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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved a chargesheet to be submitted against four top officials of Rising Steel Mills Limited, including its managing director, in a graft case, reports UNB. The Commission at its regular meeting on Monday approved a proposal for submitting the chargesheet against them, ACC public relations officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya said. Pranab said the chargesheet will be submitted before the court soon against managing director of Rising Steel Mills Limited Amjad Hossain Chowdhury, its chairman Jamila Nazneel Mowla, and directors Jasim Uddin Chowdhury and Md Aslam Chowdhury. On July 16, 2016, the national anti-graft agency filed a case against them with Double Mooring Police Station for allegedly swindling out Tk 3.25 billion(325.76 crore) from AB Bank's Agrabad branch in 2015.....

Published at: 2017-07-18 00:00:05

The government is expected to import small scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) up to 450 mmcf per day through installing three floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU) at three points, reports BSS. "We are to undertake an initiative to import small scale LNG by installing three FRSU at Sngu, KAFCO (Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited) and Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd. (CUFL)," Secretary of Energy and Mineral Resources Division Nazimuddin Chowdhury  said Monday. He said the imported LNG would be supplied through Sangu, KAFCO and CUFL, adding, "the government would import small scale LNG in one year to meet the domestic demand." He said the government would utilize suspended ready pipeline of Sangu, jetty of KAFCO and CUFL. A study is going on what type of FRSU would be installed there for 150 mmcfd for each unit. The initiative is still at academic stage, he said. Besides, the government is to install FRSU at Maheskhali Island in Cox's Bazar to facilitate the daily gas supply increase by 500 mmcf LNG from Qatar to meet the country's growing demand, officials said. The government inked a deal with Excelerate Energy for FRSU to be built in 18 months. Qatar's state-run firm-RasGas Company Limited (RasGas) would supply gas. But the government would also keep some other sources open for LNG import to mitigate gas crisis. The government would also import LNG from spot market as 15 international LNG supplier companies would be enlisted, the Secretary said.....

Published at: 2017-07-18 00:00:05

Infrastructure projects have significant potential to raise the level of economic empowerment of women in Bangladesh and contribute to the government's efforts to promote gender equality, according to the latest evaluation made in a report of the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB). Women's participation in the workforce, though improving because of the garment industry, labour migration and microfinance programmes, however, remains low, at an estimated 34 per cent, it said. This has raised concern that these factors will heighten the risk of women being exposed to shocks. The evaluation found that significant strides have been made in reducing gender disparities in education and health in Bangladesh where the status of women has generally improved over the last decade. But women continue to face high levels of inequality in livelihood opportunities and access to economic assets, it said. In rural Bangladesh, women own only 8.0 per cent of productive assets, the ADB study said. "Because of high levels of inequality in livelihood opportunities and economic assets, women have far less resilience than men to various shocks, such as natural disasters, climate risks, and economic downturns," Hyun H Son, main author of the evaluation report said while giving presentation at a dissemination event held in a city hotel Monday. Ministry of women and children affairs secretary Nasima Begum and its additional secretary Mahmuda Sharmin Benu and country director of ADB Kazuhiko Higuchi, among others, were present at the event. "Poor women typically lack resources to protect themselves in case of disasters or restore their lives back to pre-disaster levels. Better social safety nets are needed for Bangladesh's marginalised groups, particularly women, and this should be a priority area for development support," Ms Son added. The assessment report titled 'Asian Development Bank (ADB) support for Gender and Development in Bangladesh' evaluated ADB's support for gender and development in Bangladesh from 2005 to 2015. During the period that saw a marked increase in infrastructure projects in its $9.0 billion portfolio for the country of which infrastructure accounted for $5.0 billion.   ADB-supported infrastructure projects in Bangladesh were particularly effective in promoting gender equality when they enhanced women's access to education and health care, and helped promote their economic empowerment. The evaluation, however,  said that building new roads, expanding electricity grids and improving water supply services -- the mainstay of ADB's support for Bangladesh over the past decade -- do not automatically lead to better livelihood opportunities for women or other gender-equitable results. The evaluation found that this collaboration and ADB's 'top-down and bottom-up' approach to strengthening gender equality by working with government ministries, local governments, and communities was effective. ADB's gender portfolio provided women with access to credit and skill training for income generation and health service, Mr Higuchi said adding that they would continue their efforts.  Women must be given a seat at the table in infrastructure-building, Marvin-Taylor Dormond, director general of Independent Evaluation at ADB, said. She added that women need to be part of the decision-making in all phases of infrastructure projects. Besides, giving them a voice in such a crucial driver of economic growth will go a long way towards reducing Bangladesh's still high levels of gender inequality, she said. The evaluation recommended that ADB should increase gender mainstreaming in transport and energy since these sectors constitute the largest proportions of its country portfolio and offer opportunities to reduce gender disparities. In its recommendations, the evaluation suggested actively involving men in its advocacy and education campaign efforts on gender equality saying men are important stakeholders in making progress toward gender equality, particularly in South Asia. "Men need to be involved in addressing gender inequalities and supporting women's empowerment, lest they resort to violence in response to such empowerment," the evaluation added. munni_fe@yahoo.com....

Published at: 2017-07-18 00:00:05

The flood situation in Sirajganj district worsened further as major rivers there kept overflowing on Monday, leaving two people dead, report agencies. Meanwhile the situation is improving in Kurigram, Faridpur, Jamalpur, Gaibandha and Sylhet districts. People in the flood-hit districts have been going through enormous sufferings for lack of adequate food and safe water. Many of the flood victims whose houses were damaged or washed away by floodwater are passing their days under open skies. Besides, huge crop lands were submerged by floodwater while river erosion has taken a serious turn in different parts of the country compounding the woes of the flood-hit people. In Sirajganj, two people including a child drowned in Chouhali and Ullapara upazilas of the district as more fresh areas went under water on Monday. Ramjan Ali, chairman of Ghorjan union, said Mustakim, a one-year-old boy and Kausar Ali of Chouhali upazila drowned when fell into the water near his house while Abiron Nesa, 65, wife of Akher Ali drowned in Phuljor river in Defolbari village in Ullapara upazila on Sunday night and Monday. The Jamuna is flowing 56 centimetres above the danger level in the district. Besides, people in flood-hit areas were affected by water-borne diseases including diarrhoea and cough. In Kurigram, the flood situation is improving in the district as the waters of the Dudhkumari, Brahmaputra, Teesta and Dharala are flowing under the red mark. In Faridpur, many low-lying areas were inundated afresh in two upazilas of the district as the Padma River is flowing 14 centimeters above the danger mark. Besides, river erosion is taking its toll in many parts of the district, rendering 1500 families homeless. Even so, the overall situation has improved, at least in terms of flooding. In Sylhet, the flood situation of the district is improving as all the rivers' waters have started to recede. Meanwhile, in Jamalpur , flood situation in the district has improved following the fall of water level in Jamuna River. According to District Relief and Rehabilitation Office, 0.22 million people at 447 villages in all the seven upazilas of the district have been left marooned. Assistant District Primary Education Officer Md Abdur Razzak said a total of 299 primary schools have been shut down due to intrusion of water into those educational institutions. District Secondary Education Office sources said 50 high schools, 24 madrashas and eight colleges have been shut down as flood water submerged those institutions. Officials of Department of Agricultural Extension said flood water has submerged standing crops on 7,470 hectares of land in the district. In Gaibandha, overall flood situation at chars and Brahmaputra river basins in four upazilas of the district improved significantly and visibly as the river marked fall. The officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) sources said water level of the Brahmaputra decreased by 27 cm during the period and the river was flowing 05 cm above its danger level at Phulchharighat point of the district. Mahbubur Rahman, executive engineer of BWDB here said as the mighty river continued to mark fall, it would flow below the danger mark very shortly improving the flood situation further of the district. To mitigate the sufferings of the flood affected people particularly the poor and the distressed the relief distribution activities had been intensified at Sundarganj, Sadar, Phulchhari and Shaghata upazila, said district relief and rehabilitation officer AKM Idris Ali Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said the government would construct an embankment from Shimla to Khubbandi of Sadar upazila aimed at protecting the locality from the erosion of Jamuna River. "The government has already undertaken a project involving Tk 4.50 billion for building the dam and the construction work of the project will start this year after the approval of ECNEC," he said while inspecting the damaged portion of an embankment at Bahuka village this morning.....

Published at: 2017-07-18 00:00:05

A businessman was shot and injured by some miscreants in the city's Mogbazar area on Monday morning. The wounded trader, Anowar Hossain 55, is the president of Bangladesh Medical Device Association. In-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police camp Bacchu Mia told the FE that the miscreants shot Anowar Hossain while he was inside his private car. "Police are looking into the matter,' Bacchu Mia said.    — FE Report....

Published at: 2017-07-18 00:00:05