Fungus genome map paves way for release of commercially important jute variety Bangladeshi jute researchers are now upbeat at the prospect of commercial release of a new variety of jute — Snow White Fibre — following decoding of the genome of deadly fungus macrophomina phaseolina by a team of local scientists. Globally famed geneticist Dr ... Read more
Other Headlines
Science education on the wane
Number of science students declining alarmingly, no govt initiative to encourage them, The Daily Star- Freedom Foundation roundtable told Science education in the country has suffered an alarming decline over the last two decades as it is no longer considered lucrative and the government remains indifferent to the situation, eminent scientists told a discussion yesterday. ... Read more
Let’s now help build bridge fast
Co-financiers to nudge WB to cut bureaucracy in the Padma project The Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency will propose forming a task force for new procurement arrangements for speedy and clean implementation of the Padma Bridge project. Officials of the ADB and Jica — co-financiers of the project — said they will ... Read more
Sonali in a sticky stew
Tk 2,686cr Loan Scam Sonali in a sticky stew Recovery effort stalls as mortgaged land of Hall-Mark overvalued; company claims it is now totally off business The cash-strapped Sonali Bank is not getting back its money from Hall-Mark Group so soon. To retrieve the money, the quickest way for the state bank is to sell the ... Read more
400 Biman passengers stranded
Flight Debacle 400 Biman passengers stranded Around 400 passengers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, mostly bound for Middle-Eastern destinations, were stranded at Dhaka and Chittagong until yesterday as the national carrier’s schedule disorder persists. The backlog of affected Biman flyers might increase to 2,000 passengers till September 25 according to the numbers of scheduled travellers, flights ... Read more
Disgraced girl kills herself
She could not take it anymore. Sonia Akhter, a 17-year-old garment worker, lived with her parents at a tin-shed house in the city’s Pallabi. Three months ago, they rented two rooms at Tk 5,000 per month. Since the family moved in, the landlady had been keeping the electricity shut every day
Target clean project
Lenders to gain control for containing corruption, ensuring quality The long-cherished Padma bridge project will now be implemented with a new approach, with donors having more clout in the procurement to ensure quality work and prevent corruption in the project. Donor agencies and the government are now negotiating about various options to this end after ... Read more
Cost to go up by $145m
The cost of the Padma bridge project would increase by around 5 percent or $145.75 million due to a one-year delay in starting construction, an expert said yesterday. The bridge project would now cost $3.06 billion. The construction was supposed to be done by 2015. Now, it will take a year more if
Loss of time, loss of money
Bridge Site Protection Loss of time, loss of money Delay to cost govt Tk 100cr more Delay in the Padma Bridge construction is now forcing the government to spend an extra Tk 100 crore to protect an area of the bridge site from river erosion. The government acquired 76 hectares of low-lying land in Janjira ... Read more
Padma shines
WB revives $1.2b loan after govt meets conditions The World Bank has finally decided to revive its $1.2b loan deal for the Padma bridge project as the government has removed the hurdles to end an impasse over the scheme. In a release on Thursday, the global lender said, “The bank has agreed that, upon satisfactory ... Read more
McCullum crushes Tigers
Brendon McCullum was dismissed on the very last ball of the innings; but in the twenty overs prior, the bombastic Kiwi right-hander severely punished Bangladesh and led his team to a comfortable 59 run win in their Group D opener of the ICC World T20 at the Pallekele International Stadium
20 return from Tanzanian jail
Cheated By Manpower Touts 20 return from Tanzanian jail Twenty Bangladeshis who had languished in two Tanzanian prisons for the last 11 months finally returned home yesterday morning. Brokers of unauthorised recruiting agencies lured them to Tanzania promising to get them lucrative jobs but abandoned them at the border of the East African country without
Power prices up by 16pc
The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday increased retail power prices by 15 per cent and the bulk power price by 16.92 per cent on an average for the next one year with a retrospective effect from September 1. Retail consumers will have to pay Tk 0.68 a unit, on an average, to distribution agencies ... Read more
Bangladeshi scientists invent fungus gene
A Bangladeshi scientist has decoded the genome of a most deadly fungus that causes havoc to global jute and soybean production. The fungus — macrophomina phaseolina — also causes seedling blight, root rot and charcoal rot of more than 500 crop and non-crop
Full judgment vs short order
Caretaker Govt System Full judgment vs short order 2 judges dissent from suggestions for polls time govt with MPs, small cabinet Former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque’s suggestions for a caretaker government comprising lawmakers and a small polls-time cabinet do not conform to the short order delivered in May last year. Appellate Division Judge Abdul ... Read more
Many migrant workers risk losing jobs
Biman’s flight chaos Many migrant workers risk losing jobs Several hundred passengers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, waiting at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for last three days, still remain in the dark about their flights as chaos triggered by a massive rescheduling of flights continued till Tuesday. A number of migrant workers waiting for flights were ... Read more
SIM cards to be regulated
The telecom regulator has decided to come down heavily on the sale of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to curb illegal voice over internet protocol (VoIP) operations, and to prevent crimes from being committed with the help of mobile phones, sources said. The
PM reaffirms full execution of CHT peace treaty
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday reaffirmed her strong commitment to fully implement the CHT Peace Treaty and stressed ensuring the hill people’s rights to land so that they do not recurrently face land-related problems.“You (CHT people) should have the trust in
ACC spreads dragnet
To file cases against 20 Hallmark-Sonali officials next week The Anti-Corruption Commission is preparing to file cases next week against about 20 officials of Hallmark Group and Sonali Bank over embezzlement of around Tk 3,547 crore. ‘We are going to file cases against officials of Hallmark and five other companies and Sonali Bank over the ... Read more
Lawmen go unpunished
Extrajudicial Killings Lawmen go unpunished Says HR Commission in its report for UN HR Council Extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances and torture by law enforcement agencies continue in the country with impunity, says a report on human rights conditions. The report, prepared by the National Human Rights Commission, also says while child labour continues to be ... Read more