Swine flu cases in Arab states in the Gulf, a high-traffic transit zone for millions of air travellers, rose to 34 on Tuesday after Qatar reported its first cases, two of them young boys. Three people arriving in Doha on international flights were diagnosed with A(H1N1) influenza, and Kuwait also reported that one of its ... Read more
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Govt. decides to connect BD with Asian Highway: PM
Activities of intelligence agencies to be coordinated, she says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told the House that the government has decided in principle to connect Bangladesh with the Asian Highway. Replying to a question from treasury bench member Md. Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, she said the issue is now under discussion at the policy level ... Read more
Adieu Gen Moeen: An anatomy of past two years
General Moeen U Ahmed, the man behind the Fakhruddin’s Caretaker Government, is still in the newspaper headlines even after his retirement as the Chief of the Army Staff. The newspapers are replete with stories and counter-stories about his next job in the country or outside. Speculation is ripe that he is going to succeed Ismat ... Read more
Dhaka to lodge protest at UN
Sea Boundary Claims of India, Myanmar Dhaka to lodge protest at UN Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said in parliament Bangladesh will soon send a diplomatic protest note to UN against the claim of India and Myanmar over extended continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal. “Bangladesh’s permanent mission at UN is preparing the protest ... Read more
Boon for tax-dodgers, bane for taxpayers
Tk 18,000 crore whitened since ’76; only Tk 2,285 crore pumped into industries, stocks The provision for whitening black money in the proposed new budget comes with certain strict conditions this time, but the rate of tax for whitening money still remains unduly favourable for black money owners, compared to regular income tax rates, just ... Read more
Dhaka city elevated expressway gets govt nod
The cabinet committee on economic affairs on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for constructing the proposed Dhaka City Elevated Expressway under Private Public Partnership initiative to ease traffic congestions in the capital. ‘We have asked the communications ministry to construct the elevated expressway after studying its feasibility study and inviting tenders for the project,’ finance minister ... Read more
Language hero Gaziul Haque passes away
Gaziul Haque, a top language-movement hero, passed away yesterday at the age of 80 after prolonged illness. Also a valiant freedom fighter, Gaziul Haque had been suffering from various ailments like diabetes, heart disease and old-age complications. He was admitted to Square Hospital in the capital on Tuesday morning and died there yesterday afternoon, sending ... Read more
Photographer sued for alleged intrusion into Indian territories, court grants bail
A court here yesterday granted bail to renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist Dr Shahidul Alam in a case filed against him by BDR troops on charge of intruding into Indian territories during his photographic work. Bangladesh Rifles Roumari company commander Daud Ali filed the case against him with Roumari Police Station in the morning following the allegation ... Read more
Five injured in train-bus collision: Talk of woman’s death
One woman was reportedly killed and at least five people were injured, three of them seriously as a train hit a passenger bus pushing it to some other vehicles at Magbazar rail crossing in the city yesterday afternoon triggering a severe traffic jam there for over one hour. The woman reported to have died was ... Read more
Speaker to ‘mull’ SQ Chy issue
Speaker Abdul Hamid yesterday said he would carefully consider the Election Commission’s letter on the issue of BNP MP Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury’s seat in the House. “The letter has reached the parliament secretariat, but not to me,” speaker Abdul Hamid told reporters in the afternoon. “I will examine it in due time and give my ... Read more
South Africa face Pak in first semis today
June 17: An intriguing battle is on the cards when favourites South Africa clash with buoyant Pakistan in the semi-final of the World Twenty20 here on Thursday. The South Africans have showed their all-round prowess during an unbeaten run in the tournament, including emphatic wins in all three Super Eight games against the West Indies, ... Read more
The City We Live In: Students join classes and Suffer from garbage stink
The whimsical waste management system of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) upsets the academic atmospherer of Siddeshwari Girls High School. Students of one of the age-old schools of the city attends classes squeezing their noses as the air of the Bailey Road gets heavy with the stink from the garbage disposed off in front of the ... Read more
Climate fund to get $150m from UK
Minister tells JS; also reveals measures to check river pollution, encroachment The UK government has pledged to commit around $150 million to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund to be formed by Bangladesh to cope with the climate change. Speaking in parliament, State Minister for Environment and Forest Mostafizur Rahman said formation of the fund is now ... Read more
BNP MPs demand trial of Moeen
Lawmakers of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday demanded trial of the immediate-past army chief, General Moeen U Ahmed, on charges of sedition and violation of the constitution, the Army Act, service rules and for vitiating the discipline of the armed forces. They also demanded trial of the former adviser of the interim government ... Read more
Budget proposal misunderstood
Says Muhith on money-whitening Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the black money holders will in no way be asked any question about the source of money they would invest under the amnesty proposed in the new budget. “If we ask question about the source of money, the purpose of the amnesty will not be ... Read more
Muhith thanks CG for return to democracy
Supplementary budget passed Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the immediate past caretaker government should be thanked for returning democracy to the country instead of letting the country fall into the grip of a martial law following the expiry of its tenure. He made the comment in parliament during his supplementary budget speech. The parliament ... Read more
Bid to ease city’s traffic jam: Elevated expressway planned
The government plans to construct an elevated expressway in the capital to reduce traffic congestion. This is one of the projects, which will be implemented under the initiative of Public Private Partnership (PPP), according to sources in the Cabinet Division. The sources said the project is likely to be placed at the meeting of Cabinet ... Read more
Shahidul Alam released 6 hours after detention by BSF
Internationally renowned Bangladeshi photojournalist Dr Shahidul Alam who was detained by the Indian border guards Tuesday afternoon when he was taking photographs in Bangladesh’s Roumari frontiers in Kurigram was released after six hours’ detention. The commanding officer of the 6 Rifles Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Mizan, told New Age at 11:30pm over telephone that his troops ... Read more
Offload 49pc share of Biman to NRBs
JS body suggests A parliamentary standing committee yesterday recommended offloading 40-49 percent shares of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd onto non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) to improve the financial strength of the national flag carrier and make it profitable. The parliamentary body on the civil aviation and tourism ministry also asked the Biman management to lease three Boeing-777s ... Read more
Local BNP leaders protest against members imposed by centre
Party to make changes in several district committees The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is considering some changes in the convening committees of several district units after a section of local leaders and activists staged demonstrations, demanding cancellation of the some newly formed committees. Local leaders and activists brought out processions, burnt effigies, held rallies and launched ... Read more