Bangabandhu’s speech at Delhi Airport

“I have given much thought since we met in Bermuda to our policies in the Indian sub-continent in the new situation which has been created there. In this connection it was of particular interest to me to have an hour’s talk with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman when he came through London.

Gone are the days when cooking meals twice a day used to take a toll on Nasrin Akter.

RFL Pipe & Fittings (a brand of RFL Group) in association with The Daily Star organised a roundtable titled “Construction Hazard: Creating awareness and the role of stakeholders” on December 12, 2019. Here we publish a summary of the discussion.

The market of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is facing a bizarre dilemma.

While the use of LPG is growing exponentially in Bangladesh, it is now more important than ever to handle this flammable product safely. Portable and refillable cylinders of different sizes are designed for household, commercial or industrial settings. Flawed use and lack of maintenance of these cylinders often cause explosion taking severe toll on life and property.

LPG in Bangladesh is a booming sector. The demand is increasing in industrial, commercial and household sectors. Autogas sector will come soon, in both rural and urban areas.

Due to our growth in GDP, consumption has increased, which has led to energy requirements going up. There is also a diminishing trend of natural gas, which is used in households. These two factors have contributed to the rising demand for LPG. Importing LNG is an expensive process, so LPG will be used as cooking fuel, and once the infrastructure is built, also as an automotive fuel.

The LPG industry had tremendous growth in the last four to five years. In 2013, the industry produced 80,000 tonnes of LPG. This year, the industry reached one million tonnes.

The LPG industry of Bangladesh is quite progressive. The first-generation LPG started in the late 90s, the second generation started in around 2004-05 and the third generation came in 2014-15 and onwards, when the government decided to stop supply of natural gas in households.

The government’s decision to keep its reserve of natural gas at a sustainable level and rapid urbanisation in the country paved the way for a robust increase in LPG consumption. We can expect the LPG industry to grow exponentially in the future.

“People trapped in a cycle of destitution often do not realise their lives can be changed for the better through their own activities. Once they understand that, it is like a light gets turned on.”

Before the 1970 election on the night of November 11, a huge cyclone and tidal wave hit the country. A devastating disaster came down on the coastal islands of Chittagong and Noakhali that night. Many people died in the three islands --- Sandeep, Hatia and Manpura.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed worked throughout his life and never spoke an unnecessary word. He was reluctant to talk about himself in particular. In fact, he was not interested to talk about Brac either as that would require him to speak about himself.

In a condolence message, Brac, the largest non-government organisation in the world, bid farewell to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed by stressing that it would “not say rest in peace”.

Anjali Rani Sarker made the firm decision to never borrow again since she was greatly disrespected while taking micro-credit from a NGO years ago.

Akhterun, a 55-year-old woman of Borobaria village in Raninagar upazila of Naogaon district, found herself in deep waters when her husband died 16 years ago. He left behind two daughters for her to take care of alone, and a piece of land where they used to live in inside a tin-shed.

Six years ago, Rolita Murmu, mother of a nine-year-old girl, was struggling under the poverty line.

The United Arab Emirates has adopted a powerful stance in empowering women, setting new standards based on a unique model drawn from the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE.

December 2nd of every year is an occasion for UAE nationals and residents alike, to express pride in the country’s developmental and civilizational achievements.