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June 21: More than 30 thousand people of Cox’s Bazar town are in fear of eviction. People of Nazirartek, Kutubdiapara, Fadhanardail, and Charpara slums adjacent to Cox’s Bazar Airport are in fear of eviction following a visit by the members of JS standing committee on Civil Aviation and Tourism to Cox’s Bazar from June-18 to ... Read more

The number of child workers aged between five and 14 in the country is 2.65 million, according to Bureau of Statistics survey of 2002-3 which is the latest survey report. Of them, 0.56 million children are engaged in risky jobs, Labour and Employment Minister Engineer Khondakar Mosharraf Hossain said in reply to a question asked ... Read more

Two sisters were acid-burned in the early hours Saturday in a sequel to their parents’ refusal to a marriage proposal about one and a half years ago. Asadullah Akash, a pickup truck helper of Bogra, threw acid on Mahmuda Akhter Shimu, 16, and her sister Masuma Akhter Shantona, 25, in Kishoreganj upazila, Nilphamari. Both the ... Read more

BNP Secretary General Advocate Khandakar Delwar Hossian yesterday said the caretaker government system is needed until changes and thinking in the minds of political leaders, and the party influence on the administration are removed. The secretary general was addressing a press briefing at their party office in Naya Paltan in the city. BNP joint secretary ... Read more

Barapukuria mine operating amid high risk, they observe While dissecting the draft coal policy at a four-day brainstorming session, a panel of expatriate and local experts emphasised on health and environmental aspects in finalising the policy that should additionally be trimmed down. They said that the policy should dictate that health and environment should represent ... Read more

The authority of Jahangirnagar University (JU) is reportedly going to appoint about 50 new teachers not on the basis of merit of the candidates but on political consideration and their close relationship with influential teachers of the university. The vice- chancellor of JU, Dr. Shariff Enamul Kabir, who took over charge when Awami League came ... Read more

Speakers at a budget discussion here yesterday suggested that the government allow whitening of black money in exchange for payment of 15 to 25 percent taxes. The chance of whitening black money should be given to the holders for only one year and if any discrepancy is found in declaring the sum of their black ... Read more

A number of ruling party lawmakers yesterday criticised the propose budget for keeping the provision of money whitening. The ruling party, however, praised the budget by terming it chartered for change, pro-people and investment friendly. During the budget discussion, several lawmakers said the provision went against the electoral manifesto of ruling

Former deputy speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiki was yesterday released on bail from Naogaon jail in connection with a sedition case. The Court of District and Sessions Judge M Habibur Rahman granted him bail in the sedition case early in the day. A crowd of party-men and relatives at the jail gate greeted BNP bigwig Hamid ... Read more

The government has reduced the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Tk 150 per cylinder with effect from tomorrow (Friday). Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) yesterday fixed the new price of 12.5 kg cylinders following recommendation from Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC). “We have reduced LPG price of each cylinder from Tk 850 to 700,” ... Read more

Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) president Golam Mostafa Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over the proposed budget saying all its demands to keep the prospective manpower export sector alive have been overlooked. Terming the budget as frustrating, he said the government’s ‘charter of change’ is unlikely to achieve if the sector neglected. The BAIRA president ... Read more

Nat’l Environment Committee No meeting in more than a decade The national environment committee headed by the prime minister to deal with environment issues did not hold a single meeting in more than a decade, a parliamentary sub-committee disclosed yesterday, and urged the national committee to sit immediately. Although environmental disasters occurred repeatedly, the highest ... Read more

Swine flu cases in Arab states in the Gulf, a high-traffic transit zone for millions of air travellers, rose to 34 on Tuesday after Qatar reported its first cases, two of them young boys. Three people arriving in Doha on international flights were diagnosed with A(H1N1) influenza, and Kuwait also reported that one of its ... Read more

Minister tells JS; also reveals measures to check river pollution, encroachment The UK government has pledged to commit around $150 million to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund to be formed by Bangladesh to cope with the climate change. Speaking in parliament, State Minister for Environment and Forest Mostafizur Rahman said formation of the fund is now ... Read more

Lawmakers of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday demanded trial of the immediate-past army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed, on charges of sedition and violation of the constitution, the Army Act, service rules and for vitiating the discipline of the armed forces. They also demanded trial of the former adviser of the interim government ... Read more

Says Muhith on money-whitening Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the black money holders will in no way be asked any question about the source of money they would invest under the amnesty proposed in the new budget. “If we ask question about the source of money, the purpose of the amnesty will not be ... Read more

Supplementary budget passed Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the immediate past caretaker government should be thanked for returning democracy to the country instead of letting the country fall into the grip of a martial law following the expiry of its tenure. He made the comment in parliament during his supplementary budget speech. The parliament ... Read more

The government plans to construct an elevated expressway in the capital to reduce traffic congestion. This is one of the projects, which will be implemented under the initiative of Public Private Partnership (PPP), according to sources in the Cabinet Division. The sources said the project is likely to be placed at the meeting of Cabinet ... Read more

Internationally renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist Dr Shahidul Alam who was detained by the Indian border guards Tuesday afternoon when he was taking photographs in Bangladesh’s Roumari frontiers in Kurigram was released after six hours’ detention. The commanding officer of the 6 Rifles Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Mizan, told New Age at 11:30pm over telephone that his troops ... Read more

JS body suggests A parliamentary standing committee yesterday recommended offloading 40-49 percent shares of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd onto non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) to improve the financial strength of the national flag carrier and make it profitable. The parliamentary body on the civil aviation and tourism ministry also asked the Biman management to lease three Boeing-777s ... Read more