Bangladesh Awami League and its associate organizations held processions and rallies in all district and metropolitan areas tomorrow (May 22, 2023), protesting Rajshahi district BNP Convener Abu Sayeed Chand making a “death threat” to Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) and AL President Sheikh Hasina. In a video posted on AL’s verified Facebook page, that had been circulating on social media and reported on by media outlets, Abu Sayeed Chand is heard saying: “No more 27- or 10-point demand, just one point now – send Sheikh Hasina to the grave!” According to the video, the speech was given on May 19 at a Rajshahi district and metropolitan BNP rally. The video of the BNP leader making the “death threat” has already triggered discussion on social media with many wondering why no top BNP leader has addressed the incident yet considering the gravity of it.

In a major breakthrough, the United Nations has unanimously adopted the first-ever resolution on community-based health care, an initiative of HPM Sheikh Hasina. The historic resolution, entitled, “Community-based primary health care: a participatory and inclusive approach to universal health coverage,” acknowledged the important role community clinics play in promoting primary health care, women’s empowerment, community engagement and mobilisation towards achieving universal access to health. The resolution, in recognition of HPM’s stellar contribution in establishing model community clinics in Bangladesh, highlighted the initiative as an exemplary innovative model of public-private partnership.

Describing the national election in 2018 as “fair and participatory” – while speaking to the media – in the morning on election day, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) changed its tune in the evening as results were coming in, Sajeeb Wazed, ICT Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has said. Posting a compilation of news clips on his verified Facebook page on Friday (May 19, 2023) night, Sajeeb Wazed highlighted remarks made by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain when voting started on election day in 2018, and how they “changed tune” later in the day – blaming the government for “their own failures.” The video posted by Sajeeb Wazed shows news clips featuring Dr. Kamal and Mirza Fakhrul, saying on national election day in 2018, that voting was being held “in a fair manner.” BNP leaders expressed satisfaction about the voter turnout as well, but when counting of votes began in the evening, they changed their position and announced boycott of the polls, the video says.

The 43rd Homecoming Day of Awami League president and Honourable Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina was observed across the country this week. HPM Sheikh Hasina returned to Bangladesh from exile on this day in 1981, six years after the brutal assassination of her father, independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of her family members on August 15, 1975. Both sisters had survived the assassination as they had been living abroad. Prior to her return, the AL national council formed in February 1981 elected her president of the party. On her arrival in Bangladesh, she launched the reorganisation of the party. In observance of the day, Awami League and its associate organisations held a number of programmes.

The country’s remittances witnessed a rising growth to stand at $18.49 billion till 12 May this fiscal year 2022-23, up $453.68 million or 2.52% over the corresponding period of previous fiscal. This inflows are rising to stand at $ 773.97 million within only the first 12 days in May. On an average around $64.50 million came every day in May while $56.12 million came every day in April. In April 2023, the remittance was $1.68 billion, down $350 million than the previous months. However, remittance in a single month this fiscal has crossed $2 billion to stand at $2.02 billion in March. Such trend of inflow of money increased by 29.29% in March over the previous month in February amounting to $1.56 billion.

Owing to a series of initiatives over the space of last decade, Bangladesh earns $1.2 billion from export of jute and jute goods in the last fiscal year while the jute sector contributes 1.4% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). "Jute contributes 1.4% to GDP and 26% to agriculture, which means jute contributes about eight billion to total GDP," added media reports. HPM Sheikh Hasina declared jute goods as the ‘Product of the Year’ in 2023 while she directed the embassies and foreign missions abroad to exhibit the jute-made goods so that the foreigners could know about the variations of such valuable item. Bangladesh now held around 72% of the global export earning of jute while the demand for jute bags now increased to 700 million from the existing 10 crore.

Bangladesh's total RMG exports has recorded a healthy year-over-year (Y0Y) growth of 9.09% for the July-April period of the current fiscal year (FY2022-23), according to the latest data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). The country's total RMG export during this period reached US$38.57 billion, out of which the EU market accounted for US$19.20 billion, accounting for 49.78% of the total exports, according to media reports. Besides, RMG items worth US$6.9 billion were exported to the USA market having a share of 18.01% of the total exports, RMG products worth US$1.2 billion were exported to Canada with a share of 3.19% while US$7.00 billion went to the non-traditional market which had a share of 18.16%.