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Ashraf, Alamgir speak on phone BNP acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a significant move on Tuesday sent a letter to AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, requesting him to initiate steps to hold fresh talks on Opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s proposal to form a non-party election-time government. Soon after receiving the letter, ... Read more

The nation appears to be breathing a sigh of relief following the prospect of a dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties. On Tuesday, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, wrote to the ruling Awami League (AL) general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, urging him to initiate a dialogue, which

The government and the International Labour Organisation on Tuesday launched a $24.21 million initiative aimed at improving working conditions in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh. The three-and-a-half-year initiative, ‘Improving working conditions in the ready-made garment sector,’ would focus on minimising the threat of fire

Violent Electroal Transition CPD worried about economy The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) yesterday asked politicians to protect the economy from the negative impacts of an electoral transition. “No economic activities and livelihood concerns, however large or small, should be held hostage to our unique democratic practices,” the civil society

Proposal awaits govt nod today The government is going to drop the links of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway (DEE) at Mohakhali, Farmgate, Golapbagh and Maniknagar areas due to complications in acquiring land. The communications ministry will place today the proposal at a meeting of the cabinet committee on economic affairs for approval, said ministry sources.

AL postpones press conference BNP chairperson on Tuesday asked the opposition lawmakers to remain standby so that if instructed they could attend the parliament session, BNP lawmakers said hinting that they were likely to join the session on Wednesday. Though the decision to join the parliament was not finalised we have been asked to remain ... Read more

The airport customs authorities seized 280 gold bars weighing 33 kilograms from a return flight from Dubai at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital on Tuesday. The airport customs assistant commissioner, Kamrul Hasan, told New Age that the gold bars were found abandoned in a toilet of Fly Dubai which arrived

Bangladesh on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States on counter terrorism cooperation. Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs CQK Mustaq Ahmed and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena signed the MoU on ‘Counter Terrorism Cooperation Initiative between Bangladesh and the USA’. Under the MoU both

At least five people including two cops were injured in blast crude bomb in the yard of Bogra shadar police station on Tuesday noon. The activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, allegedly hurled two cocktails inside the compound of Bogra Sadar Police Station yesterday noon, Police said. Nobody was arrested in ... Read more

Leaders of the ruling alliance have dismissed the recent proposal made by the opposition on the poll-time government, fuelling apprehensions that the current political imbroglio will linger for some more time yet. State minister for law Advocate Quamrul Islam has dismissed the proposal of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia to

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday evening claimed that the United Nations assistant secretary general for political affairs, Oscar Fernandez Taranco, welcomed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s proposal for election-time government. ‘He [Taranco] made the phone call to acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the evening and welcomed

European Union Ambassador to Dhaka William Hanna said on Tuesday the ruling and opposition parties could engage in constructive dialogue to overcome the political impasse in the country. His comments came against the backdrop of unveiling of proposals by the parties to end the current political deadlock. “We are encouraged by the

A three-day South Asian Conference on Sanitation, better known as SASOCAN, began in the Nepalese capital on Tuesday with Bangladesh getting praised for its success in reducing open defecation. The 5th ministerial level SASOCAN drew politicians, government officials, civil society representatives and grassroots people from the region besides experts

The website of the fisheries department proudly announces a number of initiatives to stop fishermen from catching brood-hilsa on October 13-23 in rivers of 19 districts. The experts consider this 10-day window crucial to spawning of our national fish. Yet, the department seems to be failing to protect the brood-hilsa as some

Opposition leader Khaleda Zia on Monday proposed a poll-time government comprising 10 advisers from the 1996, 2001 caretaker governments. The head of her poll-time government will be selected on the basis of government-opposition consensus. Khaleda’s came up with the proposal two days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed an all-party

Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Monday termed the opposition chairperson Khaleda Zia’s proposal on an election-time government as “an outcome of her personal vengeance” and said she unveiled such proposal to pull the country backward from its current progress march. In his initial remarks shortly after the opposition

JP not to take part in JS polls if all parties boycott, he says Jatiya Party (JP) chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad on Monday termed Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s remarks as “false, motivated, baseless and unfortunate”. The former president’s announcement came hours after the claim by the ruling Awami League’s general secretary that ... Read more

In an instant reaction to BNP chairperson’s proposal on the poll-time government, eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain on Monday said that it is a good proposal and may help resolve the current political impasse. He said, Khaleda Zia’s proposal can be implemented if all political parties could come to an understanding in the greater national ... Read more

Moody’s report cautions about poll-time politics International credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service warns that the escalating political turmoil in the run up to the national elections may weigh on Bangladesh’s sovereign rating and eventually hurt its economy. In its report in late September, Moody’s noted that the election tension among major political parties was different ... Read more

The ruling Awami League (AL) and the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have decided to hold their respective rallies at the Lal Dighi Maidan here on October 25, thus making the port city a political hot spot ahead of the national poll. This has sparked fears of confrontation and subsequent anarchy among the people. Alhaj ... Read more