Brazil to help Bangladesh for BRICS membership
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira has assured of extending all-out support to Bangladesh for its keen interest in becoming a BRICS member.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the state guest house Jamuna on Sunday (April 7) afternoon. Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud briefed reporters after the meeting.
He said Brazil will cooperate with Bangladesh for inclusion in BRICS. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina likely to visit Brazil in July.
The foreign minister said this is the first visit by a Brazilian foreign minister to Bangladesh. We had a very successful bilateral discussion.
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Dengue Fever Takes a Deadly Turn: 25 Deaths in Just 7 Days
Dengue is taking a terrible form throughout the country. The number of affected patients is increasing every day. Along with that, the death list is also getting longer. If effective measures are not taken to prevent the spread of Aedes mosquitoes, experts believe dengue will take a more serious form in the coming months.
Dengue patients are being admitted to Dhaka's different hospitals every day with high fever and body pain. Due to this, patient pressure is increasing in the country's various hospitals, including Dhaka. So far this year, 28,565 people have been admitted to hospital due to dengue. Among them, 150 have died. Out of this, 25 have died in the last seven days (September 22-28).
Doctors said, this time some new symptoms are appearing. Many people's platelets drop quickly. The situation has become complicated due to not coming to the hospital in time. Prevention is more important than cure.
Patients complain that mosquito repellents are not being given properly in many areas of the capital. Soon after spraying, the mosquito infestation started.
Director of Mohakhali DNCC Dengue Specialized Hospital said that dengue patients are increasing day by day from 10th of this month. Everyone has to be more responsible in dealing with the situation.
DNCC Chief Executive Officer Mir Khairul Alam said that they are working according to the plans that were made earlier regarding dengue. He admitted that there is a little problem due to the lack of councilors.
Experts say that if the situation is not controlled soon, the outbreak of dengue will take a more serious form in October. Especially Dhaka and several districts outside Dhaka are at high risk. Especially in Cox's Bazar, the overcrowding and unhealthy environment caused by the Rohingya camp is drawing red eyes towards Cox's Bazar and Chattogram.
Atiqur Rahman, a specialized doctor at DMCH said that in addition to the use of anti-mosquito drugs for the prevention of dengue, the City Corporation should conduct campaigns everywhere. At the same time, everyone should be aware.
Entomologist Dr. Manjur Chowdhury said that appropriate measures should be taken with proper manpower by carrying out the survey properly.
It should be noted that 3,21,179 patients were affected by dengue and 1,705 people died in the history of the country in 2023.
HSC result 2024: Likely to be Published by Mid-October
The Ministry of Education has directed the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee to publish the results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations soon. The result may be published in the middle of next month.
Professor Tapan Kumar Sarker, coordinator of the Inter-Education Board, said that the examination results are expected to be published by mid-October.
He said, "The results of this year's HSC and equivalent examinations may be published in the middle of next month. The proposal for the possible date has already been sent to the Ministry of Education. The final date will be announced after getting approval from the ministry."
Earlier, on Wednesday, a directive signed by Yanuar Rahman, senior assistant secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, was sent to various education boards outlining the process for result preparation.
According to the directive, the results for the HSC and equivalent examinations of 2024 will be prepared based on the subjects for which exams were held. This is called the subject mapping method.
It should be noted that 14,50,790 candidates participated in this year's HSC and equivalent exams. The exam started last June 30. After 8 days of examination, all examinations were postponed on July 18 due to the situation surrounding the quota reform movement. After that, the government suspended the examination in three phases.
JCI Bangladesh Launches 'Smile Aid' Oral Care Initiative
To support underprivileged and low-income individuals and provide essential dental care, a free dental camp titled "Smile Aid – Oral Care Initiative" was held by Junior Chamber International (JCI) on Friday, February 27. Organized by JCI Dhaka Ace, JCI Dhaka Impact, JCI Dhaka Premier, and Humanity Services Bangladesh, the camp served 1,000 people in Lalbagh.
Starting from 8:00 AM, this day-long service activity continued until 7:00 PM. With the assistance of 70 dentists, men, women, children, and the elderly participated in the camp, receiving dental treatment. Free services included dental check-ups, extractions, fillings, scaling, and medications.
The event's inauguration ceremony featured JCI Bangladesh's National President Imran Kadir as the Chief Guest.
This free dental camp was supported by Techno Drugs Ltd., Saphire Hotel & Resort, Mediplus Oral Health, Alauddin Sweatmeat & Dreamy Decor by Sanjida.
Bangladesh Bank Server Error, Cheque Clearing Shut
A technical error has occurred in Bangladesh Bank's server. Due to this, problems have arisen in the settlement of inter-bank transactions. As a result, the settlement of all clearing cheques settled on Monday (September 30) has been canceled.
Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and Spokesperson Hosne Ara Shikha confirmed this information on Tuesday (October 1).
She said, yesterday there was a problem in cheque clearance due to a technical error in the server of the central bank. As a result, it was not possible to clear the cheques that arrived on Monday.
Hosne Ara Shikha said the central bank's technical team is working to resolve the server issue. The problem will be solved very soon.
An official of the central bank said that an error was detected in the server at 9 pm on Monday. The settlement of all cheques settled on Monday was canceled as the resolution was not resolved till 2 am.
Fakhrul Opposes Banning Awami League, Warns of Democratic Risks
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has opposed the idea of banning the Awami League from participating in the upcoming national election, despite describing the party as "politically bankrupt" and out of touch with the public, especially the youth. In an interview with UNB, Fakhrul argued that labeling the Awami League as a fascist party or barring it from elections would be detrimental to democratic norms.
He voiced concerns about the Awami League’s political future, pointing to its growing reliance on bureaucracy and state forces, which he claims has isolated the party from the public. Fakhrul emphasized that, while the party has been accused of undemocratic practices, banning any political organization, including the Awami League, would not solve the problem. He cited past failures, such as the banning of Jamaat-e-Islami, to support his point that such actions often lead to political re-emergence rather than resolution.
Referring to the proposal to amend the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, which could ban political parties for up to a decade for crimes against humanity, Fakhrul warned against using legal measures to eliminate political actors. Instead, he advocated for allowing democratic processes to determine a party's fate.
Fakhrul also raised concerns over potential depoliticization efforts, drawing parallels to the events of 1/11, when local and international actors attempted to disrupt political stability in Bangladesh. He urged all political parties to remain vigilant and avoid actions that could undermine democracy, warning that similar plots might be underway once again.
In the wake of a student-led movement that played a significant role in toppling the Awami League, Fakhrul believes the party's growing disconnection from the people, especially the younger generation, will make it difficult to regain public trust. He stressed that the only path forward for any political party should be through fair competition and democratic practice, not through exclusion.
(Source: UNB)
All Pakistani Goods Removed from Red List: NBR
Following a request from Pakistan, goods imported from the country have been removed from the "Red List." On September 29, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) had categorized most goods imported from Pakistan as "Red Listed."
This information was revealed through an NBR order on Wednesday (October 2).
The order, signed by NBR's Second Secretary Md. Abdul Kaiyum, stated that all goods arriving from Pakistan have been removed from the "Red Lane" of the ASYCUDA World system. Previously, only goods from Pakistan were subject to the "Red Lane." The decision to remove them came after these goods passed the National Selectivity Criteria test.
The order further mentioned that while maintaining strict control over prohibited items like narcotics, the NBR is simplifying the import and clearance process for essential goods. This aims to ensure that there are no complications in importing raw materials for production-oriented goods. All consignments from Pakistan were being selected for 100% physical inspection under the National Selectivity Criteria, leading to delays for assistant or deputy commissioner-level officials. Since no significant issues were found during physical inspections, the order instructed Dhaka Customs House to exclude these consignments from the National Criteria.
It has been decided that all consignments from Pakistan will no longer be subject to the National Criteria. However, customs houses will still implement risk management for specific goods from Pakistan based on local criteria and risk considerations.
Earlier, on September 10, Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Syed Ahmed Maroof, met with Finance and Commerce Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed. The High Commissioner called for strengthening the weakened bilateral trade relations between the two countries. Salehuddin Ahmed noted that trade between the two nations had declined for various reasons over a long period, but Pakistan now seeks to resume trade.
It is noteworthy that after the Awami League came to power in 2009, trade activities between Pakistan and Bangladesh were limited. Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, due to public discontent, relations between the two countries began to normalize once again.
Online Income Tax Return Filing Number Exceeded 50,000
From this system, taxpayers can pay taxes through Internet banking, card payment (debit or credit card), and mobile banking and get the facility of downloading and printing copies of submitted returns, receipts, income tax certificates, and TIN certificates. You can also download and print the e-return filed for the previous year.
Spontaneous and motivated taxpayers have already used the e-return option on the National Board of Revenue (NBR) portal till October 2 due to its ease and convenience. As a result, the number of online income tax return filings has crossed 50,000.
NBR Director (Public Relations) Syed A Mu'men told the media that the e-return registration process has already been made more tax-payer-friendly. A biometric SIM registered with a taxpayer's national identity card is required for successful registration. To verify whether the number used by the taxpayer is biometrically registered or not, dial *16001#.
NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said that all transactions of NBR will be converted into digital form so that taxpayers can get fast and quality services. That is why our activities are ongoing.
He further said that NBR will work towards digital transformation in the coming months, e-return service center is a part of that.
NBR congratulates those taxpayers who have already successfully filed their income tax returns online. Besides, the organization has humbly requested other individual taxpayers to file income tax returns online using the portal on time.
Incidentally, the National Board of Revenue has set up a call center to assist taxpayers with any issues related to e-returns. Last September 12, taxpayers got immediate solutions to e-return-related queries by calling call center number 09643717171. Besides, taxpayers can report any problem related to e-return in writing and get solutions from the e-tax service option of www.etaxnbr.gov.bd.