Brief Beam, Dhaka (2025)

19/05/2024

অনুমোদনহীন এসএমসির ইলেক্ট্রোলাইট ড্রিংকস ‘এসএসসি প্লাস’ বাজার থেকে তুলে নেওয়ার নির্দেশ দেওয়া হয়েছে। পাশাপাশি অবৈধভাবে এই ড্রিংকস বাজারজাত করার কারণে একমির চেয়ারম্যান তানভির সিনহাকে ১৬ লাখ টাকা জরিমানা করা হয়েছে।

আজ রোববার সকালে ঢাকা দক্ষিণ সিটি করপোরেশনের স্পেশাল মেট্রোপলিটন ম্যাজিস্ট্রেটের আদালতের বিচারক আলাউল আকবার এ নির্দেশ দেন।

ঢাকা দক্ষিণ সিটি কর্পোরেশনের (ডিএসসিসি) নিরাপদ খাদ্য পরিদর্শক কামরুল হাসান এই তথ্য নিশ্চিত করেছেন।

এর আগে দোষ স্বীকার করে আজ সকালে জামিন চান তানভির সিনহা। তিনি আদালতকে জানান, বাজারজাত করার আগে তিনি জানতেন না যে এটার লাইসেন্স নেই। পরে আদালত তাঁকে ১৬ লাখ টাকা জরিমানা করেন। সেই সঙ্গে বাজার থেকে সব এসএমসি প্লাস প্রত্যাহারের নির্দেশ দেন।

গত মঙ্গলবার অনুমোদনহীন পাঁচটি কোম্পানির ইলেক্ট্রোলাইট ড্রিংকসের মালিকের বিরুদ্ধে গ্রেপ্তারি পরোয়ানা জারি করা হয়।

18/05/2024

Singapore Airlines is rewarding its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary following a record annual net profit of $1.98 billion in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year. The demand for air travel remained strong throughout the year, boosted by a rebound in North Asia as China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan fully reopened their borders after the pandemic. The airline was named the world's best airline last year by the Skytrax World Airline Awards. CEO Goh Choon Phong attributed this success to his team's hard work and sacrifices. However, the airline anticipates challenges in the coming year due to geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic uncertainties, inflationary pressures, and supply chain constraints. In related news, Dubai's Emirates is also giving its staff a generous bonus equivalent to 20 weeks' salary.

17/05/2024

According to the WHO, one in four adults in Bangladesh suffers from hypertension, a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Health experts emphasize that controlling hypertension could significantly reduce premature NCD deaths. The government has taken steps to address hypertension, but challenges remain. Ensuring a consistent supply of medication requires adequate funding in the upcoming national budget. The WHO’s 2023 Global Report revealed that 2,73,000 people in Bangladesh died from cardiovascular disease in 2019, with 54% of those deaths attributable to hypertension. Despite NCDs accounting for 70% of all deaths in Bangladesh, the dedicated budget for combating them remains low. Increased investment and effective utilization are crucial for controlling NCDs.

More info in the comments.

16/05/2024

বরিশালের বানারীপাড়া উপজেলা পরিষদ নির্বাচনে চেয়ারম্যান প্রার্থী উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সভাপতি গোলাম ফারুক এক কর্মিসভায় বক্তব্য দিতে গিয়ে বলেছেন, আমার চেয়ে বড় মাস্তান বানারীপাড়ায় নেই। আমার চেয়ে বড় গুন্ডা কিন্তু বানারীপাড়ায় নেই।

এ অভিযোগের পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে বুধবার (১৫ মে) জেলা রিটার্নিং কর্মকর্তার কার্যালয়ে উপস্থিত হয়ে গোলাম ফারুকের বিরুদ্ধে আচরণবিধি লঙ্ঘনের লিখিত অভিযোগ করেছেন প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বী প্রার্থী মাওলাদ হোসেন সানা।

অভিযোগে উল্লেখ করা হয়েছে, চেয়ারম্যান প্রার্থী গোলাম ফারুক ৯ মে উপজেলার সলিয়াবাকপুর ইউনিয়নের ৩ নম্বর ওয়ার্ড মহিষপোতা ফকিরবাড়িতে কর্মিসভায় বক্তব্য দেন। সেখানে তিনি উপজেলাবাসীর উদ্দেশে বলেন, আমার চেয়ে বড় মাস্তান বানারীপাড়ায় নেই। আমার চেয়ে বড় গুন্ডা কিন্তু বানারীপাড়ায় নেই।

অভিযোগকারী প্রার্থী ও উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সাধারণ সম্পাদক মাওলাদ হোসেন সানা বলেন, ‘তার এমন মন্তব্যে মানুষ আতঙ্কিত হয়ে ভোট দিতে আসেন কি না তা নিয়ে সংশয় দেখা দিয়েছে। আজ নির্বাচন কমিশনে অভিযোগ দিয়েছি। আশা করছি কমিশন ব্যবস্থা নেবে।’

জানতে চাইলে অভিযুক্ত প্রার্থী উপজেলা আওয়ামী লীগের সভাপতি গোলাম ফারুক বলেন, ‘আমার পুরো বক্তব্য খণ্ডিত করে প্রচার করা হচ্ছে। ওখানে আমি দীর্ঘ বক্তৃতা করেছি। কথার পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে এই কথা বলেছি। বাস্তবতা হলো মাওলাদ হোসেন সানার নেতাকর্মীরা ভোটারদের পিস্তল ঠেকিয়ে হুমকি-ধমকি দিচ্ছেন। এর পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে এসব কথা বলেছি।’

এ বিষয়ে জেলা রিটার্নিং কর্মকর্তা বরিশাল জেলার জ্যেষ্ঠ নির্বাচন কর্মকর্তা ওহিদুজ্জামান মুন্সী বলেন, প্রার্থী মাওলাদ হোসেন সানা একটি লিখিত অভিযোগ দিয়েছেন। আমরা তদন্ত করে দেখবো। অভিযোগ প্রমাণিত হলে ব্যবস্থা নেওয়া হবে।

আগামী ৫ জুন বানারীপাড়া উপজেলা পরিষদে নির্বাচন অনুষ্ঠিত হবে।

15/05/2024

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, has expressed support for the withdrawal of sanctions against Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), according to Salman F Rahman, the Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser. This came after a meeting between the two at Rahman’s residence. However, the US embassy in Dhaka has not publicly commented on the meeting.

Rahman stated that the White House also supports the withdrawal of sanctions, but there is a procedure that needs to be followed as sanctions fall under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Justice. The US had imposed sanctions on RAB and some of its officials in 2021, and announced a visa policy stating that those undermining democratic elections in Bangladesh would be denied visas.

Rahman also mentioned that the US wants to rebuild trust in its relationship with Bangladesh. He acknowledged that there were some reservations in the run-up to the elections, but when US President Joe Biden wrote to the PM, it was understood that they have accepted the elections.

Regarding delayed payments to American companies, Rahman quoted Lu as saying that the US understands there is considerable pressure on Bangladesh’s central reserves. Bangladesh also sought funding under the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), to which the US responded that Bangladesh needs to reform the labour sector as per the suggestions of the International Labour Organisation.

Finally, Rahman said that Bangladesh requested the US to put pressure on Myanmar for repatriation. The US agreed to do so but also pointed out that since the situation in Myanmar is not safe, repatriation will take time.

15/05/2024

In Q1 2024, British American To***co Bangladesh (BATB) saw a drop in profits and sales due to high inflation leading to reduced cigarette consumption. Sales fell by 4% to Tk 9,389 crore, and profits decreased by 9% to Tk 413 crore, resulting in earnings per share of Tk 7.65, down from Tk 8.44 in Q1 2023.

The company attributed the decline to lower sales and a decrease in to***co leaf exports. Cigarette sales dropped by 10% year-on-year to 1,612 crore units, and revenue from to***co leaf exports fell by 81% to Tk 18 crore.

An anonymous company official stated that high prices and inflation, which has been above 9% since March last year, led to reduced disposable income, forcing people to cut back on expenses, including ci******es.

BATB provided a 100% cash dividend to shareholders for 2023, the lowest in at least a decade. Despite having Tk 4,826 crore in cash reserves, the company’s share price is at its lowest in at least a year, with a 2.57% drop to Tk 363 at the DSE yesterday. The company, listed with the DSE since 1977, has Tk 540 crore in paid-up capital. Sponsors and directors hold around 73% of shares, institutional investors 13%, foreign investors 6%, and general investors the rest.

***co ***co

14/05/2024

The Bangladesh government plans to introduce corporate tax exemptions in the productive sector to stimulate industrial development and increase tax revenue. In the 2024-25 fiscal year budget, the corporate tax rate might be reduced by 2.5%. The import of raw materials for consumer goods will be as tax-exempt as possible, considering the rising dollar price. There are also proposals to extend the tax exemption period for 27 digital services for another two years.

These tax exemptions were decided in a meeting between the finance minister, Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, and NBR Chairman, Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Muneem. The final decision will be made after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 14.

There was a discussion about reducing corporate tax for unlisted companies in the productive sector. The current tax rate for these companies is 27.5%, and it may be reduced by 2.5% to 25%, subject to certain conditions. This reduction aims to encourage companies to pay more taxes and increase transparency in tax payments.

However, other corporate taxes will remain unchanged. In the current financial year 2023-24, the corporate tax has been reduced to 27.5% subject to conditions. To avail the benefit of corporate tax exemption, companies must meet two conditions: all types of income and receipts and single transactions exceeding Tk 0.5 million must go through the bank, and expenditures and investments of more than Tk 3.6 million per annum must be committed through bank transfer. Companies failing to comply with this condition will be taxed at 30%.

The corporate tax rate is currently set at 37.5% for banks, insurance, financial institutions, and merchant banks listed in the capital market. Unlisted banks, insurance, and financial institutions have a corporate tax of 40%, as do listed mobile phone companies.

The highest corporate tax in the country, 45%, is imposed on companies manufacturing to***co products, including ci******es, bidis, jordas, guls. These companies also have to pay a surcharge of 2.5% in addition to corporate tax.

13/05/2024

David Cameron, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, stated that if Britain were to halt arms sales to Israel in the event of a ground assault on Rafah in the Gaza Strip, it would inadvertently strengthen Hamas. This statement was made despite the fact that Israel is moving forward with its plans for a ground attack, even in the face of U.S. President Joe Biden’s threat to withhold some weapons supplies.

Cameron expressed his opposition to an operation in Rafah without a plan to safeguard the hundreds of thousands of civilians residing in the southern border city. He highlighted that Britain’s position on supplying arms to Israel is vastly different from that of the United States. He noted that less than 1% of Israel’s weapons that originate from Britain are already governed by a stringent licensing system.

Cameron suggested that Britain could choose to send a political message by altering its stance on arms exports. However, he recalled a previous instance when he was urged to take a similar step, which was followed by a severe attack by Iran on Israel, involving 140 cruise missiles. He argued that a more effective solution would be for Hamas, the governing authority of Gaza, to agree to a hostage deal.

He cautioned that a sudden change in Britain’s approach to arms exports, bypassing their careful process, would only serve to empower Hamas and make a hostage deal less likely. He firmly believed that such a move would not be the right approach.

The article concludes by noting the severe impact of Israel’s military response in Gaza, which has resulted in the death of nearly 35,000 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.

13/05/2024

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves are expected to decrease to $18 billion following the settlement of import bills totaling $1.6 billion with the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) for the March-April period. The forex reserves stood at $19.82 billion as of May 8. After the payment, the reserves will be slightly more than $18.22 billion.

The amount of imports has decreased significantly in the last two years due to the dollar crisis. The outflow of dollars is more than the inflow, leading to a decrease in reserves. The payment for the March-April period is more than previous months because imports increased due to Ramadan and Eid.

Bangladesh had to pay $1.29 billion for the January-February period as ACU bill. After paying this debt, the country’s reserves decreased to $20 billion. The ACU payment gateway covers monetary transactions by its nine member countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – for regional imports. The bills are cleared every two months.

Zahid Hussain, former lead economist at the World Bank’s Dhaka office, mentioned that Bangladesh’s foreign currency inflow and outflow lack balance, leading to a depletion of reserves. Although the trade deficit has reduced somewhat due to import restrictions by the Bangladesh Bank, there are concerns about its sustainability.

With the ACU payment of $1.6 billion, the net reserves are projected to fall below $13 billion. This falls short of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) requirement for a $4.7 billion loan package. The lender has set a net reserve target of $14.76 billion for June, down from $20.10 billion, for the loan.

13/05/2024

The government of Bangladesh is on the verge of finalizing a deal for the country’s second satellite, Bangabandhu-2. The deal is expected to be completed within the next three months, and the launch of the satellite is anticipated to occur in the next 2-3 years.

Bangabandhu-2 will serve as an earth observatory satellite. It will be utilized for a variety of purposes, including the monitoring of natural disasters, the management of agricultural resources, and the assessment of environmental changes.

This announcement was made during the celebration of the sixth anniversary of the launch of Bangabandhu-1, Bangladesh’s first communication satellite. Launched in May of 2018, Bangabandhu-1 was part of a project that cost Tk 2,765.66 crore. Due to the efficient launch six years ago, the lifetime of Bangabandhu-1 could potentially be extended by three years to a total of 18 years.

Currently, Bangabandhu-1 is being used by some 40 Bangladeshi and 26 foreign television stations to air their programmes. The satellite has also recently begun providing television rating point services.

In September of the previous year, a letter of intent was signed between the Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited and Airbus Defence and Space SAS of France. This letter pertained to cooperation related to the Bangabandhu-2 Earth Observation Satellite System. The signing of the documents took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka, in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and France President Emmanuel Macron.

Bangladesh has already signed a memorandum of understanding with France for the second satellite. According to Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, the launch of this satellite will assist Bangladesh in meeting the challenges posed by the fourth industrial revolution. State Minister for Telecom and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Post and Telecom Secretary Abu Hena Morshed Zaman also spoke at the event.

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11/05/2024

Clash at the Chattogram Buddhist Monastery in the port city’s Nandan Kanon area resulted in injuries to at least seven people, including five monks. The clash occurred between two groups of Buddhist monks and their supporters over taking charge of the temple. The injured were admitted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

The incident took place between the members of Bangladesh Sangharaj Bhikkhu Mahasabha, a platform of Buddhist monks, and Bangladesh Bouddha Samiti, a Buddhist socio-cultural organisation mainly led by Buddhist leaders who aren’t monks, at around 3:30pm when the members of Bouddha Samiti went to the monastery office.

Bouddha Samity had been controlling the monastery for a long time, but a feud started between the Samity and Bhikkhu Mahasabha in recent years over controlling the monastery. Earlier in March, members of Bouddha Samiti were drove out from the monastery by Sangharaj Bhikkhu Mahasabha followers led by Ekushey Padak awardee Professor Jinobodhi Bhikkhu over some allegations against the Samity. Since then, Sangharaj Bhikkhu Mahasabha banned Bouddha Samiti members and leaders inside the monastery.

Some Bouddha Samiti leaders and their followers entered inside the Samity office room on the ground floor of the monastery. On information, Jinobodhi Bhikkhu and his men rushed to the spot and tried to drive out the members from the temple area, triggering a clash. CMP Assistant Commissioner Atanu Chakraborty said, “An altercation broke out between the monks and Samiti members over taking possession of the temple and at one point they locked into a clash. We brought the situation under control after dispersing them from the temple area.”

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11/05/2024

The Earth recently experienced the most powerful solar storm in over two decades. This event, which occurred on a Friday, triggered spectacular celestial light shows in skies from Tasmania to Britain. It also posed potential disruptions to satellites and power grids as it continued into the weekend.

The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun, arrived just after 1600 GMT. This was according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center. The storm was later upgraded to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, the first since the so-called “Halloween Storms” of October 2003. Those storms caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa.

More CMEs are expected to hit the planet in the coming days. Social media was filled with people posting pictures of auroras from northern Europe and Australasia. Authorities notified satellite operators, airlines, and the power grid to take precautionary steps for potential disruptions caused by changes to Earth’s magnetic field.

These CMEs came from a massive sunspot cluster that is 17 times wider than our planet. The Sun is approaching the peak of an 11-year cycle that brings heightened activity. Mathew Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, advised people to go outside and look at the night sky, as seeing the aurora is quite a spectacular sight.

NOAA’s Brent Gordon encouraged the public to try to capture the night sky with phone cameras even if they can’t see auroras with their naked eyes. Fluctuating magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic storms induce currents in long wires, including power lines, which can potentially lead to blackouts.

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Brief Beam

19/05/2024

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