Government to consider 5 percent import duty on onions- Finance Minister



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said that 5 per cent reduction in import duty on onions will be considered.

Whatever we have, if there is anything to be done in the revenue sector, it will definitely be waived, he said. We have considered in the past, will still be considered.

He was responding to a question from reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement online on Wednesday (September 16).

Onion prices have shot up in the country's market following reports of a halt in India's onion exports. In this regard, the Ministry of Commerce has taken various steps. A letter has been sent to the NBR to reduce the import duty on onions by 5 per cent. Even then the price of onion is going up, people are suffering. Asked what steps he would take to alleviate the suffering, the finance minister said, we do not want the people to suffer. None of us, starting from the Prime Minister, expect this. Whatever we have, if there is anything to be done in the revenue sector, it will definitely be discounted. We have considered in the past, will still be considered.

Asked how he would view the nefarious intentions of businessmen as a businessman, Mustafa Kamal said, how did you know that I was a businessman in the first place? I was a chartered accountant. As well as owning an audit firm, what kind of business would you call working there? Secondly, have any of my businesses caught your eye in the last 10 years from this moment? Where did you get this information? I was a businessman, what business can I still do? I can't do business if I am a minister now. It's illegal. And I don't do business. Well you all know, I sold everything a long time ago.

Asked what action he would take for dishonest traders, he said, “I had a little part. If we increase the revenue for any reason, if the price goes up for that reason, the Ministry of Finance is responsible for it. And the rest is the work of the Ministry of Commerce. I think the Ministry of Commerce is taking care of this. There were problems in the past, but they were solved later. And I don't have to say anything to traders. Now that has been discussed so clear message.

Replying to a question about ADB, the finance minister said, ADB works all year round. And we do it once a year. They do it more than once a year. They didn't say bad things about us, they said good things. We started working. They said our GDP growth will be 6.8%.

ADB said in their overview that Bangladesh has started slowly. We are moving forward, albeit slowly. We have to go far. We will do that with everyone. We said 5.2% last year. We have achieved that 5.24%. Our expectation this year is 8.2 percent of what we didn't do last year.

However, this year we hope to achieve the projection in the budget. We are working to fulfill that dream; people are working for the development of this country by giving their all. If we can do 6.8 percent, then we will be number 3 among all the countries in South East Asia, not South Asia. And what was 5.24% last year is also the highest in the region. Now this year also 6.8% considering that, then only India and China are above us. I think we are doing well. This is no less an achievement for us.

   

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

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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