Day: March 23, 2022

An advanced computing laboratory will be set up at Buet o grow interest among students about robotics, cyber security, microprocessor designing and artificial intelligence, said State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Wednesday.

Through this it will be possible to create more technology experts in the country, create human resources in the IT sector, meet the demand and tackle the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said Palak at the inaugural function of ICT Academy in collaboration with Huawei and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

Besides, specialized VLSI Labs and Unibators will also be established, he said.

The state minister said ICT academy will be set up in five universities including Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet), Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet), Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (Ruet) after Buet.

Palak said 13,000 Sheikh Russell Digital Labs have already been set up in various educational institutions to make present and future generations skilled in technology and give them ideas about disruptive technology.

“Additional 10,000 Sheikh Russell Digital Labs will be set up across the country through Digital Connection Project, ” said Palak.

Work is underway to set up 39 high-tech parks, Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centers in 64 districts and Joy Digital Service Centers in 494 upazilas across the country, said the state minister.

Startup Bangladesh Company Ltd has been established to build a startup ecosystem in the country. Broadband internet connectivity has been extended to 3800 unions through ‘Info Sarker’ project.

He also said 300 Schools of the Future, Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology are being established in the country.

“We are working with the aim of ensuring 100% internet and 100% online government services by 2025,” said Palak.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

A local court in Khulna on Tuesday remanded 10 suspected militants in police custody for five days.

Though investigators sought a week’s remand, chief metropolitan magistrate gave the police five days for the custodial interrogation of the accused.

The accused are Anwar Kabir Milon alias Middat Hossain, Sohail Rana, Aminul, Kamrul Islam, Rifat Rahman, Abdur Rauf, Md Sheikh Farid, Abdul Alim, Md Rafiqul Islam and Talha Islam.

Earlier on March 18, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) raided an under-construction house belonging to a person named Alam Sheikh off BIDC Road in Khulna’s Khalishpur and arrested them, said Nimai Chandra, the investigating officer in the case.

Later, the 10 were booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act, he added.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Ambassador Daniela Sezonov Tane on Wednesday presented her credentials to President Abdul Hamid as the non-resident envoy of Romania to Bangladesh.

Based in New Delhi she also serves concurrently as her country’s ambassador to Indian and Nepal.

Ambassador Daniela was given a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of Presidential Guard Regiment on her arrival at Bangabhaban, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin said.

Welcoming the new ambassador President Hamid hoped that Bangladesh’s good relations with Romania will grow further under her tenure.

Earlier on Tuesday evening Enayetullah Khan, Honorary Consul of Romania in Bangladesh, hosted a reception at his Baridhara residence in honor of Ambassador Daniela.

“I am happy to be in Bangladesh. I am very proud to be in Bangladesh,” she said, adding that Bangladesh and Romania are trying to do some important events together to mark the 50 years of their diplomatic relations.

She said Romanians are trying to help as much as they can amid the crisis in Ukraine and recalled how they helped Indian students and some Bangladeshi people who got stranded in Ukraine.

“Now we need to be together to stand for some basic general values. I hope the situation will improve,” said the Romanian ambassador, adding that it is a war which has to be condemned by everybody. “We can’t have double standards.”

After falling in love with India, through the ancient wisdom of the Vedas and the Upanishads, Ambassador Daniela decided to study Hindi language and literature at the University of Bucharest.

She was part of the first batch of students studying Hindi in post-communist Romania. In 1992 Daniela received a scholarship from the Indian government, for the study of Hindi language and culture, at Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra and this is how she discovered India at 22.

Enayetullah Khan said Romania was one of the first countries in the world to recognize Bangladesh as a sovereign country and expressed his happiness to see Ambassador Daniela in Dhaka who she met first almost 20 years ago.

He said Covid has taught them to think differently during the last two years and subsequent sufferings due to the pandemic made them stronger.

Khan hoped that the situation in Ukraine would turn better and would be peaceful. “I hope there will be peace in the world. There will be more prosperity.”

He said though there are new challenges they would be able to face those challenges unitedly for a better world.

“This is a new Bangladesh. It’s a rising Bangladesh,” Khan said, adding that they are working hard to promote Bangladesh coming out from “image deficit”.

Khan hoped for peace and prosperity in the world and noted that in every crisis there is an opportunity. “I hope Bangladesh-Romania relations will grow bigger, stronger and deeper.”

Secretary (West) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury gratefully recalled the support of the Romanian Foreign Ministry and Bangladesh Mission in Bucharest in helping stranded Bangladeshis leave Ukraine through Moldova and Romania.

“I am very much impressed by the way she looks into Bangladesh and she (Romanian Ambassador) has expressed her willingness to elevate the relationship between the two countries to a different height,” he said.

The secretary said much progress has been made and Romania is looking forward to having a lot of manpower from Bangladesh and the new ambassador has committed to facilitate it. “Our relationship will grow strength to strength in the future.”

Current and former diplomats including former Ambassador Farooq Sobhan and Honorary Advisor Emeritus, Cosmos Foundation Ambassador (Retd) Tariq A Karim were present.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh lost the toss and were sent to bowl first in the third ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at Centurion.

In the first two matches, Bangladesh won one, and the hosts bettered the visitors in another. So this match became a series decider.

Bangladesh never won a series in South Africa. If they can win in this match, it will be a history-making win for the Tigers.

The Tigers fielded an unchanged XI in this match.

This series is a part of the ICC World Cup Super League. Bangladesh are currently at the top of the table of this league with 11 wins in 17 matches while South Africa are at 9th with two wins in 12 matches so far.

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Tamim Iqbal(c), Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Yasir Ali, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

South Africa (Playing XI): Janneman Malan, Quinton de Kock(w), Kyle Verreynne, Temba Bavuma(c), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi

Source: United News of Bangladesh

International development organisation Plan International Bangladesh organised a three-day girls summit in Rangpur where women leaders came together to build leadership skills and become active citizens of this ever-changing world.

Fifty adolescent and young women under the age group of 15 to 24 years old took part in this summit at Begum Rokeya Auditorium of RDRS Bangladesh, said a press release.

The summit’s objective is to create a platform for engaging girls from different parts of Rangpur to become skilled leaders, learn and act on issues affecting their lives, and take complete charge of their dreams.

Some successful young women entrepreneurs are also taking part in this summit to share their change stories to inspire the participants so that they may change their lives and reach their desired goals as well.

At the ceremony, Director of local government, office of the Divisional Commissioner of Rangpur division, Mr. Fazlul Kabir said self-dependency is the prime requirement of woman empowerment.

“We have to build our girls as self-dependent so that they may grow into young leaders of the country, leaders of change. Girls and young women must learn, realize and act to inspire others. They need to receive training to enrich their knowledge.”

Kawser Parvin, Deputy Director of Women Affairs in Rangpur said, women need to prepare themselves towards achieving their goals. “We have to be women friendly from our core.”

Ashik Billah, head of Central and Northern region of Plan International Bangladesh said, the organisation has been working towards building girls’ leadership and achieving girls’ rights. “Initiative like this summit will encourage them and will support them to be more confident. “

In this three-day summit, girls will learn about life skills, leadership, gender equality, girls’ rights, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, skill development and work opportunities, communications strategy, etc.

These sessions will enrich the knowledge of participating girls as well as enabling them to learn life skills and future planning adapting with the modern world.

Plan International has been working in Bangladesh since 1994 to establish child and youth, especially girls rights. The organisation is determined to build youth and child leadership, especially for girls and young women.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Sheikh Russel KC have demanded the suspension of two referees who allegedly made unfair decisions in two recent matches of the BPL.

The referees are Alamgir Sarker and Bitu Raj, according to a media statement from the club.

Alamgir officiated the match between Sheikh Russel and Bashundhara Kings at Bashundhara Kings Arena on February 28.

Bitu officiated the match between Sheikh Russel and Police FC in Rajshahi on March 18.

Sheikh Russel may leave the ongoing edition of the BPL if Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) does not suspend the two referees who made “controversial penalty decisions in these matches.”

The club is also considering seeking intervention from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, their chief advisor, if required, said the statement.

The decisions were taken at an executive committee meeting of Sheikh Russel Tuesday.

In a media statement signed by its director in-charge and standing committee vice-chairman Ismat Jamil Akhond Lavlu, the club said they became victims of controversial refereeing.

“Referees gave wrong decisions against us in two matches with Bashundhara Kings and Police Football Club. We had to lose points against Kings and share points with Police. We have watched those decisions several times on videos,” the club said.

“We never went against any decisions taken by the BFF. But the situation has now become intolerable. We are really frustrated as the BFF did nothing,” it added.

Sheikh Russel also informed that they officially wrote to the BFF president and Professional Football League Committee and the BFF Referees’ committee chairman about the controversial refereeing. They demanded punishment of two referees before the next round of BPL in April.

The club also demanded the appointment of foreign referees to officiate matches impartially and to avoid all controversial decisions.

The referees or the BFF could not be immediately contacted for comments.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Smartphones that are worthwhile are those that have a lasting influence on their users. Oppo has already captured many hearts with its outstanding features. Now, on March 23, 2022, Oppo introduces the Oppo K10 smartphone with 5G connectivity. Oppo is poised to reintroduce its K series phone after a year with this release. According to rumors and authoritative sources, the Oppo K10 5G will include next-generation features.

Key Features of OPPO K10 5G

Design

It will have a USB Type-C connector, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a speaker grille, and a bottom-mounted microphone. On the left side, there will be a volume rocker and a SIM tray. Additionally, the aforementioned fingerprint scanner will double as a power button.

This allegedly authentic render also reveals that OPPO aims to bring back the K9 series’ ‘full-width’ camera hump, which, despite its resemblance to the Mi 11 Ultra’s, serves primarily to house the series’ holographic logo.

The Oppo K10’s official teaser announced that the gadget would be available in blue and black. It will include a punch-hole cutout on the front to house the selfie camera sensor. A rectangular module will be used to house the rear cameras.

This second-generation design, which is currently expected to debut as “Glow Design” on the K10, may also get an upgrade with on-trend extra-large lenses for two of the K10’s purported three rear cameras.

Display

The OPPO K10 5G has a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels in Full HD+. The screen will have a pixel density of 409 PPI and is equipped with a punch hole in the top-left corner.

These characteristics seem to be rather attractive if the gadget is priced reasonably. Oppo is targeting consumers searching for a cheap 5G smartphone with the Oppo K10.

According to reports, the Oppo K10 5G would have a display with a refresh rate of just 90Hz. At first look, the absence of a high refresh rate display seems debatable. After all, other low-cost smartphones such as the Poco X3 have begun to support 120Hz refresh rates.

However, many of these smartphones arrive with IPS LCD panels rather than the Oppo K10 5G’s high-quality AMOLED. Thus, consumers are still a long way from an AMOLED screen with a high refresh rate in this category, but the one here should satisfy the majority of users even at 60Hz.

Rear Cameras

According to Oppo’s homepage for the next smartphone, it would have a triple camera arrangement, with the main camera measuring 50 megapixels. According to the source, the main camera will have a resolution of 50 megapixels and will be supported by a depth camera of 2 megapixels and a macro camera of 2 megapixels.

In comparison to other phones with the same camera functionality, the Oppo K10 5G should be capable of taking close-up images with sufficient quality. The colors should be somewhat realistic, and the phone should distinguish between the subject and the backdrop to provide the illusion of depth. Portrait images should have accurate edge recognition, and the phone should be capable of efficiently blurring the backdrop.

OPPO K10 5G specs

OPPO brings K10 5G

Low light photography may be challenging, which is unsurprising given Oppo’s low capability to provide exceptional night photography in the cheap class. Due to the shallow capacity depth and macro, even with supported street illumination, noise levels might be considerable, and the designated Night mode should not be performing miracles either. Macro mode will wash away a lot of the colors but will be excellent for details, at least to the extent that a 2MP sensor is capable of.

Front Camera

Users will be provided with a single 16MP front-facing camera capable of shooting high-quality photos. A 16MP lens is rather amazing for a smartphone in the low to mid-range price category, such as the Oppo K10 5G. Both the front and rear cameras must support portrait mode. As a result, consumers will have nothing to lose.

Performance and Software

Oppo K10 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680. The new series includes the Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 8100 devices, which are both based on TSMC’s 5nm technology and enable displays up to 168Hz. Additionally, the chipsets enable up to 200-megapixel cameras capable of 4K video recording with HDR10+ compatibility.

According to the rumor, the CPU would be combined with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. According to Oppo’s homepage for the smartphone, it would allow expanded storage via microSD card, as well as the option to supplement the inbuilt RAM with unused storage.

According to many sources, the smartphone will be powered by a 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC and include expandable RAM, and will compete with premium phones in the market.

By all accounts, the OPPO K10 5G will be an ideal gaming phone, thanks to the CPU and the phone’s appealing display. While users are gaming, OPPO’s Game Space feature will give further help by muting warnings and streamlining processing.

Battery and Charger

OPPO equipped the K10 5G with a 4300mAh battery that enables 65W rapid charging through the USB Type C connection. Wi-Fi, 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, 4G VoLTE, USB OTG, and GPS with GLONASS are all included in this phone’s connectivity.

According to the rumor, the device is expected to have a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometric verification.

5,000mAh battery can feel a little low for such a giant and powerful phone. But considering the budget, the charging, and battery, both capacities look more than perfect.

Price of OPPO K10 5G in Bangladesh

There is still controversy around the price of the Oppo K10 5G. However, through different channels, it has been confirmed that the phone will cost not more than 20,000 INR for its 6GB RAM and 128GB Storage. The price is equivalent to BDT 22,711 (1 INR = 1.14.). The official price of Oppo K10 5G in Bangladesh may vary due to tax and other issues.

Conclusion

The OPPO K10 5G phone is equipped with a robust and brilliant chipset that alters the gamer’s viewpoint. You will observe the screen’s and camera’s allure. If you examine the design, you will see that it is unmistakably distinct and unlike any other antecedent. The pricing is also believed to be fairly inexpensive, creating a buzz among smartphone enthusiasts.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

From now the debit card users will be able to make card-based payments through Contactless Payment Service using NFC technology.

Earlier the service was available for only credit card holders.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has issued a circular stating that from now debit card holders will be able to make payment by Near Field Communication (NFC) or contactless payment service.

Transactions can be made by keeping the card at a distance of 4 cm from the NFC technology card. However, other security measures including PIN will remain in force. As a result, the card need not be handed over to anyone or to the point of sale for the transaction

According to the circular issued by the Payment Systems Department of Bangladesh Bank, the use of such services through credit cards has become popular as card transactions are easy and dynamic.

The use of this technology in credit card as well as debit and prepaid card transactions is expected to increase electronic transactions, the circular said.

The BB has instructed all banks, mobile financial services providers, payment service providers and payment system operators to comply with the following guidelines regarding this service.

The transactions can be conducted using NFC technology on debit and prepaid cards with EMV chip technology.

The maximum payment limit for debit and prepaid cards through NFC technology is Tk 3000. At the same time, two-steps security measures have been relaxed in these transactions.

However, the information of each such transaction should be informed to the customers immediately through SMS, said the circular.

Banks will provide these cards and will be able to determine the maximum number of daily transactions through it.

The EMV chip is a chip with special security features developed by Euro Pay, MasterCard and Visa.

According to Bangladesh Bank, there were around 2.56 lakh debit cards in the country in January while credit cards were over 16 lakh. Besides, there are 12 lakh prepaid cards.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Who does not love to drink lassi? It is a perfect cooling, refreshing and nutritious drink for the warm summer months. Lassi is indeed a favorite evergreen drink for children, adults, and elderly people also. Generally, it is very popular in the Indian Sub-Continent. But nowadays it is popular in many other countries as well. It is a blended yogurt drink. Lassi can be both sweet and salty. Stay with us to know some delightful spicy easy lassi recipes to try at home.

Health benefits of drinking Lassi in summer:

– Aids digestion

– Prevents stomach problems

– Rich in probiotics

– Improves bone health

– Boosts immunity

– Good for skin

Seven delectable lassi recipes to try at home

Mango Lassi

Mangos are super foods that contain more than 20 different vitamins and minerals. About three-fourths cup of mango gives 50% of your daily vitamin C, 8% of your daily Vitamin A, and 8% of your daily vitamin B6. The nutrients that mango has helped to boost your body’s immune system.

Mango lassi with amazing flavor can be your perfect summer drink. You could prepare it within a very short time just need some easy and hand on ingredients.

Ingredients

Yogurt – 200 ml, Diced Mango – 1 Cup, Grounded cardamom – 1/2 Tbsp, Ice cubes – 3-4, Sugar

How to Make

First, take about one cup of yogurt and half cup water in a blender and blend properly until it reaches a perfect consistency. Add ice cubes and the pulp of mango. Then, add cardamom to the blender and blend these ingredients together for 1-2 minutes. Serve with garnish.

Strawberry Lassi

According to The United States Department of Agriculture, one cup of fresh( sliced) strawberries contains the following nutrients: calories: 53, Protein: 1.11g. carbohydrates: 12.7g.

Who doesn’t love strawberries? How is it if you can enjoy the tasty and healthy lassi of this colorful fruit? Yes, you can prepare this yummy lassi at home with just a few ingredients that are available at your home.

Ingredients

Yogurt – 200ml, Diced strawberries – 1 Cup, Mint leaves -1-2, Ice cubes – 2-3, Sugar

How to Make

First, take a blender and put about 1 cup of yogurt with half a cup of water, and blend until it reaches the required consistency. Then add ice cubes and diced strawberries. If you want to enhance the taste, you can also use strawberry syrup. After that, Beat the ingredients together in a blender for 1-2 minutes. Finally, garnish with the leaves of mint and serve.

Chocolate Lassi

The United States Department of Agriculture says that a 101-g bar of dark chocolate with 70–85 percent cocoa solids contains 604 calories, 7.87g of protein, and 43.06g of fat.

Chocolate has many health benefits and it is a versatile ingredient with lassi also. Its mouth-watering color attracts children more. So, you must try this one in summer.

Ingredients

Yogurt – 200 ml, Chocolate bar/Hershey’s chocolate syrup, Ice cubes – 2-4, Sugar

How to Make

First, blend the yogurt with half a cup of water as long as it reaches the perfect consistency. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend for about one to two minutes. Finally, garnish it before serving.

Pineapple Lassi

One cup of pineapple chunks contains only 74 calories, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Pineapples are also amazing because they are fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium.

Nowadays, pineapples are available all year round. Almost everyone likes these amazing fruits especially during the summer season. The pineapple lassi is really unique and delicious.

Ingredients

Yogurt – 200 ml, Diced pineapple – 1 cup, Ice cubes – 2-4, Sugar

Firstly, you need to blend the yogurt with half a cup of water. Make sure you blend it until you get a perfect consistency. Then add other ingredients and beat together for about 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to garnish before serving.

Banana Lassi

Many of us love to eat bananas. It can be a nice ingredient for lassi.

One serving or one medium ripe banana has about 110 calories, 0 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams sugar (naturally occurring), 3 grams fiber, and 450 mg potassium.

Can you imagine how refreshing the banana lassi could be for your lovely family? Try today this yummy lassi at home today.

Ingredients

Yogurt – 200 ml, Peeled banana – 1, Cinnamon powder – ½ Tbsp, Ice cubes – 3-4, Sugar

How to Make

Firstly, you need to blend the yogurt with half a cup of water. Make sure you blend it until you get a perfect consistency. Then add other ingredients and beat together for about 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to garnish before serving.

Classic Lassi

It is a popular sweet lassi recipe that you can prepare anytime for your family.

Ingredients

Yogurt – 200 ml, Ice cubes – 3-4, Salt, Sugar

How to Make

First, blend the yogurt with half a cup of water and then add the ice cubes to blend again. Add salt or sugar depending on the variant required. Classic lassi can be made both sweet and salty. Sometimes, it is made with a combination. In the case of the salt recipe, follow the same process just don’t add the sugar. Beat thoroughly for 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to garnish before serving.

Mint Lassi

One-third cup or half an ounce (14 grams) of spearmint contains Calories: 6, Fiber: 1 gram, Vitamin A: 12% of the RDI, Iron: 9% of the RDI, Manganese: 8% of the RDI, Folate: 4% of the RDI.

When will you prepare the mint lassi for your family?

Ingredients

Yogurt – 200 ml, Mint leaves – 8-9, Pepper – ½ tbsp, Ice cubes – 3-4, Salt

How to make

First, blend the yogurt with half a cup of water as long as it reaches the perfect consistency. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend for about one to two minutes. Finally, garnish it before serving.

Bottom Line

So far we have discussed 7 easy homemade lassi recipes. Lassi can pacify our souls during the hot weather. Besides cooling the mind and body, this drink keeps us healthy. Though Yogurt is the main ingredient of lassi, you can make this drink special by adding your favorite fruit or chocolate. We hope you have enjoyed this article! Don’t miss trying these delicious summer recipes of lassi at home!

Source: United News of Bangladesh

A two-day book fair and exhibition on the country’s Liberation War arranged by BNP began in the capital on Wednesday as part of the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence.

BNP’s sub-committee on “Decoration, Liberation War Book Fair and Photo Exhibition” orgainsed the programme at the Jatiya Press Club.

BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury formally inaugurated the fair and exhibition by hoisting the national flag and the party one.

A group of pro-BNP artists performed the national anthem and the party one at the inaugural function.

The fair and exhibition remains open from 10:30am to 8pm each day while the cultural programme starts at 5pm.

The book fair and the exhibition have featured eminent authors’ books on the Liberation War, politics, research-based publications, stories, poems, novels and analytical ones, and photographs as well as paintings.

Besides, photographs and paintings on Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman have also been put on display at the exhibition.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony at 3pm on Thursday.

Speaking at the programme, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they have organised the programme to present the true history of the Liberation War and different incidents of the 50 years of Bangladesh.

He alleged that the current government has been trying to mislead people and the new generation by distorting the history and facts of the Liberation War.

“That’s why we’re trying to present the true history of the Liberation War. We would like to say no one can bury the truth with lies,” the BNP leader said.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase (CCPP) on Wednesday approved 5 proposals for extension of 5 rental power plants, having a capacity of 457 MW, for next two years.

As per the proposals, the government will pay a total of Tk 5,205.9 crore to purchase electricity from the plants during the contract period.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, however, said these plants were given approval on a “No electricity, No payment” basis.

The proposal was approved while the country has a huge surplus capacity in the electricity generation.

As per the BPDB statistics, the current total installation capacity now stands at 25,514 MW while the supply is about 13,000 MW.

Of the approved plants, three belong to Summit Group, one belongs to Dutch-Bangla Group and one to Orion Group.

As per the approval the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will pay Tk 459.98 crore to Summit Group for purchase of electricity from its 40 MW furnace oil–based plant of the Khulna Power Plant, Tk 1295.42 crore to its Khulna Power Company Unit-II Ltd’s 115 MW Goalpara plant, Tk 1157.52 crore to Summit Group’s Summit Narayanganj Power Limited’s 102 MW Madanganj plant.

The BPDB will pay Tk 1146.51 crore to Dutch Bangla Power & Associates Ltd’s 100 MW furnace oil-based Shiddhirgaj plant, Tk 1146.51 crore to Orion Power Meghnaghat Ltd’s Meghnaghat 100 MW plant as per the approval.

Additional secretary of the Cabinet Division, Zillur Rahman Chowdhury while briefing reporters on the issue, said the government is purchasing electricity from the plants at Tk 16.40 per unit (each kilowatt hour) while under the new contract, it will purchase each unit of electricity at a reduced rate of Tk 17.529.

The committee approved two more proposals of the Power Division under which the BPDB will purchase service at Tk 92.42 crore from General Electric Global Services GmbH, Switzerland for installation of Gas turbine, gas turbine generator at 4th repowered combined cycle unit at Ghorasal Power Station.

Similarly, the BPDB will purchase service and scheduled maintenance at Tk 419.99 crore from Marubeni Power & Infrastructure Systems Corporation, Japan for installation of turbine, gas turbine generators at the 400 MW Bibiyana-III power plant.

The Cabinet Committee approved a proposal of the Petrobangla to import 33.60 lakh units (MMBtu) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Vitol Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore at a total cost of Tk 1241.48 crore while each unit will cost US$36.70.

A proposal of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation received the approval of the committee to import 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertilizer from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco), while the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry’s proposal received the nod for purchasing of civil works of Community Workfare and Services Support under the emerging multi-sector Rohingya Crisis Response project.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

The SME Foundation is organizing SME products fair in divisional headquarters to promote the product of small and medium enterprises in the country.

Dr. Md. Mafijur Rahman, Managing Director of SME Foundation told UNB that the foundation organizes ‘Regional SME Products Fair’ every year.

Apart from that, a decision was taken to organize ‘Divisional SME Products Fair’ in six divisions under the supervision of the Divisional Commissioners, he said.

The first SME products fair will be inaugurated on Thursday at Rangpur Town Hall Premises and it will continue till March 30.

Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Abdul Wahab Bhuiyan will present as the chief guest at the opening ceremony of the fair.

Dr. Md. Mafijur Rahman, MD of SME foundation, Mirza Nurul Gani Shovon, Director of SME Foundation Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur will be present on the occasion.

Besides, the fair will be held at Khulna Circuit House from March 27 to April 2, Sylhet Alia Madrasa Field from March 28 to April 3 and Mymensingh Town Hall from April 7 to April 13.

Divisional SME product fair in Barisal and Rajshahi may be held in May or June, said the SME Foundation.

In each fair, 50/55 small and medium entrepreneurs will be given the opportunity to display and sell products.

Source: United News of Bangladesh