Member Info for jollychippy

The Election Commission (EC) aims to release its comprehensive ‘action plan’ for the 13th parliamentary elections by July, completing all preparatory steps.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker shared the information during a discussion with journalists on the draft election plan on Wednesday.

He said the EC is currently working on several critical tasks, including voter list updates, amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and electoral code of conduct, finalising constituency boundaries, and registering new political parties.

The election commissioner emphasised the EC's commitment to holding stakeholder consultations, particularly with political parties, before announcing the election schedule.

He said they are aligning their all preparations with the interim government's stated election timeframe of December 2025.

Instead of calling it a roadmap, the EC is referring to its election preparations as an action plan or work plan.

https://www.daily-sun.com/post/800624

Amid rising utility costs and infrastructure concerns, investors operating in Bangladesh's economic zones have urged the government to ensure high-pressure gas supply, uninterrupted quality electricity, and necessary permissions for captive power plants.

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/investors-economic-zones-demand-high-pressure-gas-supply-uninterrupted-electricity-1116941

So want steps will they take with the Power & Energy sector, to help to move out the “Least Developed Country” category ?

Clock’s ticking

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday directed the officials concerned to take all necessary precautionary measures so that no sector of the country is affected after its LDC graduation.

“We have already taken the decision (over LDC graduation). Now we have to move at full speed," Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted Prof Yunus as saying.

The press secretary was briefing newsmen following the Chief Adviser’s meeting with the experts on the LDC graduation. The meeting was held at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Dhaka.

Briefing media at the Foreign Service Academy here, Shafiqul Alam said during the nearly two-hour meeting, the chief adviser directed all concerned to take steps to ensure maximum benefits as Bangladesh remains confident to smoothly graduate from the LDC status.

https://www.daily-sun.com/post/800472

The issue keeps coming to a head

The country’s economists and businesses urged the government to focus on policy and structural changes to attract more foreign direct investment.

They also said that many challenges remain in policy formulation and implementation in the field of investment, and industries still face issues in uninterrupted fuel and energy supply.

https://www.newagebd.net/post/Economy/261972/bangladesh-needs-structural-policy-changes-to-attract-fdi

Will the penny finally drop ?

Local and foreign investors have identified the high cost and scarcity of energy and power, policy inconsistency, and poor inter-agency coordination as key barriers to foreign investment, urging the government and political leaders to take immediate corrective measures.

However, the policymakers from the government said that the country is undergoing a transformative phase, with investment barriers being identified and addressed through policy reviews, risk mitigation, and improved infrastructure to attract greater investment.

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/scarcity-high-cost-of-energy-power-among-key-barriers-to-fdi

Will anything come of the meeting?

BNP will meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on April 16 to press for a clear and specific roadmap for the upcoming national election and to resolve confusion surrounding the polls.

"The Chief Adviser has given the BNP a scheduled time to meet on April 16 at 12:00 PM. The meeting will take place at the state guesthouse, Jamuna. We'll be meeting with the Chief Adviser on that day," BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed told The Daily Star.

https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/bnp-meet-yunus-april-16-3867421

It’s showing it was on Friday morning, can’t remember what the Bid & Ask was then

There is 2 late trades printed from yesterday, over a million shares each trade, they keep churning over

GPB

Or for $1b them good buy us out and have 100%, providing they have assurance that the project will be approved in a short period of time 🤷🏻‍♂️

The Filters work an absolute treat, Not seen so much Green for ages.

It much be positive to attract all this attention 😂

When asked about the outcome of the visit, the Chinese ambassador said, "This year marks the 50th anniversary of the two countries. This visit is the most important fuction. So we are working closely with Bangladesh on this visit. We wish the visit to be very successful, productive and milestone visit."

Responding to a question about the views of the whole world, including the United States and India, on the visit of the chief advisor, Yao Wen said, "This visit is between China and Bangladesh. This visit will be a good one. This will be very benefits both for Bangladesh and China. We want the visit to be good for Bangladesh-China relations."

Incidentally, chief advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus is going to China on a four-day visit on 26 March.

https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/kd71b41kb1

Well that was a whirlwind of an afternoon, with plenty of tripe posted.

In all the excitement I posted the following for us LTH’s before seeing what was going on. For those that are interested

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/power-energy/376890/coal-mining-stifled-by-bureaucratic-red-tape

Whether it is open-pit or underground mining, files circulate between departments for years, but no project receives final approval, according to industry insiders.

Discussions with relevant stakeholders reveal a lack of interest in coal extraction.

Some allege that importing fuel brings immediate commissions, whereas extracting domestic resources does not. If the energy crisis were resolved through local coal extraction, fuel imports would no longer be necessary.

This is why the open-pit mining project in Barapukuria has been stalled for over a decade, they say.

Prof Badrul Imam believes Bangladesh should rely on its own coal instead of expensive imports.

He said continuously importing coal instead of utilizing our own resources was unjustified, calling on the authorities to assess the progress of existing mines and move forward immediately.

The expert noted that Barapukuria had been producing coal for years, but not in sufficient quantities.

“The northern and southern parts of the mine could be opened for extraction, and feasibility studies on other mines should be reviewed to initiate further projects.”

He said amid its energy crisis, Bangladesh should prioritize domestic gas and coal extraction over LNG and coal imports.

Prof Badrul Imam believes Bangladesh should rely on its own coal instead of expensive imports.

He said continuously importing coal instead of utilizing our own resources was unjustified, calling on the authorities to assess the progress of existing mines and move forward immediately.

Https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/power-energy/376890/coal-mining-stifled-by-bureaucratic-red-tape

Https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/urgent-decision-needed-utilising-coal-reserves-3835811

Same story now in the daily star

Reiterating that required reforms should be accomplished before holding the next national election, Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus on Monday hinted that they can come up with some announcement this month on the reform and election process.

Referring to the Election Reform Commission, he said there are certain reforms that are required to be finished before the election to avoid the same old problems.

In an interactive session with the envoys of European countries Chief Adviser's Office in Dhaka, Dr. Yunus said they have to wait for the reports of the reform commission to incorporate its proposals in the election process.

https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/lwneegc5o3

No less than $3 billion changed hands as kickbacks in awarding power plant projects during Sheikh Hasina's autocratic rule, according to a white paper on the state of the economy.

The white paper, submitted to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at his Tejgaon office yesterday, also highlighted irregularities in other areas of the power and energy sector with the tagline "A System Designed for Corruption".

Now, 65 percent of the country's primary energy needs to be imported at an annual cost of $10 billion and by 2030 this will rise to $20 billion. This will put pressure on the foreign exchange reserves.

https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/power-and-energy-system-designed-corruption-3766336

Don’t mean to spit hairs. Think the .7% equals close to 2million shares added, is that there fees or have they been buying in the market 🤷🏻‍♂️

YKIR

Funny you mention that, it actually what I was thinking of you, same old stuff beat the drum a bit more, no funds , no time, blah blah blah.

Broken record springs to mind