Maisson

Bangladesh maintains unofficial ties with Israel through third parties such as Singapore. The Bangladesh Army imported Israeli made Spike ATGMs during 2011-2012 and the air force also uses Mi-17 helicopter simulators which are developed by an Israeli company with offices in Singapore. Unfortunately now the Bangladesh Army changed its policies as far as weapons imports are concerned. Due to introduction of standardisation the Army has to inspects the production facilities of the manufacturers for any standardised or significant military equipment. Equipment like Spike are made in Israeli factories and transfer of technology cannot be undertaken so acquisition of Spike and its technology could not be done. Israel also asked Singapore not to export the Spike ATGM to Bangladesh fearing some strong Indian reaction. This has kept the Indians and Islamist's very happy as they are on the same page as far as Israel is concerned.

We are trialling Mughal ranks for now to practice our tradition and avoid using current military ranks at the same time (as non military personnel should not be accorded with military ranks). Special titles (Forum staff): Amir (Founder) Vakil (Chief Administrator) Wazir (Administrator) Mir Bakshi (Chief Moderator) Sardar (Moderator) Regular member ranks based on post/content count: Chela - 0 Sepoy - 50 Jemadar - 150 Daffadar - 500 Sowar - 1500 Risaldar - 3000 Subedar - 5000 Mansabdar - 10000

We moved to a high spec server and upgraded security.

Myanmar to court-martial more troops over Rohingya crackdown, army says Published: 21 Feb 2020 08:40 PM BdST Updated: 21 Feb 2020 10:37 PM BdST Myanmar's army said in a statement on Friday it would hold more court-martials over alleged abuses against Rohingya Muslims, after a government-appointed commission said soldiers committed war crimes against the minority. The panel concluded, in a report published in January, that members of the security forces, among "multiple actors", were responsible for war crimes and serious human rights violations during a military-led crackdown against the group in 2017. The army said in a post on its website on Friday it had studied the panel's report in great detail and was reviewing allegations. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape an army offensive launched in August 2017 that UN investigators described as having been executed with genocidal intent. The country is facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, after Gambia, a mainly Muslim West African state, lodged a lawsuit last year. Myanmar says the army was fighting a legitimate counter-insurgency campaign against militants who attacked security posts. The government-appointed panel blamed Rohingya militants for attacking 30 police posts and "provoking" the crackdown, which it said did not amount to genocide. The army said it was investigating alleged abuses in two villages: Maung Nu, where residents told the panel as many as 200 Muslims were killed after taking shelter in a single house, and Chut Pyin, where dozens more are alleged to have died. "The Court of Inquiry will investigate such incidents and the trial of Court-Martial will be followed in accordance with the law and in line with the processes of Military Justice," the army statement said. Two military spokesmen rejected several phone calls from Reuters on Friday seeking further comment. 'BODIES PULLED APART' Residents of Maung Nu told government-appointed investigators that soldiers besieged the village after militants attacked a nearby security post and stormed a house where many villagers were sheltering, killing as many as 200. In Chut Pyin, residents said soldiers surrounded the village, used rocket launchers to set fire to houses and shot indiscriminately, killing scores, according to the January report. Troops told locals, who allegedly participated in the destruction, to "systematically destroy the bodies" afterwards, one Buddhist resident told the government-backed panel. "There were so many corpses in Chut Pyin village that when they were burnt, not all could be burnt down to ashes; some were buried, and some dead bodies were pulled apart by wild animals," the resident was quoted as saying. The army said in its statement it was still reviewing other incidents mentioned in the report by the government-appointed panel, which include an alleged massacre of Hindus by Rohingya militants calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which the group denies. Myanmar has vowed to carry out its own investigations, saying international justice mechanisms violate its sovereignty. The army began a trial in November of soldiers and officers from a regiment deployed to Gu Dar Pyin village, the site of another alleged massacre. A statement on that trial will be released "in the near future", the military said on Friday. Seven soldiers jailed for 10 years for killing 10 Rohingya men and boys in the village of Inn Din were granted early release last November, after serving less than a year in prison.

UNDP launches UN Bangla font Friday Independent Online/UNB United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh on Friday celebrated the International Mother Language Day by launching the UN Bangla font and Bangla version of the Human Development Report 2019. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen attended the function as the chief guest. Assistant Secretary General, Assistant Administrator & Director Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja was present as special guest. Resident Representative, UNDP, Bangladesh Sudipto Mukerjee and Deputy Resident Representative Van Nguyen also attended the event.

Nepal seeks cooperation from Bangladesh in establishing Defence University Independent Online/UNB Nepal has sought co-operation from Bangladesh in establishing National Defence University of Nepal. Chief of Nepalese Army General Purna Chandra Thapa sought the cooperation when he paid a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban in the evening. Press secretary to the President Joynal Abedin briefed reporters after the meeting. Welcoming the Army chief of Nepal, President Hamid said, "The relation between Bangladesh and Nepal is very excellent. The exchange of visit of army of the two countries can play a positive role." Hamid also said many members of Nepalese Army participate in different courses of National Defence College of Bangladesh. General Purna Chandra Thapa said the recent visit of Bangladesh Army Chief to Nepal will strengthen the relationship between the armed forces of the two countries. Members of the Nepal Defence Force are getting the opportunity to enhance their skills and abilities by participating in various courses in Bangladesh which is benefiting the Nepal Defence Force, Thapa said. The ambassador of Nepal to Bangladesh Dr Bansidhar Mishra, Principal Staff Officer ( PSO) Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman were present during the meeting. Secretaries concerned to the President were also present during the meeting.

230 posts of SPs to be created soon Supernumerary posts also to be abolished Deepak Acharjee, Dhaka The government has decided to create 230 posts of superintendents of police (SPs) after abolishing 230 supernumerary posts of SPs in the police department soon. The decision was taken at a Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting, held in the Security Services Division of the home ministry, with additional secretary (police and NTMC), Md Nurul Islam, in the chair on Tuesday, home ministry sources said. The new posts of SPs would be created in different wings of the police, including the police headquarters, Special Branch (SB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Police Investigation Bureau (PBI), the sources added. The Security Service Division had created the 230 supernumerary posts of SPs on November 8, 2018, for one year to promote 230 additional superintendents of police (Addl. SPs) to the higher post of SP, the sources added. With the proposed 230 posts, the strength of SPs will be over 500. Talking to The Independent, Md Nurul Islam said they will send their decision to create 230 SP posts to the Ministry of Public Administration and the Finance Division seeking their approval. “After getting the approval, we will prepare a proposal, which would be sent to the Secretary Committee on Administrative Improvement Affairs. We will take further steps after getting the recommendation from the Secretary Committee,” he added. Sources said the 230 supernumerary posts of SPs will be abolished when the Security Service Division issues a gazette notification in this regard after completing all the process. According to the sources, the "22", "24", and "25" batches of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) police cadre are working as supernumerary SPs in different wings in the police department. There could be problems in promoting the supernumerary SPs to the higher post if they are not in permanent posts, the sources claimed. During the regime of Sheikh Hasina, the police authorities have formed several police units, such as the Police Bureau of Counter Terrorism, Rangpur Metropolitan Police, Gazipur Metropolitan Police, and the Airport Armed Police Battalion. The police department has also formed an industrial police unit, Rangpur Range, Range Reserve Force (RRF) of Rangpur, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), two Security Protection Battalions, 30 In-service Training Centres, Tourist Police, and Naval Police unit. It also set up a number of new police stations and police investigation centres by creating a number of posts. Members of the Bangladesh Police play a crucial role in maintaining peace and enforcing law and order. Currently, there are about 212,000 police personnel.

China-Bangladesh JVC to set up 200MW solar power plant Proposal to be placed before cabinet meeting today DEEPAK ACHARJEE, Dhaka After six years of forming a joint venture company with a China’s state-owned firm, the government is going to form another Joint Venture Company (JVC) with the same country to set up 200MW solar power plant. For setting up the JVC named Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt) Limited (Renewable), the power division has prepared a draft proposal in this regard and it is likely to be placed on the cabinet meeting today, the sources in the power division said. The Power Division, in it’s proposal, will also seek cabinet approval of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA), Memorandum of Association (MA) and Articles of Associations (AA) of the proposed Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt.) Limited (Renewable), the sources added. Talking to The Independent, State Minister for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said a joint venture company will be formed with the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) to set up 200 megawatts (MW) solar power plant at Sirajganj. “We will be able to produce solar energy after forming the joint venture company with CMC, a state-owned international engineering contractor of Chinese government,” he said. Earlier, North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) of Bangladesh and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC), a Chinese state-owned company, had formed a joint venture company named Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt) Limited in 2014, to set up Payra 1320 MW Thermal Power Plant by using eco-friendly Ultra Supercritical Technology (UST). At present, coal-fired Payra power plant in Patuakhali has already began test production of 100MW electricity. The North-West Power Generation Company Limited has developed another strategic alliance with Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd, Singapore and formed another Joint Venter Company– Sembcorp North-West Power Company Limited, which was registered with Joint Stock Companies and Firms, Bangladesh in 2016. This company has been implementing Sirajganj 400 MW combined cycle power plant project at Sirajganj. The NWPGCL has a plan to develop the largest LNG-based power plant of the country having capacity of 3600 MW including LNG re-gasification terminal and gas pipelines in joint venture with Siemens AG, Germany at Payra in Patuakhali.

DNCC to procure 42,450 streetlights Lights to be installed at a cost of Tk 320cr to ensure security of pedestrians at night DEEPAK ACHARJEE, Dhaka Software-based 42,450 LED streetlights are going to be purchased and fitted to lamp-posts in the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area to ensure the security of pedestrians at night. The LED streetlights worth Tk. 319.74 crore under 14 packages, out of 18, would be purchased without inviting open tender, sources in the LGRD ministry said. According to the sources, the authorities concerned will purchase the streetlights under the direct purchase method (DPM). Talking to The Independent, a senior official of the LGRD ministry said they have prepared a proposal in this regard and it would be placed at the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for its approval. “After getting the approval, the work order will be given to Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory, an enterprise of the Bangladesh Army, for supplying the LED lights,” he added. According to the proposal, the project to “install LED streetlights of the DNCC’ would be implemented by the Army to avoid any hassles during installation. In the proposal, the LGRD ministry said it would need to relax Clause 68(1) of the Public Procurement (PPR) Act-2006 and Section 76(2) of the rules of the PPR. And that is why the proposal would be sent to the Cabinet Division for being placed at the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. Sources in the DNCC said they will install the LED lights in dark areas first and gradually at other places within five years. The DNCC will install the LED street-lights in an 82 square kilometre area. The DNCC earlier implemented a pilot project by installing 3,343 LED lights in parts of the DNCC area at a cost of Tk. 250 million. About 80 per cent of the lights were installed in Gulshan, Baridhara, and Banani areas. According to sources, there are no streetlights in most of the areas of the DNCC and that is why various crimes were taking place there. DNCC consists of 54 wards covering the thanas of Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Pallabi, Adabor, Kafrul, Dhaka Cantonment, Tejgaon, TejgaonIndustrial Area, Gulshan, Rampura, Banani, Bimanbandar, Khilkhet, Vatara, Badda, Uttara, Uttar Khan, Hatirjheel and others.

1. The comments might have been motivated by information received from Bangladeshis living in US who might have connections to the BNP. 2. The Bangladesh embassy did well to quickly discredit the US senator's comments by pointing out the facts. 3. This is not really about Bangladesh being secular or democratic because the US works with KSA, UAE, Israel and co so there is hardly any effect in reality about democracy or human rights unless you happen to be America's enemy. 4. Once Bangladesh and Boeing for example sign the attack helicopter deal there will be a great deal of support coming in from the very senate because companies such as Boeing are very keen to increase their market footprint around the world including establish new frontier markets in places like Bangladesh and Thailand. Do not worry, we are solid.

Dear Members, We are upgrading our services by a huge margin with the introduction of even more powerful servers and software. As such our group websites might become unavailable for a limited period of time in order for us to migrate to the new server. This should not take too long. SSD hard disks Triple RAM 1.5x more hard disk space Data centres in US and Netherlands Full back up in case of disaster or hacking Full DDOS and other security protections in place We trust your user experience will be enhanced through our 2020 upgrade project. If you have any ideas and advice please fire away. Thank you. Defseca.com Management

৬ বিএসএফ সদস্যকে আটকের পর ফেরত দিল বিজিবি প্রতিনিধি, কসবা, ব্রা‏হ্মণবাড়িয়া ২০ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০২০, ১৯:০০ আপডেট: ২০ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০২০, ১৯:০২ কুমিল্লার ব্রাহ্মণপাড়া উপজেলার ভাল্লক গ্রামের সীমান্তে আটক ভারতীয় সীমান্তরক্ষী বাহিনীর (বিএসএফ) ছয় সদস্যকে ফেরত দিয়েছে বর্ডার গার্ড বাংলাদেশ (বিজিবি)। আটকের দুই ঘণ্টা পর পতাকা বৈঠকের মাধ্যমে বৃহস্পতিবার বেলা ১১টার দিকে তাঁদের ফেরত পাঠানো হয়। বিজিবি ও স্থানীয় সূত্রে জানা যায়, ব্রাহ্মণপাড়া উপজেলার শশীদল ইউনিয়নের ভাল্লক গ্রামের ভারত সীমান্তের ২০৫৭ পিলারের পাশ দিয়ে বৃহস্পতিবার সকাল নয়টার দিকে ত্রিপুরা রাজ্যের বিএসএফের ৭৪ ব্যাটালিয়নের রহিমপুর ক্যাম্পের টহলরত বিএসএফের দুই সদস্য বাংলাদেশের ঢুকে পড়েন। এ সময় বিজিবির সদস্যরা ওই দুজনকে আটক করেন। তাঁদের ছাড়িয়ে নিতে বিএসএফের ওই ক্যাম্পের আরও চার সদস্য বাংলাদেশে প্রবেশ করেন। তখন ওই চারজনকেও আটক করে বিজিবি। এ ঘটনায় পতাকা বৈঠকের মাধ্যমে বেলা ১১টার দিকে বিএসএফের ছয় সদস্যকে ফেরত পাঠায় বিজিবি। পতাকা বৈঠকে বাংলাদেশের পক্ষে নেতৃত্ব দেন ৬০ বর্ডার গার্ড ব্যাটালিয়নের সংকোচাইল ক্যাম্পের কোম্পানি কমান্ডার সুবেদার মো. মহিউদ্দিন ও ভারতের ৭৪ বিএসএফের আশাবাড়ি ক্যাম্পের কোম্পানি কমান্ডার পরিদর্শক মহাবীর প্রসাদ। ৬০ বর্ডার গার্ড ব্যাটালিয়নের সহকারী পরিচালক মো. রফিকুল ইসলাম প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, ‘ভুলবশত বিএসএফের সদস্যরা বাংলাদেশের অভ্যন্তরে ঢুকে পড়েন। তাঁদের আটক করে বিজিবি। কোম্পানি কমান্ডার পর্যায়ে পতাকা বৈঠকের মাধ্যমে তাঁদের ফেরত দেওয়া হয়েছে।’

It sure is my man.

Welcome to our forum mate. You account has been upgraded to Gold class. Its good to see you here.

Govt to allow Nepal to use Saidpur airport The government has agreed to Nepal's proposal to use the Saidpur airport to enhance connectivity between the two friendly countries. It has declared the formation of a technical expert committee to examine the sort of flights that could use the airport. Both Bangladesh and Nepal have decided to form a task force that will discuss how to develop trade, connectivity, transit, transport, and all other issues between the two countries. The issues were discussed at a foreign-minister level meeting between Bangladesh and Nepal at the state guest house, Meghna, in the capital. Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen led the Bangladesh side, while his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali led his delegation. “Nepal has placed a proposal to use the Saidpur airport. We’ve welcomed the move. A technical expert committee will look into what types of flight can use it. We are upgrading the Saidpur airport. Right now, 12–14 flights go there from Dhaka. So, Nepalese people will be able to land at the airport and can also move to Dhaka,” Momen told journalists after the meeting. Regarding trade barriers, the foreign minister said: “There are certain trade barriers—Nepal, in some cases, charges around 56 per cent tariffs. We’ve told them to reduce it. We have infrastructure problems. We’ll sort these issues out.” He also said that both countries discussed the removal of the tariff and non-tariff barriers. The minister expressed hope that the ties regarding trade and investment between the two countries would increase in the coming days. “There is not much tourism using the land route due to the infrastructure problem. Mostly, people fly to Nepal. We’ve discussed how to enhance it. We’ve recently signed an agreement on motor vehicle movement between Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. It’ll help increase tourism,” he said. The minister also said Nepal assured that it would stand by Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue. Terming the meeting as ‘productive’, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said Nepal and Bangladesh had been close friends through thick and thin. There are many similarities and commonalities, including a common resolution for the betterment of their people, that connect the two friendly countries, he added. “We’ve discussed how to enhance mutual trade for the benefit of the two countries. Though the trade is at a modest level now, there are scopes to enhance it. We have decided to form a task force to discuss how to develop trade, connectivity, transit, and transport, among others,” he said.

Modi to visit Dhaka in March Says AK Momen Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Dhaka in March on the occasion of birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said yesterday. “The Indian prime minister has roughly confirmed his visit to Bangladesh in March but the exact date of his arrival has not been fixed yet,” he said in reply to a query of the journalists after the inaugural ceremony of the ‘2nd Brainstorming Session on Comprehensive Reform of the OIC’ at a hotel in the capital. The minister further informed that Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla would arrive in Dhaka on March 2 and everything would be finalised jointly. He also said there will be a bilateral meeting during Modi’s visit and different kinds of programmes would be set centering his visit. “We are working on it,” he added. He said, “Our event will be held on March 17. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would visit Tungipara on that day. If he (Modi) comes a day before the event, it would be fine as our prime minister will then be able to receive him.” The Bangladesh government has taken various round the year programmes to celebrate ‘Mujib Year’ to mark the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. Earlier, on several occasions foreign minister Momen said distinguished persons including heads of states would join various programmes to celebrate the occasion. He earlier said UAE Crown Prince Zayed Al Nahyan, former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Indian Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi and former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will also grace the ‘Mujib Year’ celebrations. Besides, Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau and Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will be among the global leaders who are likely to join the ‘Mujib Barsha’ cerebrations in Dhaka. The countdown of Mujib Year began on January 10.

Tk 2,500cr forest resources, biodiversity ‘destroyed’ Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar Anisur Rahman Khan, Dhaka Rohingya refugees have destroyed about Tk 2,500-crore forest resources and biodiversity in the Cox’s Bazar area, according to an estimate by officials of the Bangladesh Forests Department (BFD). The Rohingyas have destroyed around 8,000 acres of natural forests and social forestry by building houses and felling trees for fuel, putting the environment and ecology under great threat, the officials say. Expansion of the old Kutupalong camp has also blocked the only corridor used by endangered Asian elephants as migration routes and trapped about 45 elephants on the western side of the camp. Several international aid agencies, local government bodies, and NGOs have also been constructing infrastructure and other activities around the forest areas without informing the forest department, sources told The Independent. During the period between August and October 2017, about 750,000 forcibly displaced Rohingya people moved from Myanmar to the neighbouring border areas of Cox’s Bazar, where they joined the existing Rohingya communities, bringing the total to 11 lakh, one of the largest concentrations of refugees in the world. “We’ve submitted a primary assessment regarding the destruction of forests, including biodiversity, natural forests, and afforestation, in Cox’s Bazar. We’ve estimated that forest resources worth Tk. 2,500 crore have been destroyed so far by the Rohingyas,” Humayun Kabir, divisional forest officer in Cox’s Bazar (south), told this correspondent. He said different organisations were active on the forest land around the Rohingya camp without informing the forest department. “A 10-member committee, led by Prof. Kamal Hossain, who is a teacher of forestry at Chittagong University, had been formed in October last year to assess the losses of biodiversity and forests in Cox’s Bazar. The committee is yet to start its activities due to some official problems,” he said in reply to a query. He also said the critical biodiversity areas in Cox’s Bazar—Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary, Himchhari National Park, and Inani National Park—face grave risks due to high level of human intervention following the huge Rohingya influx. Tens of thousands of trees have been cut down to set up camps, make furniture, and cook food for the Rohingya people, he added. The massive Rohingyas influx has caused great socio-economic and environmental damages, he noted. “Soil erosion and landslides are already common in the area, affecting water resources, irrigation, and groundwater reserves. But now, local biodiversity, including marine resources, acoustic environment, and air quality, is being degraded at an unprecedented level,” Kabir said. Experts, however, suggest that the Rohingyas be provided with alternative fuel to reduce the pressure on the forests. Planting fast-growing trees in fallow and other unused land in the locality could resolve the firewood problem, they say. Nearly two years after the start of the Rohingya influx, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in association with the the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and the Cox’s Bazar administration, conducted a study titled ‘Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities’ last year. The study finds the impact on the socio-economic effect on host communities, covering prices, wages and poverty incidence, public service, livelihood, public goods delivery, social safety net, and social cohesion. Even criminal activities have increased around the camp areas as many Rohingya people are involved in committing crimes. The Myanmar government is yet to take any positive initiative to take back their citizens.

1. Constructive criticism is fine however hit and run style comments without any basis will not be accepted here. Its not about freedom of speech, its about certain people who have certain political agendas and want to provoke a reaction from the Army. They do this because they want Bangladesh Army to be more engaged in politics than Army related professional matters. We are well aware of those types and of course we won't tolerate them. 2. Based on the comments the two concerned members find the ghost of corruption in any deals they don't understand. Tata SUVs were not purchased because Army officers are "corrupt", the Tata co was the lowest bidder and those vehicles were purchased under some commercial project of the Army. Acquisition of such equipment don't have any impact upon national security. At the same time the government is spending crores to provide SUVs to union level government officials which are made in Bangladesh but cost four to five times what a Tata SUV cost. Yet those things are not questioned even though tax payers are losing out.

Rooppur plant unit-2: Body parts of core safety system manufactured The parts will be sent to Bangladesh by the end of this year The complex for the reactor of unit-1 at the Rooppur nuclear power plant is already more than 20 metres high. It will be raised to 40 metres. Photo: TBS The manufacture of the first body parts of hydro accumulators for passive core flooding system for the second unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been completed in Russia. Passive core flooding system is the latest technology to provide safety, which is not affected by human errors. It is a crucial element designed to release decay heat in the event of a serious coolant accident in the reactor's primary circuit. Petrozavodsk Branch of "AEM-Technology," a concern of Atomenergomash, the machine-building division of the Russia's State Corporation Rosatom, has been manufacturing the system. The parts will be sent to Bangladesh by the end of this year once the corresponding infrastructure is ready to install the parts in the reactor area, said a source at the Rooppur project. The system comprises of eight thick-walled hydro accumulators, each having a capacity of 120 cubic metres. During operation, the accumulators are filled with boric acid solution designated for core cooling. The body of each hydro accumulator is composed of three shells, each weighing 15.5 tonnes. Assembled with the in-vessel and bottom components, a passive core flooding system accumulator weighs about 77 tonnes. Light water reactors are the most used at nuclear power generation plants and it is known as conventional technology too. The nuclear power plant at Ishwardi in Pabna will have two power units, each having 1,200 megawatts of capacity, and the first unit of the plant is scheduled to come into operation by October 2024. The power units will be equipped with both active and passive safety systems, including Molten Core Catcher. Latest 3+ generation Russian VVER 1200 reactors will be used in the first ever nuclear power plant of Bangladesh. Atomenergomash is the single-source manufacturer for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant reactor hall and a supplier for most of the turbine island equipment.

Tokyo Gas to conduct feasibility study on land-based LNG Terminal Besides conducting the study, the Japanese company will also prepare the tender documents for builders interested in constructing the terminal Tokyo Gas, the largest natural gas supplier of Japan, is likely to be selected for conducting the feasibility study on the first ever land-based Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Bangladesh. Out of two bidders, Tokyo Gas's proposal meets Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) requirements, said a source at Petrobangla. American energy advisory company Galway Group LLC is the other bidder. Both parties are now negotiating the different terms and conditions for signing the contract. "After getting the approval from the finance committee, we will sign the contract as early as we can," said a senior Petrobangla official. Tokyo Gas will be given one year to conduct the feasibility study. Besides conducting the study during the period, the Japanese company will also prepare the tender documents for builders interested in constructing the terminal. The energy division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has planned to set up a land-based LNG terminal with a re-gasification capacity of 1,000 million cubic feet per day in Matarbari, Cox's Bazar. But Petrobangla will be able to extend the capacity later if necessary. Petrobangla, in charge of LNG imports into the country, plans to build a land-based terminal that can handle 7.5 million tonnes of LNG annually in Matarbari. The project will cost over $1 billion to complete, said Petrobangla officials. At present, Petrobangla has two floating storages at Maheshkhali, a facility for re-gasifying imported liquefied natural gas, with a 1 billion cubic feet regasification capacity. It has been importing LNG from Oman and Qatar through two long-term contracts. Under its 15-year deal with Qatar, Bangladesh pays 12.65 percent of the three-month average price of Brent oil, plus a constant of 50 cents per million British thermal units.

Equipment for Indo-Bangla pipeline to arrive from Monday Work for setting up the 130-km underground pipeline will start by early March The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is set to receive pipes and other required equipment to start the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline (BIFP) project from Monday. The Meghna Petroleum Ltd (MPL), a BPC company and in-charge of implementing the project, will receive the equipment through Hili land border of Dinajpur. Md Tipu Sultan, project director of the BIFP and also deputy general manager of MPL, said, "Numaligarh Refinery Ltd has already sent the equipment, and now we are waiting for custom's approval." The work for setting up 130-km underground pipeline will start by early March, he added. On Tuesday, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project worth Tk306.23 crore. Under the project, a 130-km underground petroleum pipeline – 5 km in India and 125 km in Bangladesh – will be built from Numaligarh Refinery Ltd in Siliguri of India to Parbatipur depot under Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The project aims at facilitating fuel transport and supply to the Northern-region of the country with a shorter time and cheaper cost. At present, the BPC's fuel supply cost or premier is $6.6 per barrel. It includes $2.2 per barrel import cost from the Middle East to the outer anchorage of Chittagong Sea-Port, and $4.4 to deliver the fuel to the Dinajpur storage tank. But the cost will drop down to $5.5 per barrel once the pipeline is completed. The pipeline will have a delivery capacity of one million tonnes of fuel annually. Md Sarwar Alam, director (operations and planning) of BPC told The Business Standard that the project will help them supply reliable and uninterrupted fuel to the northern part of the country. "We have faced problems in sending the fuel from Chattogram to Dinajpur through roads and railways, especially when political tensions rise. Now we can supply uninterrupted fuel in the region." Currently, the BPC is importing a small-scale of diesel from India to Parbatipur depot through railways which is around 0.45 million tonnes annually.

Local airlines lose flyers due to coronavirus This fall in passenger growth comes at the busiest period of the year, when air travel for both business and tourism is usually high The plan for Bangladeshi airlines to expand to international routes with new aircraft has hit a brick wall due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has slashed outbound passenger growth by 40 percent in recent weeks. Even worse, this sharp fall in passenger growth comes at the busiest period of the year when air travel for both business and tourism is usually high. Cargo imports also fell by more than 60 percent as raw material import remain suspended in China – one of the largest business hubs for Bangladesh – according to airlines industry insiders. Since airfreight demand has been weakening worldwide, the outbreak of coronavirus will further add woes if the crisis prolongs, industry insiders feared. Asia-Pacific carriers posted a 3.5 percent decrease in demand for airfreight last year compared to a 2.8 percent increase in 2018, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Biman Bangladesh Airlines has already begun to feel the pinch of a global slowdown as the fall in export-import growth has hit its cargo business, with revenue from goods transportation falling by 32 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year. "The national carrier will have to bear more costs at the end of this year if the impact of coronavirus prolongs," said Md Mokabbir Hossain, managing director Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Biman was planning to open new routes to Guangzhou by March but the process was delayed due to the outbreak, he added. Mokabbir said the Biman office in Guangzhou is ready but the inspection scheduled by the Chinese authority on February 12 was suspended. "Moreover, outbound passengers to Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have dropped by more than 40 percent as tourists are avoiding travel over health concerns," he further said. However, Biman did not take any decision to cut flights as inbound flights are still full, he added. The coronavirus outbreak has also forced airlines operating in Bangladesh to backtrack from their flight expansion plans centering on the construction of the third terminal of the Dhaka airport. For instance, US-Bangla Airlines – the only local airline company operating flights to China – moved to cut flight frequency to Guangzhou from five to only three-four per week. "US-Bangla decided to reduce flights in China as number of both inbound and outbound passengers declined substantially, causing losses," said US-Bangla CEO Sikder Mezbahuddin Ahmed. Passenger growth also fell by 20 percent in other tourist destinations such as Bangkok and Bali. "Vietnam is emerging as a tourist destination and business activities as well in recent times, but passenger travel in this route has also declined since it goes via Bangkok," he added. Mezbahuddin said that although the country's airline operators were doing well amid fast growth of the aviation industry, the sudden break brought by coronavirus will hurt the industry, which will eventually negatively impact the overall economy. Singapore Airlines, which grew at over 10 percent last year in the Bangladeshi market despite a global slowdown, also cut its flights in China. "We have flights in around 26 destinations in China and some flights were suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak," said Rifat Kader, head of Sales and Marketing of Singapore Airlines. However, there has not been much impact in other routes yet, he added. Regent Airways, which operates flights in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, also experienced a 15 percent fall in outbound passenger growth in the last one week. "Passengers are cancelling their ticket bookings due to safety concerns," said Hanif Zakaria, chief commercial officer of Regent. Though, outbound passenger growth has dropped, number of inbound passengers remains high as people consider Bangladesh safer since no cases of coronavirus have been reported yet, he added. "Currently, we have three weekly flights in these international routes and we may cut flights if the crisis prolongs," he said. The crisis hit the aviation industry at a time when international air passenger traffic has been slowing down in the global market. In 2019, international passenger traffic in the global market climbed 4.1 percent compared to a 7.1 percent growth in 2018, according to IATA. However, Bangladesh's fast growing economy, international business connections and tourism sector spared the local aviation industry from the global slowdown. The IATA forecasts the air transport in Bangladesh to annually grow at 8.4 percent until 2038 if the current trend continues. In 2018, air passenger flow in the country was 7.2 million, which will increase to 19.3 million by 2038. Expecting future growth, airlines in the country are expanding their fleets. For instance, Biman's fleet has increased manifold over the years, and with 16 aircraft – 10 of which are its own and the rest are on lease – its current fleet size is the largest in its history. Two more 787-9 aircraft will be added to Biman's fleet this month, and another two Dash-8 will arrive by June next year, raising the total fleet size to 20. Other local private airlines are also expanding their fleets by adding new aircraft.

Bangladesh, Nepal to sign free trade deal soon We can exchange our products and be in a win-win situation. So, the trade deal will definitely bring good results, said Nepal Foreign Minister Gyawali Bangladesh and Nepal have agreed to sign a free trade agreement to boost bilateral trade. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi made the announcement after a meeting with Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali at the former's office on Monday. The two countries will hold a secretary-level meeting in Dhaka on March 3 and 4 this year to get the deal signed. A combined team will also be formed to work out the pros and cons of the agreement, Munshi said. Gyawali came to Dhaka on a three-day visit on Monday. "We are at the final stage of signing a free trade agreement with Nepal," Munshi told reporters, without giving any specific time for the deal. He also said the Nepal foreign minister is very keen to use Bangladesh's Syedpur Airport for their import and export business. They are also allowed to use transit facilities via Bangladesh. Nepal can also use Bangladesh's waterways, Munshi added. The commerce minister expects the bilateral trade volume to increase after the free trade agreement is signed. Munshi said Bangladesh exported products worth $38 million to the Himalayan country and imported goods worth around $18 million last year. The major items exported from Bangladesh to land-locked Nepal include agricultural products, jute and jute goods, engineering products, pharmaceutical products, paper and paper board, cotton, chemical products, ceramic products, glass and glassware and others. Bangladesh mainly imports vegetable products, prepared foodstuff, beverages, spirits and vinegar, tobacco, zinc articles, chemical products, sulphur, lime and cement, man-made staple fibre and soya bean oil from Nepal. "Nepal is interested in signing a deal with Bangladesh for free trade. I see huge possibilities in doing business between the two countries," said Nepal Foreign Minister Gyawali. "Both Nepal and Bangladesh share a similar culture, and the counties also have similar potentials. We can exchange our products and be in a win-win situation. So the trade deal will definitely bring good results," he affirmed. "Nepal has been generating hydropower. We would like to export our hydropower to Bangladesh. Actually everything is possible if we sign the free trade agreement," the Nepalese minister said. It is a must to continue focusing on relationship, especially on business, for the development of the two countries, he said, adding that the relationship should be permanent. Meanwhile, Bangladesh recently reached a decision over signing bilateral free trade agreements with Bhutan and Thailand after a series of discussions over two decades with both the nations. Fresh talks to sign free trade deals with 17 other countries, including the United States, Turkey, China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, are also in the pipeline. According to the South Asian Free Trade Area (Safta), Nepal now maintains a list of 998 sensitive products for least developed countries (LDCs), and 1,036 sensitive products for non-LDCs that are not entitled to preferential trade benefits. Bangladesh also maintains a list of 987 sensitive products for LDCs, and 993 sensitive products for non-LDCs.

US-Bangla plans to increase inter-connectivity in domestic routes The private airline has six brand new ATR aircraft and wants to increase them to 10 this year US-Bangla Airlines plans to increase inter-connectivity in domestic routes to cater to a growing number of passengers. The private airline has already started investing heavily in expanding its fleet by purchasing short-haul aircraft like the ATR 72-600. The company has six brand new ATR aircraft and it wants to increase the number to 10 this year. It also plans to increase the frequency of flights on domestic routes to 35, from the existing 26. The airline has already started negotiating with the Civil Aviation Authority about introducing flights on different domestic routes such as Chattogram to Sylhet, Sylhet to Cox's Bazar and Jashore to Cox's Bazar. Sikder Mezbahuddin Ahmed, adviser to US-Bangla, on Sunday disclosed their expansion plan at a press conference at the Parjatan Motel in Sylhet during the inauguration of its sixth brand new ATR 72-600 aircraft. "We are increasing the number of ATR aircraft in our fleet, aiming to extend connectivity on domestic routes," he said. The other objective of buying short-haul aircraft is to make flight tickets affordable, he added. US-Bangla Airlines suffered an image crisis following the Nepal plane crash in March 2018. Its business was badly affected after that. However, the airline has now restored customer confidence by adding modern technology-based aircraft to the fleet. "Safety is our highest priority and that is why we are adding modern technology-based aircraft," said Mezbahuddin. The airline has also intensified training for its crew to ensure safe operations. US-Bangla Airlines came into being on July 17, 2014 with two 76-seater Dash8-Q400 aircraft and with a maiden flight to Jashore. It went international within two years by introducing flights to Kathmandu. The airline's fleet now consists of thirteen aircraft – four Boeing 737-800, six brand new ATR72-600 and three Dash8-Q400, which is the highest for a private airline in the country. On domestic routes, the airline currently operates daily flights to Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Jashore, Saidpur, Sylhet, Rajshahi and Barishal from Dhaka. On international routes, it has flights to Kolkata, Chennai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Guangzhou, Muscat and Doha. Regarding the coronavirus outbreak in China, Mezbahuddin said it has affected business through their flights to Guangzhou because the number of outbound passengers to China has declined drastically. "However, the load factor of inbound flights from China is still above 80 percent. That is why the airline has decided to continue flights to China until the load factor comes down to below 50 percent," he added.

Ctg airport to get two new boarding bridges The announcement was made by Air Vice Marshall Md Mofidur Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority Two new boarding bridges, also known as jet- bridges, along with electronic gates and digital scanning machines will be set up this year at Chittagong's Shah Amanat International Airport. The announcement was made by Air Vice Marshall Md Mofidur Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority, at a mass meeting on Monday. "We will also create a position for a doctor, because the Civil Aviation Authority does not have one as of now," he added. At the event, Wing Commander Sarwar E Zaman, manager of Shah Amanat International Airport, said that flights have increased 1.8 times at the airport over the last one year. He added that they are also trying to improve safety for aircraft as they take off or come in to land at the airport. Golam Rabbani Reagan, Joint General Secretary of the Chattogram's C&F Agents Association, also spoke at the programme, among others.