Launch services of Dhaka with coastal areas have been suspended due to inclement weather.
Additionally, small launch services within coastal areas have also been halted.
This decision has been made by the government due to adverse weather conditions.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) issued a special warning stating this information.
It mentioned that due to the ongoing severe weather across the country, the 2nd alert signal in inland waterways, and the 3rd local warning signal in seaports, launch services between Dhaka and several coastal regions have been suspended for safety reasons.
The previous Awami League government initiative to create digital labs and training centers across the country, named after Sheikh Russel and Sajeeb Wazed Joy, is now in jeopardy due to a recent change in administration.
Officials from the Planning and ICT Division informed The Shuttle Times that the current interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, is reevaluating the feasibility of the Tk59 crore project. They also suggested that even if the project continues, the names of Sheikh Russel and Joy might be removed. Sheikh Russel, the youngest child of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and brother of Sheikh Hasina, and Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina son, who served as ICT adviser to the former prime minister, were both honored through the project.
Approved in December 2021, the project aimed to establish 10,000 Sheikh Russel Digital Labs and 491 Joy Set Centres across Bangladesh. However, the “Establishing Digital Connectivity (EDC)” project, though partially implemented, has been delayed due to the inability to finalize a loan agreement with China. The project relies on a Tk33.78 crore loan from China.
Relief ensued among the residents of Dhaka as intermittent rain triggered by the active monsoon since Friday morning drenched parts of the capital, reports UNB.
Ten millimetres of rainfall was recorded in the past six hours till 1:00 pm on Friday, according to BMD special bulletin.
Meanwhile, light to moderate rains or thundershowers are likely to occur in Dhaka and its neighbouring areas in the next few hours.
Bangladesh Mission in KSA inaugurates e-passport services for expatriates
The e-passport services for Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia have been inaugurated at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh.
SM Rakibullah, Charge d Affaires of the Embassy, presided over the inaugural ceremony.
Besides, officials and the technical team of the e-passport project from Dhaka were present at the ceremony.
The e-passport program was inaugurated with the participation of expatriate dignitaries, professionals, media personnel, and a large number of expatriate Bangladeshis who joined with huge enthusiasm at the Embassy auditorium.