Month: February 2009

Shakhawat Liton The special committee of the parliament is trying to work out a way to give legality to the immediate past caretaker government’s rule of about two years, since it stayed in power beyond the three months timeframe allowed by the constitution. The high-powered committee which already opened talks on the matter, also plans ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The United States has hailed the proposed South Asian taskforce for addressing terrorism and militancy as a good idea and expressed its willingness to assist Bangladesh in this regard after assessing the views of other nations of the region. ‘I think it [South Asian anti-terrorism taskforce] is a good idea and we will ... Read more

Education minister iterates tough action Siddiqur Rahman Khan Private publishers and printers have missed the textbook supply deadline of Saturday, as set earlier by the government, according to statistics available with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board. ‘Only 35 lakh out of the total 74.62 lakh copies of textbooks have hit the markets till Saturday ... Read more

Primary Education in A Shambles- 2 One teacher for 55 students Suranjith Deabnath and Raihan Sabuktagin Lack of contact hours behind students and teachers at primary level is one of the main reasons behind poor quality education imparted at primary schools across the country. Lack of enough — and trained — teachers and insufficient

Emran Hossain Achhia and Kulsum wear ankle bracelets like many other girls, but the fashion becomes a source of embarrassment at lunchbreak as they must go outside the workplace barefoot. As the bell for luncheon rang yesterday, the

Staff Correspondent The parliament resumes its session on Sunday after a two-day weekend recess with the main opposition lawmakers still keeping off the house over the seating plan row. Scheduled to begin at 4.45 pm, the ninth sitting of the first session of the ninth parliament will deal with businesses such as regular question-answer session, ... Read more

Mamunur Rashid There has been a spurt in extortion, snatching and many other criminal activities particularly in those wards in Dhaka city which are without any ward commissioner at the moment. At least 23 ward commissioners, who had fled their areas since the emergency rule about two years ago on charges of corruption, are still ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Corruptions and irregularities in the transport sector have increased with realizing extra fares from passengers, snatching their goods, harassing them and making their lives unsafe. Transport owners in the capital and other parts of the country are realizing extra fare from the passengers although price of diesel has been decreased by the government. ... Read more

Ctg Correspondent At least eight workers of rival factions of the Awami League backed Chhatra League suffered wounds following a clash over establishing supremacy at the university train yesterday afternoon. Eyewitness said that supporters of two rival groups of BCL – Ulka and 69 – locked into heated altercation over taking control of the train’s ... Read more

UNB, Dhaka Bangladesh Human Rights Commission (BHRC) chairman yesterday said inquiries would be held if there be specific complaints of human rights violation against former ministers, MPs and others while under detention during the immediate-past caretaker government’s rule. “If there are specific complaints, we will see…We will inquire,” Justice Amirul Kabir Chowdhury told UNB when ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hear people’s complaints and opinion every Saturday from now on at her political office in the capital’s Dhanmondi. Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said this to reporters at her political office yesterday after Hasina’s meeting with Gopalganj district Muktijoddha Command Council and Awami League leaders and ... Read more

RU Correspondent Islami Chhatra Shibir activists along with outsiders staged a big showdown on the Rajshahi University (RU) campus yesterday to celebrate the 32nd founding anniversary of the student organisation, creating panic among general students and teachers. Witnesses said RU Shibir activists and outsiders, including students from schools, colleges and madrasas, brought out a procession ... Read more

A Correspondent, Munshiganj Robbers killed a Bangladeshi stationary shop owner in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday and looted valuables from the shop. The robbers swooped on Iqbal Haji’s Iqbal Stationery in the suburbs of Johannesburg around 10:30pm (local time). They stabbed Iqbal to death, his elder brother Jasim Uddin Bhuiyan said. Iqbal, son of Shamsul Haque ... Read more

Reuters, German U.S. Vice President Joe Biden announced changes to U.S. foreign policy on Saturday that emphasized diplomacy over military power but also urged allies to shoulder more of the burden in tackling global crises. “I come to Europe on behalf of a new administration determined to set a new tone in Washington, and in ... Read more

Agence France-Presse . London BBC television presenter Jeremy Clarkson said on Saturday that while he was sorry for having made fun of British prime minister Gordon Brown’s appearance, he would not apologise for calling him an ‘idiot’. Clarkson, known to viewers around the world as the face of the BBC’s top-rated ‘Top Gear’ car show, ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Three Chinese crew of a Panama flag carrier vessel, including the chief officer, were killed after they had fallen into the oil tank of the vessel near Myanmar on its way to the Chittagong Port Friday afternoon. The deceased were identified as chief officer of the vessel Tan Weifang, 37, third officer Ju ... Read more