News

Indiscriminate use of chemicals in ripening blamed Ripe jackfruit, pineapple, papaya or mango–all fruits flooding the city markets look great but lack usual scent and taste as traders use chemical compounds to ripen them artificially, posing a serious health risk to the consumers. Sources said fruit growers and traders are using different harmful chemicals including ... Read more

The ruling Awami League is fully prepared to hold its long-awaited national council by July 25, the deadline fixed by the Election Commission to submit amended versions of constitutions of the political parties in compliance with the updated representation of the people’s order (RPO). The date and time of the party’s national council will be ... Read more

Prominent economist and former adviser to the immediate past caretaker government Dr. Akbar Ali Khan on Friday said there is no alternative to digital economy for building digital Bangladesh by 2021. In other words, digital economy is a must for building a digital Ban-gladesh, he said. He said this while addressing a discussion meeting on ... Read more

Bangladesh’s two unexplored natural sites-the Cox’s Bazar beach and the largest mangrove forest Sundarbans-have been placed among the top 77, out of nearly 440 naturally important places across the globe, in the New7Wonders competition. The top 77 have been selected on votes aimed at finding out seven natural beautiful places across the globe. The Switzerland-based ... Read more

Traditional birth control strategy coupled with slow implementation of various related programmes by the Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP) has failed to control birth rate in the country. The government is yet to achieve the target of lowering the birth rate to 2.2 per cent despite its 29-year effort. According to a study of ... Read more

Probe body places report in the House Scrapping of Sircar’s JS membership suggested The Parliamentary Investigation Committee, which probed the alleged corruptions and misuse of power committed by former Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Chief Whip, on Thursday suggested scrapping of membership of the 9th parliament of Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar and legal actions against him for ... Read more

Two private banks turned shares of a risk category company all too lucrative The company was in the red for at least three consecutive years. It did not give dividend even for once in the period. It was far from being a hotcake company on the bourses. And because of its lacklustre performance, it was ... Read more

The parliament on Thursday unanimously passed the International Crimes (Tribunals) (Amendment) Bill 2009 which is expected to expedite the process for prosecution of the 1971 war crimes. Members of the treasury bench expressed their support to the amendments to the law, originally enacted in 1973, by thumping the desks. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party ... Read more

The budget session of parliament was prorogued Thursday night with a call from the House to the boycotting opposition lawmakers to return to parliament to play their democratic role. Leader of the House, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said that keeping in mind the two-year rule of an unelected government, the main opposition party should join ... Read more

Parliament on Thursday passed the much-talked-about Human Rights Commission Bill 2009 giving legal coverage to the existing commission to help it safeguard the people’s constitutional rights to live with dignity. The House passed the bill by voice vote as law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Shafique Ahmed placed it for endorsement. The bill was earlier ... Read more

The suicidal decision created scope for water logging Around 10 canals of the city have either been filled up entirely or turned into box culverts to construct roads, aggravating the water logging problems. Roads were constructed in Rayerbazar, Rajabazar, Gopibagh and Shyampur Kadamtala filling up canals and constructing storm water and sewerage lines. Segunbagicha canal, ... Read more

Intelligence vigilance has been beefed up to the highest level in industrial belts after the recent garment unrest at Ashuliya, as part of the government decision to ensure security to the over 12 billion dollar export-processing zone industries that employ over 3.1 million workers, mostly women. Ashuliya-Savar and Mirpur-Tejgaon belt in Dhaka district, Gazipur-Tongi-Joydebpur-Sreepur and ... Read more

New JMB Offshoot Shahadat, Selim call each other chief The top leaders of banned JMB’s splinter Islam O Muslim Abdur Rahim alias Shahadat and Selim alias Saifullah designated each other as the chief of the offshoot organisation during remand, police said yesterday. Police said Shahadat, Selim and two others–Sajedur Rahman alias Hanif and Jalal Uddin–had ... Read more

The underground water levels in the city are falling by 2/3 metres every year, said Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Syed Ashraful Islam in the House on Thursday. Replying to a question from Begum Nazma Akhter (Female seat- 13), he said 87 percent of the drinking water in the capital is being procured from the ... Read more

Three Bangladeshis, who were among the 17 South Asians caught in a Greece-bound container in Limassol port of Cyprus on Tuesday, were remanded by the Cypriot police. The Cyprus Mail on Thursday reported that 19 people, including two alleged Pakistani human traffickers, appeared in the

Govt’s bid to recover 26 canals from grabbers shows little success Although over 50 affluent canals once used to flow through the capital and added to its lifeline, most of the water channels have been fully or partially choked, while the rest are under serious threat thanks to unabated encroachment. The Dhaka Water Supply and ... Read more

The High Court yesterday directed the government to preserve and maintain all-important historical places including killing grounds, relating to the Liberation War of the country. The court also asked the government to build monuments of international standard at Suhrawardy Udyan where Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman delivered his historic addresses on March 7, 1971 calling upon ... Read more