In another blow to the government projection, the World Bank on Tuesday in a new estimate said that the country’s GDP growth would decline to 5.8 per cent in the current fiscal year. The WB earlier in October projected that Bangladesh’s growth in the current FY 2012-2013 would be around 6 per cent, much below ... Read more
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Fresh bids likely for private submarine cable
The telecom regulator plans to invite fresh bids from the private sector for the installation of a separate submarine cable to provide internet connectivity. The bidding process is set to start by the middle of the year, said Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission
UK visa application can be submitted on Saturday
The UK Border Agency in Bangladesh and its commercial partner, VFS Global, are launching a new service called ‘Prime Time’ for UK visa applicants. A release of the British High Commission said on Tuesday that the new service to be launched on January 19 and it would benefit applicants, who
Urbanisation too scary
Experts deplore rapid pace of unplanned development, fear whole country to become city state in 4 decades Urban sprawl is so rapid in Bangladesh that the entire country is going to convert into a city state in three to four decades. It is very important to introduce proper urban management to address the situation, said renowned ... Read more
4th RUET convocation on March 2
The fourth convocation of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology will be held on March 2. RUET vice-chancellor Professor Sirajul Karim Chowdhury informed newsmen of the convocation at a news briefing on the campus on Monday. The graduates were asked to register their names by February 10 to join the
Cold claims 8 more
Mercury dips further; northern region worst-hit As mercury hit 45-year low yesterday with the minimum temperature recorded at 3 degrees Celsius in Saidpur, the cold snap claimed at least eight more lives. Cold-related complications left four people dead in Lalmonirhat, one each in Jamalpur and Madaripur and two in Moulvibazar from Wednesday
26,192 primary schools nationalised
The government has nationalised 26,192 primary schools employing 104,000 teachers in the face of a movement non-government schoolteachers have carried out for two decades. The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, made the formal announcement at a rally of non-government primary schoolteachers in the National Parade Square in the capital on
Biting cold batters life
Mercury dips 45-year low; 82 deaths reported in a week; more cold spells this month A record-breaking cold spell sent the mercury plummeting across the country yesterday, with Dinajpur experiencing 3.2 degrees Celsius, the lowest in almost half a century. Many thousand people suffered badly as the persisting chilly weather with strong winds sent them ... Read more
70pc secondary schools without internet
Govt introduces ICT as compulsory subject The government has introduced information and communications technology as a subject compulsory for students of Class VI–VII from 2013 although the authorities are yet to equip about 70 per cent of secondary schools and 88 per cent of madrashahs, according to BANBEIS, with internet facilities. Officials of educational institution ... Read more
Country chilled on season’s coldest day
A cold wave is sweeping the country with the season’s lowest temperature recorded at 4.9 degrees Celsius at Ishurdi in Pabna yesterday. The Met office said mercury dipped to six degrees Celsius in most places in the northern region and 9.6 degrees in the capital. In a forecast for 24 hours from 6:00pm yesterday, the Met ... Read more
Non-food inflation doubles in ’12
Average inflation eases The non-food inflation jumped to 11.45 per cent last year mainly because of price hike of electricity, house rent and other non-food items. In 2011, the non-food inflation was 6.83 per cent, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday. According to the BBS data released on the day, the food inflation, however, ... Read more
BPL tickets on sale from Jan 13
Tickets for the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League matches will be on sale from January 13 at Airtel outlets and a selected bank, said Bangladesh Cricket Board at a press conference on Tuesday. Active Service, a business house, secured the rights for ticket sales and distribution for Tk 20 crore, said the BCB. The price was, ... Read more
Bangladesh may get $1b Belarusian investment
The Belarus government may invest $1 billion in different sectors of Bangladesh, including agriculture, livestock, finished products, food and drugs industry. A delegation of Belarus yesterday expressed their interest to utilise the country’s potential in production and preservation of milk and milk
Novoair to debut flights on domestic routes tomorrow
Novoair, a new private airline, is set to spread its wings tomorrow on domestic routes with promises of better services and competitive fares. Staring from Dhaka, the carrier will initially operate four flights to Chittagong, one flight to Cox’s Bazar and one to Jessore
Stray incidents mark shutdown
The countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal enforced on Sunday by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led opposition alliance in protest at the price hike of fuel oils partially disrupted life and businesses in the capital and other cities and towns. Police in riot gear used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up stray processions in the
7.2pc growth unlikely to be achieved: CPD
The think-tank says GDP growth may not surpass 6.32pc due to fall in investment, export The Centre for Policy Dialogue on Saturday observed that the government would not be able to achieve its target of 7.2 per cent GDP growth for this fiscal year mainly due to a decreased growth in investment, export and industrial ... Read more
Cuts in bandwidth prices on cards
The government will reduce internet bandwidth price by 62.5 percent to Tk 3,000 per Megabits per second (Mbps) within its tenure, the chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission said yesterday. People are not getting the benefit of reduced bandwidth price as there are other issues
DITF draws huge crowd on holiday
The month-long Dhaka International Trade Fair 2013 drew huge visitors on Friday, the first weekend after start of the fair. Traders expressed satisfaction due to the increasing trend of public gathering than that of the first few days. Visitors were seen in a hurry at the ticket counters to enter the fair premises on the public holiday. The traders, ... Read more
Stop them, right now
HC again asks Rajuk to stop all activities of illegal housing schemes; stays effectiveness of Ashiyan City’s DoE certificate The High Court yesterday once again directed Rajuk to immediately stop all activities of unauthorised housing projects including their filling of land, advertisements, and selling plots in and around Dhaka. In response to a writ petition, ... Read more
More climate-smart rice seeds to reach farmers this year
Bangladesh will introduce four more stress-tolerant rice seeds this year — two saline-tolerant and two submergence-tolerant — to scale up production by fighting the effects of climate change. “The seeds will make us more prepared to face the impact of climate change,” said Anwar Faruque, director general of the seed wing of the