Day: September 14, 2023

The Pokhara Metropolitan City and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on Thursday signed a mutual cooperation project on job creation through Recycle Upcycle (RU) enterprises.

Mayor of Pokhara Dhan Raj Acharya and Deputy Chief KOICA Young-Hyun Lee signed the deal in Pokhara.

Prior to this, Pokhara and KOICA had signed the preliminary draft on the project.

The project is aimed at green job creation through recycling and upcycling in Pokhara Metropolitan City.

The project is expected to create RU enterprises and create green jobs in the city of Pokhara. From the project, capacity enhancement of the officials of the Metropolitan City, government stakeholders and RU enterprises would be carried out and create green employment.

Likewise, Green Venture Zone (GVZ) would be established and business equation assistance would be extended to the new RU enterprises.

The project activities will lead to behavioral change at the community level, where people will adopt waste segregation at household level. This will reduce the burden of Pokhara’s waste dumping site.

Similarly, Pokhara Metropolitan City will provide 5,090 square metres of area at Basundhara Park in Pokhara for the establishment of GVZ.

At the event, Mayor of Pokhara Dhan Raj Acharya said that waste management is a challenging job and the GVZ is being establishment to convert waste into asset. The project would link the youth to the employment and the waste would generate income, according to Acharya.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Prime Minister and Leader of the House today urged the countrymen to remain alert as none can play foul with the voting rights of the people.

"Stay alert so that none can play ducks and drakes with the voting franchise of the people," she told the Parliament while giving valedictory speech in the 24th session of the 11th parliament.

"Another session of the parliament will be in October next. And then, the national election will be held. If the people vote for us, we will come to here (treasury bench) otherwise we will go to there (opposition bench). We have no problem. We are leaving everything to the people," she said.

But, the prime minister reiterated her call upon the nation to remain cautious as none can hinder the country's continued democratic process alongside the progress made by the Awami League government despite economic meltdown and inflation across the globe.

But all will have to remain alert so that this progress won't be hampered, anyone can in no way play ducks and drakes with the voting rights of the people and the democratic trend won't be hampered, she said.

"I call upon all including the countrymen to remain alert to this end," she said.

The prime minister said the people of Bangladesh will march ahead with keeping its head high by maintaining the honour that has achieved by the Bangalees and Bangladesh on the global stage.

"The people of Bangladesh won't bow down their heads to any conspiracy," she continued.

The premier came down heavily on some foreign countries which are out to the election issue in Bangladesh.

She questioned why the countries did not raise voice against the previous farcical elections held in Bangladesh that included presidential election in 1977, parliamentary elections in 1979, 1981, 1986 and on 15th February 1996.

On the other side, all the elections held whether those are by-polls and local body election during the Awami League's regimes were transparent and peaceful ones, she said.

"When was more peaceful election in Bangladesh?" she questioned.

"When we are holding election in fair manner, questions are raised about the election. What does it mean? Why did questions raise about the election when Bangladesh is marching toward in terms of economic progress?" she said.

Former President Md Abdul Hamid gave patient hearing to her speech, sitting Padma Gallery of the Jatiya Sangsad.

Sheikh Hasina said there is no scarcity of essential items in the markets despite the fact that the countrymen have to suffer from inflation to some extent due to global economic downturn caused by Russia-Ukraine war.

"There is no deficit in production and we've taken all required measures for increasing the production," she said.

Coming down heavily on the unscrupulous businessmen for hiking in price of commodities in artificial ways by storing goods in godowns and reduce the price once the government takes measures.

The prime minister said she had already asked the commerce minister to monitor every market and put intelligence agencies on hot pursuit to find out as to why the prices of commodities see abnormal rising trend.

The prime minister said they have already taken necessary steps to check abnormal price hike of commodities.

Sheikh Hasina continued that there is no scarcity of foods in the country as over 17 lakh metric tonnes of foods are in government stock despite Bangladesh needs only 12 lakh metric tonnes of food to meet its demand.

The premier said the world is going through a food deficiency, asking the lawmakers and the countrymen not to leave a single inch of land uncultivated, and encourage others to boost food production so that Bangladesh won't have to depend on others.

About the reserve of foreign currencies, she assured the countrymen that there is nothing to worry about it as her government has maintained enough reserve to meet the three-month import expenditures.

The prime minister said they have already taken various steps to reduce the dollar crisis that arisen out of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.

About the universal pension scheme, she instructed the lawmakers to join the pension scheme and encourage the masses about the positive sides of taking part in the scheme.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

Kathmandu, Sept 15: President Ramchandra Paudel has extended best wishes to all Nepali children and their guardians on the occasion of the National Children's Day.

Giving a message of best wishes today, President Paudel reminded that Nepal has been observing the Day, advocating the rights of children. The constitution has ensured right to children as the fundamental rights, President added.

Similarly, there is a Child Rights Act, 2075, President Paudel said, urging all three layers of government to implement the legal and constitutional provisions on children's right.

Present Paudel further viewed all sides concerned including schools, civil society, rights defenders, governmental and non-governmental organizations could extend help in enforcing rights to children.

Source: National News Agency RSS

The 24th session of 11th parliament was prorogued on Thursday after nine sittings as the session started on Sept 3.

The Jatiya Sangsad's fourth session of the current 2023 year was convened aiming to endorse some important bills which were particularly important for the government before holding the next general elections scheduled on January in next year.

Before reading out the prorogation order of the president, Deputy Speaker Shamsul Huq Tuku presented an address of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman while attending an inauguration of the Supreme Court of an Independent Bangladesh in Dhaka on December 18, 1972.

The speech of Bangabandhu was collected from the Bangladesh Betar as the duration of the address was 18 minutes 32 seconds.

Jatiya Sangsad Leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina delivered her valedictory speech at the closing of the session. Leader of the Opposition Begum Raushan Ershad also spoke.

Three parliamentary standing committees were reconstructed during the session.

Notices of thirty-five treasury bills were received and seventeen parliamentary standing committees' reports also were placed during the session.

Along with the legal procedure, a total of 23 important notices were adopted under section 71.

A total of 25 questions where 11 were available for the prime minister's question and answer session and 739 for other ministers were received and 526 were answered by the ministers of the different ministries during the session.

Before reading out the prorogation order, the deputy speaker thanked all MPs of treasury and opposition benches.

Deputy Speaker Shamsul Huq Tuku also thanked all MPs, officials, journalists, law enforcers and fire service and civil defense personnel for their services for smoothly holding the parliament session.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)