Verma’s remark came after Shipping Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the Sultanganj port on Monday…reports Asian Lite News
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma said New Delhi was today Dhaka’s largest export destination in Asia, and hoped that better connectivity links and new measures like trade in Indian Rupee will further enhance exports to India.
Verma’s remark came after Shipping Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the Sultanganj port on Monday, establishing naval connectivity between Bangladesh’s Rajshahi and India’s Murshidabad.
“With our contiguous geography and shared history and culture, we are actually re-connecting our two countries,” Verma said.
This inauguration marks the first of the five trial movements of cargo vessels between Maia Port in India and Sultanganj, Godagari Port of Call in Bangladesh on Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route 5 and 6.
There is significant potential for cargo movement through this IBP Route, which is expected to give new impetus to the Inland waterways ecosystem in both countries.
Verma said that the re-opening of the Maia-Sultanganj river route is a step which will benefit the local economies on the two sides of the border as well as also contribute to national economies and strengthen sub-regional cooperation and integration.
The High Commissioner said negotiation on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Bangladesh is going to start soon.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal asked law enforcement agencies to resist the destructive activities of the BNP-Jamaat during the ongoing blockade….reports Sumi Khan
BNP activists set fire to a passenger bus in front of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) gate at Jigatla here while two buses were set on fire in Tatibazar and Banani areas of the capital on Wednesday night on the first day of the 48-hour blockade being enforced by the opposition party and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.
Meanwhile, a person who started the fire at Jigatla has been arrested from the spot, officials said.
On getting information, two fire engines rushed to the spot to douse the blaze, a fire service official added.
In the other incidents, a minibus was set on fire in front of Kakoli Police camp in Banani and a bus of Akash Paribahan at the Tatibazar intersection, Fire Service and Civil Defence control room duty officer Rafi Al Faruk told IANS, adding fire service units reached the spot to control the fire.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal asked law enforcement agencies to resist the destructive activities of the BNP-Jamaat during the ongoing blockade.
“The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has created a reign of terror to make Bangladesh a failed state.
“The BNP is not an opposition party…. Jatiya Party is an opposition party in the Parliament. BNP is now a political party isolated from the country’s people,” he said at a programme at Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) at Gulshan.
Officials from the Abu Dhabi-based carrier have refrained from making any official comments regarding their departure…reports Asian Lite News
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is set to discontinue its flights to and from Dhaka starting from October 29.
According to the Daily Star reports, The airline is taking this step due to the substantial funds that have become inaccessible in Bangladesh, coupled with other commercial challenges it is currently facing, according to sources within the aviation industry. The ongoing US dollar crisis is identified as a significant factor hindering airlines from repatriating their earnings.
A representative from the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh, who maintains close ties with Etihad but requested anonymity, mentioned that Etihad is exploring the possibility of reallocating its aircraft to routes experiencing high demand in the post-Covid era, The Daily Star reported.
Notably, officials from the Abu Dhabi-based carrier have refrained from making any official comments regarding their departure.
The blast ripped through the seven-storey building, shattering the first two floors, besides damaging a passenger bus standing on the opposite side of the busy road…reports Sumi Khan
At least 16 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in a massive explosion at a building in Siddique Bazar, a crowded marketplace in Old Dhaka, at 4:50 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday, the fire service control room told IANS.
A doctor at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) told IANS that the hospital needs blood to treat the injured persons.
“The blast took place in the seven-storey building adjacent to a five-storey apartment that houses a branch of BRAC Bank. Several bank officials were injured by flying glass shards,” said Abdur Rahim, a spokesman for the bank.
The injured persons were rushed to DMCH, inspector Bacchu Mia of the DMCH police outpost told IANS.
The blast ripped through the seven-storey building, shattering the first two floors, besides damaging a passenger bus standing on the opposite side of the busy road.
The building houses several stores for sanitary products and household items. Eleven firefighting units are working on the spot to bring the situation under control.
The cause of the explosion could not be known immediately.
This was the third blast in a week to claim innocent lives after explosions at an oxygen plant in Sitakunda and at another building on Mirpur Road in Dhaka.
The Argentine Embassy in Dhaka was previously closed down in 1978…reports Asian Lite News
Argentina has reopened its embassy in Bangladesh capital Dhaka.
Argentina’s Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero arrived in Dhaka on a three-day visit on Monday morning to inaugurate the embassy of the South American country, which is the first one by an Argentine foreign minister to Bangladesh, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Argentine Embassy in Dhaka was previously closed down in 1978.
Last December, Argentina announced a plan to reopen its embassy in Dhaka in 2023 to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Bangladesh’s exports
Bangladesh is ready to topple China as the top clothing exporter to the EU amid Beijing’s decreasing share in the ready-made garment (RMG) market, reported Nikkei Asia.
Notably, in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine and other global geopolitical tensions, the supply chains are shifting and driving up orders to the densely populated South Asian nation. “A lot of work orders were shifted to Bangladesh from China because of the recent trade war between China and the US,” Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told Nikkei Asia.
Mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing have driven many brands to seek out non-Chinese suppliers in sectors ranging from clothing and textiles to consumer electronics and smartphones.
Bangladesh’s exports of clothing to the EU surged nearly 42 per cent in the first nine months of 2022 from the same period the year before to USD 19.4 billion, while Chinese shipments grew about 22 per cent to USD 25.5 billion, according to the latest data from the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat.
Major EU buyers of clothes made in Bangladesh include fashion chains H&M, Primark, Zara, G-Star Raw and Marks & Spencer, reported Nikkei Asia.
With a population of nearly 170 million people, Bangladesh has a sizable potential workforce and is one of around 45 developing countries that currently enjoy duty-free and quota-free access to all EU markets, except arms and ammunition. In contrast, Chinese exporters must pay duty.
“Buyers prefer Bangladesh due to its zero-tariff export facilities to EU markets,” said Ashikur Rahman Tuhin, managing director of TAD Group, which manufactures a range of products including clothing. All the garments it makes go to Europe.
Producers in Bangladesh have also been moving away from so-called fast fashion — disposable attire churned out to suit rapidly shifting consumer tastes — to higher quality and more profitable clothing.
“Bangladesh is shifting its production base to high-end, value-added garment items from basic products, which are also helping the country to increase its share in the EU market (where such items are increasingly in demand),” said Azim from the BGMEA.
Meanwhile, Paul Marchant, chief executive of Britain’s Primark, said on a visit last month to Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, that his company plans to ramp up its sourcing from the country.
Producers and others in the country are confident it will be the top exporter to Europe soon, reported Nikkei Asia.
“In the EU market, Bangladesh is close to China, so within four to five years we can overtake it,” said Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh.
“China’s RMG market share is decreasing worldwide. I think China has no strategic interest to protect this share as the country is now focusing on developing and producing higher-valued goods like electric cars. So they are not concentrating on the apparel industry as before.”
Boosting shipments to Europe will bolster a crucial part of Bangladesh’s economy, with RMG manufacturers already contributing around a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product and more than 80 per cent of its export earnings, reported Nikkei Asia. (IANS/ANI)
Bangladesh invited the Chief Ministers of all the northeastern states to visit Dhaka to boost ties…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said that Dhaka attaches great importance to its relationship with India. Momen said this while meeting a 55 member delegation from Assam which is currently in Dhaka. The delegation which includes more than 30 MLAs is led by Biswajit Daimary, Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly called on Momen on Monday.
Momen added that Bangladesh’s relations especially with Northeast India is a special one for its unstinting support to Dhaka during the War of Liberation in 1971.
Momen mentioned that Assam can reap the benefit from the outstanding growth of Bangladesh’s economy by enhancing trade and commerce, tourism and people to people contact, News On Air in its report said.
Meanwhile, Daimary said that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s zero tolerance policy towards terrorism and radicalism has contributed to “peace and prosperity in the entire region.”
India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-kilometre-long border — the fifth-longest land border in the world. Four of the eight northeastern states including Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghakaya share their borders with Bangladesh. Besides these northeastern states, Bangladesh also shares its borders with West Bengal.
Earlier, Bangladesh invited the Chief Ministers of all the northeastern states to visit Dhaka to boost ties.
Earlier this month, India also completed a trial run for trans-shipment of cargo movement from Kolkata to the northeast through Mongla port in Bangladesh marking a new era in connectivity for New Delhi and Dhaka. This would mean that goods from Kolkata can reach the land-locked northeastern states through Bangladesh.
The movement of goods from Kolkata port to the northeastern states using the India-Bangladesh Protocol route will reduce both transit cost and time. (India Narrative)
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon…reports Sumi Khan
The air quality in Dhaka continued to be under the “unhealthy” category on Saturday as the Bangladeshi capital, one of the most polluted cities in the world, registered an air quality index (AQI) score of 160.
With this AQI score, Dhaka is currently the fourth most polluted cities in the world after Lahore, Karachi and Wuhan (China) occupied the top three spots with scores of 180, 169 and 161, respectively.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘poor’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Indigo’s maiden direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka took off at 12.45 p.m from GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) Ltd. Senior officials from GHIAL along with Indigo officials and other stakeholders flagged off the first flight amidst a festive atmosphere…reports Asian Lite News
The Hyderabad international airport has added yet another international destination to its portfolio with the launch of Indigo’s direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka on Monday.
Apart from boosting tourism and leisure travel between Bangladesh and Telangana, the direct flights are expected to give a fillip to medical travel to Hyderabad.
The IndiGo Flight 6E 1931 will depart from GMR Hyderabad International Airport at 12.45 p.m. The return IndiGo Flight 6E 1932 from Dhaka will arrive in Hyderabad at 6.50 p.m. The two hours forty-five minutes flight will operate between GMR Hyderabad International Airport and Dhaka twice a week – Saturday and Monday.
As per data released by the Indian tourism ministry, about 54 per cent of all international medical visitors to India for treatment are from Bangladesh. With some of the finest medical facilities in the region, Hyderabad has emerged as one of the preferred destinations for medical tourists from Bangladesh. To attract medical tourists to the city, airlines are adding new flight routes connecting to the popular international destinations catering to the medical tourists.
Pradeep Panicker, CEO- GHIAL, said: “Apart from many tourist places to visit in Hyderabad, the city has also been a major hub for medical tourism. Over the years we have seen a massive influx of medical tourists along with leisure travellers. There is a great demand for direct connectivity between Hyderabad and Dhaka. This new connectivity will not only allow Bangladeshis to explore our city and medical facilities but also give a chance for the Hyderabadis to experience the unique charm of Dhaka.”
Indigo’s maiden direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka took off at 12.45 p.m from GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) Ltd. Senior officials from GHIAL along with Indigo officials and other stakeholders flagged off the first flight amidst a festive atmosphere.
Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, Indigo said: “We are pleased to commence new flights connecting the Indian hub of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to the cultural and economic capital of Bangladesh. Hyderabad has seen significant recovery in air traffic over the last few weeks, even surpassing the pre-covid levels on some days. Travellers from Dhaka could also use Hyderabad as the hub to connect more than 70 cities within the country. We are very confident that these flights will command high traffic, promoting leisure and medical tourism across both countries.”
Hyderabad International Airport is now connected to over 70 domestic destinations, from the pre Covid period of 55 domestic destinations and 16 international destinations. Though the overall international travel was subdued during the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, Hyderabad International Airport is now connected to its earlier favorite destinations like London, Singapore, Kualalumpur, Colombo, Dubai, Qatar to name a few.
Hyderabad is the only airport in the country where all ten domestic airlines fly. For the ‘Summer-22’ schedule, International Airlines have filed flight slots to 20 International destinations. The international summer slots filed is 103 per cent of the pre-Covid times. Flights from Hyderabad to Thailand and Hongkong will resume soon, GHIAL stated.
Domestic air passenger traffic crosses 4L mark
India’s daily domestic air passenger traffic crossed the 4 lakh mark on Sunday – for the first time in the last two years, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said on Monday.
In a tweet, he said: “And we hit the 4 lakh mark for the first time in the last two years!”
On Sunday, 407,975 domestic passengers were ferried on 2,838 flights. The total flight movement stood at 5,672.
According to industry experts, lower Covid infection rate as well as lesser restrictions and holiday travel propped up the passenger numbers.
The takeover of Dhaka in the 1971 India-Pakistan conflict was not planned, former Indian Navy chief, Admiral Madhvendra Singh (retd) said on Monday…reports Asian Lite News
Delivering the keynote address at ‘Militaria 2022’ being held here, he said that the conflict did not end with any major losses or gains in land in the Western sector, but it was a remarkable victory in the Eastern sector in Bangladesh.
The reasons for victory were the total air superiority and crucial intelligence gathering by Mukti Bahini as well as the coordination between the three wings of the armed forces: the Army, Navy and Air Force, the former Indian Navy chief said.
Noting the victory in the Eastern sector become a spectacular success owing to the taking of Dhaka by the Indian forces, he said that the decision to cross the Meghna river and head for Dhaka to take it was a decision of the 4 Corps Commander, Lt. General Sagat Singh.
“However, he has not received his due recognition and honour for this splendid victory though he has been recognised by the Bangladesh government,” he said.
Admiral Singh also said that his service did a commendable job during the 1971 war.
“The bombing of Karachi by the Indian naval ships was a laudable action. Since, Pakistan Air Force could not strike during the night, the naval operation took place at midnight.
“In the Eastern sector as well, the Indian Navy played an important role by bombing Chittagong and Khulna in Bangladesh. Not to forget the destruction of the Pakistani submarine, Ghazi,” he said.
However, the loss of INS Khukri was a setback to the Indian Navy, he added.
According to him, the intelligence gathering by the Indian forces during the 1971 conflict was an impeccable feat. “There are many lessons to be learned even in victory and we continue to learn new aspects of the 1971 victory even today.”
Maroof Raza, founder of Militaria, said that they are elated to bring a second edition of Militaria back to the city. “The kind of response they are receiving is inspiring and in times to come there could be a full fledged Military Literature Festival in Jaipur,” he said.
The next edition will be in February 2023.
The speakers for the session ‘Generals on Technology’ were Lt General Rajeev Sabherwal (retd), former Signal Officer in Chief of the Indian Army, and Lt General P.J.S. Pannu, Former Deputy Chief, of the Integrated Defence Staff.
Lt Gen Sabherwal threw light on the different types of warfare such as Platform Centric Warfare, Network Centric Warfare, Information Centric Warfare, and Knowledge Centric Warfare, and said that in the times to come, warfare will be fought in all domains simultaneously and concurrently at all levels.
Rescuers have recovered six bodies from a river in Narayanganj district outside Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka after a ferry collided with another vessel and capsized on Sunday, a senior official said…reports Asian Lite News
Jayedul Alam, Narayanganj district’s police chief, told a news agency that the ferry named “MV Afsar Uddin” sank after being hit by the cargo vessel in the Shitalakkhya River in Narayanganj district.
“The bodies of six people including three women, two children and a man have so far been retrieved,” he was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
According to the official, the ferry carrying some 25 to 30 passengers sank in the river at around 2:15 p.m. local time (0815 GMT) Sunday.
But local media reports put the number of missing people at dozens and feared the death toll may rise with the search and rescue operation still underway.
Bangladesh’s river police seized the cargo vessel, “MV Rupshi-19”, and detained its master and eight other crew members.
Bangladesh’s Shipping Ministry has formed a committee to look into the negligence claims as footage of the sinking ferry found on social media showed its passengers shouting in panic.
