ARCHIVE 10/03

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BBC: Bangladesh v England: Tigers secure comfortable six-wicket win in first T20

Bangladesh beat world champions England comfortably by six wickets in the first T20 international in Chattogram.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan: "The way we approached the game was fantastic. We were under the pump when bowling but didn't panic, and stuck to our plans. Apart from my dropped catch we did really well in the field. "Hopefully we can build on this win in the next few games against England."

The Business Standard: Bangladesh's energy sector: Short-term success vs long-term sustainability

Bangladesh's existing energy and power sector relies heavily on imported primary fuel. More than half of the country's electricity is generated through domestic natural gas and imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). The international primary energy market is becoming increasingly volatile, particularly as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.
The current volatility of the country's energy scenario has once again raised several questions about the legitimacy of policymakers' approach to LNG-based power production. Policymakers' focus on identifying short-term solutions is not new, but these short-term approaches are hampering the sustainability of the country's energy sector.

The Business Standard:

The gender gap in access to finance has narrowed, but barriers persist

In recent years, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, mobile money account ownership has expanded among women in developing countries. Nonetheless, constraints such as a lack of mobile phones, distance from a bank branch, and poor financial literacy continue to hamper women's participation in formal financial systems.
Despite these pervasive barriers, speakers identified a way forward: "To encourage the financial inclusion of women, we need to move away from product-centric design and adopt a more customer-centric approach that focuses on the needs of women clients. We must bring together policymakers and service providers to design more gender-inclusive financial products."

The Business Standard: Tk250 crore project to foster smart entrepreneurship: Shirin Sharmin

The government has initiated a project worth Tk250 crore aiming to foster smart entrepreneurship with the vision of building smart Bangladesh by 2041, said Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.
A National Gender Strategy can be legislated under the Bangladesh government's National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) in addition to a to-be proposed revised National Women Development Policy to promote the rights and opportunities of women in business.

The Financial Express:

Survey indicates positive outlook for business conditions over next six months

The overall Business Confidence Index (BCI) for 2022 stands at 74.4, indicating a positive outlook for business conditions over the next six months, according to Business Confidence Survey Report 2022-23.
The industries minister described the survey as a significant one due to application of the methodology of harmonised business confidence survey recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Statistics Directorate.

Jago News 24: Bangladesh reports zero Covid-19 death, 6 positive cases

Bangladesh on Monday recorded zero Covid-19 death while it reported 6 coronavirus positive cases.
The recovery count rose to 2,005,016 after another 420 patients were discharged from the dedicated hospitals during the last 24 hours, the statement added.

The Business Standard: Dhaka bourse turnover hits one-month high

The daily turnover at the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) hit a one-month high on Sunday, while its benchmark index surged by 36 points – the highest since November last year.
Based on the last trading price, the Bangladesh General Insurance Company, in its effort to keep the top position in the gainers' table, saw its share price soar by 9.96% to reach Tk65.1 per share.

Modern Diplomacy: Defying the odds: Bangladesh’s journey of transformation and resilience

The World Bank supported the young nation’s recovery efforts with a $50 million Emergency Recovery Credit to help rebuild key transport, agriculture, communication, and industrial sectors.
Over the course of this 50-year partnership, what Bangladesh has been able to accomplish has vastly exceeded the initial World Bank assessments undertaken in the early 1970s.
Bangladesh’s poverty reduction strategy centred on women’s empowerment.
Bangladesh has risen to the challenges of being severely affected by natural disasters and climate change, turning into a leader in climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.

The Daily Star: Building Smart Bangladesh: PM Hasina seeks support from dev partners

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today sought support from Bangladesh's development partners to make a smart, innovative and knowledge-based society which will help promote a peaceful, just and inclusive society.
She said that the government has given emphasis on supporting agricultural research which made it possible for Bangladesh to combat hunger and become largely food secure.

New Age: Women’s Day observed in Bangladesh

Bangladesh celebrated International Women’s Day on Wednesday as elsewhere in the world with the theme ‘DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality’.
In 1910, the second International Socialist Women’s Conference was held in Copenhagen, where the idea of an International Women’s Day was mooted by a German socialist Clara Zetkin.

The Business Standard: Four startups to get Tk8 crore investment

Mega investments were pledged on Monday for startups attending the grand finale of Robi's flagship digital entrepreneurship contest r-ventures 3.0.
The top four digital start-ups are set to receive in total more than Tk2 crore worth of investment from RedDot Digital Ltd, a subsidiary IT company of Robi Axiata Ltd and sponsor of r-ventures private equity fund.

The Business Standard: Bangladesh's investment flows decline sharply in 2022: Unctad

Greenfield investment projects announced in Bangladesh dropped by 59% during the first eleven months of 2022, according to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).
Over the course of the last year, the value of the taka has decreased by approximately 20% in 17 phases. This decline has been accompanied by a range of challenges, including the need to address macroeconomic factors such as balance payments, as well as fuel availability, he noted.

Foreign Policy: Bangladesh Refugee Camp Fire Compounds Rohingya’s Hardships

The tragedy is just the latest to strike the community, underscoring Dhaka’s challenge in hosting so many refugees.
On Sunday, a massive fire spread across a sprawling refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, that hosts members of the Rohingya Muslim minority who have fled Myanmar since 2017. There were no recorded fatalities. But around 2,000 makeshift homes were destroyed, displacing 12,000 people and destroying schools, a food centre, and latrines.

Forbes: Bangladesh Notes: Time For Another Look?

Beyond the high rates of economic growth, Bangladesh has its share of challenges as well. Spending just a few days in Dhaka will bring home the need for greater infrastructure investment and the cost of pollution.
Although it has done an admirable job of attracting investment in the garment industry, it still has a ways to go in opening its economy and developing a more attractive profile for investment, such as adjusting its capital controls.
Following the tragedy of the 2013 collapse of the nine-story Rana Plaza garment factory, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 workers, the government has shown a stronger sense of regulatory oversight for responsible sourcing from the garment industry.

UNDP: Using innovation and technology for gender equality

In many parts of the world, including Bangladesh, the digital revolution has left behind a critical part of society: our women and girls.
While Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in increasing access to digital technology for women and girls, a persistent gender-based digital divide has left many unable to reap the benefits of digitalisation.

Dhaka Tribune: Nearly 10,000 women faced violence in Bangladesh in a year

A total of 9,764 women fell victim to violence in Bangladesh over a one year period, according to the non-government organization Light House.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 54% of women have experienced physical and sexual abuse at least once in their lifetime. This pervasive violence not only violates the human rights of women and girls but has also become a major obstacle in the progress of the country and society as a whole.

Reuters: Explosion kills 15 in crowded market in Bangladesh capital

DHAKA, March 7 (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed and several others injured in an explosion in a crowded market area in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka on Tuesday, a local fire service official said.
Images from the scene showed extensive damage to the building and nearby structures, with items that were once inside the shops piled up on the street. Some pedestrians were hurt be falling rubble and broken glass.

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