‘Foreign investment inevitable for Nepal’s development’

Nepali Congress (NC) leader and HoR member Dr Arzu Rana has said that foreign investment was inevitable for Nepal's development.

At a programme organized by Embassy of Nepal in Tokyo, JICA, JETRO and UNIDO in Tokyo of Japan on Thursday, Rana said that foreign investment is not only a complement to domestic investment that bridges gaps between investment and savings, but also is a solution to the gap in foreign exchange reserves.

She was of the view that India, China and other emerging economies show that FDI can also serve as catalysts for the growth of local small and medium enterprises.

“It is also a source of new technologies. It can lead to knowledge transfer and skills development. FDI inflows provide employment opportunities for the citizens of the recipient country- opportunities that would not otherwise be available," Dr Rana shared.

She also asked the investors to make investment in Nepal and take return adding that the average return on equity is about 15 per cent last year.

Asking the investors to invest in Nepal, she said that Nepal has enacted Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act to facilitate foreign direct investment and protect the interest of investors. “Our legal system prohibits prohibition of nationalization of private enterprises.”

“From social perspectives, socio-cultural organizations such as clubs, community and non- governmental organizations can benefit from the robust corporate social responsibility programmes of multinational enterprises," according to the NC leader.

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Source: National News Agency RSS

Landslide disrupts Kanti Highway

The vehicular movement along a section of the Kanti Highway has been obstructed after a landslide occurred near Bagmati bridge at Bhattedanda of Lalitpur this morning. The site is some two kilometres away from the bordering area of Lalitpur and Makawanpur districts.

Police Inspector of District Police Office, Makawanpur, Ramchandra Ghimire said that the landslide could be cleared after improvement in the weather.

Likewise, the police have asked the drivers en route to Kathmandu from Hetauda to stop at Thingan area.

Similarly, all the vehicles to Chitwan from Kathmandu have been diverted to Tribhuvan Highway after the landslide along the Muglin-Narayanghat road section, Police Inspector Ghimire said.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Kala-azar patients increasing in Kalikot

All five local levels in Kalikot district have recorded Kala-azar patients this year. Black fever, commonly known as Kala-azar, is seen mostly in the tropical region of the country but has now spread in the hilly districts as well.

Public Health Officer of District Health Office, Kalikot, Katak Bahadur Mahat said that the patients of Visceral Leishmaniasis are found in Pachal Jharana, Palata, Sanni Triveni and Naraharinath rural municipalities.

He said that 20 patients of black fever were found this year. In the fiscal year 2020/21, Kala-azar was seen in 43 people and 28 in fiscal year 2021/22, Mahat shared.

Chief of District Hospital Dr Sanket Bishwakarma said that impacts of climate change are to be blamed for the outbreak of the black fever in the hilly districts. "This disease is seen with the increase of mosquitoes followed by the rise in temperature in the recent years," Dr Sanket shared.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Narayanghat-Mugling road section yet to resume

A massive landslide at Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-5 in Chitwan along the Narayanghat-Muglin road section that started on Thursday afternoon is not cleared yet, causing vehicular disruption for almost 19 hours.

The security officials and stakeholders are having difficulties to clear the debris. The dry landslide is still taking place and clearance of the debris is affected, Police Inspector of Area Police Office, Muglin, Bishal Tamang said.

Police Inspector Tamang said that it could take some six-seven hours to clear a huge heap of debris formed after the dry landslide. "Resumption of vehicular movement is not likely even by working the whole day," Tamang added.

The security officials could not work to clear the debris last night as the landslide remained unabated.

Hundreds of vehicles to and from Chitwan remain stranded halfway after the road disruption from 13:20 Thursday afternoon.

Likewise, the District Traffic Police Office has asked the travelers to use alternative routes today as the Muglin-Narayanghat road section is obstructed from the frequent landslides.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Nationwide rainfall predicted

As the monsoon remains active nationwide, there is a possibility of rainfall across the country this afternoon due to the impacts of the monsoon winds.

According to Weather Forecast Division of Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, most parts of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces, and some parts of the remaining provinces are expected to receive light to moderate rain today.

Likewise, there is the possibility of heavy rain along with thunderstorm in some parts of Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces.

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely at some places of Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces and few places of remaining provinces tonight, according to the Department.

The Department has also cautioned one and all to apply precautions from the losses that could happen from the occurrence of heavy rain, lightning, storms, landslides and soil erosion.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Speaker mourns death of FF Abdul Sattar Mandal

Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of valiant freedom fighter (FF) and Muktijoddha Commander of Pirganj upazila in Rangpur district Abdul Sattar Mandal.

In a condolence message, she prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Mandal passed away at Pirganj Upazila Health Complex around 11.45 pm on Thursday at the age of 75.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Ashrayan fosters inclusive development to help achieve SDGs

Ashrayan Project is empowering the marginalized people through inclusive development, as this housing project plays a vital role in alleviating poverty to help the country attain at least eight targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Ashrayan Project is now being used aptly as Sheikh Hasina Model for Inclusive Development, which has ushered in a new era of growth towards building a Bangladesh free from poverty and hunger.

Through the project, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina introduced a new dimension of growth and socio-economic development for the homeless populace based on the philosophy - ‘No one will be left behind.’

"Through the Ashrayan Project, the government is allocating land and building homes for free for the homeless and landless people, and supporting them to become self-reliant by engaging themselves in income-generating activities," Md. Sayeadul Arefin, Senior Assistant Secretary, Ashrayan-2 Project told BSS.

He said the initiative is not only providing the beneficiaries with land and housing, but also ensuring their inclusion in the development pathway by providing them with basic needs like food, clothing, accommodation, education and healthcare.

Ultra-poor, beggars, widows, the elderly people, women abandoned by their husbands, insolvent freedom fighters, climate victims, special communities such as the third gender, Dalit, Harijan community, small ethnic groups, physically challenged people etc. are given priority in the selection of beneficiaries.

Mastu Mia, 35 who used to live in a rented tin shed house in Nandanpur village with mother and three brothers.

As he belonged to the Hijra community, he did not get much support from the local people.

“I used to dance and sing on various occasions including weddings to earn money to lead my livelihood,” said Mastu Mia.

His life was endowed with sufferings and humiliation. On the occasion of Mujib Barsha, in Khatihata shelter project of Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila, he is currently living there with his family after receiving a gift of two decimals of land along with a semi-pucca house under the Ashrayan-2 Project. The market value of this property adjacent to Dhaka Sylhet highway is about TK 6,00,000 (six lakh). Mastu Mia, who had to live in rented house of someone else, got a permanent address and a chance to lead a better life.

He owned a grocery store next to the project with some of his savings and rearing poultry. With the income, he bought a CNG in installments a total of TK 3,00,000 .

Geeta Rani Das, 32, used to be disoriented thinking how her husband Bablu Das (40) , three daughters and a son would survive in the battle of survival from the sun, rain and storms in a meager lifestyle.

She lived in a rented house in a slum at Dumuria upazila in Khulna district. They could not even send their children to school during the difficult days.

Reality is often more beautiful than imagination as a memorable day came in the life of Geeta Rani Das.

In 2021, Geeta Rani got a semi-pucca house built on two decimals of land at Kanthaltala Ashrayan Project of Dumuria Upazila in Khulna given by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a priceless gift on the occasion of Mujib Barsho.

"It was my beyond imagination that i would have a house of my own. I am very happy now as I got a house along with land," she said.

Her husband Bablu Das now prepares cane baskets, twigs , cages and sells those in the Kanthaltala market.

Gita Rani supports her husband's work side by side with doing household works. Husband's income and what she earns from his own work is enough for them. Boys and girls are studying in a nearby school now.

The stories are similar to thousands of landless and homeless people who are beneficiaries of the Ashrayan Project.

Under the ‘Ashrayan-2 Project, the government ensured free housing to about 2,37,831 landless-homeless families on the occasion of Mujib Year alone, according to the project details.

A total of 5,55,617 landless and homeless families have been rehabilitated across the country till to date under the project since 1997.

Of them, 1, 60, 573 families have been rehabilitated through barrack houses, 1,53,853 families by building houses on land, owned by beneficiaries, 640 climate victim families on free flats in multi-storied buildings at Khurushkul Union of Cox’s Bazar district, 600 families of small ethnic communities through specially designed houses.

Some 100 families affected by river erosion, 1000 families affected by Cyclone Amphan have also been rehabilitated.

At the behest of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 400 sq. feet semi-pucca two rooms single-unit house was introduced on the occasion of the Mujib Year. The houses come with a long veranda in the front, a kitchen, and a sanitary latrine in the back. Apart from free electricity connections, access to safe drinking

water for the beneficiaries is also ensured.

‘Ashrayan’is a greater and broader concept than a merely housing project. Each of the landless-homeless beneficiaries gets ownership of two decimals of land along with a well-designed sustainable house. Consequently, a large number of people are leaving behind their landless identity. Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directives to not to leave anyone landless-homeless, the project has recently seen 52 Upazilas (sub-districts) and two districts landless-homeless free.

The reason for Bangladesh’s fast economic growth and poverty eradication is the policy of inclusive development and several other initiatives taken by the current government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangabandhu’s daughter brought the ultra-poor beggars, widows, destitute women and landless-homeless people under the coverage of social security programmes, by allocating land and building homes for them, which is a big step towards better distribution of resources. Other backward communities, such as climate victims, small ethnic groups, people of the third gender, migrated people, beggars, Dalits, Harijans etc. have also been brought under the coverage of the scheme.

It is a unique and one of the largest initiatives in the world that aims to include vulnerable and disadvantageous groups in the mainstream by providing with free of cost houses. Ashrayan Project has also rehabilitated leprosy patients, who are considered to be untouchable, at Bandabari Ashrayan Project.

Besides, specially designed houses have been built for the destitute members of small ethnic communities in three hill districts and the ethnic Rakhain community.

Moreover, families affected by the coal mine in Dinajpur’s Parbatipur, the Harijan community, beggars and all other people who have lagged behind are being brought into the mainstream development process. Apart from rehabilitation, the project is also creating employment opportunities for these underprivileged people.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Bhola trawler capsize: 5 bodies recovered, 2 missing

The bodies of five fishermen have been recovered of a fishing trawler capsize in Charfashion upazila of the district while two others still remain missing in the incident.

The bodies were recovered from different points in Charmantaz area of Patuakhali this afternoon, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Charfashion upazila Md. Al Noman told BSS.

The deceased are - Md. Harun Darji, Sharif Hossain, Sattar Hawlader, Noor Islam and Fazle Karim. All of them are residents of different unions of Charfashion upazila.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Charfashion upazila Md. Al Noman told BSS that the trawler went fishing with 12 fishermen from Samraj Fish Ghat of Charfashion on June 27 and it sank in a storm at the Tinchar point near Dhalchar area in the early morning of the next day. At the time, five fishermen came back alive and seven fishermen remained missing.

He also said that the search for the other two missing persons is going on. The district administration will pay Taka 20,000 to the family of each fisherman.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

RCC removes waste within evening of the Eid day

According to its commitment of waste removal as early as possible, Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) removed wastes of sacrificial animals within evening of the Eid day ensuring a neat and clean atmosphere to the city dwellers this morning.

RCC officials said they were determined to ensure the safe removal of sacrificial animal waste within midnight everywhere in the city but the job has been done much before.

Chief Conservancy Office Sheikh Mamun said all the wastes were kept in selected places, including the secondary transfer stations, after collection from the slaughtering points from where those were transported to the central landfill by midnight.

He said requisite manpower, including conservancy labourers and workers and others concerned, were engaged to remove the waste.

Under special arrangement, hydraulic trucks and tractors, skid rollers connected with water and jet spray trailers and vans were used for removing the wastes side by side with cleaning the slaughtering spots in all 30 Wards of the city.

Bleaching powder and other disinfectants were sprayed in all the spots presenting a clean and bad-smell free dawn before the city dwellers.

The city corporation had fixed 210 places for slaughtering sacrificial animals in the Eid-ul-Azha but the city dwellers had done the job in many more places.

Highlighting the aspects of safe and timely removal and disposal of animal waste Sheikh Mamun said adequate steps were adopted for motivating the city dwellers in this regard.

City dwellers were urged to use only the selected places for the purposes in the greater interest of making the metropolis along with its air and water free from pollution and other contamination.

Mustafizur Rahman, Public Relation Officer of RCC, said the conservancy workers had started collecting and removing wastes from all the slaughtering points, including 210 selected ones, at 11 am.

They completed transportation of 100 percent waste to secondary transfer stations within 7pm. Within the night, the wastes were shifted to the waste dumping yard.

He also said leave of all 1,377 conservancy workers engaged in sacrificial waste removal works had been cancelled.

After removing the wastes, 1,500 kilograms of bleaching powder and 1,200 kilograms of lime were sprayed in all the slaughtering points to make those disinfected.

Rahman said 24 trucks and two water trucks were used in the conservancy works and all the activities were monitored round the clock from the control room.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha