Global News Post: Bangladesh

At Least 44 Dead in Bangladesh Clashes

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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">At least 44
people have been killed in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region></st1:place>
in a wave of violence sparked by a special tribunal's decision to sentence a
top Islamist opposition leader to death.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Reports Friday
said the latest deaths took place in Gainbandha district, after two days of
clashes between protesters and police. The protests were expected to continue
after Friday prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Many of the
victims were shot Thursday in clashes between security forces and supporters of
Delwar Hossain Sayedee. He was found guilty of crimes, including mass killings
and rape, committed during the 1971 war against <st1:country-region w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region>
for <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s
independence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Thursday's
violence occurred during a nationwide shutdown called by Sayedee's party,
Jamaat-e-Islami, to protest his trial and demand he be freed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A VOA reporter
in <st1:place w:st="on">Dhaka</st1:place>, Zahurul Alam, said two police
officers were among the dead, and more than 200 people were wounded. He said
Jamaat-e-Islami has called for another nationwide shutdown starting early
Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Jamaat has
again called a 48-hour-long continuous countrywide shutdown from Sunday morning
in protest of the verdict against Sayedee and the killing of his supporters by
BGB and police," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sayedee's lawyer
has called the verdict unjust and vowed to appeal. Sayedee is the third Jamaat
party member to be sentenced for war crimes since <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s war crimes tribunal
was established in 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: Arial;"></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="506" scrolling="no" src="http://www.voanews.com/flashembed.aspx?t=phg&id=1613199&w=640&h=506&skin=embeded" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On January 21,
the tribunal sentenced Abul Kalam Azad to death in absentia, finding him guilty
of torture, rape and genocide. On February 5, it sentenced Abdul Quader Mollah
to life in prison on similar charges. At least eight more Jamaat members are
still on trial.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Human rights
groups have questioned the fairness of the trials, saying members of the
defense have been unduly pressured.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<st1:country-region w:st="on"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Bangladesh</span></span></st1:country-region><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> fought a nine-month war against <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Pakistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1971 to obtain its
independence. The government says 3 million people died in the violence,
although other estimates give a lower death toll.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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At Least 44 Dead in Bangladesh Clashes

By VOA News At least 44 people have been killed in Bangladesh in a wave of violence sparked by a special tribunal's decision...

Bangladeshi PM for Using Nuke Power in Peaceful Purposes

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">SAVAR, Bangladesh (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government intends to utilise nuclear power completely in peaceful purposes and ensure faster economic growth of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">"We want to use nuclear power only for electricity generation, increasing our industrial and agricultural productivity and putting in place modern medicare facility for people to improve their living condition," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The Prime Minister was addressing a function marking inauguration of 3MV Tandem Accelerators Facilities and five other highly sensitive scientific installations at Bangladesh Atomic Commission at Ganakbari here today.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">She said all preparations for construction of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been completed with the support of Russian government and physical work of the project would begin very soon. She announced that another nuclear power plant will be constructed in the southern part of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Sheikh Hasina urged the country's scientists to give emphasis on utilisation of their research works side by side conducting basic research on different aspects of science and technology.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">She reminded that role of scientists and researchers is very crucial in successful implementation of 'Vision 2021' for economic prosperity of the country. "The countries showing capacity in research on science and technology are progressing fast," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">With State Minister for Science and Technology Architect Yafez Osman in the chair, the function was addressed, among others by chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Science and Technology Alhaj Dabirul Islam, local parliament member Talukder<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Towhid Jang Murad, secretary of the Science and Technology Ministry Rafiqul Islam and chairman of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission ASM Firoz.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The Prime Minister said, around Taka 200 crore were spent for acquisition of the highly sensitive atomic machinery in the six new installations of the Atomic Commission paving new horizon for atomic research in the country.(One Crore: ten million)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">In this regard, the Prime Minister recalled the farsightedness of Bangabandhu in using atomic energy for country's development saying he (Bangabandhu) had taken initiative to use atomic power for power generation and treatment when no under-developed county even a few countries of developing world thought of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Bangabandhu established the Bangladesh Atomic Commission in 1973 unveiling the way of use of atomic power in peaceful purposes, she said adding Bangabandhu allocated 265 acres of land for establishing the Atomic Commission in Ganakbari.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Sheikh Hasina said her government has attached highest importance to research on science and technology and is following the footprint of Bangabandhu for promotion of scientific studies and their highest application.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">She said, Bangabandhu also established BCSIR and Agriculture Research Council and many other sector-wise institutes for research on rice, jute, fisheries, sugarcane and other important crops for country's economic self-reliance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Listing the educational institutions established during the period of Awami League government for scientific studies, she said her government framed laws for establishing 12 science and technology universities, in addition to four more agriculture universities and first medical and textile universities.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">The Prime Minister said her government has activated all research institutes in the country and given separate allocation for conducting research works. Scientists and researchers are also enjoying benefit of expansion of IT facilities across the country, she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">She hoped that country's scientists would be able to invent necessary technology in local perspective and application of those technologies is possible through using native resources and capacity. -- NNN-BSS<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Bangladeshi PM for Using Nuke Power in Peaceful Purposes

SAVAR, Bangladesh (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government intends to utilise nuclear power completely in peac...

New Delhi Firm to Implement Treaties with Bangladesh: Pranab

New Delhi Firm to Implement Treaties with Bangladesh: Pranab

DHAKA, Bangladesh (NNN-BSS) -- Visiting Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said New Delhi was firmly committed to implementi...

Bangladesh: PM Seeks Reciprocal Actions from India to Improve Ties

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DHAKA (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged India to reciprocate with the steps taken by Bangladesh for improving the relation between the two neighbouring countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She urged for concluding the Teesta River Water Sharing Treaty and including Bangladeshi experts in any study group on Tipaimukh Dam. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Prime Minister said this when newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran made a courtesy call on her at her office here today, PM's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Prime Minister sought stern action from the Indian government to stop killing of Bangladeshi citizens at the border and ratify the Land Boundary Agreement in the Indian parliament. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Urging India to stop construction of dams detrimental to environment and ecological balance, the premier said, "Let us do all the tasks in the next two years of my government." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Welcoming the new envoy in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh and India now have excellent relation than ever before. Bangladesh wants to maintain the relation with India as well as good ties all other South Asian countries to establish peace in the region. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Prime Minister recalled the contribution of India and its people to the War of Liberation of Bangladesh and said people of Bangladesh would never forget it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She reiterated her stand for regional connectivity and said Bangladesh has already agreed with many Indian requests to this end. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Responding to the requests Bangladesh has taken steps for establishing rail link between Akhaura and Agartala, transportation of Indian Over Dimensional Cargos from Ashuganj to Palatana Power Station in Tripura, establish 'port of call' at Ashuganj, Border Haats and land customs stations, she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She also referred to the steps taken by Bangladesh to check cross border terrorism. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The envoy praised the leadership of the Prime Minister to build up Bangladesh as the progressive, prosperous and peaceful country as well as for regional peace and prosperity.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He recalled the PM's visit to New Delhi and Agartala and said the visits have contributed a lot to take the relations between the two countries a new height. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Prime Minister assured the Indian envoy of providing all support to discharge his duties in Bangladesh successfully. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Sheikh M Wahid Uz Zaman, secretary to the Prime Minister Office Mollah Wahidduzaman, were present during the call on. --NNN-BSS<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Bangladesh: PM Seeks Reciprocal Actions from India to Improve Ties

DHAKA (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged India to reciprocate with the steps taken by Bangladesh for improving the relat...

Bangladesh Foils Attempt to Overthrow Government

Bangladesh Foils Attempt to Overthrow Government

Military officials in Bangladesh say they have uncovered a plot by religious extremists to overthrow the government. Brigadier General M...

Malaysia Eyes India’s Rubber Automotive Parts Market

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</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI</span></st1:city><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-Bernama) -- <st1:country-region w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:country-region>, the world's fourth largest natural rubber producer, now aims to sell rubber automotive parts in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s vibrant automotive segment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Malaysian exporters are trying to squeeze into <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s already congested market, but are confident their quality products have an edge to penetrate the busy sector. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The best option for us is to explore the possibilities of supplying to Indian suppliers who supply to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Directly may not be possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Another option is the replacement market, where the real potential is. There is great opportunity in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> for Malaysian producers," Serajudin Ismail, chief executive officer of Malaysian Consortium of Rubber Products Sdn Bhd, told Bernama. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Industry analysts forecast passenger car sales alone to hit a healthy 11 to 13 per cent growth this year, after a blip late last year due to high interest rates, rising fuel prices and domestic inflation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, with the world's seventh largest automotive industry, 159,325 cars were sold last December, and 2011's total sales touched 1.95 million vehicles. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In 2010 <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> imported rubber-based automotive parts worth nearly US$356 million (RM1.13 billion), with Malaysian exporters grabbing roughly two per cent of the market share -- making <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region> the 11th largest foreign supplier. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"We need to expose <st1:country-region w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:country-region> to Indian suppliers on <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s capabilities in producing rubber auto parts. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The perception among Malaysian producers is always that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is a difficult market because of high tariffs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"But with CECA (Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement), there is more opportunity to enter and compete," said Low Yoke Kiew, Malaysian Rubber Export <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Promotion Council's director of marketing and development. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Four Malaysian automotive products manufacturers participated in the just-concluded 11th Auto Expo held from Jan 7 to 11 in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Delhi</st1:place></st1:city>. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Malaysia Eyes India’s Rubber Automotive Parts Market

NEW DELHI (NNN-Bernama) -- Malaysia , the world's fourth largest natural rubber producer, now aims to sell rubber automotive parts in...

Destinies of India and Bangladesh are Interlinked:Says Vice President

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIyb0zjMEftq7LPM8cuIlczr3lGlf3JZDVR34h_z4tmH2Tp1SXtXZ5Us5Pucfx7DhB5oYiQmMgriyFM8wCHYDWvSTU4geTKHAPBies2l9RI6H89Fm_i0Hq6yOoP1cKb_VPvAtUxuK6m8/s1600/l2012011238608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUIyb0zjMEftq7LPM8cuIlczr3lGlf3JZDVR34h_z4tmH2Tp1SXtXZ5Us5Pucfx7DhB5oYiQmMgriyFM8wCHYDWvSTU4geTKHAPBies2l9RI6H89Fm_i0Hq6yOoP1cKb_VPvAtUxuK6m8/s640/l2012011238608.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">The Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari confers the Honorary Doctorate Degree to the Prime Minister of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>, Mrs. Sheikh Hasina, at the 9th Convocation of Tripura University, at Agartala on January 12, 2012. The Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and Information Technology, Shri Kapil Sibal is also seen.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;"> Photo © PIB<o:p></o:p></span></i></div></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Agartala <span class="apple-style-span">(PIB) --- </span>The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari has said that destinies of <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region></st1:place> are interlinked.  Addressing the 9th Convocation of Tripura University here today, he said the people of both the countries share in great measure a common history, culture, language and tradition and they have co-operated and faced challenges together.   Ansari said our relationship is rooted in shared values and commitment to secularism, multi-party democracy, social justice and fundamental human freedoms.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Vice President said Tripura shares a special relationship with <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>.  He said that having borders with it on three sides, the state and its people had played important roles in the path leading to the birth of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region></st1:place>.   Ansari expressed the confidence   that implementing the Joint Communiqués issued after the landmark visits of the two Prime Ministers would cement this special relationship through enhancing connectivity between Tripura and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> and promoting close people to people and business linkages.  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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Destinies of India and Bangladesh are Interlinked:Says Vice President

The Vice President, Shri Mohd. Hamid Ansari confers the Honorary Doctorate Degree to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh , Mrs. Sheikh Hasina...

Prospect of Reinforcing Indo-Bangla Ties Should Not Be Bleak: Sheikh Hasina

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">  <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">AGARTALA, Bangladesh (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said here today that she firmly believed that a new prospect has been ushered in recent times to reinforce Indo-Bangla cooperation, and everybody should remain careful so that the prospect doesn't become bleak. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Addressing a joint meeting of businessmen of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region> and Indian state of Tripura at Bragna Bhaban here this afternoon, she said strong cooperation between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is crucial for both the countries and real cooperation is possible if political willpower exists. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"I believe, both the countries now have strong political will and I hope that businessmen of the two countries will come forward to give the willpower a real shape for mutual benefit of their people," she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Sheikh Hasina, who arrived here early today on a two-day maiden visit to Tripura, said the fate of the people of Bangladesh and India, particularly northeastern part, is tied up with the same string and poverty is the main barrier to their development. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"So, our main focus should be on improving the living conditions of people, and it can be achieved together," she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Confederation of Indian Industry and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) jointly arranged the meeting in collaboration with the Tripura state government. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Indian Union Minister for Human Resources Development Kapil Sibal, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarker and Industries Minister Jitendra Chowdhury, FBCCI President AK Azad and CII official Shekhar Dutta spoke at the function, among others. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Bangladesh Premier said the decisions taken earlier by the two countries have heralded a new era for cooperation in the areas of border demarcation, water management, trade and commerce, communication and development of infrastructure and power sectors. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"The joint declarations during my visit to New Delhi and Dr Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka have specified the areas of cooperation" she said, adding a better communication system could play an important role in improving ties between the two next-door neighbours. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She said geographical location of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region> is very important for improving the regional road, rail, water and air links, especially for better communication between <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>'s northeastern states and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Nepal</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bhutan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Sheikh Hasina pointed out that in her first stint in power from 1996-2001, she personally had taken the initiative for Dhaka-Kolkata and Dhaka-Agartala bus services. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"<st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> has already been allowed to use <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chittagong</st1:place></st1:city> and Mongla ports for carrying goods and cargo to Tripura through Ashuganj river port," she added. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> government has taken a decision to establish a rail link between Akhaura and Agartala and construct a bridge on the Feni river as carrying of cargoes for construction of power plant at Palatana in Tripura has mounted pressure on the existing infrastructure. "Besides, a decision has been taken to build a new land port at Sabrome-Ramgarh point," she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Prime Minister said steps were taken to remove non- tariff barriers, and the officials of the two countries are working together to improve the existing facilities in the land ports and other physical infrastructures on both sides. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Focusing on the huge Indo-Bangla trade gap, Sheikh Hasina said <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region> is the largest importer of Indian goods in <st1:place w:st="on">South Asia</st1:place>, which now stands over US$ 3 billion a year, against the size of Indian import of only US$ 250 million. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She thanked the Indian Prime Minister for allowing duty-free access of 46 categories of Bangladeshi garment items to Indian market in the first phase and later all types of items under SAFTA rules. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"The access has created opportunity for Bangladeshi goods to compete with Indian products," she said. Sheikh Hasina requested the businessmen of Tripura to import more goods from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region> and called upon the Indian entrepreneurs to invest in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> on a larger scale so that people of the both countries benefit. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Bangladesh Prime Minister revealed that necessary steps are being taken for border haats on Bangladesh-Tripura border to facilitate the producers of the both countries to sell their products at fair price. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She said <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> and Tripura share long common history, language and culture and their ethnicity and values are almost <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">same. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Expressing the intent to purchase power from Tripura directly or build joint venture power project, Sheikh Hasina said the two countries also have vast prospect for cooperation in the areas of information and communication technology, which the businessmen of the two countries can give a real shape. -- NNN-BSS<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Prospect of Reinforcing Indo-Bangla Ties Should Not Be Bleak: Sheikh Hasina

AGARTALA, Bangladesh (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said here today that she firmly believed that a new prospect has been ushe...

Analysis: Six ways to take the bite out of Bangladesh food price hikes

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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfBwNgqNlJrTzUIU2Ioad2FYqp_Jasc-0MZwcRNjnf8xs-wMPNn9lOkzlVJccH4FtUyL9EmmlLHz2VkQ-sDNetZdlevxFRSj5XT51Bdfw8UlyChupr23uu8mR5Rjj4hD2IRN9ZudVlpk/s1600/foodpricebanglades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfBwNgqNlJrTzUIU2Ioad2FYqp_Jasc-0MZwcRNjnf8xs-wMPNn9lOkzlVJccH4FtUyL9EmmlLHz2VkQ-sDNetZdlevxFRSj5XT51Bdfw8UlyChupr23uu8mR5Rjj4hD2IRN9ZudVlpk/s1600/foodpricebanglades.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Photo: </span></i><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.irinnews.org/photo/"><span style="color: #0a62a1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mubashar Hasan/IRIN</span></a></span></i><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Among the most vulnerable to <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">price shocks are the elderly, urban poor, women and children<o:p></o:p></span></i></div></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">DHAKA (IRIN) -<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Food price increases<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">have typically been followed by declining energy, vitamin and mineral intake and worsening malnutrition among <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s poorest. As food prices continue to climb, IRIN asked experts how to break this pattern.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Over the past year the price of rice in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> has increased by close to 30 percent, flour by 50 percent, lentils by 15 percent and chicken by 37 percent, according to a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2011 study by Oxfam<span style="color: #333333;">.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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The poor are hit hardest during these price shocks as they spend more of their income on food, said Kenneth Brown, a professor of nutrition at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype>  of <st1:placename w:st="on">California</st1:placename></st1:place> at Davis and adviser to NGO Helen Keller International (HKI).<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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“The usual coping strategy is to purchase more of the lower cost staple food and less of the complementary sources of vitamins and minerals… It is the quality of the diet that suffers with increasing food prices,” said Brown.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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As a result, both chronic and acute malnutrition will worsen during rising food price increases, said Howarth Bouis, director of HarvestPlus, a food fortification project of the Washington DC-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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A 50 percent increase in food prices results in a decrease in energy intake of 5-15 percent and a drop in iron intake of 10-30 percent, based on a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">model Bouis and colleagues created<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #0a62a1;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">using data on food prices and consumption from rural <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> in the mid-1990s.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a 2010 nutrition survey released on 13 December (not yet online) by HKI, the Dhaka-based BRAC University, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, an estimated 45 percent of children under five were too short for their age group (stunted), a sign of vitamin and mineral deficiency.</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Lack of micronutrients is a leading cause of preventable mental disability, according to health experts.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Six out of 10 households in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> - including some 10 million children - did not have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food in 2010, according to the food security and nutrition survey by HKI and its Bangladeshi partners.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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Surveying 23,000 households (including 26,000 children) researchers found the rate of acute malnutrition doubled to 16 percent from the beginning to the end of the dry season (January-August).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Humanitarian agencies view any percentage above 15 as a nutrition emergency.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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Below are six ways experts identified to help people in Bangladesh not simply survive - but also thrive - during food price increases.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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<strong>Household food production<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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“In rural areas, homestead gardening and small animal production can help to make people less vulnerable to price shock,” said Damien Joud of Action Against Hunger (ACF).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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HKI trains farmers, mostly female, on agricultural methods that help boost their yield and income while saving water and soil resources. It also provides improved seeds and animal breeds.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Household food production is part of the organization’s response to global food price volatility, as laid out in a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">position paper<span style="color: #333333;">updated in June 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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<strong>Safety net programmes<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></strong><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Activities should safeguard and improve the food and nutrition security of the most vulnerable groups, said Michael Dunford, acting country director of the World Food Programme in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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“Empowering women and improving their access to income-earning opportunities is one of the most effective means of strengthening the resilience of households to shocks. Women are more likely to ensure that infants and young children receive the food they need.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><table align="right" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #eeeeee; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: rgb(187, 187, 187); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1pt; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 6pt; margin-right: 6pt; margin-top: -0.75pt; width: 220px;"><tbody>
<tr>   <td style="border-bottom: solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #CCCCCC .75pt; padding: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #006699; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;">Strategies   elsewhere<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td style="border: none; padding: 6.0pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 6.0pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #006699; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><img align="absMiddle" border="0" height="13" src="file:///C:\Users\wisdom\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025" width="13" /> <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94466"><b><span style="color: #0a62a1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">SAHEL: Act now   to avoid another crisis, say aid agencies</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td style="border: none; padding: 6.0pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 6.0pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #006699; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><img align="absMiddle" border="0" height="13" src="file:///C:\Users\wisdom\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1026" width="13" /> <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=81781"><b><span style="color: #0a62a1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">GLOBAL:   Avoiding another food price bubble</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td style="border: none; padding: 6.0pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 6.0pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #006699; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><img align="absMiddle" border="0" height="13" src="file:///C:\Users\wisdom\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1027" width="13" /> <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=77646"><b><span style="color: #0a62a1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">GLOBAL:   "Let them eat subsidies?"</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td style="border: none; padding: 6.0pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 6.0pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #006699; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><img align="absMiddle" border="0" height="13" src="file:///C:\Users\wisdom\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1028" width="13" /> <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94326"><b><span style="color: #0a62a1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">NUTRITION: A   sweet potato a day...</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td style="border: none; padding: 6.0pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 6.0pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #006699; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><img align="absMiddle" border="0" height="13" src="file:///C:\Users\wisdom\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1029" width="13" /> <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94082"><b><span style="color: #0a62a1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">WEST AFRICA:   Building resilience in the Sahel</span></b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div></td>  </tr>
<tr>   <td style="border: none; padding: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr>   <td style="border: none; padding: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt;">   <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 8.25pt; mso-element-frame-vspace: 1.5pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: middle; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In September 2008, the government launched a 100-day employment generation programme to help poor families affected by high food prices; it has become the largest safety net programme in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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Now known as the Employment Generation Programme for the Poorest, it targets rural areas during two lean seasons when families are awaiting harvests: March-May (40 days) and October-December (40 days).<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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There are more than 60 government-led safety net programmes nationwide, according to Akhter Ahmed, chief of party for IFPRI’s <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> office. “However, most of these programmes have limited coverage, are uncoordinated and are not adequately funded.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<strong>Wage increases<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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“If wages of the poorest section of the population increase with the food price hikes, the negative impact of the price hikes can be mitigated,” said Ahmed.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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“The extent of such mitigation will depend on the time [it takes for the wages to increase] and the magnitude of the wage increase. It is encouraging that wages of the poor have been increasing in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> since the 2008 food price surge. The government should monitor changes in wages relative to food price changes,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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The<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">average monthly income<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #0a62a1;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">rose from US$94 in 2005 to $150 in 2010. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<strong>School feeding<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Ahmed emphasized school feeding programmes for their ability to “ensure nutrition and education at the same time” and called for a targeted expansion in places like urban slums.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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“To achieve maximum benefit for the cost, the programme should cover those areas where undernutrition is a serious problem, school enrolment and attendance rates are low and dropout rates are high… The programme should also cover secondary schools in target areas to improve education and nutrition of adolescent girls,” he added.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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As of December 2011, 2.7 million primary school students nationwide receive food at school, according to Bablu Kumar Saha, director of the government’s national school feeding programme.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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There are 16.5 million primary school-aged children in the country.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<strong>Subsidized food<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5EG8w8Duj6gtlDBZSmnPbRiblMLyb0k_xST6HAuDF136FtiOsQ6s81MYzs6PQHn8e1m_RmsjtpN9ymxCMhDZHZten95bckwIIWQPYaL86aeZMqw6pZ7z99PP2jf-YN-4x7NH33BX5FE/s1600/Open+market+sale+in+Dhaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5EG8w8Duj6gtlDBZSmnPbRiblMLyb0k_xST6HAuDF136FtiOsQ6s81MYzs6PQHn8e1m_RmsjtpN9ymxCMhDZHZten95bckwIIWQPYaL86aeZMqw6pZ7z99PP2jf-YN-4x7NH33BX5FE/s1600/Open+market+sale+in+Dhaka.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Photo: <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/photo/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Contributor/IRIN</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Open market sale in <st1:place w:st="on">Dhaka</st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></i></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">An effective<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">public food distribution system<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #0a62a1;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">can make people less vulnerable to price shocks, said Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, chairman of the local research group, Unnayan Onneshan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Leaving the market to set food prices has in some cases led to predatory price-fixing, while the government’s long-running open market sales - when it releases its stocks directly to poor populations to prevent any sharp increases in market prices - is limited in its reach and efficacy, said Titumir as well as authors of the 2010 nutrition survey.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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Other national subsidy programmes in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region> have included rations for vulnerable groups and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">food-for-work<span style="color: #333333;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Crop breeding<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></span><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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</span></b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bio-fortification<span style="color: #333333;">, or selectively breeding crops high in nutrients, can buttress against shocks by creating more mineral and vitamin dense food staples, said HarvestPlus’s Bouis.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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“The time is long overdue to bring agricultural interventions to bear to reduce micronutrient malnutrition,” he wrote in Food and Nutrition Bulletin.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A recent study<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #0a62a1;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333;">of zinc-fortified rice in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:country-region></st1:place> (supported by HarvestPlus) concluded that while it has the potential to increase children’s intake of zinc, the zinc-fortified rice examined did not increase children’s levels of total absorbed zinc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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HarvestPlus aims to release in 2013 top performing seeds of high-zinc rice currently under testing in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangladesh</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Analysis: Six ways to take the bite out of Bangladesh food price hikes

Photo: Mubashar Hasan/IRIN Among the most vulnerable to price shocks are the elderly, urban poor, women and children DHAKA (IRIN) - ...

Bangladesh-India Joint Military Exercises Starts Sunday

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span>  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">DHAKA (NNN-Xinhua) -- Bangladesh-India joint military exercises started Sunday at Zalalabad Cantonment in the country's Sylhet division, some 241 km northeast of capital <st1:place w:st="on">Dhaka</st1:place>, said a press release.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">According to the release of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Bangladesh Army, the 14-day long joint military exercises titled "Exercise Unity-2" will continue till Oct. 22.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A 25-member Indian Army delegation led by Major SY Mahadik is participating in the exercises which are aimed at building further camaraderie between the defense forces of the two neighbors.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The ISPR release said, "the Indian Army team will leave the country on Oct. 23."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Earlier the "Exercise Unity-1" was held at Jorehat in the Indian state of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Assam</st1:place></st1:country-region> from Nov. 1 to 15 last year in which a 25- member Bangladesh Army delegation took part in.--NNN-XINHUA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Bangladesh-India Joint Military Exercises Starts Sunday

DHAKA (NNN-Xinhua) -- Bangladesh-India joint military exercises started Sunday at Zalalabad Cantonment in the country's Sylhet divis...

Indian Enclave Residents in Bangladesh Demand Citizenship

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Gloss-Laminated-National-Geographic/dp/B004H9R2BK?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Southern Asia Gloss Laminated" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B004H9R2BK&tag=glob036-20" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004H9R2BK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Residents of an Indian enclave within Bangladesh are holding a two-day protest to demand the speedy implementation of a deal between the two countries that will grant them citizenship.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thousands of people in Bangladesh's Panchagarh district walked through the streets in protest Saturday night and refused to turn on the lights of their homes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Demonstrators are calling on authorities to quickly implement a recently signed agreement between India and Bangladesh giving Bangladeshi citizenship to the thousands of people living in India's 111 enclaves within the country.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Organizers say the demonstration will continue throughout Sunday.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The centuries-old partitions predated the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 and Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971.(VOA News)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Bangladesh" target="_blank">Search Amazon.com  for Bangladesh </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div></div>

Indian Enclave Residents in Bangladesh Demand Citizenship

Residents of an Indian enclave within Bangladesh are holding a two-day protest to demand the speedy implementation of a deal between the tw...

BANGLADESH: SHEIKH HASINA FOR CONCERTED EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE POVERTY FROM SOUTH ASIAN REGION

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Economics-Poverty-Discrimination-Bradley-Schiller/dp/0131889699?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination" height="320" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0131889699&tag=glob036-20" width="242" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0131889699" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />DHAKA (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called for undertaking concerted efforts by all South Asian nations to eliminate poverty as she described it as the main enemy of the region. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Poverty is the main barrier to the development of the South Asian region and we would have to make united efforts to eliminate it," she said when chief ministers of four eastern Indian states called on her at her official Ganobhaban residence this afternoon. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The chief ministers are Tarun Gogoi of Assam, Mukul Sangma of Meghalaya, Lal Thanhawla of Mizoram, and Manik Sarkar of Tripura. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad said during the call on, they discussed matters of bilateral and regional interests. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Prime Minister laid emphasis on the joint initiative by Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan for promotion of the tourism sector in the region. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The joint initiative would bring immense benefit for all the countries of the region," she observed. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sheikh Hasina said her government has been working relentlessly with honesty and sincerity for changing the lot of the people. "Our main aim is to ensure the economic emancipation of people by changing their lot," she said. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Prime Minister also highlighted various steps including river dredging that her government has already undertaken for development of the country. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Indian chief ministers highly praised the visionary and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in advancing the country towards progress and development. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They also lauded Sheikh Hasina for initiatives for strengthening the ties between the two neighbours, saying that it has added a new dimension to the friendship of Bangladesh and India. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They said a new avenue of friendship and cooperation has opened up between the two countries through Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India last year and the Indian premier's tour to Bangladesh. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The chief ministers of the four eastern Indian states eulogized the introduction of border haats, saying these would contribute to building mutual trust among the people of the two countries side by side with reducing cross-border crimes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They highly praised warm hospitality the Bangladesh government provided during their visit. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MA Karim, Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq A Karim were present on the occasion. -- NNN-BSS</span></div></div>

BANGLADESH: SHEIKH HASINA FOR CONCERTED EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE POVERTY FROM SOUTH ASIAN REGION

DHAKA (NNN-BSS) -- Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called for undertaking concerted efforts by all South Asian nations to eliminate pov...

India, Bangladesh Sign Border Deal

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<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Encyclopedia-Pakistan-Bangladesh-Encyclopedias/dp/0521334519?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Cambridge Encyclopedia of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives (Cambridge World Encyclopedias)" height="320" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0521334519&tag=glob036-20" width="267" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Indian and Bangladeshi leaders have agreed to a deal that would settle their countries' long-running border dispute.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed the agreement demarcating the 4,000 kilometer border between the two nations, during a visit Tuesday to Bangladesh.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Encyclopedia-Pakistan-Bangladesh-Encyclopedias/dp/0521334519?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><br />
</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The deal allows for the exchange of 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0521334519" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> enclaves in India.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Following talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Mr. Singh also said that India had agreed to grant duty-free access to 46 Bangladeshi products, mainly textiles.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prime Minister Singh's two-day visit to Bangladesh is the first by an Indian leader since 1999.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The two countries have had trouble maintaining good ties despite India's help in Bangladesh's secession and independence from Pakistan in 1971. Relations soured after a 1975 military coup in Bangladesh and a series of low-level border clashes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Despite signing trade and border deals Tuesday, the Indian and Bangladeshi leaders failed to agree on a key deal to share water from the Teesta River, which runs between the two countries.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The terms of the deal were opposed by Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, the Indian state bordering Bangladesh.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Banerjee pulled out of Mr. Singh's delegation to Bangladesh, saying the proposed new treaty conceded too much to Bangladesh.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prime Minister Singh said Tuesday that the two sides agreed to continue discussions on the water-sharing issue.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">His visit follows Ms. Hasina's trip to India last year.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Indian prime minister is expected to meet with Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's main opposition leader and former prime minister, on Wednesday. (VOA News)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=India%20and%20Bangladesh%20Border%20Dispute" target="_blank">Search Amazon.com  for India and Bangladesh Border Dispute</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div></div>

India, Bangladesh Sign Border Deal

Indian and Bangladeshi leaders have agreed to a deal that would settle their countries' long-running border dispute. Indian Prime Mini...