Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to attend a business conference tomorrow on building 'Smart Bangladesh', a vision of the Awami League (AL) government to transform the country into smart from digital one by 2041.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex trade body of the country, is organising the event highlighting the contribution of the private sector in building 'Smart Bangladesh' as well as the present context and actions required to take.

The event, titled "Business Conference on Building Smart Bangladesh", will be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the city.
 
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman will attend the programme as special guests.

FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin, at a press conference here today, said the top business leaders of the country will get an opportunity to directly talk with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and express their needs.

Through the conference, he hoped that both public and private sectors will get right guidelines for working together.

"In the business conference, businessmen of the country will able to discuss their expectations and prospects with the Prime Minister. Besides, the businessmen will also get the opportunity to express their needs," he added.

The private sector has been playing a key role in Bangladesh's economic progress since the beginning, he said, adding: "The conference will discuss with the prime minister what role the private sector will play in building 'Smart Bangladesh'."

Jashim mentioned that the Bangladesh Business Summit-2023 was organised to showcase the country's trade and investment potential to the world.

"FBCCI is going to publish a book capturing the achievements of the Summit. 

The book will be presented to the Prime Minister during the business conference which will contain the opinions of experts who participated in the summit while the recommendations and policies discussed during the event will be included," he added.

The apex trade body of the country will distribute the book to the relevant ministries of the government later, he further said.A flood situation is prevailing in theBrahmaputra basin where water levels of major rivers marked further sharprise due to onrush of water amid heavy monsoon rains from the upstream in the last 24 hours ending at 9am today.
 
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials said the Dudhkumar, Dharla and Teesta were following above danger marks (DM) today at three points inundating fresh low-lying areas in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts.
 
The Dudhkumar was flowing above its danger mark by 50cm at Pateshwari point in Kuirgram and Dharla by 9cm above the danger mark at Kurigram and Teesta was flowing above its danger mark by 32cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari at 9 am.
 
"We have taken early preparedness to face any situation during seasonal floods in all eight districts of Rangpur division under BWDB's Rangpur zone," Additional Chief Engineer for Rangpur Zone of BWDB Engineer Md Mahbubur Rahman told reporter.
 
A local road has been inundated in the Pateshwari area of Nageshwari upazila of Kurigram due to the rising floodwaters of Dudhkumar where geo-bags are being used on an emergency basis to save large areas from being inundated.
 
"We are repairing flood control structures and breaches on emergency basis at some 60 vulnerable points alongside the major rivers in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Rangpur districts," Engineer Rahman said.
 
During the last 24 hours, water levels of the Dudhkumar sharply rose by 42cm at Pateshwari, Dharla by 64cm at Kurigram, Teesta rose by 37cm at Kawnia and by 13cm at Dalia points in the Brahmaputra basin.
 
However, water level of the Teesta marked a slight fall and was flowing 17cm above the danger mark at Dalia point at 12 noon today.
 
Water levels of the Brahmaputra also rose by 36cm at Noonkhawa, 35cm at Hatia and 29cm at Chilmari and Jamuna rose by 27cm at Fulchhari, 24cm at Shaghata and 28cm at Bahadurabad, 25cm at Sariakandi, 21cm at Kazipur and 18cm at Sirajganj points.
 
"The Teesta was flowing below the danger mark by 37cm at Kawnia, Brahmaputra below by 36cm at Noonkhawa, 35cm at Hatia and 29cm at Chilmari while Jamuna was flowing below its danger mark by 27cm at Fulchhari and 24cm at Shaghata points at 9am today," Rahman said.
 
According to a bulletin of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) of BWDB, the recorded rainfalls in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today were 101mm (millimeter) at Pateshwari, 77mm at Dinajpur and 63mm at Dalia points in the Brahmaputra basin.
 
"Besides, the recorded rainfalls during the period were 200mm at Cherrapunji, 110mm at Siliguri, 53mm at Passighat, 133mm at Jalpaiguri, 76mm at Gangtok and 41mm at Jalpaiguri points of the northwestern Indian states," the bulletin said.
 
There is a chance of heavy to very heavy rainfall in next 24 hours in the northern and adjoining upstream regions of the country where water levels of the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers may rise at times during the period.
 
As a result, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Teesta, Dharla, Dudkumar and other major rivers may continue rising trend in the next 48 hours.
 
"In the next 24 hours, the flood situation in low-lying areas of Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram districts in the Brahmaputra basin may remain steady," the bulletin added.
 
Divisional Commissioner Md. Habibur Rahman told BSS that the district and upazila administrations, BWDB, local disaster management monitoring committees and public representatives are closely monitoring the situation and taking urgent steps to face the flood situation in Rangpur division.
 
"As per early preparedness and steps taken by the district administrations, rescue and relief operations are being conducted at few flood and river- erosion prone areas in affected areas as the flood situation remains under control, so far," he added.