EU parliament wants to organize EC, urging calm in Bangladesh
The European Parliament (EU parliament) wants the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) should organise and oversee the next general elections in a fully transparent manner. It called on all groups and individuals in Bangladesh to exercise tolerance and restraint, especially in the lead-up to, during, and after the elections.
EU passed three separate resolutions on Thursday, urging calm in the run-up to elections in Bangladesh and also expressing concern about the situation of migrant workers in Qatar and calling for fair justice in Bolivia.
ADB grants $ 90m aid for Bangladesh edn programme
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Thursday signed a loan agreement worth $90 million with Bangladesh to overhaul the country's secondary education sector and build the foundation for developing a skilled labour force.
The assistance is the first tranche of the $500 million Secondary Education Sector Investment Programme (SESIP) approved by ADB in September this year, said a statement from the Manila-based lender.
Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, secretary of Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division (ERD) and M. Teresa Kho, country director for ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission, signed the loan agreement.
"Skills shortage is a key challenge Bangladesh is facing to graduate to the next orbit of development," said Teresa Kho.
EIB to provide EUR 82m to support efficient power generation
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide EUR 82 million to Bangladesh to support more efficient power generation in the country and reductions in emissions.
The project will have important climate change benefits in a country that is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The project is part of a wider investment programme in the energy sector with an estimated total cost of USD 1.6 billion , whose objective is to facilitate the expansion of power generation, transmission and distribution as well as capacity-building in the country. The EUR 82 million EIB loan will serve to finance two specific projects under the programme, including the conversion of gas-fired plants in Baghabari and Shagibacar to combined-cycle plants.
Country makes exceptional health progress despite poverty
Bangladesh has had 40 years of exceptional progress in health, with infant mortality down, life expectancy up and good disease control, all despite being one of the world’s poorest countries, researchers said on Thursday.
Most often in the news for its poverty or natural or manmade disasters, such as a factory fire that killed 1,129 people in April, Bangladesh was described in studies published on Thursday as a “remarkable success story” and one of the “great mysteries of global health”.
“Over the past 40 years, Bangladesh has outperformed its Asian neighbours, convincingly defying the expert view that reducing poverty and increasing health resources are the key drivers of better population health,” said Professor Mushtaque Chowdhury from Dhaka’s BRACUniversity, who co-led a serie...
Hasina denies Bangladeshis involved in GE13
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has denied the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s claim that 40,000 of Bangladeshi people were involved and voted for the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Malaysia’s 13th general election(GE13).
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said during his meeting with Sheikh Hasina, the South Asian leader shook her head in disbelief at the claim.
Najib also said if the claim that his visit to Bangladesh was to meet and thank those people for voting for the BN in the last ge...
Najib also said if the claim that his visit to Bangladesh was to meet and thank those people for voting for the BN in the last ge...
Labour unrest nothing but a conspiracy to destroy RMG sector
The leaders of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said, the recent labour unrest in Readymade Garment (RMG) sector is nothing but a conspiracy to destroy the country’s leading export sector. They appealed to the government to take all out measures for saving the Readymade Garment (RMG) factories from unruly workers, as it is the property of state.
In a meeting with the high up officials of the home ministry on Tuesday, BGMEA leaders along with the leaders of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BKMEA) said, they were helpless to run the factories. Md Atiqul Islam, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), led the delegation.
