The government has decided to form a separate company to manage and maintain the Padma Bridge. This 100% government-owned company will do the overall management including toll collection of the bridge.

This proposal under the title 'Padma Bridge Operation and Maintenance Company PLC' was approved in the cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister's office on Monday (July 1) morning. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over it.

At the end of the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain told this information to the journalists in the press briefing.

He said, the authorized capital of the company will be Tk. one thousand crore. Its main responsibility will be the maintenance of Padma Bridge. The company will have a board of directors of 14 people.

The Cabinet Secretary said there will be representatives from the Ministry of Railways and Finance, Bridge Division and Bridge Authority. They will follow the company law and approve the manpower structure. The main objective of the company is to gradually bring the operation and maintenance of this bridge under our control.

On June 25, 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the much awaited Padma Bridge. Tk. 31 thousand 105 crores were spent on the 6.15 km bridge. Through this, 21 districts of southern and southwestern regions are connected with the capital Dhaka by road.

Tk. 1648 crores of tolls have been collected in the last two years till June 25. The income from the movement of vehicles through this bridge is deposited as the bank of the bridge authority.

Korean Expressway, a five-year-old private company, is responsible for toll collection and maintenance of the bridge at a cost of Tk. 693 crore. After the contract with them is over, Padma Bridge will be managed under the company.

Md. Mahbub Hossain also said that the Cabinet has approved a law in principle to set up 'Institute of Frontier Technology (Shift)-2024' at Shibchar in Madaripur.

Information and Communication Technology Division (ICT) proposed to make this institute in the name of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, but she did not agree to it.

When the draft of the 'Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology (Shift) Act, 2024' was presented in the Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister directed to drop the part of her name. This institute will mainly conduct ICT-related technology, research, technology innovation, research training and research activities.

It will have a governing board and a chief sponsor, he said. The chief patron will be the Prime Minister. The Board of Governors will be chaired by the Minister of Information Technology. The Act has been approved in principle by the Cabinet.

The Prime Minister directed all the ministers and secretaries to implement the newly passed budget with utmost transparency, vigilance and care.

The Cabinet Secretary said that in the Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister gave special instructions to everyone to implement the budget with great care, vigilance, mastery and transparency.

The Cabinet meeting approved the Export Policy 2024-27 yesterday. Export policy is formulated every three years. As the previous period ended on June 30, the new policy has added some special features.

The Cabinet Secretary said, we will lose some special privileges after transitioning to developing countries in terms of our exports. In that case, the new policy has been made with a view to keep our exports competitive and encourage exporters. Last year the export target was 80 billion dollars. This financial year has not yet been calculated.

Container and cargo handling has increased at Chattogram sea port in the last one year. Out of this, container handling increased by 5.36 percent and cargo handling by 4.18 percent. However, at the same time, the number of ships arriving at this main seaport of the country has decreased.

Such information has emerged in a report published on Monday (July 1) by the Chattogram Port Authority on container, cargo and ship handling in the recently concluded fiscal year 2023-2024.

Analyzing the data received from the port, it can be seen that during the fiscal year 2022-2023, Chattogram port handled 30 lakh 7 thousand 375 TEUs (20 feet length units). 31 lakh 68 thousand 690 TEUs have been handled in the recently concluded financial year. Accordingly, container handling at the port has increased by 1 lakh 61 thousand 315 TEUs, which is a percentage increase of 5.36 percent over the previous year.

Chattogram port handled 11 crore 82 lakh 97 thousand 643 metric tons of cargo in the fiscal year 2022-2023. 12 crore 32 lakh 42 thousand 748 metric tons have been handled in the financial year 2023-2024. As a result, cargo handling at the port has increased to 49 lakh 45 thousand 105 metric tons, which is a percentage increase of 4.18 percent over the previous year.

Meanwhile, in the last one year (2023-2024 fiscal year), 3971 ships have been handled at the port. Before that, in the fiscal year 2022-2023, 4 thousand 253 ships were handled at the port. A total of 282 fewer vessels have been handled at the port than in the previous financial year.

Although the arrival of ships is less, the increase in cargo and container handling is positive for the economy, Secretary of Chattogram Port Authority Md. Omar Farooq

He said, 'Due to the addition of modern handling equipment, automation, experience, efficient management and implementation of new development projects and plans, growth in container and cargo handling has been possible in the financial year 2023-24. Ship arrival is not an issue. That's why big ships are coming. But, our cargo and container handling has increased. This is positive for the economy. We want to create opportunities for larger ships to transport more goods. This will reduce ship fares, importers and exporters as well as the country will benefit economically.

Secretary Md. Omar Farooq said that Patenga container terminal of Chattogram port is being managed by foreign operators since the outgoing financial year. It increases the income of the port. Investment in Bay Terminal is increasing. The activities of Matarbari deep sea port are being taken forward. The authorities are working to advance Chattogram port with the country's economy.

Mahbubul Alam, President of Chattogram Port Users Forum and FBCCI, the apex organization of traders, said, "The economy of the country is growing. The national budget is increasing. Imports and exports are increasing. Its reflection is the growth of container and cargo handling of Chattogram port. We hope that Chattogram port will show its capacity to participate in the development of the country. The port will be ready to take the pressure of the growing economy of the country by implementing new projects and plans.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has commented that no departmental system including transfer, dismissal, compulsory retirement of public employees on corruption charges is sufficient, in some cases it encourages corruption.

The organization called for exemplary punishment by bringing the employees of the Republic under trial in the legal process applicable in all other cases.

According to media sources, some officers of the National Board of Revenue and Police have been transferred or forced to retire due to corruption allegations. TIB's Executive Director said that it is a promising first step as a departmental step. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, it has been established as a normality to limit the taking of departmental measures such as transfer, dismissal or compulsory retirement when there is a complaint of corruption against an employee of the Republic. The criteria for effective accountability and deterrence of corruption are far from sufficient. Crimes such as corruption are more likely to be transferred and spread through transfers and spread to other employees. It further encourages corruption by promoting the perception that corrupt officials of the republic do not face punishment under the existing laws of the land.

By amending the existing government employee (discipline and appeal) rules at various times, a kind of protection has been given to the employees of the republic, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said it is also a clear violation of the Constitution to end the liability against public servants for corruption by taking only departmental action.

He said that according to Article 27 of the Constitution, all citizens are equal before the law. But by restricting the punishment of public servants on charges of corruption to transfer, dismissal and retirement only, it serves as a catalyst for the development of corruption in the public sector as well as in other sectors. Exemplary punishment should also be ensured in the case of public officials accused of corruption by bringing them under investigation and trial in the usual legal process of the country applicable in all other cases.

Pointing out that there is no opportunity to politically avoid the responsibility of public employees in recent cases of corruption, the Executive Director of TIB said that although some of the leaders of the ruling party have acknowledged the issue of institutionalized corruption, many of them are trying to place the responsibility of this corruption on government employees only. But there is no denying that this high-level corruption is not possible without political patronage and collusion in many cases.

On the other hand, one of the reasons for the deficiency in corruption control is the party political influence in the concerned institutions, the responsibility of which the political leadership cannot avoid. He thinks that even though the government has repeatedly talked about the zero tolerance policy against corruption, it is the responsibility of the political leadership to move away from the idea that it is only an empty talks.