National – TheStatement24

Jan62026 by TS ReportNo Comments

Ahsania Mission Youth Forum Welcomes Issuance of the Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025

National

Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing has welcomed the issuance of the ‘Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance 2025’, describing it as a historic and timely decision to safeguard public health. The Forum extended its sincere appreciation and congratulations to the interim government during an event organized today by the Health Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission in Shyamoli, Dhaka. Speaking at the event, youth representatives highlighted that tobacco use remains one of the leading risk factors for cancer and many other non-communicable diseases. In Bangladesh alone, more than 130,000 people die prematurely each year due to tobacco-related illnesses. Against this backdrop, the revised ordinance strengthens existing legislation by banning emerging ...

Dec182025 by TS ReportNo Comments

JICA hosts workshop on UGDP

Breaking News, National

The Japan International Cooperation Agency Bangladesh on Wednesday hosted a dissemination workshop to showcase the achievements of the upazila governance and development project and outline strategies for strengthening local governance in Bangladesh. The event was graced by Dr. Mobasser Monem, Chairman, Bangladesh Public Service Commission, as Chief Guest. Mr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Public Works, attended as Guest of Honor, while Ms. Morikawa Yuko, Senior Representative, JICA Bangladesh Office, joined as Special Guest. The program was chaired by Mr. Md. Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, Secretary, Local Government Division, and coordinated by Dr. Abu Nasar Mohammad Abdullah, Joint Secretary & Project Director, UGDP. UGDP, implemented nationwide, introduced perform...

Dec172025 by TS ReportNo Comments

Development Planning Must Place Environment, Biodiversity and Public Health at the Core — Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan

Breaking News, National

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; the Ministry of Water Resources; and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has said that development planning must adopt integrated and forward-looking decisions with environment, biodiversity and public health at its centre. She noted that when environmental and ecological considerations are sacrificed in the name of development, society ultimately bears the cost. “While roads and infrastructure can be built, a Sundarbans or a river cannot be recreated,” she said, adding that climate change, pandemics and environmental crises repeatedly remind us that all elements of nature are deeply interconnected and that humans are not owners of nature, but an inseparable part of it. She made these remar...

Dec152025 by TS ReportNo Comments

Government to Take Initiative to Strengthen Coordination in Routine Vaccination through Inter-Ministerial Data Interoperability

Breaking News, National

To make Bangladesh’s routine immunization system more effective and sustainable, the Government has taken an initiative to implement an integrated and interoperable inter-ministerial data exchange platform. To operationalize this effort, the Government announced the formation of a Strategic Committee comprising representatives from the relevant ministries and departments, alongside a Technical Committee composed of technical experts. The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) vaccine delivery system will be used as the initial use case, and the challenges and results emerging from its implementation will be leveraged as the foundation for building a national interoperability framework. The announcement was made today at a high-level policy meeting held in Dhaka by Shish Haider Chowdhu...

Oct282025 by TS ReportNo Comments

Environment Advisor Urges Developed Nations to Fulfill Global Commitments on Climate Finance

Breaking News, National

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), has called on developed countries to fulfill their global commitments on climate finance, warning that failure to do so will pose existential threats to climate-vulnerable nations like Bangladesh. She also urged Bangladesh to take a more assertive stance in ensuring climate justice on global platforms. She made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the event titled “Road to Belem COP30: People-Led Policy – Bangladesh Position @COP30,” held today at the Department of Environment in Dhaka. The Advisor emphasized that financial compensation alone cannot address the losses caused by climate change, noting that “no amount of money can restore...

Oct192025 by TS ReportNo Comments

Bangladesh Seeks Saudi Support for Greening and Rainwater Harvesting Projects in Coastal Areas — Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan

Breaking News, National

Dr. Abdullah Zafer H. bin Abiyah, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, met today with Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, at her office in the Bangladesh Secretariat. During the meeting, the Environment Advisor sought Saudi cooperation in tackling climate risks, supporting nationwide greening initiatives, and providing safe drinking water in saline-prone coastal regions through rainwater harvesting projects. She noted that “Bangladesh is among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, and international cooperation is crucial to effectively address this challenge.” Ambassador Dr. Abdullah Zafer H. bin Abiyah invited the Environment Advisor to participate in the upcoming 5...

Oct132025 by TS ReportNo Comments

MIDA Convenes High-Level Stakeholder Meeting on Deep Sea Fishing and Blue Economy Development

Breaking News, National

The Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority (MIDA) convened a high-level stakeholder consultation today with key officials from government agencies engaged in Bangladesh’s Blue Economy sector. Chaired by MIDA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, the meeting focused on developing an integrated action plan to advance deep-sea fishing, mariculture, 100% export-oriented seafood processing, aquaculture, and marine fisheries research in Bangladesh’s maritime zone. MIDA Executive Member Commodore Tanzim Faruq presented a detailed framework highlighting regulatory, logistical, and investment strategies, while Executive Member Md. Sarowar Alam emphasized the need for timely policy reforms to unlock opportunities in this emerging high-growth sector. Ashik Chowdhury said, “It is a universally ...

Oct82025 by TS ReportNo Comments

Bangladesh calls fora National Social Dialogue Forum for Labour Reforms in High-Level Tripartite Dialogue

Breaking News, National

A high-level tripartite conference aimed at leveraging social dialogue for inclusive and sustainable labour reforms in Bangladesh commenced today, October 8, 2025. The two-day event, titled "Effective social dialogue as a lever for inclusive and sustainable labour reforms in Bangladesh: benchmarks, lessons learned and way forward," brings together the government, employers, and workers to establish a permanent mechanism for collaborative progress. The inaugural session featured Brigadier General (R). Dr M. Sakhawat Hussain, honourable Advisor, Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) & Ministry of Shipping, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, who underscored the spirit of consultation as the chief guest. Brigadier General (R). Dr M. Sakhawat Hussain remarked so as ...

Oct52025 by TS ReportNo Comments

Government Offices Begin Journey to Phase Out Single-Use Plastics with Secretariat Pilot — Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan

Breaking News, National

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, announced today that the journey to phase out single-use plastics (SUP) from government offices has officially begun with the Bangladesh Secretariat. She expressed optimism that, with regular monitoring, the Secretariat would be completely free of single-use plastics by 1 January 2026. Briefing journalists at the Secretariat, the Adviser said that the use of plastic water bottles and other single-use items will be discontinued by December. She noted that while single-use plastics are not yet banned by law in Bangladesh, the government is actively discouraging their use. Several embassies and universities have already declared their campuses free of single-use plast...

Sep302025 by TS ReportNo Comments

Advisor Supradip Chakma Visits Rangamati Puja Mandaps During Sharadiya Durga Puja Festival

Breaking News, National

Supradip Chakma, Advisor to the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs and former Ambassador, visited several Durga Puja mandaps in Rangamati town last night, including the Gorjontoli Akhanda Mandali Upasana Mandir and the Tabalchari Kali Temple. During his visit, he observed the arrangements and security measures in place for the Sharadiya Durga Puja celebrations. While exchanging greetings with the festival organizers, Advisor Chakma urged everyone to celebrate the occasion in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. Sharadiya Durga Puja is a symbol of our heritage and communal harmony, he remarked. Let this festival become even more vibrant through the participation of people from all religions and communities. In response to questions from journalists following his visit, Adviso...