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Apr 07, 2022 NEWSLETTER |
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Bangladesh’s economy secures real and measurable gains Owing to a raft of prudent measures, Bangladesh has made significant gains on key economic indicators despite the Russia-Ukraine war's effect on global trade with the foreign exchange reserves rose to $44.30 billion again after a month, thanks to growing inward remittance. Inward remittance rose to an eight-month high in March as migrant workers sent home a higher amount of money to help their families meet an increased expenditure during Ramadan. Moreover, export receipts hit $4.76 billion in March, the highest ever on record in a single month, posting 55% growth year-on-year as buoyancy remained in shipments of major manufactured goods such as garments, home textiles and leather footwear. This remarkable advancement has stood out as a shining testament to Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina’s prudent economic management policies that lifted up the economic growth for over the course of last decade. |
According to the Bloomberg Covid 19 tracker, in terms of total doses administered, Bangladesh stood at eight position, displaying country's strong resilience to the deadly virus. The government has collected a total of over 290 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from around the world as of April 4, 2022, HPM Sheikh Hasina made this revelation at the national parliament this week. She also revealed that till date 120 million people have been given the first dose and 110 million people have been given second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine so far. Besides, over 100 million people have been given the booster dose. Moreover, the government has planned to reduce the gap between the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the booster shot to four months. Moreover, another decision has been taken to administer the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as booster shots in place of the Pfizer one. |
Honourable Joe Biden, the President of United States (US) in a letter sent to HPM Sheikh Hasina has expressed his confidence to further flourish Washington-Dhaka partnership for next 50 years. In a related development, officials from both countries discussed a number of issues including enhancing trade and investment, withdrawing sanctions on RAB and extraditing Bangabandhu's killer Rashed Chowdhury to take the bilateral relations further forward. Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held the bilateral meeting in Washington DC, on the very day of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between the countries. |
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Bangladesh meets UN affordability target for internet prices 
Bangladesh has met the affordable cost target for fixed or mobile broadband internet as per the United Nations Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development in 2021. According to a recent report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), Bangladesh is among the world's 46 least developed countries with internet costs at less than 2% of gross national income (GNI) per capita. The report gives an overview of the world-wide changes in internet affordability based on 2021's price data collection. This milestone stands as a shining testament to the advancement on the pledge placed by government in turning the country into a technologically advanced one. |
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Bangladesh takes steps to modernise 36 river ports 
As a part of the communication development programme, the government has taken initiatives to modernise 36 river ports of the country. Moreover, work is underway at several river ports including Chilmari port, in Kurigram district. Once those ports are modernised, the country is set to undergo a revolution in the communication system in waterways. Transportation of goods to and from abroad by waterways will reduce the transport cost and increase the use of sea and river ports. According to the media reports, as many as 225 million passengers resort to waterways while a whopping 25 million vehicles are transported annually on inland waterways by ferry, coastal vessels and cargo services. |
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Automation gaining ground in garment sector 
Automation has been substantially coming about in garment factories, with modern machinery being used to make high-end garments and increase productivity in attempts to become more competitive globally. Almost all the regulation-compliant garment factories, especially the 157 with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, have already automated major sections of the factories, producing sophisticated apparel items, mainly outerwear, using robotics. Moreover, hundreds of sewing thread manufacturing units have sprung up in Bangladesh in recent years, allowing the country to nearly attain self-sufficiency in the major garment accessory. |
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Plastic recycling takes hold in northern districts 
Bangladesh's northern region has turned into a plastic recycling hub as many people in eight districts are now engaged in turning hazardous waste such as discarded PET bottles and disposable syringes back into resources for these products. The people of those regions seem to have found a solution as nearly 1,000 plastic recycling factories have sprung up across eight districts in the region. Aside from the obvious benefit of ensuring a cleaner environment, the initiative has generated employment for many locals, most of whom learned about how to recycle plastic from YouTube. |
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BANGLADESH AWAMI LEAGUE |
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