Parties’ Poll Expenses Reports beyond public still The Election Commission (EC) has not yet disclosed polls expenditure reports submitted to it by the political parties and candidates who contested the last parliamentary election although electoral laws make the disclosure mandatory to ensure people’s access to those. Representation of the People Order (RPO) provides that copies ... Read more
News
Russian team due tomorrow to sign MoU
Nuclear Energy Russian team due tomorrow to sign MoU A three-member Russian delegation will arrive in Dhaka tomorrow to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on peaceful use of nuclear energy in Bangladesh, science and ICT ministry officials said yesterday. The team, headed by a secretary-level official, is expected to sign the MoU the same ... Read more
RMG workers go berserk over wage
Clashes with police leave more than 50 people injured Thousands of garment workers went berserk over wage related disputes with factory owners, damaged scores of vehicles and put barricades on the Dhaka-Aricha and Dhaka-Narayanganj highways on Monday, leaving more than 50 people, including five policemen, injured. The law enforcers charged batons, and used teargas and ... Read more
Withdrawal of Ganges water by India posing threats to BD
India’s unilateral withdrawal of Ganges water is not only leading to the destruction of ecological and environmental system of Bangladesh but also posing a serious threat to its agriculture, industry and navigation. The allegation was made by speakers at a roundtable discussion on ‘India’s unilateral withdrawal of Ganges water and our role’ organised by center ... Read more
Giant Baghair caught in Jamuna
A rare-breed 105 kg Baghair (Bagarius bagarius) fish caught from the river Jamuna stole the spotlight as it was brought from Chilmari ghat in city’s Merul Badda market yesterday. “It is the largest Baghair sold in the city market in last 15 years. We bought it at Tk500 a kg and sold up to Tk800,” ... Read more
Proposed salaries to be slashed off a little
The finance ministry plans to cut 10 to 20 percent of the Pay Commission’s recommended scales for 20 grades of government employees. Sources say the ministry is now looking for ways to cut Tk 2,000-2,500 crore of the commission’s recommended expenditure for paying government employees. They said the ministry is currently examining what amount of ... Read more
Govt yet to act on rising death incidence of workers abroad
At least 8,107 expatriate workers died in 5 yrs The government is yet to act on the alarming rise in the incidence of premature deaths of expatriate Bangladeshi wage earners due to stress, on-the-job accidents and maltreatment on foreign soil. At least 8,107 Bangladeshi workers died in a number of countries, especially in the oil-rich ... Read more
Yet another HC bench feels embarrassed
Chief Justice constitutes new bench to hear Khaleda’s writ petition The hearing on the writ petition filed by the former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the legality of the government notice to asking her to vacate the Dhaka Cantonment house could not be held yesterday as the third bench of the High ... Read more
Wazed laid to rest with state honour: Thousands attend janazas, funeral function
Noted nuclear scientist Dr M A Wazed Miah and also the husband of the Prime Minister, was laid to rest at his family graveyard in Fatehpur village in Pirgonj of Rangpur with the tears of thousands of well-wishers. He was buried with state honour at 3:00p.m. Three Namaz-e-janazas were held. The first Janaza was held ... Read more
Hasina-Khaleda embrace sparks hope in the people
People want amiable relations between the two top leaders Political arch-rivals Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia should maintain regular social relations instead of making occasional gestures in order to improve political culture here, said members of the civil society including singers, development activists and researchers. An amiable relationship between the two top politicians will be ... Read more
Morshed Khan sent to jail upon surrender
A Dhaka court yesterday sent former foreign minister M Morshed Khan to jail after he surrendered to the trial court in connection with graft case. Morshed Khan was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 13 years jail term and fined Tk 10 lakh. The court also asked the government to attach his illegally earned wealth ... Read more
BDR probe body takes more time to report
Deadline expires today The government probe committee formed to investigate BDR rebellion and massacre of army officers at Pilkhana BDR headquarters may take a few more days to submit its report, the deadline for which expires today. “We are very close to finalising the report and it may take three to four more days to ... Read more
DCC sitting on billboard mess
Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has failed to take any effective measures to prevent random installation of advertising hoardings, mostly illegal, posing serious risk to city dwellers, especially during storm. Only in the last week, three billboards collapsed in different parts of the capital. On May 6, a young man died and three others sustained injuries ... Read more
Warid seeks partnership
Warid Telecom, the fourth largest mobile phone operator, is on the lookout for a partner to raise fresh capital for investment in the next phase of operations in Bangladesh. Warid made its Bangladesh debut as the sixth mobile operator in May 2007 and has bagged 2.5 million subscribers until March 09. Partnership is crucial to ... Read more
New avenue emerges to boost plastic-ware export
When the country’s major export earning sectors are showing downward trend owing to the impact of the current global financial crisis, plastic sector shows a significant export potential. The sector sets on the 12th row of the country’s export earners’ listing with an earning of Tk 1,200 crore annually, is going to get a boost ... Read more
Footwear exports buoyant
Industry leaders say growth may not sustain in recession Footwear exports have marked a 20 percent rise during July-March this fiscal year, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics show. The country fetched $144.69 million from exports of the item in nine months, a sharp rise from $131.52 million in the July-February period. However, the industry leaders ... Read more
TeleTalk to get Tk 2,000cr development fund
The government has finally paid heed to struggling TeleTalk’s cry for development fund. A Tk 2,000 crore will soon be allocated for the state mobile phone operator to reach out its network to additional 55 lakh customers in the next couple of years. “The fund will be spent for adding 55 lakh customers to our ... Read more
Former finance adviser suggests diesel price cut
Former caretaker government adviser Akbar Ali Khan has suggested the government reset diesel price in line with the global market and increase allocation for infrastructure by reducing spending on unproductive sector in the upcoming budget. The government should consider it with priority to reset the price of diesel in the budget, he told a roundtable ... Read more
Noted nuclear scientist Dr M A Wajed Mia passes away
Noted nuclear scientist and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s husband Dr M A Wajed Mia passed away at the city’s Square Hospital yesterday afternoon at the age of 67 following protracted illness, hospital officials said. “He passed away at 4.25 pm on Saturday,” Square Hospital director Dr Sanwar Hossain
Fresh plan to replace job scheme with lesser coverage
Economists term the move unwise After dithering over the 100-day employment generation scheme for about three months, the Awami League-led government is set to replace it with a programme of lesser coverage — a move that economists term a backward journey in view of the necessity of wider coverage of areas and population. Sources in ... Read more