ILO welcomes upgradation of Bangladesh labour inspectorate
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) welcomes the decision of the Government of Bangladesh to upgrade the Chief Inspector of Factories and Establishments office to a 'Directorate' as an important step in the implementation of one of the commitments agreed by the Government in the National Tripartite Plan of Action on Fire Safety and Structural Integrity and the EU Sustainability Compact issued on 8 July 2013.
The Government issued orders on 15 January 2014 sanctioning 679 new staff positions in the Directorate including 392 new inspector positions. With this upgrade, the number of labour and factory inspectors will increase to a total of 575 from the current 183 positions.
Microcredit regulator seeks DFID support for one more year
The microcredit regulator has sought one-year extension of the British Department for International Development (DFID)-funded project 'Promoting Financial Services through Poverty Reduction' (PROSPER).
Under this programme, the DFID provided Tk 370 million to support the Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA) in 2007. The project is going to end June this year, reports The Financial Express.
The DFID support was instrumental in providing the MRA with core operational funding in its early years before government re...
The DFID support was instrumental in providing the MRA with core operational funding in its early years before government re...
How pvt sector can expand access to finance for the poor
Nearly 2.5 billion people--half the world's adult population--lack one of the most basic amenities of modern life: a bank account. They are among the world's poorest, struggling to obtain the money they need to feed their families or start a business and create jobs.
Their exclusion from the modern financial system represents a significant obstacle in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. That's why World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim has called for universal access to finance by 2020--an urgent reminder that this challenge can be overcome in this generation. Governments play a critical role but they can't do it alone. It will take a concentrated effort by the private sector, which now accounts for less than...
Disproportionate sanctions against pro-Islamist newspaper
Reporters Without Borders is concerned about all the sanctions taken against the pro-Islamist newspaper Dainik Inqilab. In the space of a few hours last week, its print edition was suspended, all of its printing equipment was seized or sealed, and three of its journalists were arrested.
“It is wrong for a newspaper to publish false information but the sanctions must not be disproportionate,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The application of the Information and Communication Technology Act to this case and the measures taken against the newspaper are totally excessive”.
Devon MP calls for dialogue, reconciliation in Bangladesh
Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish, who was an election monitor in Bangladesh for the 2008 General Election, has called for political dialogue and reconciliation following widespread election violence in Bangladesh.
He was speaking during a backbench business debate on the current situation in Bangladesh held in the House of Commons.
[caption id="attachment_2808" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Neil Parish, right, was an election observer in Bangladesh in 2008[/caption]
Mr Parish previously acted as...
Neil Parish, right, was an election observer in Bangladesh in 2008[/caption]
Mr Parish previously acted as...
Political mess undermines foreign aid metrics
The political unrest in Bangladesh is viewed with grave concern by donors, which fear this instability could render development programs ineffective and are slowly reducing funds — World Bank data recently revealed a significant drop in foreign aid commitments, an almost 28 percent slip from $1.6 billion in 2013 to $1.2 billion in 2014.
Weeks after the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was reelected for her second consecutive term as prime minister, the country continues to suffer from political instability which undermines the country’s development progress.
