The government is likely to start testing travellers for swine flu, particularly those who are coming from the newly infected countries. The decision may be enforced from tomorrow in all the three international airports of the country, and within the next seven days at the seaports, said a high official of the health and family ... Read more
News
Jalil issue: All eyes fix on Hasina
Party unlikely to take action against him All eyes are fixed on Awami League President Shiekh Hasina as to whether or not any action would be taken against party’s sidelined General Secretary Abdul Jalil for his volatile remarks made recently against some senior AL leaders as well as and some cabinet members. The government and ... Read more
Atiur made BB boss
Noted economist and Dhaka University teacher Dr Atiur Rahman is going to be appointed governor of Bangladesh Bank. Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday told journalists that an announcement in this regard might be made today. Finance ministry sources also said an order in this regard is likely to be issued today. The tenure of Bangladesh ... Read more
Public spaces are dens of criminals
Parks, gardens and other public places in the capital Dhaka have turned into dens of criminals as law and order situation there remains in the doldrums. There are around 54 parks under the DCC, a zoo under fisheries and livestock ministry and a botanical garden under the environment & forest ministry in the capital. Parks ... Read more
Grameen America gives NY women a boost
Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, known as the ‘microfinance guru’, is now doing business in the centre of capitalism — New York City. In the past year the first US branch of his Grameen Bank has lent $1.5 million, ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, to nearly 600 women ... Read more
Ruet reopens today amid tight security, restrictions
RU likely to reopen after summer vacation Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) reopens today amid tight security and restrictions imposed by the authorities on rallies, processions and activities of the student bodies. Campus sources said the students have started returning to their respective halls as those were reopened yesterday. The hall authorities are ... Read more
Consultants breach terms in preparing DAP survey report
The four consulting firms responsible for preparing a survey report on the detailed area plan for Dhaka city have breached the terms of reference in carrying out their tasks, said experts and DAP review committee report. ‘The four consultants did not make specific proposals to implement the DAP guidelines on city’s development control, which is ... Read more
Classes resume at SBMC tomorrow
Classes at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College will resume on Monday, nine days after closure of the institution. The college principal said halls of residence would reopen today. The decision was taken at a meeting of the academic council held on Thursday with Professor Syed Zahid Hossain in the chair. Thirty senior teachers attended the meeting. The ... Read more
Traders dump milk in Ctg to protest low price
Several dairy farm traders at West Patiya under Patiya upazila here poured huge quantity of dairy milk onto the street yesterday protesting low price of milk. Sources said traders of several dairy farms staged a demonstration at Shikalbaha intersection on the other bank of the Karnaphuli at around 11:00am demanding the government interference in saving ... Read more
400 women, children being trafficked every month
The rate of human trafficking, estimated at 400 per month, across the border is alarming, experts viewed at an workshop attributing the reason as lack of coordinated efforts of the law enforcing agencies. The workshop on Anti-Trafficking Interventions in South Asia was jointly organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) and Concern Universal in the city ... Read more
NGO officials sued for ‘cheating’ job seekers
Police arrested one person following a case filed with Patkelghata Police Station yesterday, accusing three officials of a so-called NGO of defrauding scores of unemployed youths of more than Tk 10 lakh. Victim Enayet Ali of village Tailkupi in Tala upazila sued Afaj Uddin Sardar, son of Ata Ullah Sardar, Dalim Morol, son of Salek ... Read more
BCL, Shibir clash at Dinajpur medical
At least four students of Dinajpur Medical College were injured in a clash between the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) on the campus yesterday. Campus sources said both sides equipped with sharp weapons clashed over taking control of the medical college campus, leaving three BCL and one Shibir activists ... Read more
Half of the 74 privatised SoEs closed down
Almost half of the 74 state-owned enterprises divested in the past were closed down that raised question about the quality of ‘so called privatisation’. A total of 74 state-owned enterprises belong to textiles, jute, manufacturing, chemicals, food, leather and banking sector were sold out since the establishment of the Privatisation Board in 1993 and thereafter ... Read more
FBCCI submits new stimulus proposals today
When the government is planning a review of stimulus, announced last week, the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry has readied a Comprehensive Economic Stimulus Package. The CESP, prepared after discussions with different export sub-sectors, has suggested a fund, titled Financial Crisis Mitigation Fund from the government and interim subsidies to pay interest ... Read more
Stocks pass upbeat week
The Dhaka market rose for a second week amid volatile trading with the key indices gaining in the first two days and declining in the rest three sessions. The benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSE General Index, increased by 45.92 points, or 1.8 percent, to 2,596.66 on a week-on-week basis. The DSE All ... Read more
Bangladesh pushes for continuing GSP
Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed has urged the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to terminate the Generalised System of Preference (GSP) review proceedings and continue to accord GSP facilities to Bangladesh to help the country develop and fight poverty. His appeal came during a hearing on GSP Facilities for Bangladesh at the USTR office in Washington ... Read more
G7 sees crisis begin to unwind by year-end
World finance officials meeting in Washington Friday said they expected the global economic crisis to begin to unwind by year-end, citing encouraging early signs of recovery. The Group of Seven major economies said the worst global slump since the 1930s Great Depression appeared to be approaching a bottom but also warned the outlook remained highly ... Read more
Pollution gets to groundwater
Study finds Hazaribagh water most contaminated River pollution around the capital has reached such a level that the groundwater system where the aquifers are recharged from the riverbeds is being contaminated, a recent study shows. In the seven months from November to April, virtually no water but only stinky mucky liquid flows in the gradually ... Read more
‘Akama’ limit for BD people eased, expatriates will vote now: Dipu Moni
PM returns home from Saudi Arabia ‘Akama’ limit for BD people eased, expatriates will vote now: Dipu Moni Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia would be able to transfer their ‘Akama’ (work permit) and join new companies from now. Besides, the Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia would franchise their voting power even staying there. Foreign Minister ... Read more
Bureaucrats under watch over political connections
Proof of allegation will spell retirement: HT Imam The government is planning to force a large number of senior bureaucrats to retire because of their alleged involvement in partisan politics, presumably in support of the BNP-Jamaat alliance. Sheikh Hasina’s administration has ordered the establishment ministry to inquire into allegations against those officials, known as beneficiaries ... Read more