Day: August 2, 2023

Eighteen leaders put forth their views on the brief report of Chairperson of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' in the fourth plenary meeting of the party central committee that began on Wednesday.

During the meeting held at Kamaladi-based Nepal Academy, the leaders expressed their views regarding restructure of the party, its working style, effectiveness and government's performance. A central committee member Madhav Sapkota shared that the leaders put forth their views being focused on the issue of giving new life to the party and downsizing the organisational structures.

In the beginning of the meeting, Chair Dahal presented a proposal of making the organisational structures smooth and manageable, sending party rank and file to ward-level, conducting three-month special campaign, organising a statute convention and making the party smooth and efficient through convention.

Earlier, he expressed the view regarding necessity of the meeting as well as political and organisation report. Chair Dahal mentioned that the activities carried out by the government under his leadership has raised new hope among the people.

"The programmes forwarded by the party, initiatives and activities carried out by the party after the formation of a government under the leadership of his party has raised new hope among the people', he shared.

The CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair expressed the belief that the central committee meeting would make the activities carried out by the government more systematic, effective and create environment to move ahead as per the need of the nation and people.

"It is necessary to strengthen national unity and sovereignty. The central committee will hold discussion and draw a conclusion to strengthen it", he viewed.

Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara informed that statute amendment proposal presented by the Chair was passed unanimously.

The Maoist Centre would be made more inclusive by ensuring at least 25 percent women presence in the central committee. The CC would have 409 members.

The meeting will continue next day at 11:00am.

Source: National News Agency-Nepal

Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina today sought vote for her party's electoral symbol 'Boat' in the next general election and give them another chance to serve the people.

"People have got country's independence by casting vote for the boat... the country's development happens only when Awami League remains in power. Fortunes of the people have changed, electricity has reached every house and Bangladesh is marching ahead as the Awami League is in power," she said.

She was addressing the AL's divisional grand rally at Rangpur Zilla School here that turned into a human sea as the venue and its surrounding areas were full to the brim with participation of tens of thousands of people from all strata, including leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate bodies.

The mammoth rally was organised by Rangpur District and City Awami League.

Sheikh Hasina said she considered the people of Bangladesh as her near and dear ones after losing her father, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, mother and brothers on August 15, 1975.

"If required, I am ready to sacrifice my life like my father to change the fate of the countrymen," she said.

At the rally, she also inaugurated 27 newly constructed development projects and laid foundation stones of five other schemes involving over Tk 2000 crore.

The premier reached the venue around 3:25 in the afternoon.

She earlier arrived at Rangpur cantonment helipad by a helicopter at 01:13pm from where she was escorted to the Rangpur Circuit House where she held a meeting with Rangpur divisional government officials.

AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, AL Central Committee Treasurer HN Ashiqur Rahman, Organising Secretary Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan and Rangpur district AL Convener AKM Sayadat Hossain Bokul, among others, spoke at the rally.

Rangpur City AL Convener Dr Delwar Hossain presided over the meeting.

Senior leaders of the Awami League were also present on the dais.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been working to change the fate of the masses, including farmers, labourers and hard working people, since assuming office.

"We have been able to reduce the poverty and make Bangladesh free from hunger," she said, adding that Bangladesh is now being recognised as a model for development in the world due to her government's massive works to ensure overall socio-economic advancement of the country.

"Bangladesh has changed a lot in every aspect particularly in socio-economic advancement in the last 14 and a half years," she said.

In this connection, the premier said her government has given a budget of Taka 7,61,785 crore for the FY 2023-24 while the BNP government's last budget was of Taka 61,000 crore.

She said her government has given a development budget of Taka 2 lakh crore while it was only Taka 21,000 crore during the BNP tenure.

The Prime Minister said her government has transformed Bangladesh into a digital and developing country and has been working to make it a smart and developed country by 2041.

"Awami League has proved time and again that the fortune of the countrymen changed when they voted the party to power," she said.

On the contrary, she said the BNP makes their fortunes by committing unbridled corruption when it assumes power and carries out arson terrorism and destruction while in opposition.

"They (BNP) did nothing for the welfare of the people," she said.

Briefly describing her government's measures for overall development of Rangpur division, particularly Rangpur district, Sheikh Hasina said her government has made Rangpur a division and built everything possible required to be a divisional city.

She said her government has built Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, an agricultural university in Kurigram, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aerospace and Aviation University in Lalmonithat.

"One day Bangladesh will go to moon and build plane after getting education from the aerospace and aviation university," she said.

The premier said her government has been upgrading the Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur Highway into four-lane and is making the Syedpur Airport as an international one so that India, Bhutan and Nepal can use it for mutual benefit in business and commerce.

She said they have built a 150 MW power plant in Syedpur and has taken measures to build a power plant after importing diesel from Assam in India.

The government has built a 200 MW solar power plant in Lalmonirhat, she said.

She said they have built Rangpur Rural Development Academy, 100-bed children hospital and a police hospital in Rangpur.

The Prime Minister said they will restart the famous Chilmari Port and Rangpur Suger Mill alongside implementing the Teesta Master Plan.

She said her government is set to build economic zone in Rangpur district which will generate huge employments in the region.

The Prime Minister said the works on canal digging and river dredging have been going on in Rangpur division.

"No government did such massive works for overall development of Rangpur," she said.

She said due to her government's initiatives 'Monga' never returned in eight districts of the Rangpur region.

"We have taken measures in such a way for the development of Rangpur so that Monga never returns," she added.

The Prime Minister said that today she inaugurated 27 development schemes and laid foundation stones of five others including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Planetarium to make sure overall development of Rangpur.

"I have been making arrangements for the development of Rangpur region in such a way so that every sector gets boosted in terms of development," she said.

The projects of which foundation stones were laid by the premier are: the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre, Rangpur Regional office of Bangladesh Public Service Commission Secretariat, Bitac Centre of Rangpur district, women hostel for Rangpur Medical College and regional office of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA).

The premier opened five development programmes under Youth and Sports Ministry. These are- Sheikh Russell Media Centre, Sheikh Russell Indoor Stadium, Sheikh Russell Swimming Pool, Rangpur Palichara Stadium and Divisional Women Sports Complex.

The inaugurated projects under Rangpur City Corporation are - Rangpur City Central Bus Terminal, Rangpur City Asphalt Plant and Store Yard.

Under Agriculture Ministry, the projects are - The Nalaya River Re-excavation (19.14 kilometres), Alaikumari River Re-excavation (19.24 kilometre), Noimulla Beel Re-excavation (14.57 acre), Chithli Feel Re-excavation (19.63 acres), Varardaha and Patuakamri Beel Re-excavation (22.89 acres).

The projects under the Local Government and Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry are - development works of road from Pirgacha upazila's Chowdhurani GC to Shathibari R&H, Rehabilitation works of road from Pirgacha upazila's Vendabari to Khalashpir GC, Rehabilitation works of road from Kaunia upazila's Tepamdhupur GC to Paotana GC, construction of 96 metre bridge over Ghaghat river at Gopalganj Ghat in Mithapukur Upazila, construction of 40 metre bridge on Burirhaat GC- Kakina R&H road in Gangachara upazila and construction works of Pallimari government primary school cum shelter in Kaunia upazila.

The projects under Health Engineering Department are - Rangpur Medical College Multipurpose Building, Helencha 10-bed Mother and Child Welfare Centre at Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur, office of Divisional Health Director of Rangpur Division, Matharganj 10-bed Mother and Child Welfare Centre at Pirganj upazila in Rangpur, 14 No Chatra 10-bed Mother and Child Welfare Centre at Pirganj upazila in Rangpur, 10 bed Begum Rokeya Modern Hospital of Payraband union of Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur and Khalashpir 10-bed Mother and Child Welfare Centre at Pirganj upazila in Rangpur.

The other projects are - the preservation of 2,540 metre river banks in Pirganj upazila and office building of inspection of Rangpur Factories and Organizations.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina said that the federal level government should be liberal on devolution of power to the sub-national governments.

In an interaction organized by the National Concerns and Coordination Committee under the National Assembly on Wednesday, Chairperson Timilsina viewed that the tendency to concentrate rights to the federal level is contrary to the spirit of federalism, which must end.

"The federal government should be liberal while handing down budget and rights to the local level. The tendency of retaining rights should be ended. There should be certain criteria for connecting one province with another. Plans could be made in another way on the basis of population," the NA Chairperson viewed.

Stating that we could not realize development works with the current system of budget formulation and allocation, he pressed for allocation of budget in accordance to the plan and programmes rather than in the names of parliamentarians, provincial members and people's representatives. The role of people's representatives of all three levels is important for intergovernmental relations as per the spirit of federalism, he insisted.

"The NA had directed for effective implementation of constitution," said Timilsina, calling for attention towards removing duplication of budget, plan and programmes and implementation of those programmes among the three-tier government.

On the occasion, Bagmati Province's Speaker Bhuwan Kumar Pathak spoke of the need to embrace federalism fully for devolution. He complained that the federalism was not actively enforced in the country as envisaged by the constitution.

Stating that NA had representation from people's representatives from all three tiers, he argued NA could be a platform to resolve all these problems.

Likewise, National Concerns and Coordination Committee's President Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa underscored coordination among the three-tier government for formulation of law and budget. According to her, the major functions of the NA was to provide expert service, to make policy, conduct parliamentary oversight, making the Executive accountable to the people, regulating and directing the Executive, conduct parliamentary hearing and strengthening federalism, among others.

"It is the responsibility of the National Assembly to give instruction to the government regarding removal of duplication of rights among the three-tier governments," she said.

Advocate Mohan Lal Acharya opined that there were inadequate laws regarding concurrent rights of three layers of government.

Present in the interaction were province members, municipality mayors and rural municipalities' chairpersons among others who voiced their opinions about various aspects of intergovernmental coordination.

Source: National News Agency-Nepal

The parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of defense today recommended for taking necessary steps for employing required manpower at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

The recommendation came at the 24th meeting of the committee held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here with its Chairman Mohammad Subid Ali Bhuiyan in the chair.

The committee also discussed in detail about the programmes of Bangladesh Meteorological Department and the initiatives taken for modernization of Department of Land Records and Survey, said a Parliament Secretariat press release here today.

Committee members Muhammad Faruque Khan, MP, M illius Uddin Mollah, MP, Nazmul Hasan MP, M Nasir Uddin MP, Mohammad Mohibur Rahman MP and Nahid Ijhar Khan, MP, among others, attended the meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting, the committee members recalled the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujb and other martyrs members of their family who were brutally killed on August 15 in 1975 with deep respect.

Similarly, all the martyrs who were killed in the grenade attack on August 21 in 2004 were also remembered by the committee.

Concerned parliament secretariat officials, senior defense ministry and high profile officials from three services including the senior secretary of the defense ministry, among others, attended the meeting.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated a 200 megawatt (MW) solar power plant title, Teesta Solar Limited from a gathering at Rangpur Zila School ground.

Beximco Power has constructed the country's largest solar power plant at Sundarganj in Gaibandha, said a press release.

The power plant has commenced power generation and transmission to the national grid from December 2022 on a trial basis.

About the project, Shayan F. Rahman, Chairman of Beximco Power Limited, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has a roadmap for global warming and environment protection.

The government is doing a lot of work on it, he added.

He said Beximco is a pioneer in many sectors.

"We think, the renewable energy sector will be very important for future energy. So we have taken decision to invest here," he added.

He said the project is a crucial solution to the power crisis in the northern region, which is facing challenges due to its dependence on imported primary fuels and the pressure it places on the country's forex reserves.

Mentioning that this project is 100 percent owned by Beximco Power Limited, he further said, "We launched the first green Sukuk bond, sharia-compliant bonds, in the country to finance this project. We have spent about US$300 million in this project. In the future, we are thinking of setting up more solar power plants as per government plans."

The construction of the power plant started in 2017. Around 5.50 lakh solar panels were installed.

To connect the produced electricity to the national grid, a 35 km power transmission line of 122 towers of 132 kilo volts has been constructed.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha