The Bangladeshi government earlier said only cardholders will be able to buy the items from TCB-designated dealers and other permanent sales points concerned…reports Asian Lite News
The Bangladeshi government on Sunday launched a special sales drive of essentials at subsidised rates across the South Asian country to help millions of low-income families cope with soaring prices.
Senior Secretary of Bangladesh’s Commerce Ministry, Tapan Kanti Ghosh inaugurated the special sales drive at a dealer point in the national capital Dhaka.
The drive run by the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is aimed at selling essentials at subsidised prices for 10 million low-income families across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Bangladeshi government earlier said only cardholders will be able to buy the items from TCB-designated dealers and other permanent sales points concerned.
Under the drive, each of the cardholders will get two litres of cooking oil, two kilograms of lentils, one kilogram of sugar and two kilograms of onions.
To ease the burden of low-income families, the government launched the special drive for delivering basic commodities to selected families as higher energy and commodity prices are pushing up inflation in the country.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also met President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi….reports Asian Lite News
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi during her four-day visit to India.
Hasina began her four-day visit to India yesterday as Bangladesh is an important partner under India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy.
Soon after arriving in New Delhi on Monday, Bangladesh Prime Minister met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed issues of bilateral interest. She also visited Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah, a prominent pilgrimage tourist attraction in Delhi.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also met President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi.
While welcoming Sheikh Hasina to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President said that “our shared history, language and culture connect us with each other”, according to a statement released by Rashtrapati Bhavan.
President noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh have grown immensely. She further said that the way the two countries have celebrated the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence and the golden jubilee of India-Bangladesh bilateral relations is truly special.
The President was happy to note that Bangladesh has achieved great success in the socio-economic prosperity of its people. She assured me that India will continue to be a reliable partner in the developmental journey of Bangladesh.
Earlier today, Sheikh Hasina met Prime minister Narendra Modi and held bilateral talks to review and further strengthen the relationship between both countries at Hyderabad House, following which seven MoUs have been signed between India and Bangladesh during the visit of Sheikh Hasina to India. (ANI)
Bangladesh is now India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade has grown from $9 billion to $18 billion in the last five years…reports Asian Lite News
India and Bangladesh signed seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) in New Delhi on Tuesday aimed at boosting ties between the two countries.
The MoUs, signed after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, are related to water sharing, railways, space, science and judiciary.
Prime Minister Modi said that the trade between the two countries is rapidly increasing, adding that: “We have decided to extend cooperation in the IT, space and nuclear sectors.”
The pacts inked between the two countries will benefit southern parts of Assam in India and the Sylhet region in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Modi said.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, he welcomed Hasina at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where she was accorded the ceremonial Guard of Honour.
Following the signing of the MoUs, senior officials from both sides exchanged the agreements.
Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs tweeted: “Powering the India-Bangladesh partnership! PM @narendramodi and PM Sheikh Hasina jointly unveiled Unit-I of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Project. Being constructed under India’s concessional financing scheme, the Project will add 1320 MW to Bangladesh’s National Grid.”
The Maitree Power Plant will give citizens of Bangladesh access to affordable electricity.
“Bangladesh is the biggest trade partner in the region. The people-to-people connectivity between both countries have increased. The expansion of connectivity and trade infrastructure at borders will help in the growth of both countries,” Prime Minister Modi said.
He asserted that both countries will cooperate further to mitigate the impact of floods and data will be shared in real-time for an extended period.
On counter-terrorism, the Prime Minister said: “Today we also stressed on cooperation against terrorism and fundamentalism. To keep the spirit of 1971 alive, it is also very necessary that we face such forces together, who want to attack our mutual trust.”
The Bangladesh Prime Minister last visited India in 2019.
Prime Minister Modi had visited Bangladesh in 2021 – the year that marked the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh independence and the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of the nation and the father of Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina.
Also, in 2021, Maitri Diwas celebrations were held in 20 capitals around the world including Delhi and Dhaka.
Bangladesh is an important partner under India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy. The cooperation extends to all fields including security, trade and commerce, power and energy, transport and connectivity, science and technology, defence, rivers, maritime affairs among others.
Bangladesh is now India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade has grown from $9 billion to $18 billion in the last five years.
Bangladesh has become the fourth largest export destination for India with growth of over 66 per cent from $9.69 billion in FY 2020-21 to $16.15 billion in FY 2021-22.
Teesta water sharing issue to be resolved, says Hasina
Meanwhile, Hasina expressed hope that the row over sharing water of Teesta river — a key bone of contention between her country and India — will be resolved soon.
“Both the countries have resolved several long-standing issues keeping the spirit of cooperation and friendship in mind. I hope that all other issues, including water sharing of Teesta river, would be resolved soon,” the visiting Bangladeshi Prime Minister said.
Disagreements between the two countries over the allocation of the river water has remained a subject of conflict for several decades. Many meetings held on the issue could not produce much results.
Bangladesh has been demanding an equal share in the distribution of the river water.
In this direction, a treaty was also to be signed between India and Bangladesh in 2011 during then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s trip to the neighbouring country.
However, the agreement could not be inked due to stiff opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Hasina, who is on a four-day tour to India, said: “The water is emerging from the Indian side… Hence, India should show its large-heartedness.”
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister said she hopes that her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will look into all the issues pertaining to the bilateral relationship, including Teesta water sharing.
Chinese economic involvement in the South Asian region is often accompanied by corruption and crime that Chinese government-affiliated companies habitually use in the region to gain an unfair advantage….reports Asian Lite News
Chinese companies are often found involved in malpractices that cause huge losses to several South Asian countries where they operate.
Bangladesh is one such country that seems to have suffered from the unethical behaviour of the Chinese companies. Bangladesh authorities have found many cases of tax evasion by Beijing-based companies or their subsidiaries in Dhaka, Bangladesh live news reported.
In a recent example, a case involving a Chinese company in tax evasion came to light. A Chinese company ‘Conda Art Materials Bangladesh Co. Limited’, subsidiary of Ningbo Conda Art Supplies Group Co Ltd. (China), supposedly imported goods labelled ‘Made in Bangladesh’ from China and evaded huge amounts of duty.
Bangladesh authorities suspect evasion of more than 28 crore rupees in about 200 consignments, as per the publication. It added that further investigation revealed that the company was violating the EPZ (Export Processing Zone) policy which stipulated that only raw materials could be imported. However, the company was importing finished products instead of raw materials and re-exporting the same products to other countries
In April and May this year, authorities, on suspicion of duty evasion, seized about 10 vans and seven containers loaded with goods which the company apparently imported from China by manipulating and luring some Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) officials.
In July, a large consignment of 2700 cartons of foreign liquor from China was seized on Chittagong-Dhaka highway in a special operation by authorities, as per Bangladesh live news.
Back in January, a Chinese company, DG Anti-Fake Company, supplied fake bandrolls (a thin band wrapped around bidis and cigarette packets) leading to fraudulent tax evasion of Rs 250 crore for Bangladesh. The agency has also been accused of being involved in printing fake Bangladeshi passports, ballot papers, national identity cards, birth registration certificates.
Chinese economic involvement in the South Asian region is often accompanied by corruption and crime that Chinese government-affiliated companies habitually use in the region to gain an unfair advantage.
Estimates suggest that China accounts for the largest illicit financial flows related to corrupt business practices by value globally, particularly to developing countries.
Meanwhile, between 2011 and 2021, China invested USD 10 billion in infrastructure in Bangladesh but according to some media reports, Beijing had missed fulfilling the promises on several deals signed during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Dhaka in October 2016.
After missing several deadlines, work on Karnaphuli multiple road tunnel project in Bangladesh’s Chittagong district, inaugurated by Chinese President Xi Jinping virtually in 2017, started in 2020.
Being built by China Communication and Construction Company Limited, the 9.3 km long tunnel project would be completed not before 2023, said the Daily Star in its recent report.
The Bangladesh government needs to be careful if it wants to avoid the same fate as Sri Lanka, which is struggling with its worst economic crisis due to the huge Chinese loan debt. (ANI)
Sheikh Hasina appreciated PM Modi’s leadership that continues to provide momentum to bilateral relations….reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during the joint press statement at Hyderabad House, expressed hope that the issue of Teesta water sharing with India will be resolved soon.
She highlighted the ties between both the countries and called India the most important and closest neighbour of Bangladesh.
“The two countries have resolved many outstanding issues and we hope that all outstanding issues, including Teesta water-sharing treaty, would be concluded at an early date,” she said in a joint statement with PM Narendra Modi.
The Teesta river dispute is an important point of bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh. Both countries signed an agreement in 2011 to share surface waters at the Farakka Barrage near their mutual border.
Sheikh Hasina appreciated PM Modi’s leadership that continues to provide momentum to bilateral relations.
“I appreciate Modi ji’s visionary leadership that continues to provide added momentum to our bilateral relations. India is the most important & closest neighbour of Bangladesh. India-Bangladesh bilateral relations are known to be a role model for neighbourhood diplomacy,” she said.
Hasina began her four-day visit to India on Monday. She held bilateral talks with PM Modi to further strengthen the relationship between both countries at Hyderabad House.
“Today PM Modi and I have just concluded another round of fruitful discussions, the outcome of which will bring benefits to the people of both countries. We had the meeting in a spirit of close friendship and cooperation,” she said. Sheikh Hasina further extended her best wishes as India moves forward to attaining the resolutions made for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
“At the new dawn of the Amrit Kaal for the next 25 years, I extend our best wishes as India moves forward to attaining the resolutions made for Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” she said, thanking the Indian government for the warm hospitality.
India and Bangladesh signed seven memorandums of understanding (MoUs) today. (ANI)
The leaders of the two countries are expected to hold extensive talks, after which the two sides are likely to unveil measures to boost cooperation in the areas of defence, trade and river-water sharing…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday. Before her ceremonial welcome, she was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where the duo shook hands and posed for the photograph.
After her welcome, Hasina said, “India is our friend. Whenever I come to India, it is a matter of happiness for me, especially because we always remember India’s contribution during our liberation struggle. We have a friendly relationship, we are cooperating with each other.”
The leaders of the two countries are expected to hold extensive talks, after which the two sides are likely to unveil measures to boost cooperation in the areas of defence, trade and river-water sharing.
Hasina will also call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
On Thursday, Hasina is scheduled to visit Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who arrived here on Monday on four-day visit to India, was received by Union Minister Darshan Zardosh at the airport.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi said, “PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh has been warmly received by Minister of State for Railways and Textiles Darshan Jardosh on her arrival in New Delhi. The visit will further strengthen the multi-faceted ties between the two countries.
Hasina’s delegation includes Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Railway Minister Mohd Nurul Islam Suzanne, Liberation War Minister AKM Mozammel Haque and Economic Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Masiur AKM Rahman.
She had last visited New Delhi in October 2019.
India and Bangladesh finalised the text of the agreement on the interim sharing of waters of the Kushiyara river only last month. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is likely to be signed on Tuesday, the text of which was finalised at the 38th ministerial meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) held in New Delhi on August 25.
In March last year, Prime Minister Modi visited Bangladesh to attend events organised to mark the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of Bangladesh’s liberation struggle.
The visit will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutual trust and understanding…reports Sumi Khan
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who will be visiting India, after three years, on a four-day state visit from Monday, will meet her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday.
The Rohingya issue may find prominence in their talks and Bangladesh is keen on cooperation in energy and food security with India, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr A.K. Abdul Momen said in a media briefing on Sunday.
The visit is seen as significant amid the Ukraine crisis, global economic downturn and ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as the two South Asian neighbors seek enhanced cooperation to overcome the challenges, he added.
Issues related to security cooperation, investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation, water sharing of common rivers, water resources management, border management, combating drug smuggling and human trafficking are likely to get priority during the talks between the two Prime Ministers.
The visit will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutual trust and understanding.
The Prime Minister will be formally received by Modi while a ceremonial guard of honour will be accorded to her. She will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
During her visit, Hasina will meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar apart from holding bilateral consultations with her Indian counterpart at the Hyderabad House.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will call on Hasina, who is also likely to visit Ajmer also. She is also scheduled to attend a lunch to be hosted by Modi.
She is expected to award the Mujib Scholarship, an initiative of the Bangladesh government, to the descendants of 200 Indian Armed Forces personnel who were martyred and critically injured during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
At the minister-level meeting of the Joint River Commission (JRC) between Bangladesh and India on August 25, a draft memorandum of understanding on withdrawal of water from the upstream of the Kushiyara river flowing from India to Sylhet of Bangladesh was finalised. Besides, four more MoUs have been finalised for signing.
The Foreign Minister said a preparation is going on to sign MoUs relating to withdrawal of water from the upstream of Kushiyara river, cooperation between national defence colleges of the two countries, cooperation between judicial authorities, modernisation of rail and capacity building, and cooperation between information and communication sector.
Moreover, cooperation between the blue economy and two MOUs signed earlier between two broadcasting authorities will be renewed. A diplomat, on condition of anonymity, said during her visit to India, a MoU is likely to be signed with Indian multinational company GMR to import hydropower from Nepal.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen was also present at the media briefing.
The Prime Minister will lead a high-level delegation which includes several ministers, advisers, state ministers, secretaries and senior officials.
Representatives from business bodies of Bangladesh will also accompany Hasina, who is also scheduled to attend a business event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister is also likely to travel to Ajmer in Rajasthan to visit the Dargah of revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit India from September 5 to 8, with a focus on strengthening the “multifaceted” bilateral ties.
The two sides are expected to ink an agreement on interim sharing of water of the Kushiyara river during Hasina’s visit.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister is also likely to travel to Ajmer in Rajasthan to visit the Dargah of revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti.
Announcing Hasina’s visit, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said she will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar.
Hasina last visited New Delhi in October 2019.
“In the recent years, both sides have sustained high level of engagement, including at the highest level,” Bagchi said.
“The forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutual trust and understanding,” he added.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will call on Hasina.
In August 2022, India and Bangladesh finalised the text of the agreement on interim sharing of the water of the Kushiyara river.
The text of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was finalised at the 38th Ministerial-level meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) held in Delhi on August 25.
The Joint Rivers Commission of India and Bangladesh was constituted in 1972 as a bilateral mechanism to address issues of mutual interest on common rivers.
The overall strategic relationship between India and Bangladesh have been on an upswing in the last few years.
In March 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Bangladesh to attend events organised to mark the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of the war of liberation of that country.
Incidents of crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, drug smuggling and several other criminal activities have increased nearly seven times in the last five years in the Cox’s Bazar area…reports Sumi Khan
Stating that the efforts of the Bangladesh government were underway to repatriate the Rohingya refugees, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said Army troops would be deployed in Rohingya refugee camps if necessary to prevent crimes and check smuggling of drugs into the country.
Incidents of crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, drug smuggling and several other criminal activities have increased nearly seven times in the last five years in the Cox’s Bazar area, officials said.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has mentioned several times in her speech, referring to the police report, that some of the Rohingya refugees are leading criminal activities and those camps are becoming a den for radical groups,
“Mobile phones of the Rohingya refugees will be tracked so that they cannot commit any illegal activities,” the Home Minister said.
Regarding the government’s efforts to resolve the Rohingya crisis, the minister said: “I hope the Rohingyas will be repatriated soon. Government’s efforts are still on.”
Instances of arms and drugs being smuggled into Bangladesh from Myanmar have surged by two and a half times under the current military regime compared to the what used to be reported during the regime of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Kamal said that apart from the most-used route bordering the Naf River, the contrabands enter Bangladesh through the remote land border areas too.
The situation came to the fore during a visit to a Rohingya camp in the Cox’s Bazar district of Chittagong division, while interacting with officials associated with the law enforcement agencies.
The growth rate of the Rohingya population is five per cent against that of one per cent of the local population.
The Cox’s Bazar area has registered a nearly seven-fold increase in crimes in the last five years.
In 2017, 76 cases of crime were reported and 159 criminals were arrested, while in 2021, the number of criminal cases increased to 507 with 1,024 arrests.
Bangladesh, which welcomed with open arms the Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar military’s crackdown in 2017, is under pressure due to their rapidly-increasing population, and alleged involvement in crime as it struggles to find a solution to the crisis even after five years.
The Bangladesh government is also holding talks with Myanmar to import rice, the officials said, putting aside a rift over the Rohingya refugee crisis…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh is planning to finalise deals with Vietnam and India to import a total of 330,000 tonnes of rice as it races to replenish reserves and cool domestic prices, media reported citing officials.
Bangladesh will buy 100,000 tonnes of parboiled rice from an Indian public sector firm and 200,000 tonnes of parboiled rice and 30,000 tonnes of white rice from Vietnam, the Reuters reported citing government officials.
The price for the parboiled rice from Vietnam will be $521 a tonne and white rice $494 a tonne, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been made public.
The price for rice from neighbouring India will be $443.50 per tonne via seaports and $428.50 per tonne via railways, the officials said. All the prices included freight, insurance and unloading costs, they said, it was reported.
“Preparations are underway to sign the deals soon,” one of the officials said, adding the rice would be delivered within two to three months after the signing.
The Bangladesh government is also holding talks with Myanmar to import rice, the officials said, putting aside a rift over the Rohingya refugee crisis.
Bangladesh this week slashed import duty on rice to 15% from 25%, cutting it for the second time since July in a bid to boost private imports, the report added.
Energy crisis
Last weak, Bangladeshi government offices planned cut back office hours in a bid to save energy, as the country struggles with a fuel crisis.
The decision comes weeks after the country raised fuel prices to a record level, amid the global energy crisis triggered by the ongoing Russia’s war on Ukraine, reports dpa news agency.
The Council of Ministers decided to reduce the working hours by one hour per day, according to Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam.
“The new office hours will remain in place until the energy situation becomes manageable,” Islam said, without hinting as to when the schedule might return to normal.
Banking hours have also been fixed for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rather than 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., he said.
The Council also requested that schools and universities introduce two weekend days instead of one.
Earlier this month, thousands of activists protested a government decision to increase fuel prices as much as 52 per cent, the highest in the country’s history.
The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which organised the protest in Dhaka on August 11, began its second nationwide anti-government protest on Monday.
The protest was generally peaceful.
As part of the new austerity measures, the government has also ordered a rolling power cut for one hour each day, asked thousands of mosques to refrain from using air conditioners outside of prayer times, discouraged imports of non-essential products, reduced development spending and asked officials to ration vehicle use in order to help reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
