Headlines

Abdullah Juberee . Bogra The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Saturday warned the government against signing any deal with foreign countries going against national interest and vowed to take to the streets if such agreements were signed. ‘After assuming office, the government seems to be eager to sign deals on issues of national interest and ... Read more

Staff Reporter The three-day-long Ijtema, the largest congregation of Tablig-e-Jamaat, is going to be concluded today with the ‘Akheri Munajat’, which began after the Fazr prayer on Friday on the bank of river Turag. Hundreds of thousands of devotees yesterday passed the second day of Ijtema listening to sermons delivered by Islamic

Demands go down sharply for global meltdown Porimol Palma Overseas employment has come down sharply in recent times as many Bangladeshi workers are losing jobs abroad because of the global economic meltdown, which is unlikely to create pressure on the country’s domestic employment. This apprehension has increased more following Wednesday’s ILO report that global unemployment ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Corruption by customs and civil aviations officials goes unabated while touts and criminals are continuously cheating the passengers and hijacking their goods at the Zia International Airport. To curb corruption at country’s various airports, earlier the ACC wanted to set up its branch offices at Zia International Airport, Shah Amanat Airport in Chittagong ... Read more

JS session resumes today Staff Correspondent The BNP-led opposition is unlikely to return to parliament today as their demand for three more seats in the front row might not be met before resumption of House proceedings this afternoon after a two-day recess. The row over seating arrangements could not be resolved as both the Treasury ... Read more

Abdullah Juberee Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidates who lost the December 29 parliamentary polls attributed their defeat to lack of preparation and disorganisation in the lower units of the party along with machination by the interim administration and the people behind it. A number of BNP leaders, stricken by the electoral debacle, seemed to be able ... Read more

Poll Expenditure Hasina spent lowest in Rangpur Rafique Sarker, Rangpur Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina spent only about Tk 4.22 lakh for election expenditure in Rangpur-6 parliamentary constituency although she was entitled to spend Tk 11.84 lakh. Election expenditure of Hasina, who won the ballots in the constituency, is the lowest among others who ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged people to stay alert against any move to mislead them against the government. “Many people from many corners will try to mislead you so that you lose your faith in us. I request you not to

UNB, Dhaka The United States will extend support to Bangladesh government’s effort to combat regional terrorism, US Ambassador James Moriarty said here Saturday. He made the statement talking to reporters when he was asked about the formation of South Asian Anti-terrorism Taskforce proposed by the newly elected government of Sheikh Hasina. The US diplomat, who ... Read more

Staff Correspondent At least 12 lakh people are afflicted with different kinds of tobacco related diseases which causes death and disability as well as loss of Tk five crore for medical treatment every year. This was disclosed at a discussion meeting on ‘Tobacco Control Act and Development’ organised jointly by Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance, Save Environment ... Read more

3 killed after rape Star Report A five-year-old girl was strangled after being violated at Kashiani in Gopalganj on Friday while a teen-age girl was allegedly raped and then killed in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur yesterday just because she had turned down a proposal for marriage. In another incident, a housewife was raped and then ... Read more

Staff Reporter Parliament resumes its session this afternoon after two-day recess amid uncertainty of joining of the opposition lawmakers who boycotted the session over seat rearrangement by the Speaker. “We are yet to decide whether we will join the session today. We are waiting to hear from the Speaker about the rearrangement of seats in ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The month long Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2009 begins today on the Bangla Academy premises in the city, commemorating the martyrs of the historic Language Movement. With a record number of institutions taking part, the book fair this year will also have special visiting hours for women and

Presidential Polls Zillur collects form Staff Correspondent Nomination form for veteran Awami League (AL) leader Zillur Rahman has been collected from Election Commission (EC) secretariat for contesting country’s presidential election to be held on February 16. Chief Whip Abdus Shahid collected the form from EC Additional Secretary Rafiqul Islam yesterday afternoon. The AL-led grand alliance ... Read more

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka The newly elected members of parliament, who have no residence in the capital city, will be allotted flat on an urgent basis in Nakhalpara and Manik Mia Avenue areas in Dhaka. A decision to this effect was taken at the first meeting of the House Committee in Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Jahirul Islam Jahir, arrested in connection with the killing of businessman Ali Asgar of Lalbagh and slicing the body into 15 parts, was on Saturday remanded in custody for five days for interrogation. The Detective Branch, assigned to investigate the case, produced Jahir in the chief metropolitan magistrate’s court Saturday afternoon seeking him ... Read more

Govt alerts agencies concerned but no list prepared Staff Correspondent The government on Friday ordered all agencies concerned to bar the suspected war criminals from leaving the country. ‘All relevant information about the war criminals have already been sent to the agencies concerned asking them to guard all points so that the war criminals cannot ... Read more

Chevron allowed to extract more gas than tolerable capacity Aminul Islam The daily gas production by the international oil companies in the last few days has exceeded that of the state-run companies for the first time because of the successive governments’ refusal to provide the latter with the required fund to explore and develop gas-fields. ... Read more

Staff correspondent The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday said it would lend ‘moral support’ to trial of war criminals ‘if it is done properly’. ‘BNP was never against holding trial of war crimes. We have moral support to the demand for trial of war criminals. But it must be done properly. It must ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Bishwa Ijtema, the religious gathering of Muslims Ummah from around the world began at Tongi on the outskirts of the capital amid tight security measures on Friday. Organised by Tablig Jamaat on the bank of the river Turag in Gazipur district, the event is being attended by around three million Muslims including around ... Read more