Joel Ahmed

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/two-bangladeshi-youths-killed-in-bsf-firing-along-lalmonirhat-border-1630235821 Two Bangladeshi youths killed in BSF firing along Lalmonirhat border Published: August 29, 2021 17:17:01 Two Bangladeshi youths were shot dead by some members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along Burimari border at Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat on Sunday morning. The deceased were identified as Yunus Ali, 29, son of Bulbul Hossain of Dangapara village under Burimari union of Patgram upazila and Sagar, 26, of Jaldhaka area of Nilphamari district. According to 61 Burimari BGB camp sources, a patrol team of BSF opened fire on a group of cattle traders when they went to bring cattle near pillar no 842 of Burimari border, leaving Sagar and Yunus dead on the spot. Omar Faruque, Officer-in-Charge of Patgram Police Station, said they identified the duo after seeing the photographs sent by Indian prople living along the border, reports UNB.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/bn/আনসার-আল-ইসলামের-‘প্রথম-নারী-জঙ্গি’-গ্রেপ্তার-1630228774 আনসার আল ইসলামের ‘প্রথম নারী জঙ্গি’ গ্রেপ্তার এফই ডেস্ক | Published: August 29, 2021 15:19:34 | Updated: August 29, 2021 17:40:38 নিষিদ্ধ ঘোষিত জঙ্গি সংগঠন আনসার আল ইসলামের এক নারী সদস্যকে গ্রেপ্তার করেছে ঢাকা মহানগর পুলিশের কাউন্টার টেরোরিজম অ্যান্ড ট্রান্সন্যাশনাল ক্রাইম ইউনিট (সিটিটিসি)। গ্রেপ্তার জোবাইদা সিদ্দিকা নাবিলার এবার উচ্চ মাধ্যমিক পরীক্ষা দেওয়ার কথা ছিল। বৃহস্পতিবার রাজধানীর বাড্ডা এলাকায় অভিযান চালিয়ে তাকে গ্রেপ্তার করা হয়। খবর বিডিনিউজ টোয়েন্টিফোর ডটকমের। এ সময় তার কাছ থেকে সিমকার্ড ও মেমোরিকার্ডসহ একটি মোবাইল ফোন জব্দ করা হয় বলে সিটিটিসির প্রধান অতিরিক্ত পুলিশ কমিশনার মো. আসাদুজ্জামান জানান। সিটিটিসির দাবি, এই প্রথম আনসার আল ইসলামের কোনো নারী সদস্যকে গ্রেপ্তার করা হল। এর আগে অন্যান্য জঙ্গি সংগঠনের নারী সদস্য গ্রেপ্তার হলেও তারা নাবিলার মতো ‘প্রশিক্ষিত’ ছিলেন না। রোববার ঢাকা মহানগর পুলিশের মিডিয়া সেন্টারে এক সংবাদ সম্মেলনে আসাদুজ্জামান বলেন, আনসার আল ইসলামের মিডিয়া শাখায়. অর্থাৎ ‘জঙ্গিবাদের প্রচার প্রচারণার’ দায়িত্ব পালন করতেন নাবিলা। তবে সামরিক শাখার সঙ্গেও তার ‘যোগাযোগ ছিল’। “প্রাথমিক জিজ্ঞাসাবাদে নাবিলা জানায়, সে ২০২০ সালের প্রথম দিকে নিজের নাম পরিচয় গোপন করে ছদ্মনামে একটি ফেইসবুক অ্যাকাউন্ট খোলে। এক সময় সে ফেইসবুকে আনসার আল ইসলামের অফিসিয়াল ফেইসবুক পেইজ 'তিতুমীর মিডিয়া'র খোঁজ পায়। তখন সে ওই পেইজে যুক্ত হয়ে আনসার আল ইসলামের বিভিন্ন উগ্রবাদী ভিডিও, অডিও এবং আর্টিকেল সম্পর্কে ধারণা পায় এবং তাদের মতাদর্শ নিজের ভেতরে লালন করতে শুরু করে। “তিতুমীর মিডিয়ার পেইজ অ্যাডমিনের সাথে তার যোগাযোগ হয়। পরে সেই পেইজ অ্যাডমিন তাকে উগ্রবাদী জিহাদী কন্টেন্টসহ আনসার আল ইসলামের অফিসিয়াল ওয়েবসাইটগুলোর লিংক দেয়।” এভাবে ধীরে ধীরে ওই তরুণী আনসার আল ইসলামের মতাদর্শ ছড়িয়ে দেওয়ার কাজে যুক্ত হন। ফেইসবুক ও টেলিগ্রামসহ বিভিন্ন অনলাইন প্ল্যাটফর্মে ছদ্মনামে একাধিক অ্যাকাউন্ট খুলে তিনি কাজটি করতেন বলে কাউন্টার টেরোরিজম পুলিশের ভাষ্য। সিটিটিসি প্রধান বলেন, "সে আনসার আল ইসলামের মতাদর্শ প্রচারের জন্য ব্যাপকভাবে টেলিগ্রাম মাধ্যম ব্যবহার করত। টেলিগ্রামে তার চারটি অ্যাকাউন্ট এবং সেই টেলিগ্রাম একাউন্টের মাধ্যমে ১৫টির বেশি চ্যানেল সে চালাত। এসব চ্যানেলে সে আনসার আল ইসলামের বিভিন্ন উগ্রবাদী সহিংস ভিডিও, অডিও, ছবি ও ফাইল শেয়ার করত। তার সবগুলো টেলিগ্রাম চ্যানেল মিলে আনুমানিক ২৫ হাজার সাবস্ক্রাইবার আছেন, যারা নিয়মিত তার চ্যানেলগুলো অনুসরণ করেন।“ ‘জিহাদ কেন প্রয়োজন', 'কিতাবুল জিহাদ', 'একাকি শিকারি লোন উলফ', 'স্লিপার সেলগুলোতে গোয়েন্দাদের অনুপ্রবেশ প্রতিরোধের উপায়', 'নীরবে হত্যার কৌশল', 'পুলিশ শরিয়তের শত্রু', 'আল আনসার ম্যাগাজিন ইস্যু', 'জিহাদের সাধারণ দিক নির্দেশনা', 'তাগুতের শাসন থেকে মুক্তির ঘোষণা' ইত্যাদি উগ্রবাদী বই বিভিন্ন সময়ে নাবিলার টেলিগ্রাম চ্যানেলগুলো থেকে প্রকাশ করা হত বলে সংবাদ সম্মেলনে জানানো হয়। আসাদুজ্জামান বলেন, নাবিলা আনসার আল ইসলামের বিভিন্ন অফিসিয়াল ও আনঅফিসিয়াল চ্যানেলেও যুক্ত ছিলেন। সেসব চ্যানেলে আইইডি, স্মোক বম্ব, আগ্নেয়াস্ত্র তৈরি করা এবং বিভিন্ন হামলার কৌশলগত বিষয় নিয়ে ‘ভিডিও ও ফাইল শেয়ার করতেন’ তিনি। “এসব প্রক্রিয়ার মাধ্যমেই নাবিলা জিহাদের ময়দানে অংশগ্রহণের জন্য নিজেকে মানসিকভাবে প্রস্তুত করে। এমনকি সম্প্রতি তার বিয়ের কথাবার্তা চললে সে ছেলেপক্ষকে জানায়, জিহাদের ময়দানে ডাক এলে সে সামনের সারিতে থাকবে। এমনকি শহীদি মৃত্যু এলেও সে পিছু হটবে না। ছেলেও যদি এমন মতাদর্শের না হয়, সে বিয়ে করবে না বলে জানিয়ে দেয়।” তাকে ছাড়া আনসার আল ইসলামের আর কোনো নারী সদস্যের সন্ধান পাওয়া গেছে কিনা জানতে চাইলে আসাদুজ্জামান বলেন, "এ বিষয়ে তাকে আমরা জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ করছি। সে আনসার আল ইসলামের যে গ্রুপের সঙ্গে সংশ্লিষ্ট ছিল, সেইসব লোকজনের নাম আমরা জানার চেষ্টা করছি। তবে এই মুহূর্তে এই বিষয়ে বিস্তারিত আমরা বলতে চাইছি না।" নাবিলার টেলিগ্রাম চ্যানেলের সাবস্ক্রাইবারদের মধ্যে কোনো নারী আছেন কিনা- এমন প্রশ্নের জবাবে সিটিটিসি প্রধান বলেন, "সাবস্ক্রাইবার কোনো নারী থাকতে পারে। আমরা মূলত তরুণদেরকে টার্গেট করে এ বিষয়ে অনুসন্ধান করছি। সে কণ্ঠের মাধ্যমে নারী-পুরুষ সকলকে জঙ্গিবাদে উদ্বুদ্ধ করার চেষ্টা করত।" তার জঙ্গিবাদে জড়ানোর ক্ষেত্রে পরিবারের ভূমিকা কী ছিল জানতে চাইলে অতিরিক্ত পুলিশ কমিশনার মো. আসাদুজ্জামান বলেন, "পরিবার চেষ্টা করেছিল তাকে জঙ্গিবাদ থেকে দূরে সরিয়ে আনতে। কিন্তু পারেনি। পরিবারের অমতে তিনি এক আত্মীয়র বাড়িতে বেড়ানোর কথা বলে বেরিয়ে পড়েন।" নাবিলার বিরুদ্ধে বাড্ডা থানায় একটি মামলা হয়েছে। আদালতে হাজির করে ৫ দিনের রিমান্ডে নিয়ে পুলিশ তাকে জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ করছে বলে জানান আসাদুজ্জামান।

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2021/08/29/flood-situation-deteriorates-in-brahmaputra-basin Flood situation deteriorates in Brahmaputra basin BSS Published at 05:56 pm August 29th, 2021 Hundreds of homes submerged in floodwater The flood situation in Brahmaputra River basin of four upazilas in the district deteriorated further as the water level has increased in the last 24 hours, ending at 9am on Sunday due to incessant rainfall and the rush of hilly waters from the upstream. Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) sources said the water level of the Brahmaputra River increased by 5cm during the period and the river was flowing 5cm above its danger mark at Fulchharighat point of the district. As a result, the chars located on the river basin areas of Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari, and Shaghata upazilas of the district have been inundated and many char people have been marooned and are passing their days in misery. The low-lying areas located on the western side of the river were also inundated. Abdus Salam Jakir, chairman of Kamarjani Union Parishad under Sadar upazila said with the rise of water level in the river, the river erosion has taken a serious turn at different points of the union and hundreds of houses of the union are submerged in the water creating untold suffering to the flood victims. On the other hand, the water level of the rivers – the Teesta and the Ghagot – decreased significantly during the period and both the rivers were flowing below their danger levels. Executive Engineer of BWDB Mokhlasur Rahman said as the Brahmaputra was flowing over its danger mark, the officials and employees of the board have been kept on high alert to protect the embankment from any kind of damage. Gaibandha Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Towhidul Islam said that police patrol by boats had been intensified to check piracy in the chars and western sides of the river. Talking to BSS, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abdul Matin said the district and the upazila administrations are fully prepared with relief materials and manpower to address the flood situation in the district efficiently. They have also been monitoring the situation closely. The district administration is planning to open a control room to inform the people about the overall flood situation, the DC added.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/stock/2021/08/29/bata-s-great-comeback-q2-earnings-turn-positive Bata’s great comeback: Q2 earnings turn positive Tribune Desk Published at 05:39 pm August 29th, 2021 Bata said that the reason behind this massive deviation is the company’s revenue witnessing a 426% increase After a massive loss in its Q1 (January-March) earnings for the first time in its business history, Bata came back strongly with positive earnings in Q2 (April-June) of 2021. In a filing with Dhaka Stock Exchange on Sunday, Bata said its earnings per share (EPS) was Tk1.15 for the Q2 of 2021, a 102.14% increase from Tk53.74 in the negative for the Q2 of 2020. During the first six months of 2021, its EPS was Tk2.44 in the negative against Tk51.67 for the first six months of 2019. Meanwhile, its net asset value (NAV) per share was Tk265.50 as of June 30, 2021 and Tk267.94 as of December 31, 2020. The reasons behind Bata’s great comeback Bata said that the reason behind this massive deviation is the company’s revenue witnessing a 426% increase. Bata achieved this revenue by clearing products by offering bulk discounts, which boosted sales on a massive scale. Besides increasing sales, the EPS also increased because the company maintained its expenses in proportion to turnover.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/we-want-to-make-bangladesh-a-global-hub-of-connectivity-pm-says-1630233586 We want to make Bangladesh a global hub of connectivity, PM says Published: August 29, 2021 16:38:58 | Updated: August 29, 2021 17:25:30 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her administration plans to make Bangladesh a global hub of connectivity to reflect its geographical location by expanding aviation routes. “We want to turn Bangladesh into a global hub of connectivity, to take advantage of its geographical location and financially benefit our country,” Hasina said, while inaugurating the extension work of Cox’s Bazar Airport runway via video conference on Sunday, reports bdnews24.com. “The government is trying to expand international aviation routes from Bangladesh,” the prime minister said, adding that Bangladesh now has planes like “Dreamliners” to operate long-haul flights to New York, Toronto and Sydney. “We also need to enhance our connectivity with countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Better connectivity with Southeast Asian countries will expand our trade and business.” "We shouldn't focus only on Western countries, but also ensure that our Biman Bangladesh Airlines fly to other friendly nations in the future," she said. Hasina said her government has been working to develop all airports in the country and has plans to do more in the future. "We're planning to develop Saidpur Airport further and make it a regional airport so that neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Nepal and some Indian states can use it. Sylhet Airport is already an international airport, which can be used by different states in India including Meghalaya and Assam. Tripura and other Indian states can use Chattogram Airport, an international airport." “This is how we plan to nurture regional cooperation and develop and modernise (our airports),” Hasina said. She urged the Biman Bangladesh Airlines officials to run the enterprise with skill and integrity and ensure the airline maintains international standards, including on civil aviation security. She mentioned that the construction of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is continuing as part of modernisation work on the airport. The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was fond of Cox's Bazar and he always took his family there once a year for a vacation when he was not in prison, said Hasina, his daughter. "We've a number of plans (for the airports), especially for Cox's Bazar. Cox's Bazar will be a major tourist location with all the amenities of a modern city and the world's longest natural sea beach. We'll develop Cox's Bazar further.” "We have gathered here today for the expansion work on the runway at Cox's Bazar Airport. We want to expand it in such a way that enables the biggest planes to land here and refuel," Hasina said. "We'll rebuild Cox's Bazar into a modern, international tourism centre, so everyone can come and enjoy the beauty of Bangladesh. And it will also bring us financial benefits."

Is it intelligence service?

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/infrastructure/marine-drive-widen-boost-tourism-agri-294646 Jahidul Islam 29 August, 2021, 09:45 am Last modified: 29 August, 2021, 10:59 am Marine Drive to widen to boost tourism, agri The width of the first 32km stretch of the road will be increased to 7.3m from 3.7m The government is going to develop the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive by increasing the width of a 32km stretch from 3.7m to 7.3m, an effort to boost the local economy by attracting tourists and agro investments. Besides, new bridges will be constructed on the road and its various defects will be repaired. Running through the world's longest beach on one side and green hills on the other, the Marine Drive is playing a vital role in the local economy, including the tourism and agriculture sectors. However, various defects in the 80km road have been causing traffic congestions and accidents since its inauguration. It is also at risk of severe damage due to natural calamities, including sea erosion. The Road Transport and Highways Division has already sent a proposal to the Planning Commission for a Tk1,021.61 crore project titled "Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive Road Widening" to develop a 32km stretch of the road in the first phase. But the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) of the commission at a recent meeting recommended revising the proposal. The PEC meeting chaired by Mamun Al Rashid, a member of the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission, reviewed the allocations for various sectors, including foreign tour, road survey, consultant recruitment, land filling, geotextile, etc. The proposed cost of the project to increase the width of the 32km stretch is around 132% of the construction cost of the whole road. The Planning Commission raised questions about the proposed allocations for various sectors, including foreign tour, survey, consultancy, land acquisition, land filling, etc. The project proposal has asked for an allocation of Tk523 crore for acquiring 123 acres of land. It has also asked for Tk28.75 crore for land filling, Tk9.65 crore for different road-related services, Tk28.35 crore for geotextile, Tk58 crore for retaining walls, and Tk64.80 crore for tetrapods. But the PEC meeting proposed reducing some of the allocations, including cancelling foreign tours that would cost Tk1.1 crore, considering the Covid-19 pandemic. Mamun said the Marine Drive has great potential for the development of tourism and agro-based economy in Cox's Bazar. "If this potential is to be realised, the road must be protected from future damage. Apart from that, the road has some serious defects. As a result, it is necessary to increase its width and repair all the defects." The project proposal will be presented to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final approval after revision. After the Ecnec approval, the Bangladesh Army will implement it along with the Roads and Highways Department (RHD). An aerial view shows the marine drive from Cox’s Bazar to Teknaf. The government is going to increase the width of the road from 3.7m to 7.3m. The photo was taken recently. Photo: Md Repon Bhuiyan Road built in 25 years According to the planning ministry, the Engineering Construction Brigade (ECB) of the Bangladesh Army started constructing the Marine Drive in 1993. The work was handed over to the RHD in July next year. The project was later approved by the Ecnec in 2000 to be implemented jointly by the ECB and the RHD. However, in the fiscal year 2004-05, the authorities decided to implement the project in three phases. In the first phase, Tk93.7 crore was spent on building a 24km road from Kalatali to Inani. The work on this section was completed in June 2008. In June 2016, the work on the 24km road from Inani to Shilkhali was completed at a cost of Tk474.68 crore. The remaining 32km stretch from Shilkhali to Teknaf was completed in June 2018 at a cost of Tk203.06 crore. The road's construction in three phases was completed at a cost of Tk771.51 crore. Benefits and defects According to a report of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) published in 2018-19, traffic volume on the road had increased by 104% per annum. It said 3,173 vehicles were running on the road every day in 2017, but the number increased to 9,770 in 2019. Public and private investments in tourism-related sectors in the project area increased after the road was completed. This created employment opportunities as well as increased earnings of the people in the region, the IMED said. The agency found that the number of people earning Tk10,000 or more per month in the project area had increased by 21% compared to the surrounding areas. The unemployment rate had also come down from 17% to 13%. According to the report, the road has reduced travel time from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf by one and a half hours. As a result, the number of tourists in Cox's Bazar has increased. Shrimp production has also increased due to the opportunity to transport shrimp fries from hatcheries within a short space of time. Besides, agricultural productivity has increased as farmlands have been protected from flooding and salinity. The IMED report also found some defects in the project's implementation. It said the road from Kalatali beach to Bailey Hatchery is isolated from the Marine Drive. As a result, large vehicles cannot go to the Marine Drive from Cox's Bazar. The IMED found that traffic is disrupted in the one-lane Rezu Canal area on the road, and accidents often occur in the two risky turns before and after the canal. It also said frequent accidents happen in the culvert built on the S-curve in the 32nd kilometre stretch of the road. The report found structural errors in four of the seven inspected culverts built on the road. The IMED said within just two years of construction, the road's shoulders and slopes had been damaged by rainwater and those in the 28th kilometre stretch are at risk of collapse due to their proximity to the sea. In this regard, the representatives of the army at the PEC meeting said about a 9km stretch of the road had been damaged by sea waves. The supervising engineer of the RHD's Chattogram zone said he had personally inspected the road. "Initiatives need to be taken now to protect the road from damage. Otherwise, much of it is likely to be lost to the sea soon."

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/first-female-militant-ansar-al-islam-captured-capital-294718#.YSszP6mocXE.facebook TBS Report 29 August, 2021, 01:10 pm Last modified: 29 August, 2021, 01:11 pm First female ‘militant’ of Ansar al Islam captured in capital For the first time, the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested a female member of Islamist militant outfit Ansar al Islam from the Badda area in the capital. The arrestee is Jubaida Siddiqa Nabila, an HSC examinee hailing from Bhola. She was tracked through Titumir Media, an extremist outlet active on Telegram. CTTC team arrested her on Thursday and interrogated about her activities. According to CTTC chief ADC Md Asaduzzaman, Nabila used multiple fake IDs on Facebook and Chirpwire to spread extremism while sharing photos and videos related to Ansar al Islam's operation on four Telegram channels. "She had first come into contact with Ansar al Islam in 2020 and later joined Titumir Media through Facebook," Asaduzzaman said. Nabila's ultimate goal was to join Jihad (war against infidels) and help establish Shariah law in the country, he added. Prior to the arrest, her activities through fake IDs were monitored for 2-4 months. During the raid at her residence, the CTTC team seized multiple SIM cards and memory cards containing extremist materials. A case has been filed in this regard.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/bangladesh-govt-to-open-three-major-infrastructures-for-public-next-year-1630219081 Bangladesh govt to open three major infrastructures for public next year FE ONLINE REPORT | Published: August 29, 2021 12:38:01 The government of Bangladesh is going to make three high-value infrastructure projects operational by the end of the next year. Of them, the Padma Bridge will be opened for the public in June 2022, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told a function on Sunday. The Karnaphuli Bangabandhu Tunnel and Metro Rail will be inaugurated in December 2022. The minister made the disclosure while addressing Obaidul Quader aaid while inaugurating the test run of MRT 6 at depot.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/uk-pledges-to-provide-support-in-climate-mitigation-waste-management-1629958413 UK pledges to provide support in climate mitigation, waste management FE ONLINE REPORT | Published: August 26, 2021 12:13:33 | Updated: August 26, 2021 22:03:06 The UK has pledged to assist Bangladesh in the areas of climate mitigation and overall waste management, including single use waste and medical waste. The UK will also extend its support in environmental conservation, renewable energy use, biodiversity conservation and technical and research, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson has said. Referring to Bangladesh as a very close ally of Britain, Dickson mentioned that the ongoing cooperation between Britain and Bangladesh would continue at an increasing pace. The British High Commissioner said this during a meeting with Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin in the meeting room of the ministry on Wednesday, according to a press release of the ministry. Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md. Mostafa Kamal, Additional Secretary (Administration) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (Development) Ahmed Shamim Al Razi, Additional Secretary (Climate Change) Md. Mizanul Hoque Chowdhury, Joint Secretary (Climate Change) Sanjay Kumar Bhowmick and John Warburton, Head of Climate and Environment Program at the British High Commission were present in the meeting among others. Minister Md. Shahab Uddin told the British High Commissioner that Bangladesh is playing a significant role in the international arena on climate change as the president of the Climate Vulnerability Forum and Vulnerable-20. He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan for the overall prosperity of Bangladesh. The environment minister said Bangladesh would finalise the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and submit it to the UNFCCC before August 31. The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is also being finalised in consultation with the concerned stakeholders. He wished success to the UN Climate Change Conference going to be held in Glasgow, UK, in November. The Minister also sought cooperation of Britain in all the areas related to climate change. [email protected]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/pm-inaugurates-coxs-bazar-airport-runway-upgradation-works-1630215852 PM inaugurates Cox's Bazar Airport runway upgradation works Published: August 29, 2021 11:44:12 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday unveiled the foundation stone of the runway extension project of Cox's Bazar Airport, aiming to enable it to offer a longer range of domestic and international passenger services. The Prime Minister inaugurated the construction work on the maritime runway, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban, reports UNB. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) has taken the Tk 1,568.86 crore project to construct the country’s longest runway by extending the existing 9,000-foot runway by another 1,700 on the Bay of Bengal by reclaiming land from the sea. Upon completion of the US$ 185 million project, all types of large aircraft will be able to take off and land on the maritime runway. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) signed a deal with the Chinese joint venture of Changjiang Yichang Waterway Engineering Bureau (CYWEB) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) on February 9, 2021 to implement the crucial project. Though the deadline to complete the construction of the project is May 10, 2024, steps have been taken to complete it by the end of 2023. With the implementation of the project, the existing 9,000ft runway will be extended by 1,700 ft towards the Maheshkhali Channel. On completion, the new 10,700-foot runway will allow much larger and wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 747-400 to use the airport, paving the way for the smooth operation of international flights. The government in 2019 took the initiative to expand the runway to upgrade it to international standards and offer foreign holidaymakers the hassle-free trips to the world's longest unbroken sea beach. The runway extension will be built by filling some parts of the sea on the Maheshkhali channel. At first geo tubes will be placed under the sea bed and then water will be removed through dredging. Later, the excavation process and sand filling activities will start. Then, the excavated area will be layered with sand, followed by concrete blocks being placed. The next phase would be the sand layer layout for the runway. There will then be a final layering process and pitch casting. This will create a runway and a dam to protect it from the sea. This will be followed by the decoration of the runway and installation of indicator lights. State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali, Secretary of the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Md Mokammel Hossain and Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman were present on the dais at the Cox’s Bazar Airport.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/opinions/tapping-the-potential-of-railway-1630165617 Tapping the potential of railway Shihab Sarkar | Published: August 28, 2021 21:46:57 | Updated: August 28, 2021 21:53:13 Many middle-aged and elderly people can recall the travels in 'Inter Class' railway carriages. This 'class' has long been abolished. According to experts in the Sub-continental railway journeys, this class was introduced by the British rulers. It was meant for the native or 'kala sahibs', people who were above the plebeian masses, but couldn't earn the capability to travel with the 'gora sahibs' sitting in the same train bogey.A large number of the middle-class railway travellers used to undertake their journeys in the Inter Class in the British colonial times. This funny class was abolished during the last days of the Pakistani rule. In independent Bangladesh, many people with moderately high income could afford to travel in the 'Second Class', with a lot of the rich passengers travelling in the 'First Class'. If the inside of a bogey remains clean, especially the toilets, and roomy, a railway journey inside a Third Class could also be as enjoyable as that inside a 'Second Class'. These days the trains operated by the Bangladesh Railway have a lot of broadly divided classes. They include AC Chair Class, Snigdha, Shobhon and Sulov classes etc. But the point is, while on a railway journey a scrupulous passenger doesn't attach much importance to the 'class' he or she has boarded, as they do on the trains' capability to reach their destinations on time. They also keep in consideration the imperative of safety. In the present Bangladesh, the railway journeys are relatively safer than road transport. But how long they will have the capability to operate free of unpredictable hazards is a question worth pondering. The print media continue to report about the decaying process of the railway. The latest of such gloomy reports says the railway these days is dependent on rundown locomotives. It has been identified that 175 out 263 engines are over-aged. Moreover, 78 of them are more than 50 years old. The information is highly alarming. That the trains in the country are mostly operated by nearly-ramshacklelocomotives sounds weird. It's because around 7,000 stations are served by scores of inter-city, express and local trainsmanoeuvred by these locomotives. Since its opening on Kolkata-Kushtia line in 1862, railway travel in the eastern part of Bengal continued to expand without any long gap. With the inclusion of Goalundo Ghat bringing Narayanganj under the travel's range through steamer, and later connecting Dhaka with a short-distance rail route, the eastern Bengal found itself in its railway era. The Narayanganj-Dhaka passenger rail service began in 1886, being a part of the route that reached up to Mymensingh. In fact, contrary to the present state of semi-stalemate in the Bangladesh railway services, viz. travels, this mode of transport began progressing spectacularly in the independent Bangladesh.The 24-year Pakistan era remained concentrated on the Dhaka-Chattogram line only. That the routes once connected Dhaka with the southern, northern and north-eastern parts remained out of the knowledge of Pakistan Railway's policymakers. The eastern part of Bengal could be defined as quite fortunate. It saw its maiden railway service on the Darshana-Jagoti line in greater Kushtia back in 1861. The 33-mile (53.11km) broad gauge passenger route served as the pioneering railway track in East Bengal. In the history of railway in Bengal, the merger of Bengal Railway Company and Assam Bengal Railway in 1905 emerged as a watershed event. In fact, the growth of the present railway network in independent Bangladesh is chiefly based on this critical merger. Many blame the dearth of pragmatism and foresight for the Bangladesh Railway's faltering growth.The thought that a great future lies ahead of the country's railway has kept eluding the authorities over the last five decades. The long-distance rail travellers have continued being weaned off by the inter-district and inter-city bus services. The authorities are little bothered.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/editorial/revival-of-tourism-industry-1630165177 Revival of tourism industry Published: August 28, 2021 21:39:37 The tourism and hospitality industry people say they always remain at the top of the casualty list of any adverse situation and at the bottom of the recovery list. This statement appears to be true. At least, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has proved them right. As the deadly coronavirus started spreading, the countries across the world, at the first instance, closed their borders, leading to an international travel ban. Countries affected by the virus also imposed lockdown from time to time, hurting different economic activities, including tourism. When restrictions were relaxed, taking advantage of a notable decline in infection and fatality rates, some sectors got the permission to operate, but not the travel and tourism industry that contributes modestly to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). So, it has been incurring huge losses throughout the pandemic period. The relevant industry association estimates the loss at about Tk.114 billion. The country's travel and tourism, both domestic and foreign, had been on a growth trajectory until the pandemic struck in the early part of 2020. The international tourism expenditure in Bangladesh was over 1.2 billion US dollars in 2018. Most spectacular development was being noticed in the internal tourism. Domestic visitors developed a habit of thronging all tourist spots throughout the year. Hotels and resorts in those places also did brisk business. Thus, a booming industry started creating a substantial number of jobs. This was possible because of the availability of spendable cash in the hands of a burgeoning middle-class. But the shock the industry has got from the pandemic is overwhelming. Many units have been closed permanently, and about 0.3 million people working in hotels, restaurants, travel and tour operating agencies lost jobs. Hotels, including the posh ones, also suffered heavily. Their occupancy rate was as low as 20 per cent during the lockdown periods. Now, the government has partially withdrawn restrictions on the tourist spots and the hospitality industry. Some have started operations, but the response from the people has been lukewarm for understandable reasons. The rate of Covid infection, though declining, is still high, and tourism is not on the priority list of most people now as the pandemic has eaten into their savings. So, this industry, unlike others, would need more time to be in business even if the pandemic retreated. The tourism and hospitality industry needs financial support to survive the ongoing crises. The government has made available a stimulus package worth Tk.10 billion for it. But its disbursement, reportedly, has not begun as the banks are yet to receive instructions from the central bank. The disbursement of loans needs to be expedited to help this important sector start operation and recoup its losses, at least partially.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/opinions/bangladesh-needs-progressive-taxation-to-ensure-social-justice-to-poor-1630165993 Bangladesh needs progressive taxation to ensure social justice to poor Jehangir Hussain | Published: August 28, 2021 21:53:13 It's overdue for Bangladesh to introduce progressive taxation to collect tax from people with the ability to pay and reduce the burden on the poor to pay tax as regressive sales tax that requires the poor to bear a larger load compared to the wealthy. Progressive taxation is a way to mitigate the societal ills in countries with high income inequality. According to the National Board of Revenue, until June 2018, there were about 35 lakh tax-identification number (TIN) holders of whom about 19.5 lakh submitted tax returns. But, this does not mean that those who paid tax did not evade tax. In Bangladesh, businesses which collect value-added tax (VAT) from consumers also dodge tax by underreporting what they had collected. Many importers rely on under-invoicing to avoid full tax payment. Many people don't pay tax out of a feeling that their money won't be spent for the right cause. They also feel that the tax system is complicated to breed corruption and reward the tax-dodgers. They also feel demoralised to see the rich and big companies not paying their taxes properly. Another reason they find is that successive governments offered the opportunities to legalise undisclosed money by paying lower than the normal tax. Due to loopholes and irregularities in tax-assessment and-collection systems, the exchequer does not even get a fraction of what the personnel manning these systems allegedly pocket. This frustrates honest taxpayers out of the feeling that government policy is unfair to them. Bangladesh needs to overhaul its tax policy and collection system to make it fair, efficient and flawless to increase collection to its full potential and create the culture of tax payment and discourage dodging. Now the burden of tax payment is on a limited number of people, mostly salaried ones, and companies that cannot evade. And roughly 62 per cent of income-tax revenue comes from tax deducted at source. Bangladesh ought to introduce progressive taxation, as is the practice in many countries, to make collection fair and equitable to all the citizens. Also, the tax rates need to be brought down to encourage each and every citizen with taxable income to pay their income tax and thus widen the tax net. An extensive use of tax exemptions, incentives and special provisions also limited revenue collection, narrowed the tax base, eroded tax equity and created distortions in the economy. The extensive use of the so-called 'infant-industry theory' also made many entrepreneurs in this country lazy to stay away from global competition. The NBR needs to be modernised and equipped with information communications technology to gather flawless information to assess individuals' or organisations' tax liabilities. Economists find it shocking that only 10 million people pay taxes or at the most 25 per cent of 40 million taxable people pay tax in Bangladesh to make it one of the lowest tax-GDP ratios in the region. During 2015-2019, the tax-GDP ratio was around 9.90 per cent on average, far below the developing-country average of 25.60 per cent. A big flaw is that 98.68 per cent traders in Dhaka do not pay value- added tax and over 85 per cent do not even have business- identification numbers, investigations by the VAT intelligence wing of the National Board of Revenue found out. During a survey done in recent months, NBR's VAT Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate found that only 175 out of 13,245 traders at Pink City Market, Mouchak Market, Rajdhani Market, New Rajdhani Market, Chawkbazar, Armanitola, Bangshal and Sutrapur in the capital city had submitted VAT returns and only 1,937 traders had VAT-registration numbers. The survey also found that no traders at Mimi Supermarket in Chattogram submitted VAT returns and only 22 per cent of them had VAT-registration numbers, though the law has made VAT registration and return submission mandatory for businesses with an annual turnover exceeding Tk 3.0 crore. The law makes it mandatory for traders with annual turnover between Tk 50 lakh and Tk 3.0 crore to file their VAT returns every month with detailed information of sales and VAT deduction. Bangladesh's personal income tax collection dropped to 25 per cent from 30 per cent, corporate tax to 25 per cent from 32 per cent but sales-tax collection remained static at 15 per cent. It's pointer to the inherent flaws with the system needing a thorough overhaul. Customs duties, value-added tax, supplementary duty, income tax and corporate tax continue to be the principal tax-collection sources for Bangladesh. The Finance Bill 2017 made no changes to tax holidays for various categories of industries in export-processing zones and economic zones depending on location, coal-based and non-coal-based private power-generation companies. Tax holiday, until 2024, for companies providing information technology-based services also remained unchanged, though the Finance Bill 2017 specifically defines these services. In the early days of Roman Republic public taxes consisted of assessments on wealth and property. For Roman citizens, the tax rate under normal circumstances was one per cent of property value, and could be as high as three per cent during war. In India, Dahsala system was introduced in 1580 by Akbar's finance minister Todar Mal. Under the Dahsala system land revenue or tax would be collected on the basis of land fertility split into four categories. Polaj land for one crop per year was never allowed to remain fallow, parati land for one crop every two years, cachar land for one crop every three to four years and banjar land or evacuee trust agricultural land lying barren which could be used for raising crops. The first modern income tax was introduced in Britain by Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger in his budget of December 1798, to pay for weapons and equipment for the French Revolutionary War. Pitt's new graduated or progressive income tax began at a levy of two old pence per Pound or 1/120 on incomes over £60 and increased up to a maximum of two Shillings or 10 per cent on incomes of over £200. He expected to use the new income-tax system to raise £10 million, but actual receipts for 1799 were a little over £6 million. His progressive income tax had been levied from 1799 to 1802, when it was abolished by Henry Addington during the Peace of Amiens after Addington took over as prime minster in 1801, after Pitt's resignation over Catholic Emancipation. Pitt's income tax was reintroduced by Addington in 1803 when hostilities recommenced, but it was again abolished in 1816, one year after the Battle of Waterloo. Under the Income Tax Act 1842, Sir Robert Peel re-introduced this system of taxation to meet budget deficits, though as a Conservative he had opposed income tax in the 1841 general election. The new income tax, based on Addington's model, was imposed on incomes above £150. Although this measure was initially intended to be temporary, it soon became a fixture of the British taxation system. A committee was formed in 1851 under Joseph Hume to investigate the matter, but failed to reach a clear recommendation. Despite the vociferous objection, William Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1852, retained the progressive income tax, and he extended it to cover the costs of the Crimean War. By the 1860s, the progressive tax had become an accepted element of the English fiscal system. In the United States, the first progressive income tax was established by the Revenue Act of 1862. The bill was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln to replace the Revenue Act 1861, which had imposed a flat income tax of three per cent on incomes above $800. The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1913, permitted the Congress to levy all income taxes without any apportionment requirement. By the mid-20th century, many countries had implemented progressive income tax in some form or the other. German marginal and average income-tax rates are forms of progressive tax structure. Progressive taxation has a direct effect on reducing income inequality and facilitating progressive government spending, including for increased social-safety nets. If educational attainment is at the root of economic mobility, progressive tax rates on high-income groups reduce the burden on the poor, improve income inequality and ensure social justice. In the United States, there are seven income-tax brackets, ranging from 10 per cent to 39.6 per cent. Canada's federal tax rates on income in 2021 vary between 15 per cent and 33 per cent on incomes. Denmark's vary between 12.11 per cent and 24.971 per cent and Germany's personal-income-tax rates vary between 0 per cent and 45 per cent, Sweden's between 0 per cent and 25 per cent while the UK's between 0 per cent and 46 per cent, and New Zealand's between 0 per cent 45 per cent.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/bangladesh/bangladesh-in-a-geopolitical-juncture-with-promises-of-blue-economy-analysts-1630158025 Bangladesh in a geopolitical juncture with promises of blue economy: Analysts FE ONLINE REPORT | Published: August 28, 2021 19:40:25 | Updated: August 28, 2021 19:42:09 In the potential hotspot of great power rivalry and amid threats of civil war in the neighbourhood, Bangladesh needs to formulate a package of policies for pursuing economic interests utilising its sea outlet, suggests a panel of foreign policy analysis. They emphasise ‘preservation of peace’ in the Indo-Pacific region as a prerequisite for uninterrupted inter-state trading activities and consistent economic growth, saying Bangladesh is now an active player, which should maintain a balance in external relations. “The countries (including Bangladesh) need to focus on wise diplomacy and own capability… We’ve to do our best to pursue a rule-based maritime order,” Tanaka Akihiko, President of Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, said at a virtual discussion on Saturday. He pointed out that Bangladesh should strengthen its manufacturing base for trade competitiveness and a deep sea port being constructed at Matarbari, Cox’s Bazar, would help increase its advantages. In a lecture on ‘Connectivity in the Bay of Bengal Area: Challenges and Options for Bangladesh’, Professor Tanaka reiterated Japan’s support to free and open Indo-Pacific region and expressed concern at the rise of China as an economic and military global power that has taken Belt and Road Initiative to widen its spheres of influence. Former foreign secretary of Bangladesh Shahidul Haque underlined the importance of non-confrontational status in the Indo-Pacific region, now considered the heart of geopolitics and global economic activities. He mentioned that Bangladesh and other countries are also in a critical geostrategic position in view of the volatile situation in Afghanistan and Myanmar with potential ramifications for others. Addressing Bangladesh’s concern at the Rohingya issue, the Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Ito Naoki stated that Tokyo supports the repatriation of Myanmar as the solution to the crisis. However, Mr Shahidul Haquq, added, unlike the pre-colonial era, the countries of the region including Bangladesh have a different kind of maturity and capability to face the challenges at hand. Rivalry between the US and China in the Indo-Pacific region has become a strategic headache for the countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia in particular, the discussant said. In the ‘post-US’ Indo-Pacific, Mr Shahidul Haque said, there would be more than one power that would matter. “Bangladesh, at its 50, is also a player and an active player.” Professor Tanaka explained that for Bangladesh’s imports, China, India, Japan and ASEAN countries would remain important and for exports, the European Union and the US are still important. “It must be careful so that it does not fall into debt trap,” he said referring to growing economic engagement with China. Real Admiral (retired) Mohammad Khorshed Alam, who played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s maritime delimitation victory, said that Bangladesh is yet to fully exploit the potential of the blue economy in terms of trade, extraction of mineral resources and fishing in the Bay of Bengal. “It (blue economy) could be at least half the size of the garment export (value). We need to prepare a package (of policies and steps) to utilise the potential,” he expressed his views. He further shared his concern over drug, piracy, pollution and dumping of dead fish in the sea, apart from rivalry, and insisted that there is no alternative to rule-based maritime order. South Asian Institute of Policy at North South University and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh jointly organised the discussion which was moderated by Dr M Jashim Uddin of the university.

https://www.tbsnews.net/thoughts/facebooks-taliban-ban-will-prove-costly-afghans-294259 Bhaskar Chakravorti;m Foreign Policy 28 August, 2021, 11:30 am Last modified: 28 August, 2021, 11:46 am Facebook’s taliban ban will prove costly for Afghans The tech giant is on the wrong side of history yet again Bhaskar Chakravorti. Illustration: TBS As the Afghan state collapsed, the international community headed for the exits, and hundreds of thousands of Afghans were struggling to follow, social media remained on the ground as the only reliable eyes and ears on the unfolding calamity. But even those eyes and ears may be at risk of being lost. Citing its stance on "dangerous individuals and organisations," Facebook reaffirmed its ban on the Taliban and pro-Taliban content on Aug. 17. After being on the wrong side of history so many times for spreading misinformation and propaganda, the beleaguered tech company seems eager to nip another reputational risk right in the bud. I fear Facebook will end up on the wrong side of history yet again. Notwithstanding the Taliban's record of violence and oppression and likely brutal rule, deplatforming the group may make a monumental failure of US intelligence and nation-building even worse. For several reasons, it is ill-advised. For one, Facebook's ban is half-hearted and full of leaks. Pro-Taliban users can still freely use WhatsApp, the wildly popular Facebook-owned messaging app. This is because the app is end-to-end encrypted, which means its content cannot be monitored by Facebook's observers. While it is true that Facebook has blocked official Taliban WhatsApp accounts, such tactics have also had unintended consequences: For example, a WhatsApp hotline set up by the Taliban for Afghan citizens to report violent incidents and looting also got shut down. Meanwhile, in anticipation of being kicked off the Facebook platform itself, pro-Taliban users put into action time-tested bypass techniques used by such groups as Hezbollah, the Islamic State, and Mexican drug cartels. These techniques include changing hashtag spellings to evade detection and posting the same content in multiple accounts with the expectation that some will make it through Facebook's leaky filter even if others are shut down. As a result of these and other techniques, one-third of 68 US-designated terrorist groups or their leaders have an official presence on Facebook—despite bans imposed by the company. Today's Taliban are not the pre-2001 Taliban that banned movies, music, and the internet; the Taliban 2.0 are a media-savvy organisation. Like the Islamic State before them, they have mastered the art of the viral video. To gather even more followers, they have captured popular hashtags by inundating them with messages. Followership of pro-Taliban accounts has already spiked since the Taliban takeover. Even in the unlikely event that Facebook's wall proves to be impenetrable, the Taliban are not without options. Other platforms, such as Telegram and Twitter, are still available for use. The Taliban's propaganda machine, in other words, is far from being silenced. Now, consider another issue. The presumptive head of the new government, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar, is in the same boat as former US President Donald Trump. Neither can post on Facebook—never mind that they were both principals to the so-called "peace deal" reached in Doha in 2020, which ultimately resulted in this month's US withdrawal. But this is where the similarities end. Baradar is the presumptive head of a government, while Trump is just a private citizen (albeit one who still gets a disproportionate amount of attention). Blocking access to an administration running a country or its leader, no matter how awful, is different from blocking an insurgency group or a terrible former president. It's a valid question: Doesn't the official leader of a country deserve to have a presence on Facebook? If Baradar is kept off Facebook, the Afghan people could pay the price for the ban. He could very easily say, "If I can't use Facebook, neither can anyone else." If he has no way to tell his side of the story, why should he allow ordinary Afghans, let alone dissidents, post on Facebook about their misery under Taliban rule? The Taliban can use their power over the Afghan telecommunications system to block access to selected social media platforms or even the internet as a whole. The Taliban could institute its own ban, and it wouldn't be unique. Just ask the governments of China, North Korea, Iran, Vietnam, Turkey, or Bangladesh for instructions on how to turn off Facebook in a country. A general blackout of major social media platforms or the internet would add to the Afghan tragedy. Today, independent sources of information—journalists, international organisations, relief agencies, and other nongovernmental organisations—are taking flight. The primary sources of information are now ordinary people, on the ground, armed with their smartphones and posting videos of their desperation on social media. We could therefore be looking at a news and intelligence blackout of the country. But it gets worse: Afghanistan is bordered by countries crucial to US national security, such as Iran, Pakistan, and China. A blackout in Afghanistan could lead to a wider intelligence blackout, given its location in the heart of one of the world's most volatile regions. Moreover, functioning social media is essential for civil resistance and for groups seeking to organise grassroots institutions, local relief, and humanitarian aid from the bottom up. For Afghan women, in particular, social media—even if used anonymously—may remain the only means of connection, expression, and personal and professional growth as their rights are severely curtailed by the new regime. Facebook is a particularly important platform across Afghanistan. Roshan, the country's largest telecom company, offers special low-cost data plans with Facebook already bundled in. Facebook is also taking steps to protect the security of its Afghan users by hiding their friends lists on their pages on the platform. It ought to pay attention to ensuring that its other policies—such as the Taliban ban—don't end up putting the pages themselves out of reach. There's no doubt that Facebook is in a bind. There is a risk associated with giving the incoming regime tools to project extremist and dehumanising propaganda, misinformation, and intimidation. The costs of the Taliban's digital power can thus be very high. Sadly, the costs of stifling the voices of everyone else across the country may be even higher. If in light of all these considerations, Facebook makes the difficult but ultimately right choice of lifting the ban on the Taliban, the company must then do the hard work of monitoring pro-Taliban posts and pages, tracking the content, and recognising evolving narratives. It must take responsibility and block, deprioritise, and suspend based on a thorough analysis of content, weeding out content that violates community standards, peddles misinformation, propagates violence, or advocates for suppression of human rights. Given the rudimentary state of Facebook's automated content monitoring—which often blocks harmless content while being oblivious to the latest extremist narratives—this will require large numbers of well-trained human editors, which the company has been at pains to avoid so far. But investment in such monitoring is more essential than ever, most immediately in Afghanistan. Furthermore, given its impact on the humanitarian situation and intelligence gathering, Facebook needs to coordinate its actions with the US government and the international organisations that are still engaging with Afghanistan. This means that the company, like other social media companies, cannot operate independently and needs to be part of a larger effort. The bottom line: It would be irresponsible for Facebook executives to take the easy way out by just banning the Taliban and thinking they have washed their hands of the problem. This would also be a good occasion to reflect on Facebook's organisational structures and internal checks and balances. The tech giant's leadership should have learned its lesson from a recent similar case of banning a new regime. After Myanmar's military coup in February, Facebook said it would reduce distribution of content from the military, subsequently going further and banning all military-related entities, including ads from military-linked businesses. But these bans were blunt instruments. Facebook's blind algorithms began promoting pro-military propaganda from other accounts, according to a report from the human rights group Global Witness. Whatever steps Facebook takes in Afghanistan, it should make sure that its technology does not displace human judgment. Its own left hand must track what its right one is doing, even as Facebook joins hands with the larger international community to not get things wrong yet again in Afghanistan. To the Afghan people now left to their fate under the Taliban, we owe at least this much. Bhaskar Chakravorti is the dean of global business at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is the founding executive director of Fletcher's Institute for Business in the Global Context, where he established and chairs the Digital Planet research programme.

Body of Race Car made from Jute Fiber Composite by Mechanical Engineering students of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) https://www.facebook.com/tbsnews.net/videos/177316054501899/

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/government-affairs/2021/08/28/home-minister-no-taliban-militants-in-bangladesh Home Minister: No Taliban, militants in Bangladesh BSS Published at 07:12 pm August 28th, 2021 ‘There are many small notorious groups in the country. But they have no capacity to create chaos,’ says Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that there is no existence of Taliban and militants in Bangladesh. “Some miscreants are appearing in different names to create anarchy in the country,” he told reporters after inaugurating a supermarket, “One Hundred Ali,” at Baishmile area of Savar on Saturday. “There are many small notorious groups in the country. But they have no capacity to create chaos,” the minister said. “Bangladesh is a country of peace. Taliban have come to power in Afghanistan and Kabul is located far from Bangladesh. So it has no effect in Bangladesh,” he added. Among others, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman, Savar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Mazharul Islam, Dhaka District Swechchhasebak League President Haji Imtiaz, President Pathalia Union Awami League Faizal Haque and General Secretary Moazzem Hossain were present in the function.

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/saudi-wants-invest-bgmc-closed-jute-mills-293023 Saudi wants to invest in BJMC’s closed jute mills TBS report 25 August, 2021, 05:35 pm Last modified: 25 August, 2021, 08:47 pm Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi said that Saudi Arabia is keen to invest in Bangladesh to operate Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) 's closed jute mills. Saudi Arabia ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan on Wednesday meet with the Textile and Jute Minister of Bangladesh at the secretariat building. Secretary of the Ministry, Mohammad Abdul Mannan was also present at that time, reads a press release issued by Saikat Chandra Halder, public relations officer of the Ministry Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan said, "Saudi Arabia sincerely believes that Bangladesh is their friendly country. So, Saudi wants to invest in Bangladesh' Textile and Jute sector to boost economy and business of the sector," Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi told Saudi Arabia ambassador to Bangladesh that Bangladesh also sincerely believes Saudi Arabia as a friendly country. The Minister hopes that Saudi will invest more in Bangladesh's Textile and Jute sector. The minister assured Saudi Arabia ambassador to Bangladesh that Bangladesh produces the best quality jute in the world and produces high quality and attractive versatile products from this jute. Jute products are completely environmentally friendly. Demand for jute-made products has grown significantly as a result of recent environmental awareness in Saudi Arabia. Versatile jute products are exported to different countries of the world including Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh wants to export more versatile jute products to Saudi Arabia in the future, the minister hoped. Jute is second only to cotton in the world's production of textile fibers. Bangladesh, India, China, and Thailand are the leading producers of jute, which is also produced in southeast Asia and Brazil. The BJMC official website says it inherited as many as 73 jute mills, having 23,836 looms, at the time of Bangladesh's liberation in 1971. But over the years, while private-run jute industries have witnessed some success, the state-run ones have faltered, resulting in a sorry state of affairs in the public sector jute industry.

Construction of 2nd Padma Multipurpose Bridge is underway (28/08/2021) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvU_Zl34QQQ

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/bn/ছোট-পোশাক-কারখানাগুলোর-টিকে-থাকার-শঙ্কা-1630138729 ছোট পোশাক কারখানাগুলোর টিকে থাকার শঙ্কা মনিরা মুন্নি | Published: August 28, 2021 14:18:50 | Updated: August 28, 2021 16:58:38 সর্বশেষ দুই প্রতিবেদন অনুযায়ী, কোভিড-১৯ মহামারির কারণে পোশাক শিল্পের বড় বড় ব্র্যান্ডগুলো তাদের পণ্য মজুদের কৌশলগুলো একত্র করেছে এবং বড় সরবরাহকারীদের উপর বেশি মনোযোগ দিচ্ছে। প্রতিবেদনে প্রকাশিত তথ্যের মতো স্থানীয় শিল্প বিশ্লেষকরাও মনে করছেন, অসামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণ মূল্য হ্রাসের প্রতিযোগিতার কারণে বাংলাদেশের ক্ষুদ্র ও অপেক্ষাকৃত দুর্বল প্রতিযোগী কারখানাগুলো সংকটাপন্ন অবস্থায় চলে যাবে। নতুন প্রতিবেদন অনুযায়ী, এশিয়ার বড় এবং ভালো পুঁজিসম্পন্ন সরবরাহকারীরা এখন বড় বড় গার্মেন্টস থেকে বিশাল সব কাজের অর্ডার পেতে শুরু করেছে। গত মাসে আন্তর্জাতিক শ্রম সংস্থা (আইএলও) দ্বারা প্রকাশিত এক গবেষণায় বলা হয় যে মূল্যের বিচারে মহামারিপূর্ব বছরগুলোতে যেমন এশিয়ার বাজারের প্রসার ঘটেছিল, এই খাতে বাজারের ব্যাপ্তিও ঘটেছিল অনেক। এতে বলা হয়, একীভূতকরণ এবং বাজারের ব্যাপ্তি কেবল বড় এবং প্রতিষ্ঠিত সরবরাহকারীর মধ্যেই সীমাবদ্ধ, কিন্তু তারা ক্রেতা ও সরবরাহকারীদের মধ্যে পুনর্বণ্টনের কার্যক্রমও বজায় রাখে। অধিকন্তু, আইএলও’র বক্তব্যে বলা হয়েছে, সরবরাহকারীরা প্রতিনিয়ত তাদের সরবরাহের তালিকায় ডিজাইন এবং ডেভেলপমেন্টের পণ্য, ইনভেন্টরি ম্যানেজমেন্ট, স্টক হোল্ডিং, লজিস্টিকস, কারখানা নির্বাচন এবং অনেকগুলো কারখানায় একসাথে উৎপাদনের পরিকল্পনার বিষয়গুলো আওতায় আনছে। যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের ফ্যাশন ইন্ডাস্ট্রি অ্যাসোসিয়েশন (ইউএসএফআইএ)-এর অন্য এক গবেষণা থেকে প্রকাশিত হয়, যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের ফ্যাশন কোম্পানিগুলো আগামী দুই বছর পর্যন্ত বাংলাদেশ থেকে অধিক পণ্য উৎপাদনের ব্যাপারে আগ্রহ দেখিয়েছে। তবে যেহেতু যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের ফ্যাশন কোম্পানিগুলো একটি দেশের অপেক্ষাকৃত কমসংখ্যক বিক্রেতার সাথে কাজ করার পরিকল্পনা গ্রহণ করেছে, ফলে, এই সদ্য মাথাচাড়া দেওয়া প্রবণতার কারণে বাংলাদেশের হাজারো পোশাক সরবরাহকারীদের মধ্যে প্রতিযোগিতা জোরালো হয়ে উঠবে। ইউএসএফআইএ-এর গবেষণা অনুযায়ী, প্রতিযোগিতায় এগিয়ে থাকা সরবরাহকারীরা যেমন অধিক অর্ডার মজুদ করার সুবিধা পাবে, তেমনি ক্ষুদ্র এবং অপেক্ষাকৃত দুর্বল প্রতিযোগী সরবরাহকারীদের জন্য পরিস্থিতি সংকটাপন্ন হয়ে উঠতে পারে। শিল্প বিশ্লেষকদের মতে, হাতেগোনা বা বেশকিছু বড় বড় সরবরাহকারী স্থানীয় সরবরাহকারীদের মধ্যে অসামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণ মূল্যহ্রাসের প্রতিযোগিতা বাড়িয়ে তুলবে। এর ফলে মহামারির কারণে ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত ক্ষুদ্র উদ্যোক্তাদের পক্ষে ব্যবসার এই ডামাডোলে টিকে থাকা কঠিন হয়ে পড়বে। আইএলও’র বক্তব্য অনুযায়ী, শীর্ষস্থানীয় দশটি পোশাকশিল্পের ব্র্যান্ড- ইন্ডিটেক্স, ফাস্ট রিটেইলিং, এইচ অ্যান্ড এম, নাইকি, অ্যাডিডাস, গ্যাপ ইংক, পিভিএইচ, হ্যান্সব্র্যান্ডস, লেভি’স অ্যান্ড এলভিএমএইচ ধীরে ধীরে তাদের বাজারের অংশীদারিত্ব বৃদ্ধি করেছে। ২০১১ সালের ৮.৮ শতাংশ থেকে তা বেড়ে ২০২০ সালে দাঁড়িয়েছে ১১.৪ শতাংশ। এতে আরো বলা হয়েছে, পোশাকশিল্পের দু’টি বড় বড় খুচরা বিক্রেতা প্রতিষ্ঠান অ্যামাজন এবং ওয়ালমার্ট কেবলমাত্র সোর্সিং এবং সেলস মার্কেটের ক্ষেত্রে তাদের বৃদ্ধি ও প্রভাব বিস্তার করেছে। আইএলও বলেছে, চলমান মহামারির কারণে কর্পোরেট স্থিতিশীলতা পরীক্ষার সম্মুখীন হয়েছে এবং বড় বড় ও অধিক মূলধনবিশিষ্ট কোম্পানিগুলো সুবিধা পাচ্ছে। একত্রীকরণের কারণে হয়তো পুনরায় আগের অবস্থায় ফিরে আসার প্রভাবের উপর খুব একটা পরিবর্তন দেখা যাবে না। উদাহরণস্বরূপ, নাইকি বিশ্ব জুড়ে যে সকল ফুটওয়্যার এবং গার্মেন্টস কারখানা থেকে পণ্য মজুদ করে থাকে, তার সংখ্যা উল্লেখযোগ্যভাবে কমে গিয়েছে। নাইকি গার্মেন্টস কারখানার সংখ্যা কমিয়ে ২০১৯ সালে ৬৩১ থেকে ২০২০ সালে ৩৩৪ (৪৭ শতাংশ হ্রাস পেয়েছে)-এ নামিয়ে এনেছে। শিল্প বিশ্লেষকগণ আশা করছেন যে কোভিড-১৯ পরিস্থিতি চলতে থাকলে এ সংখ্যা আরো কমে যাবে। গ্যাপ ২০১০-১১ সালের দিকে ১,০২০টি কারখানা থেকে পণ্য মজুদ করলেও ২০২০ সালে তা নেমে দাঁড়িয়েছে মাত্র ৮০০টিতে। এতে আরো বলা হয়, পোশাক শিল্পের ক্রেতারা যেসব সরবরাহকারীদের কাছ থেকে পণ্য নিয়ে থাকেন, তাদের একত্রীকরণের সাথে মার্কেটের ব্যাপ্তি অনেকটা সম্পর্কযুক্ত। ২০০৫ সালে গ্লোবাল মাল্টি-ফাইবার অ্যারেঞ্জমেন্ট (এমএফএ)-এর মেয়াদ শেষে এই প্রক্রিয়ার গতি ত্বরান্বিত হয় এবং ২০০৮ সালে অর্থনৈতিক বিপর্যয়ের পরে তা আরো একবার গতিপ্রাপ্ত হয়। বড় বস্ত্র কারখানাগুলোর উর্ধ্বতন কর্মকর্তাদের সাক্ষাৎকার নিয়ে এবং ব্র্যান্ডগুলোর উপাত্ত সংগ্রহ করে আইএলও নিশ্চিত করে যে, সরবরাহকারীদের একত্রীকরণ একটি দীর্ঘমেয়াদী কৌশল হিসেবে থাকবে এবং পরিচিত উৎপাদনকারীদের সাথে নতুন কারখানা বিনিয়োগকে সমন্বয় করে এটিকে আরো বিস্তৃত করা হবে। আইএলও পর্যবেক্ষকদের কাছ থেকে এও জেনেছে যে, তারা প্রত্যাশা করছেন করোনা-পরবর্তীকালে ক্ষুদ্র ও মাঝারি উদ্যোগ যেগুলো অল্প পরিমাণে উৎপাদন করে থাকে তাদের প্রবৃদ্ধি বাড়বে। কিছু ক্ষেত্রে দেখা যায়, স্বয়ংচালিত রিসোর্সিং, খরচ পরিকল্পনা ও রসদের মাধ্যমে বাজার অংশে পোশাক কারখানাগুলোর লিড সময় ও কাঁচামাল কমানো যাবে। এদিকে বাংলাদেশের রপ্তানিমুখী তৈরি পোশাক কারখানাগুলোর কর্মকাণ্ডের গতিপথ চিহ্নিতকারক ডিজিটাল ম্যাপিং প্রযুক্তি ‘ম্যাপড ইন বাংলাদেশ’ (এমআইবি)-এর উপাত্ত থেকে দেশের সরবরাহ ঘাঁটিতে মিশ্র প্রবণতা দেখা যায়। ৪০০ এমআইবি কারখানার উপাত্ত থেকে দেখা যায় যে ৩৫টি স্থানীয় পোশাক রপ্তানিকারক কারখানা ২০১৯ সালে নাইকির জন্য কাজ করেছিল, যার মধ্য থেকে ২০২১ সালে নাইকি ১০টি কারখানার সাথে কাজ করা বন্ধ করে দেয়। এ বছর এই দশজনের পরিবর্তে ব্র্যান্ডটি নতুন ৫টি স্থানীয় কারখানার সাথে কাজ করছে। একইভাবে অ্যাডিডাস বাংলাদেশের সাথে তাদের সরবরাহকরণ ব্যবস্থা পুনর্গঠন করেছে। এমআইবির উপাত্ত থেকে জানা যায়, ২০১৯ সালে অ্যাডিডাসের জন্য কাজ করা ৪১টি কারখানার ১৬টি বাদ পড়ে এবং ২০২১ সালে নতুন ৫টি কারখানা যুক্ত হয়। এইচঅ্যান্ডএম ৮টি নতুন কারখানা প্রতিস্থাপন করেছে, যেখানে চলতি বছরে ইন্ডিটেক্স এবং গ্যাপের তালিকা থেকে যথাক্রমে ৩টি ও ৬টি কারখানার নাম বাদ পড়েছে। এ বিষয়ে বাংলাদেশ বস্ত্র উৎপাদনকারী ও রপ্তানিকারক অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের (বিকেএমইএ) পরিচালক ফজলে শামীম এহসান বলেন যে, সরবরাহকারী কারখানার সংখ্যা কমানোর এই প্রবণতা আতঙ্কজনক অবস্থায় পৌঁছে গেছে কেননা এটি সরবরাহকারীদের মধ্যে তীব্র প্রতিযোগিতার সৃষ্টি করতে পারে। তিনি বলেন, ২০১৩ সালের পর থেকে উদ্যোক্তারা ব্যবসায়ের নীতি অনুসরণ নিশ্চিত করতে অনেক বিনিয়োগ করেছেন এবং ক্রেতার সরবরাহকরণ ব্যবস্থার তালিকা থেকে সরবরাহকারীদের ছেঁটে ফেলা অনৈতিক কাজ হবে। তিনি আরো বলেন যে, আমরা ক্রেতাদের কাছে অনুরোধ করেছি, যদি তারা নতুন সরবরাহকারীদের সাথে কাজ করতে না চান, তাহলে যেন পুরনোদের সাথে কাজ করা বন্ধ না করেন। পলিসি ডায়লগ কেন্দ্রের (সিপিডি) গবেষণা পরিচালক ডক্টর খন্দকার গোলাম মোয়াজ্জেম বলেন যে, সাম্প্রতিক এক পর্যবেক্ষণ থেকে জানা যায়, ক্রেতারা তাদের সরবরাহকারীদের একত্রীকরণ করে সেইসব কারখানা ও দেশে স্থানান্তর করছেন, যাদের খরচ ও কোভিড-১৯ সংক্রান্ত অনিশ্চয়তা কম এবং সময়মতো পণ্য সরবরাহ করে। তিনি আরো বলেন, এসব সূচক থেকে এটা অনুমেয় যে, যে বড় বড় সরবরাহকারী কারখানাগুলোর ভালো নগদ প্রবাহ ছিল, তারা সময়মতো পণ্য সরবরাহ করার মতো অবস্থায় ছিল বিধায় আরো বেশি কাজের ফরমায়েশ পেয়েছিল; বিশেষ করে অতিমারীর সময়ে। বাংলাদেশ পোশাক উৎপাদনকারী ও রপ্তানিকারক অ্যাসোসিয়েশনের (বিজিএমইএ) হিসেব অনুযায়ী, সংগঠনটির প্রায় ৩৫১ বৃহৎ সরবরাহকারী কারখানা- যেগুলোর প্রতিটিতে দুই হাজারেরও বেশি শ্রমিক কাজ করে, তাদের একত্রে অর্জিত আয় হলো বারোশো উনত্রিশ কোটি মার্কিন ডলার, যা ২০১৯-২০ অর্থবছরে বিজিএমইএ-র সদস্যদের মোট আয়ের ৬৩ শতাংশ। প্রায় ১,৩৩৪টি কারখানা বিজিএমইএ-র সক্রিয় ও নিবন্ধিত সদস্য। ২০১৯-২০ অর্থবছরের মোট ২,৭৯৪ কোটি আমেরিকান ডলার রপ্তানি আয়ের ১,৯৩২ কোটি মার্কিন ডলার এসেছে এই কারখানাগুলো থেকে।

Bangladesh's tax receipts from large units plummet in July DOULOT AKTER MALA | Published: August 28, 2021 09:41:04 | Updated: August 28, 2021 16:08:13 Tax collection from Bangladesh's large manufacturing industries plummeted, registering a negative growth in VAT receipts in July, as a countrywide 'strict lockdown' for 18 days for checking corona transmission dealt them a stumbling blow. Field-level tax officials said a significant part of revenue was lost for the lockdown, causing negative growth in VAT collection by 25 per cent in the month of July. And national revenue collection in the first month of the current fiscal dropped 6.24 per cent compared to same month's last year. Bangladesh had been hamstrung under a strict lockdown since July 23 till August 10, 2021 when the pandemic covid took an alarming turn. Only export-oriented industries remained out of the purview of lockdown from August 1. However, export-oriented industries are not considered revenue- generating because of their being exempted from paying taxes in many areas. Production in the large manufacturing units remained suspended during the restrictions, affecting VAT collection, officials said. In view of the situation, VAT-collection target from large taxpayers has been slashed by Tk 80 billion recently for the current fiscal year. Businesses said their production process had been suspended during lockdown following instructions of the government and also for a decline in demand. President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Rizwan Rahman said retail industries are the worst sufferers as consumer demand declined significantly during the time of home-stay. "They managed to sustain after last year's lockdown with their hard-earned savings. But, this year they have nothing, forcing many shop-owners, travel agents, hotels become bankrupt," he added. The chamber leader suggests the government should promote domestic tourism and local industry now, as world economies and trade have yet to recover fully from the covid shocks. "It is appreciated that the government has been strongly backing the exporting sector to promote in this pandemic time, but it is high time to focus on local businesses or homegrown businesses to help them revive," he said about economic adaptation strategy. And retail demand can only go up when business confidence will be back on the market, which is largely dependent on mass vaccination, he added. "Until the whole of the country is vaccinated, it is very difficult to open up the whole economy entirely," he said. Large taxpayers' unit (LTU) under the Value-Added Tax (VAT) lost Tk 25 billion during the last lockdown, officials said. According to LTU's estimation, it has lost Tk 1.0 billion in VAT per day during the 18-day stay-at-home period as the British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) company suspended its production at government's bidding. BATB Managing Director Shezad Muneem, however, says it was their lean period for business and the company has been concentrating on maintenance. He expressed optimism about recovery of the loss incurred due to lockdown. President of the Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Managing Director of Berger Paints, Bangladesh Rupali Chowdhury said they incurred huge loss due to closure of production. "Sale of products remained suspended so its production went down eventually," she added. LTU data reveal that it collected Tk 35 billion less in VAT from large taxpayers during the lockdown last year from March 26 to May 16, 2020. It collected Tk 22 billion in July 2021, less than half its projected collection Tk 45 to Tk 48 billion. In FY 21, the wing collected Tk 492.51 billion worth of VAT with a 17-percent growth. Target for the VAT collection from large taxpayers has been set estimating 18-percent growth this year by revising the original target Tk 661.37 billion with a projected 34.29-percent growth. Aggregate tax-revenue collection faced Tk 72.27-billion shortfall against its target in the month of July. The VAT wing collected Tk 42.34 billion against its target for Tk 76.80 billion. And the customs wing of the NBR collected Tk 48.66 billion, with a 3.0-percent negative growth, compared to the collection in the corresponding month last year. The target was Tk 74.56 billion. However, income-tax collection grew 15 per cent in the month of July last largely because of upward revision in source tax in the budget for the current fiscal year. The government has set a Tk 3.30-trillion target for the NBR in the FY 2021-2022.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/bangladesh-needs-shock-responsive-social-safety-net-prog-experts-1630123071 Bangladesh needs shock-responsive social safety net prog: Experts FE REPORT | Published: August 28, 2021 09:57:51 | Updated: August 28, 2021 14:21:21 Bangladesh needs to adopt a shock-responsive social-safety-net programme with perfect identification of the extreme poor, experts at a webinar said on Thursday. Such a social protection strategy will not only prevent inclusive and exclusive errors from the state-sponsored financial or non-financial benefits but also give enough impetus to the economically vulnerable groups to cope with shocks like Covid-19 pandemic and climate change-induced events, they said. To achieve the target, they also laid emphasis on proper integration of the government and non-government initiatives alongside enough focus on the protection of indigenous communities or minority groups. The suggestions and observations came at the webinar, titled 'Eradicating Extreme Poverty: Emerging lessons & approaches'. The event is part of the integrated dialogue campaign 'Bangladesh Miracle - Celebrating 50 years of Development Progress of Bangladesh', organised by the Innovision Consulting Private Limited in association with The Financial Express and the Department of Economics at North South University. Syeda Saima Ahmed, elected local government representative, London Borough of Redbridge, UK, moderated the virtual dialogue where CARE Bangladesh country director Ramesh Singh delivered a welcome speech. Mr Singh said the pandemic badly impacted economic and social activities of Bangladesh like other countries in the world and it increased the level of poverty, with adding emerging new poor. Citing recent data from the country's planning commission, he said the rate of extreme poverty rose from 10.5 per cent to 20.5 per cent in June, 2021 because of the pandemic. The commission also estimated that the incidence of poverty increased from 20.5 per cent to 29.4 per cent due to the adverse impact of the highly infectious viral disease, said Mr Singh. "It is a high time to explore and focus on innovation and sustainable programmes for poverty reduction," CARE Bangladesh's country director emphasised. While presenting a keynote paper, Managing Director of the Innovision Consulting Md Rubaiyath Sarwar said Bangladesh had moved forward after facing many unique challenges over the years. But Covid has exposed some of the vulnerabilities, including weaker shock-absorption capacity of the urban poor than that of the rural counterpart because of low savings, he said. Mr Sarwar said non-poor had become extremely vulnerable due to the threat of market dysfunctions and mounting threat on urban economy. "So, the slippage risk is very high," he said, suggesting recognition of the new poor before bringing them under social safety net coverage. He also recommended introducing the social safety net programme for returnee migrant workers alongside strengthening social protection for sticky population like ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, transgender, internally displaced communities and sex workers. Speaking at the event, professor of economics at University of Dhaka Sayema Haque Bidisha said there were differences between poverty and vulnerability, extreme poor and poor, existing poor and new poor. "So, when we are designing the policy framework, we must keep these aspects in mind," she underscored. She said the price volatility issue did not get enough importance while talking about poverty. "It is extremely important to keep the price level at a tolerable rate not only for the poor people but also for the middle-income group as well," Mrs Bidisha said. To ensure price predictability, she suggested strengthening the capacity of OMS (open market sale) and monitoring the market in an effective way. She said the pandemic gave a lesson to think of a poverty reduction mechanism going out of the box. "We've to focus our discussion on occupation-based poverty and vulnerability because some occupation groups are very vulnerable falling back to poverty in dealing with shocks like the Covid-19," she said. Highlighting the importance of proper targeting, Fatima Jahan Seema, social research coordinator of CARE Bangladesh, said an effective way of targeting could actually bring a lot of success. There are many targeting tools but the country needs a good combination of methods including community engagement, she added. Talking about the factors that help sustain graduation, Dr Mehrul Islam, senior director (PEARL Unit) of CARE Bangladesh, said social resilience among the poor and extreme poor needed to be developed. He also highlighted the need for a multi-pronged strategy for eradicating poverty from society. Masing Newar, programme and policy officer (safety net reform) of WFP Bangladesh Country Office, said Bangladesh continued to experience consequences of global climate change while Covid-19 showed how devastating and prolonged shocks like the pandemic could easily derail poverty progress and create the new poor. "So, a shock-responsive social safety-net programme can be introduced by providing additional support and services during or before the crisis to the beneficiaries," she further said. There are very few social safety net programmes targeting the ethnic minorities, but no such programme is being implemented for indigenous communities in the plain land where 80 per cent least focused groups are living, she pointed out. Supreme Court lawyer Md Rejaul Karim Siddiquee said existing laws and policies on poverty alleviation were not fully compliant with the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. He said an inclusive atmosphere for such communities was needed for alleviation of poverty. "There are many laws and policies but these are not being implemented. That's why, persons with disabilities are not getting the benefits of the poverty eradication programmes," he opined. Dr AKM Atiqur Rahman, professor of the Department of Economics at North South University, said manufacturing and service sectors had played an important role in eradication of urban poverty but these income generating areas were hit hard by the Covid-19. On the other hand, agriculture and non-farm activities largely contributed to reducing poverty in rural areas and these two areas are least affected by the pandemic, he observed. So, urban people are much more vulnerable compared to the rural population, but coverage of the social safety net in urban areas is poor, he said. Talking about the budget, Mr Rahman said the government spent more than 3.0 per cent of the national budget as a percentage of GDP. "But it actually comes down to less than 1.0 per cent if we concentrate only on poverty alleviation," he added. Anowarul Haq, social development adviser at British High Commission in Dhaka, said the government and development partners completed ultra-poor graduation programmes sporadically. "This is the time to think about a nationwide ultra-poor programme that will allow poor people in various income generating opportunities. The policymakers can think about innovative approaches to it," he said. For that, he suggested a collaborative model involving both the government and non-government organisations. Humaira Aziz, director (women and girls empowerment programme), CARE Bangladesh, highlighted the importance of non-farm activities for empowerment of women, girls and marginalised groups. She suggested pouring more investment to reduce the existing gender gap in the market. Dr MA Baqui Khalily of the Department of Business Administration at the University of Asia Pacific said Bangladesh had been growing but the growth was not inclusive and systematically distributive. "That's why, a good number of populations remain outside, failing to reap the benefits of this economic growth," he said. Extreme poverty alleviation requires, as Dr Khalily observed, a different programme and focus because moderate poor can, somehow, manage to get access to some financial or non-financial interventions. "But alleviating extreme (poverty) needs a special programme because of its diverse characteristics. My point is that the extreme poor got to be treated separately," he added. He also emphasised on targeting efficiency to avoid mistargeting and ensure perfect identification of the extreme poor. The other organising partners of the event included Nextgenedu, mPower, CARE Bangladesh, ICCO, GAIN Bangladesh, WaterAid, Simprints, BIID, Pathao, Anchorless Bangladesh, Sarabangla, ColorsFM 101.6, Windmill Advertising, Young Economists' Forum (YEF) and Printagraphy.

Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-fired Powerplant Update 27/08/2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nL3NO-4Qjo

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/govt-mulls-partnership-dp-world-gazipur-railway-icd-294130 Saifuddin Saif 27 August, 2021, 10:45 pm Last modified: 28 August, 2021, 09:54 am Govt mulls partnership with DP World for Gazipur railway ICD The project could cost up to $300 million, says the railways authorities The inland container depot (ICD) project in Gazipur's Dhirashram area is finally going to be implemented under the public-private partnership (PPP) model as the government is considering making Dubai-based terminal operator DP World a partner in the venture. Officials of the Public Private Partnership Authority Bangladesh said DP World has already agreed to work on the project. Now, discussion is going on to fix the terms and conditions of the final agreement. Dr Najmus Sayadat, director (investment promotion) of PPP Authority, said, "We are preparing a document for DP World, which may take six months. The investment of DP World will be finalised based on the document." The ICD will be built on a 160-acre site near Dhirashram Railway Station in Joydevpur, Gazipur. According to Bangladesh Railway, the cost of the project could be up to $300 million. Once it is complete, the Kamalapur ICD will be relocated to Dhirashram. This is expected to help container transport by rail go up by as high as 30%. In July 2013, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the project aimed at building a full-fledged ICD under PPP. Finding no suitable private investor, Bangladesh Railway in August 2020 decided to construct Dhirasram ICD with government funds. In December last year, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) pledged $200 million in loans for the project and in January this year, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) decided to implement the project through ADB funding. But in March, the PMO changed its stance and decided to build the ICD in collaboration with DP World under the $1 billion investment proposal the firm had made in the beginning of 2020. The company wanted to invest the money in Bangladesh's container supply chain infrastructure, including ports, rail network and inland container terminals. The government's latest decision was taken in view of the technical expertise of DP World in the construction and operation of port and container terminals, according to officials concerned. DP World is a multinational logistics company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It specialises in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zones. The company will also build one of the three terminals in Chattogram port under PPP arrangements. To this end, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the PPP authorities in March this year. Meanwhile, the government has undertaken another project involving an estimated cost of Tk3,473 crore for land acquisition and construction of a six-kilometre rail link for the Dhirashram ICD. The railway expects to start the project this year with government funding. SM Salimullah Bahar, chief planning officer of Bangladesh Railway, said, "The construction of the proposed multi-modal transit hub at Kamalapur Station, starting station of high-speed train in the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor and the Padma Rail Link will start from Kamalapur ICD. As a result, the government decided to set up a full-fledged ICD in Dhirashram with uninterrupted facilities for handling and transporting goods." He said the capacity of the Kamalapur ICD is 90,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). "Around 80% of the containers from Chattogram port are transported towards Dhaka. Only 10% of this bulk is transported by rail. We are planning to increase the railway container transport to 30%," said Salimullah. "The container capacity of the Kamalapur ICD will soon be exceeded. For this reason, the government has decided to shift the Kamalapur ICD to Dhirashram. This will increase the container transport of railways at a significant rate. At the same time, railways' revenue will also increase," he further said. According to PPP authorities, the handling capacity of the proposed ICD is 3,54,000 TEUs. The railway authorities will acquire 222.46 acres of land for the ICD and 6km connecting rail tracks. The Bangladesh Railway is forming a new company named Container Company Bangladesh Limited (CCBL) to encourage traders to transport goods by rail. The company will transport goods from warehouses and port to the station. Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association Vice-president Mohammad Hatem told The Business Standard, "The ICD in Kamalapur should have been shifted out of Dhaka long ago. If this is done, the pressure on Dhaka will be reduced. It will also reduce container congestion. Moreover, most of our factories are based in Gazipur-Tongi areas. The ICD in Dhirashram will benefit importers and exporters." Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (DCCI) President Rizwan Rahman, however, thinks PPP projects are slow in implementation which can increase the expenditure. Rizwan thinks the Dhirashram ICD should be built on the funding of ADB to reduce time and cost.