Kazi Azizul Islam Although Canadian import of apparels slowed down this year, Bangladesh’s garment export to that North American country has posted a satisfactory growth rate, say officials at the exporters’ associations. Diversion of a portion of Canadian apparel imports from China to Bangladesh in the past few months helped the exporters, they pointed out. ... Read more
Dhaka Mirror
Massive layoffs expected in UAE
AFP, Dubai Up to 45 percent of the construction workforce in the United Arab Emirates could be laid off, with thousands already having lost their jobs due to the global financial crisis, a report said yesterday. The Khaleej Times newspaper quoted Khalfan Al-Kaabi, a member of the board of directors at Abu Dhabi Chamber of ... Read more
JETRO inks deal with BASIS: Promote Bangladesh’s software in Japan
NATION BUSINESS REPORT Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) has inked a deal with Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) to promote Bangladesh’s software and IT enabled services (ITES) industry in Japanese market. JETRO has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BASIS in this regard on December 15 last at the BASIS Secretariat ... Read more
Electioneering peaks as polls near
Khaleda’s last rally in Dhaka, Hasina’s in Ctg Shahidul Islam Chowdhury Electoral campaigns for the December 29 parliamentary polls peaked as the top politicians, including Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, are travelling across the country and the candidates and the activists are trying hard to reach almost every voter in their constituencies. Apart from supervising ... Read more
Guard polling centres to thwart vote rigging, says Khaleda
Abdullah Juberee . Mymensingh Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday urged the people to stand guard at polling centres across the country on December 29 so that none could ‘rig’ the polls or ‘change’ its results. ‘There are conspiracies to rig the polls at any cost. I urge you to go to the ... Read more
Hasina warns against intimidating voters
Staff Correspondent The Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday called upon the people to vote for her party’s symbol ‘boat’ without fear and remain vigilant against any attempt at vote rigging. ‘Attempts to intimidate voters will not be tolerated. Cast your vote for Awami League to build a
Real politicians ignored as 80 per cent candidates are businessmen
100 accused in murder case Staff Correspondent Of 1579 candidates contesting the national parliamentary election from 299 constituencies, 100 are accused in murder case and 48 are facing corruption cases. Out of 100 candidates accused in murder cases, 24 are contesting from the Awami League, 34 from BNP and the rest from other political parties. ... Read more
Poll set to be held after 2 days amid unprecedented security
Election countdown Poll set to be held after 2 days amid unprecedented security Ban on campaign will be imposed from tomorrow midnight Staff Correspondent A festive mood prevails across the country as the stage is now set to hold the much-awaited national parliament election on December 29 (Monday) amid unprecedented security measures. The candidates from ... Read more
Suspected Santa gunman takes life; 8 others dead
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — Dressed as Santa, Bruce Jeffrey Pardo walked up to his ex-in-laws’ home in Covina, California, on Christmas Eve and knocked on the door. An 8-year-old girl, elated to see Santa, ran toward the door. That’s when, police say, Pardo lifted a gun and shot her in the face. Pardo, 45, ... Read more
Women aspirants for JS seats reach new high
50 to contest in 52 constituencies Rakib Hasnet Suman Apart from Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, a crop of female leaders of different political parties have emerged as tough candidates in different constituencies in the upcoming parliamentary election. This time 50 woman candidates are contesting in 52 seats. In the 2001 polls, 38 women contested
Rural people know little about ‘no vote’ option
Staff Correspondent Apart from a section of the urban elite, the provision for ‘no vote’, introduced in the national elections this time, is hardly known to people in the countryside because of poor publicity campaigns on the part of the Election Commission. In its package for political and electoral reforms, the military-backed government of Fakhruddin ... Read more
Public life intolerable due to tannery
Tannery yet to be shifted to Savar Public life intolerable due to tannery Staff Correspondent “It is not a place for human habitation as foul odours of raw hide covers the area all the time. Specially after the Eid-ul-Azha, it is very difficult to stay here as thousands of raw hides from different places of ... Read more
Demi Moore’s e-Xmas
Demi Moore is inviting ex-husband Bruce Willis to spend Christmas with her. The actress’ one-time spouse will spend the holiday with Demi, the former couple’s three daughters – Rumer, 20, Scout LaRue, 17, and Tallulah Belle, 14 – and her new husband Ashton Kutcher. Demi, 46, said: “We will be having an unconventional Christmas in ... Read more
Tom Cruise’s 6k paper
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are set to spend $6,000 on wrapping paper this Christmas. The celebrity couple – who have a two-year-old daughter Suri together – are said to want to impress friends and family by wrapping gifts in expensive paper. A source said: “Tom and Katie are planning to wrap each present in ... Read more
Festive saviour Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt has saved Christmas for 150 American families. ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ star spent more than £3 million rebuilding 150 New Orleans homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina – just in time for the festive season. Gloria Guy – a 69-year-old grandmother who lost her house, pets and eldest son in the 2005 ... Read more
Jennifer Hudson’s gala appearance
Jennifer Hudson will make her first public appearance since the tragic deaths of her mother, brother and nephew at the MusiCares Person of the Year gala in February. The 27-year-old star – who has been in hiding since mom Darnell Donerson Hudson, sibling Jason Hudson and seven-year-old nephew Julian King were shot in October – ... Read more
Katrina Kaif is accident prone
Mumbai, (IANS): Katrina Kaif is very accident prone. A month ago, Ranbir Kapoor missed his cue and slapped her so hard on the sets of “Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani” that her face got swollen badly and shooting had to be cancelled. Last week, she got her leg rather badly injured while shooting for “De ... Read more
Like Aamir, I’m also quite a perfectionist: Asin
New Delhi, (IANS): Aamir Khan’s perfectionist attitude often sends jitters down his co-stars’ spines. But southern beauty Asin, who is set to make her Bollywood debut with Aamir in “Ghajini”, says she had no issues matching up to the superstar as she too always settles for nothing but the best. “People often call Aamir a ... Read more
Love birds Kangana and Adhyayan defy rumours
Eversince Kangana Ranaut and Adhyayan Suman have been a couple there have been negative reports floating around. Earlier it was said that his father Shekhar Suman was not happy with the alliance. Then that the couple played truant on the sets and irked Emraan Hashmi. Adhyayan clears the air about his girl friend and says ... Read more
BTV reaches 44
A leap or a slide? Sadya Afreen Mallick How BTV has changed! When it was launched sometime around middle of 1964 (under the name of Pakistan Television Corporation), people would excitedly flock in front of the TV sets, waiting expectantly, and all this time, watching a blank screen with the words PTC on the screen. ... Read more