Experts at a workshop here on Monday urged the government to formulate a national action plan to reduce indoor air pollution as it kills nearly 50,000 people every year in the country. They said about 50,000 people, two-thirds of them under-5 children, die each year for using indoor solid fuel since 92 percent households in ... Read more
Dhaka Mirror
JS body decides to summon Matin
Allegation of corruption A sub-committee formed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Shipping Ministry at its meeting yesterday decided to summon former shipping adviser Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin to hear his version about allegations of corruption against him in awarding a container handling contract at Chittagong Port. The sub-committee however did not fix any ... Read more
High-rises raise flying risk
318 buildings defied height limit; Rajuk asked owners in vain to knock down over 100 structures in 2007 Over 300 buildings including high-rises have been constructed in violation of the country’s aviation rules around the Zia International Airport (ZIA) and Tejgaon Airport making take-off and landing of planes risky. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) in 2007 ... Read more
US official links up trial of war crimes with democracy in BD
Tipaimukh issue should be resolved through discussion: Robert Blake Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O Blake has said that that the trial of war criminals should not be politicised hindering democratic progress. He was speaking at a press conference at the ARA (American Club) in Gulshan on ... Read more
SAARC states must step up cooperation, says Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday stressed on enhancing mutual cooperation and assistance among the SAARC member states in Science and Technology to improve the people’s living standard in the region. “The first and main objective of SAARC Charter is to ensure people’s welfare and improve their living standards. Attaining the goal is possible through increasing ... Read more
Laws lack teeth
Enforcement also missing to make matters worse With various flaws and loopholes environmental laws in our country have failed to take any measures against influential quarters responsible for environmental degradation, experts said. The foremost obstacle to implementation of the Environment Conservation Act of 1995 is that an aggrieved person has to take permission from the ... Read more
Opposition boycott continues: JS discusses supplementary budget, lauds proposed new budget
General discussions on supplementary budget 2008-2009 started at Jatiya Sangsad yesterday in the absence of the opposition lawmakers who are abstaining from the House demanding more seats in the front row. In the one-sided discussion, the treasury bench members expressed mixed reactions on the rationale and purposeful utilisation of allocated money and overall performances of ... Read more
Foreign office awaits major shake-up
A major shake-up is underway in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a new foreign secretary taking over soon and a number of new ambassadors and high commissioners being appointed, highly placed sources said. Some of the new envoys are getting contractual appointments. Several diplomats seeking anonymity however said this might demoralise the serving career ... Read more
Gen Moeen goes
Mubeen takes over as army chief today General Moeen U Ahmed is set to retire as the army chief as Lieutenant General Md Abdul Mubeen takes over as the army chief today. Moeen had his last day in office on Sunday, ending his job at the helm of the Armed Forces. He called on the ... Read more
Top leaderships of DGFI, army linked
10-truck Arms Haul in Ctg Top leaderships of DGFI, army linked Claims Sahab in his judicial confession Former NSI director Wing Commander (retd) Sahab Uddin yesterday hinted at links of a former top army official and an ex-DGFI high-up to the 10 truckloads of weapons seized here five years back. The two attended the last ... Read more
Bill moved seeking terrestrial facility only for BTV
The government on Sunday moved a bill in the parliament seeking that terrestrial broadcasting facilities to be reserved only for the state-run Bangladesh Television. The information minister, Abdul Kalam Azad, piloted the bill, Reservation of Terrestrial Broadcasting for Bangladesh Television Bill 2009, which the house sent for further scrutiny by the parliamentary standing committee on ... Read more
Ahmadinejad defends vote as ‘real and free’
June 14: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday his re-election was “real and free” and cannot be questioned – despite accusations of mass voter fraud. Ahmadinejad made the comments on Sunday during a press conference – his first since the government announced that he was re-elected to a second term in a landslide victory during ... Read more
Sitar Agni-porikkha enthrals the audience
The opening show of the play ‘Sitar Agni-porikkha’ was presented at the Experimental Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city on Friday. The monodrama ‘Sitar Agni-porikkha’ was written by Saymon Zakaria and was directed by Abdul Halim Pramanik Shomrat. ‘Ramayana’ by Valmiki is the most popular epic in the Indian subcontinent. It ... Read more
Afrozaa’s exhibition ‘Ochin Pakhi’ ends tomorrow
A solo painting exhibition titled ‘Ochin Pakhi’ by Afrozaa Jamil is being held at Bay’s Galleria of Radius Centre in the city’s Gulshan area. The exhibition has begun on May 15. Parliament member and prominent actor Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the exhibition. Noted artists Ferdousi Priobhashini and Hashem Khan were also present on the opening day. ... Read more
Child labour laws to be updated
Child labour laws to be updated Says law minister The government will update the existing labour laws to stop children doing hazardous jobs, said Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday. Since many families depend on the incomes of their children, child labour should not be stopped straightaway enacting any law, he said, adding that the government ... Read more
Sahara warns law enforcers, asks them to check crimes
Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday warned officials of law enforcement agencies that they would be held accountable for failing to improve law and order in the country soon. “I have ordered the law enforcement agencies to work for improving law and order immediately although they have acute shortage of manpower,” Sahara told the press after ... Read more
Black money legalising is against polls pledge: TIB
The government’s proposal to allow legalise black money is against its election pledge, said the Transparency International Bangladesh in a post-budget reaction on Friday. In a press release, TIB’s executive director Iftekharuzzaman said it was incompatible with good governance and prevention of corruption, the campaign promises of the ruling party. In an unprecedented measure, finance ... Read more
Plan to appoint 13 judges to SC
The government will appoint at least three judges to the Appellate Division and 10 judges to the High Court (HC) Division of the Supreme Court (SC) by June this year as a number of judges of both the divisions will retire this year and next year. The present government appointed 11 judges to the HC ... Read more
Left parties sceptical of budget implementation
Critical of money whitening provision Some left-leaning political parties and organisations on Friday termed the proposed budget for the 2009–2010 financial year ambitious and doubted if whether it could be implemented. They criticized the finance minister, AMA Muhith, for allowing black money to be whitened, saying criminals, looters and plunderers of national resources have been ... Read more
Hill women demand white paper on repression in CHT
Kalpana Chakma abduction anniv observed A section of ethnic minority women staged demonstrations in Rangamati Friday asking the government to publish a white paper on repression carried out in its different forms allegedly by the security forces on the ethnic minority groups. They made the demand along with a few others at a rally organised ... Read more