To keep the market price of daily essential food items within the purchasing power of the general public, the government is reducing customs duty on imported food products and completely withdrawing them in some cases. In continuation of this, the government has reduced import duty and all advance taxes on date imports to keep prices at a bearable level during the coming Ramadan.

This information was revealed in a notification signed by National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md. Abdur Rahman Khan on Thursday (November 21).

According to the notification, in order to keep dates within the purchasing power of the general public during the month of Ramadan, the existing customs duty on date imports has been reduced from 25 percent to 15 percent, advance income tax has been reduced from 10 percent to 3 percent, and the existing 5 percent advance tax has been completely withdrawn, i.e. the total tax burden has been reduced from 63.60 percent to 38.70 percent.

The reduction in the existing customs duty on date imports could reduce the import cost of dates per kilogram from around Tk. 60 to Tk. 100, depending on the quality. The notification states that the reduction in customs duty at the import stage will increase the import of dates, increase the supply of dates in the market, and keep the selling price of dates within the purchasing power of the common people. 

The number of dengue patients is increasing day by day across the country. The death rate is also increasing in line with this. Nine more people have died from the Aedes mosquito-borne disease in the last 24 hours. With this, the death toll has reached 436. At the same time, 1,214 people have been admitted to hospitals across the country due to dengue.

This information was given in a press release on dengue sent from the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services on Thursday (November 21).

It is said that among the patients admitted to the hospital due to dengue in the last 24 hours, 82 are in Barishal division (outside the City Corporation), 94 in Chattogram division (outside the City Corporation), 430 in Dhaka division (outside the City Corporation), 195 in Dhaka North City Corporation, 141 in Dhaka South City Corporation, 117 in Khulna division (outside the City Corporation), 39 in Mymensingh division (outside the City Corporation), 91 in Rajshahi division (outside the City Corporation), 14 in Rangpur division (outside the City Corporation), and 11 in Sylhet division (outside the City Corporation).

In the last 24 hours, 1,335 dengue patients have been discharged from the hospital, a total of 80,050 dengue patients have been discharged this year from various hospitals across the country.

All government hospitals in the country are being instructed to provide free fast-track medical services to those injured in the anti-discrimination movement for life, said Special Assistant Professor of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman.

He said that those injured in the anti-discrimination movement will be provided with completely free fast-track medical services. This instruction is being given to all hospitals in the country. The injured in all government hospitals will receive all types of treatment for life free of charge.

He said this at a press conference held on Thursday (November 21) afternoon in front of the office of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation in Shahabagh under the initiative of the ‘July Shaheed Smriti Foundation’ and the ‘Ministry of Health’ on the government’s plan for the treatment, rehabilitation and employment of the students and people martyred and injured in the July-August Revolution.

Stating that the cabin block of BSMMU Hospital has been adopted as a multi-disciplinary hospital, Sayedur Rahman said that the injured, who are scattered in different hospitals in Dhaka, are being requested to contact the cabin block of BSSMU as needed through screening. The ground floor of BSMMU's specialized hospital has been completely dedicated for the outpatient service of the injured. Physiotherapy services will be added there in phases.

Stating that the government is taking the initiative of robotic physiotherapy, he said that all the equipment available for this will be installed in BSMMU or other places where facilities are available. If necessary, an expert team will be brought from abroad in the initial stage to provide this service.

Sayedur Rahman said that all the hospitals and specialized hospitals in the country will be brought under a network. There will be dedicated beds for the injured in the divisional hospitals and specialized hospitals and the injured will be able to easily see on the dashboard where which service is available. Specialist doctors are being brought in from abroad to treat those who have been shot in the eyes, and if necessary, the injured are being sent to specific hospitals abroad for advanced treatment as per the advice of experts.

He said that a central facility will be set up at the Institute of Mental Health to treat the mental trauma or injuries of those injured in the movement, and the country's government and private institutions experienced in this matter will be included under this network. There, screening will be provided through telemedicine and in-person counseling for the injured.

Regarding the sending of the injured abroad, Special Assistant Professor of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman said, there is confusion and misinformation among people about this. We want to clarify this, on behalf of the Bangladesh government, we want to clarify that whoever needs it and has the possibility of getting advanced treatment, the government is making the best efforts.

At the press conference, Sarjis Alam, General Secretary of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation and Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said that the ongoing work to prepare a list of martyrs and injured in the July-August uprising of students, workers and the public is being accelerated and a complete and accurate list is being published very quickly through a proper verification process.

Stating that maximum efforts will be made to publish the complete list of martyrs and injured by December 31, he said, "From our side, we want the list of injured not to be questioned today, but even after twenty years. That is why we are verifying with utmost care through various stakeholders, even if it takes time. We will try to complete the verification of the information that the martyr's family has by November."

Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, Chief Executive Officer of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation, said that the maximum limit for providing financial assistance to the injured from the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation has been increased from Tk. 1 lakh to Tk. 3 lakh based on the classification of the injured.

He said, it has come to our attention that many people have already spent a lot of money on treatment. An initiative has been taken by the July Smriti Foundation to return the money for that treatment. Of course, this money is not related to the Tk. 3 lakh. It is completely different. If you submit the amount of money spent to our cell along with documents, we will return the money to the injured after proper verification.

Khandaker Zahirul Islam (Additional Secretary), the team leader of the Special Cell on Mass Uprising, said that the government will make a specific policy for the rehabilitation of the injured.

Many people were injured in the July movement, who were physically injured and have created a situation that may hinder their path to return to work. For this, the government will establish some economic and social institutions so that employment can be arranged for the injured. The government has plans to arrange employment for the families of those who were martyred and the family members of those who lost their ability due to injuries.

Dhaka: Non-governmental research organization Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) believes that if prices are set based on market-based and international standards, it is possible to reduce fuel oil prices by Tk. 10-15. Because it is not clear how regulatory agencies set prices.

CPD gave this information at a dialogue titled 'Market-based Fuel Pricing: Government-led Initiatives and Possible Corrections' at a hotel in the capital on Thursday. The keynote address was presented by CPD Research Associate Helen Mashiat Priyoti and Program Associate Faisal Qayyum. CPD Research Director Khandaker Golam Moazzem, Special Fellow Dr. Mostafizur Rahman and Energy Expert Professor Dr. M Shamsul Alam were present. Golam Moazzem said that reforms are underway in all sectors. It is also felt in the energy sector. There is an opportunity to set fuel oil prices considering the interests of consumers. BPC does not need subsidies because they make big profits. Adjusting this profit will prioritize consumer interests, and will also have a positive impact on electricity.

In the main article, CPD said that if the price is determined based on market-based and international standards, it is possible to reduce the price of fuel oil by 10 to 15 taka. It is not clear how the regulatory agencies determine the price. CPD proposed to give the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) the responsibility, authority or legal framework to determine the price of fuel oil. They say that BERC will take the opinion of consumers through public hearings. In addition, it is important for the organization to quickly implement the pricing policy. CPD said that if you want to determine competitive prices, the interests of the consumer should be kept in mind. The price of fuel oil needs to be kept within the purchasing power of the consumer. In addition, if the price increases due to currency depreciation, it can be adjusted later. The main article says that it is not clear under which model or law the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) sets fuel prices. Consumers are also not comfortable with the prices. They have not received subsidies since 2015, because they make a profit. They adjust the losses by increasing the price of fuel oil.