Economy
BGMEA Partners with Simon Project to Improve Worker Health Data Collection
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has expressed its endorsement for the Simon Project, an initiative led by the Simon Institute in London, UK, and jointly funded by Associated British Foods and the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ). This project aims to gather recurring data to calculate the ratio of non-fatal accidents in Bangladesh.
The launch of the Simon Project took place at the BGMEA Complex in Dhaka, with the presence of Faruque Hassan, BGMEA President, and Javier Chercoles PhD, Director of Simon Institute. BGMEA Senior Vice President S. M. Mannan (Kochi), Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Directors Faisal Samad, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Navidul Huq, and Rajiv Chowdhury were also in attendance.
The Simon Project will establish an innovation site at the BGMEA headquarters in Dhaka and implement IT tools in 9 BGMEA medical centers. This collaborative effort will involve international and local forensic teams, including the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and Dhaka Medical College, to train paramedics and doctors for collecting critical health incidence data related to minor injuries, health issues, and Covid incidence.
This data will play a crucial role in calculating insurance provisions for all RMG (Ready-Made Garment) workers, which can be funded by private insurance companies and/or the public sector. It will also aid in determining financial contributions from factories and international brands.
The Simon Project, initiated in 2022, has already started collecting data from 50 factories, gathering health incidence data for over 200,000 workers. Expanding the project to the 9 medical centers of the BGMEA will enable data collection for all RMG workers in Bangladesh. This project aligns with the BGMEA’s goal of providing social protection for all RMG workers and is complementary to the Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) supported by the ILO and GIZ.
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday paid tribute to the Armed Forces Division by placing a floral wreath at its headquarters.
Prof Yunus, who visited the division as part of his official duties, laid the wreath to honor the sacrifices and dedication of the members of the Armed Forces.
Following the wreath-laying ceremony, he signed the visitor’s book.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal, along with four other election commissioners, announced their resignation during a press conference today at the Election Commission (EC) building. The resignation follows growing speculation and pressure.
CEC Awal stated, “In this changed situation, I and other commissioners have decided to step down. We’re handing over our resignation letters to the EC Secretary to send it to the President.” After submitting the letters, the CEC and some commissioners quickly left the premises, with no clear explanation for the absence of two election commissioners.
The resignations come amid increasing unrest tied to the registration of political parties such as Nagarik Oikya and Gono Odhikar Parishad. Sources revealed the CEC felt unsafe due to aggressive behavior from activists, prompting the decision to step down.
Protesters outside the EC building hurled shoes at vehicles carrying Election Commissioners Rashida Sultana, Md Alamgir, and Anisur Rahman as they left. Meanwhile, preparations for their exit had already been underway, with the commissioners reportedly relocating personal belongings from their offices.
The commission, appointed in February 2022 for a five-year term, had previously expressed confusion over demands for their resignation, maintaining they had conducted fair elections. However, internal discussions led to the collective decision to resign earlier than expected.
The government will now purchase LNG from the international spot market through open tender instead of negotiation.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in a meeting on Wednesday in principle approved a proposal in this regard.
Adviser of the interim government for Finance Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, who presided over the meeting, said that the government will procure LNG through open tender.
The Energy and Mineral Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources placed the proposal where it sought approval to import LNG from 23 listed companies in the international spot market.
The adviser said that though such 23 companies were enlisted by the previous Awami League government and signed Master Sales and Purchase Agreement, they will remain unchanged.
He said that instead of applying the Speedy Increase of Energy and Power Supply (Special) Act 2010, the interim government will follow the Public Procurement Rules 2008 to ensure the competitive bidding process.
“We don’t want to change them as we wanted to import LNG quickly, ensuring proper competition among the suppliers,” he told reporters.
Committee also approved another proposal in principle to sign a contract to import urea fertiliser for the 2024-25 fiscal year from Fertiglobe Distribution Limited, UAE, on a G-to-G basis.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Government Procurement (CCGP) in a meeting, presided over by the Adviser for Finance, approved 3 proposals for import of lentil and fertiliser.
As per the proposal, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh will procure 10,000 metric tons (MT) of lentil from local firm Sahara Enterprise at a cost of Tk 98.20 crore with each kg priced at Tk 98.20.
The Commerce Ministry which moved the proposal on behalf of the TCB in the meeting mentioned in the proposal that the supplier firm was selected through open tender.
The CCGP approved two separate proposals of the Industries Ministry under which Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation will import 30,000 MT of bulk granular urea fertiliser from Fertiglobe Distribution Limited, UAE, under state to state contract at a cost of Tk 121.48 crore.
Each metric ton of fertiliser will cost $343.17.
Another 30,000 MT of bagged granular urea fertiliser will be procured from the local Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (Kafco) at a cost of Tk 116.99 crore with each metric ton costing $330.50.
