Launch Tragedy 26 passengers still missing Our Correspondent, Barisal A day after launch ML Fahmida Happy Express went down in the Kirtonkhola near Barisal, at least 26 people are still missing. Hundreds of relatives were seen waiting at the riverbank for missing people. Many of them were searching for their dear ones by boats, trawlers, ... Read more
Dhaka Mirror
$30m project to maintain voter roll
bdnews24.com, Dhaka The Bangladesh government and the United Nations Development Programme took on a $30 million project on Thursday to further strengthen the electoral system and ensure the sustainability of the voter list with photographs “I am confident that this project will make a significant contribution to sustaining the achievements of the Bangladesh Election Commission ... Read more
Ekushey book fair witnesses boost in sales
Staff Correspondent Ekushey book fair witnessed rush of visitors and boost in sales at Bangla Academy on Wednesday with one day away from Amar Ekushey February and International Mother Language Day. Arrival of new titles also increased with
27 killed as cargo ship rams launch
Over a dozen still missing; capsized vessel salvaged Rafiqul Islam, Barisal Twenty seven bodies were recovered and more than a dozen are still missing after an overcrowded launch, being hit by a cargo vessel, sank in the Kirtonkhola in Barisal yesterday. The launch was carrying over 100
Nation set to observe Amar Ekushey
Staff Correspondent The nation pays homage to the martyrs of the language movement one minute past midnight today amid heightened security at and around the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on the occasion of Amar Ekushey. The president, Zillur Rahman, will first place flowers at the Central Shaheed Minar followed by the prime minister, Sheikh ... Read more
Defence policy in the offing: Armed Forces to be kept above controversies: PM
UNB, Dhaka Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday said her government would keep the Armed Forces above all controversies and build up them as a patriotic, brave, efficient and invincible force. Referring to her party’s election manifesto she said a National Defence Policy will be formulated to ensure security of the people and
Stinky water sickens residents of 6 cities
Shahidul Islam Chowdhury Residents of six cities are not only angry at the acute shortage of water, but are disgusted that the little amount of tap-water they get is contaminated, malodorous and tastes awful. Many of them have been suffering from waterborne diseases after drinking the contaminated water which stinks even after prolonged boiling. Mindless ... Read more
Mojahid, Babar barred from going abroad
Staff Correspondent Immigration officials at Zia International Airport (ZIA) yesterday prevented Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and former BNP state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar from leaving the
Cabinet okays five bills
Anti-Terrorism Bill empowers police to detain any suspects Staff Correspondent The cabinet on Thursday approved five bills for enacting as laws some of the many ordinances, including the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, promulgated by the military-controlled interim government. Fakhruddin’s government on June 9, 2008 promulgated the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance containing many harsh provisions, including the death sentence for ... Read more
Balance of power in Upazila-level stressed
Role of MPs & UZ Chairmen in local dev Balance of power in Upazila-level stressed Sahidul Islam Rana There should be a ‘balance of power’ between the Upazila Parishad Chairmen and the Member of Parliament (MPs) to ensure smooth functioning of different development works in local levels throughout the country. Hoping for massive development, including ... Read more
Tk 7.74cr spent for 51 lawyers, claims ACC
M Moneeruzzaman The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday claimed that it had spent Tk 7,74,41,566 to pay retainers to 51 lawyers engaged to deal with more than 500 graft cases filed by it in the last two years. Some newspapers have alleged that it paid the lawyers more than Tk 14 crore to punish 156 corruption ... Read more
RMG workers passing inhuman life
Work in miserable environment Staff Correspondent Around 20 lakhs workers work in the city’s at least three thousand garment factories in harmful environment about 12 hours per day to earn livelihood. As a result they are being affected with various disease including jaundice, gastric, heart disease, reproductive health problem, sexual, ear and eye related diseases. ... Read more
Google Earth reveals secret history of US base in Pakistan
From The Times Jeremy Page The US was secretly flying unmanned drones from the Shamsi airbase in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Baluchistan as early as 2006, according to an image of the base from Google Earth. The image — that is no longer on the site but which was obtained by The News, Pakistan’s English ... Read more
Geography professor claims to have found Osama bin Laden
A Californian geography professor has used techniques for hunting endangered species to pinpoint three houses in Pakistan where Osama bin Laden could be hiding. By Ben Farmer in Kabul Using patterns of how animal species spread, the world’s most wanted terrorist can be tracked down to a town in the tribal region of North West ... Read more
Milk of Sorrow takes top nod
Berlin International Film Festival Milk of Sorrow takes top nod Shaheen Dill-Riaz, Berlin With the applauses of 1600 guests and the announcement of award-winners, the Berlin International Film Festival 2009 (also known as Berlinale) closed the ten-day-long celebration of world cinema on February 14. The international jury of Berlin Film Festival has surprised the audience ... Read more
Jatiya Kabita Utsab begins
Staff Correspondent With the slogan ‘Joy Janatar Joy Kabitar’, Jatiya Kabita Utsab began on the Dhaka University Central Library premises yesterday. Poet Syed Shamsul Haq inaugurated the three-day festival organised by Jatiya Kabita Parishad by hoisting the national flag
DOHS shock MSC to fly level with Biman
Staff Correspondent Old DOHS and Bangladesh Biman continued their unbeaten run in the Dhaka Premier Cricket League with the defending champions Abahani hot on their heels after playing their respective fourth matches on Wednesday. A fine 96 runs by skipper Mehrab Hossain Jr helped DOHS hand Mohammedan Sporting Club a 38-run defeat while Mashrafee bin ... Read more
Wang advances quarters in Dhaka Bank junior tennis
Sports Correspondent Wang of China reached the quarterfinal of the boys’ singles competition of the Dhaka Bank 23rd Bangladesh International Junior Tennis Championship defeating Indian Sumeet Shinde at Ramna National Tennis Complex, Dhaka on Wednesday. Wang scored a 6-2, 6-2 win over his Indian counterpart in the third round competition to make it to the ... Read more
Fertiliser shortage worries Moulvibazar farmers
Boro saplings threatened for scanty supply Our Correspondent, Moulvibazar Boro farmers in Rajnagar upazila under Moulvibazar district are worried as supply of fertiliser is too scanty to meet their requirement. Boro saplings are now turning reddish for want of fertiliser, said farmers of Kawadighi Haor areas in
Separate ministry and separate budget indispensable for dev of railway
A.T.M.Nurun Nabi Separate ministry and separate budget are indispensable for development of Bangladesh Railway (BR) and time has arrived to reintroduce the tradition of presenting separate railway budget in the Parliament and to have a separate ministry named ‘Ministry of Railway’. In India, there is separate ministry and separate railway budget for ages and that ... Read more