Archive for November 16th, 2007
Friday, November 16th, 2007Hurricane Sidr swept across the country killing at least 168 people and leaving over 1000 missing as it uprooted hundreds of trees, destroyed homes and power lines across the country.Barisal Cyclone Prepared Programme office said at least 168 people were killed and more than 1000 are still missing as of 9:30am in Barisal zone. In Barisal alone at least 41 people were killed, the office added.Most casualties were caused by tress crushing flimsy homes made of bamboo and tin.However, they could not report the loss of lives in Bhola and Kolapara areas, as all communications with Barisal ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007Hurricane Sidr hit the coastal districts, particularly Khulna and Barisal, as it started crossing the country from northern Bay of Bengal last evening with high tidal surge and strong winds of over 200km per hour.Exact figure of losses of lives and properties could not be known immediately. But it was reported that one body was recovered after a boat with 15 passengers capsized in Kholapatua river near Noabeki ghat in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira. Three passengers were still missing as of 9:30pm yesterday.Hundreds of thousands of people, especially those living in coastal zone, were evacuated in the last two days.The ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007An emergency meeting of the National Disaster Management Council chaired by Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday directed all concerned, particularly the deputy commissioners of 15 districts, to take all-out preparation to face possible disaster as a powerful cyclone started lashing the coastal areas.The head of caretaker government said any lapses in government preparedness wouldn't be tolerated.In view of the emergency, the Chief Adviser's Office will remain open today, weekly holiday, for monitoring the situation of the natural calamity. The CA himself will monitor the situation and other operational activities.Leave of government officials and employees in the coastal districts ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007A large number of the people living in the coastal belt of the country, around 1.6 core, are not covered by cyclone shelters as only 19.2 lakh people can be housed in the 2,400 shelters now available for them in usable condition.Even though a typical cyclone shelter can accommodate around 800 people and a minimum of 20,000 shelters are required in the region, only 3,976 cyclone shelters were built till the mid nineties. Out of which, 1,576 were damaged by river erosion or were abandoned due to their dilapidated condition.Some of these -- located in remote and inaccessible ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007At least 67 people, including a French tourist, have been stranded in St Martin's Island as strong winds of cyclone Sidr lashed the tiny island all day long yesterday, preventing any rescue mission.Speaking to The Daily Star over telephone around 8:00 o'clock last night, Anik Barua, a tourist who went to the island on Tuesday, said powerful winds started to whip the island from midday at very high speed and gained strength throughout the day.There were reports of straw-and-tin house roofs being blown off and trees uprooted as the island's remaining residents remained trapped indoors.At least 6,000 people were evacuated ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007Amid criticism of mismanagement in fertiliser distribution, the government has decided to set up about 14,400 sales centres across the country to ensure proper delivery of it to the farmers.The farmers, however, will have to pay an additional price of up to Tk 0.50 for every kilogram of fertiliser bought from the new kiosks."Fertiliser prices at the new sales centres would be a little higher due to extra transport costs, which the district fertiliser and seeds management committee will adjust," Agriculture Adviser CS Karim told reporters at a news briefing at PID conference centre yesterday.He said the extra price ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007Chronology of major storms that hit Bangladesh in different periods since 1822.May 1822: A cyclone, accompanied by storm surge, hit Barisal, Hatiya Island and Noakhali, claiming lives of about 40,000 people.October 31, 1876: A cyclone with a storm surge of 40 ft above the normal astronomical tide hit Meghna River estuary near Chittagong, Barisal, and Noakhali, leaving about 200,000 people dead.October 30-31, 1960: A severe cyclonic storm hit Chittagong, Noakhali, Bakerganj, Faridpur, Patuakhali and eastern Meghna estuary at a speed of 210-km per hour, leaving about 10,000 people killed.May 9, 1961: A severe cyclonic storm at a ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007A special anti-graft court yesterday sentenced former state minister for power Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku to seven years' rigorous and two years' simple imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement.In default, Tuku will have to suffer another one year in jail.The BNP leader Tuku will have to serve nine years in jail, as the conviction would be implemented consecutively, not concurrently, the court ordered.The Fifth Special Court of Judge Ashraf Hossain also fined him Tk 50 lakh and directed the government to confiscate his wealth worth over Tk 2.23 crore which is disproportionate to ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said the government is committed to ensuring a business friendly atmosphere so that businessmen are not unnecessarily harassed."As part of the government initiatives for ending harassment and uncertainty in business activities, a regulatory reform committee has already started work," Fakhruddin said while inaugurating Bangladesh Apparel and Textile Exposition (Batexpo 2007) in the capital.Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) organised the three-day Batexpo 2007 at a local hotel.The chief adviser said formation of Better Business Forum (BBF) headed by head of the government is also in process to increase coordination between the government ...
(read more) Friday, November 16th, 2007Grameenphone Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anders Jensen said the telephone company might buy other cellphone operators as competition from rivals including Orascom Telecom Holding SAE intensifies.In an interview with business media Bloomberg in Macau, Jensen Wednesday said, "We are always seeking to extend our footprint." The six wireless carriers operating in the country are "two to three too many," he said.Acquiring other operators will give Grameenphone, controlled by Norway 's Telenor ASA, more spectrum as the carrier's target of adding seven million new users each year crowds the airwaves it currently holds. The company has a 61 percent share of ...
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