More than 10,000 endangered whales and dolphins of six species have made the Bay of Bengal and the Sundarbans estuary a safe home, a month long survey reveals. A group of Bangladeshi wildlife scientists headed by Dr Anisuzzaman Khan carried out the survey and recently revealed that the Bay is still a good abode of ... Read more
Month: March 2011
Where thousands of birds chirp, flutter wings without fear
Thousands of migratory birds are chirping and fluttering wings at Panipara, locally known as ‘Pakheer Gram’ (birds’ village), attracting a large number of visitors and tourists. Different native and exotic birds hover around their roost, a vast water body covering an area of 60 acres of land, some 40 km away from the district headquarters. ... Read more
Anti-graft hope hinges on JS
Parliamentarians, civil society warn against changes to ACC law without proper consultation Amendments without having the opinion of the public and experts will weaken the Anti-Corruption Commission law, parliamentarians and civil society members observed. Former and current parliamentarians gave their reactions after the government on Monday placed a bill in parliament proposing some changes to ... Read more
All eyes on HC
Order on Yunus ‘removal’ today; BNP asks govt to scrap decision The High Court gives its order today on a writ petition of Prof Muhammad Yunus, who challenged his removal from Grameen Bank, amid calls at home and abroad for treating the Nobel laureate gracefully. Bangladesh Bank sought to remove Yunus from the post of ... Read more
Trapped Bangladeshis: Two die after crossing border
Govt urges IOM for more flights Two Bangladeshis died on Friday of heart attack in Tunisia and Egypt where they had taken shelter from the violence in Libya. Of the two, Selim Chowdhury of Noakhali sadar breathed his last in Tunisia and Jahangir Afrad of Narsingdi in Egypt, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes said briefing journalists ... Read more
Finance ministry rejects Grameen claims
The finance ministry yesterday protested the Grameen Bank rejoinder published in different national dailies and said many of the claims made by the microlender are unfounded. In a statement, it said it is better not to make further comments on an issue that is being dealt with by court. The finance minister did not openly ... Read more
Abed points at trust of borrowers
A sudden exit of the Grameen Bank founder from its Board of Directors and a legal battle between its board and the government may dent borrowers’ confidence, putting the organisation’s future in doubt, said Sir Fazle Hasan Abed yesterday. The chairperson of Brac, the world’s largest non-government organisation, in a statement
DNA test to give bowel cancer alert
Scientists have discovered what could be the first step towards a DNA test to detect the early signs of bowel cancer. Tests on two distinct genes were highly accurate in distinguishing between tumours and benign polyps — growths in the bowel that can become cancerous. While not all polyps in the bowel become cancerous it ... Read more
Miseries mount on borders
Thousands of Bangladeshi workers in the Egyptian and Tunisian border of the trouble-hit Libya are facing serious crisis with no food, no shelter, and no help. Till yesterday 4:00pm, a total of 3,491 Bangladeshis returned to the country from Libya, while around 27,000 are yet to return home
Slumdog Millionaire child actress’s home in Mumbai fire
The child actress lost most of her awards in the raging fire in Mumbai Indian child actress Rubina Ali, who acted in Slumdog Millionaire, says she has lost precious souvenirs of the 2008 Oscar-winning film in a fire. The blaze late on Friday ravaged her home and scores of others in the Garib Nagar slum, ... Read more
Man stabbed, Tk 5 lakh snatched
Muggers yesterday stabbed a sales representative of a company and allegedly snatched money from his possession at the capital’s Jatrabari. The injured Amirul Islam, 42, an employee of Nestle Bangladesh, said he went to Jurain Bazar with two of his colleagues to collect money from shops in the
Encroachers gobble up Atir Khal
An NGO team in a visit yesterday found grabbers have been filling the whole Atir Khal (canal) and its adjoining vast wetlands in Basila of the city. The team of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) also found Dumini canal in Khilkhet is being filled and narrowed at many points for different housing projects. Bapa general secretary ... Read more
A Grounded Actress
Tête-à-tête with Bidya Sinha Mim Bidya Sinha Mim stepped into showbiz when she won the Lux-Channel i Superstar title in 2007. Immediately, she was recruited as a lead actress in Humayun Ahmed’s feature film, “Amar Achhe Jol”. “My dreams came true when I won the ‘Superstar’ title and had a remarkable opportunity to work with ... Read more
Chhayanaut’s Yearlong Celebration of Tagore’s 150th Birth Anniversary Reaches 6th Phase
With the staging of “Daakghar” at the Chhayanaut Auditorium by the students of Nalanda [Chhayanaut’s school], the sixth phase of the yearlong celebration of Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary began on March 3. The four-day event, featuring theatre and film adaptations of Tagore’s works, is being held at Chhayanaut Shangskriti Bhaban and National Theatre Hall ... Read more
Girls lured into Philippine cybersex industry
Maricel is a shy, attractive girl, who looks younger than her 15 years. But in her short life, she has already had to deal with experiences that would badly scar many adults. Two years ago her aunt told her about a job in the city of Olongapo, several hours away from her home. “She told ... Read more
Windies blow Tigers away
Bangladesh made a mess in their pursuit of a second win in the World Cup and were shot out for their lowest ever total of 58 runs to concede a humiliating nine-wicket defeat to West Indies on Friday. The match ended well before the scheduled innings break as West Indies overhauled the total in little ... Read more
Grameen bins Muhith claims
Grameen Bank yesterday said it took prior permission from Bangladesh Bank for appointing Dr Muhammad Yunus as its managing director, rejecting Finance Minister AMA Muhith’s claims that it had not. The microlender also described Muhith’s comments on Yunus as incorrect and said it did not disobey the law in appointment of the Nobel laureate
Govt stake comes down to 3.5pc
Sajjadur Rahman A debate over the ownership of the Grameen Bank is brewing, as the finance and foreign ministers have repeatedly claimed Grameen is a government institution. A question about the government’s stake in the bank came to the fore after the “removal” of Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus from the post of its
Over 24,000 Bangladeshis move to safety
Await evacuation from Libya About half of the Bangladesh nationals stranded in trouble-torn Libya are in the process of evacuation on security grounds, foreign minister Dipu Moni said Friday. ‘Those who want to stay back in Libya in general and in Tripoli in particular, should be careful about their security,’ she said, adding, ‘It might ... Read more
Senator Kerry worried at ‘removal’ of Prof Yunus
Senator John Kerry, chairman of the United States senate committee on foreign relations, has expressed concern over ‘removal’ of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus from Grameen Bank, saying the international community would keep a close eye on the situation. “I am deeply concerned by efforts to remove Muhammad Yunus as managing director of the