In today's war-torn world, the words of Gautama Buddha are essential, said the Minister of Religion Md. Faridul Haque Khan.

He made this comment while participating in the 2567 Buddha year peace procession and harmony festival in front of Shahbag National Museum on Wednesday (May 22).

Faridul Haque Khan said, Bangabandhu has talked about non-communal Bangladesh in our constitution. There is no chance for us to do anything against it.

The religion minister said Gautama Buddha preached the message of non-violence and friendship. We always see the message of non-violence in Buddha's words. It helped to make the world happy and peaceful. All the religions of the world, regardless of caste, have spoken of living in peace.

He said, there has been remarkable development of Bangladesh in the last 15 years. Even ten years ago, when I went abroad, I used to wonder where Bangladesh is. We call on everyone to work to keep Bangladesh peaceful by learning from the non-violent words of Gautam Buddha.

Biplab Barua, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and Office Secretary of Awami League, said that Gautam Buddha's words of peace and non-violence are applicable to all people around the world. Not only that but it also applies to all the animals on earth. Prime Minister and Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina is working for a peaceful country with people of all religions against the politics of division of Bangladesh.

Chaired by the President of Bangladesh Buddhist Cultural Council Professor Dr.Uttam Barua it was attended among others by Awami League executive committee member Nirmal Chatterjee.

The body of Anwarul Azim Anar MP of Jhenaidah-4, who mysteriously disappeared during his India visit, has been recovered from Kolkata, West Bengal.

His body was recovered from Sanjeeva Garden in Kolkata's posh Newtown area on Wednesday (May 22) morning.

Anwarul Azim was an Awami League MP from Jhenaidah-4 Constituency. He was elected Member of Parliament from Awami League three times in 2014, 2018 and 2024.

It is to be noted that on May 11, this MP went to India through Darshana land port for treatment. After that, he was in contact with the family and party leaders for two days. Since May 14, everyone lost contact with him.

His family went to the DB office in Dhaka last Sunday afternoon. It is learnt that Anwarul Azim went to India on Saturday for treatment purpose and also to attend the marriage ceremony of the daughter of one of his friends. Family sources said that they are trying to find out the location of the MP with the help of Kolkata or West Bengal police. However, his body was recovered from Sanjeeva Garden in Kolkata's Newtown area this morning.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought Australia's cooperation to increase agricultural production with technical expertise in the agricultural sector.

She said, we have to increase production because our land is decreasing, and people are increasing. Australia can help us in this, because Australia is very advanced in agricultural technology.

The Prime Minister said this during a courtesy call on Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong at the Prime Minister's official residence Ganabhaban on Tuesday (May 21) afternoon.

She said that Bangladesh has been successful in agricultural production, because agricultural production has increased manifold in the last 15 years. But Australia can help Bangladesh increase production further.

At the end of the meeting the Prime Minister's speech writer Nazrul Islam briefed the journalists.

Work on the construction of the cancer, heart and kidney hospital building at a cost of Tk. 128 crore at Barishal divisional headquarter has been completed only 35 percent of the scheduled time in one year.

Although the Planning Commission has recently given instructions to complete the entire project by June 2025 by increasing the expenditure, doubts have arisen regarding the completion of the project within that extended period. The government decided to build 8 similar hospitals in all the divisional headquarters of the country for better treatment of cancer, heart disease and kidney. In light of this, a joint venture company named M/s Banga Builders and M/s Khan Builders-JV executed a contract with the Public Works Department(PWD) on July 19, 2021 for the construction of a 17-storey building at Sher- e -Bangla Medical College and Hospital Campus, Barishal. According to the contract, the work is to be completed on July 18, 2023.

But till May 22 of this year, the progress of the work of the organization is only 35 percent. Sources of the Barishal Public Works Department said that the construction company has already been paid Tk. 28 crore for the 460-bed hospital building. However, the arrears of the construction company are now more than Tk. 12 crore. According to a source, the pace of work has slowed due to non-allocation of funds. However, according to the Public Works Department, the construction company could not perform the work as per the contract. As a result, the funds did not come. We have written to the Ministry for Funding. Payment will be made to the construction company subject to receipt of funds soon.

It has been seen on the ground that only 6th floor of Barishal Cancer, Cardiovascular and Kidney Hospital building under construction has been completed. 7th floor roof casting will be completed in 1-2 days. The PWD officials themselves have doubts whether the construction of the entire building will be completed with the remaining 10 floors cast in the next two years. Several engineers, on the condition of anonymity, feel that there is no option for the construction company to work in wartime activities with the timely supply of funds for this purpose. However, after the construction of the roof up to 7th floors with two basements, the construction company claims that the main reason for the impasse is that the construction company has already owed more than Tk. 12 crore.

On April 29, the proposal related to the extension of the project cost with the increase of the project got the approval of ECNEC, but the related administrative approval is yet to be obtained. As a result, there is growing doubt about the completion of the construction work of Barishal Cancer, Kidney and Heart Hospital building on revised and increased project cost and time. With the extension of two years of this project of Tk. 100 crore the project cost has also increased to Tk. 128 crores.

In this regard, the Executive Engineer of Barishal Public Works Department said that if funds are available, it is possible to complete the work according to the extended schedule. For this purpose, we will create all kinds of pressure on the construction company. However, he admitted that although the amended project was approved in the ECNEC meeting on April 29, administrative approval has not yet been received.

It is to be noted that in the Barishal Cancer, Kidney and Cardiovascular Hospital building, apart from two basements, cancer unit from 2nd to 7th floor, kidney unit from 8th to 12th floor and cardiology unit from 13th to 17th floor are to be set up.