Eight distinguished individuals including poet Al Mahmud are getting Swadhinata Award. They are receiving Swadhinata Award-2025 this year in recognition of their glorious and meritorious contribution at the national level.

The distinguished individuals are MAG Osmany, Azam Khan, Badruddin Umar, Fazle Hasan Abed, Novera Ahmed, Al Mahmud, Professor Jamal Nazrul Islam and Abrar Fahad.

The Swadhinata Award is the highest state award of the country. The government has been giving this award every year since 1977 on the occasion of Independence Day on March 26. The independence proclaimer, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, introduced the Swadhinata Award. This award is given every year on Bangladesh's Independence Day in memory of the distinguished individuals for their contributions for the country.

Each recipient is given Tk. five lakh, an 18-carat 50-gram gold medal, a replica of the medal and a certificate of honor.

The chief adviser to the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has hinted that the next national parliament election will be held by December. On the other hand, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said that preparations are underway assuming the election in December as announced by the chief adviser.

However, the comment made by Sarjis Alam, the chief organizer of the northern region of the National Citizen Party, that 'no one should talk about elections before Sheikh Hasina's trial' has once again sparked a debate about the date of the election. Leaders of political parties have given mixed reactions to this. According to the reactions of politicians published in the press, none of them agree with Sarjis Alam's statement.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader said, 'Trial is a continuous process. The trial process cannot be limited to a time frame. It can take any time for the trial. It takes a lot of time to do the trial, even five years, six years, twenty years, its time frame is uncertain. However, the election must be held within a specific time frame. Elections cannot be kept in uncertainty. It is not reasonable to link the issue of elections with trials.’

He also said, ‘It is not good for the people of the country for an unelected government to remain in power for a long time. This is the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The subjects are its owners. They must be given this ownership right as soon as possible. The role of the people is very important here. It should not be managed without the role of the people for a moment.’

GM Quader believes that it can never rest on the opinion of one person. Elections must be held. Whatever reforms are made by the elected representatives, the subsequent management of the country, the creation of such a situation as an accountable government, must be given as soon as possible.

Former President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Mujahidul Islam Selim, said in this regard, ‘Reforms cannot be made without elections because reforms will require the consent of the people. The reform process will not last long without the consent of the people’s representatives. But those reforms are essential for holding free and fair elections; they must be done before the elections. And other reforms will have to be done after the elections.’

‘So it is possible to hold elections even before December because after the fall of the dictator Ershad, the Shahabuddin government held elections within three months and formed a task force and made recommendations although the situation is different now. Even then, instead of three months, one and a half years is a long time,’ he added.

Stating that to be relevant in politics, the youth will have to pass a test of their principles and ideals, Mujahidul Islam Selim said, ‘We think that all criminals should be tried. Why only the Awami League, those who were involved in looting in the past should be tried. Now the party is being formed by spending crores of taka, what is the source of that money? Where do Mercedes cars come from? Everything should be tried. No wrongdoer should be left out of the trial.’

BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, ‘Sheikh Hasina’s trial has nothing to do with the change of government. If we believe in the legal process, Sheikh Hasina will still be punished, it will still be, it will still be. There are many cases in Sheikh Hasina's name; they will continue to be resolved one after another through the judicial process. So the judicial process has nothing to do with the elections.'

Addressing the youth, he said, 'People come to parliament with a mandate, there will be discussions and debates, then it will be passed. Simply put, no one has any objection to the decisions that are made on the basis of consensus. But I propose, so it has to be, if there is such a mentality, then it reminds us of Sheikh Hasina's attitude. If the people give a mandate, then they will be implemented in the next elections. There is no other way.'

Jamaat-e-Islami Naib-e-Amir Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, however, believes that the AL trial and elections will go together. He said, 'We have proposed some reforms to the interim government. We have also demanded that the reforms be carried out very quickly. So we have been demanding that elections be held as soon as possible with minimum reforms. This is our party's position. The trial of the Awami League and the organization of elections by next December are both possible. If the government does all this seriously and with due responsibility, then it is possible.’

Chairman of the Jatiyo Oikya Mahmudur Rahman Manna said, ‘The students are saying and showing many things without understanding. They have talked about the trial of the Awami League, has that changed the government’s decision? We must always speak logically. The elections will be closed; this cannot be a matter of talk.’

Stating that it is possible to organize elections in the country by next December, this politician said, ‘It is not possible to judge the Awami League and give a verdict. The legal or judicial process is a very long time. I think it will not be possible to judge the Awami League, give a verdict of hanging or punishment by December. However, the initial stage of the trial can be started.’

Chairman of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, Mojibur Rahman Manju said, ‘This government will not be able to finish the trial of the Awami League. However, we hope that this government will be able to start the trial process of the Awami League. If the trial process starts, there will be no debate about the election. Seven months have passed since the interim government. They should seriously think about the trial process of the Awami League. If they neglect this issue, the trial may drag on.’ National Citizens Party (NCP) Senior Joint Convener Samantha Sharmin said, ‘The media is not reporting the election. We do not think the statement about the judicial process is entirely correct. We think that if the Awami League's judicial activities are visible and effective, the elections will be convenient for everyone. The rehabilitation of the Awami League in the elections will not happen again. However, the judicial process will proceed at its (own) pace. We do not want any political party to interfere with the judicial system here.

Abrar Fahad is not just a name but a journey in the fight against Indian aggression, said Asif Mahmud, Adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

He said these things during the inauguration of Shaheed Abrar Stadium in Kushtia on Thursday (March 6) afternoon.

Asif Mahmud said that Abrar Fahad, a residential student of Sher-e-Bangla Hall and a second-year student of the Department of Electrical Engineering of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was brutally beaten to death by the organization’s cadres on the night of October 6, 2019, after he posted a Facebook status on the Assam Agreement between Bangladesh and India and water aggression.

Later, the police recovered his body from the stairs of Sher-e-Bangla Hall. I remember the next day we marched without thinking about anything, demanding justice for the murder.

Asif Mahmud further said, to keep the name of martyr Abrar Fahad in mind, this Kushtia stadium has been named after Abrar Fahad as a form of state recognition. Similarly, so that the names of those killed in the July uprising remain alive, the mini stadium will also be named after them.

Regarding the sports and cultural activities of Kushtia, the adviser said, how to take this Kushtia forward in all sectors including sports, national players must be produced from here. At the same time, more sports must be organized here. He also said that the importance of sports and cultural activities is immense to make the young society drug-free.

He said, the conspiracy is still ongoing, so the superpowers are plotting around various minor issues. And they are trying day and night to mess up the overall situation. Abrar Fahad has created a foundation in the fight against aggression. We are participating in that fight.

The interim government is working to develop various infrastructures in Bangladesh. He sought the involvement of the people in these developments and in building a new Bangladesh.

The program was inaugurated by Shaheed Abrar Fahad's father Barkat Ullah.

Deputy Commissioner Md. Taufiqur Rahman presided over the event. Special guests were present at the event, including Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md. Rezaul Maqsud Zaheri, National Sports Council and Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Aminul Islam ndc, Kushtia Police Superintendent Mizanur Rahman.

Speaking as a special guest, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Md. Rezaul Maqsud Zaheri said, today is a historic day. For the people of Kushtia, today is a day of joy as well as sadness.

Shaheed Abrar Fahad's father Barkat Ullah said, Abrar Fahad is not just a name, he is my son. This stadium has been named after Abrar Fahad so that the memory will last for generations. The people of Kushtia also demanded that it be named after him. He acknowledged the gratitude that the advisors and those concerned had done so.

Earlier, the guests inaugurated it by releasing balloons and doves, a symbol of peace, by unveiling the nameplate.

The route of the Bhola-Barishal-Khulna gas pipeline is changing. Petrobangla has decided to make the Bhola-Barishal-Dhaka pipeline while keeping the Bhola-Barishal section unchanged.

Petrobangla Chairman Rezanur Rahman confirmed this information to Barta24.com.

He said that there will also be a Barishal-Khulna pipeline, but it has been decided to make the Bhola-Barishal-Dhaka pipeline in the first phase. The feasibility study of the Bhola-Barishal pipeline has been completed, and we signed the file for the feasibility study of the Barishal-Dhaka pipeline on Wednesday (March 5).

After the Sylhet region, it is believed that there is a huge gas reserve in the island district of Bhola. The location of gas has been confirmed in all the wells that have been drilled so far. Gas has been found there, 40 kilometers from Bhola East to Bhola North. Of the wells drilled in Hatia Trap, none have been missed. Gas has been found in Muladi, Begumganj, Sundalpur, Bhola, and Sangu. This is going to be the largest reserve after Bibiana. Two gas fields have already been discovered in Bhola, and it is expected to contain about 8 TCF (trillion cubic feet) of gas.

A total of 9 wells have been drilled in the two gas fields. With which it is possible to extract about 200 million cubic feet of gas daily. 5 of the 9 wells are currently capable of producing gas, from which it is possible to supply 135 million cubic feet of gas daily. The pipeline of 1 of the other 4 wells and the process plant of 3 wells are being ready. Bapex has taken a plan to drill 10 more wells in Bhola.

Since there is no demand for gas in that area, only 80 million cubic feet of gas is being extracted daily, and since there is no pipeline, it cannot be supplied to the national grid. The previous government had approved a company to bring 5 million in the form of CNG. The company supplied a maximum of 3 million gas per day to several factories in the Gazipur area.

On the other hand, the interim government has started the process of bringing 80 million gas per day from Bhola in the form of LNG. Mohammad Saiful Islam, Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, confirmed the plan to start supply from January 2026. However, doubts remain about how economical the matter will be.

A 150-kilometer pipeline is needed to take it from Bhola to Khulna via Barishal. It can be said that discussions have been going on about the pipeline for decades. The cost of the 150-kilometer pipeline is estimated to be Tk. 7 to Tk. 8 thousand crore. If the gas reserves are not high, how will the cost of the pipeline be met? Lenders will want guarantees in financing. When the Asian Development Bank asked for that guarantee for the construction of the pipeline in 2004, the project collapsed.

It can be said that the matter was hanging over the financing issue for so long. When the pipeline is blocked for Tk. 7,000 crore, the cost of importing one cargo of LNG is Tk. 649 crore (August tender) which is equal to the country's 1-day demand (3,000 million). Against which, a huge amount of taka is being spent as FSRU rent. Petrobangla wants to import 115 cargoes of LNG this year.

The reserves of domestic gas fields are running out, which is constantly reducing production. At one time, 2,800 million cubic feet of gas could be obtained from domestic gas fields daily, but now it has dropped below 1,900 million. The biggest concern is that the reserves of the country's largest gas field, Bibiana, are running out. 50 percent of the supply of domestic sources comes from that gas field. Although 1,350 million cubic feet of gas was produced at one time, only 945 million cubic feet were obtained on March 4. The reserves of the gas field may run out by 2026. If the fears are true, a terrible crisis may arise in the capital and its surrounding industri areas.

The gas crisis in the capital city Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Tongi industrial areas has now taken a critical shape. If Bibiana's production decreases in the near future, the situation will become even more complicated. That is why the plan is being changed to prioritize Barisal-Dhaka to ensure gas supply to the industrial areas. Apart from this, Petrobangla has very few alternatives.

About 99 exploration wells have been drilled in Bangladesh in the past 113 years. Through this, 29 gas fields have been discovered. Although gas was found in some fields like Mobarakpur and Kashba, it was not declared commercially unrecoverable. Bangladesh is working towards drilling one well per 5,000 square kilometers, while America is considering drilling one well per 14 square kilometers and India is considering drilling one well per 18.6 square kilometers. Energy experts have been blaming the stagnation of exploration for the gas crisis in the country for good reason.