PRES S INFORMATION DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH DHAKA Most [Jrpent From: PIO, PID, Dhaka F'or: Ban'gladoot, All Missions Fax: 9540553/9540026 MSG: 26512020-21 E-mail: oiddhaka@emai l.com Date: Wednesday. 02 .lunc 2021 Web: w*fu5ressl News Brief The ECNEC yesterday approved Taka 3,089.97 crore Meghna river bank protection project in a bid to protect erosion prone areas and establishments at Ramgati and Kamalnagar upazilas in Laxmipur district. The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC at the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla yeiterday with its Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The Premier joined the meeting virtually from Ganabhaban. A total of nine projects were approved involving an overall estimated cost of Taka 5,239.62 crore. Among the nine approved projects, six are fresh while three others are revised ones. The Projects are-upgrading the Kushtia to Meherpur portion of Kushtia-Meherpur-Chuadanga-Jhenidah regional highway into due standard and width, Construction of various infrastructural establishments of newly created Nirayanganj, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Space Observation Center, Bangladesh Economic Zones Development Project, Capacity enhancing of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, Integrated rural employment assistance project for rural women, Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Project and Income generating activities training for women atupazila level. Meanwhile, the meeting did not approve the Taka ll,ZgO.Zl crore project designed to provide Khichuri or other foods as midday meals to the students of primary schools. The l3th session (Budget) of the llth Jatiya Sangsad is scheduled to begin loday (02 June) as the proposed budget will be placed in the parliament for the second time during the global novel coronavirus pandemic. The national budget of 2021-2022, country's 50th and also 21st budget by the incumbent government led by the Awami League will be placed in the Jatiya Sangsad on June 3 during the session. Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud urged BNP to see the picture of country's tremendous development in world media before criticising the govemment. The Minister made the comment while addressing a discussion marking the 52nd death anniversary of Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia, a pioneer of the country's newspaper industry at Jatiya Press Club in the capital yesterday. Mentioning a report'South Asia should pay attentionto its standout star' of Bloomberg, Dr. Hasan said, this star is Bangladesh. As perthe report, India and Pakistan should learn the formula of rapid development from their neighbouring Bangladesh *hi"h was least development country. The Minister also recalled the outstanding contribution of Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia. Bangladesh and Australia are in discussion to sign a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement as the two countries want to take the relations to a new height shifting from development assistance to trade and investment. Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne had a telephone conversation on Monday and expressed satisfaction over the progress regarding the discussion on TIFA. The two Foreign Ministers also discussed Rohingya situation. Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister urged the young scouts to step forward along with the government to help common people in their endeavor regarding climate change adaptation. The Minister said this while delivering his speech at the closing ceremony of 'Scout Conference for Sustainable Development' under the "Dhaka OIC Youth Capital 2020" yesterday. Industries Minister Nurul Maiid Mahmud Humayun while addressing a virtual consultation meeting titled 'Elimination of Harassment at the Workplace and ILO Convention 190' with lawmakers yesterday called upon all concerned to work for the welfare of the workers. He said, all the recommendations made in ILO Convention 190 must be given priority. Everyone in the parliament should be vocal and clear about this, he added. Fisheries and Livestock Minister S M Rezaul Karim said, the country's dairy industry will be developed and upgraded to world standard and the government will provide all kinds of assistance for this. The Minister said this while addressing a seminar on the occasion of World Milk Day and Milk Week-2021 at a hotel in Dhaka yesterday. He said, diversification of dairy products is very and all the steps that the government has taken to develop the private sector have not been taken by any country in the subcontinent. State Minister for ICT Junaid Ahmed Palak said, programming is the language of technology and the new generation must leam programming. He said this while virtually addressing the inaugural function of 'National High School Programming Competition 2021' organized by Information and Communication Technology Department yesterday. He.elaborated on how the programmers of the ICT Department have saved hundreds of crores of taka by coding the corona vaccine management system by digital platform 'Suraksha'. Covid Vaccine Passport will be launched through them soon, he added. The government of Bangladesh said, a section of international media and Civil Society Organizations have been continuously campaigning against Bhasan Char and Rohingya relocation with distorted inforrnation. Noting this with "great disappointment" the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a media release yesterday said, such campaign will undermine the magnanimous humanitarian gestures and the sincere efforts of Bangladesh. Expatriate Bangladeshis sent US$22.75 billion in remittance during the first l1 months of the current fiscal 2020- 21, which is apparently 40.10 per cent higher than the same period of the preceding year, according to Finance Ministry. The visiting two-member team from the UNHCR Headquarters, comprising the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection and the Assistant High Commissioner for Operations visited Bhashan Char on Monday. During the visit the Rohingyas had free and frank interactions with the AHCs. The Rohingyas demanded I-IN's presence in Bhashan Char to ensure facilities such as education, livelihood activities, skill development etc, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release said yesterday. The COP26 President-Designate, British MP Alok Sharma is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on a two- day visit to strengthen support for UK COP26 climate priorities ahead of hosting the crucial llN climate change sumniit in Glasgow this November. During his visit, he will meet with leaders from government, business and civil society to press his personal priority for a move to global clean power, critical to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C, said a statement of the UK Cabinet Office. Mihir Swarup Sharma, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist in an article published yesterday said, Bangladesh is destined to be South Asia's standout success and countries like India and Pakistan have much to learn from Bangladesh. He mentioned that the past 50 years have shown how unwise it is to bet against Bangladesh. In March 1971, Bangladesh's founders declared their independence from richer and more powerful Pakistan, the article reads. The country was born amid famine and war; millions fled to India or were killed by Pakistani soldiers. This month, Bangladesh's cabinet secretary told reporters that GDP per capita had grown by 9% over the past year, rising to 52,227. Pakistan's per capita income, meanwhile, is $1,543. In 1971, Pakistan was70o/o richer than Bangladesh; today, Bangladesh is 45% richer than Pakistan, it added. The country recorded 41 fatalities from COVID-l9 yesterday, taking the death toll to 12,660. With 1,765 fresh cases, the tally of infections surged to 8,02,305. At the same time recovery count rose to 7,42,151, DGHS disclosed this information in a press release yesterday. Meanwhile, the first consignment of 1,00,620 doses of Covid-l9 Pfrzer vaccine arrived in Bangladesh on Monday last under the global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX, DGHS official said. The United States welcomed arrival of 106,000 doses of the PfizerlBioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in Bangladesh, according to a US embassy press release. Air Vice Marshal Sheikh Abdul Ilannan has bccn appointed as the chief of Bangladesh Air Force for thc next thrcc years. 'l'hc appoirrtrncnt will comc it.tto elfect liom .lune 12. accordins to an lnter-Serciees PLrbl ic I{clations yestcrday. surath *..,*ffi,.e'?hLl Principal Information Offi cer Phone- 9546091.