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PM Hasina launches Taka Pay, first-ever local currency card, to save costly dollars
RTV News
01 Nov 2023, 11:49
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday (November 01, 2023) launched local currency card Taka Pay to reduce dependency on international card schemes like Visa and Mastercard and save much-needed US dollars.
Bangladesh Bank introduced the card, first of its kind in the country. Reports UNB
PM Hasina inaugurated the card from her official residence Ganabhaban. She was connected virtually with the headquarters of state-owned Sonali Bank, private City Bank and Brac Bank.
The three banks have been given responsibility to issue the Taka Pay card in collaboration with the central bank.
'Taka Pay' will provide the same service nationally through the use of 'The National Payment Switch of Bangladesh', an electronic payment platform operated by the BB.
Initially, the card can be used within the country. Later the central bank will introduce Taka-Rupee card which can be used for shopping in neighbouring India.
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New Price of Gold Effective From Today
The Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) has reduced the price of gold in the country's market.
The organization has reduced the price of 22-carat gold by Tk1,890 per bhori and set the price of 22-carat gold per bhori at Tk1,40,376.
The new price will be effective from today (November 26), BAJUS said. The organization confirmed this information on Monday night (November 25).
The notification said that according to the new price, the price of 22-carat gold per bhori (11.664 grams) will be Tk1,40,376. In addition, the price of 21-carat gold per bhori has been set at Tk1,33,996, 18-carat gold per bhori at Tk1,14,855, and the price of traditional gold per bhori at Tk94,327.
In the notification, BAJUS further stated that the government-determined 5 percent VAT and BAJUS-determined minimum wage of 6 percent must be added to the selling price of gold. However, wages may vary depending on the design and quality of the jewellery.
Earlier, BAJUS last adjusted the price of gold in the domestic market on November 23. At that time, the organization had increased the price of 22-carat gold per bhori by Tk2,823 and set the price of 22-carat gold per bhori at Tk1,42,266. Apart from this, the price of 21-carat per bhori was set at Tk1,35,804, 18-carat per bhori at Tk1,16,395, and Tk95,645 per bhori of traditional gold, which came into effect from November 24. The price of gold also increased in the country on November 22 and 19 of this month. The price was reduced on November 14, 12, 7 and 4.
Gold prices also increased in the country on November 22 and 19 of this month. Apart from this, the price was reduced on November 14, 12, 7 and 4. In addition, the price of gold has been adjusted 53 times in the domestic market so far this year. Where the price has been increased 31 times, and reduced 22 times. In 2023, the gold price was adjusted 29 times.
47th BCS Circular to be Published This Week
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has said that the circular for the 47th BCS exam may be published this week. 3,487 officers will be recruited in various cadres through this BCS.
An official of the PSC cadre branch said that the ministry has sent information to the relevant branch of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to issue this recruitment notification. The notification is likely to be published this week.
For the past few years, PSC has been publishing the BCS exam notification on November 30. The 44th BCS notification was published on November 30, 2021, the 45th BCS notification on November 30, 2022, and the 46th BCS notification on November 30, 2023.
Earlier, at a press conference at the Secretariat on Sunday, Public Administration Secretary Md. Mokhlesur Rahman outlined the recruitment of '18,150' job seekers 'in less than two years' through the upcoming 47th BCS exam starting from the 43rd BCS.
Stating that the 47th BCS notification will be issued soon, he said that 3,487 cadres will be recruited in various fields through this BCS. In the latest 47th BCS exam circular, we have said that the recruitment process will be completed in less than two years.
On October 15, the gazette for the recruitment of 2,064 people in the 43rd BCS was published. The gazette candidates will join on January 1.
During the change of power on August 5, the viva of the 44th BCS was going on. A total of 11,732 people passed the written examination of that BCS. Out of these, 3,930 people took the viva. In the changed context, viva was postponed to August 25. Recently, after the formation of the new commission, it was decided to cancel the viva of 3,930 candidates taken earlier 'in the interest of greater transparency'. Now, it has been decided to retake the viva of all the candidates who passed the written examination of the 44th BCS, that is, 11,732 candidates.
12,789 candidates passed the 45th BCS preliminary examination. After the first examiner evaluated the written exam answer sheets, the second examiner was nearing the end of the evaluation. Recently, after the formation of a new commission, it was decided to give all the answer sheets of the written exam to the third examiner in the interest of maintaining transparency and fairness in the evaluation of the answer sheets.
The results of the 46th BCS preliminary examination were published on May 9. In it, 10,638 candidates were selected for the written exam.
The PSC has decided to re-declare the results by adding an equal number of selected candidates, i.e. 10,638, to the total of 21,276 candidates eligible for the written exam to prevent probable discrimination.
JICA Provides Tk 3,147cr For Two Projects
The Bangladesh government has signed two loan agreements with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (III) and Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (engineering service).
Under the agreements, JICA will provide a total of 39,902 million yen (equivalent to 3,147 crore Taka) for the Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction (III) and Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (Engineering Service).
The signing ceremony took place at NEC-2 Conference Room, Economic Relations Division, in the city's Agargaon yesterday.
Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of JICA Bangladesh office, and Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of economic relations division, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
Iwama Kiminori, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, also attended the ceremony.
Of the loan, 38,206 million yen is allocated for the Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (III) and 1,696 million yen for the Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (Engineering Service).
The loan agreement signed for Jamuna Railway Bridge (III) is for the third tranche of the loan. The picturesque 4.8 km dedicated railway bridge runs over the Jamuna River parallel to the existing Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge.
The Bridge is expected to start its operation in early 2025 which will boost rail connectivity between the eastern and western zones of the country.
The Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project will focus on Catchment 2 and Catchment 4 (Kalurghat and East Bakalia) out of a total of six catchments. It's the first phase of the project which will support the detailed design of the entire sewerage system.
The development of the sewerage system will contribute to several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting public health, environmental sustainability, and economic growth in Chattogram.
Source: BSS
Hasnat-Sarjis in Road Accident
Leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, have been involved in a road accident. The accident occurred around 7:30 PM on Wednesday (November 27) at Haji Rastar Mor in Chunati Union on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway. They were returning after visiting the grave of Advocate Saiful Islam Alif.
Earlier, the body of Saiful Islam Alif was taken to the Jamiatul Falah Mosque ground in Chattogram city, where the second funeral prayer was held. Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam attended the prayer.
After the burial, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam visited Advocate Saiful’s grave. Present during this time was Chattogram city Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Alhaj Shahjahan Chowdhury.
The deceased lawyer, Saiful Islam Alif, was a government prosecutor (APP). Alif hailed from Jamal Uddin’s family in Chunati, Lohagara. He became a member of the district bar association in 2018 and was later registered as a High Court lawyer.
Lawyers Protest Murder of Advocate Saiful Islam Alif
In protest of Advocate Saiful Islam Alif’s murder, lawyers declared a boycott of the Chattogram court. This decision was made during an emergency meeting of the district bar association on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a joint force conducted overnight raids in Chattogram and detained 30 individuals in connection with the lawyer's murder. Police stated that two cases are in the process of being filed at Kotwali Police Station regarding the incident.
SSC Form Fill-up Fee Increased
The form-filling fee for students appearing for the 2025 SSC and equivalent examinations has been increased. According to the new decision, the fee for each category (Science, Commerce, and Humanities) has increased by Tk100 compared to last year (2024).
The form-filling process will start from next Sunday (December 1). This process will continue until December 9 without a late fee.
This information was revealed from the complete form-filling notification recently published by the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board. The same fee has been fixed for other general education boards as well.
According to the notification of the education boards, students will be able to fill out the form online from December 1 to December 9 without a late fee.
The last date for submitting the online fee without a late fee is December 10. If the form cannot be filled within this period, the candidates will be able to fill the form by December 14 by paying a fine of Tk100. The last date for submitting the late fee is December 15.
In addition, the fee for all categories has been increased by Tk100 compared to last year. Like every year, separate fees have been fixed for the Science, Humanities, and Business Education departments.
The maximum fee for students in the science department will be Tk2,240 this year. Last year, the maximum fee set for students in this department was Tk2,140. Similarly, the fee for the humanities and business education departments has been set at Tk2,120. Last year, i.e., in the 2024 SSC examination, this fee was Tk2,020.
The boards have informed us that this fee for filling out the form also includes practical tests and center fees. Moreover, no matter when the examination is held, no more than 24 months of salary and session charges can be charged to students in combined classes of 9 and 10.
Gold Prices Suddenly Volatile, Reason Revealed
There has been a sudden surge in the price of gold in the global market. Accordingly, the price of this precious metal can increase at any time in the domestic market.
On Friday (November 29), at around 5:15 pm, the price of gold per ounce was at $2,662.02 in the spot market. The price has increased by $21.18 per ounce or 0.79 percent in a day.
Analysts claim that the new devastating Russian missile attack in the Russia-Ukraine war and the allegations of ceasefire violations between the Israeli armed forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have caused uncertainty among investors. Investors are choosing gold as a safe investment. Livemint reports.
Jatin Trivedi, VP Research Analyst at LKP Securities, said, 'There was significant volatility in the price of gold on Friday. Although the precious metal was initially low, the renewed tension in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has increased demand for gold as a safe-haven investment. Currently, immediate support is at $2,662 (a support level is a price at which demand for the metal is so strong that it resists a decline) and resistance is at $2,655 to $2,665. If the resistance is broken, the price of gold can reach $2,690. And if it falls below $2,620, the price can deteriorate to $2,580.'
Anuj Gupta, Head of Commodity and Currency, HDFC Securities, said regarding the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire violation, 'The demand for gold has increased again due to the allegations of ceasefire violations between Israel and Hezbollah along with the Russia-Ukraine war. Investors are currently looking at gold as a safe alternative.'
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) increased the price of gold on Wednesday (November 27) evening and set a new price. According to the new price, the price of 22-carat gold will be Tk138,708. 21-carat gold will be Tk132,398 per bhori. 18-carat gold will be Tk113,491 per bhori. The price of gold per bhori according to the traditional method is Tk93,160.
The decision to increase or decrease the price of gold on behalf of BAJUS was taken by the BAJUS Standing Committee on Pricing and Price Monitoring Committee. A member of this committee said, 'The decision to increase or decrease the price of my gold is taken based on the international market as well as the local market. If the price of mature gold increases in the local market, it is natural to decide to increase the price. On the other hand, if the price of mature gold decreases, the decision to reduce the price is taken. The global market price picture affects the price of pure gold.'
Panchagarh Records Season's Lowest 10.4°C as Winter Intensifies
The cold of winter has intensified across the northern districts, with temperatures dropping to 10.4°C in Panchagarh, the country's northernmost region.
At the same time, the surrounding areas of the district are covered in a blanket of fog from late night to morning. The people of the district have started shivering in the intense cold.
The Tetulia Meteorological Office recorded the season's lowest temperature of 10.4°C at 6 am on Saturday (November 30). The lowest temperature on Friday was 11.3°C.
Jitendra Nath, an assistant officer at Tetulia Meteorological Observatory, confirmed the matter to the media.
Meanwhile, winter-related diseases have increased. Especially children and the elderly are being affected by various winter-related diseases including colds, coughs, asthma, and pneumonia. Treatment is underway at Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital and Tetulia 50-bedded Hospital and other health centers.
Jitendra Nath said, "The temperature was recorded at 10.4°C at 6 am on Saturday, down from 11.4°C on Friday. During the Paush and Magh months, temperatures here tend to drop significantly. We expect the mercury to fall further as winter progresses."
