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Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is scheduled hold discussion on their current and future portfolios in Bangladesh today (Thursday), breaking a long silence since the Gulshan Café attack in July last. Officials said the agency sits with the Economics Relations Division (ERD) and relevant government agencies of Bangladesh to take stock of projects in Bangladesh it funded. Japan remained almost silent on cooperation issues since the militant attack that left seven of their nationals killed. The Japanese engineers and technicians even refrained from working on the ongoing projects. "The government is expected to request Japan about their next 38th aid package for bankrolling few development projects here," said a senior official at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Wednesday. He said the discussion would mainly dominate the current portfolio of the ongoing projects in Bangladesh funded by JICA, the country's largest bilateral development partner. "It's basically a review meeting. We will discuss on the progress of the projects and obstacles to their implementations," said the official, requesting anonymity. In the recent years, Japan pledged more than US$1.0 billion worth of concessional assistance for Bangladesh. In June last (FY2016), Japan had confirmed its 37th Official Development Assistance (ODA) package worth nearly US$1.50 billion (173.54 billion Japanese Yen) for implementing Bangladesh's six large projects in energy, infrastructure and disaster management sectors. Under the new ODA package, Bangladesh has already started implementation of Jamuna Railway Bridge, Metro Rail in Dhaka, Matarbari coal-fired power plant, cross-border road network, ensuring energy efficiency and conservation promotion, and enhancing disaster risk management. In December 2015, the JICA signed the 36th ODA package and confirmed providing $1.2 billion in concessional loans for six projects in Bangladesh. Earlier on June 16 in 2013, the government signed another $1.18 billion worth of 35th ODA loan package to implement five development projects. The rate of interest for the Japanese ODA is only 0.01 per cent per annum which is payable in 40 years, including 10 years of grace period. Another MoF official said although the latest 37th ODA package was signed more than seven months ago, the implementation progress of projects under the package remained almost stagnant after the Gulshan attack. "Japanese consultants, contractors and officials involved with the development projects in Bangladesh were reluctant to visit Bangladesh in the aftermath of the militant attack. We hope the portfolio review meeting of the JICA tomorrow (Thursday) will break the stalemate," he told the FE, requesting not to be named. "We appreciate the JICA officials as they are coming forward with their positive attitude and for proving again that they are the Bangladesh's true friend," the official said. kabirhumayan10@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-02-16 00:00:10

Licenced firms can produce, import and export liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) under a policy the government has made for the first time in the country. Officials said the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) has already published a gazette notification of the policy styled 'LP Gas Operational Licensing Policy 2017. Under the maiden LPG policy, potential firms will be given licence and the licencees will be called ‘LP Gas Operator’. The firms will be authorised to carry out LPG business, which includes import, production, storage, supply and transportation, Deputy Secretary of the EMRD Akramuzzaman told the FE Wednesday. They can set up LPG terminals, auto-gas filling stations, auto-gas conversion plants and LPG-bottling plants under the policy that opened up the petroleum-fuel sector to cater burgeoning energy demand in the country.   The licencees would hold the authority to supply LPG to households, auto-gas stations, and to commercial and industrial clients through engaging dealers or franchises. They can also export bottled LPG or LPG in bulk quantity after attaining no- objection certificate (NOC) from the EMRD and necessary approval from the commerce ministry. Bangladesh earlier had issued licences to private companies only to build LPG-storage and-bottling plants. But the licencees under the new policy would have the authority to carry out all sorts of LPG business, said the EMRD official. "We kept provision of exporting LPG too as an opportunity for the licencees to supply the fuel to other countries after meeting local demand," he said. Experts said the licencees might tap the potential market of landlocked northeastern Indian states along with Nepal and Bhutan under the gas-export provision. "I think LPG could be re-exported from Bangladesh to northeastern Indian states, where access to fuel is difficult," said Professor M Tamim, who looked after Bangladesh's energy issues as Special Assistant of the previous Caretaker Government during 2006-07. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) already inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last year with the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to build LPG-import terminal at Bangladesh's Chittagong port and laying a Chittagong-Tripura pipeline to carry the imported LPG, said a senior BPC official. BPC in January also floated an international tender seeking a joint-venture partner for construction and operation of import-based LPG storage, bottling and distribution plant at Mongla in southern Bangladesh having the capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, he said. Under the new LPG policy, the new licencees must have LPG-storage tanks having the minimum capacity of 5,000 mts and requisite number of transports to carry LPG in bulk quantity. The firms that are already in LPG business in Bangladesh have to take licence from the government within six months. The government will regulate LPG prices following consultation with stakeholders, as per provision of the policy. LPG pricing in the country is currently market-based. The price of a 12.5-kg cylinder of LPG marketed by the state-run BPC is fixed at Tk 700 ($8.91) and private companies sell LPG at prices ranging from Tk 850 to Tk 1,000, market sources said. Demand for LPG in Bangladesh saw strong growth in 2016 following the extended suspension of piped natural gas connections and growth in the use of LPG as an auto fuel. Bangladesh is a growing market for LPG as new consumers are being added frequently as an alternative to piped natural gas, said Director and CEO of LPG distributor Laugfs Gas Bangladesh Ltd Saidul Islam. Since mid-August 2016, the government has stopped providing new gas connections to commercial consumers and existing consumers are not allowed to raise their off-take. The government had earlier stopped new piped gas connections to households to keep wastage in check and ensure efficient use of the limited fossil fuel. LPG consumption in 2015 stood at 200,000 tonnes, which soared to 300,000 tonnes in 2016. Demand is estimated to rise to 300,000 tonnes per year by 2017, but MPEMR estimates that actual demand could be around 500,000 tonnes, as consumers use kerosene and wood as alternatives to LPG for lack of availability. Once the new licencees start operations, LPG would be available in most areas across the country, which in turn will raise consumption substantially, Akramuzzaman said. Currently LPG is available only in cities and adjacent areas in the country, he said, adding that with the start of operation of new firms, LPG will reach the rural areas. State-owned LP Gas Ltd., a subsidiary of BPC, produces 20,000 tonnes of LPG. Private companies Laugfs Gas, Totalgaz, Bashundhara, Jamuna Spacetech, Omera Petroleum and Linde import a combined 280,000 tonnes from the spot market, leaving a supply shortfall of 200,000 tonnes. Under the terms of licencing, the licencees would initially get primary licences and they must have to complete their project works within 24 months to attain final approval. The companies might get a one-year extension on appeal. If they fail to fulfill the criteria, the licences would stand void automatically after three years of getting primary licence. Mazizur.rahman@outlook.com....

Published at: 2017-02-16 00:00:10

A school boy drowned in a pond at Datiara of the district town on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Sakib, 16, a class-X student of Annada Government High School and son of Yasin Miah, a resident of the area, reports UNB. Quoting family members, police said Sakib drowned in the pond of Power Distribution Division in the area while taking bath around 2.00pm. Later, firefighters recovered Sakib's body.....

Published at: 2017-02-16 00:00:10

A post-mortem examination has been completed on the body of Kim Jong-nam, the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Mr Kim died on Monday after apparently being poisoned while waiting to board a flight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One woman is due to appear in court on Thursday, and a second woman has now been arrested, police say. There is widespread speculation that North Korea was behind the killing, but there has been no confirmation. Malaysia has yet to formally confirm that the dead man, who was travelling under the name Kim Chol, is Kim Jong-nam, but South Korea says it is certain. North Korea is on Thursday celebrating what would have been the 75th birthday of Kim Jong-il, the late leader and father of both Kim Jong-nam and Kim Jong-un. Kim Jong-un was seen attending a ruling party meeting on Wednesday. Footage aired on state media showed him grim-faced, reported South Korea's Yonhap news agency, and he did not wave when he left, as is customary. NO REQUEST FROM NORTH KOREA Selangor Police Chief Abdul Samah Mat told the BBC the examination of Mr Kim's body was completed on Wednesday evening, but there has been no indication of whether the results will be made public. Reports on Wednesday said North Korea had asked to claim the body, but Mr Samah said that while officials from the embassy did visit the hospital they had not officially asked to remove the body. He said Malaysia had no objection in principle to releasing the body to North Korea, if such a request were made. WOMAN DUE IN COURT Mr Kim is believed to have been attacked by two women, using some form of chemical. A grainy image taken from security camera footage in the airport, which has been broadcast in South Korea and Malaysia, shows a woman wearing a white T-shirt with the letters "LOL" written on the front. A woman travelling on a Vietnamese passport has been arrested and is due to appear in court on Thursday, but Mr Sama could not say when. A second woman was arrested on Thursday and police say they are still looking for "a few" other suspects. It is not clear whether either is the woman in the footage. An alleged assassination attempt, a grainy shot of a woman wearing a T-shirt with "LOL" written on it, and a dead body that has yet to yield any information. It has all the makings of a murder mystery, with more questions than answers. Who is the Vietnamese woman the Malaysian police say they've arrested, and what does she have to do with the case? How is it possible that in a crowded airport, in broad daylight, a man can be accosted with some kind of toxic substance, and no trace of it is left behind at the crime scene? People I spoke to at the airport who may have seen what happened, were reluctant to talk about it, and at least two of them told me that they had been instructed not to talk by police. Then there's the investigation, which also appears to lack focus. All Malaysian police officials will tell us is that once they have the results of the post-mortem they will be able to identify what really happened to the man believed to be Kim Jong-nam. Kim Jong-nam was largely estranged from his family, after being bypassed for inheriting the leadership in favour of his youngest half-brother. He spent most of his time overseas in Macau, mainland China and Singapore. He had spoken out in the past against his family's dynastic control of North Korea and in a 2012 book was quoted as saying he believed his younger half-brother lacked leadership qualities. North Korean family tree showing Kim Jong Nam as the son of Kim Jong-il and Sung-Hae-rim But he had said he was not interested in assuming the leadership himself. Unnamed US government sources have said they believe he was poisoned by North Korean agents. South Korean spy chief Lee Byung-ho told South Korean MPs that Pyongyang had wanted to kill Kim Jong-nam for several years, but that he was being protected by China. The secretive state has a long history of sending agents overseas to carry out assassinations, attacks and kidnappings. But some analysts question what motive Kim Jong-un would have to kill his estranged half-brother, given the risk of the operation and possibilities for embarrassment, added to the fact that he was not seen as a threat to Mr Kim's leadership. Still, Mr Kim was reportedly targeted for assassination in the past. A North Korean spy jailed by South Korea in 2012 is said to have admitted trying to organise a hit-and-run accident targeting him.....

Published at: 2017-02-16 00:00:10

A Jessore special court convicted two people and sentenced them to life term imprisonment for possessing illegal drugs on Wednesday. The convicts are Jahangir Alam, son of late Matiar Rahman of Bhaina village in Sadar upazila of Jessore, and Sentu Sarder, son of Munsur Ali Sarder of Gournadi upazila of Barisal district, reports UNB. The court also fined them Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more rigorous imprisonment. According to the prosecution, police arrested the duo along with Phensidyl from Singhojhuli village in Chowgachha upazila on September 3, 2002. After examining records and witnesses, Special and Sessions Judge Nitai Chandra Saha handed down the verdict.   ....

Published at: 2017-02-16 00:00:09