Screen Blabber

 Vote counting got under way in Thailand’s general election Sunday with pro-democracy opposition parties tipped to 

defeat the conservative military-backed government of Prime Minister Prayut 
Chan-O-Cha after almost a decade in power.

Opinion surveys pointed to a resounding defeat for ex-army chief and coup 
leader Prayut after a campaign that played out as a clash between a young 
generation yearning for change and the traditionalist, royalist 
establishment.

The main opposition Pheu Thai party, fronted by the daughter of billionaire 
former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was ahead in final opinion polls.

But in a kingdom where victory at the ballot box has often been trumped by 
coups and court orders, there are fears the military could seek to cling on, 
raising the prospect of fresh instability.

Polling stations closed at 5:00 pm (1000 GMT) after a smooth day of voting, 
with no major problems reported by Thai media.

Preliminary results are expected later in the evening, though the final 
number of seats won by each party will not be officially confirmed for 
several weeks.

After casting her ballot in Bangkok, Pheu Thai’s main candidate Paetongtarn 
Shinawatra showed no signs of nerves.

“Today is going to be a good day. I have very positive energy about it,” the 
36-year-old told reporters, smiling broadly.

Millions of Thais cast ballots at 95,000 polling stations scattered from the 
lush-forested mountains of the north to the idyllic sands of the southern 
beaches.

A turnout of 90 percent in last Sunday’s early round of voting pointed to an 
electorate looking for change, but the opposition faces an uphill battle to 
secure power, thanks to the junta-scripted 2017 constitution.

The new premier will be chosen jointly by the 500 elected MPs and 250 senate 
members appointed by Prayut’s junta — stacking the deck in the army’s 
favour.

In the controversial last election in 2019, Prayut rode senate support to 
become prime minister at the head of a complex multi-party coalition.

– Protest legacy – 

The election is the first since major youth-led pro-democracy protests 
erupted across Bangkok in 2020 with demands to curb the power and spending of 
Thailand’s king — breaching a long-held taboo on questioning the monarchy.

The demonstrations petered out as Covid-19 curbs were imposed and dozens of 
leaders were arrested, but their energy has fuelled growing support for the 
more radical opposition Move Forward Party (MFP). 

MORE/SSS/1625 hrs

As he arrived to vote in Bangkok, MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, said he 
expected a “historic turnout”.

“Younger generations these days care about their rights and they will come 
out to vote,” he told reporters.

While MFP is looking for support from millennial and Gen Z voters — who make 
up nearly half the 52 million-strong electorate — Pheu Thai’s base is in the 
rural northeast where voters are still grateful for the welfare policies 
implemented by Thaksin in the early 2000s.

Prayut also urged voters to turn out in large numbers as he cast his ballot 
on Sunday.

The former general has made an unashamedly nationalist pitch to older voters, 
painting himself as the only candidate capable of saving Thailand from chaos 
and ruin.

But he has lagged badly in the polls, blamed for a sputtering economy and 
feeble recovery from the pandemic, which battered the kingdom’s crucial 
tourism industry.

Voter Pakorn Adulpan, 85, said he was impressed by the quality of this year’s 
contest.

“I am very hopeful because there is strong competition between many talented 
candidates, compared to the elections in the past,” he told AFP.

Rights groups accuse Prayut of overseeing a major crackdown on basic 
freedoms, with a huge spike in prosecutions under Thailand’s draconian royal 
defamation laws.

The country has seen a dozen coups in the last century and has been locked 
over the last two decades in a rolling cycle of street protests, coups and 
court orders dissolving political parties.

The Shinawatra family’s bitter tussle with the royalist-military 
establishment has been at the heart of the drama, with Thaksin ousted in a 
2006 coup and his sister Yingluck unseated by Prayut in 2014.

An unclear or disputed result this time could lead to a fresh round of 
demonstrations and instability.

Adding to the uncertainty, rumours are already swirling that MFP could be 
dissolved by court order — the same fate that befell its predecessor Future 
Forward Party after it performed unexpectedly well at the 2019 poll.

Once results come in, attention will turn to the Electoral Commission, the 
judges and the generals to see what the next steps will be.

 Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday met his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on his first trip to Germany since Russia’s invasion.

Zelensky signed the guestbook at the Bellevue Palace, before heading into talks with Steinmeier. He is expected to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz later Sunday.

 A Bangladeshi origin Malaysian citizen is controlling Bangladeshi manpower export business using MiGRAMS, an online registration portal for workers’ health screening.

A worker have to collect calling visa and then collect E-Visa, and the attestation from the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to make a fly to Malaysia. But he needs a health screening report first as a pre-requisite of getting the calling visa.
For performing the health screening a worker need to be registered in MiGRAMS system by paying 100 ringgit registration fee.
Recruiting agencies complete this registration process and pay the fee of the workers. Upon paying the fees recruiting agents get credit as like a prepaid system. Credits deposited in “top-up e-wallet” segment of MiGRAMS portal.
Now the top-up e-wallet option for paying registration fee is erased from the portal by Bestinet.
This manipulation is depriving Bangladeshi workers of entering in Malaysian labor market which causes a serious threat to this sector’s rich potential.
Along with the workers dozens of agencies who have a good reputation and track record in manpower export are falling in to the image crisis. And thousands of Bangladeshi workers are suffering.
Malaysian government assigned online system provider Bestinet who owned the MiGRAMS. Bangladeshi origin Dato Aminul Islam Bin Abdul Nor is the owners of Bestinet and recklessly created obstacle for Bangladeshi agencies and controlling the whole system.
At this stage Bestinet is allocating credit only for those agencies that are in his syndicate. Thus many recruiting agencies are depriving despite having adequate number of workers demand.
Insiders claimed that Dato Aminul with his Bangladeshi Partners is illegally collecting money more than RM100 for each worker in Bangladesh. Thus, they are earning extra money from the poor Bangladeshi migration aspirant workers.
“Nothing can be done if MiGRAMS registration is not done. We wrote letters to Bestinet, Expatriates welfare ministry in Bangladesh and Human Resource ministry of Malaysia. We hope the concern authorities will take appropriate actions to break the malpractices, Mahbub Miah Babul, proprietor of Darbar Global Overseas
“Apart from access problem to e-wallet, there are some problems we face with the MiGRAMS. Very often a worker need to perform health screening as MiGRAMS authority said it was not done properly. In this case each time we have to pay 100 ringgit for the same worker, he added.

Many Bangladeshi recruiting agencies failed to find the e-wallet option in the MiGRAMS system from the mid-January this year. Later on May 2, recruiting agencies send a letter to the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmed to solve the problem.
On top of that Malaysian Human Resource Ministry wrote Bestinet several times in between March3, March 7 and March 8 to make top up e-wallet service open for all. But bestinet did not do that. Later in March 20, in a letter Malaysian human resource ministry warned Bestinet and said that the ministry received complains that Bangladeshi recruiting agencies are still unable to use the service.
“The ministry hopes that this is the last letter submitted to Bestinet regarding this matter. The ministry is very concerned about this matter because it does not support the implementation of the Bangladesh Employment MoU concluded by this two countries to run smoothly and to achieve the goals desired by the both countries.
“Requesting your immediate cooperation to take appropriate action against this complain” ministry letter read.
Latter on March 22, April 2 and April 16, Bangladeshi recruiting agencies send email to Bestinet seeking the opportunity to pay the registration fee.
“There are two types of problems of paying registration fees from Bangladesh. Firstly, there is no legal way to send money to a Malaysian company from Bangladesh. And the second problem is the Bestinet is not providing top-up to the agencies who are not the member of the racket created by its owner Dato Amin, Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, owner of Sadia International
Shamim also the former secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said, “As per MoU signed between Malaysia and Bangladesh all expense in Malaysian part including system provider’s fees will be beard by the employer. And Health Screening should be done by the Bangladeshi medical centers with the supervision of the ministry of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment.
“The whole process of sending manpower to Malaysia became hostage to the Bestinet in MiGRAMS registration, he added.

What is Migrams?
MiGRAMS is an online portal where every aspirant workers need to be registered for performing health screening. Workers registration need to be done after qouta approval of workers demand in favor of Malaysian employers and distribute whose demands among Bangladeshi recruiting agencies through Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS). The MiGRAMS registration fee is RM100 (Tk2,700) for each workers.

Poor workers are the ultimate victim
Poor people who want to change their fate by going abroad for work are the main victim of this malpractices. At present at least 32,000 workers are trying to get registration. They gave money to the recruiter. And waiting to go to Malaysia.
Md Sujon, healing from Chittagong said, “I gave TK1, 00,000 to the recruiter. I loan the money at 5 per cent interestpoor people rate. Now waiting for health screening. After health Screening visa will be issues. I am waiting for at least two month to perform health screening.
Recruiting agencies are saying they are helpless and aspirants migrants also suffering and blaiming them for the delay.
“Complexity in Migrams registration is delaying the migration process and creating uncertainty. Moreover, country is depriving from remittance, Golam Sarwar, managing partner of Haidory Trade International said.

Who and how should pay?

Earlier the MiGRAMS registration fees were paid by the Malaysian employer. Later on September 27, 2022 in a letter, Malaysian foreign ministry informed the Bangladesh High Commission to Kuala Lumpur that each workers’ 100 ringgit registration fee to MiGRAMS shall be paid by recruiting agencies in Bangladesh. However, for other 13 sources countries employer pay the fees. Only Bangladesh is exceptional.
“in case of other sources countries including Nepal there is no relation of health screening and MiGRAMS. They perform workers health screening from their government approved medical centers. Moreover, employer pay the registration fee for all other sources country, the same procedure need to be maintain for Bangladesh. Md Mizanur Rahman, managing director of Elegants Overseas
A Bangladeshi agency buy credit by paying advance money through credit card in Malaysia and credit were shown deposited in MiGRAMS portal. The option was called e-Wallet Top-Up. Now, MiGRAMS system owner Bestinet erased the option of paying the registration fees from the portal. Now, the agencies who are ally of Dato Amin and Ruhul Amin are only able to pay the registration fee in other ways bypassing the online system.

Poor workers are the ultimate victim
Poor people who want to change their fate by going abroad for work are the main victim of this malpractices. At present at least 32,000 workers are trying to get registration. They gave money to the recruiter. And waiting to go to Malaysia.
Md Sujon, healing from Chittagong said, “I gave TK1, 00,000 to the recruiter. I loan the money at 5 per cent interestpoor people rate. Now waiting for health screening. After health Screening visa will be issues. I am waiting for at least two month to perform health screening.
Recruiting agencies are saying they are helpless and aspirants migrants also suffering and blaiming them for the delay.
“Complexity in Migrams registration is delaying the migration process and creating uncertainty. Moreover, country is depriving from remittance, Golam Sarwar, managing partner of Haidory Trade International said.

MiGRAMS top up system controls the total manpower business?

Every workers need to perform a health screening from selected Bangladeshi medical centers. To perform workers health screening, MiGRAMS registration is a must.
Due to erase the e-wallet top-up system, recruiting agencies need to convince this system owners bestinet for paying registration fee.
“For last one and half month we cannot registrar in MiGRAMS. Dato Amin lead quarter is trying to establish that the other agencies who are not in his control are non-competence. Though we are failing to pay the fee, Amin controlled agencies are doing health screening and paying the as well by bypassing the MiGRAMS’s e-Wallet top-up option, Md Mizanur Rahman, managing director Elegants Overseas. He received order of 1500 workers who are struggling to do registration.
Seeking anonymity a recruiting agent said, “Cathersis International owner Ruhul Amin Shawpon is collecting registration fees in Bangladesh on behalf of Bestinet.”

 The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today called Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a successful economic leader, saying, “You’re inspiration for us.”

“I’m following you for many years. You’re a successful economic leader,” Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem quoted Sunak as telling the Bangladesh premier at their maiden bilateral meeting at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Bilateral Meeting Room on Friday (local time).

According to Tasneem, the UK premier said his two daughters and wife are big fan of her (Sheikh Hasina) as he wished his daughters to be great leader like Sheikh Hasina since he took office in October last.

“You’re great inspiration for my two daughters,” Sunak said.

The British prime minister highly lauded the leadership of Sheikh Hasina for Bangladesh’s prosperity alongside giving shelter to Rohingyas and houses to the landless and homeless Bangladesh people at government expenses and her glorious role in various international forums including climate change.

Sunak said Bangladesh’s economic progress is remarkable referring to maintaining over six percent economic growth during post Covid-19 pandemic period.

He described Bangladesh premier as a “role model” for development.

The two leaders discussed various issues related to mutual benefits of the two countries at their meeting lasted for 35 minutes.

“Our relation is wonderful over 50 years,” Sunak said, adding the UK values relationship with Bangladesh.

At the outset of the meeting, Sheikh Hasina congratulated Rishi Sunak for becoming the prime minister of the UK.

“You’re becoming prime minister in such a young age from the Asian heritage. I feel good by seeing such young men in leadership,” she said.

The Bangladesh premier said her government had already given houses to seven lakh families.

She has also sought larger investment from British companies in Bangladesh.

The British premier said: “We have enhanced business relations between the two countries.”

He expressed his satisfaction over signing a joint communique between Dhaka and London.

Both the leaders also talked about Rohingya issue.

Sunak hailed Bangladesh premier’s humanitarian gesture for sheltering such a huge number of Rohingyas.

He said the UK understands that Rohingyas are big burden for Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the UK for supporting Bangladesh over the Rohingya issue.

“Rohingyas are big burden and great security threat for us,” she said.

Sunak responded positively when Bangladesh premier invited him to Bangladesh to see the plight of Rohingyas.

Heads of the state and government from 130 countries arrived in London to attend the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey, London.

“Of them, Sunak had meetings with only seven of them including Bangladesh premier which manifests Bangladesh has a wonderful relations with the UK in terms of political, diplomatic and economic,” said the Bangladesh high commissioner while briefing newsmen after the two premiers meeting.

The envoy said Bangladesh’s bondage with the UK has reached a strategic level through economic and business relationship.

PM’s Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam was present during the briefing

  Russia said Wednesday it had shot down two drones at President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin residence in what it called a Ukrainian “terrorist” assassination attempt.

  Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at Amsterdam’s airport late Wednesday for an unannounced visit to the Netherlands, with a trip to the International Criminal Court on his agenda, local media reported.

 Zunaid Ahmed Palak : In the last decade, Bangladesh has shown the world how revolutionary progress can be achieved through building a Digital Bangladesh vision as dreamt by our visionary leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It has now embarked on a task to build a Smart Bangladesh to take the country to a next tech hub in Asia.

Just a decade ago, Bangladesh had to import all the smartphones to meet the demands of the country’s growing smartphone users. Now, Samsung, one of the world’s biggest producers of smartphones, manufactures its latest high end devices in Bangladesh.

Since 2021, Samsung started manufacturing its Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G phones in Bangladeshi plants. In the US, this phone costs USD 1199.99 and if imported its cost would be more than BDT 166,000. Thanks to local assembling plants, Bangladeshi customers could purchase this phone at only BDT 119,000.
Not only Samsung, various companies such as Walton, Vivo, Oppo are also producing high-end smartphones in Bangladesh. In 2022, locally manufactured and assembled phones met more than 52 percent demand of smartphones. 
The secret behind such astounding transformation in the last few years is the current governments special focus on expanding ICT and heavy industries. Now the governments priority in this sector has been impeccably explained in its Smart Bangladesh vision.

 Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041 as announced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is expected to achieve zero percent poverty, 100 percent high speed internet accessibility, 100 percent more than 5G smartphone penetration and 100 percent inclusive, circular and cashless economy and expansion of ICT based green industries by 2041. Besides, all the government services will be delivered electronically, government offices will be completely paperless and citizens will live in an absolutely inclusive, empowered and self-sufficient society. 
The Bangladesh started journey towards Digital Bangladesh back in 2009 when the current ruling party Awami League came into power. There was no ICT ecosystem at that time. There were no government services that could be delivered electronically. Only 1 percent of the citizens had internet connection. There were only around 50,000 IT professionals in the entire country. And, export revenue from ICT based industry was only 26 million USD. But the fact of the matter is: under the prudent and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has radically transformed the ICT ecosystem and built Digital Bangladesh over the last decade. Government has digitized 2 thousand services to citizens access to it. Out of 170 million people 130 million people have stable internet connection. Bangladesh currently earns over 1.4 billion USD annually by exporting ICT related services.

The Bangladesh government has implemented this massive transformation by establishing a safe and friendly investment ecosystem for the investors and entrepreneurs. The government has been providing attractive incentives for investors to expand the emerging ICT industry of the country. For instance, IT companies can enjoy 10 years of corporate tax exemption and if they invest in one of the Hi-tech parks established by the government, the duration of corporate tax exemption can be 12 years. Expatriate professionals working in Bangladesh’s ICT industry are exempted from income tax. Import duties for the investors or entrepreneurs for importing capital machineries and other assets are exempted.

Besides these, the investors will enjoy exemption from VAT, double taxation, stamp duty, registration fee (if they want to purchase land) and 100 percent profit repatriation facility. If the investors or entrepreneurs invest in Hi-tech parks, they will also enjoy bonded warehouse facilities.

Such lucrative incentives have already created an unprecedented acceleration in Bangladesh’s emerging ICT market. In the last five years, more than 2500 startups have been established in the country and around 200 ICT startups are entering the market every year.

There are currently more than 400 companies in Bangladesh who achieved funding by renowned international investors such as Soft Bank Group, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Adventure Capital and many others.

 Thanks to these investments, more than 2 million jobs have been created in Bangladesh’s ICT industry in the last decade. In fact, Bangladesh has reached a global milestone in expanding its ecommerce and digital financing. At present, Bangladesh boasts of 181 million users of mobile phones making it the 9th largest mobile market of the world.

There are more than 188 million subscribers of mobile financial services (MFS) who are doing 14 million transactions every day. Bangladesh’s MFS such as BKASH and Nagad (state owned) have earned many national and global recognitions for their innovative and committed customer services. Since 2011, MFS are growing in Bangladesh at an astounding 500 percent growth rate.

Like MFS, Bangladesh’s ecommerce market is also a hidden treasure for potential investors. Global players like Alibaba, Daraz and various national level startups have already created a 3 billion USD ecommerce market in the last five years. However, this is only 35 percent of the total market size and within the next two years the market can be expanded to address the demands of 80 percent of its consumers.
Bangladesh has also achieved a major breakthrough in expanding its digital device market. Even in the last decade, Bangladesh had to import almost all of the electronic products. However, nowadays Bangladesh has become an emerging exporter of electronic products manufactured in Bangladesh.
The country has created a 2.4 billion USD market of electronic devices and annual growth of the market is 29.3 percent. Walton, a Bangladeshi brand has been exporting home appliance electronics and heavy machineries for almost a decade. Products of globally renowned brands like Samsung and Sony are now being assembled in Bangladesh.

In the near future, Bangladesh is going to be a big player in the global semiconductor industry. Bangladeshi researchers in collaboration with their American counterparts have developed semiconductors which have the highest operational temperature of 300 degree celsius, more than double that of conventional semiconductors.

Bangladesh government has allocated 10 million USD to establish Nano Lab to conduct fundamental research on semiconductors in Bangladesh. Besides, four Bangladeshi companies are already producing electronic chips and exporting them to different countries as well. More than 1000 trained Bangladeshi engineers are working in these companies. The government is now giving 10 percent export incentive for electronic chip exporting companies. If the current rate of growth continues, It is expected that Bangladesh will create a 20 billion dollar semiconductor industry by 2041.

Such outstanding progress in the ICT industry has been possible due to Bangladesh governments remarkable attention on creating skilled manpower in the ICT sector.

The ICT division has been providing a wide range of ICT training to millions of youths, particularly women all over the country to become freelancers and skilled IT professionals. Many of these trained youths have later become successful entrepreneurs, freelancers and IT professionals.

Bangladeshi freelancers are earning 400 million USD annually through their skilled and cost-effective services. According to Oxford Internet Institute (OII) and World Bank reports Bangladesh’s position in the online labour forces is second. From 2010-2018, income growth of the IT professionals was around 10 percent, however, from 2019 to till now, the growth rate has increased up to 40 percent.

Utilization of these ready to deploy resources can only be possible if the government can attract foreign direct investments and young entrepreneurs in the country’s rapidly emerging ICT sector. And, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is more than ready for them.

Our next goal is to develop a smart economy within next five years where we shall be able to establish a 100 percent cashless, circular economy. To achieve this goal, we would provide support to develop at least 5 unicorn startup companies (USD 1 billion company each). We have also planned to develop 50 unicorn startup companies by 2041. Our government will do everything possible to attract investors and entrepreneurs to invest in this sector and they will be the key players in realizing our dream of Smart Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has a massive pool of millions of skilled youths, all the necessary infrastructure and extremely conducive environment for young entrepreneurs and large scale investment as well. The initiatives taking by the present Government is the line with the Smart Bangladesh vision there is no doubt that Bangladesh is going to be the next tech hub in Asia and beyond.