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Japan to give $3.2b in loans for 7 dev projects Staff Correspondent | Published: 20:12, Aug 12,2020 Dhaka and Tokyo on Wednesday signed a loan agreement worth $3.2 billion under the official development assistance of Japan to implement seven development projects in Bangladesh. Economic Relations Division secretary Fatima Yasmin and Japan ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki signed the exchange of notes of the 41st ODA of Japan to Bangladesh at the ERD conference room in Dhaka. The loan package comprises assistance for seven projects amounting to 338.247 billion Japanese yen (approximately $3.2 billion), the largest-ever loan package since the inception of ODA in 1974, said a press release issued by the Japan embassy. The repayment period for the loan is 20 years after the grace period of 10 years, it said. The interest rate for the loan is 0.65 per cent while the interest rate for the part related to payments to consultants is 0.01 per cent a year. The 41st exchange of notes cover the projects that include Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (II), Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expansion Project (II), Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (IV), Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line 5 Northern Route), Chattogram – Cox’s Bazar Highway Improvement Project, Food Value Chain Improvement Project and Urban Development and City Governance Project. Based on the exchange of notes, JICA Bangladesh Office chief representative Hayakawa Yuho and Farida signed a relevant loan agreement on the occasion. Japan has been the single largest development partner of Bangladesh since 2012 and total amount of its financial assistance has now reached $22 billion (commitment base). According to the release, Japan has provided around $13 million so far as the emergency-support to tackle COVID-19 in Bangladesh through international organisations, as well as provided PPE to hospitals through JICA. Japan and Bangladesh on July 16 also signed the exchange of notes on Japanese Grant aid ‘Economic and Social Development Programme’（around $10 million) for procuring medical equipment, including CT Scanner and X-ray Machine, to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak. On August 5, both countries signed exchange of notes of the COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan worth around $331 million, which is the first budget support from Japan to Bangladesh. The purpose of the financial assistance is to provide funding for additional financial expenditure by Bangladesh to implement the economic stimulus package, said the press release. https://www.newagebd.net/article/113323/japan-to-give-32b-in-loans-for-7-dev-projects

12:00 AM, August 12, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 11:04 AM, August 12, 2020 The animal waste that is earning crores for many Photo: Rajib Raihan Omasum, a compact spherical organ of cattle that most don't bother with, is actually raking in crores for 12 businesses in Bangladesh. Each year, the organ, which is widely consumed in China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam, fetches more than Tk 250 crore in export receipts. But this year, the ongoing pandemic has changed the scenario, said Abdur Razzak, manager of Vivid Group, which makes about Tk 40 lakh in profit by sending frozen omasums. Omasum of more than 1 kilogram normally cost Tk 350. Before preservation, they are cleaned and salted. The exporters then wash off the salt and get rid of the unnecessary parts and freeze those in small packets for sending abroad. https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/the-animal-waste-earning-crores-many-1943641

12:00 AM, August 12, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:03 AM, August 12, 2020 Chinese firm to invest $300m to set up plasma fractionation plant Star Business Report The good news on the economic front has started to roll in once again, with the latest being China-based Oryx Biotech's announcement to invest $300 million to set up a plasma fractionation plant in Bangladesh. The company yesterday inked the tripartite agreement with Summit Technopolis, a company of Summit Group, and the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) for the country's first biotech investment at a programme at the ICT Division in Dhaka. Oryx will set up the plasma fractionation plant on 25 acres of land and building provided by Summit Technopolis to produce plasma derivatives, also known as life-saving therapeutics and other related products. With a need for plasma in the potential treatment of the COVID-19, this is a timely investment for Bangladesh's healthcare research and service sectors, Summit Group said in a press release. It is expected that about 2,000 high-valued science graduates will be employed to produce therapeutics such as albumin, immunoglobulin and coagulation factor VIII. The plasma fractionation project will open a new horizon in Bangladesh's development, said Muhammed Aziz Khan, founder chairman of Summit Group. Oryx will now invest $10 million, said Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for ICT, in a press release. The plant would have a capacity to process 1,200 tonnes of plasma annually and will be connected with 20 plasma collection centres. Patients from all over the world rely on plasma protein therapies to treat rare, chronic diseases, said Oryx Biotech on its website. Plasma often is referred to as the gift of life because it is the essential starting material needed to manufacture therapies that help thousands of people worldwide with rare, chronic diseases to live healthier, productive and fulfilling lives. Summit Technopolis is the concessionaire for developing infrastructure for a hi-tech industry comprising of information technology, IT-enabled services, bio-tech, non-polluting manufacturing assembly lines and precision engineering companies on 91 acres area in the Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City in Kaliakoir. Spanning more than 355 acres, the Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City is the first and largest high-tech park in Bangladesh. So far, 37 companies have been allocated land and five companies have already started production. Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power and energy; NM Zeaul Alam, senior secretary of the ICT Division; Hosne Ara Begum, managing director of BHTPA; and Kazi Shakil, chairman of Oryx Biotech, were present. The ceremony was virtually attended by Khan; Summit Group Vice-chairmen Jafer Ummeed Khan, Latif Khan and Farid Khan; and directors Ayesha Aziz Khan, Azeeza Aziz Khan, Fadiah Khan and Salman Khan. https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/chinese-firm-invest-300m-set-plasma-fractionation-plant-1943661

Major projects such as the construction of a third terminal Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport are in full swing even though some workers were infected with the coronavirus. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Bangladesh bringing high-speed internet to remote islands via Bangabandhu Satellite Shamim Ahamed, bdnews24.com Published: 08 Aug 2020 03:24 AM BdST Updated: 08 Aug 2020 03:24 AM BdST Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited or BCSCL has begun work to bring high-speed internet through Bangabandhu Satellite to 31 remote islands where it is difficult to give connections through cable or expand network. The state company’s Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood told bdnews24.com that they connected 20 of the islands via the first satellite of the country under a Tk 400 million project that is expected to be completed this year. Hamed Hasan Muhammad Mohiuddin, the project’s director, said 11 of the islands are situated in Bhola, eight in Chandpur, seven in Patuakhali, and one each in Pirojpur, Barishal and Noakhali. Saint Martin’s Island in Cox’s Bazar will also get internet access under the project for emergency reasons though it has mobile internet facilities The authorities are setting up around five Very Small Aperture Terminals or VSATs in each of the islands for connections with 10 Mbps download speed and 4 Mbps upload speed. The schools and government offices on the islands were being given WiFi connections. More than 300,000 people will get the services once the project is completed. It began in March 2019. Mohiuddin said the project emphasises telemedicine and education. “We’ve achieved success after giving connections experimentally,” he said. BCSCL began operating with its own earnings through the satellite two years after it was launched into space in May 2018. As many as 35 private TV stations are using the satellite for broadcast. It is also used for direct-to-home television services. https://bdnews24.com/business/2020/08/08/bangladesh-bringing-high-speed-internet-to-remote-islands-via-bangabandhu-satellite

BSF man shoots dead two colleagues near Bangladesh border Staff Correspondent | Published: 11:14, Aug 05,2020 A Border Security Force jawan opened fire on two colleagues at Raigunj area of North Dinajpur district near Bangladesh border on Tuesday and killed two of them. The man had surrendered according to Raigunj police, reports the Times of India. The incident happened at about 8:00am Indian time, when the jawan suddenly started firing and killed Mahinder Singh Bhatti and Anuj Kumar. Later he surrendered to police. The reason for firing was still unclear. The incident happened near Maldakhand area. Movement of border villagers was restricted soon after the incident. The two killed were declared brought dead at a local hospital while police were verifying the reason for killing the two. The psychological condition of the jawan was also being looked into. SP Sumit Kumar told ToI that the jawan who opened firing was being questioned. He had certain grievances and whether it was out of grudge was yet to be established. Kumar said that Bhatti was an inspector while Anuj Kumar a constable. The bodies had been sent for post-mortem examination and their families were informed. https://www.newagebd.net/article/112715/bsf-man-shoots-dead-two-colleagues-near-bangladesh-border

Hasina’s vision and Indian failures by M Serajul Islam | Published: 00:00, Jul 26,2020 SHEIKH Hasina offered India a complete assurance on its security concerns about the secessionists in the north-eastern states or the Seven Sisters using Bangladesh’s territory for their destructive activities immediately on her assuming office in January 2009. She offered land transit in the name of connectivity subsequently, conscious that the concessions were extremely important to India. She offered the concessions with the vision to bring about a paradigm shift in Bangladesh-India relations expecting that her vision would encourage India to reciprocate on issues of interest to Bangladesh such as water sharing, trade, border killings, et cetera. More than a decade has elapsed meanwhile during which India has largely failed to match Hasina’s vision. There has been zero movement on water sharing and no benefit has thus far come from land transit that was supposed to bring Bangladesh fabulous economic benefits as the connectivity hub of the region. Analysts of Indo-Bangladesh relations have been left wondering why India being the much bigger and more powerful neighbour has failed to match the vision of a much smaller and weaker neighbour. Some analysts believe that perhaps India did not fail and that it viewed its relations with Bangladesh differently. Revisiting the history of Bangladesh-India relations particularly India’s role in Bangladesh’s liberation war would clarify the question at a time when Bangladesh-India relations appear to have hit a roadblock. It was not easy for India to be directly involved in the Bangladesh liberation war when it started. The war occurred during the cold war when the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a member state of the United Nations was sacrosanct. Biafra’s attempt to become independent was brutally crushed in pursuance of that reality. The world did not lift a finger for Biafra because it was a matter of Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. India thus limited its involvement in the Bangladesh liberation war when it started to be a sanctuary to freedom fighters or Mukti Bahini and supplying them with an an inadequate amount of arms and ammunitions. India intervened directly at the fag end of the war after the Mukti Bahini had weakened the Pakistani military considerably. India took two steps before interfering directly. First, it signed the Treaty of Friendship with the Soviet Union in August 1971 to strengthen its position internationally. Second, Indira Gandhi visited several European countries towards the end of October and early November and convinced their leaders that Pakistan had attacked India by pushing 10 million of its citizens to its territory. India Gandhi further convinced them that India would not be violating the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of a member state of the United States if it intervened directly in the Bangladesh liberation war to send the refugees back to their homeland. Thus, India formed the Mitra Bahini or the Joint Command of Indian Armed Forces and the Mukti Bahini under Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora on November 21, 1971. India thereafter engaged itself in the third India-Pakistan war on December 3, 1971. The war ended on December 16 with the surrender of the Pakistan forces in Dhaka on the war’s eastern front leading to the liberation of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971. India thus played a decisive role in Bangladesh’s independence. Bangladeshis across their political divide have acknowledged India’s role gratefully although they also believed and continue to do so that they would have achieved their independence even if India had not intervened but that would have taken much longer than the nine months in which India helped them to win their liberation. The Awami League’s call for independence united all Bangladeshis as a monolith like a few other liberation wars in history that had made Bangladesh’s liberation inevitable and just a matter of time. India, however, was afraid that if it allowed the war to linger, the leadership would not have remained with the Awami League that it did not want. India never forgot its role in Bangladesh and it did not allow Bangladesh to forget it either. India made a major mistake out of such a mentality when it started relations with an independent Bangladesh. It chose the Awami League as not just its favourite; as the years passed by, it became an open secret that India wanted the Awami League to be in power and was willing to interfere in the country’s politics to see its favourite political party in power and to retain it once in office. Bangladesh’s national election in 2014 flagged India’s abnormal ‘all eggs in one basket’ policy and why it was not the right. The visit of the Indian foreign secretary Sujata Singh to Dhaka just before the elections and the details of her meeting with president Ershad that the latter released almost verbatim to the media documented India’s design to help the Awami League return to power through an apology of elections and keep the BNP and its allies out. That was one of the most blatant examples of interference of a bigger and more powerful neighbour in the affairs of a smaller and less powerful one in history. In retrospect, India’s interference in the 2014 elections destroyed the country’s hopes of emerging as a liberal democracy at a time when it could have if New Delhi had encouraged the Awami League to hold free and fair elections that it had the ability to do, instead of interfering to the contrary. That interference created in the Awami League a dependence on New Delhi for returning to power without legitimate elections that was not good for either country and unhealthy for conducting bilateral relations, a point that was proved unequivocally when the Awami League was in more desperate need of Indian help in the 2018 elections and developments thereafter. The BJP-led government did not come to the Awami League’s assistance as the Congress in 2014. Instead, it asked the Awami League to hold the elections with all political parties. The BJP believed that the Awami League would return to power anyway and come back to it. The Awami League returned to power as New Delhi thought it would but it did not go back to it. Instead, a week after returning to power, Hasina dropped many pro-Indian heavyweight ministers from her new cabinet much to New Delhi’s bewilderment and disbelief. New Delhi subsequently downgraded Hasina’s visit to India in July 2019 from a state visit to an official one. Subsequently, the Awami League went deeper towards China to the extent that China has now occupied the strategic space that New Delhi had vacated albeit inadvertently or perhaps due to failure of its intelligence or from a sense of overconfidence. Meanwhile, Dhaka-Islamabad relations are thawing, after being in the cold storage for the past few years due partly to New Delhi’s encouragement. Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan called Sheikh Hasina this week to inquire about the pandemic and the flood, a call in which Indian media have sensed a Chinese-encouraged Bangladesh-Pakistan plot against India. A human chain in Dhaka to protest at the recent Chinese attacks on India and the death of Indian soldiers drew only a handful, underlining the fact that India’s acceptance in Bangladesh has now hit a nadir that is obvious from the political distance between New Delhi and Dhaka while an AL government is in power in Bangladesh. The ball, as the cliché goes, is in India’s court to find and address why even with an Awami League in power, there is such a distance for which its popularity in Dhaka has fallen to an all-time low. India must keep in mind that it helped Bangladesh in 1971 to emerge as a democratic country and yet helped destroy democracy there in 2014. India must stop playing favourites in Bangladesh’s highly partisan politics and keep the history of Bangladesh’s emergence in the library. And India should give Bangladesh space to pursue an independent foreign policy keeping in perspective that China has stepped into Bangladesh in a major way and according to the grapevines may have weakened its influence significantly. And while addressing the above for better relations with Bangladesh, the BJP-led government should focus on two more issues. First, why it failed to reciprocate on Sheikh Hasina’s vision and concessions and, second, what was it thinking when its leaders and supporters were using Bangladesh’s Muslim majority as a bait for Hindutva. M Serajul Islam is a former career ambassador. http://www.newagebd.net/article/112095/hasinas-vision-and-indian-failures

12:00 AM, July 26, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:03 AM, July 26, 2020 Fair Group announces car assembly tie-up with Hyundai Muhammad Zahidul Islam Fair Technology yesterday announced it has entered into an exclusive partnership with South Korean automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motors to set up a car assembly plant in Bangladesh within the second half of next year. Bangladesh is still a reconditioned car dominant market as only 25 per cent of cars sold here are new, said Mohammed Mesbah Uddin, chief marketing officer of parent company Fair Group, in a virtual ceremony marking the announcement. As per Fair Technology's market study, some 25,000 to 30,000 cars are sold every year in Bangladesh -- and most of them are second-hand ones brought in from Japan, where due to the superior road conditions the wear-and-tear is minimal. "We are committed to building the car assembling ecosystem in the country. Our target is to reshape the market as one of new cars," Uddin said. The company is targeting to upgrade the market share of brand-new cars to 50 per cent within the next three to four years. Some years ago, the government undertook a favourable policy to develop the car assembling industry and a few companies moved to take advantage of it. Fair has started discussions with the government, especially with the National Board of Revenue, over some tax issues and if a clear direction comes up the company would expedite the preparations for the plant, Uddin added. Fair already has developed the competency to manufacture sophisticated, high-tech products. It is already manufacturing a huge variety of electronic goods of Samsung in their Narsingdi plant including smartphone, television, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner, microwave oven, air purifier and other home appliances. Fair Technology also obtained the exclusive dealership of Hyundai and yesterday rolled out two car models of the South Korean brand. A few more would be made available within the next 15 days. Fair had planned to launch the cars sometime between March and April but the pandemic forced them to bring changes to the plans, according to Uddin. "Our vision is to transform the Bangladeshi car market and provide the best quality products for the consumers," said Mutassim Daiaan, director of Fair Technology. Hyundai has the best in quality in their car line-up and Fair Technology would provide a world-class customer experience in their showrooms and after-sales service, he said, adding that attractive warranties would be provided too. The South Korean brand is currently dominating different markets, including that of India, where it is the second biggest player. "In Bangladesh, we have no position right now but within the next few years, we want to cater to a good portion of the market, which we are expecting," Uddin said. Fair Technology has fixed two top priorities -- best quality in after-sales service and availability of parts -- and they were putting massive efforts to ensure those. It has developed a training module for mechanics across the country such that customers can easily access support from them. It also has plans to establish a recycling industry in Bangladesh so that customers do not face any hassles on resale issues, Uddin said. The company has initially targeted Dhaka and then to Chattogram. After that, it will set up shop in other cities. Fair also plans to provide hybrid cars as the demand is gradually increasing alongside that of electric cars, both of which will lead the car market in the coming years, Uddin said. https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/fair-group-announces-car-assembly-tie-hyundai-1936385

Matarbari Port design deal goes to Japan’s Nippon Staff Correspondent | Published: 00:40, Jul 23,2020 The government on Wednesday approved a deal with Nippon Koei of Japan for the appointment of the company as the consultant of Matarbari Port Development Project at the Bay of Bengal. Nippon will provide design and tender assistance and supervise the construction of the port under the Tk 234 crore deal approved by the cabinet committee on national purchases. Agriculture minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque presided over the virtual meeting in the absence of finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who is now in abroad. Additional secretary Nasima Begum of the cabinet division told reporters in a virtual briefing that the Japanese company was appointed to the project being implemented by the ministry of shipping. On March 10, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the construction of a port at Matarbari with Japanese loan to fill the absence of a deep sea port in the country. The Chattogram Port Authority and the Roads and Highways Division would implement the Matarbari Port Development Project involving Tk 17,777 crore with the Japan International Cooperation Agency providing a Tk12,892 crore as loan. Planning minister MA Mannan said it was ‘another dream’ project aimed at facilitating the country’s growing exports and imports. The project is expected to be completed by 2026. Nasima Begum said the committee approved seven other proposals including procurement of 7.30 lakh tonne fertiliser at a cost of Tk 1,357 crore for the current fiscal year and the import of refined petroleum oils from Thailand, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia for meeting the demand until December this year. The committee also approved purchasing equipment from Flora Telecom Limited for an educational programme related project at a cost of Tk 96.85 crore. http://www.newagebd.net/article/111879/matarbari-port-design-deal-goes-to-japans-nippon

23 July, 2020 05:38:57 PM Dhaka signs deal with Tokyo to construct, renovate 21 bridges Independent Online/BSS The authorities of Bangladesh and Japan today inked an agreement over the construction and renovation of 21 small and large bridges in the western region of Bangladesh with the Japanese government’s aid. Project Director Engineer Abdus Sabur and Mritunnjoy Ghoshal of Japanese construction company signed the treaty on behalf of their respective sides at the project office at Banani here. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Ito Naoki and Hayakawa Yuho of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Bangladesh Office joined the deal signing ceremony through videoconferencing. Earlier, the Western Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project was taken to construct 61 small and medium range bridges in 23 districts in the country’s western region with the Japanese government funds. Under the project, construction work of 25 bridges has already been completed and works for 35 more bridges are going to end, said a press release of the road transport and bridges ministry. These bridges will strengthen road networks in the western region by reducing time and cost for travelling and transporting goods, it said. Mentioning the continuous cooperation of Japan in Bangladesh’s road infrastructural development, Obaidul Quader, also Awami League general secretary, said as trusted friends, Bangladesh and Japan maintain very good bilateral relations. Under the Japanese financial support, Metrorail Route-6 is being implemented to ease the traffic gridlock in the capital Dhaka, the minister said. Besides, he said, constructions of 2nd Kanchpur, 2nd Meghna and 2nd Gumti bridges on the country’s life line Dhaka-Chattogram highway have been completed with financial aid of Japan. Quader said Japanese finance in upgrading the highway from Chattogram to Cox’s Bazar, a city of tourist attractions having the longest sea-beach at a stretch, has already been approved in principle. The minister said the construction of two field hospitals has been completed for treatment of metro-rail project manpower in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases to carry on the project work amidst the current situation. Work is going on for setting up viaduct on metro-rail tracks and for electricity connectivity, he added. Turning to contemporary politics, the AL general secretary said in the wake of the flood situation, BNP is talking absurdly instead of staying beside the affected people. Mentioning the government’s all-out continuous responses to stand by the marooned people in floods, the minister said cluster plan is being taken to compensate losses in different sectors, including agriculture, and rehabilitate the victims after the flood. Quader said the government welcomes any constructive criticism in the national interest but a vested quarter is out to spread rumors through social media and at home and abroad which is completely illogical and apparently it is for tarnishing the country’s image at the international arena. http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/250656

12:00 AM, July 22, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:16 AM, July 22, 2020 Indo-Bangla Border: Dhaka to deploy more troops to stop killing, smuggling Diplomatic Correspondent Dhaka has planned to deploy additional troops in Indo-Bangla bordering areas to decrease border killings and alleged cattle smuggling. Making the statement yesterday, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told The Daily Star that it was regrettable that killings in the border significantly increased recently. "We [Bangladesh and India] are friends. There should be no killing on our border. Once a life is gone, it cannot be brought back," he said. Mentioning that Indian Border Security Force (BSF) blames cattle smuggling for the killings, he said smuggling was not supposed to happen as Bangladesh already had enough cattle now. "Still Dhaka is identifying the areas that are said to be hotspots for cattle smuggling and planning to deploy additional forces," he said. He also mentioned that the two counterparts had an understanding of not using lethal weapons in the bordering areas to ensure zero death there. "BSF should be careful and should use non-lethal weapons while guarding their borders," he said. The foreign minister of Bangladesh spoke about the issue three days after three Bangladeshi nationals were lynched to death by a mob in Assam's Karimganj district. Karimganj police said the incident took place at Bogrijan Tea Estate under Patharkandi Police Station and near the border with Bangladesh. According to the Ain O Salish Kendra, at least 43 Bangladeshis were killed by the BSF in 2019. The number was 15 in 2018, 24 in 2017, and 31 in 2016. Ain O Salish Kendra also condemned and protested the killings, saying such killings were gross violations of human rights. In a statement yesterday, the rights body demanded that Indian authorities take actions against those involved in such a heinous crime. "Such extra-judicial killings on the basis of suspicion are not acceptable in any way," it said. ASK expects Bangladesh to give a strong message to India to stop repetition of such killing. https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/indo-bangla-border-dhaka-deploy-more-troops-stop-killing-smuggling-1934189

12:00 AM, July 20, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:13 AM, July 20, 2020 Pandemic puts a damper on Tata pickup project Jagaran Chakma The initiative of Tata Motors and Nitol-Niloy Group to assemble the Indian automobile giant's specialised pickup trucks in Bangladesh has hit a roadblock as the progress of the project is being stymied by the ongoing pandemic. "We had set a target to start assembling pickup trucks and manufacture at least 25 per cent of the components in Bangladesh by 2020. But the pandemic has delayed our work by at least a year," said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, chairman of Nitol-Niloy Group. "We could not carry out work at the factory as Tata's engineers and other technical officials cannot travel amid the pandemic," he added. According to the chairman, the group initially planned to assemble 800 pickup trucks per month at a factory of Nita Company, a joint venture of Nitol-Niloy and Tata, in Kishoreganj. Now though, they have an old plant in Jashore, where they can assemble small pickups and other trucks. Currently, the chassis for trucks, buses and minibuses are imported in completely knocked down (CKD) condition and put together at the Jashore plant, said Ahmad. The demand for pickup trucks in Bangladesh was over 1,000 units per month for the last four years with a growth rate of 18 per cent, data from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) shows. The BRTA approved the registration to 13,512 pickup trucks from various manufacturers in 2017, up from 11,371 in 2016, 10,257 in 2015 and 9,554 in 2014. However, the BRTA has been unable to update these statistics amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. "We have all the machineries required at the Kishoreganj plant to start assembling as planned but unfortunately, pandemic has caused delays," said Ahmad, also a former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the country's apex trade body. The end game is not just to assemble pickup trucks in Bangladesh but to spur on automobile manufacturing in the country, he added. Ahmad also said that they originally wanted to introduce a 'made-in-Bangladesh' pickup truck by January 2021. However, the initiative has been delayed by at least one year. "I dreamed to introduce made in Bangladesh automobiles for the country's golden jubilee but the situation is not in our favour," he said. As per international practice, at least 25 per cent of a vehicle's components must be manufactured domestically to call it a local product. Nitol Motors would manufacture the chassis, body, pinion, rims and brake components, which would be economically viable, Ahmad said, adding that Tata would directly supply the rest of the components to the manufacturing plant. Nitol Motors started assembling Tata buses and trucks in 1991 and has been Tata Motors' partner since 1988. Now, it is the largest distributor of Tata Motors in South Asia and the most dominant player in the country's commercial vehicle market with over 40 per cent of the market share. According to Nitol Motors, it accounts for over two-thirds of the pickup truck market in the country and has been growing at a double digit rate for the past five years. Due to delays, Ahmad said their investment would increase to Tk 500 crore from an estimated Tk 300 crore to set up an assembly plant for pickup trucks and it would need a total Tk 800 crore to manufacture trucks and buses in future. Ahmad also said that the assembly of pickup trucks would reduce its price in the domestic market by about one third per unit. RAB, Police and small entrepreneurs will be major customers for the pickup, he added. "If we are able to start assembling and manufacturing at the plant, local vendors who provide us components would be beneficial, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced 'Light Engineering' as the product of the year to give special attention for earning more foreign exchange through exporting various products." https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/pandemic-puts-damper-tata-pickup-project-1933205

BGB protests against India's BSF claim on cattle smuggling Staff Correspondent | Published: 13:07, Jul 19,2020 | Updated: 18:23, Jul 19,2020 This January 9, 2020 file photo shows Border Guard Bangladesh director general Shafeenul Islam visits the troops participating in the winter military exercise with Bangladesh Army in Madhukhali upazila in Faridpur. The Border Guard Bangladesh on Sunday denied the accusation of smuggling cattle from India as stated in a news published in the Indian newspaper The Indian Express on July 13, 2020. In a press statement signed by its DIG SS Guleria on July 6, the South Bengal frontier of the Border Security Force claimed that BGB was accepting the accusation. The news published in The Indian Express titled ‘BSF: Border Guard Bangladesh supports cattle smuggling’ stated that, ‘In what may be the first such official articulation on cattle smuggling, the Border Security Force has said the Border Guard Bangladesh supports the ‘inhuman, merciless and seditious’ activity.’ The statement, in Hindi, claimed to have given details on how the animals are smuggled across the border. ‘The inhuman, merciless and seditious actions of cattle smugglers are very disgusting,’ Indian Express quoted the statement as saying. The Border Guard Bangladesh protested against the accusation. BGB claimed that the news and statement published in the newspaper were ‘completely baseless.’ ‘In reality, the gathering of cattle by Indian smugglers in bordering Indian territories and the inaction or lack of action by BSF raises many questions,’ said a BGB statement signed by its public relations officer Shariful Islam. ‘Indian cattle smugglers were very enthusiastic about smuggling cattle to Bangladesh in the hope of making more profit. It makes local (Bangladeshi) farmers suffering damages. ‘In this context, the BGB had taken a very strict stand against the smuggling of cattle. Surveillance had been ensured through increased patrolling. ‘It was speculated that the news might have been published in the Indian media mainly to cover up BSF’s failure to curb cattle smuggling,’ BGB said. Earlier this month, BGB also protested against a report published in Kolkata-based Anandabazar Patrika. https://www.newagebd.net/article/111555/bgb-protests-against-indias-bsf-claim-on-cattle-smuggling

07:01 PM, July 15, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 07:24 PM, July 15, 2020 Construction of country’s first ever heliport at Ashkona begins Star Online Report Work to build the country's first ever heliport at city's Ashkona has started, Mohibul Haque, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said today. "Many discussions are going on at present about the operation of helicopters. We cannot know at present from where helicopters are flying from and going to," he told The Daily Star after a virtual discussion titled "Tourism: a penalty shoot for the economy of Bangladesh". The discussion was jointly organised by Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and Travel Magazine-Bhraman. Talking to our correspondent after the meeting over telephone, the senior secretary said, after construction of the helicopter terminal, we will be able to know who are riding on the helicopters as people who will enter and exit the terminal will be checked. Besides, movement of ailing passengers through air-lifting will be eased due to a separate heliport, he also said. Speaking at the discussion as chief guest, Mohibul Haque said: "As per the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we have started work to build the country's first ever heliport." The country's private helicopter service activities at present are dominated by a few large business groups. Around 14 to 15 companies are now operating helicopters in the country, Mohibul Haque, said. The senior secretary said work is underway to formulate a policy for the development of tourism in Bangladesh. This policy will specify the responsibilities of each ministry involved in tourism so that they can play a role in the development of tourism in Bangladesh by performing their part properly. He said a joint initiative of all government and non-government organisations is necessary for the development of tourism. "It is not possible to achieve the desired progress of tourism without integrated initiatives," he also said. Mahibul Haque said work is underway to include the issue of assisting tourists in the day-to-day work of the deputy commissioners to ensure the development of tourism and the convenience of tourists. He said a proposal has already been sent to the cabinet division in this regard. https://www.thedailystar.net/construction-of-country-first-ever-heliport-ashkona-begins-1930777

12:00 AM, July 14, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:24 AM, July 14, 2020 Smart lampposts in the limelight Edotco rolls out smart city solutions with DNCC Star Business Report At first sight, it looks like an ordinary lamppost. But what separates it from the rest is that it, apart from lighting the area, offers high-speed telecommunications connectivity and Wi-Fi service, facilitates waste management, gives real-time air quality data and serves as digital signage for the community. Close-circuit cameras can also be installed on it, beefing up security surveillance. The pole shows how a smart city would look like as Dhaka aspires to become one. Embarking on making Dhaka a smart city is not just a reverie because multipurpose poles have already been set up under a joint initiative of several telecom companies and the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Edotco Bangladesh, an integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company, has deployed two such poles in Dhaka – one in Banani and another in Gulshan-2 DCC market. "I am committed to converting Dhaka into a smart city and we are excited to be able to deploy smart city solutions like this for the first time, giving our people a new and improved platform for social and civil services," said DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam while inaugurating the initiative during a virtual programme yesterday. "This will not only provide excellent connectivity but also improved quality of life. This is an ideal example of PPP." The smart lamp pole is the result of a public-private partnership (PPP) aimed at developing smart city features on a pilot basis. If the piloting succeeds, more than 200 such solutions will be put up in the DNCC area. This would allow smartphone users to use free Wi-Fi for 20 minutes with eight megabytes per second download speed within 40 to 50 metres radius of the pole. If a user wants to consume more data, they can purchase additional time slots from internet service provider Sheba using mobile balance. An internet of things device installed on the 36-feet tower will give information about the filing status of the smart bins located within a 100-metre radius of the pole to the DNCC monitoring centre, saying whether they are full or not. If required, the city corporation will collect the bins or replace them with fresh ones. Mobile carrier Robi established its network on both the towers, enhancing service quality in the area. The deployment of the multipurpose smart lamp pole has brought multiple players from the ecosystem together to provide uninterrupted connectivity to the citizens. The arrangement allows the tower company to sell its tower space to mobile phone operators using the DNCC's spare or unused spaces. In return, citizens get free services such as free Wi-Fi, light, air quality report, awareness messages and smart bin, according to the mayor. The installation of the poles also makes ready the telecom industry for the upcoming 5G technology as a huge number of towers would be required for the fifth-generation service. "While we focus on ensuring continuous, stable and fast connectivity for all the citizens, we are also committed to enabling the nation's 5G readiness by introducing next-generation solutions such as smart city solutions," Ricky Steyn, managing director of edotco Bangladesh said. The company currently owns and operates more than 10,000 telecom towers across the country and is developing towers that are power-efficient, eco-friendly and are not harmful. Md Jahurul Haque, chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission; Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, professor of computer science and engineering at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, and Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, chief executive officer of Robi, attended the virtual event. https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/smart-lampposts-the-limelight-1930093

07:16 PM, July 13, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 08:23 PM, July 13, 2020 Pineapple chips in Rangamati hills: An experiment with bright prospects Anvil Chakma Pineapple chips are now being processed experimentally for the first time in Naniarchar upazila of Rangamati, a region famous for cultivation of the juicy fruit. No chemicals are added to the fruit to produce the chips. Photo: Anvil Chakma Soon it may be time to try pineapple chips, made in Bangladesh! Pineapple chips are now being processed experimentally for the first time in Naniarchar upazila of Rangamati, a region famous for cultivation of the juicy fruit. Different varieties of pineapples are cultivated in the local hills. Among those, 'Honey Queen' is a famous one. It looks beautiful and tastes delicious, and has been considered for this experimental project by the Department of Agricultural Extension. Soon it may be time to try pineapple chips, made in Bangladesh! Photo: Anvil Chakma DAE's 'Development of Nutrition through Year-round Fruit Production' project is producing the chips at a fruit processing centre in the upazila's Dak Bungalow area. Every year, a large quantity of pineapple is cultivated in the district and supplied across the country after meeting the local demand. Still, some fruits rot and are wasted if those are not sold in time, as pineapple has a short shelf life, local cultivators said. There has long been demand for processing pineapple to produce chips and juice to prevent wastage, promote diversity in the fruit's commercial prospect, and round the year consumption. In Rangamati, pineapple is cultivated across 2,130 hectares of land with a production target of 55,835 tonnes. The fruit is cultivated on 1,200 hectares of land in Naniarchar upazila alone. Therefore, Naniarchar Horticulture Centre took the initiative to prevent wastage of the crop and help farmers get better return from their produce, said Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy director of the horticulture centre. The chips processing factory has been launched on a trial basis with the aim of processing pineapple and selling it all year round and thereby benefiting the farmers, the official said. No chemicals are added to the fruit to produce the chips, he added. The chips processing factory has been launched on a trial basis with the aim of processing pineapple and selling it all year round and thereby benefiting the farmers. Photo: Anvil Chakma "Having a pineapple chips factory in our district is good news for farmers like us. Hopefully the concerned authorities will buy pineapple from our gardens to make these chips and ensure fair price for our produce," said Sushanta Chakma, a pineapple farmer in Burighat area of the upazila. The pineapple factory has been opened in Naniarchar as a pilot project and exhibition centre and not for commercial production. Since there is huge production of pineapple in this area, the government as well as individuals have taken initiative to open such chips factory here, said Mehdi Masud, director of the project. If successful, the product will be marketed commercially across the country, he added. https://www.thedailystar.net/pineapple-chips-in-rangamati-hills-experiment-bright-prospects-1929753

12:00 AM, July 13, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:14 AM, July 13, 2020 Pharma companies count their blessings as exports rise Jagaran Chakma Bangladesh's pharmaceutical industry managed to grow its exports in the just-concluded fiscal year on the back of a steady demand for medicines during the coronavirus-induced economic and health crises, which have decimated other major export sectors. "Pharmaceutical products are essential for all countries. That is why the industry's exports did not decline amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Rather, it rose," said Ananta Saha, international business manager of Renata. Pharmaceutical shipments soared 4.49 per cent year-on-year to $136 million in fiscal 2019-20 following improvements in product quality and policy support. The industry is one of the handful of sectors that ended the fiscal year in the black. National exports fell 16.93 per cent. The sector fetched $130 million in export earnings in fiscal 2018-19 and $103.46 million in fiscal 2017-18. One of the major manufacturers and exporters, Renata ships products to 27 countries and sells nutrition products in bulk quantity to the Unicef for distribution in African countries. "Although we were unable to approach our clients personally, buyers supported us by communicating online to place fresh orders," Saha said. Renata achieved its export target for the just-concluded fiscal year. The pandemic prompted medicine-makers to introduce digital marketing as a new avenue for sales. However, it is difficult to gauge future market demand for pharmaceuticals since all fairs and seminars related to the industry have been put on hold or cancelled to prevent mass infections, Saha said. Bangladesh is currently exporting medicines to many countries across four continents, including a few highly regulated markets in the European Union and Australia, said Mohammad Mujahidul Islam, director for marketing and sales at Eskayef Bangladesh, another pharmaceuticals company. Numerous regulatory bodies -- the European Union Good Manufacturing Practice, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency of the UK, the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia, the United Arab Emirates Good Manufacturing Practice and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate of the UK -- approved Eskayef's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. "This only reinforced the company's high standards for quality, safety and efficacy. For this reason, Eskayef's exports have increased," he said. Although the country's export earnings from the sector are still comparatively insignificant, it has good potential in the global market. The domestic pharmaceuticals market is dominated by six major players. Square Pharmaceuticals leads the pack with an 18.8 per cent market share, while Incepta comes in second with 10.2 per cent. Beximco is in the third position with 8.5 per cent share, followed by Opsonin 5.6 per cent, Renata 5.1 per cent and Eskayef 4.5 per cent, data from the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries showed. Sanofi and Novo Nordisk also have a notable presence in the segment for specialised products. Bangladesh ships pharmaceutical products to 144 countries after meeting 98 per cent demand of the growing domestic market. "Foreign buyers are constantly visiting our factories to examine production quality and more often than not, they place orders before leaving," said Saha. Monjurul Alam, director for global business development at Beacon Pharmaceuticals, said that the company exports its products to 141 countries, including some in the EU. Demand has increased after Bangladesh's pharmaceutical industry became capable of producing advanced medicine such as bio-similar drugs, vaccines and oncology products as well as various medical apparatuses. Beacon ships oncology products to Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia and a few African nations, Alam said. "However, export volumes are still low. So, we should grab the regulated market to increase shipment sizes," he added. Alam estimates that the sector has a domestic market value of about Tk 22,000 crore. In 2012, the local market size stood at around Tk 9,390 crore. By 2017, it doubled to Tk 18,755 crore, according to a report of the IMS Health Care. Prof Syed Modasser Ali, chairman of the Bangladesh Medical Research Council, said the pharmaceutical sector has huge potential for exports as local companies are rapidly adopting sophisticated technologies to ensure quality products. "The export of Bangladeshi medicine would increase more if the commerce, finance, and foreign affairs ministries cooperate proactively to expand its presence in the global market," he said. The economic or commercial councillors of Bangladesh embassies abroad should contribute in this regard, the former health adviser to the prime minister said. Local medicine consumption is increasing in line with the country's economic growth and growing awareness of treatments, he added. With a compound annual growth rate of 15.6 per cent, the sector is predicted to grow to $5.11 billion by 2023, according to LightCastle Partners. https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/pharma-companies-count-their-blessings-exports-rise-1929577

12:00 AM, July 13, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:08 AM, July 13, 2020 Walton compressors hit Turkish market Star Business Report Walton has expanded its export basket further as the local electronics giant started shipments of made in Bangladesh compressors for refrigerators and air conditioners to Turkey. "We aim to export one million units of compressors to some African, Middle East countries and Turkey by 2021," said Meer Muzahedin Islam, chief executive officer of Walton Compressor. The number would hit five million by 2025, as some more export destinations will be explored by the time, he said. "The company was busy producing compressors for the local market until last year. Now we are trying to serve the foreign nations, as we have already increased our capacity to produce four million compressors a year." On July 7, the compressors were sent to Turkish company Kargi, which imports, exports and markets hi-tech spare parts for domestic and industrial products throughout Turkey and also abroad, especially in Europe. Walton's International Business Unit President Edward Kim and Kargi's Managing Director Emin Kargi signed a deal in this regard, making the Turkish brand a distributor of Walton products in the transcontinental Eurasian nation. "The initiative will pave the way for the expansion of our compressor market not only in Turkey but also across Europe as Turkey is being known as the business hub of Eurasia," said Kim. Walton is also working to produce a new series of compressors equipped with latest technologies, Islam said. "The commercial production of that series will increase the present export volumes of Walton compressors by several times." Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi inaugurated Walton's compressor export through a virtual press conference, arranged by the local brand at its corporate headquarters in the capital. Walton now has presence in over 20 countries around the world. https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/walton-compressors-hit-turkish-market-1929565

Rooppur nuclear power plant on ‘fast track’ despite pandemic Reazul Bashar, Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com Published: 12 Jul 2020 02:54 PM BdST Updated: 12 Jul 2020 03:00 PM BdST The Rooppur nuclear power project has completed 30 percent of work at a time when the coronavirus pandemic stalled other “megaprojects” in Bangladesh. The government has increased the foreign workforce in a bid to meet the deadline for completing the first unit of the $12.65 billion project and supply power to the national grid by 2023. “We have planned to complete the construction of the first reactor building and install the equipment this year. We’ll construct the second unit, but equipment installation will not be possible,” Md Shawkat Akbar, director of the project, said in an interview. “We had sped up the work before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Construction of the reactor building has progressed a lot. Everything is being done on schedule,” he said. Besides construction, the project has made 27 percent of financial progress. In 2017, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of the main concrete structure for the nuclear furnace, with the construction beginning in July of the following year. Atomstroyexport JSC, an engineering company of Russia’s Rosatom, is scheduled to construct the main structure of the power plant in 68 months from the start of the project. According to a government plan, the 1,200-megawatt first unit of the project will be able to supply power to the national grid by mid-2023. The second unit will be open in the following year. The megaproject with two units is being constructed on 1,062 acres. A total of 8,000 people, including 1,800 Russians and other foreign nationals, are working on the project. At least 87 Russian experts have flown back home since the lockdown was imposed on Mar 26, while 570 experts have arrived from Russia, said Shawkat Akbar. Another 11 experts returned from Germany and 81 Indian experts have been permitted to come from India. More 750 experts from Russia are likely to arrive in July and August. The coronavirus pandemic stalled Bangladesh’s development projects, including the Padma Bridge, the Dhaka metro-rail and the Karnaphuli tunnel. But the Rooppur project remained unscathed. “We’re following three methods. We check the body temperature of the staff every day and quarantine anyone with higher temperature for seven days. They can only resume work once they are tested and found fit for work,” said Akbar. “We check the workers’ temperature again while at work and quarantined them for seven days. We have separate medical teams.” To ensure social distancing, the authorities introduced a routine for 24 hours for workers to work in groups, Akbar said. Social distancing is maintained while eating at the canteen. The authorities arranged separate quarantine facilities and those returning from abroad must carry a test report showing ‘negative’ for the coronavirus. They are permitted to join back work after completing the 14 days of quarantine. “New staff, irrespective of their nationality, must go through coronavirus tests,” he said. If any worker tests positive for the coronavirus, the entire group of that shift is quarantined for 14 days and a new group takes over, said Akbar. The construction work is still not hampered as the authorities took those measures, he said. But he declined to disclose the number of coronavirus cases among the project workers. The nuclear power plant with a five-layer security system is being constructed using a third-generation technology. The containment walls of the first reactor building are already visible. They deployed additional workers to continue the construction work. The initiative to build a nuclear power plant at Rooppur was taken in 1961. It took half a century to translate the initiative into a project. The project was fast-tracked after the Awami League formed the government in 2009. Hasina laid the foundation stone for the nuclear power plant in 2013. In 2016, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission signed a contract with Atomstroyexport. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project in 2016, with a record budget in the history of the country. https://bdnews24.com/economy/2020/07/12/rooppur-nuclear-power-plant-on-fast-track-despite-pandemic

Ban animal, meat imports from India, Myanmar: Traders United News of Bangladesh. Dhaka | Published: 19:53, Jul 11,2020 Meat traders on Saturday placed a five-point demand including banning the imports of cattle, buffalo and meat from India and Myanmar for the sake of domestic animal husbandry. Bangladesh Meat Traders Association and Dhaka Metropolitan Meat Merchant Association jointly organised a programme in this connection in the capital. Their other demands included stopping extra charges collection at Gabtali cattle market, stopping oppression by lease holders and reducing the rent; completing waste and water treatment plant CETP soon as these are main obstacle for the leather industry’s development and export; training for meat workers helping meat traders association for the sake of good export earnings; and fixing rate of the raw hides of the sacrifices. BMTA president Farid Ahmed said that India and Myanmar earned around Tk 60,000 crore in every year by cattle smuggling. Farid Ahmed said they can sell a kg meat at Tk 300 if the government and rich people gift cows, buffaloes, goats and lambs from their Jakat funds to poor farmers, widows and unemployed youths. BMTA secretary general Rabiul Alam, DMMMA acting president Abdus Salam, its secretary Shamim Ahmed Quraisi, Bangladesh Animal Waste Collection Owners Association general secretary Sohel Ahmed and Bangladesh Dairy Farm Owners Association secretary Sah Imran also present there. https://www.newagebd.net/article/110887/ban-animal-meat-imports-from-india-myanmar-traders

It was not a Government decision. The Bangladesh Govt. could not react as the Indian decision was not from their central Government. The hindrance to Bangladeshi exports was from the West Bengal State Govt. Our 550 trucks with export items were stuck or blocked at the Benapole border for more than a month. The traders and exporters at Benapole were compelled to block Indian imports unless our exports were allowed. The customs and port authorities facilitated the process and India had to bow down in 48 hours.

More hardware to raise Coast Guard capability Deepak Acharjee After 22 years of the formation of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the government is planning to arm the paramilitary force to become a full “two-dimensional force” by purchasing an all-weather capable ship, hovercraft, drone, helicopter and maritime patrol aircraft soon. The Coast Guard is also going to install a “long-range identification tracking/ and vessel-trafficking monitoring and information system” to increase its capacity, sources said. Bangladesh Coast Guard authorities have prepared a strategic plan to purchase the heavy military hardware, the sources added. The strategic plan covering short-, mid- and long-term periods would be implemented by 2030. Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told The Independent that the government wanted to build a full-fledged force within the shortest possible time and that’s why they were planning to raise its capacity. “We have already enacted the Bangladesh Coast Guard Act 2016 to make it a modern and digital paramilitary coastal force. The required equipment, ships and other vessels would be purchased for this purpose,” he added. A senior official of the Coast Guard disclosed that they needed the required equipment, manpower and money to implement the strategic plan. “So far, we have purchased four offshore patrol vessels, seven inshore patrol vessels, two fast patrol boats, one floating crane and two tug boats for conducting operations along the coast,” he said, adding that they were also going to purchase 12 high speed boats soon. He claimed that they were making a return of Tk. 10 for every Tk. 1 spent by the government on the paramilitary force. The officer said that the force has made seizures worth Tk. 6,800 crore in the past 22 years.“We've also seized various smuggled items worth Tk. 650 crore and 600 smuggled arms. Besides, we've recovered forest assets to the tune of Tk. 90 crore and also arrested 1,500 criminals,” he added. Sources said the coastal force wanted to raise its capacity by setting up an aviation wing with 10 modern helicopters and also run the force under the proposed three regional headquarters within the short-term plan (2015 to 2020). According to the short-term plan, the existing manpower strength of 3,305 would be raised to 6,197. The force will also have three branches, six directorates, three regional headquarters, two more zonal headquarters, one hospital, four composite stations, two pollution control vessels, seven inshore patrol vessels, eight offshore patrol vessels, 38 big high-speed boats and two combat ferry boats. The long-range identification and tracking (LRIT)/vessel-trafficking monitoring system (VTMIS) would be installed for surveillance on ships and other vessels along the coast under the short-term plan. Under the mid-term plan (2020-2025), one aviation wing, one aviation and technical training base each, three more riverine patrol vessels, two more pollution control vessels, 30 more high-speed boats, two water jet scooters, six helicopters and six unmanned aerial vehicles would be procured. During that period, the coastal force will be able to raise its capacity to help the Bangladesh Navy during war or whenever necessary. For the long term (2025-2030), the paramilitary force plans to raise its capacity fully to run a two-dimensional force. The force would carry out surveillance on all maritime areas by installing the long- range identification and tracking (LRIT)/vessel-trafficking monitoring system (VTMIS). The role of the Coast Guard is to preserve the country’s interests at sea, protect fisheries, prevent illegal immigration through the sea, control pollution, control piracy, prevent smuggling, trafficking of illegal arms, drugs and narcotics, carry out disaster relief, search and rescue operations, preserve forests, and conduct surveillance over the country’s maritime areas. https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=partner-pub-0600503450204720:3814655659&q=http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/137231&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj89L3z3sTqAhWHxzgGHa70D-kQFjACegQICRAC&usg=AOvVaw2IH6So0kzBUR1Qb4am0FnQ

For Bangladeshi sailors, life on ships has lost steam amid pandemic. They are stuck in ports Kamal Talukder, Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com Published: 11 Jul 2020 08:44 AM BdST Updated: 11 Jul 2020 08:44 AM BdST Shipping seems to have suffered less than other means of transport have dealing with the coronavirus pandemic’s brutal wake, but longer stays on board are leaving the Bangladeshi sailors in a quagmire as most ports are not allowing them to disembark. Many of them have to return by sea as they are unable to catch planes even after their contract or visa has ended. About 5,000 Bangladeshi officers, sailors, and crew members are working on ships of local or foreign companies and contracts of more than 2,000 of them have ended. But the outbreak has stalled their return or other plans. Marine engineer Marufur Rahman has returned home recently after he ran down his nine-month contract with Jamuna Group. The officer of Ocean Pride said panic spread among the sailors in Chattogram when the pandemic began in China. Shipping slowed down at the time, triggering fears of job losses among the sailors, he said. Finally, Marufur’s employers received shipping orders and they set sail to Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in the past four months amid the outbreak. “The pandemic has had some effect. We weren’t able to disembark in all the cities. Staying on the ship for long can leave someone mentally vulnerable,” he said. Many of the marine engineers in other companies told him that they cannot return home even after the expiry of their contracts or passports or visas due to the suspension on air travel. Some others were unable to renew papers in the Bangladeshi embassies at the destinations. For instance, he said, a Bangladeshi marine engineer in Brazil is willing to return home now after seeing out his contract, but it will take at least 35 days for him to return by sea. He cannot fly back by air now. The problem is worse for those working in international firms as they need to travel further. Bangladeshi firms run shipping operations to Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore. Restrictions on boarding ships have created another problem, said Sumon Mahmud, the managing director at the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation. “We can’t recruit new workers even though the old ones have run their contracts,” he said. The eight ships of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation are transporting goods amid the pandemic, but fewer companies are hiring the ships now than they would do in normal times, said Sumon. Not all countries have put restrictions on getting on or off the ships. A housewife, ‘Sadia’, said her husband is a member of a ship’s crew and they were allowed to get off in Australia and New Zealand. Commodore Syed Ariful Islam, the director general at the Department of Shipping, said they had asked the home ministry to issue electronic travel pass to the sailors, officers and crew members, whose documents expired, in late March fearing that many would get stuck due to the pandemic. He said the department has confronted no complaints on the complexities stemming from the outbreak. https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/07/11/for-bangladeshi-sailors-life-on-ships-has-lost-steam-amid-pandemic.-they-are-stuck-in-ports

Border killing on rise again Bangladesh border management seen as ‘soft’ and ‘weak’ Shahidul Islam Chowdhury and Iqbal Mahmud | Published: 23:31, Jul 10,2020 | Updated: 01:47, Jul 11,2020 The Indian Border Security Force has increased killing of Bangladeshi citizens over the last six months as the force was going with impunity and lack of accountability, rights groups on both sides of the borders observed. The BSF enjoys impunity and enormous power without accountability and appropriate checks, Kirity Roy, secretary of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha, said in an email to New Age on Friday. The BSF is running a campaign of systematic killing and torture turning the border into one of the world’s most dangerous places, he said with reference to studies conducted by rights groups. Kirity Roy contradicted the BSF claims that the border killings occur when the force launches operations against irregular movement of people and smuggling along the border. ‘But if we consider the victims, we might notice that the aggressive approach [of BSF members] has a lot to do with caste, religion and other sociological status of the victims. Especially, the impact is more severe when a right-wing government is there [in India],’ he said. In the last six months till July, at least 25 Bangladeshis were killed by the BSF, showed a report of rights organisation Odhikar. Two more people were reportedly killed at Chapainawabganj and Thakurgaon borders in the first week of July. Since 2011 border killings had started coming down but the incidents began to rise again in 2019 when 41 people were killed by the force, almost four times the fatalities in 2018 when 11 such killings took place, according to Odhikar data. At least 1,185 Bangladeshis were killed along the border by the BSF since 2000, the data shows. On Saturday morning, a Bangladeshi national was shot dead by the BSF at Telkupi border in Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj upazila. The victim, Jahangir Alam, 50, was picked up by BSF members when he went to cut grass on a piece of land near the border and was taken to their camp at around 9:00am. The personnel tortured him there, later shot him dead and dumped his body inside Bangladeshi territory. Another Bangladeshi national Abdul Jalil was shot to death by the BSF in the bordering area of Haluaghat in Mymensingh on June 24. Family sources said that Jalil was a mentally challenged person. The following day, another youth named Mizanur Rahman was gunned down by the Indian force at Shamsernagar border in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat district as he was fetching cows from India. Rights groups say that the BSF uses lethal weapons to show to the outer world that they are containing crimes, as well as to hide the activities of international smuggler groups who operate in connivance with sections of government officials posted in bordering areas. The BSF groups that are deployed along the Bangladesh-India border generally possess such socio-lingual and cultural characteristics which are totally different from those of the citizens living on the both sides of the border, the groups added. Security experts said that India considered Bangladesh border management as ‘soft’ and ‘weak’ and that’s why they had been showing an aggressive attitude here, compared to the borders with other countries. Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies president Muniruzzaman told New Age that India was not taking the issue seriously and the Bangladeshi authorities were not also protesting strongly. ‘India finds Bangladeshi border security management ‘soft’ and ‘weak’, that’s why they act aggressively,’ he observed. ‘It is no longer an issue between the border security forces, rather it must be resolved at the political level with dialogue, commitment and good will,’ added Muniruzzaman, who is a retired major general of Bangladesh Army. India shares border with some other countries, but it does not have such aggressive attitudes to the people of those countries. Lethal weapons are not used in many cases against people of China, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, with the exception of Pakistan, he said. Border Security Guard additional director general for operations and training Jalal Ghani Khan told New Age that they were raising the border killing issue at BSF flag meetings and bilateral conferences. ‘When incidents happen, we approach to the BSF in flag meetings, but they simply deny their responsibilities in the incidents,’ he said. According to BGB data, about 23 lakh cattle heads entered Bangladesh ahead of Eid-ul-Azha in 2013, while only 92,000 were brought in at the same time last year. The BSF repeatedly assured Bangladesh that border killings would drop if the cattle smuggling was stopped. Jalal Ghani said that they were undertaking projects to increase the earnings and improve the livelihood of bordering people so that they did not have to go to India for fetching cattle or for any other purpose. The efforts might contribute to bringing down border killings, he added. Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and foreign minister AK Abdul Momen expressed their concerns and raised the issue in meetings with Indian authorities several times, but nothing changed along the border, he said further. Nine years ago, Felani, a 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl, was shot dead by the BSF at the border when she was returning to Bangladesh with her father as her wedding was arranged in the country. A picture of her body hanging upside-down from the barbed-wire fence along the border was published by the international media, triggering public outcry and raising questions about border security in the area. Human rights activist Nur Khan said that there were dialogues and commitments at the level of the BGB and the BSF, ministers and the prime ministers, but the situation remained unsolved and rather it worsened. Bangladesh should now go to the international level, such as the United Nations, for addressing the issue as the matter cannot be resolved at the bilateral level, he added. https://www.newagebd.net/article/110826/border-killing-on-rise-again