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
News
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
EC to urge speaker to expel SQ Chy from house
The Election Commission will write to the speaker to ask for cancellation of the parliamentary membership of Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmaker Salauddin Quader Choudhury for furnishing ‘false’ information in his affidavit to the commission as a candidate in the 2008 general elections. Election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told reporters on Monday that the EC would ... Read more
Mendis leads Sri Lanka into semi-finals
Ajantha Mendis spun out New Zealand as Sri Lanka roared into the World Twenty20 semi-finals with an emphatic 48-run win at Trent Bridge here on Tuesday. The mystery spinner grabbed 3-9 in three overs as the Black Caps failed miserably to chase down a target of 159 in a
BAF training aircraft crashes in Karnaphuli: Pilot escapes by parachute
A training aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force crashed on the Karnaphuli River channel at Patanga near the outer anchorage of Chittagong port yesterday. The lone pilot of the aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Abdullah-A-Mamun, managed to escape by parachute after the aircraft crashed,an ISPR press release said. The divers of Bangladesh Navy with the help of some ... Read more
EC moves to strip SQ Chy of MP status
Sends letter to speaker today over violation of electoral laws; membership of 3 others at risk The Election Commission (EC) will ask Parliament Secretariat today to scrap the membership of BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for suppressing educational information while seeking candidacy for the December 29 national election. “Salauddin Quader Chowdhury cannot continue as a ... Read more
Country in grip of severe power outages again
Massive power outages have hit the country again as power generation dropped and demand shot up because of sweltering heat in the last few days. Most of the Dhaka city areas are facing around six to eight hours of load shedding amid sweltering heat and humidity while other parts of the country are facing around ... Read more