Chinese Vice Minister for Commerce Chen Jiang and Economic Relations Division Secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan signed the deal on behalf of their respective governments.

The deal was signed following an hour-long official talk between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinpeng at the PM??s office in Dhaka Monday afternoon.

The two leaders held “fruitful discussions” about cooperation on trade, commerce, investment, education, culture and defense, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni told reporters after the talks.

Xi Jinpeng arrived in Dhaka Monday on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh visit aiming to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Xi Jinping, also a member of the standing committee of the Communist Party of China, is scheduled to leave Dhaka Tuesday afternoon. He will also visit Laos, New Zealand and Australia on a series of trips scheduled through June 24

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Industrious low-cost workforce
Bangladesh offers a well-educated, highly adaptive and industrious workforce with the lowest wages and salaries in the region. 57.3% of the population is under 25, providing a youthful group for recruitment. The country has consistently developed a skilled workforce catering to investors needs. English is widely spoken, making communication easy.

Strategic location, regional connectivity and worldwide access
Bangladesh is strategically located next to India, China and ASEAN markets. As the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) comes into force, investors in Bangladesh will enjoy duty-free access to India and other member countries.

Strong local market and growth
Bangladesh has proved to be an attractive investment location with its 144 million population and consistent economic growth leading to strong and growing domestic demand.

Low cost of energy
Energy prices in Bangladesh are the most competitive in the region. Transportation on green compressed natural gas is less than 20% of the diesel price.

Proven export competitiveness
Bangladesh enjoys tariff-free access to the European Union, Canada, Australia and Japan. In Europe, Bangladesh enjoys 60% of the market share and is the top manufacturing exporter amongst 50 least developed countries.

Competitive incentives
Bangladesh offers the most liberal FDI regime in South Asia, allowing 100% foreign equity with unrestricted exit policy, easy remittance of royalty and repatriation of profits and incomes.

Export processing zones
Bangladesh offers export-oriented industrial enclaves with infrastructural facilities and logistical support for foreign investors. The country is also developing its core infrastructures, including roads, highways, surface transport and port facilities for a better business environment.

Positive climate
A largely homogeneous society with people living in harmony irrespective of race and religion, Bangladesh is a democratic country enjoying broad bi-partisan political support for private investment. The legal and policy framework for business is conducive to foreign investment.

In today’s age of globalisation and inter-regional collaboration, the world has become a global village. Trade liberalisation, flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) and development of capital markets — the widely acknowledged ??three pillars of globalisation?? — have brought economic prosperity to many nations.FDI inflow, which reached $1 billion for the first time in 2008, increasing market capitalisation in the bourses, and a respectable GDP growth helped Bangladesh rank among the top three South Asian countries.

Of late Bangladesh received Standard & Poor’s ??BB-?? long-term and ??B?? short-term sovereign credit ratings for both foreign and local currency. Bangladesh has come a long way from its earlier ??unknown risk?? phase to a ??stable outlook?? which, according to S&P, reflects ??expectations that a prudent macroeconomic policy-setting will prevail and microeconomic reforms to gradually address growth constraints will continue??. Moody’s also certified Bangladesh’s strong fundamentals.

Further, Bangladesh’s regulatory regime vehemently supports private sector investment with incentives of 100 percent foreign ownership, repatriation of dividend and the foreign investment protection act itself. Companies such as Marico, an Indian corporate, have demonstrated the success potential in Bangladesh and have enabled other such investors to envision their participation in this market, in several promising sectors.

Power

With demand for power at around 5,600 MW against an average supply of 3,800 MW, there remains a consistent gap of 1,800MW. Only 35 percent of the population have access to electricity. Consequently opportunities abound.

Increasing the country’s power generation to 8,000 MW by 2015 with requirements of around $10 billion is the starting point. Coal-based small power plants, which would need around $2 billion from joint-venture partners and debt financing, should also be considered. Particularly, to reduce dependence on gas-based power generation in the backdrop of potential depletion of gas reserves by 2015, the coal-based plants present strong possibilities. LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals should also be explored.

On the policy front, the government is progressing on a draft public private partnership (PPP) policy, which will replace the existing Bangladesh Private Sector Infrastructure Guidelines (BPSIG). The ??Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership Policy and Guidelines?? is expected to incorporate provisions for special fiscal incentives and hence, be more investment-friendly.

Telecom

Telecom is one of the fastest growing sectors with around 54 million subscribers (30 percent of the population) and six operators (mostly foreign-owned). Due to large investments by NTT DoCoMo and Bharti Telecom, the FDI inflow has grown at 50 percent. As the government is unlikely to issue more mobile licences, future investment will be in proliferation of data-based and value added services. Implementation of 3G (third generation) licences will also require significant investment.

Further opportunities lie in manufacturing of handsets by utilising relatively cheap labour of the country. With some differentiation in quality, design or price, Bangladesh-India joint ventures can compete in the inexpensive phone set market.

Health care

?The demand for health care services is rising rapidly because of increasing purchasing power of the growing middle- and upper-middle classes, increasing life expectancy, declining mortality and rising incidence of chronic and treatable diseases.

In response to these factors, private, premium-priced hospitals with international standard facilities, such as Apollo, United, Square, Popular, are now very popular. The registration of 200,000 patients with Apollo Hospitals Dhaka since 2005 is a testament to this popularity.

Further, considering that the Bangladeshis spend nearly $200 million abroad for treatment, there is enough space to grow. Foreign investors can also play a bigger role in improving the health care standards by setting up world-class nurses/technicians training institutes.

Education

Increasingly we see a large number of undergraduates and graduates aspiring towards higher education abroad. Local private universities have also grown rapidly in response to demand, despite the high premiums charged. Consequently, opportunities to establish campuses of renowned business schools, affiliations with private universities, especially reasonably priced secondary and higher secondary institutions, also abound.

Business Process Outsourcing

Outsourcing of services is increasingly popular as it allows organisations to focus on core competencies and capitalise on specialist knowledge in respective functions. While Bangladesh is still at the nascent phase, it must start pitching for Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO), primarily offshore outsourcing, now. Statistics shows that the global “addressable” BPO market is worth $122-$154 billion, of which $10 billion+ is travel/hospitality, $10 billion telecoms, and $20 billion+ is finance, accounting and human resource. This is a huge market to tap as only 8 percent of that capacity was utilised as of 2006.

Though Bangladesh is comparatively new to this field, there is a huge potential in call centres, data entry facilities, and such sectors that can be served with low to medium level of skilled resources. The pie is big and growing — it is up to us to partner with neighboring countries and investors and capture a slice.

Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals have gradually evolved from an import-based industry to a self-manufacturing one exporting to 70 countries with a market size of over $750 million. Foreign investments — either in the form of joint ventures with Bangladeshi companies or other partnerships whereby research and development is run in laboratories in India with complementing manufacturing plants in Bangladesh — should be welcomed. These companies, such as Sun Pharmaceuticals of India, can utilise the competitively priced labour in Bangladesh and use cost advantages to capture the export market.

Since Bangladesh has received exemption from Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights till 2016, manufacturers’ ability to continue to produce pharmaceuticals products till the expiry of the exemption period increases the incentives greatly.

FMCG

?Some other areas of interest could be FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) segments given Bangladesh’s large population with progressive increase in purchasing capacity.

The present regime has identified PPP as one of the key focus areas and is committed to attracting foreign investors to thrust sectors. The government has resolved to ensure economic and political stability and foster transparency and availability of information. If we move forward to partner with the right organisation to invest in the right sector, only then it will result in mutual economic and commercial benefits. Most importantly, we have to move at the right time to tap the opportunities — I believe now is precisely the right time

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It will be used to increase infrastructure supply in the power sector – renewable energy and energy savings – as well as bridges, ports, container terminals, water treatment plants, waste disposal projects, and others, he said.

The additional financing to the IPFF project, amounting to about five times the original project that has been operating since 2006, will build and expand on the project?s successful experience in the power sector, the World Bank said.

It has helped boost the national electricity generation capacity by 5% by adding 178 MW electricity to the national grid and two special economic zones Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) and Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ).

The World Bank also extended more support to the ROSC, a project which since 2004 has helped enroll over 500,000 out-of-school children through more than 15,000 Ananda Schools (Learning Centers) in 60 upazilas with high incidence of poverty and low enrollment.

?Bangladesh has made significant progress in education over the past two decades,? Islam said. ?With nearly 18 million children enrolled in about 80,000 primary schools in the country, the primary gross enrollment rate is over 90%. Importantly, gender parity in primary education has been achieved,? he said.

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He said the NSTM has taken measures to develop quality of the projects prepared by 15 self-educated scientists.

?Self-educated scientists may conduct researches at Bangladesh Science and Industries Research Council, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and any public universities through creating opportunities,? the state minister said.

SELF-EDUCATION:
Oscar Wilde once said, “Education is a worthwhile thing, but it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught.” Mr. Wilde may have overstated his case, but wise and well-read figures like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington were almost entirely self-educated. Even if one has already obtained a degree, the process of self-education can be ongoing. With the vast amounts of information now available on the Internet, this process need not even require a walk to the library.
Difficulty: Moderately ChallengingInstructionsThings You’ll Need:
Internet access
Step 1Decide if there is a specific area or skill that you wish to learn.

Step 2Use search engines to research sources of information about specific topics. For example, the U.S. Government has developed an entire system of teaching languages for the Foreign Service Institute. These courses are in the public domain and readily available on the Internet.

Step 3 Explore the philosophy of self-education. One of the most widely read texts, “The Independent Scholar’s Handbook,” can be downloaded at no cost.

Step 4 Explore the world of podcasts and listen to lectures on an almost limitless list of topics by world renowned scholars.

Step 5 Explore the possibility of attending co
WOMEN AS SCIENTIST IN BANGLADESH>

?Women are in particular need of a stronger mindset and a greater voice in the workplace.?

Dr Shamima Akhter is a young scientist working in the Health Systems and Infectious Diseases division at ICDDR,B. Completing her medical degree from Rajshahi Medical College, after then she obtained an MSc in Health Economics from Dhaka University. She joined ICDDR,B in 1993 as a poverty and health research fellow in Public Health Sciences division, and is now working as a research scientist on several projects including studies on pneumococcal disease, tuberculosis, kala azar, and willingness-to-pay for zinc.

What was your inspiration to become a scientist?
Since my higher secondary education, I wanted to do something innovative in scientific research but my family circumstances resulted in my studying for a medical degree. Later on, I found a balance between my desire and family?s interests in public health research.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career development?
There are fewer opportunities in Bangladesh, for both furthering your education and your career. Quite often it is difficult to balance between income generation and professional development, and social barriers sometimes make the situation worse for women. For example, lack of part time job opportunities, social conditions for women to join evening courses, family support to continue education for career development etc.

What is the biggest challenge facing Bangladeshi scientists today?
I can only speak from the viewpoint of a young scientist, I have noticed some differentials according to age and gender. There is lack of mentoring for young fellows. Young scientists and female scientists tend to conform to socio-cultural norms whereby they are less likely to voice their concerns or articulate their needs, even in case of injustice. This often leads to a situation of taking advantage, sometimes extend to intellectual misuse. Women are in particular need of a stronger mindset and a greater voice in the workplace.

What does it mean to you to be a woman?
Being a woman is a great thing. I really enjoy being a daughter. I am lucky to have good parents (who although not overly educated, are very supportive of my ambitions). I also enjoy being a sister and aunt.

Name one woman who has inspired you?
My mother. She is so intelligent and so caring. She is also a decision maker in the family by herself, and without her support, I couldn?t have learnt to stand up for myself and to achieve what I have.

If you could change one thing for women in Bangladesh…?
I?d like to empower women but not in the way some activists are proposing; but from inside. Strengthen women by improving education, insight about life and social status. This will lead to improved decision-making ability (which is difficult to achieve but most important condition to acquire women empowerment).

How can we end violence towards women?
I?m not really sure. It?s a difficult problem to solve; I have thought about and have been unable to find an appropriate solution. Existing institutional help only gives legal support that most of the time leads to family dissolution. This is not always the most appropriate solution for the woman, especially for her children. Many of these affected women in our country are not self-dependent, and are least able to support themselves and their children. We need to find out alternative ways for solution but I?m not yet sure what that is. The solution virtually depends upon the partner?s realisation.

What are 3 words to describe the modern Bangladeshi woman?
The modern woman I dreamt should be educated, having self-dignity, and having a voice to raise issues of human rights.

Who is a good role model for young women in Bangladesh today?
Unfortunately most good role models in our country are politically involved. Geeti Ara Shafia Chowdhury (Caretaker Government advisor) provides a good example of leadership.

What is one lesson you would like to share with young scientists?
Get proper education in the field of interest and according to the ability you have. Then work very hard.

What is the next step in your career?
My goal in life is to be an independent woman and to be a very good scientist. I want to work and contribute to Bangladesh, not elsewhere. The next step in my professional development is a PhD in Health Economics

Shamima Akhter
Research Investigator
Health Systems and Economics Unit
HSID

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International development secretary Douglas Alexander launched the new strategy at a conference in London on Friday.

The meeting took place ahead of the publication of an international assessment of what is needed to achieve the MDGs of the UNDP. The report is expected to lay out in stark terms the areas where progress has been weak and set out concrete action to achieve the goals by 2015.

The conference organised by the Department for International Development is aimed at tackling the most off-track MDGs ? agreed in 2000 – including hunger and nutrition, maternal and child mortality and education. It is estimated that up to two-thirds of countries could fail to meet these crucial targets.

Alexander used the gathering of development experts to put forward a number of bold proposals that will be incorporated into the international negotiations ahead of a key UN summit in September.

“There has been some real progress towards the Millennium Development Goals but we must accelerate progress if we are to realise them by 2015″, Alexander told the conference.

“Business as usual is not enough. We need leaders from all countries around the table to endorse a global action plan which will benefit hundreds of millions of people in the developing world.

“We are now just five years from meeting the MDGs ? it’s not too late but time is short”.

“I firmly believe there is more the international community can do and that is why I am using today’s conference to identify how best we can work together to get the goals back on track.”

He proposed doubling of aid for basic education and health services for mothers and children. He also underlined Britain’s commitment to playing its part to achieve the goals with funding for new vaccines that will protect children from pneumonia and diarrhoea in over 40 countries, saving 800,000 lives over the next five years.

The new strategy will address the devastating impact that malnutrition has on life-expectancy, health and long-term productivity, and will have a direct impact on the life chances of 12 million children by 2015.

Under the new strategy, efforts will be focused on Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Each country will draft an action plan to address the particular challenges of local conditions. The efforts will first focus on India, a country which is home to 40 percent of the world’s malnourished children.

DFID will invest an additional ?110 million over the next five years in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, where every second child is underweight. The plan will set out how to save two million children from malnutrition.

Douglas Alexander said at the conference that the UN Summit in September must be used as a turning point towards achieving the MDGs.

This conference will set out proposals for:
-International partners to double aid for basic education in low-income countries from $3 billion to $6 billion per year;

? a global programme to tackle malnutrition;

? the global community to increase levels of aid to fragile countries from the current 30 percent to 50 percent by 2015; and,

? a doubling of global aid for maternal, newborn and child health from $4 billion to $8 billion per year.

Alexander said that the UK would continue to identify new and innovative programmes that would maximise aid efforts.

He announced a package of measures to help developing countries tackle issues such as immunisation, climate change, lack of access to financial services, malnutrition and maternal health:

The package includes:

? New vaccines against pneumococcus in 42 countries and a vaccine against rotavirus in 44 countries, potentially saving 800,000 children’s lives by 2015 from the biggest child killers ? pneumonia and diarrhoea. An amount of ?150 million would go to the GAVI Alliance (formally the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) for the purpose.

? To fight global malnutrition, a new strategy will target 12 million undernourished children, whose lives would otherwise be blighted by physical stunting, reduced mental ability, and poorer prospects in education and employment. Measures to swiftly address malnutrition will include vitamin and mineral supplements for pregnant women and infants; promotion of breast feeding for newborns; providing zinc to combat the effects of diarrhoea and promoting better hygiene.

? A push for more free healthcare in the developing world, by providing financial support and expert advice to help countries to deliver free healthcare for women through a new (?5m) Centre for Progressive Health Financing. Through UK support, Sierra Leone will launch free health care next month.

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The two girls and six boys, aged between 10 and 12, were treated for bruises to their arms and backs in the town of Feni.

Police said they were investigating complaints against teacher Ratna Roy lodged by the children’s guardians and parents.

Teachers in Bangladesh often resort to physical punishment, such as caning and slapping, to discipline pupils despite a 1995 government order banning it.

Many parents condone the practice and it is unusual for police to investigate such complaints.

A Unicef study last year found that one out of 10 school children in Bangladesh suffer physical punishment from teachers.

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But lack of proper atention and efforts towards population control programs and activities nation wide by every government is truly unfortunate to us as well as to nation. Mean while, a ray of hope was seen in population program and policies, when an integrated and efficient commitee was formed at early of 1976 by the then government to compose a pro people and healthy population policy and finally it was drafted and approved by the then cabinet at the ending stage of 1976. In accordance with the policy frame work, population control program was rapidly advanced due to entire commitment and dedication of family planning workers to their services as well as to nation.

They have achieved some remarkable success knocking door to door from providing service delivery among the eligible couples.

Family planning contraceptive practice rate (CPR) was 8% in middle of 1970 and this practice rate was rapidly increased due to adaptation as well as to start implementation process 6 of population policy across the country.

Now this CPR (Contraceptive practice Rate) is around 57%. Equally, TFR (Total Fertility Rate) was 6.3 in the year of 1975 and was declined to 2.5 after 34 years of adapting population policy. Population growth rate was 3 (per thousand) in middle of 1970); now this growth rate has hopefully declined to 1.4 (per thousand).

These all are hopeful scenario in the history of population control by family planning directorate. But these successive outcomes have already failed to create harmonious development atmosphere within our society due to discontinuation population activities as per population policy.

In era of globalization, Bangladesh population has drawn positive-considerable atention of demographers, policy planners, social scientists and International aid agencies.

In global context, Bangladesh is now world’s eighth populas country with 149.4 million people (14 crores and 94 lac population) but occupying only only 3,000th part of the world’s land space.

Such a huge concentration of population in small land area can not but draw global atention only. About 1.8 (18 Lac people) million people are currently adding to its existing population yearly and such a trend will continue in next one decade and half.

Even if Bangladesh achieves 2 child family norm (that means TFR of 2.1 or NNR=1) by 2020. Bangladesh requires a visionary commitment to the nation in the field of population programs and activities to enrich family planning action plan and should turn its activities into social movement through active participation of different stake holders of our society.

China has achieved sustainable success on population disorders by adapting integrated and visionary population policy as well as introducing one child family norm with a state package benefit Now- a days China belongs one fifth population of the world. But their population growth momentum and population density are still quite less than Bangladesh population map. According to population analytical report of UNFPA, when China and India will have 700 and 310 crores of people respectively, their density of population will be equal to the present density of population in Bangladesh.

Keeping in view this demographic scenario, let us think how alarming condition we have in terms of population pressure.

Certainly, this hard core demographic scenario of our big population would create adverse impact on health, education, food security, habitation, sanitation, environment, poverty and unemployment The way of harmonious development of our society would be collapsed due to high redundant of population in our country.

Thus a sustainable as well as global out look population policy is rightly demand of time to the nation. Population policy was initially composed in 1976 but had no continuation with prolonged beter commitment

In the way of policy adaptation, another population policy was

Composed in 2004 in order to achieve Replacement level fertility and Neat Reproductive Rate (NRR) =1 by 2010. But the practice rate of this method among the couples is around 55.8% now. Keeping in view this above information, Replacement Level Fertility and NRR=1 has already been failed to achieve the above goal. So, a long standing, pro people with visionary population policy should be drafted along with demographers, social scientists and different stake holders of our society to include pragmatic measures within population policy frame work with a view to squeezing population map rapidly in Bangladesh.

I have some recommendations which might be considered or taken out by the government at the time of drafting and approving population policy. These are stated as follows—-

A good number of ministries are working with the government executive body to implement government’s planning’s and polices but no separate ministry is even now constituted to resolve this hyper population growth momentum which has already been identified prime and first problem in Bangladesh. Health and family welfare ministry is a major organic part of the government body and has been designed to monitor & implement for both health and Family planning programs and policies across the country. But unfortunate truth Family planning directorate is working without proper atention of the government in comparison with health wing. So Government should constitute a separate ministry on family planning programs, policies and activities in order to create dynamism in population control programs and activities. If this is possibly undone, at least a family planning division might be opened or restructured under a full flagged secretary. China has achieved a remarkable and meaningful success in population control with regard to reconstituting a separate entity like an individual ministry on planning’s and policies of population control and human development Indonesia has also constituted an individual entity like China to face the challenges of population growth momentum. They are positively advanced and achieved beter success.

National Institute of population Research and Training (NIPORT), a government body, was constituted with a view to researching on population programs, policies, training and planning’s as well as the way out for implementation. But this institute has now become dysfunctional and dead due to negative impact of unification or reunification of health-family sector once again by the government

So, effective and positive steps need to be taken to reconstitute NIPORT with national spirit and global facilities as a research and training wing of family planning division.

National population council (NPC) is the apex body of population programs policies and activities, headed by the prime minister, was designed to monitor and execute the GO-NGO activities on population. But we are unfortunate and deprived of geting proper atention and priorities from every chief executive of the state on population sector to resolve this national problem. The present government has passed more than one year in power but no national meeting or seminar was held by initiation of prime minister along with different and efficient stake holders of the society to enhance family planning action plan as well as population consizing activities. The sooner (National Population Council) it can be made fully functional and create enabling environment for other ministries to play their respective role as envisaged in the national population policy, the beterment for the nation. So, government needs to adapt plural measures in this regard with more atention and devotion.

Family Planning programs and activities should be kept on going with an individual philosophy and policy without making any unification of health-family planning sector by the government Integration or reintegration of family planning movements with the health sector must be an unwise decision which is certainly be declined the internal spirit of family planning movements in Bangladesh. 15 years have been lost in the way of counter political decisions in the field of family planning as well as population control and human development The whole nation has suffered immensely in this regard.

Population control is a prime national concern, an liberate arena and requires a holistic approach to combat population growth momentum from urban to rural in Bangladesh. The government is not individually feasible and viable to face the challenges of population magnitude and pressure on our land as well as our society. So, an intensive GO-NGO collaboration is highly required in order to make a stationary population in Bangladesh before our national goal. Every national-International NGOs in Bangladesh should have policy programs to open a separate wing on population-nutrition to face this national problem jointly otherwise this high population growth must bring social disorders in every singular branches of our society.

After inception of family planning department, Family Welfare Assistants (FWA) is providing basic and comprehensive service delivery among the eligible couples and adolescents from door to door, all over the country. They have pioneering roles and responsibilities to give away the messages among the 15 to 40 age groups of using local contraceptives and others measures to make two child family norm as well as to make a small size of

Population in our country. FWA (Family Welfare Assistant) was assigned officially to provide service delivery among 300-400 couples but with the passage of time and growth of population, the number of couple volume has become bigger and FWA workers are to provide service delivery among 1,800-2,000 couples now. This is quite a difficult task for a single FWA. So, a good number of FWA workers should immediately be appointed to provide home service delivery including contraceptives, medicine, injection as well as awareness on maternal and child health efficiently for beter outcomes.

These all are pragmatic outlines to combat population explosion. The government might consider these recommendations at the time of drafting population policy to make a stationary population as well as to turn the population into human resources.

The people of Bangladesh have started feeling the pinch for it’s over population. And various pressures have already been generated upon every branches of our society. Our society is facing plenty of social disorders with its 148 million people (around 15 crores people) right now. So, achieving population stabilization is early required for our existence. The timing of population stabilization depends on the time when replacement level fertility will be achieved. In our present population management context, if Bangladesh can achieve NRR=1 by 2016, population will be stabilize by 2070 at around 230 million people (23 crores people), followed by a stationary population in next 14-16 years (Stationary population means number of births will be equal to number of death and resultant growth rate is zero). The status of stationary population might be achieved around 2087 and thereafter the population will grow up to 250 million people ( 25 crores people). If we like to build up a poverty free, educated as well as knowledge based healthy society, government needs to take concerted efforts in population management strategies with more atention and devotion.

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She disclosed that there would be an entrepreneur summit in April this year in Washington, bringing young entrepreneurs from the Muslim world to create new access to business, while in March there would be a meeting of religious leaders in the US capital.

Besides, the new US government is trying to expand its education programme and access to English education, science and technology for those who are interested to avail of the scope.

“I think there are significant opportunities to work together and I am absolutely convinced that these are the issues that will strengthen both of our positions,” she said in an interview with UNB Monday.

Ms McHale, who came to Dhaka on a three-day official visit, said Bangladesh, given its moderate approach and philosophy of moderation, would be an increasingly important ally of the USA in the days ahead.

“During my stay here for couple of days and discussions, I focused on how we could actually work better together to address this very difficult issue,” she said about the task of rebuilding the ties.

Asked about any change in the situation after President Obama’s historic speech in Cairo last year, Ms McHale said, “Definitely, the Muslim community around the world has been encouraged by the speech, especially the young people who find a new opportunity to work together on variety of issues and building a bridge of knowledge and understanding.

“You know it is not easy; it’s hard to do, it’s hard to build new relationship. We’re working on new ways to reach out to the people,” she said, adding that the Obama administration is deeply committed to fulfilling all the words of the Cairo speech.”

Asked whether she discovered anything new here during her visit, Judith McHale said she has been struck by the way Bangladesh is growing with dynamism, economy and a sense of optimism and spirit of moving forward.

Obviously, she added, there are many significant challenges and people here seem to be optimistic about their future and ability to face those challenges.

Ms McHale was asked about any opportunity for Bangladesh to be an economic partner of the USA as US Congressmen recently termed Bangladesh a close ally of America. She retorted: “I am very encouraged to have the partnership between Bangladesh and the USA in many areas”.

And she appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s initiatives and commitment to democracy and the rule of law. Judith McHale also praised Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to India setting up new agenda in the region.

Asked about the critical challenges for Bangladesh, the US foreign office functionary said education, food security, global health, climate change and counter-terrorism are the challenges which require all to work together to address.

She noted Bangladesh has potential of natural gas reserve that might be used to address the energy issue and provide new source of income.

Ms McHale said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government seem to be going down very good on the positive path. “So, there are exciting possibilities to strengthen ties between the two countries.”

Asked about Bangladesh’s long-running demand for duty-free access of its products to the US market, she said President Obama is very clear about the understanding of the international trade and he will continue to support this.

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“Our government has taken various pragmatic steps including imparting training to the teachers and providing quality textbooks to the students free of cost at primary and higher secondary levels,” she said while inaugurating the National Primary Education Week-2010 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium here.

Presided over by Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr Md Afsarul Amin, the function was also addressed by State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md. Motahar Hossain, Secretary-in- charge of the ministry Abu Alam Md. Shahid Khan and Director General of the Department of Primary and Mass Education Shaymol Kanti Gosh.

The Prime Minister said her government has taken various measurers including providing textbooks and Tiffin free of cost in different schools and introduced school terminal examinations to stop drop out.

She expressed the hope that disparities in primary education would be removed along with raising competitiveness among the students with the introduction of school terminal examinations across the country.

Laying emphasis on increased number of quality teachers to raise the standard of education at school levels, she said considering this her government has already recruited more than 20,000 assistant teachers in primary schools while a process is underway to recruit 22,315 more primary teachers to this end.

Besides, she said, another process is on to appoint 1,000 headmasters at primary schools within this month.

About school curriculum and syllabus, she said the existing curriculum seems huge in terms of the age of students. She asked the authorities to reduce curriculum and syllabus at the school levels after consultation with all concerned and experts.

But, she regretted, the vital education sector was ignored during the last seven years, especially when the BNP- Jamaat clique was in power, taking no step to raise the quality of education and literacy rate in the country.

The Prime Minister said Father of the Nation and the greatest Bangali of all time Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman nationalized 36,165 primary schools and services of over 1.50 lakh primary school teachers in the war-ravaged Bangladesh as he thought that only quality education could help build Sonar Bangla.

Referring to providing textbooks free of cost among the primary and higher secondary students for the first time this year and at the beginning of new academic year, she said the previous governments could not reach textbooks to the students in such a smooth way and in time in the past.

In this context, The Prime Minister mentioned her personal feeling saying that she felt that education up to the degree level should be free of cost. “Although our government is now under pressure. We will take steps to make education up to the degree level free for all in future,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has made the highest allocation in the education sector and this trend would continue in future to ensure education for all.

“We have taken steps to fulfil our election pledges to ensure enrolment of all children in primary schools by 2011 and eradicating illiteracy from the country by 2014,” she said.

She said Bangladesh has achieved significant success in enrolment in primary schools so far while gender equality has been ensured in this regard.

Besides, she said, fresh programmes have been taken along with the existing ones in different areas to eradicate illiteracy from the country. “Special programmes has been taken for the remote, inaccessible and hilly areas to this end,” she added.

Calling upon all to supplement the government’s efforts to eradicate illiteracy from the country, Sheikh Hasina expressed the hope that her government would be able to reach its desired goal of building a digital Bangladesh if it gets support from the people.

Later, the Prime Minister handed over prizes and medals to the best teachers, best schools and the students who secured brilliant results in the last Primary School terminal Examination.

Students, who performed best in different extra-curricular activities at national levels competition, were also awarded in the function.

As the formal programme is over, an excellent cultural function was presented by the school students. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina witnessed the performances of the children.

Ministers, Advisers to the Prima Minister, representatives of diplomatic missions, academics and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

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He said there is no alternative to qualitative and quantitative education to transform the huge population into skilled human resources to take the nation towards the cherished goal of success in every spheres of life.

To attain the goal, he favored standard educational institutions equipped with modern learning tools side by side with maintaining quality education. He was addressing as the chief guest the 38th founding anniversary celebration of Talonda Lalit Mohan Degree College under Tanore upazila of the district yesterday.

Chaired by the college governing body president Abdur Razzaque, the ceremony was addressed, among others, by chairman of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority Nurul Islam Thandu, founder principal of the college Selim Uddin Kabiraj, former college inspector of Rajshahi Education Board Prof Shamsul Haque Quraishi, Tanore Upazila Chairman Emran Ali, UNO Mehedi-UL Shaheed, former principal of Tanore Abdul Karim Degree College Narayan Chandra Bishwas and former principal of Shahmukhdum Degree College Abdul Bari.

Lawmaker Faruque Chowdhury said the present educational system is gradually being commercialized due to promotion of massive coaching business which is unexpected for future of the learners and the nation as well.

?We have no alternative to reduce the dependence on coaching system to flourish the learners? talents properly,? he said adding that the community people should be aware in this regard.

In this regard, he viewed that the students fail to attain success in various competitive examination due to largely dependence on coaching.
source :NNN-BSS

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