News Brief
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said, her government is never led by any intention to expose people to torture in custody as she was interviewed by BBC in London yesterday when issues of Bangladesh economy, politics and social issues came up in course of discussion as well. Officials at Bangladesh High Commission in London led by High Commissioner Saida Muna donated 2,000 British pounds to PM's Relief and Welfare Fund for the flood-affected people and handed over the cheque of the amount to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her place of residence in London yesterday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condoled the death of Indian Former External Affairs Minister and veteran BJP leader Sushma Swaraj who passed away last evening.
While addressing a dengue prevention programme organised by Parliament Members’ Club yesterday Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said, the Jatiya Sangsad medical center is ready to provide medical treatment during Eid holidays. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader while addressing a meeting of AL at its Bangabandhu Avenue Central Office in Dhaka yesterday urged city councillors and AL leaders and activists to continue cleanliness drives aiming to deal with the dengue menace as per the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Meanwhile, DGHS has informed, 50 more ICU beds have been provided to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital to manage the growing number of dengue patients. The community clinics will be kept open round the clock during the Eid vacation. DGHS also informed that the total number of dengue patients now stands at 7,968 across the country. Twenty three persons died so far since January 1 while 21,921 people returned home after getting treatment. Meanwhile, World Health Organization has said, the global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades.
Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud while talking to the newsmen after holding a meeting with the leaders of Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) at his ministry yesterday said, the government is working relentlessly to bring back discipline in the country’s broadcast media. The Minister said, airing local advertisements in foreign television channels has been reduced significantly as the airing of own advertisements by the cable operators has been stopped. Thanking country’s mass media the Minister said, the media of the country played a vital role against the rumours as well as in preventing dengue.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal reached New Delhi last evening on a three-day official visit to attend the 7th round of Home Minister level talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi today. Meanwhile, Bangladesh and India have agreed to boost railway connectivity between the two countries. The decision came at a delegation level meeting held between visiting Bangladesh Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and his Indian counterpart Piyush Goel at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi yesterday. After the meeting, Bangladesh Railway Minister said to the media that they had proposed the frequency of journey of Moitree Express should be increased to six days a week from the existing four days and frequency of Bandhan Express from the present one day in a week to three days a week.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid at the inaugural function of a two-day South Asia LNG Forum 2019 at a city hotel yesterday said, a total of 12 global firms and their local joint ventures are now vying to bag the contract for building the country's first land-based LNG terminal at Matarbari, which will handle 7.5 million tonnes of LNG per year. He said, the government is planning to complete the construction of land-based LNG terminal by June 2023 to increase re-gasification capacity to 15 million tonnes per annum. A meeting of the Standing Committee on Non Concessional Loan held at ERD yesterday with Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal in the chair, approved a proposal for receiving loan from the German KFW IPEX-Bank for implementing the Sreepur 150 MW HFO Power Plant Project. The government yesterday signed a nuclear fuel supply deal with Russia to feed the power plant at Rooppur in Pabna. Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Mahbabul Huq and Commercial Director of Russian state-owned firm TVEL Joint Stock Company signed the agreement in Dhaka.
The government declared the prices of rawhides of sacrificial animals. Tanners will have to buy cowhide at Tk 45 to 50 per square feet in Dhaka and at Tk 35-40 in the remaining parts of the county this year. The price of goat hide has been set at Tk18-20 and Tk 13-15 for un-castrated skin across the country. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi announced the prices of rawhides after a meeting with the stakeholders of leather sector at his ministry yesterday.