Foreign ministry unaware of the ‘temporary move‘ The United Arab Emirates has temporarily stopped issuing all kinds of entry permits for Bangladeshi passport holders as Dhaka has failed to resolve the UAE’s security concerns over identification and fake documents, Gulf News reports. However, officials at the foreign ministry and the Bangladesh embassy in Abu Dhabi ... Read more
Other Headlines
Ensure security of all places of worship
HC asks govt The High Court on Wednesday asked the government to ensure forthwith safety of all mosques and places of worship of other religions across the country. The court issued the order after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua had filed on
Sonali directors put blame on management
Hall-Mark Loan Scam Sonali directors put blame on management Immediate-past directors of Sonali Bank yesterday tried to wash their hands of the Hall-Mark loan scam and blamed the Tk 2,686 crore swindle squarely on the bank’s management. A four-member parliamentary probe committee held a meeting with the bank’s nine former directors for nearly three hours ... Read more
Last day of school, last day of life
It was the last day of their school life. Bappi and Sajal with seven other friends planned to do something memorable to mark the day. Accordingly, they went on a boat ride yesterday in a pond at Demra in the capital. The students went on the ride in a fish farm at Dharmik Para around ... Read more
Carjacking gang busted
Sarwar Hossain and Mohammad Jahangir had been running an organised gang that lifted more than 500 vehicles from Dhaka and elsewhere in the last 20 years. With around 25 members across the country, the gang has the expertise and equipment to engrave new numbers on the engine and chassis of a stolen
‘Please save my future generation’
The Buddha statues made of gold are lost forever. The intrinsic designs of Khadi wood are lost in the inferno. The Tripitak is lost too. But for Shreemad Satyapriya Mohathero, who had just turned 83, the loss and pain are even greater. He has lost all faith in his knowledge and reading of humanity. “Even ... Read more
166 detained in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar
Several thousand accused in 16 cases Law enforcers have so far arrested 166 people in connection with Saturday’s violence at Ramu in Cox’s Bazar that later spread in the port city. Of the arrestees, 93 were picked up from Cox’s Bazar and 73 from Chittagong, Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir yesterday told
WB to appoint external panel
Assessing Padma Graft Probe WB to appoint external panel 2 missions due this month The World Bank will appoint an external panel to assess the investigation carried out by the Anti-Corruption Commission into the corruption allegation in the Padma bridge project. Two WB missions are likely to arrive in Dhaka this month for the purpose, ... Read more
Train fares go up by 50pc
The government yesterday raised fares of both passenger and freight trains by around 50 percent in a bid to reduce the railway’s annual loss, which is currently Tk 800 crore. The previous move to increase train fares was nearly 20 years back. Bangladesh Railway (BR) until September 30 used to charge passengers 24 paisa per
Court flip-flops on Destiny
Reverses its order to freeze 252 accounts within an hour Just an hour after ordering to freeze 252 bank accounts of controversial Destiny Group and Destiny-2000 Ltd, a Dhaka court yesterday withdrew the decision. Judge (in-charge) Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Senior Special Judge’s Court ordered the freeze in the morning upon two petitions filed by
Traders beat up DB men
‘Bribery’ Over Contraband Drugs Traders beat up DB men Drug traders confined and beat up three plainclothes personnel of Detective Branch (DB) as they allegedly took bribes during a raid on some drug stores on Mitford Road in Old Dhaka yesterday. Incensed by the frequent bribe demands, several hundred traders of around 20 drug and ... Read more
Buddhist temples, houses torched in Cox’s Bazar
Buddhist monasteries, Hindu temples and households in 10 villages in Ramu of Cox’s Bazar were torched by angry Muslims since midnight on Saturday, and authorities clamped a ban on gatherings for an indefinite period to restore order. The police had to open fire on a mob at Hwaikong of Teknaf on Sunday evening as the ... Read more
Rimi wins
Gazipur-4 By-polls Rimi wins Afsar rejects results, saying polls ‘stage-managed’ Ruling Awami League candidate Simeen Hussain Rimi yesterday won the Gazipur-4 by-polls by a huge margin amid a very low voter turnout and peaceful polls atmosphere. Rimi tallied 63,401 votes, overshadowing her two rivals — Afsaruddin, her uncle and independent candidate, and Communist Party of ... Read more
Tax return deadline now Oct 31
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday extended the deadline for submission of income tax returns by one month. The deadline is now October 31, MA Quader Sarker, an official of tax administration and monitoring of NBR, said yesterday, adding, “We will in no way extend the time further.” The announcement of the time extension came ... Read more
Bangladeshi dies after ‘BSF torture’
The Indian Border Security Force once again killed a Bangladeshi unarmed civilian near the Shingnagar frontier of Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj on Sunday, a day after BSF assurance of zero causality on border. The Indian Border Security Force on Saturday reassured Bangladesh that they would continue
Illegal billboards choke port city
Thousands of illegal billboards have cluttered the port city over the years, obscuring the city’s exquisite natural landscape as the city corporation has remained indifferent to launching a demolition drive. Hoardings hide beautiful buildings, religious and historical places and parks. Many are even
Shortcut to fortune
Hall-Mark’s way of building empire with short-term loans Controversial business group Hall-Mark in wilful violation of banking rules has invested in long-term projects the money it took in short-term loan from state-run Sonali Bank. The group that began making garments in 2007 now owns 80 factories, at least 40 of which are on paper though. ... Read more
Tomatoes too adulterated
The item made off-limit to the market Almost all seasonal vegetables, including cabbages, cauliflowers, beans, radishes, carrots and spinach, are on display. But there is no sign of tomatoes. This was the picture at the Malibagh kitchen market in the capital when this correspondent visited it on Wednesday. Asked why tomatoes were not on sale, an ... Read more
Child Helpline shows the way
Dial 1098 or 027312340 to help find lost child in Dhaka The couple was frantically looking for their five-year-old child in the corridors of the launch, bound for Barisal. They realised, a little later, that their little girl went missing in the rush while boarding the launch at Sadarghat. Meanwhile back at the Sadarghat terminal, ... Read more
Dhaka under salinity threat
Greens concerned over rapid decline of groundwater level Saltwater intrusion is threatening the groundwater of the capital as the level of the groundwater has gone 170 feet below the sea level due to unplanned extraction. Along with the central region, the northern part of the country is also going to face the same problem due ... Read more