BSS, Rajshahi The prospect of agro-processing industries in the northwestern region of the country is bright as the region produces adequate crops including food-grains, fruits and vegetables. Business leaders, bankers, agronomists and researchers told BSS that the region has enormous potentials for making agro- processing enterprises sustainable and profitable as it has been producing varieties ... Read more
News
Proposed Padma bridge to be constructed at Mawa
Our Correspondent, Madaripur The proposed Padma Bridge over the river Padma at Mawa and the bridge over the river Arial Kha at Kajirtek point will be constructed by the grand alliance government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Cmmunication Minister Syed Abul Hossain said this at a public meeting held at Kajirtek Ferryghat on ... Read more
‘Country can save Tk. 10,000cr using local small, medium industry goods’
BSS, Dhaka Leaders of Sub-contact Industrialist Association of Bangladesh (SIAB) on Monday said, the country could save Taka 10,000 crore by using local cost effective and better quality small and medium industry outputs instead of importing those from abroad. Around five lakh small and medium industries have long been meeting the increased demand for products ... Read more
Criminal acts alleged against RU BCL
RU Correspondent After Awami League-led grand alliance came to the power, the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Rajshahi University unit have involved themselves in criminal activities like toll collection and kidnapping on the campus Many teachers and general students of the university expressed concern at such illegal activities of the BCL men. Some BCL ... Read more
Vegetable exports slip
Sliding pound, additional NTBs blamed Sohel Parvez Fresh vegetables exports dipped 25 percent in the July-November period of the current fiscal year against the same period last fiscal, thanks to a sliding pound sterling and additional non-tariff barriers (NTBs) imposed on some items to enter one of the key markets — United Kingdom. “We are ... Read more
Bangladesh becomes No 1 trousers exporter to US
Kazi Azizul Islam Bangladesh is becoming the ‘Trousers Island’, if not the Treasure Island, for global apparel importers as local manufacturers are sourcing jeans and other cotton trousers at the cheapest prices and maintaining admirable quality, industry people said. The industry’s strength has weighed up with Bangladeshi exporters occupying the number-one position in the US ... Read more
Editorial of ICCB News Bulletin Homegrown Development Agenda: Key challenge for new govt : ICCB
NATION BUSINESS REPORT ‘The positive side is that the government has started with a lower inflation rate in the domestic front and downward trend in international oil and commodity prices. ‘The government should utilise this advantage in a prudent manner,’ said the International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICCB) in an editorial of its quarterly news bulletin ... Read more
Prime minister’s powers enhanced
Nazrul Islam and Mustafizur Rahman The government on Thursday amended a few provisions of the Rules of Business 1996 to enhance the prime minister’s authority regarding appointment and assignment of persons in her aid. The amendments were published in an official gazette on the day, less than a month after the Awami League-led alliance government ... Read more
Finance, budget and election ordinances to be given priority in ratification
Legality of 122 ordinances of CG Finance, budget and election ordinances to be given priority in ratification Staff Correspondent 122 ordinances promulgated by the caretaker government are set to be ratified soon by the 9th parliament on the basis of priority, importance and their legal footings. Talking to The Bangladesh Today, Law Minister Barrister Shafique ... Read more
Govt to close down 38 TTCs
Siddiqur Rahman Khan The government has decided to close down 38 low-performing private teachers’ training colleges for below-the-standards education, sales of certificates and frequent non-compliance with government rules and regulations, education ministry officials said. ‘Recommendations for an immediate closure of the 38 teachers’ training colleges were made after a recent survey conducted by the Teaching ... Read more
Travesty of probe
4 years on, no progress yet in Kibria killing case Julfikar Ali Manik Probes into the assassination of former finance minister SAMS Kibria symbolise the bankruptcy of law-enforcement agencies, as the latest finds completely contradict the previous investigation report. During the last BNP-led alliance rule, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 10 BNP ... Read more
Risk, uncertainty surround proposed TIFA, say economists
Khawaza Main Uddin Dhaka will not get any additional opportunity to export more goods or send more manpower to the US if it signs the proposed draft of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with Washington, observed eminent economists. Moreover, they pointed out that the proposed bilateral agreement itself could impose certain restrictions on ... Read more
EC yet to act on complaints
More upazila poll objections poured in Staff Correspondent The Election Commission (EC) Secretariat continues to receive complaints from defeated upazila election candidates but the commission is yet to work out a procedure to investigate those, and go for the next course of action. Of the two complaints it received yesterday, one is against state minister ... Read more
President may be elected Feb 18
BNP wants Iajuddin to be impeached Shakhawat Liton and Rashidul Hasan The main opposition BNP wants to see President Iajuddin Ahmed impeached for ‘violating the constitution by failing as the chief adviser to hold the parliamentary polls within the stipulated 90 days’. Policymakers of the ruling Awami League (AL) however do not subscribe to the ... Read more
All eyes set on top varsity posts
Ctg Correspondent After the aborted ‘oust VC movement’ the potential aspirants of the Vice-Chancellor’s office here at Chittagong University have reportedly launched underground missions for attaining the sympathy of the ruling party big shots in Dhaka. It is learnt that more than half a dozen senior teachers of the university mostly from the progressive section ... Read more
BNP won’t support move to change constitution for 2nd dy speaker
Staff Correspondent The main opposition in parliament, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, will not become involved in the government’s move to amend the constitution to create the post of the second deputy speaker. ‘The BNP will not be involved in the creation of an additional post of a deputy speaker,’ said senior BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader ... Read more
AL ‘reformists’ to be evaluated in various aspects
Work for 47 Parliamentary committees going on Staff Correspondent Awami League leaders, deprived of getting different portfolios in the incumbent cabinet, would be evaluated in various aspects. Some mid-level AL lawmakers might be included in some 47 Parliamentary Committees likely to be raised in the adjourned session of the Jatiya Sangsad tomorrow (Wednesday). The upcoming ... Read more
Global food crisis may worsen: FAO
AFP, Madrid The global food crisis which threatens to stoke social unrest and push millions more into poverty could get worse due to the international credit crunch and falling food prices, the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said Monday. “The contraction in prices for agricultural goods and the financial uncertainty risks ... Read more
ICC’s first war crimes trial gets under way
Agence France-Presse . The Hague The first-ever trial of the International Criminal Court began on Monday with a Congolese militia commander denying he committed war crimes by recruiting hundreds of child soldiers to kill and rape. ‘At this stage our client would like to plead not guilty,’ said Catherine Mabille, Thomas Lubanga’s lawyer at the ... Read more
ACC to sue 38 BTCL staff for Tk 23cr graft
Staff Correspondent The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will file a case against 38 staff of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL), formerly BTTB, including 21 divisional engineers for misappropriation and wastage of around Tk 23.04 crore. Meanwhile, the ACC yesterday approved filing two separate cases against former lawmaker M Shahjahan and seven others on charges of irregularities ... Read more