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Mosl Utgent lirour: PIO- PID. Dhaka For: Brnghdoot, All Missions Fax:95,10553i9540016 MSG: 188/2020-21 E-rnrrl: oiddlrnk,r ri !nr,ril L:o,n Date: Wedncsday, l 0 Nlarch 202 I Wch uriu.nm ril6Luo' r.d 'News Brief

President Md. Abdul Hamid will receive his first dose of the COVID-l9 vaccine today at Bangabhaban at 5 pm, his Press Secretary Joyral Abedin said. The Cabinet in a meeting at the Secretariat yesterday cleared the draft of four bills- Kurigram Agricultural University Act, 2021, Shishu Hospital and Institute Act, 2021, the Public Debt Act,202l, and the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 202!. Chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, virhrally joining from Ganabhaban, the Cabinet also discussed the prices of essential commodities such as edible oil, sugar, date, ginger, onion, lentil and chickpea ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. The Ministry of Commerce infonned the meeting that the country has sufficient stocks of these essential commodities and there will be no shortage of these items. Presiding over the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the people to follow three health safety protocols to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country- wearing facemask, maintaining the highest possible caution and staying in a limited number in the public places of gathering such as places of recreation or other social events, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam quoting the Prime Minister said after the meeting. Responding to a query about the govemment's next course of action if the coronavirus infection increases, he said, the government has worked prioritizing people's life and livelihood so far and will do so in future if required. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while speaking virtually at the inauguration of "Maitri Setu" over yesterday, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister said, political boundaries should not become physical barriers to trade. The Premier said, Bangladesh expects the Maitri Setu to help the country trade more smoothly with Nepal and Bhutan alongside . The event is taking place at a time when the country is celebrating the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and 50th year of Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations, the Prime Minister added. During the Maitri Setu inauguration, the Indian Prime Minister said connectivity is not only strengthening the friendship between India and Bangladesh but also proving to be a strong link of business. The entire region is being developed as a trade corridor between and Bangladesh, he said. Narendra Modi also laid the foundation stone for setting up an Integrated Check Post at Sabroom, which will help ease the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries, provide new market opportunities for products of North-East states and assist seamless movement of passengers to and from India and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, a World Bank report titled "Connecting to Thrive: Challenges and Opportunities of Transport Integration in Eastern South Asia," launched yesterday said, seamless transport cor-rnectivity between India and Bangladesh has the potentialto increase national income by as much as 17 per cent for Bangladesh and eight per cent for India. Geographically, Bangladesh's location makes it a strategic gateway to India, Nepal, Bhutan, and other East Asian countries. Bangladesh can also become an economic powerhouse by improving regional trade, transit and logistics networks, said Mercy Tembon, World Bank Country Director for Ba:rgladesh and Bhutan, during the launching of the repoft. Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury while virlually addressing at a discussion of Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday marking International Women's Day said, women can achieve remarkable progress in every sector if they build thernselves as skilled workforce through acquiring knowledge on different disciplines of development. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's govemment believes in the acknowledgment of women's employment along with their economic and political empowerment, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader stated this while addressing a press conference yesterday. The Minister highlighting the AL government's contribution to women development said, Sheikh Hasina's government is strict against those involved in women repression and also very much careful to open the doors of all the potentials of women development. The repression camied out by the BNP on the minority women in 2001 was worse than that by the Pakistani occupation forces in 1971, he said. BNP observed the historic March 7 with an ulterior motive, Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, urging BNP to seek apology from the countrymen for distorting tl're history as he was addressing a discussion at Awami League office in city's Fangabandhu Avenue yesterday marking the historic March 7 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. About giving credit for reading the announcement of the declaration of independence, he said, the late office bearer of Chattogram Awami League, Nurul Haque, had pronounced the proclarration of the independence through mike on March 26 in Chattogram city after the declaration given by Bangabandhu. The Minister noted that the then General Secretary of Chattogram Awami League M A Hannan was the first to make the announcement on Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendro from Kalurghat on March 26, 1971. Major Zia followed him on the next day as AL leaders decided to involve an army officer with the declaration, he said. Dr. Hasan urged BNP to accept the truth and not to try to make a school bearer into Headmaster. Bangladesh High Commission, London on Monday unveiled the first-ever translations of Bangabandhu's 7 March Speech in Irish, Scottish and Welsh languages in a special publication titled "A call for freedom in languages". Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen while virtually unveiling the publication said, the 7th March speech by Bangabandhu does not only tell the story of struggles for freedom of the oppressed Bengali nation but as a UNESCO Documentary Heritage of Mankind, it remains an everlasting inspiration for all oppressed and freedom-loving people around the world. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldivian President Ibrahirn Mohamed Solih, Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will come in person to join Bangladesh's golden jubilee celebrations from March l7 to 27 and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary celebration, while Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will send video messages marking the celebrations, Dr. Momen said to newsmen yesterday. It is essential to detect the Tuberculosis-TB cases properly to eliminate the infection from the country witlrin 2035 and achieve health related SDGs, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said this while addressing a launching program of 'Yearlong TB awareness raising campaign in Bangladesh' organized by the United States Agency for International Development, National TB Control Programme and icddr,b marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Earlier, the TB death rate was 58 per 1, 00,000 people which is now only 24 and annually 36,000 people die of TB but the recent COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation, he said. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam emphasized on increasing food security and resilience within OIC through joint agricultural project collaboration among African OIC member states as he met the OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef binAhman Al-Othaimeen at the OIC Secretariat in Jeddah on Monday. In such projects, he said, Bangladesh could provide its technical know-how and work force, affluent OIC member states may provide capitals and finance and African countries with reserve of arable land could provide their fertile land area for farming. The OIC Secretary General highly praised the remarkable sustained economic growth of Bangladesh carried out in last one decade under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and reiterated his commitment to do everything under his puruiew in resolving the Rohingya issue. oreal United States wants to see progress' on ground in Myanmar so persecuted Rohingya community car return to their land of origin in sustainable manner. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller said this to repofters after inaugurating a two year-long US-funded Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education project for Bangladesh's women and girls, at BRAC center in the capital yesterday. Miller said, international community should step up more and help Bangladesh in the region and globe resolve the crisis. With the death of 13 more people yesterday, the number of deaths from Covid-19 in Bangladesh rose to 8,489. At the same time recovery count rose to 5,05,349. With the detection of 912 new cases, the total number of Covid- 1 9 cases rose to 5 ,52,087 , A total of 7 ,07 ,463 people were administered COVID-9 vaccines across the country yesterday, giving rise to the total number of vaccine receivers to 40,13,963. As many as 52,34,021people got registered till 2.3Opm yesterday to receive the vaccine. The High Court yesterday upheld a lower court judgement that sentenced lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selirn to l0-year imprisonment in a case lodged over arnassing illegal wealth. The courl however, acquitted the lawmaker of the charge of concealing information in his wealth statement, for which Selim was sentenced to three- year imprisonment. The Higli Court also ordered the government to immediately take necessary steps to stop online and printed newspapers and electronic media from publishing and broadcasting the identities and photos of rape and sexual assault victims in line with the relevant law.

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