Month: October 2013

Senior treasury bench lawmakers in Parliament on Sunday came down heavily on Opposition Leader Begum Khaleda Zia for not accepting the Prime Minister’s invitation to dialogue and sticking to her hartal programme putting country into uncertainty again. The lawmakers accused Khaleda of being

Aircraft crew, officials of various agencies on duty at airport are involved An international gold smuggling racket, with the help of airline crew, security officials, and various smuggling rings, use the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) as a safe haven for smuggling gold from different countries, especially those in the Middle East. Airport customs and ... Read more

The United States and Japan expressed their concern over the escalating political violence in the country and urged the major political parties to engage in dialogue to resolve the current political stalemate. The US continues to urge the major parties in Bangladesh to engage in constructive dialogue to find an agreed way forward to hold ... Read more

His appointment as prime minister’s special assistant cancelled The government on Sunday cancelled the appointment of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Special Assistant Mahbubul Alam Hanif. The government decision followed the speculation that Hanif was asked to quit the post after his reported argument with the prime minister over selection of a candidate for Kushtia 2 constituency. Insiders ... Read more

Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday said there was no alternative to discussion with the issue of ‘non-party’ neutral government on top of the agenda, otherwise the government’s call for dialogue would not be credible to the people. BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a news briefing at the party central office said the ... Read more

Bismillah Group Scam ACC probe team submits report An Anti-Corruption Commission probe team on Sunday submitted it report on Bismilla Group’s embezzlement of Tk 1,200 crore from five banks. Probe team leader ACC deputy director Syed Iqbal Hassain submitted the report to the ACC director general. He sought the permission to sue over 40 persons,

The countdown to the ICC World Twenty20 has been started from Sunday, while the ICC and the host Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) launching the match schedule and the ticket sale at the Hotel Ruposhi Bangla. The 5th edition of ICC World Twenty20 Cricket will be hosted in three venues in Bangladesh from March 16, 2014. ... Read more

Vehicles carrying O and A-level examinees will remain out of the purview of the ongoing 60-hour hartal. The examinations are scheduled to begin on Tuesday. “We have decided to keep vehicles carrying O and A-level examinees out of the hartal purview considering the interest of the students,” BNP Acting

Students, especially of primary and secondary levels, and their guardians as passing their days in anxiety over disruption in academic activities before the year-final examinations because of the political crisis. Schoolteachers feared that they may not be able to complete the syllabus in time although they are taking special or makeup classes at weekends because

The Grameen Bank Bill 2013 was placed in parliament today with a proposal for bringing the micro-credit institution under the watch of the central bank. Three other bills were also placed in the House. The bills are the Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Setting up (Control) Bill 2013, the Asian Reinsurance

Thousands of residents at Hazaribagh in the city are facing severe sufferings due to unhygienic environment because of hundreds of toxic chemical shops there. The chemicals, imported from Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Italy, China, Argentina and Brazil, are used for processing of rawhides, this correspondent was

The foreign ministry officials confirmed the death of three Bangladeshi expatriates in ‘fire’ by ‘miscreants’ in South Africa’s capital Pretoria on Sunday. They, however, said the Bangladesh High Commission in South Africa could identify only two victims — Selim Dewan and Faruk Dewan. Identity of

At least 12 furniture shops and 18 shanties of a slum in the city’s Askar Dighi area have been burnt to ashes in a devastating fire today. Fire fighters extinguished it after two hours of effort by eight units from three stations at around 8.30 in the morning. The firemen are yet to confirm the cause ... Read more

Members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) picked up 12 Bangladeshi cattle traders from Hapania border point in Sapahar upazila on Sunday. Nine of the Bangladeshis were identified as Zahur Ali, 35, son of Faizul Islam, Abdur Rahman, 32, son of Kadir Ali, Ariful Islam, 25, son of Dilu Islam,