Muhith tells JS he’s upbeat Staff Correspondent Finance Minister AMA Muhith is optimistic about getting back the money siphoned off by Arafat Rahman Koko, Khaleda Zia’s youngest son. “We are trying to get the money back and some steps have already been taken in this regard,” Muhith told the parliament replying to a supplementary question ... Read more
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MPs-UZ chairmen discord may foil bid to make local govt system effective
Staff Correspondent The initiatives to establish a strong and effective local government system might be frustrated due to lack of coordination between Upazila Chairmen and MPs as they have already been locked in discords on several issues. This observation was made by participants at a round table discussion on ‘strong and effective local government’ organised ... Read more
Milk powder companies struggling to regain market
Syful Islam Five milk powder brands, which were accused of melamine contamination, are now struggling to bring back consumers confidence and regain the market informed sources said. The changed world economic situation also pushed those towards terrific situation as those are facing stiff price competition from the market competitors. “Consumers are yet to get back ... Read more
Shake-up in jail admin
Jail code violation to be probed Staff Correspondent Three deputy inspector generals (DIG-Prisons) including Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique were transferred yesterday. Meanwhile, the jail directorate yesterday formed a two-member internal committee to probe into the jail code violation by the authorities of the Dhaka Central Jail. As many as 400 visitors were permitted to meet ... Read more
Big cut in revenue target likely
Staff Correspondent The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is likely to reduce its annual income target by around Tk 2,000 crore due to the slide in import duties caused by the falling prices of commodities in the international market, said its officials on Monday. ‘The revised target may be reduced to Tk 52,500 crore from ... Read more
Dr Yunus tells world meet: Poor to be affected by global financial crisis
UNB, Dhaka Micro-finance pioneer Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus told the World Economic Forum in Davos that world’s poor people would be the ones most affected by the ongoing global financial crisis. A panelist at the Davos Philanthropic Roundtable, Professor Yunus said when the world is busy talking about bailout packages for companies, at the ... Read more
Priyanka Gandhi due today
Diplomatic Correspondent Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of ruling Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi of India, will arrive Dhaka this afternoon on a two-day visit to observe Brac’s education programme. On her arrival at 3:30 pm at the Zia International Airport on board a Jet Airlines, Brac Executive Director Mahbub Hossain, Director Ahmed Nazmul Hossain and ... Read more
Details of expenditure by ministries and divisions demanded
Asif Showkat The finance ministry has asked the ministries and divisions to gather and send detailed information on seven items of expenditure including their consumption of fuel and the latest status of the implementation of their macro–credit programmes before the upcoming budget meetings, said official sources. ‘The government will not provide a single penny to ... Read more
Trapped into ‘slavery’ in fishermen’s colonies
10,000 boys under forced labour in coastal belts Staff Correspondent, Khulna Victims of forced child labour, a large number of minor boys are passing days amid horrendous conditions in the fishermen’s colonies along the coastal belt of Dublarchar from where law enforcers rescued over a thousand of minor boys in last four years. Scanty information ... Read more
Blooming wheat fields to yield bumper production in N- region
BSS, Rangpur Farmers of the northern region of the country are expecting a bumper production of wheat this season as the blooming plants are growing well everywhere due to favourable climatic conditions predicting excellent production. Farmers and officials concerned on Sunday told BSS that the fixed target would be achieved for the second consecutive time ... Read more
Leaf blight disease dims potato prospect in Thakurgaon
Agri officials say situation under control Our Correspondent, Thakurgaon Spread of ‘leaf blight’ disease, locally known as patamora rog, has put potato farmers in five upazilas of Thakurgaon district in a difficult siatuation. As the affected farmers are reaping potato before its attaining maturity, production target in
Taka might be devalued: Muhith
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka Finance minister AMA Muhith Sunday apprehended that it might not be possible to keep the exchange rate of taka against US dollar at current level due to the sharp devaluation of the currencies of major trading partners. ‘We want to keep the value of taka [at the current level]. ... Read more
Informal economy may cut poverty
Economists say Star Business Report Empowerment of the poor, mainstreaming informal economy and developing the agricultural sector are keys to poverty reduction through trade in South Asia. The observation came at a session of a seminar, chaired by Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue Professor Mustafizur Rahman. The session, “Future Work on Globalisation ... Read more
Dhaka stocks inch up
Staff Correspondent Dhaka stocks gained on Sunday in volatile trading despite the downtrend at the market persisting for the last four weeks. The general index of Dhaka Stock Exchange gained 12.20 points, or 0.46 per cent, to close at 2661.69, while its blue chips index, DSE20, advanced by 12.97 points, or 0.60 per cent, to ... Read more
Ctg REHAB fair bags Tk 200cr
Nur Uddin Alamgir, Ctg A three-day housing fair organised by REHAB concluded here in the port city on Saturday making a business of Tk 200 crore, with the organisers and participants expecting an additional Tk 100 crore from the intended
Sylhet to host first-ever int’l telecom fair in April
Staff Correspondent Theme Solution and Bangladesh Mobile Phone Business Association are going to organise International Telecom Fair 2009 in Sylhet in April 1-9 aiming to increase the number of cellphone users and businesspeople in the region, the organisers said on Sunday. ‘This is the first time such a fair will be held in Sylhet. Our ... Read more
President, PM, Opposition Leader join Akheri Munajat: Biswa Ijtema seeks global peace
Staff Reporter The three-day long 45th Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims, concluded yesterday after Akheri Munajat seeking divine blessings of Almighty Allah for continued peace, prosperity of Muslim Ummah and for global peace and prosperity at the banks of the River Turag at Tongi in Gazipur. Moulana Jubayerul Hassan of India officiated ... Read more
All 21 opposition demands rejected
Speaker says law, order situation could be addressed under existing law; other notices based on assumption Staff Correspondent Speaker of the Parliament Abdul Hamid yesterday turned down all 21 notices from BNP-led opposition lawmakers for holding discussions on various issues adjourning other scheduled businesses of the House. The opposition lawmakers in their notices, submitted to ... Read more
JS crisis deepens as new elements crop up
Staff correspondent Relations between the Awami League-led treasury bench and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led main opposition were strained over seating arrangement soon after the new parliament went into its maiden session on January 25. The session has become a dull and dreary affair as lawmakers of the BNP and its allies continued staying off the ... Read more
PM opens Ekushey Book Fair: Build knowledge-based advanced society
Staff Reporter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday stressed the need for building up a knowledge-based advanced and open thinking society for upholding the dignity of the mother language. She urged the people to come up with suggestions and cooperation for development and preservation of language and culture of the nation alongside enriching those through drawing ... Read more