Dhaka,   Saturday 07 December 2024

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BGB issues high alert at Benapole border

BGB issues high alert at Benapole border

Staff Correspondent, Dhaka The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has declared a high alert at several points along the Benapole border, including Dhannokhola, Raghunathpur, Sadipur, Ghiba, Putkhali, Bahadurpur, Doulatpur, Boro Achra, and Gatipara, to counter any potential threats. Lt Col Saifullah Siddiqui, commander of Jessore 49 BGB Battalion, confirmed the heightened security measures on Thursday. Residents living in border areas are collaborating with BGB personnel, staying vigilant throughout the night. To prevent any untoward incidents, movement restrictions have been imposed on civilians near the border after evening hours. Surveillance has been intensified, and public access to border areas has been strictly restricted. Saifullah said the directives were issued by the BGB headquarters, with additional troops deployed at key points along the Jessore border. Following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das and the murder of a lawyer, the situation has been tense at the border. Earlier on Monday, the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala was vandalized and the national flag of Bangladesh was set on fire. On the same day, demonstrations were held near the Petrapole port, where the protesters threatened to halt import and export activities with Bangladesh. Despite these threats, operations at the Benapole-Petrapole port remain unaffected. Sazib Nazir, Deputy Director of Benapole Port, confirmed that trade and passenger movements are continuing as usual.

Why Bangladesh reducing electricity imports from India

Staff Correspondent, Dhaka Bangladesh has reduced electricity imports from three Indian sources, despite having the capacity to import 2,656MW daily. According to data from the Power Grid Company, as of 5am on Tuesday, the maximum electricity imported was 995MW, with even lower amounts during other times of the day. Electricity is imported to Bangladesh from three Indian sources. Through the Bheramara HVDC Substation, up to 1,000MW of electricity can be imported daily. On November 30, 900MW was imported, which is the usual amount imported throughout the year due to the lower cost. However, on December 1 at 1am, the amount was reduced to 482MW and has not increased since. On Tuesday at 3pm, 419 MW was being imported. From Tripura, up to 160MW of electricity can be imported via Comilla daily. However, due to cost concerns, an HVDC or back-to-back substation has not been established in Comilla. Electricity demand in the region is typically 160MW, and Tripura supplies electricity based on prior requests. When Tripura is unable to supply the required amount, electricity from Bangladeshi substations is used to meet the demand. On December 3 at 3pm, 62MW was requested from Tripura, but only 48MW was supplied. The Adani Group in Jharkhand has built a power plant capable of supplying 1,496 MW of electricity to Bangladesh daily. A few days ago, Adani forecasted supplying 1,348MW, but as of December 3 at 5am, it supplied only 506MW. The plant was then shut down for eight hours and resumed production at 2pm, supplying 60MW until 3, after which the supply increased to 186MW. Over the past few days, Adani has supplied 750-800MW on average. Indian and international media have analyzed the situation, but neither Bangladesh`s PDB nor Adani has made public comments. Khandaker Mokammel Hossain, a PDB member (production), said that the reduction is not intentional but due to the circumstances, particularly lower electricity demand in winter. This leads to reduced imports from various sources, including Adani. He also mentioned that oil-based power plants are being used less, with gas-based plants prioritized due to higher costs associated with oil. However, some oil-based plants are still in operation due to a gas shortage. Electricity imported from India costs around Tk5-6 per unit, while oil-based power generation costs Tk16-18 per unit. Despite this price advantage, imports have been scaled down for operational reasons.

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Proportional electoral system not possible in Bangladesh: Fakhrul

Proportional electoral system not possible in Bangladesh: Fakhrul

Staff Correspondent, Dhaka The proportional electoral system, which has come in the spotlight amid discussions of constitutional reform, is not possible in the context of Bangladesh, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul said today (13 November). Speaking at a press conference at his residence in Thakurgaon`s Kalibari, he said, "We have rejected this electoral system. This system is not possible in the context of the country." Bangladesh currently uses the First Past the Post, or FPTP, system, where the candidate with the highest votes in an electoral constituency wins. The other system is the Proportional Representation system, where there are no constituency-based candidates. Voters cast their votes for party symbols, and the number of seats a party receives in parliament is determined in proportion to the percentage of votes it secures. At the conference, Fakrhul also urged for patience and unity among the people following AL`s "successful attempts to create divisions". "We want a united nation by removing this division. In a democratic society there can be different opinions. But there must be unity on the basic issues of Bangladesh`s independence — sovereignty, democracy, human rights. "As a nation, we must not be intolerant. It is not possible to remove the garbage of 17 years in 17 days or even 17 months. So, this government should be given time." Fakhrul said, "We have verified that the people want an impartial election with the participation of all. We think that all kinds of reforms are necessary to make this election fair. So we have been saying that elections should be held within a reasonable time. And this roadmap should be given to the government." On the issue of reforms, he said the government would not have to do most of those. "It will be done by a parliament which has been elected." At the conference, Fakhrul also warned that India`s continuous campaign against Bangladesh can pose a great danger. "Now a trend has started on social media. Some are trying to destroy the achievements of Bangladesh. We have to be careful as we cannot meet another disaster right now. There is danger over our heads as the mastermind of fascism is staying in India," he said. After the fall of the Awami League administration, several parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have called for the introduction of the PR system in the national parliamentary elections.

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