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English language What the papers say

All of the country now has access to energy

Prime minister inaugurates new coal power plant and brings access to energy to all

Dhaka and Moscow want to bypass SWIFT to save nuclear plant

Ready-made garment factories want to join a new safety body but it fails to arrange independent inspections to allow them to join

And Dhaka was second only to Delhi as the most polluted capital in the world

A weekly round up of articles about work, employment, social security, business and the economy. Here is the news for the week ending:

March 25, 2022

This week’s round up comes from:

The Daily Star

This week in Bangladesh…

access to energy
New coal power plant brings electricity to south, original image by Tanjir Ahmed Chowdhury/Unsplash

Mini Summary (goes to LinkedIn post by Phillip Choudhury)News in Bangladesh for the week ending 19th August 2021

A 1,320 MW thermal power plant at Payra in Bangladesh came online in 2020.

In her first in-person speech since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, thanked China for its cooperation in setting up the power plant. Costing $2.48 billion, it is the country’s largest coal power plant.  

One hundred per cent of Bangladesh now has access to electricity. But in 2009 only 47 per cent of the population had electricity.

The coal-fired power plant uses technology designed to protect the environment.

And the new power station project includes over 300km of power distribution lines and a 9 km power line across the Padma river close to the new bridge crossing.

About 80-85 percent of the plant’s electricity will go to the southern part of the country.

News in Bangladesh for the week ending March 25th, 2022

Education, Work, and Social Security

Bumpy transition from Accord to RSC

Thirty nine factories want to join the new ready-made-garment sustainability council (RSC).

But no independent body has inspected the safety standards of these factories. Passing this inspection is mandatory for RSC membership.

In Bangladesh RSC effectively replaced Accord in 2020. Accord was backed by most international brands. Accord oversaw electrical, fire and structural safety in the garment sector in Bangladesh.

We reported on the transition from Accord to RSC last year.

There are some factories which could not maintain the Accord’s standards but are now doing business. They have either shifted to new buildings or improved their safety standards but have been certified neither by the Accord nor the RSC.

We also want the inclusion of the garment factories in the RSC so that the safety standard of all garment factories is improved.

Faruque Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Board Member of RSC

It seems that factories want to join the RSC. But the RSC cannot arrange independent inspections to allow them to join.

Business, Economy and Trade

China invests $54million in tent-making factory

Campvalley Chittagong will invest $54 million in a new camping equipment factory.

Campvalley will set up the factory at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN) managed by Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority in Mirsarai, Chattogram.

he Hong Kong (China)-owned M/s Campvalley Chittagong Limited

Campvalley will make 21.4 million items of camping equipment each year ranging from tents to sleeping bags.

The factory could generate 9,380 jobs for Bangladeshi nationals.

Two other tent manufacturing companies in the Chattogram and Karnaphuli export processing zones are also operated by Campvalley.

Campvalley is based in Hong Kong (China).

Dhaka and Moscow bypass SWIFT to save nuclear plant

Russia is funding the construction of Roopur nuclear power plant.

But the EU and US have cut Russian banks out of the international banking transaction system known as SWIFT.

Now Dhaka and Moscow are discussing ways of getting around the SWIFT payment system.

The respective governments have discussed currency swaps and barters so far.

Remember that Bangladesh abstained from voting on the UN General Assembly resolution of 2nd March that demanded Russia immediately cease its use of force in Ukraine.

Climate, Energy and Environment

Worst air in the world

Dhaka was second only to Delhi as the most polluted capital in the world according to the 2021 World Air Quality Report published by IQAir.

Overall Bangladesh is the most polluted country in the world.

Fine particle pollution, known as PM2.5, is commonly accepted to be the most harmful, widely-monitored air pollutant and has been found to be a major contributing factor to health effects such as asthma, stroke, heart and lung diseases. PM2.5 leads to millions of premature deaths every year.

2021 IQAir World Air Quality Report

The main causes of pollution in Bangladesh are vehicular emissions, fumes from factories, brick kilns, and dust accumulations from different sources, especially in the cities.

High levels of PM2.5 are major contributing factor to health effects such as asthma, stroke, heart and lung diseases.

Children exposed to high levels of pollution can suffer developmental problems.

It is estimated that in 2021, the deaths of 40,000 children under the age of five were directly linked to PM2.5 air pollution.

Services for All and Financial Inclusion

Total coverage of electricity in Bangladesh

The 1,320 MW Payra Thermal Power Plant came online in 2020.

Costing $2.48 billion, it is the largest coal power plant in the country.

In her first in-person speech since the outbreak of the pandemic, the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, thanked China for its cooperation in setting up the power plant.

One hundred per cent of Bangladesh now has access to electricity either from the national grid or from household solar panels.

In 2009 only 47 per cent of the population had electricity.

The coal-fired power plant uses technology designed to protect the environment.

We also noted that China will no longer build coal power stations in Bangladesh.

These new power station project include construction of over 300km of power distribution lines and a 9 km power line across the Padma river close to the new bridge crossing.

About 80-85 percent of the plant’s electricity will go to the southern part of the country.

Other News

Rohingya Return: Repatriation without harm

Bangladesh wants the of the Rohingyas to return to their homeland in Rakhine state, Myanmar once their safety against genocidal attacks is assured, according to its foreign minister

On 21 March, the United States officially described the attacks on the Rohingyas a genocide.

I have determined that members of the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya

Anthony J Blinken, United States Secretary of State

Bangladesh believes the new US position will support international efforts to hold those responsible for the genocide accountable. It may also quicken repatriation.

If the repatriation efforts are expedited through this US announcement, we will be very happy

AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh Foreign Minister

However, Myanmar’s junta “categorically rejects” the United States declaration that the military committed genocide against the Rohingya.