The Election Commission has started distributing election materials from the offices of returning officers across the country ahead of 12th national parliamentary election scheduled to be held on Sunday (Jan 7).  Ballot papers and other polling materials, including stamp pads, official seals and marking seals, have been sent to the offices of returning officers (ROs). Balloting will begin at 8am and continue till 4pm without break at 261,912 polling booths in 42,024 voting centres across the country. From those offices, polling materials have been distributed to election officials of respective polling stations. However, ballot papers will reach presiding officers early on Sunday (Jan 7).   

The supply of gas will be suspended for 8 hours in some areas of the capital due to gas pipeline replacement on Thursday, August 24. In a press release on Wednesday, Titas authorities, apologized to the residents of this area for the inconvenience. Gas supply to all categories of customers in Taltala, Goran, Sipahibagh, Tilpapara, Shantipur, Dakshin Bansree, northern side of Nandipara. The supply will remain suspended from 10 am to 6 pm, according to a statement issued by Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company. The consumers in the nearby areas will also experience low pressure in supply, it said.

On Tuesday, March 14,  the online quiz winners of the program ''English4U"  broadcast on RTV were awarded. The award program held at Linnex Bengal Square, RTV Studio Building, Dhaka. Jodi Anna Milto, the producer and content creator of Voice of America, Monoj Roy, U.S. AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA Country Representative/South Asia, Abu Sayed Bhuiyan, teacher at Government Laboratory School, Sajjadur Rahman, the president of BIAM Model School and College, and students and parents from different schools were present at the function. However, as an international language, american english is widely used in almost all fields. It is very helpful to communicate. To motivate the students to learn this language, the program "English4U"  is broadcast every Friday at 12:10 pm on RTV and its YouTube channel and Facebook page.  Over the past six months, the program held at various schools in the country and help to learn this language.  Top 60 winners were awarded at the ceremony. Speakers of this program said, ''Every year, millions of Bangladeshi, mainly young portion, go to abroad including United States for education or work purpose. They urged everyone to learn and practice the english language.''

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Thursday) unveiled Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations results along with launching free textbook distribution ceremony. Releasing the results of 11 education boards, she said the results will be known through online and mobile phone short message service (SMS).    The premier virtually joined the function arranged for unveiling the SSC and equivalent examinations results and opening the textbook distribution at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) from her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital.    Earlier, the chairmen of 11 education boards -- nine general boards, one madrasha education board and one technical education board -- handed over the results.    On behalf of the prime minister, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni received the results.    Candidates will be able to get their results from websites and through SMS.    Examinees can get the results from the education board website http://www.educationboardresults.gov.bd/ and also from the websites of their respective education boards alongside respective education institutions.    A total of 22, 78,098 students participated in the SSC and equivalent examinations under 11 education boards.    Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, MP and State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md. Zakir Hossen, MP also spoke.    Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, MP delivered the welcome address, while Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain highlighted different aspects of SSC and equivalent examinations results and book distribution.    Besides, like previous year, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the freetextbook distribution among the students of primary and secondary levels.    A total of 34,70,22,130 copies of book will be distributed among 4,17,26856 students free of cost across the country.    On behalf of the premier, the education minister and the state minister for primary and mass education handed over the books among the selected students from different educational institutions. Source: BSS AH

Like the previous years, textbook distribution started today (Friday) among the students from class six to nine on the first day of the New Year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina already inaugurated the free textbook distribution through a videoconferencing from her official residence Ganabhaban on Thursday. The book distribution ceremony was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the city. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the government has already taken all-out measures to distribute new textbooks among 4.5 crore students of the primary and secondary levels free of cost on the first day of the New Year. The textbook this year however will not be distributed by holding book festivals like every year due to the coronavirus. The books will be handed over among the students at their respective educational institutions in 12 days to avoid any kind of gathering. Earlier, Chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) Professor Narayan Chandra Saha told BSS that generally, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the book festival by handing over new books to students at Ganabhaban every year. “But this time, the premier will formally inaugurate the textbook distribution through a videoconferencing from Ganabhaban on December 31, 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. Later, the books will be distributed among the students in educational institutions across the country on the next day (January 1, 2021), Professor Saha added. On the occasion of the ‘Mujib Year’, novelty has been brought on the cover of the books this time, he said. Still images of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, independence, great Liberation War, Language Movement and various development projects of the present government have been printed with captions on the back page of the textbooks, he continued. The NCTB chairman said cent percent of primary books have already been printed while more than 85 percent of secondary books have been printed so far. The books have already been reached to the schools across the country, he said. Pre-primary books, Braille method books and books for ethnic students have also been printed, he added. According to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the demand of textbooks for primary students in 2021 is 10 crore 25 lakh 82 thousand and 555. Of those, 2 crore 59 lakh 92 thousand 671 books are for the first and second grades’ students, while 6 crore 96 lakh 97 thousand 374 books are for the third, fourth and fifth grades’ students. 2,13,288 books printed in special language will be distributed to 94,275 ethnic students (Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo and Sadri) from pre-primary to third grade and the books have been printed in five languages. This time Braille books will be distributed to 9,196 visually impaired students. According to the Ministry of Education, in the academic year of 2021, 24 crore 33 lakh 34 thousand copies of books will be printed for the secondary level students. Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) Director General Dr Syed Md Golam Faruk told BSS that educational institutions across the country have been closed since March, 2020 due to the coronavirus to ensure the safety of the students. “We are trying to reach new books to students across the country on time in spite of corona situation,” he said. He urged the teachers, students and parents to follow the hygiene rules while distributing books in the educational institutions amid the pandemic. The director general said, “We will try to ensure that the students can continue their education smoothly from the beginning of the next year (2021)”. Once they get new books, they can study according to their curriculum, he added. Awami League government has been celebrating ‘book festival’ on January 1 every year in a festive atmosphere since 2010 with the aim of elevating education standard and preventing dropout rates. In the last ten years since 2010, about 331.47 crore primary and secondary books have been distributed across the country. Source: BSS AH

CCECC Bangladesh Limited, the Contractor Company, donated blankets and winter cloths (Men, Women & Children) to Dulalpur Village in Brahmanpara Upazila, Cumilla. The Program titled “Winter Relief Programme-2020” is a part of Corporate Social Responsibity (CSR) of CCECC Bangladesh Limited to share the love and affection to stand beside disadvantaged People in this Winter season amid Pandemic. CCECC Bangladesh Limited distributed the relief among 2,000 disadvantaged poor People of Dulalpur village through this Programme. The Village representatives, Personnel from CCECC Bangladesh Limited, Social workers and disadvantaged poor villagers together with local community attended the Programme. From the Guests panel, Advocate Md. Mominul Haque Bhuiyan, Senior Vice President of Human Rights Commision, Cumilla City said “The donation in Winter amid Pandemic to disadvantaged poor vilagers of Dulalpur is really great support by CCECC Bangladesh which will be remembered by Villagers. I hope this kind of support to local community will be continued by CCECC”. Mr. Anisul Haque Bhuiyan (Ripon), Union Parishad Chairman of Dulalpur said, The kind guestures made by our Chinese friends made all the disadvantaged People so happy. I would like to express gratitudes to your kind contributions and I hope in the future more people can join programmes of such kind to make our underdeveloped communities cozy places for all disadvantaged to live in. All kind of necessary administative support shall be provided us”. Mr. Joynal Abedin Bhuian, Senior Social Worker of Dulalpur has closed the Program through delivering his valuable speech, he said “The Donation means a lot to our community and the initiative amid Pandemic by Chinese Friends of CCECC really made our villagers smily. I am thankful to CCECC on behalf of my Villagers”. On behalf of CCECC Bangladesh Limited, Mr. Shahjalal Rashid Chowdhury and Mr. Shahnewaz Hossain Chowdhury represented the whole Programme. The also mentioned “We take it as our corporate social responsibility to contribute to the improvement of infrastructure connectivity, facility availability and beneficiaries’ livelihood.”  The local support to conduct the Programme been provided by “Rafiq Chairman Foundation” which established after the die of Mr. Rafiqul Haque Bhuiyan, the First Upazila Chairman of Brahmanpara. The reprentative of the Foundation, Mr. Ariful Haque Bhuiyan supervised the Program. Please note that, As one of the ENR-listed top 100 global contractors for consecutive nineteen years with a global business network in 103 countries and regions, CCECC has been engaged in a wide spectrum of infrastructure projects worldwide in diverse fields such as railway, road, elevated expressway, bridge, marine works including dredging, and housing projects in the capacity of an EPC Contractor or a private investor. Since its incorporation in Bangladesh from 2015, CCECC has been engaged in 10 no.s infrastructure development projects totaling more than 2.0 Billion US Dollars in the domains of railway engineering, dredging and marine works, and roads and highways.  

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has cancelled the licenses of 13 companies and banned their product sale, distribution and preservation until further directions as those products found below standard in laboratory tests. Besides, the companies will not be allowed to publish advertisement for those products. The information was delivered through a notice signed by BSTI Director Engineer Sajjadul Bari on Monday. Order was given to refrain from sale, distribution, preservation and commercial advertisement of the products until new licenses are obtained. Of the 13 companies there are: Fortified soyabean oil Shakti of Shakti Edible Pvt. Ltd., iodized salt of Bismillah Salt Factory, iodized salt Nazrul of Janata Salt Mill, Madina Lachchha Semai of JK Food Products, Skin cream Modern of Modern Cosmetics and Herbal Industries, skin cream GM of GM Chemical Works, Arabean Special Ghee of New Chattrala Pvt. Ltd., Reven Lachchha Semai of Reven Food Company, Khajana semai, ghee and chanachur of Khajana Mithai Ltd., Prome turmeric powder of Prome Agro Food Ltd. and iodized salt Ifad of Ifad Salt and Chemical Ltd.  AH     

Jatiya Party’s nomination papers distribution for mayor, councilor and reserved councilor posts in the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) election will begin from tomorrow (Sunday). The form distribution activities will continue till Monday (January 28). The information came through a press release sent by Deputy Press Secretary to Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad on Saturday. JP Secretary General Mashiur Rahman Ranga will inaugurate the nomination papers distribution program. The forms will be distributed among the aspirants from 10 am to 5 pm every day. In the press release it was also informed about the health condition of party Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad who is at present undergoing treatment in Singapore National University Hospital. There it was said that Hussain Muhammad Ershad is doing well at the moment. He is taking his foods and medicines according to the advice of physicians. AH  

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, nomination forms distribution of Awami League will start from tomorrow (Friday) keeping ahead the eleventh national parliament election. He said this at a press conference at AL president’s political office at Dhanmondi in the capital on Thursday evening. Obaidul Quader said, nomination forms selling will start at 10 am among party nomination seekers. But our party chief will give the decision about duration of nomination forms distribution after holding nomination board meeting. At the moment forms distribution will start from eight booths for eight divisions from tomorrow. Organizing Secretaries and Joint General Secretaries responsible for different divisions will monitor the whole process. He said, each Joint General Secretary will perform their duties for two divisions. There are four Joint General Secretaries and eight Organizing Secretaries in Awami League. He also asked the people who will be given nomination to consider the matter so that election code of conduct will not be violated. It is an order from the center, he added. AH

Branches of commercial banks to remain open on Saturday (August 18) to facilitate payment of salary, bonus and other allowances for the workers and officials of Ready Made Garments (RMG) industries. Bangladesh Bank delivered the information on Tuesday over a notification. The direction was sent to all the Chief Executives of commercial banks of the country. The notice said, direction has been given to take proper measures to keep banks full day open on August 18, 2018 after ensuring security. To facilitate payment of salaries and other allowances for the workers of garments industries before Eid-ul-Azha and to keep export business active the branches of commercial banks in Dhaka metropolitan area, Ashulia, Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Bhaluka, Narayanganj and Chattogram will remain open. AH