Dr Zahed's Briefing Today: In a Nutshell

In a Nutshell:

• Teesta Master Plan: Dr Zahed mentioned that the government is serious about implementing the Teesta Master Plan and has decided that the project should go ahead. He said the original plan focused mainly on river training, dredging, erosion control and land reclamation, while new feasibility studies are examining water retention and conservation as well. Regarding the Prime Minister’s recent China visit, he acknowledged that Tareq did request China for funding but it is still not finalized who will ultimately finance and execute the project.
• Overseas employment: Zahed said nearly 4,34,000 Bangladeshi workers have secured employment abroad in the seven months since the current government took charge, despite difficult conditions comparable to wartime situations in some markets. He also said the government is working further to expand employment opportunities abroad.
• Employment Exchange Centre: Zahed said an Employment Exchange Centre will be launched in December to address unemployment. The government will build a database of job seekers through job and career fairs at colleges and universities, alongside a database of labour demand from industries and factories, so employers and job seekers can be connected directly.
• Religious honorariums: Zahed said the Prime Minister distributed honorariums during his recent visit to Feni to 228 imams, muezzins and khadims from mosques and 10 priests and shebaits from temples. Under the wider programme, 86,709 religious institutions covering 2,56,074 religious personnel are being brought under the scheme in FY2026-27. The monthly honorarium is Tk5,000 for imams and priests, Tk3,000 for muezzins and shebaits, and Tk2,000 for khadims. Buddhist and Christian religious personnel have corresponding rates, while beneficiaries will also receive an annual festival allowance. The programme is expected to cover 3,47,339 religious institutions over four years.
• VGF expansion: Zahed said VGF beneficiaries currently receive 10kg of rice a month, but the government is increasing this to 20kg and expanding the number of cards because inflation is making life harder for poor and vulnerable people. He also said the Family Card listing process is almost complete and distribution will begin soon.
• Consumer rights: The Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection conducted 984 monitoring drives across the country in September, taking action against 1,885 organisations and imposing Tk1,81,05,900 in fines. Zahed said monitoring drives alone cannot solve price pressures and that the government is also working to ensure adequate supply by giving importers and bottlers fair prices, while taking legal action against noncompliance.
• Environment: Weekly mobile courts against environmental violations resulted in 112 cases and Tk13,54,100 in fines. Zahed said alternatives such as jute bags should be promoted to reduce polythene and plastic use and agreed that cooperation with private environmental organisations could strengthen the effort because government manpower is limited. He also clarified that restrictions on visiting Saint Martin’s are seasonal, rather than year round, to protect the island’s ecosystem.
• Foreign operation of ports: Asked whether BNP had said before the election that it would not allow foreign entities to operate ports, Zahed said he could not clearly recall such a statement by BNP or the government in parliament. He said he would look into the matter. Asked about opposition from labour organisations to the recently approved port contract, he said government decisions would be based on state and public interests.
• Global oil prices: Zahed said global oil prices have fallen from around $102 to $89 a barrel, but the government is waiting to see whether the decline is sustained before considering another adjustment to domestic fuel prices. He recalled that global oil prices had previously fallen around the time fuel prices were increased in Bangladesh in September before rising again to $106-$107 a few days later.