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Jan 11, 2021 NEWSLETTER |
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At the directives of Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina the government has decided to increase the open market sales (OMS) of daily essentials as social protection for the marginal people against inflation and rising trend of Covid transmission. The finance ministry has approved an additional trench with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rice and wheat in that regard beyond the regular allocation. The food department will sell the commodities among the poor people until next June. The East Asian country also proposed piloting a World Bank-funded project on water quality management and aquaculture using drone technology. Moreover, the central bank rolled out a refinance scheme to generate employment and to eliminate poverty for the people who have returned home due to Covid 19 pandemic and other reasons. |
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Bangladesh, a model in poverty reduction 
Bangladesh is one of the 17 countries that has successfully reduced poverty and ended malnourishment in the last two decades. WhiteBoard, country's first policy-driven magazine, says the list includes China, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Kyrgyz Republic, Greece, and Kosovo. Renowned economist Dr Binayak Sen, in his article in WhiteBoard, writes that both GDP per capita and GNI per capita attest to growth performance of an economy. "Of all the 17 countries, the growth decelerated in 16 countries in the late 2010s compared to early 2010s, except for Bangladesh," the article reads. Apart from these two indexes, Bangladesh has also displayed remarkable strides in minimising growth volatility. |
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HPM opens four development schemes 
HPM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated four uplift projects to implement the pledges of the Awami League government to the grassroots people to transform Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country. "With opening the four development schemes, we are marching ahead to fulfill our pledges to the grassroots people to turn Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country as envisioned by the Father of the Nation," she added. She made the comments while inaugurating the newly constructed pedestrian underpass adjoining Shaheed Ramij Uddin Cantonment School and College on Dhaka-Airport Highway, Sylhet Town Bypass-Garrison Link 4 Highway, Balukhali (Cox's Bazar)-Ghundhum (Bandarban) Boundary Link Road, and a 500-metre bridge on the Chengi river at Naniarchar in Rangamati district under the Roads and Highways Department. |
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Danish HPM phones her Bangladesh counterpart, discusses climate, trade 
Bangladesh and Denmark have agreed to work together on climate change and infrastructural development issues for mutual benefits. Both the countries expressed their eagerness when Honourable Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen phoned Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina last week marking the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and 50 years of diplomatic relations between the countries. During the talks, both the premiers greeted and congratulated each other marking the two significant occasions in Bangladesh. They also expressed their keenness to work on other issues of mutual interest such as business, trade and commerce. Moreover, HPM Sheikh Hasina greeted the Danish premier on her election as the second female and the youngest prime minister in Denmark's history. |
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20 million people in Bangladesh using renewable energy 
Over 20 million people in areas where the supply of electricity is non-existence, are getting benefits of renewable energy (RE). The government has so far introduced over 60 lakh solar home systems(SHS) in its efforts to continue promoting RE. Additionally, people living in remote areas are also getting benefits of electricity through installing 26 solar mini-grids while 2000 diesel-run irrigation pumps were converted into solar-run pumps to reduce the use of liquid fuels. Currently, eight solar parks, having 231 MW capacity are supplying electricity to the national grid. The country is now generating 650 MW of electricity from solar energy. |
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Bangladesh tea production heats up to a historic high in 2021 
Bangladesh's tea industry has brewed up 96.5m kg of one of the world’s top commodities in 2021, the highest in 168 years of commercial production. Bangladesh Tea Board in a notice credited the efforts of the government, owners and workers to keep productions at the tea plantations normal amid the coronavirus pandemic for the milestone. The government came to the industry's rescue with a stimulus package, while the commerce ministry and the board chipped in with regular monitoring and advices to the tea garden managements. Bangladesh adopted the Roadmap to Development: Bangladesh Tea Industry in 2017, targeting 140 million kg production in 2025. |
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RMG exports grow by 28% in six months 
In the first six months of the 2021-22 fiscal year (July-December), Bangladesh exported readymade garments worth 19900.7 million dollars, which was 15545.57 million dollars in the same period of the previous year. As a result, the export growth has increased by 28% in six months, according to the information of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). Bangladesh's garment exports to the United States grew by about 46% in the last six months of the outgoing year, compared to that in the same period last year. During July-December, garment exports to the US market stood at 4,231,605,000 dollars, up from 2,900,008,000 dollars in the same period last year, marking a 45.91% rise. |
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BANGLADESH AWAMI LEAGUE |
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