News

Agence France-Presse . Mumbai Two luxury hotels that were stormed by Islamist militants re-opened amid tight security in Mumbai Sunday, less than a month after devastating attacks that rocked India’s financial and entertainment hub. The Trident and Taj Mahal hotels received their first guests since the carnage, with staff praised for their dedication and resilience ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday filed 11 cases against 23 staff of Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL) on charges of misappropriating around Tk 41 crore. ACC Deputy Director Nurul Islam and Assistant Director SM Shaidur Rahman filed the cases with Ramna Police Station against the officials of BTCL, formerly known as BTTB. Of ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The Election Commission on Thursday asked the returning officers to accept nominations, cancelled earlier, of the candidates who obtained High Court orders for them to contest the December 29 parliamentary polls. The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, expressing disappointment about the inclusion of fresh candidates, said, ‘We will do it even if ... Read more

AL seeks adequate security measures Staff Correspondent Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, now on her election campaign at the south-western districts, addressed at least five election rallies at Chitalmari, Mollarhat, Fakirhat, Battolli and Bagerhat on Thursday seeking vote for ‘boat’. The former Prime Minister, in her public meetings, pledged to build a secular Bangladesh for ... Read more

Agro production be increased to control price hike Khaleda promises stamping out “monga” in northern region Staff Correspondent BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia during her wayside rallies and public meetings at different northern parts of the country on Thursday said if BNP is voted to power, special measures will be taken for “monga” affected people ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Most of the voters are yet to get familiar with half of the candidates of the two major political parties, the Awami League and the BNP in their respective constituencies in the capital as the parties fielded some new faces for the constituencies. For eight constituencies of the total 15 in the capital, ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The Anti-Corruption Commi-ssion on Thursday claimed that it had received a complaint against former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s youngest son Arafat Rahman of making financial transactions of about Tk 11.6 crore in Singapore between May 6, 2005 and February 22, 2007. The commission’s spokesperson colonel Hanif Iqbal, also director general (administration), said at ... Read more

Shamim Jahangir The next political government will distribute cash diesel subsidy of Tk 540 crore among small and marginal Boro cultivators next year, according to sources in the Ministry of Agriculture sources. Earlier, the incumbent caretaker government determined the size of the diesel subsidy. The amount of diesel subsidy and the number of the farmers ... Read more

Porimol Palma Bangladesh is likely to experience a sharp fall in overseas employment from February due to slowdown in construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Middle Eastern countries following sharp price fall of oil, say officials and businesses. The decline in overseas jobs is likely to be acute as Bangladesh’s traditional ... Read more

Staff Correspondent Although some progress has been made in increasing enrolment in primary schools, there are still 14,000 villages in the country where there are no schools at all. Adviser to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry Rasheda K Choudhury made the revelation at a round table discussion at the daily Prothom Alo auditorium yesterday. ... Read more

Staff Correspondent The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the withdrawal of the state of emergency in Bangladesh terming it a positive step towards ensuring the right of all Bangladeshis to free, fair and credible parliamentary elections scheduled for December 29. Ban encourages all stakeholders, including the main political parties, to continue to address ... Read more

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka The government will give priority to expatriates in allocating government plots if they send at least US $5,000 every year through official channels, says an adviser. Those expatriates will also be given special treatment in the airports, hospitals and government schools and colleges, foreign adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told a gathering marking International ... Read more

Staff Reporter A fear has been dismissed about any sabotage on the December 29 parliament elections, the law enforcement agencies have taken special protection measures said top most officials of the Police and RAB. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad and Director General of RAB Hasan Mahmud Khandaker made the remarks to reporters separately ... Read more

Staff Reporter The central bank has so far identified 300 out of the total 9,961 Upazila election candidates as loan defaulters and sent their list to the Election Commission. “Correction to the list is going on and will continue until Friday,” Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Khandakar Muzharul Haque told newsmen at his office yesterday. He ... Read more

Rwandan Genocide Afp, Arusha A UN-backed tribunal yesterday sentenced the man accused of having masterminded the country’s 1994 genocide to life in prison for his part in the massacres that killed some 800,000 people. Theoneste Bagosora, who prosecutors had portrayed as the mastermind of the genocide was convicted “of genocide, crimes against humanity and war ... Read more

Agence France-Presse. Stockholm Several Nobel science prize committees in Sweden are being investigated for possible bribery, a special corruption prosecutor said on Thursday. The first case involves several members from the prestigious Nobel committees for medicine, physics and chemistry who visited China at the expense of the Chinese authorities. Special corruption prosecutor Nils Erik Schultz ... Read more

Unb, Dhaka Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed has called upon the armed forces to discharge their election duties with hundred percent neutrality, honesty and transparency and extend all-out cooperation to the Election Commission for holding a free, fair and meaningful election. “Remember, this responsibility is important. So, the armed forces will have to remain alert ... Read more

Shahidul Islam Chowdhury Political parties and candidates contesting the December 29 general elections have plunged into full-scale campaigns with the withdrawal of the state of emergency after restrictions on civil and political rights for two years. Top leaders of political parties, including the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda ... Read more

M Abul Kalam Azad BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia owns more assets than Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina, although Khaleda’s annual earning is less than her rival’s, according to the wealth statements submitted by the two leaders to the Election Commission. Khaleda’s annual earning amounts to nearly Tk 25 lakh while Hasina earns Tk 30 ... Read more