The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at its meeting on Tuesday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair approved the Ashrayan Phase-11 project involving Tk 1,169 crore, which will rehabilitate 1,00,000 landless people in some planned villages. Among them, 50,000 will be from the coastal areas, who lost their living to the severe flooding. The meeting also approved eight other projects covering the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, small and cottage industries and manpower developments. The projects involved a total of Tk 2,540 crore, of which the government will provide Tk 2,360 crore from its own resources while Tk 180 crore will be mobilized from external sources under project aid. The meeting also approved the BSCIC Industrial Park in Sirajganj, involving Tk 379 crore, which is expected to create direct employment opportunities for one lakh people. The other approved projects are: crops development project, upgrading the Nabinagar-DEPZ-Chandra road into four lanes and Lebukhali-Baufal-Golachipa-Amragachia road reconstruction projects, emergency disaster damage rehabilitation project, Gopalganj BSCIC Industrial City expansion project, establishment of 10 textile vocational institutes and a project aimed at innovation of technology for agricultural machineries and extension.

The Hindu community yesterday celebrated Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, amid festivity and religious fervor. Colourful Janmastami processions displaying the blissful events of the life of Krishna were brought out across the country. In separate messages on the eve of the occasion, President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted members of the Hindu community and wished success of all programmes marking the day. The President also hosted a reception to the members of Hindu community at Bangabhaban on the occasion.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina renewed her warning against hooliganism and violent activities on campus in the name of Chhatra League or other fronts of Awami League. Speaking at a discussion meeting organized by Bangladesh Chhatra League in Dhaka on Tuesday, she also warned Chhatra League leaders for giving sanctuaries to Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir activists in Chhatra League to serve their own personal interests.

State Minister for Home Affairs Advocate Shamsul Huq Tuku directed the law enforcing agencies to keep strong vigilance over the people who want to protect the suspected war criminals and deal them with iron hands for the sake of peace and stability. He was speaking at a views exchange meeting with high officials of Chittagong District Administration and law enforcing agencies in Chittagong yesterday.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque sought US support to strengthen the country’s health sector and improving overall quality of management of hospitals and health service centers. The Minister made the remarks during a meeting with a joint delegation of US government, Bangladesh Mission of USAID and GHI launch team at his office in Dhaka yesterday.

Labour and Employment Minister Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain urged the members of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agency (BAIRA) to refrain from resorting to illegal means in sending people aboard for the sake of ensuring a clean image of the country. He was speaking at an iftar party organized by BAIRA in Dhaka yesterday. Overseas job markets will be expanded in the Middle East countries, particularly Iraq, he added.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 100 million loan for a cross-border electricity initiative between India and Bangladesh. The Board of Directors of ADB approved the loan that would help Bangladesh to build a 40 km long 400-kilovolt transmission line, along with a high voltage direct current substation and connecting loop, linking the western electrical grid of Bangladesh with India’s eastern grid.

The Public Sector Undertakings in India will issue tender by the first week of September for procurement of rice and wheat to be exported to Bangladesh. A Bangladesh delegation, led by Food and Disaster Management Secretary, reached in New Delhi to discuss the issue with the Indian officials. The Indian government agreed to allow an export of 3 lakh tons of parboiled rice and 2 lakh tons of wheat to Bangladesh to meet the shortfall.

The government has decided to set up Union Information Centers (UICs) in all 4,498 unions to bring them under single information connectivity in December next. UNDP supported Access to Information (A2I) Programme under the Prime Minister’s Office is providing technical support to the Local Government Division for setting up the information centers.

The government will launch two Service Centers in Dhaka and Chittagong for collecting Income Tax returns from 15th September. The proposed tax paying system will set up one stop shops where the tax payers can file their annual returns hassle free.

The government has taken initiatives to reopen four closed jute mills by September this year for boosting the jute industry. The four mills including Qaumi Jute Mills in Sirajganj, MM Jute Mills in Chittagong, and People’s Jute Mills and Daulatpur Jute Mills at Khalishpur in Khulna, will be operated under the state-run Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC).

Investment in the country is on the rebound, according to various bank credit information. Bankers said, the rise was mainly because of an expansion of the existing factories, increased SME loans and installation of rental power plants. According to Bangladesh Bank, capital machinery imports increased by four percent in the last fiscal year, while the Letters of Credit (L/C) opened to import machinery went up by about 54 percent.

The growth of private sector credit recorded a significant 24.24 percent rise in the last fiscal year, which has also exceeded the central bank’s target. Credit to the private sector rose by 24.24 percent to Tk 528.33 billion in July-June period of the fiscal 2009-10 from 14.62 percent to Tk 277.91 billion of the previous fiscal, according to the central bank statistics.

The central bank has warned all commercial banks against charging any extra interest from borrowers to make more profit. A circular issued by Bangladesh Bank made directives to the banks that no penal interest can be charged on any type of loans.

The government has decided to withdraw the import duty on raw sugar from September 15 in order to keep the price of sugar stable in local markets.

Bangladeshi readymade garment makers got export orders worth USD 57.5 million from a trade show recently held in USA. Under the auspices of Export Promotion Bureau, eight garment manufactures participated in the four-day show from August 16.

Myanmar has agreed to build two hydropower plants aimed at exporting around 575 mw of electricity to Bangladesh. A Myanmar delegation would visit Dhaka shortly to sign a MoU on the electricity trade between the two neighbouring countries.

AHM Noman Khan, founder and Executive Director of Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), on Tuesday received the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2010 for his significant contributions towards development of people with disabilities.

Suad Garments Industries Ltd, a Bangladesh-Kuwait joint venture company, will set up a garment industry with an investment of USD 9.4 million in the Adamjee Export Processing Zone. Principal Information Officer