A historic milestone was witnessed this week with the signing of the deal to launch the country’s first satellite, Bangabandhu-1. The government signed a $248-million deal with a French company for manufacturing and launching the satellite into space by 2017. Apart from obvious telecommunications advantages, it would improve weather forecast system and facilitate exploration of natural resources on land and in sea. Once launched, the satellite will reduce the bandwidth rent to zero, saving $14 million a year.

Towards the fight to free Bangladesh from the menace of poverty, vulnerability and marginalization, the government has launched a new National Social Security Strategy that will bring more than 30 million people under various social safety net scheme for their entire life involving around $11 billion. Prime goals include ensuring efficient use of resources, strengthening delivery system and securing a more inclusive form of social security. Currently around 5 million widow, physically challenged and elderly people are the recipients of monthly assistances under safety net schemes per month.

More than 80% of Bangladesh's garment factories supplying global retailers have been found to adhere to building code as well as fire and electricity safety standards, reveals an inspection by engineers of a government sponsored platform. Led by ILO, the platform assessed 1, 354 factories and shut down three while some 13 were marked for immediate remediation work. Some 471 of the factories were found to be not vulnerable at all, 640 not-too-vulnerable, 209 risky but not dangerous, and five were near danger.

Amnesty International (AI) has caused fury and rage in the minds of Bangladeshis with its latest statement that defended two war criminals and made derogatory comments on the Liberation War by saying that “pro-independence forces also committed serious crimes”. The government has sent a protest letter demanding immediate withdrawal of the statement and formal apology for the highly objectionable pronouncements. Newspapers too, have carried opinion pieces showing political bias of the organization.

Foreign ministers of a number of European countries have highly appreciated sustained progress taking place in Bangladesh, particularly in terms of disaster management, climate change adaptation and resilience, counterterrorism and basic health care. The appreciation came when Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali held separate meetings with his counterparts in Luxembourg. The FM invited his counterparts to take advantage of Bangladesh’s strategic production-logistic-manufacturing hub in the region.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Giving a major boost to the nation’s march towards the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the government sanctioned an allocation worth around $84 million to four ministries for facilitating research work in order to enhance the country’s economic status by 2030. The Agriculture Ministry was allocated $37.4 million, Science and Technology $16.5 million, Health and Family Planning $10.3 million, and Education around $3 million.

With Bangladesh making its recent foray into the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Fund, the country is set to receive US$ 100 million worth of grant from GPE, first ever in its history, by this month to remodel, reshape and reform the existing primary education system. To be provided by the World Bank next month, this assistance will uplift the national progress as 19.6 million children are likely to get benefits from that move. Already, a meeting has been held among concerned officials in this regard.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND MEGA PROJECTS

As part of bringing in a wholesale upgrade in the railway sector, the government has rolled out the process to purchase 250 new passenger coaches and 10 engines spending more than $270 million for its fleet to make the train a low-cost, safe and quick mode of transport. Another project titled 'Western Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project' was approved that involves replacing and constructing 61 small- and medium-sized bridges encompassing 4,715 metres in 24 western and south-western districts at the expense of more than $373 million.

While the works for the first metro rail project gaining full steam, another move is in the making to set up the second Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line across the capital. According to the pre-feasibility study report, from Kamlapur the journey to airport will be shortened to 23-minutes and only 39-minute is required to reach Purbachal. Moreover, the ADB has come up with US$ 1.0 billion investment proposal for constructing a new metro rail in the city.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY

Scanning services for patients suffering from breast cancer have been decided to be made free of cost at the government hospitals across the country for December every year. This move coincides with the government’s vision to intensify campaign to drum up mass awareness against the deadly disease. Under the financial support of the UNFPA, the government has opened two centres each in 54 districts across the country for examination of ovarian and breast cancers.

DIGITAL BANGLADESH

Forty-four municipalities have been brought under the Electronic Government Procurement (EGP) tender system to ensure public procurement activities are being done transparently through the digital system. Progresses are well underway to apply this EGP process in rest of the municipalities so that the procurement process will become ever more transparent and accountable. Already, most of the ministries have introduced this process putting an end to the misuse of public money.

Trade and Investment

The government plans to organize an international investment summit in Dhaka next month with a view to showcasing private investment opportunities in key sectors and attracting fresh investments in Bangladesh. This two-day summit is expected to be held in the third week of December. Improvement of investment climate will be showcased and focus will be attached to place specific investment opportunities in the agribusiness sector, as well as in economic zones.

International and Regional Cooperation

Bangladesh and the USA have agreed to work under a common strategy to counter extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh and South Asia. The decision was reached at a meeting in Dhaka between Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haq and the US Department of State's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs William E Todd. In a related development, Bangladesh Ambassador to USA Mohammad Ziauddin has told two US Congressmen that Dhaka shares the “same position” as USA on ISIS and condemns its activities.