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Mar 01, 2021 NEWSLETTER |
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Covid-19 vaccination : Bangladesh outshines most countries, 2.6 million took jabs in 15 days With the number of people vaccinated for Covid-19 rose to 2,673,038 as the vaccination campaign entered the 15th day, Bangladesh has emerged as a success in light of global vaccine rollouts. According to the latest update by Our World In Data, as per the number of people who received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, Bangladesh holds 11th position in the global vaccination race -- ahead of Spain, Poland and Canada. In addition, the health ministry has started to work on a plan to include university teachers and students in the inoculation campaign to comply with a government decision. Moreover, two million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from Serum Institute of India reached the country this week. |
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ADB lauds HPM Sheikh Hasina’s leadership in battle against Covid-19 
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) highly praised Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina's dynamic and successful leadership in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and rolling out a nationwide vaccination programme. ADB Country Director in Bangladesh Manmohan Parkash came up with the appreciation when he met HPM Sheikh Hasina at her official residence. Bangladesh, under the able leadership of HPM sheikh Hasina, has made a mark on the global arena by launching the vaccination campaign with its limited resources when many countries are waiting to begin vaccinating their countrymen against the deadly viral disease. On the other hand, the ADB has pledged to provide US$ 940 million as assistance to Bangladesh to procure the Covid-19 vaccines. |
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Bangladesh forex reserves cross $44bn milestone 
Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have crossed another milestone on the money sent by migrant workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. The reserves at Bangladesh Bank stood at all-time high of $44.028 billion after Wednesday’s transactions. The amount is sufficient to pay import bills for over 11 months. The reserves crossed $43 billion for the first time on Dec 30 last year, but dropped below $42 billion when the country cleared the import bills to Asian Clearing Union in the first week of January this year. With boosted remittances continuing to flow in, it took less than two months to cross another milestone. |
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$35 million stimulus distributed among 5.7 million farmers 
To offset food production loss emerging from global corona virus pandemic alongside the devastating flood occurring last year, the government so far has distributed incentives over $35 million among 5.7 million farmers across the country in the current fiscal year. The incentives have been disbursed from agriculture rehabilitation allocation under regular budget of the agriculture ministry. “Various farm ingredients and necessary assistance including seed, seedlings and fertilizer remain part of the incentives”. Of the total amount, assistances have been provided on making up crop production loss due to the COVID-19 and the floods. Incentives of $10 million have been distributed for increasing production of maskalai, mung, sunflower, mustard and Maize. |
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Rise in Remittance in 2020: Bangladesh one of three large recipients 
Bangladesh became one of the three large remittance-recipient countries that registered a rise in inward remittance last year, according to a new report of the Economist Intelligence Unit. Last year, Bangladesh received about $19.8 billion in remittance compared to $18.4 billion it received the year before, said the report. With the figure of $19.8 billion, Bangladesh is the eighth highest recipient of remittance among the 10 countries listed by the recently published EIU report -- "Covid-19 and Migrant Remittances: A Hidden Crisis Looming?". The introduction of new remittance tax incentives by the authorities -- in 2019 by Bangladesh -- could also have boosted flows, the report said. |
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Stipend payment to 14 million primary students begins 
The government has started disbursement of stipends to 14 million students of the primary level in the country digitally. Besides, the students will be provided allowances for their uniforms (shirt, pants and shoes) and other educational materials after the reopening of the educational institutions. According to media reports, while the distribution of stipend money had remained stopped for about a year due to the emergence of the pandemic, at the direction of HPM Sheikh Hasina, the Department of Primary Education stepped up to roll out this scheme following the reopening of schools. Introduction of such schemes including the likes of stipends and allowances has been attributed to bring down the school dropout rate to 18%. |
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BANGLADESH AWAMI LEAGUE |
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