Other Headlines

People swarmed long-distance bus, train and launch terminals on Tuesday as city people struggled to leave for outlying areas a day before official Eid holidays begin on Thursday. People also suffered because of traffic congestion, extra fare being charged, delay in transport schedule and inclement weather.

No matter what, Eid brings no less of excitement and happiness for the poor and destitute, even if it is just a one-good-day for them. Often lost in glitzy show-offs, the spirit of the religious festival never dims even in the smallest of houses, and in the hearts of the least fortunate.

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday deferred for 24 hours the 48-hour general strike, the party had called for August 12-13, to allow the Eid holidaymakers to return their workplaces. The party’s acting secretary general Rafiqul Islam Khan in a statement said that the party would now enforce the strike in August 13-14.

Rana Plaza Collapse Eminent citizens condemn BGMEA statement Thirty five eminent citizens condemned Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Atiqul Islam for his statement saying that the collapse of a building  (Rana Plaza) was beyond the owners’ control, as it was ‘an act of God’. In a statement they claimed that it has now ... Read more

It is a small Alaskan village whose inhabitants have relied on the sea for countless generations. But within a decade, it is expected that the ocean which the village of Kivalina has so relied on will completely destroy it — creating America’s first climate change refugees. Temperatures in the Arctic region of Alaska are warming

Govt slacks on price control of 91pc drugs The drug policy, which is supposed to update the list of essential drugs, is not in sight, while the increase in the prices of drugs goes unabated as the government do not control prices of 91 per cent of the drugs that are not on the list ... Read more

The home ministry has started the process to prepare a draft of a new law for police titled the Bangladesh Police Act, 2013, for strengthening the activities of the police and making the law enforcement agency serve the people in a manner befitting the times. For preparing the draft, the ministry has formed a committee ... Read more

Inter-Ministerial Meeting on Implementation of Action Plan Labour ministry asked to recruit 200 factory inspectors by Oct 15 The government has decided to complete appointment of 200 factory inspectors by October 15 as part of action plan for regaining GSP benefits for Bangladeshi products in the US market, commerce minister GM Quader said. The government ... Read more

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the present government does not believe in the politics of vendetta, else the BNP leaders would be in jail for their corruption and misdeeds. “We deploy all our energy in the development of the country and we were voted for that purpose,” said the Awami League President while addressing a ... Read more

Ismotwara Ahmed, 25, a housewife from Dacop Bathighata, Khulna, was writhing in pain at the burns unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Her condition was critical as she had suffered 80 per cent burn injuries. Her husband put kerosene on her while she was alseep and set her ablaze, for having failed to pay

Former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Ghulam Azam on Monday appealed to the Appellate Division against his conviction for the crimes he had committed against humanity during the Liberation War and the 90-year imprisonment handed down by an international crimes tribunal. On July 15, the ICT-1 delivered the verdict against Ghulam Azam for conspiracies, planning,

Jamaat Registration Chamber judge refuses to stay HC verdict The Appellate Division on Monday rejected a petition filed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for staying a High Court verdict that declared its registration with the Election Commission as a political party illegal and unconstitutional. The vacation judge in chamber, Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik, passed the

The 72nd anniversary of the death of poet Rabindranath Tagore, who reshaped the Bangla literature and music, will be observed in Bangladesh today, the 22nd day of the Bengali month of Sraban. Tagore, the first non-European and first Asian litterateur to win the Nobel prize in 1913, was a poet, playwright, novelist, educationist, social reformer, ... Read more

Despite measures having been taken by the authorities, incidents of piracy and attack on seamen of cargo trawlers and engine boats are on the rise. Crew, boatmen, fishermen, and owners of cargo trawlers and engine boats no longer feel safe in the water territory of Bangladesh, as they

The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, and the leader of the opposition, Khaleda Zia, on Monday exchanged greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, likely to be celebrated on August 9. Prime minister’s protocol officer Sheikh Akther Hossain handed over her Eid card to assistant private secretary to leader of the opposition Mohammad Suratuzzaman at her

The cabinet on Monday formed a committee to review recommendations of the 8th Wage Board that proposed increased pay structures for journalists and press workers. The information ministry placed a draft gazette on the 8th Wage Board award at the weekly cabinet meeting for approval with the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, in

Wage, Festival Allowance 40 workers hurt in clashes with police At least 40 people, including three cops, were injured in clashes as the police dispersed garments workers who were demonstrating for immediate payment of wages and festival allowances in Gazipur and Savar on Monday. New Age correspondent in Gazipur reported that 33 people, including three ... Read more

Most of the works under the Dhaka-Chittagong Railway Development Project are running at a snail’s pace, said officials. Bangladesh Railway general manager and the project co-ordinator Mohammad Anwarul Kabir told New Age that the Tk 2,540 crore project had been approved on November 2007. The DCRDP comprises five other projects– Pahartoli Workshop Development, 11 Meter ... Read more

Referring to the recent announcement of Khaleda Zia that her party would introduce a new type of government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Sunday, said the opposition leader would indulge in corruption on this pretext. “The opposition leader will, in fact, find out a new way for corruption and run the country by opening a ... Read more

No cluster system test this year About 16,200 students, who scored the highest grade point average of 5 in this year’s higher secondary certificate and equivalent examinations, will not get seats in reputed public universities and medical and dental colleges. The government has failed to introduce a cluster system test for admission to universities in ... Read more