Fertilizer at Lower Prices Little impact in north dists as most dealers not selling at new rates Star National Desk The government’s decision to sell non-urea fertiliser at subsidised rates is yet to leave any noticeable impact on the Boro farmers in the northern region as they failed to procure chemical fertiliser during the last ... Read more
News
‘Punish attackers on RU newsmen’
RU Correspondent Rajshahi University (RU) journalists have demanded an exemplary punishment to the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) cadres who severely beat up two journalists on the campus on Thursday. They met Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton at the city office of Awami League and placed the demand before him yesterday. At least ... Read more
BB mulls farm credit target for banks
Sajjadur Rahman Bangladesh Bank (BB) mulls fixing a farm credit target to boost agriculture production, officials said. “BB is considering a target for private local and foreign commercial banks, as those are reluctant to give farm loans,” a senior central bank official told The Daily Star yesterday. In fiscal year 2007-08, 30 private commercial banks ... Read more
Tk 50cr subsidy ended up in wrong hands
Fears BIDS study on direct cash subsidy for diesel Star Business Report The direct cash subsidy programme for diesel in the last Boro season suffered various setbacks with around Tk 50 crore feared to have gone to ineligible farmers due to irregularities in the listing and disbursement process, a study said yesterday. The money that ... Read more
Experts recommend RIA for better regulation
15,000 SROs, many rules, regulations plague business climate Khawaza Main Uddin Bangladesh’s business environment is plagued by serious regulatory uncertainty and non-compliance with rules and regulations despite having 15,000 statutory regulatory orders issued in various times, believe experts on trade and investment. Because, they say, new rules and regulations are often introduced without necessary consultation ... Read more
BGMEA holds first-ever workers’ fair in Chittagong
Staff Correspondent The Chittagong MA Aziz Stadium wore a festive look on Friday afternoon, as more than 20 thousand garment workers thronged there with colourful dresses to attend the first-ever Workers’ Fair. Chittagong city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury inaugurated the fair organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association to give some recreation for ... Read more
Project to boost crop yields in four S Asian states taken up
NATION BUSINESS REPORT A new project aiming to help six million farmers in four South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, has been taken up to boost crop yields and their income over a period of 10 years, said the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). To be led by the Manila-based IRRI, a good number of international ... Read more
Bangladeshi Company to invest US$ 6.01m for CETP in Chittagong EPZ
NATION BUSINESS REPORT Bangladeshi Company M/s. Chittaong Waste Treatment Plants limited is going to established Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in Chittagong Export Processing Zone. This 100% local owned company will invest US$ 6.01 million aims to treat everyday 15 thousand cubic meters liquid effluent of the zone. They will establish Central Effluent Treatment Plant ... Read more
BCA to set up chef-training school for UK restaurants
NATION BUSINESS REPORT The Bangladesh Caterers’ Association, UK announced Wednesday that it would set up a chef-training institution in London, with a campus in Dhaka, to fill the shortage of skilled chefs in UK curry industry. Bazlur Rashid, president of the BCA, UK and a director of the British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce, made the ... Read more
Textbooks for free supply find ways to market
Siddiqur Rahman Khan The sales of primary textbooks meant for free distribution are rampant across the country, guardians and market sources said. The students from Classes I to V of government, non-government and community primary schools and ibtedayi madrassahs are scheduled to get the books in the first week of January. Market sources said guardians ... Read more
New faces likely on top AL committees
Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee The Awami League, which swept the elections, is considering significant changes in the membership of its national committee to make the party more dynamic, and is concentrating on including new faces in its central committee. The party wants to give scope to the young, honest and energetic leaders to join its national ... Read more
BNP likely to lean on the young for comeback
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
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