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PM directs to reduce duty on rice, edible oil, sugar, date before Ramadan
Rtv news
29 Jan 2024, 19:23
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Jan 29) has directed the the authority concerned to reduce the import duty on four most essential items – rice, edible oil, sugar and date ahead of the upcoming Ramadan.
PM Sheikh Hasina delivered this directive from the Cabinet meeting at her office in the capital.
“The prime minister has given a clear directive to decrease the duty on four items – edible oil, sugar, rice and date — on the occasion of the upcoming Ramadan,” said Md Mahbub Hossain, the Cabinet Secretary, while briefing reporters at the Secretariat.
Highlighting the instructions of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Secretary said that the supply of edible oil, sugar, dates and rice should not be reduced during Ramadan. Therefore, the Prime Minister has given instructions to reduce the duty rate of edible oil, sugar, dates and rice on the occasion of upcoming Ramadan.
Mahbub Hossain said, "The National Board of Revenue (NBR) would assess how much the duty can be curtailed."
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Train derailment halts rail link Dhaka with north
A local train from Santahar to Bonarpara derailed at Gabtoli in Bogura. As a result, the rail link between Dhaka with North Bengal has been halted.
Three bogies of the train derailed before entering Gabtoli Station around 9:45 pm on Sunday. Sajedur Rahman, station master of Bogra Railway Station, confirmed the matter to the media.
Rail communication between Dhaka and Bogura, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Panchagarh and Lalmonirhat remained suspended. A rescue train from Lalmonirhat expected to reach at the spot.
Surma's water exceed danger level, fear of flood again in Sylhet-Sunamganj
Due to continued rainfall and landslides in India's Cherrapunji, the water level of Sylhet and Sunamganj rivers has started to rise in the second phase. In the meantime, many areas have been completely submerged by water entering the low-lying areas. In the last 24 hours, the water level of the Kushiara river has decreased slightly, but the surma river crossed the danger level. Residents of Sylhet and Sunamganj are going to be affected by floods again.
The Sylhet Water Development Board said that the water of the Surma river crossed the limit at Kanaighat point on Monday (July 1) morning. Again, due to the landslide, the water turned into a magical river and flooded a part of Anwarpur on the Tahirpur-Sunamganj road. So the locals are using the boat.
In this direction, 39.6 millimeters of rainfall has been recorded in 24 hours from 6 am on Sunday to 6 am on Monday. But rain increased this morning. Sylhet recorded 65 mm of rain within three hours from 6 am to 9 am on Monday.
The Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rain in the region. According to the warning, heavy (44 to 88 mm of rain in 24 hours) to very heavy (above 89 mm in 24 hours) rains may occur in Sylhet division for the next 72 hours from 4 pm on Sunday.
In this regard, Sylhet Meteorological Office Assistant Meteorologist Shah Md. Sajib Hossain said, '65 mm rainfall was recorded in three hours on Monday. There is a chance to occur heavy to more heavy rainfall.'
According to Sylhet Water Development Board (WDB), at 9 am on Monday, the water of Surma river was flowing 30 cm above the water level at Kanaighat point. Earlier, at 6 am, 8 cm flowed over the danger line. The depth of water at this point is 12.75 cm.
According to Sylhet district administration sources, 10,903 people have taken shelter in the shelter center of 10 upazilas out of 13 upazilas till Sunday. 653 shelters are ready in the district. Out of this, 219 shelters are occupied. However, there are no people in shelter centers in Sylhet City Corporation and Sadar Upazila.
Landslides in hill tracks: communication in Dhaka-Chattogram road interrupted
Road communication with Dhaka and Chattogram has been interrupted due to landslides in Sapmara area of Alutila in Khagrachari due to heavy rainfall.
The landslide happened on Tuesday (July 2) around 5 am. Traffic has stopped due to accumulation of mud on the road.
The passengers of the night coach leaving from Dhaka to Chattogram were stranded. Passengers travelling to Dhaka and Chattogram have suffered. Fire service workers are working to remove soil from the road.
Apart from this, road communication with Langadu in Rangamati has been closed in the headquarters area of Dighinala-Langadu road. Merung market has sunk.
About 25 villages have been flooded in Merung Union and Kabakhali Union of Dighinala due to continuous rain. Due to continuous rain, the water level of Myinee river has increased and caused floods. Traffic is also closed on the Rangamati-Khagrachari road.
Leader of Khagrachari Fire Service Civil Defense Md. Jasimuddin said that the work of removing soil is underway in Sapmara area. However, there is a risk of landslides at some other places on the Alutila road. It is raining in Khagrachari. Vehicles will not be able to pass through the submerged roads until the rain stops.
Apart from this, the low-lying areas of the district are getting flooded due to heavy rains and landslides. Water is also entering the house.
Meanwhile, the special weather forecast for inland river ports till 9 am on Tuesday (July 2) says, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Pabna, Rangpur, Bogura, Mymensingh, Jessore, Kushtia, Dhaka, Tangail, Faridpur, Madaripur, Khulna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Cumilla, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar and Sylhet may experience rain or thundershowers with gusty or gale force winds at a speed of 45 to 60 km per hour from south or south-west direction.
River ports in these areas have been asked to display warning signal number 1.
Surma's water above the danger level, Sunamganj under flood again
Flood situation arisen in Sunamganj for the second time. Surma river water is flowing 32 cm above the danger level. Along with that, the rural roads, houses and fossil lands of Tahirpur, Dowarabazar and Chhatak upazilas have been submerged in the water due to the rains and mountain streams coming down from the upstream. Millions of people have suffered due to waterlogging.
On Tuesday (July 2) at 6 am, the water of Surma river flowed 32 cm above the flood line at Sholaghar point in Sunamganj town.
The people of this region have suffered greatly as Sunamganj has been hit by floods twice in a span of one month. 950 people have taken shelter in 200 shelter centers in the district.
The victims said that a few days ago we already faced a severe flood, but now our situation has worsened due to the flood situation again.
A resident of Tahirpur upazila said that our condition is very bad due to flood water. Water is constantly rising. The road has already sunk. Water enters in the house.
Sunamganj Water Development Board Executive Engineer Mamun Howladar said, due to rain in Sunamganj and Cherrapunji in India, the water of Surma and Jadukata rivers flowing over the boundary. Moderate to heavy rain likely to continue for one more day. This may cause short-term flood situation.
Meanwhile, in four districts of flood-affected Sylhet division, the HSC candidates are not relieved despite delaying the HSC examination. Houses and roads have been destroyed by floods. As there is still water in the exam center, their parents are seeing it as a big challenge to participate in the exam and get good results.
Brahmaputra, Dharla flowing above danger level
The mighty Brahmaputra and Dharla rivers are flowing above the danger level due to incessant rains and onrush of water from upstream In Kurigram. As the water level rising rapidly, about 80 island chars in the low-lying areas of the Brahmaputra and Dharla basins have been inundated. Houses and vegetable fields have been submerged in the affected area.
Around 15,000 families in the lower areas Kurigram are in knee-deep water.
River erosion has occurred at least 15 points of Rajarhat, Ulipur, Chilmari, Rowmari and Char Rajibpur upazilas along the banks of the river.
The Water Development Board (WDB) says, the water level of the Brahmaputra River at Nunkhawa point has increased by 55cm and is flowing 14cm above the danger level at Shimulbari point in the last 24 hours. Besides, the water level of other rivers is rising gradually.
Farmer of Begumganj union of Ulipur upazila. Abdur Rahman said, 'My pointed gourd fields have been submerged as the water of Dharla is rising. Now all the vegetable plants will die. If there was no water, I could have made a profit by selling pointed gourds.'
Kurigram's Rajarhat Agriculture Meteorological Office Officer-in-Charge, Subal Chandra Sarkar, said the district recorded 130mm rainfall in the last 24 hours. Which can continue for a day or two.
Students block Shahbagh demanding quota abolition
Students have blocked the Shahbagh intersection in the capital demanding restoration of the circular of 2018 on the cancellation of quota system in government jobs.
A procession under the banner 'Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement' brought out a procession from the campus to Shahbagh around 12:00pm on Thursday (July 4).
After visiting Surya Sen Hall, Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, TSC and Raju Sculpture the students took position in front of Dhaka University Central Library around 11am.
The protest caused traffic to halt, resulting in jams.
The protesting DU students blocked the Shahbagh intersection after a procession demanding the cancellation of quota system for the last two days. They chanted slogans like 'no quota, down the quota system, let meritorious be free, against discrimination, direct action' etc.
Ashraful Islam, deputy commissioner of the Ramna zone said, 'we are trying to convince the protesters to leave the intersection to allow for smooth vehicular movement, but the demonstrators had not yet been persuaded'.
HSIA's 3rd terminal not likely operational soon
The third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) is not going to operation soon. After completing 97 percent of the work in four and a half years. Uncertainty has been created due to the non-signing of the public-private partnership (PPP) agreement on operating costs.
The three-storey terminal of 2,30,000 square meters was built at the airport to handle the pressure of air passengers and ensure international standard services. There are 54 counters including baggage handling system, arrival lounge, duty free shop, boarding bridge.
In addition, there are separate lounges for transit passengers, 3,650 square meters area for VIPs, 128 immigration counters for departure and arrival. The cost of the third terminal project is Tk 21,398 crore.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina partially inaugurated the third terminal in October, 2024. It was then said that the terminal would be fully operational after completing all the works within a year. However, the authorities are uncertain about the full launch even though all the work was completed in October this year.
