International Dance Day is being celebrated today across the globe, just like every year amid fanfare, enthusiasm and dance recitals. The day was marked in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute on April 29 to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), the creator of modern ballet. Every year one ... Read more
Month: April 2013
Narigan staged on last day
Syed Shamsul Haque’s periodic play Narigan narrates a universal fact that is much neglected by documented history: the contribution and consequences of women during a war and their sharing of glories and downfalls with the martyrs. Directed by Ataur Rahman, the play has been staged by Palakar on Saturday at the Experimental Theatre Hall. It ... Read more
Bhawaiya songs amuse audience
The prolonged tunes of Bhawaiya songs impressed a large audience at the Liberation War museum on Saturday. Bhawaiya Ongon, Dhaka organised the seventh Bhawaiya Festival as the organisation stepped into its ninth year. A number of Bhawaiya singers from the capital and the northern part of the country presented songs from this traditional
Timeless songs presented at Chhayanaut
Timeless songs of great three poets of Bengal—Dwijendralal Roy, Atul Prasad Sen and Rajanikanta Sen- were rendered on piano at a programme on Saturday at Chhayanaut auditorium. The show titled Three Poets and the Piano was organised by Ohornish Events. Talented singers Nirjhar Chowdhury and Joyeeta presented songs in duet and solo accompanied by Ehsanul ... Read more
International Smile launched
A book titled Intentional Smile, co-authored by Shazia Omar and Merrill Khan was launched at Red Shift Café in Gulshan on Saturday. They outlined concepts for an individual’s mental well-being such as gratitude, positive outlooks, significance of a healthy lifestyle, and the law of attraction in the book. A book titled Intentional Smile, co-authored by Shazia ... Read more
Savar death toll touches 397, four rescued on 5th day
Rescue operations in Rana Plaza at Savar continued for the fifth day on Sunday as rescuers found some survivors inside the nine-storey building that collapsed on Wednesday morning. The death toll in the tragedy rose to 397 on Sunday evening. In total, 2,437 people were rescued so far from the building, including the four, who ... Read more
Rana Plaza owner captured before fleeing to India
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel on Sunday arrested Sohel Rana, the owner of the nine-storey Rana Plaza in Savar, the building which caved in on Wednesday leaving nearly 400 people dead and more than 400 others injured. Sohel Rana was nabbed from a hideout in Ball Field area of Benapole in Jessore. Hours after the arrest, ... Read more
PDB fails to ensure adequate pry fuel sources
The state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has chalked out plans to build the country’s first naphtha-based power plant in Chittagong, but has not ensured its primary fuel sources. According to the BPDB, a tender has been floated to build a naphtha-based power project. It will require around 250 metric tonnes of naphtha every day ... Read more
Amendment to CHT land dispute act stuck in bureaucratic tangle
The amendment to the Chiitagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act, 2001 has landed in bureaucratic tangle, reducing chances of its passage by parliament in the twilight hours of the government’s tenure. The amendment holds the key to the resolution of the CHT issue affecting both the tribes people and the settlers from ... Read more
2 killed, 15 injured in AL-Jamaat clash
Two persons were killed and 15 others injured in a clash between the supporters of Awami League and Jamaat-e-Islami at Shyampur union of Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj district on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Bashir Uddin, 36, son of Abu Bakr Siddique of Lebudanga under Radhanagar union of Gomostapur upazila and Nasir Uddin, 35, ... Read more
PM visits Savar victims in hospitals
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the Orthopedic Hospital here today (Sunday) to enquire about the condition of the Rana Plaza building collapse victims undergoing treatment at the hospital. She talked to the injured persons and the doctors of the hospital. Hasina directed the doctors and others concerned to ensure complete treatment of the 48 victims ... Read more
UPR hearing in Geneva today
The hearing on human rights issues in Bangladesh under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism will be held at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. The UPR is a mechanism established by the UN to assess and improve the human rights situation in each of the 193 member states. During the ... Read more
BNP leaders slam MKA for remarks over Savar tragedy
BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Sunday said the government would be dislodged soon. He also said the ruling party would be “shaken out of power”, referring to the comments made by the home minister that the Savar building collapse was triggered by violent shaking of the building by a group of ... Read more
HC directs BB to freeze accounts of owners of Rana plaza RMG units
The High Court (HC) on Sunday directed the Bangladesh Bank (BB) authorities to freeze the bank accounts of the Savar building owner and proprietors of five garment factories housed in Rana Plaza so that they cannot withdraw money from the respective accounts without paying workers salaries. It also directed the Bangladesh Garment Manufactures
Muhith agrees to resume MPO in schools
Finance minister AMA Muhith agreed to resume the monthly payment order (MPO) for the secondary schools due to heavy pressure from the Chairmen of parliamentary standing committees of different ministries. The chairmen of parliamentary standing committees of different ministries raised their voices in favour of MPO to allocate fund in the up coming budget to
US wants stopping political violence, holding dialogue Khaleda-Mozena meeting
The United States on Sunday called upon both the government and opposition to reach an agreement to stop political violence. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena expressed the desire of his government during a meeting with opposition leader Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office “The US doesn’t want to see any political violence in Bangladesh.
HC embarrassed to hear bail petitions of BNP top brass
A High Court (HC) judge on Sunday felt embarrassed to hear on bail petitions filed by some top BNP leaders including its acting secretary general Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir in connection with five cases filed against them over violence. The other leaders, who filed the bail petitions are Mirza Abbas, Abdullah Al Noman, Goyeswar Chandra ... Read more
Demo in front of BGMEA for trial of culprits of Savar tragedy
Members of different professional groups, including teachers and students staged a demonstration in front of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturing and Exporters Association (BGMEA) building pressing demands for the trial of the Rana Plaza owner and the owners of the factories in the building that collapsed in Savar on Wednesday killing over 300 workers. They also ... Read more
EC to assist govt on safety standards
The European Commission (EC) has expressed its readiness to assist the government by supporting the current efforts to reinforce safety standards in commercial buildings. The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, made the offer in a letter of condolences, sent to President Abdul Hamid over the Savar tragedy, said a Foreign Ministry
SCC yet to prepare list of risky buildings
The Sylhet City Corporation is yet to prepare a list of risky buildings in the city when at least 50 rundown buildings have been posing threat to lives for years. Besides, activities in a number of public and private buildings, which already had been declared vulnerable, are going on amid tremendous insecurity of life,