Grameenphone, the leading mobile phone operator of the country, yesterday received a go ahead from the stock market regulator to raise Tk 486.08 crore through an initial public offering (IPO), the largest of its kind in the history of Bangladesh capital market. The value of the approved IPO is Tk 37 crore more than the ... Read more
News
Chief of JMB’s new offshoot captured
They had a plan to establish control over a zone comprising 3 northern districts Special Branch (SB) of Police in Gazipur arrested Abdur Rahim alias Shahadat, the chief organiser of “Islam and Muslim”, a new offshoot of banned Islamist militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). During a raid late Tuesday night, the intelligence officials along ... Read more
Ashraf differs with Dipu, says Pinak did not step out of line
LGRD and cooperatives minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Thursday came to the defence of Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty contradicting the views of foreign minister Dipu Moni that the envoy might have stepped out of line in his remarks on Bangladeshi water experts. ‘I don’t think so,’ Ashraf said in reply to a media ... Read more
Jalil for trial of those who tried to kill Hasina
Slow poisoning in sub-jail Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil MP yesterday echoed the growing demand for investigation and trial of those who were involved in the conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by slow poising while she was lodged in a sub-jail when the “evil force” – military-backed caretaker government -was in power. ... Read more
Tk 10000 cr mega power fund likely
GAZIPUR, Jul 2: Prime Minister”s Adviser Dr Taufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury Birbikram Thursday said the government is considering mobilising a mega-fund of Tk 10,000 crore to finance the power sector to resolve the nagging electricity crisis, reports UNB. “We hope if Tk 2,000 crore comes from government”s public-private partnership (PPP) allocation, then the rest Tk 8,000 crore ... Read more
3-6 new faces to get ministerial job
Govt to expand, reshuffle cabinet soon Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may bring in a few more ministers and state ministers in her cabinet and redistribute portfolios of those of some important ministries for their unsatisfactory performance. “She [Hasina] will induct three to six ministers and state ministers in her cabinet anytime soon,” a highly placed ... Read more
Flood signs appear as rivers keep swelling
Rain may continue, flash flood hits NE region Signs of flood in the country are becoming visible as rains are feared to remain heavy this month, which is more than usual, to be accompanied by 2 to 3 monsoon depressions. Some parts in the north-eastern region of the country have already been gripped by a ... Read more
Landslide spectre looms over port city once again
Authorities least concerned July 2: More than 5,000 people in the port city are now living in different slum areas that have mushroomed on the slopes and foots of mostly denuded hills. Comfortably oblivious of the past catastrophic mudslides, these slum dwellers are exposing themselves once again to monsoon mishaps that have, in the recent ... Read more
Forgotten JS pledges
BNP, Jamaat remain absent from House for 38 out of 59 working days already; Khaleda attends only 3 sittings; no effective initiative of ruling party to make JS functional The main opposition BNP and its key ally in four-party alliance Jamaat-e-Islami remain absent from joining the House proceedings, paying no attention to their electoral pledges ... Read more
Dhaka to do whatever needed in its interests: FM
TIPAIMUKH DAM PLAN Dhaka to do whatever needed in its interests: FM The foreign minister, Dipu Moni, on Wednesday said Bangladesh will do whatever it needed to protect its own interest. ‘Our ties with India are very significant and we will maintain the relations, upholding our national interest,’ she said in reply to a question ... Read more
New govt pay scales finalised
The secretary committee to scrutinise of the seventh pay commission report has finalised its recommendations for increasing the maximum salary to Tk 35,000 from the existing Tk 25,000 and the lowest basic to Tk 4,000 from the existing Tk 2,300. The committee finalised the recommendations at its seventh meeting held at the cabinet division with ... Read more
Information Commission formed
Commissioners appointed, but no office The government on Wednesday formed the three-member Information Commission, with retired secretary M Azizur Rahman as chief information commissioner, under the Right to Information Act 2009 that came into effect in its entirety on the day. The other commissioners are retired secretary Mohammad Abu Taher and Professor Sadeka Halim, teacher ... Read more
No possibility of withdrawal of cases against Tarique, Arafat: law minister
State minister for law Quamrul Islam on Wednesday brushed aside any possibility of withdrawal of any cases filed against BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s two sons, Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, during the military-backed interim government’s tenure. ‘There is no reason to think that the government will recommend withdrawal of cases against Tarique and Coco [Arafat] ... Read more
Political fate of Sircar, Akhter, Delwar hinges on parliament decision
JS probe committee likely to place report on July 6/8 The ‘All-Party Parliamentary Probe Body investigating corruptions during the 8th parliament’ will finalise its recommendations in connection with the graft charges against former Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, Deputy Speaker Akhter Hamid Siddiqui and former Chief Whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain on July 5 and is likely to ... Read more
Overloaded trucks ruining roads
Country forks out Tk 300cr a year on fixing damaged roads Almost all the 40,000 trucks running throughout the country carry weights more than twice the capacity, causing colossal damage to the roads and bridges. Sources at the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) said the trucks bring about severe traffic congestion, pollution and lead to ... Read more
UN begins Bhutto killing inquiry
A United Nations inquiry into the assassination of former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto has formally began. It is headed by Chile’s ambassador to the UN, Heraldo Munoz, and includes a former Indonesian attorney general and a former senior Irish police officer. The inquiry will last six months and investigate the “facts and circumstances” of Ms ... Read more
China moving fast to break unipolar
New Long March China moving fast to break unipolar world The skeptics are now convinced that China rightly embarked on the second long march in the year 1978 after successfully blending socialist political system with market economy. The historic long march brought political independence for the Chinese people and the new China emerged in the ... Read more
Khas land to be brought under housing schemes
Plan to build 4 satellite towns outside Dhaka State Minister for Housing and Public Works advocate Abdul Mannan Khan invited all local and foreign firms to invest in the country”s housing sector hugely under Public-Private Partnership (PPP), the newly-conceived development paradigm, to rid the capital city of unplanned urbanization that creates what is sardonically called ... Read more
Dhaka University turns 88
The University of Dhaka, the premier university of the country, becomes 88 years old today. Its birthday will be celebrated by colourful celebrations by the students, teachers and employees. The university will observe the day as ‘Dhaka University Day’ through colourful processions, hoisting of flags, cutting the cake, friendly football matches, debates, concert, voluntary blood ... Read more
Tipaimukh issue can be resolved thru’ talks: PM
Khaleda seeks Hasina’s assistance to send BNP team to dam site Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said the problems posed by the controversial Tipai-mukh dam project by India could be resolved through bilateral discussion . “I believe I will be able to resolve the problem through bi-lateral discussions.” She accused the main opposition BNP of ... Read more