Headlines

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has assured Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of continued support for further strengthening parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh. He also gave the assurance that the United Nations would give all necessary support to Bangladesh to cope with the challenges of global climate change. The assurances came when the Bangladesh Premier ... Read more

Sit almost idle for over 7 months since election; lawmakers, UNOs play major role in development Over seven months into being constituted through public elections, the upazila parishads have yet to start functioning, as the Awami League (AL)-led government is still allowing members of parliament (MPs) and the civil administration to carry out the parishads’ ... Read more

Tk 1,650cr deposited for Uttara, Purbachal plots; allotment not made in 10 months Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) is making profits out of over Tk 1,650 crore deposited by about 1.65 lakh people who applied for plots of Uttara Model Town (third phase) and Purbachal New Town Housing Project around nine months back. Rajuk sought applications ... Read more

The ongoing reform project of the Bangladesh Railway has hit snags because of resistance by officials of the communications ministry who are unwilling to approve the proposed new organogram of the loss-making state-run entity. Sources alleged that the communications ministry has kept the approval of the proposed BR organogram and the line of business pending ... Read more

The prices of essential commodities showed an upward trend in the city’s kitchen markets yesterday defying ongoing market monitoring and belying commitment by the government and businessmen to contain the price spiral during the month of Ramzan. The continued price escalations of sugar, lentil, garlic and ginger proved the failure of market mechanism by the ... Read more

Fish is no longer a favourite option for many city dwellers as selling formalin-treated fish has become a rampant practice in the city’s kitchen markets, endangering public health. “The next time you go to the fish market beware of those fresh-looking fish where even the flies don’t dare to get close… it could be treated ... Read more

The Eid shopping is gaining momentum in the capital as thousands of people throng shopping malls, arcades and markets everyday to purchase their Eid merchandises for near and dear ones. Market operators said good economic climate, improved by huge inward remittances by expatriate Bangladeshis and stable political situation boosted the spending spree of the confident ... Read more

Anti-gastric drugs are surprisingly ruling the country’s pharmaceutical market due mainly to consumption of adulterated foods and lack of discipline in eating habits, physicians and drug-makers said. The drugs for treatment of gastric and ulcer have occupied the top three positions in terms of sales turnover in fiscal 2008-09, according to IMS, a US-based drug ... Read more

Over 10 lakh anti-Swine flu capsules to be supplied to hospitals A total of 10.5 lakh Oseltamivir capsules are being supplied across the country for the treatment of the swine flow affected patients. One and a half lakh swine infected patients can be treated with this volume of supply, said SM Alamgir Hossain, Virologist of ... Read more

A septuagenarian woman was killed at her Central Road residence in the city’s Dhanmondi area yesterday allegedly by her domestic help who made off with gold ornaments and some other valuables. The deceased Sajeda Amin, 70, wife of a late physician, had no child and lived alone in her residence on the first floor of ... Read more

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought technological and financial supports from the international community, particularly resourceful developed countries, to combat the challenges of climate change as Bangladesh is considered one of the worst sufferers for the climatic disorders for no fault of its own.

Primitive signal system leads to frequent accidents; unsafe crossings make traffic movement in city risky Most routes of Bangladesh Railway are very dangerous for travelling at present as the railway still depends on obsolete and dilapidated manual and semi-manual signalling system installed as far back as 1927. Railway officials said use of the age-old route ... Read more

BDR Mutiny Trial 7 out of 10 jurists against army act Seven of the 10 amici curiae have given opinions against trying BDR personnel accused of different offences committed during the February 25-26 mutiny at the BDR headquarters under the army act. Advocate AF Hassan Ariff and advocate AFM Mesbahuddin were the last to tell ... Read more

Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka is likely to be made convener of Dhaka City unit of BNP, according to insiders. Sources said the Dhaka City convening committee along with two other committees, which are yet to be formed, might be finalised at the BNP Standing Committee meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow (Saturday). Begum ... Read more

Leaders of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Power and Ports on Thursday urged the government to cancel the decision to lease out three gas blocks to foreign companies, which allows 80 percent gas export. Addressing a protest rally at Muktangan in the city, they said the government must cancel the decision if it ... Read more

Parliament body blasts its bottled water project The parliamentary standing committee on government enterprises yesterday expressed anguish and dissatisfaction over the service programmes of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA). The committee observed that the bottled water project was undertaken during the period of the caretaker government to serve a vested interest group. The committee ... Read more

The government has decided to make mandatory installation of solar panels in case of highrise buildings having more than 10 floors in Dhaka and other major cities in a bid to ease the nagging power crisis. At the same time, in view of the dwindling groundwater levels, construction of safe and suitable water reservoirs on ... Read more

Seek stimulus package to pay workers’ salaries, bonus Garment manufacturers yesterday sought a Tk 3,000-crore stimulus package from the government to pay out salaries and Eid bonuses for workers. At least 40 per cent factory owners would not be able to pay their workers Eid bonus for failing to get adequate orders from international buyers, ... Read more

Sept 3: Iran’s parliament strongly backed on Thursday a cabinet proposed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that includes the Islamic republic’s first woman minister and a man wanted for bombing a Jewish community centre in Argentina. The conservative-dominated assembly approved 18 of 21 nominees, propelling Ahmadinejad into his second term at a time when the Islamic ... Read more

The answer may be at hand to a crucial question about vaccination for the advancing swine flu one shot or two? Chinese officials approved a vaccine Thursday that they say prevents the new flu in a single dose. If they’re right, it would be good news. Many health researchers fear it will take two shots ... Read more