28-10-2022

Friday, Dhaka : october 28, 2022; kartik 12, 1429 BS; rabi-us-Sany 1 , 1444 Hijri
the ban on fishing is going to be ended today. Fishermen are preparing to go fishing in the deep sea. the picture was
taken on thursday from the patharghata fish landing center ghat in Barguna.
photo : Star Mail
BD can increase export $18b more in EU: Study
DHAKA : Bangladesh exported US$$23
billion to 27 countries of the European
Union (EU) which can be increased $18
billion more by enhancing production
capacity and product diversification, as per
a study.
The study was conducted by Research
and Policy Integration for Development
(RAPID) with the cooperation of Friedrich-
Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh on the
titled 'Strengthening Bangladesh-EU
Trade and Economic Cooperation: Issues
and Policy Priorities.'
Sharifa Khan, Secretary, the Economic
Relations Division, Ministry of Finance,
was present in the discussion on the topic
as the chief guest.
Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and
Head of Delegation of the EU to
Bangladesh, was present as guest honor.
Dr Abdur Razzaq, Chairman RAPID
preside over the function.
ERD secretary Sharifa said the EU is a
very friend and development partner in all
environments for Bangladesh. She urged to
enhance support by providing duty-free
and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products
to EU markets after graduation.
"The EU has a lot of opportunity to
increase import of Bangladeshi products as
Bangladesh is producing diversified and
quality besides RMG," she added.
The program share the findings of the
study that looks into issues and policy
options for a renewed and transformed
trade and economic partnership with the
European Union- an indispensable trade
and development partner of Bangladesh.
The study report stated, over the past
decades, the European Union (EU) has
emerged as an indispensable trade and
development partner for Bangladesh.
The EU is by far the largest export market
as almost half of Bangladesh's merchandise
exports are destined for the EU.
Taking advantage of the Everything But
Arms (EBA) initiative- designed for providing
preferential duty-free and quota-free
Let's see how EC handles Jamaat's
registration in disguise: Anisul
DHAKA : Law Minister Anisul Huq on
Thursday said Jamaat-e-Islami's registration
as a political party is sub judice
and he will wait to see how the Election
Commission handles their appeal for
registration under a different name,
reports UNB.
"Will make a comment in this regard
after EC's step," he said replying to a
reporter's question after a training programme
organised for the sub registrars
at Judicial Administration Training
Institute in the city.
His remarks came amid reports that all
leaders of newly launched Bangladesh
Democratic Party (BDP) that sought EC's
registration belong to Jamaat and its student
front Shibir. BDP filed for registration
on Wednesday.
In 2013, the High Court declared the
registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with the
EC illegal effectively banning it from taking
part in general elections. In 2018, the
EC formally deregistered the Islamic fundamentalist
party as it failed to fulfill its
prerequisites.
However, Jamaat is still operating as a
legal political party amid calls from the
secular forces to ban it for its role in the
genocide during the Liberation War it
vehemently opposed.
Responding to another question on
Jamaat leaders' trial for war crimes the
law minister said the AL government is
determined to bring the war criminals of
1971 under justice, which is a proven
fact.
In reply to another question on the trial
of Jamaat for its role against the
Liberation War, Huq reiterated that it
requires some changes in the law and it's
under process.
"I have mentioned earlier we need
some changes in law to proceed with the
trial against Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and
we have already sent the amendment to
the Cabinet Division. Very soon we will
pass a law in this regard and begin the
trial," he added.
Government will take immediate steps
to begin the trial if it finds necessary, he
added.
market access of goods originating from the
least developed countries (LDCs)-
Bangladesh's combined exports to the EU
and UK expanded rapidly from US$2.5 billion
in 2000-01 to $25billion in 2021-21.
In value terms, more than 80 percent of
all trade preferences for Bangladesh is
obtained from European markets.
Bangladesh has been the single largest
beneficiary of EU trade preferential
schemes, the study said.
The EU is also a major source of foreign
direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh.
Between 2017 and 2021 the net FDI
flow from EU countries were $3.5 billion
accounting for about a quarter of all
such flows into Bangladesh during the
same period.
The FDI stock in Bangladesh due to the
EU is more than 12 percent of the total
stock. Bangladesh still has enormous export
potential in the EU as it is estimated that
currently only 60 percent of export potential
is utilized.
Court orders attachment
of Evaly's Shamima,
Rassel's property
DHAKA : A Dhaka court yesterday
ordered for the attachment of properties
belong to e-commerce platform Evaly's
Chairman Shamima Nasrin and its
Managing Director (MD) and her husband
Mohammad Rassel in a cheque
dishonour case.
Dhaka Additional Metropolitan
Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain passed the
order after holding hearing on petition
filed in this regard. The court also set
November 16 for submitting report in
this regard.
According to the case documents,
plaintiff Mehedi Hasan Khan ordered
different goods including three motorcycles,
worth of Taka 8.54 lakh from
Evaly on January 23, 2021, and paid the
money through mobile banking.
Though Evaly was supposed to deliver
him the goods within 45 days of ordering,
the accused failed to do that.
Evaly authorities on March 9, 2021, gave
him a cheque, which Mehedi tried to cash on
July 5. But the cheque was bounced. He later
sent the accused legal notice on October 14
and subsequently filed the case on
November 28.
Revival of graft cases
BNP leaders say it's a tactic
to derail anti-govt movement
DHAKA : While the opposition
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has
recently been gearing up its anti-government
movement defying all sorts of obstacles,
party leaders say the government is
reviving some pending cases against the
leaders and activists with a motive to
derail the movement.
Some BNP leaders and lawyers say
authorities may send some party leaders
to jail to convey a message to the opposition
party that they would not be spared
ahead of next general election.
But the government repeatedly denied
such allegations by BNP in the past, saying
that authorities do not influence courts.
Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, a member
of BNP's Standing Committee, told
UNB that the government has become
"very nervous" over the overall social,
political and economic situation while
there is pressure from international community
to restore democracy through an
inclusive and credible election.
"The government has been failing to
stop people's participation in our rallies
despite carefully-orchestrated obstacles
against us. So, the government is desperate
to reinforce their repressive acts to suppress
us," he said.
"But it's clear from our recent successful
rallies that such a political tactic will not
work," he said.
On Tuesday, the Appellate Division of
the Supreme Court cleared the way for a
lower court to continue the trial involving
graft charges against BNP Standing
Committee Member Mirza Abbas. The
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed
the case in 2007 on charges of amassing
wealth illegally.
The trial proceedings against
Khandaker Mosharraf on charges of
siphoning off Tk 90 million are also set to
enter its final stage. The ACC filed the case
in 2014, accusing him of making money
illegally when he was the health minister
in 2001-2006.
The ACC has also started an investigation
against nine other people, including
Standing Committee members Nazrul
Islam Khan and Amir Khosru Mahmud
Chowdhury, for suspicious transactions
before the 11th parliamentary elections.
Lawyers loyal to BNP say the trial of
many cases against BNP leaders and
activists are going on with lower courts in
Dhaka and elsewhere.
BNP says around 36 lakh BNP leaders
and activists are now facing over one lakh
cases. They say the charges are politically
motivated.
Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the
government has been trying to eliminate
BNP by resorting to killings, enforced disappearances,
politically motivated cases
and various other repressive acts for nearly
14 years.
Listless Bangladesh suffer biggest
ever defeat in T20 cricket
SportS DeSk
Bangladesh suffered their biggest ever
defeat in the T20 cricket history when
they conceded a 104-run defeat to South
Africa in their second game of the T20
World Cup at the historical Sydney
Cricket Ground on Thursday, reports
BSS.
In a crucial game, where a victory could
help them make a giant leap, the Tigers, as
it was adorably called, were shot out for
101 in just 16.3 overs after South Africa put
up a mammoth 205-5. The massive defeat
wrecked Bangladesh's run rate also.
Rillee Rossouw and fast bowler Anrich
Nortje were the wrecker-in-chief as they
scripted Bangladesh's defeat with a
marauding show. Rossouw became the
first cricketer in T20 history to hit a backto-back
century, hitting his career-best
109 off 56 which put the side in dominating
position.
Nortje also registered his career-best
bowling, with a hostile bowling show that
saw him claiming 4-10.
Nortje indeed intimidated Bangladesh
with raw pace and bounce that was too
tough to handle for the batters, who were
also shaky in their approach, a thing that
was instrumental in the side's only second
loss by 100 runs margin. The previous
biggest defeat of Bangladesh was by 102
runs against Pakistan in Karachi in 2008.
Soumya Sarkar struck two back to back
sixes in Kagiso Rabada's first over to send
the expatriate Bangladeshi, who turned
up in the stadium in abundance, in delirium.
But he was undone by the pace
when Nortje came to the attack. Nortje in
fact dismissed both of the openers
Najmul Hossain Shanto (9) and Soumya
Sarkar (15).
He later signed off his first spell, dismissing
captain Shakib Al Hasan for 1,
leaving Bangladesh 39-3. Rabada after
his expensive first over, came back
strongly to remove Afif Hossain for 1.
Spinners-Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz
Shamsi took over the charge from the
pacers and ripped through the middle
order in a gem of spin bowling.
Shamsi snapped up 3-20 while
Maharaj snared 1-24 as they conceded
just 44 runs in their eight overs.
Liton Das who was out as the eighth
batter, top-scored for the side with 31
ball-34.
South Africa's score could have been
bigger had Bangladesh not come back
strongly in the last five overs. Led by
Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh curbed the
aggression of the South African batters in
this period to take three wickets for just
34 runs.
Shakib who gave away 21 runs in his
first over, bowled two overs in the death
overs, to finally finish with 2-33.
But the damage was done before that as
Rossouw and Quinton de Kock put up a
record breaking 163 runs of just 83 balls
to pave a platform of huge total.
Final decision
on IMF loan will
come within 2
weeks:BB
DHAKA : Bangladesh Bank (BB)
Spokesperson GM Abul Kalam Azad yesterday
said the final decision on the US$4.5
billion loan from the Int’l Monetary Fund
(IMF) will come within next two weeks.
"The IMF team is visiting Bangladesh
as part of its regular programme. We
have discussed on banking and the overall
economic situation. The final decision
on the $4.5 billion loan will come within
two weeks," he said while talking to BSS.
Members of the IMF delegation on
Thursday met the central bank officials as
part of the ongoing discussions on lending
to Bangladesh.
Earlier, Bangladesh had sent a letter to
IMF seeking a loan in July to deal with
the economic crisis.Two weeks ago in a
meeting in Washington, the IMF gave
preliminary approval for the loan.
An IMF team came to Dhaka on
Wednesday (26 October) to discuss the
terms of the $4.5 billion loan.
The IMF team, led by IMF Mission
Chief to Bangladesh Rahul Anand, would
also continue the engagement with other
stakeholders during the visit.
BNP leaders indulged in
spreading politicallymotivated
falsehoods : Quader
DHAKA : Awami League general secretary
Obaidul Quader on Thursday said without
considering the critical global situation, the
BNP leaders irresponsibly are indulged in
spreading various politically-motivated
falsehoods.
In a democratic system, every opposition
party has responsibility and duty towards
the country and the people but Mirza
Fakhrul Islam and his party leaders don't
play the role of a responsible opposition and
rather continue their usual politics of lies
and confusion, he said in a statement.
"It is natural that those who could not add
even a single unit of electricity to the national
grid during their tenure would make
unwise remarks over today's crisises," he
said adding the BNP government also
opened fire on people for waging movements
to press home their demand for electricity.
Quader, also the Road Transport and
Bridges Minister, said the world is now
passing through an unexpected crisis and
the world's largest economies are also facing
a serious economic crisis.
The crises for electricity and gas have
been created alongside the price-hike of
food and other daily essentials in almost all
the countries of the world including Europe
and America. So, Bangladesh is also facing
the crisis, he said.
He said the country's people have not forgotten
that the party during its regime institutionalized
corruption by opening Hawa
Bhaban as well as turned Bangladesh into a
failed state through their anti-people policies
and looting of public funds.
The AL general secretary said the government
under the leadership of Sheikh
Hasina is making continuous efforts to offset
the crisis.
Quader urged the people of the country to
keep faith in Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh
will be able to face this crisises with the collective
efforts amid patience and responsible
behavior through specific plans taken by
Sheikh Hasina, he added.
World left BD to shelter 1m Rohingya
alone, Shahriar tells Guardian
DHAKA : Criticizing the international community
for not extending all-out support to
press Myanmar's junta to guarantee a safe
return for Rohingyas, State Minister for
Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said the world
has done "absolutely nothing" for safe repatriation
of Rohingyas.
"The world has done "absolutely nothing"
to ensure safety in Myanmar for its
persecuted Rohingya minority," a prestigious
British daily The Guardian quoted
Alam in a report published on Wednesday
as he told the newspaper.
The state minister said that Bangladesh
is sheltering more than 1 million
Rohingyas without (global) support, said
the report wrote by Kaamil Ahmed.
Alam said financial support for the
Rohingya has decreased each year and there
has been no real progress towards repatriation
in the five years since more than
700,000 fled massacres by Myanmar's military.
That wave, in August 2017, joined
approximately 300,000 people that had
already fled Myanmar because of previous
security crackdowns, he added.
The state minister said not enough
pressure had been brought to bear on
Myanmar's military junta and called for
greater international support for a genocide
case at the UN's international
courts of justice, and for a case focusing
on forced deportation at the international
criminal court.
"On the political and repatriation solution,
the world is doing absolutely nothing," Alam
was quoted in the report, which added,
"They haven't exercised all their power yet.
Up until recently they have kept on investing
in Myanmar. The growth of FDI [foreign
direct investment] in Myanmar from 2017 to
2020 was greater than that of Bangladesh.
You know, how weird is that?"
He (Alam) was skeptical of proposed sanctions
on the travel and finances of senior military
figures, saying the people in question
rarely travel. The UN humanitarian appeal
for the Rohingya refugees has received only a
third of funding required this year. Alam said
he feared even less money would be donated
next year because of rising costs globally.
Bangladesh suffered their biggest ever defeat in the t20 cricket history as they conceded a 104-run
defeat to South Africa in their second game at the historical Sydney Cricket Ground. photo: Ap