News

July 17 – At least five people, including three minor children of a family, were killed and 11 others injured in a collision between a train and a microbus on a level crossing near Choramonkali Bazar in Jessore sadar upazila this afternoon. The deceased were identified as Riyal, 7, son of district Awami League leader ... Read more

The world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, hits the streets on Friday, as the first customer gets the keys to a vehicle that its makers hope will transform travel for millions of Indians. The head of Tata Motors, Ratan Tata, was to deliver the first car in person at a central Mumbai dealership, the company ... Read more

Parties should get more time if needed: CEC BNP has demanded a six-month extension of time for holding party council. The demand was made by a three-member team led by BNP Vice Chairman M K Anwar which met the CEC ATM Shamsul Huda on Thursday. M K Anwar said this after coming out from the ... Read more

BDR Mutiny Charge sheet in Sept, 3,000 jawans found involved The charge sheet in BDR mutiny case might be submitted in mid-September by CID, while a military investigation found 3,000 border security force jawans’ involvement in the incident. “We’re working hard to submit the charge sheet by August, but it might not be possible as ... Read more

She asks Malaysian PM to recruit more Bangladeshis Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been elected vice-chair of the Non-Aligned Movement for the next three years. Hasina was made vice-chair when she was presiding over the general debate on ‘Current Global Financial and Economic Crisis’ on the opening day of the two-day summit of the forum ... Read more

Teenaged gangsters execute their plans in city More than a dozen hardened criminals, wanted by police for years, are in command of the city’s underworld either from jail or hideouts in India through an organised network of junior accomplices with strong political links. Intelligence sources have found links of the top listed criminals, self-exiled or ... Read more

Civil-society think-tank CPD thinks Bangladesh could get out from the world’s poor-country club called LDCs by 2015 while UN agency UNCTAD pushes back to 2024 the landmark time for the country’s graduation to the middle-income group. The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said if the country could increase its per-capita income, develop its social indicators ... Read more

The young and dedicated leaders who served the party braving adversity during the post-1/11 days are likely to win vital posts in the next central committee of ruling Awami League. The national council on July 24 may also see changes in Presidium, highest policymaking body in AL, and organising secretary- and secretary-level positions. Those who ... Read more

Land and river grabbers appear unstoppable Non-stop earth filing, illegal occupation and indiscriminate dumping of household and industrial wastes have heavily narrowed Balu river branch down the Rampura bridge turning it into a tiny canal and causing environment hazards for local residents of Begunbari to Fakirkhali areas. With the onset of Monsoon, scores of cargo ... Read more

Speakers observe at a roundtable Country’s independent, sovereignty, overall trade volume, ecology and agriculture will seriously be affected if Tipaimukh Dam on Barak River and Asian Highway are constructed. The observation was made by speakers at a roundtable discussion on ‘Tipaimukh Dam and Asian Highway’ organised by National peoples’ Forum at the National Press Club ... Read more

The Power and Energy Ministry yesterday finally made a move to create a mega-fund for development of the country’s power-energy sector that has been experiencing cash crunch for long. At a meeting, the ministry decided to move for the huge fund under which a gas sector development (GSD) fund will also be created first through ... Read more

Mauritius is phasing out its Bangladeshi male workforce and it is not renewing their job contracts. The country, however, continues to hire female workers in readymade garment sector and fish packaging factories, recruitment agencies said. “Mauritius has not been issuing work visas to male workers for several months now as part of its policy. But ... Read more

15th Summit begins NAM for tackling challenges of global recession The two-day 15th Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit began on Wednesday at the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh with a call for tackling the challenges arising out of the global economic recession. More than 50 heads of state and government, including Bangladesh Prime ... Read more

Hasina tell NAM leaders Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called for united approach of the Non-Aligned Movement grouping to deal with climate change, world economic recession and terrorism as the present-day world faces these three-pronged problems on way to progress. The Bangladesh prime minister made the call in her country statement while presiding over the ... Read more

Bangladesh’s overseas job market is set to get another blow in months as Mauritius authorities have decided to send some 6000 Bangladeshi workers back home in six months citing global recession impacts. This will be the second biggest case of job loss after Malaysia had cancelled over 55,000 job visas in March. Quoting local workers ... Read more

The Awami League government is amending administration promotion rules, allowing evaluation of employees’ reputation and performance throughout the service career besides the annual confidential reports for promotions at all levels. The secretary-level committee on administrative development affairs at a meeting on Wednesday approved the proposal for amendments to the promotion rules for administration cadre officials ... Read more

They work in stove burner factories without protection, earn Tk 200-250 a week As darkness descends on the Buriganga river, Tauhid begins blowing sulphuric-acid-dipped nozzles of stove burners in bare mouth being completely unaware of the corrosive impacts the acid would leave on his body. Tauhid tests several hundreds of such burners throughout the evening ... Read more

The government’s blanket review of what they called politically motivated cases has given rise to many questions regarding the way in which the whole exercise has been undertaken. In all 2000 petitions were filed before the various review bodies set up in different parts of the country seeking withdrawal of cases. The fact that all ... Read more