At least 1,500 out of 5,000 garment factories across the country are vulnerable to disasters because of structural problems. Most of these 1,500 buildings housing the garment factories have been built on improper structures, making them vulnerable. Some buildings have factories with shopping malls at their bases, others were raised on abandoned buildings after
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Rights watchdog urges police restraint
The Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based global rights watchdog, on Friday urged the Bangladesh government to immediately end the use of excessive force by security forces against protesters. The Rights watchdog also asked the government to appoint an independent commission to investigate the deaths of dozens of protesters, including children, since
Middle class population to touch 5b
The global middle class population is set to touch five billion by 2030, leading to one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century, a UK expert has said. “The growth of the middle class population in the world will mainly emanate from the Asia-Pacific region. Presently, the number is around two billion which will ... Read more
Ershad demands compensation for Savar victim families
Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad on Friday demanded due compensation to the affected families of those killed in the Savar building collapse as well as treatment and rehabilitation of the injured. “We have to take highest state of alert to prevent recurrence of such heart-rending incident. The government has to make arrangement for ... Read more
More war crimes suspects to be tried by the ICT
Investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is preparing to file formal charges against a few more suspects to start legal proceedings after the judgements against professor Ghulam Azam and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman. In reply to a query, the chief investigator Mohammad Abdul Hannan Khan on Friday said more cases were likely
B’desh-Iran JEC meet in Dhaka on May 15-16
The two-day fifth Bangladesh-Iran Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting will be held in Dhaka on May 15 and 16. Dhaka will seek duty-free access for its export items at the meeting, said sources in the Economic Relations Division (ERD). Finance minister AMA Muhith will lead the Bangladesh side at the meeting while Iranian industry, mines ... Read more
Hasan urges Hefajat to call off Dhaka blockade
Forest and Environment Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today called upon Hefajat-e-Islam to call off their planned Dhaka blockade on May 5 to show respect to the victims of the Savar building collapse. “Hefajat’s Dhaka blockade should be withdrawn to help completion of the salvage campaign in the Savar building collapse as well as to show ... Read more
Talks anywhere, anytime
* CG issue should be on the agenda: BNP * Formal proposal in next two days: Ashraf Dhaka, May 2: Prime minister and president of the ruling Awami League Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged opposition leader and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to sit for a dialogue to resolve the long-standing political stalemate that gripped the ... Read more
Savar mayor suspended, UNO withdrawn
Eight days after the Rana Plaza building collapse, at least eight people, including Savar municipality mayor, its councillors and engineers of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya (RAJUK), have been suspended. The decision was taken following a report filed by the probe committee formed by the LGRD ministry. The suspended people are: Savar municipality mayor Md Refayetullah,
Retailers rethink their role after Savar tragedy
In the wake of the worst ever building collapse in Savar that killed over 400 hundred garment workers and injured hundreds of others, some Western retailers doing business with Bangladesh moved quickly to address their public concerns about the working conditions in the country, reports the New York Times. In an article published in the ... Read more
Six BNP leaders get bail
The High Court (HC) on Thursday granted bail for six months to six BNP leaders in different cases filed on charges of vandalising vehicles, attacking police and blasting cocktails early March. The BNP leaders are Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Amanullah Aman, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Abdullah Al Noman and Moazzem Hossain Alal. In response to ... Read more
Inu, Hasan Mahmud urge Hefazat to call off blockade
Describing the activities of Hifazat-e-Islam Bangladesh (HIB) as ‘mysterious’, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Thursday said that they were not carrying out movement to protect the faith of Muslims. “The movement of HIB is not to protect the faith of Muslims. They are working as the shadow of Jamaat-Shibir to foil the trials of
16 more bodies found under Rana Plaza rubble
Sixteen more bodies were recovered from the wreckage of Rana Plaza on Thursday as the 2nd phase of the rescue operation continued for the third consecutive day, raising the death toll in the country’s deadliest ever building collapse to 433. The rescuers recovered 16 more bodies from the rubble
Niko Resources may leave country
Dhaka, May 2: Calgary, Canada-based oil and gas company Niko Resources may leave Bangladesh through a dubious deal with an Arab oil firm without resolving the Tengratila blowout compensation case. A section of officials of the energy division, Petrobangla and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is playing a significant role to facilitate Niko’s exit, it ... Read more
Arrest warrants against two fugitive war crime suspects
The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) issued arrest warrants against Chowdhury Mueen Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khan, two expatriate war crime suspects of 1971, on Thursday. The three-member tribunal, headed by its chairman, Justice Obaidul Hassan, passed the order after taking into cognisance allegations against the two. It also asked the police to execute
Some envoys meet over breakfast
Ambassadors of some developed countries met over a breakfast at the residence of the Danish Ambassador on Thursday. “Yes, I hosted a breakfast for some of my colleagues at my residence,” Danish Ambassador Svend Olling told The Independent on Thursday night. “It’s a routine meeting. It’s not a new phenomenon,” he said
Hefazat firm on Dhaka siege
Hefazat-e Islam Bangladesh (HIB), an Islamist organisation, based in Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Muinul Islam Madrasa of Hathajari upazila in Chittagong district, is adamant to hold its May 5 Dhaka siege programme. The government tried its best to convince the HIB leaders to postpone or cancel their programme but failed. The government made its last ... Read more
EU deeply concerned over labour conditions
Following the Savar tragedy, the European Union (EU), Bangladesh’s largest trade partner, has expressed deep concerns over the labour conditions in Bangladesh, saying that appropriate actions would be taken including through the GSP to motivate responsible management of supply chains involving developing countries.
Garments at Rana Plaza have links to US companies
The garment factories housed in the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar have links to companies in the United States and Washington, with whom they will discuss what roles they can play to improve the working conditions in Bangladesh. “We understand that businesses operating in this building appear to have links to numerous companies in the ... Read more
New Speaker urges opposition to join JS
Voicing her hope that she would be able to play an effective role, newly elected Speaker of the parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Wednesday urged the opposition to join the House and play their role there. “It’s a milestone in empowering women in the country,” the country’s first female and youngest Speaker said expressing ... Read more