Opposition leader Khaleda Zia has held out her hope that the initiative of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for dialogue between the two major parties on election-time government would lead to an acceptable solution. The opposition leader who is also the chairperson of
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RMG workers are human beings, not slaves: Yunus
The Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus on Monday said that the wages of the garments workers should be at such a level so that they can live as human beings not as slaves. “We want to show the world that we are living as human not as slaves,” he said addressing as chief guest at ... Read more
Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar bracing for Cyclone Mahasen
The maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been advised to hoist local warning Signal No. 4 (Four), replacing the local cautionary Signal No. 3 (Three), as the cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’ is approaching the Bangladesh coast. All fishing boats, trawlers and marine vessels over the North
Miracle girl Reshma recounts her 17-day ordeal
Reshma Begum, a survivor of the Savar building collapse, seemed relaxed, though signs of panic could be seen in her eyes every now and then. “I never imagined that I would be able to come out of the rubble. I kept praying to Allah,” she told reporters at the Savar Combined Military Hospital (CMH)
Sharif gets resounding victory, picks FM
Toppled in a 1999 military coup, jailed and exiled, Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif has made a triumphant election comeback and looks set to form a stable government capable of implementing reforms needed to rescue the fragile economy. Sharif may not win enough seats to rule on his own but has built up enough momentum to avoid ... Read more
Cabinet approves new labour law
The Cabinet on Monday approved the Bangladesh Labour Law (Amendment), which enables the government to declare minimum wages for workers of any industrial sector after taking special circumstances into consideration. The approval was given at a Cabinet meeting held at the Cabinet Division. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was in the chair.
Rescue operation at Rana Plaza formally ends
The rescue operation for bodies from the wreckage of the collapsed building Rana Plaza in Savar formally came to an end on Monday evening on the 20th day of the operation. Rescue team recovered a total of 1127 bodies so far from the debris of collapsed building. Army officials involved with the operation said they ... Read more
HC clears way for holding DCC elections
The High Court (HC) on Monday cleared the way for holding elections of the split Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) withdrawing its earlier stay order that had suspended all actions initiated by the Election Commission for holding the DCC elections. After concluding the final hearing on the writ petition, the HC bench comprising Justice Naima Haider ... Read more
HC directs preparation of list of missing Rana Plaza victims
The High Court (HC) on Monday sought a list of the victims who were still missing following the Rana Plaza collapse at Savar. The nine-storey ‘Rana Plaza’ that housed five garment factories collapsed on April 24 leaving at least 1,127 killed while more than 2,500 have been found injured till today and several hundred is ... Read more
Ershad’s call to prevent RMG fires
Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad has urged the government and the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturer and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA) leaders to take steps to prevent further casualties in accidents like fire and building collapse in the country’s garment factories. He said, the garment workers through their hard labour are helping the country to earn foreign currencies,
Time is running out to find solution through dialogue: Taranco
Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has said that the time is running out to find a solution through dialogue between the parties to hold free, fair, credible, inclusive and non-violent elections in Bangladesh that will be acceptable to all. “Our concern is that the time is running out and that the quicker the ... Read more
Order on Yusuf’s bail plea today
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 will pass an order on Tuesday upon the plea seeking bail filed by detained war crimes accused nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami AKM Yusuf, founder of notorious Razakar outfit during the Liberation War. Hearing arguments from both the defence and the prosecution lawyers on Monday, the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle ... Read more
18-party rally Wednesday
Being denied government permission, the BNP-led 18-party alliance moved its Monday’s Nayaplatan rally to Wednesday. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu told a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the morning that the rally will be held on Wednesday at the same venue at 3.00pm. Today’s rally was scheduled to be ... Read more
New wage board for RMG workers
The government is going to form a new wage board by next week to recommend an acceptable minimum wage for the country’s readymade garments (RMG) workers. “The board will make recommendations on new wages after discussing the issue with the stakeholders within three months,” said jute and textiles minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, at a press ... Read more
Religious radicals worsening pre-poll situation: Taranco
The rise of social-religious elements like Hefazat-e-Islam is ‘exacerbating’ the situation in Bangladesh in the lead up to the general elections, observed the visiting United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Oscar Fernández-Taranco. “It will complicate the situation further ahead of the general elections,” he was quoted as saying by a senior Foreign Ministry
Cyclone ‘Mahasen’ may hit Ctg; special measures taken
The port city of Chittagong and the sea city of Cox’s Bazaar have taken special measures to face the cyclone ‘Mahasen’. The Chittagong district administration held an emergency coordination meeting today (Sunday) for making the necessary preparations to avert human casualties and loss of properties if Cyclone ‘Mahasen’ hits Chittagong. Chittagong district deputy commissioner
Sharif poised to form Pakistan govt
Pakistani election winner Nawaz Sharif was in talks Sunday to form a new government, as US President Barack Obama said Washington was ready to work with Islamabad ‘as equal partners’. Obama welcomed the “historic, peaceful and transparent transfer of civilian power” in Pakistan, where Sharif’s two biggest challenges are likely to be fixing the shattered ... Read more
No alternative to dialogue: Dipu Moni
There is no alternative to dialogue between the government and opposition for holding the next general elections in a credible manner, and to get rid of the ongoing violence in the country, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni told foreign diplomats on Sunday. She also said that the sooner the dialogue was held the better it ... Read more
Talks could solve political crisis, says Speaker
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury on Sunday said a solution to the current political impasse centering the election-time government could be found through talks. “The two major political parties of the country are sincere about holding talks over the poll-time government; the venue and details of the dialogue are yet to be determined,” she told ... Read more
Jamaat leader Yousuf arrested, sent to jail
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on Sunday sent senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader AKM Yousuf to prison over allegations of crimes against humanity. The three-member tribunal, headed by its chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, is expected to hear Yousuf’s appeal petition on Monday. The tribunal passed the order