PRESS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH DFIAKA Most []r'gent From: I)lO. PID. Dhnka l rrr': lJart-slrrloot. AlI Missitrrrs Fax: 9540553/9540026 MSG: t8l/l()20-2 I E-mai I : piddhakiiiilgmai l.cotn Datc: I"ririay. 05 Mrirch 202 I Web : u,;,rvy=pressi ntoU_.99!bd News Brief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, the problems between neighbouring countries should be resolved through discussions and negotiations. The Premier said this while visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid a courtesy call on her at Ganabhaban yesterday. The Indian Minister praised the Premier for graduation of Bangladesh to a developing nation from the least development one under her dynamic leadership. He reaffirmed the India's commitment to cooperate Bangladesh to face the coronavirus situation. The Prime Minister gifted seven volumes of the Secret Documents of the Pakistani intelligence branch to the Indian Minister. While Jaisankar gifted two books including a book titled "Liberation War of Bangladesh" written by his father I( Subrahmanyam, who was an Indian civil servant. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged researchers to conduct studies to diversify Bangladesh's export basket alongside modernizing and mechanizing the agriculture sector. The Premier said this while virtually addressing a function arranged to distribute Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship, National Science and Technology Fellowship and special research donations among teachers, scientists and researchers of different universities and research institutes at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka yesterday. On behalf of the Prime Minister, Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman distributed the fellowships and research donations among them for the 2020-21 fiscal year. In the ceremony, 77 persons received Bangabandhu Fellowship while 3,305 persons were given National Science and Technology Fellowship and 800 persons got Special Research Grant. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at Ganabhaban yesterday. Prime Minister's younger sister Sheikh Rehana, who received her first shot of the vaccine earlier on February 24,was present at the time. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan while talking to the reporters at his ministry yesterday informed, several probes have found that writer Mushtaq Ahmed's death in jail custody was natural. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a press conference on contemporary affairs in Dhaka yesterday said, BNP is showing artificial affection to the country's people. He said, since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has true love for the country men, she has been turned into the 'lighthouse' of the people's trust and become the 'mother of humanity'. Earlier in the day, Obaidul Quader virtually joined a meeting on the progress of different projects of the Roads and Highways Deparlment. During the meeting, he instructed the authorities concerned to complete the ongoing road construction works as soon as possible and accomplish the road repair works before the upcoming monsoon. Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, the demand for scrapping law in case of any death in prison is tantamount to lawlessness. While talking to reporters at a press briefing in the Secretariat yesterday he said, the Digital Security Act has been enacted to ensure security to all and the number of the people who are demanding scrapping law is a very few. Replying to another query on the proposal of withdrawal the title of Ziaur Rahman, Dr. Hasan Mahmud said, the role of Ziaur Rahman in the Liberation War was mysterious though he was a sector commander. Ziaur Rahman was actively involved in the assassination of Bangabandhu on August 15,1975 and he rehabilitated the killers of Bangabandhu, the Minister added. Speaking about petition for extension of suspended prison by Khaleda Zia's family, he said the home and law ministries are examining the legal aspects of the matter. Meanwhile, the Information Minister virtually inaugurated the three-day long 'International Conference on Advancement of Civil Engineering' organized by Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology. In his speech, he praised the ability and creativity of the civil engineers of Bangladesh, saying such conference is important to increase communication across the globe. The government is working on gearing up the activities of village courts, making those dynamic and ensuring their accountability as well to remove backlog of the cases. Local Government Minister Md. Tajul Islam said this while addressing the 'Project Reflection Workshop of Activities Village Court' at a city hotel yesterday. -2- lndian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar emerging along with his counterpart Dr. A K Abdul Momen to a joint media briefing following their one and half hours of talks yesterday said, India was keen to take as its major focus the India-Bangladesh connectivity issue for next 20 years to change the region's geo- economic scenario. The top Indian diplomat said, they talked about involving a third country, preferably Japan, to be a major stakeholder in the bilateral engagement in terms of connectivity. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister said, the two sides discussed a wide range of ongoing bilateral issues including Covid-I9 cooperation, connectivity, trade, water, security, border and lines of credit. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka yesterday for a daylong trip to set agenda of the Indian Premier's planned upcoming visit on March 26-27. Meanwhile, Dr. S Jaishankar inaugurated new Indian cultural centre in Dhaka as tribute to 50 years of Bangladesh's Great War of Liberation. He said with this new centre, Dhaka now became one of the few cities in the world that hosts more than one Indian cultural centre. Dr. A K Abdul Momen while attending the UK-Bangladesh Climate Partnership Forum virtual event on Wednesday sought the UK's cooperation for making finance more accessible to build resilience and amplify climate actions. The government has taken a plan to make Bangladesh as a regional automobile manufacturing hub by 2030. Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun informed this while speaking at the inaugural function of manufacturing world-class air-conditioned bus by IFAD Autos Limited Bangladesh at Savar in Dhaka yesterday. State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr. Md. Enamur Rahman was also present there. The government is working in an integrated way to reduce land degradation in the country applying sustainable land use technology. While addressing a function arranged by the Department of Environment in the capital yesterday Environment Minister Md. Shahab Uddin also informed, an average of 69,000 hectares of arable land is being used for non-agricultural purposes in the country every year. A 10-day special programme from March 17,2021 to March 26,2021 will be held at National Parade Ground marking the birth centenary celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Golden Jubilee of the Independence. The information was reveled at a meeting of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikli Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration National Implementation Committee ir-r Dhaka yesterday. Prime lviinister's Political Affairs Adviser H T Imam laid to his eternal rest with state honour at the Banani Graveyard in the city last afternoon. On behalf of President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, their military secretaries paid tributes to him by placing wreaths. Later, sergeant at-arms on behalf of Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on behalf of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina paid tribute to the Primer's political adviser. Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud also paid tribute by placing a wreath on his coffin. H T Imam breathed his last at his 82 at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka yesterday Imam. Awami League is going to start distributing party nomination forms for by-poll to the Lakshmipur-2 constituency and elections to 11 municipalities and 371 Union Parishads across the country from today. The aspirants have been asked to collect nomination forms maintaining social distancing from llam to 5pm everyday between March 5 and l0 from AL President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi political office, said an AL press release in Dhaka yesterday. Another 1,759 more Rohingyas reached Bhasan Char from Chattogram city's Patenga Boat Club in the eight phase under the supervision of Bangladesh Navy yesterday. Earlier, about 15,790 Rohingyas were relocated to Bhasanchar in seventh phases. With the death of 7 more people yesterday, the number of deaths from Covid-19 in Bangladesh rose to 8,435. At the same time recovery count rose to 5,00,468, DGHS disclosed this information in a press release yesterday. With the detection of 619 new cases, the total number of Covid-l9 cases rose to 54,85,49. A total of 47,70,953 people have so far been registered to receive COVID-I9 vaccines till yesterday. Total number of vaccine receivers stood at 35,81,169. -Information rincipal Offi cer Plrone- 9546091.