Sheikh Hasina inaugurates GCA Bangladesh office on Tuesday



Senior Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the countries to increase their nationally determined contributions as promised in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and in tackling the climate crisis.

She made the call at the inaugural ceremony of the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Bangladesh office on Tuesday (September 8) with a virtual part from Ganobhaban.

The Global Center on Adaptation-GCA Bangladesh Office was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former UN Secretary General and Chairman of the GCA Board Ban Ki-moon. The Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, among others, spoke on the occasion.

The Prime Minister said climate change is a global issue. Therefore, we call for increasing the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the nationally determined contributions of different countries in tackling the climate crisis.

Calling on different countries to work together to tackle the crisis, the Prime Minister said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is calling for greater help and cooperation between different countries. We should not leave each other to fight this ongoing crisis or such a crisis in the future. We will work together, we will fight together and we will be victorious together.

After inaugurating GCA's new office in Dhaka, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed hope that GCA's Dhaka office 'Center of Excellence' would serve as a solution to climate adaptation in South Asia.

Regarding the opening of a new office in Dhaka, Sheikh Hasina said it is a historic moment in the fight against the climate change crisis in South Asia through adaptation. The GCA Bangladesh Office will provide all possible assistance to increase adaptation and climate resilience in South Asia.

She added that the region is at high risk of natural disasters such as cyclone, floods, tidal surges, droughts, glacial lake outburst floods and landslides. Even if the temperature rises by only one and a half degree, different areas of this region including Bangladesh will face severe damage. The Prime Minister reminded that women and children, growth and physically affected people are at greater risk due to climate change.

Urging the implementation of the Paris Agreement, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh wants all kinds of measures and implementation of the Paris Agreement to prevent global warming and other environmental adverse due to greenhouse gas emissions. She mentioned that since 2010, Bangladesh has been spending 1 percent or 2 billion rupees of GDP every year for adaptation. Sheikh Hasina also highlighted Bangladesh's activities in tackling the climate crisis, including the implementation of an Action Plan to tackle climate change by setting up a 430 million fund in the Climate Change Trust Fund with its own resources.

Referring to the adoption of 100-year Delta Plan-2100 keeping in mind the risks of climate change, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh is a unique example in terms of vulnerability and resilience. The people here have set an example in dealing with natural disasters and man-made disasters.

The concerned ministers of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives spoke on the occasion.

   

India's Foreign Secretary's visit to Dhaka postponed



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra's visit to Bangladesh has been postponed.

A diplomatic source confirmed the matter on Thursday (April 18).

According to sources, the visit will take place on a mutually convenient new date. This is part of the high-level exchange between Bangladesh and India and the review of the progress of the bilateral cooperation agenda of the two countries.

A message in this regard has also been given to the guests invited to attend the dinner with the Indian Foreign Secretary on April 20. It said, "The trip has been postponed."

Although no official announcement was made from Dhaka and New Delhi regarding the visit, he was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Saturday for a brief visit.

In addition to the meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, the Indian Foreign Secretary was supposed to have a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud.

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‘Amrita Sagar’ variety banana of Narsingdi gets GI recognition



Sharif Iqbal Russel, District Correspondent, Barta24.com
Amrita Sagar

Amrita Sagar

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Narshingdi: Narsingdi's ‘Amrita Sagar’ variety banana has received Geographical Indication or GI (Geographical Indication) product recognition. Farmers are happy to get this recognition. The Deputy Commissioner said that Narsingdi's position has been taken higher.

In the context of the soil, water, and weather of a specific territory of a country, if the culture of the people there plays the most important role in the production of a product, it is recognized as a GI product of that country.

Recognition of GI is very significant in domestic and international trade. Now in the list of GI products Narsingdi’s ‘Amrita Sagar’ banana. On February 8, the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, an institution under the Ministry of Industries, granted the Geographical Indication or GI product recognition to Amrita Sagar banana of Narsingdi. The GI certificate was handed over to the Prime Minister on February 11. Banana cultivators are happy with this recognition.

According to the sources of Narsingdi Agricultural Extension Department, because of loam and sandy loam soil in Narsingdi, cultivation of Amrita Sagar banana is high here. Amrita Sagar banana is supplied to the surrounding districts and the capital to meet the local market demand.

Not only that, this banana is also being exported outside the country. In this context, an application was made by the district administration to include Narsingdi’s latkon and Amrita Sagar banana as geographical indication products in collaboration with e-commerce development center. Following the application, the authority recognized Sagar banana as a GI product after vetting the application.

Narsingdi Deputy Commissioner Dr. Badiul Alam said, due to recognition as a GI product, Amrita Sagar banana will have a huge response in commercial exports in the country and abroad.

According to the information of the District Agriculture Department, Amrita Sagar banana has been cultivated in 580 hectares of land in the district this year. In this recognition, its cultivation will increase further next year, and there is optimism in the conscious community.

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242 metric tons of Indian sugar seized in Pabna, 23 detained



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
ছবি: সংগৃহীত

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Pabna district police seized 12 trucks with 242 metric tons of Indian sugar smuggled from India by evading customs duty. At this time, 23 people including the truck driver and helper were arrested.

They were arrested in a special operation by the District Intelligence Police on Thursday (April 18) afternoon.

Pabna Additional Superintendent of Police Masood Alam confirmed the matter.

He said that for a long time a gang was bringing illegally imported Indian sugar to the country and selling it in different districts. Based on such news, the police entered the field. Later they were arrested in a raid in the Kazirhat Ghat area. At that time they could not show the valid documents of the goods. They were later seized and 23 people were arrested.

Additional Superintendent of Police Masood Alam also said that the case is under process. Details will be given after the investigation.

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Parimoni has been summoned to appear in court



Special Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The court has issued a summons to the plaintiff businessman Nasiruddin Mahmud to appear in the court in the case of attempted murder in the case against the popular and criticized actress Parimani. At the same time the accused Junaid Bogdadi Jimmy asked to appear in court.

Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate M Saiful Islam gave this order on Thursday (April 18). Nasiruddin, the plaintiff in the case, had applied for the issuance of an arrest warrant against Parimoni.

The plaintiff's lawyer Abul Kalam Mohammad Sohail gave this information.

Earlier, the investigation officer of the case, police inspector Monir Hossain filed a report in the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court stating that the allegation of beating and intimidation against Parimoni and her costume designer Junaid Bogdadi Jimmy alias Jim was found to be true.

However, the report mentions that the allegations against another accused, Fatema Tuz Jannat Boni, were found to be true.

Businessman Nasiruddin filed the case in court on July 6, 2022.

In the statement of the case, it is said that Parimoni and her associates are alcoholics. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they entered various famous clubs and drink alcohol and do not pay the price with the parcel. Parimoni threatened harassment by filing false cases with police officials she knew. On June 9, 2021, after 12 midnight, the accused entered Savar's Boat Club and used the washroom on the second floor.

Later they sat inside the club and drank alcohol. When the plaintiff and his accomplice Shah Shahidul Alam were leaving the club at around 1.30 am, Parimoni purposefully called the plaintiff Nasiruddin and requested him to sit with them for some time. At one point Parimoni tried to lure Nasiruddin through obscene gestures and pressured the plaintiff to give the parcel a bottle of Blue Label alcohol free of charge.

As the plaintiff did not agree to this, Parimoni insulted the plaintiff. During an altercation between the plaintiff and the accused, Paramoni threw a serving glass at the plaintiff and also threw the mobile phone in his hand. Nasiruddin was injured in the head and chest. Parimoni and her accomplices beat up and threatened to kill Nasiruddin and vandalized him. 

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