Obama planning to tax wealthiest
US President Barack Obama is planning a higher minimum tax rate on the richest Americans to ensure they are taxed at the same rate as the less wealthy.White House officials said Obama would provide details of his proposal on Monday when he reveals his long-term plan to reduce the budget deficit.
Reports say the proposal is to be called the Buffe
The Security Concerns of Bangladesh
Rich in potential human resources poverty-riddled and populous Bangladesh is a relatively recent member of the ‘fractious sisterhood of nation States’. It was born in blood and fire in 1971 at the end of an armed struggle for freedom and sovereign statehood. Like numerous other developing and less developed countries of the present day world, Bangl
Happy Birthday 2011
The day was 22nd August. It was Sadwaan's birthday. The day was beautiful and weather was comfortable.we did celebrate it at Pizzanhut.
Wikileaks: US-Nato plan to defend Baltics from Russia
The US and Nato have drawn up plans to defend the Baltic nations against Russia, latest US diplomatic cables disclosed by Wikileaks show.The cables, published in the Guardian, reveal plans to expand an existing strategy to defend Poland to include Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Wikileaks is releasing hundreds of diplomatic cables, angering the U
Municipal Polls, BNP for army deployment
The main opposition BNP has demanded that the Election Commission move to deploy the army to ensure free and fair municipal polls next month.A delegation of the party raised the demand at a meeting with the commission yesterday.
“We do not claim that the present law and order is not conducive to holding elections. We still raised the demand as w
Gas search in quandary
Natural gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal is caught in legal tangles, as the law ministry has raised several questions for the energy ministry on completion of the contract awarding process to ConocoPhillips to explore the exclusive commercial zone in the Bay.Although the ministry of energy had obtained the law ministry’s clearance in 2007 whi
Dhaka may get 2-4 mayors
Dhaka City Corporation may be split into two or four parts, and elections to those are likely after that, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said.The plan will, however, be finalised in consultation with the experts, she added.
Hasina, also president of Awami League, said this at a meeting with the city lawmakers--all from the AL-led grand a
NKorea lambasts South defence chief
North Korea has lambasted South Korea's new defence chief for threatening to launch air strikes against the North and accused the South of causing "uncontrollable, extreme" tension on the peninsula.The South's Defence Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a confirmation hearing Friday that jets would bomb the North if it stages another attack like the shell
Yunus most corrupt: Hanif
A senior leader of ruling Awami League and an AL associate organisation yesterday came down heavily on Nobel Prize winner Dr Mohammad Yunus.Joint Secretary of Awami League and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif said, Dr. Mohammed Yunus was the most corrupt man which had newly been proved while an international organisati
Tight security marks hartal
The day-long countrywide hartal called by the main opposition BNP passed yesterday amid heightened security without incidents of major violence.No major violence happened during the full-day hartal that main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) enforced across the country yesterday amid heightened security. In Dhaka, opposition activists
People rejected strike, says Hanif
Terming Tuesday’s strike ‘totally unsuccessful’, Awami League central joint secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif yesterday urged the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to stop ‘destructive’ politics.He suggested the BNP to change the language of protest, claiming that the masses did not want this type of ‘issueless’ hartals. “The people
Hartal a success, claims Delwar
BNP Secretary General Khondker Delwar Hossain yesterday alleged that the 'fascist’ government is pushing the country to the verge of destruction by unleashing politics of vengeance.He said the ruling Awami League-led coalition is creating grounds for foreign conspirators to meddle in the state affairs ‘again’. Delwar claimed despite bullying by th
People have expressed no-confidence: Delwar
BNP Secretary General Khandker Delwar Hossain claimed yesterday that the people had expressed no-confidence in the government through the successful observance of the countrywide dawn -to-dusk hartal in protest against the eviction of the party chief Khaleda Zia from her cantonment residence. He warned that a tough action programme to oust the gove
Stray clashes mark hartal, 300 hurt
The main opposition BNP yesterday observed a dawn to dusk hartal that disrupted normal life across the country and caused sufferings to homebound people ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.Sporadic clashes between law enforcers and opposition supporters at different places in the country left around 300 people injured. Police arrested around 150 persons inc
ISPR refutes Khaleda's claims
ISPR said Khaleda Zia's claim that she was forced to leave the house and that her rooms were ransacked is completely false, fabricated and motivated.In a late-night release, it also dismissed the BNP chief's allegation that she and her family members were subjected to misbehaviour.
It said as the High Court's 30 days timeline to vacate the canto
AL thanks Khaleda
Asking BNP to call off today's hartal, ruling Awami League has thanked Khaleda Zia for upholding the rule of law by vacating the cantonment house.A pro-people party should not create any chaos by calling a strike just three days before the Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of Muslims, said Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AL acting general
5 people arrested in connection with bomb blasts in AL MP’s Daulatpur house
Police arrested five people from separate places early Sunday in connection with bomb blasts in Daulatpur house of Afazuddin Ahmed MP of the ruling party that left three people dead and several others injured.Afajuddin’s son Ezaz Ahmed Mamun filed two separate cases, one murder case and another under explosives act, in this connection.
Asmat Ali
'Suicide' blast at AL lawmaker's house
Three people were killed and two others were injured in a "suicide" bomb attack inside the house of Awami League lawmaker Afaz Uddin Ahmed at Taragunia in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia last night.The ruling party lawmaker from Kushtia-1 constituency survived the attack with minor injuries.
The deceased are identified as Asmat Ali, acting headmast
Forcefully, inhumanly
I feel harassed, humiliated and ashamed of the way I was thrown out of my home.This is what Khaleda Zia said, hours after the leader of the opposition was "evicted" from her cantonment house.
In an emotional ten-minute speech at her Gulshan office, the BNP chairperson told journalists that she was forced to leave all her belongings and valuables
Explosives in US-bound parcels from Yemen: Obama
Security officials in Britain and Dubai intercepted two parcel bombs being sent from Yemen to the United States in a "credible terrorist threat," US President Barack Obama said on Friday. The parcels were bound for "two places of Jewish worship in Chicago," Obama said. The Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish organisation, earlier warned of
‘SAARC Food Bank’ falling short of its objectives
With the 'Saarc Food Bank' unable to make any significant contribution in ensuring food security in the region, the dream of mounting a united fight against hunger in the South Asian region still remains distant.Although the two-day 4th Board Meeting of the 'Saarc Food Bank' concluded in Dhaka Thursday, no concrete outcomes towards ensuring region
Cholera outbreak in Haiti 'stabilising'
Health officials have said there are signs that the cholera outbreak in central Haiti may be stabilising.Although the death toll moved past 250 with more than 3,000 people infected, fewer cases were reported.
Five were detected on Saturday in the capital, Port-au-Prince, but they were quickly diagnosed and isolated.
Officials say the disease
Iraq documents release exposes ‘truth’
LONDON, Oct 24: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has defended the unauthorised release of 400,000 classified US military documents on the war in Iraq, saying they revealed the “truth” about the conflict. The mass of documents from 2004 to 2009 offer a grim snapshot of the conflict, especially of the abuse of Iraqi civilians by Iraqi security forces
NATO death toll in Afghanistan this year hits
KABUL: A NATO soldier was killed in an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, the military alliance said on Monday, bringing the death toll among foreign troops this year to 600.NATO'S International Security Assistance Force announced the death in a statement, but gave no further details. Another NATO troop was killed in a bomb blast
6 hurt in N'ganj bomb blast
At least six people were injured in a bomb explosion at a house in Fatullah of Narayanganj early Monday.Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Biswas Afjal Hossain suspected their link with militant outfit as law enforcers found three books on jihad at the tin-shed rooms of one Abdul Khalek, the scene of occurrence, in Masdair Gabtoli Natun Bazar a
Mir Kasem's link with '71 crimes found
The visiting investigation team of International Crimes Tribunal on Saturday found evidences of Jamaat-e-Islami Central Executive Committee Member Mir Kasem Ali's involvement in crimes committed during the Liberation War in Chittagong city.The seven-member team, on the last day of the Chittagong killing spots visit, led by Chief Prosecutor Ghulam
War Crimes Trial Probe team visits Ctg killing spots
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury's name yesterday came up during enquiry into crimes against humanity committed in 1971 at Raozan upazila of Chittagong.As a seven-member investigation team of the International Crimes Tribunal visited different crime scenes in the upazila to gather evidence, witnesses and victims' families
Indian lawmakers to Kashmir to try and end unrest
SRINAGAR: A delegation of Indian lawmakers seeking to defuse months of deadly civil unrest in Kashmir was traveling to the Himalayan region Monday a day after three more anti-India protesters died after being hurt during increasingly violent demonstrations.Lawmakers from all major Indian national parties were to arrive in Srinagar, Indian-control
Bombs kill 25 at Pakistan Shia march
Three bombs ripped through a Shia Muslim religious procession in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday, killing 25 people and wounding about 150 others, officials said.The explosions appeared to be the latest in a string of attacks by Sunni extremists against the minority Shias they consider infidels. Allied with al-Qaeda and the Tali
Expressway route finalised
The cabinet yesterday approved the route for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway that would run 21km from Shahjalal International Airport to Demra via Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar, and complete within December 2013.At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the cabinet reviewed a report prepared by the project's Australian consultant Aecom
A Big Confrontation is Imminent
A Big Political Confrontation Imminent?
By Robiee Hashem
According to political and intellectual groups ,Bangladesh heading towards a big confrontation and chaos following the inept handling of the national and international affairs by the ineffective and unskilled cabinet of the grand alliance government under the leadership of incumbent prime
Frame rule on importing scrap ships: HC
The High Court today will pass an order on Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association's petition seeking directives for the government to frame specific rules to regulate the import of scrap ships.After hearing on the petition yesterday, the bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain fixed today for deli
Pilkhana jawans cross-examining witnesses
The alleged mutineers of 24 Rifles Battalion on Tuesday resumed cross-examining the witnesses at the Pilkhana headquarters.The Special Court-7, headed by BDR Director General Maj Gen Md Rafiqul Islam, started the trial proceedings against 667 accused of the battalion at about 9:05am.
Sepoy Fazlul Haq was cross-examining the 20th witness till fil
Hijacked ship heads towards Somalia
The fate of 26 abductees of the Bangladeshi ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea on Sunday remain uncertain, as the Bangladesh authorities could not contact them until yesterday afternoon.The pirates did not contact any authority or make ransom demand.
MV Jahan Moni, spotted in the Arabian Sea some 1,100 nautical miles off the Soma
BNP sticks to boycott guns, JS goes to session today
The seventh session of the Jatiya Sangsad begins today amidst the main opposition's boycott of parliament.The Business Advisory Committee of parliament will hold a meeting today at 3:00pm to outline the programme of the sitting and fix its duration. Parliament will sit at 4:00pm.
Meanwhile, Speaker Abdul Hamid yesterday invited Opposition Chief
Charges against signal sector jawans read out
A BDR special court on Sunday is holding charge-framing hearing against 187 accused mutineers of signal sector of its Pilkhana Headquarters.After resuming the day's proceedings around 10:35am, Prosecutor Maj Ahsun Habib read out charges against the suspected jawans before the Special Court-8 headed by BDR Deputy Director General Brig Gen Obaidul
BNP, Jamaat may contest independently
The candidates of main opposition BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami are unlikely to contest in the upcoming municipality elections under the banner of the alliance they participate in the parliamentary polls. Talking to The Independent yesterday, BNP and Jamaat leaders hinted that they would fight on their own in the municipality polls sc
Khaleda's contempt petition dismissed
The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the contempt of court petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia against the government over the Dhaka Cantonment house, since the petition was not placed before it for hearing.After beginning today's session at about 9:20am, a three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice ABM Kha
President calls for nurturing creativity
President Zillur Rahman yesterday handed over prizes to the winners of 'Celebrating Life 2010' at an animated award giving ceremony at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.The steadfast and indomitable spirit of the country and its people echoed through jingles of patriotic melodies, classical folk dance and what turned out to be an ense
Koko indicted in absentia
A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against former prime minister Khaleda Zia's younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and a former BNP minister's son in absentia in a money laundering case.The other accused is Ismail Hossain Saimon, son of former shipping minister late Akbar Hossain.
The same court on October 31 issued arrest warrant against Koko an
Ashuganj transit deal signed
Bangladesh yesterday signed the first ever multi-modal transit with India only for carrying equipment to a power plant in Tripura.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Bangladeshi and Indian officials at the shipping ministry yesterday. With this signing, Bangladesh implemented one of the clause of the 50-point Joint Communiqué issued
Hajj today
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims poured yesterday into the camps of Mina from Makkah to perform hajj, the world's largest annual pilgrimage, today.This year's attendance is estimated at up to 2.5 million.
After sunset, pilgrims were still flooding into the vast plain of Mina, a small village about five kilometres (three miles) east of Makkah, us
Home rush goes haywire
Thousands of people flocked to the city's passenger terminals with uncertainty about their journey back home amid a dawn-to-dusk hartal yesterday, two days before Eid-ul-Azha.They were confused about the trip schedules and also anxious about street violence during hartal hours.
The main opposition BNP enforced the countrywide hartal in protest a
Nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal underway
The countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal, enforced by opposition BNP protesting the ‘eviction’ of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia from her Dhaka Cantonment residence, is underway on Sunday.BNP on Saturday announced the 12-hour hartal after Khaleda left her cantonment residence and claimed the government had forced her out.
Motorised vehicles are off the
I am evicted
Capping a long-drawn-out drama, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday left her Dhaka cantonment residence and claimed the government had forced her out.The news sent the activists of the main opposition party into an orgy of violence in the capital and elsewhere. They vandalised at least 100 vehicles and torched around a dozen.
Some 80 people we
Hearing on Khaleda's plea adjourned till Nov 29
The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till November 29 the hearing on the leave-to-appeal petition filed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia challenging the High Court verdict that had upheld the government notice asking to vacate her Dhaka Cantonment residence.The hearing on the leave-to-appeal was held from 9:30am to 10:00am when journalists were
BREAKING NEWS : BAF training aircraft crashes at Sirajganj
A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft has crashed into river Jamuna near Omarpur area of Chouhari Upazila. The plane crashed with two pilots on board around 11.40am on Saturday.
Superintendent of police Mosharraf Hossain told bdnews24.com that one of the pilots has been recovered safely.
"Search is ongoing for the other pilot," he added.
Biman pilots call off strike following PM’s assurance
Pilots of Bangladesh Biman Airlines called off their strike and returned to work Friday night."We've decided to call off the strike following assurance of the Prime Minister. We've already resumed our work tonight," Capt Shah Alam, member of the Bangladesh Airlines Pilot Association (BAPA) told UNB tonight.
The pilots and the management were in co
Food price rise looms
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has warned of a possible hike of food prices in the country following the global rise in prices of commodities.But the minister assured that the government would take all necessary steps to offset the adverse impact of the rising food inflation by providing more subsidies to expand safety-net programmes for the ultra po
Bomb kills four at Sufi shrine in eastern Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A bomb exploded at the gate of a Sufi shrine in Pakistan's eastern city of Pak Pattan on Monday, killing at least four people, police said.The explosive was planted on a motorcycle, city police chief Mohammad Kashif told Reuters by telephone. The attack was the latest in the heartland province of Punjab.
"According to initial reports,
Padma bridge gets pricier
Allaying fears of further delay in the start of work for the Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) project, Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said that it will begin in March next year, as the dispute with donors over the issue of bidding has been resolved.“The World Bank has assured to provide $1.5 billion for the country’s biggest-ever infrastruc
SQ Chy arrest rumour rebuffed
Dhaka, Oct 20: The government has denied having sent police to the residence of senior BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury on Tuesday to arrest him. Home Minister Shahara Khatun told reporters at the Secretariat on Wednesday: “I don’t know of any such report, nor does the inspector general (of police) know.
“I think no such incident took place
Commonwealth Games head sees improved conditions
A lot of work has been done in recent days to get facilities ready for the Commonwealth Games, but much work remains to be done with the international sporting event starting in just over a week, the head of the Commonwealth Games said Saturday.With criticism of the filthy athletes' village and other infrastructure problems escalating over the pa
HC scraps jail sentence of Shahjahan
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday overturned a lower court judgement that convicted former BNP minister Shahjahan Siraj and sentenced him to 13-year imprisonment in a corruption case, adjudging the conviction against him illegal.A special court, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, on April 22, 2008 sentenced Shahjahan to 13-year imprisonme
Mirza Abbas gets bail
The High Court on Tuesday granted ad interim bail for four months to former BNP minister Mirza Abbas in three separate cases filed on charges of vandalising cars and obstructing police in discharging their duties.An HC bench of Justice Syed Mohammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AMK Zahirul Hoque also issued separate rules upon the government to ex
Mahmudur's contempt of court hearing adjourned till Oct 11
The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned till October 11 the hearing on a contempt of court petition filed against detained Mahmudur Rahman, acting editor of daily Amar Desh.Two SC lawyers Reaz Uddin Khan and Barrister Mynul Hassan filed the contempt of court petition on August 17 with the Supreme Court against Mahmudur Rahman and Hasmat Ali, publi
Prisons asked to produce Sayedee Sept 21
The International Crimes Tribunal has directed the prisons authorities to produce detained Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee before it on August 24 as he was not produced yesterday due to sickness.Earlier on August 4, the tribunal ordered the authorities to produce the Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat before it yesterday. The order followed a
6 Years After Aug 21 Attack
Investigators of the August 21 grenade attack believe they will find all masterminds of the incident making a departure from the tradition of other grievous crime probes where enquiries are finished with main culprits remaining unknown."We have identified some of the masterminds of this attack and we are still hopeful that we would be able to fin
JMB active despite arrest of top brass
Law enforcers fear a backlash from Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) despite detaining the top brass of the banned militant outfit in recent months.Rab and police officials said the JMB is still a concern for them as some dedicated operatives are active in the organisation. Some of the militants have training on making high-powered explosives
Concert for Bangladesh
Jail Killing, Case More time given for retrial plea
The Supreme Court yesterday adjourned until January 9 the hearing on the petition for permission to appeal against the jail killing case verdict, granting the state counsels more time to place documents in support of their plea for retrial.The order came after Anisul Huq, principal state counsel for the case, and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam so
Brainy men 'less likely to cheat'
Men with higher IQs are less likely to cheat on their wives, concludes a new study. And, according to researchers, it is so because of evolution.
New analysis of social trends indicates that intelligent place greater value on monogamy and sexual exclusivity than their less intelligent peers.
However, boffins at London School of Economics and
Bangladesh branded as mostly vulnerable to changing climate
Germanwatch, a German based non-profit research organisation, in its Global Climate Risk Index (CRI)-2011 identified Bangladesh as one of the top nations mostly vulnerable to climate change.It did not recognise the country as one of the top 10 nations facing the most adverse impact of climate change.
The sixth CRI (Down 10) of Germanwatch was pu
PM for economic partnership agreement with Japan
OSAKA, JAPAN, NOV 30: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Bangladesh and Japan to best utilize the bilateral business relationship.Addressing a dinner hosted by Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto at the New Otani Hotel here, she said Bangladesh and Japan can embark on a glorious jour
India to build 39 km road at Ashuganj
Bangladesh and India yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to use Ashuganj port to ship heavy equipment for setting up a 726.6 megawatt power plant in Tripura. The pact will clear transportation hurdles of some 96 Over Dimensional Cargos (ODCs) to the Indian State of Tripura for setting up a gas-based power plant at Palatana. A ship
Tk 25 cr siphoned off from BIWTA
About Tk. 25 crore has been embezzled from the contributory provident fund (CPF) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), a source said. Some officials at the accounts department of BIWTA are believed to be involved in the scam. The money has been siphoned off through issue of cheques with forged signatures, according to the source.
BASIS plans e-government institution
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) plans to establish a national level e-government research, planning and monitoring institution, zeroing in on e-governance as the main component for the development of the information & communication technology (ICT) sector in the country. According to BASIS sources, the institutio
India fails to end parliamentary deadlock
ndia's government and opposition parties failed yesterday to break a three-week parliamentary deadlock over a corruption probe that has weakened the ruling Congress-party and stalled spending and reform bills."The stalemate continues," the leader of the opposition, Sushma Swaraj, said after the meeting at which she demanded the government accept
Dhaka, Ankara to take trade to $3b
Bangladesh and Turkey Sunday agreed to push bilateral trade up to US$ 3 billion by 2015.The desire was expressed during an official talk between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office Sunday morning.
According to FBCCI statistics, Bangladesh’s exports to Turkey trebled during the last four year
‘DSE immune from Asian stock crisis’
Brokers in Dhaka have ruled out a repeat of the stock market collapse that swept across Asia on Friday, November 12. Asian stock markets crashed heavily on Friday with the China's Shanghai Composite index dipping by 5.16 per cent, its biggest percentage loss in 14 months, as wary investors offloaded financial and resource counters on expectations o
Suu Kyi freed
Myanmar's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi walked free yesterday from the lakeside home that has been her prison for most of the past two decades, to the delight of huge crowds of waiting supporters.Waving and smiling, the Nobel Peace Prize winner appeared briefly to loud cheers and clapping from the thousands of people gathered for a glimpse of
Obama tells Medvedev vote on nuke pact due soon
President Barack Obama assured Russian President Dimitri Medvedev Sunday that a vote in the U.S. Senate on the new START nuclear treaty should occur when Congress returns, calling it a "top priority" of his administration."I reiterated my commitment to getting the START treaty done during the lame-duck session," Obama said. He made the asserti
PM seeks quick release of fund
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday pleaded for quick release of "International Climate Fund" as promised in COP-15 and sought UNDP's support to cope with climate change induced poverty and migrations in Bangladesh."We are anxiously waiting for operation of the "International Climate Fund" and hope COP-16 in December next would establish this
Army sues 50-60 for Rupganj violence
Bangladesh Army yesterday filed a case against 50 to 60 unidentified people in connection with the recent clashes between law-enforcers and villagers in Rupganj of Narayanganj.Aminur Rahman, a warrant officer of unit 34 of East Bengal Regiment in Dhaka Cantonment, filed the case with Rupganj Police Station around 12:30am.
The case statement clai
Woman doctor found dead in city
A woman physician was found dead at her residence in the capital's Kafrul area early Saturday.On information, police recovered the body of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital doctor Nigar Sultana Anny, 32, breaking open the door of her residence at East Senpara Parbata at about 12:30am.
Inspector of Kafrul Police Station Abdur Rashid said Nigar
Resolving the Babri Masjid dispute
I have not been able to make out why the ruling Congress has been inactive when it could have taken the initiative in bringing the two communities, Hindus and Muslims, together to discuss the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi dispute after the Allahabad High Court judgment. It has opened a window, which still remains ajar after five weeks.If the oppor
Mass protest and police action
Large-scale mass protest leading to unfortunate violence entailing loss of human lives and destruction of property and subsequent police action often bordering on the excessive has been a reality of our public life. The violence at Rupgonj resulting from the Army housing scheme land acquisition transaction in the recent past brings to the fore some
NBR non-transparency riles CAG
The auditing watchdog has asked the revenue board to address the "non-disclosure" practice by its large taxpayer unit and field level VAT offices, which are reluctant to share data with auditors.The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) office said it has raised the issue several times with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) but the board took n
Private bus operators obstruct BRTC services
Private bus operators and their associations are obstructing Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) to operate in many districts compelling the state-owned transport provider to suspend operation on different routes.The private operators have been putting barricades on roads, intimidating passengers and threatening to damage BRTC buses in m
Criminal killed in Faridpur 'shootout'
A suspected criminal was killed in a 'shootout' between Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and his cohorts at Piarpur in Sadar upazila of Faridpur early Saturday.Deceased Golzar Khan alias Kamal, 42, a resident of the district town, was accused in a number of cases including murder charges, our Faridpur correspondent reports quoting law enforcers.
The
Teacher who defied teasers dies
Mijanur Rahman (38), chemistry lecturer of Lokemanpur College here, succumbed to his injuries at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka early this morning.Rahman had sustained injuries at the hands two miscreants on October 12 noon on his way back home from college. Police had caught one of the two miscreants, Asif. A pall of
Southern China braces for deadly typhoon
HONG KONG: Residents stockpiled food and ships were ordered to dock as southern China braced for a typhoon Thursday that has already lashed the northern Philippines amid floods that have killed more than 70 people across Asia.Typhoon Megi packed winds of 140 miles per hour (225 kilometers per hour) when it struck the Philippines on Monday. Philip
Govt gives in to Cairn's pressure to sell gas to third parties
The Scottish Cairn Energy will sell gas from offshore Magnama and Hatia structures at higher prices directly to private buyers as the government has agreed to a Cairn proposal recently, top officials said.State-owned Petrobangla has refused to purchase gas from Cairn at lower rate paving the way for Cairn to sell gas to third parties bypassing Pe
UN holds key meeting on food price concerns
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) organised an extraordinary meeting in Rome sparked by global fears about high food prices, according to a BBC report.Friday's meeting was to include Russian grain executives. Moscow banned exports after its harvest was hit by drought.
Flooding in Pakistan and China has added to pressure on the mar