Day: June 25, 2024

Kathmandu: Nepal has clinched seven medals, including five gold, one silver and one bronze, in the Seventh Asia Cup Open International Taekwondo Championship organized in Goa of India. Seven players had participated in the Championship and all won medals, said National Sports Council (NSC). The Nepali team won six medals in Kyorugi and one medal in Pumse department. Ranjit Dagaura, Kumar Lawat and Praveen Jung Khadka each won a gold medal in the Male Senior under 80 kgs, under 68 kgs and under 58 kgs categories respectively. Similarly, Sanyog Khadka clinched gold medal in the Male Junior under 23 kgs and Susandhya Khadka also won gold in the Cadet Female under33 kgs categories. Likewise, Raghunath Bhandari won silver medal in the Junior Male under 32 kgs while Abhas Dev a bronze medal in the U-12 single Pumse category. Deepesh Joshi is the instructor and Sarita Thapa the team manager for the Nepali team. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman today paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his mausoleum at Tungipara in Gopalganj. He offered doa and munajat seeking eternal peace of departed souls of all martyrs of August 15, 1975 including Father of the Nation and his family members, said an ISPR release. The army chief signed the visitor's book kept there. Adjutant general, military secretary, GOC, 55th Infantry Division and Area Commander, Jashore Area, senior army officers of army headquarters, officers of Jashore Area and journalists of print and electronic media were present. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Speakers here on Tuesday (today) said students' role is vital to build a Smart Bangladesh. 'Smart Bangladesh of the future will move forward holding the hands of students. To realise Bangabandhu's dream, our boys and girls should take the lead and show outstanding performance in education, sports and social welfare,' they said in a seminar style ' Role of our boys and girls for building 'Smart Bangladesh ( Smart Bangladesh Binirmane Amader Kishore -Kishorira),' held at a hotel (City Inn) in the city. Organized by the Police Nari Kallyan Samity (PUNAK) of Khulna, president of 'PUNAK' Dr Tayeba Mussarrat Zahan Chowdhury, addressed the seminar as chief guest. Chaired by Rowshon Zahan Nupur, advisor of PUNAK Khulna Range Police, Principal of Government Brozolal College professor Dr Sharif Atiquzzaman addressed the occasion as the key speaker. Among others, Psychiatrist specialist of Khulna Medical College Dr Sohel Hasan, Zila Legal Aid Officer Md Sharifur Raman, Additional Director of the Department of NARCOT ICS Md Ahsanur Rahman, also spoke. Over 200 students, teachers, guardians, journalists and leaders of civil society joined the seminar. Speakers also said parents and teachers also have to play an important role in making students smart citizens of 'Smart Bangladesh.' Admiring the initiative of Khulna 'PUNAK' for building awareness among students, children, kishore-kishori for their future role of building 'Smart Bangladesh,' and for turning misguided children, boys and girls into main stream of the society, the chief guest said 'The youth are the life force of society and future leaders of the country. Bangabandhu's dream - 'Sonar Bangla' and 'Smart Bangladesh' - will be established by developing the country's youths.' Later, the PUNAK president Dr Tayeba inaugurated the newly built library of Udyan Khulna Zila Police School and presented different furniture and books to the school authority. She distributed stipend and books of Bangabandhu's autobiography among the students. The chief guest also distri buted food among the 'DALIT' community and planted trees on the school premises. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has implemented drainage and approach road projects aimed at freeing the city from water-logging together with making the pedestrian movement easy. Various works including construction of a two kilometer road, culverts and railings were completed with an estimated cost of around Taka 4.27 crore. The infrastructure development works were implemented under a project titled "Drain Construction for Removing Water-logging in Rajshahi city (Third Phase)" in order to install a planned drainage system through removing its existing constraints. Another eight-kilometer road has also been constructed besides 11 drainages under the project in order to make the pedestrian movement side by side with the process of removing garbage and waste from the drains easy and smooth. City Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said around seventy-five percent of Rajshahi city areas are almost freed from water-logging after implementation of the drain construction project. Salient feature of the project was to improve the physical infrastructural environment through building a time-fitting and sustainable water sewerage system that will contribute a lot towards attaining the cherished goal of boosting working capacity and economic condition of the city. Chief Engineer Nur Islam told BSS that the project has been implemented as continuation of implementation of the previous first and second phases as per the recommendations of a 27-year drainage master plan. Under the Taka 193.29-crore project, construction works of 93.40-km drains including 67.75-km tertiary and 19.29-km secondary ones are on the final stage with the main thrust of freeing the city's lion-portion areas from water-logging within near future. Four railway culverts were expanded besides construction of 8.67-km approach roads in addition to the procurement of two long-boom excavators and two rubber trucks under the project. Problems related to unfit and narrow sections of the present drains and its low-sewerage capacity were removed. All the culverts were also widened besides removing the silts from the base of the drains to enhance the sewerage capacity under this project. Engineer Islam said the physical infrastructure development works were implemented in order to attain the goal of developing the overall environmental health system through building an effective and permanent water sewerage system in the city. The project, as a whole, will contribute a lot towards freeing the city's 75 percent areas from water-logging and more than 70 percent of the population will be benefited either directly or indirectly from the improved physical infrastructures. Earlier, 54 percent city areas were freed from water-logging and 60 percent of people benefited with implementation of the two previous phases of the drainage project. Under the first phase, 32.87-km drains were constructed at a cost of around Taka 23.07 crore while other 16.53-km drains at a cost of around Taka 21.59 crore under the second phase belong to the drainage master plan by t his year end. "We have started formulating another long-term master plan to bring the untouched as well as gradually expanding areas under the drainage network in the years to come," added Nur Islam. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Speakers at a function today urged students to acquire knowledge and side by side help the government materialize the dream of building Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 'Besides acquiring knowledge, every student should develop a mindset to get involved in nation building activities being imbued with the ideology of Bangabandhu,' they said while speaking at a farewell reception of students, who will sit for HSC exams from Gobindaganj Govt. College this year at the auditorium of the college. Principal Abul Kalam Azad, MP, was present as the chief guest at the programme. Besides, Upazila parishad chairman ShakilAkonda Bulbul, mayor of Gobindaganj Municipality Mukitur Rahman Rafi, vice chairman of upazila parishad Abdul MatinMollah and female vice chairman Papiya Roy Pakhi spoke at the function as the special guests. Speaking at the programme, Principal Abul Kalam Azad said the government is constructing multi- storied academic buildings for the students across the country to impr ove the learning environment. 'Not only that, the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also providing free books, educational materials, stipends to the students to make them worthy citizens of the country,' he also said. The local lawmaker urged the teachers to be more professional to turn the college into a 'knowledge acquiring center' in a bid to produce more brilliant students from the college in the days to come. Presided over by principal of the college Bashir Ahmed, the function was also addressed, among others by vice president of upazila awami league Kamrul Hasan Fahian, joint secretary Miah Asaduzzaman Hiru and organizing secretary Mamunur Rashid Mamun. A large number of students, teachers, guardians, local elite, and invited persons attended the function. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The OPEC Fund will sign a framework agreement for 3 to 5 years for having a wider cooperation with Bangladesh. President of OPEC Fund Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said this in a meeting with Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Austria. A fruitful discussion was held between them. The Finance Minister thanked OPEC Fund for its contribution in the socio-economic development of Bangladesh by providing $693.61 million in favour of 32 projects, said a press release. Ali thanked the Fund for helping Bangladesh during the crying time of COVID by providing a budget support. He also acknowledged the Fund's initiative in providing support to the private sector of Bangladesh. He urged the Fund to provide more support in building a part of "Smart Bangladesh". In response, the President of OPEC Fund stated that he was amazed by the recent development of Bangladesh. As a trusted development partner, he assured that the OPEC Fund will surely increase its development support for Bangladesh. Dr Abdulhamid accep ted the idea of having a Framework Agreement given by the Finance Minister and mentioned that OPEC will sign the Framework Agreement for 3-5 years to have a wider cooperation. The release said a high-powered Bangladesh delegation led by Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali is visiting Vienna, Austria for 23-26 June to attend OPEC Fund Development Forum 2024. State Minister of Finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan, the Ambassador of Bangladesh in Austria Asad Alam Siam and Additional Secretary, Economic Relations Division Mirana Mahrukh accompanied him during the visit. Earlier on yesterday, Ali attended the 25th Anniversary of OPEC Fund Private Sector Operations. The Finance Minister met the Acting Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) Waleed Al-Bahar. He thanked the KFAED for its continued support and assistance in the form of concessional loan and grant since 1974. Ali requested him to increase its support in days to come. The acting Director General acknowledged the r ecent development of Bangladesh and assured that the Fund will continue to support Bangladesh in a more productive way. Along with the public sector, he would like to extend support for the private sector of Bangladesh also. After the meeting a Loan Agreement for the "Chunkuri Bridge Project" on Chunkuri River in Khulna district was also signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the KFAED Fund. The total cost of the project is $86.91 million among which $42.20 will be given by the KFAED and $30 million will be given by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. The project aims to enhance the economic and social development of the south west region of Bangladesh and to ease the movement of passengers and freight through a direct road connection of the region with the capital city Dhaka. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

A delegation of Sandhani, the pioneer of voluntary blood donation and post-mortem eye donation movement in Bangladesh, today paid a courtesy call on President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban here this afternoon. Social Welfare Minister Dr Dipu Moni led the delegation. During the meeting, the President was apprised of overall activities of Sandhani by the delegation. Later, President's Press Secretary Md. Joynal Abedin told BSS about the outcome of the meeting. They (the delegation) presented detailed information on the elimination of blindness by transplanting corneas collected through post-mortem eye donation and blood donation of amniotic patients. He said since its inception, the Sandhani has been playing a commendable role in motivating and encouraging people to donate blood and post-mortem eye donation. "If people are encouraged in all these activities, it will be possible to reduce corneal blindness to a large extent . . . besides, ensuring the collection and supply of pure blood for patients, " the Head of State added. President Shahabuddin directed the implementation of incentive programmes in every medical educational institution across the country as well as other educational institutions to encourage voluntary blood donation and post-mortem eye donation. He assured all concerned of extending all-out cooperation in the activities of the Sandhani. Bangabhaban Secretary Md Wahidul Islam Khan, Military Secretary Major General M Adil Chowdhury and President's Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin were present during the meeting. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Canada is supporting Bangladesh to improve primary healthcare systems for women, children, and adolescents through its partnership with UNICEF and UNFPA. A five-year project, titled "Health System Strengthening for Primary Health Care", will address critical gaps in the healthcare system, particularly in five underserved rural areas (Kurigram, Bhola, Khagrachari, Sherpur, and Sunamganj) and will reduce maternal and child mortality while promoting gender equality and access to quality health care. Despite progress over the past decade, maternal mortality in Bangladesh remains a significant concern. This rate has decreased from 194 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 136 in 2023, a reduction of around 30 per cent. However, this reduction is still far from the Sustainable Development Goal of 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. Many of these deaths are due to preventable conditions like hemorrhage and eclampsia. The Canadian-funded project targets over 1.9 million women of reproductive age, two t hirds of whom are adolescent girls, and nearly 6 million children including newborns and under 5 years old, ensuring they have access to essential healthcare services, a joint press release said. "Canada is committed to improving healthcare in Bangladesh, particularly for the benefit of women and girls," said Canadian High Commissioner Dr Lilly Nicholls. "This project aims not only to improve health outcomes in the five underperforming districts, but also strengthen health systems: better planning of budgets and human resources and improved quality of care. We hope this project can serve as a model for other districts." Adolescent girls remain at greater risk due to high rates of early marriage, gender-based violence, malnutrition, and a lack of sexual and reproductive health services. Alarmingly, 35 percent of births still occur at home without skilled care, increasing the risks for both mothers and newborns. Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, said: "This project will not only save childre n and women's lives, but will put in place a more sustainable healthcare system, creating a safer environment where children and women, especially adolescents, can develop and thrive. Reducing maternal mortality has proven difficult, our joint work will directly address the root drivers of this critical SDG for women's health." Key aspects of the project will include strengthening healthcare systems and enhancing the capacities of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at national, district, and local levels. It will also focus on gender-responsive and rights-based services in sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health. Finally, by involving local communities in health planning and delivery, the project will also create more accountable and responsive health services. Kristine Blokhus, UNFPA Representative to Bangladesh said: "it is much safer to be a pregnant woman in Bangladesh today than just a few decades ago, but we are not yet at the finish line. With this project, we wil l collectively support the government health system to go the last mile. The SDG on maternal mortality is achievable in Bangladesh, but this requires our concerted efforts to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, and every childbirth is safe." One immediate outcome of the project will be enhanced quality, coverage, and gender-responsiveness of Primary Health Care and Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health. This will ensure comprehensive care for marginalised and underserved populations, promoting women's empowerment and community participation in fulfilling the rights of women, adolescent girls, and children. The project also focuses on addressing environmental impacts and biomedical waste reduction, aligning with UNFPA's green procurement strategy and UNICEF's commitment to sustainable development. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha