Friday, March 29, 2024

Why are ministers denouncing army inquiry report?

Sadeq Khan The representative government of Sheikh Hasina, brought to power by a landslide election victory of its grand alliance at the end of two years of emergency rule, is not yet faced with any serious civic challenge to its lackadaisical style of governance. The Prime Minister enjoys blind loyalty of a countrywide network of ... Read more

Ruling party members blamed for the trouble

RED ALERT IN GARMENT SECTOR Ruling party members blamed for the trouble Abdur Rahman Khan County’s export oriented garments industries have been facing grave uncertainty posing a threat to the vital foreign currency earnings and job opportunity of the huge female workers. It is the law and order situation that has been causing concern for ... Read more

Woman hunter kills elephant with bow and arrow

Female hunter Teressa Groenewald-Hagerman has become the first woman in the world to shoot an elephant dead with a bow and arrow. Groenewald-Hagerman, 39, she sneaked into the animals herd and killed the creature with one shot from just 12 yards. The woman, from Kansas, was inspired to go on the safari after being challenged ... Read more

Human Rights Violated by Climate Change

The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution proposed by the Maldives to hold a panel discussion on the relationship between human rights and climate change. The resolution states that “Global warming violates human rights of millions of people, especially in countries vulnerable to climate change such as the low-lying island state of the ... Read more

Bangladesh needs three-fold increase of food grain production

GLOBAL AVERAGE 2 TONS PER ACRE; OURS 0.7 Bangladesh needs three-fold increase of food grain production Abdur Rahman Khan Bangladesh has got the lowest productivity among the world’s rice producing countries. She can produce a maximum of 0.7 metric tons of paddy (not rice) per acre, against the global average of two tons per acre. ... Read more

ILO observes its 90th anniversary

Holiday desk Amid the worst financial and jobs crisis, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is marking its 90th anniversary with a series of events across the world. The week-long programme (21-28 April) of celebration was a global convergence on the common theme of social dialogue on decent work for a fair globalization in commemorative events ... Read more

A brief history of Valentine’s Day

Mohammad Shahidul Islam Every year February 14th is celebrated as a day for love, exchange of gifts, promises of eternal passion, and more. True lovers pen poems inspired by their love and admiration for the women of their dreams while others just go to shops and buy cards with verses. Students of universities enjoy the ... Read more

Mouse bites snake to death

By Matthew Moore A mouse bit a venomous viper to death after it was thrown into the snake’s cage as a lunchtime snack. The tiny rodent killed the snake after a fierce 30-minute battle, emerging with “barely a scratch on him”, according to on person who saw the fight. Firefighters in Taiwan who were looking after the snake ... Read more

India revels in acclaim for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Some see hope for change as the film, with four Golden Globe awards and 10 Oscar nominations, spotlights the desperation of slum life. By Anuj Chopra MUMBAI, INDIA – John D’souza hasn’t yet seen the much-feted film “Slumdog Millionaire.” But he is convinced the film has the power to transform his life. Mr. D’souza, a ... Read more

Closing Guantánamo: Will Europeans take detainees?

Europeans, who have long pushed to close the controversial facility, are hesitant to take some of its inmates. By Robert Marquand Paris – On no single issue has Europe been more in disagreement with America than the Guantánamo detention center. The camp was a focus of anti-US protest here, synonymous with the image of a ... Read more

‘Obama effect’ vis-a-vis Bangladesh

Sadeq Khan By classical military definition, the winner in a battle is the army that remains on the battlefield when the battle is over. The Hamas leadership in the Gaza strip still stands, suffering and resisting over three weeks of savage attacks, carnage and ruination by the mighty Israeli war machine. Israeli writer and peace ... Read more

Tracking reveals albatross habits

By Richard Black, BBC environment correspondent Research by UK scientists may prove vital in protecting the albatross. British Antarctic Survey researchers followed more than 40 grey-headed albatrosses as they flew around the world, identifying where they fed. All the birds which made a circumnavigation stopped for food in the same places. Banning harmful fishing methods ... Read more

Nepal proceeding towards a republic

Shamsuddin Ahmed Nepal is undergoing significant changes. Maoists, who came to power through an election last year, have recently adopted a political declaration to turn the country unto a people’s republic in line with China. They have started unification of left parties. Communist (Unity Centre) merged with the Maoist on Tuesday (January 13) and Masal ... Read more

Mystery of the British penguins that are marching towards oblivion

From The Times Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter An endangered species of penguin is mysteriously disappearing from a remote British island in the South Atlantic at a rate of 100 birds every day. About two million northern rockhopper penguins have vanished from Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island, part of the British overseas territory of St ... Read more

Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet: Gutsy but risky

Commentary Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet: Gutsy but risky Mahfuz Anam She promised to surprise us with her choice of the cabinet, and she did. Though the media was able to get some predictions right but generally speaking she outwitted us all. Not only in choosing the individuals but equally in giving them portfolios, Prime Minister (PM) ... Read more

The curse of Nigerian oil

Attacks on oil industry facilities and kidnappings for ransom are frequent in the creeks of the Niger Delta, which is home to Africa’s biggest oil and gas industry. The BBC’s Sue Lloyd-Roberts argues that Nigeria’s “black gold” has brought wealth to a few but fuels greed and corruption on a grand scale. After spending just ... Read more

Sheikh Hasina’s acid test

Commentary Sheikh Hasina’s acid test Mahfuz Anam The first cabinet will give the clearest sign of her promised change Two recent elections have been fought on the promise of ‘change’ — Barack Obama’s in the US and Sheikh Hasina’s in Bangladesh — and both of them received resounding endorsement from the electorate and both now ... Read more

Why the AL won and the BNP lost the election-2008

COMMENTARY Why the AL won and the BNP lost the election-2008 Mahmud ur Rahman Choudhury God forbid that I be considered pro or anti anyone. I have to start on this apologetic tone because things are so polarized in Bangladesh that people tend to see everything in black and white ignoring the shades in between ... Read more

Climate change and food security

Mahbuba Nasreen World Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO’s) recent projections to 2030 suggest that globally the share of food in average household expenditure will continue to decline. However, recent trends, at least for some commodities, appear to be showing the reverse, with food prices increasing faster than incomes. Growing scarcities of water, land and fuel ... Read more

Young women ‘have more sexual partners’ than men

Young women are more promiscuous than men, according to a survey that claims the average 21-year-old has had nine sexual partners compared with seven for men. By Martin Beckford The poll of 2,000 by the magazine More also found that one in four young women has slept with more than 10 people, compared with one ... Read more