Bangladesh nationals in 44 more countries to enjoy dual citizenships

Black_cats · Mar 1, 2023

Bangladesh nationals in 44 more countries to enjoy dual citizenships

PM orders card system in OMS

Staff Correspondent | Published: 17:38, Feb 27,2023 | Updated: 04:57, Feb 28,2023

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed an introduction of card system to facilitate open market sales run by the food ministry.

She gave the directive while presiding over the weekly cabinet meeting at her office, said cabinet division secretary Md Mahbub Hossain at a press briefing at the secretariat.

The cabinet division secretary said that the cabinet also approved four proposals including increasing the number of countries by 44 for Bangladeshi citizens to enjoy dual citizenship.

Mahbub said that the directive on OMS had been given to improve its distribution system.

There was something lacking in the ongoing open market sales operation, he said, without any elaboration, adding that the prime minister might have information about that.

The food ministry has been distributing rice and atta at subsidised prices under its OMS operation throughout the country.

There are 2,393 outlets, of which 911 also sell atta, said the ministry officials.

In the capital, the OMS operation is carried out by 149 outlets and 70 trucks.

The price of per kilogramme of rice is Tk 30 and that for atta is Tk 24.

Each person is entitled to buy maximum 5kg of atta and rice.

The demand for OMS items increased sharply since early this year with the price hikes of rice and atta in the local market.

The price of one-kilogramme coarse rice ranges from Tk 48 to Tk 50 while that of unpacked atta from Tk 64 to Tk 65 in the local market as inflation – officially recorded – rose to over nine per cent in August 2022, highest in a decade.

The price of atta has become almost double in just one year.

The country mainly imports wheat to meet the annual demand for about 21 lakh tonnes of atta.

The war in Ukraine since February 2022 and the price hike of wheat disrupted the import.

It has been reported that people have to queue up for OMS items since early morning, with many returning empty handed due to inadequate supply.

Mahbub Hossain said that the card system would be like that of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh that had been distributing edible oil, sugar and lentil at subsidised rates to its one crore card holders.

He added that the food ministry would chalk out a plan to implement the prime minister’s directive.

The PM also reiterated her previous directive to enhance market monitoring.

The cabinet division secretary said that with the new cabinet approval Bangladeshi citizens would enjoy dual citizenship in 57 countries including the US, the European Union countries, Canada, New Zealand and Japan, said the cabinet division secretary.

The new countries for dual citizenship are Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Sudan, Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda, Burundi, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Libya, Congo, Liberia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Gambia, Botswana, Mauritius, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay, Guyana, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Fiji.

The cabinet division secretary said that a draft of the agreement between the Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh and Qatar was also approved by the cabinet.

Under the agreement, Bangladesh Armed Forces will send 1,129 military personnel to Qatar on deputation.

The pact will remain valid for five years, he said.

The cabinet agreed in principle with the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University amendment bill 2023.

Highlights of the bill, according to the cabinet division secretary, are the four-year tenure of its vice-chancellor from the current three years, increasing the number of syndicate members to 31 from existing 27 and establishment of a ‘quality cell’ under the recommendation of the University Grants Commission.

The cabinet division secretary also said that one of the three members referred by the speaker of the parliament to syndicate will be a female member as per the amendment.

The cabinet approved the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan 2022-41 that aimed at harnessing other strategic papers for ensuring sustainable development amid climate changes.

About $80 billion would be needed for implementation of the plan that would help the country to avail foreign fund meant for climate change.

The plan will be reviewed in every five years, said the secretary.