Headlines

Investigators learned about the patrons following 2 key captures Besides the local chapter of Huji, some political leaders have been helping Pakistan-based militant organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to operate in Bangladesh. Investigators learned about the political patrons from two recently-detained LeT operatives and Indian nationals–Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Mohammad Mansur Ali. They are now working to ... Read more

Row delays hearing of writ petition The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule against the younger son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, Arafat Rahman Coco, and his two lawyers– Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon and Advocate Taherul Islam Tawhid-to show cause within three weeks as to why a direction should not be given to investigate ... Read more

Police has suggested a series of steps including contraction of underground and over-ground railway and elevated expressways alongside efficient public transport systems as Dhaka’s notorious traffic jam exceeds its own records in recent period. “Hundreds of meetings and discussions were held to reduce traffic congestion yielding

‘Workers organization’ changed to ‘workers welfare society’ The Cabinet on Monday approved a bill seeking amendment to the Export Processing Zone Workers Association and Industrial Relations Act 2004 and changing the term ‘workers organization’ to ‘workers welfare society’. The regular cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Cabinet Division, also approved in ... Read more

Drive against adulterated food starts today The government is set to start anti-adulteration drive from today without any sting in the form of strict punishment against offenders, including the persons responsible for making foods toxic. On July 23, the present government approved the Mobile Court Ordinance 2009, which lacks the provision for punishment like cancellation ... Read more

AL names rest of working committee leaders The Awami League yesterday announced the names of 26 members and the information and research secretary for its central working committee shunning the so-called reformist leaders of the party. Fourteen of the 26 are new to the central working committee, making it apparent that party President Sheikh Hasina, ... Read more

Tipaimukh Dam Govt serving purpose of India Intellectuals allege while inaugurating signature collection Intellectuals at a programme in the city on Monday alleged that the present Awami League government is serving the purpose of India on Tipaimukh dam issue to perpetuate its power ignoring the national interest of Bangladesh. “The government which got huge support ... Read more

Thousands of prospective student visa seekers to the United Kingdom for September session are struggling to cope with the set deadline as they are getting appointment for mandatory medical checkup in mid October. To obtain visa before the September session of the UK educational institutions, they have to submit application to the British High Commission ... Read more

Swine flu death toll rises to 6 The number of people to die from swine flu in India rose to six, health officials said yesterday, as the government called for calm and people flocked to public hospitals for tests. The latest to die of the (A)H1N1 virus were an ayurvedic or traditional medicine practitioner in ... Read more

Sand traders feast on greed of BIWTA staff A section of BIWTA officials are allegedly allowing sand traders to extract much more sand than the permitted quantity from riverbeds in the capital, an act that is threatening the channels and courses of the city’s rivers and the densely populated localities along their banks. Officials of ... Read more

A disciplined bowling performance restricted Zimbabwe to a below-par 207 before Mohammad Ashraful led the chase with a breezy ton to help Bangladesh clinch a facile win in the first ODI in Bulawayo. Mark Vermeulen hit a fluent 92 on his comeback after five years but didn’t find much support from his team-mates. On an ... Read more

Jhum farmers face poor cultivation prospect for lack of seeds, abundance of rodents Jhum cultivators in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) areas who were affected by the rodent crisis of 2007 are yet to find their feet back on the ground. This year because of lack of paddy seeds they have not been able to cultivate ... Read more

Maritime-boundary BD hopes to resolve disputes with Myanmar across table New Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes on Sunday hoped that Bangladesh would resolve the maritime-boundary disputes with Myanmar across the table, ruling out any military move from the neighboring country trying to enforce their claim on the disputed portion of the Bay-of-Bengal waters. “We may have ... Read more

Supplementary prayer filed with HC over earlier writ petition A supplementary petition was filed yesterday with the High Court (HC) seeking injunction order upon the government to refrain it from withdrawing the army and their camps from Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) as per the 1997 peace accord. Advocate Tajul Islam, Supreme Court lawyer, filed the ... Read more

JS body also asks govt, stakeholders to outline action plan for manpower export in 2 months A parliamentary standing committee yesterday gave two months to manpower export related government and private agencies for coming up with detailed action plans for restructuring themselves, in a bid to end irregularities and mismanagement in the sector. The parliamentary ... Read more

Hearings of the appeals of convicted defendants in the long pending Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assassination case will start before the August 15 National Day of Mourning, said Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday. The hearings can be held as there is no shortage of judges in the Supreme Court (SC) now, he added. On August ... Read more

Minister for Information and Cultural Affairs Abul Kalam Azad on Sunday said the present government is very much conscious about protecting the rights of tribal people. Addressing as the chief guest a discussion here on the occasion of the World Indigenous Peoples Day, he said the present government led by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ... Read more

BB governor says Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman yesterday claimed the commercial banks were not facing excess liquidity. “Our banks have some Tk 7,500 crore as liquid asset. But it does not mean our banks are facing excess liquidity,” he said while addressing a mid-year business conference of Janata Bank at BIAM auditorium in ... Read more

AUG 9:  Typhoon Morakot churned toward China forcing the evacuation of nearly 1 million people today, a day after lashing Taiwan with torrential rains that caused the worst flooding on the island in 50 years. Twenty-nine people were missing in southern Taiwan, the Disaster Relief Centre said, and a woman was killed when her vehicle ... Read more

1,448 tonnes garbage being dumped into water bodies, drains, open spaces a day More than one third of the uncollected solid waste in the city is dumped into different water bodies, open spaces, low-lying areas and drains every day causing environmental pollution. It happens due to lack of proper logistics, negligence of sweepers and drivers ... Read more