Bangladesh High Commission
London
News Brief
London, 10 January 2018
The historic Homecoming Day of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is being observed across the country today in a befitting manner. On this day in 1972, Bangabandhu, the supreme commander of the country’s Liberation War, returned to his independent Bangladesh after his release from solitary confinement for nine and a half months in a Pakistan prison. On the occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu by placing wreaths at his portrait at Dhanmondi in the city this morning. The Awami League, its front organisations and several socio-cultural organisations chalked up elaborate programmes to observe the day across the country. AL will also hold a discussion programme at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital at 3pm today. The PM is expected to chair the programme. Meanwhile, President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued messages on the occasion.
The ECNEC has approved 13 projects involving Taka 12,415.79 crore including a project to ensure infrastructural development of some 3,250 private secondary schools across the country. The approval was given at the ECNEC meeting held at the NEC conference room at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair yesterday. The meeting also approved the "Establishment of 160 Upazila ICT Training and Resource Center for Education (UITRCE), 2nd phase," project with Taka 845.42 crore.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the police members to stay alert against destructive politics like killing, fire terrorism and vandalism. The Prime Minister gave the directives while addressing senior police officials marking the Police Week 2018 at her office in Dhaka yesterday. Issuing a strong warning against destructive activities the PM said those who will be involved in such destructive acts would be contained with iron hands.
The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday passed the “Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Bill, 2018” aimed at providing better health services to the people using the latest technology developed in medical science. As per the law, there will be a medical board in every hospital for deciding the transplantation matters and a National Cadaveric Committee to oversee the human organs transplantation in the country.
Myanmar Ambassador to Banbladesh U Lwin Oo presented his credential to the President at the Bangabhaban yesterday. During the meeting on the occasion, the President sought cooperation from the newly appointed envoy for starting the repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas soon. Earlier, newly appointed French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie-Annick Bourdin also presented his credential to the President.
Speaker of the British Tower Hamlets Council Sabina Akhtar met Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at her office at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed Rohingya, development of Bangladesh and British Bangladeshis issues. The Speaker greeted Sabina for being a first woman Speaker of Tower Hamlets and said, "Image of Bangladesh has brightened up while a British Bangladeshi is elected as the Speaker of Tower Hamlets." Earlier, Sabina met Social Welfare Minister Rashed khan Menon at his residence. At the meeting, Sabina expressed her eagerness to establish a center for differently able people of the country.
The overall situation of cold wave began to improve yesterday and it is likely to further weaken into mild to moderate cold wave from today. The Disaster Management Ministry has launched relief activities in the worst-affected districts, especially in the northern region. Meanwhile, Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said, the government allocated 2.81 million blankets and 80,000 packets of dry food for cold-stricken people across the country. The Ministry sent 20 senior officials, including additional secretaries and joint secretaries to 20 worst-affected districts to monitor relief activities there.
The Election Commission yesterday declared the schedule for the Dhaka North City Corporation byelection fixing January 18 as the last date for submission of nomination papers and February 26 as the voting day. Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda declared the poll schedule at a press conference at the commission head office in Dhaka yesterday. He said, the commission officials would scrutinise the nomination papers on January 21 and 22.
Press Wing
