Dhaka Mirror

Taj says; new name, uniform being picked for overhauled force State Minister for Home Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj yesterday said that the government would take necessary assistance from the friendly countries to modernise the border security force Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), if necessary. Earlier, India and the USA had offered to help Bangladesh reorganise its border ... Read more

No role of upazila, union parishads in TR programme The government on Tuesday issued a guideline on the functioning of the newly-formed upazila parishads without defining the jurisdiction of vice-chairmen. The LGRD and cooperatives ministry issued the guideline, which will remain effective until the Upazila Parishad Rules of Business 2009 is framed. The food and ... Read more

The opposition BNP launched on Tuesday a series of protests spread over a month to protest power, water, and gas crises and ‘worsening security’. Party supporters were holding processions and rallies in Upazila, districts and metropolises to put pressure on the government to resolve the issues. The protests will run from

Advance work in daylight to save 250MW electricity The government may bring forward the Bangladesh Standard Time by one hour from June 16 if an inter-ministerial meeting decision to introduce daylight saving time (DST) is approved by the cabinet. If the system is introduced, clocks will be adjusted forward by one hour. It means offices ... Read more

Local government minister Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said the government will no more allow the law-enforcing agencies to use “crossfire”- killings without trial-as a tool. “Establishment of rule of law is a must for a democratic country and for that no extra-judicial killings will be allowed to be used as a tool of law-enforcing agencies,” ... Read more

Around 80 thousand drug license holders throughout the country including 10 thousand in the capital are running pharmacy business mostly with unskilled manpower creating several problems during dealing with customers. Around 80 thousand drug licenses including 10 thousand in the capital for running pharmacy business have been issued to applicants who have trade licenses and ... Read more

Police yesterday arrested Jubok Housing Society Chairman M Lokman Hossain on charges of fraud, in a pre-dawn sweep at a house at Dhanmondi in the city. Meanwhile, police took Lokman on seven days’ remand in connection with two fraud cases filed against him with Dhanmondi police station. Talking to this correspondent SI Atikur Rahman of ... Read more

Fate of some ministers hinges on performance The major reshuffle in the cabinet which seemed eminent earlier is now likely to be delayed by another month in view of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s decision to watch the performance of incumbent cabinet members for six months. Sheikh Hasina reportedly told the cabinet meeting on Monday to ... Read more

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha would soon go for action against nearly 2,500 buildings identified to have been constructed in deviation from their approved designs, officials said. About 90 per cent of more than 10 lakh buildings in the capital have been constructed without following the designs approved by the city development authorities, officials added. They also ... Read more

The cabinet Monday approved in principle amendment to the Anti-Corruption Commission law with a lenient provision granting logical time for self-defense to an accused in corruption case or a corruption suspect before incarcerating them. At its regular meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, the cabinet gave the approval ... Read more

Mindless use in Dhamrai farmlands causes death of 3 kids in a month; many others ill Excessive use of pesticides on farmlands in two villages of Dhamrai upazila caused death of at least three children last month. It also killed a number of calves, dogs and fowls. Besides, 13 more children, all aged below seven, ... Read more

Growth rate decreases due to global recession, says BBS Per capita income in Bangladesh shot up to $690 this fiscal year (FY) from the previous year’s $608 demonstrating the country’s overall income significantly increased though GDP growth fell. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) calculated per capita income in the current FY, based on its estimate ... Read more

Violation Of Minorities’ Rights Bangladesh dropped from US watch list The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a US Congressional panel, dropped Bangladesh from its Watch List of countries deemed to violate minorities’ right to religious freedom. The absence of measures to promote minority voting rights and the failure of the government to ... Read more

A former director of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Wing Commander Mohammad Sahab Uddin, arrested on Saturday, was remanded to police for three days. The CID officials appealed to the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Hannan for five days remand of the former NSI Director. But the Magistrate granted three days remand. He is now under ... Read more

HC verdict on 5th amendment The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday granted permission to BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain and three other lawyers for filing fresh leave-to-appeal petitions within four weeks against the High Court (HC) judgement that had declared illegal the 5th amendment to the Constitution. The seven-member full bench ... Read more

Around 47 percent of country’s total population in rural areas is still living below the poverty line due to absence of pragmatic policies and its implementation and lack of coordination among different development partners. This revelation was made by speakers at a roundtable discussion on ‘creating job opportunities for distressed women at village level’ at ... Read more

At least two persons were injured seriously and five motor vehicles suffered damage when an oil tanker caught fire at the CNG filling station near the Metropolitan Hospital at Mohakhali yesterday evening. Muhammad Omar Faruq, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station, told the New Nation that firefighters doused the fire at around 6:30pm. The fire broke ... Read more

Cox’s Bazar Airport Two foreign aircraft lying abandoned Hired for shrimp fry transport in 2004-05, Ukraine-based owners didn’t respond to notice Cox’s Bazar Airport authorities are facing problem, as two Russian-made cargo aircraft have been lying inoperative in the airport for long. Sources said normal activities of the airport are being hampered as the planes ... Read more

No dept will allow more than 30pc teachers abroad at a time The government has asked the authorities of all the 31 public universities not to allow more than 30 per cent of teachers of a department at a time to go abroad for higher education or for job on leave or lien. The government ... Read more

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday provisionally approved a draft memorandum of understanding with Russia on installation of a nuclear power plant, officials with knowledge of the matter said. Nazmul Huda Khan, science and technology secretary, told the news agency that they expected an agreement to be signed later this month when a Russian ... Read more