A parliamentary sub-committee yesterday said it will recommend legal actions against former shipping adviser Maj Gen (retd) MA Matin, as it has ‘clear evidence of corruption’ against him. The sub-committee formed to investigate alleged corruption by MA Matin during the immediate past caretaker emergency regime, also changed its earlier position for summoning the former adviser ... Read more
News
Star hotels dodge recession impact
Hotel occupancy rate indicates good business Business executives from abroad have begun flocking to Dhaka’s five-star hotels in recent days — a trend that indicates negotiations and deals on advance export orders from the West for spring and summer of 2010. Occupancy rates in four major hotels in the capital have increased significantly now compared ... Read more
Most city roads in bad shape
Most of the roads, lanes and by-lanes in the Dhaka city remain in a poor condition for lack of regular maintenance by the Dhaka City Corporation. The corporation authorities have kept their eyes away from taking care of the city roads for about three years, making traffic difficult and risky in the capital. Road digging ... Read more
Augere launches wireless broadband today
Augere Wireless Broadband Bangladesh Ltd launches its operation today. Augere chairman and chief executive officer Sanjiv Ahuja arrived in Dhaka on Sunday to host the inauguration, said a press release of the organisation. Augere is the parent company of Augere Wireless Broadband Bangladesh Ltd which successfully won a WiMAX licence in BTRC’s auction held in ... Read more
Siddons set to stay on
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is all set to extend the contract of Australian national team coach Jamie Siddons whose two-year tenure expires in November this year. “We are looking forward to making a good team management with an eye on the next World Cup. And Jamie (Siddons) is very much a part of our ... Read more
PMO looking after home ministry activities
The Prime Minister’s Office is giving necessary directives regularly to the home ministry to expedite its activities in the absence of home minister Sahara Khatun. The directives come from regular meetings between the prime minister’s adviser on establishment and administrative affairs, Hossain Toufiq Imam and high officials of the home ministry. HT Imam had a ... Read more
Razzak seeks two names from BNP
JS team leaves July 29 for Tipai site The Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources Ministry Abdur Razzak yesterday urged main Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia to nominate two MPs from her party so that an all-party parliamentary team can undertake the planned visit to the Tipaimukh Dam project area later this
4 more Laskar leaders serving in madrasas
Four senior Laskar-e-Taiyeba leaders who are hiding in Bangladesh are also serving as teachers in different madrasas of the country providing their fake identities like detained Mufti Obaidullah, detective branch (DB) sources said. Of the four, Indian national Moulana Mansur Ali and Pakistani national Moulana Habibullah are teachers of two madrasas
Directive to improve law and order
The government has instructed the relevant authorities to take measures to improve the overall law and order situation by arresting the terrorists and the leaders of militant organisations. He also asked them to check food adulteration across the country. The instruction was issued by HT Imam, adviser to the prime minister, yesterday at a meeting ... Read more
Indian militant to be interrogated at TFI: Laskar linked with Huji
Militant organisation Laskar-e-Taiyeba (LET) has long been providing Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) with financial support to carry out its activities in Bangladesh. Detained Mufti Obaidullah, one of the most wanted LET leaders in India reportedly told the interrogation cell that he felt happy escaping Indian intelligence (RAW). Obaidullah will be interrogated in the Task ... Read more
Dhaka under pressure to bring all 300 rescued in Andaman
India is putting pressure on Bangladesh to take back some 300 people rescued off the Andaman coast as Dhaka denied accepting almost a half of them saying those are not Bangladeshis. Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, according to the foreign ministry officials, Sunday raised the issue while he made a courtesy call with acting ... Read more
Taregna best place to view eclipse
An obscure village in the eastern Indian state of Bihar has suddenly shot into the limelight as the best place in India to watch a total solar eclipse on 22 July. Amarnath Tewary travels to Taregna to discover the excitement among locals. In Taregna, a science teacher is busy teaching her students about solar eclipses ... Read more
Bangladesh wins bronze
Math Olympiad Bangladesh wins bronze Bangladesh has won a medal for the first time in the International Math Olympiad (IMO) in Bremen, the highest competition for the students. Samin Riasat and Nazia Chowdhury of Bangladesh math team have secured bronze medals in the 50th IMO in Bremen in Germany, says a press release. The medals ... Read more
Ex-adviser Fazlul Huq’s son sent to jail
A Dhaka court yesterday sent Dr Afzal Hossain Raj, son of former adviser to the caretaker government Justice Fazlul Huq, to jail in a case filed against him for amassing wealth illegally and concealing wealth information to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court passed the order after ... Read more
Hills vanishing in Cox’s Bazar
Earth from hills used to fill up beach side motel plots; govt ban goes ignored Open spaces in the hotel motel zone of Cox’s Bazar beach are being filled with earth from hills, violating the government’s order. Sources said workers are carrying earth by digging into hills in broad daylight to fill in the open ... Read more
I am no longer a minister: Taj
He is on leave, says HT Imam Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj, absentee minister of state for home affairs yesterday set at rest all speculations about his political career by claiming that he personally handed over his resignation letter to the prime minister on May 31 and therefore was no longer a minister of the government. ... Read more
Farmers feel pinch of a draught-like situation
There has been a draught-like-situation across much of the country because of lower than usual rainfall in this peak rainy season, posing a serious threat to Aman cultivation, according to a government report. The country might face a full-fledged draught first time in eight years if the prevailing hot spell without sufficient rain continues in ... Read more
BB announces monetary policy: Lending rate cut stressed
The Bangladesh Bank yesterday announced a “pro-active accommodative” monetary policy for next six months to spur investment, sustain growth, emphasising lending rate cut and keeping provision to supply fund from foreign currency reserve. “The prime goal of this monetary policy is to assist a sustainable and productive growth by keeping inflation at a tolerable level,” ... Read more
BNP applies to EC seeking time till Jan 31
Submission of constitution With the deadline for submission of final party Constitution to the Election Commission only six days away, the BNP yesterday submitted an application to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) seeking time until January 31 next year for submitting its constitution following approval by the national council. While the ruling party the Awami ... Read more
CNG Filling Station Owners to enforce non-stop strike from August 1
If 6-point demand not met by July 31 CNG Filling Station Owners to enforce non-stop strike from August 1 Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association is “determined” on their stand to enforce countrywide nonstop strike from August 1 if their 6-point demands were not met by the government by July 31 deadline. ... Read more