News Brief

             The ECNEC has approved 12 projects involving a total amount of Taka 5,494.04 crore including one for acquiring land to build a sewerage treatment plant in the city’s Uttara with Taka 1,398 crore. The approval came from an ECNEC meeting held at the NEC Conference Room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka yesterday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. After the meeting, Planning Minister M A Mannan said, the Premier also approved immediate construction of restrooms for drivers and helpers along roads. The PM also suggested planting bamboo trees especially on Khulna Chuknagar-Satkhira road. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has given financial assistance of Taka 140 crore to eight organizations at Ganabhaban in Dhaka yesterday.

            Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury while addressing a discussion at the Defence Services Command and Staff College in city yesterday stressed the need for strong coordination among three state organs – judiciary, legislative and executive – to ensure the welfare of country’s people. Terming the parliament as a centre point of all activities in the parliamentary democracy the Speaker said, the lawmakers remain accountable to the people while the executive is accountable to the parliament.

            Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader addressing a discussion marking the 44th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at AL’s Bangabandhu Avenue Central Office in Dhaka yesterday said, there is an international plot over Rohingya issue and a vested quarter of the country is also involved in the conspiracy. We’ve information about the people who are playing dirty game with Rohingya issue. We will take action against them in time, the Minister added. UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka Mia Seppo while addressing a book launch programme at BRAC Centre Inn in the city yesterday said, the UN is committed to getting the right for the Rohingyas and also the people of Bangladesh as they deserve the world's support in confronting problems related to Rohingyas. She said, Bangladesh has certainly done its part when it comes to the Rohingya crisis responding with empathy to a group of people who fell victims to hatred and now the global leadership needs to act.  

            Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader while addressing a discussion marking the National Mourning Day organized by Secretariat Officer-Employee Oikya Parishad said, BNP founder Ziaur Rahman was the mastermind behind the killings of Bangabandhu and his family members on August 15, 1975, while his son Tarique Rahman was the mastermind of the August 21 grenade attack. Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud addressing the same function said, those who could not tolerate the existence of Bangladesh, killed Bangabandhu. It is high time to bring all the masterminds under trial for the killing. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq while addressing a discussion marking the Month of Mourning at National Press Club in Dhaka yesterday said, a commission will be formed soon to identity and ensure the punishment of those who were behind the killing of Bangabandhu. Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen while speaking at a similar function at National Museum in Dhaka on Monday said, the present government with its sincere efforts has successfully reduced the poverty rate by 50 per cent in the last 10 years. State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain while addressing a discussion on the occasion of the martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu in Dhaka yesterday said, Bangabandhu's ideology must be instilled into the citizens to establish Bangladesh as a developed country.      

            Dhaka and Tokyo have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on recruiting specified skilled workers from Bangladesh. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Rownaq Jahan and Immigration Services Agency of Japan Commissioner Shoko Sasaki signed the deal in Tokyo yesterday. State-run North-West Power Generation Company Ltd. (NWPGCL) yesterday inked an MoU with the Chinese CMC to develop 500 MW renewable energy-based power plant projects. The NWPGCL and the CMC will have 50-50 equity in the proposed joint venture. NWPGCL Managing Director Md. Khurshedul Alam and CMC Chairman Ruan Guang inked the MoU at Intercontinental Hotel in the city yesterday.

            The jute and jute goods sector fetched export earnings of USD 74.88 million in July of the current fiscal year. This was up from the USD 74.26 million recorded for the same period in the previous financial year, thereby showing a steady growth of 0.83 per cent, according to data from the EPB.

            Radio Asia Conference and Radio Song Festival arrranged by Asian Broadcasting Union would be held from 29-31 October in Dhaka. State Minister for Information Dr. Md. Murad Hasan at a meeting in the ministry yesterday discussed the preparation of the festival.

            All local private television channels in the country will be operational through the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 very soon. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) at a hotel in Gulshan area in the capital yesterday.

            DSCC fined eight buildings a total of TK 1,29,500 during several anti-mosquito drives conducted by five different mobile courts in the capital yesterday. Meanwhile, DGHS has said, a total of 1,299 new dengue patients got admitted to different hospitals in the last 24 hours across the country till 8 am last morning. Among them, 608 patients were admitted in Dhaka.

            The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday sentenced Razakar Md.  Abdus Samad alias Firoz Khan from Rajshahi to death for his crimes against humanity committed in 1971.

                                                                                                                                                                                             Surath Kumar Sarker

                                        Principal Information Officer

                                                  Phone -9546091