Speaker seeks unhindered leadership of women for balanced development

Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Speaker and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Chairperson Dr. Shirin Sharmin Choudhury has called for establishing unhindered leadership of women in social, political and all other areas to ensure balanced development.

"Development takes place in all sectors when political leadership of women is established," she said speaking as CPA chairperson at the 13rd meeting of Commonwealth Gender Plan of Action Monitoring Group (CGPMG) at UN One Hotel in New York, said an official release here today.

The speaker said despite enough progress in different development indicators, poverty alleviation, stopping maternal mortality and establishing gender parity in distribution of wealth could not be ensured in many Commonwealth countries. The CPA is working on the issues, she added.

She urged the parliament members to work for continuation of development maintaining progress in all indicators.

The speaker urged the female MPs in Commonwealth countries to come forward along with the male MPs to ensure equity-based development of women. 

---(BSS) DHAKA, Mar 15, 2015  - 

Coast Guard gets 2 harbour patrol boats

Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) has added two harbor patrol boats to its fleet to strengthen its capacity to stop smuggling, trafficking and piracy.
State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman khan today handed over the two harbor patrol boats to the coast guard officials at Sonadanga Dockyard in Narayanganj today.
Speaking on the occasion, the state minister said the newly-built patrol boats would be used to ensure security at port, harbor and coastal areas along with carrying out disaster-time relief works in coastal areas.
"The newly added harbor patrol boats would strengthen the capacity of the force and stop piracy and smuggling," Asaduzzaman said.
Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Coast Guard Rear Admiral M Makbul Hossain, Managing Director of Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited, Deputy Commissioner of Narayangaj, Superintendent of Police and officials of home ministry and Bangladesh Navy were present.
The state minister said the Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited built harbor patrol boats for the Coast Guard to improve law and order in the maritime boundary as well as ensure security to people who are living in coastal areas.
The harbor patrol boats would be named as CG Boleshwar and CG Tentulia.

The role of the coast guard is to protect national interests at sea and fisheries, prevent illegal immigration through the sea, control pollution and piracy, prevent smuggling, trafficking of illegal arms, drugs and narcotics, carry out disaster relief, search and rescue operations, preserve forests, and conduct surveillance over the country's maritime territory. 

 ---  (BSS) DHAKA, March 15, 2015  - 

CAB calls for enforcing laws to protect public health

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) today called upon the government to make effective the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009 and Safe Food Act-2013 as early as possible in the country to protect the public health.
It also emphasized on curbing the prices of essential commodities and strengthening the anti-adulteration drives in the country.
CAB made the call to the government at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at its office on Saturday in the city, said a press release.
CAB chairman Ghulam Rahman chaired the meeting while general secretary Advocate Humayyun Kabir Bhuiyan placed its detailed work and Treasurer Abdus Sattar gave financial statement of the last two years.
The AGM also elected its nine-member executive body for the next two years (2015-17).
Ghulam Rahman, former chairman of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), has been reelected CAB chairman while Advocate Humayyun Kabir Bhuiyan as general secretary.
Other office bearers are, Treasurer- Abdus Sattar and members - Captain (retd) Khandker Habib-e-Rabbani, S M Nazer Hossain, Iqbal Masud, M Mosabber Hossain and Dr Shahnewaz Chowdhury.

---(BSS) DHAKA, March 15, 2015  -