Amina J. Mohammed New York – Throughout my life, I have seen the power of education. I have witnessed how quality education for all can support the creation of dynamic economies and help to sustain peace, prosperity, and stability. I…
Category: Economy
Age limit for govt jobs to be 35 from March: Obaidul
Dhaka, Feb 15 (UNB) – Awami League (AL) Secretary General Obaidul Quader on Friday said the government is planning to announce 35 years to be the maximum age for applying for government jobs. “An announcement in this regard will be…
Innovative impact fund to create jobs for rural youth
Rome, 15 February 2019 – An impact fund with an innovative approach for attracting much-needed capital to the rural areas of developing countries will be launched at the annual meeting of Member States of the International Fund for Agricultural Development…
Bd inks MoUs with Holland for water-sector capacity building
Dhaka, Feb 15 (UNB) – Bangladesh and the Netherlands have signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for capacity building of the water sector in Bangladesh. The Water Resources Ministry signed the MoUs — one with Deltares, a prominent Dutch research…
The hidden economic costs of displacement
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 14 2019 (IPS) – While the impacts of displacement on wellbeing are well-known, one group has pointed to the equally burdensome economic costs for those displaced as well as host communities. In a new report, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre…
Only immediate climate action can save the future
by John Scales Avery Only immediate climate action can save the future. If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. A new book. I have…
Make hunger thing of past Pope Francis at IFAD annual meet
Rome, 14 February 2019 – Pope Francis set the tone for the 42nd session of the annual Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) by saying that hunger can be made a part of the world’s past,…
Dredging of 25 rivers underway, Minister tells Parliament
Dhaka, Feb 14 (UNB) – State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Thursday told parliament that the dredging of 25 rivers, including 13 almost dead ones, are now underway to maintain the navigability of river routes. “The ongoing dredging…
PM Hasina goes on a week-long visit to Germany, UAE Thursday
Dhaka, Feb 13 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s first overseas tour in her third consecutive term in office will further boost Bangladesh’s image abroad as she carries a big example of development, says Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen…
Elevated expressway to partially open next year: Quader
Dhaka, Feb 13 (UNB) – Parts of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway (airport to Moghbazar) will be opened after the second phase of the public–private partnership project finishes, Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader said Wednesday. He said the first phase of…
Swedish Krona supported the struggle against apartheid
STOCKHOLM, Feb 11 2019 (IPS) – Between 1982 and 1988 Birgitta Karlström Dorph was on a secret mission in South Africa. “Why didn’t they stop us? Probably they were not aware of the scope of the operation. The money was transferred…
Tk 68 bln Electricity bill in arrears, Bd Parliament told
Dhaka, Feb 11 – The total electricity bill arrears as of October 2018 stood at Tk 6882.95 crore, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told parliament on Monday. Of the arrears, electricity bills amounting to Tk…
2 MPs want probe why pregnant UNO made OSD
Dhaka, Feb 11 – Two ruling party MPs on Monday demanded departmental probe into why Sadar Upazila Nirhabi Officer (UNO) of Narayanganj Hosne Ara Begum Bina has been made an officer on special duty (OSD) during her pregnancy for unknown…
PM to open Karnaphuli Tunnel boring work Feb 24
Dhaka, Feb 11 (UNB) – Boring work on the Karnaphuli Tunnel will begin on February 24 next, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the excavation work of the Karnaphuli Tunnel…
Life tax exemption for women with 4 or more kids in Hungary
Hungary, Feb 11 (AP/UNB) — Hungary’s government is greatly increasing financial aid and subsidies for families with several children, the country’s prime minister said Sunday. The measures announced by Viktor Orban during his “state of the nation” speech are meant…
Bd NGOs Network for Radio, Com in UN SDG Media Compact
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is among more than 39 media organizations from across the world that have come together to form a Global SDG Media Compact aimed at advancing awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals…
HR action must lead to real changes in Bangladesh: UN
Dhaka, Feb 10 (UNB) – UN Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo on Sunday said human rights action must lead to real, tangible changes in the lives of people in Bangladesh. “If we all work on it jointly in partnership, it can…
Inclusive democracy must for inclusive growth: Rehman Sobhan
Dhaka, Feb 10 (UNB) – Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Prof Rehman Sobhan has observed that inclusive democracy is needed to achieve inclusive growth. “If you want inclusive growth, you’ve to have inclusive democracy in your process,”…
Transforming economies – building evidence of achieving SDGs
HELSINKI, Finland, Feb 8 2019 (IPS) – Following on from Finn Tarp, my predecessor, is a daunting prospect, but I look forward to working with my colleagues at UNU-WIDER and with our many partners to build on the achievements of…
Descendants block Shahbagh for FF quota
Dhaka, Feb 8 (UNB) – Children and grandchildren of freedom fighters (FFs) on Friday blocked Shahbagh intersection in the city to realise their six-point demand, including reinstatement of 30 percent quota facilities for them in government jobs. Witnesses said over…
Empowered women driving Bd’s dev journey: Envoy to Holland
Dhaka, Feb 8 (UNB) – Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands Sheikh Mohammed Belal has said women in Bangladesh are driving its development journey in a bigger way as Bangladesh’s economic transformation is driven, in large part, by social changes, starting…
300 graduates, 26 cos at Bd Youth Leaders’ Career Fair 2019
Dhaka, Feb 7 (UNB) – The third Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) Career Fair held on Thursday brought together graduates and recruiters under a single roof, allowing them to directly interact with each other. Three hundred BYLC graduates and 26…
UNHCR, WB together to ease Rohingya burden on Bd: Jolie
Dhaka, Feb 6 (UNB) – Noting that it is one of the toughest tasks to feed and manage so many Rohingyas here, visiting UNHCR special envoy and famous Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie on Wednesday said the UN Refugee Agency and…
New EU program of EUR 205mn to strengthen Education in Bd
Dhaka, 5 February – Today, with the launch of the Human Capital Development Programme 2021 (HCDP-21) the European Union confirms its continued commitment to Bangladesh for the development of the country’s Education sector. This EU-funded programme aims to provide improved…
Why border walls don’t stop migration
President Trump has long called migration a security crisis, but in recent weeks he has also referred to the situation along the southern border as a humanitarian crisis. As he ended the government shutdown in a televised speech on January…
Costs of post-9/11 US wars to 2019: $5.9 trillion
By Neta C. Crawford Nov 2018 –The United States has appropriated and is obligated to spend an estimated $5.9 trillion on the war on terror through the Fiscal Year 2019, including direct war and war-related spending and obligations for future…
Meghan puts notes on bananas sent to needy women in Britain
London, Feb 3 (AP/UNB) — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has written personal messages to women being helped by a charity that seeks to help sex workers break free from prostitution. Prince Harry’s wife took the unusual step of writing…
Right-wing nationalism threatens democratic norms
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 30 2019 (IPS) – The steady decline in multilateralism—accompanied by a rise in unilateralism– is beginning to threaten democratic norms, including press freedom, global governance, civic participation and human rights across Asia, Africa, South America and the…
People power will bring change — not Davos
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Jan 31 2019 (IPS) – They said they cared about climate change but they flew in on private jets in record numbers. They said they cared about inequality but laughed off the idea of higher taxes for…
The world order that’s now emerging
By Eric Zuesse The Post-World-War-II world order was dominated by the one WW II major combatant that had only 0.32% of its population (the lowest percentage) killed by the war: the United States. The Soviet Union’s comparable number killed by…