Headlines

Cox’s Bazar Airport Two foreign aircraft lying abandoned Hired for shrimp fry transport in 2004-05, Ukraine-based owners didn’t respond to notice Cox’s Bazar Airport authorities are facing problem, as two Russian-made cargo aircraft have been lying inoperative in the airport for long. Sources said normal activities of the airport are being hampered as the planes ... Read more

No dept will allow more than 30pc teachers abroad at a time The government has asked the authorities of all the 31 public universities not to allow more than 30 per cent of teachers of a department at a time to go abroad for higher education or for job on leave or lien. The government ... Read more

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday provisionally approved a draft memorandum of understanding with Russia on installation of a nuclear power plant, officials with knowledge of the matter said. Nazmul Huda Khan, science and technology secretary, told the news agency that they expected an agreement to be signed later this month when a Russian ... Read more

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday announced a 15-member squad for the ICC World Twenty20 with young batting prospects Shamsur Rahman and Mohammad Mithun earning call-ups for the first time. Besides, left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak made a comeback to the national team after he was banned for suspect action. Razzak was suspended in November last ... Read more

Says Mexican minister Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said Sunday he had visited the family of a Bangladeshi man who was one of Mexico’s 19 swine flu fatalities and found them all to be free from infection. Cordova told a news conference that the man lived with 10 relatives and friends at the same ... Read more

A third High Court (HC) bench yesterday admitted the writ petition of former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia challenging the Government’s notice asking her to vacate the Dhaka Cantonment residence. The bench comprising Justice Zinnat Ara and Justice Abdul Hakim fixed next Sunday (May 10) for hearing of the petition on Attorney ... Read more

Bangabandhu killers to be brought back The government is expected to sign extradition treaties with India, the UK and the USA, paving the way for handing over criminals from one signatory country to another, it was learnt yesterday. After signing of the proposed extradition treaties, the Bangladesh government will take fresh initiatives to bring back ... Read more

A parliamentary panel on Sunday constituted a three-member subcommittee to investigate alleged corruption in the power and energy sector during the five-year tenure of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance government and a two-year regime of a military-backed administration. ‘We have assigned a committee to investigate the alleged plunder of public money in power and energy ... Read more

Empowerment in local bodies remains still unresolved MPs’ unusual unity to exercise power Conspiracy against local development: UZ Chairmen When the country’s two top political leaders-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Begum Khaleda Zia – are draggersdrawn with each other over various issues, their followers are in an unusual unity at Parliament and local ... Read more

Ctg Arms Haul Case Ex-NSI boss held He allegedly played key role in arranging transport Former director (Security) of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Sahab Uddin was arrested in the capital’s Green Road yesterday for his alleged involvement in arranging transport and equipment for carrying the illegal arms and ammunition seized at CUFL jetty in Chittagong ... Read more

Says education policy formulation committee chief Education Policy Formulation Committee Chairman Kabir Chowdhury yesterday said the government wants to introduce a uni-track curriculum for students at least up to class five. “We would like to eliminate the existing discrimination at primary level education,” committee Chairman Kabir Chowdhury told reporters after its first meeting. On April ... Read more

In compliance with a recent Supreme Court order, the High Court Sunday asked the bigwig fugitive graft-convicts to surrender to the respective trial courts within two weeks. Justice M Imman Ali of the special HC bench passed the orders while disposing of a bunch of pending bail petitions filed by bigwig fugitive graft-convicts. The special ... Read more

Three out of the five journalists who received the “Unesco-Bangladesh Journalism Awards 2009” for investigative journalism are from The Daily Star. The Daily Star bagged two awards in the print media category while Channel-i and Bangla Vision won one each in the broadcast media category. “Journalists are contributing to

Garment factories situated outside the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are getting unequal facilities compared to those located inside the EPZs, resulting them to face various challenges, BGMEA sources said. Factories inside the EPZ, which exports 100 per cent of its production, are enjoying 10-year tax holiday and duty free machineries import facilities. The apex garment ... Read more

More than 56,000 children in Asia will die as a result of the economic crisis gripping the world economy, the Asian Development Bank said Sunday. The sliding growth rate will bring “serious economic and social impacts in the region,” ADB Managing Director General Rajat Nag said on the sidelines of the bank’s annual governors’ meeting ... Read more

A Bangladeshi national was one of eight foreign national who died of swine flu in Mexico, Health Minister A F M Ruhul Haque said yesterday quoting an AFP journalist. “I heard the news (of death of a Bangladeshi) from an AFP journalist,” the Minister told newsmen. Mexico’s National Epidemiological Center on Wednesday confirmed that the ... Read more

BNP ready for massive gathering at Paltan BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family members on Thursday submitted three separate applications to the government for withdrawing 20 cases filed against them by the last caretaker government. Khaleda Zia sat in a separate meeting with the two leaders last Monday and Tuesday as there are conflicts ... Read more

The historic May Day will be observed in the city as elsewhere across the country today with a call for establishment of the fundamental rights of the working class of people. On this day in 1886, scores of workers were killed at Hey Market in Chicago in the United States when the workers staged demonstration ... Read more

Party’s interest more important to union leaders than workers’ rights Opportunism, corruption, undue political interference, workers’ disunity and the ideological divide between the leaders have stalled the trade union movement in Bangladesh for decades, which has allowed the workers’ rights to be trampled across the country, said analysts and activists. The absence of constructive unionism ... Read more

Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain yesterday categorically said the construction of long cherished Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) would be completed within December 2013. “On completion, the Padma Bridge is expected to contribute an additional 1.2 per cent growth to Syed Abul Hossain was speaking at a presentation on design of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge held ... Read more