Bangladesh High Commission

London

News Brief

London, 9 May 2018

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved a project to construct a double line railway track on Khulna-Darshana section. The approval was given at the ECNEC meeting in Dhaka with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. A total of 13 projects were approved involving a total estimated cost of Taka 13,288 crore.

Bangladesh's first communication satellite "Bangabandhu-I" will be launched to the orbit tomorrow at 4pm local time (BST 2am Friday) from the Cape Canaveral launching pad in Florida by Falcon 9 rocket of American firm SpaceX.

The Industries Minister, who is visiting Australia, held a meeting with Australian Assistant Finance Minister David Coleman at his office in Canberra yesterday. They discussed on enhancing trade, exchange of technology and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. The Australian Minister gave assurance of continued support and cooperation to Bangladesh in its journey towards development.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain has hoped the country would be a developing one by 2024 under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He expressed the hope at a discussion marking the World Red Crescent and Red Cross Day-2018 at the Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College auditorium in Dhaka yesterday.

Bangladesh is participating in 'Japan IT Week 2018', which is regarded as one of the largest platforms for IT professionals begins in Tokyo tomorrow. A 45-member team headed by Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar will attend the event.

The Indian Naval Ship 'Airavat' with relief supplies for the displaced Myanmar nationals reached Chattogram yesterday. The relief materials consisted of family packs of rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits and mosquito nets would be formally handed over to Bangladesh authorities at Chattogram port today. The supplies will meet the immediate requirements of around three lakh Rohingyas in the camps.

UNICEF has scaled up its humanitarian assistance and life-saving interventions for the Rohingya children and women along with the vulnerable host population in Cox's Bazar. UNICEF received $15.7 million from the Japan government in this regard.

The High Court has ordered the authorities of two bus companies to pay taka one crore to the family of Rajib Hossain, who died of his injuries in a city hospital on April 17 following an accident in Dhaka on April 3.

Two members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh were sentenced to death and three others awarded life-term imprisonment for killing Rajshahi University Prof AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee in 2016.

Today is the ninth death anniversary of renowned nuclear scientist and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's husband Dr M A Wazed Miah. Family of Dr Wazed and other organisations have chalked out different programmes to observe his death anniversary.

Press Wing