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Sep 12, 2021 NEWSLETTER |
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At the directives of Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh government has administered more than 4.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in three days to people who got the first doses during a mass inoculation drive, held last week. Over 20.4 million of them have received the first doses including 13.25 million who have received the second doses as well since the inoculation campaign started in February. Moreover, a new shipment of 5.4 million doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine has arrived last week while in addition to the Chinese vaccine, the government has administered Oxford-AstraZeneca, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. On the other hand, as many as 77% hospital beds designated for coronavirus patients have become vacant across the country as the infection rate of the deadly pathogen has been declining for the last few weeks. |
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UK: Bangladesh critical stability provider in the region 
The United Kingdom has reportedly recognized Bangladesh’s role as a critical stability provider in the region and its particular relevance in the context of the UK’s integrated foreign, trade, development and security policy review with focus on the Indo-Pacific. During the recently held fourth Bangladesh-UK strategic dialogue, both sides agreed to remain engaged in a durable solution for the Rohingya crisis, together with relevant regional and international actors, according to media reports. The two delegations exchanged views on cooperation on education, with particular focus on girls’ education in the aftermath of the pandemic while to explore ways to deepen cross-border collaboration in research and innovation. |
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Bangladesh aims at doubling rice productivity by 2050 
Bangladesh posted higher growth in apparel exports to the US market compared to China and Vietnam in the first seven months of the calendar year 2021. The country exported 28.04% higher quantity of apparel items worth $3.70 billion to the US market during the January-July period compared to the same period of 2020 owing to the government’s measures to make the RMG owners comply with workplace safety in Bangladesh over the years. Moreover, US has donated 20 vessels to Bangladesh to help increase capacity to monitor, patrol, and respond to threats within the country's coastal waters and Economic Exclusive Zone. |
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AL govt undertakes project to upskill women, youth targeting post-Covid job market 
Works are underway to initiate a training programme, as devised by the government led by Bangladesh Awami League under HPM Sheikh Hasina, for creating skilled manpower fit for the job market with the view to creating employment in the post-Covid period with a particular focus on women and the underprivileged people. Moreover, other projects have also been approved aiming to help youth, women and disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities, learn skills and connecting them to the labor market. The main project operations include construction of non residential building, 15 acres of land acquisition, imparting necessary training, holding seminars, conferences, procuring ICT and computer equipments, providing support to technical and stipend education and thus creating awareness on the pandemic. Planning Commission officials said the project will help modernize and build resilience of the technical vocational education and training sector in Bangladesh. |
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Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Rail Link, 62% work completed, likely to open in 2023 
With proper safety gears in place amid the pandemic, the construction work of Chakaria-Cox’s Bazar railway line is progressing fast to get the rail line from Dohazari of Chattogram to Cox's Bazar operational by June 2023. The completion of the projects will allow travellers from Dhaka to reach Cox’s Bazar in only six hours – four hours quicker than the current fastest road route. According to media reports, the journey from Kolkata to Cox’s Baza, once it becomes operational, will take 16 hours and is expected to add a big boost to economy in the popular tourism destination of the country. This railway corridor is part of the Trans-Asia Railway network, connecting Bangladesh with regional neighbours, including China, Myanmar and Thailand while the project works involve building over 51-km new dual gauge single railway line, including embankment, bridge and culvert, track laying and setting up stations. |
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1 million pre-paid meters to be installed in rural areas 
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will install 1 million more smart pre-paid electricity meters in 13 districts to cut non-technical system loss by 1% and ensure full revenue collection in advance. The move comes as part of the power division’s target to install some 8.8 million smart pre-paid meters across the country through different state-run power distribution companies. According to media reports, after bringing all consumers under the smart prepaid metering system, there will be no anomalies in the electricity billing process. As envisaged by HPM Sheikh Hasina, the government has reportedly undertaken a massive scale scheme, bringing in a larger part pf population under electricity coverage. |
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BANGLADESH AWAMI LEAGUE |
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