Staff Reporter The proposed South Asia Task Force and giving ‘transit ‘ to India under bilateral agreement would cause an extreme, harm to the country’s independence and sovereignty, said speakers at a roundtable in the city. They said any move to allow transit to India under bilateral deal would not be welcomed by the people ... Read more
News
Karnaphuli tunnel work to start in mid Sept
Staff Correspondent, Ctg The government is to start the process of constructing a tunnel under the Karnaphuli in Chittagong as soon as mid September. Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain said this while visiting the site of the under-construction third bridge over the Karnaphuli yesterday afternoon. The Awami League had promised in its electoral pledges that ... Read more
ISI behind Mumbai attacks: India
Pakistan to publish report next week Afp, New Delhi/ Lahore India for the first time yesterday directly accused Pakistan’s military intelligence agency of involvement in the Mumbai attacks. In a speech in Paris reported by the Indian media yesterday, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said the perpetrators “planned, trained and launched their attacks from Pakistan, and ... Read more
Ekushey book fair starts drawing crowd
Staff correspondent Amar Ekushey book fair started gaining momentum on its 5th day on Thursday with a large number of book lovers visiting the fair at the Bangla Academy. Around 100 new books hit the fair on the day which witnessed long
Cabinet renews BD-India trade agreement for 3 years
Deal allows passage of goods through one country into another UNB, Dhaka Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet on Thursday decided to renew for three years the Bangladesh-India trade agreement, which allows passage of goods through one country into another under one of its provisions. Endorsing another major
EC sues minister for violating electoral code of conduct
Staff Correspondent The Election Commission on Thursday filed a case against the fisheries and livestock minister, Abdul Latif Biswas, his daughter and four other local Awami League leaders for intervening in polling and violating the electoral code of conduct in the upazila elections. The commission in the case alleged Latif had assaulted polling personnel, snatched ... Read more
ACC chief rebuffs PM’s claims
Bdnews24.com . Dhaka The Anti-Corruption Commission chief has dismissed as ‘not right’ the prime minister’s contention that the anti-graft drive was used to shackle politicians. ‘The Anti-Corruption Commission has conducted its drive on specific information and evidence. The remark that the commission was used to shackle politicians is not right,’ chairman Hasan Moshhud Chowdhury said ... Read more
65 lakhs drug addicts in Bangladesh
Staff Correspondent The number of drug and alcohol addicts is alarmingly increasing in the city and across the country while drug traders have expanded their drug business pushing large number of people including young and women of low, middle and higher income families into drug addiction. At least 65 lakhs people including 1 lakh and ... Read more
No begging after 5 yrs
Says Muhith, seeks NGO help Staff Correspondent Finance and Planning Minister AMA Muhith yesterday sought cooperation of the NGOs to eliminate begging from the country within five years. “Awami League in its election manifesto pledged to eliminate begging within five years but there is no model for achieving the target. So, a model has to ... Read more
BNP grassroots backlash against Jamaat alliance
Staff Correspondent BNP grassroots level leaders and activists on Thursday said that the party has been negatively affected organizationally due to its participation in election forming an alliance with Jamaat. As part of party reconstitution, 3rd day of exchanging opinions, BNP grassroots levels leaders and activists expressed their anger to the central leaders at Nayapaltan ... Read more
Panic grips Sadarghat as porters go on rampage over tender
Staff Correspondent Large areas of the Old Town of Dhaka plunged into chaos as porters of Sadarghat launch terminal rampaged through the streets hurling crude bombs and halting traffic for about two hours Thursday afternoon over tender for labour handling at the terminal. Launch services remained suspended during the violent demonstrations causing enormous sufferings to ... Read more
2.93 lakh cases pending with HC
Says law minister Staff Correspondent Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday said as many as 2.93 lakh cases are pending with the High Court (HC) and number of such cases is much higher at lower courts causing untold sufferings to litigants. The government is considering reintroducing the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system by amending Civil Procedure ... Read more
Cancer claims 1.5 lakh lives every year
Staff Reporter The dread disease cancer claims the lives nearly one lakh and fifty thousand people every year in Bangladesh. This was stated at different programmes organised by different organisations in the capital yesterday to mark the World Cancer Day-2009. There are around ten lakh cancer patients across the country and every year 2 lakh ... Read more
Court issues warrant for arrest of 8 fugitive accused
RAMNA BATAMUL BOMB EXPLOSION Court issues warrant for arrest of 8 fugitive accused United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s court Wednesday ordered arrest warrant against eight fugitive accused in the Ramna Batamul bomb explosion in which 10 people were killed at Bengali New Year day function in 2001. Two cases are before ... Read more
No children’s corner at Boi Mela
Rakib Ahammed Holding his mother’s hand, tiny Hridoy was hurrying her from one corner of the fair to another to look for a book he could buy. His mother Mita Islam wasn’t happy at all about the stall layout at the Ekushey Boi Mela this
Trade union movement on the wane: speakers
Staff Correspondent Workers’ leaders at a discussion said that the trade union movement is waning day by day and leaders like Saifuddin Ahmed Manik are needed to establish the rights of the workers in the country. Addressing a meeting organised on the occasion of the first death anniversary of the veteran trade union leader, the ... Read more
Bankers fear slow loan payback from spinners
Sajjadur Rahman Bankers fear random import of low-cost yarn from neighbouring India will cost them heavily by making their clients defaulted. Banks have also tightened their grip on new lending to this sector to see the bad time of the industry, which had a consistent growth for the past one decade, bankers said. “Payment from ... Read more
Economists, exporters differ on possible taka devaluation
Kazi Azizul Islam and Asif Showkat Economists and commodity importers on Wednesday suggested that the government should be careful before framing any policy to allow depreciation of taka, as it may fuel inflation and erode the customs revenue. If the government wants to encourage exporters and wage-earners abroad, they could be offered some other interim ... Read more
VAT, Income Tax, Customs laws in simple language in offing
UNB, Dhaka The government has taken initiative to simplify the textual language of Income Tax, VAT and Customs rules and regulations for easy understanding of the stakeholders, as many shy away from paying taxes for legal encumbrance. “The language and attitude of the rules and regulations concerning Income Tax, Customs and VAT will be changed ... Read more
Leaders of the MCCI yesterday
Star Business Report Leaders of the MCCI yesterday urged Industries Minister Dilip Barua to modernise the BSTI so that its certification is accepted worldwide for smooth running of international trade and commerce. At present, many countries especially India does not accept the certification of the state-owned Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI). As a result, ... Read more