Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the NDI-IRI in their report acknowledged that the January 7 National Election had witnessed less violence.
"A fair and good election was held," said the foreign minister while responding to query of a reporter regarding NDI-IRI report at Foreign Service Academy here today.
The foreign minister said that quality of the election was much better than the previous ones in Bangladesh or elections held in the subcontinent.
"BNP and their allies had not only boycotted the election but also tried to resist it... they should also address this issue," Hasan said.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will visit Bangladesh from March 18 to 21 in her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Princess will visit together with the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell and UNDP Assistant Secretary General Ulrika Modéer, said a press release issued by Swedish embassy here.
The purpose of the visit is to learn about the development journey of Bangladesh and study the progress and challenges in the implementation of the SDGs, focusing on climate, gender equality, the green and digital transition and the role of the business sector, said the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday.
The government has fixed reasonable prices of 29 essential agricultural products, including onion, broiler chicken, mutton, beef, and eggplant, at the retail, wholesale, producer and production levels amid surging price hikes.
In a circular issued on Friday, the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) requested authorities concerned to sell the products at the newly fixed rates.
According to the new rates, the price of locally produced onion has been set at Tk65.40 per kg at the retail level, which is currently being sold at Tk90-100 in the capital kitchen markets.
Zahidi date, an essential iftar item, price has been fixed at Tk185.07 per kg.
Padma Bank is set to merge with Shariah-based EXIM Bank (Export Import Bank of Bangladesh), marking the first such merger in Bangladesh.
The decision was made this morning at the Exim bank board meeting, where it was also decided that a press conference would be held in this regard on Monday.
"We have taken decision to merge with Exim Bank. We already finalised the draft of the MoU that will be signed on Monday at Bangladesh Bank headquarters in the presence of the central bank governor," chairman of Exim Bank Nazrul Islam Majumder told reporters.