Other Headlines

The country’s mobile phone operators on Saturday expressed their readiness to participate in the upcoming 3G (Third Generation) auction, but they sought regulatory clarity on a few issues, including investment security, tax and VAT. Their demands include reduction of VAT and licence fees for 2G and 3G services and an amicable settlement of all related ... Read more

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed on Saturday appealed to everyone to accept the “people’s verdict” in the corporation polls in four cities. “In a democracy, it’s the people’s right to give their verdict through polls. It’s the responsibility of the Election Commission (EC), law enforcing agencies and media to empower them in this ... Read more

Moderate cleric Hassan Rohani won Iran’s presidential election on Saturday, the interior ministry said, scoring a surprising landslide victory over conservative hardliners without the need for a second round run-off. Celebratory crowds assembled near Rohani’s headquarters in downtown Tehran a few hours before his victory was confirmed.

South Africa advanced into the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy on superior net run-rate after their rain-marred match against the West Indies in Cardiff on Friday ended in a tie. The West Indies, who had to win this match to go through to the last four, were exactly level on the Duckworth/Lewis system for rain-affected ... Read more

All eyes are on Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal, as the residents of the four divisional headquarters cast their ballots on Saturday in a fiercely contested poll to elect four new mayors for the four city corporations. The closely watched mayoral elections have

President Barack Obama could soon decide to cut off trade benefits for Bangladesh, in a largely symbolic response to tragedies in the country’s garment sector that have cost more than 1,200 lives in the past eight months. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office, with input

Six members of a pirate gang, including the ringleader, were killed and four others injured in a lynch-mob attack in Subarnachar upazila early Friday. One of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Selim, 40, the lynchpin of ‘Selim Bahini’ and a resident of Char Majid area. Police said locals chased a gang of 15/20 pirates ... Read more

Senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders have alleged that the elections in four city corporations are likely to be rigged but the leaders of the ruling Awami League (AL) have dismissed such apprehensions, saying the elections would be held in a free and fair manner. BNP leaders believe the election results would have

Alleging that the ruling Awami League-backed candidates are trying to tamper the city corporations polls, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Friday demanded immediate deployment of army at all polling centres for free and fair elections. Addressing a late night press conference at the party headquarters in city’s Nayapaltan area, Rizvi said the ... Read more

Pedestrians who use footbridges to cross roads in areas under the two city corporations (south and north) in the capital run the risk of sustaining serious injuries. Elderly persons and children, in particular, are highly vulnerable.  Either necessary maintenance work has not been carried out or the pace of repairs of the over-bridges is very ... Read more

The United States government has announced a $2.5 million competitive grant solicitation to fund improvements in the enforcement and monitoring of fire and building safety standards to better protect workers in the ready-made garment sector of Bangladesh. The announcement was made on Thursday by US Labour Department’s The Bureau of International Labour Affairs

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni has briefed United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman about the preparations and actions of the government to ensure free and fair elections. During a meeting in Geneva on Thursday, she also discussed with the UN senior official the ways to further broaden the role and engagement of UN ... Read more

Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday said country’s people will give a lesson to the public representatives who behave like zeminders (landlords) forgetting public interests. “In many cases, public representatives put obstacles in the way of demolishing illegal roadside structures and stopping plying of illegal vehicles on the national highways. They behave