Post-election Insight BNP likely to lean on the young for comeback Rashidul Hasan Both Awami League (AL) and BNP, the two major political parties in the country, are planning radical changes in their leaderships. While AL’s move is sparked by its desire to maintain the momentum it achieved through its recent landslide electoral victory and ... Read more
News
Japanese PM talks to Hasina over phone: $440m soft loan for power and bridges offered
Staff Reporter Japan yesterday offered Bangladesh a loan Assistance Package of US$440 Million for Electricity and Bridges Projects. The loan offer came at a telephone conversation when Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso made the call to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday. During the talks the two prime ministers discussed various bilateral issues including recently held ... Read more
30 injured as BCL groups clash at JU
Rival factions trade 25 rounds of gunshot Anupam Deb Kanunjna At least 30 students sustained injuries in a clash between rival groups of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, associate organisation of the Awami League, at Jahangirnagar University over capture of halls of residence on Friday. The clash erupted at around midday when activists of the group ... Read more
Votes cast exceed total voters at a Natore-6 centre
BNP Places ‘Rigging Evidence’ Votes cast exceed total voters at a Natore-6 centre Staff Correspondent BNP yesterday came up with fresh ‘evidence of vote rigging and irregularities’ in the recently held parliamentary election, and said these were the main reasons behind the party’s polls debacle. Alleging that ballot boxes were filled with so many fake ... Read more
Massive crackdown on criminals anytime
Staff Correspondent A crackdown on hardened criminals by the members of different law enforcing agencies including Police and RAB is in the offing to combat the wave of crime that has swept the country in the wake of the withdrawal of the state of emergency. “The government is determined to combat crime and criminals in ... Read more
‘Curb bureaucratic corruption to implement poll manifesto’
Staff Correspondent No development projects taken by the government would be implemented fully if corruption and irregularities within bureaucracy are not removed, experts and economists said. Talking to The Bangladesh Today, TIB executive director Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed and economist Dr. Atiar Rahman echoing the same tone said Awami League-led government would not be able to ... Read more
Exorbitant prices of vegetables unusual in mid-winter
Chicken price marks sharp rise Staff Correspondent The prices of vegetables rose further in the past week with their supply still remaining short in the city markets. Prices of chickens also increased sharply in the week, rice ruled with a mixed trend but powder milk and red lentils recorded falls further. Consumers and traders agreed ... Read more
Government to explore Libya job market
Raheed Ejaz The government is set to take initiatives to grab the Libyan labour market before a construction boom, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, the labour and employment and expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister, said on Wednesday. ‘Libya is going to recruit about a million overseas workers in five years to implement its massive development plan ... Read more
31 MPs of BNP, allies take oath
Khaleda asks lawmakers to attend JS regularly Staff correspondent Thirty-one lawmakers of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies, the main opposition in Jatiya Sangsad, took oath as members of parliament on Thursday. The outgoing speaker, Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar, first administered oath to 28 lawmakers-elect of the BNP and
Govt moves to boost power, gas production
PM forms special cell at ministry to implement projects Staff Correspondent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday formed a special cell for the power, energy and mineral resources ministry aiming to scale up country’s power and gas production. The cell headed by the premier’s adviser HT Imam will monitor the works in the sector and implement ... Read more
Khaleda asks govt to take steps to stop attacks on BNP men
Staff Correspondent The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Thursday said that her party would join the first sitting of the first session of the ninth parliament and extend cooperation to the government as it wanted to play a constructive role as the opposition. She demanded that the government should take immediate steps to ... Read more
Israeli forces shell UN HQ in Gaza
Associated Press . Gaza City Israeli forces shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, setting fire to the compound filled with hundreds of refugees as UN chief Ban Ki-moon was in the region on a mission to end Israel’s devastating
BTV ignores BNP MPs’ oath-taking ceremony
Staff Correspondent The swearing-in of the lawmakers from BNP and allies yesterday was not aired live on Bangladesh Television. Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar said, “It is discrimination against the opposition in parliament from day one.” BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said, “This shows the public the difference between what they [AL-led grand alliance] pledge and do.” The ... Read more
Specific action taken against a bank account: Moriarty on money scandal
UNB, Dhaka US Ambassador James Moriarty yesterday said the United States can help the new government in Bangladesh consolidate democracy, as there is a lot of support in America for this country. “We will do everything we can,” he told reporters after an hour-long meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni at the Foreign Ministry ... Read more
Reshuffle in administration
UNB, Dhaka Three secretaries have been transferred to different ministries in a reshuffle in the administration by the new government. Liberation War Affairs secretary Nasiruddin Ahmed has been transferred to Power Department, Science and ICT secretary Mohammad Wahid uz Zaman to Water Resources Ministry and Social Welfare secretary Dewan Zakir Hossain to Industries Ministry, said ... Read more
Home minister’s directive to nab extortionists
Staff Reporter Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday asked the law- enforcing agencies to nab the extortionists, whoever he may be, to stop overt or covert toll taking. “Whatever it is-overtly or covertly–smash the hands of extortionists,” she said responding to a reporter’s question about silent extortion across the country. Briefing reporters on law and order ... Read more
50 vehicles damaged in rampage by RMG workers
Staff Correspondent Several hundred garment factory workers Thursday evening went on the rampage in the Tejgaon Industrial Area in Dhaka, vandalised more than 50 vehicles and blocked the Tongi Diversion Road for two hours demanding
Freestyle campaign by Rajshahi mayor ignoring EC rules
Upazila Poll Freestyle campaign by Rajshahi mayor ignoring EC rules Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton has continued campaigns in favour of Awami League leaders who are contesting in the upazila elections. Such act by the mayor, who bears the status of a state minister, flouts directives from the Election Commission ... Read more
High Court fines ship breaker for violating court order
Staff Correspondent The High Court on Wednesday fined the importer and breaker of the MT Enterprise, on the Greenpeace list of hazardous ships, Tk 1 lakh for continuing with breaking the ship defying an injunction imposed by court on November 30, 2008. The High Court bench of Justice M Imman Ali and Justice M Ashfaqul ... Read more
Reactivate TCB for price control of essentials
State has right to interverne A.T. M. Nurun Nabi Onion is now selling at taka 40 per kilogram, an increase of taka four over last week’s selling rate while potato sells at taka 24 only, marking a rise of taka four in last seven days against the fall of rice price through out the country. ... Read more