The government has assured that all outstanding dues of Beximco Industrial Parks workers will be cleared within February, ahead of the upcoming Ramadan, according to Labor and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M. Sakhawat Hossain.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting on the current situation of Beximco industries at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Sakhawat Hossain confirmed that financial arrangements are being finalized to settle payments.
“Workers of Beximco Apparel were initially laid off and it was later shut down. We had assured that all outstanding dues from the closure would be paid within this month. The necessary financial arrangements are being made,” he said.
He added that a newly appointed administrator is currently calculating the exact amount due. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for February 18, which is expected to be the final discussion on the matter.
In an effort to prevent an abnormal surge in airfares, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry has issued ten directives aimed at regulating ticket sales and ensuring fair pricing for travelers.
The ministry released a circular on Tuesday detailing the new measures, which target airlines and travel agencies operating in the country.
Key directives:
· For all ticket bookings, including group reservations, travelers must provide their name, passport number, and a photocopy of their passport. If a ticket is not issued in the passenger name within three days, the airline must automatically cancel the booking after 72 hours.
· Airlines and travel agencies must finalize the sale of all previously blocked group-booked tickets within the next seven days, providing passenger details. Failure to comply will result in automatic cancellation within three days.
· Airlines must report the actual sale price of group-booked tickets to the Civil Aviation Ministry, which will then publish the prices on its website for public access.
· All air tickets must be sold online, and their prices must be clearly displayed both on the tickets and on the respective airline or agency website.
· Airlines and travel agencies must follow the tariff filing provisions outlined in Rule 289 of the Civil Aviation Rules, 1984 and publish the approved fares on their websites.
· Airlines and travel agencies are prohibited from selling tickets at a higher price than the officially submitted fare. Travel agencies must provide passengers with a receipt indicating the original price set by the airline.
· Under Rule 15 of the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Rules, 2022, travel agencies that artificially inflate prices by reselling tickets through unauthorized agents may face suspension or cancellation of their registration certificates.
· Airlines and travel agencies operating in Bangladesh must introduce special airfares for individuals traveling on work visas.
· Within the next seven days, all airlines, including Biman Bangladesh Airlines and the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR), must take steps to reduce ticket prices for workers, particularly those traveling to the Middle East and Malaysia.
· As per the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Act, 2013, the sale of tickets through unregistered travel agencies must be stopped immediately.
Bangladesh Railway today ran its first train with passengers onboard on the newly built dual gauge double line railway bridge on the River Jamuna.
“The much-awaited train operation on the newly built railway bridge over the Jamuna River has begun with Dhaka-bound intercity train Silk City Express crossing it at 11:17am,” project director of the bridge Al Fattah M Masudur Rahman said.
He said the train took 10 minutes to cross the bridge 4.8 kilometres long bridge with a speed of 50 kilometre per hour (kph) though the bridge was constructed with the capacity of bearing carriages with 120 kph.
The trains so far needed 20 kph to cross the existing train bridge as an extended structure of the Jamuna Multi Purpose Bridge.
The official, however, said the dedicated railway bridge was set to be opened formally on March 18.
The new dedicated railway bridge is located 300 metres upstream of the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge.
The project director said at least 88 trains will be able to cross the country longest railway bridge at high speeds.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today visited three spots of Aynaghor, the notorious secret prison during the era of fallen Sheikh Hasina government, in Dhaka.
Prof Yunus visited three spots in Dhaka that were previously used as torture cells and secret prisons, Chief Adviser Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said.