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A worker was killed and seven others injured in a fire that broke out in a shoe factory at Islambagh of Chakbazar in the capital’s old part on Monday. The deceased was identified as Sabbir, 22, a worker of Shikder Shoe Factory. The injured workers Dipu, 14, Sentu, Sharif, Uzzal, Rubel, Shohel and Babu were ... Read more

Stock Market Investment Tk 130 crore undisclosed money legalised last fiscal year Some 70 people legalised around Tk 130 crore of undisclosed money through the stock market in the just-concluded fiscal year 2012-13, officials of National Board of Revenue on Monday said. They said money whitening facility by paying 10 per cent tax did not ... Read more

To establish the rule of law and democracy in the country, the government must come up with a specific action plan, incorporating suggestions from stakeholders on human rights issues. This was the opinion of rights activists at a national seminar on the 2nd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review on Bangladesh, organised by the Human ... Read more

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board is publishing textbooks for 2014 without reinserting the biography of renowned politician late Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani in the Bangla books for class V and VIII ignoring the recommendation of a parliamentary watchdog. The board, which is entrusted to develop curriculum and to print, publish and distribute

Ustad Alauddin Khan Legacy left in neglect The musical instruments and other articles made famous through being used by the maestro Ustad Alauddin Khan, a legendary classical musician of the subcontinent, have remained in neglect. Little has been done over the decades to ensure their preservation. Ustad Alauddin Khan, who lived between 1860 and 1972, ... Read more

An inter-ministerial meeting yesterday outlined a plan to ease the movement of homebound people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, to check traffic congestion, accidents and crimes. Lorries and covered vans will stay off the highways from four days before Eid until three days after the festival for smooth travel of home

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said the ruling Awami League has lost its balance after its defeat in five city corporation elections. “The defeat of the ruling party in the elections proved that people have no confidence in the regime. The country’s people don’t want to see them in power ... Read more

Despite several deaths in landslides every year, those camped on Chittagong’s hillside and hill-top areas continue to live in the high-risk zones, refusing to leave their homes. Since 1998, a total of 253 people have died in landslides. Steps taken by the Chittagong district administration, to shift these residents, to  safer places, have all gone ... Read more

One of the two cases filed against college student Limon Hossain, who had to have the left leg amputated after being shot at by Rapid Action Battalion personnel in Jhalakati village, was withdrawn on Monday. The Jhalakathi Speedy Trial Tribunal 2 judge, Kiran Shankar Hawlader, ordered the withdrawal of the arms case following a petition ... Read more

Large swathes of land, belonging to the Bangladesh Railways, amounting to thousands of crores of Taka, have been grabbed by illegal occupiers. Though most of the lands of the railways have been given to different social, educational and religious organisations, with licenses for a single year, the authorities concerned have failed to prevent encroachment. As ... Read more

Campaigners against genetically modified (GM) crops yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court against a government move to release Bt brinjal, a GM crop, for the first time in the country. The court is likely to hear the writ today, lawyers concerned said. The writ was filed by five green activists including an ... Read more

The results of Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations held under 10 education boards will be published on Saturday, education ministry officials said yesterday. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid will hand over a copy of the results to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 10:00am, said Shubodh Chandra Dhali, senior public relations

The High Court on Monday allowed Hajj pilgrims to fly by whichever airlines they would like to take for performing Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In response to a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Zafar Ahmad passed the order. It also issued a rule

Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority has raised water tariff by 5 percent with effect from July 1. With the increase, the new water tariff for residential consumers will be Tk 7.34 for 1,000 litres of water (1 unit) gainst Tk 6.99 previously. However, for the commercial consumers the new rate will be Tk 24.44 for ... Read more

Police Extortion From Goods Trucks HC asks IGP to report action in 72 hours The High Court on Sunday directed the inspector general of police to submit a report in 72 hours on steps they had taken to stop extortion by the police from goods transports. A bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ... Read more

Long-route bus operators expressed worries about about highway traffic management and said that the government should improve the situation to make Eid-time travel comfortable for home-goers. They said that home-goers would face problems on their way to outlying areas from the capital during Eid, likely to be fall on August 9 or 10, subject to ... Read more

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday underscored the need for putting in place a policy for both the print and electronic media to ensure their accountability. “There should be a policy… its urgent…such a policy is there everywhere in the world,” she said while distributing cheques of ‘Journalist Assistance Allowance’ to 158 injured, insolvent and ... Read more

The government in a draft guideline allowing the operation of foreign universities, their branches and joint ventures with local universities said that they could have the approval if they had floor space of 15,000sq ft. The Private University Act 2010, however, requires local private universities to have floor space of 25,000sq ft and six departments ... Read more

The Cabinet Committee on Purchase approved, on Sunday, the power division’s proposal to import 250-megawatts of electricity from India’s open market, to meet the increasing demand of electricity in the country. As per the proposal, Bangladesh wanted to buy electricity at a rate of Tk. 6.35 per unit. However, it has also to pay the ... Read more

Low in the Bay causes heavy rains across country Ceaseless shower overnight caused by a low in the Bay on Sunday took the lives of a mother and her daughter in landslide in Chittagong, marooned coastal villagers and caused water logging in the capital. Automobiles in Dhaka and Chittagong were stuck in knee-deep to waist-deep ... Read more