to 3.2 per cent -
due the impact of Russia's war on
Ukraine.
People in general are mainly concerned
about how the war will affect
their daily life and purchasing
power. So, the main worry for the
common people is the increasing
prices of basic necessitates like
food and energy. The war caused
the price of food rise after Russia
imposed a ban on grain export
from Ukraine. In addition to food
prices, sharp hike in energy prices
caused by sanctions on Russia,
and Russia’s decision to suspend
gas deliveries to several EU member
states negatively affected
household and increased living
costs around the globe.
Interestingly, global food markets
are extremely concentrated, both
in terms of supplies and reserves.
Russia and Ukraine supplied
about 30% of the world's wheat
and barley before the war. Thirtysix
countries, including some of
the world's most vulnerable and
impoverished, relied on them for
more than half of their wheat imports.
Such concentrated and thin
markets mean that when crises
like the war in Ukraine happen,
the global supply of food can be
derailed quickly, leading to high
costs. For example, insurance premiums
are skyrocketing for vessels
operating in the Black Sea,
which only further raises prices for
staple foods.
As the war drags on, already record
levels of acute food insecurity
are expected to sharply rise,
and acute hunger is projected to
increase from 276 million to 323
million according to U.N. World
Food Programme (WFP), Consequently,
a recession or famine
situation is apprehended by many
in the coming days.
“Global growth is slowing sharply,
with further slowing likely as
more countries fall into recession,”
World Bank President David
Malpass said, adding his worry
that these trends would persist,
with devastating consequences
for emerging market and developing
economies. Rizwanul Islam,
a former adviser at the International
Labour Office in Geneva
said “whether another recession
will hit or not, the US growth is already
stalled. So, it is bad enough
to suspect that the major engine
of the global economy is faltering.”
He also said GDP growth in
Europe was virtually nil and the
growth in China also has dropped
significantly. This will create
ripple effects on the rest of the
global economy and it will include
Bangladesh.
BANGLADESH’S ECONOMIC REALITY AND GOVERNMENT’S CAUTION
Continued disruptions in the global supply chain due
to war have raised the spectre of recession globally.
Hence, Bangladesh might not escape unscathed if a
global economic downturn hits. At the beginning of
2022, Bangladesh's economy seemed to be on course
to grow at a faster rate. But things began worsening in
late February following the war. Although neither Russia
nor Ukraine is a large export destination or sourcing
nation for Bangladesh, they are vital to the countries on
which the country relies to drive its growth.
Zahid Hussain, a former lead economist at the World
Bank said, “as per forecasts, a recession will come towards
the end of 2022 and most of the European countries,
dependent mostly on Russia for their energy, will
Vegetable market in Dhaka
10 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 11

GEOPOLITICS
suffer.” He added, “as Bangladesh's export market
is excessively dependent on Europe, the shipment,
which has bounced back from the pandemic, may be
affected.”
In fact, Bangladesh did not face a recession during
the global financial crisis of 2007-08 and even at
the height of the pandemic. But the economy has
already come under pressure recently due to the ongoing
war in Europe. In line with the world’s rising
trend, inflation in Bangladesh has risen sharply to
the rate of 9.1 percent in September. To tackle inflation,
Bangladesh government have taken some
steps to increase the duty. This has reduced the
import of some luxury goods. Several saving measures
have also been taken. The government has
also applied to the IMF for loan assistance to ease
the pressure on foreign exchange reserves. At the
same time, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the
countrymen to make all-out efforts so that Bangladesh
never has to face any situation like famine and
food insufficiency due to prolonged Russia-Ukraine
conflict. The premier emphasised the need for increasing
food production to counter the effects of
the recession. She said,
"We have soil and manpower. So, we have to take
initiative from now on so that Bangladesh never
has to face famine and food insufficiency-like
situations. We will have to grow our food."
As the global economic climate was headed towards
uncertainty, the premier advised for ensuring austerity
in different aspects. The premier said her government
is working tirelessly to ensure food security for
people, hoping that they would be successful in doing
so, as they have effectively tackled the Covid-19
situation. She urged the countrymen to grow food
grains on whatever places they have.
Planning Minister MA Mannan also said the PM had
once again cautioned people to be careful, keeping
the global situation in mind. With regard to controlling
inflation, Mannan said that certain policy decisions
on VAT, import duty and concessional benefits
might be taken. "If the ship fare increases, the price
of products will increase. If oil and gas have to be imported
at higher prices, inflation will also increase. If
evil people hoard goods, inflation will increase. We
have to control this hoarding," he said.
According to Planning Minister, the government
would increase support for agriculture to increase
production. Allowances, seeds, fertilisers and water
will all be made available alongside providing marketing
assistance. At the same time, the government
would also maintain liaison with traders to secure
a supply of products to the market and ensure
that no hoarding take place. Planning Minister also
highlighted the PM's initiative of distributing lowcost
rice to 1 crore families, which had a positive impact
on the market.
To conclude, fear of recession has started again
around the world. The war, high inflation, rising interest
rates to counter the inflation – all add to the
risk of a recession. Swift and bold action is required
by both wealthy and low-income nations to avert
further humanitarian and economic catastrophe. It
is now necessary to take experts’ advice to protect
the country's economy from the impact of the global
adverse economic condition. In Bangladesh, major
reforms in financial sectors have become essential
to improve the economic situation which international
financial institutions have already urged. They
have suggested working together with other countries
to deal with the crisis.
At the individual level, it is also important to follow
the government's directions to prevent wastage of
resources, save money as well as to become more
engaged in production. Obviously, it will not be possible
for the government alone to deal with upcoming
economic disaster. People at all levels should,
therefore, work in solidarity with the government to
tackle the looming crisis.
12 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 13

AVIATION INDUSTRY
NEW FACELIFT OF BANGLADESH
-SAWDA MAHBUBA RAHMAN
The aviation or airline sector is emerging in Bangladesh.
The country's export and import activities
are growing rapidly due to the increasing effects
of globalisation. Additionally, Bangladesh has
strengthened its political and diplomatic initiatives
to establish stronger ties with other nations. These
development activities will surely pave the way for
aviation industry’s growth. The government states,
“Aviation in Bangladesh will almost triple in growth
over the next 15 years.” To make the various airport
facilities technically sound, secure, and user-friendly
for travellers, the government is enhancing the quality
of service. There are some completed and many
ongoing projects on the development of aviation
industry. It includes- construction of new airports,
increasing the airport terminals, extension, and
renovation of existing airports for both passengers
and cargo flights. To stay up with the world's quickly
evolving aviation technology, Civil Aviation Authority
of Bangladesh (CAAB) is advancing swiftly by consistently
adopting initiatives and launching timely
development projects.
14 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 15

AVIATION
AVIATION
AN OVERVIEW OF AVIATION INDUSTRY
Evolving Reality
The history of Bangladesh's independent civil aviation industry began on January 1, 1972, by Captain A. Rahim's
Cessna 150 aircraft. Biman Bangladesh Airlines was the first commercial passenger airline in the newly
independent nation. Domestic operations began with the purchase of four Fokker F27 aircraft to transport
passengers between Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet. The aviation industry of Bangladesh started its international
journey by operating a weekly flight to London by a Boeing 707 charted from British Caledonian
on January 4, 1972. Bangladesh Biman held a monopoly over the aviation sector up until 1993. The airline
gradually increased both its fleet and destinations throughout the years. Bangladesh has registered at least
34 airlines since, many of which have begun operations, some have never conducted flights, and few had
to discontinue. Several additional private airlines began operating including GMG in 1996, United in 2005, A
Royal Bengal in 2006, Regent in 2010, NovoAir in 2012, and US-Bangla in 2013. After Covid-19 pandemic begun,
Regent has discontinued its activities. Only NovoAir and US-Bangla are now running among the private
airlines in the country.
Current Airports
In total, Bangladesh has 8 airports in operation, 5 of which are domestic and 3 are international. Hazrat
Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong, and Osmani International
Airport in Sylhet are all international airports. Cox's Bazar, Rajshahi, Jessore, Syedpur, and Barisal,
all have domestic airports. Most of the airports are currently being modernised and extended.
Airlines
There are currently 3 scheduled airlines in this sector, including Biman Bangladesh. 45 aircraft are now in use
by the country's airlines, including 21 aircraft operated by Bangladesh Biman, 17 by US Bangla, and 7 by NovoAir.
Bangladesh Biman is the largest airline in the country. It has the service agreement with 42 countries
and provides international passenger and cargo services to different destinations. US-Bangla has accumulated
half of the private airlines market. There are now 8 domestic flight destinations served by US-Bangla
and NovoAir: Dhaka, Chittagong, Jessore, Cox's Bazar, Syedpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi, and Barisal.
Two more domestic airlines are joining the industry soon. Due to poor business practices, ineffective marketing
strategies, a poor brand image, violations of air agreement rules, and financial difficulties, many airlines
have ceased operations in Bangladesh.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF AIR TRANSPORT INDUSTRY IN GDP
SERIAL
NUMBER
01
02
03
04
05
06
COUNTRY
BANGLADESH
VIETNAM
PHILIPPINES
SRI LANKA
THAILAND
HONG KONG
DESTINATIONS
HOST COUNTRY
28
72
74
AIRLINES
(OWN AIRLINES)
CONTRIBUTION TO
GDP IN USD
45 32 (01) 7.9 MILLION
220
171
32 (03)
71 (04)
44 (06)
122 (07)
90 (03)
769 MILLION
12.5 MILLION
10.4 MILLION
63.7 MILLION
33 MILLION
SOURCE: MEMBER,FLIGHT STANDRD AND REGULATIONS, CAAB
Charter airlines and cargo carriers
The domestic aviation business is divided into two groups along with scheduled airlines: charter airlines
and cargo carriers. The technique of renting a full aircraft on an unscheduled basis is known as air chartering.
There are now ten operators for Charter Airlines, the most well-known are R&R Aviation, South Asian
Airlines, BRB Air Limited, Square Air Limited, and Bashundhara Airways. Air ambulance services are also
offered by some airlines.
Cargo airlines specialize in transporting cargo. These airlines work as agents for the larger passenger-transporting
airlines. There are currently four airlines in the nation that offer both domestic and international
cargo service. These are Skyair, Easy Fly Express, Hello Airlines, and Bismillah Airlines.
The booming sector
With the growth in both passenger
and freight transportation
of roughly 10% over the previous
ten years, the country's aviation
market had almost doubled between
2010 and 2017. Additionally,
more Bangladeshi students
than ever before are studying
overseas. Businesses have grown
on international level. As a result,
a significant amount of cargo and
passengers enter and exit the
country through airplanes every
day. Moreover, there are more domestic
planes carrying passengers
and goods than ever before. CAAB
has taken steps to improve the
standard of passenger services as
well as upgrade and develop all
domestic airports in the nation.
According to the 2018 trend, the
Bangladeshi aviation industry
was predicted to rise by 168% during
the following 20 years. However,
the number of passengers
on the domestic route fell by 25-
30% immediately following the
Covid-19 outbreak. Yet, the nation's
tourism as well as the aviation
business started to recover
steadily when the lockdown was
lifted, and flights resumed.
CAAB states that domestic aviation
increased by 75% to 80%
between October 20 and November
20 compared to the pandemic
situation. In the subsequent two
months, the number of passengers
traveling by air climbed from
2.21 lakh in December 2020 to 2.34
lakh in February 2021 (an increase
of 5.88%). Daily Star reported,
during October 2021, the number
of travellers nearly tripled.
16 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 17

AVIATION
COVER STORY
Aviation development projects by CAAB and SDG 2030
All aviation-related activities in Bangladesh are governed by the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh or
CAAB. There are multiple completed, ongoing, and upcoming projects that are under CAAB. It claims that
the terminals of seven airports nationwide are being modernised and expanded. In addition, the improvements
and developments are being fast paced by keeping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) -2030
in mind. The number of passengers on domestic flights is rising daily as more foreigners, businesses, and
tourists are preferring to travel by air to save time. Because of this, the project has placed a strong priority on
all domestic airport construction. Development projects are part of significant achievements of CAAB during
FY 2021-22. Progress of some key projects are:
SECURITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS IN BANGLADESH
The project was undertaken with the objective of upgradation of the security system to
international standards. Passenger and cargo security screening capacity was increased.
6 body scanners are already installed in the 3 international airports of Bangladesh. 2
EDS (Explosive Detection System) have been installed and are being run in the Hazrat
Shahjalal International Airport. The project completed in December 2021.
Terminal-3 extension works going on
CONDUCTING DETAILED FEASIBILITY STUDY OF BANGABANDHU
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PROJECT
The project was undertaken for the economic development of Bangladesh along with
making the country as international aviation hub, connecting east and west. The feasibility
study was done for “Bangabandhu International Airport”. The project costs Tk
13,658.66, and the feasibility study was finished in June 2022.
LINK PROJECT FOR LAND ACQUISITION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF KHAN JAHAN ALI
AIRPORT UNDER PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP)
Khan Jahan Ali International Airport is a planned airport in Bagerhat. Under this project,
626 acres of land has been acquired and 26250 ft boundary wall has been constructed
for the airport. It was completed in June 2020.
STRENGTHENING OF EXISTING RUNWAY & TAXIWAY AT OSMANI
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SYLHET
Front view of Hazrat
Shahjalal International
Airport, Dhaka
The project has finished the installation of seven layers of the runway overlay which is
10250 ft. long. The airport is currently undergoing the necessary runway development
to accommodate full-load Boeing 777 flights. The project will cost around BDT 45,197.73
and project progress over time is 98%.
GENERAL AVIATION HANGAR, HANGAR APRON AND NORTH SIDE OF FIRE STATION’S
APRON CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF HAZRAT SHAHJALAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The authorities are implementing the project with an estimated cost of BDT 42,452.06.
The work of 10 hangars has been completed under the project. So far 6 hangars have
been allotted and allottees have started their operational work. Thai section of 5-storied
multipurpose flying club building and gas works are in progress. The new apron
construction is completed. About 97% work of the entire project has already been
completed.
18 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 19

AVIATION
AVIATION
STRENGTHENING EXISTING RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY AT SHAH AMANAT
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, CHATTOGRAM:
The project is ongoing at a cost of Tk 54,052.01 to increase the capacity of runway and
taxiway of Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport. The 7th layer of the overlay
has already been completed. At present the work of 8th layer is going on.
3D view of Hazrat Shahjalal
International Airport
Expansion Project
CAAB’S CAPACITY INCREASE TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY AT HAZRAT SHAHJALAL
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The project has been undertaken to ensure the safety of all passengers traveling
through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. 5 Petrol Cars and 4 Access Control
System (Flap Barrier Human) supplied under the project are currently in operation.
JICS have been invited for the supply and installation of around 450 CCTV cameras by
tender.
HAZRAT SHAHJALAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION PROJECT (PHASE 1)
Development of 2,30,000 sq. m. third terminal building, 63,000 sq. m. export-import
cargo complex and other infrastructure is currently in full swing at Hazrat Shahjalal
International Airport. It is being implemented with loan assistance of Tk 2,139,906.33
from GOB and JICA. Implementation period is till June 2025. 3049 piles and 684 pile
caps of the building construction section have already been completed. Basement area,
1st and 2nd floors of this section have been completed. Cumulative actual progress of
the project is 40%.
PROJECT OUTLINE
Outline of of the the Facility Facility & Equipment & Equipment
Floor Area of T3 272,544 m2
Floor Capacity Area of T3 16 million 272,544 passenger m2 per annual
Capacity Spot (PBB) 3716 Spots million in total. passenger 26 spots out per of 37 annual with PBB.
Spot No. of (PBB) T3 Floors 3 floors 37 Spots in total. 26 spots out of 37 with PBB.
No. Car of Parking T3 Floors Capacity 1,230 3 floors Vehicles.
Car Parking Capacity 1,230 Vehicles.
S-Curve]
[Progress S-Curve]
Taxiway (2 No.)
Apro (54k m)
Utility
Terminal 3 (273K m)
Buildings
Elevated
Driveway
Tunnd
Multi Level Car
Park (54K m)
ICT Teeminal ECT Teeminal
(27K m) (36K m)
COX'S BAZAR AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (PHASE 1)
Considering the growing tourism industry of the country, the authority is upgrading
Cox's Bazar Airport to an international airport. The existing length of 6775 feet is increasing
to 9000 feet. The existing 6775 feet runway has been increased in thickness by
20 inches in strength. Width of existing runway has increased from 127 feet to 200 feet.
Altogether, it is costing approximately Tk 201564.61 lakh (GOB 159369.78 lakh + own
funds 42194.84 lakh).
INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
AT COX'S BAZAR AIRPORT
As part of modernization of Cox's Bazar Airport, CAAB is constructing Interim International
passenger terminal so that international flights at the airport can proceed. The
project is costing around TK. 27788.00 lakhs. Almost 80% of the project is finished.
Project Area Overview
SYLHET’S OSMANI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION PROJECT (PHASE 1)
To increase the passenger and cargo handling capacity of Osmani International Airport,
the project has been undertaken at a cost of Tk 230,979.14 lakhs. 34919 sq. m. passenger
terminal, 6892 sq. m. cargo building, control tower and other infrastructure will be
developed. Site survey, soil investigation and test piling works, ground excavation work
of landside area including passenger terminal building have been finished. Out of total
1938 piles, 1384 piles have been completed (71.41%). In cargo terminal 76 out of 85 pile
caps have been completed. There are 12 more upcoming projects planned for achieving
SDG-2030.
2
20 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 21

AVIATION
COVER STORY
Socio Economic Impact
Asia-Pacific is experiencing the
world's highest growth in the air
transport sector. The Asia-Pacific
Aviation Market was estimated to
be worth $50.92 billion in 2020,
and it is anticipated to increase by
8.75% annually to reach USD 97.13
billion by 2026. A few key drivers
for the expansion of this industry
include the quick development
of the business environment, increased
purchasing power, and
the need for time savings. Along
with the growth of the industry,
the sector contributes to the
country’s GDP, increases job opportunity,
contributes to the businesses,
makes travelling convenient
for passengers.
The sector created 129,000 employments
and contributed 449
million to GDP in 2018, which is
around 0.18% of Bangladesh's
overall GDP (from domestic aviation
alone). Now, aviation and
tourism combined contributes 3%
to the GDP. The airlines, however,
have the option of increasing the
figure to 10%. Monthly, the airlines
can keep USD 100 million
foreign remittances with the help
of the government.
Nearly 50 aircrafts, including
freighters, are presently flown by
Bangladesh's commercial airlines.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines hopes
to have a USD 1 billion annual
revenue. At the moment, it has a
700 million USD yearly turnover.
In the meantime, Bangladesh Biman
just launched its first direct
trip to Canada, a long-awaited
destination that will significantly
increase the airline's income.
Aviation experts have claimed
that Biman might earn over $2
to $3 billion annually in revenue
if all foreign employees (about
10 million) made regular use of it
as their preferred mode of travel.
Additionally, Bangladesh Biman is
ready to fly flights on the Dhaka-
Youth's opinion on the airport services
New York route. Furthermore, it
will soon begin flying to China and
other foreign locations, which will
aid in increasing the amount of
money it collects.
US-Bangla Airlines is the first
airline from Bangladesh to begin
direct flights to Maldives
in November 2021, with three
flights per week. It now runs four
weekly flights (Sunday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday) between
Dhaka to Male` with the intention
of increasing that to daily service
soon.
Moreover, two further local airlines,
Air Astra and Fly Dhaka, will
soon take flight to capitalize on
the expanding domestic aviation
sector, which is being bolstered by
the economic recovery and mobility
boom. Thus, we can expect further
increase in revenue, GDP and
economic contributions from the
growing sector of domestic aviation
companies.
Youths have been very sceptical towards airports, especially for international travel. Facing the horrific traffic
of Dhaka city and reaching the airport is a panic for travellers. Moreover, during the new normal phase
after the pandemic, it was challenging to fly international flights by keeping all the safety regulations in the
process. The long lines, extended procedures for safety measures, immigration lines due to slow process,
limited space at terminals, erratic parking, etc. have frustrate them more towards the services. All of these
have created a negative image in the minds of the country's youth. Moreover, they often complain about the
airports not being big and services not being modernized.
Civil Aviation Authority is sincere, efficient, and considerate about the problems, and we can see the actions.
Already CAAB is doing multiple projects to extend the capacity of the airports. New airports are being
built, more terminals are getting ready, technologies are being modernized, and systems are getting
smoother. More technologies are being introduced to enable the highest security and services. The
aviation industry is evolving to be better than ever. With the evolvement, the youth will
get the solutions to their complaints. We can expect a transformed aviation sector
with happier domestic customers soon.
Increased connectivity
The government has launched numerous development
initiatives to support the industry, assisting
Bangladesh in becoming a hub for aviation. The
upgrading of infrastructure and related facilities is
being done to ensure the desired growth of the air
transportation industry in Bangladesh. Air travel encourages
tourism, but in Bangladesh, we could not
see these two sectors successfully merge. By building
infrastructure, regional nations like Singapore,
Thailand, and even Sri Lanka have been able to secure
significant economic benefits. Doha, Dubai,
Sharjah, and Istanbul are all major contributors to
their own economies as aviation hubs. There is currently
no aviation hub in Bangladesh. Additionally,
the lack of infrastructure and development in aviation
sector was hindering the operations of foreign
airlines.
The country's unique geographic location positioned
between the East and the West presents tremendous
opportunity to capitalize on the advantages of
air travel. Bangladesh has even greater potential to
serve as a bridge for the transit of cargo because of
its close proximity to China, Hong Kong, Korea, Macao,
and other countries.
Currently, many international airlines are serving in
Bangladesh. They are – United Airways, Jet Airlines,
Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lankan
Airlines, Thai Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airlines,
Qatar Airlines, Air Arabia, Saudi Arabia Airlines,
Turkish Airlines, Kuwait Airways etc. With our
increased modernized and upgraded airports, more
airlines will be connected with us.
As all Bangladeshi domestic airplanes have expanded
their wings internationally, we can see more connectivity
with the world. The route map is expanding
and 2 more airlines are starting to support the demand
of domestic flights. The development projects
will increase connectivity among all over the world.
The Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's Third
Terminal is taking shape, and by 2023 it is anticipated
to be operational. As a result, it will be able to
handle the increasing demand for air travel, particularly
in the Asia Pacific region. It is crucial that we
have 3 working international airports in our little nation,
and Cox's bazar will soon be added to that list.
Moreover, the govt. plans to upgrade Syedpur Airport
to regional airport status so that Bhutan, Nepal, and
other Indian states can use it.
To conclude, with a holistic strategy and a forwardlooking
vision, the aviation sector is likely to flourish
in the near future and contribute to the country's
economic progress. The government has put a lot of
thought in improving the infrastructure of the airports
that are already there and is making sure that
there are enough operational facilities. The industry
creates a lot of jobs, helps businesses to grow, promotes
tourism, and boosts the economy by collecting
tax, VAT, excise duties, and other fees depositing
them to the government. Asia-Pacific has the most
air travel growth. Bangladesh's unique position between
East and West can assure growth by becoming
travellers’ safest destination and transit point.
If Bangladesh can act as an aviation centre with the
necessary transit infrastructure, we will see a historical
change in the aviation industry.
22 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 23

INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR IMPACTS YOU ARE HOPING FROM THESE DEVELOPMENTS?
Airport Development works to improve the air transport system of the country reliably and efficiently which
will have some positive impacts as follows:
General impact:
Facilitate fast, efficient, flexible, safe, secure, and cost-effective access to destinations across the
country and around the world.
Facilitate safe movement of modern new-generation wide-body Aircraft.
Ensure proper safety and security of the airport and associated structures, installations, aircrafts,
passengers, cargo, etc. meeting ICAO regulations.
Facilitate fast, smooth, and efficient high-quality international standard Passenger, luggage, and
cargo handling services up to the satisfaction of Passengers and related customers.
Help boost global business and the tourism sector.
Reduce poverty through the development of tourism and job opportunities.
Increased cargo handling systems will increase trade & commerce in the country and abroad.
Increase in economic growth (GDP) and tax/revenue collection.
Economic Impact:
Direct impact- Employment and activity within the air transport industry including airline and airport
operations, aircraft maintenance, air traffic control and regulations, and activities directly
serving air passengers, such as check-in, baggage handling, on-site retail, and catering facilities.
Not all of these activities necessarily take place at an airport, with some taking place at the head
office. Direct impacts also include the activities of the aerospace manufacturers selling aircraft
and components to airlines and related businesses.
Indirect impact- These include employment and activities of suppliers to the air transport industry,
for example, jobs linked to aviation fuel suppliers; construction companies that build additional
facilities; the manufacture of goods sold in airport retail outlets, and a wide variety of activities in
the business services sector. (call centres, IT, accountancy, etc.)
Induced impact- These include spending by those directly or indirectly employed in the air transport
sector that supports jobs in industries such as retail outlets, companies producing consumer
goods, and a range of service industries. (banks, restaurants, etc.)
Md. Abdul Malek
Chief Engineer, CAAB
Impact on business operations:
Enable companies to serve and meet clients, and promote the
efficient organization of the production.
Air services allow better contact and more effective communication
between buyers and sellers, which contributes to companies
making new sales and meeting the needs of their existing
customers.
Some 50% of businesses rely on air services for production
efficiency. Passenger services enable managers to visit overseas
sites and other sub-sections of their business in other
countries, enable a choice of the best suppliers from a range
of competitors, facilitate the spread of new production techniques
and make it easier for companies to attract high-quality
employees.
Social impact:
Improve quality of life by broadening people’s leisure and cultural
experiences.
Provide a wide choice of holiday destinations around the world
and affordable means to visit distant friends and relatives.
Help improve living standards and alleviate poverty, for instance,
through tourism.
Provide the only transportation means in remote areas, thus
promoting social inclusion.
Contribute to sustainable development by facilitating tourism
and trade which in turn generates economic growth, provides
jobs, increases revenues from taxes, and fosters the conservation
of protected areas.
Facilitate the delivery of emergency and humanitarian aid relief
anywhere on earth and ensures the swift delivery of medical
supplies and organs for transplantation.
Environmental Impact:
Improve air quality.
Reduce noise and congestion in the vicinity of the airport.
Impact on Global Business:
Enable easier and cheaper trade with distant markets and marketing of goods and services on a
global basis.
Improve efficiency of the supply chain by shortening delivery time to ensure just-in-time delivery
systems, enabling delivery of products quickly and reliably and thus reducing costs.
Facilitate fast and reliable delivery of high-value products especially in modern-dynamic industries,
such as the pharmaceutical/biotechnology and telecommunication equipment sectors.
Increase the range of product markets by the development of e-business that helps companies
identify low-cost suppliers and air transport helps connect buyers and suppliers.
Improve companies’ handling of returns and complaints by allowing a quick turnaround of repairs
or delivery of replacement parts.
Facilitate the development of e-commerce by enabling companies to transport online shopping
orders quickly and reliably between countries, allowing products to be stored in large warehouses
and reducing retail and distribution costs.
Facilitate improved stock management and production techniques by reducing companies’ storage
costs, losses due to stock outages, and disruption caused by failure of machinery on production lines
Facilitate the development of the express carrier industry by providing guaranteed, rapid, door-todoor
delivery services and logistics support for companies.
WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM GOALS FOR BANGLADESH AVIATION INDUSTRY?
The long-term goals for Bangladesh’s Aviation Industry are as follows:
To turn Bangladesh into a global aviation hub connecting east and west.
To develop and implement a regional and national aviation safety plan.
To ensure fast, efficient, flexible, safe, secure, and cost-effective access to destinations across the country
and around the world.
To ensure high quality international standard passenger, luggage, and cargo handling services up to the
satisfaction of passengers and related customers/ businessmen.
To facilitate economic growth and enhance revenue and tax collection by establishing a worldwide transportation
network both for passenger and cargo, thus promoting global business and tourism
To ensure infrastructural facilities for smooth operation and maintenance of airports and modern newgeneration
aircrafts.
To mitigate environmental impact by improving air quality, reducing noise and congestion in the vicinity
of the airport area
To maximize social, economic, and financial benefits as far as possible using airport infrastructures.
To develop human resources fit for the aviation industry to meet the national, regional, and global demand
in this sector.
To develop and grow the aviation industry of Bangladesh as a major contributor to support the national
goal of joining the ranks of the developed countries by 2041.
24 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022
OCTOBER 2022
PRESS XPRESS
25

ECONOMI
ECONOMI
REFORMING BANGLADESH’S
GDP GROWTH MODEL
Bangladesh is now considered as one of
the world’s fastest growing countries in
terms of economic growth. For the last few
decades, the country has been successfully
able to maintain its growth that prompted
rave reviews. But how long will Bangladesh
sustain this growth? Addressing the
challenges lie in the economic sector of
the country, experts and international
financial organisations have suggested
several reforms targeting the next phase
of economic growth. MOHAMMAD RAFIUL
HASSAN dissects the idea as to whether
the government should take these into
consideration
Of late, Bangladesh has secured 95th position out of 184
countries in terms of financial development, which is
slightly above lower-middle-income economies, but below
upper-middle-income economies. It is one of the top 10
fastest growing countries in the world for several decades
now. But there is no reason to be complacent as economic
boom is never a permanent trend. The World Bank (WB)
in its “Bangladesh- Country Economic Memorandum:
Change of Fabric” report said Bangladesh’s current growth
structure is not sustainable and its GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) may fall below 4 percent between 2035 and
2039 without further reform. The WB report depicts that
growth in fast-developing countries is always at high risk.
Few countries have sustained high growth for long periods.
Only one-third of the countries in the top 10 continued to
experience high growth over the next decade or so.
An aspiration to reach upper-middle-income status by
2031, as World Bank stressed, cannot be achieved
through financing sourced from the public sector alone.
To reach the next stage of development, Bangladesh
will require $608 billion investment in infrastructure by
2040. As it will not be possible for the government to
provide the entire investment, large investments by the
private sector will be needed, the WB said. The Asian
Development Bank (ADB) also recommended ensuring
investment for infrastructure from the Public Private
Partnership (PPP) modality of at least 1.8% of GDP, or
around $5 billion each year.
The Washington-based lender, however, notes that it
will be difficult to meet the investment demand by the
private sector, owing to severe financial sector mismanagement,
liquidity crisis in the banking sector and the
government's excessive dependence on domestic debt.
The report also points the finger at an inconsistent ratio
of GDP and banking sector credit flow. In the latest WB
report, Bangladesh’s performance in the financial development
index points to a disappointing situation in
the financial institutions. Bangladesh scored only 0.24
points out of a total score of 1 in the financial development
index of WB and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) in 2020. In a worrying development, the share of
exports in GDP has been declining since 2011 – thereby
raising doubts on Bangladesh’s growth model sustainability.
Asked what growth rate was needed for Bangladesh to
become an upper middle-income country (MIC) by 2031
and a higher-income country (HIC) by 2041, WB Bangladesh
lead economist Zahid Hussain said the arithmetic
inferred that the baseline growth is 6.5% but Bangladesh’s
GDP needs to grow at 7.8% per year to make it
to the upper middle-income country by 2031. However,
the current global economic condition may not allow
Bangladesh to grow at that rate in the coming days.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its
projection of GDP growth for Bangladesh to 6% in the
current fiscal 2022-23 from 6.7% as projected in April.
The global lender has forewarned that the worse is yet
to come and the next year will feel like a recession with
shrinking incomes and rising prices which may result in
even lower GDP growth rate.
Talking about the need of reform, Nora Dihel, the senior
economist at WB in her presentation warned about the
LDC graduation challenges and expained why reform
is necessary for Bangladesh’s uninterrupted economic
growth. "Comprehensive reforms are required to enhance
financial sector intermediation capacity to support
economic growth while preserving financial sector
stability," notes the WB report. Three obstacles to the
country’s growth are identified in the report titled “Bangladesh
Country Economic Memorandum – Change of
Fabrics” which are as follows:
THE WORLD BANK (WB) HAS IDENTIFIED THREE OBSTACLES TO THE COUNTRY’S GROWTH:
1. Declining trade
competitiveness
DURING THE LAUNCHING OF THE REPORT TITLED “BANGLADESH COUNTRY ECONOMIC MEMORANDUM –
CHANGE OF FABRICS.” THE WB RECOMMENDED SOME ACTIONS TO SUSTAIN THE GROWTH:
1. Export products should be diversified
2. Bangladesh Tariff rate should be lowered
3. Financial sector must be reformed
4. Attention should be paid to balanced urbanization
TRADE COMPETITIVENESS
2. A weak and
vulnerable financial
sector
3. Unbalanced and
inadequate
urbanization
To maintain growth in exports, products should be
diversified. The country’s growth model now based
on trade competitiveness based on low wages where
trade preferences are eroding, overreliance on readymade
garments exports and a protective tariff regime
challenge the sustainability of Bangladesh’s
growth. Bangladesh’s exports are extremely concentrated.
Actually, the export basket is four times more
26 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 27

ECONOMY
ECONOMY
concentrate than the average developing country. The
current basket is heavily relaying in readymade garments.
More than 80% of export income comes from
this sector. With the impending end of preferential
access to markets due to graduation from the leastdeveloped
country bracket, Bangladesh will need to
find new drivers of exports and growth. In terms of
LDC graduation, this will create further challenges,
said Nora Dihel, the senior economist.
Bangladesh’s tariff rate is higher than other countries,
due to which the trade capacity is decreasing.
The report said Bangladesh needs to reduce the level
of protection by rationalising the tariff regime as a
first crucial step to support export diversification.
Para-tariff need to be eliminated gradually, making
the tariff structure consistent with that of an uppermiddle-income
country. Border and documentary
compliance requirements lead to major delays for
exporting firms in Bangladesh and, it requires more
than 300 hours to comply, such delays are among the
highest in South Asia. The overreliance on garment
exports and the perpetuation of a protective tariff regime
challenge must end if the country must level up.
To accelerate and sustain export growth, Bangladesh
needs to diversify its export basket. Modernisation of
Bangladesh's tariff regime is the first crucial step to
supporting export diversification.
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
Bangladesh;s real GDP growth under diffrent
reform scenarioc (in%)
Business as usual
Moderate Reforms
Strong Reforms
2021-25 2026-30 2031-35 2036-41
SOURCE: WB
FINANCIAL SECTOR
Global economic situation
Inflation is the biggest problem
Inflation rate is highegt in the US and UK in 40 years
75 countries increase interest rate to decrease inflation
Fuel oil price dips by 20% apprehending recession
'Stagflation' might appear
Situation in Bangladesh
Taka devalued by 10.37% from January
Deficit in current balance is USD 18.69 billion
Inflation rate 7.48%
Fuel oil price hiked by 42-51%
Bangladesh Bank not to bring change in interest rate
Regarding the banking sector, WB said, it will play an important role in future economic development.
Despite major progress over the past four decades, Bangladesh’s financial sector still lags
behind its peers. The deepening of the financial sector has remained stalled. As per IMF’s global
Financial Development Index, Bangladesh ranks 95 out of 184 countries in terms of financial development.
Banks in Bangladesh have the lowest regulatory capital among the country's peers, driven
by undercapitalisation of the state-owned banks. Credit to the private sector remains low in Bangladesh
compared with most of its structural and aspirational peers. While others like China, Vietnam,
Cambodia, and Thailand have bank credit-to-GDP ratios that are substantially above 100 per cent, in
Bangladesh this ratio has stabilised at around 45 per cent since 2016. Similarly, stock market capitalisation
to GDP has been declining since 2015 signalling limited ability of Bangladeshi companies
to raise long term capital and actions needed to develop
this sector as well. The WB report also notes
that "weaknesses in the regulatory and supervisory
framework do not properly equip the authorities to
deal with potential internal and external shocks in a
timely and cost-effective manner."
The WB said that vision 2041 aims to increase national
savings significantly but raising the level of
savings and efficiently channelling them to productive
investment will require major restructuring and
greater efficiency of the financial system. Bangladesh
needs to continue to build better financial sector
infrastructure, improve its legal and regulatory
frameworks, and phase out the existing distortions
to enable a larger and more efficient flow of financing
to the private sector, including to underserved
segments. According to Prof Rashed Al Mahmud
Titumir, chairman of the Development Studies department
at Dhaka University, financial irregularities
erode the lending capacity of banks. Developing
capital markets should be among the top policy priorities
to unlock long-term finance for infrastructure
and green investments. The reason being the high
investment needs must be partially financed by external
borrowing and the financial sector will become
more integrated into the global financial system.
The WB identified that the board of directors of several
banks were appointed from non-financial firms,
political leaders and owners of business groups. It
said although some restrictions on related-party
transactions exist on paper, the regulations are not
consistent with international best practices and, in
practice, there are few barriers to self-dealing. The
INFRASTRUCTURE, FDI TO SUPPORT
BANGLADESH INVESTMENT GROWTH
Average Annual investment
Growth Rate
2021-
2030
2032-
2040
2041-
2050
*Years Correspond to Fiscal Years
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
%YoY
report highlighted various fraudulent schemes over
the past decade, with the involvement of members
of the board of directors in Sonali Bank worth losses
of Tk 30 billion, BASIC Bank Tk 45 billion, and Padma
Bank, formerly Farmers Bank Tk 30.7 billion. While
Bangladesh was not affected much by the Asian Financial
Crisis and the Global Financial Crisis given
the relatively small and isolated nature of the country's
financial system, this will not be the case going
forward.
28 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 29

ECONOMY
ECONOMY
E UPPER MIDDLE INCOME STATUS
uired
2033 2035
Baseline
E high income status
2051 2061
uired Baseline
URBANISATION
RANKING CITY COUNTRY
210
212
214
216
217
218
221
224
225
227
Urbanisation is essential for Bangladesh’s
next development stage.
Attention should be paid to balanced
urbanisation. Successful urbanisation
will be crucial for Bangladesh
to reach the next level of
development, the WB said, adding
that experiences of economic development
around the world show
that the level of urbanisation and
the economic status of a country go
hand in hand. But Bangladesh’s urbanisation
during the past decades
has been unstructured and unbalanced.
Dhaka, which is at the centre
of Bangladesh’s urban hierarchy
with an outsized influence on the
economy, is highly congested and
polluted and ranks far below cities
in the peer countries on the Mercer
Quality of Living Index. Secondary
cities are underdeveloped and do
not yet provide a conducive environment
for more spatially balanced
development. It is estimated that
Bangladesh’s population will reach
a peak of 185 million in 2041 and the
urbanisation rate will reach about
60 percent in 2050.
For this massive urbanisation to
generate economic growth and lift
Bangladesh to high-income country
status, the process of urbanisation
must solve two critical challenges:
how to enhance and maintain the
productivity advantage of Dhaka
city in the face of this massive
population surge, and how to make
cities other than Dhaka and Chittagong
attractive to formal firms
and skilled workers to create productivity
advantages. In the short
term, the focus should be on the
creation of jobs in tradable activities
for all types of cities.
Dhaka and Chittagong have the experience
of nurturing a dynamic garment
industry. These cities need to
diversify their portfolio of tradable
activities, which will require national-level
policy reforms to enhance
trade competitiveness, according
to the report. In the medium term,
ECONOMIC REFORMS - PAST AND PRESENT
HARARE
LAGOS
ANTANANARIVO
OUAGADOUGOU
DHAKA
NIAMEY
NOUAKCHOTT
BRAZZAVILLE
DAMASCUS
KHARTOUM
ZIMBABWE
NIGERIA
MADAGASCAR
BURKINA FASO
BANGLADESH
NIGER
MAURITANIA
CONGO
SYRIA
SUDAN
SOURCE: MERCER QUALITY OF LIVING INDEX
improving connectivity both within
and across cities as well as some
measures of climate change mitigation
and adaptation should be the
focus. City-level leaders should focus
on reforms to ensure affordable
housing and equitable access to city
services.
In the long term, the focus should
be on dealing with the infrastructural
challenges of climate change
mitigation and adaptation since sea
level rise or warming is happening at
a slower pace.
Financial sector reforms in the country started in the mid-1980s through the work of the Money, Banking and
Credit Commission, including the denationalisation of banks, licensing of private commercial banks, use of
back-to-back letters of credit, and introduction of micro-credit for the poor. The reforms accelerated in the
early 1990s with interest rate deregulation, restructuring of the banks' operational procedures, and introduction
of a loan classification system and provisioning framework as well as capital adequacy standards.
According to the World Bank, in the late 1990s,
the reforms continued with improvements in the
regulatory and supervisory framework of banks,
assigning greater powers to the Bangladesh Bank.
Bangladesh also progressed in adopting the Basel
regulations, with the introduction of risk-weighted
capital adequacy minimum requirements in 2007 as
well as other prudential norms. Further, to improve
financial inclusion, the Credit Information Bureau
Ranking of South Asian economies
SOURCE: WELT 2020
2020
5
3
40
2034
25
44
50
67
62
163
160
India Bangladesh Pakistan Sri Lanka Nepal Afghanistan Maldives Bhutan
NEEDS A MAJOR RESTRUCTURING?
International monetary institutions
and experts advocate a major restructuring
and deepening of the financial
system, including increasing
the efficiency and sophistication of
the banking sector, and developing
a long-term capital market.
The World Bank believes the country
needs to source external resources
proactively, including through
international capital markets, by
promoting local currency financing,
easing external borrowing constraints,
and attracting foreign direct
investment.
Agreeing with WB’s report Planning
Minister MA Mannan said, “Yes,
we also have some problems in the
banking sector. Our private banks
are not doing as well as expected.
(CIB), established in 1992, was automated in 2009.
More recently, transformational advances have
been made in the areas of digitisation and payment
system infrastructure. Despite this remarkable
progress, the World Bank said, in the development
of financial institutions and financial markets, Bangladesh
still lags behind its structural and aspirational
peers.
100
88
117
Besides, we are aware of the necessity
to diversity our exports and we
have started the reform plan for this
sector.” He also added, “The World
Bank has been working as our development
partner for a long time.
However, I will take this report and
read it seriously.” Ahsan H. Mansur,
executive director of Policy Research
Institute of Bangladesh said, “I fully
agree with what the World Bank has
said. Our first-generation reform is
done. The second and third-generation
reforms were to take place.
But we have not yet initiated the
second-generation reforms.”
To conclude, there is no doubt that
our economy is progressing. But the
progress has to be sustainable in order
to fulfil the aspiration of 2041 to
107
149
145
be a developed country. To sustain
the economy, Bangladesh governments
has already taken some initiatives
to take the progress further.
The World Bank report and the economic
experts’ views and suggestions
would help government and its
related organs to take precautionary
and progressive steps to sustain the
growth. In line with the view of the
experts and international monetary
institutions we can expect that the
diversification of trade, reformation
of financial sector, and balanced urbanization
along with other necessary
reformations would take our
economy to the expected level envisioned
by our leaders and the country
people.
30 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 31

RANGAMATI RAZZMATAZZ
A SIGH OF RELIEF FOR TOURISTS
-PHOTO BY MIR ARMAN FARUK
32 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 33

POLITICS
HEAT ON THE GROUND
AL SENSES VIOLENCE, BNP
GEARS INTO ELECTION MODE
LOOKING BACK AT PREVIOUS POLITICAL TURMOIL
In the 2014 parliamentary elections, the Awami League (AL) won 232 of the 300 seats. In addition, to boycott
the election, the opposition BNP ran a campaign to lower voter turnout. They consequently lost the election.
BNP allegedly ruined the nation's peace and created unrest to stop the election. As a result, many BNP leaders
were arrested for to curb the spread of violence. After the election, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina adopted
a firm stance, declaring that she would not enter negotiations until the opposition stop inciting violence.
"Today, democracy is soiled by the blood of innocent people and soaked by the tears of burnt people, who
have fallen victim to the violent political programs that were hammering the nation's conscience," PM Hasina
had declared after the election. ” The army was to curb any post-poll terrorism and violence with heavy
fists," PM Hasina continued.
-MD. EMRAN HOSSAIN
As the 12th national parliamentary election is scheduled
within 14 months or so, Bangladesh is fastmoving
towards an election that is already under
scanner in terms of transparency, inclusiveness and
democratic practices. The whole atmosphere leading
to the ensuing elections is now being closely
watched on a global scale. The Election Commission
(EC) has already taken several actions coupled with
the government’s apparent will to make the next national
elections freer, fairer and further participatory.
With the national polls ahead, one can see that the
BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist party) has recently
geared up ground activities, which give impression
that the party is perhaps preparing for the next parliamentary
polls while inviting a sort of vibrancy in
the country’s field of politics. This has made the
government anticipate a political atmosphere to be
heated up centring over the next election, while also
poses some extra challenges for the EC like establishing
trust, guaranteeing impartiality of the local
government, garnering faith in computerised voting
equipment, managing the contenders, tackling
all sorts of unrest in the process, preventing use of
black money and intimidation during polls, and preserving
law and order throughout the election phase.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE LAST DECADE
Currently, Awami League is in the fourth term of premiership by winning for the third consecutive term
directed by PM Sheikh Hasina. Climbing every ladder of fame, tradition, hardship, and triumph, the ruling
party has reached its 73rd year. With Hasina at the helm of the Awami League as president, and Prime Minister,
Bangladesh has not only joined the ranks of the developing nations, but it has also become an economic
development model for the rest of the world.
Major developments:
Bangladesh is now attaining 7% average GDP (gross
domestic product) growth, surpassing the benchmark
of the Lower Middle-Income status in 2015
because of the exceptional social, economic, and political
leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina. There have
been various mega-projects included in the country's
development through the last 12 years. To overhaul
the nation's electrical, transportation, and communication
infrastructure, the Awami League government
launched several enormous construction projects
after taking office in 2009. Ten megaprojects
in total were chosen for fast-tracking because they
would significantly influence the economy and the
general welfare of the public.
Seven of the eight mega projects; Padma Bridge,
Padma Rail Link, Metro Rail, Chattogram- Cox's Bazar
Rail Link, Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Matarbari
Power Plant, and Payra Deep Sea Port are vitally
important to the nation's economic growth, thus the
government's top priority right now is their prompt
completion.
Not only infrastructural developments, but the country
has also excelled in agriculture, health, ICT, education,
shelter, food, transportation, gender equality,
child welfare, financial inclusion etc. Additionally,
the country's shipping system will undergo significant
transformation with the Payra deep-sea port
project. By launching Bangabandhu Satellite, the
country has successfully claimed its own space, and
it has been working well since its launch. Elevated
Expressway construction is underway to relieve traffic
congestion in the capital city and its surroundings.
Moreover, the aviation industry of Bangladesh
is taking a new shape with infrastructural and security
developments. With the aim to facilitate the
citizens and transform the fate of the country, the
govt. of PM Hasina has worked relentlessly and no
citizen denies the fact.
Police and protesting opposition activists in a brawl during a rally in Dhaka.
34 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 35

POLITICS
POLITICS
Addressing energy crisis:
In the last ten years, Bangladesh has made a lot of
progress in this area by focusing on building capacity
and expanding transmission and coverage. Just a
few months ago, people believed that Bangladesh
had put its history of power outages far behind it because
it was meeting almost all of its power needs.
Now, Bangladesh is becoming an electricity-hungry
country as the world has seen a global energy crisis
due to the Covid outbreak, extreme weather, growing
economic recession, and obviously the Russia-
Ukraine war. The global crisis exposed energy supply
chain gaps. Compared to April 2020, the price of LNG
has gone up eight times and the price of crude oil has
gone up about five times.
In response to rising energy prices on the international
market, the government has implemented initiatives
as a part of its austerity measures to conserve
fuel and power. Within the upcoming fiscal year, one
of the Rampal coal-fired power plant's units is anticipated
to start operating. One unique slogan of the
present government is "electricity for all." Once completed,
the Rooppur nuclear power station project
and the Matarbari 1200 MW coal-fired power plant
project will make a significant contribution to the
fulfillment of this motto and contribute in fighting
the ongoing energy crisis. Additionally, Bangladesh
has signed MoU with Brunei to combat the energy
crisis in Bangladesh.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam
Alamgir addresses a rally at Uttara, organised
by the party’s Dhaka north city unit
HEATED POLITICS WITH AN ELECTION AHEAD
Activists are going to join the
rally of BNP in Khulna
IS BNP GEARING UP FOR NEXT NATIONAL ELECTION?
A crucial element of any election
is the act of participation from
all parties throughout the political
spectrum. Both the 2014 and
2018 elections under the current
regime fell short of becoming
celebrations of democracy, as
BNP, the main rival of the Awami
League opted not to run in 2014.
In the latter, BNP chairperson
Khaleda Zia was prohibited from
the election due to legal convictions,
which led the party to terrible
electoral performance. PM
Sheikh Hasina attempted to have
dialogues in 2014 and 2018 about
the elements of the government
ahead of the elections for establishing
a fair electoral process.
Since August, we can see the
change as BNP has been routinely
presenting a range of programs. It
is crucial for them to participate
in the upcoming elections as they
need to be in the election to sustain
themselves in the national
parliament.
Already, they have been unable to
improve their image since the last
election and attain public emotion.
However, this time, party
officials promised to organize
peaceful protests including rallies
and processions. "Although
four of our leaders and activists
were killed, we will not leave the
streets. As a democratic party, we
will continue to wage our peaceful
and systematic movement,"
Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, BNP’s
standing committee member
stated. However, they have been
observed engaging in aggressive
behaviour that is spreading unrest
around the country. They are
accused of using the sufferings of
the public to achieve their political
agenda. BNP unveiled a new
initiative in September. In that
context, on December 10, a sizable
rally in Dhaka will mark the
conclusion of this three-month
program. The party intends to
continue its campaign till the upcoming
national parliamentary
elections.
Since August 22, the BNP has organized
protests across the nation
over the increase in the cost
of fuel and necessities. BNP has
debated expanding the protests
to cities, divisional headquarters,
and districts in order to maintain
their presence on the streets because
they view the ongoing national
protest programs as a "success."
BNP supporters have recently
clashed over political issues, intensifying
the political situation
in the nation. During the time
of global crisis, where the world
along with Bangladesh is facing
challenges, BNP has been creating
chaos in the name of protests.
Instead of dealing with the crisis
for the betterment of the nation,
BNP has been continuously uttering
provocative, anti-govt. and
bewildering statements, which
is causing unrest and resentment
among the citizens. Obaidul
Quader, the general secretary of
the AL, claimed a few months
back that the BNP is planning
scheming plots to inflame the political
climate in the nation in an
attempt to establish a national
government. He added,
"Each BNP leader is speaking
in different tones at different
times. In the name of the election-time
government or neutral
government or sometimes a
national government, they are
hatching deception to heat up
the political ground, which will
never succeed.”
The BNP has allegedly been engaging
in chaos in the name of the
movement, according to the AL.
However, BNP claimed that in August,
over 700 party leaders and
activists were detained, and 50
cases were brought against them.
BNP Secretary General Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir criticized
the administration for undermining
the party's non-violent initiatives
and holding party officials,
leaders, and activists accountable
in "false and fraudulent" instances.
A political maneuver has
been used to periodically back
down and restricts the programs
of BNP to avoid violence. But a
much tougher stance has been
taken about the meetings outside
of Dhaka as the opposition
party gets more violent. In fact,
the police opened fire to control
the situation.
In a recent general meeting held
by BNP caused panic among the
citizens living in Khulna, for which
the workers had stopped the
transport service. The opposition
party blamed the govt. for cutting
the transport system in Khulna.
Whereas, Obaidul Quader has
confirmed that the government
did not restrict the BNP rally and
said, “The government did not
give any order to stop the transport,
but the workers stopped the
bus movement for the sake of
their lives”.
36 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 37

POLITICS
POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY AHEAD OF DECEMBER 10 BNP CONVENTION
Politics is getting heated up in the
lead-up to the BNP convention
on December 10 in Dhaka. Begum
Khaleda Zia, chairperson of BNP,
will join the rally. Tariq Rahman
will reportedly return to the nation
on December 11, according to the
middle leaders of the party. Senior
executives assert, however, that
deadlines do not cause progress.
They claim that the government will
be dismissed from the Dhaka demonstration
with a red card. Program
changes will be made. In several
rallies, BNP has been attacking the
present govt. by saying infuriating
statements.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul
Islam Alamgir addressed the
present government in a protest
and said, "Leave with respect. If
you don't go, then the people of
this country know how to change."
Amanullah Aman stated in another
occasion that the nation would not
abide by Sheikh Hasina's words after
December 10. After December 10
the nation will be guided by Khaleda
Zia's remarks. On the other hand,
Awami League's general secretary,
Obaidul Quader, declared that there
will be a street-level conflict, but the
actual confrontation won't happen
until December. In another event,
Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury, a
member of the Awami League
FEAR OF INSTABILITY GROWS, AL SENSES VIOLENCE
presidency said, "The BNP will not
be permitted to leave any location
throughout the month of victory.
It's our respected month."
Because of the political fervour generated
by the BNP's program for its
general meeting on December 10 in
Dhaka, the topic of the divisional
assembly has been overshadowed
and increasing the political pressure.
Now, Awami League is gearing
up the party for the upcoming
presidential election. The party has
made the decision to take the field
in response to opposition misinformation.
The district, Upazila, and
Thana conferences are currently in
their final stages.
To achieve political dominance, hundreds of opposition
party activists have indulged in conflict with the police
recently. Several lives have already lost in recent conflicts
in various regions, causing widespread concern.
Section 144 was imposed in eight Upazilas to prevent
the chaos caused by the opposition faction. A confrontation
between BNP activists and police took place in
Narayanganj on September 1 and resulted in death of
one person and injuries to numerous others. Law enforcers
attempted to stop BNP activists from holding
a protest, which led to the altercation. On September
8, a fight broke out between the party members and
police after the law enforcers attempted to prevent a
BNP protest rally – leaving 50 including 21 policemen
hurt. Another BNP protest rally in Munshiganj on September
20 resulted in a conflict that left one person
dead and at least 50, including 30 policemen, hurt. A
section of the people think that political disturbance on
the street has helped worsen traffic congestion in the
capital – adding to the woes of general public. There are
sometimes chases and counter-chases between party
activists and police centring over the holding of political
programmes. Many worry that opposition party activists
may engage in more violent confrontations as the
country swings to election mode. BNP leaders and activists
held a gathering on September 29 in the capital’s
Hazaribagh – thereby carrying bamboo sticks and tiny
clubs. Some of the sticks had small national flags fastened
to their ends. They appeared in a number of processions
while carrying bamboo and sticks. AL Presidium
Member Dr Abdur Razzak said, “They (BNP leaders)
have already held quite a few programmes. But the way
they are entering the field with sticks and disrespecting
the national flag by tying it to the sticks shows that
there is a conspiracy to disrupt the situation. This cannot
be accepted."
To wrap up, people of the country, following the history
of political fracas by the opposition BNP, are getting
afraid of further chaos as they look forward to the
ensuing national elections with heightened political
activities in recent weeks. BNP’s groundwork for elections
may be the rightful decision of the party, but inciting
unrest will be difficult to swallow with the next
national parliamentary elections in view. It would have
been appreciated by the nation only if BNP could join
the next election without violence, and hold rallies
peacefully. The whole world is facing a crisis sparked
by warlike violence. Adding more to the existing woes
won’t make the situation any better. Instead, sitting
with the authorities about holding a peaceful election,
contributing towards solving problems, and acting responsibly
towards the country might be beneficial for
the image of the party as well as the general populace
of the country.
38 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 39

MODELING THE
FUTURE OF RELIGION
IN BANGLADESH
People of different religions live in Bangladesh with peace and harmony for centuries.
The present government has been making every possible efforts to maintain
the non-communal distinctiveness of the country and contributing extensively to
all religious establishments. This portrays the country as a role model before the
entire world in terms of maintaining and consolidating communal harmony, writes
NASHIR UDDIN with MOHAMMAD RAFIUL HASSAN
Bangladesh is home to some 165 million people
who are multi-religious, multi-ethnic and
multi-lingual. Religious minorities are estimated
to be constituting about 12 percent of
the current population. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism,
and Christianity are the four major religions
in the country. Hindus make up about
10 percent of the entire population, Buddhists
1 percent, Christians 0.5 percent and ethnic
minorities less than 1 percent. With non-communal
coexistence of all these masses, Bangladesh
is a real example of how people representing
different religions can live together in
peace, cooperation and harmony.
In fact, Bangladesh is a country where religious
freedom, harmony and tolerance are valued.
People here learn naturally to put aside their
differences and embrace the diverse culture
that has contributed to the country’s equality.
People of different ethnic and religious
backgrounds have been living in peace for
thousands of years. This country, thus, is an
example of social harmony due to its rich culture
of tolerance and respect among people irrespective
of their views and attitudes, which
have been reflected in the country’s constitution
and the government’s rules since the independence.
1
SAFEGUARDING SECULARISM
Bangladesh’s Constitution guarantees
all citizens the freedom
to practice their chosen religion
freely and peacefully. In the country’s
1972 Constitution, the Awami
League integrated secularism
as a guiding principle of the state
alongside democracy, nationalism,
and socialism. Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after independence
worked to establish
a non-communal Bangladesh.
He dreamt for a non-communal
country which reflects on the four
fundamental principles – secularity,
nationalism, democracy and
socialism – core ideas of the 1972
constitution.
But the secularism principle was
removed from the Constitution
in 1977 by the 5th amendment by
President Ziaur Rahman.
However, in 2010, Bangladesh
Supreme Court declared the 5th
amendment illegal and restored
secularism as one of the basic
tenets of the Constitution. The
Constitution of Bangladesh thus
incorporated ‘secularism’ as a
‘fundamental principle of State
Policy’. It states that “the State
shall endeavour to ensure quality
of opportunity to all citizens.”
While the ‘fundamental rights’
stated in the Constitution ensure,
“all citizens are equal before law
and are entitled to equal protection
of law. The State shall not
discriminate against any citizen
2 BACKING RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENTS
The government is keen to maintain Bangladesh as
a non-communal country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
restored religious freedom in the constitution
as the cornerstone of the country's secular identity
and took various initiatives to ensure religious freedom.
The government has reached out to minority
on grounds only of religion, race,
caste, sex or place of birth.” Thus,
the provision of ‘non-discrimination
on the ground of religion’
is guaranteed as a fundamental
right under the Constitution. The
Constitution also provides that
every citizen has the freedom to
adopt a religion or belief of his/
her own choice.
Moreover, every citizen has the
right to profess, practise or propagate
any religion. Every religious
community or denomination has
the right to establish, maintain
and manage its religious institutions.
Hence, the country’s government
bears the responsibility
to rule accordingly.
populations and assisted Dhaka’s famous Dhakeshwari
temple in reclaiming property that it has previously
lost. Some of the activities of the current
government include renovation and restoration of
more than 2,300 Hindu temples, 65 major churches
and establishments for Christian communities, and
40 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 41

RELIGION
RELIGION
building of a Buddhist monastery
at the birthplace of Gautam Buddha
in Lumbini, Nepal. The building
of a Buddhist shrine in Lumbini
to serve pilgrims from around
the world has set a clear example
for all countries of the world that
Bangladesh is a role model in case
of preserving communal harmony.
The government also constructed
permanent offices for the Hindu,
Buddhist, and Christian Welfare
Trusts in Dhaka for the first time
in Bangladesh.
The government manages all
mosques, temples, churches,
pagodas and gurdwaras in Bangladesh
through the Ministry of
Religious Affairs. The government
believes in communal harmony
and has set a glaring example of
giving equal opportunity to the
people of all religions. In this regard,
PM Hasina said “we are concerned
enough to ensure that none
of any religion feel neglected, and
Bangladesh has set an example in
the world to this end.” She said the
government will ensure that the
people of Bangladesh can perform
their religious rituals with dignity
and sincerity and the communal
harmony that has existed here for
thousands of years must be wellpreserved
at all costs.
The Sheikh Hasina-led Awami
League’s slogan ‘Dhormo Jaar
Jaar, Utsob Shobar,’ (Religion as
per one’s own, but festivals common
to all) as a testimony of its
secular values has set a precedent
in the international community
about communal harmony.
temple recently, they found that the Muslim owner
has no issues with its use and he opened his door for
the Hindu people to worship.
Besides, every year during Ramadan, hundreds of
Muslim men, women, and children queue every day
in front of a Buddhist monastery in Dhaka to receive
iftar, the feast with which Muslims break their fast
4
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
The world is well aware of and
admires Bangladesh’s inter-communal
harmony. US ambassadorat-large
for international Religious
Freedom Rashed Hussain
highly lauded religious harmony
and freedom in Bangladesh while
visiting recently. "We are very encouraged
to see people from different
faith groups who are living
together peacefully here," he said
adding that quarters who are trying
to divide and create complication
among people of different
religions must be stopped. The US
ambassador-at-large appreciated
the government's initiative to address
these challenges.
at dusk during the holy month.
Moreover, the initiative by Dharmarajika Buddhist
monastery to distribute food to poor and destitute
Muslims is a shining example of social harmony between
two groups from two different religions in a
South Asian country.
Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen,
Secretary-general of the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC), said on March 20, 2021
in a video message "Today Bangladesh
is one of the brightest
examples of religious harmony
and peace." He appreciated the
government’s initiatives taken for
the peaceful coexistence of different
religion groups and for the development
of the country. These
recognition and appreciation of
the communal harmony is surely
a source of pride for the people of
Bangladesh.
5
RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
Bangladesh is a country where colourful
festivals are held throughout
the year in a befitting manner
with great enthusiasm without
any religious or racial boundaries.
Ramadan
3 GLARING EXAMPLES OF COMMUNAL HARMONY
Media reports recently portrayed two people of different
religions in Khulna – a Hindu and a Muslim
– setting an example of communal harmony by empathising
with each other's religions. In Bagerhat, a
Hindu man has donated property for the construction
of a mosque and nine Muslim leaders of the local
Awami League have donated a portion of their
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic
Church, prays with representatives
of Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism
land for use as a crematorium meant for Hindus’ funeral
service.
In another example, a temple at Khojapur area of
Rajshahi had been closed since 1975 over land issues,
and the land which included the temple was
sold to a Muslim. The temple was never demolished
and when some local devotees inquired about the
Various religious holidays such as
Eid of Muslims, Pujas of Hindus,
Christmas of Christians, Buddha
Purnima of Buddhists, and some
other religious days are observed
nation-wide with shared joys of
all people irrespective of their religions.
Certain festivals are deeply
rooted in the social organism, and
they continue to entertain people
from generation to generation.
These celebrations reflect not only
the imprint of religion but also the
imprint of society and the nation.
Durga Puja
Probarona Purnima
42 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 43

Ramu Temple, Cox's Bazar
201 Dome Mosque, Tangail Dhakeshwari Temple, Dhaka Holy Rosary Church, Dhaka
6
For spontaneous participation of
all kinds of people in the religious
festivals, the government of Bangladesh
ensures enough security
for religious celebrations, such as
the Durga Pujas and other religious
festivals. Over 30,000 Durga
Pujas are held across the country
every year. Most of them go off
without a hitch. On the contrary,
it has been seen that some vested
quarters had instigated attacks
7
FESTIVAL SECURITY AND SOME UNWANTED INCIDENTS
on Buddhist community and vandalized
some Hindu temples in
few occasions by utilizing the social
media in the past. Attacks on
the Buddhist community in Ramu
Upazila of Cox’s Bazar and attacks
on different temples in Cumilla
in the recent past were some
separate incidents in Bangladesh.
Immediately after the incidents,
government has taken all possible
actions sincerely to address the
MISCONCEPTION AND PROPAGANDA
issues and support the affected
Hindu and Buddha communities.
Senior government officials visit
regularly a number of the impacted
locations and give the minority
people assurances that they will
receive proper protection and reimbursement
for any losses. This
reflects the general sense of security
in the country, not just among
the religious minority.
There are some misconception, misinformation, and
propaganda building in the country regarding the decreasing
number and persecution of minority, which
is not absolutely true. Unfairly and without basis,
Bangladesh is portrayed as a nation that discriminates
against its minorities. However, the attacks
on the Hindu and Buddha community is misrepresented
to be a communal violence, but in reality, it
cannot be called a communal attack. Because it has
been found that, some local miscreants create situations
and attack the religious minority for their own
interests and to seize and loot properties, although
they are few in numbers. They not only attack the
religious minority, but also the small ethnic groups
such as Santal, Garo, Chakma, Marma, Tripura etc.
to grab their lands, properties and houses, and Muslims
also fall in their prey. Because creed, caste or
religion etc. are irrelevant to looters. In fact, these
are separate incidents that does not symbolize the
mind-set of the whole Bangladeshi people.
There is no communal extremism among the general
population of Bangladesh, therefore, there is no
communally worrying situation prevails in the country.
In the country, like Muslims, Hindus also occupy
high position in the government. Though 10 percent
To sign off, it can be noted
that harmony among our different
religious traditions is
essential for peace and prosperity.
Genuine harmony
should be founded on mutual
respect. And respect should
be based on a recognition that
all the world's major religious
traditions are similar in having
the potential to help human
beings, live at peace with
themselves, with each other
and with the environment. To
of the total population belongs to the Hindu community,
their share in jobs and trades is much more.
If there was religious sectarianism in Bangladesh,
this would not have been possible for the followers
of Hindu people. Therefore, before calling these attacks
communal, it is necessary to see whether there
is a communal situation prevails in the country or
not. If someone calls the people of Bangladesh extremist
without looking at the existing social situation,
then it will be nothing but a big propaganda
against the people of this country.
promote religious harmony,
we need to advocate the idea
of “harmony with uniformity”
and must learn to respect each
other. In this regard, a rich culture
of tolerance and respect
amongst individuals regardless
of beliefs and viewpoints
makes Bangladesh a model of
communal harmony. People
have been living here for a
long time with confidence in
inter-communal peace. Intercommunal
harmony is synonymous
with Bengali culture.
Considering this, the government
makes every effort to
protect the rights of all ethnic
and religious groups. The
world also recognizes and appreciates
the inter-communal
harmony of Bangladesh. Bangladesh,
for all these reasons,
can well be regarded as a role
model of religious harmony
across the world.
44 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 45

ECONOMY
According to SWIFT's global payments data, money
transfers through US dollar decreased to 39 percent
in 2022. This gap has been filled by Chinese renminbi
and other unconventional currencies, which are on
the rise in terms of international payment. Moreover,
some geopolitical events, happening at this moment
worldwide, mean to weaken the power of US dollar.
This has raised a question: is the US dollar losing its
dominance in international market? Although it may
not seem to happen so soon, the demand for dollar
as a currency of choice for international transactions
is likely to decline in the long-term. The following
events are the main drivers that cast a threat to the
dominance of US dollar.
IS US DOLLAR'S DOMINANCE
UNDER THREAT?
-DR. MOHAMMAD DULAL MIAH
Currency is simply a medium
of exchange. Before the advent
of currency as a medium of exchange,
people in the prehistoric
time used various kinds of scarce
objects like beads, precious metals,
and stones. At the beginning
of modern time, different metal
coins were in circulation. With the
evolution of time, people are heavily
inclined towards central bankbacked
paper currency known as
fiat money. More recently, digital
currency has made an inroad in the
financial world and begun to race
to replace the long-used paper
currency although there is considerable
skepticism about its potential.
Therefore, paper currency and
metal coin approved by the central
bank are currently the best medium
of exchange. Apart from the
medium of exchange, fiat money
is convenient to store and carry.
Furthermore, paper currency can
be divided into tiny units.
However, the fiat currencies of all
countries are not equally accepted
across the world. For example,
most West African countries use
French Franc instead of their own
currency. Eastern Caribbean countries
use US dollar as medium of
exchange. In Southeast Asia, such
countries as Laos and Cambodia
have their own national currencies,
but people feel comfortable
exchanging through US dollar because
the value of the local currencies
is highly volatile.
Outside the European Union, the
use of US dollar for settlement of
international transactions is uncompetitive.
Traders accustomed
to international transactions consider
dollar as a safe haven because
its value is more stable than any
other currency in the world. However,
over the last two decades or
so, the use of dollar as reserve currency
in the central banks worldwide
has been decreasing. More
specifically, US dollar reserves
have fallen from 70 percent to 60
percent over the last two decades.
EMERGENCE OF NEW CURRENCIES AS
DIRECT USD COMPETITOR
Politically, the world is divided into two bi-polar factions.
The US and its allies form a faction that advocates
a free market capitalism. On the other side,
Russia, China, and their allies form another group
which mostly believes on the authoritarian power.
Owing to various political and geographic differences,
these two groups vie each other for world dominance.
The US-led allies use, inter alia, dollar as a
soft weapon to weaken the other group, whereas the
Russia and China-led coalition has been making very
effort to get rid of the grips of US dollar. In line with
this tradition, Russian president Vladimir Putin recently
made an announcement in a forum organized
by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South
Africa) that the BRICS would launch a new currency
basket composed of all the BRICS currency. This currency
basket is intended to serve as an alternative
to the Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF). SDRs are international
reserve assets that complement the official reserves
of IMF member countries. It is not a currency, but a
potential claim on usable currencies of IMF members.
In other words, SDRs can provide liquidity to a
country. Such a system is envisaged to be introduced
by the BRICS with possible new basket currency. This
arrangement would make BRICS' reserves completely
independent of the US dollar and reduce demand
for the dollar, especially in BRICS.
However, there is a considerable doubt as to whether
this plan will be implemented at all. For many analysts,
this may seem to be just a political rhetoric. It
is not clear whether the BRICS will risk moving their
reserves from dollar to the new basket currency. It is
less risky and easier to switch to the gold standard
instead of the new basket currency. Gold currently
makes up more than a fifth of Russia's official reserves.
Since gold is not as easy to carry and transfer
as paper currency, it remains to be seen whether gold
or the BRICS basket can replace the dollar. Practically,
this possibility seems unlikely in the near future.
Besides BRICS-backed basket currency, the liquidity
of other currencies than the big four (US dollar,
Pound Sterling, Japanese Yen, and the Euro) has
been steadily rising over the years. Historically, the
market did not have a large supply of investable assets
in currencies other than these four, which led
to high costs of transactions using unconventional
currencies. But increased innovations as well as the
use of information technology like electronic trading
platforms, automated trading systems have increased
the liquidity of other currencies manifold. As
a result, the cost per transaction has fallen remarkably
compared to the past. Countries can now easily
trade in other currencies than the four major currencies.
Moreover, an increased number of countries is
eager to grow reserves in unconventional currencies.
Simply put, technological innovation and the convergence
of international laws governing currency
markets have made it much easier to use currencies
beyond the big four major currencies.
46 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 47

ECONOMY
ECONOMY
On the other hand, foreign exchange reserve managers
are now much more efficient in managing
reserves than ever before. The International Monetary
Fund's analysis of reserve adequacy among
55 emerging economies found that 30 countries'
reserves are about 58 percent higher than the minimum
required level. In this regard, it is worth noting
that many investment class assets have emerged
outside the traditional dollar-denomination asset
where countries are interested in investing additional
reserve funds. Many believe that the demand
for dollars will go down once this trend starts in full
swing.
not only the US dollar but also other
fiat money. It is also perceived
that the emergence of cryptocurrency
is a result of the weakness
of the US dollar.
Moreover, central banks around
the world have already announced
the launch of their own digital
currencies. Although digital currency
is not much different from
fiat money in terms of regulation
and control, it will greatly reduce
other problems involved with nonmajor
fiat currencies. For instance,
digital currency is likely to lower
transaction costs, facilitate faster
transfers, and ensure greater security
of transactions. In addition,
the fluctuation in value of digital
currency is expected to be lower
than the fiat money. If so, the use
of currencies other than US dollar
will increase.
THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The question of dollar's hegemony
is hotly debated at the
moment due to Russia's military
invasion in Ukraine and its possible
aftermath. In response to
Russia's aggression, the United
States and its allies have imposed
a range of economic sanctions on
Russia. Notable among them is
the imposition of sanctions on
Russian reserves deposited in
various banks worldwide (especially
in the United States and its
allied countries). These reserves
are estimated to be worth about
$300 billion, which is more than
a third of Russia's gross domestic
product. Furthermore, the international
community's ban on
Russian banks using SWIFT is another
blow to dollar-denominated
transactions. Obviously, Russia
wants to get out of the dollar trap
and the country is making all out
efforts to implement the plan.
For example, Russia has already
pressured relatively unfriendly
countries to pay the price of its
oil and gas in Russian currency,
Ruble, and some countries have
already agreed to comply.
The weaponisation of dollar, as
evident from the sanctions on
Iran, Venezuela, North Korea,
Afghanistan and recently on
Russia has created a sense of
fear among other countries that
any disagreement with the US
and its allies could lead to similar
restrictions on dollar-based
transactions.
This is believed to be more relevant
for China than any other
countries in the world now. In addition
to international trade dispute
between China and the US,
the opinion of these duo about
Taiwan issue is the polar extreme.
China knows it well that US will
not be reluctant to use its dollar
weapon in case it needs to apply
against China. Thus, China wants
to get out of the dollar grip. Toward
this, it has already adopted
several plans and is trying to
implement them without delay.
China has been insisting its trade
partners to settle international
transactions in local currencies
of partner countries. As per this
request, Saudi Arabia has nodded
positively by asserting that
it is ready to accept payment in
Chinese Renminbi for oil exported
to China. If China puts favorable
terms and conditions for its trading
partners, it is believed that
many countries are likely to agree
on Renminbi settlement for international
transactions. The effect
of this will certainly be negative
for the demand of US dollar.
EVOLUTION OF CRYPTO AND CENTRAL BANKS’ DIGITAL CURRENCY
Another imminent threat to the
dollar dominance in international
transactions may result from the
evolution and circulation of cryptocurrencies
and central banks’
digital currencies (CBDC). Cryptocurrency
is the buzzword of the
time. Governments have direct
control over conventional fiat
money. Cryptocurrencies have
emerged with the intention of
removing this control, that's the
view of those who believe in cryptocurrencies,
including Satoshi
Nakamoto, the inventor of cryptocurrencies.
As the control of
fiat money is centralized, the case
of cryptocurrency is that its control
is completely decentralized.
To transfer funds as per the conventional
system, one must have
an account with a bank and the
transaction must be completed
through that account. However,
transactions with cryptocurrency
do not requires any intermediary
like financial institutions. Many
believe that the widespread use
of cryptocurrency in a large scale
is like to erode the dominance of
WHAT'S UP, FINALLY
A common question is appearing in public minds
these days: Is it the beginning of the end of dollar
dominance? As discussed above, multifaceted pressures
will certainly threaten the dominance of the
American Greenback in international transactions.
But the question is if there is a better alternative to
US dollar. First, the dollar is still the world's most liquid
currency. This has been possible because of the
depth and liquidity of US financial markets. Moreover,
the yield or return on US Treasury bonds is always
positive. As a result, finding a suitable substitute
of dollar-denominated reserve is difficult.
Second, for a currency to be tradable in the international
market, it needs to be easily convertible into
other currencies. This requires strong financial institutions
of the country and accountability of the government.
In the current context, it is widely believed
that all these qualities are more common in the US
than in any other country in the world. In terms of
good governance, the situation of European countries
is disproportional; Russia and China are far behind in
DR. MOHAMMAD DULAL MIAH, an
Associate Professor and Head of the
Department of Economics and Finance
at University of Nizwa, Oman, writes
regularly for various national and
international newspapers and
magazines. He can be reached at
dulal73@gmail.com
A woman walking past a
wall painted with currencies
of different countries
terms of government accountability. In this context,
it can be said that no other country has yet achieved
the level of government transparency and accountability
required for its currency to be universal.
Finally, the use of US dollar in international transactions
over a long period has enabled the creation of a
resilient and technological infrastructure or ecosystem
around the world. A new currency needs a considerable
time to build the necessary ecosystem. So,
for now, no other currency is in the forefront to replace
the dollar. However, it is widely projected that
the dollar dominance will decrease significantly in
the next two decades.
48 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 49

INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
LIZ OUT, SUNAK IN
UK’s UNPRECEDENTED 44 DAYS OF UNCERTAINTY
-MIR ARMAN FARUK
Liz Truss announced her resignation as the British prime minister on October 20.
Her six-week stay in office, which began with a dramatic experiment in trickledown
economics and finished with the majority of those ideas being reversed,
was swiftly brought to an end with the economy still in disarray.
Truss will be remembered as the British leader with the shortest tenure after
serving for only 45 days. She was the third Conservative prime minister to be dismissed
in as many years. Her resignation adds to the chaos that has been going
on in Britain since it left the European Union. It also leaves the country’s leadership
in dilemma at a time when the cost of living is going up amid a recession in
the offing.
An unfavorable situation
Truss decided that she could no longer be prime minister because her plan to cut
taxes was in shambles. Her Conservative Party lawmakers were rebelling, and her
government was in the hands of individuals who did not support her or her policies.
She leaves office having served as prime minister for the shortest time
in British history.
Standing outside the 10 Downing Street, the same place where Boris Johnson
was forced to resign three and a half months earlier, Truss said that she
had become leader during a time of economic and international instability,
and that Conservative Party members had chosen her because of her plan for
a high-growth, low-tax economy that would take advantage of the "freedoms"
of Brexit. “I recognize though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate
on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His
Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative
Party.” she stated. Truss's speech was the short climax of a term that has been
marked by economic chaos, party rebellion, a revitalized opposition, and a growing
legitimacy crisis.
Overall drama that led to Truss resignation
The first act of this drama was when Truss's longtime friend and shortlived
chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, announced the mini budget. The budget
promised tax cuts that would be paid for by borrowing money from the
government. This scared the markets so much that the government had
to get rid of the most controversial part of the budget quickly (tax cuts for
the rich). This U-turn was insufficient, and Truss fired Kwarteng and appointed
Jeremy Hunt in his stead. Hunt is a seasoned politician who has
been called " safe pair of hands," thus Truss felt that he would be a better
choice.
But by October 19, it seemed like the Truss administration was living hour by hour instead
of day by day, and it was evident that keeping her in office any longer might be
worse for politics than getting rid of her. The two primary dramas that day served to
highlight this. Suella Braverman, the home secretary, was forced to resign for emailing
a formal document from her personal email after allegedly arguing with Truss
about immigration. The resignation letter from Braverman was harsh, saying “Pretending
we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have
made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics. I
have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”
That evening, there was a big fight over a vote on fracking. Tory MPs were told at
first that this was a vote of confidence (where loyalty is expected). They were then
encouraged to believe it wasn't a vote of confidence, though. As a result of the
ensuing chaos, MPs seeing it claim that they had been "manhandled" and "bullied."
The chief whip, who is in charge of maintaining order, reportedly yelled "I'm
no longer the chief whip" in the parliamentary hallways.
By midday the next day, Truss had resigned. A general election was called for immediately
by the opposition Labour Party. However, the Conservatives are not
obligated to call one until January 2025 under British law. Conservative legislators
could force a vote if enough of them sided with the opposition, but because
the party's popularity is plunging in polls, it is in their best interests to delay any
vote. The British political system has its own flexible set of rules that they can
use to change party leaders, and by extension, the prime minister.
Just one day after saying in Parliament, "I'm a fighter, not a quitter," Ms. Truss
quit after a hastily planned meeting with party seniors, including Graham Brady,
the chief of a group of Conservative lawmakers that has a big say in choosing the
party leader. Ms. Truss declared that she would stay in position until the party
decided on a replacement at the end of the next week. That sets off a frantic, uncertain
drive to remove her from a party that is profoundly divided and demoralized.
Truss's brief premiership, however, shows that it is risky to try to govern without public
support or a specific mandate.
New leadership contest: Chaos to Party Unity
With Liz Truss’ dramatic departure the conservative party faced another leadership contest
within 44 days. The leadership contest was announced to be happening in a more
streamlined way this time. The contestants had to gather the support of at least 100 MPs to
be qualified as a nominee. If there were more than two nominees, the least supported nominee
was to be automatically eliminated. The top two nominees were scheduled to contest in
an online vote by a conservative party member.
Rishi Sunak, who lost the leadership contest to Liz Truss last month, came out as the frontrunner.
Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the house, threw her hat in the ring officially. But there
was a strong sense of chaos when some ministers and MPs started giving their support publicly
to scandalous ex-premier Boris Johnson. Johnson cut short his family holiday from the
Dominican Republic and flew back in economy class. Although he had apparently the necessary
support of the required 100 MPs, he received a strong negative reaction from the opposition
parties, many quarters of the public, and even from within his own party.
As Penny Mordaunt’s camp failed to get the necessary support of the 100 MPs, it went down
to Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson. The two top runners had a closed-door meeting, after which
Boris Johnson publicly thanked his supporters and bowed out of the contest.
50 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 51

INTERNATIONAL
SENSIBLE SUNAK BECOMES BRITAIN’S FIRST NON-WHITE PM
King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at
Buckingham Palace, London, where he invited the newly elected
leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister
and form a new government. REUTERS
Highly regarded as a sensible personality, Rishi
Sunak has become Britain's first non-white Prime
Minister of Indian origin – thereby having won the
contest to lead the Conservative Party. He is entrusted
with guiding a highly divided nation through
an economic downturn that is likely to leave millions
of people poorer. Sunak, 42, is one of the richest
politicians in Westminster. He is also the country's
youngest leader in modern times and the third in
less than two months.
A brief account of Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak was born on May 12, 1980, in Southampton,
Hampshire, South East England. His grandparents
were Indian. His father was a general practitioner,
while his mother was a pharmacist who ran a local
drugstore. He studied in Winchester College. Sunak
studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Lincoln
College, Oxford. He was the leader of the Oxford Trading
& Investment Society, which gave students the chance
to learn about financial markets and global trading.
Sunak worked as an intern for the Conservative Party
while he was a student at Oxford. He pursued his MBA
at Stanford University as a Fulbright scholar.
Business career
Sunak was an analyst with the investment bank
Goldman Sachs from 2001 to 2004. In September
2006, he quit his previous job, joined The Children's
Investment Fund Management (TCI), and was made
a partner. In 2009, he joined Theleme Partners, a different
hedge fund company. He was also the director
of the investment company Catamaran Ventures,
which was owned by his father-in-law, businessman
N. R. Narayana Murthy.
Political career
He was selected as the Conservative candidate for Richmond
in 2014. (Yorks). The Conservative Party held the
seat for more than 100 years. He co-authored a report
on BME communities in the UK while serving as the
head of Policy Exchange’s Black and Minority Ethnic
(BME) Research Unit that year. He was chosen as Richmond's
MP in the 2015 general election (Yorks). He was
a representative on the Select Committee for the Environment,
Food, and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2017.
In 2016, he voted for the EU referendum. He also authored
a paper for the Centre for Policy Studies. It supported
the idea of free ports after Brexit. The next year,
he wrote another report that supported the idea of a
retail bond market for small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs). During the 2017 General Elections, he
was re-elected from the same seat. From January 2018
to July 2019, he was the Under-Secretary of State for
the Parliament. In the 2019 contest for the leadership
of the Conservative Party, he supported former Prime
Minister Boris Johnson. In fact, he co-wrote an article
for a British national daily to promote Johnson during
the campaign in June 2019.
In February 2020, he became the Chancellor of the
UK government. His tenure in the office of the Chancellor
was marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. He was
wildly lauded for guiding the British economy in a
scenario that no one ever saw before. He publicly
resigned from Boris Johnson’s cabinet after the revelation
of the Chris Pincher scandal. As he was seen
as a major ally of Johnson, his resignation triggered
an avalanche of other resignations and the eventual
downfall of Boris Johnson.
CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR RISHI SUNAK
Sunak received the most challenging economic and political legacy
of any British leader after the World War Two and would be confined
by the errors committed by his forebear Truss. Britain is experiencing
unprecedented levels of inflation. It is now higher than 10%. The
expense of living is out of control for consumers as actual incomes
are declining. They are experiencing a nightmare with their finances.
Sunak will need to come up with strategies to control inflation and
the recession as he has to restore confidence in the markets. He has
to coordinate spending reductions and tax increases with the Bank
of England. A financial report addressing these problems is due on
October 31.
Sunak had earlier pledged to tighten immigration restrictions to the
UK. Sunak had promised to tighten the criteria for who is eligible
for asylum while introducing an annual cap on the number of refugees.
In spite of legal obstacles, he also backed a government plan
to deport illegal immigrants seeking refuge in the UK to Rwanda for
processing. Sunak wants to implement "enhanced powers" that will
allow him to detain, tag, and watch over anyone who is entering the
UK illegally. This requires an immediate plan of action.
In the upcoming days, the UK will experience a wave of strikes. A rail
union has already declared a week of industrial action in November in
response to a disagreement over wages, job security, and other working
conditions. Higher education professionals in the United Kingdom
have voted to strike over salary, working conditions, and pensions.
Before Christmas, more than 70,000 employees at 150 colleges
may go on strike.
MAJOR PROMISES AS PRIME MINISTER
Guarantees that taxes will be reduced "once we've gripped inflation," adding that it is a matter of
when not if.
Promises to lower the basic income tax rate by 1p in April 2024 and another 3p by the end of the
upcoming Parliament.
Promises to eliminate the 5% VAT on household energy for a year if the price cap on bills for the
average household goes above £3,000.
States that independent pay review bodies should decide on pay deals in the public sector.
As chancellor, he has increased National Insurance by 1.25 pence per pound to finance for health
and social services. He would also simultaneously increase the salary threshold to £12,570.
Revealed the plan to raise the corporate tax from 19% to 25% in April 2023.
"I pledge that I will serve you with
integrity and humility and I will
work day in, day out to deliver
for the British people. The United
Kingdom is a great country, but
there is no doubt we face a profound
economic challenge. We
now need stability and unity, and
I will make it my utmost priority
to bring our party and our country
together because that is the only
way we will overcome the challenges
we face and build a better,
more prosperous future for our
children and our grandchildren"
Rishi Sunak
in hisFirst Speech as British PM
Ensures the maintenance of defense spending and advises that the present minimum level of 2%
of GDP be considered as a "floor, not a ceiling."
52 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 53

LOGISTICS
Building modern port-led
network, Boosting
economic growth
The upward progress of Bangladesh's
export sector continues,
taking the country towards LDC
graduation. The seaports of the
country are one of the drivers of
this overall progress. Direct trade
has started from Chittagong port
this year, resulting in direct shipping
from the country to several
destinations. As a result, the cost
is greatly reduced while the profit
margin is increased. Besides, after
the implementation of Padma
Bridge, Mongla port is seeing the
light of hope, with increasing
interest of foreigners to invest
in Bangladesh. If properly managed,
port-centric trade will be a
boon for Bangladesh's economy.
Sustaining and accelerating this
progress requires modernisation
and continuous development of
the country's ports, and sound
diplomacy to establish a sufficient
port-led integrated network,
writes SM TANJIL-UL-HAQUE
Bangladesh has demonstrated remarkable developments
in the last few decades. Robust macroeconomic management,
exceptional achievements in poverty reduction
and sustainable expansions have paved the way for the country
to achieve World Bank's 'Lower-Middle Income Status' in 2015
and secure the United Nations Development Policy recommendation
to graduate to 'Developing Country' in 2026. The level of
country’s growth has increased consistently at 6% per year since
2000. Based on this impressive record, Bangladesh has set its
ambitious vision of becoming a 'High Income Country' by 2041.
Until now, the development of Bangladesh has been mainly export-oriented.
Over the years, Bangladesh has become an important
player in the global trade industry, particularly in the textile
and apparel value chain. Bangladesh's export record shows an
annual average growth of about 10.25% since 2001. To uphold
the extraordinary growth, seaports can be the biggest influencer.
However, in order to maintain it, port infrastructure should be
developed, logistics be modernised, and export competitiveness
be increased in the future.
Geographically Bangladesh is in a blessed location with the Bay
of Bengal’s easy-lying slope having natural options for the seaports.
The country already has two functional seaports, Chittagong
and Mongla. In addition, the government is constructing
Payra seaport in Patuakhali, and a deep seaport in Matarbari,
Cox’s Bazar. The Padma rail link can create a freight line with India
via Beanpole port near Jashore. If the development trend can
be maintained in the seaports, the benefits will be tremendous.
The country’s real journey of maritime started with the victory
of the sea under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In continuation of the journey, establishing Payra port as the
third sea port of the country started in 2013. On the other hand,
volume of container handling at Chittagong seaport is increasing
rapidly due to increase in seaborne imports and exports.
54 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022
OCTOBER 2022
PRESS XPRESS
55

LOGISTICS
LOGISTICS
Date of
start
Shipment
cost down by
As a result, import-export activities here have to be carried out beyond capacity. This has increased the pressure
in one of the country's major sea ports. The Government has taken up a project called 'Matarbari Port
Development' with the aim of reducing excess pressure on the Chittagong port and handling a large number
of ships and containers. Under this project, a deep sea port is being constructed in Matarbari. Again, all the
seaports are being developed as modern and environment friendly to meet the growing import and export
demand of the country. These development activities are progressing rapidly with the aim of making the
ports modern and world-class by 2023 and the port city as an economic powerhouse by 2035. If this development
continues, growth is likely in the economic progress of the country.
PORT OF POSSIBILITES
DIRECT ROUTES FROM CHATTOGRAM PORT
Shipping time
earlier (days)
45
20
2
40
3
23
Italy-Istanbul UK-Netherlands
(Türkiye) (Rotterdam)
Direct route
time now (days)
25 12
6
China-
Hong Kong
45
Available
vessels moving
18
3
UAE
40
20
3
Netherlands-
Spain
40
8-10%
goods carried
directly to
Europe, China
20
3
France-
Netherlands
Feb-22 Jun-22 May-22 Nov-22 Jun-22 May-22
40% 20-30% 25-30% 20-30% 20-30% 30-40%
NECESSITY OF MODERN PORTS AND LOGISTICS
The Covid pandemic has brought
to the fore the key role a country's
port plays in timely delivery of
goods, both nationally and internationally
to hold country’s overall
economy. According to the World
Bank, more than 80% of global
merchandise trade by volume is
carried by sea, with about 35%
of total volume and 60% of commercial
value shipped in containers.
Meanwhile, inefficient ports
impede the realisation of national
and international trade potential
by imposing direct and indirect
additional costs and time, which
translate into financial crises. Efficient
management of ports and
containers is thus integral to trade
More routes
to Portugal,
Slovenia,
Middle East
by 2022
FASTER
THAN EVER
Waiting time
at outer
anchorage
drops
60-65%
of vessels
able to berth
on arrival
The rest can
berth within
a day
and connectivity. The role of ports
is not limited to cargo handling, as
ports have over time become logistics
integrators, which means they
include the provision of value-added
logistics services that enable
reduction of cost, time and complexity
in carrying out import and
export operations. In this regard,
through the use of advanced technology,
enabling efficient service
delivery, the competitiveness of
ports can be enhanced to facilitate
improved trade and logistics performance.
A study titled 'Time Release
Study 2022' conducted by the
National Board of Revenue (NBR)
has also suggested adding modern
machinery and increasing the use
Route to
Slovenia will
make shipping
easier to Germany,
Portugal
MoU on
route
signed with
Thailand
NEW ROUTES, NEW
OPPORTUNITIES
Saif Powertec
launching
new Ctg-Dubai
route
of latest technology to reduce the
time of release of imported goods
from the main ports of the country.
The supply of various logistics performance
is driven by the quality
of supporting infrastructure such
as roads, railways and ports. Improved
transport efficiency, regional
connectivity, inland conditions
and port accessibility enhance a
port's competitiveness and help
create a conducive environment
for the industry. A well-connected
and resourceful port system with
enhanced logistical capabilities is
a key determinant of foreign direct
investment (FDI) in a country, and
can also act as a catalyst for regional
economic development.
PORT AND SUPPLY CONDITION
The country's nascent trade logistics
infrastructure has room for
improvement as reflected in the
Logistics Performance Index (LPI).
Bangladesh ranks 100th with a
score of 2.58, while comparable
countries such as Indonesia and
India score higher on the scale.
On the other hand, increasing
port capacity and efficiency plays
an integral role in enhancing the
country's trade competitiveness
and facilitating expected growth
in trade by providing more efficient
logistics services through
BENEFITS OF PADMA BRIDGE
Road transport costs are relatively high in most developing
countries and represent a high share of direct
supply costs. In Bangladesh, a congested transport
system and new logistics ecosystem accrue
high economic costs. According to a recent study,
the average speed of trucks on highways is about 19
kilometres per hour, which is less than half of what
it would be in a congested state. If the congested
situation is addressed, there is an opportunity to
reduce logistics costs by at most 35% depending
on the sector. In that case, Padma Bridge and Bangabandhu
Tunnel can play important role by reducing
congestion on road. Besides, Padma Bridge, by increasing
foreign investments, created the opportunity
for Bangladesh to become an international hub
of trade. Now, if an agreement can be reached as
its seaports can be used by West Bengal and other
Eastern Indian provinces, Nepal, and Bhutan, then
the true potential of regional trade will be unlocked.
Furthermore, the Mongla Port near Khulna has always
played secondary role to her counterpart in
Chittagong port as it is the preferred route for traders.
A major setback for the Mongla Port have been
the time and cost increase in the Padma crossing to
reach Dhaka or Eastern part of the country. Padma
Bridge can save almost ten hours in time and have
cost benefit of up to $1.6 billion per year by 2044. It
is safe to say that traders can now prefer to use the
Mongla Port more efficiently in both domestic and
international trade.
container handling supported by
advanced technology. In the recent
Container Port Performance
Index by the World Bank and S&P
Global Market Intelligence, Chittagong
Port ranked 341 out of 370
ports analysed, indicating room
for significant modernisation and
capacity building. That said, it
is also clear that the authorities
are making efforts to deal with
increasing trade, cargo pressure.
In 2021, Chittagong Port handled
3.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot
equivalent units) which is an increase
of 13% compared to 2020.
Demand at the Chittagong port
remained sturdy even during the
pandemic, as container growth
and vessel growth kept the port
at full capacity at around 3.1% and
9.72% respectively. Port service
levels, however, continue to be
challenged and show that there is
room for better port performance
through the expansion of port
facilities and the use of modern
technology and value-added services
to further enhance port efficiency
and logistics performance.
Padma Bridge
56 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 57

LOGISTICS
LOGISTICS
PORT OF POSSIBILITIES
CONNECTIVITY
DEVELOPMENT
Creating direct road links
Maintaining road safety
Preventing traffic
congestion
INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT
Establishing industrial
zone in suitable,
profitable position
Creating swift link between
port and industrial zones
Forming logistics transfer
chain
GREATER COMPETITION AHEAD
How to improvise port trade
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
Tackling shortage of
skilful employee
Uplifting fishermen and
other local community
Developing Island housing
The situation of Chittagong port,
which is known as the life-line of
the economy of Bangladesh, has
improved rapidly in recent times.
Once the port users used to make
various complaints regarding import
and export, but now that is
not the case. The income of the
port is also increasing every year,
and the port authority is carrying
out various development
activities from its own funds.
According to the government's
Economic Survey, the revenue
from Chittagong Port in the fiscal
year 2010-11 was over Tk 1,453
crore. In the financial year 2015-
16 it increased to 2,030 crores.
In the recently concluded fiscal
year 2021-22, this income has increased
to about 3,600 crores.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA)
with the help of domestic and
foreign shipping companies from
February this year to last September;
launched direct shipping services
on seven out of around 20
major routes. Direct shipping from
Chittagong has reduced shipment
costs and export lead times while
increasing port mobility. Shipping
industry insiders said that earlier
it took at least 40 to 45 days to
reach these destinations through
transhipment ports, which has
now come down to 15 to 20 days.
This not only reduced time, but
also reduced shipment costs by at
least 40 percent. Direct shipping
to Portugal, Slovenia, Thailand
and the Middle East will begin by
2022 as CPA wants more routes.
However, its deadline has not
been finalised yet. Port users say
direct shipping to Slovenia will be
another milestone, as it will make
it easier to transport goods to Germany
and Portugal. Secretary of
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA)
Omar Farooq said, “India's coastal
shipping is going on. MoU signed
on cargo transportation at Ranong
Port in Thailand. All government
level approvals have been
completed. Direct shipping is in
process on this route as well.” He
further said that garment exporters
are benefiting due to opening
of direct route to Europe. The lead
time will be reduced and this is a
milestone for the country's economy.
Due to the initiatives of private
operators and port authorities,
the operation of Chittagong
port, which was once plagued
with container or ship congestion,
has now become much smoother.
This outdoor waiting time is now
reduced; 60-65% of the ships get
berthing at the jetty on arrival. In
the last six months, many of the
ships got this opportunity within
a day. Business analysts say that
by adding more skilled operators
and investing in increasing capacity,
Chittagong port will soon become
the 'business hub' of South
Asia.
INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT
Modernising materials
and overall infrastructure
Increasing cargo handling
equipment and jetties
Utilising modern
equipment properly
Bangladesh has had some success in managing risk
and expanding its customer base to adapt to changing
demands. However, diversifying into high-valueadded
products and tapping into other large and
emerging markets, particularly in the East, remains
challenging. In addition, rising wage demands, pressure
on supply, and the intensity of global competition
based on increasingly efficient automation and
the structural shift in demand from fast fashion to
premium high-quality, durable goods in developed
economies have placed significant competitive pressure
on the Bangladeshi manufacturers.
The progress of Vietnam's Preferential Trade Agreement
(PTA) with the European Union (EU) will create
more competition for Bangladesh's export share in
the region.
Bangladesh's next phase of growth calls for rapid
improvements in trade competitiveness because
the country's current advantage is based on disproportionately
low wages, an advantage that is slowly
THE WAY FORWARD
Improving Bangladesh's trade infrastructure
and logistics will not
only increase the global market
share of garments and textiles,
but also diversify into new markets
and sectors. According to the
UNESCAP study, improved infrastructure
is estimated to have a
potential impact of $35.5 billion
for Bangladesh by 2030. It calls
for the development of an integrated
supply chain comprising
world-class ports, roads, storage
and transportation supported by
state-of-the-art technology for
highly competitive turnaround
and clearance times. In the sector,
a boon is forthcoming as a reputed
Saudi Arabian company have
shown interest to invest for the
operation, maintenance and modernisation
of the country's Patenga
container terminal. Opportunities
like these should be grabbed
for greater good. Recognising the
need to upgrade its ports with advanced
and modern facilities to
support the expected growth in
trade, the government has taken
some bold and timely steps such
as the Matarbari Port Project and
the Bay Terminal Project at Chittagong.
The government has
identified Chittagong Port as an
important international gateway,
critical to both the efficiency of
the transport system and the
country's economic success. For
the ports to be able to handle the
The improvements
will enable
multimodal
solutions, increase
competition and
ensure full utilisation
of the sectors’
potential.
growing export demand, timely
implementation of additional port
capacity and increasing port efficiency
will be important. Complex
projects like the Bay Terminal
project, involving world-class
port operators like Singapore’s,
will enable the port-led network
to leapfrog and achieve its goal of
eroding. Bangladesh is ranked 105th in the Global
Competitiveness Index, which suggests that logistics,
infrastructure, innovation and business dynamism
can be improved. Bangladesh needs to do
something if it wants to be at par with other coastal
countries in Asia, as suggested by the World Bank's
Index. This shows that Bangladesh's strong export
performance over the years could have been greater
if the country's domestic infrastructure needs were
met. There is a substantial need to support infrastructure
to improve trade. Achieving Bangladesh's
Vision 2041 requires significant development of enabling
trade infrastructure to enhance the country's
connectivity with international markets.
becoming a world-class port integrated
network. The bay terminal,
capable of supporting inland cargo
as well as transiting regional cargo
in the Bay of Bengal area, can
help increase the handling capacity
of Chittagong Port from the
current 3.2 million TEUs, bringing
it closer to the expected 5.6 million
TEU containers in the year
2036, as foreseen in the strategic
master plan. The improvements
will enable multimodal solutions,
increase competition and ensure
full utilisation of the sectors’ potential.
Thus, port development
is important along with timely
modernisation of road and rail
connectivity. Ultimately, every element
of the supply chain needs
to be optimised to create an efficient
and sustainable port and
logistics network. A holistic government
approach in the form of
greater coordination between relevant
ministries, authorities and
the private sector is needed to increase
the effective capacity, support
infrastructure and eliminate
distortions in the logistics service
market.
58 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 59

DIPLOMACY
SIGNING OF THE FOUR DOCUMENTS
The three MoUs signed are; "MoU
on the Employment and Recruitment
of Bangladeshi Workers,"
"MoU on the Field of Cooperation
in the Supply of Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG) and other Petroleum
Products;" and "MoU on the Recognition
of Certificate Issued under
the Provisions of the International
Convention on Standards of
Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
for Seafarers, 1978 as
amended." The sole contract relates
to aviation services.
The Brunei Darussalam delegation
was led by the visiting Sultan
Hassanal Bolkiah, while Prime
Minister Hasina represented the
Bangladesh side. The agreement
on air services was signed by
State Minister for Civil Aviation
and Tourism, Md Mahbub Ali, and
Brunei's Minister of Finance and
Economy, Dr Amin Abdullah. The
MoU on Employment and Recruitment
of Bangladeshi Workers was
signed by Brunei Home Minister
Ahmaddin Bin Haji Abdur Rahman
and Minister of Expatriates'
Welfare and Overseas Employment
Imran Ahmad.
The MoU in the area of cooperation
in the delivery of LNG and
other petroleum products was
signed by Brunei Minister Dr Amin
Abdullah and Bangladesh State
Minister for Power, Energy, and
Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid.
Khaled Mahmud Chowdhury, the
state minister for shipping, and Dr
Amin Abdullah, Finance Minister
of Brunei, signed an agreement
on the recognition of certificates
in accordance with the international
standards of training, certification,
and watch-keeping for
seafarers. The agreements were
formally signed on at the Prime
Minister's Office in Dhaka following
constructive bilateral discussions
between the representatives
of Bangladesh and Brunei
Darussalam.
FIRMING UP ENERGY COOPERATION
STRENGTHENING BRUNEI-BANGLADESH
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP
- SM TANJIL-UL-HAQUE
Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin
Waddaulah had a state visit to Bangladesh on October
15-17, which was marked by the spirit of friendship
and cooperation and finished with the signing
of several important documents. During the Sultan’s
visit, both Bangladesh and Brunei in bilateral talks
emphasised on increasing trade. The two friendly
nations took their bilateral relations to a new level
by agreeing to collaborate in the sector of energy
other than aviation, manpower export, and recognition
of credentials for seafarers from both nations.
The two countries, at a meeting between Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Brunei sultan
on October 16, signed a deal and three memorandum
of understandings (MoUs) including one on a longterm
collaboration in the most prioritised energy
sector, particularly in the supply of liquefied natural
gas (LNG), and other petroleum products to Bangladesh.
Apart from the energy deal, the two leaders
also signed MoU on recruitment of labour from Bangladesh
and an agreement on direct flights. Analysts
say transparent and orderly conduct of recruitment
process and proper implementation of other deals is
essential for the greater benefit of both parties.
The energy deal comes at a time when Bangladesh
is searching for alternative sources of energy amid
a spike in fuel prices as well as supply-chain disruptions
triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war. This
agreement will be very significant for the country as
Brunei can be a valuable fuel provider in this crisissome
situation worldwide.
In Brunei, the majority of the labour force is devoted
to infrastructure construction. Brunei recognises the
contribution of foreign workers from Bangladesh to
its economic growth as they currently have around
20,000 Bangladeshi workers. Both countries have
agreed to talk about hiring more people from Bangladesh
in fields where Brunei needs professionals
and skilled labour. Both the country have agreed to
FOCUS ON TRADE
The two nations selected trade
and investment as key areas for
enhancing bilateral cooperation,
according to the joint declaration.
The amount of trade between the
two countries is deemed much
lower than it could be. As a result,
both nations have said they
conduct the hiring procedure in an ethical, systematic,
and transparent manner. The possibility of
more recruitment is one direction that the government
would certainly like to explore, while it ensures
that workers' interests are protected through a fixed
minimum wage, insurance and reduced recruitment
costs.
When discussing the signing of MoU in health sector,
Bangladesh and Brunei took into account the
country’s expanding health sector capacity and the
latter’s modern and advanced health infrastructure.
The MoU will be about things that are important to
both sides, like training and hiring professionals in
health sector and pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
are interested in boosting trade.
The two parties decided to intensify
their collaboration in the halal
trade sector.
Bangladesh has urged Brunei to
make investments and take use
of the Special Economic Zone's
advantages. In light of this suggestion,
Brunei has indicated a
desire to talk about investment
collaboration in areas of shared
interest. On the other side, Brunei
has proposed that Bangladesh
make investments in the food,
agriculture, and fishing industries
by taking advantage of the
60 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 61

DIPLOMACY
Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah exchanges greetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister
Sheikh Rehana at the dinner hosted by president M Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban
advantages of that nation's economic
diversification initiative.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi
highlighted some of the key
advantages offered by Bangladesh's
foreign investment laws.
He pointed out that in addition to
the enormous domestic market,
investing in Bangladesh will also
give one access to the Indian and
Chinese markets, where the majority
of goods created in Bangladesh
are allowed duty-free.
“We have ongoing development
projects to facilitate investment.
‘AGRICULTURAL DEMOCRACY’
There are deep seaports, 100
Special Economic Zones, Hi-Tech
parks, tourism parks, Nuclear
Power plant, Metro Rail, LNG terminal
and construction of road
and rail on bringing the whole
country under a common network.
So, compared to before, our
story has changed dramatically,
and Brunei can now choose Bangladesh
as their upcoming trade
and investment destination,”
said Md. Jashim Uddin, President
of the Federation of Bangladesh
Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FBCCI), in a statement.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen
declared that the Sultan of
Brunei's visit represented the
start of a new chapter in bilateral
ties. “During talks, the Bangladesh
Prime Minister proposed
to increase Brunei’s trade and
investment with Bangladesh.
The foreign ministers of the two
nations will collaborate on this.
In addition, a joint consultative
commission can be established to
find a solution,” he added.
Bangladesh, after the visit, sent 15 Bengal goats as gift to the Brunei Sultan. Also, Bangladesh gifted the
Sultan a pair of Chital deer, a pair of peacocks and a pair of myna. The 15 goats were gifted for breeding due
to Brunei's interest in Bangladeshi goat meat. Some diplomats termed the gift to the Sultan of Brunei as
part of ‘agricultural diplomacy.’
62 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 63

HEALTH
HEALTH
WHY IS STROKE
RISING AMONG
YOUNG ADULTS
IN BANGLADESH?
Stroke in young population
Most of the young people don't think that they could ever have a stroke. In fact, there is no such factor as
being too young to have one. Although the risk of stroke increases with age, young adults, infants, children,
and adolescents can nevertheless get faced with stroke. In fact, a study published in Journal Stroke found
that between 10 and 15 percent of strokes occur in adults between the ages of 18 and 50. Most experts agree
that under 45 is young age to suffer stroke. Younger patients often experience various types of strokes than
the older patients do.
COVID 19 AND STROKE: Younger adults seem to be suffering more from stroke with previous Covid-19 cases.
While the specific link is still unclear, it appears to be related to the virus that is spreading inflammation
throughout the body. This includes the walls of blood vessels, which can get inflamed and cause blood cells
to stick together and form clots.
-DR. MD NAZMUL ALAM
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
KUMUDINI WOMEN'S MEDICAL COLLEGE
In Bangladesh, stroke ranks second among the non-communicable diseases in terms of both long-term
disability and death causes. As it affects people of all ages, young adults are also affected by this deadly
ailment. In fact, the risk of stroke has considerably increased among the young generation. Furthermore,
rising stroke cases among Covid-19 patients have been reported in recent times. Indeed, stroke is the most
widespread non-communicable disease both globally and in Southeast Asia.
Stroke as deadly disease
Stroke, sometimes called a ‘brain attack,’ takes place when something blocks blood flow to
part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. It can either be ischemic or hemorrhagic.
The largest rise is being observed in ischemic strokes, which are caused by blood clots
that enter the brain and clog arteries. It is the most prevalent kind of stroke. A rather less frequently
occurring type is hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when a blood artery in or near the
brain bursts.
What causes stroke in younger people?
The risk of stroke is 50% higher when high blood pressure in human body stays
uncontrolled. Junk food, contaminated item, and high carbohydrate intake can
trigger the disease. Younger persons are more likely to have certain risk factors
for stroke than older adults – especially because of smoking, excessive alcohol
use, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, increased blood pressure,
and high cholesterol. However, unhealthy lifestyle choices are not the only factor
in young people’s stroke proneness. Strokes can occur before the age of 45, too,
for a variety of reasons including those that are inherited.
Combatting stroke
“Stroke is globally the leading cause of disability affecting families economically,
particularly in countries like Bangladesh,” said Prof Dr Raziul Haque, Department
of Neurosurgery, DMCH. The number of strokes in Bangladesh can be reduced by
a lot if all hospitals have basic stroke treatment facilities. This is because strokes
can be cured if they are treated within four hours of the first symptoms.
SYMPTOMS OF
STROKE
Unexpected
numbness or
weakness on one
side of the body,
face, arm, or leg
Sudden difficulty
speaking or
understanding
speech, sudden
disorientation
An unexpected
problem with
one or both eyes'
vision
Rising trend in Bangladesh
Stroke cases in Bangladesh increased four times in last 10 years with 11.39 stroke cases reported
per 1,000 persons in 2021. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 1,18,918 stroke-related
deaths in Bangladesh in 2018 alone, which accounted for 15.31% of all deaths and placed
the nation 41st worldwide in terms of age-adjusted death rates. The Bangladesh Bureau of
Statistics (BBS) reported 85,360 stroke-related deaths in 2020, which remained nearly twice
as many as the 45,502 deaths the disease caused in 2019.
The Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) conducted a stroke awareness campaign in 2021.
The information garnered from there reveals that the DMCH treats 50 stroke patients every
day – thereby making it the center of stroke care. At any given time, the hospital is home to
about 600 stroke patients. About 20% of the surgeries done at the DMCH each year are related
to stroke.
B
BALANCE
LOSS OF BALANCE,
HEADACHE OR
DIZZINESS
E
EYES
BLURRED
VISION
SPOT A STROKE
LEARN THE WARNING SIGNS AND ACT FAST
F
FACE
ONE SIDE OF THE
FACE IS DROPPING
A
ARM
ARM OR LEG
WEAKNESS
S
SPEECH
SPEECH
DIFFICULTY
?
T
TIME
TIME TO CALL
FOR AMBULANCE
IMMEDIATELY
CALLING
SOS
An unusual
inability to walk,
dizziness, losing
one's balance,
or showing poor
coordination
Severe
headache
without
cause
64 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 65

HEALTH
INTERVIEW
Neurologists advised people to visit hospitals right away if they experience any symptom of stroke. Mohammad
Sumon Rana, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology at DMCH, said, "Every minute after stroke
counts for it means damage of 2 million neurons." There are 2,213 hospitals and 45,723 registered physicians
in the country, but only 160 of them are neurologists.
There are only five private hospitals and two government-run hospitals in Dhaka offering stroke care to patients.
If the blood clots are mechanically removed within eight hours of the outset of the deadly disease,
stroke patient can get benefitted. Anti-blood clotting medication can be used to treat the condition in its
early stages. Stenting can also be used to treat strokes.
RISK FACTORS FOR STROKE
DIABETES
OBESITY
UNHEALTHY DIET
SMOKING
SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE
FAMILY HISTORY
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
SEVERE MENTAL STRESS
ABNORMAL CHOLESTEROL EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL INTAKE
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (ABNORMAL HEART RHYTHM)
How can young people reduce stroke risk?
Research shows that obesity is a major contributor to the cause of rising stroke cases among adults aged
below 45. The prevalence of obesity among kids and teenagers nowadays raises the lifetime risk of stroke.
The risks of diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension – all get increased by obesity. All of these are significant
stroke risk factors for any age-group people.
Consuming healthy, fresh, and non-processed foods and refraining from consuming sugary beverages have
been related to a reduced risk of stroke/cardiovascular disease. But according to American research, decreasing
salt intake is the most significant dietary modification to consider. It states, “If one is predisposed to
high blood pressure and consumes a lot of salt, he/she will have a difficult time controlling high blood pressure,
which is the leading cause of stroke. Fast food and prepared foods are notoriously rich in sodium and
are best to avoid.”
Even if one decides not to completely give up smoking, reduction in one's cigarette intake can help reduce
the risk of stroke in young adults. According to Journal Stroke published in 2018, the more cigarettes individual
under the age of 50 smoked, the more likely they were to suffer an ischemic stroke. The study suggested
that quitting smoking should be the goal, but even cutting back can help people under 50 to have
fewer strokes.
With the overall recommendations put forth, regular health checks for diabetes and high blood pressure
would be incredibly useful for younger people. Regardless of age, awareness of the dangers and knowing the
symptoms of any stroke is one of the most effective approaches to prevention or recovery.
The rate of stroke is gradually increasing in Bangladesh.
Deaths from stroke are also abnormally on the
rise among the youths. In an exclusive interview with
Press Xpress, Professor DR MD SHAFIQUL ISLAM, Neurology
Department, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical
University, discussed about the growing concern
and the possible way out of this predicament.
Why are stroke cases rising alarmingly in Bangladesh?
Not only in Bangladesh, but stroke is one of the leading causes of death in almost every countries
around the world. According to the statistics of last 10-20 years, stroke rate is rising in the developing
countries. On contrary, developed countries are reducing the incidence of stroke. Because, they have
been preparing for a long time. People of those countries are more aware and take good care of their
health, hence stroke rates are lower in those countries.
A recent report brings to the fore that stroke is rising among the youths. How do you evaluate this?
It’s true that stroke is increasing among the young generation in our country. If you look at the developed
countries, you will see that youth there are health conscious. They eat healthy food and do physical
exercise regularly. On the other hand, youths in our country are leaning towards fast food, not doing
enough physical activity. If we don’t do physical activities, regularly eat fast food, then our body joints
will not move properly, body fat will accumulate, and blood fat will increase – leading to stroke.
Do you think, raising stroke awareness can help check stroke? What should be done?
There is a lack of proper identification, detection of stroke in Bangladesh. We need to modernise the
stroke identification process. Most importantly, awareness has to be created among all. There are only
a handful of neuroscience doctors here. Hence, it is impossible for us alone to create mass awareness. If
neurologists, rehab specialists, and general physicians learn and understand stroke as a social practice,
and simply explain it to the people, then we will be able to make enough population aware just within
a year.
Patients should feel comfortable communicating with neurologists. What would you
suggest patients to open up about their condition?
Stroke is a brain disease caused by a blocked or ruptured blood vessel. Since it is a blood vessel related
disease, it can affect the brain. The risk of stroke also increases with age, but if you are aware, 80% of
strokes are preventable. If you consider the risk factors of stroke such as; diabetes, pressure, smoking
and if you know and find solutions to them, there will be no more risk of stroke.
Is there any other conditions that make further stroke more likely? What can a stroke patient, young
or old, do to reduce further risk?
There are some minor and major symptoms before stroke. Migraines also can lead to major stroke
symptoms, numbness and movement abnormalities may also be symptoms. To know about these
symptoms, everyone should be alert and consult with doctors about these issues. We also need to raise
awareness among the youth. In my opinion, all hospitals should screen for symptoms of this disease extensively.
If a stroke patient comes in with symptoms, if he doesn't have a stroke, he shouldn’t assume
that nothing happened to me and nothing will happen further. Rather, if he gets a clear understanding
of other symptoms and strategies to stay healthy, he can be aware as well as make others aware. We
have to make these signs simple for them. For example; there is a shorter term associated with stroke
symptoms – FAST. F is face, it means bending of face, A is arm, and it indicates paralysis or weakening
of arm. S is speech, it means that speech becomes slurred or stopped. And T indicates Telephone. That
is, if you see these symptoms, call the hospital without any delay.
66 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 67

CYBERSECURITY
CYBERSECURITY
TACKLING THE
GROWING MENACE
OF CYBERCRIME
-NASHIR UDDIN with SM TANJIL-UL-HAQUE
Bangladesh has been advancing
at a breakneck speed in this
era of information and communication
technology. In today’s
world, people’s lives have become
dependent on technology. The
breeze of change is also blowing
in different spheres across
the country, thanks to the continued
innovation in technology.
Undoubtedly, information technology
has brought revolutionary
changes in our lives. As a result of
the advancement, manual labour
has been reduced in our lives, distance
has been shortened, and the
standard of living has improved to
a great extent.
Phishing (email
and internet
fraud)
Online Scams
(Identity fraud)
However, just as there is darkness
under the lamp, a new type
of crime called cybercrime is
emerging under this far-reaching
change. The enduring modifications
in information technology
are fuelling the spread of
technology-based cybercrime in
the unscrupulous society. Cybercrime
incidents are increasing at
an alarming rate, as a result, it
has become a hindrance to this
technology-dependent lifestyle
to a large extent. Radical sectarianism,
militancy, rumours, fake
news, juvenile delinquency, pornography,
cyberbullying, suicide,
fraud, bank robbery, extortion,
TYPES OF CYBERCRIME INCLUDE:
Cyber-extortion (demanding
money to prevent a
threatened attack)
Cyber-bullying (bullying
with the use of digital
technologies)
piracy, arms and drug trade etc.
crimes are being conducted using
the technology.
Cybercrime is basically an internet
based crime. By definition, it
is a criminal activity that involves
a networked device. Most cybercrime
is committed by cybercriminals
or hackers who want to make
money. However, occasionally
cybercrime aims to damage computers
or networks for reasons
other than profit. These could be
political or personal. All men and
women of the society can be victims
of this. However, in Bangladesh,
women become more victims
of cybercrime than men.
Crypto-jacking (mining
cryptocurrency using
unowned resources)
Cyberespionage (accessing
government or
company data)
WHAT STATISTICS SHOWS?
A recent study by the voluntary organisation
Cyber Crime Awareness
Foundation (CCA) shows that social
media is becoming the prime
arena of cybercrime in the country.
Gender-wise differentiation of cybercrime
victims shows that the
number of male victims is 43.22%
and the number of female victims
is 56.78% in the country. Apart from
this, women are more victims of social
media related crimes than men,
and girls aged between 18 and 30
years are the most affected. Among
the victims, 10.52% are below 18
years, 73.71% are between 18 to 30
years, 12.77% are between 30 to 45
years and 3% are above 45 years.
But the agency fears that cybercrime
could spiral out of control due
to a lack of clarity about remedies,
public shame and fear.
More than 55% of cybercrime victims
in the country are not being
provided with the legal assistance
they deserve, according to the findings
of the survey by the CCA. The
survey report titled ‘Cybercrime
Trend in Bangladesh-2022’ says,
only around 7% of the victims received
desired help after reporting
to the police. According to the latest
report, 53 out of 199 victims,
or 26% of the victims, complained
to the law enforcers. The latest report
shows the number of female
complainants is comparatively less
than that of male complainants.
Among women victims, only 11.06%
approached law enforcement agencies,
while 45.73% were reluctant to
take legal action. The report found
that around 21% of the victims did
not take legal action to keep the
matter secret. In addition, 17% of
the victims did not take any action
to protect their social image, 17%
were afraid of harassment, and
17% thought that they would get
no result from taking legal action,
and 7% of the victims did not take
any action because the accused
person was influential. The report
also found that 43.22% of the victims
know about the laws related
to cybercrime while the remaining
56.78% have no idea about that.
This year's survey showed a slight
increase in the number of victims
BANGLADESH POLICE IN CYBER ARENA
A huge credit for fighting cybercrime
goes to the country’s cyber forces.
There are currently three cybersecurity
branches working under Dhaka
Metropolitan Police in the country.
Among these are; Cyber North and
Cyber South under the Detective
Branch, and Cybercrime Investigation
Division under Counter Terrorism
and Transnational Crime. There
are also Cyber Support for Women
working under Police Headquarters,
Cyber Police Center functioning under
Criminal Investigation Department,
and Cyber Cell unit under Police
Bureau of Investigation. Rapid
Action Battalion also has a special
unit focused on cybercrime. Also,
there are three state of the art cyber
forensic labs under Bangladesh
of cyberbullying to 50.27% from
50.16% in the last report. Most of
the participants in the research were
the victims of cyberbullying including
receiving pornographic content,
defamation threats through social
media, phone, messages etc.
Nevertheless, Bangladesh is seeing
good signs in the National Cyber
Security Index. Bangladesh's
position is more advanced than any
other country in South Asia. The
National Cyber Security Index (NCSI)
reveals the ability of a country to
counter cyber-attacks. Bangladesh
currently ranks 34th in this index
with a score of 67.53. On the other
hand, the country is ranked 53rd in
the Global Cyber Security Index published
by the United Nations International
Telecommunication Union
and 147th in the Information and
Communication Technology Development
Index. Bangladesh is ranked
95th in the World Economic Forum's
Network Readiness Index. Although
Bangladesh's position in the index is
reliable, some recent studies reveal
the country's immaturity in dealing
with cybercrime.
Police. These are the strengths of
Bangladesh which takes the country
ahead of other South Asian countries.
Also, effort is underway to
have a central cyber police investigation
centre in the country.
68 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 69

CYBERSECURITY
CYBERSECURITY
CYBERCRIMES INCREASING AT AN ALARMING RATE!
Despite the capability, cybercrime
is on the rise in Bangladesh. According
to the research report,
cybercrimes that have increased
in 2022 compared to 2021 include
social media harassments, scams,
fraud while buying products online,
pornography, copyright
crimes, etc. There has been an
alarming increase in cybercrimes
like social media and other online
accounts hacking or information
theft. The report found that
23.79% of the participants were
victims of online account hacking
including social media. Additionally,
in the last report of 2021, the
incidence of spreading misinformation
through social media was
16.31% which raised to 18.67%
this year. In addition, the number
of victims of fraud, while using
social media and buying products
online is also noticeable. About
15% of victims were defrauded
while buying products online as
per the report. Harassment by
using photos or videos of sexual
harassment incidents or intimate
moments has also increased at
an alarming rate. The rate of harassment
using photos or videos
of private moments or sexual
harassment incidents was 7.69%
last year, but it has increased to
9.34% this year. The incidence
of harassment by using photoshopped
images was 5.85% last
year, which has increased to
6.93% in the new report.
CYBERCRIMES THAT ARE PICKING PACE IN BANGLADESH:
• Claiming money by hacking social media accounts, emails or websites
• Harassment with fake accounts on social media
• Extortion of money by threat of defamation by hacking confidential information
• Threatening and harassing to share photos or videos of private moments
• Spreading private photos on various troll groups or pages on social media
• Fraud in the name of selling products by opening fake pages in the name of ecommerce
• Robbing money by hacking bank and other financial account details
CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH
Appropriate initiatives are required
to eliminate these raising
cybercrimes in Bangladesh. Every
year in the month of October,
'Cyber Security Awareness Month
(CAM)' is celebrated in different
countries to highlight various information
to remain protected
against cyber-attacks. As part of
this global initiative, Bangladesh
is also conducting 'Cybersecurity
Awareness Month 2022' programme
throughout the month
of October. The National Committee
on Cybersecurity Awareness
Month (NCCAM) has been formed
with various linked organisations
and technology professionals to
carry out this programme and they
are conducting various awareness
activities around the country. NC-
CAM has set the theme for this
year's cybersecurity awareness
month as 'Being safe online is not
hard, just need to be careful'. NC-
CAM suggests that maintaining
cyber security will not be difficult
if only four steps that are divided
into four weeks, are followed.
First Week: Turn on multi-factor authentication. With increased sophistication in hacking methods, having
strong passwords on all your systems is no longer enough. So, all the important services: Facebook, Twitter,
Gmail, Online Banking have a multifactor option through which you can confirm your identity in a way other
than a password.
Second Week: Use strong passwords. Passwords should be changed at least every three months. Different
applications should have dissimilar and solid passwords. Password manager can be used if passwords are
difficult to remember.
Third Week: Update your device on a regular basis. Using any pirated software on laptop, desktop or with
Android is not recommended. You can use valid or authentic anti-malware software for scanning.
Fourth Week: Recognise and report phishing. If you receive a phishing link in your email or mobile phone,
delete the message. The first rule of caution is to not click on anything unusual even if it comes from someone
close to you. However, if you click on the link by any chance, you should quickly change the passwords of
as much accounts as possible. If anything important is present on the device then law enforcement should
be notified.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
AGAINST CYBERCRIME:
Keep operating system and
software updated
Use anti-virus software and
keep it updated
Use strong and diversified
passwords
Do not click on links in spam
emails or untrusted websites
Never share OTP, PIN number,
bank card number with anyone
Be cautious of which websites
you visit
Use multi-factor authentication
feature on social media accounts
Remove sensitive conversations
and messages containing crucial
information on social media
HOW TO TACKLE CYBERCRIME?
Now the question that arises is whether cybercrime is unstoppable,
or is it possible to control it? The answer is that cybercrime
is not insurmountable at all. Preventing and controlling
cybercrime activities requires awareness at all levels, and increasing
awareness needs goodwill from individual to state
level. Just as an individual has to work on creating awareness
within his family, similarly the state should focus on constructing
public opinion against this cybercrime on a large scale.
Moreover, influential organisations should also attempt to
create awareness within their periphery. Health, technology,
media and telecom, and government and public sectors reported
cybercrime as their biggest threat. On the other hand,
sectors such as financial services and retail cited customerinitiated
online fraud as their prime threat. The good news is
that these organisations are doing their best to enhance their
technical capabilities in order to implement stronger internal
controls and make themselves more resilient to cybercrime.
During the last two years, many business organisations in the
country, particularly banks, started to review their technology
infrastructure to make it more robust to prevent cyberattacks.
Organisations must spend a significant amount of time understanding
the possible weak links through which they are vulnerable
to external attacks.
Statistics show that the amount of awareness that should
have been created at the national level has not yet been generated.
To avert cybercrime from state level, all school textbooks
should have cyber awareness topics, how cybercrime victims
can get legal help should be widely publicised in simple and
understandable language. Now let's come to the second important
issue that is about the ability of those who will deal
with this crime. Of course, the activities of the cyber police
should be expanded nationwide. The people who will work in
this sector should have relevant knowledge and should focus
70 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 71

CYBERSECURITY
only on this type of matters. Digital
forensic labs are required too.
There are laws like Pornography
Control Act, 2012, Digital Security
Act, 2018, Bangladesh Telecommunication
Control Act, 2001,
Information and Communication
Technology Act, 2013 and in
some cases Penal Code, 1860, but
since the crime is technological
and technology is ever advancing,
so, necessary changes should be
made in the law in dealing with
such crimes. Another important
point in this regard is that since
more than half of cybercrime victims
are women, investigative
agencies and prosecutions should
be as woman-friendly as possible.
Above all, the work of the prosecution
and investigation forces
should be brought under monitoring
so that there is no negligence
in their work.
THERE IS NO OFFICIAL
PLATFORM OF
HONOURABLE PRIME
MINISTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
MD. NAJMUL ISLAM, ADC, CYBER CRIME INVESTIGATION
DIVISION, CTTC, DMP, HAS SUGGESTED SOME
KEY POINTS TO ELIMINATE CYBERCRIME:
Firstly, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) has to be upgraded to IPv6. And
Internet service providers (ISP) must be log maintained responsibly for investigative
purposes.
The giant companies working in this sector with Bangladesh and the countries
where those companies are located, such as United States, Singapore,
India, or Ireland. Mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) should be made with
those countries. Then, if there is any problem in our domain, we can collect
evidence from these giant companies for the purpose of investigation which
will help us to take proper action against the criminals.
Law enforcement members should be given more training of this particularly
and cyber police presence should be ensured everywhere across the country.
Every district of the country should have a cyber tribunal. If this can be done,
cyber victims can go to the nearest cyber tribunal and file a case. As a result,
overall cyber-centric trials will be expedited.
Since it is a transnational crime, along with strengthening ties with other
countries, major international law enforcement agencies, such as; Europol,
Interpol should be co-ordinated with. It will make great progress in tackling
transnational cybercrime.
To wrap up, extensive cyber awareness programmes,
giving importance to cyber awareness in the national
budget, making cyber awareness mandatory
in commercial institutions, increasing cyber literacy,
proper use of political manpower in awareness activities,
mass media publicity and joint efforts of
stakeholders will play an important role in building a
healthy cyber culture in the country. It is undeniable
that tackling cybercrime is everyone's responsibility.
From individuals to the state level, everyone from
their respective positions must build strong resistance
against cybercrime. As internet usage is our
daily thing, then we need to know more about the
proper use of the internet.
In the present digital era, social media
rules supreme. It has become one
of the biggest media to gather news
and information. Different pages
and influencers have become a more
popular source for news compared to
general news media. But the lack of
real-time fact-checking means it is
These two images do
not belong to the
honourable Prime
Minister.”
also ripe with fake news and information.
From statesmen, politicians,
sportsmen, and intellectual figures
to the general public, no one is free
from this guile of misinformation. A
glaring example of this was pointed
out by our honourable Prime Minister’s
Assistant Press Secretary-1 M.
M. Emrul Kayas.
Two recent images, one of a young
girl riding a bicycle and the other of
a wedding, have gone viral on social
media. Many people have been
sharing these images in the name
of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina out
of sentiment. It’s claimed that it is
HPM Sheikh Hasina in these photos.
M. M. Emrul Kayas debunked
both photos as not belonging to the
Prime Minister. On his official verified
page on Facebook, Mr Kayas
posted, “Two photographs have
been mentioned on social media as
pictures of Honourable Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina. However, these
two images do not belong to the
M. M. EMRUL KAYAS
Asst. Press Secretary-1
to the Prime Minister
honourable prime minister.”
M. M. Emrul Kayas also pointed out
that there are many unverified pages
in the name of the PM. In a separate
Facebook post, he said, “There
is no personal account of honourable
Prime Minister in any social
media platform. All the accounts in
the name of the HPM are fake. So,
please do not get confused by the
fake posts from the fake accounts.”
Thus, it confirms there is no official
platfrom of HPM in any social media.
Prime Minister has different official
channels of communication with the
masses. She holds frequent press
conferences with the general media.
Also, press releases are a significant
medium to circulate government activities.
The contents of the press
conferences and press releases are
officially distributed to the journalists
working on PMO for publication and
broadcasting in the licensed newspaper,
magazines and electronic media.
A charismatic leader, Sheikh Hasina
is a famous and respectable figure
both nationally and internationally.
The people of Bangladesh view her
in a different light and hold her energetic
leadership in high regard. As a
result, the public quickly pays attention
to any news about our honourable
prime leader.
It’s been observed that some individuals
have been trying to mislead and
take advantage of the emotion of
the countrymen by sharing wrong information
about the PM. Therefore,
whenever anybody receives any such
information or news, it becomes
an individual responsibility to factcheck
the details before publishing
or sharing the content related to her.
72 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 73

DELHI DIARY
DELHI DIARY
The 12th edition of India’s flagship defence show, branded as DefExpo-2022, was held
this year in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar from 18th-22nd October with 75 countries and 1,340
Indian companies. On October 19, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosted the
Indian Ocean Region Plus (IOR+) Conclave on the sidelines of the five-day expo. The
mega event addressed common threats in the IOR and measures to address the same.
Along with the IOR+ Conclave, the minister also held bilateral meetings with delegation
leaders from Bangladesh and other countries, which are attending the DefExpo. In
the course of the meeting with Bangladesh side, the Indian Defence Minister met with
Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Security Advisor Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique.
A Ministry of Defence (MOD) release later said the entire spectrum of defence cooperation
was discussed during the meeting, with focus on identifying avenues to expand
mutually beneficial collaboration.
On the same day, Indian Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar held a bilateral meeting with a
Bangladesh delegation led by Armed Forces Division Principal Staff Officer Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman
on the sidelines of DefExpo. MOD in a separate statement said, “They reviewed
the key ongoing bilateral defence cooperation issues between the two countries
and explored ways to enhance defence industrial cooperation.” Earlier in August, India
and Bangladesh conducted their fourth annual defence dialogue. Tri-services staff talks
were also held in the same month. Meanwhile, India offered Bangladesh a $500 million
Line of Credit (LoC) for the purchase of Indian military hardware for the latter’s defence
services. This comes after reports that the Bangladesh’s military is dissatisfied with the
quality of the defence equipment it has received from Chinese suppliers. Defence cooperation
between the two neighbourly countries was also discussed by Prime Ministers
Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina when the latter visited New Delhi on 5-8 September.
INDIA’S SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN DEFENCE PRODUCTION:
CAN BANGLADESH BENEFIT?
Indian defence products worth $1.76 billion were exported in 2021 to 75 countries, of which the USA was
the highest importer apart from Southeast Asia and Africa. As a South Asian neighbour, Bangladesh recently
joined India’s flagship defence exposition DefExpo-2022 from 18th-22nd October, when the two sides
reviewed key ongoing bilateral defence cooperation issues between the countries and explored ways to
enhance defence industrial cooperation, writes DR DEBJYOTI CHANDA from India
Looking at India, one can easily understand that the South Asian country’s defence
capacity has reached a new height in recent years in its quest to become a global
power. When in August this year, INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier
built by state-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited was commissioned into the Indian
Navy amidst much fanfare, the world looked at India in wonder. INS Vikrant was
installed with long range surface to air missile LR SAM and multifunctional digital
radar systems. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),
Israel Aerospace Industries and Bharat Dynamics Ltd collaborated to build these LR
SAMs jointly. INS Vikrant weighs 42,800 tons and is powered by four General Electric
engines and can carry off an air wing of 30 helicopters, fighters and unmanned
aerial vehicles. It consists of 16 hospital beds, 250 tankers of fuel and 2400 compartments
able to accommodate 1600 personnel.
State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has developed a light combat aircraft LCA ‘Tejas',
which has a general range of 850km and combat range of 500km. Fitted with active
electronically scanned radar for critical operation capability, it can be refuelled on air.
LCA Tejas has also generated much curiosity amongst the buyers in the international
defence markets. On the other hand, BrahMos is a medium range ramjet supersonic
cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia, who have together formed Brah-
Mos Aerospace Private Ltd. The name has been derived from the names of two rivers;
Brahmaputra of India and Moskva of Russia. A $375,000,000 contract has already been
signed with the Philippines for export of this missile and talks with Indonesia are in an
advanced stage. BrahMos has a speed of three times that of sound, making it notoriously
difficult to intercept.
74 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022
OCTOBER 2022
PRESS XPRESS
75

DELHI DIARY
Indian Defence Secretary, Dr Ajay Kumar in Bilateral Meeting with the Lt Gen
Waker Uz-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh on
the sidelines of 12th DefExpo, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on October 19, 2022.
DRDO has also developed ‘Pinaka'
multi-barrel rocket launchers
(MBRL) and is being manufactured
by private sector companies in India.
Initially developed with approximately
40km range, its advanced
version has an extended range of
70km to 90km. Pinaka (MBRL) can
launch twelve high explosive rockets
in 44 seconds, used successfully
during the Kargil war and primarily
made for the Indian army. A deal
has been signed to sell this to Armenia,
which is at present engaged
in conflict with neighbour Azerbaijan.
But all these didn’t happen by
chance. Long years of meticulous
planning has gone in the achievement
of this success. A peep into
the just-held DefeExpo will provide
us with an idea of the kind of
behind-the-scene activity being undertaken
by India to make a serious
foray and a long voyage in the international
defence market.
India hosted DefExpo, which is
Asia's largest, this October in the
“Invest for Defence is the first
ever marquee event of MOD
targeted to promote investment
in the defence sector in
the country, as well as foreign
original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs)”.
western state of Gujarat. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi upon assuming
office in 2014 embarked on an ambitious
plan, codenamed ‘Atmanirbhar
Bharat', aiming at self-reliance
in all sectors. As part of this project,
the indigenous defence production
sector, which comprises public sector
enterprises, private sector companies,
start-ups and joint ventures,
is working relentlessly to make the
“make in India'' programme a great
success. The five-day DefExpo was
a big sell-out, showcasing the big
push the Indian government is making
for technology acquisition for
production of defence goods within
the country and also engaging in
liaison with overseas importers to
establish linkages for export opportunities.
The expo created a forum
for prominent private sector defence
manufacturers to interact with government
officials and armed forces
leadership to enable them understand
the requirements of the defence
industry better.
A total of 28 defence ministers
from foreign countries were present
in this mega event where 1340
exhibitors participated in and 451
MoUs were signed with orders to
the domestic industry worth Rs
150,000 crores. The government of
India during the exhibition unveiled
an ambitious blueprint of $25 billion
defence production in the coming
years with an export target of
$5 billion. The Ministry of Defence
stated “Invest for Defence is the
first ever marquee event of MOD
targeted to promote investment in
the defence sector in the country, as
well as foreign original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs)”. Domestic
and foreign institutional investors and venture capitalists
enthusiastically responded to the government's
call and participated in the event. During the exhibition,
the prowess of the Indian defence manufacturing
industry was showcased through seminars, displays,
investment promotions and drone shows. A number
of panel discussions were held during this flagship
defence exhibition in which officials of the Ministry of
Defence, industry stalwarts, and armed forces leadership
participated and discussed the indigenousness
of advanced and futuristic products and technologies
necessary for land, naval, air force and homeland security.
Two special conclaves were organised targeting the
Indian Ocean region and the African nations.
It may be mentioned that the Indian defence budget
has gone up by 35% in the past three years. Ten states
have chalked out individual policies to attract investment
in the sector, and two defence corridors have already
become operational in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu. DRDO, the premier defence institute working in
the government sector, is at present engaged in 430
projects developing strategic and tactical weapon systems,
defence equipment and technologies. DRDO in a
press release has said it has designed and developed 30
ecospheres, which highlights the partnership with industry
and academia that has led to the advancement
of technology in its laboratories as well as manufacturing
of finished products in industrial outlets.
The contribution of DRDO in this sector must be specially
mentioned, as at a point of time, it was the singular
organisation engaged in developing armaments,
combat vehicles, engineering equipment, underwater
sensors and weapon systems, advanced computing,
microprocessors, solid state materials and high altitude
devices, system analysis and war gaming related
to defence production in India. When India test-fired
DRDO-developed laser-guided anti-tank missile from
indigenous Arjun main battle tank, also developed by
DRDO last June, it was another step forward in selfreliance,
but also a clear signal to foes regarding India's
defence preparedness.
Similarly, active collaboration is being held between
industry associations, think-tanks, public sector entities
engaged in defence manufacturing together with
service headquarters (SHQs) Ministry of Civil Aviation,
Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) and
state governments to encourage participation in this
niche area. The government is also encouraging setting
up of defence start-ups and medium and small
scale enterprises (MSMEs). Indian companies, Indian
subsidiaries of foreign OEMs, divisions of companies
registered in India and exhibitors having joint ventures
with Indian companies were among the 1340 DefExpo
exhibitors this time. Much stress was laid on exports,
financing and investment in defence, and R&D especially
focusing on aerospace and futuristic autonomous
technologies in air dominance.
Tata, Reliance, Mahindra, Adani, Larson and Tuburo,
Ashok Leyland, Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems,
Bharat Forge, and Lockheed Martin are some of the
prominent Indian manufacturers, which are engaged
in manufacturing defence related equipment from ammunition
to shipbuilding, from small devices to large
bulletproof armoured vehicles. Private players are, to
be more specific, engaged in the undermentioned hightech
areas, too:
Missile systems and subsystems;
Optronic systems;
Unmanned aerial systems for aerospace and aero structures;
Command and control systems;
Radar systems and subsystems;
Homeland Security solutions.
The ‘make in India' policy at the stratospheric, visionary level has given a patriotic long term aim for implementation
in a variety of business sectors. These include electronics, mining, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, thermal
power and other alternative energy, aviation, biotechnology, information technology, business process manage-
76 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 77

DELHI DIARY
DELHI DIARY
Streamlining of export regulation system;
Adopting a policy of engaging India's Diplomatic
footprint for export promotion;
Export financing via lines of credit;
Strategically adopting an offset policy for
indigenous defence production.
India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile
The primary aim of the government
now is to build a robust domestic
supply chain taken care of by private
companies, small businesses and
start-ups engaged in manufacturing
of defence products. To promote
indigenisation, the Defence Ministry
has brought out two positive
indigenous lists. “With the first and
second lists, contracts worth $7.1
billion have been awarded to Indian
companies. We hope that over the
next five to seven years the indigenous
acquisition will provide $64.28
billion worth of orders for the industry”,
Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh was heard saying recently in a
gathering.
The stalwarts of the industry are
calling for new economic models
and processes that would help and
benefit India's defence export markets,
including fair and quick decisions
on contract awards and less
bureaucratic red tape to lessen the
cost of acquisition. It must be noted
that a steady flow of orders are
necessary to enable private entities
to grow and for this, a level playing
field is required. For the private
sector, which has the infrastructure
and capability, state-run companies
should not come in their path
of progress and growth, said the industry
association chiefs.
ment, ports and shipping, railways, tourism, hospitality
and wellness industries apart from indigenous defence
production. The key national objective of the ‘make in
India' programme is to achieve self-reliance, conserve
critical foreign exchange, develop export potential,
enhance technology and skill and use defence manufacturing
not only as an engine of national economic
growth but also to transform India into a true global
superpower.
Time is also a very important factor as most projects in
this sector are Greenfield in nature that require a long
gestation period. In this connection, a recent report by
Bloomberg quoting anonymous sources from the Defence
Ministry of India has said that the current policy
of self-reliance has left India vulnerable to persistent
threats from China and Pakistan. Due to an embargo
on defence imports it may leave India “critically short
of helicopters by 2026 and short of fighter jets by 2030,
leaving the Indian Air Force with less than 30 fighter
squadrons well below the required 42”. But the government
of India thinks otherwise.
The new policy on defence procurement “mandates between
30% and 60% of homemade components”. This
ambitious policy aims “to shift from being the world's
largest importer of defence equipment to meeting the
majority of its needs through domestic production”. India
is today in the lookout of suitable partners to start
joint ventures to manufacture specialist equipment,
engage in joint R&D in niche areas, and provision of
services and training in cyber security. India's current
limited skillsets for high-tech defence manufacturing
are likely to improve as domestic manufacturing boosts
in the coming days.
It may be recalled that India is the fifth largest military
spender in the world, with the second largest standing
army with 1.3 million active service personnel. Nearly
16% to 17% of the central government's annual budget
is allocated for defence, which is the highest of any sector.
Moreover, it is estimated that India would spend
around $250 billion on defence procurement in the
next 10-15 years. Sanjay Jaju, Additional Secretary in
the Department of Defence Production, said India exported
Rs 13,000 crore worth of defence equipment in
2021, which is a quantum jump of 54.1% than previous
year. A whopping 70% of this came from private enterprises
and 30% from public sector undertakings. Indian
defence products worth $1.76 billion were exported to
75 countries in the year, of which USA was the highest
importer apart from the Southeast Asia and Africa nations.
India has all these years met its defence requirements
through imports and it green-signalled domestic private
sector participation in defence manufacturing
only in the year 2001. While other countries with large
defence budgets like the UK import 32% of its requirements
and the US 9%, about 60% of India's defence
equipment requirements are met through imports.
Russia, USA and Israel are the top exporters of defence
equipment to India. Foreign and domestic think-tanks
taking interest in India's burgeoning defence requirements
have suggested a multidimensional strategy to
boost this sector. Some of these strategies include:
To put this in fast-track mode, the following steps have been implemented by the government:
1) Revised defence acquisition procedure 2020;
2) Announcement of two positive indigenisation lists comprising over 209 items;
3) Creating two dedicated defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu;
4) Restructuring the offset policy to attract investment and ensure transfer of technology;
5) Announcing innovation of defence excellence (IDEX) scheme for MSME and startups;
6) FDI in defence increased to 74% through automatic route and 100% through government approval;
7) Licensing procedure necessary to set up defence production units simplified;
8) Implementation of public procurement (preference to make in India) order 2017;
9) Restructuring of the Ordnance Factory Board to seven new defence companies through an action
plan by MOD.
India would, however, as an exporter, have to tread a
careful path, as often exporting arms and ammunition
may result in discord and disharmony among friends,
just as it happened when USA decided to provide $450
million to Pakistan to upgrade and maintain its F16
fighter jets, to which India disapproved. Similarly, in
2021, when India sold a Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhuvir
to Myanmar, this action made Bangladesh unhappy.
However, India said that it was part of its continued
commitment to building capacities and self-reliance in
the neighbouring countries and its vision of SAGAR (Security
and Growth for All in the Region).
Colonel Balwan Singh Nagyal recently commented that
India, from a country where domestic defence production
had meant “assemblage under licence…self-sufficiency
in defence will be the single-most fundamental
of strategic independence.” Defence sector, being a very
critical area of the Indian economy, has the potential
for tremendous growth as it is backed by a large talented
pool of human resources and the modernisation
requirement of the Indian Armed forces. Proper policy
implementation, active public-private collaboration,
boosting indigenous design development and manufacturing
will enable to usher in a sustainable defence industrial
ecosystem, making the IMF projection of India
becoming the third largest national economy by 2027-
28, with only China and USA ahead, a reality.
Dr Debjyoti Chanda is currently Chairman,
Department of Mass Communication and
Videography, Rabindra Bharati University,
Kolkata, India. An author, development
communication specialist and news
anchor, he has also served the Indian
Information Service. He can be reached at
debjyotichanda1969@gmail.com
78 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 79

ENTERTAINMENT
Zahed has proved his skills by producing several
dramas of the crime thriller genre. He has shown a
different way of telling stories through his own individuality
in making. Proper use of twists can be observed
in his story. So he is also known as Mr. Twist.
In July 2021, Vicky Zahed produced the first episode
of Punorjonmo drama under the initiative of Channel
I. He brought Punorjomo 2 the same year. This
year, Vicky produced a side sequel Shuklopokkho of
the same series on the OTT platform Chorki. Now he
brought Punorjonmo 3. TV screen actor Afran Nisho
became popular by playing the role of Rafsan Haque
in the drama. There are also Mehzabeen Chowdhury,
Khairul Basar, Kazi Nowshaba Ahmed, Shahed Ali,
and Abdullah Al Sentu. On the occasion of Channel
I's founding anniversary,' Punorjonmo 3' was
released on Channel I Prime's YouTube channel on
Sunday (October 2) evening after its broadcast on
the night of October 1. Since then it has been praised
by thousands of viewers. After the airing of the drama
' Punorjonmo 3', it was trending on the online
video-sharing platform YouTube for a long time from
Bangladesh. Not only this, it is the first desi content
to trend within the first 12 hours of its release on
YouTube.
LET'S SEE AT A GLANCE HOW PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THE DRAMAS OF PUNORJONMO SERIES:
PUNORJONMO SEQUEL
AUDIENCE GROWS WITH TWISTED TALES
-S.M WAHID FEROJ (TONMOY)
Since the beginning of the nineties, Television or TV
dramas were at the peak of audience popularity in
Bangladesh. Then, Bangladesh Television (BTV) was
the only medium to broadcast TV dramas. Although
dramas were not aired every day, but at that time,
the popularity of drama shows was sky-high. Apart
from this, all those who were associated with the
production of drama were talented and experienced
in their respective fields. Those stories of Bengali
middle-class families in the dramas always touched
everyone's heart, as Bengalis are known to be emotional.
The similarity of their own lives with the stories
seen on the screen makes people more interested
in watching the drama. In this way, a unique style
of Bengali drama was created in the early 90s, and
a separate identity was created too. Listing those
dramas, the first ones that come to mind are ‘Samshaptak’,
‘Matir Kole’, ‘Jonaki Jole’, 'Ayomoy', and 'Bahubrihi'.
With the evolution of time, as the number of private
TV channels increased, the number of drama productions
also increased and media workers also shaped
this field according to the demand. A large number of
young cultural workers began to take up acting as a
profession. As a result, TV dramas continue to prosper
due to the excellent combination of demand and
supply. Changes began to come in various aspects of
the drama. The task of enthralling the audience with
the story and acting was done smoothly for a long
time. But in modern times, due to the advancement
of technology, TV dramas started to lose their appeal
when online dramas became popular. When the
history of Bengali drama was largely forgotten in the
present time, several dramas have been discussed.
One of which is Channel I's much-discussed drama
'Punorjonmo', directed by Vicky Zahed.
Before discussing the drama Punorjonmo, it is necessary
to look at its director Vicky Zahed. Young
filmmaker Vicky Zahed made his debut in 2016 with
his short film “Moments”. Since then, director Vicky
PUNORJONMO
The drama aired on Channel I's YouTube channel
on July 25, 2021. So far, about 99 lakh people
have watched this drama on YouTube. 172 thousand
people have liked, and more than 12 thousand
people have commented on this drama.
PUNORJONMO 3
PUNORJONMO 2
On October 01, 2021, the second episode of the
drama was aired on Channel I's YouTube channel.
So far, about 7.7 million people have watched
this drama on YouTube. 173 thousand people have
liked, and there are over 15 thousand comments.
On October 02, 2022, that is, almost a year after the second episode, the third episode of this popular drama
was released. However, a part of the drama 'Shuklopokkho' released on the OTT platform Chorki gives some
hints of Punorjonmo 3. But it is not enough to consider it as the third episode of the drama. After the release
of the drama Punorjonmo 3, so far, about 7.7 million people have watched this drama on YouTube. 192 thousand
people have liked it, and more than 17 thousand people have commented on this drama.
It is an old complaint of the audience that any drama or movie produced in the sequel cannot give proper
satisfaction and usually remain unmatched with the popularity of original. The first instalment topped the
production very rarely. However, producer Vicky Zahed showed an exception. This young director proved his
hand by producing the sequel of 'Punorjonmo', and that too with overcoming the popularity of the first one.
Furthermore, all the sequels Zahed made surpassed the popularity of their previous episode. Let the success
of Bengali drama continue. In keeping with the developed world, drama makers are trying to break out of
monotony and work in a different way. But it will not be tied to murder, sex, or crime, rather a brilliant story
of anything, this is what the audience wants. The new directors and filmmakers prove their worth by making
new and amazing stories continuously. With the hands of new and talented directors, Bengali drama will
move forward by maintaining its artistic standards and values.
80 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 81

SPORTS
With all 32 participating teams prepared to
face off for the coveted golden trophy, FIFA
World Cup 2022 is knocking on the door carrying
sheer excitement and joy. Legends like Messi and
Ronaldo are set to colour the ‘Greatest Show on
Earth’ to be kicked off in Qatar on November 20.
Football fans from around the globe are eagerly
waiting for the most spectacular sporting event.
This World Cup is expected to be an exception from
many aspects, as this is the last World Cup for a
number of legendary players. Moreover, the tournament
will be held for the first time in the Middle
East, as wealthy Qatar is going to host the tournament.
But there is an exception beyond everything.
This year's World Cup will be held in the middle
of the European season. Unlike the previous FIFA
World Cups, which are typically played in June-
July, the world football’s governing body FIFA decided
to hold the 2022 version of the World Cup in
November-December in order to avoid excessive
summer heat in Qatar. And for this reason, fans
and football experts believe that this year's World
Cup will be the best. Belgium national team coach
Roberto Martínez in this regard said, “I think, this
will be the best World Cup, because the players
will be at their best physically. A few weeks after
the start of the season, they will play a thousand
minutes and go to the World Cup. International
tournaments are always held in June-July. Then
the coaches of the teams have an excuse that
the footballers are tired.” Martinez hence believes
that this will not be the case this time, “This is
the best time to play for the national team.”
FOOTBALL’S
BIGGEST FIESTA
FIFA WORLD CUP
As the greatest show on the earth ‘FIFA
World Cup 2022’ is set to begin shortly, a
total of 32 nations will fight for the most
prestigious trophy in the world of football.
It will be an era-ending World Cup with the
legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo,
Luca Modric and many more playing
their last World Cup. With all the 32 spots
booked for the showpiece event, SM TANJIL-
UL-HAQUE and NASHIR UDDIN look at the
competing teams that have potentials to
win the cup and players who are set to colour
the world’s biggest football fest with
2022 DETAILED
their foot magic, mesmeric run, dribbling
82 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 capacity and jaw-drop trickery
OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 83

SPORTS
SPORTS
TEAM RANKINGS
Football’s governing body FIFA released the latest rankings before Qatar World Cup on October 6. Five-time
world champions Brazil will head into the World Cup being at the top of the rankings, extending their lead
over Belgium, for the first time after 12 years. There was no change among the top five nations from the
August rankings, with Belgium securing second spot, Argentina being ahead of France and England. All the
teams in the top five will compete in the tournament. Before the nations get into the title race, let's see
where the 32 participating teams stand in the rankings.
DARK HORSES
With the hype and excitement over football’s biggest extravaganza building up steadily, the favourite names
are already on everyone’s lips. The likes of Brazil and France have massive quality and can well be victorious.
However, the World Cup has had its fair share of surprises in the past. The greatest show on earth is renowned to
have many surprises as the last World Cup in Russia saw Germany being knocked out from the group stage, and
the dark horse of that tournament Croatia reaching the grand finale. As the tournament nears, we at PX look at
a few countries that might spring surprises emerging as dark horses in this edition of the FIFA World Cup:
WHO’LL DOMINATE THIS TIME – EUROPE OR AMERICA?
CREAM OF THE CROP
Many of the football pundits and supporters think
European dominance in World Cup may end this
time. The two Latin American superpowers are going
to the tournament in Qatar being in top three of the
FIFA ranking. Argentina, dreaming of winning the
World Cup for the third time, will go to Qatar with
35 unbeaten matches on the trot. Brazil, the most
successful team in World Cup history, will step into
Qatar being in the top spot and best rhythm. Various
Europe and South America are
the two best continents when it
comes to football. The level of talent
and success at international
and club level in these two continents
are simply unmatched.
Similarly, these two continents
possess fan bases that can legitimately
impact any game based on
emotions and momentum. International
football has been dominated
by countries from Europe
and South America from time
immemorial. These countries produced
the best possible results on
the international stage and have
won all editions of the FIFA World
Cup since its inception. A total
of 20 Football World Cups were
played till date, and the final of
those World Cups were only contested
by teams from the UEFA
(Europe) and CONMEBOL (South
America) confederations. European
nations have won 11 titles,
whereas South American teams
have won nine. Therefore, Europe
and South America are undoubtedly
the biggest powerhouses of
football.
Over a century of competitive
world football has shaped the
perceived differences between
Latin American and European
playing styles. But World Cup
has been dominated by
European football for the last
20 years. In 2002, the World
Cup was held in Asia for the
first time with Brazil emerging
as the legitimate Latin
champions last time.
The Seleção won the World Cup,
held in South Korea and Japan, for
the fifth time after defeating Germany
in the final. With Cafu, Carlos,
Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho
in the line-up, Brazil won all
the matches of the tournament
as the only team in the World Cup.
Ironically, that was the last time a
South American country won the
men’s World Cup.
European teams had the last
laugh in the next four World Cups
organised after that: Italy won
the Cup in 2006, Spain in 2010,
Germany in 2014, and France in
2018. As what went wrong for the
South American countries since
then remains anybody’s guess,
fans around the globe this time
are pondering at the chances of
rejuvenated Latin countries after
20 long years seeing Brazil and
Argentina in top positions of latest
FIFA rankings.
European teams, on the other hand, are in fragile
condition before the start of the World Cup. Defending
champions France, four-time world champions
Germany, last year’s semi-finalists England and
even the team that’s always regarded as the dark
horse of World Cup Belgium – no one’s current form
gives much hope this time. European football fans,
however, hope their favourite teams will gather pace
once the Qatar World Cup gets underway.
Belgium
It may not exactly be the last swansong meant for the
highly regarded ‘golden generation’ of Belgium football.
But the ages of the current superstars are not
reducing anyway. Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne
turn 31, Thibaut Courtois running 30- more experienced
now than ever. Thus, there will be no shortage
of people betting on Belgium in this World Cup. There
are reliable forwards like Lukaku and Hazard in attack.
There are skilled playmakers like De Bruyne to set the
tone of the ‘engine room’ called midfield. Ever-reliable
hands of Courtois are rightly there between the sticks
with long-serving super tactician Roberto Martinez
dictating the tempo from the dugout. Belgium have
all the ingredients required to reach the pinnacle of
footballing success. They will surely enthral the football
fans from around the globe with their skilful play
this time in Qatar having desperate desire to win the
elusive World Cup trophy.
Denmark
Denmark were the dark horses in European Championships
last summer. They can be the dark horses
again with similar quality in the squad headed for this
year’s World Cup. The Danes are currently ranked 10th
in FIFA rankings, and rightfully so. They topped their
qualifying group – thereby losing only one game. With
players like Christian Eriksen, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg,
and Andreas Christensen in possession, Denmark can
beat any opponent on their day.
Senegal
The African Champions are placed 18th in the world
rankings. Their famous victory against France in 2002
is regarded as one of the biggest shocks in FIFA World
Cup history. This is only Senegal's third appearance in
this grand competition. With the likes of Sadio Mané
and Édouard Mendy, Senegal could emerge as one of
the dark horses this winter. Last time out, they were
knocked out of the group stage on a fair-play basis –
thereby allowing Japan to qualify ahead. However, they
have the quality to become the first African side to
make it past the quarter-finals this time.
Netherlands
The Dutch team was notably absent in the 2018 edition
of the World Cup. Their last appearance in 2014 was
one to remember as they finished third in the competition.
They are led by the same man who took them
to their last World Cup, Louis Van Gaal. The 71-yearold
tactician will be keen on taking his country further
this time. The Netherlands have been unbeaten since
Van Gaal returned to the role and have drawn only four
games. They topped their Nations League group, beating
Belgium home and away. At the moment, they
are ranked eighth in the world. Nonetheless, with the
sheer quality of this team in all areas, and players like
Virgil Van Dijk, Memphis Depay, and Frenkie De Jong all
over the pitch, they have the quality to clinch the title
for the first time in the nation’s history.
84 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 85

SPORTS
SPORTS
END OF ERA: LEGENDS TO PLAY FOR ONE LAST HURRAH
Many footballers in the world
of football spread their talents,
crossed the boundaries of their
abilities, ignited the light of success,
shone with their skills, won
the hearts of fans and critics alike,
and found a place in the corner of
everyone’s hearts. But the harsh
reality is: they have to leave the
playground even if they don't
want to upon reaching the final
stage of colourful career. This is
perhaps the last time we will see
some of the modern-day greats
on football’s biggest stage, as
this will be the last World Cup for
them. There were once Pele and
Maradona, who mesmerised the
world with their outstanding performance.
After them, there have been very
few players who rose to the highest
level of popularity like them. In
this case, Lionel Messi and Cristiano
Ronaldo are of rare breed. Over
the past century, they have played
superhuman football, achieved
numerous records, and gained extraordinary
feat. Many think they
have even surpassed their former
idols – Pele and Maradona. This
year’s World Cup is undoubtedly
something special as this is the
last time these two will be seen
competing on the world stage.
Other great players like Luis Suarez,
Thiago Silva, Thomas Muller,
Luka Modric, Karim Benzema,
Eden Hazard, Sergio Busquets
and Robert Lewandowski will also
be playing in the greatest show on
earth perhaps for one last time!
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TEAM RANKINGS, NICKNAMES & HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENTS
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OCTOBER 2022
PRESS XPRESS
89

SPORTS
WORLD CUP IN QATAR: WILL IT BE THE BEST EVER?
In December 2010, energy-rich
country Qatar received permission
to host the FIFA World Cup.
Twelve years have elapsed since
then. Finally, after completing all
those preparations, the greatest
show on earth is going to be hosted
in the middle-east country in
this November. The country spent
a huge amount of money on new
stadiums and glittering events.
The Qatari media 'Doha News'
says that Qatar is spending $220
billion on this year's FIFA World
Cup, which is about 22 lakh 30
thousand crores in Bangladeshi
currency.
It is going to be the most expensive
tournament in World Cup history
as Qatar is spending 20 times
more than what Russia spent on
the 2018 World Cup. Not only that,
the amount of money the host
country spending, also exceeded
the combined cost of seven World
Cups from 1994 to 2018. Qatar has
built eight state-of-the-art stadiums
for the World Cup that will
have advanced cooling system,
and will be within an hour's drive.
The stadiums are Al Bayt, Lusail,
Ahmad Bin Ali, Al Janoub, Al Thumama,
Education City, Khalifa
International and Stadium-974.
Considering all these, many think
this year’s World Cup is going to
be the best ever!
BANGLADESH HAS ITS PRESENCE TOO
Although Bangladesh couldn’t
qualify in FIFA World Cup, the
country will have its presence
there in a different way. First of
all, Shiakat Ali will represent Bangladesh
on the field as assistant
referee. The resident of Chattogram,
who has been in Qatar
since 2013, is going to serve as the
coordinator of the referees on the
field. He is currently working as
an assistant referee for the Qatar
Football Association. Shiakat will
be Bangladesh’s representative
throughout the Qatar event.
Furthermore, six lakh official
FIFA t-shirts have been produced
in Bangladesh. These t-shirts,
made in Chattogram, have already
reached the buyer. Sonnet
Textile Industries Limited made
Bangladesh proud by making
these t-shirts worth about 130
million taka. Sonnet Textile Industries
Limited Director Gazi
Mohammad Shahidullah, who’s
also a Director of the Bangladesh
Knitwear Manufacturers' and Exporters
Association (BKMEA),
said, "We received an order for
600,000 pieces of t-shirts from
a FIFA-certified sportswear supplier.
These are official T-shirts
with the FIFA logo. Our t-shirts
have been sent to the Russian
buyers." He feels that Bangladesh
has brighter prospects in manufacturing
sportswear. Finally, the
Bangladeshi migrant workers
have laboured in infrastructure
development and construction of
the eight stadiums built for this
year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Therefore, the country rewarded
the dignity of Bangladeshi migrant
workers as the flag of Bangladesh
was placed in the flag
plaza of Qatar. A total of 119 flags,
including 32 teams participating
in the Football World Cup, have
been placed in the Flag Plaza built
in Doha Al Cornish Islamic Museum
Park of the country. Expatriate
Bangladeshis are excited to
find a place for Bangladesh’s flag
in the Flag Plaza. They expressed
excitement seeing that the flag
of Bangladesh has been placed in
the flag plaza of the World Cup.
“As a Bangladeshi, it is a matter
of pride for us.”
Samdado is one of the oldest and most
popular Japanese restaurants in the capital.
The restaurant is located in Gulshan, Dhaka.
This restaurant is mainly based on Japanese
cuisine, they also serve Thai, South Korean
dishes. The restaurant's decoration, hospitality
and service are highly appreciated. If
you want to enjoy delicious and authentic
Japanese cuisine in a pleasant environment in
Dhaka, Samdado can be the best choice.
House # 27, Road # 35, Gulshan-2, Dhaka, Bangladesh
https://www.facebook.com/samdadojapanesecuisine
90 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 2022 PRESS XPRESS 91

NEWS FLASH
RESOLUTION IN US CONGRESS TO DECLARE 1971
ATROCITIES IN BANGLADESH ‘GENOCIDE’
Two US congressmen introduced a resolution to declare Pakistan Army action against Bengalis and Hindus
during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 as "genocide" and "crime against humanity".
US Congressman Steve Chabot, along with Congressman Ro Khanna of Indian origin introduced the resolution
in the US House of Representatives on Friday. Chabot said
the Bangladesh Genocide of 1971 must not be forgotten,
reported UNB.
"With help from my Hindu constituents in Ohio’s First District,
Rep Ro Khanna and I introduced legislation to recognise
that the mass atrocities committed against Bengalis and
Hindus in particular, were indeed genocide," he said.
The 8-page resolution titled "Recognising the Bangladesh
Genocide of 1971" calls on the government of Pakistan, in the
face of overwhelming evidence, to offer acknowledgement of
its role in such genocide, offer formal apologies to the government
and people of Bangladesh, and prosecute, in accordance
with international law, any perpetrators who are still
living. It condemns the atrocities committed by the Armed
Forces of Pakistan against the people of Bangladesh from March 1971 to December 1971; recognises that such
atrocities against Bengalis and Hindus constitute crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide; recalls the
death and suffering of the countless victims of such atrocities and expresses its deep sympathy for the suffering.
PART OF NEW YORK STREET CO-NAMED
LITTLE BANGLADESH
A section of McDonald Avenue in Kensington of New York has
been officially co-named "Little Bangladesh" to celebrate the
Bangladeshi community there and its contributions to the
neighbourhood.
Council member Shahana Hanif said "Little Bangladesh"
was named to see the neighbourhood as "our home and to
further establish our commitment to serving and protecting
this community." Shahana Hanif, leaders from the local Bangladeshi
community, city Comptroller Brad Lander, and Assembly
member Robert Carroll unveiled the new street sign
at the corner of Church Avenue on October 16, reports Brooklyn
Paper, a local newspaper.
INDIA TEST-FIRES BALLISTIC
MISSILE FROM NUCLEAR
SUBMARINE IN BAY OF BENGAL
Neighbouring India has successfully test-fired a ballistic
missile from a nuclear submarine in the territorial
sea of the Bay of Bengal. With this, the Indian
ballistic missile submarines may now be able to target
China and Pakistan from underwater locations
when deployed, reported Indian media.
The Indian defence ministry statement said last
evening, “INS Arihant carried out a successful launch
of a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) on
Friday.” The missile, it said, was tested to a predetermined
range and it impacted the target area in
the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy. All operational
and technological parameters of the weapon
system have been validated.
SLBM’s successful user training launch by INS Arihant
is significant to prove crew competency and
validate the SSBN programme, a key element of
India's nuclear deterrence capability, said the statement,
adding, the latest submarine-launched ballistic
missile test proves the sheer credibility of India's
naval nuclear deterrent.
BANGLADESH TO BECOME WORLD’S 9TH
LARGEST CONSUMER MARKET
Bangladesh is expected to be the 9th largest consumer
market globally by 2030 and it will be bigger than the UK
by then, said a report by HSBC Global Research revealed on
October 19.
"Bangladesh is expected to see the fastest growth in its
consumer market – that is, the population earning more
than $20 per day in constant Purchasing Power Parity
(PPP) terms – in the current decade," said the HSBC Global
Research in its "The Flying Dutchman' report titled 'Asia's
shoppers in 2030"
China, India, and Indonesia will be ahead of Bangladesh,
said a press release of HSBC citing the report.
Korea and Japan will see a drop in the overall market by
2030. In terms of size, mainland China is expected to retain
its dominant position as being the biggest consumer market
in the world with more than 800 million consumers by
2030 and 820 million by 2040, it added.
The report said over the next few decades, the world, and
Asia in particular will undergo significant demographic
shifts. As for Asia, the region will become considerably
older, and wealthier, and households will continue to get
smaller. These changes result in significant shifts in spending
patterns across Asia.
"Asia will become the dominant player in global consumer
markets; Indonesia will overtake Brazil as the fourth-largest
consumer market, after China, India, and the US.
BGB HAS AN ACCOUNT OF EACH
BULLET FIRED FROM MYANMAR: DG
Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)
Major General Shakil Ahmed has said the BGB has
an account of each and every bullet fired from across
the Myanmar border.
"We have immediately protested every single incident
to Myanmar's border guards, including the firing
of mortar shells, crossing the airspace. They have
also replied," he said while talking to reporters after
visiting the border area of Ghumdhum union of Naikhongchhari
upazila in Cox's Bazar on October 10.
Inside Myanmar, the Arakan Army is engaged in
fierce fighting with the country's army. From mid-
August, its impact began to be felt at various border
areas of Bangladesh including Tumbru, Konapara,
Uttarpara, and Baishphandi of Ghumdhum union of
Naikhongchhari upazila, reports our Cox's Bazar correspondent.
USA ENDED ITS ASSISTANCE TO RAB IN 2018: STATE DEPT
Responding to Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina's recent comments
that the US created and trained
Rab, the US State Department
has said it stopped providing assistance
to the force in 2018 due
to its human rights violations.
"Well, the fact is that based on
credible information implicating
the Rapid Action Battalion or the
Rab in gross violations of human
rights, we did end assistance to
the Rab in 2018," State Department
Spokesperson Ned Price
said in his regular press briefing in
Washington DC on October 12.
He made the remarks when a
journalist asked him about the
Bangladesh PM saying, at a press
conference on October 6 after
her return from the UNGA, that
the US created Rab and provided
training, logistics and arms, and
that now they are acting according
to their training.
Price added that in December last
year, the US sanctioned Rab as
well as seven current and former
officials under Global Magnitsky
Act in connection with the force's
involvement in serious and gross
human rights abuse.
NEWS FLASH
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NEWS FLASH
INDIA PROUD TO BE PARTNER IN BANGLADESH’S
LIBERATION WAR: PRESIDENT MURMU
Indian President Droupadi Murmu
has said that India has always attached
the highest priority to its
friendship with Bangladesh and
remains committed to realising its
full potential.
Addressing a delegation of youth
from Bangladesh at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan in New Delhi on October
14, she said, “Our deep cooperation
shows the importance
that both countries attach to this
relationship.” She recalled her recent
meetings with Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina in Delhi and in
London. The Indian President said
Bangladesh occupies a very special
place in the hearts and minds
of every Indian.
"Our countries share deep civilisational
links. We share many things
between us including art, music
and literature," she added. The
president said India is proud to be
a friend and partner in the Liberation
War of Bangladesh and continues
to share the development
journey, according to an official
statement. "It is important for us
to preserve this spirit which continues
to inspire the deep friendship
between our two countries
and our people," she said.
The Indian president noted that
while there is already a lot of people-to-people
contact between
India and Bangladesh, the two
countries need to do much more
and the youth of both the countries
can play a leading role in this
regard.
CHINESE ENVOY FORESEES BRIGHTER
PROSPECT IN ICT COOPERATION
BANGLADESHI CONFERRED
HIGHEST MALAYSIAN TITLE
Jalal Uddin Selim, an expatriate
Bangladeshi, has been conferred the
"Dato Sri" title in Malaysia.
A royal family of Malaysia's Malacca
state awarded "Dato Sri", the highest
state title, to Jalal Uddin Selim
in recognition of his contribution to
the field of business, NGOs and social
work.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Wednesday Jalal Uddin Selim received the award
said there are much brighter prospects for both countries for a from YAM Datu Abdul Latif Bin
win-win cooperation in ICT.
Hashim, a representative of the
"I am confident that the two countries will enjoy more favourable
royal family, on October 1, 2022. Ja-
opportunities for cooperation in ICT," he also said at the lal, son of Mohammad Abdul Awal
Huawei ICT Incubator 2022 programme in a city hotel. In recent of Velanagar village in Daudkandi
years, Chinese enterprises have expanded their investments in upazila of Cumilla, went to Malaysia
Bangladesh's infrastructure, science and technology sectors, in 1995 to study.
among which, ICT is one of the most remarkable and promising After completing his studies at University
ones, he noted.
of Science, Malaysia (USM),
he decided to settle there and focus
94 PRESS XPRESS OCTOBER 2022
on business.
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