Day: May 23, 2024

Kathmandu: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said none is above constitution in republic system. Minister Sharma said while inaugurating a photo exhibition the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) organized on the occasion of the Republic Day-2081 on Thursday. The exhibition organized in the premises of RSS central office, Bhadrakali, is focused on 'achievement of republic: base of prosperity'. Irrespective of the people holding post and power, law and constitution are equally applicable, so government is enforcing the law accordingly, Minister Sharma reminded. "When Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' was appointed, there was a negative narrative that republic failed to deliver. But, the government has been able to dispel the negative narrative by working untiringly for social justice, prosperity and good governance," Sharma, who is also the spokesperson of the government, argued. She went on to say that government had been successful to make quality achievemen t in information and technology (IT) sector. According to her, country was making a stride in infrastructures and development. Sharma informed that anyone found faulty on governance practice will be responsible individually rather than the republic system. The Minister, however, said government would receive positively the feedback from people. With the establishment of federal republic, Nepal made a significant progress on infrastructures, education, health and IT. She pointed out the need for disseminating news that create positive impact. The Minister appreciated the RSS photo exhibition on the occasion of the Republic Day. On the occasion, Officiating Secretary at Ministry, Gajendra Thakur, said the RSS photos were best medium to publicize the achievements of republic. RSS Executive Chairman Dharmendra Jha informed that the photo exhibition was organized to make broader publicity of the achievements the country made on infrastructures and development following the adoption of federal republic. The di splay series begun since last year will be continued next years too, he added. There are 95 photos put on display showing development works conducted in the places ranging from Marma of Darchula to Dharpu of Panchthar, Jha informed. Similarly, RSS General Manager Siddharaj Rai said the display would finely depict the developments the country made after the establishment of republic. These pictures are testament that foil the 'nothing happened' narrative. RSS has been disseminating factual news, he reminded. Joint Secretary at Ministry, Baburam Bhandari; RSS Board Members Dilliram Bhattarai and Krishna Adhikari; media educationist Prof Chiranjivi Khanal, General Manager at Gorkhapatra Corporation, Lal Bahadur Aidi; RSS deputy general managers, department chiefs, representatives of employees' union/associations and media persons attended the function. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Vice President of the Nepali Congress, Dhanraj Gurung, has said Nepal's system is not bad, but political tendency. Releasing a book 'Prajatantrik Darpan, 2081' amidst a programme organized by the Democratic Thoughts Society Makwanpur chapter in Hetauda city today, Gurung viewed once the wrong political tendency is curbed, it would help dissipate public despair. Nepali Congress is ready for cooperating with the initiative to bring to book the leaders involved in corruption, he vowed, reiterating, "NC is against corruption. We can begin anti-corruption drive from ourselves." On the occasion, district president of the party, Buddha Lama, said the Democratic Thoughts Society had an important role to consolidate democracy. Central Chairman of the Society, Kulchandra Wagle, time has come to strengthen institutional development of the Society by linking to democracy, federal government and people. Former central chairman of the Society, Dr Kedar Narsingh KC, said the institution having intellectuals on board sh ould paly a vital role to rescue democracy from casualty. Democratic Fighter Awards was conferred on Ashok Shrestha, Yadav Raj Parajuli, Parameshwor Blon, Harinanda Kharel and the late Ishwor Chandra Agrawal. Source: National News Agency Nepal

A total of five teachers from public universities of Bangladesh will get the opportunity to do PhD every year under a fellowship at the famous McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The cost of this fellowship will be borne jointly by the Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC) and McGill University, a press release said here today. UGC and McGill University have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce an international joint PhD fellowship programme, the release added. Under the MoU, McGill-UGC fellows will be paid approximately 25,900 Canadian dollars per year by UGC for health and living insurance, food, accommodation and salary assistance. Besides, UGC will carry the cost of round trip air fare of each fellow. On the other hand, the McGill University authorities will bear the cost of about 20,214 Canadian dollars per student each year for full tuition fees and ancillary costs. A fellow /student can avail the aforesaid facilities for maximum four years, the MoU m entioned. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

A woman died in a tiger attack in Bardiya district today. The victim is Manisha Rokaya, 35, of Hasanapur from Baijanath rural municipality-8 of neighbouring district, Banke. Tulsiram Aryal, Deputy Superintendent of Police at Bardiya District Police Office, informed that Rokaya died in the tiger attack near Janachetana community forest of Bansgadhi municipality-4. However, her sister Kailash Pati Tharu, 40, escaped the attack. They were going together to Bansgadhi municipality-4. Chief of the Division Forest Office, Bardiya, Prabin Bidari, informed that investigation into the incident was underway. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said the mosque-based teaching programme has been contributing a lot towards ensuring education to the grassroots children, particularly coming from the underprivileged and distressed families, throughout the country. The present government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been implementing the mosque-based children and mass-education project aimed at ensuring education and education expansion in phases. Under the project, mainly the neglected and poor communities are getting benefits. Mayor Liton came up with the observation while addressing a daylong seminar titled "Importance of Mosque-based Children and Mass-education programme" as chief guest here today. Commissioner office of Rajshahi division and Divisional office of Islamic Foundation (IF) jointly organized the seminar at IF divisional office conference hall supported by the project. Commissioner of Rajshahi division Dr Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir spoke as special guest with IF Divisio nal Director Muhammad Anisuzzaman Shikder in the chair. Prof Barkullah Bin Durul Huda from the Department of Islamic Studies in Rajshahi University, Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police Faisal Mahmud, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohinul Hassan and Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Nur Alam Siddiqui also spoke. Mayor Liton said the beneficiary children are being taught different subjects, including Bangla, Mathematics, English, Arabic, Morality and social and religious values. He also said the main thrust of the project is to make the grassroots and other marginalized children enlighten through giving pre-primary education after the best uses of mosque-based infrastructures. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, today inaugurated a photo exhibition organised by the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) on the occasion of the Republic Day-2081 BS. The event themed "Accomplishments of Republic: Infrastructure for Prosperity" has commenced at the RSS central office, Bhadrakali in Kathmandu. The exhibition features photos highlighting various infrastructure development projects from the central to local levels which were used by the RSS photo service. It includes 90 photos of the historic monuments rebuilt after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, of human, education, health and industrial developments, of road, drinking water, electricity projects and so on. The exhibition includes the development endeavours from all seven provinces. The RSS organised this kind of photo exhibition first time last year on the occasion of Republic Day and the theme of the exhibition was "Our Culture: Our Heritage". Photos related to energy, airport, tourism, roads, brid ges, reconstructed heritages, postal highway, Mulpani Cricket Ground, Kathmandu-Madhes fast track, Sunkoshi-Marin diversion multi-purpose project, solar panel, 4G towers of telephone, national pride projects and pride projects of provinces have been put on display in the exhibition. Executive Chairperson of RSS, Dharmendra Jha, and General Manager Siddha Raj Rai, among others welcomed Minister Sharma at the RSS premises. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Twenty industrial units under six categories have received 'President's Industrial Development Award-2021' for their outstanding contribution to the national economy. Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun today handed over the awards as the chief guest at a function at Osmani Memorial auditorium in the city while Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) President Mahbubul Alam attended the function as special guests. Senior Secretary of the Industries Ministry Zakia Sultana presided over the function. In his speech, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun highlighted the ministry's ongoing efforts to sustain industrial dynamism by establishing new factories, modernising old ones and upgrading machinery. This initiative aims to encourage industrial entrepreneurs to improve the quality of their products and contribute further to the nation's economic growth, he added. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said, Banglades h is moving forward to become a developed country. In the last one decade, unprecedented infrastructural development has been achieved in the country, he added. Zakia Sultana said the present government is patronizing creative activities and always encouraging innovative works. This industry award will contribute to national economic progress by encouraging entrepreneurs, she added. Among the 20 industrial units, six in Large Industry Category, three in Medium Industry Category, four in Small Industry Category, three in Micro Industry Category, three in Cottage Industry Category and one in Hi-Tech Industry Category received the award. In the large industry category, three companies shared the first place: Ecotex, Pran Dairy, and Mir Akhter Hossain. Square Food and Beverage took second place, while Snowtex Outerwear and Square Toiletries jointly secured third place. In the medium industry category, Bengal Poly and Paper Sack won first place, Basumati Distribution came second, and APS Apparels took thir d place. In the small industry category, The Reliable Builders and Concord Entertainment Company shared first place, Rangpur Foundry secured second place, and Gunze United came third. In the micro-industry category, Fariha Green Mood Leathers won first place, ABM Water Company took second, and Deeplaid Laboratories secured third place. In the cottage industry category, Blue-Star Agro Products and Industries took first place, Preeti Beauty Parlour came second, and Lehaz Salma Jubo Women's Welfare Organisation secured third place. In the high-tech industry category, Bizz Solutions Limited was awarded. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said the government is to accord top priority to the agricultural sector in the budget for a new fiscal year in line with the government's new policies and programmes. In his address to a programme organised by the Konjyosom rural municipality today, the Prime Minister said the agricultural sector will highly benefit from the policies, programmes and budget for the upcoming fiscal year. He said the growth in productivity and job creation are the priorities of the fresh policies and programmes. He said the third Investment Summit hosted by the government last month (April 28-29) concluded successfully and enthusiastically and a draft project was proposed for addressing the water need of the Kathmandu Valley people by fetching water from the local Thotne River. "I am hopeful that the proposed project will secure foreign investment," he said. Hinting the potentiality of developing some wards in the rural municipality into new cities, the Prime Minister pledge d a feasibility study in this regard in the days to come. On the occasion, the Prime Minister unveiled three idols of Buddha suggesting varied forms of Buddha (Konjyosom) and it coincided with the 2568th Buddha Jayanti. He said three roads in this area, namely Lele-Chandanpur, Nallu-Chaughare-Unyuchaur-Manikhel-Gotikhel and the Birkhedhara-Dalchoki-Sankhu-Ikudol, are in the process of developing as the 'life line' of south Lalitpur, and expressed the belief that with this the south Lalitpur will make a leap in its development. Stating that Konjyosom is the place close to the Kathmandu Valley from where one can have an enthralling sight-seeing, PM Dahal underscored on making income through the promotion of the rural economy and tourism. He added that tourism destinations like this in the rim of the federal capital have a special role in extending the duration of stay of tourists and earning foreign exchange. The Prime Minister stated that this region has high potentiality in terms of agriculture, vegetable cultivation, dairy farming and milk and meat production, and the people of this area can take maximum benefit through the agriculture modernization, mechanization, diversification and marketization. "Konjyosom rural municipality, which is inhabited by approximately 78 per cent Tamang community, has been named in the Tamang language, reflecting the local identity. This has contributed significantly to promoting the diverse culture within the rural municipality as well as in developing the region as a natural and cultural tourism destination," PM Dahal said. He expressed the confidence that such constructive activities will also make qualitative contribution in the tourism promotion as well, besides establishing the identity and self-respect of the oppressed classes, castes and communities through the promotion of local language, art and culture. Noting that the all the three tiers of the government - federal, provincial and local - have a role and contributed in the construction of the Konjyosom Statue, PM Dahal said the three statues built with the joint investment and partnership of the three levels of government will also represent the historical value of this area. Source: National News Agency Nepal

A day-long medical camp was held today at Radhaganj union parishad premises in Kotalipara upazila of the district at the initiative of Dhaka Range of Ansar and Village Defense Party (VDP) to provide treatment and medicine to the poor patients free of cost. A K M Ziaul Alam, Deputy Director General of Dhaka Range of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP inaugurated the medical camp as the chief guest in the morning. The chief guest said, "We are conducting medical campaign in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's constituency in Kotalipara at the special advice and guidance of Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP Major General AKM Aminul Haque from as part of social responsibility and we will hold free medical camps all over the country''. Gopalganj District Commandant of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defense Party Md Fazle Rabbi and 23-Ansar Battalion Captain Manzur Morshed, among others, spoke on the occasion. Four doctors of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defense Party provided medical treatment and free medicine s among the 500 poor, helpless patients of the area. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, has expressed the view that it would be helpful to lessen growing conflict and violence in the world if Buddhism could be propagated and imbibed. At a special ceremony organised here today on the occasion of the 2568th Buddha Jayanti and Lumbini Day, DPM Shrestha shared that the government has been taking initiatives in international level for the development of Lumbini. Similarly, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hit Bahadur Tamang, stressed on running international-standard investment summit. Likewise, Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Jokh Bahadur Mahara, mentioned that it is a matter of great pride for Lumbini Province for having a holy place of Buddhists of the world and birthplace of pioneer of the world peace in the province. Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, underlined that Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, is not only for the Buddhists, it is for all entire human. Stating that Lumbini has become the fertile land spreading Buddhist philosophy, UN Resident Coordinator of Nepal, Hanna Singer, wished for world peace. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Nepal, Air Chief Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, said Buddhism is very important for the world peace. Talking about the importance of Buddha Purnima, Ambassador of Thailand to Nepal, Suwapong Sirison, mentioned that it was luck to come at Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Similarly, General-Secretary of Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, Indra Mani Pandey, pointed out the need of Buddhist philosophy in the world. On the occasion, various personalities were honoured and awarded. Source: National News Agency Nepal

A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify and reach Bangladesh and adjoining India's West Bengal coasts as a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday (May 26) evening. The cyclone in the Bay of Bengal will be named 'Remal', according to a system of naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean region. This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The IMD said the system will concentrate into a depression over central Bay of Bengal by Friday morning. It will further intensify into a cyclonic storm on Saturday morning and reach Bangladesh and the adjoining India's West Bengal coast as a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening. According to the IMD, the cyclone could reach a wind speed of 102 kilometres per hour on Sunday. The IMD has warned of very heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of India's West Bengal, north Odisha, Mizoram, Tripura and south Manipur on May 26-27. Cyclonic storms are intensifying rapidly and retain ing their potency for longer periods due to warmer sea surface temperatures, a result of oceans absorbing most of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions. The past 30 years have witnessed the highest sea surface temperatures since records began in 1880. According to IMD scientist, warmer sea surface temperatures mean more moisture, which is favourable for the intensification of cyclones. The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are very warm at present, so a tropical cyclone can easily form, said the IMD. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Stakeholders concerned have called for promoting green energy to address issues related to climate change. Participating in a session on Economic Growth, Clean Energy, and Green Economy during the ongoing two-day international expert dialogue on "Mountain, People, and Climate Change" in the capital since Wednesday, various voices advocated for the promotion of a green economy. House of Representatives (HoR) member Dr Swarnim Wagle said that global efforts are necessary to mitigate the impacts of climate change. He said switching to a green economy could enable us to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. He said carbon emission is rising worldwide, primarily due to the actions of wealthy nations. The lawmaker and economist stressed the necessity of promoting green energy to reduce the greenhouse gas effect and urged for the implementation of a zero-carbon strategic plan along with the promotion of renewable energy by the government. Professor Dr Shobhakar Dhakal proposed adop ting sustainable measures to address the impacts of climate change and develop the green economy in collaboration with the private sector. Dr Catarina Camarinhas, Country Programme Manager of UN-Habitat, Myanmar, advocated for the promotion of a green economy to mitigate the risks associated with climate change. As she voiced, encouraging the consumption of clean energy will contribute to reducing carbon emissions. Dr Mark Tadross, UNDP South Africa's Technical Advisor, called for the widespread use of technology to assess the risks of climate change consequences. He warned that if climate change continues to threaten water resources, the demand for drinking water will increase, leading to an acute water crisis with multiple consequences. Source: National News Agency Nepal