BNP to convene national council soon Countrywide committees to be revamped after UZ polls: Delwar Staff Correspondent BNP, the main opposition political party in the parliament, will revamp its all committees and associate bodies after January 22 upazila election in order to strengthen the party’s organizational activities BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain and Vice-Chairman ... Read more
Dhaka Mirror
Dealers warned against selling fertiliser at higher prices
Staff Correspondent The government will confiscate dealership licences and forfeit security money if any dealer is found selling fertiliser at a higher price than the government-fixed rate. “Nobody can charge extra money for fertiliser. If anybody is found doing it, then the government will take stern punitive measure against the person concerned,” said Agriculture Secretary ... Read more
Cheaper, low-quality Indian yarns flood market
Syful Islam Yarns worth Tk 25,000 crore were lying in the country’s textile factories, as local products can’t compete with Indian ones due to price difference, posing threat to the growing industry, stakeholders say. They said neighbouring India is dumping its low quality yarn, facilitated by recent depreciation of rupee against US dollar and government ... Read more
New VC Arefin pledges to hold Ducsu polls
Staff Correspondent The newly appointed Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof AAMS Arefin Siddque yesterday formally took charge of the office from former DU VC Prof SMA Faiz at around 10:30am. He said he would take necessary steps for holding the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) elections after talking with the students’ organisations. “Personally ... Read more
Guards revolt in Rajshahi prison
Assault by senior official alleged Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi Several hundred prison guards staged angry protests both in and outside Rajshahi Central Jail last evening after a prison guard was allegedly assaulted by a senior prison official. The demonstrators were demanding immediate removal of senior jail superintendent Harun-ur Rashid till filing of this report around 9:30pm. ... Read more
More teenagers now in crimes: DMP chief
Staff Correspondent The Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, Naim Ahmed, on Saturday said more teenagers were involved in criminal activities in Dhaka these days and urged the guardians to keep their children from being derailed. The city police chief said the police had so far listed more than 500 teenagers involved in crimes in various parts ... Read more
Army troops move out today ahead of upazila polls
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka Army troops will move out for some areas from today for upazila election duties across the country and start their operation from January 20, two days ahead of the polls. The troops will remain at the field level until January 24, two days after the voting, and work as ... Read more
Law enforcers killed 149 people in 2008: Odhikar
Parliament should not grant blanket indemnity to acts and ordinance of CG Staff Correspondent A total of 149 people were killed by law enforcement personnel across the country in the year of 2008, according to annual report of Odhikar, a coalition for human rights. “Of them, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) killed 68 people, police killed ... Read more
CNG-run vehicles’ drivers refuse to carry passengers on metered fare
Traffic police continue taking bribes Staff Correspondent Sufferings of the city dwellers have intensified as most of the CNG-run auto-rickshaws and taxicabs do not carry passengers for a short distance on metered fare. ‘Drivers of CNG-run three wheelers and taxicabs always charge a contractual fare for a destination instead of going on the meter,’ alleged ... Read more
Zimbabwe introduces $100 trillion banknote
Zimbabwe’s central bank will introduce a $100 trillion Zimbabwean banknote, worth about US $33 on the black market, to try to ease desperate cash shortages, state-run media said on Friday. Prices are doubling every day and food and fuel are in short supply. A cholera epidemic has killed more than 2,000 people and a deadlock ... Read more
Three million hit by Windows worm
A worm that spreads through low security networks, memory sticks, and PCs without the latest security updates is posing a growing threat to users. The malicious program, known as Conficker, Downadup, or Kido was first discovered in October 2008. Although Microsoft released a patch, it has gone on to infect 3.5m machines. Experts warn this ... Read more
Plane crashes in New York’s Hudson River, all 155 safe
NEW YORK: A US Airways plane carrying 155 people crashed into New York’s Hudson River Thursday, but all aboard had a miraculous escape as the freezing waters rose around them, US officials said. The Airbus carrying 150 passengers and five crew lost power in both engines almost simultaneously, a highly rare event, just minutes after ... Read more
Tracking reveals albatross habits
By Richard Black, BBC environment correspondent Research by UK scientists may prove vital in protecting the albatross. British Antarctic Survey researchers followed more than 40 grey-headed albatrosses as they flew around the world, identifying where they fed. All the birds which made a circumnavigation stopped for food in the same places. Banning harmful fishing methods ... Read more
Photographs of Madonna could sell for $10,000 each
CNN– Two photographs of Madonna set to appear in a Christie’s auction next month will probably sell for at least $10,000 each, according to estimates posted on the company’s Web site. One, a full-frontal nude black-and-white photograph of the singer, was taken in 1979 by celebrated American photographer Lee Friedlander for a series of nudes ... Read more
Nepal proceeding towards a republic
Shamsuddin Ahmed Nepal is undergoing significant changes. Maoists, who came to power through an election last year, have recently adopted a political declaration to turn the country unto a people’s republic in line with China. They have started unification of left parties. Communist (Unity Centre) merged with the Maoist on Tuesday (January 13) and Masal ... Read more
Chaotic traffic making a comeback in Dhanmondi
One-way system not working well for lax monitoring City Correspondet Dhanmondi residents enjoyed a month-long run of virtually empty, traffic-free streets thanks to the back-to-back holidays of Eid-ul-Azha, national elections and year-end as most of the educational institutions were
Grand finale of Lux-Channel i Super Star tonight
Top ten contestants at a glance Cultural Correspondent The grand finale of beauty pageant/talent hunt “Lux-Channel i Super Star”, will be held at Bangladesh-China Friendship Convention Centre today. This is the fourth instalment of the show. The first “Lux-Channel i Super Star” was held in 2005. Since then the contest has been held every year. ... Read more
8 injured as launches collide on Kirtankhola river in thick mist
Agonising wait at ferry terminals as fog triggers traffic snarl-ups Staff Correspondent Thick fog continued to affect life across the country disrupting traffic, particularly on highways and river routes, on Friday. It affected people in many parts of the country. Commuters suffered due to interruption of vehicular movement on long routes as dense fog blanketed ... Read more
Little impact in north dists as most dealers not selling at new rates
Fertilizer at Lower Prices Little impact in north dists as most dealers not selling at new rates Star National Desk The government’s decision to sell non-urea fertiliser at subsidised rates is yet to leave any noticeable impact on the Boro farmers in the northern region as they failed to procure chemical fertiliser during the last ... Read more
‘Punish attackers on RU newsmen’
RU Correspondent Rajshahi University (RU) journalists have demanded an exemplary punishment to the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) cadres who severely beat up two journalists on the campus on Thursday. They met Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton at the city office of Awami League and placed the demand before him yesterday. At least ... Read more