10-Truck Arms Haul in Chittagong

Babar, Nizami, 12 others sentenced to death
A decade after the country’s biggest arms haul, a special court in Chittagong on Thursday handed down death sentence and life term to former ministers Matiur Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar, 11 senior and influential civil-military bureaucrats and Indian separatist leader Paresh Baruah in two arms and smuggling cases. The judge of Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal 1,

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No approval needed to sue govt officials: HC

The High Court yesterday declared Section 32(Ka) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2013 “illegal” and “unconstitutional”. This section incorporated the provision that makes it mandatory for the ACC to take prior government approval to initiate any graft case against government officials and lower court judges. A HC bench comprising Justice

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Bishwa Ijtema second phase begins today

The second phase of Bishwa Ijtema begins today on the bank of River Turag at Tongi in Gazipur. In this phase, the people from 32 districts will join the Ijtema and the entire ground has been divided into 38 sections (khitta) for allocation to the devotees. The second phase is scheduled to end with an Akheri Munajat on February 2. According to the district administration

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Bangla Academy literary award announced

Bangla Academy, the organiser of month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair, on Thursday announced Bangla Academy Literary Award 2013.
The academy director general, Shamsuzzaman Khan, at a press conference at the academy premises announced the names of ten authors who won

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Nat’l poetry festival begins Saturday

The 28th National Poetry Festival will begin on the Dhaka University campus at 9:00am on Saturday with the slogan ‘Kabita Sahena Danab Jatana.’
Poet Syed Shamsul Huq will inaugurate the two-day programme in front of the DU central library, organised by the National Poetry Council.

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DU English deptt alumni meet today

Former English Department students of Dhaka University will have a meeting at their annual get-together today. The reunion will begin at 3:00pm at the Teachers-Students Centre (TSC) where the graduates are expected to get together. This will be the 28th reunion of the English Department Alumni Society (EDAS) since its inception in December, 1986. Organisers said

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Exhibition depicts relation between people, Padma

Exhibition depicts relation between people, PadmaThe life of the people depending on the mighty river Padma are on display at a photography exhibition at the La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka.
The two-week exhibition titled Life and Struggle of Padma displays 20 black and white photographs captured by noted photographer Sumon Yousuf.
Yousuf has beautifully captured the happiness, sorrow, struggles and simplicity of the people living near

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Two films to hit cinemas today

Two films to hit cinemas todayTwo romantic films will hit the cinemas across the country today.
Both the films, Mahmud Hossain Murad’s Maner Moddhe Lekha and Wajed Ali Sumon’s Ki Darun Dekhte, will be released in more
than sixty cinemas across the country.
Murad’s romantic thriller Maner Moddhe Lekha is produced by Merina Movies. The film stars new duo

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Rash batting dooms Tigers again

Bangladesh’s fragile batsmen caved in for the second time in the game to hand Sri Lanka a massive innings and 248-run victory inside four days in the first Test in Dhaka on Thursday.
Tired after spending nearly two days in the field, the Tigers appeared numb in their thinking, evident in their mindless batting performance in the

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It cannot get any worse: Mushfiq

For Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim it was a Test match to forget. Not only did Bangladesh go down in defeat by a whopping innings and 248-run margin against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Dhaka, the Tigers also suffered the ignominy of conceding their highest-ever opposition score when the visitors racked up 730-6 declared in their only innings. To make matters

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IHF chief due today

International Hockey Federation president Leandro Negre will arrive in Dhaka today to inaugurate the First Security Islami Bank School Tournament, which will get underway on Saturday at the Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium. Negre will also visit the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan before meeting the State Minister of Youth and Sports, Biren Shikder,

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Nazmul blasts, thanks media

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan took contrasting views on the media upon his arrival in Dhaka from the ICC meeting on Thursday, first blaming them for creating an outcry before thanking them for outstanding support.  The ICC meeting discussed a proposal put forward by cricketing giants India, Australia and England, who wanted to effectively

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Pre-activated SIM card sales rampant

Retailers-telcos nexus alleged
Retailers allegedly in association with the country’s mobile phone companies are selling pre-activated subscriber identification module cards in the capital, violating laws.
Stores across the Dhaka city were found selling pre-activated SIM cards and retailers there do not demand any documents although proper

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Monetary policy lacks directive on bank rate cut: FBCCI

The monetary policy statements declared by Bangladesh Bank for next six months have no directives on reduction of high bank interest rate, the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday observed. Commenting on MPS for January-June period declared on Monday, FBCCI said that higher bank interest rate kept adverse impact of

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NBR starts groundwork on next budget

FBCCI seeks proposals from chambers, associations
The National Board of Revenue has started groundwork to formulate the revenue budget for the coming fiscal year of 2014-15 and sought proposals from its field offices in this regard, officials of the revenue board said. NBR field offices have been requested to send their proposals by February, they said. On the other hand, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers and

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Sonali opposes Keya cos’ amalgamation process

Unsettled Loans
Sonali opposes Keya cos’ amalgamation process
Sonali Bank has opposed a proposed amalgamation process of Keya Cosmetics Limited with its three other associate companies — Keya Knit Composite Limited, Keya Cotton Mills Limited and Keya Spinning Mills Limited — due to unsettled loans with different bank.
The state-owned bank’s letter sent to Bangladesh

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Dhaka stocks end the week flat

Dhaka stocks ended flat on Thursday, the last trading session of the week, with an increased turnover. The benchmark general index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, closed at 4,753.17 points, adding 0.09 per cent or 4.65 points. The blue-chip index of the bourse, DS30, declined by 0.15 per cent, or 2.60 points, to close at 1,660.35 points. Shariah index, DSES, closed

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Islamic cos show keen interest to invest: DSE president

Shariah Index
Islamic cos show keen interest to invest: DSE president
Leading Islamic banks, non-bank financial institutions and insurance companies at a meeting with the Dhaka Stock Exchange on Thursday expressed keen interest in the Shariah index, DSE president Ahsanul Islam Titu said after the meeting held at the DSE office in the city.
The bourse on January 20 introduced the

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Recovred money handed over

Sonali Bank burglary
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), on Wednesday, handed over the prime suspects in the Kishoreganj bank robbery case—Habibur Rahman alias Sohel Rana and Motahar Hoissain alias Idris Ali—to the investigation officer of Kishoreganj Sadar police station.
The RAB also recovered Tk. 16.19 crore and

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