The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of Bengali and English versions of the Regional Trade Agreement (RTA) Policy, 2022 aimed at protecting and expanding export markets to effectively face the post graduation challenges.
The approval came from a regular weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office here.
Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told a news briefing at the Bangladesh Secretariat that Bangladesh needs to sign trade agreements with many countries to protect and expand export markets as well as ensure duty-free access for Bangladeshi products by overcoming the challenges of the post graduation from LDC.
“We’ve taken steps to go for regional trade agreements. So, the policy has been taken for it (signing RTAs),” he said.
The meeting, he said, also approved the draft of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation Act, 2022 to make the industrial entities under the BSCIC more effective.
The proposed law will promote women entrepreneurs as the existing law, 1957 is an old one, which needs to be revised.
The Cabinet also approved in principle the draft of International Mother Language Institute (Amendment) Act, 2022 to form a language research trust under the institute.
The name of the trust will be ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Language Research Trust under which a permanent fund will be created, he said.
Anwarul added that scholarship and fellowship will be given from the permanent fund for language research and development.
The meeting endorsed the ratification proposal for an agreement to be signed between Bangladesh and Oman on the mutual visa exemption for the holders of diplomatic, official, special or service passports.
The cabinet also approved the proposal for providing the transit facilities to Nepal under the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal-Motor Vehicle Agreement (BBIN-MVA) by cancelling its earlier decision over the Operating Modalities for the Carriage of Transit Cargo between Nepal and Bangladesh.
About government measures to open the Padma Bridge to traffic on June 25 next, the cabinet secretary said the bridge would be opened through super-gorgeous ceremony.
There will be replication of the original gala event in all the 64 districts in the country simultaneously, he added.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday night said investigative journalism tells the untold stories of the underprivileged and marginalised people of the society.
“Journalism is such a profession that plays important role in running the society smoothly, opening the third eye of the society and help pay attention to the neglected sides of the society which is not possible by any other profession, ” he said.
The minister stated these while addressing the Bashundhara Media Award-2021 organised by East West Group at International Convention City auditorium in the capital.
Bashundhara Group chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan inaugurated the function with its managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir in the chair.
Bangladesh Press Council Chairman Md Nizamul Haque Nasim addressed the function as special guest.
Eleven journalists have received awards for investigative journalism and 64 senior journalists at district level also received the awards and certificates.
Hasan congratulated the recepients and extended thanks to the Bashundhara group for giving award to journalists.
He said such award giving progamme would encourage reporters to work for the welfare of the society. There is life risk in investigative journalism and journalists have to do the work braving this hardens, he added.
He said mass media is the fourth pillar of a state and the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina think that flourishing of state and democratic society is rooted with the expansion of mass media. For this, a vast revolution has taken place in mass media in the last thirteen and a half years, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan extended thanks to the guests.
Sayem also extended thanks to the awardees.
The awardees are: Ahmed Ishtiak of the Daily Star, Kawsar Soheli of Massranga TV, Salah Uddin Jashim of Jagonews24.com, Shoeb Chowdhury of Desh Rupantar, Jannatul Ferdowsi of GTV, Jesmin Papri of newsbangla24.com, Rajib Ahmed of the daily Somokal, Showkat Sagar of Ananda TV, Adnan Rahman of Dhaka Post, Mazharul Islam of Massranga TV and Dipu Malakar of the daily Prothom Alo.
The jury board members were Professor Dr Md Golam Rahman, senior journalists Ajoy Das Gupta, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, the daily Desh Rupantar editor Amit Habib, writer Nasir Ali Mamun, Professor Dr AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, Associate Porfessor Shownti Haider of Dhaka University and journalist Julfikar Ali Manik.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government has been working in planned way to ensure its main priority for overall development of the country.
“My party, Awami League, has prioritised the overall development of the country especially rural areas as desired uplift is impossible leaving the grassroots people behind,” she said.
The premier made this remark while receiving “Azizul Haque Polli Unnayan Padak-2021 (Azizul Haque Rural Development Award-2021)” at a ceremony at her official residence Ganabhaban here.
Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) has honoured the prime minister with this prestigious award in recognition of her contribution to rural development.
CIRDAP Director General Dr. Cherdsak Virapat handed over the award to the prime minister.
Sheikh Hasina said it is the belief of her government that the country would achieve desired development and prosperity, once rural development is ensured.
She said Awami League had drawn up necessary plan even when it was outside of the state power and that is why, after coming to power, it has been able to take the country ahead through working as per its plan.
About “Amar Bari, Amar Khamar” (My Home, My Farm) project, the head of the government said that her brain child project helped in creating employment opportunities for the unemployed poor people and thereby ensured their socio-economic development.
To this end, she mentioned the digital centre that started from a remote area named Char Kukri Mukri.
She added the government is now implementing the programme “My Home, My Farm” so that the people living in rural areas could stand on their own feet and create employment opportunities for others.
She also highlighted various achievements of her government including establishment of digital Bangladesh, setting up of at least one educational institution in two kilometres of a locality, and reaching health care services at the door steps of the people.
She continued: “To ensure education for all, the government is establishing one primary school in every two kilometres so that children could go to the school on foot.”
The prime minister thanked the CIRDAP and its board of directors for honouring her with the “Azizul Haque Polli Unnayan Padak-2021” and dedicated the award to the countrymen.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said BNP is so much ashamed as the Padma Bridge has been constructed despite all ill efforts of the party.
“BNP doesn’t want the Padma Bridge. But all people of the country are delighted and they are waiting for the inauguration of the bridge. And the people will crowd along the six kilometers of the approach road of the both sides of the bridge if they are allowed to go there,” he said.
The minister stated these while replying to a query at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat in the city.
But, Hasan said, BNP wants to create anarchy to suppress people’s enthusiasm over Padma Bridge. They terrorized at Dhaka University, in front of the Supreme Court and other places of the country in the name of movement to divert the people’s attention, he added.
He said BNP is trying to create an unstable situation, vandalize vehicles, and launch arson attack. Such anarchy will be resisted taking the help of the commoners, he added.
The minister said Tareque Rahman and even Begum Khaleda Zia will be responsible if any type of anarchy such arson attack, terrorism or vandalism takes place under the leadership of BNP. So, a question has been raised whether BNP chief Begum Zia will be sent back to prison, he added.
Many demanded to send back Begum Zia to jail, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.
Replying to another query, the minister said the leaders of Chhatra Dal are of the age of fathers of students. The Chhatra Dal instigated the recent incident and it is normal that the regular students will protest them if they want to enter the Dhaka University campus along with outsiders, he added.
“Are the president and general secretary of Chhatra Dal students? Their age is about 40 and they are father of students,” he said.
Replying to another query over a comment of the BNP secretary general on metro rail, the minister said Mirza Fakhrul came in the role of a doctor during the COVID-19 situation. And now, he becomes an engineer.